Chapter 434: Gathering
Chapter 434: Gathering
Fewer and fewer cultivators arrived until many days later when the gradual flow ceased.
However, Grandmaster Zenith Yin and the old Confucian scholar were sitting in silence with solemn expressions. They would occasionally sweep their gaze across the room as if they were waiting for something.
‘Could they be waiting for Man Huzi?” Han Li naturally noticed this and was very curious. As such, he also kept an eye out.
When afternoon arrived, footsteps could be heard from the entrance of the hall. With several flashes of blue radiance, two people walked into the hall one at a time. One of them was an old Daoist with a reddish complexion, and the other was an old man dressed as a farmer with a bitter expression on his thin, dark face.
After these two appeared, the cultivators in the hall became restless. A majority of people looked at the two with a trace of respect.
It seemed these two were quite famous.
Grandmaster Zenith Yin and the old Confucian scholar looked at them with ill intent. Grandmaster Zenith Yin’s expression was particularly harsh.
The two newly arrived experts returned the other party’s hostile gazes upon seeing them. The old Daoist snorted and said, “Old Devil Zenith Yin! You’ve arrived quite early. It seems you of the Devil Dao are quite determined to come out on top during this Heavenvoid Hall.”
“Tian Wuzi1! It isn’t that this Grandmaster arrived early but you hypocrites arrived far too late. As I was of the opinion that your map fragment’s information was false, I wasn’t expecting you to arrive. This also good. This Grandmaster now has the opportunity to surpass you.” Grandmaster Zenith Yin responded with a sinister expression.
“Who is it that you think you’re going to surpass, Zenith Yin? Please, enlighten us!” Without waiting for the old Daoist to strike back, another voice resounded throughout the hall.
When Zenith Yin and the old Confucian scholar heard the new voice, their expressions greatly changed. The taciturn beautiful woman suddenly raised her head and coldly spoke while staring at the hall’s entrance.
“Wan Tianming2, you’ve arrived!”
“It seems Lady Wen has also arrived. Why does my appearance surprise you?” After this was said, a blur shot in from the outside and revealed a middle-aged man with a violet robe and jade belt.
This person had a squarish face and a large brow with white shiny teeth. He indifferently glanced at the beautiful woman before turning his gaze towards Grandmaster Zenith Yin. His very presence exuded an imposing aura.
Grandmaster Zenith Yin shut his lips with an eerie expression and remained silent in response to this man’s blunt gaze.
This greatly shocked Han Li. He couldn’t help but closely examine the new arrivals. Han Li bewilderedly guessed that since an early Nascent Soul cultivator such as Grandmaster Zenith Yin was somewhat fearful of them, this person must be a mid Nascent Soul cultivator!
From what he saw, the three new arrivals should be cultivators of the Scattered Star Seas’ Righteous Dao. As for Zenith Yin and the others, they should be of the Devilish Dao.
The earlier restlessness of the hall had been immediately quelled by the middle-aged man’s arrival. Only the faint whispering of “Sect Master of the Myriad Gates of Enlightenment” could be heard.
Obviously, the middle-aged man seemed to have a higher status when compared to the other two.
“Wan Tianming, was my sword attendant injured by one of your disciples?” The beautiful woman surnamed Wen asked this question without restraint as if fearless of this person.
“That is obviously untrue. It was just that my sect’s disciples saw that your sword attendant’s cultivation was quite good and they merely wanted to swap pointers. Could it be that Lady Wen wishes for a violent escalation of hostilities over such a small matter?” Wan Tianming’s eyes narrowed as he spoke with an indifferent expression.
“Swapping pointers? My sword attendant is only at early Foundation Establishment. Your disciples were clearly bullying her and deliberately embarrassing our sect.” The beautiful woman’s face grew cold.
“Humiliate Madam’s sect? I don’t dare! For the sake of the Archsaint’s reputation, I will later have those disciples offer you their humble apologies.” The middle-aged man slightly frowned and spoke without much care.
“What does this matter of mine have to do with my lord husband? If you are unwilling, then how about I use my Virtuous Duality Sword Arts to swap pointers with Sect Master Wan?” The beautiful woman became even more furious at his words.
“Compare notes with Lady Wen? Let’s forget that. If the Archsaint of the Six Paths3 were to know that I bullied his wife, he would seek my life. I don’t wish to incite a great war between the the Righteous and Devilish Dao.” Wan Tianming chuckled as if he found it ridiculous.
When the beautiful woman heard this, her face reddened. After a final glare, she dropped the matter.
