Chapter 65: One Battle Shocks the City (Part 2)

The guests have all arrived, and the time for the banquet has come. Qin Youyu returned to his seat, lifted his wine cup, and loudly declared: "Today, as the newly appointed head of the Qin family, I am deeply honored by the presence of all your esteemed guests despite your busy schedules. When I first arrived at the new moon city, I knew very little about it. From now on, I will surely need the guidance and assistance of those seated here. This cup of wine, I offer it first to all of you!"

Upon finishing his words, Qin Youyu raised his wine cup and drank it in one gulp.

The guests all lifted their cups in turn, and various congratulatory phrases came forth:

"Hahaha, the master of Qin's mansion is truly too courteous. Whenever you need our assistance from the Azure Dragon Gang, just speak up."

"Having heard that the master of Qin's mansion comes from the Azure Wind Xuan Palace in the capital, how enviable! With the master of Qin's mansion newly appointed, I believe the New Moon Xuan Palace will surely flourish from here on."

"The master of Qin's mansion's Xuan power is inscrutable, probably already reached at least the fifth level of the Spiritual Void realm. Truly, we feel admiration and humility."

The atmosphere suddenly became lively, and those who were flattering and currying favor naturally came from smaller sects and the city lord's lineage. All seven major sects wore expressions of reserve, only offering occasional polite remarks.

While the disciples of the seven major sects kept raising their cups, their eyes were all fixated on the disciples' tables of the New Moon Palace, clearly selecting potential opponents for the upcoming challenge. The disciples of the New Moon Palace all bore heavy expressions, yet their aura remained equally strong. After repeatedly observing the average strength of the disciples from the seven major sects, the several elders of the New Moon Palace let out sighs in their hearts... Each sect's disciples, though not numerous, clearly had been carefully selected, each displaying extraordinary talent, surpassing the elites of the same age in the palace by a wide margin. Having thought that the gap between the New Moon Palace and them had narrowed over the years of development, they now found that it was indeed too idealistic.

Although the New Moon Palace had produced Lu Xueyu, she alone could not change the overall situation. It seemed that this time, they could only repeat the misfortunes of five years ago. Ah, this is unavoidable. The New Moon Palace's cultural foundation and resources, no matter how they might be, could never compare to the sects that have been inherited for at least hundreds of years.

"The atmosphere is rather delicate. It seems I'll have a good show soon," said Muriel.

"What do you think will be the result if the elite disciples of the New Moon Palace were to have a friendly exchange with the disciples from the seven major sects?" Yun Che asked tentatively.

"On the same age bracket, these seven sects' disciples would be about two to three levels higher than those of the New Moon Palace. Should I even need to say it?" Muriel said calmly.

"...That's exaggerated?" Yun Che furrowed his brow slightly. A difference of half a level could still be fought, but an average difference of one level meant it was basically hopeless. A difference of two to three levels... If that were truly the case, the New Moon Palace would be dreaming if it hoped to avoid repeating the same mistakes. It seemed that this new head of the family would indeed have to face a harsh reckoning, and it remained to be seen how he would handle what came next.

"Hmph, when it comes to the Burning Heaven Sect and Xiao Clan, they'd be about four to five levels higher on average!" Muriel added.

"...I want to know, how many levels higher are you than them?" Yun Che asked leisurely.

"Compared to them? Are you insulting me?" Muriel's voice carried a hint of anger.

"Ah, cough, cough, it's completely without that intention, just asking casually."

The super-powered little girl who could defeat the dragon of Wang Xuan at thirteen years old! What major sect prodigy, what New Moon youth number one, was she compared to? They were nothing but a flying pile. Yun Che also felt that comparing Muriel to them was indeed like insulting her...

Qin Youyu clearly possessed excellent control over the situation, and after three rounds of wine, the banquet had become bustling, with various cheers and laughter filling the air. Yun Che didn't drink, but had eaten and drank to his heart's content. However, after prolonged eye contact between the disciples of the palace and the sects, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense, with just one spark able to ignite it at any moment.

