Spirit Vessel

The cloud-like flames with a firebird in the middle emanated a faint demonic aura.

"That's a bird created from the sword art?" A muddy statue with an angry expression, less than one-and-a-half-meter tall asked. The jade bricks below him instantly turned into mud.

Many people recognized this devilish genius. He once killed an older cultivator of the fifth-level with a single palm strike, turning him into a pool of mud.

"It is really the Firebird Demonic Sword!" Dongfang Jingshui heroically landed from above with his own evil energy and red cloak. The crowd gasped at his appearance.

He was too famous among the young generation, capable of fighting a supreme elder at the half-step level from the previous generation.

Dongfang Jingyue came as well with a floating moon beneath her feet. She looked just like a goddess in her white dress while holding a red pipa.

Shrouded by a white veil with a flashing glow on her forehead, she stood next to Jingshui. Some prodigies wanted to get closer but were scared off by Jingshui's glare.

Of course, Li Xiaonan would show up too because of Jingyue. Also dressed in white, handsome and gallant with a faint smile, sixteen beauties carrying various musical instruments followed right behind him. Each was quite strong.

Xiaonan stared at the battlefield, still with a smile: "Rumor has it that this sword technique is immensely powerful, found on the bones of a great firebird demon, not created by the demonic man himself. Ordinary people can't learn it. Forcing the issue would result in mental instability, turning into a bloodthirsty madman. Only someone infected with demonic energy would be able to learn it. So Jin had just lost the demon's son but got a new replacement already."

Many clearly heard him. This was one of the five God Disciples of Sacred Spirit Palace. He must have read many manuals back there so he sounded quite convincing.

"People say that the fairest in the world, Nangong Hongyan, her Firebird Garment was knitted from the feather of a great firebird. When wearing it, she would gain the bird's power. Even a mortal will become as strong as a half-step." Xiaonan continued. [1]

The prodigies here became greedy. Obtaining it would result in a massive boost of battle potential, increasing their chances of winning this competition, marrying the princess, and becoming the next king.

Xiaonan's casual comment made people want to scheme against Hongyan.

Men cared about three things the most - fame, wealth, and women. One would have all three by winning this competition. They would do anything to seize the garment if it could help them.

Bi Ningshuai and Wang Meng heard him too, realizing his nefarious intention.

Wang Meng uttered coldly: "Miss Hongyan is my Martial Uncle's friend. Her enemies are my enemies."

Xiaonan stood there, still smiling, and didn't bother looking at Wang Meng.

Ningshuai told the boy: "Use your head! You might not be able to defeat him after another century of training. That's a God Disciple looming above all geniuses. If he views you as a mosquito, it would be a compliment."

Wang Meng didn't like this but still accepted this reality. Xiaonan was superior to him in all aspects by a large margin. This person didn't care about his warning.

This was akin to an ant threatening an elephant? Would an elephant actually care?

"Boom!" A loud blast caused the ground to quake.

The light disappeared, revealing Feiyun in the center as if he didn't move at all from his original position.

Zhao Songyan had three cuts on his daoist robe. His crest was cut down as well so his long hair draped down, almost covering his face: "Such a monstrous sword technique, worthy of being the demonic man's disciple."

Feiyun replied: "You might be able to put up a good fight if you were at the fifth level. The current you is far from enough."

"Don't be arrogant, I've only used seventy-percent of my strength. Fine, witness my full force now." Songyan pinned his white sword in front before creating a sun-moon energy with both hands. Moon to the left; sun to the right; heaven in the center. Red clouds and dawn rays filled the battle stage.

This was a great technique of his sect - Sun-moon Heaven. Less than five members of his sect have learned this move.

The cold and hot energies of this technique came crashing down. Feiyun quietly stood there; all he needed was his sword to fight for an eternity.

The sword howled thunderously, nine times in a row. The sun-moon technique was defeated.

Endless murderous energy aimed straight for Songyang's forehead like a shooting star.

"You have fallen into my trap, you think you're the only sword user here?" Songyang purposely used the sun-moon technique to bait his opponent into attacking.

His white sword has been waiting for the entire time. Its power erupted and surrounded the stage.

"Firmament-seal sword!" The sword grew larger before unleashing a vertical slash at the man in black.

Everyone held their breath, amazed at Songyang's plan and also scared by this supreme sword technique. Some could see this mysterious youth's pitiful fate after being struck.

"Pluff!" A sword penetrated a heart.

Naturally, it was Feiyun's sword penetrating Songyang's heart.

People couldn't react in time. Everyone thought that the mysterious youth would die for sure, not the other way around.

"Impeccable speed." The short mud statue said.

Correct, Feiyun was faster than Songyang's slash. He was dozens of meters away yet his sword delivered the fatal blow in less than the blink of an eye.

Xiaonan and Jingshui became serious. Just that speed alone could allow that guy to compete against them.

"That's a speed obtained after reaching a very high level of the firebird sword art." Xiaonan still had a smile on his face. Though this speed was outside of his expectation, the youth still posed no threat.

"Clank!" The white sword finally fell down to the ground.

An old man with a sun-moon symbol on his robe came on stage to gather the third-ranked treasure and Songyang's corpse.

The competition between geniuses was a brutal one. If they chose to get on stage, they must also be ready to die. Their protectors from the previous generation couldn't interfere.

Even if this senior didn't grab Songyang's corpse, he must take the third-ranked sword away. This top-level treasure was very precious. Its value was above a great treasure.

While carrying the corpse, his old eyes became quite insightful as he asked: "You're really the demonic man's disciple.

Feiyun only stood there, embracing his sword without answering.

The old man asked again: "If this is your debut leave a name."

"Feng Ergou." Feiyun thought for a bit before replying.

Though many would come to challenge him afterward after finding out his name, this was his goal in the first place to improve his cultivation.

The old man nodded before disappearing into the sea of people.

Sure enough, the cultivators below went crazy. One of them shouted: "Damn, that's the guy!"

"Who? Someone's famous? I've never heard of this name before."

"Well yeah, but that's in the past. This name is hot right now in the underground gambling hall, I knew this guy would come out with great fanfare."

The gamblers began telling people who didn't know what was going on.

"Shit, that's quite something, 1 to 30 odds, and 10,000 stones… if this guy makes it to the next round, the gambling hall will have to pay 300,000 stones, probably bankruptcy."

"I would have bet my entire family on him if I knew earlier."

"I'm sure that better is Feng Ergou himself."

The name, Feng Ergou, wasn't pleasant sounding. In fact, it was downright pathetic. Alas, no one thought that of him after seeing his sword techniques. [2]

"Another monster from the Feng. One dead, another one comes out of nowhere."

"Feng Ergou." Jingyue murmured while staring intensely at the youth in black, wanting to see through him.

The Feng of the southern region was famous right now unlike before. People immediately thought of them after hearing his name.

"Maybe it's that Little Demoness cross-dressing for fun?" Someone had a wild guess. After all, geniuses of this level couldn't pop up all over the place.

Meanwhile, some people immediately spread out this news. A few directly ran to the gambling hall.

Today, the disciple of the demonic man, Feng Ergou, had shocked the capital.

1. This used to be Phoenix Garment, changed to Firebird

2. Ergou = Second Dog. An uneducated name, most likely from a farmer/low-status person who doesn't know too many characters. Second and Dog are both easy and common. Feiyun used this name back at the bandit place