The Grand Competition Begins

A new day arrived, and the grand competition began as scheduled. More than four hundred geniuses from Central Province gathered at Tianwu Square.

Tianwu Square was already packed so tightly that not even water could pass through. More than half the people of Sky Martial City had come to watch.

"Didn't they say an Imperial Clan genius was participating? Where are they?"

"Who knows? None of us have seen them!"

"Someone from the Imperial Clan must have an extraordinary bearing. Everyone, look carefully!"

"I feel like everyone on the stage has an extraordinary bearing..."

"The Imperial Clan hasn't said anything. Who knows if it's true?"

"Exactly. Maybe whoever impersonated the Imperial Clan that night was captured on the spot."

"Could it be that they really are from the Imperial Clan?"

"How is that possible? What would an Imperial Clan member come to the competition for? To enter the Jiang Domain? To challenge weaklings like us?"

"Maybe they just came to witness the heroes of the world!" that person declared passionately.

"Hehe, most of the participating geniuses are around twenty. At that age, Imperial Clan members would already be breaking through Tribulation Transcendence. Would they come here to crush Nascent Soul cultivators like us?"

"For this competition, you will enter the Hundred Woods Realm to hunt demon beasts. One Fourth-Order demon beast earns one point, and the final rankings will be based on points. After killing a demon beast, remember to bring out its demon core for scoring. There are no other rules for this competition!" The competition's host was from the Jiang Domain, though not a member of the Jiang Clan.

Only the Domain Lord and certain core personnel of the Jiang Domain were members of the Jiang Clan. Most of the rest were contestants who had earned spots through previous competitions.

Once the competition's geniuses entered the Jiang Domain, they formed some connection with the Jiang Clan. Then, after being nurtured with the resources of an entire province, they practically became hired thugs with other surnames. This had made the Jiang Domain's status as stable as Mount Tai, even though the Jiang Clan had long resided within the Spirit Realm.

A massive vortex appeared in the center of the square. Jiang Ming was very familiar with it—it was for teleportation.

"After entering the Hundred Woods Realm, everyone will be randomly placed. In ten days, the exit will open. Once you leave the Hundred Woods Realm, the competition will end!" As soon as the host finished speaking, everyone entered the Hundred Woods Realm in an orderly fashion.

This competition would be projected onto Tianwu Square through an array, allowing everyone to watch.

After a brief wave of dizziness, Jiang Ming appeared in an unfamiliar forest once more.

Jiang Ming had already learned about the Hundred Woods Realm beforehand. The east was forest, the south was mountains, the north was snowy mountains, the center was grassland, and the west was desert.

Originally, the Hundred Woods Realm had been filled entirely with trees. But for the sake of demon beast diversity, Sky Martial City had altered the environments of its various regions.

Right now, Jiang Ming was in the eastern forest. He had not specifically investigated the demon beasts within the Hundred Woods Realm, but he knew the general situation.

There was one demon beast that had just entered the fifth order within the Hundred Woods Realm. In addition, each region had one Fourth-Order Demon King, for a total of five Demon Kings.

A Fourth-Order Demon King corresponded to the Nascent Soul Extremity.

Demon beasts did not have the same detailed divisions of strength as humans, and their innate power was greater than that of humans. Thus, one generally needed to be at the Eighth Layer or Ninth Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm to deal with a Fourth-Order demon beast. One Fourth-Order demon beast counted as one point, while a Demon King was enormously powerful and counted as fifty points. This gave those Extremity geniuses an opportunity to avoid searching for ordinary demon beasts.

For an ordinary Nascent Soul Realm cultivator to hunt a Fourth-Order demon beast, they had to make thorough preparations and would almost need several days. Even an Extremity cultivator would need quite some time to kill an ordinary demon beast, not to mention that searching took even longer. In just ten days, taking down a Demon King would surely put one on the rankings.

The forest was thick with trees, with towering ancient trees everywhere, making it difficult to determine direction.

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Ming rose from the ground and stood in the air. Before him stretched a dense jungle, while farther away, he could see lofty peaks and snow-white mountain ranges. The Hundred Woods Realm was far more vast than the Four Symbols Realm. It seemed Sky Martial City had been continuously improving it.

