Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
The whole cudgel was pale gold and covered with delicate, silky scales, which made it very comfortable to grasp. However, you could only see the scales if you had vision like Junior Leopardâs and could only feel them if you held the cudgel in your hands.
After 32 days, following Green Spiritâs step by step instructions, did he finally successfully refine the Divine Weapon.
It weighed 4,396 kilograms, and could reach up to 190 feet long with a diameter of five feet. Additionally, it could be shrunk to the size of a sewing needle as well, just like Monkey Sunâs Golden Cudgel. However, he was not able to put it in his ear like what Monkey Sun did due to how great the density would be at the size of a sewing needle. How could the body of ordinary people bear such a weight?
Although his physical body may now be called as strong as iron, it was not as strong as Monkey Sunâs terrifying body. He couldnât bear it if the cudgel was put in his ear. Therefore, even if it could be shrunk to the size of a sewing needle, it could only be placed in his independent space.
His two big hammers had been melted down by the Tusita Fire. Although Junior Leopard was a little reluctant, after practicing the 72 Style Earthly Fiends Cudgel Techniques with the Golden-Scaled Cudgel a few times, he had to admit that this cudgel skill was marvellous. Matching with the Golden-Scaled Cudgel, the power was no less than his twin hammers. Of course, if Junior Leopard used his powerful Hammer Spirit, it was another case.
âBoom, boom, boom!â With three attacks all at once, the Golden-Scaled Cudgel in Junior Leopardâs hand reached up to 100 feet and smashed against the hill ahead. The sound was as loud as a thunderbolt and the stone fell down like rain. In a moment, a big stone mountain was razed to the ground.
âGood cudgel skill, itâs very powerful!â He withdrew the cudgel and leaned on it, âThe 72 Style Earthly Fiends Cudgel Techniques is really wonderful! Where did you find it?â
âSeriously? Do I have to find it? The cudgel is the earliest weapon. People in the antiquity times all used cudgels. Thereâs no mystery in cudgel skills at all. Everyone can use the 72 Style Earthly Fiends Cudgel Techniques, but they all comprehend different levels.â
Junior Leopard smiled and put away the cudgel, âThen I need time to figure it out, but I am not available now. Yesterday I got a message, it seems that something curious happened at the World Hero Competition. Iâm going to check it out!â
âThe World Hero Competition? Haha, is it the competition that your subordinate is going to take part in? Interesting! I liked to join in such fun in the past!â Hearing the World Hero Competition, the Green Spirit was a little excited.
âIt is too complicated. I donât want to get involved. Iâm just going to watch it!â Junior Leopard said, âThe most important thing right now is to find another underground fire vein to refine a Pure Yang Celestial Device with the talisman formation while I still have a sense of it. That thing is really annoying!â
âOkay, but itâs hard to find the underground fire vein!â
âNot necessarily. I have an appointment with Prince Xiaoming of the Sect of Flame. Iâm to help him get enough Earth Fire Yuan Essence with my fist intent. But for various reasons, itâs delayed. This time I go to the Central Plains to find her. If she wants the Earth Fire Yuan Essence, she must find an underground fire vein. Then I can take advantage of this opportunity and save a little more Earth Fire Yuan Essence Qi so as to refine a Pure Yang Celestial Device!â
âArenât you afraid of freezing the geocentric fire vein again?â
âItâs not my possession so itâs none of my business!â Junior Leopard sneered.
â¦
â¦
Even if he spurred on the flying horse, traveling from the northwest to the Central Plains would take an average man dozens of days. However, by Reining Sword, it only cost Junior Leopard one or two days to travel tens of thousands of kilometers. The time was mainly spent on refining his Golden-Scaled Cudgels, so when he arrived, the World Hero Competition was almost half way through.
The World Hero Competition caused a sensation in the world. It adopted the knock-out system. More than 8,560 people have signed up and got a number individually. Then people competed in pairs. The winner went to the next round, and the loser left. It was simple. There was no so-called round robin or repechage.
Zhu Ba was defeated and knocked out with serious injuries. Fortunately, he was still alive and his pneuma wasnât damaged. When Junior Leopard saw him, he was biting big pettitoes in white bandages.
âHum, not serious. You still have a good appetite, you wonât die easily!â
âYour Excellency, here you are! Here you are!â When Junior Leopard entered the room, Zhu Ba froze for a moment and then immediately exclaimed. Junior Leopard believed that if he could still move, he would definitely jump on him. Thinking of this, Junior Leopard shivered.
