The lively atmosphere kept rising, and the excitement in the plaza reached its peak.
Everyone took their places. The arenas were ready, and order was restored.
Just then.
At the center of the viewing platform, a figure slowly rose to his feet.
The Third Elder had half-white hair and beard, a steady aura, and a solemn expression.
As the presiding elder of this competition, he stepped forward. Spiritual power carried his voice clearly across the plaza, drowning out every other sound.
"Silence, everyone!"
The noisy plaza fell utterly silent in an instant.
Thousands of disciples closed their mouths at once, every gaze landing on the Third Elder.
The Third Elder swept his eyes over the ten arenas and the disciples across the plaza, then spoke in a grave voice, announcing the rules of the competition.
"This Azure Cloud Sect competition is divided into two groups."
"The first group is for Qi Refining disciples. All Qi Refining disciples may participate."
"The second group is for Foundation Establishment disciples. This group will rank the inner sect's Foundation Establishment disciples."
"This competition will use random draws to determine matchups."
"Each match will be decided in a single bout. The winner advances, the loser is eliminated, until the final rankings are announced."
"On the arena, stop once the outcome is clear."
"Deliberately crippling a fellow disciple's cultivation is forbidden. Deliberately killing a fellow disciple is forbidden."
"Anyone who inflicts a serious injury, maims an opponent, or strikes to kill will be immediately disqualified, stripped of their cultivation, and expelled from the sect!"
The rules were strict, every word ringing like iron.
They were meant to prevent disciples from fighting to the death and becoming sworn enemies, and to stop anyone from maliciously harming their fellow disciples.
Then the Third Elder changed tack and announced what everyone cared about most: the rewards for the rankings.
"The top twenty Qi Refining participants in the final rankings..."
"Will receive a place in the Magneto Secret Realm!"
"The top one hundred disciples will receive two hundred low-grade spirit stones and one hundred sect contribution points..."
The generous rewards made the disciples across the plaza breathe faster, their eyes blazing with excitement.
The twenty places in the Magneto Secret Realm were especially coveted.
They were the ultimate opportunity every young disciple dreamed of.
Watching the restless crowd, the Third Elder added solemnly, emphasizing his words.
"I will repeat this!"
"The Magneto Secret Realm opens once every twenty years!"
"It is open only to Qi Refining disciples!"
"Inside the Secret Realm, spiritual energy is abundant and heavenly treasures are countless. There are opportunities, foundations, and great fortunes to be found!"
"It is the greatest chance for outer sect disciples to overtake others and defy fate!"
"Miss your chance today, and you'll have to wait another twenty years!"
When he finished, every outer sect disciple's heart gave a hard thump.
Twenty years.
For Qi Refining cultivators with limited lifespans, that was nearly half a lifetime.
If they missed this chance, many would never get another opportunity to set foot in the Secret Realm.
The participants' gazes turned utterly resolute. They clenched their fists, their desire to win fully ignited.
The Third Elder surveyed the plaza and concluded in a grave voice.
"That concludes the rules. The rewards have been announced!"
"Enough talk!"
"This year's Azure Cloud Sect competition officially begins!"
At his command!
The protective arrays around all ten arenas flared to life at once!
The first event was the outer sect's Qi Refining competition.
More than four hundred Qi Refining disciples had signed up to compete.
All ten arenas started at once. The competitors were paired by random draw and took turns fighting.
The process moved quickly.
More than four hundred people were matched at random, their opponents entirely a matter of luck.
For participants at the lower end, at the seventh Qi Refining layer, the draw was a gamble with their fate.
If they were lucky, they would face someone at the same level and still have a chance to fight.
If they were unlucky and drew an established disciple at the eighth or ninth layer, they could be counted out on the spot.
The battles on the arenas changed in the blink of an eye.
Some matches were lopsided.
As soon as both sides stepped onto the arena, one spell was enough to settle offense and defense.
In just a few breaths, the outcome was decided.
