<h4>Chapter 201: The Group Battles Begin, Chen Feiyu’s Secret</h4>


    Trantor: Minotauruz


    Once all the group battle participants had gone through the verification process, the panel of referees led the participants from the various Secondary Sects to a sequestered part of thepetition grounds and directed them to stand on a massive formation array.


    Each of these participants possessed an identity token with them that contained the particrs of their personal vitals. The backs of these identity tokens were further marked with each of their sect’s emblems and each was imbued with their sect’s unique seals. There was no way to falsify these tokens.


    This was a confirmation of their identity, and it was also a means of obtaining points during these group battles – as soon as someone else snatched their identity tokens away, that person would be disqualified, and he would be immediately transported to the entrance to the marsnds, while the person who had snatched their identity token would have five points added to his sect’s total score.


    However, in order to prevent the sects from scrambling madly at each other at themencement of these group battles, the massive formation array would send each group of participants to different locations at the marsnds in ordance with the marks on their tokens. Then, it would be entirely up to their luck whether they would encounter other groups over the course of the group battles.


    This way, everything was left up to luck – there was a possibility that a group would not encounter any disciples from other sects over the entire duration of the group battles; yet there was equally a possibility that a group would find themselves attacked by another sect right from the onset.


    The Heavenly Peak had a total of twenty-three disciples, and twenty of these were involved in the present group battles, including Wei Gang.


    “Mar-...Martial sister...I...I’m a little bit nervous.” Wei Gang stuck close to Jun Xiaomo’s side and spoke apprehensively with a scrunched-up face.


    Logically speaking, a person at his cultivation level and with his abilities should never have been selected for these group battles. Thus, Wei Gang had attended thispetition with the sole intention of thoroughly enjoying himself and to cheer his martial brothers and sisters on during their battles.


    Unexpectedly, the old fogeys within the Dawn Sect had tripped up the Heavenly Peak so viciously that they had even forced this young sprout at only the sixth level of Qi Mastery with nobat experience to participate in the group battles.


    He was nearly in tears at his own predicament.


    “Don’t be nervous. Just follow behind us. If there’s any threats we can’t deal with, make sure to protect yourself first.” Jun Xiaomo patted Wei Gang’s head as she consoled him, “We will definitely all make it out alive.”


    After all, wasn’t everything that she had prepared for her martial brothers beforehand done with the hope that everyone would be able to leave these marsnds safely at the end of three days?


    We can do it!


    “But...martial sister, I’m afraid that I would be a burden to you guys.” Wei Gang appeared to be in even greater distress at such a prospect.


    Jun Xiaomo stared at Wei Gang with some measure of exasperation and bemusement as she responded, “Do you think that martial sister had given you those talismans earlier for no good reason? As long as you use them at the appropriate time, these talismans should be more than enough tost you one week. Remember, you have to prioritize self-preservation above all else, understand?”


    Wei Gang scratched his head clumsily as he muttered, “Oh...”


    Jun Xiaomo could understand why Wei Gang was somewhat unsettled by the group battles. After all, Wei Gang was still young and inexperienced. If Jun Xiaomo did not possess a full lifetime of experience under her belt as well, she would hardly be better off than Wei Gang right now.


    Just as they were in the midst of their chatter, the chief referee stood up and dered, “The time has arrived. I invite all participants to stand still within the formation array, and I will be counting down to the activation of the formation array shortly.”


    “Three...”


    “Two...”


    “One, activate!”


    As soon as the chief referee counted down, a faint blue light immediately began to glow from the ground where the participants were standing. Some of the younger participants who had never participated or watched the Secondary Inter-Sect Competition’s group battles before immediately revealed tense and nervous expressions on their faces.


    Then, before they could adjust their own emotions and collect their tense thoughts, the blue light intensified and erupted into the sky. In the blink of an eye, everyone disappeared from where they had earlier been standing. At the same time, arge group of people appeared in mid-air at various different ces within the marsnds. After hovering where they were for a few moments, these people fell straight towards the ground, and several groans and moans resounded across the marsnds.