At this moment, the chief elder of the Spiritual Heart Sect, Xing Long, rose with a wine cup and loudly declared: "This wine, I, representing the Spiritual Heart Sect, wish to bless Master Qin of the Qin family to soon lead the New Moon Palace to shake the four seas!" Upon finishing his words, Xing Long drank the wine in one gulp, lowered the cup, and then said: "However, the banquet has reached this point, and with so many honored guests present, it still feels like something is missing, not lively and enjoyable enough. Master Qin, newly appointed, probably still doesn't know much about the New Moon Palace, surely wanting to understand the strength levels of the disciples within. I have a proposal, why don't we let the disciples from our sects exchange techniques with the disciples of your palace of the same age? This would not only add to the fun, but also deepen our mutual understanding, and help Master Qin understand the disciples' strength levels in the palace. What do you think? A triple benefit all in one!"

"Good! Elder Xing's proposal is excellent!"

"Good, a triple benefit all in one!"

"Truly a good idea! What are we waiting for? Let's start right now, surely Master Qin won't refuse."

As soon as Xing Long's voice faded, all seven major sects immediately began cheering, with responses echoing continuously. The elders of the New Moon Palace all sighed in their hearts... It was destined to happen. Every five years, the New Moon Palace would change its head, and with each new appointment, the new head would inevitably face a challenge, this had almost become a law.

All seven major sects responded, with disciples even standing up and polishing their arms, Qin Youyu naturally could not refuse all of them. But he seemed quite composed, standing up with a smile and nodding: "Elder Xing's proposal is good, so what method of exchange should we use?"

"This is simple!" Xing Long laughed heartily and said: "The young ones and us are different, we're in the early stages, so we advance one year of age each year. When exchanging techniques, we should match those of similar ages, that's only fair. Of course, those of younger age can also challenge those of older age, winning would be more glorious, haha, haha, haha!"

Xing Long's last words and that booming laugh clearly meant, we here, even if we're younger, we can still defeat you who are older.

"Since it was my proposal, let us from the Spiritual Heart Sect start first... Xing Yu, you're up! Remember to state your age."

"Yes, Elder!"

The youngster from the Spiritual Heart Sect who was named, looked about sixteen or seventeen, was the smallest disciple from the Spiritual Heart Sect this time, slight in build, wearing a set of martial arts attire. He took a breath and leaped up from his seat, landing in the center of the hall, with both hands behind his back, his eyes scanning toward the disciples' table of the New Moon Palace: "I am Xing Yu, a non-formation disciple of the Spiritual Heart Sect, sixteen years old. I wonder which of your esteemed guests wishes to instruct me?"

Xing Yu's entrance caused a momentary silence among the elders of the New Moon Palace... This Xing Yu was indeed sixteen, but had already reached the second level of the Spiritual Void realm! And in these elders' own hearts, they knew their own affairs, the highest spiritual power among sixteen-year-olds in the New Moon Palace was only at the first level of the Spiritual Void realm. Moreover, these sect disciples all had their sect's martial arts, in a fair match of the same level, the New Moon Palace disciples would basically have no chance of winning, let alone dropping down a level.

The most unacceptable thing was that this Xing Yu, among the disciples brought by the seven sects, could only be considered middle-tier, absolutely not top-tier.

Xing Yu stood there for a while, but the New Moon Palace remained motionless. Xing Yu's smile had clearly turned into a sneer, and all seven major sects also wore disdainful expressions. If they remained silent like this, they would have already lost face before even beginning the exchange. Si Kongwen waved his hand back: "Li Hao, you're up!"

"Yes!"

The disciple from the New Moon Palace named Li Hao leaped from his seat and stood before Xing Yu, speaking earnestly: "I am Li Hao of the New Moon Palace, please instruct me!"

"Heh, no need to say, I'll certainly teach you well." Xing Yu laughed with a clearly mocking tone. Facing the New Moon Palace, who had always been oppressed on their heads, the disciples from the seven major sects had always felt superior when facing New Moon Palace disciples, but the opposite, the New Moon Palace disciples could manage against those from smaller sects, but when facing the seven major sects, they always stood with their heads held low.

"Hmph!" Xing Yu's disdainful eyes made Li Hao's heart fill with anger, he roared a low sound, his spiritual power condensed on his right arm, and threw a punch toward Xing Yu's face.

