ATPnovel Chapter 1201 - 1201 395 How Can One Prosper Without Learning or Skill An additional release for Alliance Hierarch Zhong Yong Liang Yong!
Chapter 1201 - 1201 395 How Can One Prosper Without Learning or Skill An additional release for Alliance Hierarch Zhong Yong Liang Yong!
1201: Chapter 395: How Can One Prosper Without Learning or Skill (An additional release for Alliance Hierarch Zhong Yong Liang Yong!2/2)_2 1201: Chapter 395: How Can One Prosper Without Learning or Skill (An additional release for Alliance Hierarch Zhong Yong Liang Yong!
2/2)_2 Because he feared hardships, he never properly trained in martial arts until the age of fifteen.
His body wasn’t conditioned, and thus he couldn’t unleash the effects of the Channel-opening Pill to become Transcendent.
His father was a Great General of Li Country, always leading troops in the field, battling for both country and family, and had little time to discipline him.
He would have lived his life as a wealthy idler, passing his days in peace.
But as the saying goes, “Pottery is bound to break at the wellside, and generals are bound to die in battle.”
When Fan Wushu’s father retired from the battlefield, gravely wounded and on his deathbed…
he was still indulging in the pleasures of a brothel and hadn’t returned home.
His father clung to his last breath waiting for him, and before dying, he only said four words—
“Utterly without learning.”
His eyes remained open in death.
From then, he changed his name to Wushu, observed ten years of mourning, and dedicated himself to cultivation.
After ten years, he soared to new heights, becoming the most brilliant prodigy of Li Country.
This is a widely told story in Li Country, regarded as the epitome of a prodigal son turning his life around.
In representing Li Country at the Yellow River Gathering this time, he even made it to the top eight of the Outer Building, adding a legendary touch to his tale.
A rectangular light screen appeared above the Arena platform, and the names of the top eight contestants continually changed within it.
When they stopped, the match lineup for the top eight of the Outer Building was set.
This was a randomly chaotic Dao Technique restriction, ensuring absolute fairness in the final pairings.
Under the watchful eyes of the six Emperors, no foul play was possible.
Undoubtedly, the prodigies of the top six powers didn’t want to face off against the other strong nations’ prodigies prematurely.
But in the quarterfinals, one of the top six was bound to leave early.
This is the cruel nature and the thrill of the gathering of the prodigies of the Various Countries.
The names on the light screen ceased changing.
And the final pairings were—
Qi Country’s Zhongxuan Zun versus Mugu’s Na Liang.
Qing Country’s Gan Changan versus Chu Country’s Dou Zhao.
Jingguo’s Zhongshan Wei Sun versus Li Country’s Fan Wushu.
Wei Country’s Yan Shaofei versus Yue Country’s Ge Fei.
For the prodigies of the top six powers, this was perhaps the worst possible lineup.
They all had the capacity to dominate the top four but could now only secure three of those spots.
In this disappointing scenario, Jingguo’s Zhongshan Wei Sun was clearly more fortunate.
He was the only one who avoided a clash with prodigies of the stronger countries in the second round.
“Lucky indeed!” Yellow Sheri spoke nonchalantly.
The less one has to expend early on, the greater the chance of later success—certainly a brilliant draw.
Zhongshan Wei Sun grinned, “Let’s hope we all have better luck.”
“I don’t need it.” Yellow Sheri quickly raised her palm in interruption as if fearing that Zhongshan Wei Sun’s blessing would come true: “A true champion should seek to battle other champions.
Only a toad bullies insects!”
If this were in the Taixu Illusion Realm, Zhao Tiezhu would definitely confront her about who the toad was, and wouldn’t stop quarreling until she jumped in frustration.
But this is Guanhe Platform.
Anything that happened here would reach the ears of General Huang Fu.
As a noble son of the distinguished Zhongshan Clan, Zhongshan Wei Sun could only maintain his composed and amiable demeanor, smiling as he left the spectator stand and walked towards the Arena.
“Then I wish you well!” he said.
While speaking, he vigorously controlled his facial muscles.
This was more strenuous than the time he nearly defeated a prodigy from the Northwest Five Countries’ Zhen Country in the Outer Building Environment.
Such a beautiful, well-connected, and talented woman, how could she just keep talking?
If only she were mute…
How perfect that would be!
The matchups were set.
The eight platforms on the Arena suddenly began to move.
The ancient stone platforms collided, and astonishingly, two merged into one right before everyone’s eyes.
It immediately reminded Jiang Wang of the Discussion Platforms in Taixu Illusion Realm, used for matching battles, also merging in this manner.
Cultivators rely on them to compete in the Star River.
Perhaps the Discussion Platforms of the Taixu Illusion Realm were modeled after those at the Yellow River Gathering…
Each pair of platforms merged into a single one, leaving only four platforms in the end.
The quarterfinal battles commenced simultaneously.
