In the northern region, the "Martial Arts Arena" outside the imperial city was already bustling with activity.
This martial arts arena covers a thousand acres and is constructed from a single piece of black iron. The ground is engraved with runes that buffer spiritual energy, and four towering viewing platforms stand along its edges, corresponding to the east, south, west, and north regions respectively. At this moment, the area below the viewing platforms is already packed with people. Cultivators in various attire are shoulder to shoulder, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy intertwine and collide, even the air itself seems to be filled with a sense of restlessness.
Xiao Chen, carrying a rusty iron spear, mingled in the crowd as he walked out of the area where cultivators from the Southern Region had gathered.
"Have you heard? This martial arts tournament is spearheaded by the Northern Region, and top geniuses from all four regions will be here. It's supposed to be a friendly exchange, but in reality, it's a test of each region's strength."
"The Southern Region is probably doomed this time. Last time in the Dragon Locking Secret Realm, the young sect master of the Purple Lightning Sect was killed by the people of the Profound Heaven Sect, and even the Nascent Soul elder was injured. His reputation has plummeted."
"More than that? I heard from my friends in the Western Regions that the Southern Regions have been suffering from a severe talent drain in recent years. Apart from a few established powers, there are almost no capable young fighters..."
The surrounding chatter reached his ears intermittently, but Xiao Chen remained expressionless. In his heart, he already had a good understanding of this martial arts tournament—it was called an exchange, but in reality, it was a contest of strength among the four regions. The winner would not only gain face, but also real benefits.
He had just found a corner to stand in when several malicious gazes swept over him.
"Oh, isn't this a cultivator from the Southern Region?" A young man dressed in the attire of the "Burning Heaven Valley" of the Western Regions sneered, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for those around him to hear. "You just suffered a setback at the Dragon Locking Secret Realm, and you still have the nerve to come to the Martial Arts Tournament?"
Immediately, someone chimed in, a local cultivator from the Northern Region: "That's right, the Purple Lightning Sect couldn't even stop Zhao Feng from the Profound Heaven Sect, so are the cultivators from the Southern Region just here to make us look bad?"
"I heard that cultivators from the Southern Region are best at 'running'? Last time in the Dragon Locking Secret Realm, there was a guy named Xiao Chen who was chased like a stray dog by Shadow Pavilion assassins. He only managed to escape by hiding. Haha..."
"The Southern Region? I think 'Difficult Region' would be a more fitting name. If you can't win, you're the fastest to run!"
The mockery grew louder, and many cultivators burst into laughter, their eyes filled with contempt as they looked at the gathering area of cultivators from the Southern Region. The cultivators from the Southern Region all had ashen faces, but no one dared to respond—the incident in the secret realm last time was indeed shameful, and a stubborn rebuttal would only invite even harsher ridicule.
Xiao Chen tightened his grip on the rusty iron spear, his fingertips turning white, but he ultimately didn't move. He wasn't here to engage in verbal sparring; he wanted to assess the strength of the Northern Region, and incidentally... cause trouble for the Xuan Tian Sect and the Shadow Pavilion.
...
As night fell, Xiao Chen found a place called "Yingkelou" that was closest to the martial arts arena and settled in.
In the lobby on the first floor, groups of cultivators sat drinking, their conversation revolving around the martial arts tournament the next day.
"I heard there's a 'Hidden Dragon Gathering' tonight?" a cultivator from the Eastern Region asked in a low voice. "It's at the 'Moon Gazing Tower' in the west of the city. Geniuses from all four regions will be there. It's supposed to be an exchange, but it's really a reconnaissance event—to see the strength of our opponents and seize the initiative in tomorrow's martial arts competition."
"The Hidden Dragon Society? Not just anyone can get in." The Northern Region cultivator next to him took a swig of wine. "I heard that the seating inside is arranged according to strength. The tables closer to the front not only have spiritual wine and food, but you can also get detailed information about geniuses from various regions, and perhaps even build good relationships with those geniuses."
"How do we get a spot?"
"Rob? Of course, you'll rob it with your own skills!" The cultivator from the Northern Region grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "If you see a seat you like, just 'communicate' with the person sitting there—if communication fails, then fight. If you win, the seat is yours."
"So wild?"
"Otherwise, why would it be called the Hidden Dragon Society? Without a bit of guts, how can you call yourself a genius?"
Xiao Chen held his teacup, listening silently. The Hidden Dragon Society? Sounds like a good opportunity to probe their intentions.
...
Half an hour later, at the Moon-Viewing Tower in the west of the city.
The place was already packed with people. The building was brightly lit, and the air was filled with the aroma of spirit wine and faint fluctuations of spiritual energy. The closer you got to the table, the more ornate the decorations, the rarer the spirit food and wine on the table, and the stronger the aura of the cultivator sitting there.
Near the entrance, a few tables were set with only ordinary food and wine, and the occupants were mostly cultivators of average strength, who looked inside with envy.
"Isn't that the young master of the Burning Heaven Valley in the Western Regions? He's sitting at the third table. I heard he just beat up a cultivator from the Eastern Region this afternoon and took his seat."
"See that golden table at the very back? The one sitting there is the Holy Maiden of the 'Cold Water Pavilion' in the Northern Region. It is said that no one has dared to challenge her position."
"The one who just went in is the successor of the 'Sword Pavilion' in the Eastern Region. He's carrying someone in his hand—it looks like he just took the spot and threw the original owner out!"
Xiao Chen stood at the door, observing everything. The so-called "exchange" began the moment he entered—position was a symbol of power; if you wanted to sit in the front, you had to use your fists.
In the private room of Wangyue, several figures were hidden behind the screen, watching Xiao Chen downstairs through the gap.
“It’s him, Xiao Chen.” A sinister voice rang out. It was Zhao Feng from the Xuan Tian Sect. His face still showed the hidden anger from being injured by Xiao Chen’s spear energy in the secret realm. “Last time we let him escape in the Locked Dragon Secret Realm. This time, we’ll take advantage of the Hidden Dragon Gathering to make him fall completely in the Northern Region.”
A man in black, dressed in Shadow Pavilion attire, nodded: "Don't worry, it's all arranged. We'll send a few hotheads from the Northern Region to provoke him. As long as he kills someone, even without direct evidence, the cultivators of the Northern Region will consider him an enemy—at that point, forget about participating in the Martial Arts Tournament, he might not even be able to leave the Northern Region alive."
“It would be best to force him to use more force,” another Xuan Tian Sect disciple sneered. “The Southern Region and the Northern Region already have a grudge against each other. As long as he gets the blood of a Northern Region cultivator on his hands, even if the Heavenly King himself came to protect him, he would have to consider the wrath of the various forces in the Northern Region.”
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