Chapter 25: Solo Against 299?
Chapter 25: Solo Against 299?
“It’s such a shame for Huang Tie.”
“His strength is only below those Third Grade cultivators. He just had the bad luck of facing Lu Hangzhi who plays by no rules. He lost his very first match.”
“Thankfully, Elder Mu said he’d give him another chance. If he’d stopped at the outer matches this year, I bet his future cultivation would have suffered.”
After the first battle, many people at the foot of the stage were talking. Their impression of Lu Hangzhi deepened, and many listed him as a serious rival.
Over the next few days, Lu Hangzhi kept getting summoned from the training room to fight.
His later opponents were weaker than Huang Tie and fought in a more predictable way. Without exception, they were all slowed down by the Mire Art and defeated. Lu Hangzhi won effortlessly, becoming the first to earn his spot in the main Sect Grand Competition.
“Darn! That Mire Art again!”
“Another one done in by that spell!”
“Who knew such an unassuming spell could be so powerful?”
“That’s a true master, turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.”
Many Outer Sect disciples whispered among themselves, secretly deciding that if they got the chance, they’d go to the nearby marketplace to buy a copy of the Mire Art. Maybe they could push into the higher ranks in the next competition.
Lu Hangzhi felt no joy over earning his spot.
A full Third Grade cultivator beating a bunch of Second-rank cultivators – what was there to be proud of?
His real rivals were people like Hu Wang, other Third Grade cultivators…
His goal was the top three!
Only making the top three could repay Senior Brother Leng for the huge resources invested in him.
He calmed his mind and continued training hard.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
The list of three hundred selected Outer Sect disciples from the three main Spiritual Peaks was finalized.
“Lu Hangzhi.”
“In one hour, the Sect Grand Competition officially begins!”
“Come out and prepare. Also, it would help to listen to the rules of this time’s competition.”
Elder Mu’s voice sounded inside Cultivation Chamber One.
“Understood, Elder.”
Lu Hangzhi opened his eyes and stepped out of his abode.
“He’s out!”
“Lu Hangzhi is finally out!”
By this time, Lu Hangzhi’s name was quite famous at Daoshan Peak, second only to a few like Hu Wang among the Third Grade cultivators. His emergence from seclusion immediately caught the attention of nearby Outer Sect disciples, and word spread fast.
Lu Hangzhi rubbed his nose and walked towards Elder Mu’s courtyard.
Nearly a hundred Daoshan Peak disciples participating in the competition were already gathered outside the courtyard. Lu Hangzhi spotted a few familiar faces among them.
Hu Wang.
Huang Tie.
Huang Tie, who had bitterly lost the first match, had also secured a spot in the main Sect Grand Competition.
Both of them noticed Lu Hangzhi and walked over simultaneously.
Huang Tie, not seeing Hu Wang, reached Lu Hangzhi first. “I won’t lose to you in the Sect Grand Competition,” he declared.
“……”
Lu Hangzhi blinked, then looked towards Hu Wang.
Hu Wang glanced at Huang Tie, sneered dismissively, then turned back to Lu Hangzhi. “Lu Hangzhi, you tricked me last time. I won’t make that mistake again. In the Grand Competition, I’ll go all out to defeat you.” He finished speaking, leaving a bewildered Huang Tie behind, and walked away.
Lu Hangzhi thought for a moment and understood. Hu Bugui had probably told Hu Wang about him breaking through to Early Third Grade, which was why Hu Wang had come to issue a challenge in frustration.
Lu Hangzhi just smiled. He didn’t mind.
He had always considered Hu Wang a key rival. So what if Hu Wang knew his strength now?
One word: Fight!
However…
Huang Tie beside him was shocked by Hu Wang’s challenge.
Who was Hu Wang?
A genuine Third Grade cultivator. Crushing Second-rank cultivators was like crushing chicks to him.
The toughest figure on Daoshan Peak!
Such a person had just said he would go all out against Lu Hangzhi in the Grand Competition. If Huang Tie had any brains, he sensed something was off. Recalling his own earlier declaration, Huang Tie suddenly wore an expression like he had constipation.
At that moment, Elder Mu emerged from the house.
With a soft snort, the aura of a Fifth-Grade cultivator spread out. Instantly, the buzzing chatter died, and the surroundings fell silent.
“Everyone’s here!”
“Good. Let’s move.”
Elder Mu looked skyward. With a crisp chorus of calls, a large group of Divine Cranes descended.
Many Outer Sect disciples skillfully mounted them. Lu Hangzhi quickly chose a crane, but this time, he activated his Mystic Armor Art first, avoiding the rollercoaster-like feeling again…
Some newcomers were still scared stiff, their faces pale.
Elder Mu flew alongside on his sword, paying no attention to those screaming in fear or excitement.
Lu Hangzhi used the chance to admire the scenery of Xuanxin Sect once more.
The Divine Cranes landed on a vast training ground, dropped off the disciples, and departed.
Like the other Outer Sect disciples, Lu Hangzhi looked around.
The training ground was paved with large, square blue stones. It was nearly a kilometer long and wide. It jutted out from the mountaintop, held suspended mid-air by an unseen power – incredibly magical!
Not far away, two other groups were already standing. Their gazes toward them burned with intense fighting spirit.
Elder Mu landed gracefully, gave his gourd a playful shake, looking displeased as he addressed the group.
