Maiden Galaxy

Chapter 105: Chuan Provinces Number One Jieyuan

Chen Bozhi's almond eyes were wide open, staring blankly at Chen Mo. The woman reached out her hand, as if begging him to save her, but following the ice-cold saber qi's attack splitting her, the woman screamed and became particles of light. The death of a Star General who had inherited a Star Name was also called a Starfall. The Star Name suspended in the starry sky would fall, and the maiden's body would become stardust that once again sublimated into the fabric of Star World.

That Star Weapon dagger that she had even yet to brainstorm a name for stuck then into the ground. Following the Star General's death, it dimmed and whimpered. At the same time, the cavern suddenly flashed, and a crimson light ray pierced through space and descended.

When a Star General died, their Star in the sky would also fall. That was supreme Star Energy that anyone could cultivate. Chen Mo stole the initiative, standing at the spot the Crimson Star fell. General of Pingnan Chen Bozhi's death Star Energy immediately entered his body. Because Chen Mo already was accustomed to refining Star Energy, he very easily controlled it inside his body.

In a flash.

The insufferably arrogant Chen Bozhi was dead.

Chen Mo felt regretful. Had he been able to sign a contract with Chen Bozhi and receive her Innate Skill, that would have been very good. However, he also knew that it was impossible to have a streak with contracting Star Generals. Something like this happening once was already lucky enough to deserve sacrificial offerings. This was Chen Mo's first genuine one-on-one battle against a Star General, and it was also the first time he had seen a Star General die. He sighed in his heart.

His sorrows finished, Chen Mo once again shifted his gaze to the young woman with hair as white as snow, who was dressed in golden chrysanthemum hanfu.

The delicate girl was still aloof, the straight saber in her hand returning to its scabbard, her movements neither swift nor slow. Even her breathing did not change in the slightest, as if what she had killed just now was not a Star General but an insignificant bug instead.

Dead, I would be dead.

If it was not for Chen Mo knowing the Bagua, the way to reactivate this formation, then the one dead right now would definitely have been him.

"Many thanks for your help. I wonder what your name is?" Chen Mo cupped his fist.

"I did not help you. Yanran acted under orders to protect this array. Those who intrude into it shall be shown no mercy." The girl's voice was like the surrounding snowscape, chilling to the bone.

All of Chen Mo's bones shivered.

"But now, there is no need anymore." The girl shot a glance at Chen Mo.

The snowscape suddenly vanished into thin air, and the world returned to darkness. The girl became a spirit light that quietly floated. Chen Mo stepped forth and gently touched it. This Black Ice-like spirit light rushed into his body. Along with Chen Mo's mind suddenly filling with images of the girl wielding her blade, her swordsmanship seemed to be etched deeply into the very depths of his soul as if by seal, "Ice Breaker Snow Slicer," "Saber Draw Water Cutter," "No Snow Under Heaven," "Three Worlds Cut Apart…"¹

Could these be Heaven, Earth, Dark, and Yellow??

Chen Mo was astounded. The saber techniques pervading his mind promptly vanished.

With its array support lost, this forbidden zone once again returned to deathly stillness. Chen Mo could more or less tell that perhaps this was due to him solving the Bagua Array. The girl named Yanran dispelled this array, leaving spirit-light that entered his body.

Evil Smiting Hall True Spirit?

Recalling the words Chen Bozhi spoke earlier, Chen Mo tightly wrinkled his brow.

He seemed to have heard of the term before, but he could not recall precisely at the moment.

Roar, roar.

Snarls from within the darkness interrupted his thoughts. Chen Mo looked around. After the array vanished, the Demon Beasts dwelling in the forbidden zone slowly showed themselves. Their Demon Qi were enormous and ancient, being at least Rank Eight or Nine. There was no point in lingering here any longer. After Chen Mo picked up Chen Bozhi's Astral Stone, he was about to leave when he spotted a banner remaining at the center of the Bagua array.

This seemed to be the magic banner for the Bagua array. Chen Mo then stored it before hastily leaving the forbidden zone.

