Martial Ascent to Divinity-Chapter 621 - 601: New Battle

Not far off, Zhou Leng scanned the three sides with a hint of confusion.

This was near the Celestial Tier Battlefield, a place passed by when traveling to many destinations.

Every time he passed by, if he wasn’t in a rush, Zhou Leng would casually kill some demons, preventing them from disturbing classmates who had fallen here and those visiting to pay respects to their fallen family members.

But why are there so many Innates and Grandmasters here now?

The ground is marked with a platform, it seems like a grand battle?

What is happening?

And there’s Zhang Feng and disciples from the Ancient River Sect?

Zhou Leng walked towards Zhang Feng and used the Demon Brain to inquire about the situation.

Zhang Feng was pleasantly surprised upon receiving the message from Zhou Leng, looking around yet struggling to pinpoint Zhou Leng’s location, he suspiciously glanced at the newcomer, finding his demeanor unlike Zhou Leng’s, before responding.

"Senior Brother, it’s like this..."

Zhang Feng elaborated that Chen Shouhu and Wang Boxiong chose to initiate a Grandmaster life-and-death duel with the sixteen clans as they falsely accused Zhou Leng but were not punished.

However, the Zhao Clan used tactics to drive away some of the participants, then used war to force Chen Shouhu and Wang Boxiong’s absence.

"My father says that given their temperament, some will surely fight the sixteen clans regardless of life and death."

"They fearlessly face Demons, why would they fear the sixteen clans?"

"Yet, they will certainly fail because the sixteen clans are well-prepared, having invited several famous Grandmasters."

"It’s really a pity."

Zhou Leng asked, "So, the people facing the sixteen clans are fighting for me?"

"Half for you, half for your uncle."

"Hmm."

As Zhang Feng finished, his peripheral vision suddenly caught the newcomer removing his hood.

"Zhou Leng?" Zhang Feng was dumbfounded.

Everyone looked over to see Zhou Leng putting away the hood and walking forward step by step.

Underfoot, the grass like wind passing through, bent in all directions.

Tiny sand and stones, like water flowing, rolled to the sides.

The grass and stone made way.

The Grandmaster aura, like a mountain moving forward.

"This time, the Grandmaster life-and-death battle, I’ll take it."

Though Zhou Leng’s voice was not loud, it spread outward with his intent, clearly heard by everyone.

Most didn’t notice, but those of higher realm, the Upper-Rank or Grandmasters, suspiciously eyed Zhou Leng.

From the beginning, they felt the newcomer’s grandmaster aura was different.

Now looking again, it’s even stranger.

Not a single hint of True Qi, yet the grass and stones made way and his voice spread miles.

Normally, only a Grandmaster or Martial Saint whose Martial Arts Will is refined to the extreme achieves such a realm.

The people from the sixteen clans looked at Zhou Leng, aside from some with suspicions, most kept a calm expression.

Chen Shouhu and Wang Boxiong couldn’t change the outcome, nor could Zhou Leng.

Even if Zhou Leng mysteriously advanced to grandmaster, it would be the same.

The Tiger-Bear faction saw Zhou Leng approaching, their faces lit with joy.

Especially the experts who had past ties with Ma Xingkong, seeing Zhou Leng had advanced to grandmaster brought tears to their eyes.

"Senior Brother!"

Numerous disciples of the Ancient River Sect left the neutral camp, rushing toward the Tiger-Bear faction.

Li Shenkong watched Zhou Leng removing his hood, stunned.

The person who had made him green with envy before was actually Zhou Leng?

"Zhou Leng, you advanced to grandmaster?" a loud voice from an Innate of the Martial Arts Brigade asked.

The person named Zheng Yunqing, working in the Martial Arts Brigade, was a confidant of Chen Shouhu, having met several times prior, responsible for handling Tian Wenhua’s death.

Zhou Leng nodded.

"Weren’t you..." Zheng Yunqing asked.

"I used the method of the Alien Race but lost True Qi."

Zhou Leng didn’t lie, as both Star God and Void Ancient Beast are Alien Races.

