Chapter 40: The Offering Challenge (Part 1)

  "How dare you, who let you sit in that seat?" A somewhat sharp and angry voice rang out, and three people walked over from the back hall. The first person was a middle-aged woman wearing a Taoist robe, with a long sword on her back, her eyes blazing with anger as she stared at Hailong. The voice just now was hers. Hailong did not stand up, but smiled calmly and said: "It's me who let myself sit here, what's wrong with that?" The middle-aged woman angrily said: "That is the seat of our temple master, how can you sit there?" As she spoke, her body suddenly moved forward, and she reached out to grab Hailong's shoulder.

  On the side, Huang Yu anxiously said: "Sister, don't." But it was too late, the middle-aged woman's hand had already grabbed onto Hailong's chest. Hailong snorted in disdain and said: "A presumptuous woman is the most annoying, I'm not even bothered to deal with you." With a casual flick of his sleeve, the middle-aged woman suddenly stumbled backward several steps, her face turning pale, clearly having suffered a loss.

  Huang Ou quickly walked to the middle-aged woman's side, holding her back and saying: "Sister, don't move your hand, this is my new master." The middle-aged woman was taken aback, looking at Hai Long with a puzzled expression, saying: "Xiao Ou, did you bring him? How can this person be so rude, actually sitting in the host's position?" Before Huang Ou could respond, Hai Long hastily said: "Sitting here is giving you face, if it weren't for Xiao Ou, I wouldn't have come even if you invited me. Go and call out your whatever temple master, I want to see what kind of person can manage the Zhao Song country's offerings."

  A middle-aged woman was furious, saying: "You..." Just as she was about to rush up and take action again, a voice with a few strands of gray hair rang out, "Xiaofeng, don't be unreasonable." An old Taoist priest walked in from outside the door. As soon as Huang Xiu saw this person, he suddenly cheered and rushed forward, calling out happily: "Master, I'm back!" The old Taoist priest smiled slightly and said: "Little Xiu, it's only been a few months since we last met, but you seem to have made some progress!" Huang Xiu glanced at Hailong and said: "The disciple's cultivation has progressed, all thanks to my new master. Let me introduce him to you."

  The old Daoist's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness, and he looked at Hailong, who met his gaze without flinching. The old Daoist's heart trembled, as the feeling he got from Hailong was like an endless abyss, impossible to discern what was real or fake. He took a few steps forward, walked up to Hailong, and bowed: "Yun Xiaozi has seen Senior. It is Xiaoyu's good fortune to be able to call Senior her master."

  "En, it's good that there is still someone with manners in the temple. You're Yun Xiao, right? However, your cultivation is only at the mid-stage of Guan Tong, no wonder you can't teach a good disciple. Looking at you, it seems like you've been cultivating for three or four hundred years already. I advise you not to take on any more disciples in the future, lest you mislead them."

  Yun Xiaozi was shocked by Hai Long's words, but instead of feeling disgusted, he felt a few more points of respect in his heart. After all, Hai Long had seen through his cultivation without using probing techniques, and his profound magical powers were naturally not something that Yun Xiaozi could compare to. Having cultivated for several hundred years, his eyesight was much stronger than those of Huang Han and the others. He respectfully said: "This junior has been cultivating for some years, but it's all been done through self-study and exploration, my cultivation is indeed unworthy, I'm afraid it will make seniors laugh."

  The middle-aged woman who had become Xiao Feng let out a disdainful snort and said, "Master Uncle, you don't need to be polite to someone like him. I think he's just a charlatan." Yunxiu's expression turned solemn as he said, "Xiao Feng, do not be rude in front of your seniors. Go quickly and invite your master and the hall master out." As the deputy hall master of the Supplying Hall, his words were naturally filled with authority. Xiao Feng wanted to say something else, but after meeting Yunxiu's piercing gaze, he could only retreat in embarrassment. After watching Xiao Feng leave, Yunxiu continued, "Senior, I apologize for my junior's rudeness. Looking at you, it seems like you possess great spiritual power. I hope you can offer us some guidance." In the Central Plains of Shenzhou, although the three countries of Li Tang, Zhao Song, and Yuan Meng actively recruited cultivators, they were unable to recruit anyone from the seven major orthodox sects due to their strict rules and reclusive nature. As a result, they could only recruit minor cultivators from smaller sects, none of whom possessed high levels of cultivation. Among these cultivators, Yunxiu was already considered to be deeply cultivated.

