Chapter Sixteen: The Cruel Competition

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“Junior Brother Su?”

Shi Feichen saw clearly that the one thrown out of the mine was indeed Su Yizhao.

“Haha, so this is your so-called gold-ranked enforcer?”

“He may not be dead, but in this state, what’s the difference?”

Wan Gaofei’s face darkened at the jeers from the crowd. He opened his mouth to speak but was at a loss for words.

It was, indeed, Su Yizhao who had been cast out.

A single cold snort from that man had left him bleeding from his ears, nose, eyes, and mouth.

Fortunately, the hour had just ended, and he was instantly transported out by the array. Though his face was covered in blood and he looked miserable, his injuries were not grave.

Now, circulating his inner energy, he slowed his fall and landed steadily behind Wan Gaofei, standing shoulder to shoulder with Shi Feichen.

He was about to greet Shi Feichen when he suddenly sensed a gaze upon him. His heart skipped a beat. Looking up, he recognized the cultivator who had flown here from Linhai City—white beard, black hair, an impassive expression, but with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

“Since no one wishes to withdraw!” The cultivator’s eyes swept over the crowd, and he tapped his right foot lightly on the ground.

A low rumble echoed. In the center of the gathering, a round platform, ten yards across, slowly rose from the earth.

Moments later, a brand-new arena appeared before their eyes.

The sixteen sect leaders were unfazed, but the disciples stared wide-eyed, uncertain what kind of magic this was.

Shi Feichen’s voice murmured in Su Yizhao’s ear, “Junior Brother Su, what happened? With your strength, you shouldn’t have been injured!”

“Did you encounter any body cultivators?”

“Two! Could it be? Impossible…” Shi Feichen’s face betrayed his astonishment, but Su Yizhao nodded slowly.

“The rules are simple,” the cultivator announced. “Anyone may take the stage voluntarily. If there are no challenges, you may call someone up yourself. Defeat thirty opponents in a row to enter the inner sect; otherwise, you join the outer sect. One point to remember: on this arena, life and death are of no consequence! Let the contest begin!”

The cultivator remained expressionless, retreating five or six yards from the arena, hands clasped behind his back, as though ready to enjoy the spectacle.

Su Yizhao understood these rules well.

He swept his gaze over the disciples—forty-six in total. To defeat thirty would guarantee a place among the top sixteen.

Most present were at the peak of the Third Profound Realm, a few had stepped into the early Fourth Profound Realm.

Outside Linhai City, a peak Third Profound Realm cultivator under eighteen was already considered a prodigy, and yet here, there were even some who had reached the mid-Fourth Profound Realm?

His eyes narrowed slightly.

To defeat thirty in succession—it would not be easy.

He noticed five disciples standing behind an elder in red Daoist robes.

What shocked him most was that all five of these disciples were at the mid-Fourth Profound Realm.

The red Daoist robes marked them as the elite from the most powerful city among the sixteen: “Pingsha City.”

Pingsha City was closest to Linhai, blessed with rich spiritual energy and a large population of cultivators. It was only natural they were strong.

But he hadn’t expected them to be this powerful.

As a gold-ranked enforcer, Su Yizhao had received plenty of resources and life-and-death trials. In the Gritstone Sect of Lisha City, he was undoubtedly a genius.

Without the “Creation Sutra,” he would have remained at the peak of the Third Profound Realm, never advancing to the Fourth, let alone outpacing other disciples.

As he pondered, a flash of red drew his attention. He looked up to see a red-robed cultivator already standing firmly atop the arena.

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“Zhou Guangyuan of Pingsha City will be claiming the first inner sect spot. I trust no one objects?” Zhou Guangyuan declared with arrogant pride.

Pingsha cultivators had always carried themselves this way.

With his mid-Fourth Profound Realm strength, his arrogance was justified.

The crowd fell silent.

Ten breaths passed in the blink of an eye.

No one stepped forward.

Who would want to waste their strength so soon?

“You—come up!” Zhou Guangyuan suddenly pointed down at the crowd.