People from the sixteen clans who initially worried now smiled upon learning he truly lost True Qi.

Humans and the Alien Race are ultimately different, losing True Qi means a Martial Artist’s strength is less than a tenth of what it was.

Without True Qi, a regular Lower-Rank Grandmaster cannot defeat a regular Great Innate.

"Too reckless." Zheng Yunqing sighed.

Then, he stepped forth to introduce the top Great Innates or Grandmasters present to Zhou Leng.

"This is Elder Sun Sun Chan..."

"This is Deputy Leader Zhang Zhang Bokai..."

"This is Liu Shouming, Lieutenant General Liu..."

"This is..."

Among the Grandmasters present, except for the retired Sun Chan Grandmaster, most served in the Demon City Army.

As Grandmasters, these people are somewhat famous, Zhou Leng had heard of most.

Zhou Leng met them for the first time, some saluted, others shook hands.

Though Zhou Leng wasn’t familiar with them, they were very familiar with him, all related news over recent days.

Plus, due to relationships with Tiger-Bear, Xu Ming, and Ma Xingkong, they treated Zhou Leng as a promising younger generation without reservation.

The youngest Grandmasters present were at least in their thirties.

"What do you plan?"

Before everyone had the chance to ask him in detail, the people from the sixteen clans walked over.

Both Grandmaster and Innate numbers far exceeded this side, resembling an army pressing forward with overwhelming aura.

"Zhou Leng, are you sure you want to join the Grandmaster life-and-death battle? Remember, this is your initiative, not our sixteen clans forcing you."

The speaker was a man with slicked-back hair, wearing a white shirt, black trousers, an H-shaped belt tightened over his slightly bulging abdomen, and an imposing demeanor.

He was one of the sixteen clans’ Grandmasters, Xuxin Ke, patriarch of the once illustrious Xu Family in Shuizhou.

The Shuizhou Base and the Huqiu Fortress, once extensive lands, belonged to the Xu Family.

Although the Xu Family could not enter the Supreme Court, they originally had the chance to get into the Grand Council.

But later, with the invasion of Demons, the Xu Family suffered heavy losses, and further involvement in the incident targeting Ma Xingkong triggered a serious accident.

Compared to the vast majority of countries, the Dragon Country still possesses a strong self-healing ability, not publicly disclosing any news on the surface, but the Censorate dispatched people to investigate, and the upper echelon engaged in conversations, forcing several members of the Xu Family to retire or be assigned to retirement departments.

This completely cut off the Xu Family’s path to the Grand Council.

Though the Xu Family is still a great clan, its influence in the Martial Mansion is far less than before.

This fate befalling the sixteen families had varying degrees of severity at that time.

"We have not yet decided," said the Grandmaster Sun Chan unhurriedly, his hair was white, his face lightly dusted with age spots, but his eyes were sharp and bright.

Xu Xinke, upon seeing Sun Chan speak, did not immediately respond, instead he stared at Zhou Leng.

Several Grandmasters secretly transmitted voices using True Qi, advising Zhou Leng not to act impulsively.

Zhou Leng first turned to thank the Grandmasters, then swept his gaze over the sixteen families one by one.

Prior to this, he had reviewed some intelligence on people from the sixteen families.

The Lou Family had a Grandmaster, Lou Shan Cauldron, but was killed by Zhu Shiji.

Among the fifteen families here, the battle-ready Grandmasters are at most Middle-Rank. Those Upper-Rank Grandmasters or Great Grandmasters are all their patrons or collaborators.

Several families do indeed have living Upper-Rank Grandmasters, but they are dying, full of tubes, with high expenses required daily just to sustain life and lacking the capacity for battle, even having lost consciousness.

In recent decades, the sixteen families have been blinded by greed, neglecting Martial Arts, degrading their legacies, having already lost the soil to cultivate Upper-Rank or Great Grandmasters.

Among the Lou Family, there is no Lou Fei Qiong.

Zhou Leng felt slightly assured, certain that Lou Fei Qiong had not succumbed to the same fate, affirming his judgment at the time was correct.

