After all, Han Xuanji rose to power too quickly.
In just a century, he went from an unknown nobody to S-Rank Talent of the Soul Household, from climbing to the top of the Five Elements Heavenly Stairway to defeating Zhou Lie. He did things that most people could not do in a lifetime.
Because of his fame, the Soul Household rose to prominence and rose to power, putting immense pressure on many forces in the city.
Han Xuanji is already the quintessential "model child".
Do those privileged children feel comfortable about it?
Now that they see Han Xuanji participating in this increasingly difficult Principle Conference, they feel no sympathy, but rather a hint of schadenfreude.
Aren't you known as the number one prodigy of Thousand Souls City?
Isn't he highly valued by many powerful figures?
Let's see what tricks you can pull at this grand gathering of brilliant minds.
This is what many people think.
They thought that Han Xuanji might be unlucky and draw a Heaven-level seed directly, and might be eliminated in the first round.
"Hehe, a low-level seed. If he draws a high-level seed later, things will get interesting."
"I'd like to see what expression he has on his face when he's defeated."
No one would say these thoughts to someone's face.
But some subtle actions are very honest and reveal one's thoughts.
For example, the sparkle in her eyes, the slight curve of her lips, the slightly upturned chin...
Han Xuanji took in all these gazes, her expression unchanged, her steps still composed.
That's just human nature.
Fame and fortune are always intertwined.
The greater the fame, the greater the intangible benefits, which will inevitably affect some people.
Those who benefit from your success will naturally support you, while those who are unrelated will just watch the show. But those with grudges or conflicts of interest will wish for your immediate downfall.
Given Han Xuanji's current status, no one dares to speak ill of him to his face.
Many things are just things people think about, but they would never dare to say aloud.
Even if some people hate him to the core, they still greet him with the warmth of a spring breeze, as if he were an old friend.
When Han Xuanji stepped into the audience seats of the Soul Household.
Someone saw him, their eyes lit up, and they immediately stood up and bowed in greeting:
"Young Master Han! You've finally arrived!"
Some people simply followed the gaze, a slight smile playing on their lips, lost in thought.
Many others whispered and murmured among themselves.
Those gazes that fell upon Han Xuanji contained curiosity, expectation, scrutiny, and an indescribable complexity.
Those who can come to watch the Principle Conference are all from relatively good backgrounds.
A large portion of them were cultivators who practiced the Dao of Principle.
Those who choose this path are either exceptionally talented or come from privileged backgrounds, and are often somewhat arrogant.
Those who don't cultivate the Dao of Principle and are just here to watch the spectacle are mostly people of considerable strength; otherwise, why would they have the leisure to sit here and watch the battle?
" Han Xuanji is here! I thought he wasn't going to participate."
"How could we not participate? This is a grand event that even the Nine Mysteries Holy Lord is paying attention to. If we miss this one, who knows when we'll get another chance?"
To be honest, not many people paid attention to the battle between these cultivators. A few Heavenly Seeds appeared, took a look, and left.
Only a few people watched the Earth-level seed, but Han Xuanji's arrival actually attracted a lot of attention.
"That's true... but he probably won't get to steal the spotlight so easily this time."
"It's more than just difficult! Look at those Heavenly-level seeds, aren't they all top geniuses from Nine Mysteries City or even other major states?"
Although Han Xuanji is formidable, even placing him in the top ten among these people would be questionable!
"Top ten? You think too highly of him."
I think it would be good enough if he made it into the top 32.
"That's not how it works. He defeated Zhou Lie in a head-on battle, and Zhou Lie is also a Earth-level seed, not weak at all."
" Zhou Lie? Have you forgotten how Zhou Lie went to Nine Mysteries City to challenge someone and was easily defeated? A genius from Thousand Souls City is really no match for someone from the state capital."
Amidst the discussions, various attitudes intertwined.
Some people genuinely cheered for Han Xuanji.
Most of these people were local cultivators from Thousand Souls City, and in their eyes, Han Xuanji was "one of their own."
When their own people shine, they also gain prestige.
"Go for it, Young Master Han! Let them see the strength of Thousand Souls City!"
"Exactly! This ' Sword Young Master' nonsense! Once you're in Thousand Souls City, you have to follow our rules!"
Some people sighed at this.
They believed that, given the original trajectory, Han Xuanji would undoubtedly have won the championship in Thousand Souls City and become the undisputed number one.
But now the situation has changed dramatically. With the Nine Mysteries Holy Lord paying attention, geniuses from all sides have gathered. Han Xuanji, the former "Number One Genius of Thousand Souls City," is no longer a popular candidate in the face of true state-level geniuses.
"What a pity. If this competition hadn't been suddenly upgraded, Han Xuanji would have been a shoo-in for first place."
"Yeah, now it's all over. With so many people here, he's not even in the top ten. If he's unlucky, he might be eliminated in the top 64."
"You can't blame anyone else for this. The Principle Conference is all about strength."
If he truly has the ability to stand out among these people, then he would be a true prodigy.
Han Xuanji was already used to it.
He was neither angered by their cold looks nor conceited by their adulation.
Spiritual practice is a personal matter; what does it have to do with others?
"Brother Guanshan, I'll go find a few friends first."
Han Xuanji cupped her hands in He Guanshan.
He Guanshan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the various expressions on their faces:
Go ahead, don't let others influence you.
"Nature."
Han Xuanji smiled, seemingly unconcerned, and turned to walk towards one of the stands.
Wang Ping sat in the middle of the stands, surrounded by a large crowd.
He had been watching Han Xuanji's every move since her arrival, and now that his eyes met Han Xuanji's, his eyes lit up, and he quickly waved:
"Brother Han! Over here! Over here!"
Han Xuanji walked through the crowd and sat down beside him.
Wang Ping squeezed to the side to make room for him, unable to suppress the smile on his face.
"Brother Han, you've finally arrived! I thought you weren't going to participate!"
Wang Ping's voice was filled with excitement, his eyes practically sparkling.
Han Xuanji shook his head:
"I lost track of time during my seclusion and almost missed it."
"I almost missed it."
Wang Ping chuckled, "It's good that you're here. We'll get to see your impressive presence at this conference again."
Unlike the others, Wang Ping and the others were extremely optimistic, believing that even if Han Xuanji couldn't win the championship, she could still make it into the top ten, or even the top three...
As Han Xuanji listened to his animated description, a slight smile appeared on her lips, but her gaze searched for images in the light and shadow above the square, while pondering the rules of the competition.
This competition was not life-threatening because of the special rules of the Mirror World. When you are on the verge of death, you will be teleported to a safe space and can surrender directly, thus avoiding physical pain.
But most people, unless they encounter an insurmountable enemy, will try to fight to the very end.
After each round of competition, participants will be given a day to rest.
Rest periods are permitted for taking medicinal pills, and treatment will be arranged, so unless the injury is too serious, it will not affect the upcoming battle.
The use of Eternal Dao Artifact of Rank 5 or higher is prohibited during battles, as are the use of talismans, combat treasures, and other external objects. These restrictions are essentially designed to bring the competition of the Principle Conference back to the cultivators' own Dao Principles, cultivation level, and combat experience.
In a sense, it's actually quite fair.
"How are they?"
Han Xuanji asked.
"Good luck."
Wang Ping laughed:
"The opponents in the first two rounds weren't particularly strong, so I should be able to get through them."
However, later on, there were no weaklings left; making it into the top 100 was no easy feat.
"Um."
Han Xuanji nodded.
Making it through two rounds is already quite good, but getting into the top 64 out of a thousand people is still very difficult; it's 90% about skill and 10% about luck.
Several days passed quickly.