Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the Ziyang Sect's Inner Sect Training Ground was already packed shoulder to shoulder, buzzing with excitement. The Inner Sect Training Ground was far grander and more magnificent than the Outer Sect's. It lay at the foot of Ziyang Peak, the Ziyang Sect's main peak, covering a thousand mu. Its ground was paved with hard Obsidian, gleaming with a cold sheen. At the center of the Training Ground stood ten enormous arenas, each three zhang high and encircled by White Jade Railings carved with defensive runes capable of withstanding the full-force attacks of Qi Refining Stage cultivators.
Tier upon tier of spectator seating surrounded the arenas, already filled with Inner Sect Disciples and Sect Elders. The disciples wore Blue Daoist Robes and gathered in small groups of three or five, excitedly discussing the Grand Tournament about to begin. The elders sat in the foremost VIP seats, clad in green or purple Daoist robes, their expressions calm and detached, their eyes carrying scrutiny and expectation.
As agreed, Shen Hao and Zhang Shan met at the entrance to Qingyun Peak during the Mao Hour, then headed for the Training Ground together. Along the way, they encountered quite a few competing disciples. Most wore tense expressions and hurried footsteps. Sweat began to bead in Zhang Shan's palms again. He clenched his fists tightly, and even his breathing grew somewhat rapid. Shen Hao patted him on the shoulder and said softly, "Relax. Just perform normally." Zhang Shan took a deep breath, nodded, and tried his best to calm himself.
Following the crowd, the two arrived at the spectator stands of the Training Ground and found seats near the back. Looking toward the raised platform before the arenas, they saw a red sandalwood table draped in bright yellow silk, behind which sat several white-haired, white-bearded elders. Their auras were steady, spiritual energy swirling around them, their gazes as deep as ancient wells. They were unmistakably Nascent Soul Stage Elders of the Ziyang Sect, extraordinary in bearing and awe-inspiring to behold.
As soon as the Chen Hour arrived, the morning bell rang out, its melodious chime spreading across all of Ziyang Peak. The noisy Training Ground fell silent in an instant. Every disciple held their breath and focused, their eyes fixed on the raised platform. An elder clad in a purple Daoist robe slowly stepped onto it. He stood tall and straight, his face imposing. He was none other than the Ziyang Sect's Grand Elder, whose cultivation was unfathomable.
The Grand Elder swept his gaze over the disciples below. His voice boomed like a great bell, amplified by spiritual energy until it rang clearly through every corner of the Training Ground. "Inner Sect Disciples, today is the day of our Ziyang Sect's triennial Inner Sect Grand Competition!"
As his words fell, thunderous applause erupted below the platform, deafening in its force.
The Grand Elder raised a hand to press the noise down. After the crowd quieted, he continued, "This Grand Competition is not only to select the Inner Sect's finest disciples and grant them generous rewards, but also to give you an opportunity to exchange pointers, learn from one another's strengths, and make up for your weaknesses. I hope each of you can display your true strength, compete with style, and compete with skill!"
He paused, his gaze sharpening and his voice growing more solemn. "There are two hundred participating disciples in this Grand Competition, all Inner Sect Disciples at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer or above. The competition will be divided into two rounds. The first round is an elimination round: all two hundred participants will draw lots at random and fight in pairs, with the winners advancing to the next round. The second round is a ranking round: the one hundred who advance will draw lots again and fight until the top ten are decided! The rewards for the top ten are exceedingly generous. I hope you will all give it everything you have!"
When the disciples below heard the words "generous rewards," a fiery gleam flashed through their eyes. Especially upon hearing of the Foundation Establishment Pill and the High-grade Cultivation Method, their breaths quickened and longing appeared on their faces.
The Grand Elder emphasized once more, "The rules are simple: stop at the proper point, and no lives are to be harmed. If one side admits defeat, the other must cease immediately. Whoever insists on killing their opponent will be disqualified and punished by the sect! Do you understand?"
"We understand!" the two hundred participating disciples answered in unison, their voices loud and clear, resounding through the clouds.
"Now, the drawing of lots begins!" At the Grand Elder's command, ten stewards in Green Daoist Robes carried ten Lottery Boxes engraved with mysterious runes and slowly approached the front of the arenas. The Lottery Boxes were made entirely of white jade and contained two hundred Bamboo Slips marked with numbers, each number corresponding to an opponent.
The competing disciples rose one after another and lined up before the Lottery Boxes. Shen Hao and Zhang Shan also stood and followed the crowd toward them. Zhang Shan went first. He reached into a Lottery Box and felt around for a while before drawing out a Bamboo Slip. When he saw the number on it, delight appeared on his face. "Great! My opponent is a disciple at the Early Qi Refining Fourth Layer!"
Shen Hao patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "Good luck." Then he stepped before a Lottery Box, took a deep breath, and drew out a Bamboo Slip. The slip bore the number "thirty-seven." He had barely put it away when a venomous voice came from beside him. "What a narrow road for enemies to meet, Shen Hao!"
Shen Hao turned toward the voice and saw Li Wei standing beside him, holding a Bamboo Slip also marked "thirty-seven." Li Wei's face was so gloomy it seemed ready to drip water, and venomous light flickered in his eyes. Shen Hao was slightly taken aback, then understood. He had not expected to encounter Li Wei, his old rival, in the very first round.
Ever since Li Wei had been defeated by Shen Hao on Qingyun Peak, he had been unable to let it go. He cultivated bitterly day and night, and his cultivation had already broken through to the Late Qi Refining Fourth Layer. His strength had increased considerably from before. He had intended to show his skills at the Inner Sect Grand Competition and avenge his humiliation, yet he had never expected to meet Shen Hao, his nemesis, in the first round.
Li Wei stared fixedly at Shen Hao and said through gritted teeth, "Shen Hao, I still haven't avenged what happened last time! This time, I'll make you lose miserably and show you that a cultivator at the Late Qi Refining Fourth Layer is not someone you can afford to provoke!"
Seeing the hatred in Li Wei's eyes, Shen Hao's expression remained unchanged, his heart as still as an ancient well. No matter who his opponent was, he would give it his all. He nodded faintly without saying anything more, then turned and headed toward the spectator stands.
Watching Shen Hao's indifferent retreating figure, Li Wei's face darkened further. His fists clenched until they cracked, and the killing intent in his eyes nearly overflowed.
The first round of the Inner Sect Grand Competition was about to begin. On the ten arenas, the stewards were inspecting the defensive runes. The disciples in the spectator stands held their breath in concentration, awaiting the start of this clash of dragons and tigers. A contest belonging to the Inner Sect's finest disciples was about to raise its curtain.
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