บท 172: Tribulations and Life
The last Great Emperor's seedling who stepped onto the stage was Chen Xia.
Any cultivator who had come out of seclusion even just a bit over the past thousand years or so surely knew about him.
He had accomplished far too many deeds and his reputation was extremely prominent.
As a result, the hundred thousand cultivators down below didn't dare to utter a single word for quite a while. They never would have thought that he would be the grand finale.
Logically speaking, it should have been Jia Gao, who was the eldest in terms of age and seniority among the Great Emperor's seedlings, right?
All the cultivators cast their eyes over and saw Jia Gao standing behind Chen Xia. He was also dressed sumptuously, with a composed expression, seemingly not bothered at all that Chen Xia had taken the spotlight of the finale.
Next came the speeches of the Fourteen Sons of the Vast Heaven.
Chen Xia, who made the final appearance, was the first to speak. He pinched his neck and coughed drily twice to clear his throat.
"Ahem, hetui."
After this meaningless sound imitation, Chen Xia slowly retrieved a crumpled piece of paper from his bosom, smoothed it out, and read according to the scrawled handwriting on it.
"I'm truly delighted to be standing on this stage and to behold all of you. To attain the status of the Fourteen Sons of the Vast Heaven, aside from my own efforts, it's also inextricably linked to my natural talent."
"Of course, I've also been rather lucky. I've made my way through numerous trials and hardships, relying wholly on my luck and capabilities. Neither could be dispensed with."
The several Supreme Elders seated high up in the sky knitted their brows upon hearing this.
So, he really didn't express any gratitude to the Vast Heaven Sword Sea at all?
"Today, having received this honor, it can be regarded as reaping the rewards of my toil. I will surely live up to everyone's expectations, continue to strive, and achieve even greater glories."
Chen Xia finished reading the last part of his speech.
Listening to it, there didn't seem to be anything amiss. Continue to strive and achieve greater glories.
But when considering Chen Xia's past exploits, there was a significant issue.
How did Chen Xia ascend to fame?
He fought his way to the top.
First, he engaged in combat with Di Du and Qiu Li of the same batch, then with Senior Brother Qiong Qi, and finally with the Fourth Law Elder.
Having done all this, he still intended to continue to strive and achieve greater glories?
They didn't even dare to imagine who Chen Xia would take on next.
The Third Elder, seated aloft in the sky, raised his eyebrows. He had some grudges with Chen Xia originally. At that moment, he lifted his hand and inquired.
"Aren't you going to express your gratitude for the sect's nurturing kindness?"
"Oh, I forgot." Chen Xia tucked away the small piece of paper and replied in a perfunctory manner. Then he added.
"Thank you for the sect's nurturing kindness. It has provided me with a platform to showcase myself. Now, looking back, I just feel all sorts of memories flooding into my heart, with a multitude of thoughts. I couldn't help but compose a verse."
The cultivators down below and the elders up in the sky were all left bewildered. Could Chen Xia, who couldn't even articulate clearly, actually compose poetry?
Chen Xia curled the corners of his mouth into a faint smile and extended his hand towards everyone.
"The magnificent stage of the Vast Heaven, if you've got the mettle, come and give it a shot!"
There was presumably a moment of silence throughout the entire venue. Presumably, everyone was left speechless.
Among the Fourteen Sons of the Vast Heaven, thirteen of them were rendered mute. Li Yang was standing at the very rear, puffing out his cheeks, struggling hard not to burst out laughing. He really couldn't hold it in any longer.
The Third Elder was taken aback for a moment, then raised his eyebrows and couldn't help but ask: "Can this even be regarded as a poem?"
"Just tell me if it rhymes or not," Chen Xia retorted.
It did rhyme.
The Third Elder pursed his lips. He really couldn't think of anything to say in response, so he could only clasp his fists and snort coldly, "Illiterate."
Chen Xia had nothing to say to this old man who launched personal attacks. He rolled his eyes and ignored him, stepping back to let the others have their turn to speak.
