However, before departing to the Floating Twilight Land, Huang Xiaolong still wanted to take a little ‘stroll’ around the Extraterritorial Devil Battlefield to see if he could ‘bump’ into the grandmist aura.

The Grandmist Parasitic Medium was one of his essential trump cards, and if he could advance to the third level, then he would have no qualms in getting a good ranking in the Fortune Emperor Palace’s selection competition.

Huang Xiaolong’s group left the Tianwu Treasure palace. With a wave of Huang Xiaolong’s hand, the Tianwu Treasure palace shrunk in size and turned into a ring that fit nicely around Huang Xiaolong’s finger. Though the ring’s shape was a little strange, like a badly dented spinning top, no one looking at this spatial ring would ever connect this ugly looking ring to the Tianwu Treasure.

Huang Xiaolong then replied to his Master Zhao Lei’s message, stating that he was safe and doing well. He briefly recounted his last few years of experience in the Extraterritorial Devil Battlefield to Zhao Lei.

Of course, Huang Xiaolong merely informed Zhao Lei that he had obtained a treasure trove, aiding in significant improvement of his strength. He did not specifically mention the Tianwu Treasure nor that he had broken through to the God King Realm.

Far away at the Fortune Emperor Palace, Zhao Lei received Huang Xiaolong’s reply, while Huang Xiaolong roamed the Extraterritorial Devil Battlefield on the little cow’s back. Xiang Xun, and the rest followed behind them, while Huang Xiaolong looked for the grandmist aura.

Zhao Lei’s divine sense swept over Huang Xiaolong’s message. His worries eased upon getting the confirmation of Huang Xiaolong’s well being. At the same time, he ignored the so-called treasure trove Huang Xiaolong had mentioned in his message.

Zhao Lei looked over his shoulder at the disciple behind him, Chen Hao. Chen Hao was staring at the communication talisman in Zhao Lei’s hand with a worried expression. Seeing this, Zhao Lei passed the communication talisman to Chen Hao while saying, “Your Junior Brother replied saying he’s doing well at the Extraterritorial Devil Battlefield, and told us not to worry about him.”

Chen Hao respectfully accepted the communication talisman from Zhao Lei. His divine sense swept over the message and he felt at ease.

“Master, after the Heavenly Court announced the Battle of the Heavenly Court will be brought forward, Zhou Chen that old fart immediately suggested that only the disciples in the top one thousand rankings would qualify to represent the Fortune Emperor Palace for the Battle of the Heavenly Court. Clearly, he is targeting Junior Brother Huang.” Chen Hao couldn’t help adding, “He knows very well that with my Junior Brother’s current strength, it will be impossible for him to enter the top one thousand rankings in the selection competition.”

At the mention of Zhou Chen, Zhao Lei’s face darkened, and turned a little frosty. “How could I not know that old fart’s subtle thoughts.”

“Then, why did Master and Sect Chief agree?” Chen Hao asked in surprise.

Zhao Lei went on sullenly, “The Battle of the Heavenly Court will be held in as short as a hundred years from now. As monstrous as your Junior Brother’s talent is, within the next hundred years he could possibly break through to the early or mid-Third Order God King Realm at the most. At that level of strength, even if your Junior Brother won the qualification to represent our Fortune Emperor Palace in the Battle of the Heavenly Court, it will be difficult for him to get in the top ten thousand ranking. Not to mention, he might not even enter the top twenty thousand or thirty thousand rankings in the Battle of the Heavenly Court. Your Junior Brother’s godhead is the king of supreme godhead, and if he won’t be able to get placed even into the top twenty thousand rankings in the Battle of the Heavenly Court, then how will the others look at your Junior Brother? How will they look at our Fortune Emperor Palace?”

Chen Hao kept silent.

“Furthermore, this time the Battle of the Heavenly Court has listed many conditions that did not exist in the past. For instance, any emperor rank godhead disciples below a hundred thousand years of bone-age can participate. On top of that, there’s the battle stage competition that disregards life and death, but only win or lose! There are too many Emperors’ Disciples who are jealous of your Junior Brother’s talent. So on the battle stage, they would definitely be merciless in every attack. If something happens to your Junior Brother, wouldn’t I and the Sect Chief become sinners to the Fortune Emperor Palace, as we would let the bright shining hope like your Junior Brother die before he gets the chance to grow and bring glory to the Fortune Emperor Palace?” Zhao Lei went on, “Since there is no hope for your Junior Brother to get a good ranking, the Sect Chief and I have agreed for his own good that it would not be a bad thing if he does not participate in the selection competition. Hence, we agreed to that old fart Zhou Chen’s suggestion.”

