PNB Chapter 1789 Marking the Prey
Chapter 1789 Marking the Prey
"What an exquisite nesting..." Mingchuan thought to himself with a chill. "Yueyao's mastery of formations is extraordinary. This formation is not activated until the chosen talent is selected, when their mind is stirred and their fortune is surging, before it will be quietly activated to plant the imprint."
While silently memorizing the locations of the key nodes in the formation, he also diverted a sliver of his mind to sense the situation at Wangxiantai, three hundred miles away, through a specially made spiritual communication jade talisman in his bosom.
……
Wangxiantai (Viewing Terrace).
Compared to the luxurious and exquisite Dengyuntai, this place appears much more rustic and rugged.
The venue was transformed from the ruins of an ancient sect. On the huge bluestone square, ten ancient arenas stand, with simple yet sturdy arrays protecting the edges.
The surrounding area features viewing platforms built along the mountainside; though not lavish, they are large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people.
The square was now packed with people.
Young cultivators from all over the Spirit Realm gathered here. Some were preparing for battle with tension, some were watching with excitement, and many more were attracted by the generous rewards offered by the five major sects.
Representatives from the five major sects—Ye Chuhan, Lin Ruowei, Mu Yaoyao, Chu Huai, and Jin Man—sat together on the central high platform, responsible for presiding over the competition and maintaining order.
The competition has been going on for two days, and the aptitude and potential assessment and the preliminary test in the secret realm have been completed. Today, the most anticipated part, the actual combat arena segment, will take place.
The atmosphere was both lively and tense.
While handling various matters, Jinman kept a close eye on the movements of the spirit communication jade talisman in her bosom.
That was a one-way communication token with Mingchuan. If anything happened at Dengyuntai, Mingchuan would send a message immediately.
Ye Jingjing sat next to Ye Chuhan, feeling somewhat uneasy, and frequently looked towards the direction of Dengyuntai: "Brother Chuhan, is Brother Mingchuan really alright? That woman Yueyao is definitely up to no good."
Before Ye Chuhan could speak, Lin Ruowei spoke up first: "Since Sect Master Ming dares to go, he must have a plan. Doing our best here is the greatest support we can give him."
Chu Huai nodded: "That's right. If we make this competition a great success and gather all the talents of the Spirit Realm here, that will be the best response to the Holy Realm."
Mu Yaoyao didn't speak, but silently clenched her hands in her sleeves.
Before her was a water mirror, and she was using a secret method to observe the scene of the Cloud Ascension Platform from afar. When she saw Mingchuan sitting peacefully on the third floor, she breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief, but then frowned again.
Ye Chuhan patted Ye Jingjing's hand quietly and whispered to comfort her, "Don't worry, there won't be any major problems. Who is Mingchuan? He's an unkillable cockroach. He's accomplished so many great things, one more won't make a difference."
Seeing Ye Chuhan wink at her, Ye Jingjing breathed a sigh of relief and nodded obediently.
Jin Man took in everyone's reactions, sighed inwardly, but remained outwardly calm: "Everyone, the arena battle is about to begin, please concentrate. Today, we will show the Spirit Realm what a true gathering of talents is!"
……
Dengyuntai.
As the appointed time approached, the platform gradually filled with guests.
The Holy Domain Dragon Roar Temple invited not only people from the Spirit Domain, but also representatives from many other neighboring realms and sects that had friendly relations or interests with the Holy Domain.
This made the event more grand and also subtly elevated the status and authority of the selection process.
Finally, as the sun fully rose above the horizon, casting its golden rays upon the Cloud Ascension Platform, a clear and melodious crane cry resounded through the sky.
Nine magnificent, snow-white cranes, pulling a beautiful, crystal-clear carriage, gracefully arrived from the direction of the Holy Land and slowly landed on the top floor of the viewing platform.
The carriage doors opened, and Fairy Yueyao stepped out gracefully.
