Chapter 728: Please Call me Duelist Long Fu!
Let’s turn time back a little, when Zi Di’s group passed and Cai Jing was walking towards the judging panel.
The dragonman youngster had already stood up and left the dueling arena.
He recalled his conversation with Cang Xu.
Cang Xu’s gaze was indistinct, “The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps lacks people in the Alchemy Guild, since there aren’t any, let’s build one.”
“However, selecting Cai Jing as the core of this faction is not enough.”
“Jiu Jin and Da Bei aren’t much help; they aren’t truly core members of the high class.”
“If I were the Alchemy Guild President, I would have many ways of dealing with those with merits.”
“Therefore, we need this new faction to truly take root.”
Zi Di asked, “How should that be done?”
Cang Xu looked at the dragonman youngster.
The dragonman youngster’s mind stirred somewhat, “Speak, what do you need me to do?”
A smile crept into Cang Xu’s face, “Become a duelist, Lord Commander.”
The young man and lady were equally shocked.
Zi Di cried out in surprise, “How can that be done?”
Cang Xu’s smile grew, and he asked, “Are you not capable of it? Lord Commander, you can deceive even the Main Earth Elemental God to save Xiao Guai. Is it a question if you can deceive a nonexistent Dueling God?”
He had another thing to say but didn’t – the dragonman youngster had done repeated blasphemous prayers and obtained many divine blessings from Charming Blue’s Godhead. There was no reason he would falter against an incomplete Dueling Godhead.
The dragonman youngster sank into contemplation.
From his level of skill, becoming a duelist was no problem at all.
In addition, his memory forgery was proficient too. He was also quite experienced in blasphemous prayers and sacrifices.
“Look at Long Meng and the others, there are a few factors to become a duelist.”
“First is strength.”
“Second is being involved in duels.”
“Third is identifying oneself with duels from the bottom of one’s heart.”
“Strength is not a major factor, because as long as one is a transcendent, one can become a duelist. It’s just that low level transcendents aren’t qualified to set up a tombstone on Tranquil Hill’s summit.”
“In fact, the faith of ordinary people is a required thing for gods. According to the principle we can surmise that ordinary people can also become duelists. It’s just that in the Ice Sculpture dueling arenas, it is mostly transcendents contesting each other, while ordinary people are seldom seen in the arena.”
“The second factor is dueling activity. Each duelist has done many duels; this is a universal characteristic.”
“However, as a matter of fact, the second and third factors are essentially the same – it is faith!”
“Duels are themselves a sacrifice to the Dueling God. And acknowledgement of duels is faith unto itself.”
“Therefore, through forged memories and deception spell, you can disguise your faith.”
“With this foundation, you are likely to obtain the god’s summon and gain the choice to enter the Dueling Divine Domain!”
This speculation was something the dragonman youngster had considered before now.
In fact, since returning to Ice Sculpture Island, he had pondered this very matter.
Through this theory, he could immediately become a duelist!
But he hadn’t done so.
Because it was too dangerous!
Now faced with Cang Xu, the dragonman youngster let out his past concern, “If I become a duelist, it is likely I can enter and exit the Dueling Divine Domain, land on the top of Tranquil Hill and see those tombstones.”
“If that happens, the other duelists might become violent and proceed to gang up and attack me!”
“I am very worried that this move will provoke them too much. Therefore, previously I chose to pretend not to notice Mi Fang’s true identity and deliberately let him live.”
Cang Xu shook his head, “Lord Commander, I disagree with you in this respect.”
“Under the current situation, if you become a duelist, the other duelists won’t beleaguer you.”
Zi Di was puzzled, “If I were a duelist, I would definitely be worried about my identity and also Tranquil Hill being exposed by the newly arrived Commander. I would positively attack first!”
Cang Xu shook his head, asking a crucial question, “Miss Zi Di, do you feel that the duelists would expose Tranquil Hill of their own accord?”
Zi Di’s mind shook, realizing she had sunk into a misconception.
The duelists would never divulge the secret of the Dueling Divine Domain or Tranquil Hill!
The main reason was faith.
Faith was a unifying ideology.
Since faith had reached a set standard, would duelists, who acknowledged it from the heart, leak the pertinent secrets?
But then again, it was precisely because when one’s acknowledgement made it impossible to leak secrets that those who reached it were chosen to be duelists!
