“Is this the person you were talking about?” The red-robed old man’s gaze remained fixed on Xiao Chen in the distance as he asked.
Jiang Bietian smiled and said, “Yes, I don’t know where he came from. His registered name is Xiao Chen. But I’ve sent someone to investigate him. It seems that there’s no such a person. He should be using an alias.”
“There’s no such a person? Could it be…” At this point, the red-robed elder frowned as if he was deep in thought. Jiang Bietian smiled and said, “But it’s fine. I don’t know what he came to the Yan Prefecture City for, but now it seems like he’s also here to enter the Cloud Mist Academy.”
The elder nodded and continued, “His talent doesn’t seem to be bad either. It would be good if he could achieve the Nirvana Realm without taking any pills. But I don’t know what he is really capable of. After all, The Annihilation Times has come. Although the disciples’ cultivations are higher, they are all superficial. What your daughter has is rare.”
Under the platform, Xiao Chen walked to the registration counter. Chu Qi was also there. Because he had heard that the Wastelands Sword Tryout would weaken the stronger party, so for the sake of safety, he decided at the last minute to let Chu Qi to also sign up for the registration. In the battles of the same level, Chu Qi was almost guaranteed to win. Therefore, the one million Spirit Stones could not run away.
Because of this, this time, Xiao Chen generously paid the registration fee of 2,000 Spirit Stones. He didn’t feel distressed at all and even felt very happy in his heart.
It was already afternoon after the registration. Next, it was time for him to prepare for the Sword Tryout in two days. Xiao Chen was not in a hurry because he was not as nervous as others. Anyway, his strength would be weakened at that time. Therefore, he had been wandering around in the city with Chu Qi in the past two days. He spent the money at where it was needed. He was not as distressed as he was when he first came.
About this, Chu Qi had always been silently following him and did not say a word. In the past two days, Xiao Chen also learned something about the Cloud Mist Academy. For the disciple recruitment of the Cloud Mist Academy, as long as they were qualified, anyone could go, even someone like Liu Qing, who was a disciple of a sect.
And after entering Cloud Mist Academy, they would not be requested to leave their previous sect. They could completely keep two identities, and Cloud Mist Academy would not force them to stay. One day, if you did not want to stay there, you could leave at any time.
But generally speaking, people who went to the Cloud Mist Academy would have feelings for it. This kind of feeling was different from the feelings of sects. Even if they reached the legendary state in the future or had their own influence, they would not forget that they had learned skills there.
They would never forget that there was always a teacher who carefully taught him. As the saying goes, a teacher for a day is a father for a lifetime. Therefore, even if there was a different standpoint in the future, they would never be its enemy and would never be his teacher’s enemy. Of course, there was always an exception, and this exception already existed.
In the past two days, Xiao Chen knew that this time, the people who took part in Wastelands Sword Tryout were all going for the qualifications of entering the Cloud Mist Academy. No one cared about the one million Spirit Stones, which made him very surprised. However, when he really knew about the Cloud Mist Academy, maybe he would not be this surprised.
Finally, on the day of the 9th of September, the Double Ninth Festival, there were also customs such as dogwood insertion in the Wastelands. However, this day, the city of Yan Prefecture City was the most lively. Because of the Wastelands Sword Tryout, people from all walks of life gathered outside the square to watch. Of course, there were also many cultivators. In fact, there was not much difference between them and those in the Violet Manor. Every time there was a grand meeting, it was inevitable that there would be a scene of tens of thousands of people going out home and an empty alley left then, which caused some thieves to show up.
Xiao Chen came to the square and saw a sea of people. There were more people than the registration two days ago. On the east side of the high platform sat City Master Jiang Bietian and the unfathomable old man in red. On the other two sides of the platform, there was a purple-robed old man and a cyan-robed elder. They were Perfected Immortal Zixuan of Pure Mind Sect and Perfected Immortal Qingyuan of Heaven Heart Pavilion. They were both seniors in the Apotheosis Realm. Everyone was very respectful to them. However, these two people were also very respectful to the old man in red.
There were also many people who were puzzled about it. Perfected Immortal Zixuan and Perfected Immortal Qingyuan were both highly respected Cultivators’ sect in Yan Prefecture City, but they had never seen this old man in red before. Therefore, some people started to whisper.
“Who’s this senior sitting beside the City Master?”
“You don’t know him at all? It’s Perfected Immortal Chongyang, one of the three Spiritual Masters of Cloud Mist Academy!”
“Chong… Perfected Immortal Chongyang? Is it really Perfected Immortal Chongyang?”
“Of course. This time, Perfected Immortal of Cloud Mist Academy come to our Yan Prefecture City in person, which is enough to show that Cloud Mist Academy also attaches great importance to our Yan Prefecture City. Otherwise, why would there be one more spot than other places?”
For a moment, the crowd became noisy. Xiao Chen also calmed down. It turned out that the old man in red was a Perfected Immortal from the Cloud Mist Academy. No wonder he could not see through his cultivation. It seemed that there were really strong people in the Wastelands, which was no worse than the Violet Manor. This person’s cultivation must be at least the same level as his grandfather, Su Ying.
At the noisiest moment in the crowd, a pale cyan shadow suddenly flew over and fell on the high platform at the east end. The crowd immediately fell into a short silence, and then someone shouted, “It’s Miss Jiang!”
Some people from Pure Mind Sect also shouted, “It’s Junior Sister Jiang. As expected, she also participates in the Wastelands Sword Tryout this time!”