    Those who had experience with these battles knew that this would happen, so most of them found some way of ensuring that they wouldnd safely and stably on the ground. But those who had never participated in these group battles found themselvespletely caught off guard, and several participants mmed straight into the ground. Some of these participants even discovered for the first time what mud tasted like.


    There were several members of the audience who were younger and less experienced cultivators, and they had only attended the Secondary Inter-Sect Competition to observe its proceedings. When they saw what had happened, and they couldn’t help but cover their mouths and tittle as they found joy in the misery of the participants who had unwittingly mmed into the ground before they could react in time.


    As soon as the participants were teleported to their designated areas within the marsnds, the chief referee waved his hands, and the formation array where the participants had all been located began to shift and transform. Within moments, the formation array created a massive water screen, while a hazy-looking gleaming pearl rose from the center of the screen.


    Then, when the water screen settled down, the gleaming pearl began to shine and project the images on its surface onto the water screen below, disying figure after figure of moving images.


    “Ah! That’s martial brother Ke!”


    “That’s martial brother Song!”


    “I see martial sister Qinglian...”


    Several members of the audience were taken aback at the sight – it turns out that they would be able to observe the entire proceedings of the group battles as well! Furthermore, the audience’s perspective looked as though they were captured through the little identity tokens worn by each participant around their hands.


    That’s right. Apart from being a source of points to other teams, these identity tokens possessed an additional function of being able to capture moving images and projecting them onto the water screen. This was also an additional means of safeguard against cheating during the group battles.


    On the other side, as soon as Jun Xiaomo began to fell, she immediately whipped out and applied a Windsail Talisman on herself, thereby slowing down her fall and allowing her tond safely on the ground.


    Wei Gang was just beside her, and he was hardly as fortunate as he immediately mmed straight into the ground.


    “Argh—” Wei Gang groaned in pain. He had mmed so hard into the ground that his bottom felt like it was practically going to split in two.


    Jun Xiaomo chuckled helplessly as she walked over and extended a hand to him, “Come on, get up.”


    “Thanks, mar—” Wei Gang was just about to thank Jun Xiaomo when he discovered that another hand had extended in front of him even before Jun Xiaomo’s hand had arrived. This hand was muchrger and firmer than Jun Xiaomo’s hand.


    Wei Gang followed the arm and looked up, and he was immediately met with Chen Feiyu’s stoic and stern-looking face.


    Wei Gang’s heart would always tremble slightly whenever he encountered Chen Feiyu. This was because Chen Feiyu’s disposition was far too stern and stoic, and he was practically the spitting image of Jun Linxuan, their master! This was why Wei Gang was far closer to Jun Xiaomo than any of his other martial brothers to begin with.


    Wei Gang was far too mischievous and impish, and he couldn’t withstand the overbearing serious and somber disposition that all of his other martial brothers possessed. Furthermore, Wei Gang found that Chen Feiyu was the strictest and the sternest one among all of his other martial brothers. He was naturally most reticent to interact with Chen Feiyu.


    His heart trembled slightly, and Wei Gang “seriously” thought about it, before he noticed that Chen Feiyu’s gaze was far more oppressive than Jun Xiaomo’s. Thus, he stretched out his arm and took Chen Feiyu’s hands instead.


    With one strong pull, Chen Feiyu pulled Wei Gang back to his feet.


    “Thanks...thanks martial brother Chen.” Wei Gang hung his head low as he timidly thanked his martial brother with a voice as small as a mosquito.


    “No problem.” Chen Feiyu’s voice was almost monotonous, and he turned his gaze directly to Wei Gang as he responded.


    Faced with Chen Feiyu’s gaze, Wei Gang’s head lowered even further, as though he had done something wrong and he was waiting to face the music.


