C28 Ninth

As the three great families became more and more obvious to help each other, the City Lord's Mansion side became more and more furious. Even someone as calm as Zhihuo had a layer of frost on her face.

"Number 9, go on stage!" The voice of the deacon sounded from the battle stage.

"Brother Hong Ling, now, it's your turn!"

Lian Chengyu smiled at Hong Ling. As matters stood, he no longer held any hope for the upcoming Heavenly Desolate Martial Tournament.

Although Zhihuo was very strong, it was still unknown whether he could successfully pass the joint attacks of the three great families.

Other than Zhihuo, the people from City Lord's Mansion still had to face the other experts from the three great families. This was almost an inevitable loss.

Hong Ling nodded his head and lightly walked into the battle stage. He casually took out a refined steel sword from the weapon rack and looked at the cultivator in front of him. It was a youth of only seventeen or eighteen years old.

"Middle stage of the Essence Refinement into Qi!" Hong Ling let out a long sigh, he never thought that his opponent would be so weak.

He had originally thought that he would be able to meet a cultivator at the late stage of Essence Refinement into Qi or great perfection, and with this, he would be able to directly eliminate the opponent and relieve the pressure on the side of City Lord's Mansion.

"Is there no one else on your City Lord's Mansion? Send a little kid to fight with me!" The youth raised his spear and pointed it straight at Hong Ling, his tone filled with an arrogant aura.

Hong Ling grinned, the sword in his hand was also raised high, to the point of confrontation with the youth.

"To deal with a bunch of useless people, why would we need to use any other experts!"

The longsword in the youth's hand instantly exploded forth with a dazzling spear light, and his eyes were filled with killing intent.

"Rookie dog?" It's really funny, I never thought a little kid would call me the third young master of a Wan Family a chicken and a dog. Ah, it's fine, you are just trash watching the sky, how do you know the ambitions of my children? Listen carefully, the one who defeated you today, was the third young master of the Wan Family, Earth Profound Spear Wan He! "

Seeing that he was talking passionately, Hong Ling yawned and lightly flicked his finger on the steel sword. Ding.

"You're done?" He narrowed his eyes, "Since you're finished, then let's fight!"

Wan He saw him yawning, then playing with his sword to cheer himself up, and a burst of anger instantly appeared on his face. It was like showing off a diamond in front of a beggar, but that beggar was only interested in the chicken leg in his hand, which made him feel extremely humiliated.

As the third young master of the Wan Family, he had been the center of attention ever since he was young. Who didn't treat him courteously? Who didn't envy his tyrannical cultivation base at such a young age? However, the youth in white in front of him, this lowly commoner, actually dared to ignore him.

"How dare you ignore me!" He roared.

Hong Ling grinned, and the long sword in his hand was instantly covered with a layer of faint sword light.

"So what?!" His figure flashed, and with a hum, the sword in his hand viciously chopped down at Wan He.

Wan He was startled. He was preoccupied with the impassioned effort to build up his momentum, so he didn't expect that the match's gong had already rung. What was even more hateful was that this youth's tone didn't even have the slightest bit of respect for him.

It could even be said that his lungs were about to explode. In a moment of desperation, he could only instantly raise his spear to block Hong Ling's steel longsword, but with a dang sound, he was actually sent flying far away by the huge force.

"Despicable scumbag, do you dare to announce your name? I don't even know your name after defeating you!"

Hong Ling grinned. As matters stood, this boring Third Young Master of the Wan Family was actually asking for his name in a daze.

"You don't need to know my name. At the end of the competition, even without me saying it, you will know!"

Once Hong Ling finished speaking, his figure flashed and once again appeared in front of Wan He. The longsword in his hand was like a rapidly falling waning crescent moon as it ruthlessly slashed at the body of this person's iron spear.

"Arrogant! A mere commoner like you dares to boast until the end of the competition. Do you really think that we, the children of influential families, are just decorations!?"

Wan He was furious. He didn't think that this youth would actually be so ignorant and not know how to respect them. He actually wanted to provoke the authority of the three great families.

If Lian Chengyu had personally said such words, it would be alright. However, Hong Ling, a mere cultivator who represents his City Lord's Mansion, where would he get the confidence to do so?

Hong Ling smiled slightly, a dark golden flowing light instantly condensed in his eyes. "In fact, I really do think of you as the disciples of the three great families. You're just a decorative vase, what can you do to me!"

This time, he used a bit of sword intent and instantly cut the steel spear in two, and the tip of the long sword cut a half inch long and narrow wound on Wan He's body.

Wan He screamed out, and instantly threw away the two swords in his hands. He wanted to surrender, but how could Hong Ling, who had been angered by the three great families, allow him to do as he pleased?

Hong Ling ruthlessly kicked the chest of this person, the longsword in his hand was instantly thrown out by him, and caught up with Wan He who was flying backwards in the air. He pierced through his lower abdomen, and nailed him to a huge drum near the edge of the battle stage.

A miserable scream finally came out, as Hong Ling quickly bent his body down, picked up two pieces, and threw them fiercely at them.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh! The two halves tore through the air and pierced through Wan He's shoulders, nailing him firmly onto the enormous drum and making him unable to struggle anymore.

At this moment, Wan He had fainted from the pain. Scarlet blood dripped from his feet to the ground.

