MTLNOVEL Chapter 189: The Gathering of Four Geniuses
Chapter 189: The Gathering of Four Geniuses
Xu Lian waited for a while in the private room on the top floor. Soon, he heard light footsteps ascending the stairs. A young woman wearing a goose-yellow dress entered. She was quite pretty, fitting the typical standard of beauty in this world.
In this world, the typical standard of beauty was pale skin, delicate facial features, and a slender figure. For example, Jiang Xianyu, Yang Chan’er, Miao Yueyue, Zhao Yuqing, Zhao Yuhe, and Xiao Mei all fit this type.
Jiang Xianyu and Caixia, on the other hand, were tall and striking, which set them apart from the typical standard.
Pei Zhaoxi was different again, possessing a stunning youthful charm and a distinct personality.
Lin Wan and Yu Qingning had a soft, graceful beauty that reminded one of the women from the Jiangnan region, which was another type.
Huo Xin’er had a sharp, fierce beauty, like a jewel-encrusted dagger.
Jing Se was still youthful and unripe, like a green apple.
If one were to pick the most beautiful among all his companions, it would undoubtedly be Tantai Youxuan. She was perfect in every way – neither too plump nor too thin, with flawless features, figure, and temperament. Aside from her “princess syndrome”, there was truly no flaw to be found in her. The beauty of a royal princess was truly unmatched.
As for Sister Xiya, Xu Lian held her in a unique place in his heart, filled with both respect and love. She was incomparable and could not be compared to other women.
“Shui Yingyue, the number one genius of Yunzhou Prefecture, the leading figure of the younger generation of the Shui family, at the third stage of the Great Grandmaster realm.”
The woman in the goose yellow dress walked under the funnel and began to let the rain fall on her.
“…” Xu Lian was taken aback. This was the first time he had encountered someone who introduced themselves in such a manner – completely devoid of humility, or perhaps it was confidence?
As if reading his thoughts, Shui Yingyue said, “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not boasting. I just want you to know my strength so that you can understand why I have the qualifications to invite you to the Hundred Boats Secret Realm.”
So that’s what she meant… Xu Lian nodded. “The Owl Quarry Patrol Inspector in Green Bamboo Town is your Earth Flesh doppelganger, right?”
Although it was almost certain, he still wanted to confirm it.
Shui Yingyue replied, “That’s right.”
Xu Lian was confused. “Isn’t it the case that everyone in the Yi Sect enters the sect through doppelgangers, and their identities are kept secret? Aren’t you afraid of causing trouble by revealing your identity like this?”
Shui Yingyue said, “I don’t have any enemies in the Yi Sect, so what trouble could there be? Besides, would you reveal my identity?”
Xu Lian shook his head. “Of course not. We have no grievances, so I have no reason to do that.”
Shui Yingyue smiled. “Then it’s settled, isn’t it?”
Xu Lian thought about it and realized that she was right. Secrecy was relative, not absolute. Letting a few people know your identity could help build trust.
Xu Lian asked, “Besides me, who are the other two?”
Shui Yingyue replied, “You will find out soon. I’ll introduce them to you one by one.”
Xu Lian didn’t press further and began to drink tea with her. The tea, of course, was brewed with rainwater and had a cool, minty flavor.
Not long after, they heard footsteps ascending the stairs.
A young man dressed in luxurious robes entered.
“Xiang Chengxing, a young genius from Daze Prefecture. He once won first place in the Daze Prefecture Youth Competition held every thirty years. Like me, he is also at the third stage of the great grandmaster realm”.
Shui Yingyue introduced the young man in the luxurious robes to Xu Lian.
Then, she introduced the young man to Xu Lian.
Xu Lian bowed slightly. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Xiang Chengxing returned the gesture and smiled. “Saying ‘I’ve heard a lot about you’ is too polite. I doubt you’ve ever heard of me, Brother Xu. On the other hand, your name has spread far and wide.
You defeated many geniuses in the capital of the Yin Dynasty and became the consort of the royal princess of the Yin Dynasty. Your reputation has even reached Daze Prefecture.”
Xu Lian said, “It was just luck. The true top tier geniuses wouldn’t deign to enter a competition to become a royal consort. They would find it beneath them to compete for such a title. That’s why I was able to take the opportunity.”
This wasn’t modesty, it was the truth. The true top-tier geniuses would never participate in such a “demeaning” competition because the forces behind them were on an equal footing with the Yin Dynasty. Why would they enter a competition to become a royal consort?
It would make more sense for princesses from different countries to compete against each other, with the winner becoming their consort. However, this was also unrealistic because the Yin Dynasty and other countries all considered themselves the rightful rulers of the world. How could they allow their princes to compete in such a way?
Therefore, top geniuses wouldn’t lower themselves to compete for the title of royal consort, and princesses from various countries wouldn’t lower themselves to marry top geniuses. As a result, there was little interaction between them, and it was often the second- or third-tier geniuses who ended up becoming royal consorts.
