Chapter 369 – Challenge (Up)
Han Li sized up these guards, although there was no fluctuation of spiritual energy in their bodies, they were all athletic and seemed to have practiced some rudimentary kung fu. However, what made him the most curious was the cylinder, these guards did not have spiritual energy in their bodies, but they were able to recognize Immortal Cultivators with it, it was really something marvelous.
Han Li couldn’t help but take a few more glances at the cylinder.
All of this was seen in the eyes of Wang Changqing next to him, so he smiled and explained to Han Li, “That’s a spirit disk, which allows us mortals to recognize Immortal Masters!”
”Spirit disk?” Han Li was slightly stunned at this designation, but immediately remembered that a palm-sized jade disk was indeed inlaid at one end of the cylinder, so he gently nodded his head and said nothing.
Then, in Han Li’s cold stare, the beast carriage drove along a strip of white stone paved street in the direction of the city center.
There were many pedestrians on the road, and they came and went without stopping, and there was a tendency that the further they went, the more lively they became.
These people’s clothes are mostly white, that is, there are other different colors, but also are yellowish, greenish and other light color clothing, there is not a brightly dressed people.
And these people, obviously have the status of high and low points, often one or two expensive clothes in front of the people, behind is three or four clothes a little shabby people closely followed, obviously is the identity of the subordinate.
In the end, because there were too many people and beast cars, Han Li’s car had to slow down before they could continue. After a great deal of effort, the beast car finally arrived at a huge square in the center of the city.
This square covers dozens of acres, said to be a sea of people, Han Li glance, everywhere is a black head of people, and in all directions the flow of people continue to the square non-stop influx.
Along the square’s perimeter, there are numerous stores open and packed with people, and in the middle of the stores there are some temporary stalls that are equally overcrowded. And in the center are more people, talking eagerly about something, appearing to be bustling and lively.
Han Li looked at the eyes are a little straight, he slightly estimated in his heart, like the crowd stood so thick, at the very least this square at the same time crowded with tens of thousands of people.
When the beast car arrived here, it was naturally impossible to advance any further, so Dongmaster Gu took the lead and got out of the car, leading Han Li and the others on foot towards a palace-style building at the edge of the square.
This palace was about a dozen feet tall, obviously a great deal taller than the other buildings. And there was also a row of guards standing in front of the huge palace door, holding flashing spears to guard there, forbidding others from casually approaching this place.
”Today is the opening day of Qui Xing Island’s once-in-March market, so the people in this East Stone City are several times more numerous than in previous days. Basically, people from the dozen or so towns in the east will come to sub-trade some rare items that can’t normally be bought.” As Dongmaster Gu walked forward, he turned back to Han Li and explained this to him Han Li faintly smiled and followed him to the front of the palace.
Dong Lord Gu went up and said something to the guard that was guarding the door, and the guard waved his hand, signaling that they could enter.
Thus, Dongmaster Gu hurriedly greeted Han Li and Wang Changqing. Together, they walked in.
Once they entered the hall’s doors, it appeared much cooler and quieter. In the corridor behind the door, there were dozens of people who appeared to have some status, whispering about something in groups of three or five, and when they saw Lord Gu Dong’s arrival, they all looked over with some hostility.
But at that moment, the purple wooden door at the other end of the corridor opened, and from inside, a white-clothed young man in his twenties came out, a man with a clear white face and a very civilized appearance.
”It’s Mr. Gu, right? Everyone else has already arrived, just the Gu family is missing. But inside, only the Immortal Cultivators who participated in the challenge can go in, so Mr. Gu will wait here for the results!” After the youth kindly glanced at Han Li, he courteously rushed at Lord Gu Dong.
The youth’s cultivation level, which was revealed under Han Li’s sweep, was around the fourth or fifth level of the Qi Refining Stage, which was more or less the same as him today.
Seeing this, Gu Dongmaster could only look at Han Li with expectant eyes, and then retreated to the side with a yes in his mouth.
Han Li looked as normal as he walked into the wooden door along with the youth, and then the wooden door immediately closed tightly.
”My surname is Wen, and Fellow Daoist can call me Wen Boom. However, I see that fellow Daoist looks very unfamiliar, could it be that you are a new cultivator to our Kui Xing Island?” As soon as he brought Han Li into the wooden door, the youth turned around and asked with a smile.
