Chapter 17: The Battle of the Prodigies, Riding a Donkey to Chase the Sunset!
Meanwhile, as the Yan Yun Dynasty faced a turbulent period, the Cultivators and common folk of the entire Eastern Desolate Province were abuzz with excitement for the upcoming Battle of the Prodigies at Tianmen Pass!
This Battle of the Prodigies, held before Tianmen Pass, was originally initiated by Wu Yuan, the Emperor of the Junlin Dynasty.
Whoever emerged as the number one Prodigy in the Eastern Desolate Province would be able to marry Wu Yao, the Eldest Princess of the Junlin Dynasty!
However, due to the intervention of a supreme power, this Battle of the Prodigies garnered worldwide attention throughout the entire Eastern Desolate Province!
This power intended to use this arena to establish the Eastern Desolate Prodigy Ranking!
And this power was none other than the Nine Heavens Wind and Rain Tower!
Throughout the Nine Heavens Continent, it was known that the Nine Heavens Wind and Rain Tower was the paramount reclusive power of the entire Nine Heavens Continent!
This power was an organization created by the gods of the Ninth Heaven Upper Realm!
Its influence spread across the entire Nine Heavens Continent, serving as the spokesperson for the Upper Realm gods in the Ninth Heaven Lower Realm, and also as their outpost in the Ninth Heaven Lower Realm!
The original purpose of establishing the Nine Heavens Wind and Rain Tower was to combat the Demon Race beyond the Desperate Situation Great Wall!
Over ten thousand years, the Nine Heavens Wind and Rain Tower had twice organized the powerhouses of the Nine Heavens Continent in epic holy wars against the Demon Race!
These two epic battles had a profound impact on the Nine Heavens Continent, giving rise to many moving stories and countless talented Cultivators who rose and fell.
They were recorded in the Ancient History of the Nine Heavens, becoming an indelible and brilliant page in the history of the Nine Heavens.
And the Nine Heavens Wind and Rain Tower had always stood at the Peak of the Ancient History of the Nine Heavens!
Their presence permeated the entire Ancient History of the Nine Heavens, protecting the entire Nine Heavens Continent!
Therefore, the Nine Heavens Wind and Rain Tower held an extremely transcendent position throughout the Nine Heavens Continent!
Whether it was powerful Cultivation Clans or Imperial Dynasties and aristocratic families with thousands of years of Legacy, all held the Nine Heavens Wind and Rain Tower in supreme reverence!
It was precisely because of this that when the Nine Heavens Wind and Rain Tower announced the establishment of the Prodigy Ranking in the Eastern Desolate, it naturally drew the gaze of hundreds of millions of Cultivators and common folk in the Eastern Desolate Province, and even incited the frenzy of the Seven Great Cultivation Clans that stood at the Peak of Cultivation in the Eastern Desolate Province!
Most importantly, once one ascended the Prodigy Ranking, it meant receiving immense attention. In the future, it was highly possible to enter the Nine Heavens Wind and Rain Tower and obtain the Legacy of the Upper Realm gods. Who in the entire Nine Heavens Continent could resist such a temptation?
Eastern Desolate Province, Hidden Sword Manor, one of the Seven Great Cultivation Clans.
The Young Manor Lord, Ye Wuya, clad in a green robe with the famous sword "Falling Evil" on his back, confidently pledged to the Elders of Hidden Sword Manor:
"Elders, rest assured!"
"This battle at Tianmen Pass!"
"Wuya will surely win!"
With that, he mounted a swift horse and departed from Hidden Sword Manor, heading towards Tianmen Pass...
Eastern Desolate Province, Evil Sect, one of the Seven Great Cultivation Clans.
The Evil Emperor gazed at the setting sun in the sky and spoke to a tall, handsome young man with an alluring appearance:
"Disciple!"
"It is time for you to descend the mountain!"
"This time, it is my final test for you!"
"Claim the number one spot on the Prodigy Ranking!"
"Then bring back Wu Yao, the Saintess of Misty Peak, to be my wife!"
"Heh!"
The black-clad young man chuckled wickedly upon hearing this and said:
"Old man, you can rest easy!"
"Among the younger generation of the entire Eastern Desolate..."
"No one is a match for your Disciple!"
"Hahahahaha!"
Eastern Desolate Province, Misty Peak, one of the Seven Great Cultivation Clans.
Peach blossoms bloomed profusely.
At this moment, a woman in a plain dress wielded a sharp sword. The myriad peach blossoms moved with her sword, and each of her strikes perfectly conformed to the Heavenly Dao's trajectory, exquisitely refined and ethereal!
