Chapter 1136: Ignorance Can Bring Peace

For ease and convenience, let us delve deeper into the lore.

Seated in the front row of the spectator stands, Jiang Wang silently observed the unfolding scene.

Naturally, Heavy Xuan Zun warranted his attention. However, his gaze was fixed upon True Monarch Yu Xi, the host of the main competition. This individual simultaneously watched the battles on all eight martial stages, yet also managed to protect Tai Yin with impeccable timing. It was a display of mastery, perfectly timed to coincide with the shattering of the protective starlight. It was no wonder that the main competition of the Yellow River Assembly saw few fatalities; with the protection of powerful Yan Dao Realm experts, killing an opponent was indeed a difficult feat.

Yet, the phrase "few fatalities" itself implied that some individuals had perished. How did they meet their end? Jiang Wang mused that it must occur at the moment victory and defeat were decided. Even for True Monarch level experts, definitively determining the outcome of a battle was a challenge. When one combatant fell, how could one be certain they would not rise again? When one side was beaten to the brink of death, how could one be sure they had no possibility of turning the tide?

Consider the recent battle: what if Tai Yin's final fist had struck Heavy Xuan Zun? Of course, Tai Yin could never have truly defeated Heavy Xuan Zun. But to preemptively declare the victor, how would that convince the masses? The outcome of a Yellow River Assembly main competition involved far more than just the victory or defeat of two heavenly prides.

The True Monarch hosting the assembly held a certain stance, making absolute fairness impossible. Even if they were entirely fair, others would not necessarily believe it. If the judgment of a True Monarch alone sufficed, there would be no need for combat; one could simply send someone up for the True Monarch to observe and evaluate.

Therefore, the timing of a "controversy-free victory and defeat result" was crucial. Jiang Wang was seriously contemplating how to eliminate Lin Zheng Ren in the Yellow River Assembly's main competition. Only the destruction of both body and soul could erase this formidable opponent and deal a heavy blow to the current Zhuang Ting. It would also be a form of retribution for Du Ru Hui and Zhuang Gao Xian. They sought to claim honor for Zhuang Country at the Yellow River Assembly; he would personally shatter that hope.

But to achieve this... Perhaps the only way was to strike with sudden, unexpected force during the battle, utilizing the fusion kill of the Bu Zhou Feng to directly extinguish his divine soul. If life and death were decided at the very moment victory was declared, True Monarch Yu Xi might not have time to intervene. Of course, this was merely speculation. Jiang Wang did not sufficiently understand the power of Yan Dao Realm experts and could not be certain of successfully eliminating his opponent. What other methods could increase his chances of success?

While pondering these matters, Jiang Wang's gaze remained fixed on the martial stages, never once glancing at Lin Zheng Ren or Du Ru Hui. The matchup list for the Yellow River Assembly's main competition was not revealed until just before entering the arena. Only the heavenly prides of the six great strong countries knew their opponents beforehand. Others could only make deductions, like assuming Qi Country's Heavy Xuan Zun would face a heavenly pride from Xia Country, Qin Country's Gan Chang An would face one from Dan Country, Mu Country's Na Liang one from Sheng Country, and so forth. While the six great strong countries had a certain tacit understanding, the facade of the Yellow River Assembly needed to be maintained. This fig leaf, though often merely for show, had its necessary existence.

This meant that Jiang Wang, through Cao Ji, already knew he would face Lin Zheng Ren in the first round of the Inner Mansion Field's main competition. Others, including Lin Zheng Ren, believed he would face either Chu Men of Xia Country or Jiang Shao Hua of Shen Country in the first round. The matchup list would only be revealed at the moment of entering the arena. Jiang Wang's plan was to burst forth with full force at the very beginning of the battle and eliminate Lin Zheng Ren. This would achieve two goals: first, to decisively defeat the enemy, and second, to show the world that Zhuang Country's fortunate qualification for the main competition would instead be stained with an indelible mark.

Defeat was easy, but killing was difficult. Jiang Wang faced not only Lin Zheng Ren but also True Monarch Yu Xi. He was of course not qualified to judge Yu Xi's strength, nor could he make any accurate predictions. He could only analyze under what circumstances Yu Xi would intervene in the competition and determine the outcome, and within this, find any exploitable opportunities.

The first round of the Outer Building Field had concluded. The list of the top eight comprised Heavy Xuan Zun of Qi Country, Gan Chang An of Qin Country, Na Liang of Mu Country, Dou Zhao of Chu Country, Zhong Shan Wei Sun of Jing Country, Yan Shao Fei of Wei Country, Ge Fei of Yue Country, and Fan Wu Shu of Li Country. Except for Jing Country in the preliminaries, the heavenly prides of all the world's strong countries had defeated their opponents, and not a single one was injured... All were crushing victories. If this were not the Yellow River Assembly's main competition, if True Monarch Yu Xi of Yu Jing Mountain were not presiding, perhaps none of their opponents would have survived. The gap between the heavenly prides of the world's six great strong countries and those of other nations became starkly clear after reaching the main competition.

