Chapter 4 The Competition Begins

On the clear morning of the next day,

Li Xiaobai sat anxiously on his bed, scrutinizing the system panel before his eyes.

[Host: Li Xiaobai.]

[Strength: 0 (+).]

[Speed: 0 (+).]

[Defense: Mortal Flesh (170/1000) eligible for the next stage advancement.]

[Attribute Points: 0]

[Skills: Hatred Hundred Percent, Muscle Flaccidity.]

[Item: Somewhat Careful Helmet]

[Shop: Opened.]

Today was the day of the grand competition; he wasn't sure if his Mortal Flesh realm could withstand it.

He hoped he wouldn't be eliminated in the first round. After all, he was a disciple of Misty Peak; he couldn't afford to lose too much face.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

The door was knocked upon; it was Senior Sister Su Yunbing's voice outside.

"Junior Brother Li, the competition is about to start. Get ready! Today, we of Misty Peak are going to sweep the top ten!"

Li Xiaobai's face turned bitter as he put on the helmet.

Opening the door, he saw six people standing neatly outside, four men and two women, seemingly well-prepared early on.

"Greetings to my senior brothers and sisters." He bowed respectfully.

"What in the world are you wearing on your head? It's so ugly," Su Yunbing said, full of disdain.

"Ah…"

Li Xiaobai was embarrassed; the helmet indeed didn't look very appealing.

"Master is nowhere to be seen today, so as your senior, I'll lead the team. Let's set off immediately to seize the first place in the competition and head to the Holy Demon Sect together. Should anyone cause us to fall behind, don't blame me for turning heartless!"

Today, Su Yunbing was dressed in a fiery red outfit, radiating a murderous vibe.

"Ride on my flying sword. When we're out, we must show off our stature!"

Yang Chen laughed heartily, flicked his wrist, and shot out a small sword. It grew rapidly with the wind, turning into a large sword over ten meters long, floating in the air and darkening the skies.

Li Xiaobai looked on with envy; the mount in the shop seemed similar, but unfortunately, he couldn't afford it yet.

Climbing onto the Immortal Sword, the scenery changed rapidly around him. Looking down at the dense crowd below, Li Xiaobai felt infinitely wistful. It was truly a method of the immortals; someday, he would have to get such a mount for himself.

Compared to his senior brother, traveling on foot seemed quite embarrassing.

…

As they approached the arena, Yang Chen deliberately slowed down the speed of the Immortal Sword, aiming to dampen the disciples' spirit a bit initially.

This manner of making an entrance was even more imposing than that of an Elder.

Seeing the displeased expressions on the Elders' faces, Li Xiaobai's heart skipped beats; his senior brother's actions were practically drawing infinite hatred!

Wouldn't he become a target for vengeance later on?

However, reality proved that his imagination was limited by his own strength. Su Yunbing didn't wait for the Immortal Sword to land and leaped from high in the sky.

"The top seven spots in today's competition are reserved for us of Misty Peak!"

Her voice spread to every corner of the arena, and the disciples heard her loud and clear; their expressions were complex with envy, despondency, and a mix of grudge and anger.

"Heh, the disciples of Misty Peak are quite confident. Young people are indeed full of vitality!"

"The vitality is indeed not bad, but it's a pity that a full bottle of water doesn't make much noise, while it's only the half-filled bottles that sway noisily, heh heh."

"Elder Chen, I heard that your protege Feng Wuxie has recently made another breakthrough?"

"Nothing but a Half-Step Golden Core, not worth mentioning. What about you, Elder Sun, I heard one of your disciples has perfected the Subdue Demon Cudgel Technique?"

"Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning!"

Witnessing the scene below, the Elders conversed among themselves, unperturbed by Su Yunbing's bold claim.

But their indifference didn't mean the disciples were not affected; Yang Chen and Su Yunbing's grand gestures almost maxed out the hatred from all the disciples present.

Some disciples who were originally at a disadvantage seemed to instantly find a target, their gazes towards the disciples of Misty Peak becoming filled with a newfound fighting spirit.

Li Xiaobai's heart cried out in distress. Damn it, weren't they practically boosting the opponent's combat effectiveness?

All disciples had gathered; the Sect Leader floated over and slowly descended onto the central arena, his aura otherworldly, exuding the demeanor of a true master without a word.

"Damn, the Sect Leader is showing off more than I am," Yang Chen muttered under his breath.

"Dear ones, you are the pillars of our Sect. Today's competition is aimed at selecting talent and encouraging everyone to diligently pursue the path of cultivation. The top ten winners will be granted the opportunity to study at the Holy Demon Sect, and the Sect will tilt resources in their favor. Now, let me explain the rules."