Jiang Ming's targets were the Demon Kings, as well as those so-called holy land prodigies. He had never fought an Extremity cultivator before.

Since ancient times, it had been said that the gap between the Tenth Layer and Ninth Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm was like the difference between clouds and mud, between a firefly and the bright moon. He truly wanted to test it. Over the past three years, he had thoroughly integrated several of his divine abilities and cultivation arts, then read through many new divine abilities. He had looked through most of the divine abilities in the Jiang Clan's Divine Ability Hall. Although he had not properly learned them, he understood the theory and could put it into practice.

Mainly because he had spent most of those three years playing around. The fact that he had read any divine abilities at all was already unprecedented.

Jiang Ming fixed his direction. The wings of Scarlet Feather Flash spread open, and he streaked across the sky like a scarlet meteor.

Along the way, Jiang Ming sensed many Fourth-Order demon beasts and some human cultivators, but no Demon King. He paid them no mind.

After a full day, Jiang Ming was nearly out of the eastern region, yet he still had not found any trace of a Demon King.

He felt that something was off. With his perception, he might not be able to perfectly sense a Demon King, but he should at least be able to detect places that were unusual. Yet the entire eastern region was utterly ordinary, filled only with regular Fourth-Order demon beasts.

As everyone knew, the center of a map would always have something extraordinary. The central region was Jiang Ming's destination.

In the time it took to burn an incense stick, Jiang Ming left the eastern region and entered the central grasslands. As far as the eye could see, the land stretched endlessly, with packs of Fourth-Order demon beasts appearing from time to time. If he took them all down, ten or twenty points would fall straight into his hands. It really was a perfect place to farm points.

If one could beat so many Fourth-Order demon beasts, that was!

A Fourth-Order Demon King could instantly kill Fourth-Order demon beasts, and Jiang Ming happened to be able to do the same. The scarlet meteor flashed past, directly ignoring the packs of Fourth-Order demon beasts.

He simply could not be bothered to fight!

Before long, Jiang Ming came across a group gathered together. They were precisely the prodigies of the holy lands and Saint Clans, more than ten cultivators at the Tenth Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Jiang Ming landed nearby and looked at these extraordinary Nascent Soul Extremity prodigies. They were vastly different from the Nascent Soul Realm cultivators he had encountered before.

They noticed Jiang Ming's approach as well, but no one paid him any attention.

At last, a black-clothed young man asked, "Are you Jiang Ming?"

"Oh? Why would you ask that?"

"Those who come to the competition are usually High-Level Nascent Soul cultivators. You're only at the Second Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm. Other than Jiang Ming from the Azure Region, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, I can't think of anyone else!" The black-clothed young man waved his hand.

Jiang Ming gave him a deep look. What normal person would pay attention to such things?

"My name is Xuan Wuying!" The black-clothed young man smiled.

"Jiang Ming!" Jiang Ming replied.

"I heard there's something unclear between you and Liu Qingqing?" Xuan Wuying chuckled as he spoke, glancing at Xuanyuan Tian in golden robes beside him.

Upon hearing that, Xuanyuan Tian turned to look at Jiang Ming, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

Jiang Ming raised a brow. So this was someone looking to stir up trouble!

Everyone present shifted their gazes over. Watching drama was human nature.

Before Jiang Ming could speak, Xuanyuan Tian spoke first. "I don't care how you used to pester Qingqing. After the competition ends, we will marry. You may come if you wish, but stay away from Qingqing from now on!"

"Are you telling me how to do things?" Jiang Ming curled his lips.

Golden light flashed over Xuanyuan Tian's hand as his iron fist shot straight toward Jiang Ming's face.

Jiang Ming refused to be outdone. Crimson flames ignited around his right hand as he threw out a punch as well.

When two fists collided, one of them was bound to be hurt.

Jiang Ming retreated two and a half steps, shaking his right hand.

Xuanyuan Tian did not retreat even half a step. He stared gravely at Jiang Ming. Though he had not specifically trained his body, the physique of a Nascent Soul Extremity cultivator was inherently formidable, far beyond what a mere Second Layer Nascent Soul cultivator could contend against.

The others also looked at Jiang Ming in astonishment. They had not regarded him as worthy of notice before. He was only at the Second Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm.