Chapter 356: Chapter 355 Settling Dust_1
When Sikong Yi and his fellows reappeared, they were already on the backs of airborne exotic beasts. They quickly disappeared into the sky.
"How did these demons manage to escape so easily?!" Shentu Yan’s expression turned grim as he watched the demons from the Saint Witch Religion brazenly depart.
"Master Shentu, there’s no need to be upset. They possess the Netherworld Scroll. If they decided to leave, no one could stop them..." Lu Youzhen said with a faint smile.
The peculiar power of the Netherworld Scroll allows for short-range spatial teleportation. It’s an extremely useful Treasure, whether for engaging enemies or escaping. With the Netherworld Scroll in the hands of someone like Sikong Yi, he becomes incredibly elusive. Trying to catch him is unrealistic.
"Indeed. It’s a great blessing that the Martial Arts Monument wasn’t stolen," the Sky Thunder Wandering Cultivator said, heaving a sigh of relief. If the Martial Arts Monument had been taken, the loss to the Righteous Martial World would have been immeasurable.
"We managed to prevent Sikong Yi from taking the Dragon Vein. Everyone here has made a great contribution to the Righteous Martial World." At this moment, Feng Chibai and Xu Feihong landed at the venue. Seeing Sikong Yi lead the Demon Way experts in retreat, they approached Lu Youzhen and the other two.
"Our success in repelling the Demon Cult is largely due to Ling Chen. If he hadn’t harnessed the Dragon Vein Power to defeat the Black and White Holy Envoys and shatter the Four-sided Demonic Formation, I’m afraid we three alone couldn’t have stopped them," Lu Youzhen stated, then looked at Ling Chen, his eyes full of approval.
"What? Something like that happened?" Hearing this, Feng Chibai and Xu Feihong stared at Ling Chen in surprise. The ability to control Dragon Vein Power was something only a True Dragon Level genius could achieve. As for the Black and White Holy Envoys, they were opponents that both Feng Chibai and Xu Feihong found very troublesome. Unexpectedly, they had been defeated by a member of the younger generation.
With Ling Chen’s current strength, contending against the Black and White Holy Envoys would undoubtedly be a pipe dream. However, if he was empowered by Dragon Vein Power, then it would make sense.
"The entire Martial World should be grateful to our Brother Ling Chen," Feng Chibai also said with a smile.
"Hehe, worthy of being Ling Tianyu’s son. It seems my decision back then to arrange a marriage for our children with Ling Tianyu wasn’t a loss for me." Xu Feihong looked at Ling Chen quite favorably, his gaze almost like one assessing a future son-in-law.
"I just blundered my way through," Ling Chen said with a nervous chuckle, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the intense gazes of so many Martial World leaders.
The previous battle had been perilous, but Ling Chen felt fortunate. If he hadn’t been imbued with Dragon Vein Power and subsequently repelled the Demon Cult, his earlier capture by Xia Yunxin would undoubtedly have been questioned.
Although Ling Chen thought his acting was decent, those present were old foxes who had navigated Jianghu for decades. It was hard to guarantee they hadn’t noticed something. Some might even suspect collusion between him and Xia Yunxin. However, by personally repelling the Demon Cult, protecting the Martial Arts Monument, and defending the Righteous Martial World, all suspicion against him was dispelled. These Martial World magnates would no longer doubt him.
Indeed, just as Ling Chen had anticipated, his self-harm ruse with Xia Yunxin, while seemingly flawless on the surface, was actually riddled with holes. Apart from the Sky Thunder Wandering Cultivator, both Lu Youzhen and Shentu Yan had their suspicions.
But now, none of them would bring it up.
ROAR!
Suddenly, Ling Chen’s body trembled. A phantom of a giant, earth-yellow dragon burst from within him. It soared into the sky, circled once, then returned to the Martial Arts Monument, resuming its original place.
BUZZ!
Countless names appeared densely on the monument. However, these names, now part of history, quickly faded away, replaced by three new ones:
Xue Wu Ya, Xu Ruoyan, Ling Chen.
These were the top three of the current Martial Arts Conference.
With Xia Yunxin’s identity exposed, her results in the Martial Arts Conference were nullified. Thus, Xue Wu Ya and Xu Ruoyan, who were originally to compete for third place, both had their names inscribed on the Martial Arts Monument.
Ling Chen’s name was displayed in the most prominent position on the Martial Arts Monument. Even his historical ranking was exceptionally high, surpassing many renowned figures from the history of the Five Kingdoms who had previously left their mark on the monument.
Xue Wu Ya smiled at Ling Chen. "Congratulations. Throughout the history of the Martial Arts Conference, since its inception, I believe fewer than three people have been recognized by the Dragon Vein."
The Martial Arts Conference has a long and storied history. The greatest wish of its original founders was for the Martial World to maintain peaceful competition, continually fostering new talent. Eventually, the Martial Arts Conference spread throughout the entire Continent. Generation after generation, attendees inherited the founders’ ideals, contributing their own efforts to the Conference’s legacy and development.
However, despite the emergence of numerous peerless geniuses in each conference, very few could truly be called "True Dragons."
"Now that you’re number one in the Martial Arts Conference, you can exchange insights on martial arts with the Four Outstanding Talents," Xu Ruoyan said, looking at Ling Chen with a hint of envy. "These four possess exceptional martial arts attainments, recognized throughout the Martial World. Even many Sky Apex Realm experts can’t match them. Moreover, these four are extremely aloof and rarely gather. Thus, the chance to discuss with all four of them simultaneously is exceptionally rare. You must seize this opportunity."
"Understood." Ling Chen nodded. Interaction is crucial for worldly progress and personal strength advancement. Without it, there’s no improvement. Working in isolation is not the most proactive approach. In the Martial World, geniuses are as numerous as ox hairs. I don’t consider myself the absolute best. As the saying goes, ’There’s always a higher mountain.’ Continuous, humble learning is the true path.
"So, you are Ling Chen." At that moment, Liu Feiyue and three others approached Ling Chen. The speaker was a black-clad youth with a cold expression.
"Indeed, I am." Ling Chen cupped his fists and sized up the youth before him, who carried a long spear on his back. If I’m not mistaken, this person should be Mo Tianya, known in Jianghu as the "Cold-Blooded Gun God."
"So young, yet your talent is outstanding. It seems the title of ’Four Outstanding Talents’ will soon fade, to be replaced by ’Unparalleled Under Heaven’," a handsome young man in a white robe said, walking over with a smile. Ling Chen could vaguely guess this person must be one of the Four Outstanding Talents, "Unrestrained Young Master" Su Ziling.
"Bright Moon Sword" Liu Feiyue needed no further introduction. The remaining gentleman, who appeared very composed and modest, had to be "White Xuanjun" Yun Qinghong.