novelraw Chapter 730: The Tournament Begins
Chapter 730: The Tournament Begins
This time, Ning Fan slept for a day and a night, feeling unprecedented peace.
Upon waking, Ning Fan as usual returned Ouyang Nuan to the Yuan Yao World, while he retreated into the Xuan Yin World to train in seclusion.
With two years remaining until the grand competition, Ning Fan focused on only two secret techniques during this time.
First, the Art of Gathering Three Flowers at the Top, and second, the Swirling Void Technique.
After destroying the Yao Family, Ning Fan acquired enough small chiliocosm treasures to cultivate the Swirling Void Technique to its Void Whirl completion.
Achieving perfection in the Swirling Void Technique, its power rivaled that of a middle-grade Immortal Technique, with extremely terrifying strength.
"Refine!"
A small chiliocosm treasure’s power of the ring was devoured and refined by Ning Fan.
Day after day, the floating continent of the Swirling Void Realm gradually transformed into an illusory state.
Once the entire Swirling Void Realm became illusory, its realm level suddenly rose, inching toward a chiliocosm transformation!
Six months passed, and the Swirling Void Realm ultimately advanced to a small chiliocosm, becoming the Swirling Void Realm!
Within the Swirling Void Realm are infinite small chiliocosms, making it impossible for even a Fate Immortal to escape once imprisoned!
Ning Fan extended his palm, where a dark, annihilating black hole vortex appeared immediately.
This black hole vortex was terrifyingly deep, capable of absorbing light within, with no escape!
This black hole could forcibly pull a Human Profound Middle Stage Fate Immortal into the Swirling Void Realm, trapping and killing them!
Even a Human Profound Advanced Stage Fate Immortal could be drawn into the realm by Ning Fan if not careful, with little chance of escape!
"This technique is quite impressive!"
Ning Fan dismissed the Swirling Void black hole and adjusted his breath for several days until his condition returned to peak, then dedicatedly refined the one-million-year-old spiritual herb, practicing the Art of Gathering Three Flowers at the Top.
The Art of Gathering Three Flowers at the Top requires more one-million-year-old spiritual herbs as one progresses further in its cultivation.
This time, Ning Fan spent a trillion Dao Crystals to purchase 470 stalks of one-million-year-old spiritual herbs, barely enough to transform the fifth lotus petal into lead color.
This training continued for another six months, resulting in five blooming petals and a significant defense boost from the Art of Gathering Three Flowers at the Top.
Among Human Profound Advanced Stage individuals, no one could break through the Lotus Shadow Defense.
A regular Human Profound Peak attack could also be slightly defended against!
With a thought, numerous lotus shadows appeared around Ning Fan, displaying astonishing defense.
Experiencing the powerful defense of the overwhelming lotus shadows, Ning Fan showed a mixed expression of joy and concern.
He was pleased by the technique’s exceptional strength but worried about its exorbitant cost.
It cost a trillion Dao Crystals to transform the fifth lotus petal into lead color. Even a Shedding Void Stage old monster would find it difficult to gather such a fortune.
The further the progress, the more one-million-year-old spiritual herbs are consumed; who knows how much will be required for the sixth, seventh, and eighth lotus petals...
Reaching the twelve-petal blooming state would require an astronomical sum, beyond what even massive entities like the Pill Sect or Medicine Sect could afford to spend on cultivating this technique to completion.
No wonder the Art of Gathering Three Flowers at the Top is rarely practiced—it’s likely not just due to the scarcity of royal-grade spirit cultivators, but because the technique is simply too costly.
And this is only the first flower, yet it’s already so costly.
The Gathering of Three Flowers encompasses the cultivation of the Heaven, Earth, and Human Flowers.
It remains unknown whether, within the Four Heavens, anyone has ever fully emptied their wealth to truly achieve the Art of Gathering Three Flowers at the Top.
At least, based on the information Ning Fan has obtained, no one has ever reached the ’Three Flowers Consummate’ realm...
