Chapter 513: Sincerity-Style Apprentice Seeking

They had initially harbored the hope that, even if victory proved elusive, they might at least discern their opponents' weaknesses and salvage a fragment of their pride. Instead, from the older generation down to the youths, from sabers and swords to bare-fisted brawls, they had been measured from head to toe and found thoroughly wanting. Far from saving face, they had been utterly humiliated, stripped of everything down to their metaphorical trousers.

Even the cultivators and martial artists of the Haotian Academy were now regarding them with expressions reserved for the profoundly foolish.

By this point, the arrogance that had previously defined the warriors of the Western Polar Region had entirely evaporated, replaced by a gaze that seemed to behold a host of unnatural monsters.

What manner of people were these?

How could every single one of them be so devastatingly formidable?

Most of the Western Polar warriors, already battered into a state of sheer stupefaction, wished for nothing more than to flee the venue immediately.

Yet a few among them remained skeptical, wondering if this Desert Sea Region had already exhausted its supply of true masters.

Surely, they reasoned, there had to be at least a few who were less accomplished.

The warrior woman Theia, for instance, found her gaze lingering on a young man seated nearby, who appeared entirely unremarkable, thoroughly harmless, and indistinguishable from a mere bystander. On several occasions when urged to step forward, he had demurred with various excuses. Could it be that this individual lacked the prowess of his peers and abstained merely out of fear of becoming a liability?

After all, the truly powerful among them had all eagerly vied for combat; what reason could there be for avoidance unless driven by inadequacy?

Owner Fang, meanwhile, was idly chatting with those around him, casually plunging his hand into Jiang Xiaoyue's potato chip bag to snatch a large handful, earning himself a wide-eyed glare from the girl.

Suddenly, he felt a distinct chill at the back of his neck.

Turning his head, he discovered that quite a few of the Western Polar warriors were staring intently in his direction.

Stealing snacks from a young girl—such a person clearly possessed not an ounce of a grandmaster’s dignity.

Fang Qi caught the drift of their murmurs in the Western Polar tongue, noting the sudden gleam in their eyes as if they were tempted to make a move.

At that moment, Luo Piaoling, who was seated somewhat further away, rose to his feet. "I never anticipated that the martial arts of the Desert Sea Region would be so profound. This exchange has truly opened our eyes. However... the hour grows late today. Let us conclude here."

...

"Eh? Why is everyone leaving?"

"If we challenge this man, we are guaranteed to win!" a brown-haired youth from the Frost Dragon Clan shouted.

"...Stop pulling me back!"

"..."

...

As they departed, the faces of the Western Polar warriors were universally dark with resentment.

In stark contrast, the warriors of the Desert Sea Region were exulant.

"Brilliant!"

"Hahaha! The old master teaching them a lesson with that greatsword technique was absolute perfection."

"You should have seen the looks on their faces right then!"

"Serves them right! They had their noses so high in the air they could see the clouds!"

A wave of merriment swept through the crowd.

The cultivators and warriors of Lingzhou looked on with undisguised envy.

"Brother, that... what was it, 'Arion' or something? That move where the flames pierced the sky, how did you manage that?"

Song Qingfeng found himself surrounded by a dense throng of curious onlookers.

The sudden eruption of that wall of fire moments ago had been spectacularly grand.

"Brother, your dual-sword technique, why did it look different from what I saw in Final Fantasy?"

Nearby, the Third Prince, Ji Yang, was looking at the crowd gathered around him with tears of profound gratification. He had originally resigned himself to having no opportunity to take the field, but those stubborn Western Polar challengers simply refused to accept reality. Through their repeated demands for matches, he had finally secured his own chance to fight.

He was immensely pleased. "That is the greatsword technique from Diablo II, combined with the combat maneuvers learned from Final Fantasy. It is absolutely practical!"

"To think such a combination existed!"

Beside Owner Fang.

"Boss, why didn't you step up?" Li Lanruo asked, thoroughly perplexed. "If you had gone up, you would have surely routed them all single-handedly!"

"Uh..." Owner Fang coughed in slight embarrassment. His overwhelming strength relied entirely on perfect synchronization. In his ordinary state, he possessed only the cultivation of a Martial King, and he had currently exhausted his supply of cigarettes. He had managed to accumulate only a few precious seconds of synchronization with Dante. Given how the Western Polar challengers demanded a second match after the first, and a third after the second, what would he do if they refused to let him leave the stage once he started?