Cang Xu’s tone was pensive, “The current gold level duelists are a mixed bunch. The biggest faction is from a military background. What about the others?”
“Mi Fang is a human, a son-in-law of the Jing Xiang Clan. He Gai Tou was once a prisoner of Ice Prison and is currently running gambling houses. Yun Zhong is easygoing and has refused Mian Li Zang’s offers many times. Zhu Gan likes to fish all over the world; Qing Hong Yan is a rabbitman…
“If the royal family limited the duelists to those with a military background, we could understand why. But Mi Fang and the other outsiders?”
“Have they ever leaked these secrets?”
“The answer is no.”
“The power of faith is formidable, and from it, one’s thinking is altered and restricted. I believe they have never thought about exposing Tranquil Hill and the Dueling Divine Domain. They are like members of a happy family, unlikely to think of backstabbing their own parents.”
“This point is also proven by the Imperial Secret Spy Agency’s response.”
“The Imperial Secret Spy Agency has repeatedly tried to spy on Tranquil Hill and has failed repeatedly. This was why Lan Zao made comparatively large progress this time.”
“The Imperial Secret Spy Agency’s information gathering abilities are absolutely the best on the Main Plane. Yet even they are helpless in this aspect; this proves that the duelists all guard this secret.”
“This is their common and tacit understanding! It is the greatest place where they identify with each other.”
“If the Lord Commander’s disguise works, and he enters Tranquil Hill and becomes a duelist, the others will believe our commander won’t leak secrets, and that kind of trust hinges on how tightly they guard those same secrets.”
When Zi Di heard this, her eyes lit up, “So, it isn’t a big provocation?”
Cang Xu grunted, and nodded, “Definitely not as big as the Lord Commander exposing his saint level qualifications.”
The dragonman youngster facepalmed.
Zi Di blinked, and defended him, “The facts are already set in stone, it’s too late to say anything about it. Since the Lord Commander has already exposed his saint level qualifications, sooner or later, he will be targeted. We might as well become duelists to give the others a shock! Let it be payback for these treacherous people who always deal with us in the dark!”
Cang Xu continued, “Of course, simply relying on faith is not completely secure. Because faith can change, and people in this secular world belong to all kinds of factions.”
“Therefore, it is very possible that those picked to become duelists and enter into Dueling Divine Domain should be bound by some divine spell contract.”
“Thus, when the Lord Commander becomes a duelist and goes into the Dueling Divine Domain, the newcomer should be enticed and placated.”
“In more detail.” The dragonman youngster pressed.
Cang Xu explained, “Tranquil Hill’s duelists are actually in a similar situation to the Alchemy Guild.”
“Although they are a collective, their internal structure is a mess, and apart from the military faction, there is no other mature faction.”
“The ones actually dealing with us are the military background duelists. We killed Teng Dong Lang, the Axe Gang Leader, Jia Bing, and Lin. The loss of four gold levels produced a very deep enmity that is hard to thoroughly mediate, but it can be alleviated. We have the corpses of three of the gold levels.”
“As for the others…”
“Can we turn Mi Fang into a friend? I have come to see Mi Fang as weak. It is completely possible to pressure him, then use benefits to move him.”
“Zhu Gan and Yun Zhong have not attacked us, and are naturally undisciplined and free, we can peacefully coexist with them.”
“He Gai Tou helped Bing Yang play a dirty trick on us, and I reckon he is close to the military faction. But that doesn’t matter, his gambling houses are huge businesses, and that is his actual weak spot!”
“The most crucial person is Long Meng.”
“Long Meng decided to show benevolence, and he called over the Lord Commander to give him practical assistance. Does he really just admire you Lord Commander? Or is there a feeling from deep within his heart that stems from his high longing for duels and the arrogance of his draconic nature that drives him to mold a powerful enemy that will increase his thrill in battle?”
“There is another possibility, is Long Meng trying to rope in the Lord Commander? Is he investing in the future where the Lord Commander could become a duelist?”
The dragonman youngster’s eyes shined, Cang Xu’s words were like lightning that split open the dense fog in his brain.
Cang Xu then said, “Long Meng is a dragonman, his racial identity already proves much.”
“I surmise that apart from the royal family being involved with the duelists, the White Dragon King might be involved too. Long Meng might be their arrangement.”
Cang Xu sighed, “The Ice Sculpture Kingdom has three saint levels, the King, the Royal Grand Magician, and the White Dragon King.”
