Chapter 242
"Li Xiong," Huang Donglai spoke up, interrupting Li Mo's thoughts.
"Mm?"
"My hair is almost being pulled out by you."
"…Sorry, I’ve put you through some trouble, Huang Xiong. I’ll make it up to you later."
Li Mo cleared his throat lightly.
They made their way smoothly to the inner seating area, where various Mingjiao (鸣蛟) clansmen were gathered, along with many fierce and powerful daemons.
Among the crowd of creatures, the few of them didn’t stand out much.
Murong Xiao's gaze was constantly scanning the throng of daemons, but he had yet to spot his long-missed parents.
"This is Wu Mo, who has returned from beyond the Southern Wilderness, Mo Xiong," Wu Dameng introduced to a few familiar clansmen.
"Oh? We have clansmen from beyond the Southern Wilderness?"
"And this next to him…"
"Oh, that’s Mo Xiong’s mount."
"Wow! So fierce?"
A few Mingjiao members looked astonished and immediately showered compliments.
Then they resumed their eating, drinking, and chatting.
"Have you heard about the Qingluan clan’s goddess?"
"Rumor has it that not only is her Qingluan bloodline exceptionally pure, but she also carries the bloodline of the divine phoenix?"
"It must be true. Even the young clan leader of the Xiangliu clan suffered a great loss at her hands—he lost a head!"
"Ah? Our clan’s Tianjiao isn’t even as strong as the young leader of the Xiangliu."
The pure Mingjiao members at the same table expressed their concerns about the future of the Mingjiao clan.
After all, whether it was the Dapeng or the Qingluan, all avian clans inherently disliked the Mingjiao.
"What do you think, Mo Xiong?" Wu Dameng couldn’t help but ask.
"I don’t just think."
"???"
"I only need to make a slight move, and I doubt she’ll have the strength to resist."
Li Mo said with a calm expression.
"Mo Xiong has such boldness, wanting to compete with the Qingluan goddess?"
The other daemons couldn’t help but gasp, making the humid air feel a bit drier.
This was more than just a competition.
Listen to that—he even claimed he would make it hard for the Qingluan goddess to resist!
Was this the courage of a fierce Mingjiao? One couldn’t tell if it was confidence or arrogance…
"Hmph, he doesn’t know the heights of heaven or depths of the earth." ×2
Not far away, at another table, a shadowy young man, faintly exuding a foul odor and originally possessing three heads, snorted coldly upon hearing this.
From the fact that he only had two heads left, one could tell his identity.
Xiangliu clan.
Among the disaster beasts, the Xiangliu had a far more prominent reputation than the Mingjiao, and they were also much stronger individually.
However, the Xiangliu were notoriously difficult to reproduce, always passing down their lineage through a single line, resulting in a sparse population.
Otherwise, who could say who truly ruled the Heishui Marsh?
"Let the Qingluan goddess have no power to resist?"
"He doesn’t understand how terrifying she is!"
The young man’s two heads displayed contrasting emotions—one shadowy, the other burning with rage.
"Young Master, this is the territory of the Mingjiao clan."
The shrimp-headed attendant quickly advised:
"Once he sees your true form and divine powers, he’ll naturally know how weak he truly is."
Only then did the two-headed youth snort and fall silent.
Meanwhile, not far away, Murong Xiao’s gaze sharpened.
The elders of the Mingjiao clan emerged amidst the congratulatory voices of the various water clans. Among them were a man and a woman; the woman had dragon horns on her head, yet her attire resembled that of an ordinary human noblewoman.
Beside her stood a man with a long beard cascading to his chest, exuding a refined demeanor, and his features bore a striking resemblance to Murong Xiao.
The elders of the Mingjiao clan took their seats on the stone platform below.
"…"
Li Mo felt as if he were watching the judges enter a talent show.
Soon, he realized it was no illusion.
The woman walked gracefully across the water, reaching the center of the lake.
She spoke loudly:
"Our Heishui Marsh water clans have always been united. The reason we’ve gathered everyone here must be clear to you all."
"Indeed, we are here to select five outstanding water clansmen, both in bloodline and strength, to go to the Xuankong Temple."
"This is not just for our Mingjiao clan, but for the entire Heishui Marsh!"
"To restore the glory of Heishui, it is our duty!"
"This selection is open to all, even if you are just a minor daemon, you still have a chance to bring honor to the water clans!"