After departing the forbidden zone, Chen Mo completely breathed a sigh of relief. This metropolitan examination truly was a harrowing experience. Although he anticipated Chen Qing's attack, he never thought that a Star General would create difficulties in the middle, even drooling incessantly after his Northern Dipper. It looked like the background of this weapon that his mother had forged was beyond ordinary.

However, Chen Bozhi had wasted a lot of time now, so he did not know how the metropolitan examination was progressing. If the ten candidates had emerged, then all of this would have been for nothing.

At this time, three people appeared in front of him.

Chen Mo stopped.

"Xi Wen, Xi Wu, Zongzheng Ying."

The three of them were currently inspecting Zhao Yan's corpse. For a time, they were somewhat stumped as to whether this corpse was a trigger for a mechanism or something left behind from before. 

Hearing someone approach, the three of them promptly drew their weapons.

"Your Highness Chen Mo!" Xi Wen exclaimed.

"Hm?"

Zongzheng Ying and Xi Wu were a bit surprised to see Chen Mo. They were still in process of scanning the surroundings just now and thought that Chen Mo had suffered a treacherous assault.

"Do the three of you want to face me all together at once?" Chen Mo narrowed his eyes.

"Of course we would not dare." Xi Wu amiably smiled. "We had just been discussing where Your Highness went to."

"Oh."

"So where did Your Highness go just now? We searched the surroundings and did not even see Your Highness." Xi Wen asked curiously.

"I went to the forbidden zone for a look."

"The forbidden zone?" They were stunned.

Zongzheng Ying said: "Your Highness, you are too curious for your own good. Legend has it that this forbidden zone has a powerful array, Even the Human Sovereign is in grave danger just by approaching it."

"Fortunately, I escaped quickly enough. However, there is indeed nothing to see in the forbidden zone." Chen Mo was blunt. He remembered that this was not the time to be chatting. "How is the metropolitan examination progressing, why haven't any of you left."

"Since Your Highness is in good health, then we can also leave with our minds at ease." Xi Wen smiled.

Martial Trial Courtyard.

The commander-in-chief sat cross-legged outside the array, his eyes closed in relaxation. This commander's Qi-blood was steady, not uttering a word. Following the activation of the labyrinth, time passed, and after a day, one warrior walked out from the array.

This warrior had an expression of complacency when he saw he was the first to gather the required number of tokens.

Then, more and more warriors emerged from the array. Some of these warriors passed while others lost their qualifications, however, not one of them had obtained a Crystal Flower.

That the Chen Mo who had originally stood overwhelmingly out from the rest was unable to appear first made everyone surprised.

A nearly undetectable smile appeared on the corner of the commander-in-chief's lips.

After Chen Qing's ragged and torn figure emerged, the commander-in-chief's smile finally faded.

Chen Qing was listless, his lowered before thousands of staring eyes. His mentality was weak. It looked like he had suffered a serious blow, however, the even more important point was that he had completely lost the qualifications to enter the court examination.

"How can this be."

Everyone was shocked.

The commander-in-chief was also taken aback. Chen Qing was out, which signified…

Chen Qing glanced at the commander-in-chief. His eyes no longer contained that endless haughtiness from before. What remained was a luster that only appeared in a loser's eyes, a failure.

"Young Master Chen Qing, what did you encounter for this to happen?" The commander-in-chief asked.

"I lost." Chen Qing found a seat to nurse his wounds without uttering another word.

The commander wrinkled his brow.

"Why hasn't His Highness Chen Mo appeared yet? Can it be that this trial is difficult for even him?"

"Even Chen Qing was defeated, is it really this intense?"

"Maybe an accident happened?"

The Martial Trial Courtyard filled with discussion.

After a while, several warriors finally emerged from the formation again.

The Xi Siblings and Zongzheng Ying handed over their tokens without any incident. Their strength was profound in Chuan Province. That they were able to reach the quota was no surprise, but what caught the commander-in-chief off guard was that after so much time, there surprisingly still was not one cultivator able to obtain the Crystal Flower. 