"The Art of Gathering Three Flowers at the Top is indeed a formidable divine ability. It doesn’t require too much time to cultivate, but it’s extremely costly. I wonder if I can achieve the complete state of the first flower in my lifetime. If it can be done, I should search for the subsequent cultivation techniques for the second and third flowers to continue my training..."
With less than a year before the grand competition, Ning Fan pondered and decided to elevate his Body Cultivation realm within this year.
Due to peeling off the Immortal Seed, Ning Fan’s chances of achieving immortality had decreased by half.
If spirit sense, mana, and the physical body are all cultivated to the peak of the first step then achieving immortality could increase the chance by approximately half.
The extra half chance should not be wasted, hence it is necessary to put more effort into enhancing the physical body.
Exterminating the Yao Family yielded no small amount of body refinement spiritual herbs.
Although the Yao Family was not a notable family for body cultivation, some body refining pills they should have were indeed present.
Ning Fan waved his hand to summon the ancestral talisman, employing its power to devour the strength of the spiritual herbs, transforming essence into energy.
The Ancient Chaos Grand Emperor’s cultivation was rising steadily.
Supreme Demon Fourth Heaven, Supreme Demon Fifth Heaven, Supreme Demon Sixth Heaven...
Six months passed, and the Ancient Devil Cultivation Realm ultimately paused at the peak of Supreme Demon Sixth Heaven.
Further increasing the Ancient Chaos Supreme Demon Cultivation Level is not easy since all of the Yao Family’s body refining pills were consumed.
Ning Fan could only temporarily set aside the plan to improve Ancient Chaos Supreme Demon cultivation level, extracting numerous Spirit Fires, strange chills, Spirit Woods, spiritual land, and Spirit Lightnings, beginning the process to elevate the level of the Grand Five Elements Body.
The Minor Five Elements Constitution was perfected, such that nearly all five-element techniques of the first step of cultivation could not harm Ning Fan.
Once the Minor Five Elements Constitution evolved into the Grand Five Elements Body, even the ordinary five-element techniques of a Human Profound Fate Immortal would not be able to cause the slightest damage to Ning Fan.
Ning Fan estimated that if the Grand Five Elements Body could be cultivated to the five-element consummate stage, no one below the True Immortal could injure him with five-element divine powers.
The Grand Five Elements Body is indeed a formidable constitution, but sadly, cultivating it to the five-element perfect state is by no means simple.
Ning Fan devoured various Five Elements Spiritual Objects, including middle-grade Immortal-level Spirit Fires, strange chills, and Spirit Lightnings.
After three months, all Five Elements Spiritual Objects were consumed by Ning Fan.
Fire element achievement stands at two percent, water element achievement stands at three percent, wood element achievement stands at one percent, gold element achievement stands at two percent, and earth element achievement stands at one percent...
The difficulty of cultivating the Grand Five Elements Body far exceeded Ning Fan’s expectations; it was vastly different from the Minor Five Elements Constitution!
A single Immortal-grade spiritual object could only increase the cultivation progress by approximately one percent...
"Once again, it’s a costly constitution..." Ning Fan sighed heavily, realizing not how much Five Elements Spiritual Objects he’d need to perfect the Grand Five Elements Body.
Three months of arduous cultivation resulted in almost no improvement in the Grand Five Elements Body.
Nevertheless, the enhancement of the Yin Yang Devil Flame was an unexpected joy.
Previously, the Yin Yang Devil Flame was at the eighth-level low-grade, approaching middle-grade.
After devouring all Five Elements Spiritual Objects, the Yin Yang Devil Flame had advanced to an eighth-level middle-grade.
And this time, after devouring Five Elements Spiritual Objects, Ning Fan detected a qualitative change in the Yin Yang Devil Flame!
Previously, the Yin Yang Devil Flame unified ice and fire, practicing both water and fire simultaneously.
But after Ning Fan cultivated into the Grand Five Elements Body, the Yin Yang Devil Flame was no longer simply the fusion of ice and fire.
This time, all the spiritual land, spirit wood, and spirit lightning that Ning Fan devoured were absorbed into the Yin Yang Devil Flame.
Now, the Yin Yang Devil Flame encompassed the five elements!
Its form is fire, but it incorporates the characteristics of the five elements!
