That afternoon.
Above Guiyuan Sect's Martial Arts Arena, a massive black flying ark hovered silently thirty feet above the ground.
The flying ark stretched a hundred zhang in length, its entire body forged from Black Ironwood. Dense formation patterns covered its hull, giving off a faint spiritual glow.
At its prow stood a huge crane statue, lifelike in every detail. A great banner was planted at its stern, bearing the two words "Guiyuan," snapping loudly in the wind.
This was the Guiyuan Flying Ark, a Mystic Artifact that had reached the Yin Spirit Grandmaster level. It could carry a thousand people and travel ten thousand li a day, a treasure specifically used to dispatch disciples over great distances.
The Martial Arts Arena was packed with people.
The peak masters, chief elders, Grandmaster elders, and others from the Nine Peaks had not quite come out in full force, but at least half had been mobilized. Together with the True Disciples and elite Inner Disciples, there were over a thousand people, all wearing solemn expressions.
There were ninety True Disciples across the Nine Peaks. Chen Xuan stood at the very front of Sword Peak's True Disciple ranks, with Shen Jinghong and the other nine Sword Peak True Disciples behind him.
In this Mystic Realm contest, the competition in the area for disciples under thirty would be the fiercest. Every peak had sent out its most outstanding True Disciples.
Supreme Elder Zhong Yuan stood before the flying ark. His gaze swept over the crowd as he said in a deep voice, "This Mystic Realm contest concerns the sect's fortune for the next hundred years. You must all give it everything you have. In the disciple area, Chen Xuan will serve as leader. All disciples are to follow his command."
"Yes!"
More than a