Humanity’s Great Sage

turned to face Lu Ye and said, “Show us your Battlefield Imprint.”

 

Lu Ye did not know what it was for, but he complied nevertheless.
He lifted his arm and tapped on his Battlefield Imprint.
The back of his arm shone with bright bluish text. 

 

“That’s all, thanks,” Tang Wu nodded. 

 

Squad Xie Jin took their leave and went away. 

 

Tang Wu said, “Now, satisfied?”

 

“What?!” Han Zhe Yue was still staring at Lu Ye’s back with undisguised revulsion and rancor when Tang Wu’s question jerked her out of her momentary stupor.
Then she realized what he was referring to.
“How dare you!” she snarled like a lioness.

 

Tang Wu had been pestering her for the winnings of his wager with her which she had been avoiding with the pretense that she needed to see the proof with her own eyes.
For this reason, Tang Wu summoned Lu Ye here and had him show her his Battlefield Imprint to prevent her from talking her way out of paying. 

 

“Your oath was sworn upon Heavens!” Tang Wu growled, motioning at her arm, “Fulfill your promise!”

 

Han Zhe Yue could hardly find the words to retort him.
But he was right—the oath of their wager was made upon the divine judgment of Heavens and she needed to do as she promised to.
She wiped a hand on her Battlefield Imprint and a red-glowing spot rose from her arm and melted into Tang Wu’s.
“I hope you choke on these winnings!” she cursed viciously. 

 

[Good Heavens, that’s two hundred Contribution Points!] Han Zhe Yue could barely hide her agony. 

 

“Heh,” Tang Wu chuckled with triumph as he watched the reddish speck vanish into his arm.
Then he peered at Qin Wan Li, growling, “And what are you waiting for?”

 

“Me?!” uttered Qin Wan Li, astounded.
[I’m just an innocent bystander! I have nothing to do with all this!]

 

“Don’t you dare deny! Twenty Contribution Points! One point less and I’ll rip your head off with my bare hands!” Tang Wu snarled viciously, seeing no reason to be nice to him.

 

Qin Wan Li did not know what to say, although he finally realized what it was all about.
Han Zhe Yue had been the one who suggested a wager as to who Lu Ye was and he had agreed to a twenty Contribution Point wager that Lu Ye was not one of the Grand Sky Coalition.
But that was originally between him and Han Zhe Yue.
He did not agree to anything with Tang Wu.
One could argue that it was unreasonable for Tang Wu to demand his winnings from him.

 

But Qin Wan Li could barely enunciate his complaint out loud.
He rubbed at his Battlefield Imprint and a red glowing speck flew towards Tang Wu.
As much as all three of them were peers of the same rank, he could nowhere near claim to be equals in both combat ability and guile. 

 

The Green Feather Mountain candidates who had been chosen had all arrived.
Being just nearby, most of them did not take long to converge on this spot. 

 

More people arrived less than two hours later, riding up the slopes in large retinues of men.

 

Unlike ordinary Green Feather Mountain Cultivators who were dusted with grime and disheveled with weariness, this new group looked like a bunch of privileged rich kids with their handsome-looking mounts and fancy colored silks. 

 

Lu Ye immediately recognized them for who they were: acolytes or scions of militant sects and orders who were allied with Green Feather Mountain.
They had been watching the Conference and knew that the entry into the Dragon Spring was nigh, they had ridden all the way here to meet up.

 

The new group numbered at least thirty to forty men. 

 

The imposing cavalcade rumbled past adroitly, attracting envious and admiring looks from many Green Feather Mountain acolytes.
Not that there was no reason to.
Acolytes belonging to the Outer Circles of most militant orders and sects did not enjoy the same privilege, treatment, and abundance that Inner Circle acolytes were blessed with and the difference was even more in stark contrast, especially between low-tiered Cultivators. 

 

The newcomers stopped outside the hall and got off their mounts.
Despite their different-colored garbs, they mingled together and talked like old friends. 

 

Lu Ye discovered something strange.
“Xie,” he asked Xie Jin, “Why are there no Fifth-Orders around at all?”

 

None of the newcomers or even Green Feather Mountain candidates were Fifth-Order Cultivators. 

 

“The magical effects of the Dragon Spring do not work well for Fifth-Order Cultivators.
That is also why only Cultivators of the Fifth-Order and below are permitted to participate in the Conference.
As to why, I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that myself.
But we are certain about this restriction.”

 

Lu Ye nodded. 

 

“But what about our mounts when we get in?” Qiao Qiao Er voiced another point of concern.

 

With so many Spirit Beasts around, they might get into a riot and fights that could end up very bloody and awkward for everyone. 

 

“There’s no need to worry about that,” Xie Jin smiled, “There are stablehands who will take your mounts into temporary safekeeping until we come back.”

 

Green Feather Mountain has had numerous experiences in managing the custodial duties of the Dragon Spring Conferences in the past where they have always had staff and infrastructure ready to handle matters such as the care of the participants’ mounts.

 

They did not wait long.
Stable Hands appeared soon enough and they took the mounts away.
Lu Ye accompanied Amber to make sure he would be fine.
There were more than one hundred cages specifically prepared for this purpose and the caretakers placed Amber inside one of them.

 

The last glimmers of the Sun were just peeking over the rims of the mountains in the distance as night slowly descended when a huge rumble came from beneath their feet, followed by ripples of tremors. 

 

Just when everyone was reeling with shock at what was going on, Tang Wu appeared, stepping out of the hall.
He surveyed the crowd and declared loudly, “The Dragon Spring is opened, everyone! Kindly wait for your turn and proceed with order, my friends! The Spring will remain open for nine days—three for each faction! Only go as far as you can and don’t force yourselves.
Remember, Green Feather Mountain will not be responsible for any mishaps that might happen…”

 

After Tang Wu’s short briefing, everyone began shuffling towards the entrance leading into the hall beginning with the allied Cultivators. 

 

Only after they’ve all gone inside, the Green Feather Mountain Cultivators took their turn. 

 

Conquering forty-nine hillocks in the contest had won Green Feather Mountain ninety-eight places, but with more than thirty of these slots allocated to its allies, that would leave Green Feather Mountain with only sixty-plus places. 

 

The number might not seem small, but it really was not enough, considering how many Spirit Creek Realm Cultivators Green Feather Mountain had in its ranks. 

For this reason, Green Feather Mountain, more often than not, found itself hardpressed to offer any places to independent Cultivators.
This year, however, was a real anomaly where Green Feather Mountain had given three places to the independent Cultivators in Squad Xie Jin.
After all, victory would have not been possible without Squad Xie Jin’s crucial and all too important gallantry and valor in battle.