Meanwhile, the competition among universities continues.
After Dongfang Yingluo was shocked by Qin Luo's strength, she saw Zi Han being taken away, and then she saw that the array set up by Murong Liyue made the crystal at the top appear to have a hazy, isolating visual effect.
After hesitating for a while, she still chose to retreat to her current level, partly out of fear of Qin Luo's strength, and partly because she knew that competing for the position closest to the Ancestral Core was unrealistic.
Recalling Qin Luo's superhuman physical prowess, Dongfang Yingluo still felt lingering fear. That overwhelming power made her begin to question the meaning of life.
Moreover, although her level was a bit far from the ancestral core, it wasn't without its rewards. While the spiritual energy here wasn't as good as at the top, it was still quite decent. After weighing the pros and cons, Dongfang Yingluo decided to retreat, at least to secure her position in the top three this year.
Anyway, she didn't take the matter of Lingyun too seriously. Coming to the Linghuang Sect was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. After all, once she returned home, she would have to face the management issues that gave her a headache again...
Below, the other teams were also engaged in fierce combat.
Just as everyone was taking up advantageous positions to absorb the spiritual essence of the ancestral core, a muffled sound attracted the attention of everyone present.
They all looked toward the area where Qin Luo was located on the highest level. It was covered by an array, and although they couldn't see what was inside, they could still sense the aura of the Soul Tribulation.
In an instant, the entire audience erupted in uproar, filled with astonishment. How long had it been? And now someone was about to undergo a soul tribulation? It seemed that the spiritual essence contained within this ancestral core was indeed extraordinary.
Gazing at the crystal at the very top, the fervor in everyone's eyes was instantly ignited.
"Fellow members of the Starfall Sect, are you sure you want to waste your time here with us? With our strength, we could easily achieve a decent ranking above. Why waste our time here?"
Yun Yin looked at Xiao Chen, who was completely covered in silver-white dragon scales, with apprehension. He hadn't expected that the Starfall Sect would have such a hidden talent in this year's competition. Even though he had entered the Saint Realm and wasn't in his best condition, he hadn't expected to be held back by Xiao Chen.
This made Yun Yin secretly groan. He had originally thought that with his Saint Realm cultivation, he could easily suppress the students from other academies and gain the greatest benefit.
But who could have imagined that such a troublesome figure would suddenly appear in the Starfall Sect? Although the aura emanating from Xiao Chen was weaker than his own, the strange dragon scales subtly gave him the upper hand in certain aspects.
Xiao Chen's eyes flickered. In fact, he didn't want to waste too much time here. The main reason was that although his teammates had seized many opportunities during their cooperation with the Linghuang Sect, they had only reached the ordinary Body Tribulation cultivation level, which was far inferior to Yun Yin's team.
Just as Xiao Chen hesitated, the situation on the field suddenly changed. Amidst the rolling thunder in the sky, they actually felt that the ancestral core spiritual energy in this world was rapidly decreasing.
This sudden change shocked many forces, including the Water Nether Gate, Holy Spirit Gate, Green Wood Gate, and Burning Prison Gate, who were vying for advantageous positions above and fiercely fighting below. They all stopped their battles and turned their attention to the highest point.
"What's going on? How could the spiritual energy of the Ancestral Core have decreased so drastically?" Jiang Xian of the Water Nether Sect remained calm, but an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.
It should be understood that the ancestral core spiritual essence is the greatest opportunity in this year's academy competition, and it is the key to whether they can break through to the Saint Realm in a short period of time. If this spiritual essence continues to decrease, their gains from this trip will be greatly reduced.
"Could it be caused by that soul tribulation?" Bai Yunxin of the Holy Spirit Sect, who was just arguing with Jiang Xian, frowned and guessed, her eyes fixed on the area shrouded by the formation, her eyes full of doubt.
Below, Mu Qianran of the Green Wood Sect's eyes flickered, her mind racing:
"Regardless of whether it's due to the soul tribulation, the current reduction in spiritual energy is extremely disadvantageous to us, and we can't delay any longer."
Yan Lie of the Burning Prison Sect was furious. They had already fought fiercely over the spiritual essence, and now that the spiritual essence was decreasing, it only added fuel to the fire.
"Hmph! The Lingyuan Sect's appetite is far too great. Do they really intend to devour the entire Ancestral Core all by themselves?"
In an instant, everyone reached a tacit understanding and quickly headed towards the crystal where Qin Luo was. Spiritual energy surged along the way, and everyone used all their skills to speed towards the higher ground.
When they arrived at the second layer of crystal, they saw Dongfang Yingluo, who also looked puzzled.
Seeing so many academies gathered here, Dongfang Yingluo felt a chill in her heart. Everyone's eyes met, and although no one spoke, a tense atmosphere filled the air.
Xiao Chen looked at Dongfang Yingluo and the other two, but couldn't see Xia Zihan. A bitter feeling welled up in his heart. The scene from not long ago still seemed to choke him. Just thinking about how he looked up at the snow-capped mountain peak and saw the woman he loved being held in Qin Luo's arms, and then Qin Luo offering her rouge, it would be a lie to say he wasn't envious at that moment.
He had fantasized countless times about walking side by side with Xia Zihan, but now he could only watch helplessly as the woman he loved smiled sweetly in another man's arms.
"Miss Dongfang, do you know what exactly happened up there? Why is the spiritual energy of the ancestral core decreasing so drastically?"
After regaining his senses, Xiao Chen broke the silence and looked at Dongfang Yingluo, his tone tinged with urgency.
Dongfang Yingluo frowned slightly and shook her head:
"I don't know either. As you all know, the Lingyuan Sect team is located up there. I only retreated here not long ago, and I didn't expect such a change to happen."
"It seems the problem lies with the Lingyuan Sect. In any case, this spiritual essence is related to our cultivation, and we must not let someone ruin our good fortune like this."
Yan Lie snorted coldly, his face full of anger, and the fiery spiritual energy on his body flickered faintly, as if it would explode at any moment.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yunxin, Mu Qianran, and Jiang Xian all nodded silently, expressing their own attitude.
To this, Dongfang Yingluo scoffed and then said to them:
"Then please make yourselves at home. However, our Linghuang Sect is determined to take this second floor. If any of you here are thinking of taking it, don't blame us for being impolite."
She crossed her arms, a hint of arrogance flashing in her eyes. Though she didn't say much, the aura she exuded was not to be underestimated.
Upon hearing this, Yan Lie's eyes flashed with anger, and he was about to lash out when Bai Yunxin raised her hand to stop him.
"Fellow members of the Spirit Phoenix Sect, we should first resolve the matter of the Ancestral Core Spiritual Essence. How about we put aside the struggle for the second-level position for now? We can discuss it again after this matter is settled."
Dongfang Yingluo raised an eyebrow slightly, leaving no room for negotiation:
"I don't have time to deal with the mess up there. If you want to go and explore, then go ahead!"
Don't think she doesn't know Qin Luo's strength; she knows it perfectly well. Rather than going up there and getting humiliated, she'd rather just honestly help the Spirit Phoenix Sect maintain its position as one of the top three sects this year.
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