Reborn as a Hatrack in the Mystical Land-Chapter 727 - 184: The Ultimate Trial Under Heaven
Long Ao comes and goes like the wind; by the time Yue Jinghua and her brother Yue Minzhi returned to their courtyard, Long Ao had already departed.
He was at a critical juncture in his cultivation within the Four Symbols Chess Middle City, and leaving for even a moment was to invite great peril. As for the marriage of Long Rui, having proposed his condition, he utterly disregarded whether the folks at the Duke Mansion agreed or not, tossing out the terms for the union of the two families, then rushed back to the Four Symbols Chess Middle City like the wind, as if he had never been there at all.
Lie Rou, though a woman, hailed from a noble family and was certainly not some ignorant commoner. However, hearing about the Xuyang Trial for the first time also took her by surprise.
Faced with such a significant matter, she couldn’t possibly rashly make any promises on behalf of Yue Minzhi, and so she had no choice but to immediately call the siblings together for an urgent meeting.
"Ranking in the top three of the Xuyang Trial? Are we speaking of the number one grand examination across the Canglong Continent that is held every five years, the Xuyang Trial?" Every Dark Practitioner on the Canglong Continent has almost certainly heard about the Xuyang Trial since they were young.
The Xuyang Trial, also known as the number one grand examination, is open to young Dark Practitioners who are at least thirteen years old but not older than twenty.
Ordinary Dark Practitioners participate in the Xuyang Trial through initial elimination rounds, selected as outstanding young talents from the counties, provinces, and cities of various nations.
But for those with extraordinary talent who have gained fame at a young age, attending the Xuyang Trial does not require such elaborate arrangements. They may directly advance to the top fifty ranking matches of the Xuyang Trial via recommendations from their respective nations or special organizations, competing with the latter fifty youths who made it through the elimination rounds from various countries, eventually determining the top ten of the Xuyang Trial or even the top three.
The reason why the Xuyang Trial can be called the number one examination under the heavens is not only because of its large number of participants, but also because those Dark Practitioners who have ranked in the top ten in past trials would become sought-after recruits by empires and major organizations.
The now deceased Long Jiuzun himself was the top placer in the previous Xuyang Trial.
"Just the top three? If even Long Jiuzun could come out on top, why not my big brother? Besides, the Xuyang Trial stipulates that Dark Practitioners over the age of twenty can’t participate, which only increases big brother’s chances," Yue Jinghua had thought that old monster Long Ao would pose some harsh conditions, but being in the top three of the Xuyang Trial didn’t seem so difficult.
Earlier, while in the Shang Kingdom, Fa Xiaoyi also brought up the Xuyang Trial, but Yue Jinghua never entertained him, solely because she knew that Fa Xiaoyi was already twenty-two years old and had exceeded the age range for the Xuyang Trial.
"Huahua, you are unaware, in your absence from the Imperial City, the Empire has already been notified that this year’s Xuyang Trial will be different from previous ones. The Xuyang Trial will be combined with the Mercenary Newcomer King Competition, and accordingly, the age limits for participating Dark Beasts have been adjusted to those who are at least ten but not older than twenty-five," Yue Minzhi said, showing his concern.
Yue Minzhi’s nature, to put it bluntly, is somewhat pedantic and bookish. If he was previously vehemently opposed to Long Rui’s matter,
ever since the event at Fandi Port, Yue Minzhi believed that he must take responsibility for Long Rui. Moreover, before Long Ao left, he threw out a fierce remark, asserting that if Yue Minzhi shirked from the Xuyang Trial, he would make Long Rui become a nun by shaving her head.
With such a declaration, Yue Minzhi’s journey to the Xuyang Trial had become an arrow nocked to a bowstring, one that had to be shot.
Yue Minzhi, nineteen this year and a Double Dragon Knight, is an exceptional figure among his peers, but if the conditions for the Xuyang Trial change, securing a spot within the top three might not be too challenging. However, if the age restriction is loosened, the outcome becomes unpredictable.
"How can it just change like that? Could there be some trickery afoot? The Mercenary World participating too? That’s rather excessive..." Yue Jinghua quietly mulled over in her heart.
The Mercenary Newcomer King Competition, she was well aware of it. She herself was a mercenary, and the Ni Qianjun she knew was the champion of the last Mercenary Newcomer King Competition. It was said that at that time, Ni Qianjun had just turned seventeen.
New talents continuously emerged in the mercenary world; one could not rule out the possibility of the emergence of one, two, or even three figures on the same level as Ni Qianjun. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Combined with her previous encounter with the so-called son of the King of Mercenaries, Yue Jinghua suddenly felt that Yue Minzhi’s journey to a top three finish had become incredibly challenging.
Lie Rou also fell into silence, and the mother-daughter’s silence accidentally intensified Yue Minzhi’s determination.
"Mother, Huahua, don’t worry anymore. In fact, three days ago, Princess Long Xue has already recommended me and a few other talents of the Empire to represent the Empire in the Xuyang Trial. Even if not for Long Rui, I must win this Xuyang Trial," Yue Minzhi consoled them both.
After listening to him, Yue Jinghua quickly also had a new idea and immediately called over the members of the July Mercenary Team.
"We will escort Qin Dongting to Geyue Town to register for the Mercenary Newcomer King Competition?" After the July Mercenary Team was titled as the Empire’s top mercenary team by Princess Long Xue, their fame soared, but their daily tasks actually became more relaxed.
That’s because Compass said that with the fame on the rise, the price of mercenary commissions would inevitably skyrocket.
With the price going up, those who took care of their business decreased, and everyone in the Imperial City was bored to tears.
Upon hearing Yue Jinghua’s idea, everyone immediately became excited.
Geyue Town, that was the holy land for mercenaries, a place where only the true mercenary strongmen could visit and pay homage.
"But, you declined the Mercenary Branch’s recommendation earlier, didn’t you? Complaining that Geyue Town was too far away, you weren’t interested in participating in any Mercenary Newcomer King Competition?" Shalman was astonished. When they had passed through Five Saints Town on their way to Shang Kingdom earlier, the Mercenary Guild of Five Saints Town had also contacted Yue Jinghua, recommending her to represent Five Saints Town in the Mercenary Newcomer King Competition.
But Yue Jinghua had rejected them outright.
"This time the situation is a bit different. The Mercenary Newcomer King Competition is being held concurrently with the Xuyang Trial. Isn’t Qin Dongting representing me in this competition? It would be good to go over and show him support. I’ve inquired about this, and most of the champions from previous years brought a large group of family and friends to cheer them on. Having strong support gives you more confidence in the competition above. We belong to the same Mercenary Team as Qin Dongting, inseparable as partners. How could we not participate in such an important event for him?" Yue Jinghua spoke earnestly, showing her determination to support her team to the end.
The others, upon hearing this, all echoed her sentiment, showing their agreement.
Qin Dongting was silent for a moment, "No need, I will be sufficient on my own."
"Hey, you wet blanket, numbers bring strength, and winning also depends on the harmony of heaven, earth, and humanity. Am I the captain, or are you? If I say we go, we go. It’s also a good opportunity for the team to visit the gravesites of some of the Golden Mercenary predecessors in Geyue Town," Yue Jinghua waved her hand impatiently and sent everyone to pack their luggage.
"Everyone go back and pack. We’ll head to Geyue Town in a few days," Yue Jinghua was decisive and acted immediately, disregarding Compass’s anguished wails, delivering a kick and sending everyone off to prepare.
