822: Pre-war warm-up

Ultimately, no matter how powerful Heavenly Mansion was, it was still just a force within the Central God Domain.

And the entire Central God Domain, and even the Great Xia Dynasty, were ruled by the Emperor Xia.

The start time of the Prodigy Battle was merely a word from the Emperor Xia!

The Emperor Xia chuckled, "It's good that you understand."

"Originally, the Prodigy Battle still needed to wait for some time, but with the Calamity of Rahu imminent, how could there be so much time to wait?"

"I have already spoken with the Heavenly Mansion overseer, and this Prodigy Battle will commence earlier."

"I believe that with your strength, you will surely claim the top spot and enter the Immortal Abyss."

"And our main goal in participating in this Prodigy Battle is to enter the Immortal Abyss and seek the Legacy of an Immortal King!"

Xiao Lingchen nodded.

At the same time, a faint sense of anticipation rose in his heart.

The Legacy of an Immortal King was truly a rare treasure!

Xiao Lingchen clearly remembered that Chen Duling had obtained the Legacy of Immortal King Buzhou, and after that, her cultivation Realm skyrocketed. In just a few months, she directly achieved Immortal Rank, even surpassing him!

If he could also obtain the Legacy of an Immortal King, his strength would undoubtedly also surge.

A hundred years later, he would have greater confidence to deal with Rahu!

And just at this moment.

A strong spiritual power fluctuation suddenly erupted on the flat ground of the mountain range below.

He subconsciously looked down, only to see two figures entangled in a fierce battle on the misty clearing, their spiritual power glowing especially brightly in the morning light.

Around them, many Cultivators were watching, pointing and discussing!

Xiao Lingchen raised an eyebrow slightly, "Has the Prodigy Battle already begun?"

The Emperor Xia followed his gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips, and shook his head, "No, this is merely a warm-up before the Prodigy Battle officially begins."

"Warm-up?"

Xiao Lingchen was even more puzzled, "What does this warm-up mean?"

The Emperor Xia's gaze fell on the figures battling below and slowly explained, "You just said that the Prodigy Battle is spearheaded by Heavenly Mansion, inviting ten top Prodigies from each of the Twelve Great Domains to participate."

"However, the methods of selecting Prodigies in each Great Domain are not the same, and naturally, there's some favoritism involved, so not everyone is convinced."

"Therefore, before each battle begins, there will be Cultivators who are not convinced and will proactively challenge the Prodigies who have already qualified."

"Once a challenger wins, he can replace the opponent's qualification and enter Heavenly Mansion to participate in the battle."

"This warm-up challenge is both a way to screen for true powerhouses and an opportunity for Prodigies from all sides to prove themselves."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingchen immediately understood and nodded, "So that's how it is, it's quite fair."

And at this moment.

Suddenly, a zither's pluck, carrying a hint of urgency and panic, came from below.

Xiao Lingchen subconsciously looked down, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Only then did he notice that one of the combatants below, dressed in a fiery red dress, with a voluptuous figure, was holding a familiar Star Zither!

And that person was none other than his sister-in-law, now his wife, Chen Qingqing!

Xiao Lingchen then remembered that Chen Qingqing and several of his Dao Companions had all made it into the top ten of the Limitless Ranking back then.

They had obtained the qualification to participate in this Prodigy Battle.

And at this moment.

Chen Qingqing was clearly being challenged, and someone wanted to snatch her qualification to participate!

One could see.

At this moment, Chen Qingqing was continuously plucking the zither strings, sending waves of sound towards the man opposite her.

But the man held a broad saber, its saber wind sharp and fierce. Each slash could shatter the sound waves, even forcing Chen Qingqing to retreat repeatedly, clearly falling into a disadvantage.

The Emperor Xia, observing the various expressions in Xiao Lingchen's eyes, naturally guessed that he knew the woman in the red dress.

He chuckled, "The Prodigy Battle will officially begin in a few more hours. I'll go to Heavenly Mansion to meet with the overseer and arrange the participation matters."

"During this time, you can wander around, but remember not to miss the battle!"

With that, the Emperor Xia disappeared, leaving Xiao Lingchen alone.

Xiao Lingchen nodded, then his figure flickered, and he too rushed downwards!

At this time, the battle below had entered a white-hot stage.

The saber-wielding man's eyes were bloodshot, and he wielded his broad saber with fierce power. Each slash carried a biting Saber Qi, shattering the sound waves emitted by Chen Qingqing.

Chen Qingqing's fingers, gripping the Star Zither, were already slick with sweat, and her forehead was covered in a thin layer of frost. She could only continuously retreat and evade. Her originally elegant zither music also became hurried and chaotic, clearly struggling to hold on.

"Chen Qingqing, is this all you've got?"

The man attacked fiercely, laughing mockingly, "Your fourth place on the Limitless Ranking is nothing special!"

"Why don't you give up early and hand over your qualification to me, saving yourself from losing your life at my hands!"

The surrounding Cultivators also discussed animatedly, their voices rising and falling:

"Who is this person? His saber technique is so overbearing, his strength is probably even stronger than Chen Qingqing's!"

"It seems to be Zhao Lie from the Eastxing Region's Splitting Wind Immortal Sect! I heard of him before; he was ranked fifteenth on the Eastxing Region's Limitless Ranking. He's always been dissatisfied with those ranked above him, and this time he's definitely coming for Chen Qingqing's spot!"

"Alas, looking at this situation, Chen Qingqing can't hold on. Although her sound Dao is exquisite, facing an opponent head-on is still too disadvantageous for her! Moreover, Zhao Lie's Saber Qi is so fierce, she can't block it at all!"

"This participation qualification is probably going to change hands!"

Amidst the discussions, Zhao Lie's offensive grew even more ferocious.

He fiercely infused spiritual power into his broad saber, and the saber gleamed with a dazzling red light, then he slashed out mercilessly.

Suddenly, a red Saber Qi several zhang long, like a raging flame, swept out, instantly breaking through Chen Qingqing's hastily condensed sound wave defense, heading straight for her face!

"Be careful!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.

Chen Qingqing's pupils constricted, and her body turned cold. She wanted to retreat but it was too late. She could only watch helplessly as the Saber Qi drew closer and closer, subconsciously closing her eyes, believing she wouldn't escape this calamity today.

Just at this critical moment, a red figure flashed down from mid-air like lightning, carrying a familiar aura, and instantly appeared before her.

Immediately after, a pair of strong arms gently embraced her, and he pulled her back abruptly.

The red Saber Qi brushed past the edges of their clothes, heavily striking the ground, blasting open a gully several feet deep, sending gravel splash (shattered stones flying).

Chen Qingqing felt her body lighten, falling into a warm embrace, and smelled a reassuring scent.

She slowly opened her eyes, looked up, and saw Xiao Lingchen's concerned face. Her eyes instantly filled with both surprise and joy:

"Lingchen?"

"You're finally here!"

She knew Xiao Lingchen would also come to participate in this Prodigy Battle, so after arriving, she had been waiting for him.

Now, she finally saw him!

Xiao Lingchen held her and landed on a clear space not far away, gently letting go of her hand, and reached out to brush the dust off her shoulder.

"You rest here for a bit, I'll go get your revenge."