Chapter 204: Chapter 199: The Arrogant He Long

Mu Chen took to heart every word of the rules Di Cang laid out. For the Demon Castle, this format of separate individual and group competitions was extremely advantageous. Their early battles against the outer circle would likely be a foregone conclusion. However, when it came to facing the Holy Hall, the Demon Castle would probably be completely overwhelmed in the individual matches. The reason was simple: even with the help of Gathering Essence Pills, one month was not enough time for the Demon Castle’s students to make any heaven-defying changes. Thus, they could only rely on the group battles.

"In the individual battles, the only one our Demon Castle can rely on is Mu Chen. The rest of you are not yet capable of defeating the Holy Hall in single combat. That’s why I feel Mu Chen’s suggestion to strengthen the group is absolutely necessary. Furthermore, don’t forget that the academy’s monthly competition is at the end of this month. But at the same time, there is another matter, no less important than the competition, that you need to be aware of." Di Cang’s gaze swept over everyone below, finally resting on Mu Chen.

Mu Chen froze for a moment, then his expression darkened. "He Long!"

Di Cang nodded grimly. "Correct. He Long, the Crown Prince of the Celestial Eagle Empire—a middle to upper-class empire—is coming to our Xuanling Imperial Academy as the exchange student for Amoluo. Moreover... as Amoluo’s replacement, he will be assigned to the Holy Hall. If nothing unexpected happens, he will participate in this month’s competition. So, you have another formidable opponent to worry about."

"A Second-Ring Martial King?"

Mu Chen’s heart grew heavy. Inside the Tower of Calamity, he was able to jump tiers and defeat even a Fourth-Ring Martial King, but that was only after using secret techniques like Meteor Fall, Ice Prison Cold Mist, and the Red Lotus Ice Technique. If his opponent were He Long, Mu Chen had no absolute confidence he could take him down instantly. After all, how could the Crown Prince of a middle to upper-class empire not have any trump cards of his own?

Unexpectedly, Di Cang heard Mu Chen’s muttering perfectly. A Spirit Barrier enveloped Mu Chen. He froze, then heard Di Cang say, "Mu Chen, I have some unfortunate news. I heard that on his way here... He Long broke through to become a Third-Ring Martial King."

"What?" Mu Chen exclaimed in shock.

"But don’t worry. I believe in you. Since you were able to clear the trial guarded by Aiolos, you can absolutely defeat He Long. He’s not as fearsome as you think, because he doesn’t have your terrifying strength!"

After all, Di Cang had heard how Mu Chen, in a fit of rage, had utterly destroyed the Tang Family’s treasured Primordial Shield with nothing but pure strength. That was one of the three great weapons of the Xuanling Empire, an ultimate weapon renowned for its defense!

"So it’s entirely possible for you to defeat him. In this month’s competition, you are the mainstay of our outer circle. Everything will be riding on you." Di Cang patted Mu Chen’s shoulder, then turned and left the classroom.

Lingyun seemed to have figured things out by now as well. She distributed the Gathering Essence Pills that Mu Chen had brought to all the students in the class—two vials per person, for a total of one hundred and twenty pills.

’One month... He Long, I’ll be waiting for you!’

With that thought, Mu Chen returned to the seat he hadn’t occupied in days. He spent the rest of his time cultivating the Energy-Draining Palm with everyone else, continuously refining his Primordial Power.

...

On the road from the Celestial Eagle Empire to the Xuanling Empire, a grand procession marched toward the Xuanling Imperial City. At its head was a handsome and arrogant man dressed in a pale blue robe. He had refined, striking features. If Mu Chen had been there, he would have marveled at the twist of fate, for this was none other than Tang Hao, the very same man from Luofeng City.

Of course, the Tang Hao of today was vastly different from the one three years prior. In terms of appearance, however, he bore a strong resemblance to Tang Yu. Both were handsome men with strikingly refined, almost delicate, features.

"Tang Hao, this journey is so long. It will be another month before we’re back in the Empire. I wonder how the Holy Hall is doing." Beside Tang Hao was a beautiful woman, also dressed in pale blue. She exuded an aura as gentle as water, her most striking feature being her eyes, which seemed as tranquil and deep as a clear pool. At this moment, however, her face was etched with weariness.

Tang Hao reined in his arrogance slightly, looking at the weary woman in blue with concern. "Ruo Shui, you should stop worrying about the Holy Hall. The journey to escort Amoluo from the Xuanling Empire to the Celestial Eagle Empire was exhausting enough. Then we had to rush back without any rest. Why don’t you go to the carriage in the back and get some sleep? Leave our safety on the road to me."

That’s right. This woman in blue was none other than Yan Ruoshui, who had a chance encounter with Mu Chen once before. She and Tang Hao had been dispatched by the academy as the official escorts. Of course, they were also accompanied by another student from the Holy Hall: the Third Prince, Xuan Yu.

Yan Ruoshui shook her head in resignation. "Tang Hao, I’ve told you many times to use my full name. ’Ruo Shui’ is not for you to say."

"Heh, don’t be like that. I’ve already had my father go to your family to propose. You’ll be my wife sooner or later. And since you’re going to be my wife, it’s only natural that I call you Ruo Shui. Anything else would be too formal, don’t you think?" Tang Hao’s eyes roamed over Yan Ruoshui’s mature, shapely figure as he gave a sly grin.

"You!" Yan Ruoshui bit her lip and ignored him. While her Yan Family was certainly prestigious and held significant influence in the Imperial Capital, that was only relative to other families. Against the Tang Family that backed Tang Hao, she was powerless to resist. To make matters worse, her father was far too ambitious. To him, the chance to ally with a titan of the Imperial Capital like the Tang Family was an opportunity too good to pass up.