Ning Fan suddenly remembered the Second Spirit Monument Technique.
The Second Spirit Monument Technique, known as Yin Fire Becoming Mountain, is a divine skill that transforms flame into mountain, and fire element into earth element.
"So after the monument technique completed the second spirit and I entered the Grand Five Elements Body, I have the ability to reverse the five elements..."
Ning Fan extended his hand, and a black devil flame instantly jumped out from his palm, it was the Yin Yang flame.
As his mind moved, the black devil flame transformed into a mass of black chill.
Then, with another thought, the black chill turned into black vines, then into a black mountain, and later into black thunder.
Finally, the black thunder reverted to flame form and was absorbed by Ning Fan’s body.
Ning Fan remained silent for a long time, understanding the profound significance of the Yin Yang flame possessing the characteristics of the five elements.
This meant he could enhance the level of the Yin Yang flame by devouring any five-element spiritual objects.
This meant he could use the Yin Yang flame as a medium to cast any techniques of the five elements.
Gazing at the Stele of Sun and Moon standing tall in the Xuan Yin Continent, Ning Fan felt a sense of sentimentality.
To be honest, the Stele of Sun and Moon isn’t a handy magical treasure, at least not at present.
The reason is that the more powerful the Stele of Sun and Moon, the greater the mana consumption.
Ning Fan rarely fights one-on-one, his enemies always appear in hordes, and the Stele of Sun and Moon consumes too much mana, thus not suitable for frequent use.
Although the Stele of Sun and Moon is impractical, completing the monument spirit of the Stele of Sun and Moon could elevate the grade of the Xuan Yin World and improve Ning Fan’s constitution.
From this perspective, the Stele of Sun and Moon is absolutely a rare and precious item.
Without the Stele of Sun and Moon, Ning Fan would never have been able to cultivate the Grand Five Elements Body.
After resting in the Xuan Yin World for three days, Ning Fan’s form flickered, and he finally left the Xuan Yin World.
The tournament date was already approaching, there was no time for further cultivation.
Ning Fan returned to the outside world and summoned a maid to ask about the exact date of the disciple-recruiting ceremony.
Upon learning that the disciple-recruiting ceremony would take place in half a month, Ning Fan dismissed the maid and went into his bedroom to enter closed-door meditation.
Half a month later, as the first ray of morning light shone into Slaughter City, countless elders opened their eyes, their figures flickered, transforming into escape lights, and flew towards the inner city of Slaughter City.
Today is the official day of the tournament!
Today, only a thousand chosen ones will pass the first round of the tournament and advance to the second round!
Ning Fan slowly opened his eyes, got up, and walked towards the outside.
From the intelligence given by Wu Chen, Ning Fan knew that this tournament consisted of four rounds.
The first round records scores based on the number of Slaughter Badges submitted, and the top thousand can advance to the second round.
The second round requires entering a secret land in the Slaughter Palace and passing a certain test, with the top hundred advancing to the third round. The exact test is unknown even with Wu Chen’s status.
In the third round, Wu Chen’s intelligence was even less known, only knowing that this round of the tournament selects only ten people to pass.
The fourth round selects only one person to pass.
Ning Fan walked out of the palace, stepping steadily on the stone slabs of the long street, heading towards the inner city.
His pace was steady and determined, and there was a strong aura of unyielding resolve around him.
This tournament, he must take first place, he will not allow himself to lose to anyone!
In the inner city, all the pagodas were destroyed, none of the past buildings remained, except for the Blood Palace of the Slaughter Hall.
For this tournament, the Slaughter Hall cleared out all the pavilion towers in the inner city.
From the inner city gate to the Blood Palace of the Slaughter Hall, there is a distance of ten thousand miles.
Along both sides were built countless high platforms, filled with elders who came to watch the tournament.
Among these people, there were Void Fragmentation cultivators, Life Immortals, and True Immortals.
Some were just here for the spectacle, while others brought their juniors to participate in the tournament.
One by one, the contestants entered the city from the inner city gate, flew to the outside of the Blood Palace, and assembled in groups, waiting for the start of the first round of the tournament.