Just as the commander-in-chief was about to ask.

At this moment, the Xi Siblings and Zongzheng Ying stood to each side, their expressions reverent, as if they were saluting someone. Immediately afterwards, a man appeared in the array.

Steadfast.

Even more steadfast than before, and with an additional coldness. When he appeared, all of the warriors only felt their fervent Qi-blood run cold, as if they had been thrown into a world of ice.

Everyone's gazes were completely astonished as they focused on the entrant.

The commander's pupils shrunk.

Who else could this person be.

But Chen Mo.

Chen Mo strode towards the commander-in-chief. Having obtained the essence of the Bagua, he now appeared even more practiced, steady, and his conduct already had a sect master's bearing. Profound qi gathered over is head, blooming into a second flower, surprisingly already at a mature level.

His cultivation progress could be said to shock Heaven and Man alike.

"Congratulations to Your Highness for progressing a step in cultivation inside the the labyrinth." The commander smiled in congratulation.

"I shall never forget this trial for as long as I live. I am very grateful." Chen Mo laughed.

An odd glint flickered in the commander's eyes. "Meaning, Your Highness Chen Mo should have obtained the Crystal Flower?"

"This?" Chen Mo's wrist turned, revealing a Crystal Flower.

The commander-in-chief cupped his fist. "As expected, Your Highness lives up to expectations."

"You flatter me."

"As such, This Officer declares that this Chuan Province metropolitan examination is formally concluded. The juren who has obtained Chuan Province's jieyuan candidacy is Chen Mo." The commander-in-chief circled the arena, announcing to all warriors in a resonant voice.

Countless envious gazes stared at Chen Mo. To become Chuan Province's jieyuan candidate, this honor was certainly too great. In the future, he would be remembered in the Divine Warrior Examinations, an immortal record.

Chen Mo nevertheless appeared very composed.

Chuan Province's jieyuan slot was nothing more than the first step to entering the court examination. This was only the start.

…

"Congrats, congrats, Chen Mo, you obtained jieyuan. This Princess just knew that Chuan Province's jieyuan slot was in your bag."

Out of the Martial Trial Courtyard, the Ting Nanyuan and Qin Shaoxu who learned of this news were already eagerly waiting. Upon seeing Chen Mo, the Wuyang Princess happily came to congratulate him.

Qin Shaoxu beamed, also looking curiously at Chen Mo. From his perspective, the Chuan Province jieyuan slot was definitely not in Chen Mo's bag. It should not have been easy.

"I was only lucky this time." Chen Mo sincerely said.

"What luck is there in a warrior's strength." Ting Nanyuan disagreed.

Chen Mo did not explain. He gazed at Qin Shaoxu: "With this metropolitan examination finished, I need to rest for a few days and finish some other matters. How about we push back our appointment a few days?"

"No problem. It looks like this metropolitan examination should have been a great boon for Brother Chen Mo." Qin Shaoxu slightly grinned.

"Then it's agreed." Chen Bozhi's Star Energy was still stirring restlessly inside his body, and Yanran's stunning swordsmanship was immortalized in his mind. Chen Mo needed time right now to process this as soon as possible..

After a short exchange with Qin Shaoxu, Chen Mo bade farewell.

Meanwhile, because of his son's defeat, Chen Huhao was greatly furious.

"How did this happen, you surprisingly lost to him. Don't tell me that Chen Mo is actually this formidable, for even Zhao Yan to be unable to stop him."

"Father, I fear there is a powerful figure behind this Chen Mo helping him." Chen Qing was incomparably dejected when he recalled his defeat by Chen Mo's single punch.

"Ai, enough of this. We cannot handle this Chen Mo." Chen Huhao conceded defeat. After several assassinations failed, he honestly did not have the courage to make enemies with Chen Mo.

"If he wants this Changluo, just give it to him." Chen Huhao seemed to age a decade, decrepitly lowering himself into a chair.

Chen Qing was absolutely silent.

1. 三界分割, I'm assuming this is her Heaven Rank. ↩

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