Everyone tensed, and only relaxed slightly upon seeing he wasn’t pointing at them.

A short, black-clad cultivator shuddered, then let out a hearty laugh and leapt onto the platform.

He didn’t bother with words. Forming a hand seal, a silver streak shot toward Zhou Guangyuan.

Zhou Guangyuan seemed to anticipate the ambush, a smirk curling his lips. Red light exploded from his body as a crimson flying sword shot out with a whistle.

“Clang, clang… crack!”

Red and silver swords clashed midair, sparks flying.

As the crowd strained to follow the duel, suddenly—“crack!”—the silver sword snapped and fell, the red sword vanishing in a flash.

A streak, a spurt of blood—the black-clad cultivator clutched his throat, crimson seeping through his fingers.

With a thud, his stout body crashed to the arena, kicking up a cloud of dust.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd.

Su Yizhao remained unmoved. For a peak Third Profound Realm unable to see through Zhou Guangyuan’s strength, such a death was inevitable.

He hadn’t expected actual fatalities, though. They were all from the same sect, if not the same branch—why kill over a competition?

“Zhou Guangyuan of Pingsha City has defeated one!”

“Step up and you may yet live!” Zhou Guangyuan’s eyes glowed red as he yelled down at the crowd.

A chill ran through them all.

Yet still, no one moved.

Su Yizhao lowered his gaze, sensing his senior brother beside him was tempted, but then fell silent.

“You! Take the stage!”

Everyone held their breath, glancing up.

Su Yizhao’s eyes turned cold as Zhou Guangyuan’s finger pointed in his direction.

But it passed over him, landing on someone behind.

“Hmph! Your sword is sharp, but I, Qian Yinghua, am not afraid!”

Behind Su Yizhao, a figure shot into the air.

As he flew, his sword darted forward, an ice shield materializing before him.

The ring of clashing swords filled the air.

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Without much talk, the two engaged in a fierce battle.

Su Yizhao mused, “If the Grand Elder’s extra challenge isn’t in the first round, it must be here. Who will it be?”

On the stage, the fight raged.

A sharp sound as a sword pierced flesh—Qian Yinghua’s gray figure tumbled to the ground.

A faint smile tugged at Su Yizhao’s lips. Zhou Guangyuan had finally unleashed his mid-Fourth Profound Realm power, slaying Qian Yinghua in a single strike.

The atmosphere froze.

“Zhou Guangyuan has defeated two!”

The impassive cultivator, hands behind his back, announced coldly.

“Could it be them?” In Su Yizhao’s mind, all he saw were figures in red.

“I’ll go…”

At last, a disciple, unable to withstand the pressure, volunteered.

Half an hour later, Zhou Guangyuan still stood proudly on the stage.

Below, three corpses lay scattered.

He had defeated thirty in a row, killing seven on the spot.

Such a record justified his pride.

“Zhou Guangyuan of Pingsha City has triumphed over thirty in one breath and may enter the inner sect!”

Su Yizhao had neither been called nor volunteered.

Shi Feichen had done the same.

“Li Xuanyu of Pingsha City, thirty consecutive victories, may enter the inner sect!”

“Wang Miaohe of Pingsha City, thirty consecutive victories, may enter the inner sect!”

…

An hour later, four of Pingsha City’s five had secured their places.

Since Zhou Guangyuan established his dominance with blood, the others had grown wiser—when chosen, they surrendered immediately, decisively.

Joining the main sect was desirable, but preserving one’s life came first.

Of course, there were still those who refused to submit and fought to the bitter end.

By this time, ten bodies lay strewn around the arena.

Only one red-robed Pingsha cultivator remained.

Su Yizhao’s luck was remarkable; from start to finish, he had never been called to the stage.

Yet he felt no joy.

No one in the crowd seemed to be targeting him.

Could the Grand Elder have been bluffing?

But his instincts screamed otherwise. The Grand Elder would never just threaten him with words.

Somewhere among them, the Grand Elder’s pawn lurked.

And when this person appeared, that would be the moment his path became truly perilous…