Chapter 116 Reporting that someone casually inquired about a girl's name, could it be...?
The disciples of the Sanqing Sect, responsible for guiding the group, arrived at Yingke Peak before dawn. They led this large group of geniuses from various states to the venue of the arena competition, Lunjian Peak.
As the organizer, the Sanqing Sect was very thoughtful, and specially prepared many large shared cranes to carry everyone to the Sword Debate Peak.
Bai followed the flow of people and leaped onto the crane. Once there were enough people to carry, the Sanqing Sect disciple in charge of riding the crane gently patted its large head. The crane immediately stretched its neck and cried out, then flapped its wings and took off, carrying everyone into the sky.
Looking down on the Sanqing Sect from above during the day presents a completely different scene.
Below, graceful peaks are shrouded in mist, appearing and disappearing intermittently. Waterfalls cascade down from the peaks like a silver river falling from the heavens, their colors shimmering in the mist.
Hidden among the lush mountains and forests are countless pavilions and towers with carved beams and painted rafters.
Many disciples of the Sanqing Sect, dressed in sky-blue robes, could be vaguely seen moving about. Some were quietly reading books under the eaves, some were burning incense and playing the zither on the platform by the water, and others were practicing swordsmanship in the forest clearing. Their clothes fluttered and their movements were fluid and graceful.
In the mountains and forests, many rare and exotic birds and animals were attracted by the huge sightseeing procession in the air, and they all looked up and gazed at it. The bold golden monkeys chased and leaped among the treetops, following the cranes.
"Wow, Ayu, look! Those monkeys are following us!" Dayue tugged at Ayu's sleeve and muttered in a low voice.
"And over there, the entire hillside is covered in phoenix tail flowers! My goodness, these rare and precious flowers are growing so much here." Ah Hua exclaimed in amazement as she pointed to the shimmering sea of flowers below.
The people from the Wilderness State were as if they had entered a grand garden, overwhelmed with wonder, marveling at the sights and filled with envy for the profound foundation of the top sects.
Seeing everyone's curiosity, the Sanqing Sect disciple who was leading the way smiled and introduced, "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. That patch of phoenix tail flowers was carefully cultivated by our sect's medical cultivator senior sisters. That mountain peak is called 'Fairy Peak.' Look at that mountain peak. From a distance, doesn't it look like a woman sitting sideways? And that sea of flowers is the skirt of a fairy."
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to Fairy Peak. Sure enough, in the morning light and mist, the entire mountain's lines were soft and graceful, its peak resembling a cloud-like tress, and the extended mountain range's trajectory just like the elegant curves of a woman sitting sideways.
Bai also took a few more glances, thinking to himself, "No wonder it's my wife's sect; even the mountains look more ethereal than other sects."
Not only them, but almost every young genius on the back of the crane had eyes full of amazement.
This amazement reflects not only reverence for the grandeur of the Sanqing Sect, but also admiration for the disciples who, on such an important day, remained calm and composed while playing the zither and practicing swordsmanship.
The moment the cranes carried this group of young geniuses across the mountain and disappeared into the clouds, the next second...
The serene and ethereal scene that had just unfolded shattered instantly. The disciples who were reading, playing the zither, or practicing swordsmanship all dropped their books and instruments almost simultaneously.
The next moment, figures riding swords soared into the sky, like students rushing towards the cafeteria, rushing towards the Sword Debate Peak in a vast, chaotic rush, their speed so fast that afterimages filled the sky.
If it weren't for the need to maintain the image of the Sanqing Sect disciples in front of fellow Daoists from various states, they would have rushed to the edge of the arena to watch the excitement long ago. Who would have the mind to study and practice swordsmanship here?
These daily tasks can be done anytime, but the ultimate showdown of the Kyushu Grand Competition is something you'll have to wait another hundred years to miss.
The people on the crane were unaware of this. These young geniuses were taken on a tour of the Three Pure Ones Sect before finally landing on the extremely majestic Sword Debate Peak.
At the summit of Sword Debate Peak stood ten giant arenas, each with tiered spectator stands along its edge. The arenas were already packed with people, including not only disciples of the Three Pure Ones Sect, but also many disciples from other sects that were on good terms with the Three Pure Ones Sect, such as the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion and the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion.
The highest seats were reserved for the leaders of each state and the elders of the sects. Zhong Jiuli, Liu Xianyue and others were already seated, overlooking the entire venue.