Xu Lian and Xiang Chengxing exchanged a few polite compliments and quickly got to know each other.
After waiting for about half an hour, the last genius invited by Shui Yingyue arrived.
This was a young king, about the same age as Xu Lian, but his cultivation aura was comparable to Shui Yingyue and Xiang Chengxing, if not slightly stronger.
Shui Yingyue stood up and introduced him. “Ye Beining, the eldest son of the mayor of Wuguang City, wielder of the Splitting Sky Sword, and an honorary student of the Sword Pavilion. At just seventeen years old, he has reached the fourth stage of the Great Grandmaster Realm”.
Behind the young king, a beautiful girl followed, respectfully holding an ancient long sword. From her aura, she seemed similar to Huo Xin’er, undoubtedly a sword attendant assigned to an honorary disciple of the Sword Pavilion.
Ye Beining pulled out a chair under the eaves, seemingly annoyed by the rain. “Sister Shui, don’t just introduce me. Introduce these two as well. Let’s see if they are worthy of being my teammates.”
This single sentence made Xiang Chengxing and Xu Lian feel slightly uncomfortable. Perhaps due to his early fame, Ye Beining didn’t know how to restrain himself. His sharp edges accidentally hurt others.
“Don’t worry, Young Master Ye. I’ll introduce them,” Shui Yingyue said, introducing Xiang Chengxing and Xu Lian one by one.
After listening, Ye Beining frowned slightly. “Xiang Chengxing is passable. Being at the third stage of the Great Grandmaster realm, he can barely qualify as my teammate. But this Xu Lian isn’t even a great grandmaster. What use can he be to our team?”
The sword attendant behind Ye Beining couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Xiang Chengxing felt a little uncomfortable. After all, he was a top genius from Daze Prefecture’s once-in-thirty-year competition. Was he only barely qualified to be a teammate? Ye Beining’s standards were too high.
However, Xu Lian was unfazed. With eight progression points at his disposal, he could advance to the eighth stage of the Great Grandmaster realm as soon as he had the necessary materials. This gave him confidence. As long as he wasn’t embarrassed, the embarrassment belonged to others… He took a sip of tea to calm himself down.
Shui Yingyue quickly added more information about Xu Lian. “Xu Lian not only won the royal consort selection competition in the capital, he is also an honorary disciple of the Sword Pavilion.”
This surprised Ye Beining. Anyone recognized by the Sword Pavilion as an honorary disciple must possess a legendary sword and have immense potential, far beyond that of an ordinary genius.
Ye Beining thought for a moment and said, “Being an honorary disciple of the Sword Pavilion only means that you have a famous sword and a decent sword talent. However, when you compete for a spot in the Hundred Boat Secret Realm, you can’t use your famous sword. Talent alone won’t help. What’s tested is your current fighting ability. If you can’t even secure a boat, what’s the point of entering the secret realm?”
He looked at Xu Lian. “I’m not targeting you. I’m just stating the facts. I came here to form a team to enter the Hundred Boat Secret Realm, not to make friends. Besides, as fellow honorary disciples of the Sword Pavilion, we’ll inevitably clash when competing for the Sword Emperor’s legacy.”
Shui Yingyue couldn’t help but frown. She had indeed overlooked something when she invited Xu Lian. She had only considered his recent victory in the royal consort selection competition and his status as an honorary disciple of the Sword Pavilion, which had brought him considerable fame. She hadn’t considered the fact that Xu Lian hadn’t reached the Great Grandmaster realm yet.
After all, those who competed for the Hundred Boat Secret Realm were mostly top geniuses at the level of Great Grandmaster. Xu Lian’s lack of Great Grandmaster cultivation would be a disadvantage for the team.
However, she had already invited him. Asking him to leave now would offend him, and with the opening of the Hundred Boats Secret Realm soon, she didn’t have much time to invite other top-tier geniuses.
Xu Lian knew that it was time to make his stance clear to avoid being seen as a burden. He asked, “How long until the Hundred Boats Secret Realm opens?”
Shui Yingyue wasn’t sure why he was asking. “The exact time is not certain. It’s supposed to open once every thousand years, but there’s always a delay or advance of a few days. It should open within the next ten days.”
Xu Lian nodded slightly. “Alright. Within five days, I will advance to the Great Grandmaster realm.”
Shui Yingyue’s eyes lit up. “Have you reached the threshold of the ninth stage of the Grandmaster realm?”
Xu Lian replied, “You could say that.”
Shui Yingyue said, “Then there’s no problem. I’ll arrange accommodations for the three of you later. Rest for the night. Starting tomorrow, the elders of the Shui family will train our team to improve our coordination.”
Ye Beining opened his mouth, wanting to say that even if Xu Lian advanced to the great grandmaster realm, he would only be at the first stage, which was still relatively low. However, considering that the secret realm would open in just a few days and there was no time to find a suitable replacement, he decided not to say anything. At the very least, Xu Lian advancing to the Great Grandmaster realm was better than remaining below it.