The Demon Lord's Invasion

Chapter 34: For a Spot

The tedious matches between the low-level disciples had Jiang Tang nodding off. It was such a waste of time—nearly two thousand disciples fighting for three days and three nights, all using low-level spells and simple martial techniques. One might say they were holding back, but the majority ended up fighting until both sides were left battered and bruised. “They’re too young!” Even Dongfang was growing somewhat impatient; he put away his spirit brain and opened a text on formation techniques. As Dongfang had said, these low-level disciples were indeed far too young—most were only thirteen or fourteen years old. To have achieved this level of cultivation, they must have trained with great diligence, but their repertoire of techniques was pitifully limited; he hadn’t seen a single one who stood out. “Children from poor families have to grow up fast!” Jiang Tang thought of Li Yishang and Yuan Shangpiao, as well as some cultivators roaming the Sand Sea. Their cultivation levels might not even match those of these disciples, yet their techniques were highly refined—especially Li Yishang, who followed the Path of Killing and Enlightenment. If such a person were to reach a higher realm, they would undoubtedly become a fearsome force capable of wreaking havoc across the land. After the final two low-tier disciples had settled their match, the elderly emcee took the stage once more and announced, “The first match of the Ding List has concluded. Next is the first match of the Bing List: Tu Congzhou of the Immortal Herb Pavilion versus Jiang Tang of Black Reef Island.” As soon as these words were spoken, a collective stir arose from the three spectator stands. After all, this was the first disciple inscribed on the Heaven-Bestowed Stele to enter the fray, and everyone’s expectations soared instantly. “Something’s off. Usually, in this grand competition, disciples from different islands, pavilions, and caves face off first, but they’ve arranged for you, Junior Brother Jiang, to fight against the Immortal Herb Pavilion. I’m afraid…” Hua Mo Leng looked at Jiang Tang with concern. “We’ll have to fight them sooner or later anyway. It’s all the same.” With that, Jiang Tang stood up and walked toward the arena. Ji Yukui sneered, “Don’t worry—this kid is no pushover.” Jiang Tang stepped onto the arena and ran his toes over the charred stone bricks. He found that the charred marks had vanished, and the bricks were completely intact. “Wow, these are something special,” Jiang Tang thought. He really wanted to pry a couple off to give to Dongfang for study. “What are you doing, Junior Brother Jiang?” Tu Congzhou, a disciple of the Immortal Herb Pavilion standing across from him, asked coldly. Jiang Tang looked at Tu Congzhou and retorted, “How many crystals did you pay to face me in your first match? How about this: give me a thousand crystals, and I’ll let you knock me off the stage with a single palm strike.” Jiang Tang’s voice wasn’t loud, but not a single person watching the match was an ordinary person. After clearly catching his words, a storm of comments immediately erupted. Before Tu Congzhou could speak in anger, the elderly emcee standing below the stage suddenly barked, “Enough nonsense. You’ve been matched against a disciple of the Immortal Herb Pavilion in your first match precisely because you possess extraordinary talent—you’re no ordinary person.” “To be able to insult someone with such righteous conviction—how pitiful for the disciples of the One Hundred and Eight Islands,” Jiang Tang thought with a bitter smile. He bowed slightly to Tu Congzhou and said, “I look forward to your guidance!” “You’re too kind, Junior Brother!” Tu Congzhou replied with a remark that clearly implied certain victory. He leaped into the air, his white robe fluttering as he began to form a hand seal—but before he could finish, Jiang Tang, holding a strange bone artifact, raised his hand and struck twice with a “bang, bang.” A sense of danger washed over Tu Congzhou, causing him to unleash a burst of spiritual energy—only for it to collapse in an instant. The very next moment, he was completely enveloped by a white net, leaving him unable to move. At the same time, Jiang Tang had barely taken two steps forward when he suddenly vanished from where he stood. The next moment, he appeared before Tu Congzhou, who was suspended in midair, and with a swift roundhouse kick, sent Tu Congzhou flying, crashing diagonally off the stage. “Jiang Tang of Black Reef Island wins,” the elderly announcer floated onto the stage and declared ruthlessly, then began to call out the names of the disciples for the next match. But the spectators hadn’t yet recovered from the shock; they couldn’t understand how Tu Congzhou had lost so suddenly. “That magical artifact was quite unique. It fired two projectiles in an instant—one shattered Tu Congzhou’s spiritual energy, while the other, clearly forged from spider silk, firmly bound him in place.” “There are magical artifacts like that?” “Of course, magical treasures and weapons in this world are as numerous as the hairs on a cow, endlessly varied. Moreover, a disciple who isn’t from a prominent clan yet managed to enter Xian Zong must possess extraordinary abilities. If you ever encounter him, you must be cautious.” Jiang Tang’s victory, achieved through reliance on a magical artifact, was hardly something to boast about, yet it made his true strength impossible to gauge. Some disciples believed that only the weak would rely on magical artifacts to strike by surprise, but most were instead focused on how to counter such a tactic should they encounter it. The Bone Spider’s webs are the most troublesome for those at the Qi-Martial Realm; once entangled, victory or defeat can be decided in the blink of an eye. The faces of the disciples from the Immortal Herb Pavilion turned ashen! It was such an embarrassing defeat. No one had expected that Tu Congzhou, with his mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation, would be unable to handle Jiang Tang—a kid who had clearly only recently entered the Foundation Establishment Realm! “Junior Sister Lian’er, now you know just how weak Tu Congzhou really is, don’t you? Relying on him is a complete waste of emotion. As long as you agree to become my Dao Companion, I’ll present Jiang Tang’s head to you as a soccer ball to kick around.” “Please, Senior Brother Yang, spare Lian’er!” Mo Canglian glared at Yang Jinlong and added, “Such a bloody and wicked act—do you want to give Lian’er nightmares, Senior Brother Yang?” “How could I dare? Go ahead, Junior Sister Lian’er, how do you want Jiang Tang to die?” Yang Jinlong laughed. “Lian’er has no grudge against him—why would I want him dead? Senior Brother Yang, please don’t bring this up again.” Yang Jinlong watched as Mo Canglian’s gaze grew colder, but upon second thought, he simply smiled it off. The Grand Competition proceeded at a rapid pace. The disciples on the C List were truly a mixed bag; there were as many as a hundred disciples, like Jiang Tang, who finished their matches in the blink of an eye, which sped up the process. In less than two days, the C List competition came to a close. The Class B competition was also surprisingly quick, wrapping up in just two days and one night. However, when it came to the Class A competition, the pace suddenly slowed. Intense—the battles among the Class A disciples were exceptionally fierce and spectacular. Every low-tier Five Elements spell was pushed to its absolute limit, while body techniques, flying swords, and magical artifacts clashed ceaselessly. It seemed as though everyone had to pull out all the stops just to barely win a single match. “What’s going on with the Class A competition?” Jiang Tang felt somewhat puzzled. The cultivation levels of the Class A disciples varied widely—some were on par with him, while others were at the peak of the Qi-Martial Realm. Yet even so, they struggled to defeat opponents at the early stage of the Qi-Martial Realm! “Most of the Class A disciples come from the Thirty-Six Caves. Setting aside their cultivation levels, their combat prowess is definitely not to be underestimated,” Hua Mo Leng said solemnly. Just as Jiang Tang was about to ask another question, he suddenly noticed Senior Sister Ji beside him stand up. Though her frame was massive, she moved as lightly as a swallow, gliding effortlessly onto the arena. “Huh?” Jiang Tang hadn’t been paying attention just now, but he realized only then that the elderly emcee had called out Ji Yukui’s name. Hua Mo Leng said coldly, “Your senior sister is really going all out to get into Spirit Island.” Jiang Tang froze for a moment, then frowned at Hua Mo Leng and asked, “Has the Spirit Island been discovered?” “Yes. My master was sent there to stabilize the fissure. Unfortunately, I’m too old to seize this opportunity.” Jiang Tang felt a stir of excitement. He had heard of Spirit Island back when he was at Nikuang Mountain. Though called an “island,” it was extraordinarily vast, with pavilions and towers resembling a fairyland. It contained countless rare treasures and was rich in primordial energy—like a private garden for immortals, seemingly existing outside this realm. Yet for some unknown reason, a spatial fissure would occasionally appear in the seas near the Four Directions Heaven, leading directly to this island. However, this place was highly unstable. Once, a group of highly accomplished cultivators entered to explore it, but they ended up fighting over certain rare treasures, causing the rift to collapse