While the beautiful woman had let the matter drop with the middle-aged man, the middle-aged man was unwilling to do the same with Grandmaster Zenith Yin. He sneered at Grandmaster Zenith Yin. But just as he though to say something, a rumble vibrated from the passage and faintly shook the entire hall.
Apart from the Nascent Soul eccentrics, all of the cultivators looked towards the entrance with alarm.
Grandmaster Zenith Yin and the old Confucian scholar looked at each other with a hint of concealed joy. However, Grandmaster Zenith Yin’s happy expression seemed forced.
Wan Tianming’s eyes coldly glinted and flashed with sharp killing intent. The old Daoist and the old farmer also seemed to know who was coming and revealed a trace of worry.
The vibrations soon grew stronger and more frequent, eventually revealing an exceptionally tall figure.
A blue-robed eccentric with a yellow curly beard suddenly walked in. It seemed that his every step caused the entire hall to sway as if he weighed over six thousand kilograms.
Under everyone’s amazed gazes, he took note of the people within the hall without any regards before settling his eyes on Wan Tianming and burst into laughter.
“I didn’t think that great Sect Master Wan would come here. It seems it was correct for me to come here. I had always wished to contest myself against Sect Master Wan but it is unfortunate that I’ve never had the opportunity until now.” The eccentric looked at the middle-aged man with a provocative gaze.
“I too have looked forward to witnessing Brother Man’s Heaven Enduring Arts, reputed to be the greatest defensive devilish art in the Scattered Star Seas.” Wan Tianming coldly glanced at the eccentric and fearlessly replied.
“Hehe! Well said, well said! I have been looking forward to experiencing Sect Master Wan’s True Heavensifting Arts.” The eccentric widely grinned with unconcealed eagerness.
Unfortunately for him, Sect Master Wan didn’t wish to cause an incident at present. He softly spoke to the old Daoist and the old farmer before the three flew up toward a jade pillar.
Afterwards, the old Daoist spoke to the old Core Formation cultivator on the pillar with a smile. The Core Formation cultivator then vacated the pillar as if he had received a great favor and moved to a different place
When the eccentric saw this, his face held a trace of mockery. After raising his head and looking around, his body suddenly blurred before reappearing on a jade pillar.
As chance would have it, the jade pillar happened to be Han Li’s.
When Han Li saw this, his expression turned to shock.
“Get lost. This place is mine.” Just as the eccentric appeared on the pillar, he icily spoke to Han Li with a cold stare.
Han Li’s expression abruptly turned unsightly, and he involuntarily clenched his sleeved fists with force. He stayed silent, thinking of forcefully staying a moment. But he soon jumped off the jade pillar, followed by the wild laughter of the eccentric.
Han Li’s face was covered in an icy frost. Although it was extremely embarrassing, he could only endure it for the time being.
After all, the hall’s restrictions may be able to prevent cultivators from acting, but he wasn’t sure whether or not these restrictions had as large of an influence on a Nascent Soul cultivator. He didn’t wish to put his life at risk by allowing himself to be overwhelmed with emotion.
Suppressing a bellyful of grievances, he found a clean spot on the floor and sat down. The old Confucian scholar asked the eccentric with a beaming smile, “Brother Man arrived quite late. I had believed that Brother Man had changed his mind. Did you not intend to come?”
“How could that be possible? I had come to the Heavenvoid Hall in hopes of refining life lengthening pills! It was just that a few matters along the way had delayed me. As for Wan Tianming’s arrival, I was quite amazed. Could it be that he knew that the life extending fruit had ripened and also wanted to pick a few of them?” The eccentric stroked his yellow beard and spoke with slight doubt.
“I’m not sure. However, there are countless other exceptional treasures in the Heavenvoid Hall. Who knows what he came here for?” The old Confucian scholar spoke with doubt.
Grandmaster Zenith Yin seemed to have thought of something and worryingly said, “Wan Tianming is among the top leading figures of the Righteous Dao. Does he intend to strive for the Heavenvoid Cauldron?”
“Heavenvoid Cauldron? That’s impossible! If that item were so easily obtained, it would’ve long been taken away by other cultivators before they ever got the chance.” Without waiting for Man Huzi4 to reply, the old Confucian scholar shook his head like a rattle drum.
ED: Han Li agreed as the main character of the story had only just arrived, so how could the macguffin have already been taken?
1. The 悟子Wuzi in his name can mean enlightened one.
2. Quite suitably, his name 天明 Tianming means dawn or daybreak.
3. His title, 六道 Six Paths, references the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
4. His name 蛮胡子 Man Huzi could translate to Rough/Barbaric/Tyrannical Beard.