"We have a total of one hundred and eight arenas, divided into eleven groups. Shortly, everyone will draw lots according to the sequence. Those who draw the same number will face each other as opponents. Understood?"

"Understood!"

"Very well, spar and exchange moves, but stop upon contact, and do not injure each other's lives—begin!"

A gigantic raffle box appeared out of nowhere, starting to distribute numbered plaques to the disciples.

Li Xiaobai nervously looked at the number in his hand—group three, arena seventeen, the first match.

This match is kind of early, doesn't that mean it's almost my turn?

"Junior brother, don't be nervous. After you participate, you'll find that the grand competition is actually very simple. You can easily rank in the top ten without feeling too much pressure."

These words were spoken by Fifth Senior Brother Ling Feng, who was usually so cool, and unexpectedly, such a showoff.

"Senior Sister has tampered with those numbered plaques, so none of us brothers are in the same group. You can rest assured."

Sixth Senior Brother Liu Jinshui also said cheerfully. He was a fatty, and they say a fatty has a broad heart and a large frame—this saying truly wasn't wrong at all.

Is that what we're worried about?

We're worried we won't even pass the first round...

Li Xiaobai didn't want to chat with these guys who were not on the same channel as himself anymore; he always felt that they were showing off stealthily.

...

Carrying his numbered plaque, he found arena seventeen. At the moment, disciples were already positioned on the stage, and the referee began to read the safety notices.

Both parties bowed with clasped hands.

"I am Chen Tao, an Inner Sect Disciple, ranked two hundred and seventy-one on the leaderboard. Please advise!"

"I am Li Xiaobai, an Inner Sect Disciple without a ranking. Please advise!"

"Look, the helmet that guy on the stage is wearing is so ugly!"

"I just saw him; he's from Misty Peak!"

"Senior Brother Chen, he's from Misty Peak. Beat the hell out of him!"

"..."

Before anything substantial happened on the stage, the disciples below had already erupted; the remarks made earlier by Su Yunbing had left them losing face.

Misty Peak actually intended to monopolize the top seven, completely disregarding them as disciples, and it was indeed a grievance they couldn't swallow.

"Junior Brother Li, you must be the recently accepted disciple of Misty Peak. While the flattering words were nice, it's unfortunate that you encountered me. Don't worry, I won't make you lose too badly."

Chen Tao laughed lightly, not taking Li Xiaobai seriously at all.

He didn't feel any spiritual energy fluctuations from his opponent, which indicated that the other had not begun cultivating and was probably just here to experience life.

But Li Xiaobai's words choked him.

"Ranked two hundred and twenty-seven?"

"Is such a backward ranking even worthy to contend with me?"

"I would advise Senior Brother not to bite off more than he can chew."

Li Xiaobai maintained a show-off state at all times, only if the opponent got close would he have a chance to take him down.

"Arrogant!"

Enraged, Chen Tao drew the sword strapped to his waist, dancing it through the air.

Sword lights flashed crisscrossing on the stage in an instant. Chen Tao used a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact, specially prepared for him by his master for the grand competition.

Combined with his sword technique, it could unleash formidable power.

"It's the Xingye Sword Technique, Chen Tao has actually mastered this technique! This was left by the Sword Saint back in the day, rumored to be able to split mountains and part seas when fully mastered!"

The surrounding disciples exclaimed, recognizing Chen Tao's sword technique.

Li Xiaobai watched, completely bewildered. He didn't understand any sword techniques, but a streak of Sword Qi from the stage had just swept over him because he was too close.

[Attribute Points +2.]

+2 Attribute Points? What the hell is this? Is his Sword Qi that weak?

"Hehe, mastering this technique cost me countless efforts, you, can step down now!"

"Xingye Sword Technique, Star Morphing!"

Chen Tao's figure blurred in the center of the ring, disappearing from the stage. Gusts of wind howled as sword marks unfurled across the stage.

"Chen Tao has actually reached this step, the pinnacle movement technique paired with the Xingye Sword, achieving true formlessness and invisibility!"

"And look at the sword marks and footwork on the stage, they match perfectly. Senior Brother Chen can already control the sword technique at will; this level of skill is not far behind Sword and Man as One at all!"

More disciples commented from the sidelines.

Li Xiaobai was still at a loss, what in the world—Sword and Man as One, formlessness and invisibility?

Chen Tao's Sword Qi brushed against him again just now.

[Attribute Points +5.]

There's no pain or itch on my body; is this Sword Qi really that powerful?

Or does this Sword Qi conceal a lethal threat that I have not sensed yet?