Power of One Elephant

And so, in the blink of an eye, amidst everyone's anticipation, the day for the top 300 rankings quickly arrived.

During this period, a consensus had formed regarding those capable of competing for the top ten spots.

First among them was Feng Chao, currently ranked eleventh, who had become a strong contender for the top ten. After all, he was the ruthless individual who had single-handedly taken on a Level 5, 2-star mission.

Next were those within the top twenty; their chances were all considerable.

Finally, there were those who had performed exceptionally well in the previous grand competition.

Take Li Biehe, ranked sixtieth, for instance. He had managed to secure that position with his mid-stage Zhen Qi Realm cultivation last time. Now, at the late-stage, his strength had surely improved significantly.

Coupled with his father being an Inner Sect Elder, he would never lack for martial arts techniques. Therefore, his methods were hard to predict.

In the Inner Sect Elder's courtyard, Li Biehe's father, Li Zaihu, asked in a deep voice:

"Biehe, the arena battles begin tomorrow. What level have you reached with the Heavenly Sun Divine Art?"

Li Biehe confidently replied:

"Don't worry, Father. I've already cultivated the Heavenly Sun Divine Art to the ninth layer, the highest in the Zhen Qi Realm. I'll definitely make it into the top ten this time, maybe even the top three."

Li Zaihu nodded in satisfaction. "Good. I obtained this divine art by chance. It's an Earth-grade, initial stage cultivation method. Your ability to cultivate it to the ninth layer so quickly is a testament to your extraordinary talent."

Pleased with the praise, Li Biehe then tentatively asked:

"Father, about Zhu Ningyun, the matter I mentioned to you..."

Upon hearing this, Li Zaihu's smile vanished, and he sternly said:

"The chances of that are slim. Zhu Ningyun is someone valued by the Sect Master, perhaps even the Grand Elders. Your father is just an ordinary Inner Sect Elder. Even if I were to grovel, it wouldn't yield any results."

Li Biehe was disappointed.

Li Zaihu, not wanting to crush his son's confidence, advised, "It's not entirely impossible. As long as you display exceptional talent and catch the eye of the Sect Master and the others, it's still quite possible."

"I understand."

Li Biehe's eyes lit up. He clenched his fists, resolving to go all out in the upcoming competition.

Not far from the Wuji Sect, by a pool of water, trickles flowed down the cliff face, merging into the pool. Along with the water came a python as thick as a water bucket.

It coiled around a dead tree on the cliff face, slowly lowering its head to peer into the pool. It seemed to have sensed the scent of food nearby.

Indeed, as its head dipped into the water, a figure meditating at the bottom of the hundred-meter-deep pool was immediately reflected in its bulbous eyes.

Without hesitation, its entire body slid down towards the bottom of the pool. According to its usual method, it would first constrict its prey before starting to devour it from the head.

However, the first step was successful. When it came to the second step, the figure suddenly opened its eyes, like an ancient beast awakening.

Immediately, it felt a force far exceeding its constricting power, tearing at its body. Its feeling was correct.

With a "bang," the pool water was obscured by a red haze.

Gulp!

After an unknown amount of time, before the pool water turned completely red, a figure emerged, then slowly walked ashore.

"The third trial of the Iron Elephant Art is finally mastered!"

It turned out this person was Lu Ming. Before the preliminary matches last time, he had cultivated the Iron Elephant Art to the third trial. However, it hadn't been mastered.

So, after securing his spot, he ignored the outside commotion and came directly to this place, using the water pressure of the deep pool to push this external body-refining technique to its highest level.

However, whether it was because external techniques were inherently difficult to practice and required painstaking effort, or because the deep pool's water pressure was insufficient, he hadn't been able to break through his limits. Thus, he had always been a single step away from mastery.

Fortunately, fate intervened. Just as he was about to give up, a small snake came to his aid. It was a mid-stage Level 2 Demonic Beast, and its constricting power was immense. Combined with the water pressure, it finally allowed him to break through his limits and master the external technique.

Now, not only were his internal and external aspects in harmony, but his defenses had greatly increased. Within the Zhen Qi Realm, very few could break through his defenses. His physical strength had also increased further, reaching a terrifying ten thousand jin. This was equivalent to the Power of One Elephant mentioned in the cultivation method.

Furthermore, mastering the external technique had another benefit: his True Qi had been tempered, becoming even more condensed. Although he was still in the mid-stage of the Zhen Qi Realm and hadn't reached the peak, the density of his True Qi had improved compared to before. His strength had indeed advanced once more.

"With this, the Inner Sect's top spot should be secure, right?"

The steam rose, and Lu Ming used his True Qi to dry the moisture on his body before returning to the sect.

Tomorrow was the official grand competition, and today was the day to draw numbers.

The Martial Arts Plaza, this was the place the Wuji Sect specifically used for grand competitions. It looked like a giant, deep bowl. The bottom of the bowl contained fifteen fighting stages, and the four walls were spectator seats.

It appeared to be able to hold ten thousand people.

Not only would the Wuji Sect's disciples and elders come to watch, but some renowned figures from outside and the leaders of nearby forces would also be invited.

After all, the Wuji Sect needed to maintain its influence in the surrounding area, and promoting the disciples' martial prowess and talent was the best way to do so.

Today, many Outer Sect Disciples could already be seen setting up the venue here.

Lu Ming didn't look any further, as someone called him. It was Chu Yunxiao.

"You're really late. Did you see the competition format?"

Lu Ming shook his head and asked, "Have you drawn your number yet?"

Chu Yunxiao nodded. "You go draw your number first, and then I'll explain it to you in detail."

"Okay."

Lu Ming didn't delay and headed straight to the drawing area. There was a large box there. After his identity was verified, he reached his hand inside.

He then drew out a small ball.

Opening it, he saw "Group Eleven, Number Seven" written on it.

After it was registered, he walked out.

"How did it go?" Chu Yunxiao asked immediately.

Lu Ming held up the sign he had in his hand. "Group Eleven, Number Seven. What about you? Don't tell me we're up against each other right from the start?"

Chu Yunxiao smiled and shook his head. "I'm in Group Thirteen, Number Three."

"What's the breakdown?"

Chu Yunxiao then explained to him. The three hundred participants were divided into thirty groups, with ten people per group. The top thirty ranked individuals on the current leaderboard would serve as seeded players.

Lu Ming was in Group Eleven, and the seeded player was naturally Feng Chao, who was ranked eleventh.

"It's him?"

Lu Ming suddenly remembered the figure he saw in the Mission Hall. He hadn't expected to encounter him so early in the competition and found it interesting.

Without thinking further, he continued to listen to the competition rules.

The competition was divided into three stages. The first stage was the elimination round, which would leave only thirty participants.

The second stage was the semifinals, which would eliminate fifteen people.

The third stage was the finals, where the remaining fifteen people would compete for the top fifteen rankings.

In short, it was very detailed, and he suspected it might not even finish in one day.

After Lu Ming understood the competition format, he didn't chat much with Chu Yunxiao. After all, they both needed to adjust their states to prepare for tomorrow's competition.

Returning to his small courtyard, Lu Ming only cultivated his internal energy before resting.

And so, in the blink of an eye, the second day arrived. Before the dawn even broke, many disciples were already awake.

Some were participating in the competition and were nervous;

Some were spectators who wanted to watch the excitement. Also, they had set up odds for many dark horses, wanting to know how their chosen investments would perform.

In short, before the sky had fully brightened, the sect had already begun to buzz with activity.