Chapter 523: Chapter 342: Embarrassed to Death! [End of the month, asking for monthly passes!]_2
"Shijiu has practiced cultivation for a long time, only then can his Qi be restrained into his bones, with spirit and energy growing mutually. His technique is vicious, on the surface attacking a person’s True Qi, but actually striking with fingers on palms. Under the cover of True Qi damage, he harms a person’s five internal organs and six hollow organs. By the time it’s noticed, it’s already too late!"
"Junior Brother!"
"Retreat quickly!"
Yan Chuan originally wanted to explain in detail the battle between these four Grandmasters, and to harvest a wave of "Mutual Teaching and Learning", but Chen Ze and Huang Wuniang turned the tide quickly after a few exchanges, clearly not opponents for the two Great Grandmasters of Zongyang City.
Shijiu’s Ghost Axe is sinister!
Panjiang Divine Fist is fierce!
Chen Ze is newly ascended to Innate!
Huang Wuniang just started learning "Golden Snake Swordsmanship"!
The two showed fear immediately after a prolonged battle, clearly not opponents.
Meanwhile in Zongyang City—
"Kill!"
A team of elite soldiers charged on horseback, heading straight for Yan Chuan and others.
"Set up a ring!"
"Is it necessary?"
Yan Chuan was helpless. His first stop for setting up a ring was chosen outside Zongyang City, but the reaction of Zongyang City was more intense than Yan Chuan expected. Before any matches were even fought, the two Great Grandmasters of Zongyang City had both taken action, not giving any chance at all.
Enough Enough Enough!
Retreat Retreat Retreat!
"Junior Brother!"
"Mother-in-law!"
"Let’s go!"
Yan Chuan called out to Chen Ze and Huang Wuniang, turned and ran with Wei Lingshan and other Heavenly Prides, leaving first.
As for Chen Ze.
As for Huang Wuniang.
Even though the two couldn’t defeat the two Innates of Zongyang City, they themselves were also Innates. Unable to win but able to escape, there was no need to worry.
Running all the way.
Indeed.
When Yan Chuan and others had just run out thirty to forty miles, Chen Ze and Huang Wuniang, moving later but arriving earlier, had already caught up.
...
Zongyang.
Sky Peak.
Wan Jiao.
Yan Chuan and others set up three rings in a row over three days, but all had the same fate of failure before even starting. Just as the arena was set up, the Innate Grandmasters from the cities came and overturned it, giving no chance at all.
On the third of August.
Several dozen miles outside Wan Jiao City, Yan Chuan and others fled again.
Peng Fannian held the Judge’s Pen, with a bitter smile on his face: "Setting up a ring to challenge the experts in the major cities, that idea is good. But the situation within Tan Valley King City’s realm is delicate now, each city is sensitive, giving no opportunity at all!"
Yan Chuan shook his head. Peng Fannian could see it, and of course, he could see it too.
If it were the usual time, during a peaceful period, Yan Chuan wouldn’t just set up a ring outside small cities like Zongyang, Sky Peak, and Wan Jiao, he almost wouldn’t encounter disturbances from Innates even if he set up a ring outside the King City.
But now is different from before.
With Tan Valley King City destroyed by a meteor, the situation in Tan Valley Realm is in chaos, reshuffling with cities as the unit, preparing for large-scale development, preparing for inheriting the King City status of Tan Valley King City.
During this time, a little movement can trigger the sensitive nerves of each city.
Set up a ring?
What is the purpose of challenging the experts in the cities at this time?
Is it espionage?
Or is it a defection attempt?
There is no way to judge.
So, cities like Zongyang City, Sky Peak City, Wan Jiao City, simply don’t guess, just overturn the tables directly, no matter if you are espionage or attempting defection, giving you no opportunity at all.
Thus, Yan Chuan’s well-planned ideas of ’setting up a ring’, ’challenge’, and ’Mutual Teaching and Learning’ ended before they even started.
Of course, all this ultimately boils down to—
"The strength of these two Innates, Chen and Huang, is too poor. Three cities and nine Grandmasters, not a single one they could beat?!"
Wei Lingshan was speechless!
...
"Senior Brother, it’s my weakness."
Chen Ze came just in time to hear Wei Lingshan’s disdain, he couldn’t bother to argue with her, looked at Yan Chuan with guilt.
He was very clear that if he could suppress the opposing Innate, forcing them unable to disrupt and even dare not to make a move, Yan Chuan could safely set up the ring and challenge.
But he was too weak.
Though he had Seventh Realm "Jade Maiden Pure Heart Swordsmanship", having just recently broken through for a little over a month, the realm had just stabilized. Compared to the old Innate Grandmasters of the Mountain and Sea Realm cities, there was an absolute difference in hard strength, clearly not opponents, struggling to even hold on.
