Chapter 69: Void Temple

(I've missed a few days but worry not, this is just an appetizer and in a few days, I will be dropping a mass release of chapters soon so get your popcorn ready for it! ENJOY THIS IN THE MEANTIME!)

Everyone here instantly looked to the source of the voice and saw a sight they would never forget in their lives. A beautiful blonde woman whose beauty seemed to have come from the immortal world was standing right before them.

Though her allure could easily provoke envy, none in their right mind would dare to pull a move on her. After all, she hailed from a lineage of heroes safeguarded by Heaven's Eternal Alliance.

With a subtle turn of her head, she surveyed the gathered crowd, noting the presence of numerous eminent domain experts.

"Now that you're all assembled, shall we commence?" Her voice, commanding yet graceful, caught everyone off guard.

As if the crowd was ordered, every single cultivator in the crowd fell silent, each of them closing their eyes in what appeared to be meditation. Jun confused was about to turn to Yinling when he noticed a strange sight in the corner of his eye.

Rubbing his eyes a bit, Jun felt a little confused, was he seeing things correctly?

Turning down to look at his hands, Jun found nothing to be wrong with them, but then, that would mean what he just saw was not an illusion.

Jun's gaze meets Yinling's, finding solace in the mirrored disbelief etched on her features. Before he can utter a word, a strange sensation coursed through him, sending a shiver down his spine.

"J-Jun..." Yinling's voice falters, a mixture of shock, fear, and something indiscernible, "Am... am I seeing this correctly?" Her message resonates with an urgency that matches Jun's own turmoil.

Reeling back his mind from the shock, Jun closed his eyes in an attempt to blend into the crowd.

"Close your eyes and relax, then take some deep breaths..." Jun transmitted urgently, finding it hard to follow his own advice as well "Don't show nothing on your eyes or body language" Jun transmitted.

Yinling nods, her movements shaky as she follows Jun's guidance, her eyes tightly shut as she tries to calm the storm of emotions raging within her, each breath a battle against the overwhelming uncertainty that grips them both.

She could feel her body trembling, almost as if instinctively wanting to run away or fight, not out of excitement or thrill, but pure rage. Almost as if her very own DNA commanded it.

Just when she was about to feel overwhelmed, Jun's voice broke her out of her bubble, bringing her back to reality, which she used to calm her mind.

Regaining some of her composure, Yinling was actively suppressing this surge of primal emotions within her, every passing second she felt the need to kill.

"Jun..." Yinling's mental voice quivers, betraying the turmoil raging within her, "What... What is that thing? And why... why do I feel this overwhelming need to tear it apart?" 

The blonde beauty seeing everyone close their eyes, smiled wickedly in contempt.

"Now, a moment of silence to all our fallen ancestors who took part in the war and our history that was lost" The voice of the blonde woman was heard in the background of Jun's mind.

Taking short breaths, Jun managed to regain some of his sanity as well, finding it even more difficult than Yinling to stay composed.

Turning on his epiphany phase, Jun's mind raced 15,000x times faster, instantaneously regaining his composure. With his emotions out of the way, Jun could think about this logically.

Thinking about the situation, the only reason both himself and Yinling started feeling this way in response to the sight they saw.

"It was the blonde woman..." Jun thought "It was only for a second but logically speaking every single cultivator here should have seen it but yet none of them did..."

Could it have something to do with the new cultivation system Jun invented? If so, then it would make sense why nobody saw what both he and Yinling did.

Although it was short, Jun saw this blonde beauty's face lose the shape of a human altogether and become a blurry mess. 

"System! What the hell is going on, why do both me and Yinling as if almost instinctively want to kill this woman!" Roared Jun in his mind.

[The host would need to figure this out on his own, it wouldn't be much fun if I gave you the answer myself]

"Dammit! Can't you at least give me a hint or something?!" 

[No]

"..."

"If each of you could kindly nominate the 10 participants for this year's Silent Battlefield games," the blonde woman's voice resonated across the crowd, prompting them to open their eyes.

With her words, the cultivators began to step forward, each presenting their chosen contenders. The once silent atmosphere erupted into a buzz of excitement, whispers rippling through the crowd like a gentle breeze.

"Look! Isn't that the young patriarch of the Void Temple from the Void Domain?" The murmurs swirled as eyes turned toward a handsome figure with eyes as dark as the void itself, seemingly reflecting the stars.

The young man acknowledged the attention with a graceful bow before vanishing into thin air, only to reappear moments later beside the blonde woman, a respectful nod affirming his readiness.

As more and more miscellaneous disciples stepped forward, a mix of known figures and unfamiliar faces, the anticipation in the crowd heightened.

Then, a sudden burst of laughter shattered the tense atmosphere. All eyes turned to see the source of the amusement. "Is that... the young patriarch from Sky Palace? He actually came!" The mocking tone rang out, eliciting chuckles from some and incredulous stares from others.

Li Chen's jaw clenched, but he refused to let the mockery faze him. With determination burning in his eyes, he ascended to meet the other competitors, his gaze meeting each one squarely. Some returned his look with mocking smirks, while others remained impassive.

If he had learned anything from his most recent experience, it was never to despise anyone and always take every opponent seriously.

As Li Chen observed his fellow competitors, he couldn't help but notice an impassive attitude from some towards him. While he could understand being underestimated by fellow young patriarchs, it unsettled him to see this attitude from unknown cultivators.

In the past, such disregard might have stoked his anger or provoked a desire to prove himself. But now, a sense of unease gnawed at him. Where did they find this such confidence?

Pushing aside his concerns for the moment, Li Chen directed his attention toward the young patriarch of the Void Temple, aka his good friend.

"Long time no see" he called out, expecting acknowledgment. However, the young patriarch from Void Domain simply ignored him, closing his eyes in meditation once again, as if Li Chen's presence was beneath him.

ps: nice