Once the Tower Ship came to a stop, Duke Zhong sent word, inviting the Imperial Envoys from the other Vassal States to come aboard and observe the battles together.
At that very moment, the northern horizon suddenly darkened.
A vast expanse of dark clouds rolled in, instantly plunging the sky into darkness. They blotted out the sun, pressing down on the city with an overwhelming presence!
Even the auspicious clouds surrounding King Wu’s Tower Ship were scattered by the dark miasma.
The Dukes on the ship seemed to sense something. They gazed into the distance, their expressions varied.
"He’s here,"
Duke Wei said via voice transmission.
Qin Shiyue nodded.
’With such a grand entrance, it must be the hegemon of the north, Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan of the Great Abyss Country!’
’Given his status, she couldn’t afford to slight him now that he had personally come to the Wu Dynasty.’
Qin Shiyue rose and walked toward the bow of the ship.
Duke Wei, his expression grave, followed close behind Qin Shiyue.
The black clouds swept over and stopped above the Martial Arts Arena.
As the clouds and mist churned, a figure slowly materialized at their edge. He had black hair and black robes, his face as still as deep water, his expression cold and cruel. With hands clasped behind his back, he gazed down from his lofty perch, surveying everything in the Wu Dynasty Capital City.
"Who is that?"
"Such a powerful presence!"
A stir went through the crowd gathered in the Capital City.
"We respectfully welcome you, Elder Tian Yuan."
Duke Zhong, Xu Jiang, hurriedly rose to his feet. Leaning on his cane, he went forward and bowed deeply.
The Duke of Jing, Duke of Ding, Duke of Zhen, and the Imperial Envoys from the Vassal States all bowed respectfully and came forward to pay their respects.
In terms of Cultivation, they were all inferior to Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan.
And in terms of status, they were even more outmatched.
It was as if Duke Wei hadn’t even seen Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan arrive. He remained silent and motionless, standing firm behind Qin Shiyue.
"Elder Tian Yuan, I have long admired your reputation. Please, take the seat of honor."
Qin Shiyue rose and greeted him, her demeanor neither servile nor overbearing.
Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan descended from the clouds.
Everyone on the ship saw only a blur, and in the next instant, Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan was standing on the deck of the Tower Ship.
The phantom-like nature of his Body Technique was startling.
After all, the lowest Cultivation of anyone able to board the Tower Ship was the Nascent Soul Realm, and the Dukes were all in the Returning Void Realm.
And yet, even they could not clearly see Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan’s Body Technique!
Duke Wei’s pupils contracted slightly, a profound wariness flashing in the depths of his eyes.
Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan glanced at Qin Shiyue and gave a simple nod. He then surveyed his surroundings, waved his hand dismissively, and said, "Everyone, be seated. No need for ceremony."
’How presumptuous, speaking as if he were the host.’
The assembled dignitaries exchanged glances but said nothing, taking their seats as instructed.
Duke Zhong spoke with a smile. "Your Highness, this old servant suggests that in addition to yourself, we invite Elder Tian Yuan to serve as the other Chief Martial Officer. Only then can we demonstrate the fairness and impartiality of our dynasty’s Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion and avoid any censure."
A Martial Officer was the referee for the martial arts battles.
The Chief Martial Officer for this Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion was Qin Shiyue.
The five Dukes served as deputy Martial Officers.
"That would be for the best."
The Mo Country Imperial Envoy nodded in agreement.
The Shi Country Imperial Envoy also spoke up. "I was somewhat concerned about the impartiality of this event. But with Elder Tian Yuan presiding over the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion, we can all be at ease."
"I concur."
"I concur."
The Duke of Zhen and the Duke of Ding voiced their agreement in succession.
The Duke of Jing’s gaze swept over them. He remained silent, noncommittal.
The proposal was rather sudden, giving Qin Shiyue no time to react.
With Duke Zhong’s proposal, two other Dukes seconding it, and several Imperial Envoys in agreement, the momentum was overwhelming.
Besides, there were no valid grounds for objection.
Whether in terms of status, Cultivation, position, or prestige, Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan was superior to them all.
