radicalducati 803. Continuously rising temperature
803. Continuously rising temperature
The tense atmosphere caused varying degrees of unease among everyone present.
The Heavenly Tomb Gathering takes place every thirty years. Although there have always been minor conflicts, they have never escalated to this extent. What's even more outrageous is that this is just the opening ceremony of a single Heavenly Tomb.
However, they are only here to participate in this trial, not the decision-makers. How to deal with this group of Soul Clan members who are now at odds and extremely dangerous is still a question that requires the opinions of the higher-ups.
Judging from the situation of this Heavenly Tomb Trial, no matter how things develop, one thing is certain: after the two major events committed by the Spirit Clan and the Soul Clan, the Central Continent will inevitably descend into chaos!
But obviously some people don't consider that much.
After the quota for the Yan Clan was re-determined, a voice filled with fighting spirit rang out!
"Thunderous roar!"
All eyes were instantly drawn to him. Lei Jingxiao took a step forward, his golden spear pointing diagonally at the ground, emitting a faint crackling sound. His gaze was fixed on Lei Dong, who stood at the front of the Lei Clan's ranks, arms crossed, looking slightly languid, yet none dared to underestimate him.
"I've been waiting for you for so long!"
"This time in the Heavenly Tomb, it will be a decisive battle between the two of us!"
This sudden challenge immediately caused a stir among the crowd. Unexpectedly, the excitement wasn't over yet; even the seemingly peaceful Thunder Clan was about to stir things up.
Lei Jingxiao's audacity in directly challenging Lei Dong, the acknowledged leader of the younger generation of the Lei Clan, is truly astonishing.
Lei Dong wasn't surprised at all by Lei Jingxiao's challenge, but he didn't take Lei Jingxiao seriously. He turned his head and glanced at another Lei clan youth, Lei Yun, who was standing not far behind him, his face already extremely ugly.
"Hehe, Lei Yun, it seems Lei Jingxiao doesn't take you seriously at all."
For this Heavenly Tomb challenge, the Lei Clan selected Lei Jingxiao and Lei Yun. Lei Jingxiao's act of directly challenging Lei Dong by name and ignoring him was undoubtedly a slap in the face to him in public. The latter's expression was naturally quite unpleasant, but he always followed Lei Dong's lead, so he was waiting for Lei Dong's opinion.
Upon hearing Lei Dong's reminder, he naturally understood that in order to keep his spot, he had to defeat Lei Jingxiao in front of him.
"Lei Jingxiao, you've been missing from the clan for years, and you really don't know your place anymore. When did it become your turn to interfere with our clan's quota?"
Upon hearing this, Lei Jingxiao scratched his head and said, "Lei Yun, right? I almost forgot about you. I'll defeat you first, then I'll test my skills against Lei Dong!"
Lei Jingxiao suddenly shook the golden spear in his hand, and the lightning wrapped around the spear suddenly surged, crackling and popping. The violent lightning energy spread out as if it were a tangible thing, causing the surrounding space to distort slightly.
Lei Yun had no chance to retreat at this point. Just as Lei Jingxiao rushed up and fought with Lei Yun, Xiao Yan also arrived at Wei Jiangyuan's side.
"Old Wei..."
"Hmm? Old Xiao, you're still worried about that kid, aren't you?"
Xiao Yan surveyed the battle scene. Although they had just clashed, Lei Jingxiao's aura was fully unleashed, and he had already firmly gained the upper hand.
"I'm not worried about Xiao Lei, but I'm afraid I can't take you into the Heavenly Tomb this time..." Xiao Yan said, a look of guilt on his face.
He learned about the Heavenly Tomb from the Elder Shennong and was determined from the start to snatch the two spots from the Xiao Clan. Of all the people Xiao Yan could find, Wei Jiangyuan was the most suitable, so the two of them came together.
On the other hand, these descendants of Dou Di were aware of Wei Jiangyuan's identity as a disciple of Shennong Elder. Although they were not afraid, they would still refrain from killing him out of respect for the top alchemist, thus providing Xiao Yan with an extra layer of protection.
A barely perceptible hint of disappointment flickered in Wei Jiangyuan's eyes; he understood Xiao Yan's meaning. So, he quickly composed himself and grinned again.
"Hey, that ancient clan lady is so sincere to you, and if you take me in, I'll just curse you out!"
Seeing this, Xiao Yan patted Wei Jiangyuan on the shoulder and said solemnly, "Old Wei, I'm sorry."
Wei Jiangyuan also needs to advance to the ninth-grade alchemist level, and advancing to the Dou Sheng realm is also very important to him. Currently, he is stuck at the six-star Dou Zun realm. Although this speed is already not slow, it can no longer keep up with the progress of his alchemy skills.
This Heavenly Tomb was originally a good opportunity for him, but given the current situation, it was absolutely impossible for him to compete with Xun'er. However, out of tacit understanding with Xiao Yan, neither of them brought up the matter further.
Wei Jiangyuan felt the force on his shoulder and was slightly taken aback. Looking at the undisguised guilt in Xiao Yan's eyes, the last trace of disappointment in his heart completely dissipated.
Although they hadn't known each other for long, he understood Xiao Yan well. He was loyal and valued those around him highly. Xiao Yan would never have made such a choice if not for being forced into it. The fact that he could say "I'm sorry" showed that he placed Wei Jiangyuan in a very important position. He patted Xiao Yan's hand firmly on his shoulder, everything understood without words.
"Old Xiao, you're being too formal with me. We're family now."
"I'm not going. You keep a close eye on Lei Zi, and both of you need to get out of here safely."
Just as Xiao Yan and Lei Clan were exchanging words, the outcome of their battle was quickly decided.
Lei Jingxiao's golden spear was firmly poised at the throat of Lei Yun, who was struggling to get up! The cold spear tip was only inches away from Lei Yun's skin, and the tiny sparks of electricity dancing on the tip stimulated Lei Yun's skin. Lei Yun's movements froze completely, his face turned ashen, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he felt aggrieved but dared not move an inch.
The outcome is a foregone conclusion!
However, Lei Jingxiao ignored Lei Yun's reaction. With a flick of his wrist, his golden spear arrogantly pointed at Lei Dong: "Lei Dong, I've secured a spot for you. Don't tell me you don't have the guts to go in!"
Seeing Lei Jingxiao's arrogant demeanor, Lei Dong slowly lowered his arms. The usual languid expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a chillingly hard look. He tilted his head slightly, and the bones in his neck made a series of crisp cracking sounds.
"Lei Jingxiao, I was reluctant to strike you down because I thought you were still young. But since you have challenged me one after another, I will fulfill your wish in the Heavenly Tomb."