Three Sects Grand Competition, Begins

Flags of various colors were planted all around the martial arts arena. The dragon-patterned banners of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Clear Sky Hammer banners of the Clear Sky Sect, and the Seven Treasure Pagoda flags of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect fluttered and snapped in the wind.

The viewing platform was divided into four VIP sections. On the east side was the area for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, where Yu Yuanzhen and several elders were already seated. Yu Xiaogang sat beside Yu Yuanzhen, dressed in golden battle robes, his gaze sweeping over the entire arena with a look of disdain.

On the west side was the area for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, where Sect Master Ning Yuan sat with Ning Fengzhi and several core elders.

To the south was the area for the Clear Sky Sect, where a group of burly, imposing men sat together. At their head was the Clear Sky Sect Master, Tang Aotian, accompanied by two youths who looked to be in their early twenties.

One of the youths was tall and sturdy, with a resolute face and eyes like torches. A domineering, unparalleled aura radiated from his body, making him seem like a drawn sword.

The other was slightly more reserved, yet possessed an equally extraordinary presence, his brow carrying a sense of composure and confidence. These were the Clear Sky Twin Stars—Tang Hao and Tang Xiao.

Yu Tianlong stood within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's ranks, his gaze sweeping over the two brothers as he nodded inwardly.

The Clear Sky Twin Stars were truly worthy of their reputation.

The talent of these two was indeed top-tier; in the future, they would at least reach the level of Super Douluo. However, his attention was soon drawn in another direction.

In the northern VIP section, a flag embroidered with a golden angel pattern slowly rose. The people from Martial Soul Hall had arrived.

The Pope of Martial Soul Hall, Qian Xunji.

He appeared to be in his early forties, dressed in a luxurious gold and white papal robe and wearing a golden crown. His face was handsome and dignified, and every gesture carried the bearing of someone in a position of power.

His gaze swept calmly across the arena, as if everything were under his control.

Standing beside Qian Xunji was a young girl.

The girl appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in a simple white dress. Her waterfall of black hair hung down to her waist, and her face was exquisitely beautiful, yet as cold as frost.

Her eyes were indifferent and hollow, as if she were uninterested in everything around her. She simply stood there quietly, yet she naturally became the focal point of the entire arena.

The appearance of Martial Soul Hall pushed the atmosphere of the scene to another climax.

As the most prominent power on the continent, the influence of Martial Soul Hall was beyond doubt.

The personal arrival of Pope Qian Xunji added an extraordinary weight to this Three Sects Grand Competition.

The sound of discussion on the viewing platform rose and fell, with everyone's eyes focused on the dignified Pope and the cold girl in the white dress beside him.

"Is that the Saintess of Martial Soul Hall? She looks so young..."

"I heard she's only fourteen, but she's already a four-ring Soul Ancestor! And she has Twin Martial Souls!"

"Twin Martial Souls? My god... isn't that talent too terrifying?"

"How else could she become the Saintess of Martial Soul Hall? It is said that His Holiness the Pope values her highly and teaches her personally; she is very likely to inherit the position of Pope in the future!"

"A fourteen-year-old Soul Ancestor with Twin Martial Souls... how are we old folks who have lived for decades supposed to feel..."

As the surrounding discussions reached his ears, Yu Tianlong's gaze also fell upon the girl in the white dress. Bibi Dong—this name represented so much in the original story.

She was the future female Pope of Martial Soul Hall, one of the top powerhouses on the continent, and a figure whose life was filled with tragedy.

Deceived by her teacher, forced, and used... her life was almost never truly lived for herself.

Everything she did later, whether it was expanding the influence of Martial Soul Hall or suppressing the major sects, was inextricably linked to the experiences of her youth.

I don't even know who to blame. Yu Tianlong sighed softly in his heart and withdrew his gaze.

These thoughts were merely a flash; he had his own matters to attend to and no extra energy to worry about the fates of others.

The competition began quickly.

An elder from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan walked onto the ring and announced the rules of the competition.

This Three Sects Grand Competition would adopt a challenge format, divided into two stages. The first stage was the rogue cultivator selection, where all young soul masters not affiliated with the three sects could register to compete, with the top three being decided.

The second stage was the main sect competition, where the top three rogue cultivators would compete on the same stage as the core disciples of the three sects to determine the final champion. Participants were restricted to those under the age of twenty.

With the rules announced and no further nonsense, the competition officially began.

The first to take place was the rogue cultivator selection. There were about fifty or sixty rogue cultivators who had registered, their levels varying greatly. Most were two or three-ring Soul Grand Masters and Soul Elders, with very few at the Soul Ancestor level.

The competition used an elimination format: two people would face off on the stage, the winner would advance, and the loser would be eliminated.

Yu Tianlong was in no hurry to go up. He stood under the stage, arms crossed, quietly observing the matches.

The first to take the stage were two young soul masters around twenty years old. One had an Iron-Back Gray Wolf martial soul and was a level 37 Soul Elder.

The other had a Green Wind Eagle martial soul and was a level 35 Soul Elder. The two were similar in strength and traded blows back and forth, but in the end, the Iron-Back Gray Wolf soul master won by a narrow margin, relying on his richer combat experience and greater stamina.

The second match, the third match... as the matches continued, the cheers of the audience rose and fell, but Yu Tianlong's expression remained as calm as water. The level of these rogue cultivators was truly not very good.

In his view, their combat techniques and use of soul power were far too crude. Not to mention compared to Little Gold and Little Silver, even compared to the disciples carefully cultivated by the major sects, they were more than a grade behind.

No wonder it's so hard for rogue cultivators to get ahead on the continent, Yu Tianlong thought to himself.

Without good cultivation methods, without good resources, and without good guidance, it is too difficult to carve out a path relying solely on one's own strength.

If he hadn't encountered the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, and if he hadn't received the help of Di Tian and Bi Ji, he probably wouldn't be any better off than these rogue cultivators.

"Brother Tianlong, aren't you going up?" Ning Fengzhi approached and asked curiously.

As the young master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he naturally didn't need to participate in the rogue cultivator selection, but he was very interested in Yu Tianlong's strength and wanted to see the performance of his savior on the ring.

"No rush, let's watch for a bit," Yu Tianlong smiled. "Let the bullets fly for a while."

"Bullets?" Ning Fengzhi was stunned for a moment, not understanding the strange term, but he didn't dwell on it and simply nodded. "Then good luck, I'll be cheering for you!"

Yu Tianlong nodded, his gaze returning to the arena. On the stage, a Soul Elder who had just emerged victorious was brandishing his fists triumphantly, basking in the cheers of the crowd.

His strength was indeed impressive for a rogue cultivator; a level thirty-eight Soul Elder with a Flame Lion martial soul, his offensive power was quite considerable.

"He will do." Yu Tianlong made his decision.

He strode toward the registration desk and wrote his name on the sign-up sheet.

"Yu Tianlong!"