Sovereign of Stars

Chapter 47 – The first phase is over

A beautiful arc of blood flashed by, and surprisingly, Fairy Luo, the stronger of the two, was the first to be enveloped in a white light and sent out of the hunting ground.

"Fairy Luo, eliminated?"

Xiao Mo was stunned for a moment, then fled without hesitation.

Duan Yunfeng's eyes turned red as he immediately pursued.

Meanwhile, on the other battlefield, Ba Jiu and his two companions, who were desperately attacking Su Xin, were shocked to see Fairy Luo eliminated and Xiao Mo being chased.

"Let's get out of here!"

Ba Jiu shouted in a low voice, and the three of them immediately tried to escape.

However...

"Trying to escape?"

Su Xin smiled. His swordsmanship, which had been purely defensive, suddenly spread out in a vast array of sword shadows.

It was like a massive wave rising in the middle of the sea, engulfing the three around him.

The Mountain-Sea Volume, though primarily a defensive sword technique, was also adept at entangling opponents.

The intent within the swordsmanship was incredibly gentle yet relentless, making it impossible for the three to break free.

Ba Jiu and his companions tried their best to flee, but trapped in the endless waves of sword intent, they couldn't shake off Su Xin.

If they tried to force their way out, they risked being severely injured by the sword intent.

In this hunting ground, the restrictions on the talisman they carried were triggered under very subtle conditions. It wasn't just a matter of life and death; even severe injuries could activate the talisman, resulting in elimination.

"This is trouble!"

"How is this Sea Transformation level so difficult to deal with?"

Ba Jiu and his companions' faces changed drastically.

In just a moment, Duan Yunfeng returned to the battlefield, and it was clear that Xiao Mo had been eliminated.

But upon returning, Duan Yunfeng didn't attack immediately. Instead, he looked at Su Xin with a peculiar expression, "Brother, why are you still playing with them? Why not just finish them off?"

"Playing?"

Ba Jiu and his companions were bewildered.

Was this Sea Transformation level, who seemed so troublesome to them, just playing?

Indeed, after a light chuckle, Su Xin decisively attacked. The sword intent in his hand changed instantly.

What was once gentle and endless became violent and scorching in the next moment!

The swordsmanship swept down with overwhelming force, terrifyingly fierce, enveloping the three.

"This power?" Ba Jiu's eyes widened.

The three of them resisted the violent and terrifying sword shadow with all their might.

But after just a moment, two of them were consecutively slain and eliminated.

The strongest, Ba Jiu, was also eliminated in the end.

Among the seven who came specifically to deal with Duan Yunfeng, except for the frail girl who didn't attack and managed to escape, the other six, including top talents like Fairy Luo, Xiao Mo, and Ba Jiu, who were contenders for the top twenty in the hunt, were all slain by Su Xin and Duan Yunfeng.

...

"Duan Yunfeng, your blade technique just now was impressive," Su Xin approached.

"That was my trump card. I was planning to use it in the final stage of the hunt, but now you've seen it early. If we meet in the final stage, I'll be at a disadvantage," Duan Yunfeng said.

A trump card is most effective when used unexpectedly.

But now that Su Xin had seen it, he would be prepared, putting Duan Yunfeng at a disadvantage in a real fight.

"Don't kid me. That blade might be one of your trump cards, but surely not your only one?" Su Xin said.

Duan Yunfeng smiled and touched his nose, clearly admitting it.

Su Xin marveled; it was just one of his trump cards, yet he had instantly killed Fairy Luo under the siege of two people. Duan Yunfeng's hidden strength was indeed remarkable.

"Duan Yunfeng's move just now felt quite similar to the Phantom Volume I practice, both incredibly fast. I wonder which is stronger," Su Xin pondered.

Of course, the answer would only be revealed when they encountered each other in the final stage of the hunt and truly battled.

The fierce battle didn't affect Su Xin and Duan Yunfeng much. They continued to rest, waiting for the next day.

...

Outside the hunting ground, the recently eliminated Xiao Mo, Fairy Luo, and others gathered again.

Xiao Mo's face was dark and terrifying.

"Damn it, I spent so much to invite so many talented strongmen, yet I still couldn't kill Duan Yunfeng, and instead, he eliminated them."

"Damn it! Damn it!"

Xiao Mo's heart was full of anger and unwillingness.

But he had no solution.

This was the only chance he had to take revenge on Duan Yunfeng, and he had missed it.

Fairy Luo, standing beside him, appeared calm.

"My master sent me to participate in this Imperial Capital Hunt, hoping I could do my best to see if I could enter the Heavenflame Palace to cultivate. But this hunt is clearly more outstanding than previous ones, with more top talents. With my strength, it's almost impossible to break into the top ten."

"Since I can't enter the Heavenflame Palace anyway, being eliminated early isn't a big deal. Besides, I gained quite a bit from Xiao Mo, and most importantly, through Xiao Mo, I can connect with the Duke behind him."

"If I can use this to make the Purple Cloud Sect befriend the Duke, that would be a significant gain."

The Purple Cloud Sect, though with some foundation, was just a major sect within the Heavenflame Dynasty. However, the royal power of the Heavenflame Dynasty was entirely above these sects.

The Duke, a high-ranking and powerful figure, was one of the top figures in the dynasty.

Befriending such a high-ranking figure was something the Purple Cloud Sect greatly desired.

The night passed quickly.

As dawn broke the next day, the first stage of the hunt, which lasted five days, finally came to an end.

The remaining talents were sent out of the hunting ground, and soon, based on the talismans they carried, the top one thousand talents for the second stage were decided.

Su Xin and Duan Yunfeng were naturally among the thousand.

Afterward, everyone returned to the camp.

After the first stage of the hunt, there would be a three-day rest before the second stage commenced.

