Chapter 671: Celestial Plum Divine Clan

The final matches soon began as scheduled. A large crowd had gathered outside to watch the duels, just as they had for Yi Tianyun’s previous fights. Though they couldn’t enter the area, they could fly up into the air and observe. They could see everything perfectly from a distance and had no need to get any closer.

These eight contestants were now the stars of the show—at least to the audience outside. To those on the inside, Yi Tianyun was the only one who truly mattered.

As the duels began, the atmosphere quickly reached a fever pitch. Even those with no personal stake in the outcome watched intently from the sidelines. They all wanted to see who would be the final victor. With so many gifted disciples, the winner was bound to be an astonishing talent.

The contestants immediately launched into a flurry of fierce attacks, each relying on their own unique skills.

This was when He Rongkun’s disadvantage became apparent. The earlier trials hadn’t required Martial Arts or weapons, but this stage was different. Without high-quality Martial Arts and a superior weapon, he was certain to be at a severe disadvantage.

Many of the geniuses present came from prominent backgrounds and major factions, so they were laden with treasures. As the fight began, He Rongkun was immediately forced back. His opponent’s cultivation was already a notch above his, and his weapon was a tier stronger as well.

With such an uneven playing field, his opponent had him completely suppressed. He found it nearly impossible to counterattack. If this kept up, defeat was almost certain.

“Haha, this match is yours to lose!” He Rongkun’s opponent roared with laughter. “I thought you’d have at least a High-Grade Soul Artifact. Who knew you’d show up with a piece of trash Low-Grade Soul Artifact? You dare to fight with that? Go on, run back to your mommy!”

“I will not lose!” He Rongkun roared, furiously swinging his Longsword. Even if it was just an ordinary Low-Grade Soul Artifact, he would see this through to the end.

“Shouting won’t win you this fight. You need good weapons and good Martial Arts, got it? You poor bastard!” his opponent mocked. Inwardly, he was ecstatic; of course he was happy to run into some broke opponent.

This meant an easy victory. He Rongkun had gotten the better of him in the earlier stages, which had left a sour taste in his mouth. Now that he had turned the tables, the feeling was incredibly satisfying.

“Sigh… Rongkun is at a disadvantage, just as I feared. The Martial Arts he practices is only a Mid-Grade Earth Level technique, and he had to go through a lot just to get that. As for his weapon, that Low-Grade Soul Artifact is the best he has…” Wei Feizhou watched with extreme anxiety. ‘If this goes on, my disciple is going to lose.’

Placing eighth would be a great achievement, but losing because of his equipment feels so unjust. Still, that’s just how it is. He’s at a disadvantage in so many ways. What does it matter if his talent is decent? In the end, he’ll still lose to those with astonishing family support.

“He’s already done well to get this far. But I said I would give him a stroke of fortune, so I will. He isn’t losing because of a lack of talent, but because of his weapon.” Yi Tianyun shook his head. “Nothing in this world is truly fair. So much of it comes down to one’s own luck. And right now… I am his luck.”

With a flick of his finger, a streak of light shot out, flew past Wei Feizhou, and landed in He Rongkun’s hand in the blink of an eye.

He Rongkun barely had time to react before he found himself holding a Sacred Artifact! The shock sent him stumbling back several steps. “A Sacred Artifact?” he exclaimed in disbelief.

He and his master had seen a Sacred Artifact before, but neither had ever touched one.

“A Sacred Artifact!?” His opponent was stunned. He was wielding a High-Grade Soul Artifact, which was an excellent weapon by any measure, but compared to even a Low-Grade Sacred Artifact, it was utter garbage.

“You called me a poor bastard? Let’s see who’s on top now!” He Rongkun’s eyes turned icy, and his entire aura shifted. He lunged forward in a swift, ferocious assault, defeating his opponent with ease in just a few exchanges.

With the help of such a powerful weapon, it was a complete rout!

“Th-thank you, Sir, for your assistance!” Wei Feizhou was overcome with excitement when he saw He Rongkun win.

“There’s no need to thank me. I said I’d give him a stroke of fortune. This should close the gap between him and the others a bit. What happens next is up to him.”

‘This is as far as my help can go. If he loses the next round, then that’s that. After all, the disparity isn’t just in weapons; there are also gaps in combat experience and other areas. I’ve now closed a significant part of that gap. If he still loses, there’s nothing more to be done.’

“This is more than enough. Thank you so much, Sir!” Wei Feizhou knew the disparity between the contestants. All he wanted was for the gap to be narrowed enough for a fair fight.

Yi Tianyun nodded and went back to watching the duels. Everyone else was speechless. ‘This is basically cheating! Who just hands someone a weapon in the middle of a match?’ But this was his domain, so he could do as he pleased. They were lucky he hadn’t kicked them all out.

He Rongkun successfully advanced to the top four and prepared for his next match. The contestants took a break to rest, while Yi Tianyun sat on the sidelines, waiting for news.

The break was over in a flash, and the next round of matches began. If He Rongkun won this fight, he was guaranteed a spot in the top three. If he lost, he would have to settle for fourth place.

As far as Wei Feizhou was concerned, for his disciple to achieve such a high ranking was already beyond his wildest dreams. His original goal for He Rongkun had merely been to climb past the 500th step—not a particularly high bar.

But now, not only had He Rongkun climbed all those steps, he had also passed two trials. This result had far surpassed his expectations.

Just as the next duel was about to begin, a Divine Envoy rushed in from outside, his face beaming with excitement. The representatives from the other factions who hadn’t left yet looked on with undisguised envy.

Judging by the Divine Envoy’s expression, he had clearly found the information he was sent for; otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned. There was no point in coming back empty-handed.

“Sir, we of the Zuoqiu Divine Kingdom have found the information you requested!” the Divine Envoy said excitedly, taking out a sheet of paper and handing it to Yi Tianyun.

“That was quick.”

Yi Tianyun’s eyes lit up as he took the paper and unfolded it. The others couldn’t help but crane their necks to look, but all they saw was a blur, completely obscured by a screen of Spiritual Power. None of them dared to probe it with their Spiritual Sense. If they were to investigate recklessly and anger Yi Tianyun, they would suffer the consequences.

The contents of the paper were simple: The Celestial Plum Divine Clan.

The Celestial Plum Divine Clan: one of the Celestial Realm’s Hidden Clans. They live in seclusion within the Celestial Plum Mountain Range and rarely venture out. There are few rumors about them in the outside world. Their power is preliminarily estimated to be equivalent to a low-to-mid-tier Divine Country Power. Long ago, the Celestial Plum Divine Clan was incredibly prosperous and was known for producing three Saints from a single clan.

After a great war in the Celestial Realm, the Celestial Plum Divine Clan fell into a swift decline and chose to retreat into seclusion within the Celestial Plum Mountain Range. To enter their domain, one must either break through the formidable Mysterious Array or be personally led inside by a member of the Celestial Plum Divine Clan.