Trial of the Battle Drums

Trial of the Battle Drums

Old Man Tianji's voice reverberated through the space, its resonance striking deep in the hearts of those gathered. The crowd couldn't help but feel their hearts race at the prophetic words.

Even the spectators, not just the participants, felt a surge of hot blood coursing through their veins. The destiny of Grand Xia had already taken shape? And one of the current contenders in the ranking battle would be the orchestrator?

Who among them would control the future of Grand Xia?

Old Man Tianji's visage remained calm as he gazed down upon the countless silhouettes looking up at him. This group of contenders, eager to join the ranking battle and seize the luck and destiny, numbered over ten thousand. They were like countless other cultivators who had come before them.

The majority of these ten thousand cultivators had reached the ninth level of Yuanfu cultivation. Without considerable power, they would never dare to enter the ranking battle.

Although ten thousand may sound like a significant number, in the grand scheme of Grand Xia, it was but a grain of sand in the vast desert.

Moreover, many among these ten thousand would be eliminated. They had to prove that they possessed the qualifications to tread the sacred pathway.

Old Man Tianji spoke once more, "You may now begin. If you cannot elicit more than nine echoes from the enormous drum, do not waste your time and simply forfeit."

The drum served as the first hurdle, designed to reduce their numbers.

Making the nine-sided giant drum echo even once was an immensely difficult task. The criteria were clear: if you couldn't make the drum echo nine times, you had no right to step into the Ancient Kingdom.

Furthermore, contenders were allowed to continuously attack the drum. However, if the echoes were interrupted midway, it was futile to continue.

The ten thousand contenders advanced, stepping upon the ninety-nine azure dragon steps one after the other. The atmosphere grew increasingly solemn. No one was permitted to fly; they had to ascend all ninety-nine steps, a sign of their respect for the sacred pathway.

At that moment, the first contender approached the nine-sided giant drum situated at the center of the first step. His long robes fluttered as a powerful aura radiated from him. Maintaining a single step's distance from the drum, several armor-like divine weapons adorned his body, enhancing his already sharp aura. He seemed more like a divine weapon himself than a human.

"It's Wang Jue. By stepping up as the first contender, is he signaling to all that he's here to claim the top spot?" The spectators' attention fixated on Wang Jue.

Wang Jue, a Heaven's Chosen hailing from the War Continent's illustrious Wang Clan, held the #6 rank on the Heavenly Fate Ranking. He possessed the qualifications and was arguably one of the few participants with the strongest prospects of securing a spot in the top three.

In this moment, Wang Jue's fist transformed into a silvery-white blur as it rocketed towards the drum. Moments later, a series of thunderous reverberations shattered the silence, shaking the heavens.

The formidable shockwaves tousled Wang Jue's hair, yet he stood firm as an ancient tree, unyielding to the powerful forces unleashed by his own strikes.

"As we're competing for rankings, I can't afford to lose on the very first test." Wang Jue's voice rang out, his fist striking the drum before the nine echoes had even faded. This time, his blows carried an unimaginable sharpness.

The drum responded with three more resounding echoes, each wave of shock more violent than the last, threatening to upend him.

Determined, he pressed forward, a relentless flurry of strikes against the drum, refusing to be swayed by the fierce after-wind.

Standing beside Wang Jue, the next contender watched in sheer astonishment, momentarily forgetting his own purpose.

Finally, Wang Jue produced a total of eighteen echoes, the sound resonating in the air, echoing throughout the heavens and earth.

"Eighteen echoes... According to historical records, anyone who managed to produce eighteen echoes eventually secured a spot within the top ten rankings." Some in the crowd murmured silently, their admiration growing for Wang Jue, who had declared his unwavering determination with his remarkable performance.

Members of the Wang Clan wore smiles of satisfaction, their eyes gleaming with pride. Wang Jue had made an emphatic statement by giving his all right from the first test.

If one aimed to secure a position on the Heavenly Fate Rankings, it was imperative to give their all from the very outset.

Following Wang Jue's exceptional performance, the subsequent contenders stepped forward to try their luck with the drums. Most could muster no more than fourteen echoes, and only a select few reached fifteen, but these were individuals who had already secured rankings on the previous Heavenly Fate list.