  The dragon king said calmly, "I'm not worthy of your praise. I came here just to take a look around. Your temple is quite impressive. It seems that the Zhao Song Kingdom values you highly. Since you seem to understand things, I'll give you some advice: in today's world where evil spirits and demons run rampant, those powerful evil demons are not something you can handle with your current abilities. From now on, it's best to stay inside and avoid unnecessary casualties. Although you've already formed a Dao embryo, your yuan ying is unstable. I think it would be impressive if you could live past 500 years old. Breaking through to the peak realm will be difficult."

  Yun Xiaozi let out a soft sigh and said, "Five hundred years is already several times more than ordinary people. As a disciple, I dare not have excessive demands. I only hope that in my lifetime, I can do more for the people of Zhao Song State."

  Hai Long furrowed his brow and said, "Don't say such pitiful words in front of me. Do you think that the affairs of the world can be influenced by your small offerings? If it weren't for the Seven Orthodox Sects constantly fighting against the Evil Path, I'm afraid the land of Shen Zhou would have been overrun with evil long ago. It's better to do more practical things than to speak empty words."

  Yun Xiaozi slightly furrowed his brow and said, "The words of my disciple come from the heart, absolutely not nonsense. I don't know if the seven sects you mentioned are the Seven Great Divine Sects? May I ask, which sect do you belong to?"

  Hailong snorted and said, "Which sect I belong to is none of your business. The seven orthodox sects are not worthy of being called divine sects, and among them, there are also those who engage in intrigue and despicable behavior." As soon as he thought of the couple from Xun Tian Liu, Hailong's heart became unsettled. If his current cultivation level were sufficient, he would have already gone to Xun Tian Liu to settle scores with Xing Tian.

  "Third brother, what kind of big shot is it that you've invited us over for?" A thick voice rang out, and under the escort of seven or eight attendants, two old men with ruddy complexions walked out from the rear hall. A glint of light flashed in Hailong's eyes as he discovered that the leader among them had already reached the peak realm in their cultivation, clearly much higher than the others. Their demeanor was calm and composed, and they also possessed a certain air of majesty.

  Yun Xiaozi hastily went forward to greet him, saying: "Big brother, let me introduce you. This is a high-ranking person from the Seven Great Divine Sects. Oh, right, I haven't dared to ask yet, what is your esteemed name?"

  Hailong glanced at Yunshaozi and the other two, saying: "You three are the master and deputy masters of this temple, right? What I'm called is none of your concern, and I won't be telling you."

  The two elderly men looked at Yun Xiaozi and the leader said, "I am Yun Yuezi, the master of the temple. This is my junior fellow apprentice brother Yun Fengzi. Earlier I heard from Xiao Feng that you have already accepted Huang Yu as your disciple."

  Hailong interrupted: "Xiao Wei and I have a few points of fate, I've already accepted her as my nominal disciple. Yunyuezi, seeing me sitting in your position, isn't it uncomfortable for you?"

  A purple aura flashed in Yunyuezi's eyes, and he said calmly: "Looking at your appearance, you don't seem to be a cultivator. I'd like to ask for your advice on one or two things." Just as Yunxiaozi was about to say something, he was interrupted by Yunfengzi.

  Hai Long said faintly, "I don't dare to claim what you're asking for, I came to Bianliang to travel, since you want to see my cultivation, why don't we make a bet?"

  Yunyuezi's expression changed, and he said, "Gambling? What do you want to gamble on?" The reason why he wanted to test Hailong's cultivation was mainly because he had a few points of discontent in his heart. Earlier, when Xiaofeng went to call them, he had added fuel to the fire by telling them about Hailong's rudeness. As the master of the Temple of Offerings, even the Emperor of Zhao Song had to address him as "Sage Master". He naturally wanted to test it clearly before proceeding.

  The dragon king smiled strangely and jumped up from the purple sandalwood chair, saying: "This bet is simple. If I win, you'll let me be the master of this temple for ten days and let me experience the thrill of holding power in my hands. If you win, I'll let you deal with me as you please. Of course, I won't take advantage of you, after all, you're younger than me. Alright, I'll only defend and not attack. You can use your strongest treasure to attack me with all your might. As long as you can make my feet move, it's considered your win. Whenever you feel that you really can't win, just admit defeat automatically. This way, you'll be convinced thoroughly."

  Yun Yuezi's eyes flashed with an otherworldly light, and the other attendants who had come with him all showed their disdain for Hailong on their faces. A few hot-tempered individuals even shouted insults. Yun Yuezi raised his hand to stop the other attendants and said calmly, "Alright, let's do it your way. If you can withstand my attack without moving, I'll gladly give up the position of master of this temple to you forever. We have a deal."