âStop shouting! How could you be so unlucky as to be beaten up like this?â
âAlas, donât mention it, Your Excellency. Who would have thought weâd meet that monstrous woman!â Zhu Ba helplessly cried, âThat woman is extremely powerful! Iâm not like you, so I canât beat her!â
âMeng Qingrongâs cultivation was high, and she has a wizard weapon, Taixuan Thunder Saber. So itâs not surprising that you lost the competition. Itâs not a disgrace!â Junior Leopard smiled, âHowever, itâs also not easy for her to win the Pure Yang Celestial Device!â
âOf course! This time, all the well-known families and schools have sent their hidden experts. On the third day, there were already two experts of Level Seven competing. It was reallyâ¦â Thinking of the competition, Zhu Ba sighed quietly, âIt is said that even the weakest one who is still in the competition is a master of Level Five. Most of them are experts with cultivation of more than Level Seven. Heehee, thereâre more than 60 experts, most of whom I have never heard of. I canât imagine that there are so many awesome guys in this world!â
âThis World Hero Competition is basically successful. Who wins the Pure Yang Celestial Device is not important!â Junior Leopard laughed, âOh, I heard that there are two teen experts in this competition, right?â
âYeah, yeah, Your Excellency, I didnât expect there would be people who are as talented as you. I thought that Meng Qingrong was already very powerful because she ascended into Level Five at such a young age. Unexpectedly, there are still two youngsters who have ascended into Level Seven. Theyâre Li Xiu, the young master of the Li Family of Pingzhou, and Ji Yeyue.â
When hearing the name of Ji Yeyue, Junior Leopard could clearly feel some excitement, âHeehee, Your Excellency, you have no idea how sturdy Ji Yeyue is!â
âI have no idea? I certainly know that Ji Yeyue has been called as âthe first sturdy girl in the worldâ!â Junior Leopard laughed.
ââThe first sturdy girl in the worldâ?â Hearing Junior Leopardâs description, Zhu Ba finally began to laugh hysterically, âYour Excellency, itâs not âthe first sturdy girl in the worldâ, but âthe most beautiful woman in the worldâ!â
Ji Yeyue was the only woman among the four brightest youngers in the World Hero Competition. She was not only powerful in feat, but also beautiful in appearance. As soon as she turned up, she shocked all the male attendants. In the first few competitions, she even didnât exert 10 percent of her strength, because her opponents were so absorbed in her beauty. It was not until she met a strong-willed Level Seven expert in the fourth competition that she had a chance to show her real strength. Then everyone present was stunned. It turned out that the girl aged about 17 or 18, had the strength of Level Seven, which was extraordinary. She soon beat her opponent. Her strength and demeanour had completely overshadowed the other young talents and undoubtedly, she became the focus of the World Hero Competition.
âYour Excellency, there are a lot of people comparing you to them. Would you like to take part?â
âAbsolutely not. Itâs not easy to find two people to help me share the reputation. I wonât be so stupid as to mess with them!â Junior Leopard smirked.
âLi Xiu of Pingzhou, good, I didnât expect that youâd have also broken through to Level Seven in these years. It seems that you mainly practice swordsmanship. If there is a chance, we can have a battle. But for now, Iâm not available!â
âYour Excellency, thereâs one thing that is troublesome.â
Zhu Ba had his convalescence in a large room. Jiang Xiao and other people were in the room as well. Hearing that they almost finished talking, Jiang Xiao began to speak with a flicker of embarrassment on his face.
âWhatâs up?â
âRecently, Anyuan Store has been severely suppressed!â Jiang Xiao smiled bitterly, âSomeone is aiming at us. Some of our goods were robbed, and others were confiscated by the government. The hard-fought connection and several trade routes have all been broken. As for the established cooperations, they were also stopped by the partners. If it goes on like this, Anyuan Store will have to shut down in a few months!â
Hearing this, Junior Leopardâs expression changed with his eyes narrowed.
âDo you know who is responsible?â
âItâs probably the Four Seas Trading Company, the estate of the Wang Family.â
âThe Wang Family?â Slowly mulling over the words, Junior Leopard smiled, âIt seems that Iâm really a little out of line with the Wang Family lately!â
Jiang Xiao said with a forced smile, âThe Four Seas Trading Company, with complex business networks, is one of the top 10 trading companies in Great Jin. Small trading companies like the newborn Anyuan Store are simply not able to match it. If they really want to block us, itâll be really hard for us to keep doing business!â
âHave you thought about a way to fight back?â
âItâs certainly impossible to fight back in business. We arenât at the same level as them!â Jiang Xiao answered, âIt seems that the Wang Family is not only a millennium family, but they also have a close relationship with Tian Long Taoism. Because of this, the Wu Family has scruples about helping us openly.â
âOppressing us using their powerful influence! Itâs really a good choice!â Junior Leopard smiled, âSince we cannot solve it using business, we have to make other plans. Is there anyone else who is against us, apart from the Four Seas Trading Company?â
âThe Four Seas Trading Company is the ringleader, and there are several other big trading companies!â Jiang Xiao replied, âBut I think, if we can successfully fight against the Four Seas Trading Company, others will not be hard on us anymore.â
âDamn it! Why didnât you tell me earlier? Iâd have brought some people to smash the Four Seas Trading Company and see if they dare to look for trouble again!â
âItâs wishful thinking! The Four Seas Trading Company is the estate of the Wang Family. Moreover, the Wang Family is a famous millennium baron worldwide, with numerous masters and experts in their clan. Believe it or not, if you smash the Four Seas Trading Company today, the Wang Family will send experts to kill you tomorrow!â
âThe Wang Family in Cenzhou is a millennium family that is really hard to be pushed around!â
When it came to the Wang Family, a harsh light flashed through Junior Leopardâs eyes. In the northwest, his fief was adjacent to the fief of one of the collateral members of the Wang Family. They had a conflict and he had been deeply impressed by their arrogance. So they might try to clamp down on him to get revenge by suppressing the Anyuan Store.
