Chapter 119: Making a Name, A Genius Emerging Midway

“Reaching the sixth level of Martial Sovereign before the age of thirty—my heavens, such power is truly defying the heavens!”
“I believe this time Kunlun is steadily securing its place, firmly seated as the number one!”
“Remarkable indeed! The new generation surpassing the old—when I was thirty, I had barely reached the seventh level of Martial Saint. Now, at the age of one hundred and nine, I have only attained the second level of Martial Sovereign!”

The crowd murmured in awe, clearly shaken and amazed by the news.

Then, Section Chief Seven spoke again:
“Besides Xuanyuan Lingyu, the heirs of several other sects in the martial world are also quite formidable.”
“There’s Ouyang Xiaobai, the successor of the Emperor of Blades, whose power is said to have surpassed the fourth level of Martial Sovereign! Moreover, having received the true teachings of the Blade Emperor, he can hold his own even in battles beyond his rank!”
“Heavens, nowadays, how can the youth be so powerful? While the spiritual energy on Earth grows ever more scarce, they seem to be defying natural growth!”
“A generation of heroes emerging—this is naturally a blessing for our Huaxia! If anyone’s to blame… it’s us old-timers, growing feeble with age.”
“Section Chief Seven, please continue.”
“Yes!”

“Apart from these two, the young master of the Divine Water Palace, Tie Xinlan; the young master of Kongtong, Ning Gucheng; and the young palace master of the Absolute God Hall, Guo Quan, have all surpassed the Martial Sovereign level.”
“Many small sects also harbor strong individuals, but there’s no need to list them all here. Everyone understands well—the real highlights of the Hundred Sects Contest lie with those mentioned earlier!”
“Seems this Hundred Sects Contest might be even more thrilling than those before! So many talented young heroes, truly astonishing!”
“The Divine Water Palace and Kongtong sects will surely climb the ranks swiftly! Everyone is striving upward, which is a great boon for Huaxia! With such talents multiplying, how could Huaxia fail to flourish?”

The assembly nodded in agreement, thoroughly satisfied with the current intelligence.

But after a pause, Section Chief Seven resumed:
“This Hundred Sects Contest is indeed fraught with uncertainties. Take Guigu, one of the three mysterious sects of the martial world—they seem to be participating this time!”
“Oh? Guigu is taking part?”
“Hasn’t Guigu always been closed off, indifferent to worldly affairs?”
“Heh heh heh… I suppose they can’t bear to remain idle any longer. Finally, they’re joining the contest to gain fame and attract disciples.”

“That’s right! Among the three mysterious sects, the Medicine King Valley runs numerous pharmacies in the mortal realm and boasts many medical experts. The Jiuxuan Sect has many feng shui masters roaming the world. Both of these sects are well-funded and can sustain themselves easily. Only Guigu…”
“Guigu can neither read feng shui nor treat illness. How can they be ranked alongside the other two mysterious sects? It’s utterly laughable!”
“The only notable feat I recall for Guigu is when they once defeated Medicine King Valley, and that victory has been wildly exaggerated!”
“Regardless, their boldness in joining this time shows they still have some courage. Be it success or failure, courage deserves recognition.”

The crowd shook their heads, snickering.

Recognition for courage? More like pity for Guigu, giving them a bit of face!
In this world, heroes are judged not by courage but by results!
Guigu might be worthy of some sympathy, but respect? That’s out of the question!
A sect that has hidden away for a millennium behind closed doors—what merit do they have for respect?

“All right! This meeting is adjourned. Don’t linger too long in the capital. The Hundred Sects Contest has begun; everyone should return promptly and keep a close watch. Meeting dismissed!”

No sooner had the words fallen than a young agent from the Dragon Division burst in hurriedly.

The chief elder and the grand adjudicator, presiding over the meeting, furrowed their brows.

“Rascal! This is a confidential meeting. What gave you the audacity to barge in? Do you know this is a grave offense?”

The Dragon Division agent trembled and quickly dropped to the ground, stammering nervously:
“Jiangzhou… there is… an urgent matter to report!”

“What urgent matter warrants such panic? How do you think you’re preserving the honor of the Dragon Division?”
“Chief Elder, Grand Adjudicator, it truly is urgent!”

“Speak then. If it’s nothing serious, prepare for a severe punishment!”

“Yes! Reporting, Chief Elder—Kongtong has been destroyed!”

The room instantly fell into a suffocating silence.

After a moment, the chief elder slammed his fist on the table, rising abruptly.

“How is this possible? Kongtong lies in the northwest, surrounded by no threats capable of destroying it! Who could have wiped out Kongtong?”

“Moreover, the Hundred Sects Contest has just begun—less than twenty-four hours in—and they’ve already destroyed Kongtong? Do you take Kongtong for some insignificant minor sect?”

The grand adjudicator frowned slightly.
“Jiangzhou? Kongtong is in the northwest. Why is this urgent report coming from Jiangzhou? There must be some hidden truth here.”

“Reporting, Chief Elder, Grand Adjudicator: Jiangzhou is currently Guigu’s territory. The urgent report was sent by several Dragon Division adjudicators stationed there.”

“Continue.”

Upon hearing the name “Guigu,” the expressions in the room grew solemn.

“Half a month ago, Guigu’s young master personally slew Kongtong’s young master, Ning Gucheng. Kongtong had deployed two hundred thousand troops along the northwest border with Jiangzhou. Then… just last night, as the Hundred Sects Contest began, the two sides clashed! Guigu killed one hundred thousand enemies and captured another one hundred thousand Kongtong disciples. They also killed Kongtong’s sect leader and chief elder. Now, Kongtong flies Guigu’s banner—the Kongtong banner is lowered in surrender! They have already widely circulated notices declaring Kongtong’s submission to Guigu!”

“Who leads Guigu’s forces?”

“Reporting to the Grand Adjudicator, Guigu’s commander is the young master, Ling Xiao. The combatants are all disciples from Guigu’s War God Hall—no elders were involved.”

“Hss~!”

The air fell silent again, unbearably heavy.

Everyone was struck dumb with shock.

Guigu did not deploy its elders—instead, relying solely on a single War God Hall and a young master, they annihilated the entire Kongtong sect. Such power is terrifying beyond measure.

And just moments ago, they had mocked Guigu. Now, that mockery seemed utterly ridiculous.

Not only the Dragon Division, but nearly every other sect received Kongtong’s surrender notice at almost the same time.

On this day, the entire Huaxia martial world fell into silence.

Ling Xiao—the name entered the public consciousness for the first time.

On the very first day of the Hundred Sects Contest, Guigu emerged like a mountain out of nowhere, pressing down on all, leaving them gasping for breath.