Besides, Tang Hao was the eldest son of the Tang Family, the clear successor. Since he didn’t have a fiancée, Yan Ruoshui would naturally become the Lady of the Family upon marrying him. Then, through her, the Yan Family’s status would soar to a position second to only one. How could her father possibly refuse such a profitable arrangement? Her engagement to Tang Hao was already a done deal.

When Yan Ruoshui fell silent, Tang Hao paid it no mind. ’She’ll be mine sooner or later anyway,’ he thought. ’I’ll let her have her way for now.’

Inside a carriage, Xuan Yu was bowing and scraping, obsequiously answering a young man seated in the center. This youth wore a wide-sleeved robe woven with gold thread. His hair was styled in a high, golden topknot, with two locks framing his face, accentuating his regal air.

As for his face, he was strikingly handsome. His was not the delicate handsomeness of Tang Yu and Tang Hao; on the contrary, he radiated an air of pure masculinity. He had sharp, sword-like brows above star-bright eyes, a straight, high-bridged nose, and the slight upturn of his lips gave him a natural look of confidence and authority that could captivate anyone at a single glance.

He nonchalantly picked up a wine cup, swirling it before him. "You say the Holy Hall has a peerless beauty, a devastating woman without equal in Heaven or Earth? I find that hard to believe. The Celestial Eagle Empire is countless times larger than the Xuanling Empire. What kind of woman haven’t I seen? You’re not just exaggerating, are you?"

Xuan Yu snapped his folding fan shut and nodded. "Your Highness He Long, I, Xuan Yu, dare to swear on my name. This woman is more stunning than any you have ever laid eyes on."

"Oh?" He Long chuckled, looking down at Xuan Yu with contempt. "Your name? Is it worth anything? The Xuanling Empire is on the verge of collapse. What ’name’ could possibly come from it? And what do you even represent? Frankly, going to a pathetic, lower-class empire like yours is beneath me. If it weren’t for the Dynasty pact, I wouldn’t bother with lowly peasants like you. Heh. However, this woman you mentioned... you’ve piqued my interest slightly. What is her name?"

Xuan Yu seethed with anger at He Long’s contemptuous words, but there was nothing he could do. The man was the Crown Prince of a middle to upper-class empire, its future ruler. If he could successfully latch onto this powerful figure, the succession rights to the Xuanling Empire would fall into his hands.

"Yes. The woman’s name is Mu Bingling. She is the undisputed number one beauty of our Imperial Academy. Most importantly, she has an icy temperament, like that of Thousand-Year Profound Ice, that makes her completely unapproachable. Only a true dragon among men, such as yourself, Your Highness, would have what it takes to conquer her." An image of Mu Bingling’s breathtaking figure surfaced in Xuan Yu’s mind, but at the same time, so did the cold, indifferent face of Mu Chen.

"An Ice Beauty? Sounds challenging. A woman like that is all the more satisfying to conquer," He Long said, taking a sip of fine wine before setting down his cup.

"But..." Xuan Yu said, putting on a troubled expression.

He Long’s brow furrowed. "But what?"

Xuan Yu looked up. "But it seems this Mu Bingling already has someone she fancies. And he seems to be quite strong, too."

"Hah!" He Long sneered contemptuously. "In a place like the Xuanling Empire, how strong could even the strongest person be? Besides, wasn’t your so-called ’strongest’ talent sent to our empire in the exchange? A twenty-year-old First-Ring Martial King... tsk, tsk. I doubt this boy Mu Bingling fancies is anything special."

Xuan Yu nodded. "He isn’t that impressive. He’s just a new student at the Xuanling Imperial Academy. As for his Martial Artist Realm... I believe he’s only a Sixth-Ring Martial Master."

"A Sixth-Ring Martial Master?!" He Long nearly sprayed out the wine in his mouth. He then burst into loud laughter. "Just a Sixth-Ring Martial Master! Tsk, tsk. It seems that Mu Bingling has... unique tastes. To actually like that kind of trash, hahaha..."

"Er..." Xuan Yu feigned speechlessness. "That kid is from the empire’s outer circle. I heard he once boasted that he would challenge the entire Holy Hall. Now that you, Your Highness He Long, have come to the Xuanling Empire as an exchange student, you’ll also be part of the Holy Hall. When the time comes, we’ll be counting on you to deal with him."

He Long paused. "Count on me? Is your Holy Hall that weak? You can’t even handle a mere Sixth-Ring Martial Master?"

Xuan Yu shook his head. "Your Highness He Long, there’s something you don’t know. This kid is a bit strange. Although he’s only a Sixth-Ring Martial Master, he can easily defeat a Three-Ring Martial Spirit. Plus, he has some powerful backing. In short, he’s a lot of trouble."

"A Sixth-Ring Martial Master easily defeating a Three-Ring Martial Spirit? Don’t be ridiculous. Did your Three-Ring Martial Spirit fool around with too many women and let his Primordial Power dissipate? Hahaha! That’s the funniest joke I’ve ever heard! Ha... Fine. When the time comes, I’ll see this guy for myself—this prodigy who can defeat a Three-Ring Martial Spirit as a mere Sixth-Ring Martial Master. Besides, if I’m going to have my fun with that woman, Mu Bingling, a conflict with him is unavoidable anyway." With that, He Long closed his eyes and slowly entered a state of cultivation. His meaning was clear: the conversation was over.