<h4>Chapter 718: Go But Not Return!</h4>


    After the martial artspetition ended, the news about it quickly spread in the Imperial City.


    “Young Master Xu, Xu Tang, is already at the Heavenly Martial Realm!”


    Once this piece of news was ryed, all the teahouses and restaurants fell into silence.


    “A 28-year-old Heavenly Martial Realm cultivator... Not even Emperor Ying had such talent back then! The Xu family has such a great son! He is unparalleled in all of the Tian Zhao Empire!”


    “The winner of the martial artspetition would undoubtedly be Xu Tang!”


    Soon, another piece of news was ryed. Xu Tang has an Abnormal Fire!


    “He even has an Abnormal Fire! He must have had a mystical encounter! No wonder his cultivation is so high at such a young age... Now that we all know Xu Tang is very powerful, is there no one else at the martial artspetition who is also powerful?”


    “There is! Lou Qianxue killed five mystical beasts at the peak of the Mystic Martial realm. Based on spections, her cultivation is at least at the eighth level of the Mystic Martial Realm! She is the second-most powerful participant after Xu Tang! Most importantly, she’s only 18! With her current speed of cultivation, she will definitely reach the Heavenly Martial Realm before she turns 20! Her talent is even more formidable than Xu Tang’s!”


    “As expected of the age of martial arts renaissance...” The crowd eximed. “Who else?”


    “There is also An Yuzhi from the An family. He’s at the fifth level of the Mystic Martial Realm, and he withstood Xu Tang’s attacks for 15 minutes!”


    “That’s very good! The gap between his cultivation and Xu Tang’s is so wide, yet he still managed to fight for 15 minutes... The An family also has a great son!”


    The crowd was discussing the matter when...


    “It’s out! It’s out!” More news was delivered in the Imperial City. “The results of the martial artspetition are out! The assistant general has also been chosen!”


    “Really? What are the results?” someone agitatedly asked.


    “Pfft! Is there a need to ask? Xu Tang must’ve won in the end and got the assistant general position. It’s so predictable!”


    “No!” The person who had delivered the news became flushed. He said in an excited voice, “The winner of the martial artspetition is not Xu Tang!”


    “!” This surprised everyone. “If it’s not Xu Tang, then who is it?”


    “Lou Qianxue? It’s Lou Qianxue!”


    “Lou Qianxue? How is that possible? Isn’t she only at the eighth level of the Mystic Martial Realm?”


    “That’s right! Lou Qianxue, who is at the eighth level of the Mystic Martial Realm, defeated Xu Tang, who is at the Heavenly Martial Realm, with ease!”


    “!!!” Everyone gasped. “Are you joking? How is that possible?!”


    “I’m not joking!!! I was watching from the foot of the hill range. I saw it with my own eyes! In the beginning, Xu Tang said he would defeat Miss Lou in ten breaths, but Miss Lou moved too quickly and he could not catch up with her. Then, after ten breaths, Miss Lou mocked him for a while and started her attacks...”


    The man’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he vividly described the events. “Miss Lou’s sword was so powerful that it could slice the sky! Xu Tang couldn’t even defend in time. He failed to activate his defense Dharma treasure, a ‘Defense Inscription’! After he dodged the attack, he was disgraced. So he used his ultimate move, Abnormal Fire!”


    Everyone frowned. “Xu Tang is a Heavenly Martial Realm expert and has an Abnormal Fire. How could he possibly lose? It doesn’t make sense!”


    “Because Miss Lou also has an Abnormal Fire!”


    “What?”


    “Listen to me! After that attack with her sword, Miss Lou said she would defeat Xu Tang in three moves!”


    “Three moves? Defeat Xu Tang? She is dreaming!”


    “However, Miss Lou really defeated Xu Tang in three moves! The first move was the incredible sword attack! The second was a tactic she had created, called ‘Whirlwind Obliteration.’ Xu Tang was defenseless against this. He threw up blood and copsed onto the ground, losing just like that! Come to think of it, Miss Lou wanted to kill him with the third move, but was...”


    The information from the teahouses and restaurants spread to the Third Prince’s mansion very quickly.


    “D*mn it!” The Third Prince smashed his teacup. “Lou Qianxue is standing with the Crown Prince! I was so close to killing her before... it was all ruined because that man brought her away... Otherwise, a talent like Lou Qianxue would’ve submitted to me now!”


    The butler remained hesitant for a while before speaking, “Rumor has it that the appointed general is a young person and has a status higher than Zhen Guogong. They did not mention that it would be the Crown Prince. If the general is you, then Lou Qianxue would naturally have to submit to you!”


    “You know nothing!” The Third Prince red at the butler. “Gongsun Yu’s body has fully recovered. That old coot is letting him establish his authority by having him lead the expedition! He even organized a martial artspetition because he’s afraid that our men would do him harm in the army... D*mn it! No, I can’t sit and do nothing. If this continues, I will never win! Royal Uncle—that’s right, I still have Fourth Royal Uncle! Quick, get the horse ready, I will look for Fourth Royal Uncle now, and I must make him agree to help! Gongsun Yu and Lou Qianxue may go on the expedition, but they must not return!”


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