Arrival in the nick of time

Arrival in the nick of time

The aged figure standing beside Chu Tianjiao shifted his gaze toward the second platform and said, "Let's begin the battle on the third platform first."

The Jun Lin Banquet was the grandest event in Chu, and it would be a shame if anyone missed it. The old man was willing to grant Qin Wentian some more time in the hope that he would arrive in time.

"The first battle: Orchon versus Hou Tie," announced the aged figure as Orchon and Hou Tie faced off against each other.

Orchon gripped a long spear in his hand, and his Astral Soul manifested, giving him an aura as sharp as the spear he held. He raised his spear, pointing it directly at Hou Tie. In an instant, spear light erupted as he stepped forward, his aura becoming increasingly sharp and intense.

Hou Tie, on the other hand, was not one to be outdone. He summoned both of his Astral Souls into existence.

His first Astral Soul took the form of a Heavenly Ox, while the second appeared as a White Tiger. Both of his Astral Souls belonged to the beast-type category, a choice influenced by the harsh environment of the Godly General Martial Palace.

The Godly General Martial Palace was situated deep within the Dark Forest, isolated from other martial academies. Their daily training consisted of foraging in the wild and hunting demonic beasts for survival. Every student had been tempered by these brutal training methods, facing off against various types of demonic beasts in the Dark Forest, where defeat often meant death.

In such an environment, most cultivators in the Godly General Martial Palace preferred beast-type Astral Souls. To them, these Astral Souls were the most suitable and powerful.

Hou Tie emanated an immensely violent aura. His every step made the ground tremble, and his red eyes struck fear into the hearts of the spectators.

However, Orchon's aura remained undiminished. As he advanced, his monstrous aura grew even more intimidating, and a terrifying spiral appeared before him.

Suddenly, Orchon lunged forward, thrusting his long spear like a streak of light, creating ripping sounds in the air as if he intended to tear the very fabric of reality.

Boom! Hou Tie responded by punching forward with his fist, meeting Orchon's sharp spear head-on. Several in the crowd couldn't help but narrow their eyes in astonishment. Wasn't this a display of extreme arrogance? Confronting a deadly spear with bare fists was a bold move.

Hou Tie unleashed his innate technique, causing an unmatched strength to shake the long spear, making its body shudder.

Simultaneously, a cold gleam burst forth from the spearhead, aimed directly at Hou Tie's eyes.

Hou Tie bellowed with anger, charging forward like a raging beast. His palm strikes carried the ferocity of a demonic creature, combining immense power with an aura of violence.

Orchon remained as composed as ever. Hou Tie's formidable strength didn't shake him in the slightest. His expression stayed unperturbed, emanating an air of imminent danger.

On the Jun Lin Banquet stage, one had to be ready for every battle.

Orchon extended his left palm, sending forth tens of thousands of spear lights in all directions. Hou Tie roared, and their attacks collided with tremendous force.

They chose to confront each other head-on with strength.

Moments later, both combatants were enveloped in a layer of terrifying energy. The atmosphere pulsed with a fearsome aura as the sharp sounds of a spear and the howls of a demonic beast echoed through the air. No one had anticipated that Hou Tie would be this strong, able to fight Orchon to such an extent.

"It's time to end this," Orchon calmly declared. A column of spear light unfurled like a lotus, breaking through Hou Tie's attack and defense, piercing directly into his arms and forcing Hou Tie to retreat in defeat.

Unable to secure a top-three ranking, Hou Tie decided to vie for the 4th to 6th positions instead. It wasn't worth continuing the battle and risking serious injury.

After a brief respite, the second battle began: Hou Tie versus Gu Xing.

This battle lacked the finesse of the first. Hou Tie and Gu Xing were both wild and unleashed their full power from the start.

Their violence left spectators speechless. Were they not concerned for their lives?

Even Hou Tie was bewildered by this, sharing the platform with such a lunatic. Initially relieved that his group didn't include Luo Qianqiu or Sikong Mingyue, he now faced a different challenge. Losing this fight meant he could only compete for the 7th to 9th positions. Against someone as unpredictable as Gu Xing, he couldn't afford to lose.

Both fighters engaged with reckless abandon. Finally, Hou Tie defeated Gu Xing, but at the cost of depleting all his Astral Energy. He promptly sat down on the platform, using Yuan Meteor Stones to replenish his energy.

If the next fight was as intense, he might have to concede. Fortunately, towards the end, Gu Xing seemed to ease up a bit, not risking his life, giving Hou Tie a narrow victory.

"Gu Xing could have continued, but he chose to give up. It's as if he had a different purpose for participating in the Jun Lin Banquet, not solely for the rankings," the spectators whispered, puzzled by Gu Xing's intentions. Nonetheless, a loss remained a loss.