She was still dressed in a moon palace gown, with intricate star trails embroidered in silver thread on the hem. She wore a bright moon crown with tassels hanging down, and a dot of ice blue mark between her eyebrows, which made her look even more beautiful and ethereal, like a fairy descended from the heavens.
The moment she appeared, the entire Dengyuntai platform fell silent.
All eyes, whether of awe, admiration, envy, or curiosity, were focused on her.
Fairy Yueyao's gaze calmly swept across the entire scene. When it passed over Mingchuan's location, she paused for a moment, a very faint smile curving her lips, before looking away.
She walked to the very front of the jade platform, her clear and cold voice carrying throughout every corner:
"Welcome, fellow Daoists, to Dengyuntai for this grand exchange of talents from both regions."
"The path of cultivation lies in exchange and mutual learning, learning from each other's strengths and making up for each other's weaknesses. The Sacred Realm and the Spirit Realm are born from the same source and should work together for progress. This grand event aims to provide a platform for young talents from both realms to showcase themselves, hone their skills, and broaden their horizons."
"Those who excel in the exchange will have the opportunity to receive meticulous training from the Holy Domain Dragon Roar Temple, enjoy abundant resources, receive guidance from powerful figures, and have unlimited potential."
Her words were incredibly alluring, and combined with her unparalleled beauty and the prestigious reputation of the Dragon Roar Temple, they were enough to stir the hearts of countless young cultivators.
However, Mingchuan noticed that as she spoke, the hidden complex array beneath the platform began to operate extremely slowly and weakly, resonating with the fluctuations of luck and potential in all the young cultivators present in a way that was difficult to detect.
“It has begun…” Mingchuan’s heart skipped a beat. “This formation is quietly selecting and marking its prey.”
Hearing this from the side, Ah Xiong couldn't help but mutter to Ming Chuan, "Damn it, these guys are really cunning."
"Keep your voice down," Mingchuan warned quickly.
Ah Xiong immediately shut his mouth.
After Fairy Yueyao finished her opening remarks, a steward from Longyin Temple stepped forward and announced the official start of the exchange session.
The first step is potential assessment.
Ten enormous spirit-appreciation jade tablets were carried to the central area. Young cultivators could step forward, place their hands on the tablets, and infuse them with spiritual power. The jade tablets would then display different colors of light and heights based on factors such as the purity, attributes, and potential of the spiritual power, thereby judging their aptitude.
This seems fair, but Mingchuan knows that the Spirit Appraisal Jade Tablet must be connected to the Soul Locking Array below. Once a cultivator pours all their spiritual power into it and opens their mind, it will be very easy for the array to capture a deeper level of spiritual energy, laying the foundation for subsequent imprinting.
Those from the Holy Domain, along with the invited disciples from other sects, were the first to step forward for testing.
In an instant, the jade tablet shimmered with light, and beams of light in various colors—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—rose up, eliciting gasps of amazement.
Many young cultivators native to the Spirit Realm couldn't help but feel envious and longing as they looked at the powerful aptitude and potential displayed by those geniuses from other realms.
Fairy Yueyao sat serenely on the high platform, her expression calm, her gaze occasionally sweeping across the crowd below, as if she had everything under control.
Soon, it was the turn of the Spirit Realm cultivators to step forward.
Some disciples from small and medium-sized sects or aristocratic families hesitated for a moment, but could not resist the temptation of being chosen by the Holy Domain and stepped forward.
The jade tablets shone brightly, mostly between yellow and green, with a few reaching cyan, attracting some attention, but far less than the blue or even pale purple light pillars of the previous few Saint Domain geniuses.
A few dismissive chuckles could be faintly heard from among the cultivators of the Holy Realm.
The cultivators from the Spirit Realm looked somewhat embarrassed, but they had nothing to say.
After all, the difference in qualifications is obvious to the naked eye.
Just as the atmosphere became somewhat tense, a steady voice rang out:
"Lingyu, disciple of Wanchuan Zongzhan Hall, Zhao Hu, please review."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Zhao Hu stride out from behind Mingchuan and arrive in front of a jade tablet!