“What is the relationship and contest of benefits between these three? Is the contract of alliance between the royal family and the White Dragon Clan robust? Is the Dueling Godhead precious enough to create cracks in their alliance?”
“In short, the Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s political atmosphere is very subtle. This can be seen when Da Han attacked. During the naval battle, none of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s three saint levels appeared.”
“Even now, the pirates are still devastating the kingdom’s coastal waters.”
Cang Xu’s political acumen was simply unparalleled!
His analysis of human nature was even more profound.
Due to his proposal, the dragonman youngster forged the relevant memories and designed the corresponding prayer.
After Zi Di advanced, the young man needed to act.
“Dueling God, my Lord, my Paramount.”
“The intertwined snowy peaks and glaciers, the inexhaustible wind and frost, hide Your divine domain from view. Oh, Dueling God, Your honor travels through time with resplendent radiance.”
“It is You who lets heroic swords clash together, You who bestows tenacious shields.”
“Under Your protection, warriors notice the fountainhead of strength in the light of dawn, and the windstorm of war turns into a breezing fight.”
“In Your almightiness, You forged the order of duels, each sandpit turns into an arena where the brave refine with fire and allow former enemies to turn hostility into friendship under Your awe-inspiring gaze.”
“Under Your holy gaze, I recount Your sacred creed like a poem in every duel. Hereto I pray that You let this pious one immerse himself in Your glorious favor. Please let me into Your everlasting Dueling Kingdom, let me become one of Your holy warriors that will eternally protect Your honor and power.”
The dragonman youngster kowtowed, silently praying.
After silently praying two or three times, there was spatial fluctuation.
A Divine Domain Descent spell!
This time, it wasn’t Charming Blue’s divine power driving it but Dueling divine power.
The descent spell enveloped the dragonman youngster, producing both a familiar and unfamiliar feeling.
As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw the floor tiles had become hilly rocks.
He gradually stood up straight and straightened his chest. The sound of the wind surrounded his ears, but the cold air couldn’t conceal his fiery red dragon scales.
He looked around and saw he was already at Tranquil Hill’s summit.
Two gold level auras were wildly dashing towards the dragonman youngster.
Today, it was Gu Dong’s and Yi Jiu’s turn to be on duty.
Shuang Lian’s deployment of alchemy puppets as well as gold level elementals had stormed in and nearly taken Tranquil Hill.
Since then, Mei Lin made it so there was no longer just one gold level duelist posted, but two.
Gu Dong and Yi Jiu were several hundred meters away from the dragonman youngster when they stopped moving.
Both of their eyes were equally opened wide.
They had reacted to a newcomer coming in, and with pleasant surprise, they ran over, but as they got closer, they sensed the dragonman youngster’s transcendent aura.
“This transcendent aura, it seems a bit familiar!” The two felt things were far from good.
Eventually, when they saw the rightful owner, the two’s hearts immediately sank to rock bottom.
“Crap! It’s Long Fu?!”
“That’s absurd, how can it be him? It really is him!!”
Gu Dong stood in place flabbergasted; he was a soldier and had an honest temperament. Then as he saw the duelists coming in to mix with Long Fu, he couldn’t wrap his head around it.
What’s going on, it seemed like…an enemy suddenly turned into one of them?
Yi Jiu narrowed his eyes; he was a thief. He had a very flexible bottom line and could accept Long Fu becoming a duelist.
But he did attack the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, killing their only “magicians” at the time.
Long Fu was the comrade of his victims.
“He didn’t know about us duelists, and now he has been chosen and has appeared on the top of Tranquil Hill…those tombstones are the best evidence!” Yi Jiu’s heart beat wildly.
The dragonman youngster was unable to take his eyes off the tombstones, constantly taking measure of the names written on them.
Then a good while later, he slowly turned around to look at Gu Dong and Yi Jiu.
“You two, it looks like you can give me an explanation?” He appeared to understand somewhat, vigilantly looking towards Gu Dong and Yi Jiu, simultaneously revealing feelings of indignity, suspicion, and other intense moods.
“We’re finished, he noticed!” Gu Dong and Yi Jiu were equally dark.
Gu Dong had terrible eloquence and didn’t speak.
Yi Jiu had a dry mouth and tongue, saying after a good while, “This place is my God’s divine domain. The Dueling Divine Domain. Tranquil Hill is my Lord’s holy land, I believe you have heard of the legend of Tranquil Hill Sire Long Fu.”
