The Sect Tournament was being held in Tianxuan City. Tianxuan City did not belong to any of the Four Regions; it was the foremost city on the edge of the Central Region.
Every sect in the Four Regions would participate in the Sect Tournament held once every three years. It would determine not only the first-tier sects of each region, but also the rankings among those first-tier sects.
Thus, when the Violet Firmament Sect reached Tianxuan City after two days of travel, it was already the last sect to arrive.
Along the way, Ye Xuan had been unable to settle his mind and cultivate.
The closer he got to Tianxuan City, the more flustered he became.
Wan'er must have run into trouble!
After arriving in Tianxuan City, the Violet Firmament Sect cultivators hurried straight to the Hundred Refinements Tower.
On the way, Ye Xuan also learned about the so-called Hundred Refinements Tower from Su Ziyun.
The Great Gan Dynasty had established five such towers, each with different numbers of floors and levels of difficulty.
The one with the most floors and the highest difficulty stood in the Imperial Academy of the Imperial Capital, and had a hundred floors.
The three beneath it each had sixty-six floors and were established in the three great academies of the Central Region.
The last one had nine floors and was located in Tianxuan City.
It could be said that the Hundred Refinements Tower in Tianxuan City was merely a truncated version. The rankings were divided according to the Four Regions. Since the difficulty was not high, there were always people from the Four Regions who cleared it every year, so the key point of the competition became the length of time taken to clear it.
The record for the fastest clearance across the Four Regions was held by Ji Fengliu, the first Holy Son of the Lin Tian Sword Sect.
The previous fastest record in the Northern Region had been set by Chu Wan'er three years ago.
However, this time, Chu Wan'er had challenged the Purgatory Difficulty of the Tianxuan Hundred Refinements Tower. This difficulty had not existed originally; it had suddenly been added three years ago by a mysterious figure from Cloud Palace Academy. The rewards were extremely generous, and those who cleared it could even obtain a Heavenly Thunder Seed!
That was an exceedingly rare top-grade Heaven Tier treasure.
Ye Xuan knew that Chu Wan'er had challenged the Purgatory Difficulty precisely because of the Heavenly Thunder Seed!
However, since the Purgatory Difficulty had been established, no one had ever truly cleared it. Some sect Holy Sons and Saintesses had even perished inside!
Although Ye Xuan did not know what the Purgatory Difficulty looked like, Chu Wan'er had been gone for so long. Something must have happened.
By this time, many people had already gathered beneath the Hundred Refinements Tower.
Among the Northern Region cultivators, the most eye-catching were Xiao Chengfeng and Liu Yunxi standing at the very front, surrounded by people like stars around the moon!
The Azure Mist Sect had arrived half a day earlier than the Violet Firmament Sect.
After entering the city, they learned that the Holy Sons of the first-tier sects from the Western and Southern Regions had already challenged the Hundred Refinements Tower, and had even refreshed the previous best records of both regions.
The previous record of the Northern Region was still held by the Violet Firmament Sect. As the first prodigy of his generation in the Northern Region to advance to the Heavenly Gang Realm, Xiao Chengfeng naturally could not endure that. Thus, he had arrived at the Hundred Refinements Tower early, preparing to seize first place in the Northern Region's Hundred Refinements rankings.
After all, he would be challenging the Violet Firmament Sect tomorrow, making the Azure Mist Sect a first-tier sect of the Northern Region. If the Hundred Refinements Tower record was still held by the Violet Firmament Sect, it simply would not do.
Outside the Hundred Refinements Tower stood a stone stele. Array radiance surged across it, displaying the best results of the Four Regions.
Even though the results of the Southern and Western Regions had been refreshed yesterday, they still had not surpassed the record held by Ji Fengliu, the greatest prodigy of the Eastern Region, one year ago—one shichen!
Although the Southern and Western Regions' results were both only a quarter-hour beyond one shichen, the gap still existed.
Ji Fengliu of the Eastern Region had now been inside for less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, so many people were waiting for the new result of this greatest prodigy of the Four Regions.
Xiao Chengfeng did not want to become a stepping stone either, so he was waiting as well.
But when Xiao Chengfeng looked toward the disciples of the Southern and Western Region sects, he found that several Holy Sons and Saintesses had not even glanced at him.
After all, the Azure Mist Sect was currently only a second-tier sect in name.
Xiao Chengfeng could not help feeling humiliated and enraged.
"Wait a little longer. I'll let you know who I, Xiao Chengfeng, am!"
"Brother Chengfeng, you've prepared for this day for three years. I believe you can definitely do it!" Liu Yunxi held Xiao Chengfeng's arm and encouraged him.
She had secretly gone to that valley several times before, trying to wait for Xuan Ye to emerge. Unfortunately, even the entrance to that secret realm had disappeared, so in the end, she could only give up for the time being.
She had been depressed over it for a long time. After all, if she could climb onto the Xuan Clan's lofty branch, it would be far better than marrying Xiao Chengfeng. At the very least, she would not end up unable to obtain even a single Heavenly Gang Pill.
But her connection to the Xuan Clan had been severed, so she could only continue currying favor with Xiao Chengfeng.
