First Match

Fang Rongxuan's sigh reached his ears as well. "Those two up there are the genius disciples of this year.

"I heard they advanced to the mid Qi Condensation stage in just three months."

"Mid Qi Condensation stage?" Lu Nan's expression froze.

Fang Rongxuan turned to look at him. "That's right!! Senior Sister Su is already at the fifth layer of Qi Condensation, while Junior Brother Ye is at the fourth layer!!"

Lu Nan turned back to look at the two calm-faced figures on the Platform.

He could not help but marvel. As expected! Good talent really is different!!

But he quickly composed himself. His talent might not be good.

Yet with the help of the Mysterious Space, surpassing them was only a matter of time.

As he thought, Lu Nan's mind drifted to those Spiritual Plant Seeds.

"I wonder how they're developing now!"

As he murmured, a conversation suddenly came from the Platform.

"Old Man Qing, I heard your Azure Lotus Sword Sect took in two geniuses today?"

The speaker was an old man dressed in a black robe, with a full head and beard of red hair.

Lu Nan raised his head to look. Fang Rongxuan at his side promptly explained, "That is the Grand Elder of the Crimson Lotus Sword Sect, also a Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse.

"I heard he leads the Crimson Lotus Sword Sect at every competition!"

"Crimson Lotus Sword Sect?? Then what about the White Lotus Sword Sect?"

Lu Nan asked curiously. There seemed to be only people from the Crimson Lotus Sword Sect on the Platform.

Fang Rongxuan shrugged. "I don't know either!"

Hearing this, Lu Nan did not pursue the matter further and continued watching the Platform.

"So what if we did??" Qingchuan, clad in a green robe threaded with gold, replied irritably.

The Red-Haired Old Man's eyes lit up. "Perfect! Our sect also took in several promising seedlings this year. How about we let them compete??"

"How do you want to compete??"

"As usual, but the stakes must change this time."

"What do you want?" Qingchuan frowned.

"One Supreme Foundation Establishment Pill, one Supreme Hair-Arranging Flying Sword.

"And that Sun Meteorite in your possession. How about it??" The Red-Haired Old Man smiled.

Qingchuan raised a brow and looked at him. "The Sun Meteorite is a fifth-grade spiritual material. What are you putting up??"

The Red-Haired Old Man said nothing. With a flip of his palm, a stone glowing with a lustrous white light appeared in his hand.

"This Moon Soul Stone is also fifth-grade. If I lose, it will be yours!"

Qingchuan's heart sank at the sight. Seeing the certainty on the other man's face,

then looking at the disciples behind him, he pondered for a moment before nodding.

"Fine!!! I accept this wager!"

He then walked to the edge of the Platform and swept his gaze over the Azure Lotus Sword Sect disciples below.

"Today, anyone below Foundation Establishment may take the stage to compete.

"Besides the competition rewards, the victor may enter the Core Disciples directly."

As soon as his words fell, a figure in red leaped onto the arena.

Sweeping his gaze around the crowd, he called out, "Wang Wu of the Crimson Lotus Sword Sect seeks guidance from you all.

"Which Senior Brother will take the stage?"

Seeing the exceedingly arrogant Wang Wu, the Azure Lotus Sword Sect side immediately erupted.

"Liu Tian of the Azure Lotus Sword Sect seeks your guidance!!" A burly man leaped from the crowd onto the arena.

His eyes locked tightly onto Wang Wu. As the Protective Formation rose around the arena,

he launched the first attack, the greatsword in his hand smashing fiercely toward Wang Wu with crushing force.

Yet Wang Wu easily dodged it with a sidestep.

His first strike missing, Liu Tian immediately adjusted his stance and continued his unrelenting assault.

Watching Liu Tian attack continuously, Lu Nan could not help asking, "Senior Brother, who do you think will win??"

"Wang Wu!!" Fang Rongxuan blurted out. Seeing Lu Nan's puzzled expression,

he explained, "Liu Tian is only at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation, but I can't see through that Wang Wu.

"He is very likely an expert at the fifth layer of Qi Condensation or above. Liu Tian will undoubtedly lose against him."

Almost as soon as Fang Rongxuan's voice fell, Liu Tian was kicked to the ground by Wang Wu.

A sharp Longsword rested across his throat.

