Chapter 410 - The Shocking News from Red Coat
“Silence.”
Fu Xing had a headache.
He was too young. If it had been his father who was presiding over the meeting, the group of men would not have made such a ruckus.
Fu Xing no longer had a say over what would happen to Su Qianqian.
In the Shengshen Continent, weaker beings were devoured by the stronger ones. Life was a survival of the fittest.
The tragedy of the Su family was a minor reflection of the cold and cruel world of Spiritual Cultivators. The retaliation and division faced by the family in its last moments were close to harmless compared to what had occurred.
“Everyone…”
Fu Xing picked up from where he left off. “The quotas for the Four Big Families have been prefixed. Regarding the specific details of the quota, you can choose to debate that in the final competition.”
“We have to decide how we will divide and issue the remaining 75 slots of the quota.”
Fu Xing pointed to the large Competition Platform at the side and looked at the younger men gearing up on stage. He said, “As per past years, the remaining quota slots will be chosen on the Competition Platform.”
“However, there are some changes to the rules this year.”
He cautiously glanced to the Red Coat Night Guardian next to him. “The battle of the Way of Spiritual Cultivation will decide 25 quotas.”
“Way of the Sword, 20.”
“Art of Alchemy, 15.”
“Art of Spiritual Array, 15.”
Art of Spiritual Array?
The people were dumbfounded.
The previous categories were acceptable because they were the ones used in past years to decide the quota slots for the extradimensional space and other spaces of cultivation.
Way of Spiritual Cultivation was the foundation for Spiritual Cultivators in the Shengshen Continent. This was an indisputable category for competition.
The Eastern Region was the Holy Sword Land. Swords were the main weapon for battle, so the need to encourage others to partake in learning the Way of the Sword was a given.
Alchemists had always stood above the others, slightly on top of the reputation of the Spiritual Cultivators. Its inclusion was without question.
However, those who trained in the Art of Spiritual Array…
They were a niche community.
The Art of Spiritual Array was an immensely time-consuming skill to cultivate. Not only would it drain one’s financial assets and time, but it also drained one’s youth.
It was impossible to produce a Spirit Array Caster good enough to represent in a competition without decades of consolidation.
Furthermore, the newly added category had taken up an equal amount of quota slots as the Art of Alchemy.
“This is unfair!”
A voice broke out in retaliation after a brief moment of silence.
“On behalf of all the large families, we are able to cultivate an alchemist, but those who have spirit array casters are less than a few!”
“This category was not present in the last years either! Isn’t it too careless to change the rules abruptly?”
The people nodded in agreement with the voice.
The elder of the Cao family who spoke earlier had expressed similar sentiments. He glanced toward the young man on his side and spoke.
“In other words, the Art of Spiritual array does not need to take up so many quota slots. It would be rather wasteful.”
“How about we move some of the quotas to the Way of the Sword? I’m sure my swordsman of the Eastern Region could bring much assistance.”
The others beside him were about to nod before the realization occurred to them and their agreement turned into anger.
“Vicious as usual Elder Cao. Do you want to add those quotas to the Way of the Sword because half of your family are sword masters?”
“Ho, then what do you propose?”
Another elder chipped in enthusiastically. “I think we should add them to the Art of Alchemy. The pill is the mortal root of a Spiritual Cultivator. Promoting the Spiritual Cultivators to take up alchemy would greatly ensure our safety!”
“I heard your family employed a new alchemist recently Elder Mo, and you monopolized the Origin Court Pill market in Tianlong City as well. Could it be you are using the Su family to rise up the ranks this time?”
The people were stunned.
Since when was the Cao family bold enough to make such claims?
Su Qianqian, who was seated at the main table, shivered but did not say a word.
At this moment, the people had learned the truth.
The Su family had truly become desolate.
Elder Mo leaped up in fury. “What nonsense! I was thinking about the survival of the continent!”
“Ho, would I, Cao Jinde, not know what kind of plan you are making?”
“Isn’t the Art of Alchemy stronger than the Art of Spiritual Array?”
“Well, the sword is stronger than alchemy.”
“Nonsense!”
“Rubbish!”
