The Forces in the Kunlun Ruins

Kunlun Ruins is not a ruin, but rather the back garden of the Kunlun Sacred Land site.

With the main hall of the Kunlun Heavenly Court destroyed, making it difficult to entertain guests, the Kunlun Ruins became an excellent location.

In any case, it would be impossible for the emperor and empress to entertain guests in the Kunlun Palace area.

She wore a magnificent crown and was adorned with jewels. The vulgarity of wealth that would be common among ordinary people was nowhere to be seen on her. Instead, she appeared dignified and elegant.

Seated in the very center of Kunlun Ruins, the Emperor and Empress raised their wine cups to the crowd.

"Kunlun is bitterly cold; you have come from afar, so we can only offer you some wine and fruit!"

The Emperor and Empress swept their gazes over the people sitting on their left and right sides.

A stone table and a stone chair signify the presence of a powerful force in the Kunlun Sacred Land.

Seated in the upper seat on the left is Li Jing, the Heavenly King of the Immortal Court, who holds the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda in his hands. This is a replica of the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda, and its power is considerable.

Seated in the upper seat on the right is the Daoist Randeng from the Western Sect. He has placed a whisk on the stone table, and a glass lamp hangs behind him, floating and swaying uncertainly.

In the center left seat sat an elderly man in a purple robe, whose face showed some unease and anxiety.

If Zhang Xuezhou were here, he would at least have to call him "teacher," but whether Hongku would dare to accept is another matter entirely.

Seated in the center right seat was the crane Demon King Feiyu, who looked extremely respectful. When the emperor and empress spoke, he quickly returned the greeting by raising his wine cup, displaying an extremely humble attitude.

A young man in white robes, holding a nine-feathered fan, sat in the back seat. Although the man in white robes was handsome and extraordinary, his sitting in the back seat already proved his identity.

Another elderly man with a flushed face sat on the other side, holding a burning long cane, and looked somewhat reserved.

At the very end of the group, the once handsome Ao Li appeared rather lackluster. The title of the Rain God was insignificant here, and he could only barely make it into the group by hanging at the very end.

There are not many forces qualified to participate in the Centennial Pact. Some Sacred Land, apart from their masters, do not have the qualifications to form a major power, and even if their cultivation is high, they are not eligible for the Centennial Pact.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness. We still don't know where the Holy Son and Holy Daughter of Kunlun are participating in this grand event," Li Jing said, bowing. "We have been waiting here for a long time, but we have not yet seen the Holy Son and Holy Daughter appear!"

"What if we show our faces, or what if we don't?" the Emperor and Empress casually remarked.

"With the centennial agreement approaching, it's necessary to meet with the people involved," Li Jing said politely.

"Even if you, the people of Lingxiao, wear iron masks, what can they do if we see you!"

The emperor and empress pointed to the two cultivators standing behind Li Jing, emphasizing that the two men were covered with iron masks, not wanting to reveal their true faces.

Showing one's face may seem like a big deal, but once the playing field is reversed, those who enter the Immortal Court's Lingxiao Secret Realm to compete will not even know the identities of their opponents, and they may easily find themselves in a passive situation if they are not careful.

"They are dressed in accordance with the rules of the Immortal Court..."

"Then our Heavenly Court's rule is that we don't need them to come. If you have the guts, just go and steal it!"

Li Jing was about to mention that the two people behind him were participating in the Hundred-Year Agreement competition in the attire of the Immortal Court when he was interrupted by the Emperor and Empress before he could finish speaking.

When the Emperor and Empress reached out and picked up the wine cup, indicating that the challenge for the competition in the Western Kunlun Secret Realm was to go to the main hall and retrieve a wine cup exactly the same as the one in her hand, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.

"There are some fortuitous opportunity in the Kunlun Mountains, but far more dangers," the Emperor and Empress warned. "If you wander recklessly and lose your life, do not blame anyone!"

"Your Majesty is right," Daoist Randeng chimed in. "We've come to participate in the hundred-year covenant, not to dig for herbs and gather remedies in Kunlun. We must prioritize our actions!"