...

In the camp.

"Dragon Blade, Qiu Ze, Ling Yu, are you three planning to return to Yongning Prefecture?" Su Xin asked the three who came to bid farewell.

"What else can we do?" Dragon Blade seemed a bit dejected. "Out of the ten talents selected from Yongning Prefecture, except for you, Su Xin, all were eliminated in the first stage, and the process was quite miserable."

"Indeed," Qiu Ze nodded heavily. "There are too many talents in the Heavenflame Dynasty. We, who have just passed the first level of the Dragon-Seeking Tower, are considered top talents in Yongning Prefecture, but in the entire Heavenflame Dynasty, we're nothing. This hunt has completely crushed us."

"Leaving now, the blow we suffer is still small. If we stay and watch you real top talents continue the hunt, the blow would be even greater," Ling Yu added.

"Among the ten talents from Yongning Prefecture, only you passed the first stage and can continue to strive. As for us... we just want to quickly break through to the Void Shattering Realm. As for the Heavenflame Palace, we no longer hope for it," Dragon Blade smiled.

"Su Xin, I hope you can eventually enter the Heavenflame Palace. When you return to Yongning Prefecture, come have a drink with us."

"Alright," Su Xin nodded.

Soon, the three left on Purple Wind Beasts.

Not only them, but many talents eliminated in the first stage chose to leave.

When they came, these talents were full of passion, each wanting to break into the top ten and enter the sacred cultivation ground of the Heavenflame Palace.

But when they left, most were despondent.

Many talents were struck by this hunt.

But such a blow has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that setbacks can lead to timely awakening and self-awareness, making future cultivation smoother.

The disadvantage is the possibility of becoming dispirited.

"Nearly a hundred thousand talents, and just the first stage eliminated nearly ninety-nine percent, leaving only a thousand," Su Xin couldn't help but sigh.

"However, the thousand talents remaining are all extraordinary, with the weakest likely having the strength to pass the second level of the Dragon-Seeking Tower."

"The upcoming hunt will be even more competitive."

Su Xin clenched his fists.

In the hunting ground, he encountered many top talents.

Like Cang Yan, Tang Xuan at the beginning, and later the terrifyingly powerful monk who shocked him.

And those like Xia Mang and Tu San, recognized as having extraordinary strength.

But no matter who, they couldn't block his path forward.

The Heavenflame Palace was a must for him!

...

As night fell, the camp was brightly lit.

Even though most talents had left, the camp remained lively.

In the center of the camp stood a towering black tower, the Crimson Dragon Tower.

The Crimson Dragon Tower oversees the world.

This Imperial Capital Hunt was also under the supervision of the Crimson Dragon Tower, and many aspects of the hunt were arranged by them.

For instance, the intelligence on talents, widely known and sold in the camp, was actually produced by the Crimson Dragon Tower.

A frail girl arrived at the Crimson Dragon Tower.

"Girl, what brings you here?" The manager in charge of reception asked.

"I'm here to sell intelligence on a talent from this hunt," the frail girl said.

"Selling talent intelligence?" The manager's expression shifted.

The intelligence on talents in the hunt was collected by the Crimson Dragon Tower through various means, including performances in the Dragon-Seeking Tower and public achievements of these talents.

In the first stage of the hunt, with so many talents fighting in the field, the Crimson Dragon Tower couldn't monitor every talent, nor could they know the strength of every talent in the field. At this time, the Crimson Dragon Tower offered a price for talents to voluntarily provide intelligence unknown to them.

The price varied based on the importance of the intelligence.

The frail girl quickly recounted the intelligence she knew about a talent.

"You're saying that among the thousand talents who passed the first stage, there's one who, despite being at the Sea Transformation level, has the strength to contend for the top ten?" The manager stood up, looking incredulously at the frail girl.

After careful questioning.

"Girl, what you've said will be verified by the Crimson Dragon Tower. If it's true, you'll be compensated accordingly," the manager said.

"Okay," the frail girl nodded and left.

The Crimson Dragon Tower acted quickly, verifying the girl's information within an hour.

...

In a tavern within the camp, Su Xin and Duan Yunfeng sat together.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the latest talent intelligence from the Crimson Dragon Tower, recording many newly risen talents from the first stage. Don't miss out on getting a copy!"

Nearby, vendors were selling the latest talent intelligence.

Su Xin and Duan Yunfeng quickly obtained a copy.

Flipping through the first few pages, it still recorded talents like Xia Mang, Tu San, and Duan Yunfeng, who were already recognized.

But soon, they saw a new name—Wu Chao!

"Wu Chao, origin unknown, peak of the Sea Transformation Realm, wields a stone staff. In the first stage of the hunt, no one could withstand a single strike from him, definitely possessing top ten strength."

"It's him!"

"It's that monk!"

Su Xin and Duan Yunfeng immediately realized that Wu Chao was the terrifyingly powerful monk they encountered in the hunting ground.

The intelligence noted that even those previously considered contenders for the top fifty were eliminated by a single strike from this monk, showcasing his strength.

"That monster."

Duan Yunfeng shivered at the thought of the monk.

"In terms of strength, even Xia Mang might not match Wu Chao," Su Xin thought.

The intelligence only recognized Wu Chao as having top ten strength, clearly underestimating him.

This was due to the limited understanding of Wu Chao's strength, but Su Xin and Duan Yunfeng had truly faced him in the hunting ground, witnessing his formidable techniques.

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They continued reading.

Duan Yunfeng turned to a new page and was stunned by the name he saw.

"Brother, look!"

Su Xin looked over, and his expression turned to surprise.

On that page, it read:

"Su Xin, from Yongning Prefecture, Cloud Province, nineteen years old, Sea Transformation level, suspected to have top ten strength in this hunt..."