But Chen Hao was unwilling. “If it’s like this, then that old man gets all the advantages.”

According to the Fortune Emperor Palace’s rules, the disciple who performed the best, and the one who gets the highest ranking in the Battle of the Heavenly Court will receive great rewards from the Fortune Emperor Palace.

Currently, the strongest emperor rank godhead disciple below ten thousand years of bone-age in the Fortune Emperor Palace was the Snow Moon Palace’s Hall Master Yan Ying’s personal disciple, Liu Yong. In other words, Zhou Chen’s grand-disciple.

Chen Hao felt glum all over just imagining Liu Yong’s dazzling performance in the Battle of the Heavenly Court, and Zhou Chen and Snow Moon Hall Master Yan Ying’s irritating smug smiles.

At the same time, within the Fortune Divine Kingdom, somewhere inside Zhou Chen’s cultivation palace, Zhou Chen was looking at the several disciples kneeling on one knee in front of him. A step behind him stood Snow Moon Hall Master Yan Ying and Sun Shihai.

These several Fortune Emperor Palaces disciples were none other than Snow Moon Hall Master Yan Ying’s personal disciples, and all of them were below ten thousand years of bone-age with the strength of Sixth Order God King Realm and above. These were the hopeful disciples who could get good rankings in the Battle of the Heavenly Court.

Kneeling on the frontmost was none other than the late-Sixth Order God King Realm Liu Yong.

“These are top-grade chaos spiritual pills I am giving to all of you. When you go back, cultivate diligently and strive to break through within the upcoming hundred years if you can, especially Liu Yong. I hope you will bring glory to our Fortune Emperor Palace, and to me during this upcoming Battle of the Heavenly Court,” Zhou Chen said to Liu Yong. “When you succeed, not only the Fortune Emperor Palace will heavily reward you, but I will also make an exception and accept you as my disciple-in-name if you enter the top one hundred in the Battle of the Heavenly Court!”

Disciple-in-name! Of a Fortune Emperor Palace’s Ancestor!

There was a rush of joy on Liu Yong’s face as he gave a single kowtow to Zhou Chen. “Please rest assured, Ancestor Zhou Chen, this disciple will do his best to enter the top one hundred in the Battle of the Heavenly Court!!”

Zhou Chen nodded with satisfaction at Liu Yong’s manner.

Snow Moon Hall Master Yan Ying chimed in at this point, “I didn’t expect the Battle of the Heavenly Court would be brought forward by so many years. Initially, I was worried about that Huang Xiaolong, but now, I’m rest assured that he won’t pass the selection competition. He doesn’t even qualify to participate in the Battle of the Heavenly Court.”

A smile bloomed over Zhou Chen’s face upon hearing that. He said, “Zhao Lei is certainly feeling depressed right now. Even though he has accepted a disciple with the king of supreme godhead, his disciple doesn’t even qualify to participate in the Battle of the Heavenly Court.”

Laughter echoed in the hall.

Zhou Chen turned around and saw Sun Shihai’s downcast expression. He couldn’t help but say, “You don’t need to feel down because the Battle of the Heavenly Court is being brought forward too soon. Taking advantage of these hundred years, I will use a secret method to help you raise your cultivation. Don’t worry about the selection competition, as Master will help you pass it smoothly.”

Sun Shihai blanked momentarily before his brain registered what Zhou Chen had said. Then, his face lit up as he respectfully responded, “Yes, Master, please rest assured, disciple will not disappoint Master.”

Zhou Chen nodded and added, “However, the process of this secret method is excruciating, would you be able to withstand it?”

“As long as this disciple can participate in the selection competition, and participate in the Battle of the Heavenly Court, this disciple can withstand any kind of pain!” Sun Shihai said with conviction.

Indeed, as long as he could suppress Huang Xiaolong with his strength in the selection competition, he would accept all the pain!

He had been waiting for such an opportunity for a long time.

.....

Time flowed by.

The year passed in the blink of an eye.

In this one year after the Heavenly Court’s announcement, all the Emperor Palaces had started using all of their resources to raise their disciples’ strengths, preparing urgently for the Battle of the Heavenly Court to be held in a hundred years.

.....

On a certain day after a year, above a mountain range somewhere in the depths of the Extraterritorial Devil Battlefield, a startling sword qi slashed through space. A large number of gathered evil spirits above the mountain range plummeted to the ground.

These evil spirits were all Fifth Order God King Realm strengths and above.