Although these were merely echoes of agreement, the Daoist Randeng was nonetheless offering reminders.

Opportunities to enter the Kunlun Secret Realm openly are few and far between. If one cannot defeat the holy sons and daughters of the Kunlun Sacred Land, it would be good to steal some great herbs. After all, Western Kunlun once gathered the world's spiritual essence, and some medicinal materials are difficult to find outside.

He coughed twice loudly, and the two monks behind him immediately responded in unison.

"Who wants to go in first?" Hongku asked in a low voice.

The Emperor and Empress have made their move; now it's up to the others to respond.

Normally, if a major player has enough arrogance, they will be the first to act and thus gain the benefits.

However, when facing some troublesome forces, it is common to use forces at the back to lead the charge.

Forces like the Dragon Clan and the Zoroastrian Cult are always just bystanders, merely filling in the numbers to act as pathfinders.

"Whether you're herding one sheep or a flock, it's all the same. Let's all go in together!"

The emperor and empress spoke, then pointed to the crowd.

In the secret place, there was only a timid and submissive Cai Ma. No matter what moves Cai Ma made, it was always one-on-one, and she could hardly hold her own against any force.

The emperor and empress only hoped that these people could fight each other when they entered the main hall of Kunlun, to see if there was an opportunity for them to reap the benefits.

"How can we determine the winner when everyone has gone in?" the Demon King Feiyu asked curiously.

"The century-long agreement only requires the first; the second is meaningless," the Emperor and Empress said, glancing around. "As for the younger generation's small gains, it's simple: we'll always be able to see clearly the outcome of their actions!"

The Emperor and Empress clearly intended to incite a premature showdown among the participants, since defeating other participants would also earn them points.

If any conflict among these participants is triggered prematurely, Cai Ma may face fewer opponents in the subsequent competition, thus avoiding a situation where he is destined to lose due to repeated clashes and attacks.

The Emperor and Empress briefly explained the rules of Western Kunlun, causing many people to exchange glances.

In a chaotic battle, the weaker side will be eliminated first, but the weaker side is also most likely to create opportunities, and some weaker sides may even band together to fight against each other.

This rule favored the power of those in the middle and rear seats. Li Jing was about to stand up to object when he saw the Daoist Randeng in the opposite seat nodding in agreement, which made him quickly sit back down.

"Since no one objects, let's proceed with the competition as Your Majesty has suggested," Li Jing said awkwardly.

"Everyone, please note that the Law Treasure, weapons, and other valuables you carry must not exceed the regulations, lest you be expelled from the game," the Daoist Randeng reminded with a smile.

"The Kunlun Secret Realm is vast, so please be as careful as possible when you enter, and make sure you don't get separated!"

Those in the front seats set the tone, while those in the middle and back seats could only offer advice to their own competitors.

Although many of them are the best cultivators in their respective factions over the past century, when a group of these best are together, their past advantages become meaningless.

You can run rampant in your own sphere of influence without any problem, but in this situation, you have to keep a low profile. Even if you don't usually like to cooperate, you have to stick together in order to avoid being defeated one by one.

"Ao Sheng, you..."

"Don't worry about me, I'll fight however I want!"

"Ao Mo'ang, you stay with Ao Sheng and provide support as much as possible. Don't act impulsively!"

At the bottom of the table, Ao Li looked helpless and could only try his best to give instructions to the other contestant from the Dragon Clan.

The century-long agreement requires the most talented cultivators within a century. Demon Race is not at an advantage in terms of growth, they will try to select those around a century old.

Ao Li was over a hundred years older, while Ao Sheng barely met the requirements and was also agreed upon by everyone to participate in the hundred-year agreement.

He acted as the referee, while his former opponent, Ao Sheng, was the player.

The huge gap between his appearance and reality was hard for Ao Sheng to accept. He felt that if he were even slightly better looking, he would most likely be sitting here drinking spirit wine and eating spirit fruits, instead of having to participate in this hundred-year agreement and risk his life to get the benefits.