"Don't worry, Yunxi. Your husband won't disappoint you. Even if I can't surpass Ji Fengliu, I'll still do my best to take second place!" Xiao Chengfeng said proudly.
"Mm. Another incense stick should be about enough." Liu Yunxi nodded.
If she could advance to the Heavenly Gang Realm ahead of time as well, she would certainly come to try the Hundred Refinements Tower.
Unfortunately, although her talent had already approached the level of a Spirit Physique infinitely closely, there was still no sign of the Heavenly Gang Thunder Tribulation descending.
Buzz!
Before Liu Yunxi could finish speaking, the Hundred Refinements Tower suddenly began to shake violently.
Immediately afterward, a figure walked out from within.
He wore blue robes, his sword-shaped brows swept into his temples, and his eyes shone like bright stars. His black hair streamed in the wind. Merely standing there, his outstanding bearing was enough to make the many young female cultivators present lose their souls.
Liu Yunxi herself was dazed for a moment before recovering.
Ji Fengliu had crossed the tribulation and advanced to the Heavenly Gang Realm a year ago. Although the Ji Clan of his family was not a great clan of the Central Region, it was still unquestionably a powerful household.
The Wind Tide Spiritual Body he had awakened was an upper-grade Spirit Physique, and his talent stood supreme across the Four Regions.
Unfortunately, she had no way to get close to him, so she could only admire him from afar.
"That's strange. Why hasn't the ranking been refreshed?"
At that moment, a burst of puzzled voices suddenly rang out from the crowd.
Hearing this, everyone looked over and discovered that although the Eastern Region still occupied first place on the Hundred Refinements Stele, its result had not changed at all.
Could it be that Ji Fengliu, now at the mid-stage of the Heavenly Gang Realm, was actually weaker than he had been a year ago!?
"Fengliu..."
At this moment, the Eastern Region City Lord and the Sect Master of the Lin Tian Sword Sect both frowned and stepped forward.
Ji Fengliu was the face of the Eastern Region. His result concerned the glory of the Eastern Region.
"I failed."
But Ji Fengliu shook his head, a wry smile curling at the corners of his lips. "I only made it to the seventh floor."
"It doesn't matter. In these three years, no one has ever reached the seventh floor of the Purgatory Difficulty!"
"Fengliu is still number one among the Four Regions!" Although the Sect Master of the Lin Tian Sword Sect was disappointed, he still consoled him.
Hiss!
Only then did the people beneath the Hundred Refinements Tower draw a sharp breath.
No wonder the ranking had not been refreshed. Ji Fengliu had actually challenged the Purgatory Difficulty!
That was the Purgatory Difficulty that had struck terror into the hearts of countless prodigies over the past three years!
No one had ever even entered the latter five floors before. Ji Fengliu had reached the seventh floor in the time it took to burn an incense stick, which was already astonishing enough.
Thus, the Holy Sons and Saintesses of the various sects finally understood.
It was not that Ji Fengliu had declined. He simply had not challenged the ordinary difficulty at all. They were not even competing on the same track!
"Fengliu, then would you like to refresh the result for the ordinary difficulty?" the Eastern Region City Lord asked with a frown.
"No need."
Ji Fengliu shook his head and refused outright. He walked down the steps and left the crowd without so much as glancing sideways.
"Apart from the Purgatory Difficulty, all other results are meaningless."
"A year ago, I was number one. Today, I still am!"
His voice was indifferent, but filled with boundless confidence!
By the time everyone came to their senses, Ji Fengliu had already vanished from their sight.
"To give up on challenging the ordinary difficulty—how confident is Holy Son Ji!"
"That's true. The Holy Sons of the Southern and Western Regions have already challenged it, and indeed, they couldn't surpass him!"
"With the prodigies of the Four Regions gathered here, they still can only gaze up at him from far below!"
Thus, the Holy Sons of Cloud-Leaving Monastery and Ba Yue Mountain could not help flushing red.
They had not even competed, yet they had still been humiliated invisibly!?
What kind of nonsense was this?
"Heh heh, it looks like my chance has arrived!"
At this moment, Xiao Chengfeng suddenly grew excited.
The Holy Sons of Cloud-Leaving Monastery and Ba Yue Mountain had already finished their challenges, while Ji Fengliu had given up. Wasn't it time for him to make his move?
If he could clear it in less than one shichen, he might even be able to contend for first place among the Four Regions!
By then, before the Sect Tournament, he would already be famous throughout Tianxuan City!
With that thought, Xiao Chengfeng no longer wanted to wait. He shook off Liu Yunxi's arm and headed toward the Hundred Refinements Tower.
Today, he would be the final victor!
Buzz!
But just then, a figure suddenly shot out from the crowd, overtook Xiao Chengfeng, and raced straight toward the Hundred Refinements Tower.
Huh!?
Xiao Chengfeng froze.
Liu Yunxi frowned, but when she focused her eyes, she suddenly discovered that the person charging toward the Hundred Refinements Tower was actually Ye Xuan!?
Was he even worthy of charging the Hundred Refinements Tower?
Before you continue