The content of the first round of the tournament had long been announced, it was to record scores based on Slaughter Badges.
Contestants with strength had already challenged countless Slaughter Pavilions and obtained numerous badges.
Competitors with slightly weaker strength had already spent a large amount of Dao Crystals to purchase numerous Bronze Badges.
All the chosen ones from Eastern Heaven stood arrogantly and paid no attention to others.
Only those who were acquainted and had good relations would whisper to each other.
When Ning Fan arrived outside the Blood Palace, all the contestants changed their expressions and looked at Ning Fan with reverence.
These chosen ones, who could cultivate to the Void Fragmentation Realm at a bone age of thirty thousand, were undoubtedly proud.
But in front of Ning Fan, they couldn’t muster any sense of pride at all.
No chosen one from Eastern Heaven could carve such a terrifying reputation as Ning Fan.
Sweeping through a star domain of Immortal cultivators, killing eighty thousand Void Fragmentation cultivators, offering a trillion bounty for the Sect Master of the Pill Sect, forcing the Sect Master of the Pill Sect not to dare leave the Pill Sect...
Openly confronting the Qingyun Elder of Slaughter Hall without fear...
Adept in the Blast God Technique and forcing countless Life Immortals and Crossing Truth Realm True Immortals to flee in panic!
"Is he really just a Void Fragmentation cultivator, or is he a True Immortal Elder pretending after his cultivation fell..." Countless chosen ones swallowed, stared at Ning Fan, and whispered in wonder.
On the high platforms on both sides, numerous Life Immortals and True Immortal elders were also discussing heatedly, and what they were all discussing was Ning Fan!
Ning Fan furrowed his eyebrows, he disliked the feeling of being discussed by everyone.
His gaze, carrying the threat of Evil Qi, swept coldly across all directions.
In an instant, countless chosen ones closed their mouths in horror, all Life Immortals changed their expressions and quickly fell silent, even those Crossing Truth Realm True Immortals furrowed their brows but stopped discussing Ning Fan.
"Oh? So this is the junior who offended Yao Qingyun? Such a keen gaze, just one look can make so many chosen ones and elders shut up obediently."
A carefree chuckle spread, the voice slightly old and raspy.
The speaker was a white-haired youth who arrived on the wind.
Although his appearance was youthful, this person’s cultivation was incredibly powerful, and his actual age certainly qualified him to be an ancestor to everyone present here!
Behind the white-haired youth followed 22 powerful figures, all elders of the Slaughter Hall, with the weakest being at the Shedding Void Stage!
Following the elders were over 400 Ghost-faced Assassins, each at the Crossing Truth Realm in cultivation!
Countless cultivators lifted their gazes with extreme reverence towards the white-haired youth.
Even many True Immortal old monsters directly rose to their feet, slightly cupping their fists towards the white-haired youth!
"It’s the Great Elder of the Slaughter Hall, ’White-haired Immortal King’ Minghai Celestial King!"
Immortal Venerables, Immortal Kings, Immortal Emperors, all are cultivators of the Eternity Realm!
It is rumored that Minghai Celestial King already possesses the cultivation of the Fifth Calamity of Eternity, and if he overcomes the Sixth Calamity, he will become an Immortal Emperor!
Minghai’s cultivation power is absolutely formidable, and he is the esteemed Great Elder of the Slaughter Hall!
Beneath the Slaughter Emperor, this person is the foremost individual in the Slaughter Hall!
His status and cultivation both are astounding, and no one dares to underestimate him!
Minghai Celestial King laughed heartily, his aged laughter echoing across Blood Sea Star.
In a flash of escape light, he flew to the seat on the right and sat down, his gaze briefly sweeping over the group of chosen ones below, finally resting on Ning Fan.
"This one will likely be the first of this tournament, a promising junior. What’s even more commendable is that he has no Immortal Seed within him; if cultivated carefully, he could at least enter Crossing Truth in his lifetime, becoming a Ghost-faced Assassin, and if he has the opportunity, he might become a Shedding Void elder as well."
Minghai Celestial King nodded in satisfaction, then no longer glanced at Ning Fan and instead began chatting with some powerful figures nearby.
