Chapter 34: Cheating a Little Still Counts as Cheating?

The floating platform slowly rose from below the cliff, and the humming sound it made as it ascended was audible to everyone.

After the floating platform reached its predetermined highest point, accompanied by a dull thud and the clanking of the locking chains, two rows of white cranes, as if disturbed, shot up from below the cliff and flew all the way towards the morning sun.

“Such a large floating platform… It seems the Tianfeng Sect really does have some capital.” Looking at such a massive floating platform, Xiu Qingcheng gave a slight nod. She now understood why so many people yearned to join this sect.

The disciples on the cliff looked up at the huge floating platform and could see the elders of the various peaks standing on it, seemingly having waited for a long time.

Elder Han Linlu of Tianchu Peak, Elder Chen Sanyang of Lianxiu Peak, Elder Mu Xin of Wuyun Peak, and Elder and Acting Sect Master He Yundan of Daicheng Peak were all present.

“The Divine Weapon Trial should be a very important day, right? Why are there still so few people? Why can’t I even see your sect’s Sect Master?”

Xiu Qingcheng counted the few people on the floating platform. A quick glance revealed they were all people she had seen before during the night.

“Our current Sect Master, Mò Xìnzi, is a cultivation fanatic. He is basically cultivating every minute of every day. It’s hard to see him even a few times a year,” Meng Yingxing explained.

“Oh, he really does forget to eat and sleep. Cultivating so diligently, is his talent not very good? It’s a wonder he can still lead such a large sect.”

Xiu ‘Low EQ’ Qingcheng said this, and it was hard to tell whether she was praising or criticizing him.

Meng Yingxing was silent. It was a good thing only the two of them could hear their conversation. Otherwise, Xiu Qingcheng’s rude remarks would have been enough to cause public outrage in the Tianfeng Sect.

“Master, it’s better to say less of such things, to avoid causing trouble,” Meng Yingxing reminded her, concerned.

“Come on, come on, let’s see how they’re going to punish me. Drowning or burning?” As the sword spirit of the Ting Tian Sword, Xiu Qingcheng wasn’t afraid at all. She didn’t think many people could do much damage to the Ting Tian Sword.

“Lock you back in the Divine Weapon Pavilion,” Meng Yingxing said slowly.

Xiu Qingcheng fell silent at once. After a long while, she said, “Disciple, you’re mean.”

Meng Yingxing: “…”

She, Xiu Qingcheng, was afraid of nothing in heaven or on earth, but she was truly afraid of being locked back in the Divine Weapon Pavilion.

“Dong—”

Another deep clang of the bronze bell sounded. Then, Elder Chen Sanyang of Lianxiu Peak, the host of this year’s Divine Weapon Trial, stepped forward on the floating platform and announced the official start of the trial.

“Begin, the Divine Weapon Trial!”

Chen Sanyang’s voice, filled with spiritual energy, reverberated through the empty valley, penetrating the ears of every disciple present and invigorating countless people!

“Will the disciples participating in the Divine Weapon Trial please come up to this floating platform,” Chen Sanyang waved his hand, and two chains connecting the floating platform to the ground slowly straightened, forming an extremely perilous path.

Xiu Qingcheng thought to herself that this was like a real-life version of Fall Guys.

“Is this also part of the trial? What happens if you fall?” Xiu Qingcheng looked at this unique bridge with curiosity. She felt this should be a piece of cake for Meng Yingxing. “My dear disciple, let me teach you. As long as you concentrate your spiritual energy on the soles of your feet, you can walk on walls. These mere chains are nothing to fear! You will surely conquer them!”

“This is indeed part of the trial, but it’s very easy to pass and won’t affect the final ranking.”

While Meng Yingxing was speaking, a show-off had already leaped up from the crowd of participants, landing his feet firmly on the chains.

That person’s action was like firing the starting gun for the Divine Weapon Trial. The rest of the people also rushed up one after another, as if to compete with the others.

“Alright Master, let’s go up too.”

Meng Yingxing clenched his fists, took a deep breath, then lowered his body and charged onto the chain.

After steadying his footing on the chain, Meng Yingxing looked up and saw that the path ahead was already crowded. Although there weren’t many people participating in the Divine Weapon Trial, they were all squeezed onto this long chain, making it seem rather cramped.

“Be careful. At times like this, someone will always try to cause trouble,” Xiu Qingcheng’s reminder was barely finished when someone on the chain started shaking their legs with spiritual energy, causing the thin chain to sway violently.

“But it’s not a big problem. I’ll be pushing you from behind, you won’t fall at all,” Xiu Qingcheng chuckled, hiding behind Meng Yingxing and giving his back a push.

“Master, isn’t this really cheating?” Meng Yingxing was originally in the middle of urgently thinking about how to handle the situation. Now, he didn’t have to worry at all.

“What cheating? Cheating a little doesn’t count as cheating!” Xiu Qingcheng said with righteous conviction, “This is part of your strength!”

In fact, small tricks like shaking the chain were just a minor headache for most people, but for some with unstable foundations or poor balance, it was a nightmare.

By the time Meng Yingxing was halfway across, some people had already been unable to withstand the violently shaking chain and had fallen off.

Xiu Qingcheng had thought they would fall to the bottom of the valley and be smashed to pieces. Unexpectedly, as soon as they fell, an immortal crane flew over to catch them, taking them back to the cliff to start over.

It was just as Meng Yingxing had said, very easy to pass.

After a while, people began to reach the top of the floating platform one after another. With Xiu Qingcheng’s help, Meng Yingxing also easily ascended the floating platform.

As soon as he got up, he ran into Ye Bo, the underling of Lu Sanwan, who had been expelled from the Tianfeng Sect. He was also one of the guys who had been maliciously shaking the chain just now.

To Meng Yingxing, Ye Bo and Lu Sanwan were two peas in a pod. Among the people who bullied him, they were also the most enthusiastic.

“Yo, little good-for-nothing, you actually made it up? It’s a pity I didn’t make you fall just now,” Ye Bo said with a smile, even making a move to grab Meng Yingxing’s arm.

However, before his hand could reach, it was inexplicably slapped by something.

It was Xiu Qingcheng, hiding behind Meng Yingxing, who had used the perfectly positioned hilt of her sword to flick Ye Bo’s dirty hand at an extremely fast speed.

‘A guy like you, don’t you dare touch my disciple!’

Ye Bo, wincing in pain, clutched his hand and glared at Meng Yingxing with a ferocious expression, “Just you wait. I will definitely ‘entertain’ you well during the Divine Weapon Trial, you little good-for-nothing!”

A short while after Meng Yingxing got onto the floating platform, everyone else also came up one after another.

After confirming that the number of participants in the Divine Weapon Trial was correct, Chen Sanyang began the drawing of lots for today’s matches.

Unexpectedly, Meng Yingxing was drawn in the very first match.

And life is so dramatic; the person Meng Yingxing had to face in the first match was none other than Ye Bo, whom he had just encountered.

Meng Yingxing looked at the result of the draw and frowned slightly. He tilted his head and saw Ye Bo looking at him with malicious intent.

Retribution had come so quickly.

This was Meng Yingxing’s chance to seek justice for the injustice he had suffered and to reclaim his dignity.

“Very good, very good.”

Xiu Qingcheng was obviously very satisfied with the result of the draw.

“Let’s go and take good care of this annoying fellow!”