"Heh, is that all?"

Xing Yu coldly smiled to himself, he raised his right hand, and suddenly a layer of faint purple light appeared on his palm.

"That is the sect martial art of the Spiritual Heart Sect—the Purple Yang Skill!" A long-term elder of the New Moon Palace whispered low.

The gap between the New Moon Palace and the seven major sects was not only in spiritual power levels, but also in martial arts! The major sects, with their cultural foundations and resources developed over hundreds or even thousands of years, had developed mature inherited martial arts, which were usually martial arts secrets of one sect or one clan, never to be given to outsiders. The New Moon Palace could only teach their disciples martial arts if they invented some themselves. And in terms of martial techniques, the New Moon Palace mostly had only basic and low-level martial techniques, far inferior to the seven major sects.

Xing Yu's purple spiritual power on his palm was like boiling water, he turned his fist into a punch and directly met Li Hao's punch... The same plain punch, without any martial arts.

The two punches collided, a purple light burst at the point of impact, and a "crack" sound was heard, Li Hao's fist immediately dislocated, his face showing pain, his entire upper body leaning backward, Xing Yu's mouth corner smiling, his left fist suddenly swung out, also covered with purple light, and then struck Li Hao's abdomen. This time was not an ordinary punch, but a martial technique from the Spiritual Heart Sect...

"Purple Cloud Palm!"

"Bang!" The punch covered with purple light struck Li Hao's abdomen heavily, deeply sinking in. Li Hao's face turned pale as snow, he let out a groaning sound and was thrown backward, his body rotated several times in mid-air, and finally landed on the ground heavily, his chest and abdomen blood and qi surging, and finally "pop" a firework shot out, his hands clutching his abdomen, collapsing on the ground with spasms, unable to stand up.

"Li Hao!"

"Li Shijun!!!"

Two disciples from the New Moon Palace quickly rushed out, helping the fallen and humiliated Li Hao up. All the disciples of the New Moon Palace felt a chill in their hearts. Li Hao and Xing Yu were of similar age, their spiritual power was only one level apart, they thought that even if they lost, they could at least last a while, but they didn't expect that after only two exchanges, Li Hao was defeated completely.

They had heard that five years ago, the disciples from the seven sects had defeated their batch of senior and junior disciples with ten consecutive losses, which was pitiful and terrible, but after the first round of "exchange" completed, they felt a chill in their hearts.

"Be allowed." Xing Yu smiled, the previous battle had barely used any of his strength, he didn't continue, but remained standing, looking at the disciples of the New Moon Palace: "I wonder which disciple from the New Moon Palace wishes to be instructed again?"

"Ah, this kid seems to have gotten carried away," a disciple from the Seven Swords Sect laughed.

"Sigh, beating these novices isn't very interesting, I've treated it as a good game." Another one shook his head.

Two exchanges resulting in defeat, and handled rather ruthlessly, this made the sixteen-year-old disciples of the New Moon Palace feel uneasy, no one dared to step forward voluntarily. Because Li Hao had basically become the strongest among the sixteen-year-olds of the New Moon Palace, other sixteen-year-olds who stepped up would only take shame for themselves, futile. And those who stepped up in seventeen, eighteen years old, winning would bring no glory, losing would only bring more disgrace.

"Hmm? What's going on? Have the friends from the New Moon Palace all become a bunch of timid turtles?" Xing Yu sneered, then his face changed, he lightly slapped his own cheek: "Look at my mouth, I'm getting worse at speaking. This is the martial arts palace established by the imperial family, the disciples should be the finest, how could they be timid turtles? It must be that they despise challenging the little ones? Well then, how about this? Let the little ones pick and choose opponents to challenge, winning would be lucky, losing would mean rolling off the stage and no longer making a spectacle of the major sects."

At this point, all seven sects burst into laughter.

Before the New Moon Palace had any response, Xing Yu had already extended his hand, pointing to a person: "That tall senior brother, looking at your appearance, you must have tremendous strength, please let me instruct you a bit."

He pointed to... It was Xiang Yuanba!