Completely unable to suppress the opponent.
Not only Chen Ze.
Huang Wuniang was the same: "We martial artists from Great Yan, without bloodline support, naturally fall short in terms of combat power at the same level compared to this side of the Mountain and Sea Realm."
Huang Wuniang also admitted her skills were inferior.
The Traveler Department ranked her thirty-fifth on the "Heavenly List", which was really not undeserved.
However—
The "Golden Snake Secret Manual" is profound and extensive, through these practical battles, I have gained much Experience, after two months, fighting those ’Ghost Axe’, ’Meteor’, shouldn’t be as disgraceful as before."
Huang Wuniang, after all, being older, especially in front of Yan Chuan and a group of juniors, needed to save more face. Having been defeated three times in three cities over three days, she was extremely embarrassed and angry inside. At the moment, unable to face Yan Chuan and others, especially Yan Chuan, she immediately cupped her fists towards him: "I will return to the King City first, after two months of closed-door cultivation, I will await the City Lord’s orders!"
Having said that.
She leapt away!
Consecutive defeats, so humiliating!
...
"Mother-in-law—"
Yan Chuan wanted to retain her, to comfort her with a few words, but she left without turning back, disappearing without a trace.
"Alas!"
Yan Chuan was helpless.
It seems this time has dealt a significant blow to this old lady. Indeed, though she was Innate, encountering six Innates in three days, without defeating any, who wouldn’t feel frustrated?
Even Chen Ze, such a young Grandmaster, couldn’t avoid it, let alone Huang Wuniang.
"No matter."
Yan Chuan smiled at Chen Ze: "The old lady is just delayed by the era, but being able to ascend to Innate in the old era, her aptitude is no worse than ours. Give her two months to master the "Golden Snake Secret Manual", her strength can at least improve by thirty to fifty percent."
Although Huang Wuniang is getting older, having recently acquired the "Golden Snake Secret Manual", the potential for short-term improvement is actually not small.
It’s also because Yan Chuan acted too hastily.
If he waited a little longer, two more months, until Huang Wuniang completely mastered the "Golden Snake Secret Manual", before setting up a ring again, it wouldn’t be certain that the old lady could secure a victory over ’Ghost Axe’, ’Meteor’, and others, but at least she wouldn’t lose as disgracefully as now.
And with Chen Ze.
With another two months of consolidation and progress, there would be more confidence in confronting the old innate experts and alien race Grandmasters.
Now.
At this moment.
It is ultimately too hurried.
Ban Xianfu looked at Yan Chuan: "Brother Yan wants to use the arena combat to temper himself, seeking breakthroughs in real combat?"
"Not aiming for breakthroughs, just hoping for some progress."
Yan Chuan shook his head.
He had several considerations for setting up a ring outside the cities, one was to understand the details of cities like Zongyang through the arena, another was to make his name known, really integrate into Tan Valley King City, and the third was to verify martial arts through combat with martial artists of the Mountain and Sea Realm, "Mutual Teaching and Learning"!
Of which the third was the focus.
Hence Yan Chuan not only came himself but also rallied Ban Xianfu, Wei Lingshan, and other Heavenly Prides to come together.
After all, Yan Chuan’s real purpose for setting up a ring was for "Mutual Teaching and Learning", the more defenders, each Heavenly Pride with their own specialty, and different Heavenly Prides confronting different experts from cities like Zongyang, would inevitably spark various and diverse sparks.
Yan Chuan would then take the opportunity to explain and hold martial arts lectures, certainly plentiful gains.
And for Situ Fei, Wei Lingshan, and other Heavenly Prides, challenging experts in the Mountain and Sea Realm can help them verify their martial arts and broaden their knowledge, which is beneficial to them as well.
It could be said to be a perfect match.
But as a result, because our side’s Innate was inferior to theirs, although the plans were beautiful, it ended in failure, a futile effort.
Wei Lingshan took the chance to suggest: "If you want to progress, breakthrough through real combat, instead of laboriously setting up rings outside various cities, why not team up to explore the ’Underground City’, the world within the ’Underground City’ is mysterious and unpredictable, full of real combat, opportunities, and life and death crises. When will endless training reach its end? For us, the ’Underground City’ is the first choice for proving Dao!"
Wei Lingshan’s words, coarse but not unreasonable.
Everyone present were the top Heavenly Prides of Great Yan, among the few experts below Innate, they had various information, exchanged insights, and on top of that, through the "Heavenly List" elaborating on the proving Dao routes of the Innate Grandmasters, each had a clear understanding of how to prove Dao to Innate.
For example, Ban Xianfu—
...