“You know me?” The dragonman youngster asked.
Yi Jiu squeezed out a smile, using a touch of praise, “Of course, you are currently a household name nationwide, a dueling star.”
“You being selected by my Lord to become a duelist is also reasonable.”
As he said that, Yi Jiu signaled Gu Dong with his eyes.
Gu Dong was in a daze, fundamentally incapable of comprehending Yi Jiu’s intent.
Yi Jiu couldn’t help but give him a disdainful look, he was then forced to say, “Lord Long Fu, don’t be tense, this holy land is safe.”
He decided to steady the dragonman youngster first, he didn’t want to fight the dragonman youngster.
More importantly, he had to immediately transmit the news out.
He shouldn’t be the explainer or host.
How to explain it all to Long Fu was troublesome, Yi Jiu was overwhelming thinking about it, so he decided to leave it to another.
The duelists could draw support from their shared faith for urgent communications; they just needed to expend divine favor to do so.
Very quickly, the explosive news that the dragonman youngster became a duelist and was already on the summit of Tranquil Hill was passed into each duelist’s mind. Through the duelists, this was rapidly reported to the high level powers behind them.
The dragonman youngster sized up the horizon with rapt attention, and after a good while, he suddenly left.
“Huh?! Lord Long Fu, where are you going?” Yi Ju promptly inquired.
Gu Dong was standing silently in the path of where the dragonman youngster was headed.
The dragonman youngster narrowed his eyes and began to emit a dangerous aura, his finger pointing at a lofty tower, “That magician tower looks just like Honey Snow Tower? So as it turns out, Shuang Lian and my corps’ Bu Quan have fallen into this place?!”
Yi Jiu’s eye twitched.
Concerning this event, he had participated in the entire thing.
“Calm down, Lord Long Fu, please calm down a little, don’t be impulsive.” Said Yi Jiu.
The dragonman youngster stared at Gu Dong, coldly shouting, “You want to intercept me? Are you sure you want to do that?”
Gu Dong was already coldly sweating all over.
The pressure on him was too much.
Despite Long Fu showing off his battle strength in duels, it hadn’t been excessive. But the duelists had reached a consensus that Long Fu was very dangerous. He had a mysterious method that effortlessly slew Jia Bing and two others. When the scene was investigated, the three gold levels didn’t show a trace of resistance!
Thanks, Zong Ge.
His blustering tactics always had a massive deterrence effect.
When the dragonman youngster confronted Yi Jiu and Gu Dong, he was able to dominate both without even attacking.
“Oh dear, I’d better explain.” After space undulated, a voice was heard.
The dragonman youngster turned around to see Long Meng.
“Sire Long Meng.” The dragonman youngster stared at him, his dangerous aura dwindling, “I also saw your name on the tombstones.”
Long Meng nodded, smiling at the young man, “As you saw, I am just like you – a Dueling God holy warrior!”
“Dueling God? What is all this about?” The dragonman youngster played the role of a greenhorn.
Long Meng took measure of the dragonman youngster, his eyes revealing his admiration, “Although I was mentally prepared for this, believing that you could become a duelist, Long Fu, you were chosen far sooner than I expected.”
He then sighed, “I know you have many doubts, so I happened to find another friend to explain things. Allow me to save you from misunderstandings caused by gossip, first let’s go to Honey Snow Tower together.”
When Long Meng said that, the young man was genuinely flabbergasted somewhat.
At once, the four left together and hurried to Honey Snow Tower.
After a certain distance, Gu Dong and Yi Jiu halted. After all, these two had once besieged Honey Snow Tower, and to not trigger misunderstandings, they were considerate.
And so, Long Meng and Long Fu slowly approached Honey Snow Tower.
An alarm quickly rang through Honey Snow Tower.
“Enemies, according to scans, it’s two gold level dragonmen fighters!” The tower spirit reported.
Shuang Lian and Bu Quan were resting, and after getting the warning, they immediately got up and entered into the main control room at the top of Honey Snow Tower.
A moment later, master and disciple cried out in alarm simultaneously, “Oh, it’s him!”
“Long Meng (Long Fu)?!”
Shuang Lian and Bu Quan were pleasantly surprised.
Then, master and disciple subconsciously looked at each other.
The atmosphere was a little awkward and bizarre.