The conference was not hosted by the forces of Thousand Souls City, nor by the people of Nine Mysteries City, but by a more transcendent organization— the Great Dao Society.
The Great Dao Society was originally a loose organization founded by the Sage King Wendao. It had a small number of members, mostly his disciples and friends, all of whom were cultivators who practiced the Dao of Principle.
It gradually expanded, absorbing more and more cultivators who practiced the Dao of Principle, and eventually became a behemoth.
Its members are spread across various factions on the Eternal Continent, not belonging to any one side, and following only one principle.
Discuss principles based on Principle, and uphold strength as the highest virtue.
The original purpose of the Principle Conference was to hold regular internal discussions for mutual exchange.
But now it has gradually evolved into selecting prodigies, with practical combat as the main focus.
Today's meeting is being presided over by an elder from the Great Dao Society, surnamed Meng.
His hair and beard were all white, but his face was like that of a young man, and his aura was peaceful and restrained, making it impossible to discern his true strength.
But his eyes were extremely sharp, and when he swept over the crowd in the stands, it seemed as if he could see through everyone's cultivation level and background.
"Welcome to Thousand Souls City, everyone."
Elder Meng stood in the center of the training ground; his voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.
"This Principle Conference is hosted by the Great Dao Society, and the rules are very simple."
The use of divine weapons or magical Law Treasure exceeding the fifth rank of Eternal Dao Artifact is prohibited, as is the use of external forces; violators will be disqualified.
Apart from that, everyone relies on their own abilities.
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the prodigies from all directions in the stands, a slight smile playing on his lips:
"I'm sure you all already know about the awards for this conference."
The top ten can enter the Nine Mysteries Saint Realm for cultivation.
The top three winners will receive additional prizes.
In addition, Lord Nine Mysteries Holy Lord will also be paying attention to this conference.
Those who perform exceptionally well may have additional fortuitous opportunity.
These words immediately caused a commotion in the stands, clearly provoked by the comment.
Nine Mysteries Holy Lord.
These four words are the greatest temptation.
On the high platform, Elder Meng spoke eloquently.
Below the stage, Hun Jiuge, Wang Ping, Li Tiantong sat together. Although their seats weren't very close to the front, they could still see the situation in the center of the martial arts arena clearly.
The surrounding area was bustling with noise, and the discussions of various cultivators surged like a tide. Some were analyzing the strength of the various prodigies in low voices, while others looked around, trying to find those rumored figures in the crowd.
Unfortunately, apart from a few people on the platform, most of them did not appear.
Wang Ping's gaze swept across the crowd several times, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
He turned to look at Hun Jiuge and lowered his voice:
" Jiuge, have you seen Brother Han?"
Hun Jiuge shook his head, his expression somewhat solemn:
"No, I've been watching the entrance the whole time, but I haven't seen Young Master Han."
Wang Ping then looked at Li Tiantong, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation:
"Brother Tiantong, you're closest to Brother Han, did he come or not? He's not planning to participate, is he?"
Li Tiantong a wry smile and shrugged.
"Brother Wang, you're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? All I know is that he's been in seclusion at the Creation Platform all these years and hasn't even replied to any messages."
I didn't dare to disturb him rashly; in case my message distracted him at a crucial moment.
Wang Ping sighed, leaned back in his chair, and looked somewhat lost.
"What should we do? The Principle Conference has already started, and he hasn't shown up yet."
Could it be that he's really not coming?
Hun Jiuge patted his shoulder and comforted him:
"Don't rush, Young Master Han always knows how to act properly. Besides, the conference has only just begun, and it's not his turn to go on stage right away."
Didn't you hear Elder Meng explain the rules?
What rules?
Wang Ping looked completely bewildered; he really didn't know the rules of the Principle Conference.
Hun Jiuge looked speechless and patiently explained:
"There are thousands of participants in this Principle Conference, and their strengths vary greatly. In order to avoid encountering strong individuals in advance, the Great Dao Society has also assessed the participants into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, based on their past performance."
The Heaven-level seeds are automatically placed in the top 64, while the Earth-level seeds are placed in the top 128. The remaining Xuan-level and Huang-level seeds will be drawn into a match.
Young Master Han's past performance has been quite good, earning him a Earth-level seed, which exempts him from the earlier battles.
Hearing this, Wang Ping nodded, feeling slightly relieved, but still couldn't help muttering something under his breath:
"But there's still no news. Is Brother Han really not interested in this reward?"
Whether Han Xuanji participates or not doesn't really matter to him, but as a big fan of Han Xuanji, he still hopes that the other party will show his strength.
"Well."
Hun Jiuge took a deep breath and drew his attention back to himself:
"I'll pray that I get good luck with my draw and don't run into any of those formidable opponents in the first round."
I don't want to get shot down as soon as I get up there; that would be too embarrassing.
Wang Ping chuckled at his words and shook his head.
"What are you doing, embarrassing yourself? You're not some big shot, nobody cares if you lose."
"Of course, if you really lose in the first round, I'll treat you to drinks at the Shallow Dream Pavilion."
Hun Jiuge glared at him:
"What are you saying? How am I not a big shot? I'm a Level A genius of the Soul Household, representing the Soul Household's reputation!"
Li Tiantong listened to the two bickering, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and the worry in his heart dissipated somewhat.
He looked towards the center of the training ground, his gaze calm.
Li Tiantong calmly:
"What's meant to happen will happen, and there's no escaping it. Instead of dwelling on that, focus on how to play each game well."
Hun Jiuge nodded, and the tension in her heart dissipated somewhat.
On the high platform.
Hun Qianxue sat upright in the city lord's reserved seat, a polite smile on his face, appearing calm and composed, quite like the majesty of a local ruler.
But only he knew that he was cursing people in his heart.
"Is Han Xuanji coming or not?"
He muttered to himself, his gaze occasionally sweeping towards the entrance of the martial arts arena, but he still couldn't see that familiar figure in green robes.
He sent several messages to Han Xuanji, but they went unanswered; he didn't even receive a "received" reply.
Is he still in seclusion?
He didn't dare disturb the other party; if it happened at a crucial moment, he wouldn't force his way out of seclusion...
"Big brother, relax a bit."
Hun Qianling sat beside him, sensing the tense aura emanating from him, and silently advised:
Xuanji naturally has his own plans.
Hun Qianxue took a deep breath, trying to make herself look more natural.
I was afraid he would miss the time.
You know the rules of the tournament. Although he's a regional seed and doesn't need to participate in the earlier elimination rounds, if he misses the deadline, his qualification will still be revoked.
Hun Qianling remained silent, her gaze returning to the training ground, silently praying in her heart.
Fortunately, Han Xuanji won't be making an appearance anytime soon.