To him, no matter how excellent Ning Fan was, he was merely a junior, not worth excessive attention.
Receiving a word of praise, a glance of favor, was already quite rare.
"The sun today is rather blazing; it’s still the nighttime that reassures people. You, the sun can set now!"
Minghai Celestial King, after exchanging words with some old monsters beside him, suddenly turned to the weather, looking unhappily at the blazing sun overhead.
Looking at the sun overhead, he coldly declared.
He commanded the sun to set!
That single command carried unspeakable Great Divine Power, and upon hearing his command, the blazing sun seemed fearful and hastily began descending westward.
In a moment, the sun set in the west, the moon shone in the sky, and day turned into night!
"Spirit Speech!"
Some old monsters whispered in shock.
The other 22 elders all took their seats behind Minghai Celestial King, while those Crossing Truth Realm Ghost-faced Assassins hovered in various positions within the Inner City, appearing to be on guard.
If anyone dared to cause trouble, these Ghost-faced Assassins would not hesitate to kill!
"This person is so powerful!"
Ning Fan glanced towards Minghai Celestial King, but could not discern his appearance, only feeling a sharp pain in his eyes.
Knowing that if he forced himself to continue peeking at Minghai Celestial King, his eyes might very well be ruined, he quickly withdrew his gaze, daring not to look again.
This is a powerhouse just one step away from breaking through to an Immortal Emperor! With Ning Fan’s cultivation, he is not qualified to discern Minghai Celestial King’s appearance!
A mere wisp of Minghai Celestial King’s aura made Ning Fan feel suffocated!
A command from Minghai Celestial King could make the sun and moon switch places, and the seasons reverse!
With the arrival of Minghai Celestial King, Ning Fan immediately ceased to be the focus of this grand meeting.
Gradually, more and more old monsters arrived from all directions.
Those arriving late were mostly mighty figures renowned across Eastern Heaven!
There were Shedding Void Realm old monsters, Shattered Thought Elders, Eternal Immortal Venerables, and even Immortal Kings!
"Look! It’s the Peak Shedding Void Old Demon Xu!"
"Isn’t that the Sect Master of the Star Subjugation Sect—Zhenxing Son? Rumor has it he broke through to the Shattered Thought Realm, and it seems to be true!"
"That’s... the Sky-Burning Immortal King! Could his mount be the Immortal Venerable Lightning Dragon who caused chaos in the Dust-Sealing Star Domain recently?!"
"Look, it’s the Ninth Elder of the Godly Void Pavilion, it’s rumored he’s close to grasping Spirit Speech, nearing the breakthrough to Mid-Phase Shattered Thought!"
The arrival of various renowned old monsters deeply shocked Ning Fan regarding the strength of Eastern Heaven, yet he harbored no other emotions.
But upon hearing of the arrival of people from the Godly Void Pavilion, Ning Fan’s eyes slightly shifted, glancing towards those who came.
The so-called Ninth Elder of the Godly Void Pavilion was a benevolent-looking old man, clad in a blue robe, riding a white crane, possessing an air of immortal grace.
Behind him were several young cultivators from the Godly Void Pavilion, mostly Void Fragmentation cultivators, with some in Void Refinement.
It appeared that the Ninth Elder’s purpose in coming was to bring these juniors to witness the discipleship competition of the Slaughter Hall and broaden their horizons.
Ning Fan’s gaze passed over the people from the Godly Void Pavilion, not spotting the little demoness, leading to an involuntary sense of disappointment in his heart.
"She didn’t come; did she encounter trouble...? Given her nature, if she saw my bounty notice, she would definitely recognize it’s me. If she heard I’m participating in the Slaughter Hall competition, she wouldn’t miss such a grand event, so why isn’t she here..."
"Brother Qianqiu seems quite attentive to the Godly Void Pavilion? Could it be that you have old acquaintances within it?"
A youthful voice reached Ning Fan’s ears, and he turned to the side, his eyes slightly narrowing.
The speaker was a red-robed youth, with a Vermilion Bird embroidered on his robe and peach blossom eyes that bewitched all, handsome like a demon.