The Saintess danced with her sword!
Peach blossoms followed!
The scene was beautiful to the extreme!
In the peach blossom forest, countless female Cultivators of Misty Peak gazed at the woman with adoration.
"Senior Sister Wu Yao's combat power is unparalleled!"
"Throughout the entire Eastern Desolate, surely no one is her match!"
"That's right! After all, Senior Sister is the woman who successfully emerged from our Misty Peak Forbidden Land!"
"Hahahahaha! This time, with Senior Sister descending the mountain, the number one spot on the Prodigy Ranking is definitely hers!"
"Hmph! Those stinky men from down the mountain still want to marry our Senior Sister? They're dreaming!"
"Exactly! Senior Sister Wu Yao is number one in the world!"
Boom!!!
The sword light exploded like thunder across the sky, then vanished into the Void Realm like a falling meteor.
Clang!!!
A crisp sword cry resounded.
She sheathed her sword!
Wu Yao stood on the mountain Peak, her hand resting on her sheathed sword. A gentle breeze stirred her clothes, giving her an ethereal and peerless aura.
She gazed at the setting sun in the sky and murmured:
"This time, if I win the top spot on the Prodigy Ranking, I suppose Imperial Father should have nothing more to say!"
With that, a confident smile appeared on her exquisite face...
Buddhism, Great Thunder Sound Temple.
"Master!"
"You want me to participate in the Prodigy Gathering?"
A young monk with a delicate appearance looked at the old monk who presided over the Great Thunder Sound Temple, asking in shock.
"Yes!"
The old monk, the Abbot, nodded.
"But... we renunciants cannot marry!"
The young monk shook his head vigorously, instinctively taking a step back, his face full of resistance.
"Silly child!"
"You must win the top Prodigy spot to marry the Eldest Princess of the Junlin Dynasty."
"As you are now, you are still far from it!"
"This time, I am sending you down the mountain primarily for experience!"
The old monk, the Abbot, replied helplessly.
"But... what if Disciple accidentally kills them all?"
"Disciple... is very strong now, you know!"
The young monk blinked, vigorously waving his fists, his tone very serious.
"Hahahahaha!"
The old monk, the Abbot, laughed aloud upon hearing this:
"That's excellent!"
"Then let those fellows in the Eastern Desolate Province see the strength of our Buddhist sect!"
"And, if you kill that Wu Yao, then you won't have to get married, will you!"
"That's true!"
The young monk nodded in understanding, feeling that his Master's words made a lot of sense.
Listening to the conversation between the old and the young, the faces of the various Buddhist Elders present twitched. Then, with great tacit agreement, they lowered their heads and simultaneously twirled their prayer beads, chanting:
"Amitabha!"
Aside from those within the Buddhist sect, very few people in the entire Eastern Desolate Province knew that twenty years ago, a madman became the Abbot of the Buddhist sect, and then this Abbot took an even crazier Disciple named Xuan Zang!
Meanwhile, on this very day.
A young sword Cultivator, with a famous sword on his back, rode a swift horse towards Tianmen Pass.
The Young Lord of the Evil Sect also sat in his luxurious carriage, slowly driving out of the Evil Path Mountain.
The Saintess of Misty Peak, wearing a veil, quietly entered the world. She was a Saintess and also an Imperial Dynasty Princess.
The young monk of the Buddhist sect donned his kasaya, walked out of the Buddhist sect, and traveled under the moonlight.
The Young Lord of the Poison God Manor!
The Saintess of the Red Robe Cult!
The Young Sword Master of the Old Sun Star Sect!
The Chief Disciples of the Seven Great Cultivation Clans of the Eastern Desolate emerged one after another!
The long-dormant Eastern Desolate Province became lively at this moment!
Of course.
In the Southern Border Forbidden Land.
A white-robed Prince, riding a small donkey that seemed out of place with his status, hummed a tune as he slowly walked out of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
His destination was the Junlin Dynasty. It is worth mentioning that to enter the Imperial Dynasty, he would naturally have to pass through Tianmen Pass; Tianmen Pass was a path he could not avoid.
On the official road, his figure gradually faded into the distance, the setting sun stretching his shadow long, long... as if chasing the reddish twilight and the setting sun.
Behind him, countless older middle-aged Cultivators, seeing his unrestrained and free-spirited manner, riding a small donkey towards Tianmen Pass with unwavering determination, couldn't help but stare in a daze, their hearts filled with emotion:
If they were twenty years younger, they would definitely participate in this great Battle of the Prodigies!
Now, in this stunning young man, they seemed to see the passion and youth they once possessed in their own younger days!
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