The Grand Competition for Entry

When Wang Ding heard Huang Tutian's words, he said, "Actually, I also came to apprentice myself and learn. It's just that I don't know when the Wongchuan Sect holds its apprenticeship gathering, so I picked a time at random to come try my luck."

"Oh, so that's how it is. Why don't we go together? I'm only twenty-five this year, and I've already stepped into the Innate realm. I'm certain I'll be chosen to enter the sect. You look like someone of the Innate realm too. May I ask how old you are?"

Wang Ding's heart stirred slightly, and he said, "I'm twenty-one this year, and I've also stepped into the Innate realm. I wonder if I have a chance to enter the Wongchuan Sect."

Huang Tutian was startled to hear that Wang Ding was only twenty-one, then said, "The Wongchuan Sect is extremely strict in taking disciples. Those who step into the Innate realm before twenty are directly accepted as inner disciples. Those from twenty to twenty-five, after passing the grand competition, may be accepted as inner disciples if they win. Those above twenty-five and under thirty, after passing the test, may be accepted as outer disciples."

Suddenly, a voice rang out, spreading across the whole of Welcoming Island. "Those who wish to enter the sect, follow the stewards to the Martial Arts Arena."

Wang Ding and Huang Tutian looked up and saw thirteen young cultivators in yellow Daoist robes standing on flying swords, floating above the sky. Every one of them was a Qi Training Realm cultivator.

"Those are true disciples of the Wongchuan Sect. Every one of them is a genius who has stepped into Qi Gathering. The one leading them is Zhen Heshan, one of the Wongchuan Sect's three great true disciples. He's a supreme genius who stepped into the Spirit Transformation realm before even reaching a hundred years old," Huang Tutian said to Wang Ding, his face full of envy.

The tide of people began moving toward the east side of Welcoming Island. Wang Ding and Huang Tutian were not willing to lag behind either, and followed the crowd.

When they arrived at the Martial Arts Arena, they saw ten arenas towering within it. Above each arena floated one of the true disciples who had appeared earlier. At this moment, Zhen Heshan stood proudly alone in the void, hovering over everyone's heads. He opened his mouth and said, "Now listen carefully. Each of you has one chance to go up. You have three choices. First, defeat the demonic beast puppet guarding the arena, and you pass. Second, speak and surrender, and you will naturally be released, but your entry will fail. Third, die inside. The entry grand competition begins now."

After Zhen Heshan finished speaking, he said no more. With his arms folded across his chest, he floated quietly in the sky, raising his head to look at the heavens, as though the crowd beneath the arenas was not worth his attention.

Once the grand competition began, the field immediately became lively. In an instant, dozens of figures pounced toward the arenas in the field. Ten of them stepped onto the arenas first, while the rest were immediately blocked outside by the rising restrictions.

The true disciples above the arenas each tossed down an object. When they landed on the arenas, they turned into giant apes two meters tall. "They're Great Strength Divine Ape puppets. Every one of them is comparable to an Innate expert, and with their powerful fleshly bodies, even Magic Tools can't easily break through them. Ordinary human cultivators, even two or three of them together, couldn't possibly defeat a Great Strength Divine Ape," quite a few people in the crowd who knew their goods cried out.

Before they had even finished speaking, victory and defeat had already been decided on the arenas. Of the ten arenas, the cultivators on eight of them had already been torn apart and devoured by the demonic beast puppets in a single exchange, blood spilling all over the ground.

The people below the stages were instantly given a fright. They were both shocked by the Great Strength Divine Apes' power and terrified by the bloodiness of the demonic beast puppets. Quite a number of people began thinking of beating the retreating drum on the spot.

"Quick, look, there are still two people up there." Everyone looked up and saw that the remaining two arenas were locked in fierce battle. One of them was a graceful young nobleman, his features resolute and his bearing extraordinary. One look at him made goodwill rise in people's hearts.