    God knows that I haven’t done anything wrong... Wei Gang bemoaned in his heard with grief.


    Yet it was precisely because Wei Gang’s head had lowered so much that he hadpletely failed to notice the trace of bemusement sh across the depths of Chen Feiyu’s eyes.


    As an observer on the side, Jun Xiaomo raised an eyebrow as she thought in her heart – Was it just an illusion? Howe I get the impression that the atmosphere between martial brother Chen and martial brother Wei seem a little bit...odd?


    Finally, just as Wei Gang was almost certain that Chen Feiyu was going to get at his neck for his clumsiness, Chen Feiyu simply patted his shoulder firmly and walked away.


    Wei Gang heaved a sigh of relief, raised his head and immediately minced his way over to Jun Xiaomo’s side, patting his chest as he remarked, “That really scared me. Martial brother Chen’s aura is getting more and more oppressive over time...”


    Martial brother Chen’s aura is oppressive? Jun Xiaomo nced at Chen Feiyu’s back, before ncing back at Wei Gang as she chuckled lightheartedly, “Howe I get the feeling that you’re particrly afraid of martial brother Chen?”


    “With his fearsome and oppressive aura, how can I not be afraid of him...” Wei Gang chuckled bitterly in response.


    Truth be told, she was hardly fazed by Chen Feiyu’s aura at all. Whether in her previous life or her present life, she had never found Chen Feiyu to have given off a particrly strong or oppressive aura. That said, who couldpare with the oppressiveness of Rong Ruihan’s aura when she first encountered him? Back then, the aura that he released was simply so oppressive that it almost felt like her neck was about to be snapped in half.


    Then, some thoughts shed across her mind, and Jun Xiaomo thought of a different way to test her theories. She quipped, “Then, which do you think is more fearsome – martial brother Chen’s aura or your master’s aura?”


    “Of course it would be master’s aura!” Wei Gang responded without a thought.


    “But from what I can tell, it seems thatpared with your master, you seem to be more afraid of martial brother Chen.” Jun Xiaomo patted Wei Gang’s shoulder as she added, “Perhaps martial brother Chen particrly enjoys to disying his strength in front of you.”


    “Hah? What do you mean?” Wei Gang muttered in exasperation, “Do you mean martial brother Chen enjoys bullying me? That can’t be. With that old, grumpy face of his, how could he be the type of people who enjoy bullying others...”


    Jun Xiaomo rapped his head as she replied enigmatically, “If you don’t understand what I mean, then just forget about it. You’ll understand eventually.”


    “What do you mean by this! I hate this kind of ambiguous responses the most! Don’t make it sound like I’m such a young kid. I’m only two years younger than you, martial sister!!!” Wei Gang made a “two” gesture with his hand as he refuted.


    “So what if you’re only two years younger than me? You’re still young.” Jun Xiaomo turned to leave as she made her riposte.


    Wei Gang skipped clumsily behind her hoping to get some form of answer from Jun Xiaomo, yet Jun Xiaomo kept her mouthpletely sealed shut about the matter.


    Even though she still maintained a bemused expression on her face, her eyes were not filled with amensurate amount of joy.


    This was because a memory of a tragic incident in her previous life had once again surfaced on her mind –


    In the battle which reduced the Heavenly Peak to nothing, Chen Feiyu had been the first one to fall. Back then, he had already attained the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation, and he should never have fallen so easily. Yet the fact of the matter was that he was still the first one to be martyred.


    At that time, the deadly strike had been directed straight at Wei Gang. In the end, it was blocked by Chen Feiyu.


    But once he was felled by this deadly strike, he never got up again.


    Although the night of massacre had urred years and years ago, Jun Xiaomo could never forget a single detail about that incident. She even remembered everyst expression on the faces of these martial brothers and sisters of hers as they perished.


    Jun Xiaomo initially thought that Chen Feiyu had blocked that deadly strike for Wei Gang because he was concerned for a younger martial brother of his. But as things panned out right now, there might well be another reason for his actions.