âHowever, if I will be frightened by you , I wonât be called by the name, Zhou Bao!â Junior Leopard sneered in his heart, âNow you want to play the game, Iâll play with you to the end. The leading bird usually bears the brunt of attack . Now youâre the leading bird that provokes me. But I have to find more participants since itâs too boring!â
When Junior Leopard thought of this, a cold smile occurred in his eyes, âJiang Xiao, signal that I, Zhou Bao from Yunzhou, will challenge Wang Yuebai, the most powerful man in the Wang Family after 10 days. If he is afraid, he can give up!â
âYour Excellency!â Jiang Xiao did not expect that Junior Leopard would pay his attention of this problem after his slight mention, âYour Excellency, Wang Yuebai is the most powerful man in the Wang Family in Cenzhou. It is said that his cultivation has reached the peak of Level Eight, only a step away from Level Nine. Besides, there is a whole Wang Family in Cenzhou behind him. Do you really plan to challenge him?â
âNow that the Wang Family wants to be the leading bird, then Iâll help them!â Junior Leopard laughed grimly, âHeâs just a Level Eight expert. No big deal! Spread the news now, the wider and more sensational the better. This time, it is the Wang Family who has come to annoy me. Itâll give others the impression that I am mild-tempered if I donât teach them a lesson. Do you think Iâm that kind of person?â Junior Leopard grinned.
âOK! Iâll try to give the news out. But before that, I still advise Your Excellency to think twice. The Wang Family isnât like the Cool Breeze Gang. They have been in the world for thousands of years with unfathomable foundations. Wang Yuebai is probably the most powerful man superficially. If the real masterâ¦â
âDonât worry, I can handle that!â Junior Leopard waved his hand to dismiss his worry, âMake the arrangements as I said. If there is really a hidden expert in the Wang family, I also have confidence to deal with that!â
âYes!â Speaking like this, Jiang Xiao dared not to say any more, bowing his head and leaving the room.
âYour Excellency, you still care a lot about your reputation. Itâs actually not your wish to have someone share your reputation. It seems that youâre afraid of being upstaged, so you arranged the challenge, right? Then in the end, you can steal the thunder of those two young experts.â Zhu Ba tittered beside him.
âChallenging Wang Yuebai is just the endgame!â Junior Leopard said, waving his hand, âI asked Jiang Xiao to spread the news out because Iâm worried that Wang Yuebai wonât accept the challenge. Besides, I have no other purpose!â
âThe endgame? For what?â
âThe conflict that happened in the northwest, along with the Tian Long Taoism and a few well-known families asking me to participate in the World Hero Competition.â Junior Leopard replied, âThese must be the reason why the Wang Family are suppressing the Anyuan Store. They donât represent one family, but a powerful profit group. I have degraced them, so they naturally want to make reprisals!â
âBut if you challenge Wang Yuebai, it will aggravate the problem, making it harder to wrap up. Moreover, youâll offend the Tian Long Taoism again!â
âThe trouble with Tian Long Taoism has already finished!â Junior Leopard answered, âThose families are smart. This time the Wang Family is just making a final sound. In such a case, I shouldnât show weakness. The Tian Long Taoism will never tell those well-known families the reason why they stopped. Therefore, theyâre all wondering what I have done to let the Tian Long Taoism give up taking advantage of me, and they want to sound me out. Under these circumstances, the only thing I have to do is to give a strong counterattack and tear down the face of the Wang Family completely. These families are all bullies, and thereâs a lot of interest entanglement among them. As long as I show my strong attitude, theyâll find that they must suffer great losses and lose more than they have gained to fight against me, then in the end, theyâll shrink back!â
âWhat if they keep on being tough?â Reckless as Zhu Ba was, he was not a fool. He thought about it for a second, âThereâre many experts in the Wang Family, so it doesnât matter if they lose one or two. After all, they have deep roots. But if you have any accidents, weâll all lose our backer and Anyuan Store will be uprooted!â
âTough? Theyâre unable to keep being tough!â Junior Leopard said confidently, âDonât worry! I wonât be as foolish as to throw an egg at a rock!â
Junior Leopard certainly wouldnât be foolish like that. Wang Yuebai indeed had the strength of Level Eight, but Junior Leopard didnât think highly of him. As long as he hadnât ascend into Level Nine and his Internal Qi hadnât been converted to the Genuine Soul, Junior Leopard would never worry about it. The Wang Family was too aggressive and had offended too many people. For example, Moon Deer of Extended Net, who was one of the 28 constellations just like him, as well as Luo Haiyun from the Luo Family in Minshan Commandery, who had absolutely irreconcilable hatred with the Wang Family. The reason why he had set the time for 10 days later, was to leave enough time to spread the news. He believed that Moon Deer of Extended Net would be very happy to help him against the Wang Family.