Among this list of eight, Wei Country and Yue Country were both regional great countries, their national power only slightly weaker than regional strong countries like Xia Country. It was not uncommon for one or two of their heavenly prides to reach the top eight. However, Li Country was merely a small country, not even qualifying as a regional great country. Fan Wu Shu's achievement was particularly striking.

According to the intelligence temporarily gathered by Qi Country, this Fan Wu Shu was an individual with an extraordinary story. Li Country lay south of Wei Country and west of Xia Country. The Fan Clan was an extremely renowned family within Li Country. Fan Wu Shu was not originally named thus. Born into prominence, he was spoiled from a young age, naturally a dandy. He spent his days chasing cats and walking dogs, idling away his time. Due to his aversion to hardship, he did not properly cultivate martial arts until the age of fifteen, and his body remained unconditioned. Consequently, he could not utilize the effects of the Kai Mai Dan and could not surpass ordinary limits. His father, a great general of Li Country, spent years leading armies abroad, fighting for both country and family, leaving him no time for discipline.

Originally, he would have lived out his life as a wealthy idler, passing his days peacefully. But even a clay pot is difficult to keep from breaking at the well's edge, and a general is difficult to keep from dying on the battlefield. When Fan Wu Shu's father returned from the battlefield, gravely wounded and dying... he was still in a brothel, having not yet returned. His father held on to his last breath, waiting for him. Before dying, he looked at him and spoke only four words—"No learning, no technique." He died with his eyes open.

From that moment on, he changed his name to Wu Shu, observed filial piety for ten years, and diligently cultivated. Ten years later, he unexpectedly soared into the heavens, becoming the most dazzling heavenly pride in Li Country. This was a widely circulated story in Li Country, regarded as a model of a prodigal son's return. And this time, representing Li Country in the Yellow River Assembly, he unexpectedly entered the top eight of the Outer Building Field, adding several more points to his legendary status.

A rectangular curtain of light appeared on the martial stages, and the names of the top eight constantly shifted within it. When they settled, the showdown list for the Outer Building Field's top eight would be determined. This was a randomly generated Dao technique prohibition, ensuring the absolute fairness of the final list. Under the gaze of the six emperors, no one could tamper with it. Undoubtedly, none of the heavenly prides of the world's six strong countries wanted to face each other early on. However, in the eight-to-four showdown, heavenly prides from the world's six strong countries were bound to be eliminated. This was the cruel reality of the assembly of nations' heavenly prides, and also its wondrous aspect.

The names on the light curtain stopped changing. The final list was—

Qi Country's Heavy Xuan Zun versus Mu Country's Na Liang.

Qin Country's Gan Chang An versus Chu Country's Dou Zhao.

Jing Country's Zhong Shan Wei Sun versus Li Country's Fan Wu Shu.

Wei Country's Yan Shao Fei versus Yue Country's Ge Fei.

For the heavenly prides of the world's six strong countries, this was likely the worst possible matchup. Because they completely possessed the strength to dominate the top four, yet they could only secure three or four spots in the top four. And among this unfortunate grouping, Jing Country's Zhong Shan Wei Sun was clearly more fortunate. He was the only one in the second round who avoided a battle against another strong country's heavenly pride.

"Not bad luck, eh!" Huang She Li exclaimed loudly.

Consuming less in the early stages meant a greater chance of winning in the later stages. This was, of course, an extremely auspicious sign of good fortune. Zhong Shan Wei Sun grinned, "I hope we all have better luck."

"I might not need it." Huang She Li quickly raised her palm in a blocking gesture, as if afraid Zhong Shan Wei Sun's blessing would take effect. "True strong ones should face strong ones. Toads only bully little insects, eh!"

If this were in the Tai Xu Illusion Realm, Zhao Tie Zhu would have undoubtedly questioned who was the toad and wouldn't have stopped verbally attacking her until she was hopping mad. But this was Guan He Tai. Anything that happened here would be heard by Great General Huang Fu. As the young master of the prestigious Zhong Shan Clan, Zhong Shan Wei Sun could only maintain an elegant and amiable demeanor, smiling with squinted eyes as he left the spectator stands and headed towards the martial stage.

"Then I bless you!" he said.

As he spoke, he forcefully controlled his cheeks. He hadn't exerted this much effort even when he had crippled the Outer Building Realm heavenly pride from Zhen Country within the Northwest Five Countries Alliance. This woman was so beautiful, so well-connected, and so talented, yet why did she have such a mouth? If only she were mute... how perfect!

The list was set.

The eight martial stages on the field suddenly began to move. As the ancient stone stages collided, they actually seemed to "flow," merging two by two before the crowd. This immediately reminded Jiang Wang of the Lun Jian Tai used for duels in the Tai Xu Illusion Realm, which also merged in this manner. Cultivators relied on it for Lun Jian in the star river. Perhaps the Lun Jian Tai of the Tai Xu Illusion Realm was modeled after the Yellow River Assembly...

