Sealed Divine Throne - Chapter 675

Chapter 675: Bright Glimmer of Hope taking part in the competition! (I)
Translator: GravityTales

When the name of Chen Zidian was heard in the Alliance’s Great Stadium, all contestants from the Six Great Temples stood up and made their salutations towards the Knight Temple’s guest lounge.
The Demon Hunt Squad Demon God Slayers was the true pinnacle of human Demon Hunt Squads. Chen Zidian was their captain, who had led his Demon God Slayers all over the continent and greatly impeded the Demon God Emperor with the sheer strength of their Demon Hunt Squad. Their contribution to the Alliance was already beyond measure with contribution points.
For these human legends to appear there as referees of this gathering was something absolutely no one dared raised complaints about. In fact, even now, the other members of the Demon God Slayers were still in demon territory, hidden beneath the surface of Modu to keep watch over the Demon God Emperor’s activities.
On the side of the Mage Temple, Li Zhengzhi had a very sinister look. He naturally wouldn’t have dared raise any complaints toward Chen Zidian, not on the basis of strength, but on the basis of sheer respect. Chen Zidian was possibly the elder with highest seniority in the whole Temple Alliance, so no one could raise a complaint at his holding the governmental office, and furthermore, he would surely raise a fair and just judgement.
What caused Li Zhengzhi’s complexion to look unsightly was that, yesterday, he heard from Tan Wan a name that should not affect him, but was really affecting his feelings.
He was back. Four years ago he was already at the eighth step. So, could he already be a fourth Divine Knight for the Knight Temple? If this was for real, that would add a terrible variable to this Temples’ Great Gathering. After all, at his age, he really had the best chance to rally supporters. The aged ones of the Knight Temple would surely be glowing with vitality because of his coming back.
Right now, the Six Great Temples’ contestants were all seated in their respective seats, about to draw lots for selecting their opponent. The non-participation of the Priest Temple made the other hundred and eighty powerhouses from the other five Temples the only ones needing to participate in the drawing and contests. In a bit, the contestants would come to light, and undergo a selection. Every chosen two would immediately have their match under the powerful Demon Hunter’s watch.
Demon Hunters could be called part of an independent system. Their great strength and enormous contributions to the Alliance made them the best possible referees. Such a pick would guarantee fairness; no one should ever play tricks in such a place.
“Before the contest starts, I have a matter to announce.” Chen Zidian’s voice resounded once again. Hearing him, the overwhelming majority of the higher-ups of the Alliance were in states of shock, including the participating ones, because they didn’t hear about such an announcement beforehand at all.
Chen Zidian declared, “Based on the ruling of the Temples’ Great Gathering, any titled Demon Hunt Squad should be qualified to participate in the gathering under their squad name, and have their total points counted as well. I have received the application of a Titled Demon Hunt Squad. They will be participating in this gathering; based on the rules, I have given my acceptance to that. In a bit, they will be coming for the drawing of lots.”
This revelation raised a great commotion amongst the higher-ups form the Six Great Temples. A Demon Hunt Squad wanting to participate in the gathering? None of them had ever seen such a situation happen in their lives. Over the past thousand years, it had happened only twice or thrice at most. A Demon Hunt Squad participating there would at most be here for the sake of training, after all, even if a Titled Demon Hunt Squad had some privileges, they were in the end limited in their numbers.
How could there be a Demon Hunt Squad wanting to participate in this Temples’ Great Gathering? Were thy only here to polish their training? And in the Temple Alliance, the Titled Demon Hunt Squads were only just a few. So just which one was taking part?
Chen Zidian continued, “For the sake of reaching the minimum team count formally acceptable, this Demon Hunt Squad was specially allowed to welcome other Demon Hunters, reaching the total count of ten, and none of their member exceed a hundred years of age, as per the rules. This Demon Hunt Squad’s name is Bright Glimmer of Hope.”
A bright glow landed upon the Knight Temple’s lounge, shining in the area right between the knights’ and assassins’ resting areas. At some point, ten people had calmly appeared, all clad in large white gowns and wearing helmets. Only when this golden illumination shone upon them did the contestants and spectators take notice of them.
Outside from the Alliance’s Great stadium, the people around the entrance of the Knight Stadium realized immediately that these ten were actually those ones they saw arrive after the rest. They were actually Demon Hunters, and not people from the Knight Temple.
Right, they were back after going through four years of secluded training. Bright Glimmer of Hope was back and standing there, about to take part in this Temples’ Great Gathering.