For a moment, the crowd seemed to be even more excited, and everyone’s eyes were focused on Jiang Qianqian on the high platform. Many people had respected the beloved daughter of the City Master. Of course, there were also many people who secretly admired her.
She was born with nine Spiritual Meridians and could be considered the number one person in the Yan Prefecture City. When the Annihilation Times had yet to come, at that time, most people were still in the Foundation Building cultivation. However, she was the first to enter the Core Forming Realm. Now, she was at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. She was only one step away from entering the Nirvana Realm.
People in Pure Mind Sect were cheering even more. As for a Junior Sister who came later, only Liu Qing was not convinced and the rest had never thought of surpassing her because it was impossible. Even if they took the pills, they could not catch up with her. Many people had already thought that she was the most talented person in the sect. Since she came to participate in the Wastelands Sword Tryout this time, the first place must be hers. There was no doubt that even Liu Qing was also slightly inferior.
When she went to Cloud Mist Academy for further study in the future, it would be even more difficult for them to catch up. Maybe one day in the future, she would successfully Survive the Ordeal and ascend to Heaven Realm, but they would still be struggling in the Human Realm. These were two completely different destinies. At that time, perhaps they would really look up to her from the perspective of looking up to the immortals. At that time, they would no longer dare to call her Junior Sister.
At this moment, most of the people in the crowd were looking forward to seeing her. Xiao Chen also narrowed his eyes. This woman gave him a very different feeling. It seemed that she was really different from others. His intuition told him that this woman was very strong. He was not sure if even Chu Qi would win against her.
On the high platform, Jiang Qianqian gently walked with graceful steps. She walked to her father with a smile on her face and called him “father” in a sweet voice. Then she respectfully greeted the old man in red next to her, “Perfected Immortal Chongyang.”
Perfected Immortal Chongyang nodded slightly, and there was a rare hint of praise in his eyes. At this moment, a young man in red flew over calmly in the distance. Everyone was stunned. This aura was from a Nirvana Realm cultivator! A young Nirvana Realm cultivator!
The youth was dressed in a fiery red robe, holding a delicate folding fan in his hand. He had sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes. His face was as white as white jade, and a strand of hair on his forehead slipped down, making him look elegant and handsome.
Unlike Xiao Chen, he did not hide his aura at all. He went to the stage, cupped his hands, and also greeted Jiang Bietian and Perfected Immortal Chongyang. “City Master Jiang, Perfected Immortal Chongyang.” Finally, he looked at Jiang Qianqian with a sunny smile on his face. “Qianqian.”
Such a gentle smile and a handsome figure made many innocent girls fall in love with him. However, Jiang Qianqian frowned and felt disgusted. She did not say a word and flew down the stage with a tap of her feet.
Under the stage, many people were still talking endlessly, “Is that Young Master Baili of the Cloud Mist Academy? Amazing, he is only in his twenties at most, and his cultivation is already at the middle stage of Nirvana Realm.”
“It’s Baili Xiaohualuo. It’s really him. I heard…”
The crowd kept talking and shouting. Xiao Chen also frowned slightly. Was this person called Baili Xiaohualuo? He always gave him a very unusual feeling. First of all, this person’s cultivation was not lower than his, and it was definitely not improved by taking pills. More importantly, when Xiao Chen used his Divine Sense to explore the person’s body just now, he found that there seemed to be a different aura from ordinary people.
At this moment, he could not tell what kind of aura it was, but he still felt that it was very strange… Suddenly, his entire body trembled, his Divine Sense was blocked by the other party.
Xiao Chen could not help but be stunned. He looked up and saw Baili Xiaohualuo’s eyes fell on him, and then he smiled gently at him.
Xiao Chen was stunned. If he could detect and block his Divine Sense, it meant that the other party could also release his Divine Sense. The other party’s spiritual sense was no worse than his. This Cloud Mist Academy was indeed a place full of hidden talents.
Finally, it was time for the official competition. On the two high platforms in the north and south, Perfected Immortal Zixuan of Pure Mind Sect and Perfected Immortal Qingyuan of Heaven Heart Pavilion worked together to insert a Mystic Power into the Fighting Platform in the air. Under the guidance of their Mystic Power, the Fighting Platform slowly rotated, and finally, it was divided into eight pieces, scattered in the air above the square in the direction of the Eight Diagrams, such as Universal Heaven and Earthation.
Many people below were amazed. It was indeed worthy of being a Fighting Platform designed by the Great Weapon Master Ren Tianxing to be having such a miraculous effect. The size of the eight Fighting Platforms was completely the same. In this way, eight groups of competitors could proceed together. Naturally, it had saved quite a lot of time.
The rules were also very simple. There was nothing more than the knockout round of drawing lots. The first few matches progressed very fast. When the last 16 participants would advance to the next eight participants, the competition would become more and more intense, and the Fighting Platform would also have some changes.
By dusk, eight people had made it to the next round. Jiang Qianqian and Liu Qing, Xiao Chen and Chu Qi, two disciples from the Heaven Heart Pavilion, and two disciples from other places had made it to the next round.
Most of them were expected to make it to the top eight. What had surprised them was Xiao Chen and Chu Qi. They were unnoticeable but they managed to made it into the top eight. They were the most unexpected dark horse in this time’s Sword Tryout.
On the high platform, Perfected Immortal Chongyang seemed to have looked at Xiao Chen a few more times at this moment. He said slowly, “This guy has been hiding his strength all the way. Tomorrow is the final round. I’m afraid it’s impossible for him to hide his strength anymore.”