Four Great Sects True Disciple Grand Competition!

Within Sovereign's Hall, all the True Disciples held their breaths and focused their minds.

At the main seat at the head of the hall, a middle-aged man dressed in a Purple Gold Robe sat upright, his features resolute. An indistinct pressure belonging to the Origin Embracing Realm coiled around him.

He was none other than Feiyun Sect Leader Chu Yunfei.

"Greetings, Sect Leader!" All the True Disciples bowed in unison, their voices perfectly synchronized, displaying the strict discipline of the True Disciple ranks.

Chu Yunfei raised a hand slightly, signaling for everyone to rise.

His gaze slowly swept across the disciples in the hall. It paused briefly on Ye Feng, and a trace of imperceptible praise flashed through his eyes.

This young True Disciple, promoted outside the usual rules, was the sect's greatest surprise in recent times.

"I imagine you are all wondering why I suddenly summoned every True Disciple." Chu Yunfei spoke, his voice steady and powerful as it echoed through the great hall.

"In a few days, the True Disciple Grand Tournament of the Four Great Sects of Yan Nan State will be held at North Snow Sect. This is a grand event held once every two years. To the sect, it is an opportunity to display our strength and consolidate our position."

"To you, it is an excellent chance to make a name for yourselves throughout Yan Nan State and obtain vast amounts of resources."

"The Grand Tournament!"

Low exclamations of astonishment instantly rang through the hall, and many True Disciples revealed excited expressions.

Some of them had been awaiting this opportunity for a long time, while newly inducted True Disciples like Ye Feng were filled with curiosity about the grand event.

Chu Yunfei raised his hand to suppress the murmurs and continued, "The rewards for this Grand Tournament are far richer than in previous years. As long as you enter the top ten, you will receive a basic reward."

"Tenth place will receive two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones."

"The rewards for the top three are even far beyond those of the past. The specific contents will be announced after we arrive at North Snow Sect."

Two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones!

Even Condensation Realm disciples needed several months to accumulate that much. To ordinary True Disciples, this was already a considerable temptation.

The disciples' breathing instantly quickened, their eyes filled with longing, though some remained rational.

The Four Great Sects had nearly 150 True Disciples in total. Trying to enter the top ten was no different from thousands of soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge.

Li Yunfeng rubbed his chin, calculating inwardly: I'm already at the eighth layer of the Condensation Realm. Perhaps I have a chance of breaking into the top ten.

As the number-one True Disciple of Feiyun Sect, Liu Tianxiang was even more confident. He gently rubbed his fingertips, clearly determined to obtain a top-three ranking.

Ye Feng merely nodded inwardly.

Although Low-grade Spirit Stones were not of much use to his current cultivation, he could use them to trade for Treasure Herbs that improved Bone Root Talent, or auxiliary pills for breaking through to the Origin Embracing Realm.

This Grand Tournament was precisely a good opportunity to earn Spirit Stones.

He was determined to obtain first place's reward.

"However."

Chu Yunfei changed tack, his tone turning somewhat more solemn.

"I must remind you that the Grand Tournament is dangerous. Those lacking sufficient strength must not force themselves. Even if you fail to enter the top ten, witnessing the strength of the prodigies from the other sects will greatly benefit your future cultivation. Three days from now, everyone is to gather before the great hall. The Grand Elder will lead you to North Snow Sect."

"Yes!"

The disciples answered in unison. They then bowed respectfully toward the Sect Leader in orderly fashion before turning and leaving the great hall.

They would use these final three days to adjust their condition, consolidate their cultivation, and make their final preparations for the Grand Tournament.

Three days later, all the True Disciples had already gathered before Sovereign's Hall.

The new True Disciples wore faces full of curiosity, looking forward to the spectacle of the Grand Tournament.

The veteran True Disciples, meanwhile, had fervent eyes as they dreamed of the generous rewards. The entire square was charged with a heated and tense atmosphere.

