Chapter 521: Hero’s Villa
The outcome of the competition—where the Murong family secured six spots out of the five major sects—was beyond everyone’s expectations! The Master of Despair Valley and the head of the Nangong family looked displeased, while Lady Wang of Manduo Villa gazed at Miss Murong, who wore a look of satisfaction, with complex emotions. This time, the Murong family truly shone—among the four major forces, only one person from each made it into the top ten, with the younger generation completely overshadowed by them.
Huang Rong from Peach Blossom Island, however, seemed unaffected by this result. She stared thoughtfully at Happy and asked, “Young Hero Happy, do you know why the five of us haven’t given you a rating or title?”
“Surely you have your reasons,” Happy replied with a smile, though he didn’t dare say so outright. “I have no idea.”
“A title is the most direct evaluation of a martial artist…”
Huang Rong, seemingly expecting this response, continued calmly, “Those nine people represent our evaluations and perceptions of them, but…” She paused, then changed her tone. “Among the ten, we know the least about you. Rumors in the martial world say you’re highly skilled. Even the Shaolin monk Kong Xiang claimed you already possess the strength of a master at the Wuwei realm, with one of your palm techniques closely resembling the Beggar Sect’s ‘Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms’… These young disciples can’t test your true strength, so we can’t assign you a title—at least not until we see your full capabilities.”
Sure enough!
Huang Rong couldn’t help herself. As the leader of the Southern Beggar Sect, she couldn’t resist mentioning the “Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.” But Happy wasn’t foolish enough to admit it himself:
“…Titles aren’t that important,” he said, changing the subject. “What truly matters is being able to enter Hero’s Villa and attend the martial arts conference. I’ve already qualified, right?”
“That’s correct.”
Before Huang Rong could speak, Miss Murong answered first, “The others may leave. The ten qualified disciples will go to Hero’s Villa with us. As for your title, when the conference begins, more masters will be there to challenge you, and then you’ll surely receive one.”
Everyone was shocked!
Their gazes at Happy were filled with admiration and envy:
Hero’s Villa gathered countless masters and talented individuals from all over the land. It was already an honor for them to be there and show off their skills. But Happy was going to receive a title under the eyes of everyone—such treatment was beyond ordinary people!
Happy was also excited, his emotions surging.
But it quickly regained its calmness, and with a frown, it asked, “I wonder in which direction the Heroic Villa is?” Kai Xin remembered that there had been no such martial arts conference in her past life. Moreover, she had only heard of the Gathering of Talents Villa, never the Heroic Villa. What was even more surprising was that so many masters gathered in one place should have attracted the attention of the martial arts world, leaving some clues! Yet four days after the news was announced, no one knew where the “Heroic Villa” was. Kai Xin even wondered if it was some secret location created separately, because if it really were in the Central Plains, countless players would never miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “Ordinary people can’t find the location of the Heroic Villa,” Miss Murong replied vaguely before exchanging a glance with Lady Wang. The latter nodded and said, “Let’s head to the dock!” The dock! Many disciples from the five sects who had stopped to inquire were shocked, then looked troubled. If they took the land route, they might have to follow to see the grandeur of the Heroic Villa’s martial arts conference. But the system clearly intended to keep the many martial artists in the Central Plains unaware. Without ships, they couldn’t reach the Heroic Villa. Everyone boarded the large ship prepared by Lady Wang and set sail into the river, disappearing completely from the sight of the remaining disciples from the five sects. At the same time! The various sects in the martial arts world used different methods to conceal their whereabouts, taking qualified young masters to the mysterious Heroic Villa. … The Heroic Villa was indeed located in another region—whether it was an island or a mysterious utopia—making it impossible for masters from all over to gather there in such a short time. Yet Kai Xin and the others were told they could reach the Heroic Villa in just two hours! After logging off to get ready, they returned to the game and found themselves already in the area where the Heroic Villa was located. It was a huge, square-shaped castle. The outer walls were over twenty meters high, imposing in scale; there were countless arrow slits all around. Outside the castle, an artificial moat over fifty meters wide had been dug to isolate it, with a tall suspension bridge built in each direction that could be cut off from the middle, making it highly defensive. Seeing this castle before them, Kai Xin and her group gasped in shock! “Is this the Heroic Villa?” “It feels like this castle was built for warfare!”
With the keenness unique to a master archer, He Shiyi realized that countless sharp arrows must be aimed at him from within the city walls, and the slightest mistake could mean being overwhelmed by a barrage of arrows. Kai Xin also sensed a faint sense of unease and threat, but seeing the calm expressions of Huang Rong and the others, she said nothing more and stood quietly at the end of the bridge, waiting together. From afar on the city walls, they could faintly see a figure appear on top of the wall, whose authoritative voice rang out: “Who comes there?” “I’m Huang Rong from Peach Blossom Island, accompanied by friends from the Murong family, Nan Gong family, Despair Valley, and Mandao Villa…” Huang Rong replied in a steady voice, her tone clear enough to be heard from a mile away. “So it’s Leader Huang of the Southern Beggars’ Guild.” The man on the wall spoke in surprise but did not immediately order the drawbridge lowered. Instead, he spoke again: “I’m sorry, Leader Huang!” “That demon brat is formidable; not long ago, he already used spies to discover the location of Hero Villa! To rule out deception, please show me the token and the name of your contact. Otherwise, I dare not lower the drawbridge so easily.” At the end of the bridge, everyone’s expression turned pale. Lady Wang exclaimed in shock, “Our righteous sects are so cautious, yet still discovered by the Tianmo Sect?!” The head of the Nan Gong family, Miss Murong, the master of Despair Valley, and Huang Rong all showed signs of tension. “The Tianmo Sect has astonishing secret techniques; it’s not surprising they found a way in,” said Huang Rong. “There’s no time to lose. Let’s enter the castle quickly.” “Please inform someone inside—tell them it’s Huang Rong who has arrived… The token is here.” As she spoke, a small jade talisman flew through the air from the surface of the moat to the top of the wall. After a moment of silence… sounds of mechanisms finally came from across the bridge, and a huge suspension bridge with a shadow covering the sky slowly descended before Kai Xin and the others.