The already activated Heavenly Mirror hovered above the Sword Debate Peak, enveloping all ten arenas in a light screen. The light screen was divided into ten areas, allowing cultivators from all over the Nine Provinces to simultaneously monitor all battles.
On the summit plaza, talented cultivators from each state stood in their respective sections. They stood silently, their robes billowing in the wind, their expressions resolute, their fighting spirit soaring to the heavens.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Liu Xianyue flew forward and landed on the highest main arena. Looking down at the dark mass of people below, she announced directly: "The Kyushu Grand Competition, the second match, the arena battle, begins! All participants, draw lots."
The moment she finished speaking, she flicked her sleeve, and a white jade divination tube radiating a warm, lustrous light was tossed into the air, where it began to spin rapidly.
Bai looked up at the divination tube, wondering if he should go up and shake it, when he saw the people around him raise their hands and channel their spiritual energy into the tube.
She followed suit, flicking out a wisp of spiritual energy to merge into the flow of spiritual energy, and together they disappeared into the divination tube.
The divination tube absorbed countless spiritual energies, its precious light blazing brightly as it spun even faster. In the next moment, countless tiny rays of spiritual light shot out from the tube, flying towards each participant.
Bai also caught a ray of spiritual light that flew in front of him. When the light dissipated, only a warm jade slip remained in his palm, with the characters "甲六二" (Jia Liu Er) appearing on it.
She turned her head to look at Li Shoumo and asked, "What's yours?"
Li Shoumo opened his palm, and the jade slip read "Yi Shi Ba".
"And you?" Bai Ye asked the other cultivators from the Wilderness State.
"C9!"
"Ding 190!"
Everyone announced their numbers, and Bai pondered to himself that the lot-drawing box seemed to have divided all the participants into four groups: A, B, C, and D. He wondered if the grouping was random or if it took into account their cultivation levels.
"Have you all received your signatures?" Liu Xianyue's voice rang out again.
Bai and the others looked up at Boss Liu on the high platform, dressed in red, bright and flamboyant like a blazing flame.
"I know you all don't want to hear me ramble on, so I won't waste any more time." Liu Xianyue said with a smile, "There's only one rule for individual arena battles: no intentional killing! Alright, enough talk, let's begin!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she swayed and returned to the high platform. At the same time, the lottery tube floating in mid-air projected a huge light screen, on which countless numbers began to scroll rapidly, matching.
A moment later, the list of twenty participants for the first round of battles was released. Cultivators from each state were selected, and in the Wilderness State, the selected participant was a disciple from Hundred Flowers Valley named Hua Ying.
Hua Ying was only at the late Golden Core stage. Seeing that she was drawn in the first round, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She unconsciously turned her gaze to Bai Ye.
Bai met her gaze, gave her an encouraging smile, and transmitted his voice, "Relax. If you can beat them, fight hard. If you can't, just back down gracefully. I'll cover for you!"
"Yes!" Hua Ying nodded heavily, her eyes blazing with fighting spirit, and leaped onto the number nine arena.
All eyes of the people from the Wilderness State were on the number nine arena, and many of them had a tense look in their eyes, after all, this was the Wilderness State's first battle in the arena competition.
Hua Ying's opponent was a female cultivator from Southern Xinjiang Prefecture, whose cultivation had reached the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. She wore a dark blue dress, surrounded by colorful butterflies, and had a fair and beautiful face. Upon seeing Hua Ying step onto the stage, she was the first to greet her with a cupped-fist salute, and Hua Ying returned the salute in kind.
The next moment, a layer of transparent ripples, like water, lit up the arena, the protective array was activated, and the competition officially began.
The female cultivator from the southern border took the initiative. Holding a bone flute, she made a hand seal with one hand, and the swarm of colorful butterflies transformed into streaks of colorful light, attacking the flower shadow.
Hua Ying reacted quickly, forming a hand seal in front of her chest. Countless petals appeared out of thin air, each petal's edge flashing with a sharp, cold light, like countless flying blades, heading towards the swarm of butterflies.
For a moment, petals and colorful butterflies collided on the arena, sparkling with light, creating a dazzling scene.
Bai looked up at the scene and muttered, "Their fight is quite entertaining."
“Yes, both Hua Ying and that female cultivator from Southern Xinjiang are healers, and their attack methods focus more on control and attrition, rather than a fierce approach to defeat the enemy in one blow. This kind of protracted fighting is a battle of spiritual energy,” Li Shoumo said.
