The elder in charge waved his hand, and in an instant, many balls of light formed around him. With the second wave of Elder Zhang Shi’s hand, they landed in front of the various disciples.
“These balls of light are the corresponding numbers to the opponents you will be facing next! This year’s inner sect competition will be a battle format. The person who stands victorious at the end will be the champion. However, if you fail once, you will be eliminated immediately!”
Lin An looked at the ball of light in front of him, and the number seventeen appeared!
Among the other inner sect disciples present, the corresponding number seventeen would be Lin An’s opponent. He was scheduled to face his rival in the first round. As long as Lin An defeated his opponent, he would enter the next round, and his competitor would be directly eliminated!
After seeing the number, Lin An didn’t have any emotions. Instead, he looked forward to facing his opponent as soon as possible.
Since he felt that he was facing some lackeys, he was eager to practice the alchemy skills he had learned from his master. However, according to his master’s requirements, Lin An would have to defeat more than one opponent.
After the disciples discovered the identity of their challengers, the presiding elder on the stage continued, “The reward for doing well in the competition will only go to the top three disciples. The third-placed disciple will receive a breakthrough pill as a reward from the sect!”
A breakthrough pill was a low-level first-grade pill! It was a very rare pill, and even in a sect like the Jiuxiao Sect, there wasn’t a lot of it stored!
The primary function of the breakthrough pill was that, after a cultivator consumed it, there was a five percent chance of breaking through to the next realm.
Even if it was during the final breakthrough stage of cultivation, as long as there was a breakthrough pill, it would undoubtedly increase a layer of protection!
When they heard that the reward was a breakthrough pill, the inner sect disciples below the stage immediately gasped.
“A breakthrough pill! It’s actually a breakthrough pill! I didn’t expect that the third-placed competitor would have received such a high-level medicinal pill!”
“I’m not fated to get the breakthrough pill. The top three places will be too difficult for me to achieve!”
“I wonder which disciple will end up with the breakthrough pill!”
As the disciples chattered among themselves, the voice of the elder in charge rang out once again, “The second-placed disciple will be given priority in choosing the cultivation resources within the sect based on performance. In addition to the breakthrough pill, he will also receive an earth-grade, high-level, cultivation technique book!”
As soon as the presiding elder finished speaking, there was a hiss among the inner sect disciples as they sucked in a breath of cold air.
“An earth rank, high-level cultivation technique!” The disciples exclaimed.
The cultivation technique was uncommon even within the Jiuxiao Sect. It was only taught to the personal disciples, and they could only learn it based on their contributions to the sect!
The disciples below the stage looked eagerly at the presiding elder as he prepared to announce the reward for the winner of the inner sect competition.
Going by the previous announcements, the disciples felt that the reward would be too good to be true.
Looking at the eager eyes below the stage, the presiding elder curled his lips into a smile. “The winner will go through the sect’s judgment and receive the cultivation resources tilts. He will open the Jiuxiao Sect’s treasury and choose three treasures!”
The elder had already finished speaking, but the silence below the stage persisted. It was so quiet that one could hear a needle drop!
As the name implied, the cultivation resources tilts would be gifted to the winner, and they would choose any three treasures they pleased.
For all cultivators, cultivation resources were an important and indispensable part of their survival. Possessing the cultivation resources tilts would enable the champion to access the Jiuxiao Sect’s treasury!
The news was like thunder on a sunny day, and the crowd immediately exploded. Everyone was in a state of shock as they processed the information.
At that moment, no disciple dared to speak softly. They were all eager to get the reward, and it was as if flames had burst out of everyone’s eyes.
Many geniuses longed for the commencement of the tournament with the hope that they could secure the reward.
Xiao Muran clenched his fists tightly as his eyes burned with desire. The rewards for the top three champions were all items that couldn’t be easily secured.
He was now motivated to give it his all, and as he glanced at the group of senior and junior disciples beside him, his eyes were filled with intensity.
“I will be allowed to choose three treasures from the Jiuxiao Sect’s treasury! No one can stop me!”