This was Chi Zhen from the Siyao Sect!
Behind Chi Zhen were still the three pathetic followers.
However, this time, those three followers behaved themselves and dared not casually shout at Ning Fan.
They already knew how terrifying of an Evil Sect leader Ning Fan was, so how could they dare provoke him?
Ning Fan harbored no good feelings towards Chi Zhen and his people and did not want to engage, but Chi Zhen, being as obstinate as ever, chuckled and said, "If Brother Qianqiu wishes to know information about the Godly Void Pavilion, Chi would be happy to share everything I know. Would this suffice to make amends for offending you the other day?"
"Very well. I am quite interested in the Young Lord of the Godly Void Pavilion. I’ve heard that she greatly enjoys crowds and events; considering her nature, she should have come to spectate the Slaughter Hall’s competition, why hasn’t she appeared?"
Ning Fan turned around and asked coolly.
"Heh heh, Brother Qianqiu seems quite familiar with Miss Xiao’s character. As far as Chi knows, Miss Xiao has been busy breaking through to the Life Immortal Realm and has been in closed-door cultivation for decades, unaware of external affairs. Achieving immortality is significant, so it is natural for her to have no time to attend this event. This matter is quite secretive, and I heard it from my mentor; it’s unknown to others."
Chi Zhen courteously replied.
"I see, she’s currently in secluded cultivation to break through to the Life Immortal Realm..." Ning Fan momentarily lost focus, but the worry in his eyes lessened significantly.
Knowing she was alright, he was relieved.
"You’ve answered Ning’s question, and the past grievances between us can be written off, leaving us with no debts to each other."
Having said that, Ning Fan turned and left.
Chi Zhen’s gaze flickered as he caught the important message in Ning Fan’s words.
"This person’s moniker is Qianqiu, but his true name is Ning!"
Ning Fan had no intention of continuing to conceal his real name. To join the Slaughter Hall, one must present their true name, with no deception allowed.
The Slaughter Hall’s powerful figures have secret techniques to know if you’re lying.
No one could hide their identity and join the Slaughter Hall; they never recruit those with ulterior motives.
Gradually, the expected old monsters had all arrived.
Suddenly, silence fell over the Inner City.
A blood-armored elder at the Peak Crossing Truth Realm level appeared, followed by a group of giant men, stepping through the air.
Those giant men were carrying a blood-colored monument!
The monument was used to record the achievements of this session’s competing cultivators!
With a rumbling sound, the giants placed the monument on the left side of the Blood Palace, then reverted from their giant forms, all possessing Life Immortal Realm cultivation.
The blood-armored elder at the Peak Crossing Truth Realm stood confidently outside the Blood Palace and spoke aloud.
"I am Qiantuzi, and I will be hosting this apprenticeship ceremony! When I release the spirit arrows in my hand, the first round of the competition will officially begin."
"After the spirit arrows explode, you will have the time of one incense stick to seize badges from each other. After this time, no further fighting is allowed. During the badge snatching, killing is permitted! Those afraid of death can immediately leave the Inner City."
"When turning in the badges, you must record your real identity and name, with no concealment allowed, or your qualification to compete will be revoked!"
"After the first round of competition ends, the top thousand participants will advance to the second round."
Qiantuzi’s gaze swept coldly over the tens of thousands of elites present. By rough count, there were about 40,000 competitors this year.
Many of the participants’ expressions changed; they had thought that they only needed to turn in badges for the first round, not expecting there to be a fight before handing them over.
This wasn’t surprising, as the Slaughter Hall’s competitions never lacked combat.
The ones the Slaughter Hall aimed to recruit were the outstanding talents of Eastern Heaven.
Many competitors showed signs of hesitation, and not long after, thousands actually withdrew from the competition, exiting the Inner City.
Most of these thousands were cultivators below the Fracture Sixth level, doubting their ability and lacking enough badges to rank in the top thousand.
If the competition wasn’t life-threatening, they wouldn’t mind trying it out for experience.
Yet the first round allowed for killing, and they, being low in cultivation, dared not risk their lives here.