The stronger fighter crushed their opponent with a single palm strike, sending the weaker one flying off the arena.
Clean, decisive, and brutally simple.
Other matches were between opponents at similar levels.
The two fought at the seventh layer, or at the eighth.
Spells clashed and spiritual energy collided as they traded blows.
At most, they fought for half a quarter of an hour. Their spiritual energy ran dry, their moves ran out, and finally one prevailed.
All ten arenas erupted into fierce battles at once.
Golden light, flames, wind blades, Water Arrow Talismans—basic spells of every kind burst forth without pause.
The protective arrays around the arenas trembled again and again, with thunderous crashes echoing nonstop.
The spectators below watched, their blood racing.
Cheers, shouts, and gasps rose and fell around the plaza.
"Beautiful! That Windstep dodge was right on the edge!"
"It's over! The seventh layer is trying to block the eighth head-on. Their spiritual power's been crushed!"
"No wonder they're an inner sect reserve disciple. Their fundamentals are rock solid!"
The outer sect disciples watched without blinking.
For them, nothing was more thrilling than watching a real fight between opponents at the same level.
They could learn something from every battle.
Round after round, the first, second, and third...
Ten rounds of elimination ended in quick succession.
More than half the competitors were eliminated, while all the remaining strong fighters advanced.
The matches proceeded in orderly fashion, and the excitement across the plaza kept building.
Just then.
The elder in charge of announcing the draws spoke out in a clear voice.
"Next match, Arena Nine!"
"Competitor: Su Yun!"
The roaring, bustling plaza fell silent in an instant!
Thousands of gazes fixed on the entrance to Arena Nine.
Every face was filled with shock and bewilderment.
Su Yun?
That newly initiated disciple who had joined the sect less than three months ago?
He had actually signed up for the sect competition?!
After a brief, deathly silence, the entire plaza erupted!
The chatter swelled wildly, louder than it had been for any match so far.
"Su Yun? The Sect Master's newly accepted personal disciple?"
"How long has he even been in the sect? Less than three months, at most!"
"He actually dared to sign up? Has he even reached the required level?"
"Is he crazy? The minimum requirement is the seventh layer! What's a newcomer like him doing here?"
"Could it be... he's already reached the seventh layer or higher in just three months? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Everyone stared at the passage leading to the arena.
A slender young figure emerged, walking forward unhurriedly.
Su Yun's expression was calm as he stepped onto Arena Nine.
The moment his Foundation Establishment eighth-layer cultivation became fully apparent to everyone's senses—
The entire plaza exploded!
Deafening cries of shock swept across the Martial Arts Plaza!
"The eighth layer?!"
"My heavens! He really is at the eighth layer!"
"Three months! He's been in the sect for just over three months, and he went from first sensing spiritual energy all the way to the eighth layer?!"
"Absurd! Completely absurd! I've cultivated for three years and barely made it to the third layer!"
"Other people spend decades cultivating to get there, and he just piled it on in three months? That's inhuman!"
The outer sect disciples went completely wild.
The eyes of the inner sect's veteran disciples nearly bulged out of their heads.
On the high platform, in the viewing seats—
The four elders had been watching the competition at ease, but their expressions instantly froze.
They exchanged glances, their eyes full of bitterness, envy, and heartache.
The Great Elder sighed softly, his voice thick with envy.
"The Sect Master is a lucky man."
"He's taken in a once-in-a-thousand-years prodigy."
"Eighth layer in three months. I've lived this long and never seen anyone improve so quickly."
The Second Elder shook his head again and again, filled with regret.
"Losing the chance to take him in is the greatest regret of my life!"
The Third Elder and Fourth Elder chimed in as well.
The more the four elders thought about it, the more their hearts ached.
Such a heaven-defying prodigy—and Li Mofan had snatched him away.
In the seat of honor, Li Mofan couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from lifting. He was thrilled to the core, but pretended to be calm.
The pride and smugness in his eyes, however, were impossible to hide.