A Match (Part 1)

After finishing her greeting, Xu Chunniang began watching the matches on the arena.

"Number thirty-five, Zhao Yushan, Artifact Refining A-grade. Versus number thirty-six, Zhou Houde, Alchemy A-grade. Competing on arena number eight."

Xu Chunniang could tell at a glance that Zhao Yushan was already a cultivator at the third level of Qi Condensation, while Zhou Houde was only at the second level. This match would likely end quickly.

As expected, after Zhao Yushan stepped onto the stage, she immediately unleashed three wind blades towards Zhou Houde, securing victory with overwhelming advantage.

Many Inner Sect disciples who witnessed the fight commented, "This Zhao Yushan is quite good. A-grade in Artifact Refining, her cultivation is solid, and her application of sorcery is very skilled."

"She's not bad, but this is only the first match. Let's see how she does later."

After watching for a while, Xu Chunniang lost interest and looked away.

Having experienced the real killing in the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range, she naturally understood that in combat, subduing and killing the enemy was the key.

If she hadn't been to the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range, she might have been captivated by these staged fights. But after true life-or-death experience, these somewhat performative matches no longer held any appeal for her.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Chunniang finally heard her name.

"Number three hundred twenty-seven, Xu Chunniang, Spiritual Plants A-grade. Versus number three hundred twenty-eight, Wang Youcai, Beast Taming A-grade. Competing on arena number three."

Xu Chunniang's spirit lifted. It was finally her turn!

On arena number three, Xu Chunniang glanced at Wang Youcai. He was only at the second level of Qi Condensation.

She directly cast a Water Bind Technique, cleanly trapping him. Then, she walked forward and kicked him off the stage.

The steward in charge of arena number three was dumbfounded. After Xu Chunniang stepped off the stage, he finally announced Xu Chunniang as the winner.

Xu Chunniang's fight also attracted the attention of some Inner Sect disciples.

"Wow, the casting speed of that Water Bind Technique is incredible, almost instantaneous. It's clear that this disciple named Xu Chunniang has put in a lot of effort in sorcery."

"Her opponent was only a cultivator at the second level of Qi Condensation, so being suppressed in one exchange is normal. This performance is just passable, nothing to praise. What's the use of fast sorcery? It just means she practiced diligently."

"What a shame, she actually chose Spiritual Plants as her major. That major has no future."

"And she has a birthmark on her face, her appearance is really not presentable."

After a brief discussion, they stopped paying attention to Xu Chunniang and turned their focus to others.

After leaving the stage, Xu Chunniang went to collect her number tag for the second round of matches. She was the 162nd winner, so she received number 162.

Then came another long wait, but Xu Chunniang's heart stirred when she heard a familiar name.

"Number three hundred eighty-nine, Su Chen, Talismans A-grade. Versus number three hundred ninety, Cai Ran, Formations A-grade. Competing on arena number six."

Su Chen, that was the person who, like her, went alone to the Hundred Demonic Mountain Range for training!

Xu Chunniang quickly looked towards arena number six and saw a beautiful young girl standing gracefully on the stage. Was Su Chen her?

Then, another young man walked onto the stage. His appearance was at most refined, and there was nothing particularly outstanding about him.

After the steward in charge of arena number six announced the start, the young man flicked his hand, scattering three talismans that directly sealed the girl's surroundings.

"Three Fireball Talismans. They'll explode if you move," the young man winked at the girl, threatening her in a half-joking tone.

The beautiful girl was both angry and scared, tears almost welling up. "Using external forces... You're cheating!"

"The competition rules don't seem to prohibit the use of talismans."

The young man said calmly. The Fireball Talismans, under his control, didn't retreat but instead moved closer to the girl.

In fact, in previous matches, quite a few people had used talismans, and even Spiritual Artifacts. There was no such rule against using external forces.

The girl had no choice but to concede and jumped off the stage unwillingly.

The steward for arena number six immediately announced, "Su Chen wins."

Xu Chunniang suddenly understood. This young man who showed no mercy was Su Chen. His chosen major was Talismans, and perhaps these low-grade Fireball Talismans were drawn by himself.

As time passed, the second round of matches began in quick succession. This time, only two hundred people remained in the competition.

Among these two hundred people, cultivators at the third level of Qi Condensation and those at the second level were roughly equal in number.

The officiating steward intentionally aimed to eliminate all the cultivators at the second level of Qi Condensation, arranging opponents at the third level of Qi Condensation for them. This second round of matches proceeded even faster than the first.

Xu Chunniang didn't have to wait long for her opponent, a cultivator at the second level of Qi Condensation. It was another Water Bind Technique followed by a kick, and the person was sent away without much effort.

After advancing, Xu Chunniang collected her number tag for the third round of matches, which was number seventy-eight.

The second round of matches ended quickly, and almost all the participants entering the third round were cultivators at the third level of Qi Condensation.

As the third round of matches progressed, the Inner Sect disciples' expressions became more serious.

"This Zhao Yushan is good. I've been watching her since the first match. Her sorcery is very skilled, and her timing is excellent."

"Tang Nian on arena four is also good, his earth-element sorcery is steady and reliable."

"It's just that these excellent retainers are probably not for us. Senior brothers will pick first."

There were rules for Inner Sect disciples selecting retainers. Before coming, they had already ranked themselves through the matches, from first place to 106th. The first-ranked person would pick first, and could only select one retainer at a time. The selection process consisted of two rounds.

"It's a pity that Senior Sister Shangguan didn't participate in the competition. Otherwise, she would definitely be the guaranteed first place and could choose the best retainers."

"Senior Sister has an Ice-element Single Spiritual Root, she's an absolute genius disciple. Even without retainers, she's second to none."

"Even though we have also entered the Inner Sect, the difference compared to Senior Sister Shangguan is still huge."

Not all Inner Sect disciples choose attendants; truly powerful individuals often disdain such things. Shangguan Xue, for example, or Huangfu Tian. They both possessed extreme confidence in their own strength.

After a brief chat, the group stopped talking and refocused on the ongoing matches.

Because the disciples in the third match had similar cultivation levels, the battle became somewhat of a stalemate, progressing much slower than the first two matches.

However, with only one hundred participants, Xu Chunniang didn't have to wait too long.

"Number seventy-seven, Wu Sheng, Alchemy, Class A, versus number seventy-eight, Xu Chunniang, Spiritual Plants, Class A. The match will be held on Stage Two."

Xu Chunniang walked towards Stage Two. Her opponent was already on the platform.

"Water Bind Technique."

Without any suspense, Wu Sheng was completely enveloped by a sphere of water.

He struggled with all his might to break free from the water sphere, but unfortunately, no matter how he thrashed, it was useless.

Xu Chunniang stepped forward and kicked him off the stage, ending the fight cleanly and efficiently.

"Xu Chunniang wins!"