Not only on Arena Number Nine, but fierce duels were also taking place on the other arenas, with the sounds of metal clashing constantly filling the air. However, compared to the clash of swords and the shadows of blades, the fluttering of butterflies on Arena Number Nine was clearly more captivating, drawing the attention of most of the people on Sword Debate Peak to it.
In just a short while, Hua Ying had already exchanged hundreds of blows with the female cultivator from Southern Xinjiang. As time went on, the difference in their cultivation levels became apparent. Hua Ying's spiritual energy began to wane, and gaps began to appear in the petal-shaped defensive circle surrounding her.
In that split second, the opponent seized upon a tiny flaw.
Several brightly colored butterflies broke through the gap and flew straight towards the flower's face.
Hua Ying was startled and quickly dodged backward, summoning a flower shield to block.
Unfortunately, the flower shield that was temporarily summoned was ultimately somewhat weak. The colorful butterfly easily pierced through the flower shield, and at the same time, it also pierced through the flower shadow's shoulder.
"Ugh!" Hua Ying groaned as a sharp pain shot through her. She staggered backward, her barely holding-up defense collapsing instantly.
The female cultivator from the southern border pressed her advantage, her figure moving like a ghost as she approached. Taking advantage of the moment when Hua Ying's chest was wide open, she struck Hua Ying in the chest with a palm strike.
"Bang!"
Hua Ying was struck in the chest and was sent flying backward by the palm strike, falling off the stage.
"Arena No. 9, Southern Xinjiang Prefecture, Blue Butterfly wins!" The Sanqing Sect elder and referee, who was in charge of maintaining the formation, announced the result loudly.
While Hua Ying was still in mid-air, Hua Jinhe had already flown forward and caught her injured junior sister in her arms.
"Senior Sister, I lost. I've brought shame to the sect." Hua Ying's face was pale, her shoulder was covered in blood, and her eyes were slightly red.
"Silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? You've already done your best. Losing to a Nascent Soul cultivator isn't shameful. Let me heal your injuries first," Hua Jinhe comforted her. She picked up Hua Ying and quickly went to a quiet corner to carefully treat her injuries.
The initial defeat was somewhat discouraging for the people of the Wilderness State, but the result was expected and acceptable. Everyone had a clear understanding of their own overall strength.
Apart from a few top fighters like Bai Ye and Li Shoumo who could rival the geniuses from other states, everyone else knew that if they stepped onto the stage, they would likely be eliminated in the first round.
However, being able to stand on this highly anticipated stage is already a victory in itself.
It should be noted that the stands were filled with countless young geniuses who had been eliminated in the first round. They were no weaklings either, yet they didn't even have the right to go up on stage.
As soon as arena number nine became available, the floating lottery tube began to roll again. Soon, two figures leaped onto the arena, and a new duel immediately began.
The arena battles proceeded quickly, especially in the early stages. The matched opponents were often of vastly different strengths, and it was common for one side to step onto the stage and, before they even had a chance to use their skills, be swiftly and decisively knocked off the stage by their opponent. Victory or defeat was decided in the blink of an eye.
Bai also observed from below the stage for a long time and gradually realized some things. She found that the contestants who were drawn in the early stage were all cultivators of the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages. Those top geniuses from various states with higher cultivation, reputation and strength, such as Ming Wushuang and Bei Qianxue, had not yet taken the stage.
It wasn't until late afternoon that Bai finally heard his number.
She swayed and landed directly on stage number six.
The person who stepped onto the stage at the same time saw Bai Ye's signature silver hair and immediately froze, cursing inwardly, "What bad luck, how did I run into this jinx in the first round?"
Bai also looked up at the person who had just arrived. The person was dressed in a fiery red outfit, with hair and eyebrows that looked like burning flames, and the whole person exuded a fiery aura from the inside out.
It seems she's someone who plays with fire. That's a bit of bad luck; encountering her, no fire will work. She cupped her hands and said, "From the Wilderness State, Bai Ye, please enlighten me."
The fiery-red cultivator opposite him forced a smile and returned the greeting: "Sun Yan from Xizhou, please enlighten me!"
As the two announced their names, countless eyes from the audience below the stands, as well as from all over Kyushu watching the live broadcast via screens, focused on the number six arena.
Bai Ye's reputation is now so great that, for better or for worse, she is one of the most talked-about people at the event.
