At last, the sudden uproar subsided somewhat, and the clamor began to fade.
The beautiful hostess, who had stood frozen in the center of the platform for some time, finally came to her senses as though waking from a dream. She hurriedly composed herself, seized this rare lull, and raised her voice to address the entire gathering.
"Distinguished guests, Heavenly Prodigies, after two spectacular rounds of poetry and verse, this segment has officially come to a successful conclusion!"
She deliberately paused, then changed tack, her voice rising sharply with carefully cultivated enthusiasm and excitement.
"Next comes the most thrilling, most blood-stirring third round of this Mid-Autumn Festival Gathering-the martial arts sparring tournament!
"As the name suggests, this segment places no restrictions on sect or seniority. All young Heavenly Prodigies present may freely take the stage, challenge one another, forge friendships through martial arts, and determine who is superior!"
To demonstrate the tournament's fairness, the hostess loudly added the rules, every word clear enough to carry throughout the venue.
"The organizers hereby expressly declare that everyone taking the stage to spar must first suppress their cultivation to the same realm before fighting, in the interest of fairness."
Yet she knew perfectly well that such a rule could never ensure absolute fairness.
Even if the top Heavenly Prodigies already in the heavenly immortal realm forcibly suppressed their cultivation to the human immortal realm, their extensive combat experience, exquisite cultivation methods and secret manuals, polished martial skills, and profound understanding of martial intent were far beyond those of ordinary cultivators. They would still hold an overwhelming advantage in battle.
What truly drove all the Heavenly Prodigies wild, however, was the lavish reward offered for this sparring segment.
With deliberate provocation in her voice, the hostess pronounced every word distinctly, tugging at everyone's