Caught Off Guard

As the competition got underway, the Fifth Elder appeared in the Martial Arts Arena.

"The first round will use the Open Selection System. Those who can withstand the Spiritual Pressure for Three Hundred Breaths may advance to the next round. All contestants, step forward now."

No sooner had the Fifth Elder finished speaking than hundreds of figures rushed onto the High Platform, all of them at the Qi Refining Third Layer or above.

Whoever dared enter the competition had some skills. Everyone present was from the same clan, and no one wanted to make a fool of themselves before such a crowd.

The Fifth Elder swept his gaze around and said solemnly, "Since you are all ready, I shall begin."

The instant his words fell, terrifying Spiritual Pressure swept outward, and a whirlwind suddenly rose across the Martial Arts Arena.

The contestants felt their shoulders sink, as though thousand-pound boulders had been placed upon them. Some of the weaker ones staggered on the spot, nearly collapsing onto the ground.

"How is it this strong?! I don't think I can even last a hundred breaths."

"Hold on! No matter what, I have to make it into the Second Round."

"Golden Body Art, give me strength! I trained my body for three years—I absolutely cannot fall here."

"..."

Less than a hundred breaths passed before nearly thirty percent of the contestants had fallen. Quite a few of those remaining were already swaying unsteadily.

On the High Platform, Su Yu praised, "Judging by the Fifth Elder's bearing, he should be at the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer, yes? The Shen Family truly has talents in abundance."

Shen Leiyuan smiled faintly. "Brother Su flatters us. I heard someone from your clan has broken through to the Void Core Realm. The Shen Family is far inferior."

Su Yu narrowed his eyes and studied him for a moment before slowly saying, "Brother Shen entered the Void Core Realm long ago. You have every hope of forming a Golden Core, so why belittle yourself?"

Shen Leiyuan shook his head and sighed. "How difficult is the Golden Core? I fear I can only stop at the False Core realm in this lifetime. The Su Family Head, on the other hand, still has a sliver of hope."

Hearing their discussion, the elders could not help sighing as well.

Beneath the Golden Core, all were ants. That saying was no exaggeration.

More than seventy percent of Foundation Establishment cultivators were limited by aptitude and lifespan, unable to break through the Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment for their entire lives.

As for Ninth Layer Foundation Establishment cultivators, only those with deep foundations and undiminished vitality could take another step forward and condense the embryonic form of a Golden Core. This was the Void Core Realm.

After that, they still had to temper their spiritual power without cease, hammering it a thousand times and refining it a hundred times, before making that final leap and achieving the immortal Golden Core.

That step was like a heavenly chasm, blocking more than eighty percent of Void Core experts. Thus, many sought another path, using external aid to compress their spiritual power and ultimately condense a Golden Core. This was the False Core realm.

Once a Golden Core entered the belly, my fate would be mine, not Heaven's.

This was the finest explanation of the Golden Core Realm. The limit of a Foundation Establishment cultivator's lifespan was only three hundred years, while Golden Core experts could enjoy eight hundred springs and autumns, earning the title of Exalted Ones.

An Exalted One stood above ordinary men, transcending the mundane and never falling into mortal dust. Such was the might of a Golden Core expert.

By now, the competition had reached its fiercest stage. Two minutes had passed, and fewer than twenty percent remained. Most were familiar faces.

"Shen Qingruo, Shen Yun... they really did pass the first round. Huh?! Isn't that Shen Qiu?"

Looking over, they saw Shen Qiu dressed in black, standing straight with an easy expression, calm and composed, as if the Spiritual Pressure had not affected him at all.

"Another dark horse has emerged. This generation truly has talent in abundance."

"He looks so at ease. It seems Shen Qiu has already broken through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. Truly astonishing."

"..."

Hearing long-absent words of praise, Shen Qiu's lips curled upward into a smug smile.

Yet when he looked ahead, he immediately performed a Sichuan Opera Face Change. His face darkened so severely it looked ready to drip water.

Shen Yun and Shen Qingruo stood side by side, chatting about amusing things that had happened over the past year and laughing from time to time.

I put in so much effort and shed so much sweat. Why is she still unwilling to spare me even a glance?

Shen Qiu clenched his fists, desperately holding back the jealousy burning within him. His gaze grew increasingly sinister.

The Fifth Elder looked around. When he saw Shen Yun chatting and laughing merrily with Shen Qingruo, nameless anger rose within him in surging waves.

That kid really has some nerve, flirting with Qingruo right in front of this old man.

The Fifth Elder's expression turned unfriendly. He added a few points of pressure onto Shen Yun, only to find that Shen Yun's expression remained unchanged, as though a clear breeze had brushed across his face.

He really does have some skills. Let me see just how capable you are.

The Fifth Elder was getting angry. In the past year, Shen Qingruo had never smiled so happily, and that left him feeling somewhat unbalanced.

So he continued increasing the pressure, raising it from fifty percent of his full strength all the way to ninety percent. Yet Shen Yun remained unmoved.

Shen Yun glanced at him from the corner of his eye, feeling somewhat helpless. Old man, we've met twice already. Isn't this kind of retaliation a little inappropriate?