    Indeed, it was only when a person was so deeply concerned about the wellbeing of another – more than his own life – that he would be willing to respond instinctively despite the risk of death.


    Regardless, no matter what her martial brother Chen’s thoughts were, Jun Xiaomo was determined not to let him meet with the same fate in this present life!


    Chen Feiyu waspletely oblivious to the fact that Jun Xiaomo had already discovered a part of the deepest, darkest secrets of his heart. He walked ahead, meticulously observing his surroundings.


    Ever since Ye Xiuwen fell into the Death’s Gorge and disappeared from the Heavenly Peak, Chen Feiyu naturally became Jun Linxuan’s strongest disciple. That said, his cultivation was still at the eleventh level of Qi Mastery, and he was still one full level away from the bottleneck to the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation.


    Thus,pared with the other sects that were participating in these group battles, the Heavenly Peak’s overall strength was truly considered weak.


    At the very least, each and every other team participating in these group battlesprised of at least one cultivator at the twelfth level of Qi Mastery. There were even some teams that had Foundation Establishment cultivators among them.


    The team of Heavenly Peak disciples stood in particrly stark contrast with the team sent by the Eternal Summit Sect. The Eternal Summit Sect’s teamprised of two disciples who had already broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivation, as well as three disciples at the peak twelfth level of Qi Mastery.


    It was no wonder why several sects felt that the Dawn Sect’s team could only be considered mediocre at best – the overall abilities of their team could hardly evenpare with most of the other small sects around.


    Thus, everyone hardly set the Dawn Sect’s team in their sights, and they concerned themselves more with teams that they found might potentially rival their abilities.


    “Martial brother Chen, have you discovered anything yet?” Jun Xiaomo walked over to Chen Feiyu’s side as she asked.


    “Not at the moment.” Chen Feiyu knitted his brows as he remarked, “I feel that the grounds we’re stepping on is far too firm. It’s hardly anything like the marsnds we’ve always heard about.”


    “I think so too. It would be wise to remain vignt.” Jun Xiaomo responded earnestly.


    Just then, the sound ofbat rang out from afar. Jun Xiaomo and Chen Feiyu exchanged nces, increased their vignce and began to make their way quickly towards where the sound ofbat was travelling from. It didn’t take them too long before they discovered a group of female cultivators dressed in pink duking it out against three or fourrge scorpions.


    “They’re from the Crescentfell Sect!” Jun Xiaomo immediately recognized the identity of the team that was locked inbat.


    Among all the Secondary Sects around, the Crescentfell Sect was the only sect strictly made up of female cultivators. Furthermore, each and every one of their disciples were fairly good-looking, to say the least.


    “Crescentfell Sect?! Isn’t that where Tianyi is from?! Wei Gang hurried over and anxiously craned his neck as he observed the battle that unfolding a distance away.


    Tianyi? Jun Xiaomo paused for a moment, before she finally recalled who “Tianyi” was.


    It was none other than thedy which the crowd was fawning over some time ago, proiming that her abilities were great, and that her beauty was even greater. She was the widely-acimed beauty from Crescentfell Sect that had caused many male cultivators to fall head over heels in love with her. Yet at the same time, when this beauty discovered that Jun Xiaomo was ncing over at her, she made a proud and haughty expression – one that simply deserved a good, tight p to the cheeks.


    Jun Xiaomo’s impression of this “beauty” was hardly any good. However, she did not want to ruin her little martial brother’s beautiful dreams back then. Furthermore, she had thought that they were unlikely to interact with each other after that single encounter, so she had restrained herself from making any unnecessary remarks to her little martial brother.


    But now, seeing that an expression of anxiety was stered all over Wei Gang’s tender and innocent face, Jun Xiaomo rubbed her forehead in dismay. A deep sense of uneasiness suddenly washed over her heart.