In the four battles that determined the top four contenders, the most eye-catching was certainly Dou Zhao from Chuguo against Gan Changan from Qin Country.
Even the peerlessly talented Zhongxuan Zun, who faced Na Liang from the Overlord Country Mugu, could not overshadow the attention the battle between Dou Zhao and Gan Changan attracted.
Dou Zhao was known to have unmatched prowess among his peers, with a reputation that nearly surpassed Zuo Guanglie, who had claimed victory at the Yellow River Gathering at the age of fifteen.
Gan Changan was only nineteen this year, younger than many prodigies in the Inner Court, a true young genius.
Their battle, in a sense, was an extension of the Qin-Chu conflict.
Both sides would undoubtedly aim to kill each other, and even Yu Xi, who was presiding over the main competition, had to pay extra attention.
Jiang Wang in the stands had shifted his focus early on to the battle between Dou Zhao and Gan Changan on “Yi” platform.
Compared to watching Zhongxuan Zun waving his Sun Wheel at foreheads, he was more interested in seeing the Seven Forms of Battle, heralded as the most formidable Killing Technique since its inception at Chi Yun Mountain.
Dou Min’s full potential was suppressed by Jiang Wang using the mountain’s power before he could fully display it.
Later though, after listening to Ye Qingyu’s description, Dou Min’s few slashes were not weak, but they seemed not quite worthy of the title of the “foremost Killing Technique of the age.”
Perhaps Dou Zhao could provide an answer.
Compared to that, the battle between Wei Sun from Jingguo and Wu Shu from Li Country almost held no suspense, attracting few onlookers.
As for the match between Yan Shaofei from Wei Country and Ge Fei from Yue Country.
The former was said to be a ranger from Wei Country, not from any notable family.
The latter was a direct disciple of the previous notable minister Gao Zheng of Yue Country.
They too had brilliant life stories.
But including Jiang Wang, indeed, not many were concerned about this battle.
The two of them undoubtedly had the best luck with the draw.
Having a half chance to make it into the semifinals was terrific news for either Wei Country or Yue Country.
Accordingly, this was deemed “excellent luck” because, in the eyes of most, their grouping was considered the weakest in the top four battles.
Jiang Wang watched the two adversaries on the “Yi” platform intently, not even noticing when Zhongxuan Zun had left the viewing seats.
Dou Zhao versus Gan Changan.
This battle was too significant to miss.
Compared to the slender and sharp facial features of Dou Min, Dou Zhao’s face appeared broader and softer.
A bright gaze and a full Heavenly Court gave him a remarkably radiant demeanor.
It made him seem very approachable.
The blade in his grasp was quite special.
The back of the blade was extremely thick, and the edge was very sharp.
The back and edge formed a triangular shape.
There was no tip, or rather, the tip was a triangular cross-section itself.
At first glance, it looked like a broken sword, only suitable for chopping.
It was a blade of bravery and determination.
The moment he saw it, Jiang Wang was reminded of Dou Min’s Skywild Blade.
As spoils of war, he had once held and felt it in his hands.
The Skywild Blade had a huge, exaggerated head and was extremely ferocious, famously described as “a swipe that divides heaven and earth, distinguishing life from death.”
Dou Min held it in high regard.
Aesthetically, the blade in Dou Zhao’s hand was entirely different from the Skywild Blade.
But Jiang Wang could completely feel their kinship in vibrations, convinced they were from the same forge, two famed blades.
His long nurturing of Longing had given him his insights into famed instruments.
Dou Zhao’s blade was extraordinary.
Standing opposite Dou Zhao was Gan Changan, a youth with a very immature face.
Looking at his face alone, one might believe him to be only thirteen or fourteen years old.
But nineteen wasn’t considered old either, the same age as Jiang Wang in the stands.
Compared to Jiang Wang, who stumbled through his cultivation at seventeen as a “poor kid,”
Gan Changan, born into a prominent family with exceptional talent, was envisioned at eight years old by Wang Xixu, a highly trusted strategist of the Qin Emperor, as “capable of ensuring peace.”
It meant a smooth life for the boy, who at the age of eight, had the talent of a city lord, capable of “ensuring peace in a region.”
The phrase “Capable of Ensuring Peace at Eight” became widely circulated.
Many used this phrase to praise prodigies.
Jiang Qingyang only became famous at eighteen in Linzi, leaving his own mark.
But Gan Changan was renowned throughout Xianyang City at eight, truly a dazzling prodigy from youth.
The youthful-faced Gan Changan, dressed in a black literati robe, slender, with bare hands, looked less like a transcendent fighter and more like a mischievous student who might have run away from a private school, always seeming about to pull out a book and recite shaking his head.
But Jiang Wang could feel the sharpness hidden within him, not yet unleashed.
He was armed with a blade.
Just now, it wasn’t time for him to draw it.