"This Senior Brother, you have lost!!" Wang Wu looked at Liu Tian on the ground and chuckled.

Liu Tian conceded cleanly, and the Arena Array was lifted.

"Old Man Qing, what do you think? That boy Wang is one of our sect's new disciples this year!"

The Red-Haired Old Man looked at Qingchuan smugly.

"Not bad! Reaching the sixth layer of Qi Condensation in less than half a year.

"He truly is a good seedling!!" Qingchuan said expressionlessly.

Afterward, quite a few more people took the stage to challenge him, but all were defeated.

This caused Qingchuan, the Grand Elder of the Azure Lotus Sword Sect, to darken further.

He swept his gaze over the crowd below and sighed inwardly.

He transmitted his voice to the two people at his side. "Ye Shuang, you go!!

Ye Shuang, standing beside the Third Elder, was taken aback. Then he leaped onto the arena."

"Ye Shuang of the Azure Lotus Sword Sect. Please enlighten me!!" After speaking coldly, he drew his sword.

Wang Wu raised a brow at the sight and nodded, signaling that he could attack.

Seeing Wang Wu's arrogance, Ye Shuang did not hold back.

"Flame Sword!" As he gave a soft shout, a crimson glow ignited along the sharp Longsword.

It rapidly spread across the entire blade. "Three Forms of Flame Kill!"

Three blazing sword lights flew toward Wang Wu in a triangular formation.

The oncoming heat wave made Wang Wu cast aside his contempt.

His expression turned grave as he stared at the blazing sword lights and swiftly drew a Water Screen before himself with his sword.

At the same time, he dodged to one side, but Ye Shuang gave him no chance.

He closed in and thrust his sword toward Wang Wu's landing point. Caught off guard, Wang Wu could only hold his Longsword across his body.

Clang...

A crisp sound rang out as Wang Wu was sent dozens of steps backward by the tremendous force.

He only barely stopped when he was about to reach the edge of the arena.

At this sight, Ye Shuang frowned and turned into an afterimage as he charged toward Wang Wu.

Before Wang Wu could react, a sharp Longsword was pointed at his throat.

A touch of crimson suddenly appeared. Feeling the sting, Wang Wu raised a hand to touch it.

Then he lowered his head. "I lost!!!"

Ye Shuang immediately withdrew his Longsword and returned to the center of the arena.

He raised his head and looked toward the Crimson Lotus Sword Sect's side, his meaning obvious without words.

Looking at Ye Shuang standing tall on the Platform, Lu Nan turned to Fang Rongxuan in confusion. "Senior Brother, is he really at the fourth layer of Qi Condensation??"

"Uh..." Fang Rongxuan looked embarrassed. "I didn't expect Senior Brother Ye to have hidden his cultivation!!

"Keep watching! Keep watching!"

Ye Shuang's victory made the Red-Haired Old Man's expression turn rather ugly. "Seventh layer of Qi Condensation?? Hmph!"

"Your Azure Lotus Sword Sect really picked up a good seedling!!"

After a cold snort, he turned back and said, "Ye Tian, you go!!"

A handsome man behind the Red-Haired Old Man bowed, then flew onto the arena.

"Ye Tian of the Crimson Lotus Sword Sect seeks Brother Ye's guidance. Let us stop at the proper point!!"

As he spoke, he drew a white Longsword and looked straight at Ye Shuang. "Please..."

Ye Shuang did not stand on ceremony and directly swung out three sword lights.

Though it was the same sword move, Ye Tian easily dispelled it with a sweep of his Longsword.

Seeing Ye Shuang close in, Ye Tian took the initiative to meet him.

For a time, the entire arena rang with unceasing clanging.

The two figures darted about everywhere, and bursts of sword light flashed from time to time.

Seeing only two afterimages remaining on the Platform, Lu Nan's eyes brimmed with longing.

Is this how cultivators fought each other???

As his mind wandered, he suddenly heard a deep shout. "Departing Fire Sword Art!"

A crimson glow illuminated the entire arena. Lu Nan looked up.

He saw three Longswords formed from flames floating around Ye Shuang on the Platform.

With a swift motion from him, they split into countless tiny red swords.

Like a torrential downpour, they shot toward Ye Tian, engulfing him in the blink of an eye.

In an instant, countless eyes stared fixedly at the firelight on the Platform.