Sealed Divine Throne

The smile on the face of the wind warrior didn’t last, because he noticed to his surprise that his own battle-axes were stuck to an immense adhesive surface after breaking past the Resisting Ring of Fire, and that the powerful backlash and shock made it impossible to advance further. Immediately afterwards, he suffered from his own speed because his advance abruptly came to a halt.

The Resisting Ring of Fire clashed with his rapid charge, and the wind soldier was directly sent flying backwards at an even more rapid speed than when he dashed forward, just like a rock shot by a slingshot. Although the Resisting Ring of Fire wasn’t powerful, its backlash caused a huge shock to his chest, nearly causing him to spurt out blood, as he fell into a state of dizziness for a short time.

A fire skull emerged at that time, but it didn’t attack the wind soldier. Instead it spiraled around him, before returning to Lin Xin’s Fire Cloud Crystal.

The referee stopped the match at this point, awarding the victory to Lin Xin. If that Fire Curse attack had really hit the wind warrior, he would have ended up disabled for life, if not dead. It was a spell of the sixth step, and the power of magical attacks of the sixth step used by mages weren’t anything warriors of the sixth step could compare with.

Following Chen Ying’er, Lin Xin also ended up victorious after his match.

Lin Xin looked cocky after returning to the lounge, but seeing Li Xin standing next to Long Haochen, he was filled with surprise, and the expression on his face immediately eased up. No one saw it, but a surge of warmth flashed at that time in the depth of his eyes.

“Wife, how comes that you are here?” Lin Xin sat nearby Li Xin without reservation and asked openly.

Li Xin reacted in anger, “Who are you calling your wife? Aren’t you the most attached to your face?”

Lin Xin chuckled at her, “I prefer this wife over my face.”

“You… I’m leaving.” Saying that, Li Xin stood up and started back to the side of her 22nd general grade Demon Hunt Squad.

Lin Xin hurriedly pulled her hand, “Don’t go, don’t go. Is it okay as long as I shut up? I will be listening to everything you say.” Saying that, he immediately sat upright and still, giving off the appearance of an obedient child.

Seeing that ridiculous appearance, Li Xin was totally helpless against him.

Seeing them, the others couldn’t help but smile, and this applied even to Cai’er.

The competition went on, and after a few more matches Sima Xian of the 21st general grade Demon Hunt Squad entered the stage. All the other Demon Hunt Squads familiar with them couldn’t help but ponder secretly, _Could it be that their complete team signed up?_

Sima Xian went on stage in large strides, but this time, the whole audience was totally shocked. Seeing his robust build, his partial armor, and the incomparably huge metallic ball in his hand, everyone was unable to help but wonder, _What kind of weapon is that?_

Sima Xian’s opponent was a knight.

“Both of you, introduce your vocations.” The referee ordered according to the convention, so he could decide the distance which would separate the two parties at the beginning of the match.

“Knight.”

“Priest.”

“Mh, knight against priest, then, both parties will start at a distance of… WAIT, you are saying that you are a priest?” That referee looked dumbstruck at Sima Xian.

Sima Xian’s complexion became fairly unsightly; this was after all the headquarters of the Priest Temple! With the expression of a tiger, he asked, “Is there something wrong with me being a priest?”

The referee’s face twitched involuntarily, saying in a serious tone, “So as to preserve the fairness of the match, I require proof of your vocation. Please show me a proof of your identity as a priest.”

With a snort, Sima Xian stretched out his left hand in the air, emitting a pure ray of divine light from his body.

This was an authentic skill used by priests, which people from other Temples couldn’t possibly learn. Neither warriors nor knights were capable of using that particular skill.

“Are you really a priest?” The referee asked once again.

This time, it was the auxiliary chief of the Priest Temple, Ling Xiao, who spoke, “What are you waiting for to start the match? This youngster is a priest.”

“Yes, Hall Master Ling!” The referee replied with some hesitation. This guy simply didn’t look even close to a priest?

“Priest versus knight, the two parties will start at a distance of fifty meters. Battle start!”

Sima Xian drew exactly fifty meters back, brandishing the Energetic Ball of Light in his hand.

The shackles that extended ten meters long were linked to the Energetic Ball of Light with a diameter of one meter, and produced fierce howls of wind. The resulting _wuu wuu_ hissing sounds made the spectators just as perplexed as the referee. _What the hell! Is that really a priest?_

The most shocked was obviously Sima Xian’s opponent, who stared dumbstruck at Sima Xian’s Energetic Ball of Light. This knight didn’t even feel like he had the power to charge.

His mount was a Scarlet Shelled Earthworm, a magical beast that could be considered imposing and powerful. However, when his Scarlet Shelled Earthworm started to rush towards Sima Xian, he felt as though he was being totally suppressed.

Sima Xian also rushed towards his opponent in large strides. With each of his steps the imposing swell of his muscles became more imminent The strong golden light in his body intensified until it looked as if the Energetic Ball of Light was a mini-sun, ready to unleash a dazzling glow.

Lounge area.

Ling Xiao was covering his own face with his hands, “Is that really a priest? What a total loss of face. Who is it that educated this youngster? That won’t do, I have to expel him no matter what. I have to! Having such a man stay in the Priest Temple is simply too big a disgrace for the Temple.”