"Who is this Sun Yan? He seems a bit timid," a cultivator who wasn't familiar with the situation in Xizhou asked curiously.
A cultivator from Xizhou immediately explained, "Don't underestimate this person. He is a genius who has risen to fame in Xizhou in recent years. He is born with a fire spirit body and his fire control technique has reached a state of perfection. It is said that when he uses his full power, he can burn down a giant mountain. He is definitely one of the best among the younger generation in Xizhou."
This explanation immediately raised everyone's expectations for the duel even higher. On one side was the infamous troublemaker Wang Baiye, and on the other was a renowned young genius from Xizhou; this was the kind of contest everyone wanted to see.
However, what happened on the stage had absolutely nothing to do with the epic showdown that everyone wanted to see.
Almost the instant the duel began, Bai Ye flashed in front of Sun Yan and threw a punch, easily piercing through Sun Yan's proud protective fire shield.
Sun Yan was filled with horror, feeling an irresistible force strike him, shattering the spiritual fire around him.
With a muffled thud, this renowned Fire Spirit Body genius from Xizhou flew over everyone's heads like a punching bag, crashing off the stage and rolling several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop.
The entire Sword Debate Peak fell silent for a moment.
The audience members looked at each other, and many turned their attention to the Xizhou cultivator who had just confidently described how powerful Sun Yan was.
It was as if they were silently questioning: "What happened to the genius of Xizhou? What happened to the Fire Spirit Body? How could he fall off the stage in just one exchange?"
The cultivator from Xizhou blushed under the stares of the crowd. He shrank back, took a few steps back, and tried to hide in the crowd to avoid their gaze.
The elder on the sixth arena seemed momentarily stunned by the duel that ended in the blink of an eye. After a moment, she came to her senses and announced loudly, "Sixth arena, Wilderness State, Bai Ye wins!"
The moment the voice fell, the area where the cultivators from the Wilderness State were located erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
Bai waved to the cheering crowd in a good mood, then casually turned his head and looked up at the main stands above.
There, in the crowd, Zhong Jiuli stood dressed in a silver-white sect leader's robe, her black hair tied high, her beauty as radiant as the bright moon in the heavens.
Their gazes met across the noisy crowd, several stands away.
Bai Ye's face broke into a radiant, smug smile, as if to say, "See? Aren't I amazing?"
Zhong Jiuli's gaze had been fixed on stage number six ever since Bai Ye stepped onto the stage. Naturally, she also saw Bai Ye's decisive victory over her opponent and her smug little expression.
She could only reply telepathically, "Great!"
Having received the praise, Bai jumped off the stage contentedly, though her response was brief. Her high-tied silver hair swayed with her movements, each strand flying in the sunlight, revealing her good mood.
Their silent interaction across the crowd, though seemingly secret, was quite obvious to those who were paying attention.
For example, Liu Xianyue, who was sitting next to Zhong Jiuli, could see their flirtatious glances clearly.
She whispered in her voice, "Zhong Jiuli, you don't look like yourself at all now."
Zhong Jiuli glanced at her without changing her expression and asked telepathically, "What should I be like?"
"You should be the kind of person who ignores everyone! Look how you've spoiled this little tiger. If this continues, her tail will be wagging in the air." Liu Xianyue said sourly.
"She won't." These three simple words conveyed absolute trust.
Caught off guard, Liu Xianyue was once again forced to witness another display of affection. She reluctantly shut her mouth and silently turned her gaze back to the arena.
In the following competitions, renowned top geniuses such as Ming Wushuang and Bei Qianxue took to the stage one after another.
Their competition process was exactly the same as Bai's; often, before their opponents could even see the moves clearly, they had already been cleanly and decisively knocked off the stage.
After watching these few "crushing" matches, when the audience watched those evenly matched duels, with their back-and-forth exchanges and flashing swords, for some reason, everyone felt that they saw a bit of a clash between noobs.
Perhaps because those people's fighting level was not much different from their own, many people felt a bit bored. It was only when the top geniuses took to the stage that everyone's emotions could be stirred up.
The arena battles continued for three days, and after rounds of elimination, only one hundred people remained.
These one hundred people also represent the most elite fighting force among the younger generation in Kyushu.
Most of them are well-known high achievers, but a few dark horses have emerged in this competition, attracting much attention.
Besides Bai Ye, Li Shoumo, Li Chengfeng, and others from the Wilderness State, several other female cultivators also delivered stunning performances.