Just then, a figure slowly walked out from the side door of the great hall.

It was an old man with a white beard. His face was deeply furrowed, yet his spirit was vigorous, and faint glints of light shone in his eyes. He was none other than Feiyun Sect's Grand Elder.

"Greetings, Grand Elder!"

The disciples bowed once again, their attitude even more respectful than it had been toward the Sect Leader.

The Grand Elder not only possessed seniority, but also unfathomable strength. He had long since reached the mid-stage of the Origin Embracing Realm.

The Grand Elder waved his hand, his voice booming. "It's getting late. Let us depart."

With that, the Grand Elder waved his hand. A streak of spiritual light flew out of his storage ring and landed in the center of the square.

"Bang!"

With a muffled boom, the spiritual light dispersed, revealing a flying boat more than fifty zhang long before everyone's eyes.

The flying boat was built entirely from white spirit wood, and its hull was carved with intricate formation patterns. It was larger and more exquisite than the flying boat Elder Yin Xiangtian had used before. One glance was enough to tell that its speed and defensive power far surpassed those of ordinary flying boats.

A trace of surprise flashed through Ye Feng's eyes.

But when the Grand Elder took a crystal-white High-grade Spirit Stone radiating dense spiritual energy from his storage ring and placed it into the flying boat's Energy Disk, the corner of Ye Feng's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

The value of a High-grade Spirit Stone was a hundred times that of a Mid-grade Spirit Stone.

Using one to power a flying boat was simply too extravagant. It showed just how seriously the sect regarded this Grand Tournament.

"Board the boat!"

At the Grand Elder's command, the disciples boarded the flying boat one after another.

Ye Feng followed the crowd. Just after he found a seat and sat down, a familiar voice came from beside him.

"Junior Brother Ye, you're truly lucky. You became a True Disciple just in time to catch the Grand Tournament. Back in my day, I had to wait two years before I got the chance."

Ye Feng turned his head. Seeing that it was Li Yunfeng, he smiled and nodded.

Li Yunfeng was a typical chatterbox. Once he began speaking, he could not stop, and he took the initiative to share the key information about the Grand Tournament. "Junior Brother Ye, you may not know this yet, but the number-one True Disciples of the Four Great Sects are known as the 'Four Young Masters of Yan Nan State.' Senior Brother Liu Tianxiang is one of them."

"Their strength reaches the heavens. They have practically monopolized the top three positions in every Grand Tournament throughout history."

Li Yunfeng paused, then lowered his voice and continued, "Apart from the Four Young Masters, the second- and third-ranked True Disciples of each sect are not weak either. For example, our sect's Senior Brother Gu Yun and Senior Brother Li Xiao are both far stronger than me."

"The other three sects are much the same. There is an obvious gap in strength between the top three and the True Disciples behind them. To put it bluntly, ordinary True Disciples like us will most likely only serve as foils in the Grand Tournament. The true stage belongs to those top prodigies."

Ye Feng listened silently, committing the key information—"Four Young Masters" and "gap in strength"—to memory, but he did not agree with Li Yunfeng's description of them as "foils."

He was participating in the Grand Tournament for Spirit Stones and resources, not to serve as a foil.

With Ye Feng's concealed cultivation at the peak of the tenth layer of the Condensation Realm, together with 80% Sword Intent and Million Jin Giant Strength, he might not be unable to contend with those top prodigies.

The flying boat was incredibly fast. It took only two hours to reach its destination.

North Snow Sect.

The flying boat slowly descended. Through the cabin window, Ye Feng looked out and saw a majestic mountain gate standing atop a snow-capped mountain. Above the gate, the three powerful characters "North Snow Sect" were vigorous and forceful, while clouds and mist swirled around them like a celestial paradise.

They had finally arrived at the venue of the Four Great Sects True Disciple Grand Competition.

Ye Feng drew a deep breath and tightened his grip on the Spirit Sword at his waist.