At this moment, he was stepping with profound footwork, calmly and unhurriedly dodging the Great Strength Divine Ape's attacks while directing a streak of white light to constantly attack the divine ape puppet. Wounds appeared one after another on the divine ape puppet's body, and the puppet's movements grew slower and slower. His victory was already only a matter of time. Sure enough, that young man decisively seized an opening and used his Magic Tool in a single strike to hack through the puppet's neck, obtaining victory.

On the other arena was a woman, dressed in fiery-red close-fitting martial attire. Her charming features carried a heroic spirit, and the air of youth came rushing from her. She used a flying-sword Magic Tool, an upper-grade Magic Tool with extraordinary might, possessing a full six leaping dragons of strength. This woman stood unmoving, merely directing her Magic Tool to launch attacks at the Great Strength Divine Ape. In just a few sword strikes, she sliced the Great Strength Divine Ape into a human stick.

"That's the genius of the Dongfang Family, Dongfang Riyue. At the age of twenty-one, he entered the Innate realm. His future is limitless."

"That's Long Lingyu, the precious daughter of the Long Family on Dragon Island. She's said to have inherited the blood of a true dragon, a figure certain to become an immortal in the future. Why would she come here to take part in the entry grand competition? If she wanted to join a sect, who knows how many people would fight to take her in?"

The people in the crowd watched the two victors and discussed them without stop.

The two victors were soon brought into Welcoming Hall by the stewards, where they waited until the grand competition ended to head to Nine Nether Island together.

Some outer disciples quickly cleaned the arenas, and the second round of the grand competition began at once. Wang Ding's original purpose had been to use the Yellow Springs Token to enter the Wongchuan Sect, but now that there was this grand competition, he no longer wanted to use the Yellow Springs Token.

First, he did not know what meaning the Yellow Springs Token truly held. If it had some more important function, would that not be wasting an opportunity for nothing? Second, using the Yellow Springs Token would certainly not make the sect value him, which would be unfavorable for his prospects. Third, perhaps the Yellow Springs Token might have the opposite effect, and if others did not care about him at all, wouldn't he simply be inviting humiliation?

After watching one match, Wang Ding had a grasp of the situation. As soon as the second round began, Wang Ding leaped up and jumped onto an arena.

As soon as the match began, the Great Strength Divine Ape charged fiercely toward Wang Ding. Its sharp claws grabbed toward him, carrying force enough to cut through metal and sever jade.

Wang Ding intended to astound everyone with a single brilliant feat and attract the Wongchuan Sect's attention, so he did not move at all.

Seeing this from below, everyone shouted one after another, "Another one going up to die. Look, he's scared stupid."

"Exactly. He doesn't even weigh his own few catties and taels, yet he wants to come to the Wongchuan Sect? He's simply indulging in a fool's dream."

"Right, right. With a fool like that, he'd better wait until his next life."

Wang Ding's expression was cold. He watched the Great Strength Divine Ape's sharp claws come slashing down at his head. Just as the claws were about to touch his scalp, Wang Ding moved. Truly, he was as fast as lightning, like a spirit snake striking. Though he moved later, he arrived first. Wang Ding had long since circulated all his strength, and now that his fist shot out, it was enough to split stone and startle the heavens. Ten phantoms of flying dragons emerged across the sky, and the enormous fist wind was like a dragon's roar. His punch struck the Great Strength Divine Ape squarely in the chest, and time seemed to come to a halt.

In the next instant, there was only a tremendous boom. The entire Great Strength Divine Ape was smashed into fragments. The phantoms of ten flying dragons danced across the sky, only vanishing after quite some time. The shattered divine ape's flesh and blood turned into a rain of blood that poured down inside the arena. Wang Ding, standing tall within it, had waves of yellow light rising around his body, blocking the blood. Bathed in the bloody rain, Wang Ding was as terrifying as an ancient demon god. Below the stage, the mocking voices from moments ago came to an abrupt stop. One by one, people's eyes went wide, their faces revealing disbelief.

_______

(Please search and collect, so this can get recommended. The word count above does not count toward the main text.)