  The sea dragon smiled and said: "Not bad, there's still some elegance. Come on, you can attack now." As he spoke, his feet were open and standing casually.

  Yun Yuezi hesitated and said, "Is it really here? I'm afraid my treasure will destroy the main hall, so let's go outside instead." Hai Long snorted coldly and proudly said, "If your treasure can destroy the main hall, then I'll admit defeat." A layer of golden light suddenly appeared, instantly enveloping himself and Yun Yuezi inside, while pushing everyone else, including Yun Fengzi and Yun Xiaozi, more than ten meters away. Yun Yuezi's face changed, but Hai Long saw a hint of joy in his eyes. Before he could react, Yun Yuezi had already launched an attack. A flash of light, and the purple air surrounded flying sword brought a muffled thunderous sound as it slashed through the void. At the same time, seven purple glowing orbs under Yun Yuezi's control attacked Hai Long from seven sharp angles, with four of them targeting his legs.

  Hai Long smiled calmly and said, "The pearl of a grain of rice also shows its splendor." Without seeing him make any hand seals, another circle of golden light burst forth, and the flying sword and those purple lights completely clashed above. Countless purple lights exploded within the restrictions that Hai Long had set up beforehand, and Cloud Jump's attack naturally couldn't shake Hai Long's defense in the slightest. Cloud Jump let out a clear whistle, his body floating upwards as he grabbed hold of the longsword that was rebounding back through the air, merging with it into one entity as they charged towards Hai Long. For a time, under the urging of his magic power, the flying sword suddenly increased its might, and around it, a circle of purple energy like a whirlpool suddenly burst forth, enveloping Hai Long's body.

  Hailong nodded his head in approval, saying: "To be able to exert your magical powers to such an extent at the level of Dingfeng, it's really not easy for you." As he spoke, he raised his right hand and, with his thumb and index finger, grasped the tip of the flying sword that had pierced through the purple magical energy. The light dissipated, and Yunyuezi floated down to the ground, his flying sword now in Hailong's hand. Hailong seemed as if nothing had happened, lightly stroking the blade, saying: "Not bad, it's a high-quality spiritual artifact. Ah, this is biased towards the wind attribute, matching your magical powers, no wonder you could exert abilities beyond your current level. How about it? Do you still want to continue comparing?"

  Yunyuezi smiled slightly and bowed, saying: "The Yunyuezi has seen the Lord of the Temple. From today on, all the offerings in the Zhao Song National Temple will completely obey your orders."

  Hailong's face suddenly changed, and he felt a sense of being plotted against. He furrowed his brow and said, "I've already made it clear earlier. I'm only the master of this temple for ten days. You'd better remember that."

  Yunyuezi smiled and said, "Of course I remember your previous words. Ten days is enough time. With a senior like you with such high cultivation here, seven days later we will definitely be able to win against the Yuanmeng Country's Worship Hall." Hailong finally understood why Yunyuezi had a hint of joy in his eyes earlier and inwardly cried out that he had been deceived, but on his face he tried to appear calm, saying lightly, "A competition? You can go participate if you want. Since I am the master of the Worship Hall, shouldn't I have the right not to participate? Are you trying to scheme against me? You're still a bit off. What's more, even if I do go participate, would I intentionally lose? That's something I'm not capable of doing."

  Yunyuezi's face changed, and he suddenly knelt down in front of Hailong, bitterly smiling: "Senior, actually when I first saw you, I knew you were a senior expert, but I didn't dare to ask for your help rashly. Looking at your appearance, you shouldn't be one of those outsiders from the Yuanmong country, for the sake of our Central Plains' orthodoxy, you can't ignore this matter!"

  Hai Long furrowed his brow and turned to Huang Ou, saying: "Little Ou, what's going on here?" Huang Ou hurried over and respectfully said: "Master, it's like this. A month ago, we received a challenge from the Yuanmeng State's Temple of Worship. This is a challenge that we cannot refuse. The system for this kind of challenge was established hundreds of years ago. If the challenger wins, the challenged party must pay the price of five cities. But if the challenged party wins, the challenger must cede ten cities. Ten years ago, Yuanmeng State challenged Li Tang State and won, forcing them to give up five prosperous cities, greatly weakening their national strength, and they have never regained their former glory as the number one state in the divine continent."

  The unsealing was a bit late today, mainly because the Phantom Ranger's system couldn't be opened, sorry about that. Everyone please vote more, I've already dropped several places on the recommended ticket list, thank you.