Furthermore, it was Duke Zhong himself who had invited Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan.
Qin Shiyue pondered for a moment before nodding with a smile. "Let it be as Duke Zhong has said."
"In that case, it would be disrespectful of me to refuse."
Daoist Monarch Tian Yuan’s voice was flat, tinged with a hint of cold indifference.
Qin Shiyue turned to Duke Zhong. "In that case, the martial arts discussion will begin at once. Duke Zhong, please announce the rules."
Duke Zhong rose, unfurled a scroll of yellow silk with both hands, and announced in a loud voice, "For the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion, the rules are as follows—"
"First: Bouts are one-on-one. You must stop before inflicting serious injury and are forbidden from taking a life. Violators will be immediately declared the loser and disqualified!"
"Second: A competitor is defeated if they fall from the platform, surrender, or lose the ability to continue fighting!"
"Third: Only one person will remain from each group. The winner advances, the loser is eliminated!"
Qin Shiyue rose and walked to the bow. Her Golden Phoenix Robe billowed in the wind, her black hair drifted on the breeze, her bearing one of infinite grace.
Though a woman, her presence was overwhelming. Her brow held the majesty of a true ruler. As she looked down upon the Martial Artists gathered from all corners, her melodious voice, without any visible effort, carried to every part of the Capital City. Each word was clear and inspiring!
"Heroes from every corner, talents of the dynasty! Today you have all gathered in the Wu Dynasty Capital City to take part in the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion."
"’Greatness in the Martial Dao begins here on the Golden Platform. May you all display the fruits of your life’s work, vie for the championship with your true strength, and forge your future through the Martial Dao! In the name of King Wu, I hereby declare the Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion officially open!’"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As Qin Shiyue’s voice faded, several bare-chested, muscular men stationed at the four corners of the arena raised their mallets. They brought them down with all their might, striking the massive drums before them so hard the drumheads visibly rippled.
The drumming was like thunder, peal after peal, quickly drowning out the clamor of the crowd.
The drumming caused the Blood Qi of the Martial Artists in the arena to surge, rousing their spirits.
"The first fifty Martial Artists from Group One, come forward in order to draw your lots."
Two Dragon Guards in the arena directed the Martial Artists of Group One into a long queue.
Each group of one hundred was divided into an upper and a lower bracket.
The first fifty Martial Artists—the upper bracket—would draw from a sealed box. They would each pull out a Token belonging to a Martial Artist from the lower bracket, who would be their first opponent.
After half were eliminated, the random drawings would continue, pitting the remaining fighters against each other in pairs until only one person was left in each group.
The Martial Artists in the lower bracket were chosen passively. Each one’s Heart and Spirit was in turmoil, terrified of being picked by Shi Ang in the first round.
Although the eventual winner of this group was certain to be Shi Ang.
But if they could just last a few rounds, they could make a name for themselves. They might even be noticed by the Court’s Three Departments or the Imperial Guard and recruited into their ranks.
"’What a hassle.’"
Just then, an impatient voice cut through the crowd of Martial Artists.
The voice wasn’t loud, but it drew countless gazes.
Because the speaker was Shi Ang.
As the most favored True Master of the Martial Dao in this Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion, he could not be ignored.
"What do you mean by that, sir?"
A Dragon Guard stepped forward and inquired.
"To be honest, this Golden Platform Martial Arts Discussion of your Wu Dynasty reeks of pettiness. It’s utterly boring."
An air of arrogance radiated from Shi Ang. He glanced around, his tone utterly discourteous as he said coldly, "To drag out a simple competition like this for over ten days... I don’t have time to play these games with you!"
The moment he finished speaking, an uproar erupted both inside and outside the arena.
"He’s unbelievably arrogant!"
"Well, he certainly has the right to be."
"What’s he getting at? Is he dropping out?"
"Good riddance if he does! We won’t miss him!"
Lu Bai, listening from the side, was amused.
’Someone’s already stirring up trouble on the very first day? Is he trying to crash the whole event?’
’This trip wasn’t a waste after all. I can just sit back and watch the drama unfold.’