“Wake up and focus, all of you.”
“This tournament’s rules are different this time. Elder Mo Li has emerged from seclusion and decided we play a game of Realms & Realities on this Illusionary Board. Soon, you’ll be sent into a world that mixes the illusory with the real. Your task is to kill as many Demonic Beasts and Monsters as possible inside, and also defeat other Outer Sect disciples who are your opponents, to earn points! Of course, if you face lethal danger inside, you won’t actually die; you’ll just be teleported out.”
“Points?”
“Exactly!”
Elder Mu smacked his lips impatiently. “Kill a First Grade Demonic Beast, Monster, or cultivator, earn 1 point! Kill a Second Grade Demonic Beast, Monster, or cultivator, earn 10 points. Kill a Third Grade one, earn 100 points. That’s it. Your points will add up. Rankings at the end will be from highest to lowest points! The one with the most points takes first place.”
Huh?
Huh? Huh? Huh?
What happened to one-on-one rounds?
Hearing this, Lu Hangzhi was completely stunned.
Throwing three hundred people into one scene for a messy battle royale?
Seriously?!
What advantage did Third Grade Cultivators have then? A few Second-rank Cultivators could just team up and KO them!
And…
This isn’t fair! I was new here and had no connections with other Outer Sect Disciples. Fighting 299 people alone didn’t seem right.
After Elder Mu announced the rules for the Sect Grand Competition, the elders in the other two directions seemed to explain the rules at the same time. Immediately, an uproar spread through the crowd.
Some people were stunned, some felt relieved, and others looked confused. Everyone was shocked by the sudden rule change.
Those with good social skills quickly started forming groups and teaming up. The usually solitary players wore ugly expressions, looking as if they were constipated.
Lu Hangzhi noticed that even the confident Hu Wang had a grim face at that moment. Hu Wang stared toward the distant platform and gritted his teeth:
“Those old fogies! They had to pull this trick just when I was about to enter the Inner Sect.”
Ahem. His voice was a bit loud.
Lu Hangzhi was startled by Hu Wang’s bluntness and coughed repeatedly.
“…”
“Haha, this is going to be fun.”
“Brothers, whether we make it into the top fifty depends on our performance.”
“Right! Let’s stick together. After we take down all our opponents, we can compete among ourselves.”
“Deal!”
“Brothers from Daoshan Peak, anyone else want to team up?”
More and more disciples chose to form alliances. Even some lone players started looking around for teams to join.
Just then, Elder Mu snorted coldly and said,
“The Trial Ground of Illusion and Reality is as vast as a thousand illusion chessboards. It is filled with countless Demonic Beasts and Monsters. Everyone will be teleported separately to different areas. If you want to form teams, you’ll have to survive long enough to meet up.”
“…”
After hearing Elder Mu’s further explanation, Lu Hangzhi, Hu Wang, and others finally breathed a little easier.
Luckily, the elders of the Xuanxin Sect hadn’t made things impossible.
As for the disciples forming alliances, they continued making plans and agreed on signals, full of confidence.
Ten minutes passed…
A speech came from the direction of the Xuanxin Sect’s platform, and everyone pricked up their ears.
The general message was to encourage everyone to strive for entry into the Inner Sect, rise swiftly, and become respected experts—the future pillars of the Xuanxin Sect.
Then, a series of rewards were announced.
Every Outer Sect Disciple who participated would receive ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
Those who made it into the top hundred would double their Spirit Stones.
Those who reached the top thirty would get a Third Grade spell.
Those in the top ten would not only receive a precious Foundational Reinforcement Pill and a chance to enter the Inner Sect, but also five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones and the opportunity to choose two Third Grade spells.
But the top three received the best rewards! They got double the Foundational Reinforcement Pills, a custom-made Magical Artifact, and five Third Grade spells. The rewards were incredibly rich, promising a meteoric rise.
“Next, I announce…”
“The Outer Sect Disciple Sect Grand Competition begins now.”
“Disciple Mo Li, please set up the formation.”
An unfamiliar, resonant voice echoed across the area. Immediately, all the Outer Sect Disciples grew tense.
Lu Hangzhi held his breath and quietly took out a Talisman, gripping it in his hand. He planned to use it to summon the Fierce Gaze Golden Aura for self-defense if he ended up teleported next to a Demonic Beast or Monster.
Just then, purple mist, like glowing clouds, rose from the stone bricks beneath their feet.
Amidst surprised exclamations, the surroundings and the crowd quickly blurred.
The next moment, Lu Hangzhi found himself surrounded by towering trees that reached the clouds. The forest was spacious and peaceful, filled with birdsong, and the air was fresh and clean.
“Such powerful Illusion Arts.”
Lu Hangzhi gasped in awe. He reached out and touched a nearby tree. The rough, hard texture felt incredibly real through his skin.
To create such a vast scene in an instant and make it so lifelike was astounding.
“If this were on Earth and made into a virtual game, it would blow up,” Lu Hangzhi mused, then shook his head and focused his attention on the depths of the forest to his left.
He hadn’t forgotten that he was in the middle of the Sect Grand Competition. His first task was to hunt for Points, not to daydream about irrelevant things.
Hmm!
There seemed to be some noise and faint spiritual energy fluctuations coming from over there…
Maybe some unlucky person had landed right next to a Demonic Beast or Monster.
Lu Hangzhi quietly moved closer.