Chapter Ten: The Second Divine Martial Contest Section Nine: Invaluable Beyond Exchange (Part Two)

When it came to the giant stone of the Divine Martial Arena, Bu Jingsian could no longer evade the challenge. He candidly admitted that refusing to lift it was not a wise choice and agreed to the request. While being unable to lift the pavilion was embarrassing and lifting the cauldron was expected, hoisting the massive stele of the Divine Martial Arena would be a true display of might. Moreover, the princess had said that if he could lift it, she would bestow upon him a treasure worth more than even a city.

This piqued his curiosity.

Apart from the jade seal of King Zheng, what other treasure could be so priceless as to be beyond exchange for a city? No matter how hard he pondered, he could not guess, much like Princess Tianlai.

As they neared the Divine Martial Arena, Ling Luo suddenly asked, “What do you think the treasure the princess mentioned might be, Northern Lord?”

Only then did Bu Jingsian realize even Ling Luo had been unable to deduce it.

Standing beneath the colossal stele, Bu Jingsian saw that it was too wide at the front and back to get a proper grip, so he had to grasp it from the sides, which was even more difficult. Yet he could not damage the surrounding ground and dared not be careless. He promptly removed his outer robe and soft armor to lighten his load before placing both palms firmly on the side of the stone.

Many soldiers of the Divine Martial Arena watched from a distance, their eyes filled with anticipation as they saw him prepare to lift the giant monument.

After a moment, Bu Jingsian summoned all his strength, and a deep crimson glow enveloped his entire body.

“Lift!”

Onlookers saw him embrace the giant stele with great force, lifting the entire monument off the ground. The soldiers nearby feared it might topple and cause injury, and they scrambled to avoid danger.

Yet in the next moment, the massive stone hovering above the ground was steadied effortlessly by a single palm of Bu Jingsian.

Everyone was stunned by the sight, gazing upon him as if he were a divine being.

The towering stele, tens of meters high and mountain-like in its mass, pressed down upon a body bathed in radiant red light. That figure stood upright, both palms supporting the mountainous stone as if it required no effort.

“Well done!”

The surrounding Zheng troops erupted in cheers, rousing Princess Luo from her daze. She too shouted loudly in admiration before hurrying over.

Bu Jingsian was, in truth, straining mightily. He intended to hold the stone only briefly, but seeing the princess approach, he feared harming her and so continued to hold it up.

Princess Luo, unafraid of the stone possibly falling, stood beneath it, looking up for a while before stepping in front of Bu Jingsian to scrutinize him thoroughly.

“Northern Lord, your divine courage is indeed unparalleled,” she said. Then she added, “Please close your eyes, and the treasure shall be yours!”

Bu Jingsian inwardly thought the princess truly was naive. Exhausted to the extreme, he closed his eyes without hesitation, hoping she would quickly present the treasure so he could set down the massive stone.

Just then, he suddenly felt a warm sensation on his lips and immediately understood what the so-called treasure worth more than a city was.

The warmth lingered briefly before fading away.

Opening his eyes, he saw Princess Luo gazing at him intently, asking, “Do you think my affection is also priceless, beyond any city’s worth?”

“Princess, your heart is indeed priceless,” Bu Jingsian replied sincerely, though inwardly he could not help but smile wryly.

At that moment, Princess Tianlai hurried over and pulled Princess Luo away. Ling Luo also came to help Bu Jingsian move away from beneath the giant stone. He quickly declined, placing his palms against the stone and exerting force. As the stone floated two inches into the air, he stepped back. The stele landed precisely back into its original socket without the slightest deviation.

“Princess Luo’s innocence and exuberance are indeed charming. Northern Lord need not take her antics to heart.”

“Not at all. We merely lacked foresight. Had we known, we would never have accepted this task!”

In truth, it was not a matter of intelligence, but no one could have imagined that a princess of such stature would act so capriciously. Ling Luo glanced back to see Princess Luo, taken away by Princess Tianlai, still looking back toward the left bank. He sighed heavily, knowing this was not merely trouble—it was a serious nuisance.

Ling Luo promptly called over the commanding officers of the Divine Martial Arena’s garrison and instructed them not to speak carelessly about the incident. The officer promised compliance but looked troubled, saying, “I dare not deceive Lord Xin. Many wandering heroes have already taken residence in the waiting tower. This matter may…”

“Enough, go,” Ling Luo interrupted.

Bu Jingsian also sensed the complications and hastily said, “Please, Lord Xin, accompany me in apologizing to King Zheng. This matter is truly…”

“Rest assured, Northern Lord. This is the princess’s own folly. I shall report the truth to King Zheng. Sigh!”

Despite his sigh, Ling Luo knew King Zheng could not blame Bu Jingsian, but once the matter spread, the king’s displeasure would be evident, and the royal family’s reputation would suffer.

Princess Tianlai, pulling Princess Luo away, was both angry and anxious. Knowing the situation was beyond repair, she dreaded facing King Zheng’s wrath upon returning to the palace. She could not help but scold Princess Luo, “How could you be so reckless!”

“What recklessness? Father says I possess beauty that could topple nations and cities. If I am unwilling, no fortress could ever buy my heart. Since Northern Lord is a peerless hero, why not give him my heart? How is that reckless?”

“You still dare speak! When we return, you’ll be punished by Father. Mark my words, he may never acknowledge you again!”

“Father would never be so unreasonable. If he were, then that would be his failing.”

Princess Luo was unconcerned, only shooting a look at the Northern Lord conversing with Ling Luo, silently blaming him for not meeting her gaze.

The incident stirred a storm across the city. Initially, this was what Bu Jingsian had hoped for, but now it was far from his desire.

