Chapter 56 - Friendly Match

Inside the wooden house, Leng Yan and Chu Jianfeng sat cross-legged in separate areas, cultivating. Meanwhile, in another wooden house, Mo Sang was using his spiritual awareness to monitor their actions.

Surrounding Mo Sang were four strong men. These men wore grass skirts and were bare-chested, their torsos covered with various seal patterns. All four had cultivation levels in the realm of defying the heavens and changing fate.

“Elder, any findings?” asked Sang Tu, who wore a black bracelet.

Mo Sang shook his head and sighed, “These two are very cautious; they haven’t spoken a word or activated any seals. Seems like they know I’m watching them.”

Sang Man, with a menacing face, slammed the table and said, “Why complicate things? Just capture them and perform a soul search.”

“Sang Man, you need to change your temperament and stop acting recklessly. The seals on them are extremely strong. The one who placed them must have a cultivation level at least in the void calamity realm, possibly even a void tribulation cultivator.”

Even our tribe, let alone the entire Barbarian Tribe, couldn’t afford to provoke a void tribulation cultivator. If we soul search them and kill them, can you, Sang Man, handle it if a void tribulation cultivator comes looking? A thin-bodied Sang Wen reprimanded.

“Sang Kun, what do you think?” Mo Sang asked the last man.

Sang Kun didn’t reply immediately but after a long thought, he said, “Here’s an idea. Let’s set up an arena during tonight’s gathering to test their skills. Perhaps we can learn about their sect or master through their cultivation techniques, and then make a decision.”

“Well, that’s a way forward. You all go prepare, and I’ll bring them over later,” Mo Sang waved them off.

…

The war drums pounded, and cheers came from outside the window. The red bonfire lit up the night.

Leng Yan stood up and walked to the door. At some point, an arena had been set up in the clearing, surrounded by young girls in linen clothes joyfully dancing.

On the other side, Barbarian Tribe men were showcasing their strength, hoping to win the favor of the girls.

“What’s this about, a martial arts contest for marriage?” Chu Jianfeng asked as he walked up behind Leng Yan.

“What do you mean by a contest for marriage? They’re just testing the waters! Get ready to put on a show!” Leng Yan replied with a smile.

“So that’s it. It seems they’re wary of your mysterious master and want to gauge your capabilities,” Chu Jianfeng transmitted through spiritual sound transmission.

“That’s exactly what they’re doing. The more they fear, the more leverage we have. In this match, I plan to scare them out of their wits. Let them know we are not to be trifled with,” Leng Yan replied, transmitting his thoughts while glancing at the distant wooden house.

“Please, the Elder invites you to join the celebration,” a beautiful young girl said with a smile as she approached the door.

Barbarian Tribe girls rarely practiced cultivation, but these girls were well-versed in various local customs and languages.

“Lead the way,” Leng Yan replied with a smile.

“This way, please!” The girl walked ahead, leading them toward the wooden house in front of the arena.

Inside the wooden house, five people were already seated: Mo Sang, Sang Man, Sang Wen, Sang Kun, and Sang Tu.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Seniors,” Chu Jianfeng said with a smile.

“No need for formalities. Please, have a seat!” Sang Wen replied politely.

As Leng Yan and Chu Jianfeng took their seats, the celebration officially began, with various roasted meats and fine drinks brought to the table. On the arena, the strong men of the Barbarian Tribe began clashing, while the girls below cheered loudly.

The Barbarian Tribe’s combat style mainly revolved around seals and physical strength, but they also had secret techniques that used blood as a medium for casting magical attacks, making their attack methods quite peculiar.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew more familiar, and Sang Man stood up, saying, “Are you two interested in sparring with some of our younger members?”

Leng Yan smirked internally, thinking, “Finally getting to the main point.”

“My brother and I have been interested, but our cultivation levels aren’t high; we’re afraid of losing face,” Leng Yan said, implying their cultivation level was only in the true essence realm, subtly hinting not to send formidable opponents to bully them.

These five were ancient veterans and quickly caught on to Leng Yan’s underlying message.

“It’s just a friendly match. Sang Wen, find some juniors to entertain our guests,” Mo Sang said with a smile.

“Understood,” Sang Wen replied, glancing at Leng Yan with a furrowed brow, as if unable to see through Leng Yan’s true strength.

Before long, the arena was cleared, and a strong man with a giant serpent pattern formed by interconnected seals on his arm stepped onto the stage, looking in Leng Yan’s direction.

“You go first,” Leng Yan said with a smile, glancing at Chu Jianfeng.