Hoo—
The crowd of daemons erupted in excitement, each one fervently animated.
This meant they all had a chance to go to the Xuankong Temple.
"…"
Little Li felt his impression of the Mingjiao clan being completely overturned.
Weren’t they supposed to be terrifying disaster beasts?
He had previously heard that Murong Xiao’s parents were being pressured and thought it was due to the taboo of interspecies love, but it turned out they were being urged to have a second child.
He had also heard that the Mingjiao clan’s internal situation was complex due to the selection for the Xuankong Temple, and he expected some intricate power struggles.
But it turned out to be a talent show?!
Had he been judging the daemons with a human perspective?
"Li Xiong, this is actually quite normal."
"Mm?"
"Think about it, the daemon clans are inherently stronger than the human clans. If they were cunning, would they have been driven to the Southern Wilderness?"
"…That makes sense."
Li Mo nodded, but still had some questions.
"Why is it called a sea selection?"
"Because the main current of this lake flows downstream to the South Sea. Don’t you know, Mo Xiong?"
Wu Dameng explained, looking at Li Mo with sympathy.
Poor Mo Xiong, having left his clan, had never even seen the sea.
---
Chapter 260: The Sea Selection Scene, the Water Clans’ Peculiar Abilities
"I wonder what the criteria for this sea selection are."
As Li Mo’s worldview shifted, curiosity bubbled within him.
Was it a simple and brutal competition? That seemed to fit the daemons’ combative nature, but then again, it didn’t seem likely.
After all, there were so many water clans present; individual matches would take ten days or even half a month to complete.
Then, he heard the woman continue:
"This sea selection will primarily test two aspects."
"One is the power of the bloodline, and the other is practical combat."
"Only those who excel in the bloodline test will proceed to the practical combat assessment."
"Those interested in participating can now line up to receive their numbers."
With that, she walked over to the ‘judging panel’ closer to the center of the lake.
Soon, Mingjiao clansmen came forward to distribute shells with numbers written on them to the participants.
Naturally, Li Mo intended to participate.
It didn’t matter what identity he had when going to the Xuankong Temple; having a ticket to enter was crucial for him.
Murong Xiao, eager to see his parents, couldn’t contain his excitement and also signed up.
Wu Dameng was self-aware and thought it better to find a place to enjoy some food rather than participate, so he didn’t register.
As for Huang Donglai…
Mounts weren’t eligible to compete.
The two left their information on the shells and handed them in, only to bump into the two-headed youth. The coldness in the other’s gaze was palpable, radiating a strong sense of aggression.
Especially when he saw Li Mo submit his shell.
The disdain in the youth’s eyes became even more pronounced. If it weren’t for the fact that they were on Mingjiao territory, a classic bout of mockery might have ensued.
"Mm?"
Under the scrutiny of two piercing gazes, Li Mo felt confused, unsure of where the hostility was coming from.
Had they met before?
Since they weren’t familiar, why were they staring at him? Is that polite? It’s easy to get punched, you know…
Well, perhaps he had already been punched.
The divine eye of destiny revealed that this was the young leader of the Xiangliu clan, the one who had lost a head to an ice boulder.
Though Li Mo didn’t understand why the other harbored animosity, he didn’t care much and turned back to the seating area with Murong Xiao.
After they returned, a young talent from the Mingjiao clan approached the young leader of the Xiangliu.
"This dragon isn’t from our territory; I heard he came from beyond the Southern Wilderness. His background is unclear, but he should be stronger than Wu Dameng."
"Thanks, you’re quite perceptive."
"Tsk tsk, if you encounter him, he’ll have no chance of winning." The young Mingjiao talent, Wu Han, performed a bow in the manner of the Central Continent.
The young leader of the Xiangliu clan was quite pleased: "Last time I faced that Qingluan goddess, I still managed to return alive. This dragon is nothing to worry about."
"The young leader will surely achieve victory."
"That’s how it should be."
Xiangliu sneered, sitting back down at the table, picking up a pair of chopsticks in each hand, and began to feast heartily.
The Xiangliu clan was notorious for their appetite, and they were known for eating quickly; not a single water clansman could match his pace at the table.
The grand sea selection of the Heishui Marsh began with great fervor.
Before it started, there were even water clansmen skilled in music playing tunes, almost like they were advertising.
"Greetings, esteemed elders. I am Zhen Bang, a river clam from the northern part of Heishui Marsh."
A clam girl stepped onto the… lake center.
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