People said the Northern Lord of the Evening Glow Tribe lifted the Divine Martial stele with divine strength, and the Princess of Zheng offered her tender affection beneath the monument. Yet the fame of the Divine Martial Arena was overshadowed by the scandal of the princess’s antics.

Because of Princess Luo’s folly, Bu Jingsian had not returned to the palace since the opening of the Divine Martial Arena. Although King Zheng had not pursued the matter, he was surely furious. His presence in the palace would only bring embarrassment to the royal family of Zheng.

On the day of the Divine Martial Arena’s opening, King Zheng accompanied the Celestial Emperor, along with the queen, two royal consorts, five princes, and four princesses. Princess Luo was not among them. Bu Jingsian ascended the pavilion and took his seat to the left of the Celestial Emperor.

“Northern Lord, your divine martial prowess is extraordinary. Are you interested in demonstrating your might on the arena today?” Zheng Linran asked with a hint of provocation, lacking the warmth they had shared days before over wine.

“Today, with so many masters from across the land, including the disciples from North Spirit Mountain and the renowned noble clans, how could a mere brute like me hope to grace such a stage? I am better suited to watch and appreciate the supreme martial arts of the heroes gathered here. Your words flatter me unduly,” Bu Jingsian replied modestly.

“Your sect would never jest. The Divine Martial stele was lifted by your master from beyond the city walls years ago. Since you have done the same, how could you not be capable of stepping onto the arena?” Zheng Linran pressed.

“You flatter me. In martial arts, I am ignorant. It is only by my innate brute strength that I have gained renown in the north. Even within the Evening Glow Tribe, many masters surpass me in techniques and skill.”

“Northern Lord, you are too humble.” Zheng Linran ceased pressing, knowing no matter the urging, he would not take the stage. Yet she did not view this as cowardice but secretly admired his calm composure immune to provocation.

The grand general of Zheng, Han Feng, loudly proclaimed the rules of the martial contest.

Seeing this man again, Bu Jingsian could not help but recall the tragic destruction of the Soul Sect. Yet he was patient, confident that one day he would face General Han Feng on the battlefield.

The seats surrounding the arena were filled with guests, mostly envoys from various states and representatives of the great martial sects.

Ling Luo pointed out several figures among the guests to the Celestial Emperor. “That one wearing three swords is Ye Fei, Sword Saint of the Eastern Yan and head of the Northern Martial Sect. The one with a red headband is Wei Wuquan, Sword God of the Northern Wei and leader of the Huashan branch.”

Bu Jingsian surveyed the top ten masters from the previous Divine Martial Arena, seeing their confident expressions as if they had all improved their skills and aimed to achieve higher ranks in this competition.

The rules of the Divine Martial Arena remained mostly unchanged. The hero who defeated all challengers would earn the title of Martial Sovereign. Even after the Martial Sovereign’s emergence, others who refused to accept defeat could still challenge him on the stage.

Zheng’s rules had been questioned by some who claimed such a revolving challenge could not truly distinguish the strongest.

But Zheng had its own reasoning: a true master would not be utterly spent after one match. Losing simply indicated that the challenger’s cultivation was not profound, so defeat was natural.

This reasoning convinced many. Anyone dissatisfied could ascend the stage to challenge. If confident in their skills, they should not fear being defeated in one move or enduring subsequent challenges.

As music swelled, Qiu Ye led Qiuyue onto the Divine Martial Arena.

The crowd erupted in unified shouts.

“Martial Sovereign! Martial Sovereign! Martial Sovereign!”

The roar echoed to the heavens, fully manifesting the might of the Martial Sovereign.

King Zheng could not help but smile proudly.

“In days past, my kingdom had Princess Zheng Feixian, famed across the land. Today, her disciple Qiu Ye dominates all rivals!”

Those nearby echoed his praise.

“Your Majesty is wise. This is truly the divine favor of Great Zheng!”

Qiu Ye gave her customary opening remarks, but concluded with a startling declaration that caused King Zheng and Zheng Linran to exchange glances.

“...The final victor will earn the right to duel my junior sister, Qiuyue. She will inherit the title of Martial Sovereign, representing Zheng and the Feixian Sect in the Divine Martial Arena. With that, the battle for the title of the world’s number one Martial Sovereign officially begins!”

After speaking, Qiu Ye departed. The crowd and those around the waiting tower shouted and questioned, “Does this mean defeating your junior sister is tantamount to defeating the Martial Sovereign?”

“Yes—exactly!”

Qiuyue herself was bewildered. She had only wished to help ease some pressure for her fellow disciples. When Qiu Ye asked her to ascend the arena, she agreed, never imagining such words would be spoken.

But with countless eyes watching, she could not protest. Keeping calm, she ascended with Qiu Ye, finally asking, “Qiu Ye, what are you saying? How could I possibly replace you?”

“If I say so, then so it is. You always say you wish to repay the master, to help me, to help the Feixian Sect. This is your mission. The master’s greatest hope is that her disciples become Martial Sovereigns renowned across the world. You need no prior preparation. Your gratitude for the master must be your mental readiness.”

Qiuyue’s heart panicked. The title of the world’s strongest martial artist, the Martial Sovereign—it was a thought she had never entertained. No matter how often Qiu Ye spoke of her aptitude and future potential, the future felt distant, and with Qiu Ye present, she had never needed to step forward. Suddenly, this heavy burden was thrust upon her, and she felt lost.

Facing King Zheng’s anger and questions, Zheng Linran quickly claimed ignorance.

When Qiu Ye and Qiuyue ascended the pavilion, Zheng Linran restrained herself. Once Qiu Ye sat, she asked sharply, “Why have you never mentioned this before? Were you drunk and confused today?” Her anger surged, caring little for Qiu Ye’s dignity.