Chapter 3267: The Prodigy Arena

“Me too.”

As soon as Huan’er’s voice fell, Duan Ling Tian also received a message from the Sword Trial Pavilion elder.

The Sword Trial Pavilion elder had informed Duan Ling Tian that the prodigious disciple between the 200-to-300-year-old age group who was ranked last had agreed to battle him in the Heavenly Pool Palace’s Prodigy Arena after three days. Since Duan Ling Tian was the challenger, he did not have the right to choose the time. If he failed to show up during the fight, it would be ruled as him forfeiting the fight.

“My fight with that prodigy is in three days. What about you?” Duan Ling Tian asked Huan’er curiously.

“Mine is in ten days,” Huan’er replied.

…

Three days passed in just a blink of an eye.

Just as Duan Ling Tian and Huan’er were about to leave Xu Lang’s place, a voice rang in the distance.

“Hey, Little Junior Brother! Wait for me!”

Duan Ling Tian stopped in his tracks and turned around. He saw a fat man dressed in a long green robe flying toward him at this moment. For someone his size, the fat man was rather quick.

In a blink of an eye, three days had passed. While Duan Ling Tian and Huan’er were preparing to leave Xu Lang’s cultivation ground, suddenly a voice rang from the distance. “Hey! Little Junior Brother, wait for me!”

“Sixth Senior Brother, how may I help you?”

The fat man was none other than Hong Fei, Xu Lang’s sixth disciple.

“Little Junior Brother, I heard you have a battle in the Prodigy Arena today! How can I be absent from your fight? I’m not like your other seniors. They’re all friendly to you, but during critical times, they’re nowhere to be seen!” Hong Fei said righteously with a straight face before he laughed.

“Senior Brother Hong Fei, how did you know I’m going to battle a prodigious disciple today?” Duan Ling Tian was surprised. After all, he had just received word about this from the Sword Trial Pavilion elder three days ago.

“Little Junior Brother, whenever anyone challenges a prodigious disciple, regardless if it was to become a prodigious disciple or to improve their ranking, the battle would be announced once it’s confirmed. The information would be on public display in the Sword Trial Pavilion. Coincidentally, I saw the announcement for your battle when I went to the Sword Trial Pavilion two days ago,” Hong Fei explained.

“Coincidentally?” Duan Ling Tian looked at Hong Fei and smiled knowingly. “I guess it’s really a coincidence that Senior Brother Hong Fei found out I have a battle against a prodigious disciple today.”

“Alright, I admit it!” Hong Fei knew he had been seen through by Duan Ling Tian so he said seriously, “Little Junior Brother, I was just testing your reaction earlier. Frankly speaking, since you joined us, I’ve been going to the Sword Trial Pavilion to look at the announcements for battles between prodigious disciples. That’s how I know you have an upcoming battle today with Huang Lu Nan, the person who’s ranked last among the prodigious disciples between the ages of 200 and 300.”

Duan Ling Tian only shook his head helplessly. He had seen how shameless Hong Fei could be so he did not believe Hong Fei’s words.

“Little Junior Brother, since you are new to the Heavenly Pool Palace, I’m sure you don’t know the way to the Prodigy Arena, right?” Hong Fei asked when he saw Duan Ling Tian had no intention of continuing that topic.

Duan Ling Tian nodded. “I’m planning to ask for directions.”

“That’s unnecessary. As your senior brother, I’ll lead you there,” Hong Fei said with a smile, “The Prodigy Arena isn’t located on the islands in the Heavenly Pool Palace’s estate. It’s located in the sky about 10 miles north of the Heavenly Pool Palace. There are three rings in the Prodigy Arena that are shared by the Heavenly Pool Palace’s prodigious disciples. Your battle with Huang Lu Nan is the only battle today. Anyway, although you’re unknown because you’ve just joined the palace, and Huang Lu Nan’s not particularly popular since he’s ranked last among his peers, there would still be many disciples coming to watch the battle! However, usually, it’s the ordinary disciples who would come to watch. Prodigious disciples rarely show up.”

They continued to chat until they finally arrived at the place that was 10 miles north of the Heavenly Pool Palace. On the way over, just as Hong Fei had said, they saw many disciples who were also making their way to the Prodigy Arena to watch the battle.

At this moment, a slightly displeased expression appeared on Hong Fei’s face as he said, “I, Hong Fei, can be considered rather well-known in the Heavenly Pool Palace. I didn’t expect these disciples not to recognize me!” He was rather unhappy that none of the disciples had greeted him.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The trio finally stopped moving once they entered the Heavenly Pool Palace’s Prodigy Arena.

The Prodigy Arena was suspended in the air and had three battle rings on three respective levels. A stone tablet with the words ‘Prodigy Arena’ could be seen in the middle of the arena.