and the Spirit Island to vanish. When the rift reappeared after an unknown number of years, the Spirit Island seemed unchanged on the surface, yet there was not a single trace of any cultivators inside! Consequently, the major sects dared not venture in recklessly; they could only send low-level disciples to gather some rare treasures. If they were lucky, the disciples would return laden with spoils; if not, they would merely lose a few low-level disciples—a loss that was not fatal to the sect. “How many spots does Xian Zong have?” Jiang Tang suddenly asked. “Ten—the top ten from this grand competition.” Hua Mo Leng’s tone was cold and indifferent, yet his words left Jiang Tang feeling somewhat disheartened! While they were speaking, Ji Yukui had already finished her battle—and she’d won decisively! Jiang Tang noticed that Senior Sister Ji had simply charged at her opponent, her body ablaze with flames—a single strike was all it took to knock the disciple unconscious. “A true human-shaped dinosaur!” Just as Jiang Tang was smiling wryly, he suddenly heard Qiong Sang’s telepathic message: “We absolutely must go to Spirit Island.” “Why?” Jiang Tang asked in a puzzled telepathic message. Qiong Sang replied immediately, “That’s not some Spirit Island—it’s the belly of Chaos.” “That’s impossible! This isn’t the Nine Provinces!” Jiang Tang replied in disbelief via telepathy. “Besides, if that’s really the case, going in would be a suicide mission!” “Don’t worry. I took advantage of him being fast asleep to slip inside his body and use a spatial rift to get here. I know exactly what’s going on in there. As long as we get out before he wakes up, we’ll be fine.” Jiang Tang didn’t know what to say! Is Chaos—one of the Four Evils—really that terrifying? His belly hides a vast Spirit Island, and there’s even a spatial rift! And then there’s that scoundrel Qiong Sang… “Top ten… I’ll give it a shot.” After thinking it over, Jiang Tang decided to take the risk—after all, the Spirit Island was incredibly tempting. If he could just get a single spirit herb out of there, he’d be set for life! After waiting two whole days, it was finally Jiang Tang’s turn again. His opponent was a disciple from the Spirit Artifact Pavilion. The fellow was clearly wary of Jiang Tang’s bone spear; as soon as the match began, he raised a golden shield to protect himself. But by the time he was ready to strike, Jiang Tang had already closed the distance. With a single punch to the shield, a thunderous roar echoed through the arena, and the disciple collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from his seven orifices. In the five matches that followed, Jiang Tang defeated every opponent with a single punch, astonishing both the watching disciples and even some of the elders. “Junior Brother Jiang cultivates martial arts and immortality, and is also well-versed in formations and spiritual plants—his background is certainly no ordinary one.” Qin Yizhang’s interest in Jiang Tang grew by the minute, though he no longer harbored any intention of winning him over; he simply thought that maintaining a good relationship might prove useful in the future. “Junior Brother, you’ve truly surprised me! It seems a spot in the top three of the C List is a sure thing. If you make the top three, you can challenge the B List or accept challenges from the D List. As long as you survive those two matches, you’ll qualify to compete for a spot in the top ten of the A List.” Hua Mo Leng had clearly seen through Jiang Tang’s plans. But there were only ten spots on Spirit Island, and the real competition lay on the Class A List. For Jiang Tang to truly break into it, he faced immense challenges. However, Jiang Tang wasn’t dwelling on these concerns; instead, he sent a mental message to Qiong Sang, inquiring about the situation on Spirit Island. Upon learning from Qiong Sang that Spirit Island truly contained a wealth of rare treasures and even divine weapons, he was genuinely tempted! “It’s just the top ten—within the Qi Martial Realm, I’m not afraid of anyone.” Just as Jiang Tang finished this thought, he suddenly noticed Senior Sister Ji rising to her feet and stepping back onto the stage. Originally planning to watch which unlucky soul would be sent flying by Senior Sister Ji, Jiang Tang was suddenly filled with concern when he saw her opponent! Wang Jianlun, a disciple of the Xuanjian Cave and the great-great-grandson of the Cave Master, was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm. Like Jiang Tang, he had swept through the competition without encountering a worthy opponent, defeating everyone in an instant! “The real competition has begun!” No sooner had Hua Mo Leng’s cold words fallen than, on the stage, flames erupted around Ji Yukui as she lunged directly at Wang Jianlun!