None could replicate the astounding eighteen echoes.

With only one chance every three years, no one dared to take this initial test lightly.

The palpable sense of competition emanated from the contenders right from the beginning.

Of course, not everyone could achieve the minimum of nine echoes. The harsh reality forced them to step back, their hearts heavy with reluctance, knowing they'd have to wait another three years to try again.

Soon, another name in the crowd garnered attention. This contender was Li Yu, a representative of the Thousand-Jue Alliance.

Fan Le, contemplating the giant drum, couldn't help but ponder aloud, "So many failures already. Just how formidable is this nine-sided gigantic drum?" This first test had eliminated more than half of the ten thousand participants, instilling a sense of unease in those yet to take their turn.

After all, those who stood here today were the brightest talents in their respective regions, each brimming with unwavering self-confidence.

Then, an earth-shattering explosion of sound pierced the air. Fan Le watched in astonishment as a silhouette stepped forward, achieving a total of nineteen echoes. Such a feat was unimaginably terrifying, especially considering over half of the initial ten thousand participants had failed to surpass the nine-echo threshold.

"Di Feng!" Qin Wentian recognized the familiar figure in the air.

"It's Emperor Azure," the crowd chimed in with a sense of wonder. Ranked at #5 on the Heavenly Fate Ranking, Emperor Azure, whose true name was Wang Cang, had surpassed Wang Jue's earlier record of eighteen echoes. However, most spectators remained unaware that Emperor Azure bore a different surname from Wang.

"Emperor Azure is truly remarkable. I wonder if anyone can surpass his record?"

"Ouyang Zheng also tried, but he could only manage seventeen echoes."

Despite seventeen echoes being a remarkable feat, those standing beside Di Feng were cast in his shadow.

Ouyang Zheng hailed from the prestigious Ouyang Aristocrat Clan and held the #10 spot on the Heavenly Fate Rankings.

Although the number of echoes didn't directly determine one's ranking, it had become a competition in its own right. Especially after Wang Jue had set the bar high with his astonishing eighteen echoes, the other contenders were determined not to appear weaker.

Subsequently, several formidable figures stepped up:

Yang Fan from the Star-Seizing Manor achieved sixteen echoes.

Zhao Lie from the Sky Ember Sect also managed sixteen echoes.

Hua Feng from the Hua Clan reached fifteen echoes.

Duan Qingshan sounded out sixteen echoes.

"Shi Potian is making his move," someone in the crowd announced. All eyes were now fixed on Shi Potian, a member of the illustrious Shi Clan.

Shi Potian astounded everyone by reaching twenty echoes, setting a new record.

"As expected of someone from the Shi Clan. The ancient primordial beast bloodline coursing through his veins is truly formidable," the spectators whispered in admiration.

In this ranking battle, the most fervent cheers were undoubtedly reserved for Chen Wang and Shi Potian.

Great Solar Chen Wang and Potian of the Shi Clan, they were considered monstrous talents beyond compare.

"Huh, who's that black-robed figure?"

Qin Wentian's eyes widened as he observed a familiar black-robed individual approaching the drum. Wasn't this the person who practiced the forbidden Devil Arts?

The black-robed figure emanated a sinister aura as he struck the drum with a palm, causing it to tremble violently. He achieved nine echoes in rapid succession, but it wasn't until he reached fifteen echoes that the crowd started paying attention.

After the seventeenth echo, the black-robed figure ceased his assault, even though he appeared to have more strength to spare. His indifference toward the results puzzled onlookers.

"He's a practitioner of the Devil Path. Who could he be? I've never heard of someone like him. Could he be a dark horse in this competition?" murmured curious spectators.

"Maybe it's a she in disguise, did you notice how that person's been hiding beneath those black robes?"

"Chen Wang, the mighty Great Solar Chen Wang, is finally taking his turn!" The crowd erupted into wild cheers. Ranked #2 on the Heavenly Fate Rankings, with Hua Taixu absent, he was now the prime candidate for the top spot.

The sunlight gleamed brilliantly, and Chen Wang didn't disappoint his supporters. Much like Shi Potian, he achieved an impressive twenty echoes.

"Mu Feng is here as well, despite hearing that he suffered serious injuries just three days ago."

