Chapter 155
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Chapter 155: The Child of Destiny
Wang Chen and Pang Zitong hastily stowed away their benches and sunflower seeds, sitting upright with their gazes fixed straight ahead.
Before the debate commenced, the venue, packed with nearly two thousand cultivators, was abuzz with activity.
The inner sect disciples of Sunset Peak were engaged in lively discussions, some laughing and playing, while others exchanged heated words.
In such a lively atmosphere, the two quietly munching on sunflower seeds in a corner went unnoticed.
However, the moment an elder from the Purple Palace ascended the debate stage, the atmosphere shifted.
The Purple Palace master’s divine sense was formidable; no movement within the venue could escape his detection.
Thus, under the elder’s watchful gaze, it was wise to remain composed.
Anyone caught misbehaving would face severe consequences, with no room for excuses!
The entire venue swiftly fell into a profound silence.
Everyone sat properly on their mats, attentively listening to the elder’s address.
No one dared to cause a disturbance at this critical moment.
Shortly after an incense stick had burned, a deep rumbling sound resonated through the venue, reaching every disciple’s ears.
The debate stage trembled intensely as the massive stones composing its structure began to shift.
The sound emanated from the grinding of stone against stone.
Within moments, the upper section of the debate stage began to unfold gradually in all directions.
Its height diminished while the surface area of the top platform expanded steadily.
Eventually, it transformed into an inverted pyramid, standing firmly atop the venue!
According to the rules of the peak debate, disciples aspiring to secure a place in the top ten must ascend this grand debate stage and challenge the representatives from last year’s sect competition.
A successful challenge would allow them to claim the defeated representative’s position.
However, failure would require them to compensate the victor with five hundred contribution points!
The challenged party could decline, but doing so meant relinquishing their representative status.
The top ten positions were reserved for the most capable!
Moreover, disciples who earned a place in the top ten would automatically attain the status of true disciples, enjoying the privileges that came with it.
For ambitious and skilled cultivators, the peak debate and the sect competition represented a true Path to Heaven!
“Lu Hong!”
To everyone’s astonishment, as soon as the Purple Palace elder declared the commencement of this year’s debate at Sunset Peak, a blue-clad cultivator leaped onto the debate stage and bellowed in a deep voice, “Come up and face your doom!”
The crowd erupted in shock!
Who was Lu Hong?
He was the chief true disciple of Sunset Peak and one of the peak’s representatives in the previous year’s sect competition.
He was a direct descendant of the Lu family from the Purple Palace, and at the tender age of twenty-two, he had already achieved perfect mastery of Qi Training. Rumors swirled that he was on the verge of breaking through to open a house this very year.
Many speculated that after participating in the upcoming sect competition, Lu Hong would attempt his first breakthrough.
Regardless of the outcome, his extraordinary talent for cultivation was beyond question.
Thanks to his noble lineage and exceptional abilities, Lu Hong enjoyed immense popularity among the more than two thousand inner sect disciples at Sunset Peak, drawing a large crowd of devoted followers.
In past Spirit Mountain Conferences, challengers had stepped forward to face Lu Hong, but all had met with defeat.
Who could have foreseen that this year, the first to be challenged among the Top Ten Disciples would be none other than the reputedly strongest, Lu Hong!
Yet, when the challenger’s identity became clear, many faces in the crowd turned pale.
“It’s Zhao Huai’an,” Pang Zitong whispered with a smirk to Wang Chen. “This is going to be quite the spectacle!”
The animosity between Zhao Huai’an and Lu Hong was no secret within Sunset Peak.
Lu Hong’s relentless suppression of Zhao Huai’an, the so-called "lucky" disciple, was common knowledge!
For a long time, Zhao Huai’an had been forced to keep his head down.
He had even vanished from the sect for a period.
It was no surprise; in terms of both cultivation level and social standing, Lu Hong had always overshadowed Zhao Huai’an.
However, thanks to the strict sect rules and the Grandmaster’s past endorsement of Zhao Huai’an, he had managed to cling on.
Yet, everyone believed that this loose cultivator from the outer regions was destined to disappear entirely!
Now, he had reappeared, boldly stepping onto the stage to challenge Lu Hong!
The cultivators present were no fools.
If Zhao Huai’an dared to openly challenge someone whose strength far exceeded his own, he must possess some ace in the hole capable of countering a Perfect mastery of Qi Training cultivator!
The aura and battle intent Zhao Huai’an displayed on the debate stage only served to confirm these suspicions.
“Bold indeed!”
In such circumstances, how could Senior Brother Lu Hong remain composed?
He immediately bellowed and leapt onto the debate stage, confronting Zhao Huai’an directly!
“Senior Brother is mighty!”
The inner sect disciples who followed Lu Hong cheered him on.
However, no matter their numbers, they could not assist Lu Hong in surrounding Zhao Huai’an, rendering their chaotic shouts somewhat laughable.
Zhao Huai’an sneered coldly, locking eyes with Lu Hong, their gazes filled with hidden blade light and sword shadows!
The elder from the Purple Palace presiding over the event spoke in a deep voice, “This is a discussion of laws; let us keep it to the point.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a nearly transparent barrier materialized along the edges of the debate stage.
The protective formations within the high platform had been activated!
This formation would safeguard the audience in the venue and prevent the opponents on stage from suffering fatal calamity.
The moment the protective formations were activated, both Lu Hong and Zhao Huai’an moved simultaneously!
A brilliant sword light instantly dazzled all the cultivators present.
Before anyone could react, Lu Hong was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut, blood spurting from his mouth.
He crashed heavily against the formation barrier and rebounded down, landing in a disoriented heap!
Hmm?
Silence fell over the venue, with countless cultivators staring wide-eyed, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
Senior Brother Lu Hong had been defeated just like that?
He had not even managed to withstand a single strike from Zhao Huai’an and had been knocked out of the competition!
Lu Hong’s robe was torn apart, and he struggled on the ground, attempting to rise but failing after several attempts.
Only when a few of his junior disciples snapped back to reality did they rush to the stage to escort Lu Hong to the main hall for treatment.
Now, all attention was focused on Zhao Huai’an.
This young cultivator stood proudly on the debate stage, his long sword in hand, exuding an imposing and cold demeanor that captivated the hearts of many female cultivators present!
“Zhao Huai’an wins.”
As the elder from the Purple Palace announced the result, the disciples present suddenly realized that the balance of power at Sunset Peak was likely to undergo a tremendous shift!
At that moment, Wang Chen was also gazing at Zhao Huai’an, who had just achieved a glorious victory.
He felt that this Zhao Huai’an seemed somewhat different from the one he had known before.
It was as if an incredibly dazzling aura, like a Buddhist lantern, surrounded him, making it difficult to discern his true form!
Wang Chen vaguely perceived the existence of something referred to as "destiny."