In addition to Moon Deer of Extended Net, Prince Xiaoming was the reason why he came to the Central Plains. For the sake of the appointment made in the underground fire vein in Zhonghe City, as well as the raw materials of the Air-frozen Beads, Prince Xiaoming would definitely come when she heard the news. Even if she would not help him openly, she may possibly help him secretly.
That was why Junior Leopard told Jiang Xiao to spread the news widely. Besides, Wang She was sure to come too if he heard of the news. This was not because he had close a relationship with Wang She, but for other reasons.
âAfter such a long time, the Tian Long Taoism Leader, Yu Baimei, must be very concerned about the relationship between me and the golden-clothed man! The general principles of the Nine Heaven Yuan Yang Technique are not trivial. Moreover, those who are able to get through the Thunder Tribulation must have arrived in the Genuine Immortal Karma Rank. As the Leader of the Tian Long Taoism, he couldnât care less about the guy whose strength is terrific. Additionally, I purposely didnât make it clear to Wang She what the relationship between me and the golden-clothed man was, which must be a sore point to him. No matter whether public or private interest, he would definitely motion Wang She, who has a good relationship with me, to approach me, and signal that heâd better figure out my relationship with the Stranger under the thunder!â With all of this, Junior Leopard was confident that even if he challenged and defeated Wang Yuebai, mercilessly causing the Wang Family to lose face, the Wang Family couldnât do anything to him.
âSince the Wang Family is bent against me, then Iâll help them to achieve their aim. I have to hurt them so much that they will be afraid of me. In this way, the crackdown of the Four Seas Trading Company on Anyuan Store will be naturally eliminated. Then Anyuan Store will soon become the economic lifeline of my territory. How can I let it be suppressed?â
â¦
âWhat? Zhou Bao is going to challenge Wang Yuebai, the most powerful man of the Wang Family in Cenzhou? What the hell is this boy doing?â
The news was passed out in the afternoon, shocking the whole Jianghu.
Under the influence of the World Hero Competition, the whole Jianghu was already in a boiling state. Junior Leopardâs behavior had now exacerbated the situation. Although he didnât attend the World Hero Competition, he suddenly announced the challenge to Wang Yuebai, a celebrated expert that had been famous for decades, which raised all sorts of conjecture.
âIs this guy crazy for fame?â
âWhat the hell is he doing? Does he realize that he is out of date because thereâre two teen experts appearing in the World Hero Competition? So he arranged this challenge because he was undefeated?â
âItâs interesting! Zhou Bao has already killed several experts. Will there be another one this time?â
â¦
People who didnât understand the truth kept thinking like this.
âAnyuan Store is Zhou Baoâs estate. These days the Four Seas Trading Company is clearly aiming at Anyuan Store. It seems that Zhou Bao is going to fight back. But is this too radical?â
âIt is said that he defeated Lin Xiaoqing of the Lins with his bare hands in the northwest, so his confidence increased sharply. But Wang Yuebai isnât Lin Xiaoqing. He is the most powerful man in the Wang Family and owns the most powerful treasure, the Pero Purple Striped Saber. Whatâs more, His cultivation has reached the peak of Level Eight, ready for stepping into Level Nine. Itâs not easy for Zhou Bao to beat him!â
âDamn it! Zhou Bao is really hot-tempered. As soon as you provoke him, he gets angry. Fortunately, the Wang Family had the leading role this time, so we can just watch the competition and see if he has backers. No, we should see whether his backers are strong. Iâll never believe that he had become an expert at such a young age without any backers!â
â¦
Within three days, the challenge launched by Junior Leopard had spread throughout Jianghu. Unsurprisingly, it became the most sensational event along with the World Hero Competition.
âThis boy, heehee, is very intriguing! I should never miss the chance to join in the fun? The Wang Family has been pushy for thousands of years, and itâs time for them to suffer losses!â In the Tian Long Mystic Mountain, Wang She sat cross-legged on the Sunset Peak with a very malicious smile on his face, âI can also take this opportunity to finish my business!â