C19 – The Competition Began
Fortunately, Wang Shan was unharmed, much to the relief of the five girls who had been worried about him. After enjoying the hot springs for two days, the highly anticipated town competition finally arrived! This captivating event was set to unfold at the central arena in Cloud City. The stands were packed with an eager audience, and behind them sat five Two-star Experts.
The stakes were high, as the competition would determine the rankings between the two towns, leaving both mayors on edge, unable to afford even a moment of complacency. Lei Bao was the first to step onto the stage, greeted by the thunderous cheers of the crowd. At just fifteen, this youth from Azure Thunder Town had impressively ascended to the fifth level of the Nine-level Tower, earning him the title of a prodigy.
Legends have long stated that a cultivator’s future accomplishments can be foreseen by their progress in the Nine-level Tower. Those reaching the third level are said to have boundless potential. Lei Bao, having reached the fifth level, became the celebrated star of Azure Thunder Town, adored by many girls his age.
But Lei Bao’s talents didn’t stop there. He had mastered the High Grade Human Rank Thunder Condensing Arts—a technique seldom chosen by One-star Cultivators as a foundational skill—yet it shone brilliantly in his hands. This formidable technique had enabled Lei Bao to vanquish all challengers during the trials, securing his status as the Prodigy of Azure Thunder Town. As the grandson of the town’s mayor, Lei Bao was brimming with pride and vowed to defeat Wang Shan, thereby elevating the honor of Azure Thunder Town.
Following Lei Bao’s entrance, a dashing young man, flanked by five stunning beauties, approached the arena. To the uninformed, he might have appeared to be a carefree, wealthy young master there just for entertainment. They could hardly imagine him as a contender in the competition. This charming wastrel was none other than Wang Shan from Twilight Cloud Town in Cloud City. Wang Shan’s history was well-known; he was a young master with no innate Cultivation Talent, who had only achieved his current status through his father’s influence.
For the past five years, every single one of his competitive results has been a sham!
Whenever Wang Shan’s name came up, the audience would just shake their heads in sheer disappointment.
They all saw Wang Shan as nothing more than a waste of space.
With a Two-star Expert for a father, it was no surprise that even his test scores could be falsified!
How could someone with absolutely no Cultivation Talent maintain the top scores for five consecutive years?
Even more ridiculous was the recent discovery that he supposedly possessed the Eternal Flood Dragon Bloodline!
It was, without a doubt, the most ludicrous joke under the sun.
“Is this some kind of joke? Has Twilight Cloud Town run out of competent people? Why on earth would they send a loser like you to compete?” Lei Bao sneered at Wang Shan, confident he could easily best him.
Under normal circumstances, Wang Shan wouldn’t give him the time of day.
But this time, he was the face of Twilight Cloud Town, and every move he made on stage would reflect on the town’s honor.
After a brief pause, Wang Shan retorted, “We tailor our choice of representative to the caliber of our opponent.”
Lei Bao could clearly sense the insult, implying he was no better than trash himself.
The brash and impetuous Lei Bao immediately raised his hand, issuing a life-or-death challenge to Wang Shan before the watchful eyes of the crowd.
This was supposed to be a friendly match!
But with the stakes raised to life or death, the entire nature of the contest shifted. It wouldn’t end until one of them lay dead.
The life-and-death battle would commence as long as both participants consented.
“Fine, I accept. But I have one condition—try not to cry later on.”
Wang Shan had achieved the pinnacle of the Earth Rank Thunder Condensing Arts, Peak Great Perfection. His swagger was understated, like thunder veiled by the clouds.