Thinking of this, Chen Xiao became even more curious. What kind of power was this Hall of Gods, and why did it possess such profound foundations?
Qi Qingfei, who was following behind Chen Xiao, also looked preoccupied. However, her thoughts were clearly not as grand as Chen Xiao's.
"Mr. Gongsun, you said none of us have an invitation letter. Will they not let us in?" Qi Qingfei asked with a worried expression.
"Uh, this... probably not..." Gongsun Yi scratched his head and said ambiguously, "My name, Gongsun Yi, is carved in the Hall of Gods, and I'm somewhat well-known. They should recognize my name. Besides, so many people have come this time; it's impossible for everyone to have an invitation letter, right?"
As it turned out, Gongsun Yi guessed wrong, and he guessed very wrongly.
Everyone in line had an invitation letter, and those without one were truly not allowed in by the special envoys of the Hall of Gods!
Chen Xiao, Lin Zicong, and Qi Qingfei were, as expected, stopped.
"I'm sorry, but the Hall Master has decreed that anyone who has not received an invitation letter cannot participate in this Martial Arts大会. We apologize for any inconvenience."
Unexpectedly, the special envoy of the Hall of Gods spoke in a gentle and very polite tone.
But politeness was useless; if they weren't allowed in, they weren't allowed in!
"Esteemed Envoy, I am Gongsun Yi, ranked twenty-eighth on the Heavenly Ranking. These few are my good friends. Could you please allow us to enter based on my reputation?" Gongsun Yi stepped forward to reveal his identity and pull strings. He then played his trump card, pulling out several magazines with very explicit covers from his怀 and stuffing them into the envoy's hands.
Seeing this, Li Ziqing and Lin Zicong were speechless and wished they could pretend not to know this person. He was ranked in the top thirty of the Heavenly Ranking, yet he would do something so undignified.
Chen Xiao, however, smiled knowingly. He recalled how Chu Qingbai had bribed several people from the Tianyuan Sect in Yaowang Valley using a similar tactic.
As expected, the special envoys of the Hall of Gods also fell for this. The moment they saw the magazines, their mouths began to water.
"Mr. Gongsun, are these for me?"
"Of course!"
"Thank you, Mr. Gongsun!"
The envoy snatched the magazines, practically itching to start admiring them on the spot.
Gongsun Yi tentatively asked, "Esteemed Envoy, what about my friends here..."
"Oh!" The envoy looked up and said, "They don't have invitation letters, so they can't come in."
Gongsun Yi: "..."
You're not letting them in, yet you're taking the magazines? Is the special envoy of the Hall of Gods that arrogant? Have you no shame?
"Hey, you in front, can you hurry up? Everyone is queuing!" The people behind them, having been delayed by Chen Xiao and his group for a while, impatiently urged them on.
"Are you talking to me?" Gongsun Yi turned around and glared coldly. The person was intimidated by his gaze and immediately fell silent.
However, Chen Xiao felt that continuing to stall was not a solution, so he and his companions left the queue.
Qi Qingfei and Lin Zicong wore dejected expressions. They had come with great enthusiasm to attend the Martial Arts大会, only to be unable to even enter the gate. They were extremely disappointed.
"Mr. Chen, what do we do now? Shall we try to force our way in?" Gongsun Yi suggested.
Chen Xiao gave him a sideways glance. "And then what after we force our way in?"
Chen Xiao had important matters to attend to here; he was looking for the Cangwu Abyss. If they forced their way in now, he would not be able to do his real business, unless they destroyed the entire Hall of Gods first.
"I was just saying," Gongsun Yi chuckled sheepishly, knowing that his suggestion was impractical.
Just then, someone from a distance suddenly called out, "Chen Xiao!"
Following the sound, they saw a disheveled middle-aged man walking towards them with a smile. This man had a characteristic broad, flat face – it was Lu Datou, one of the Four Absolutes of the Heavenly Ranking!
"Huh, isn't that Lu Datou? Mr. Chen, do you two know each other?" Seeing the approaching figure, Gongsun Yi asked with a hint of confusion.
"Yes, he and I have some acquaintance," Chen Xiao nodded lightly and then went to meet him.
Upon hearing that the person was Lu Datou, Lin Zicong and Qi Qingfei became excited. Yesterday they had seen Yang Potian, and today they saw Lu Datou. They had now met two of the Four Absolutes, and felt that the trip was worthwhile. The fame of the Four Absolutes had been the greatest during their formative years. In their minds, the Four Absolutes were like gods, so they now felt a sense of meeting their idols.
"Kid, I didn't expect you to come to the Martial Arts大会 too. Then my trip today won't be in vain!" Lu Datou greeted Chen Xiao very warmly. In his heart, he had already regarded Chen Xiao as a junior relative. Chen Xiao also felt a similar sentiment, so he was very happy to see Lu Datou here.
After exchanging pleasantries, Lu Datou couldn't help but ask, "Kid, aren't you here to participate in the Martial Arts大会? Why aren't you going in? What are you standing here for?"
"Uncle Lu, it's not that I don't want to go in, it's that they won't let me in. I didn't receive an invitation letter!" Chen Xiao said helplessly.
"No invitation letter, huh? Don't worry, I have a way!" With that, Lu Datou also pulled out several magazines from his怀, identical to Gongsun Yi's.
Qi Qingfei and Lin Zicong were utterly speechless... Lu Datou's idol aura instantly vanished. The two of them wished they could shout in their hearts, "The idol has collapsed!"
"Senior Lu, it's no use. I've already tried this trick. The Hall of Gods is quite strict this time; the special envoys aren't falling for it anymore," Gongsun Yi reminded him.
"What? They're not falling for it anymore? Fortunately, you reminded me early!" Lu Datou carefully put the magazines away. "Otherwise, it would have been a waste. These are the latest issues, and I haven't even read them yet!"
Qi Qingfei and Lin Zicong were even more speechless. The lofty image of Xi Yuan in their hearts instantly shrank a few more inches.
"Don't worry, kid. This trick didn't work, but I have other tricks!" Lu Datou waved towards the queue. "Hey, old buddy, over here! Don't queue anymore, hurry over, I have something to tell you!"
Then, a burly man with a full beard walked out of the queue and approached them. This person was strong and sturdy, but he gave off a somewhat simple-minded impression, with a direct gaze, like a simpleton. Especially when his gaze fell on Qi Qingfei, he even seemed a bit shy, as if he had never seen a woman before.
"Old buddy, my friends here want to participate in the Martial Arts大会, but they don't have invitation letters. Quickly, help me think of a way!" Lu Datou said to Old Tie.
"This is easy!" Old Tie said casually, patting his chest. "Leave it to me." He then patted himself all over, but found nothing. He then asked, "Does anyone have paper on them?"
The few of them shook their heads, not knowing what he intended to do.
"How about this?" Lu Datou had a flash of inspiration and took out the magazines. Old Tie's eyes lit up instantly. He complained, "Damn it, Brother Datou, why didn't you take out such good stuff earlier!" Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, he began to read them with great relish...