“You…”
“Silence!” Fu Xing’s eyelids were jumping like crazy.
All of these elders combined were close to half of Xu Xiaoshou. They were giving Fu Xing a terrible headache.
Defeated, he turned to the Red Coat Night Guardian next to him. “Would like to explain this, Elder Night Guardian?”
The words silenced the bursting masses.
The Red Coat?
The visit from a Red Coat was unexpected by the attendees. The people wondered if the new addition of Spiritual Array was suggested by the Red Coat.
The Night Guard smiled and stood up. He turned to the masses and spoke directly.
“It’s just as everyone thought. I added the Art of the Spiritual Array.”
“To tell you the truth, I came from White Cave. The precarity of the situation is 10 times more than what all of you here could imagine!”
Shock spread through the banquet hall. They were unsure of what the Red Coat was trying to express.
“You lot really have no idea, do you?”
The Night Guard sighed and cast his gaze toward Fu Xing, “Ever since the Cardinal Wheel was lost, the Source of the World is nowhere to be found as well.”
“It was initially bearable with the support from the Fourth Sword. White Cave could still be forcefully opened.”
“However, as the Fourth Sword is about to be born, if the Source of the World does not return any time soon…”
“This will be the last opening of White Cave!”
The noise sparked amongst the masses like lightning and thunder as the Night Guardian finished his words.
“The last time?”
“If this is the last opening of White Cave, would this mean that we would lose this land of treasures after today?”
Someone called out in surprise.
Others sensed something amiss and tried to recall the shocking news brought by the Red Coat in detail.
“No, you also said something else just now.”
“Is the birth of the Fourth Sword not a rumor but real?”
An individual amongst the mass of surprise had caught onto the most important detail of the news.
The question had gripped the attention of the people.
The people’s gazes turned into a fiery emotion, especially those who were carrying swords with them. They stood up with impatience.
The three swordsmen’s bodies stiffened immediately. They leaned forward and were close to standing up from their seats.
Pure Spiritual Cultivators like Zhang Taiying were aware of the unimaginable outcome of these words.
Without verification from the officials, White Cave had simply attracted many strongmen to its destination.
However, if the Red Coat of absolute faith of the Holy Divine Palace were to give a positive about the rumor…
“Correct.”
The Night Guardian affirmed it without hesitation.
“It has been verified that the Fourth Sword will be born soon!”
The banquet hall exploded with conversations and noise once the Night Guardian finished his declaration.
However, the masses could not fully express their excitement before the Night Guard’s chilling gaze swept across the hall and froze everyone on the spot.
“I’m not done yet.”
The banquet hall became quiet instantly.
“Please, do continue…”
The attendees felt as if they had been caught in a stare-down with the god of death.
Even Zhang Taiying felt chills down his back.
The power of a Red Coat far surpassed that of a Sovereign.
He may have been of the Cutting Path stage or even higher than that.
Moreover, Red Coat was an organization with the special ability called the Force of Knighthood. It was coupled with the age-old battle experience…
Had all the Sovereigns in the venue joined forces against this man, it would not be equivalent to the power he had in one finger.
The Night Guardian waited for the masses to settle down before speaking again with a solemn tone. “The last opening of White Cave was not done upon our wishes.”
“However, as it had lost its source, the Force of Rules in White Cave was completely shattered. The spiritual array was completely messed up. There is deadly danger everywhere. It’s truly horrifying!”
“Hence, we require assistance from strong Spiritual Array Casters or even practitioners of the Divine Secret.”
“Therefore, we must be fully prepared for the opening of the extradimensional space this time.”
“I am not the only one who has attended a banquet. As I stand here in your city tonight, there are others like me attending banquets in other cities. They will similarly join them at the time of the allocation of White Cave quotas.”
He inhaled deeply and bellowed with excitement, “Therefore, I wanted to borrow the news of the Fourth Sword’s birth to call upon all Spiritual Cultivators of the land to head to White Cave and suff– Cough… Actualize your potential!”
“This is not only an opportunity for all of you, but it is an opportunity to be a Red Coat too!”
“Come, White Cave welcomes all of you!”