Seeing no more participants withdrawing, Qiantuzi nodded in satisfaction. There were still about 37,000 to 38,000 left, much more than he had expected.
Just as he was about to release the spirit arrows to announce the start of the competition, suddenly, a clear and cool voice of a woman reverberated throughout the Inner City.
"Hold on, this palace wants to add a rule to the first round of the competition."
The speaker was none other than Yao Qingyun!
Upon hearing that Elder Qingyun wanted to add a rule, Qiantuzi instantly showed a troubled expression and looked towards the Ming Hai Celestial King.
Ming Hai Celestial King glanced meaningfully at Yao Qingyun, then at Ning Fan, and nodded.
Seeing no objection from the Ming Hai Celestial King, Qiantuzi then respectfully cupped his fists towards Yao Qingyun, "I wonder what rule Elder Qingyun wishes to add."
"It’s simple. In the first round of the competition, no attack or defense jade slips, Immortal formation plates, talismans, or external secret techniques like the Blast God Technique can be used. In short, any means of bolstering strength with external items are prohibited! In the first round, contestants must rely on their own abilities! The Slaughter Hall seeks to recruit true strong individuals, not cowards who flaunt borrowed power!"
Swish!
Countless gazes in the Inner City directly turned to Ning Fan.
It was obvious to the discerning that this rule by Yao Qingyun was directed at Ning Fan.
"This..." Qiantuzi was somewhat at a loss.
Among the competing cultivators were those skilled in puppet techniques, talisman arts, dan refinement, and formation techniques.
Targeting Ning Fan was one thing, but this would likely knock out a whole group of people.
Using external objects is also considered a personal method. In the cultivation world, anything that’s capable of killing or self-preservation is counted as one’s own means, isn’t it?
"Proceed as Elder Qingyun suggests," the aged voice of Ming Hai Celestial King spread through the Inner City.
He had some interest in Ning Fan and wanted to see what results Ning Fan could achieve without using external aids.
Upon hearing this, Qiantuzi nodded and recommenced announcing the rules.
In an instant, numerous puppet cultivators, talisman cultivators, dan refiners, and formation cultivators were crestfallen.
Even those cultivators holding attack jade slips gifted by their elders were on the verge of despair.
With so many limitations, they couldn’t possibly stand out in the first round!
Ning Fan’s eyes flickered slightly, but he showed no sign of discouragement.
He never intended to waste a Ghost Profound Strike, a True Immortal attack, or the Blast God Technique’s resources on such a low-level competition.
Those are life-saving measures; against ordinary peer elites, Ning Fan’s own strength is enough to sweep through.
He glanced at Yao Qingyun and faintly smiled.
Seeing Ning Fan smile calmly, Yao Qingyun discontentedly clenched her soft palm into a fist.
Ning Fan’s calmness gave her the feeling of punching into cotton.
"Li’er is already at the Human Profound Middle Stage. I refuse to believe that without external aids, you could be a match for Li’er."
Yao Qingyun spoke no more, and Qiantuzi, having finished announcing the new rules, raised his hand to unleash the spirit arrows.
Suddenly, a man in a yellow robe laughed heartily and strode into the Inner City.
"Apologies, I’m late."
His laughter was relaxed, yet his presence was formidable, at the peak of the Human Profound Middle Stage!
Some Eastern Heaven talents, upon seeing the newcomer, immediately changed their expressions significantly, rubbing their eyes in disbelief!
"It’s Kuang San of the Thick Earth Sect, what’s he doing here!"
"Wasn’t Kuang San previously at the Human Profound Initial Stage? When did he advance to the peak of the Human Profound Middle Stage!"
"In the Human Profound Initial Stage, he could already dominate those at the Human Profound Middle Stage! Now being in the Middle Stage, he probably won’t even find worthy opponents in the Human Profound Advanced Stage!"
"They say Kuang San defected from the Thick Earth Sect, intent on joining the Slaughter Hall. It turns out to be true!"
Ning Fan’s gaze subtly narrowed as he looked towards the boastful yellow-robed man.
Instinct told him that this Kuang San would not be easy to deal with. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)