"Honored deacons, I think, I should have won!" Hong Ling shyly asked the four attendants who were stunned.

"This match, City Lord's Mansion, Hong Ling wins!"

Hong Ling clapped his hands, he slowly walked down the battle stage and returned to Lian Chengyu's side before sitting down.

"Young Master, you shouldn't be disappointed, right?"

Lian Chengyu looked at the smile on Hong Ling's face. For some reason, his heart actually trembled slightly, but he quickly tossed this thought to the side. As long as this youth was on his side, it would be enough.

Lian Chengyu said three words in a row, "Brother Hong Ling, you have truly exceeded my expectations. I had thought that you and Wan He would have a fierce battle, but who would have thought that it would be settled in an instant.

Lian Chengyu and Hong Ling were chatting casually, but the Patriarch of the Wan Family had a gloomy expression as he stared at the young man in white beside Lian Chengyu.

"This damned little bastard actually dared to deal such a heavy blow to Wan He, how would he dare!"

He had just checked Wan He's injuries. Although his cultivation hadn't been crippled, his entire body's bones had been broken by a tyrannical force. If he wanted to recover to his peak condition, it was impossible to do so in half a year!

He turned around and looked at the eighteen to nineteen year old youth behind him, his eyes filled with a baleful aura.

"Wan Hong, you are a cultivator with the great circle of Essence Refinement into Qi of my Wan Family, when you go on stage, if you meet anyone with City Lord's Mansion, do not hold back, I want to let these people know, offending my Wan Family will not end well!"

Wan Hong, who was dressed in black, bowed slightly, a sinister smile on his face. At that spot, a terrifying knife scar extended from his right eye all the way to his upper lip.

"As you wish, Father!"

Hong Ling was still seated on the stage, carefully watching the battles below, but the more he watched, the more gloomy his heart became.

In the entire City Lord's Mansion, as matters stood, apart from him and Zhihuo, there was actually no one else who had successfully passed the examination. No matter what level the cultivator was at, they would meet the strong resistance of the three great clans.

Lian Chengyu's face immediately became gloomy, he never thought that the three great families would be so crazy, even if it meant heavily injuring one of their own, they would still want to beat up one of his people.

One of his late stage Essence Refinement into Qi cultivators had actually had his limbs crippled by Wan Hong of the Wan Family. At this moment, he was trying to save the rest of them from defeat within the City Lord's Mansion.

When the first round of battles finally finished, only three people from the City Lord's Mansion side qualified. Out of the remaining seventeen people, five were from Wan and Zhang Families respectively, and seven were from the Zhou Family.

Lian Chengyu's eyes were filled with rage. According to his estimations, there should have been at least five people that qualified on his side, he never expected that there would only be three left.

Amongst the three of them, besides Hong Ling and Zhihuo, there was another cultivator at the late stage of Essence Refinement into Qi called Lian Chengyue, Lian Chengyu's cousin.

"Zhihuo, Yue'er, Hong Ling, I'll leave the rest to you guys!" Lian Chengyu sighed, and said somewhat helplessly.

In the end, he was still too young, and his schemes were far inferior to the Patriarchs of the three families, so he had no choice but to admit defeat.

But he was not without hope. Amongst the three great clans, besides the three people who had completed the Essence Refinement into Qi, there were still two cultivators at the late stage of the Essence Refinement into Qi. To the three people in front of them, the remaining cultivators were not difficult to deal with.

As long as Hong Ling and the other two can win in the next round, it was possible for them to continue advancing forward. Although this chance was slim, to Lian Chengyu, it was like the last straw of hope.

Hong Ling and the other two nodded, they left the stage and started drawing lots again. In the second round, they would no longer be facing ordinary opponents, but against the elites that remained.

Hong Ling extended his hand deep into the lot box and casually grabbed a lot. When he took his hand out, he saw the familiar words once again.

"Number nine again!" Hong Ling was a little surprised. He had thought that he would get another lot, but he never thought that it would actually be the same as the last time.

"It seems you and I are fated to meet!" Hong Ling smiled slightly, put away the lot in his hand, turned around and walked back to his seat.

Zhihuo had drawn lot number three, Lian Chengyue had drawn lot number seven, these two women did not draw the same lot as Hong Ling, which made him feel a lot of relief, if they met with the same lot, then it would really be troublesome.

Of course, at that time, he would naturally not obediently admit defeat. It was not his style, and even if he lost, he would have a hearty battle ahead of him.

He sat there quietly, the soul power in the Divine Court slowly dissipating into the air, moving away from the remaining seventeen people of the three great families. After a long time, he finally found the three bamboo sticks that were on his side.

"Number three, is a late stage Essence Refinement into Qi cultivator from the Wan Family. Number seven, is a mid stage Essence Refinement into Qi cultivator from the Zhou Family. Number nine, is actually a late stage Essence Refinement into Qi cultivator from the Zhang Family!"

Hong Ling's gaze congealed, he did not expect that he would finally meet a cultivator with late stage Essence Refinement into Qi. Looks like this round is really going to be interesting! The youth grinned slightly.

When Lian Chengyu saw that he had closed his eyes, he could laugh, but he was puzzled. However, when he thought about how Hong Ling had comprehended the sword intent and also knew how to use the Sword Manipulation, he did not say anymore.

He only wished for these people to wish themselves good fortune and not run into too strong an expert.