An hour after Xiao Yan and his group entered the Crimson Flame Mountain Range, they finally arrived at the core area of the entire mountain range.
The headquarters of Burning Flame Valley is located here, and when this group of people saw the scene before them, as Fang Zhicong had predicted, everyone present was shocked and surprised. After all, what they saw was truly unbelievable.
What was originally a barren, crimson mountain seemed to have been forcibly stopped by an invisible force. The red rocks and land came to an abrupt halt, and a lush, verdant forest suddenly appeared before Xiao Yan and the others.
The mountains stand tall, birds sing, trees bloom, and flowers are fragrant—a world completely different from the outside. Even a short distance of just a few meters feels like two different worlds. With such a beautiful scene, it's no wonder Fang Zhicong said those things.
"No wonder such a sight is astonishing."
"I never imagined that there would be such a hidden world amidst these desolate mountains. Burning Flame Valley truly lives up to its reputation as the foremost of the Three Sects of the Southern Region."
"Let's go, let's see the grandeur of Burning Flame Valley today."
After a moment of reflection, the group exchanged glances and smiles, then leaped into the distance and flew towards the depths of the forest before them.
This mountain forest is neither too big nor too small, and the main sect of Burning Flame Valley is located on the majestic mountain peak in the very center of the forest.
The majestic mountains soar into the clouds, their massive size making them appear at first glance like a giant beast lying between heaven and earth. The mountain ridges are like beams, reaching to the sky and the mountain peaks are like sharp blades, piercing the heavens. The buildings, arranged in rows on the platforms between the mountain ridges, appear uneven, which only makes them seem more magnificent.
Although the group had not yet arrived, they could see from afar that on a huge rock protruding from the mountain peak, the three characters " Burning Flame Valley " were written in bold strokes.
At this moment, figures gradually appeared in front of or around Xiao Yan and the others. These people were all people who had come from the outside to watch the Burning Flame Valley sect competition.
As the distance gradually closed, more and more people came into view, and Xiao Yan finally realized just how incredibly attractive this sect competition was.
Judging from the number of guests who came to visit, there were no fewer than a thousand. Among them, almost half of them had reached the Origin Transformation Realm, and there were even no fewer than a hundred experts at the Origin Return Realm. As for those whose cultivation levels were difficult to discern, they were undoubtedly experts at the Origin King Great Realm.
"It's just a sect competition, yet so many powerful figures have gathered here, including so many Origin King level experts."
Sensing those extremely powerful auras, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel shocked by the profound strength of the Burning Flame Valley. The fact that a sect competition could attract so many powerful individuals was not only due to the excitement of the entire competition, but also because of the sect's overall strength.
If they didn't have great strength, so many people wouldn't have traveled so far to watch the duels between disciples of other sects. Of course, it's possible that some people came to compete for the rewards of a successful challenge, but they are a minority. Most of the people who came to watch were probably just trying to get closer to Burning Flame Valley.
As the number one sect in the Southern Region, if they could establish a relationship with them, it would naturally bring them countless benefits in terms of their status in the Southern Region.
A moment later, Xiao Yan and his group arrived at the foot of the mountain. Disciples dressed in Burning Flame Valley attire were there to greet the guests who had come to watch the competition. Except for a few people with invitations, the rest of the group were led by Burning Flame Valley disciples on their way up the mountain. This was partly to give them directions, and partly to keep an eye on anyone with ill intentions.
Of course, if anyone attempts to take action by violence along the way, the senior elders of Burning Flame Valley on the mountain will immediately notice. Therefore, no matter what those who go up the mountain may have in mind, they can only silently follow behind the disciple leading the way until they reach the square where the competition is held.
Once they arrive there, these people will be personally received by the elders of Burning Flame Valley without needing to be watched over by disciples.
While this method may seem somewhat strict, treating visitors like prisoners, it also saves Burning Flame Valley a lot of trouble.
Furthermore, this is the territory of Burning Flame Valley, and it seems reasonable to abide by the rules of their territory. Therefore, even those who have reservations can only swallow their anger in silence.
In addition, each team going up the mountain would receive a jade token from the disciples of Burning Flame Valley, with a line of words engraved on it. When Xiao Yan received it, he glanced at it.
"Geng, 24th."
"Excuse me, what is this?"
Upon seeing the displayed sorting numbers, Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. Did the guests coming up the mountain have to be counted and recorded?
That's a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it?
Hearing Xiao Yan's question, the handsome Burning Flame Valley disciple smiled politely and said respectfully:
"The numbers you see, sir, represent your team's sequence for ascending the mountain. There are a total of one thousand jade tokens like the one you hold in your hand. Teams holding these tokens are qualified to challenge the disciples on the competition stage, and those who win will receive prizes prepared by the sect elders."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded with a look of understanding, as if he had grasped something.
"Because there are simply too many people who want to challenge each year's sect competition, the elders had no choice but to make this decision. Your 'Geng' token is ranked within the top 700, allowing you to challenge disciples ranked 500 or lower in the sect. If you win, you can challenge disciples ranked in the top 500. However, if you lose, all rewards will be canceled."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan was stunned. It was clearly a sect competition, so how could it involve outsiders, and even the challengers were ranked? This was too absurd.
However, upon further reflection, Xiao Yan understood that the comparison between sects was ultimately limited by their relative strength. Moreover, most disciples were not only of similar strength but also shared the same Origin Qi attribute, and their combat experience was also limited. Such a competition could not provide them with much experience.
On the contrary, challengers like these, in order to win the prizes, will mostly show their true strength. Regardless of the outcome of such battles, they will be of absolute benefit to the disciples of Burning Flame Valley. As for the prizes, they are nothing compared to the future of Burning Flame Valley.
Thinking about it this way, Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised by the methods of the Burning Flame Valley. To obtain an excellent trial with minimal cost was truly astonishing. He wondered which old fox had come up with this idea.
With these thoughts in mind, the group arrived at the main square used for the sect competition.
The square was teeming with people, its bustling atmosphere impossible to conceal. Countless stone benches stood around the square. As soon as Xiao Yan and his group arrived, the disciple leading the group bowed and left. At the same time, an old man dressed in a fiery red robe walked towards them.