The third group's rankings were revealed: Orchon secured first place, Hou Tie followed in second, and Gu Xing claimed the third position.

Only one more group remained, yet Qin Wentian was still conspicuously absent.

"Sikong Mingyue, you'll face Chu Chen," the aged figure declared.

"I concede," Chu Chen chuckled, leaving the spectators dumbfounded. But upon reflection, it was a shrewd move.

Chu Chen seemed to want to conserve his strength. Without Qin Wentian, he'd automatically secure the second spot. In this case, he could vie for the 4th to 6th positions. If he managed to grab 4th place, he'd have a chance to challenge Orchon and contend for one of the top three positions. After witnessing the skills of 2nd Sword and Hou Tie, Chu Chen wasn't taking any chances. Thus, he chose to concede to Sikong Mingyue.

"Although conceding is often seen as a disgrace, Chu Chen has made a wise choice," spectators whispered, recognizing Chu Chen's intelligence.

"In that case, for this group, Sikong Mingyue will be ranked first, and Chu Chen will be second."

The aged figure proceeded to announce the results. It seemed that Qin Wentian had opted to miss this round.

"Next, Luo Qianqiu, Sikong Mingyue, and Orchon will proceed to the first towering platform to determine the top three positions."

"Second Sword, Chu Chen, and Hou Tie will go to the second towering platform to contest the 4th to 6th positions."

"Luo Huan and Gu Xing will compete for the 7th and 8th positions on the third towering platform. Any questions? If not, let the battles begin."

The aged figure concluded, revealing the final rankings and intensifying the audience's anticipation. Even without Qin Wentian, the upcoming battles promised to be captivating.

"Qin Wentian, you rascal!" Fan Le lamented. He had held such high hopes for Qin Wentian, but why hadn't he shown up? How could he disappoint them like this?!

If Qin Wentian had fought, Fan Le wouldn't have minded if he didn't make it to the top three.

Many people felt regret for Qin Wentian. The academy's elders, as well as those from the Mo Clan, Mu Clan, and Divine Weapon Pavilion, all sighed inwardly.

"I saw Qin Wentian yesterday," a faint voice suddenly spoke from within the crowd, capturing the attention of those around.

"Yu Xuan, is what you're saying true? Where is Qin Wentian now?" one of the academy's elders inquired, spotting the girl among the onlookers.

"I saw him when I returned to the academy," the shy young girl replied, feeling somewhat nervous under the elders' scrutinizing gazes.

"Qin Wentian... I saw him walking out from the 6th level of the Astral River Hall," Yu Xuan whispered timidly, and an immediate hush fell over the entire Chu Emperor District.

Qin Wentian walked out from the 6th level of the Astral River Hall?

Even those not affiliated with the Emperor Star Academy knew of landmarks like the Heavenly Star Pavilion, Astral River Hall, and the Dreamsky Forest. Unless they weren't from Chu, they would've heard of them.

For those familiar with the Astral River Hall, they grasped the significance of Qin Wentian supposedly reaching the 6th level.

"Are you joking?" a cold voice cut through the silence. Qiu Mo, a Yuanfu Realm student, rose from his seat. The Banquet had reserved seats for students of his rank.

"That time in the Astral River Hall, he only made it to the 4th level, right? You're saying he came out from the 6th level? Even all the elders present here today have never reached the 6th level." Qiu Mo skeptically challenged. "Yu Xuan, this is not the place for your nonsense."

The audience nodded in agreement. Qiu Mo's logic was sound. How preposterous were Yu Xuan's claims? Even if she'd said he reached the 5th level, they would've still found it hard to believe.

"I saw it with my own eyes," Yu Xuan blurted out, her face reddening with anger in response to Qiu Mo's skepticism.

"What an ignorant girl," Qiu Mo retorted with a cold snort. "Did you personally reach the 5th or 6th level to witness this, too?"

"No, but..."

"Since it's a no, then shut the heck up," Qiu Mo shot back icily. "You have no right to talk at the Jun Lin Banquet. Get lost."

Yu Xuan seemed like she still wanted to argue, but Qiu Mo's blunt response silenced her, and she retreated into the background.

"Since you recognize that this is the grand stage of the Jun Lin Banquet, what gives you the right to speak?" Another voice suddenly chimed in, causing the crowd to turn and glimpse the speaker's identity. Stepping out from the crowd was a young man, accompanied by a snowy white puppy.

It was none other than Qin Wentian. His arrival brought smiles to many faces in the crowd.

Qin Wentian had finally made his appearance!

"You nearly gave me a heart attack," Fan Le said, patting his chest with a sigh of relief. "This guy sure knows how to make an entrance."