After greeting them, Xu Chunniang began watching the matches on the arenas.
"Number thirty-five, Zhao Yushan, top grade in Artifact Refining. Against number thirty-six, Zhou Houde, top grade in Alchemy. Proceed to Arena Eight."
Xu Chunniang could tell at a glance that Zhao Yushan was already a cultivator at the third level Qi Condensation, while Zhou Houde was only at the second level. This match would likely end very quickly.
Sure enough, after Zhao Yushan stepped onto the stage, she immediately sent three wind blades hurtling toward Zhou Houde, claiming victory with an overwhelming advantage.
Quite a few inner sect disciples watched the battle and commented, "This Zhao Yushan is quite good. She earned top grade in Artifact Refining, her cultivation is fairly solid, and she is highly proficient in using sorcery."
"She's decent enough, but this is only the first match. Let's watch a little longer."
After watching for a while, Xu Chunniang lost interest and withdrew her gaze.
She had experienced real slaughter in the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range, so she naturally understood that subduing and killing one's enemy were what truly mattered in battle.
Had she not gone to the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range, these contests onstage might have caught her attention. But after undergoing a true trial of life and death, these somewhat performative matches could no longer hold any appeal for her.
Who knew how much time passed before Xu Chunniang finally heard her own name.
"Number three hundred twenty-seven, Xu Chunniang, top grade in Spirit Plant Cultivation. Against number three hundred twenty-eight, Wang Youcai, top grade in Beast Taming. Proceed to Arena Three."
Xu Chunniang perked up. It was finally her turn!
On Arena Three, Xu Chunniang glanced at Wang Youcai. He was merely at the second level Qi Condensation.
She directly cast a Water Bind Technique, trapping him inside with clean, decisive efficiency. Then she stepped forward and kicked him off the arena.
The steward in charge of Arena Three was somewhat dumbfounded. Only after Xu Chunniang stepped down did he announce her victory.
Xu Chunniang's battle also drew the attention of several inner sect disciples.
"Wow, that Water Bind Technique was cast far too quickly! It was released in practically the blink of an eye. It's obvious that this disciple named Xu Chunniang has put in serious hard work when it comes to sorcery."
"Her opponent was only at the second level Qi Condensation. It's perfectly normal for him to be suppressed in a single exchange. That performance was merely passable, nothing worth praising. What use is fast sorcery? She has only practiced more diligently, that's all."
"What a pity. She actually chose Spirit Plant Cultivation. That field has no future."
"And she has a birthmark on her face. Her looks are far too unsightly."
After discussing her for a few moments, they stopped paying attention to Xu Chunniang and turned their focus to the others.
After leaving the arena, Xu Chunniang went to collect her number token for the second match. She was the one hundred sixty-second victor, so the token she received this time bore the number one hundred sixty-two.
What followed was another long wait. Yet when Xu Chunniang heard a familiar name, her heart stirred slightly.
"Number three hundred eighty-nine, Su Chen, top grade in Talismans. Against number three hundred ninety, Cai Ran, top grade in Formations. Proceed to Arena Six."
Su Chen—he was the person who, like her, had gone alone to train in the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range!
Xu Chunniang hurriedly looked toward Arena Six and saw a beautiful young girl standing there prettily. Was she Su Chen?
But then another youth stepped onto the arena. His appearance could only be called delicate and handsome; there was nothing especially remarkable about him.
Once the steward in charge of Arena Six announced the start, the youth flicked his hand and scattered three talismans, directly sealing off the girl's surroundings.
"Three Fireball Talismans. They'll explode as soon as you move." The youth winked at the girl, threatening her in a half-joking tone.
The beautiful girl was both angry and frightened, tears nearly spilling from her eyes. "Using external assistance... you're cheating!"
"The contest rules do not seem to say that talismans cannot be used."
The youth spoke calmly. Under his control, the Fireball Talismans not only did not retreat, but pressed even closer to the girl.
In truth, quite a few people in the previous matches had used talismans, even spiritual artifacts. There had never been any rule forbidding the use of external assistance.
The girl could only concede defeat and jump down from the arena unwillingly.
The steward at Arena Six immediately announced, "Su Chen wins."
Xu Chunniang suddenly understood. So that youth with not the slightest trace of tenderness toward women was Su Chen. His specialty was Talismans; perhaps he had drawn those low-grade Fireball Talismans himself.
As time passed, the second round of matches began in rapid succession. This time, only two hundred contestants remained.
Among these two hundred, those at the third level Qi Condensation and those at the second level each made up half.
The stewards hosting the contest deliberately intended to eliminate every second-level Qi Condensation cultivator. The opponents arranged for them were all at the third level Qi Condensation, making the second round proceed even faster than the first.
Xu Chunniang did not wait long before her opponent arrived: a cultivator at the second level Qi Condensation. Once again, a Water Bind Technique followed by a kick sent him down without much effort.
After advancing, Xu Chunniang collected her token for the third match. It was number seventy-eight.
The second round ended swiftly. Those who entered the third round were almost all cultivators at the third level Qi Condensation.
As the third round progressed, the inner sect disciples also began to look more serious.
"This Zhao Yushan is quite good. I had been watching her since the first round. Her sorcery is extremely proficient, and her timing is excellent as well."
"Tang Nian on Arena Four is also good. His Earth element sorcery is steady and solid."
"But these outstanding attendants will probably not be our turn to choose. The senior brothers get first pick."
There were rules for inner sect disciples selecting attendants as well. Before coming here, they had already been ranked through contests, from first place through one hundred sixth place. The first-ranked person chose first, and each could select only one attendant at a time. The selection would take place over two rounds.
"What a shame Senior Sister Shangguan did not enter the contest. Otherwise, she would definitely have taken first place and been able to choose the finest attendants."
"Senior Sister is an Ice-element Single Spiritual Root, an absolute genius disciple. Even without attendants, she is inferior to no one."
"Even though we have also entered the inner sect, compared with Senior Sister Shangguan, the gap remains enormous."
Not every inner sect disciple would select attendants. Some truly powerful individuals often disdained such things. Shangguan Xue was one example, and Huangfu Tian was another. They both possessed extreme confidence in their own strength.
After chatting for a few sentences, they put an end to the topic and returned to watching the matches on the arenas.
Since the cultivation levels of the disciples in the third round were not too far apart, the battles became somewhat deadlocked, and the pace was much slower than in the first two rounds.
However, only one hundred people were participating, so Xu Chunniang did not have to wait too long.
"Number seventy-seven, Wu Sheng, top grade in Alchemy. Against number seventy-eight, Xu Chunniang, top grade in Spirit Plant Cultivation. Proceed to Arena Two."
Xu Chunniang walked toward Arena Two. Her opponent was already standing atop the stage.
"Water Bind Technique."
With no suspense whatsoever, Wu Sheng was wrapped tightly inside a sphere of water.
He struggled with all his strength to break free from the water sphere, but no matter how he struggled, it was utterly useless.
Xu Chunniang stepped forward and kicked him off the arena, resolving the battle cleanly and efficiently.
"Xu Chunniang wins!"
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