”My name is Han Li, I only arrived at Kui Xing Island last month!” After practicing for this period of time, Han Li had no problem speaking the local language after all.
”Hehe, what an admiration! With your current cultivation level, you dare to go out and venture out, you are truly bold! I won’t be able to do so, ever since I was born on this island, I haven’t left Kuixing Island even for a single step.” The youth said with some envy.
Hearing this, Han Li lightly laughed without interfacing.
Then, Han Li followed the youth all the way straight to a circular hall, in which there were thirty or so cultivators with different looks sitting or standing.
”By the looks of it, everyone is here, so let’s start drawing lots immediately below! One battle to determine the winner, only injuries are allowed no killing, otherwise the winning qualification will be canceled.” An old man with a Taoist bone and immortal style sitting across the crowd said in a very brief manner.
In a room full of Qi Refining Stage cultivators, he was the only one with an early Foundation Establishment cultivation, so he seemed to be the cultivator in charge of this matter.
And as soon as the youth surnamed Wen entered the hall, he hurriedly walked behind the old man and stood with his hands in wait.
The old man ignored the youth and instead took out a green-colored jade cylinder, which contained two dozen bamboo sticks.
”Alright, those who want to challenge will come and draw one, those with the same number will first compete against each other, and only the winner will be qualified to challenge the representative of the original merchant.”
Hearing this, most of the thirty people stared at the jade cylinder.
And the jade cylinder suddenly sprouted a layer of green light, covering the bamboo stick within it. The divine sense of the others was automatically rejected outside the green light, and some of them were even affected a little, and couldn’t help but sway their figures a few times.
The other cultivators who didn’t use their divine sense to detect the jade cylinder revealed gloating colors. These people, the cultivators who were to be challenged, naturally hoped that Han Li and the other challengers would suffer as much loss as possible.
With Han Li’s powerful divine sense, he would naturally have no problem forcibly breaking through the green light, but he wouldn’t do something that would raise eyebrows. So under the blank stares, Han Li and the other cultivators took turns going up one by one to draw bamboo lots.
After Han Li drew a bet, he crossed over to take a slight look at it, and it was an odd silver-colored symbol. He couldn’t help but frown, he had forgotten about this, he didn’t recognize the local script!
However, Han Li’s face was expressionless, and he still put away the bamboo sign in his hand as if nothing had happened.
”Number one!” The old man said coldly. Immediately, two cultivators with the same bamboo stick in their hands walked out.
”You guys go to the competition within the platform over there, which is equipped with formations that don’t fear damage from spells. As long as you can get the other party’s bamboo stick and hand it over to me, you will be considered the winner. I am not going to ask you what methods and means you will use, and of course you cannot kill each other.” The old man spoke nonchalantly.
”Yes, Elder!” These two men saluted the old man and walked towards the open-air platform that was vaguely visible behind the hall. As a result, after a burst of white light lit up on the platform, the two men’s traces disappeared.
But not long after, the two somewhat tiredly reappeared on the platform. One of them happily handed over the two bamboo sticks to the old man, while the other glumly walked straight out of the hall.
”Number two,” the old man shouted icily.
Because the means of fighting for Qi Refining Stage cultivators were relatively simple, the winner was decided very quickly. There were even a pair of cultivators who had just gone in with their front feet and came out with their back feet, and both the winner and the loser were smiling and happy, which made Han Li look slightly strange.
”Number seven!” A cultivator, along with the old man’s voice immediately stood out, but the other was slow to come out.
”Number seven!” The old man shouted again with a sullen face.
It was then that Han Li walked out with a dazed look on his face, his mouth hurriedly apologizing, “Senior! I’m really sorry, I misread the number just now and thought I was number nine!”
The old man simply ignored what Han Li said and impatiently waved his hand, so Han Li had the sense to walk towards the platform with another person in a hurry.
After a flash of white light, Han Li and the other man appeared in a white saddle-milk glistening “school” surrounded by white mist except for a space dozens of feet wide in the center.
”Your Excellency’s cultivation is a full two levels lower than mine, I see no need to fight anymore, you directly admit defeat! Save me from a momentary slip of the tongue and seriously injuring you, Fellow Daoist, at that time!” The opposite middle-aged cultivator said to Han Li with a confident face.
Han Li looked at the opposite side of the Qi Refining Stage 7th layer “expert”, saw that it was the same as himself and even did not open the shield, lightly laughed.