Martial Arrogance Dragon Soul-Chapter 429 - 403 They’re Here

The scorching sun hung high in the sky.

Although it was already mid-autumn, the climate in Tianyong Province was still intensely hot.

The blazing sunlight poured down upon the earth.

The ground was seared hot to the touch.

Waves of heat steamed relentlessly from the ground, causing the air to appear as if it were twisting in a mirage.

Dozens of miles outside Tianyong City, in a vast canyon, there was now a sea of people.

Because today was a very significant day.

It was the day of the Battle of Tianyong!

Those from outside of Tianyong Province might not have heard of it, but within the province, it was known to nearly everyone.

The Battle of Tianyong had already been ongoing for nine years.

For nine years, Wind-Fire Academy and Tai’a Academy had been locked in this struggle because of the Battle of Tianyong.

At this moment.

The voices of the crowd rose and fell, and figures moved swiftly through the throng.

Within Tianyong Province, families great and small, along with numerous sect powers, had all come here.

Almost every power was focused on this battle.

Not for any other reason but because this was the tenth Battle of Tianyong.

And in the nine previous Battles of Tianyong, Tai’a Academy had been victorious.

Moreover, with each battle, Wind-Fire Academy had paid a horrific price...

Over these nine years, the situation at Wind-Fire Academy had worsened progressively. Talented disciples had fallen one after another in the competitions, with the academy completely suppressed, unable to lift its head.

Hence, within Wind-Fire Academy, many elders and the majority of disciples had either perished or left; while the academy was now nearly withered, from originally having thousands of disciples, fewer than fifty remained.

And only two elders were left.

Besides that, there was only the Palace Master Zhu Jirong...

"This is the tenth year, the tenth Battle of Tianyong, and it will be the last!"

Some sighed with emotion; a decade had passed in a flash. Compared to ten years ago, Wind-Fire Academy was no longer in its prime. Now, it resembled a flatboat that could shatter at any moment.

"In the previous Battles of Tianyong, Tai’a Academy has always emerged victorious, with every year yielding a greater advantage than the last. This year will not offer any surprises."

"After this Battle of Tianyong concludes, Tianyong Province will no longer have a Wind-Fire Academy!"

"Wind-Fire Academy is doomed to defeat. This Battle of Tianyong holds no meaning anymore!"

Many forces from Tianyong Province gathered together, and discussions abounded.

Almost everyone believed that the outcome of this battle was no longer in doubt,

"Tai’a Academy’s team has arrived..."

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted out.

Immediately, everyone’s gaze turned in the same direction.

The team from Tai’a Academy approached with heads held high, led by none other than the Palace Master of Tai’a Academy, Zhao Wuji.

In the past years of the Battle of Tianyong, Zhao Wuji might not personally attend, but this time, he appeared among the team, at the forefront.

Following Zhao Wuji were Zheng Yuanhai and several other Elder Jin Yings, and behind them was a throng of Tai’a Academy disciples. They moved in a grand procession, nearly a hundred strong.

The actual number of Tai’a Academy disciples eligible to participate in the Battle of Tianyong was only fifty; the rest, mostly came to watch the battle, partly to cheer their team on and partly to learn from the experience.

Whether it was Zhao Wuji, the other elders, or the disciples, the team from Tai’a Academy was dressed in uniform attire, bearing the insignia of Tai’a Academy.

Everyone was spirited and radiant, their faces written with the conviction of certain victory.

As this team appeared, the previously noisy crowd quieted down, each person holding their breath.

The team from Tai’a Academy was too powerful. Leading them were Zhao Wuji and those Golden Core elders, all of whom were at the Martial Saint level.

And the disciples, they were all considered genius-level talents. Any one of them, if placed elsewhere, would be a marvel of giftedness.

For example, Liu Yuanhuai from The Liu Clan, who was their genius who had reached the Eighth Level of the Wind-Fire Tower.

Now he was also in this team.

With the appearance of Liu Yuanhuai, people from The Liu Clan in the crowd also started cheering.

Within The Liu Clan, in fact, quite a few people wanted to recommend Liu Yuanhuai as the successor for the next family head.

But in reality, Liu Yuanhuai was not from the main direct line of The Liu Clan. The true direct line was that of Liu Chaoxian, who had no sons but three daughters. Among these daughters, the eldest had no interest in inheriting the position of family head.

Thus, it left only Liu Baiying and Liu Hongxue.

Originally, Liu Baiying, with the backing of her mother Zheng Meng’er and the support of the Zheng Family behind her, had an absolute advantage.

But with the events of this Sword Pavilion encounter, after Liu Hongxue received the baptism of the Sword Pond, the situation suddenly changed.

Liu Hongxue’s talent had been considered ordinary at best, especially when compared to geniuses like Liu Yuanhuai and Qin Qing. However, this baptism in the Sword Pond had fully awakened her talent, elevating it to a whole new level.

Therefore, she was now fully qualified to compete fairly for the position of successor to the family head.

That is also why Liu Chaoxian had previously avoided openly supporting her, but now the situation was naturally different.

The disciples from Tai’a Academy arrived at the center of the valley. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

This was where the first round of the Tianyong battle would begin.

The fight had not officially started yet. Before it began, there would be a clearing of the area. All onlookers must retreat ten miles away, only able to watch from a distance.

After all, the residual force from an erupting battle can be strikingly powerful. The top disciples from both Wind-Fire Academy and Tai’a Academy were at the Golden Core Late Stage of Martial Dao truth, with real combat strength not even weaker than the typical early-stage Nascent Soul realm martial ancestors.

At this moment, the disciples of Tai’a Academy were waiting.

Everyone was also waiting.

They were all waiting for the disciples of the Wind-Fire Academy to arrive.

The team from Wind-Fire Academy had yet to appear.

"How long has it been, and the people from Wind-Fire Academy still haven’t come?" impatience started to rise in the crowd’s murmuring.

"This time they probably won’t come anymore."

"Indeed, knowing they can’t win, why would they still come to face death?"

"Wind-Fire Academy has been going downhill year by year, with last year being a disastrous one. It seems even less likely for them to make any waves this year!"

"They probably won’t come, really disappointing..."

The onlooking crowd discussed among themselves.

No one was optimistic about Wind-Fire Academy, believing that once its disciples joined the battle, the only outcome would be a crushing defeat.

As the team from Wind-Fire Academy still hadn’t appeared by now, many people guessed that Wind-Fire Academy intended to give up directly!

"If Wind-Fire Academy gives up, then the Tianyong battle would be considered a loss."

"According to the prior agreement, if Wind-Fire Academy loses this battle again, then from now on, there can be no Wind-Fire Academy existence within Tai’a Ancient Country..."

"After today, this world will no longer have Wind-Fire Academy."

The crowd buzzed with conversation, with many even preparing to leave.

However, just then, at the foot of a distant mountain ridge, a team of no great size was slowly approaching!

Wind-Fire Academy, they had arrived!