Zhou Leng said, "I am deeply grateful to Seniors Chen Shouhu and Wang Boxiong for initiating the Grandmaster battle for me. However, my injuries have now healed; I will face my own consequences. However..."

He glanced at the other non-sixteen-family Grandmasters.

"Let’s change the play. Let all non-sixteen-family Grandmasters step aside; in this Grandmaster’s life-and-death battle, the sixteen families shall employ all their Grandmasters, and I will face them alone. Battling individually, to the death, until the end."

"No distinction between realms?"

"No distinction between realms."

By the lakeside, on the grass, the trio of crowds stood frozen.

The various parties were even slow in reacting, finding it hard to comprehend.

The sixteen families currently possess twenty-three Grandmasters.

How does Zhou Leng dare to challenge so many alone?

Even Martial Arts legend Li Shenkong, without using the Star Sky Divine Sword, upon just attaining the Lower-Rank Grandmaster status, may not possess such prowess.

Xu Xinke and the other Patriarchs exchanged glances, concealed delight flickering in their eyes.

Heaven’s high road you do not take; Hell with no entrance you venture to enter.

Since both sides have long torn off the facade, being polite is unnecessary.

Without Chen Shouhu and Wang Boxiong, you, Zhou Leng, an Martial Artist without True Qi, can hardly stir any trouble.

Moreover...

Several Patriarchs’ gazes swept past a Grandmaster from the Dong Family, Dong Yingxi.

Subsequently, the Patriarchs nodded in unison.

Xu Xinke said, "Good! We of the sixteen families agree; you, do not renege!"

Saying so, he walked forward, raising his right palm.

"I, Zhou Leng, a life-or-death battle with the Grandmasters of the sixteen families, ask the friends present to witness."

Zhou Leng spoke, raising his arm to clasp Xu Xinke’s hand.

Smack!

A crisp and loud sound, the agreement was made.

"Senior Brother!" Zhang Feng stepped forward, pressing Zhou Leng’s shoulder.

The disciples of the Ancient River Sect came forward, intending to offer advice.

Zhang Feng’s hand slipped down.

He sensed no True Qi, no Power.

Power does not arise out of thin air; it requires the body to exert force, and movement in the body is inevitable during exertion.

Lower-Rank Grandmaster Zhang Bokai came forward, placing his hand on Zhou Leng’s shoulder.

His hand was filled with True Qi.

The right hand slipped.

Zhang Bokai looked bewildered; as a Lower-Rank Grandmaster, his realm and practical combat experience were immensely rich, having braved corpse mountains and Demon seas for decades.

And yet, he stumbled against a child’s hand.

He did not know what technique Zhou Leng employed.

It seemed like the mind’s thought as a blade.

Seemed like the power of a top Great Grandmaster or Martial Saint, needing no exertion, merely communicating with heavens through thought to affect external forces.

The grassy stones yielding during the walk was not from any other force, purely a natural phenomenon prompted by such high realm.

The Grandmasters behind Zhou Leng, their worry in the eyes lessened slightly.

The people from the sixteen families, some perplexed and confused, some sneering, who knew the tricks they were playing, anyone could feign it.

"Child, are you sure?" Grandmaster Sun Chan gazed at Zhou Leng.

Zhou Leng said, "Elder Sun, rest assured..."

At that moment, the ground shook, everyone looked, a supersonic figure came racing.

Approaching nearby, that person decelerated, the roaring sound arriving for the first time.

Only then did everyone clearly see, it was an elderly man, snow-white hair and beard, face carrying the complexion of infancy, evidently possessing extremely high Martial Arts prowess.

"It’s Song Juesi Elder Song!"

"He just showed True Qi, his aura seems like an Upper-Rank Grandmaster."

"Old Song!"

Those who recognized Song Juesi greeted him one after another.

"I’m not late, am I? Was I not informed? Your aura..." Song Juesi stared at Zhou Leng, face beaming with joy.

"I used an alien race method to advance to Grandmaster."

Elder Song stroked his beard and laughed, "Good! Good! Good! I received Wang Boxiong’s message, deliberately suppressing my realm at Upper-Rank Grandmaster for this battle."