Ten Thousand Dragons Technique-Chapter 239: The Battle of the Hidden Dragons Begins!

Chapter 239: Chapter 239: The Battle of the Hidden Dragons Begins!

Lin Xuan had indeed performed many miracles before, such as extinguishing the Blue Lotus Fire, but a large element of luck had been involved. His true strength was only in the second tier, so how could he possibly break Chu Zhongtian’s record? No one believed he could.

The Star Pavilion Master sneered, "Chu Zhongtian’s record is the strongest one in the last 800 years. You think you can break it? Stop dreaming."

The others also shook their heads and laughed in disbelief.

At this moment, the phantoms of the four Divine Beasts fused, unexpectedly forming a massive drum.

"What is this?" the disciples exclaimed.

An elder of the imperial family explained, "This is the Dragon Drum! According to the old rules of the Hidden Dragon Chart, the Hidden Dragon Battle is divided into two parts. The first is the elimination round. Because so many people participate—any disciple under the age of 20 is eligible—the vast majority must be weeded out."

He continued, "The Hidden Dragon Chart only has 100 spots for geniuses, which means if you can’t make it into the top 100, you will be eliminated. The elimination round itself consists of two trials: first, striking the Dragon Drum, and second, climbing the Dragon Ascending Ladder. This Dragon Drum is formed from the coalesced phantoms of the four Divine Beasts, and it requires extremely powerful force to make a sound. You must strike it six or more times to pass; otherwise, you will be eliminated. As for the Dragon Ascending Ladder, it has 99 steps in total. As long as you climb past the 49th step, you pass."

A wave of understanding washed over the disciples. So that was how it worked. It didn’t sound too difficult.

"Elder, rest assured, I’ll definitely make it through the elimination round!"

"That’s right, I have confidence!"

The disciples’ faces were filled with confidence.

Just then, the Imperial Clan Grand Elder spoke, his voice silencing the crowd. "Quiet, everyone. I am the Grand Elder of the Imperial Clan, and I will be presiding over this Hidden Dragon Battle. I now declare this year’s Hidden Dragon Battle open!"

"Next is the first stage of the Hidden Dragon Battle: the elimination round. I ask all participants to first strike the Dragon Drum, then ascend the Dragon Ascending Ladder. Both the Dragon Drum and the Dragon Ascending Ladder possess formidable power, so passing will not be easy. I urge everyone to proceed according to their abilities. Now, let us begin!"

As the Grand Elder’s voice fell, the participating geniuses from the various great families and sects stepped forward, making their way toward the Dragon Drum. The drum was enormous, as large as a doorway, its surface etched with mystical patterns that resembled the scales of a dragon.

"I’ll go!" one of the geniuses at the front roared, slapping the drum’s surface with his palm.

BOOM.

A low sound rang out like a dragon’s roar as a powerful recoil force erupted from the drum. The genius who had struck it was immediately sent flying backward, spewing a mouthful of blood. The disciples behind him were stunned. "What was that? How did he get injured?"

"Hmph, useless trash. So weak, and yet he still dares to participate in the Hidden Dragon Battle. How ridiculous!" a second genius sneered. His build was burly, standing two meters tall with bulging muscles. He drew back his arm and sent a powerful punch flying forward.

The crowd gasped at the show of strength.

His fist smashed into the Dragon Drum, producing two distinct sounds. The two sounds layered upon each other, and the recoil instantly blasted him backward. The towering man staggered back before collapsing to the ground.

"Ah!" he cried out in pain.

The others were in an uproar. What was going on? Why was there a recoil force? It seemed that striking the Dragon Drum wasn’t so simple. As you struck it, you had to endure its recoil. You only passed if you could withstand it; failure to do so meant elimination. The geniuses all understood.

From then on, they proceeded with extreme caution, not daring to be the slightest bit careless as they stepped forward one by one to strike the Dragon Drum. The sound of the drum boomed like thunder, and dragon roars echoed through the heavens, shaking the world and causing everyone’s hearts to pound in their chests.

Time and again, a genius would cry out and retreat, unable to withstand the recoil force. They discovered that each wave of recoil was terrifyingly powerful. To pass, they had to strike the drum six times, which meant they had to endure six waves of recoil. How could an ordinary person withstand that? Only a nine-star Martial General could possibly endure such a thing.

Tian Xing walked forward, took a deep breath, and slapped the Dragon Drum. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Incredibly, he managed to make it sound six times, leaving the onlookers stunned. Tian Xing himself was ecstatic, but his joy was short-lived. Six waves of recoil force stacked together and surged toward him like a charging dragon. He was instantly knocked flying, coughing up blood.

He had failed. He couldn’t withstand the force.

"Heavens, even Tian Xing was defeated?" the surrounding crowd exclaimed. They knew Tian Xing; he was a famous genius, an eight-star Martial General not far from becoming a nine-star Martial General. Yet even he had failed. It seemed passing the elimination round was far more difficult than anyone had imagined.

How could this be? Did I really fail to pass even the first trial of the elimination round? This is too demoralizing... Tian Xing thought in utter despair. He retreated, his spirit crushed.

One after another, the geniuses were eliminated. They were filled with desperation. How could it be like this? Why was it so difficult?

The spectators were in an uproar. "Damn, is this Dragon Drum really that hard to strike? No one has succeeded so far. Is it possible that no one will pass?"

Just then, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Six successive dragon roars thundered across the sky. Then, a purple aura dissipated, and a stairway appeared before the figure who had struck the drum.

"Someone succeeded!"

"Someone’s about to ascend the Dragon Ascending Ladder!"

Everyone exclaimed in shock. "Who is it?"

They all looked toward the front and froze. Was that...?

"The Young Celestial King!"

"It’s the Young Celestial King from the Prince’s Mansion!"

"The Young Celestial King is amazing!" The people around were utterly shocked. Just moments ago, they were saying no one could succeed, but in the blink of an eye, the Young Celestial King had done it.

"The Young Prince is mighty!" the martial artists from the Prince’s Mansion cheered excitedly. "The Young Prince is the first to succeed. This is a cause for celebration!"

The Young Celestial King took a deep breath and strode forward. He was already a nine-star Martial General, and he had later acquired the Blue Lotus Fire from Chu Yue in an exchange. With his father’s help, he had absorbed the fire at an extremely fast pace, and his strength had greatly increased. His cultivation had reached the late stage of the nine-star Martial General realm. Combined with the trump cards he held, he was no weaker than a peak nine-star Martial General.

Even so, this only placed him in the second tier of competitors. The Young Celestial King’s original goal had been the first tier, but that seemed to be out of reach now. Since he had no chance of winning the championship, he would set other records instead. He would be the first person to pass the elimination round. In truth, striking the drum six times wasn’t his limit, but he held back, preserving his strength to become the first to clear the trial. This, too, would make his name known far and wide.

With this thought, the Young Celestial King took a step and began to ascend the Dragon Ascending Ladder.

After him, other top geniuses like Shangguan Hao, Leng Rushuang, Hua Yan, and Mu Jin also made their moves. They successfully struck the Dragon Drum six times and ascended the Dragon Ascending Ladder as well.

BOOM!

Just then, nine successive dragon roars boomed, shaking the very heavens.

The crowd went wild.

Nine dragon roars!

"Heavens! Who is it?"

Someone had actually struck the Dragon Drum nine times! It was unbelievable!

Just who on earth could that be?