The Supreme God of Martial Arts novel Chapter 368

In the palace of the tenth prince, Reuben, in the west of the urban area of the imperial city. . .

There was a nice, quiet pavilion near the bridge, well within the palace grounds.

A dozen young cultivators were seated inside the pavilion. Some of them looked arrogant, some confident, some indifferent, and some cunning. They wore widely varied expressions on their faces.

These were the elite among the cultivators who worked for Prince Reuben.

"The Outstanding Talents Exchange Tournament is going to be held in ten days. Michael, Philip, Joshua, Maria, Hasson, you are the best cultivators I know. I am confident that you will gain access to the Mysterious Nether World," a youth in indigo said in a flattering tone.

"Of course. In the Violet Orchid Empire, only a few of my peers can withstand a hit from me. There's no doubt I can squeeze into the top 50. But I aim to be among the top three," a lad in black declared. The tone with which he spoke was cold, but his eyes shone with determination.

His high-spirited look contrasted with his sword, which was wrapped in a black cloth.

"Philip, I believe in you. I must admit. Even though you're from the Sword Sect, which is less influential than the five biggest sects, you have grown into an excellent cultivator. I'm sure your sect is proud of you.

You're young, but you have shown mastery of the eighth level of sword intent. That's incredible!"

The young man in indigo was evidently good at flattery. When he heard this praise, the other lad's lips curled into a smug smile. He nodded at his admirer.

Finn Jiang snorted. "Save it, James. Everyone in this lot, including you, is an excellent cultivator. This time, our performance determines if the prince succeeds and wins the throne.

As for the rest of these cultivators, they are nothing but losers. They are a complete waste of time, energy, and money.

Tonight, the prince is hosting a feast. I'll advise him to send those losers home and provide us with the resources that we need to help us perform to the best of our abilities. This way, we're more likely to win the tournament!"

"Um, I agree with you. We're the prince's best chance at winning the throne. We deserve the best resources. As for those weak cultivators, they should be kicked out of the prince's residence," the rest echoed.

The young cultivators present shared the same sentiments on cultivation resources.

"I heard that the prince held a party welcoming Austin Lin two days ago. In addition, that brat showed off by beating two people at the party. Now the two are maimed.

The prince even provided Austin a seat right next to him. It looks like he thinks highly of that brat."

one person interrupted, his words hot with malice.

"Austin has only been practicing some martial arts skill to improve his physical strength. He is a nobody.

The Overlord Body-refining Skill he is cultivating is the stupidest way to cultivate.

If the prince hadn't been there, I would have taught him an unforgettable lesson!"

the sallow-skinned youth interjected with a scornful tone.

If Austin was around, he would have recognized this sallow-skinned lad as Hasson, the young man who had been hostile to him at the reception.

"I'm still angry at that rude brat!"

a bulky young man with strong-looking hands snarled suddenly.

"I grew up with the girls from the Xu family. That brat hurt them. Tonight, I'll have the chance to avenge them!"

"It looks like we're all upset with Austin. Let's teach him a lesson tonight to warn those other losers to leave the prince alone. That way, we can have more resources to ourselves.

Meanwhile, the prince needs to know that only we can help him win the throne, so he can finally stop wasting time and money on weaker cultivators!"

Philip declared this in an icy tone of voice. His sword intent materialized as countless small, sharp swords around him. . . .

Night set in. In the grand hall of the palace, red candles and torches illuminated the spacious room. A bunch of people were seated on their designated seats. Expensive elixirs and all sorts of delicacies made out of rare animals were served atop wooden tables which were ten meters long.

Dozens of pretty maids were clad solely in thin chiffon fabric, which showcased their attractive figures. They stood beside the cultivators, pouring water and wine for them. Some of the maids even flirted with the men to entertain them.

Prince Reuben was seated in the host's seat. A stern-looking middle-aged man stood right beside him.

The guests drank, talked, and played the finger-guessing game in their respective seats. Everyone was having a good time.

Reuben made a toast in honor of his guests to show his hospitality.

After his gaze swept the room, he wrinkled his forehead. He beckoned a maid over to him.

The girl obediently approached the prince and waited for his instructions.

"Where is Austin? Why isn't he here? Didn't I ask you to invite all the young cultivators here?"

Reuben questioned, clearly displeased.

The maid's face turned pale and she instantly got down on her knees.

"Your Majesty, I went over to Austin's room five times to invite him, but I didn't see him. I heard from his servant that he left early this morning and that he hadn't come back." Her voice trembled as she spoke.

She knelt on the ground, shaking with fear. She was afraid that Reuben might punish her.

"He left in the morning? Perhaps he had something important to deal with.

Get up. Go and check if he has returned."

"Yes. I'm on it."

Feeling much relieved, the maid helped herself up and trotted over to Austin's chamber.

"Go ahead, Michael," Reuben responded.

He was slightly surprised when the cultivator spoke. This young man was at the premium stage of the Earth Realm and his performance in battle was far better than those of other cultivators at the same level. He was one of the best cultivators under Reuben's command.

The prince thought highly of Michael.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, you have recruited hundreds of young cultivators, but not all of them are powerful.

Undoubtedly, all the strong cultivators will sign up for the Outstanding Talents Exchange Tournament. Victory will surely belong to the powerful.

I think we should put quality before quantity. Look at these cultivators. Most of them are weak. So I advise you to eliminate some of them, to avoid unnecessary expenditure. That way, you can invest in your elite cultivators, those who can guarantee you victory. What do you think?"

More than ten young people voiced out their approval. All of them were cultivators with impressive cultivation base and battle force.

Reuben raised his eyebrows and looked at the middle-aged man standing beside him.

The man shook his head slightly, a sign advising his master to wait and see.

In fact, the man agreed with Michael.

'Most of the young cultivators Reuben has recruited will fail in the Outstanding Talents Exchange Tournament. If he sends the weak cultivators home, he could save much of his money, ' he brooded.

Reuben instantly understood what the man was thinking. He took his advice and remained silent.

Austin also figured out what the prince was up to.

'Looks like the host of the feast is going to stand by and play it by ear.

It turns out some people still want to bring me down. It seems like a dozen of these young cultivators want to embarrass me and pressure me to leave. That way, they could intimidate and manipulate other, probably weaker, cultivators into backing out, ' he thought.

"You bastard! Did you hear me? Kneel before the prince, beg for his forgiveness, and then get out of here.

You son of a bitch. Are you playing dumb? Fine. I'll teach you a lesson," the stout teenager yelled at Austin.

He knew the siblings who had been beaten up by Austin the other day. They were his friends. Now, he was going to avenge them.

Killing intent flashed in his eyes. All of a sudden, a curtain of yellow smog began to surround him. Almost instantly, this cloud, to the crowd's amazement, grew and spread to be a thousand miles wide. It could be seen even by people from outside the palace.

At the same time, he grew taller and fatter under the yellow smog. Eventually, he turned into a two-meter tall giant.

"It's the Soil Body-refining Skill!"

one whispered in disbelief.