“Are you testing the waters again?” Chu Jianfeng asked through spiritual sound transmission.

“Something like that! Go on!” Leng Yan replied with a grin.

Chu Jianfeng pointed forward, sending his black flying sword spinning out. He stepped into the air, landing on the flying sword, and flew towards the arena.

Retracting the flying sword, he landed on the arena and cupped his hands in salute. “Please!”

The strong man in front of him clearly didn’t speak the language of the Central Plains, but understood Chu Jianfeng’s meaning. He stepped back and then suddenly blurred into motion, charging at Chu Jianfeng.

Chu Jianfeng smiled confidently, lowered his center of gravity, and sidestepped the strong man’s initial attack, then pressed forward step by step.

Their fists and feet moved with blinding speed, creating a cacophony of sounds breaking through the air. In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged hundreds of moves.

The Barbarian Tribe strong man was surprised by Chu Jianfeng’s formidable physical strength. With a roar, a surge of air rushed toward Chu Jianfeng.

Unfazed, Chu Jianfeng leaned back, used one foot to tap on the wooden planks, and retreated.

The strong man successfully pushed Chu Jianfeng back and quickly swung his arm, which suddenly became shrouded in black mist. From within, a giant serpent’s head emerged, striking towards Chu Jianfeng.

The entire serpent emerged, stretching several dozen feet with shimmering black scales. This serpent was an illusionary form created by seals, incorporating dozens of different elements like confinement, transformation, attack, and illusory realms.

Seeing this, Chu Jianfeng remained calm. With a wave of his hand, his body became enveloped in black mist, and a massive skull surged forth from the mist to meet the serpent.

The serpent became entangled with the skull, unable to reach Chu Jianfeng. The strong man from the Barbarian Tribe chanted in his language, words indecipherable, as a long spear suddenly appeared in his hand.

The long spear gleamed with black light, thrusting towards Chu Jianfeng like a bolt of lightning. Amidst the black mist, Chu Jianfeng could see clearly. He formed a hand seal for the “Ghost Soul Substitution,” sending several ghost souls to intercept the spear while the black mist around him enveloped the entire arena.

The ghost souls acted as substitutes, blocking the spear’s attack and dissipating into ash. During this time, Chu Jianfeng used the black mist to engulf the arena, obscuring the strong man’s vision.

The Barbarian Tribe does not cultivate spiritual awareness, so theirs is relatively weak. Although the two were evenly matched in terms of power, Chu Jianfeng’s spiritual awareness was much stronger, making the strong man from the Barbarian Tribe almost like a blind man when his vision was obstructed and he couldn’t perceive with his spiritual awareness.

However, the man’s reflexes were quick. As the black mist covered the arena, the strong man let out a roar, causing the black serpent to explode. The massive blast generated shockwaves that dispersed in all directions.

Chu Jianfeng’s black mist was also swept away by the shockwaves, and the skull was destroyed in the explosion.

“Quick reflexes! But you’re still going to lose!” Chu Jianfeng said confidently. He formed an imaginary long sword in his hand and charged at the strong man like a gust of wind.

Sparks flew as the long sword and long spear clashed with the sound of metal ringing brightly under the bonfire-lit night sky.

“Fiendish Dragon Strike!”

As Chu Jianfeng and the strong man passed by each other, he unleashed a magical technique instantly. A black dragon, condensed from ominous energy, crashed toward the Barbarian Tribe strong man.

The two were only a meter apart, leaving the strong man with nowhere to escape. Yet, with determination, he shielded himself with his arm, summoning a black shield in front of him.

Even so, Chu Jianfeng’s technique blasted the strong man off the arena, shattering the shield he had formed.

“Thank you for the match,” Chu Jianfeng said with a smile.

“This young friend is not from a Righteous Sect, is he? His techniques resemble those from the Corpse Yin Sect,” Sang Wen remarked, looking at Leng Yan.

“Indeed, my friend is a disciple of the Corpse Yin Sect. He’s dressed like this just for convenience,” Leng Yan replied with a smile.

“And which sect are you from?” Sang Kun asked, biting into a piece of roasted meat.

“I practice with the Five Elements Sect, but my master hails from the Immortal Firmament Continent. So, I’m not really sure which sect my allegiance lies with,” Leng Yan said with a smile.

Upon hearing the words “Immortal Firmament Continent,” Mo Sang and the others’ expressions changed abruptly. Unlike this immortal’s abode, the continent was full of powerful beings, and Mo Sang was just a newcomer among the Void Profundity cultivators; he had only heard tales of the Immortal Firmament Continent!