Among them, Su Lan, a rogue cultivator from Dongzhou, is rumored to be a descendant of a hidden immortal island in the East Sea. Her illusions are like reflections in a mirror or the moon in the water, incredibly mysterious. Geniuses who fight against her often can't even touch the hem of her clothes before being completely bewitched. For three days, no one has been able to see through her illusions.
The other is Shi Manman, a body cultivator from Xizhou. She is tall and athletic, with honey-colored muscles that exude wild power. She specializes in physical training, possessing astonishing strength and defense that has reached a freakish level.
The swordsman who fought her, despite his full-force attack, only managed to leave a faint white mark on her skin. He then had his natal sword broken by her and was knocked off the stage with a single punch. Her strength was astonishing.
Besides, Fang Yourong from Southern Xinjiang Prefecture is also not to be underestimated. Born into a family of Gu practitioners, her bizarre and unorthodox Gu control techniques have reached a state of perfection. More importantly, she also cultivates a natal Gu of the Insect King level.
It is said that a fully grown Insect King Gu is extremely ferocious, capable of killing even Mahayana cultivators, making it a formidable ferocity in the cultivation world. The only fortunate thing is that the Insect King in Fang Yourong's hands is still in its infancy, and its power is far from reaching that world-destroying level.
After reviewing the information on the several dark horse contestants that Li Shoumo had collected, Bai nodded, stood up, patted his butt, and said, "Let's go earn some spirit stones."
"Hey? It's your turn to go up in the ring next round. Where are you going now?" Li Chengfeng called out hurriedly when he saw her about to leave.
"Place your bet." Bai waved his hand without turning his head, and his figure flashed into the crowd.
She bypassed several arenas and headed straight for the most crowded area on one side of the Sword Debate Peak, where a temporary betting pool had been set up by major chambers of commerce in Zhongzhou.
Bai squeezed through the crowd, looking up at the suspended light screen, which clearly listed the contestants for the round of 100 to 50 and the odds that changed in real time.
Like her, many people looked up at the screen, clearly hoping to pick out the dark horse player to bet on.
Bai didn't care about the odds; she was certain to win, so she just bet blindly on herself. She took out a heavy bag of high-grade spirit stones from her storage ring, threw it on the table, and said, "All in, Bai wins too."
With her imposing presence, signature silver hair, and the dark, heavy sword on her back, everyone recognized her even without seeing her face.
"It's Bai Ye, she placed a bet herself?"
"So confident they're betting everything on themselves to win?"
"Of course she's confident. Have you ever seen her use a second move when she hits someone?"
"That makes sense, I'll follow along, this is practically free spirit stones! But why are the odds so low?"
A cacophony of voices arose from the crowd. Many cultivators who were still observing quickly took out their spirit stones and placed bets on Bai Ye's name, fearing that if they were a step too slow, the betting would close and they would no longer be able to place bets.
After placing their bets, many people stared intently at Bai Ye, while others jokingly encouraged him, "You troublemaker, I've staked everything on you. If you lose, I'll cry for you!"
Upon hearing this, Bai looked in the direction of the voice and discovered that the person who spoke was a young girl dressed in the robes of an inner disciple of the Sanqing Sect.
She looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, with a fair and round face, and bright, sparkling eyes. She had the appearance of a mischievous little devil, and looked... very easy to bully!
Bai deliberately put on a stern face and beckoned to the young disciple with his finger, "Hey, you round-faced little guy, what's your name? Which peak are you from?"
As soon as she spoke, the noisy crowd quieted down considerably, and many curious eyes turned to look at them, wondering what Bai Ye was up to now.
The girl who was called out in public didn't flinch at all. Instead, she winked at Bai Ye and replied with a grin, "Hey, you troublemaker, what are you up to? Asking about girls' names like that, do you have a crush on me?"
She proudly puffed out her small chest, with an air of "I'm not someone you can even dream of beating up to," and said, "I admit you're not bad, but you definitely can't beat my senior sister, so I advise you to give up on that idea!"
Bai was taken aback by her unreasonable retort and glanced guiltily at Zhong Jiuli on the platform, afraid that the little girl had overheard her unrestrained words.
She coughed lightly, crossed her arms, and adopted the posture of a headmaster, saying righteously, "At such a young age, instead of focusing on cultivation, you come here to gamble. Most importantly, you dare to openly encourage the contestants, attempting to affect the fairness of the competition!"
“This is a very serious matter, I must report it to your Sect Master Zhong.”
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