Primordial Divine Emperor-Chapter 76 - 69: Attitudes from All Sides, Ten City Prodigies Run Wild
Everyone turned their heads towards the sound.
They saw outside the Array Peak Martial Arts Arena, a solitary figure walking slowly along the horizon.
Behind him, the various Divine Peaks stood like a fairyland, making both the heavens and that figure seem extremely illusory and unreal.
Under the gaze of all eyes, the figure moved leisurely and with ease, as if appreciating a beautiful scene, slowly approaching the Array Peak Martial Arts Arena.
However, the crowded Array Peak Martial Arts Arena suddenly paused, and countless gazes focused there.
Among them, Array Peak disciples who had seen Ye Xiaofan at the Scripture Pavilion five months ago stared at that silhouette in surprise.
"It’s really him; I didn’t expect he dared to come to participate in the Array Peak’s Array Battle Competition."
Upon recognizing that figure, many were stunned beyond measure.
Although the Array Peak was open to the public, most of Divine Sword Sect’s Outer Peak disciples simply came to the Array Peak District to borrow some simple array books or to seek advice from Array Peak elders on the insights of Array Dao, thus pursuing their own research in the path of arrays.
As for Outer Peak disciples participating in the Array Battle Competition, such instances have been as rare as a phoenix feather at Divine Sword Sect.
After all, non-Array Peak disciples nearly always lacked the innate talent for Array Dao required to stand on the upper echelon. Learning a few basic arrays might be feasible, but wishing to compete in the Array Battle Competition against countless Array Dao geniuses was, in many people’s eyes, a joke unto itself.
In that moment, amidst the endless sea of people, numerous Divine Sword Sect disciples also gazed in that direction, some bewildered, some astonished, but more were puzzled and confused.
Even the Array Peak elders couldn’t resist casting a glance of surprise, though they all shook their heads silently.
It’s not that they looked down on the inheritor of the Sword Saint, but the Array Battle Competition was all for the sons of Array Dao; in their eyes, Ye Xiaofan was merely an outsider.
An elder from the Array Peak immediately sighed softly and shook his head slowly.
"This child is truly commendable for his courage. This year’s array geniuses can be said to be filled with demon fiends; the overall level has risen several notches compared to previous years. Disciples from other Divine Peaks have all refrained, yet this child acts contrary to the trend, truly baffling."
In the eyes of the Array Peak elders, it simply meant that this boy lacked self-awareness. Although it wasn’t directly stated, that was the implication throughout the conversation.
As Ye Xiaofan approached, more and more gazes converged in that direction.
Even on the Thirty-Six Holy Peaks, several figures were watching the scene from afar, gazing at the no longer unfamiliar silhouette.
For instance, on the Second Holy Peak, a breathtakingly beautiful figure stood at its summit, her beautiful eyes gently opened, quietly gazing beyond the Array Peak Martial Arts Arena, quite surprised.
It was a figure so beautiful that heaven and earth seemed pale in comparison, with unparalleled beauty and a majestic stance.
Even just standing there, she was breathtakingly beautiful, like a bright and clear moon that shouldn’t belong to this mortal world, illuminating billions of starry rivers, overshadowing countless stars, making that world seem ethereal.
The unparalleled maiden was none other than the Divine Sword Sect’s foremost Saintess candidate, renowned as the first female prodigy of the Divine Sword, the peerless beauty who combined unparalleled looks and supreme talent, the Fairy of the Mountain Stream, today’s absolute demon fiend of the Second Holy Peak of the Thirty-Six Holy Peaks—Luo Qingxian.
Luo Qingxian watched that tall figure from afar, and although she didn’t have high hopes for him either, a strange anticipation arose within her. She didn’t know why, perhaps it was a woman’s sixth sense, but she always felt that person might bring her some surprise.
At the same time.
On the Divine Sword Peak.
Another pure and delicate figure also silently watched all this unfold.
Compared to Luo Qingxian’s otherworldly beauty, her beauty was more like a noble, unattainable elegance, like the celestial maiden first born on the Ninth Heaven, pure and flawless, dazzlingly bright.
This lady was none other than Ye Xiaofan’s once-betrothed fiancée, who suffered a broken engagement—Ning Xianyi.
Now, Ning Xianyi seemed to have shed her youthful inexperience from her earlier visit to Star Moon City, resembling a holy snow lotus concealed within the vast Divine Sect, lofty and unattainable.
But they were far from the only two who were paying attention there.
For example, on a Spirit Peak in the Spirit Sword Peak area.
Ye Xiaotian also watched that oh-so-familiar figure from afar, standing alone at the pinnacle of the Spirit Peak, remaining silent.
And when that figure appeared outside the Array Peak Martial Arts Arena, more familiar figures also watched from afar. Countless prodigies and talents from the Ten Cities, like Jian Zhu, looked at the scene with complex emotions, especially those prodigies and talents from Star Moon City, whose attitudes had shifted.
"Can he really create another legend?" a prodigy from Star Moon City questioned. Along this journey, they had witnessed too many of his deeds, and the once-contemptuous emotion had subtly changed in their subconscious.
So much so that some noticed the change in their own mindset, murmuring to themselves.
"Strangely, back in Star Moon City, I found him rather unpleasant. But for some reason, I now slightly hope he will not remain the waste not even a Level One Martial Soul. For a fleeting moment, I even fantasized about him soaring to new heights, outshining the endless geniuses."
A prodigy from Star Moon City lightly shook his head, a bitter smile and self-mockery upon his lips.
It was only after entering Divine Sword Sect that they understood the notion that there is always a higher peak and stronger people beyond what they knew.