At this juncture, Li Wuya spoke up. "Lanruo, a master of the Boss's caliber does not lightly deign to display his arts."

"Ahem." Owner Fang cleared his throat twice to mask his awkwardness, grateful that Li Wuya had so generously rationalized the situation. "Indeed... Elder Li speaks the truth."

He then adopted the tone of an elder offering earnest guidance. "Lanruo, you are still young. You require more trials to broaden your experience of the world."

"...I think the Boss just wanted to steal my chips!" Before Jiang Xiaoyue could even finish her complaint, she witnessed Owner Fang snatching another handful.

"Aiya, no more for you!" She hurriedly tucked the bag of potato chips away out of his reach.

Owner Fang was left in silence.

...

Luo Piaoling and the rest of the Western Polar warriors had by now returned to their diplomatic residence.

Gabriel, however, had to be carried back on a litter.

Raised amidst the snow-capped peaks of the northwestern wilderness, the Western Polar people carried in their blood the law of the jungle and a reverence for strength. Having suffered a defeat, they would at most dedicate themselves to harsher training to reclaim their honor in the future; one did not need to fear underhanded schemes from them.

Thus, this contest between Lingzhou, the Desert Sea Region, and the Western Polar Region had drawn to a temporary close.

Inside the residence of the Western Polar warriors, Elder Andre of the Black Dragon Clan, clad in his dark armor, spoke aloud, "Is not the Desert Sea Region rumored to be a desolate wasteland devoid of spiritual essence? How has it suddenly produced so many masters?"

Luo Piaoling replied, "The rumors of a dearth of spiritual essence are likely accurate. One need only look at their cultivation levels to see they fall short of ours across the board."

Cultivation was an attribute that, in its later stages, required the steady accumulation of time regardless of any shortcuts taken. Therefore, it was an inevitability that the practitioners of the Desert Sea Region lagged behind those of Lingzhou in raw cultivation.

"Then why should this be the case?"

Luo Piaoling massaged his temples, a headache brewing.

Andre then inquired, "What of the Frost Dragon Clan...?"

Luo Piaoling gave a cold snort. "Leave them be. It is no bad thing for them to suffer a few hardships."

Andre agreed, noting, "Had we adhered to the original design of a conventional exchange of arts, we would not find ourselves in so mortifying a predicament. But now..."

They had returned with their pride thoroughly battered.

Andre's countenance was a picture of profound disgust.

"Let us speak no more of that," Luo Piaoling said, shifting the subject. "I wonder if you noticed, Elder Andre, that the sword technique the elderly man named Nalan used to defeat Elder Chaikov was identical to the one employed by the Haotian Academy warrior whom Theia defeated."

"Now that you mention it... it did indeed seem so."

A sharp tapping resounded at the door.

"Enter."

The door swung open to reveal a blonde beauty dressed in brisk attire, sporting beast-skin boots, fur robes, and trousers.

"Do none of you find today's contest highly suspicious?" Theia inquired, walking straight to the heart of the matter as she entered the room.

"It is far more than merely suspicious..." Elder Andre shook his head. Had anyone suggested the existence of such martial artists previously, he would have rejected the notion entirely.

"I intend to investigate the matter tonight," Theia stated, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "For every one of them to possess such extraordinary skill, there must be some secret unique to the Desert Sea Region."

Hearing these words, Luo Piaoling could not help but fall into deep thought.

"Right, there is still Master Cloud!" she spoke up. "That is not a name from Lingzhou. I think I can go and take him as my master to learn swordplay. If he can teach the people of Lingzhou and the martial artists of the Deserted Sea Region, there is no reason he cannot teach us!"

"As long as we show enough sincerity."

"Sincerity?" Luo Piaoling and Andre looked at her with a hint of perplexity.

"Of course!" Behind her, she brought two more people, each carrying a large chest as they entered the door.

The treasure chests were opened; one was entirely filled with spirit crystals that shimmered like pristine water.

Spirit crystals were originally translucent crystals with a faint, grayish-white hue.

But spirit crystals like these, crystal-clear and almost entirely devoid of impurities, possessed characteristics that only the finest gems among them could boast.

And one such spirit crystal was worth more than a hundred ordinary ones.

Then the other chest was opened, revealing a collection entirely composed of various rare ores, exotic treasures, and precious oddities.

Thea said with absolute confidence, "These are all treasures of my Red Dragon Clan. I believe this should represent my sincerity, and I will certainly succeed in becoming his disciple! To cultivate under the tutelage of Master Cloud!"

.