Mountain and River Festival

Chapter 316 Lure the snake out of its hole
The young girl and child led a group of young disciples out for a social gathering. The other participants glanced at them but didn't pay much attention.

The young disciples were just there to watch and broaden their horizons; their presence or absence made no difference.

Anyway, Lu Xingzhou and Dugu Qingli are still there, and they are seriously observing the competition.

But everyone watching the competition felt a little uneasy.

The contest between Dugu Qingli and Xiang Guang just now was too strong... Even the offensive and defensive transitions before the final soul battle had already terrified many second- and first-grade elders, not to mention the final soul freezing and ice-soul technique, which was not something Dugu Qingli's cultivation should have.

Of course, whether the other party possesses a magical artifact or something else, it is not something that this kind of cultivation should possess.

After witnessing such an abnormally high level of competition, when watching the ordinary disciples' duels... the old disciples all had the same thought: these shouldn't even be competing together.

In fact, the disciples competing in the arena were also listless and lacked enthusiasm. Having just witnessed such high-level skills, they knew that if they went up there, they would be instantly defeated, and their spirits had been completely broken...

Lu Xingzhou also felt like he had just finished watching the Olympics and then immediately turned to watch the school sports meet...

But his mind wasn't on the arena; his eyes kept glancing in the direction of Golden Wind Island.

Over there, a few people were gathered together, whispering with grim expressions, seemingly discussing something. Clearly, they had originally thought they could easily defeat Tianyao Holy Land and solidify the reputation of their Golden Wind Island in one battle, but they had lost 2-0, a crushing defeat without even Lu Xingzhou playing. This was hard for them to accept.

In reality, they were already famous throughout the East China Sea... but they fell far short of expectations and could not meet them.

It's clear that several people are arguing, and even the elder leading the group can't control the three "young people," who are obviously of the same generation.

Lu Xingzhou smiled and said, "They're probably debating whether or not to go for something big."

Ye Tinglan rested her elbow on the armrest of the chair, propped her chin on her hand, and looked at him with a smile: "Guess what they're arguing about?"

Mature older sisters are great; they don't dwell on what they just talked about with Yuan Muyu. Business comes first.

Lu Xingzhou said, "People with less hostility probably think that fighting their way up from the loser's bracket can also bring them prestige and even greater fame."

Ye Tinglan nodded slightly: "If it were me, I would most likely choose this. The loser's bracket starts anew, and they fight their way up to meet Tianyao Holy Land in the finals. If they win, the legend will be at its peak... It would be difficult for Golden Wind Island not to rise from there."

“That’s a righteous idea, but it’s probably only possible in a storybook. Qingli’s performance just now was too strong. They might not be confident of defeating her now, and they’ll probably resort to underhanded tactics.” Lu Xingzhou said, “If they’re more aggressive, they’ll probably feel that since the disciples have already demonstrated their strength and gained the reputation they needed to, there’s not much point in keeping them entangled in the disciples’ competition. Whether Golden Wind Island can truly rise to prominence ultimately depends on the Super Grade.”

Ye Tinglan said, "So they'll come after me."

"Yes, as long as we can injure you, firstly, we will truly become a force to be reckoned with in the East Sea, and secondly, your healing will cause chaos in the Tianyao Holy Land, making it impossible to effectively suppress their subsequent actions."

Ye Tinglan smiled slightly. Who would have thought that bringing her lover out to save face in the competition would end up with her bringing a strategist to deal with the unexpected turn of events...?

If Lu Xingzhou hadn't been there, who would have thought that a mere competition for a new disciple would target the Heavenly Yao Holy Master? If they were suddenly attacked on their way back, and everything fell into chaos, not to mention whether they themselves would be injured, at least the disciples of the sect they brought would be hard to protect. They would probably blame themselves for the rest of their lives.

Now everything is clear and there are no more worries. The other party is probably unaware that their plan has been seen through. The hunter and the prey have switched roles.

The Tianyao elders around them exchanged glances and fell silent. No wonder the Holy Lord was fighting with his sister for a man, and it was even rumored that he was fighting with the Demon Emperor... It seemed like it was worth fighting for.

"So what are your plans now?" Ye Tinglan asked.

Lu Xingzhou said, "I want to lure the snake out of its hole."

"How do we lure them in?" Dugu Qingli immediately thought of the fake rape scene in Tianshuang Kingdom. Now, in the eyes of Bingyu Sect, even rape is adultery. This guy's plan to stage a scene to lure the snake is definitely unreliable.

Could it be that she's planning to go out alone with her master to lure the enemy into attacking...?

Lu Xingzhou knew that Xiaobai Mao's mind had gone astray, and said helplessly, "What I was thinking was that you should secretly send a message to the sect right now, asking a sect leader of the highest rank to come out and meet us, like Elder Feng? Then just find an excuse, saying that there is an urgent matter in the sect and you should lead the group back first, leaving a representative to take charge. They will definitely follow us and act on the way back, unaware that we have already made arrangements to meet them."

Dugu Qingli: "...What if they don't come along?"

"If they don't come, then we'll just go back and gather our superior forces to launch a surprise attack on Golden Wind Island later. That's better than them having already made preparations, and our response might not be good."

Ye Tinglan pondered for a moment, then turned to ask the elder beside her, "Have the disciples been moved?"

The elder responded in a low voice: "They went to the island in the east, and we immediately sent people away secretly. They shouldn't have noticed."

"Very good." Ye Tinglan immediately activated the communication jade talisman and communicated with the sect.

After waiting a while longer and confirming that the messengers were already on their way, he raised his voice and said to the other elders of the "Organizing Committee," "The sect has sent word that there is an urgent matter summoning us back. Tianyao Immortal Sect will be withdrawing from this competition for now. We apologize for any inconvenience." If he hadn't come beforehand, he would have been seen as disrespectful.