The Ten Cities’ geniuses found themselves dim here, losing their luster they had in Star Moon City, each of them becoming like the Ye Xiaofan they once knew.
Here they were seen as sons of desolate mountain regions, often confronted, disdained, looked down upon, even ostracized, mocked, verbally humiliated by others.
Faced with these circumstances, the prodigies of the Ten Cities had no strength to retort, as they lacked the capability to do so, and could only silently endure.
Just as they had once mocked Ye Xiaofan, now they too were being mocked, experiencing firsthand the situation Ye Xiaofan had been in, yet lacking Ye Xiaofan’s calm composure.
"Kid, although I don’t know where you got the courage to go up there, I still hope that you can slap their faces just as you did ours in Star Moon City, and show them that even though the Ten Cities Region is barren, it can still produce unparalleled demon fiends."
The proud sons and daughters of Star Moon City each inadvertently showed genuine emotion, those who had once ridiculed that waste now placed their hopes on him, relying on him to fight for a breath for the Ten Cities. Thinking about it, they found themselves quite ridiculous.
On the other side.
As time passed.
Ye Xiaofan arrived at the edge of the Array Peak’s Martial Arts Arena. The center of the arena was already densely packed with new disciples from Array Peak, with the occasional new disciple from the Outer Peak interspersed.
And around the arena, countless disciples from various peaks of the Divine Sword Sect and endless seniors from Array Peak gathered, outnumbered only by those on the distant Spirit Peak.
Ye Xiaofan scanned the crowd in the stands, seeing the ocean-like gazes fixated on his direction, he couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile.
However, he didn’t pay attention to them; having gone through so much, the once young boy gradually grew accustomed to this feeling of being under the spotlight, except that this time the number of people was tens of times more.
After slightly bowing to an Elder from Array Peak,
Ye Xiaofan didn’t greet anyone but instead stepped forward, slowly walking towards the center of the Martial Arts Arena. There, countless Array Dao prodigies participating in the Array Battle all stared at this unremarkable figure without turning their gaze away.
In a certain place on the stands.
"Is this the unparalleled prodigy born from your Ten Cities Region? Indeed, those from the Ten Cities are all unheard-of nobodies. Your place has never produced world-shaking demon fiends, only these kinds of oddities every year."
"Just a speck of land, barren hills and wilderness, what world-shaking demon fiends could it produce? It’s just a bunch of frogs in a well, merely contented fools on their tiny plot of land."
A few unparalleled prodigies from the Hundred Broken Mountain Range smirked disdainfully, immediately letting out a cold laugh.
However, upon hearing this, the few gathered prodigies from the Ten Cities were suddenly angered.
"Who are you calling frogs in a well?"
"Do you dare say that again?"
Standing here were all new disciples from the Ten Cities; only those unfamiliar with the Ten Cities’ disciples’ status in the Divine Sword Sect dared to join in this fun.
But the seniors from the Ten Cities Region only dared to watch from afar, fearing to invite unnecessary disaster. For nearly a thousand years, the prodigies from the Ten Cities had been oppressed to the point where they couldn’t lift their heads; how could the seniors possibly join in this spectacle? 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Yet, the few new prodigies from the Ten Cities were infuriated upon hearing this, having been subjected to ridicule and rejection for eleven months since entering the sect, they burst out at this moment, immediately retorting back.
Yet.
"Ha-ha, why? Are we wrong? Who among the Ten Cities’ people can be counted on? Even Nangong Jianchen isn’t one of your local prodigies."
"As for this Ye-whatever-Fan, being a descendant of the Sword Saint, participating in such an event, yet not even a single person to support him? The Ten Cities are truly pitiful."
The unparalleled prodigies from the Hundred Broken Mountain Range were full of sympathy and disdain, seeming to inherently carry a sense of superiority when facing people from the Ten Cities.
Several prodigies from the Ten Cities were immediately incensed by this, willing to accept insults to themselves, but not to their homeland.
However, this outburst was instantly suppressed; lacking skill, they could only endure in silence.
But at a certain moment.
"Who said there’s no one supporting him?"
A prodigy from the Ten Cities seemed provoked and immediately turned around, shouting at the center of the Martial Arts Arena: "Ye Xiaofan, go for it, slash through all the arrays with one strike, show them with your power that our Ten Cities Region also has unparalleled prodigies, Ye Xiaofan, go for it."
The solitary voice resounded throughout the Martial Arts Arena, instantly inciting roars of laughter.
"This is an Array Battle, not a Sword Battle, that’s hilarious."
Countless disciples of the Divine Sword Sect found it amusing, viewing the Ten Cities prodigy and the slowly stepping Ye Xiaofan as a joke.
And some prodigies from the Ten Cities saw this, bowed their heads shamefully, feeling deeply humiliated.
The shout from the Ten Cities prodigy was well-intentioned, yet it backfired. Countless Divine Sword Sect disciples felt he was as ridiculous as the joke slowly taking the stage.
But the shout also made countless people realize that Ye Xiaofan truly was fighting alone. When prodigies from other regions took the stage, new and old students from the same region would come to cheer for them, but Ye Xiaofan had none.
Sometimes, the number of supporters also serves as a measure of a disciple, a form of invisible deterrence. Although this deterrence is minimal, it cannot be absent.
Ye Xiaofan stood alone in the center of the Martial Arts Arena, looking far off at that unparalleled prodigy from Star Moon City, and sighed softly.
And just as he slowly turned around, just as countless Divine Sword Sect disciples shook their heads and smiled.
Suddenly, an unexpected voice rang out at this moment.