After him was Jia Gao. It must be noted that his speaking skills were indeed somewhat better than Chen Xia's. He expressed his gratitude to each and every one he ought to thank.
Li Yang quietly shifted his position and sidled up to Chen Xia, complimenting, "You're really quite remarkable, haha."
"Merely words from the bottom of my heart," Chen Xia replied calmly.
"It's truly from the bottom of your heart," Li Yang laughed beside him and blew a breath to dispel the strand of hair dangling by his ear, and continued.
"You're truly astonishing. I was the top prodigy in my hometown. I never expected that upon arriving at the Vast Heaven Sword Sea, I'd only rank at the bottom among the fourteen."
"There's always someone superior. One should always learn to accept one's ordinariness," Chen Xia shook his head slightly and responded.
"Perhaps so," Li Yang shook his head with a bitter smile. The Vast Heaven Sword Sea had indeed dulled some of his edges.
But only to some extent. Di Du and Qiu Li had also had their edges blunted by Chen Xia, yet the arrogance of the Great Emperor's seedlings still lingered.
The two ceased talking and quietly listened to the speeches of the other Great Emperor's seedlings.
Voices rose and fell, cheers and shouts, high-pitched and low-pitched sounds intermingled.
The Fourteen Sons of the Vast Heaven stood on the stage. For the first time, the fourteen Great Emperor's seedlings stood side by side, arranged in order with Chen Xia at the front, each assuming a different posture.
This was the genuine future bedrock of the Vast Heaven Sword Sea.
The stars in the distance were gleaming, yet they still weren't as dazzling as these fourteen Great Emperor's seedlings.
The grand ceremony of the Fourteen Sons of the Vast Heaven gradually drew to a close, and the cultivators who had come to watch also departed one after another.
Most of them also grasped the significance of this ceremony. It was that the Vast Heaven Sword Sea aimed to flaunt its strength and continue to firmly maintain its position as the premier sect in the star region.
To inform everyone that the number one position of the Vast Heaven Sword Sea would not be shaken by the end of the Great Era.
Maybe so. At least for the present, the Vast Heaven Sword Sea was still extremely prosperous, with several cultivators at the Mending Heaven Realm in charge and two Saints as its foundation.
The new generation even boasted fourteen Great Emperor's seedlings. There was no sign of decline whatsoever. Instead, it was thriving.
But could this truly withstand the end of the Great Era?
No one knew for the moment.
The cultivators didn't utter a word either. They remained deferential to the Vast Heaven Sword Sea and didn't dare to overstep.
On the path of the sword tip.
Jia Gao and Jia Bai were walking together. Both were Great Emperor's seedlings. Although their seniorities differed, they got along well.
"Aren't you irked that Chen Xia has seized the first position and the title?" Jia Bai asked curiously, with a tinge of provocation in his voice, being the sort who loved to stir up trouble.
"Let the young fellow have it if he wants. Besides, he truly does possess the strength, so it's all right for him to have it," Jia Gao was rather open-minded and magnanimous.
"Is Chen Xia really that formidable that you're convinced?" Jia Bai asked with a grin again.
Jia Gao shook his head. "I wouldn't say convinced. I can say I appreciate him."
"Ha." Jia Bai let out a light chuckle and abruptly switched the question. "If only one of us fourteen can ascend to the Great Emperor status, who do you think it will be?"
"May I claim it'll be me?" Jia Gao asked with a chuckle.
"I think it'll be me," Jia Bai also laughed.
Most of the fourteen Great Emperor's seedlings believed it would be themselves who would achieve the Great Emperor status and were also laboring hard with this goal in mind.
But why did I say most?
Because there were still exceptions.
Chen Xia's objective was not to become a Great Emperor. It had always been to flee from the Vast Heaven Sword Sea and find a place to slack off.
All these years, he had stayed true to his original intention. Now his external incarnation had already kicked back. All that remained was for his main body to do the same.
It's just that no one knew how long he'd have to wait. Maybe most things in the world couldn't be perfected.
To put it bluntly, it was called hardship.
To put it nicely, it was called life.
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