Having presided over the event for so long, his serious expression suddenly changed, making others genuinely suspect something serious had happened. Inwardly, however, they felt a slight sense of relief. The Tianyao disciples were too strong, exerting an overwhelming pressure on others. If they were still there, there would likely be no real competition; his departure seemed like a good thing…

Not everyone wanted to embarrass the Tianyao Holy Land. Many sects were vassals of the Tianyao Holy Land, and they all pledged their loyalty: "Is there anything the Holy Lord can help us with? We will go through fire and water for you."

"Just don't blame our Tianyao Immortal Sect for breaking the rules of the Grand Competition in the Sea." Ye Tinglan smiled kindly, stood up and said, "For this competition, I have set some valuable treasures as rewards, which will remain here. Our disciples will not be included in the rankings. When the results are determined, just send someone to inform me."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, we will maintain this situation carefully."

Ye Tinglan nodded and led the group away: "I still need to pick up the disciples who were just having a private duel, so I won't talk any longer. Farewell."

Lu Xingzhou thought to himself that this lady's acting skills were becoming more and more convincing. The disciples had already been moved, yet she was still lying through her teeth, saying she was going to pick up the disciples... Thinking back to her solemn and upright appearance when they first met, it felt like a lifetime ago.

A group of people boarded Ye Tinglan's imperial carriage, pretending to fly to the small island to the east to "pick up someone," then circled around again and turned back to Tianyao Holy Land.

Ye Tinglan stood at the bow of the boat, closed his eyes and opened his mind, and he could feel all the movements within a thousand miles.

With her divine sense strength at the peak of the Radiant Sun, it would be difficult for others to set up an ambush, but the possibility of interference from high-level magical artifacts in the ancient realm cannot be ruled out. Whenever matters involve ancient immortals, Ye Tinglan loses her confidence as the number one in the mortal world.

Therefore, despite her reputation as the best in the world, Lu Xingzhou always felt that she was burdened with many worries. Not only did she have many concerns, but her strength was also far from the domineering power that people imagined.

He opened his divine senses, but indeed found nothing.

Lu Xingzhou and Dugu Qingli stood on either side of him, and upon seeing this, they said, "Elder Feng suggested that if I like fist and foot fighting, it doesn't matter if I don't use weapons, but I still need to have magic treasures... After what I've seen and heard this time, I feel that the importance of magic treasures is becoming more and more significant. I really can't rely on the Soul Banner alone... Do you have any suggestions, sir?"

Ye Tinglan opened her eyes and smiled: "There was a magic item that was suitable for you among the prizes this time... Didn't you want to try to get it yourself instead of just asking me for it?"

Lu Xingzhou smiled as well. He hadn't actually said this to Ye Tinglan outright, but she clearly understood him.

“That was under normal circumstances. Now that things have changed, who cares about principles anymore? So what if I live off a woman?” Lu Xingzhou tugged at her sleeve: “I’m hungry.”

Beside him, Dugu Qingli remained expressionless, like a statue.

Ye Tinglan, who had a lot on her mind, burst out laughing: "Alright, alright. I just changed the prize I had left behind. This one is for you."

As he spoke, he pulled out an inner armor.

“Magic treasures correspond to Daoist cultivation, but your Daoist cultivation progress is stalled due to the lack of the Yin-Yang Extreme Intent Technique. I can’t predict in advance what direction you will take in your Daoist cultivation or what kind of natal magic treasure you will need to choose. So I haven’t been able to prepare any suitable active magic treasures for you.” Ye Tinglan smiled and gestured with the inner armor to him, saying, “But no matter what kind it is, a protective treasure will always be useful.”

Dugu Qingli's expression shifted slightly: "Dragon Subduing Armor."

"Not bad." Ye Tinglan smiled. "I don't know what material this inner armor is made of; in any case, it no longer exists in the world, and the weaving method has been lost. It can automatically conform to your body, and it's so light and comfortable to wear that you won't feel anything extra, but its protective power is extremely amazing. It's called 'Dragon Subduing' because it means that you can be unharmed even if you're run over by a dragon's body. Of course, that's an exaggeration. You can't rely on this to take Long Qinghuang's attack head-on!"

Lu Xingzhou immediately accepted it, beaming with joy: "Thank you, Madam."

Even though he was used to switching freely between husband and wife, Ye Tinglan still felt a little embarrassed in front of his disciple. He turned his head away and continued to introduce the armor: "This armor is strong not only in its physical protection but also in its magical protection. Ordinary lightning strikes and fires can't touch you. In addition, it is also very effective against poison... Well, as a piece of protective gear, its biggest drawback is that it has no soul protection."

"That's enough." Lu Xingzhou examined the inner armor with great interest for a while, then took off his outer robe and put it on: "The great battle is imminent, I'll put it on first."

"This great battle doesn't need you to go..." Ye Tinglan said halfway, then her expression suddenly changed, and she abruptly raised her head.

A deep laugh echoed from the void: "Holy Lord Tianyao, please wait... Since this is a grand competition in the sea, wouldn't it be unworthy of the name if only your disciple participated? Yu Jingfeng from Golden Wind Island seeks guidance from True Person Tinglan. Please, True Person, do not hesitate to enlighten me."

Although the voice was low, it carried across the sea, and even the people on the distant island of Dabi heard it, and everyone looked horrified.

What was shocking was not just that someone had challenged the Holy Lord of Tianyao.

But what's the impression this person gives off... is it that they're more than just a "super-grade" person?

At the very least, he's on par with Ye Tinglan.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: The main group exploded! Those who are still out of the group, please join the second group first. After "Laoyu" (a nickname) escaped from the book and poisoned the author's mind, he finally discovered that the gathering place for haters is the book club...

(End of this chapter)