Every two martial stages on the field merged into one, leaving only four martial stages in the end. The eight-to-four battles began simultaneously. Of the four battles that would determine the top four, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly Chu Country's Dou Zhao versus Qin Country's Gan Chang An. Even Heavy Xuan Zun, with his generation-spanning glory, facing Na Liang, a top heavenly pride from the overlord country Mu Country, could not overshadow the spectacle of Dou Zhao battling Gan Chang An on the Yi Zi Hao martial stage.

Dou Zhao claimed to be invincible among his generation, his fame directly rivaling Zuo Guang Lie, who had won the championship of the Yellow River Assembly at the tender age of fifteen. Gan Chang An was only nineteen this year, younger than many of the heavenly prides in the Inner Mansion Field, a true boy genius. Their battle was, in a sense, an extension of the war between Qin and Chu. Both sides would undoubtedly aim to eliminate their opponent, even requiring the host of the main competition, Yu Xi, to pay extra attention.

From the spectator stands, Jiang Wang had already fixed his gaze on the Yi Zi Hao martial stage where Dou Zhao and Gan Chang An were confronting each other. Compared to watching Heavy Xuan Zun smash foreheads with a sun wheel, he was more interested in seeing the "present world's first killing technique," the Dou Zhan Seven Styles. At Chi Yun Mountain, Dou Mian had not had time to fully display it and was suppressed by the power of Chi Yun Mountain. However, later, listening to Ye Qing Yu's description, the few strikes Dou Mian unleashed, while undeniably strong, did not seem particularly fierce, nor did they fully match the moniker "present world's first killing technique." Perhaps Dou Zhao could provide the answer.

In contrast, the battle between Jing Country's Zhong Shan Wei Sun and Li Country's Fan Wu Shu had almost no suspense, and few paid attention to it. As for the match between Wei Country's Yan Shao Fei and Yue Country's Ge Fei... The former was said to be a wanderer from Wei Country, with no prominent lineage. The latter was the direct disciple of Yue Country's renowned minister of the previous generation, Gao Zheng. One could say they both had brilliant lives. But indeed, including Jiang Wang, not many people paid attention to this battle. They undoubtedly had the best fortune. A fifty percent chance of entering the top four was excellent news for both Wei Country and Yue Country. Correspondingly, the reason this was considered "absolute good fortune" was precisely because, in the eyes of most people, this group was the weakest among the top four battles.

Jiang Wang intently watched the two individuals confronting each other on the Yi Zi Hao martial stage, not even noticing when Heavy Xuan Zun left his spectator seat. Dou Zhao versus Gan Chang An. This battle was too significant to ignore. Compared to Dou Mian's thin and sharp facial features, Dou Zhao's facial outline appeared wider and more harmonious. His forehead was full, and his eyes were bright, giving him a very radiant feeling. It was easy for people to feel a sense of closeness towards him.

He held a knife, a very unique one. The back of the knife was extremely thick, and the edge was extremely sharp. The back and the edge formed a triangular shape. There was no knife tip, or rather, where the knife tip should have been was merely a triangular cross-section. At first glance, it looked like a broken knife, only capable of chopping. This was a resolute and formidable knife. The first time he saw it, Jiang Wang immediately thought of Dou Mian's Tian Ye Knife. As spoils of war, he had held it and felt its weight. The Tian Ye Knife had an exaggeratedly large blade, extremely fierce, said to be capable of "one strike falling and heaven and earth dividing, life and death separating." Dou Mian treasured it greatly. From their appearance, the Tian Ye Knife and the knife in Dou Zhao's hand were absolutely not the same. But Jiang Wang could completely feel their blood connection resonance, determining that they should be two famous knives forged from the same furnace. The long period of nurturing Chang Xiang Si had already given him some understanding of famous artifacts. This knife of Dou Zhao's was extraordinary.

Standing opposite Dou Zhao was Gan Chang An, a boy with a very youthful face. Judging solely by his face, one might even believe he was only thirteen or fourteen. However, nineteen was indeed not old, the same age as Jiang Wang in the spectator stands. Compared to Jiang Wang, this "poor child" who had stumbled into opening his脉 at sixteen, Gan Chang An was born into a famous family, exceptionally talented from a young age. At eight, he was already deemed by Wang Xi Xu, Emperor Qin's most trusted strategist, as someone who could "Chang An." This meant the child would have a smooth life and possessed unique talent and strategy; at the age of eight, he already had the talent and strategy of a city master, capable of "making a place Chang An." The phrase "eight years old can Chang An" was also widely circulated. Many people used this phrase to praise child prodigies. Jiang Qing Yang had gained fame in Lin Zi at eighteen, leaving his mark. Meanwhile, Gan Chang An was famous throughout Xian Yang City at eight, a true heavenly pride who had been dazzling from a young age.

The youthful-faced Gan Chang An wore a black scholar's robe and was thin, with empty hands. Rather than an extraordinary expert, he looked more like a child who had run away from some family's private school. One always felt he might pull out a book at any moment, shaking his head and reciting. But Jiang Wang could sense the sharpness he held back. He carried a knife. Right now, it was simply not time for him to unleash it.