The Fifth Elder's pressure grew stronger and stronger. Although it was directed at Shen Yun alone, some inevitably spilled over. Even Shen Qingruo began to feel short of breath.

Shen Yun clenched his hand, and his Divine Sense burst from his body to shield Shen Qingruo. She immediately felt the pressure dissipate.

Sensing that familiar aura, she smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Brother Shen Yun."

Shen Yun smiled and casually asked about how she had been lately.

The Fifth Elder was panting from exhaustion. Seeing the two chatting even more happily, he finally failed to hold back and erupted with his full strength in fury.

Riiip!

The Spiritual Pressure of the Foundation Establishment Eighth Layer swept forth like a sudden gale, unleashing a thunderous blast as it tore through the air.

Shen Yun raised an eyebrow and secretly circulated his Fire-Wood Spiritual Power. Two-colored radiance spread like a canopy, blocking the storm that filled the sky.

The others were not so fortunate. They had already been at the end of their strength, and the instant the storm blew over them, their techniques collapsed.

One person fell to the ground with a slap, then like dominoes, knocked down a large swath of people. The arena was instantly filled with sprawled, tumbling figures.

"What is going on?!"

Shen Qiu's expression changed drastically. He was closest to the two of them and bore the impact of the pressure. His spiritual power barrier shattered in a single blow.

When the storm struck, his hair crown exploded at once. Wind blades sheared away more than half his long hair, turning his disheveled locks into side-swept bangs. His robes were riddled with holes, giving him a rather artistic air.

"Perhaps that was a little too much."

The Fifth Elder's expression changed, and he hurriedly withdrew his pressure.

Once the storm subsided, apart from Shen Yun and Shen Qingruo, who remained completely unharmed, everyone else was dusty and bedraggled, sprawled crookedly across the ground.

The many spectators looked at one another. A single outburst from the Fifth Elder had nearly wiped out every contestant. In past years, at least sixty or seventy people would advance to the Second Round. When had they ever seen such a situation?

The Third Elder could not help coughing repeatedly. He stared at the Fifth Elder speechlessly. Even if you don't like that kid, you should at least pay attention to the occasion.

Who on the platform was not shrewd? Within moments, they had pieced together the whole story. Shen Leiyuan said somewhat awkwardly, "There may have been a slight misunderstanding here. My apologies for making the Su Family Head laugh."

Su Yu's expression was strange. He coughed twice in feigned restraint. "The weather is unpredictable. It is understandable."

Su Yu'er found it rather amusing and could not resist asking around about Shen Yun's background.

Once she heard his name, Su Yu'er could no longer smile. She only felt a faint ache at the back of her head.

So it was you who knocked me out twice. Just you wait.

Su Yu'er looked at Shen Yun with clear hostility, raging anger blazing in her eyes.

With the situation having turned out like this, the Fifth Elder could only remain silent. So long as he was not embarrassed, and the contestants could not tell, it would not be much of a problem.

Only eight people remained in the arena when a flash of spiritual light suddenly crossed the Fifth Elder's mind. If Qingruo wins another round, won't she be fifth place? The First Sequence is right within reach!

Unintentionally planting willows, yet willows grow into shade. The Fifth Elder suddenly felt somewhat grateful to Shen Yun.

Besides the several familiar contestants who had held on, there was also a nimble little fatty. His eyes darted around before he ran to Shen Yun's side and said, "Big Brother, can we discuss something? Your little brother has a favor to ask."

Shen Yun was slightly taken aback and asked doubtfully, "Go ahead. What is it?"

The little fatty lowered his head and said respectfully, "Once Big Brother takes the top of the ranking, could you sell the Foundation Establishment Pill to me?"

Shen Yun studied him for a moment and said meaningfully, "You are that certain I can take first place?"

The little fatty puffed out his chest and raised his head. "To be honest, Big Brother, I am still quite confident in my judgment."

The little fatty called him Big Brother in every other sentence, yet he looked nearly a full generation older than Shen Yun. Shen Qingruo found it somewhat amusing. "What is your name?"

The little fatty cupped his hands. "In reply to Miss Qingruo, your little brother is Shen Wude."

The name was unfamiliar. Shen Yun stared at him for a moment and sensed a familiar aura.

This is a Qi Concealment Technique nearing major mastery.

Shen Yun was an expert at the Qi Concealment Technique. He immediately found a way to break through it.

Circulating the Illusion Breaking Art with his Spiritual Sense, he instantly sensed the powerful aura the other was holding back. He could not help being startled. Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. What strong cultivation.

Shen Yun gave him a deep look and said faintly, "We will discuss it afterward."

A mysterious expert of unknown origins—Shen Yun decided to observe quietly and see what medicine he was selling in his gourd.

A smile hung on Shen Wude's plump face. Standing behind Shen Yun like an attendant, he occasionally swept his surroundings with sidelong glances.

As the first round settled into the dust, the Fifth Elder announced the rules of the Second Round: contestants would face one another in pairs to determine the final victor.

The eight contestants stepped forward to draw lots. Once the results were out, the Fifth Elder announced, "First match: Shen Qiu versus Shen Hong."