When the surrounding disciples saw Xiao Muran’s expression, their hearts could not help but tense up. They all knew that going up against Xiao Muran would not be a pleasant experience.
Anyone who faced him as an opponent would have to surrender in advance. That way, they could still preserve their dignity.
…
The first two disciples entered the staged and faced each other. After they cupped their hands together, they began to fight.
Below the stage, Lin An turned his head to look at his master and smiled.
Qian Yi had a lazy expression on her face as she watched the action.
Under normal circumstances, Qian Yi should have sat directly above the stage since there was a seat on the balcony that was reserved for her.
However, she had chosen not to sit with the other peak masters on the stage. Instead, Qian Yi was more willing to sit among her disciples.
The various disciples faced each other in the battle rounds, and after some time, the sixteenth round was announced.
The next round would require Lin An to step onto the stage.
At that moment, a man dressed in a gray robe stepped into the arena. He was an inner sect disciple from Cang Xiao Peak, named Qiao Zifeng.
Qiao Zifeng was already at the peak of the foundation establishment stage. He had successfully entered the ranks of the personal disciples of the elder master from Cang Xiao Peak. However, the news was yet to be announced.
Therefore, in the eyes of the other cultivators, he was just an ordinary disciple!
Qiao Zifeng’s opponent was already standing in the fighting arena. His name was Li Ming, and he was in the middle stage of the foundation establishment stage after ten days of cultivation. However, because of his talent, he was still a few days away from successfully breaking through.
The other disciples considered Li Ming’s cultivation to be pretty good.
The two fighters clasped their hands and bowed before they each took their stance.
Instantly, Li Ming’s body erupted with the aura of the middle stage of the foundation establishment stage, like a gust of strong wind blowing across the arena.
The disciples below the fighting ring were shocked. The intensity of Li Ming’s aura had already surpassed the strength of most of the cultivators present!
Li Ming hooked his finger and said confidently, “Qiao Zifeng, come on!”
Qiao Zifeng felt a wave of disdain in his heart, and his aura from the peak foundation establishment stage erupted. Before Li Ming could react, Qiao Zifeng had already rushed towards him.
Bang!
Before Li Ming could take a defensive stance, Qiao Zifeng had already struck him, and he simply fell to the ground.
At that moment, everyone, including the peak masters from the Golden Firmament Peak, and the sect master from the Nine Clouds Sect, was shocked.
The disciples ignored Li Ming as he lay on the ground and they all stared admiringly at Qiao Zifeng. He had successfully cultivated the peak foundation establishment stage.
Out of one thousand people, only one person could flawlessly cultivate the stage.
Qiao Zifeng was a peerless genius!
The other peak masters above the stage all had disappointed expressions as they looked on. Why had such a genius chosen to join the Cang Xiao Peak Sect?
However, Qiao Zifeng was still an inner sect disciple. The other peak masters hoped they could seduce him into joining their own divine peak and turn him into a personal disciple!
The Cang Xiao Peak master laughed and said loudly, “Yesterday, Qiao Zifeng became a personal disciple in our Cang Xiao Peak!”
After the announcement from the Cang Xiao Peak Master, the other peak masters dismissed their wishful thinking.
The eyes of the disciples below the stage were green with envy.
Qiao Zifeng was a peerless genius, an existence that could only be looked up to!
He would only grow stronger once he gained access to the resources in the sect!
Xiao Muran, who was below the stage, angrily clenched his teeth.
It seemed that Qi Zifeng would take the first place position in the tournament.
One disciple trembled as he approached Xiao Muran and said, “Senior Brother Xiao, we’ve found out that Lin An is number seventeen in the light sphere. He’ll be the next to go on stage!”
Xiao Muran’s eyes revealed a fierce look.
“Since the first place in this year’s inner sect competition seems to be taken, then I’ll have to complete my master’s order as soon as possible!”
Because he could no longer compete with Qiao Zifeng, Xiao Muran would have to eliminate Lin An in the first round to gain favor in the eyes of his master.
Immediately, a ball of light appeared beside Xiao Muran.
It was the number seventeen!