At this moment, there were at least 100 people who had already gathered in the arena. Moreover, it seemed like the number was still increasing.

While Duan Ling Tian studied the Prodigy Arena, a disciple greeted Hong Fei enthusiastically, “Senior Brother Hong Fei!”

Hong Fei nodded. He was delighted that someone finally recognized him! The gloomy expression on his face disappeared in just an instant. Unlike how shamelessly he behaved when he was with Duan Ling Tian and Huan’er, his expression was solemn when he responded to the disciple.

Meanwhile, a few disciples standing nearby shifted their eyes to Hong Fei when they heard the disciple greeting him.

“He’s Hong Fei?”

“He’s the weakest among all the prodigious disciples under Xu Lang, the Verdant Prairie Celestial Emperor, right?”

“If I’m not mistaken, Hong Fei is ranked last in the 600-to-700-year-old age group. He has been kicked out of the Prodigy Ranking a few times, and it’d take a while before he made his way into the ranking again.”

“Nevertheless, since he’s capable of making his way back into a ranking, it means he qualifies as a prodigious disciple.”

Although the disciples discussed in whispered voices, their conversation clearly entered Duan Ling Tian and Huan’er’s ears. Both of them exchanged a look immediately as a small smile appeared on their faces.

On the other hand, Hong Fei’s expression darkened immediately when he heard the disciples whispering behind his back. He said angrily, “You foul-mouthed b*stards! If you have the guts, why don’t you fight me in the Prodigy Arena? I’ll take on a few of you at a time. If you can withstand three strikes from me, I’ll take it as a loss!”

The disciples froze, feeling embarrassed and at a loss over what to do when they realized Hong Fei had overheard their discussion.

“Hong Fei… Aren’t you ashamed to be making a fuss over the ordinary disciples?” A loud and high-pitched laughter rang from the distance at this moment, helping the disciples to extricate themselves from the embarrassing situation.

Soon enough, a skinny young man, the extreme opposite of Hong Fei’s large and fleshy body, appeared in front of them.

“Liu Jian, why are you here?” Hong Fei cocked an eyebrow when he saw the skinny young man. He did not expect to meet this person here.

At the same time, Hong Fei sent a Voice Transmission to Duan Ling Tian. “Little Junior Brother, this is Liu Jian. We’re in the same age group. I’m ranked 10th while he’s ranked 9th. However, if it wasn’t because I was unlucky previously, I would’ve defeated him and ranked 9th instead!”

Duan Ling Tian did not take Hong Fei’s words seriously. After all, he knew Hong Fei liked to boast and joke around. Naturally, he knew Hong Fei meant no harm with his jokes. In the end, he did not expose Hong Fei and just nodded imperceptibly in response.

“I accompanied my junior brother here. After all, my junior brother, Huang Lu Nan, will be battling your junior brother,” Liu Jian said. After a brief pause, he continued to say, “I just found out that the new disciple, Duan Ling Tian, who challenged my junior brother is now a student of your teacher, Lord Xu Lang, the Verdant Prairie Celestial Emperor. So, this must be Duan Ling Tian, right?” After he finished speaking, he shifted his gaze to Duan Ling Tian as he smiled disdainfully.

“Are you looking down on my Little Junior Brother?” Hong Fei asked in a lowered voice as a frown appeared on his face immediately when he saw the disdainful smile on Liu Jian’s face.

“I’m not looking down on him… However, he’s a newbie. Even if he’s talented, he should measure his strength before challenging a prodigious disciple,” Liu Jian said airily, “A battle with a prodigious disciple isn’t easy, after all. If he loses, he might be so traumatized that he doesn’t dare to challenge another prodigious disciple again. Lord Xu Lang has seven disciples now. Out of the seven, five of them are outstanding. Initially, there’s only you, Hong Fei, the loser…” Liu Jian said. Then, he glanced at Duan Ling Tian and the disdainful smile on his face grew bigger as he said, “However, now, there’s one more loser…”

“Preposterous!” Hong Fei was furious.

Duan Ling Tian’s eyes narrowed for a second before he looked at Liu Jian with a faint smile on his face as he said, “It would’ve been better for you to keep these words to yourself until your junior brother, Huang Lu Nan, defeats me. Now that you’ve said these words, it’d be embarrassing for you if the outcome is different from what you expected.”

“That’s right!” Hong Fei chimed in indignantly.

“Embarrassing?” Liu Jian was briefly taken aback by Duan Ling Tian’s words. When he recovered his senses, he laughed. “Boy, you seem pretty confident. However, there has never been a lack of new Heavenly Pool Palace disciples who are overconfident. However, in the end, they were always beaten to a pulp.” His eyes glinted coldly when he reached the end of his words.