Han Qian leisurely replied, “A disgrace? All right then, I’ll just be saying a few words to this youngsters a bit later, inviting him to join our Knight Temple. Anyway, the fact that he is part of Long Haochen’s team cannot be changed anymore.”

“What?!” Ling Xiao lowered his hands covering his face, giving Han Qian a hesitant look, “Old fool, just don’t mind my prior words about expelling him from the Priest Temple, that was a mere joke. Are you still wanting to accept him?”

Han Qian shot him a glance filled with disdain, “Don’t ask me. I absolutely won’t tell you about the fact this kid’s internal spiritual energy is at eighty.”

_cough_ “You… What did you just say?”

Han Qian covered his own mouth, “I haven’t said anything.”

When Ling Xiao turned his head to look at Sima Xian, his eyes were already totally different. Now he looked at him as if he were some kind of rare treasure.

Han Qian pleasingly remarked from his side, “Old Ling, you have to keep your own word! After the competition ends, hurry up to have him expelled. Such talents are accepted no matter how many they are in our Knight Temple. You see, he isn’t even able to use any healing spells. Having him stay in your Temple would just make him subject to mocking. We are not afraid though, after cultivating him as it should be done, he will become a formidable Retribution Knight, and even the fact that he has such a monstrous weapon is no problem for us.”

“Shut up! Don’t even think of doing that.” Ling Xiao furiously shouted, “When have I even said I would expel him?”

Han Qian stared with wide eyes, “You have just said so!”

Ling Xiao spoke back with a snort, “Bullshit! You are just dreaming. This kid is one of our companions from the Priest Temple; who would do such a thing? What if he cannot heal? I can at least make him a guardian of our Temple as a Discipline Priest. I’m preparing to accept him as my personal disciple after the end of this competition.”

Seated on the other side of Ling Xiao, Ying Suifeng who had been silent all along suddenly let out a sigh, “Old Ling, your cheeks are soon going to be as thick as the old Han’s.”

Han Qian laughed out loud, “Don’t worry, this man won’t lower himself to his level.” It was naturally on purpose that he had disclosed the information on Sima Xian’s internal spiritual energy. Sima Xian was after all Long Haochen’s companion, and his own retainer knight, so having him gain strength would also increase Long Haochen’s safety. Therefore, helping as much he could wasn’t bad.

Sima Xian’s opponent was a Guardian Knight, but for him, the tragedy was that he was also an expert in strength and had just reached the sixth step recently. Thus, seeing such a bellowing Energetic Ball of Light, he could only charge. Knights after all, weren’t talented in ranged attacks.

The result went as one would expect; when the knight encountered Sima Xian’s Energetic Ball of Light boosted with Crush and Ripples of Light, his shield of the Spiritual Tier imbued with Divine Obstruction and Holy Filter Shield, ended up being broken. The knight himself was immediately sent flying.

The reason wasn’t that this knight was unable to block Sima Xian’s attack, but it was the difference in equipment that put him at such a disadvantage. Being sent flying like that, he covered his own chest tightly, almost spitting out blood. But more importantly, as he was slung into the air, his Scarlet Shelled Earthworm was still standing in the way of destruction.

Seeing that Energetic Ball of Light about to smash his Scarlet Shelled Earthworm, the knight who loved his mount dearly immediately shouted “I concede”.

The matches of the first round were rapidly conducted, and the seven members from Long Haochen’s 21st general grade Demon Hunt Squad had actually been pretty lucky, having not encountered any highly experienced Demon Hunters at the commander grade. They also all had passed the first round smoothly.

When the first seventy matches finished, it was already noon, and Ling Xiao announced that before continuing with the second round, they would take a break for lunch.

It could be considered either as lucky or unlucky, but in the afternoon, Lin Xin unexpectedly drew Sima Xian, whereas Chen Ying’er drew Cai’er.

Therefore, the more promising Sima Xian and Cai’er were naturally given the victory, and Long Haochen and Wang Yuanyuan, as well as Han Yu all defeated their respective opponents. The worthiest of the lot was Wang Yuanyuan, who barely won after going through bitter struggles. It was by relying on an Asura Strike launched with her Gigantic Divine Soul Shield that she finally won with a surprise attack.

Compared to the first round, the following matches were already a lot more difficult. However, even after two matches, five people from the 21st general grade Demon Hunt Squad still remained in the competition, and this was already more than enough. By this time, the remaining competitors only numbered thirty-eight, and except for Wang Yuanyuan, Sima Xian and Han Yu, they were all at the sixth step of cultivation.

The third round matches would take place on the next day, and they would clearly be a lot more intense than ever before. This time, Long Haochen encountered Wang Yuanyuan, and victory was naturally given to him, whereas Han Yu and Sima Xian dropped out completely.

Han Yu encountered a powerful summoner at the sixth step, and finally couldn’t keep up against the attacks of all his powerful summons. Sima Xian had bad luck and encountered a mage at the peak of the sixth step. He didn’t manage to cover the distance and get close enough to his opponent, so he finally lost. After this battle, only Long Haochen and Cai’er continued to advance.

1. sign of shamelessness?