Bright Glimmer of Hope. This name was obscure to the overwhelming majority of the crowd. To say nothing about the masses, even among the higher-ups of the Six Great Temples, the ones aware of this name were just a few.
Hearing Chen Zidian’s announcement, the most most shocked was the head of the Mage Temple, Li Zhengzhi. Never did he expect Long Haochen to actually choose not to participate the Temples’ Great Gathering on the side of the Knight Temple, but under his Demon Hunt Squad’s name. Just what was he planning? Could it be that he really believed their nameless Titled Demon Hunt Squad to be able to contend with the Temples?
Chen Zidian continued, “I swear on my honor as a Demon Hunter that Bright Glimmer of Hope’s participation won’t give rise to any discrimination. May the ballot drawings start.”
Two white glows abruptly appeared on top of the dome, and in the meantime, a multicolored light slowly shone upon the surroundings of the stadium, spreading a defensive barrier. This barrier was constructed through the work of a lot of powerhouses, and was able to even withstone divine tools or domains’ bombardment without getting destroyed. The main controller of the whole defensive barrier was Chen Zidian himself!
Two white rays flickered intensely, and the next moment, they suddenly stopped, and in two directions, each shone on a person.
How coincidental, these two rays shone upon the Knight Temple and Mage Temple’s areas.
Two figures immediately came out and got inside the great stadium.
The first battle of the Temples’ Great Gathering would start, and the judges were all on the lounges. They only focused on maintaining the barrier, and had no specialist about to enter the stadium.
How could the powerhouses able to participate in the Temples’ Great Gathering not be able to determine a winner by themselves? If the two parties really were extremely close in strength, Chen Zidian would be the one to personally determine a winner and a loser. Since there were a whole one hundred ninety contestants, they naturally wouldn’t waste time, and the instant the contestants entered the field, the competition would start.
Requiring at least the eighth step of cultivation, practitioners of weaker cultivation were already sorted out. So apart from the Priest Temple, none of the other five great Temples would get any extra restriction or help.
After entering the Temples’ Great Stadium, all participating knights had long since put away their armors, and were entering the field with only their bare fists. A small door would open itself for every selected candidate.
As the first knight entered the stage, his back glinted with golden hexagram patterns, carrying a mighty roar as a glistening savage tiger came out. The figure of the knight flashed, placing himself on the tiger’s back, and swiftly charged at the distant mage.
That savage tiger had a pair of wings on its back, extending out over five meters, and had a bulky build. Opening its mouth agape, it launched a series of explosive projectiles at the mage.
A Holy Saint Tiger, magical beast of the ninth rank. Knights qualified to wear a Golden Foundation Armor were all, without exception, excellent figures in the Knight Temple. One of their great trumps was the strength of every such competitor. In the first match, the Knight Temple was already showing great prospects, their first knight on stage reached the peak of the eighth step in cultivation, at just one step from the ninth step.
His opponent was a fire mage. Because no equipment could be used in the competition, the latter did not even have a magic staff. His right arm swiftly drew complex symbols in the emptiness, and with massive roars, a flame bear came out from there, shooting its paws to destroy the light projectiles, and rapidly strode towards the knight.
This was not a summoner’s summoning magic, because the resulting magical beast was an elemental beast condensed of fire.
Elemental beast summon was a special capability useable in the eighth step. Capable of great bursts of power, the only shortcoming being the relatively high cost of spiritual energy.
Sheltered from danger by the fire bear, that fire mage rapidly completed a chant. Even without support from equipment, that was a mage reaching the peak of the eighth step, able to launch powerful magic on the premise of spending enough time chanting.
The mage made his move, standing on the side of the fire bear and Holy Saint Tiger. That knight made an outstanding following move: not letting himself get entangled with the fire bear, he bowed toward the Holy Saint Tiger’s back, shooting forward the next instant. The golden spiritual wings on his back lit up, and in his right hand, a flashy Holy Sword took shape. Diving face down, it aimed straight at the mage, as the flame bear confronted the Holy Saint Tiger.
At the same level, a mage’s offensive power was undoubtedly the greatest. So the first thing needed to defeat a mage would be to seal his magic, and to avoid by any means letting an all-out magic assault be carried out. Otherwise, one would hardly avoid getting defeated by the torrential magic attacks.
The choice of the Saint Knight of the eighth step was undoubtedly the best, but the Magic Tutor of the eighth step was at no disadvantage either. A mighty holy sword came out, as his body suddenly turned illusory. At a lift of his right hand, pointed to the sky, the knight of the eighth step met a flame-colored glint.