The gigantic drum resounded with nine echoes before Mu Feng retreated, seemingly indifferent to others' opinions.

However, no one dared to underestimate Mu Feng. Even Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns would tread cautiously around his poisonous abilities.

Whether it was Chen Wang, Shi Potian, or Mu Feng, none of these three could be taken lightly.

Next up, all eyes turned to Situ Po, a Heaven's Chosen from the Sword Extinction Sect.

Qin Wentian shifted his gaze, and Mo Qingcheng, perceptive as ever, smiled mischievously. As he finally stepped forward, a playful glint danced in his eyes.

Qin Wentian and the rest followed her lead, advancing onto the sacred pathway toward the nine-sided gigantic drum.

"Zhan Chen is making his move at last. I heard that his infatuation with Mo Qingcheng hasn't waned despite countless rejections."

"Who's that lady? She's remarkably beautiful, almost on par with Mo Qingcheng." Spectators marveled when they spotted Yun Mengyi, a name well-known in the Unmatched Realm but relatively unknown beyond its borders.

"Xuan Yan is stepping up too."

"So many beauties! It's like a feast for the eyes, a banquet of beauty."

Mo Qingcheng, Yun Mengyi, and Xuan Yan all took their turns.

Yet Zhan Chen remained motionless.

Among those who remained were none other than Qin Wentian, Ouyang Kuangsheng, Chu Mang, Fan Le, and Bailu Jing.

Coincidentally, there were nine contenders in total, matching the nine-sided gigantic drum.

"Hey, Fatty, I'm eager to see how many echoes you can produce," Xuan Yan whispered to Fan Le. Evidently, she wasn't lacking in curiosity.

Fan Le, however, seemed a bit less confident this time around. The current situation was different from what he'd encountered before.

Interestingly, all nine contenders moved simultaneously, and in the next instant, the nine-sided gigantic drum echoed in unison.

The unleashed power created a chaotic storm that wreaked havoc on the surroundings. Qin Wentian's strike was overwhelmingly potent, producing nine echoing booms with a single blow. However, amidst this display of power, he went unnoticed, overshadowed by the attention focused on Zhan Chen and Mo Qingcheng.

From time to time, the crowd's gaze would also shift to Yun Mengyi and Xuan Yan.

Zhan Chen was bathed in a radiant golden light as countless sharp swords slashed outward. He had already produced fifteen echoes, yet it was clear he had no intention of stopping.

Mo Qingcheng had ceased her attacks after the ninth echo resounded. Her presence still lingered, but no one complained. Stealing a few more glances at her was a delightful pastime before her eventual retreat.

Finally, Fan Le, Chu Mang, Ouyang Kuangsheng, and Bailu Jing ceased their assaults. Among them, Bailu Jing and Chu Mang achieved the highest number of echoes, with sixteen each.

Xuan Yan gathered her strength and produced a total of seventeen echoes, leaving the crowd in awe.

Yet they soon noticed that three people had yet to stop. The maiden on the right, as beautiful as a snow lotus, reached eighteen echoes. Her sword technique, simple and elegant, held a profound mystery that rivaled the grandeur of the heavens.

"What's happening? Why are these individuals so powerful?"

Xuan Yan reached seventeen echoes, while Yun Mengyi achieved eighteen.

Both Zhan Chen and Qin Wentian had now reached the eighteenth echo, and neither showed signs of slowing down. A palpable sense of rivalry permeated the drum's reverberations.

With a cold laugh, Zhan Chen combined nine swords into one and thrust forward. The nineteenth echo resounded—it seemed he had no intention of stopping. He aimed to challenge the record today, to reach the twentieth echo.

But the rebound force from this echo held overwhelming strength. The wind was so fierce that Zhan Chen struggled to keep his eyes open.

Qin Wentian's face tightened, his blood boiling within him as he channeled unparalleled strength into his fist. He struck once more, infusing his fist with the world's boundless energy and unleashing it upon the drum's surface.

"BOOM!" The nineteenth echo echoed.

"How is this possible?" Several people in the crowd wore expressions of incredulity. It was the first time they had witnessed two contenders surpass the eighteenth echo while directly competing against each other. And they weren't just anyone; it was an unknown young man pitted against Zhan Chen!