"The top thirty-two will earn the right to enter Sword Manor, while the top eight will receive the following rewards.
Those ranked fifth to eighth will each receive ten gold coins.
Those ranked second to fourth will each receive fifty gold coins and the opportunity to choose a martial art from the third floor of the Martial Library.
The champion will receive ten jade coins and the right to select a martial art from the fourth floor of the library.
With that said, step forward and inscribe your names on this jade slip so we may draw the lots."
The format of the tournament was simple — a straightforward elimination bracket. Lose once, and you were out. In this competition, even luck was considered a form of strength.
"Lu Yan versus Wang Hao!"
As the first battle was announced, the crowd fell silent, their attention fixed on the stage. Both contestants walked forward, swords in hand. From their auras alone, it was clear that Lu Yan held the advantage — he was at stage seven, while Wang Hao had only reached stage three.
They stood twenty metres apart, glaring at each other with barely restrained killing intent.
'I know this sect is prestigious,' Bai Long thought from the side-lines, 'but is it really necessary to look at each other as though their ancestors just fought?'
"Begin!"
Lu Yan moved instantly, a faint green aura swirling around his blade as he swung downward with deadly precision.
Wang Hao, fully aware of his disadvantage, cloaked himself in lightning and leapt to the side. Lu Yan's sword cleaved down, leaving a shallow crater in the reinforced stone floor.
Wang Hao retaliated, sending a lightning-infused slash forward, hoping Lu Yan would dodge — giving him that fleeting opening to counter.
Contrary to his expectations, Lu Yan didn't dodge. Instead, he struck the lightning slash apart with a gust of wind-infused sword energy. Wind might be weaker than lightning, but the difference in cultivation made up for any element-based inferiority.
Wang Hao staggered backwards, stunned, and tripped over his own feet. Lu Yan stepped in, pressing the edge of his sword against his opponent's neck.
"Winner — Lu Yan!"
"Next, Li Yan versus Shen Feng!"
Bai Long — under his chosen alias, Li Yan — stepped calmly onto the stage. Those around him whispered, curious how someone could remain so relaxed when facing a peak stage Golden Core cultivator.
The two stood twenty metres apart. Shen Feng's expression was smug, his confidence radiating through his stance. To him, this was no contest.
"Begin!"
Shen Feng lunged forward, his fist engulfed in blazing fire. The moment he entered striking distance, his fist shot forward — but what happened next silenced the entire square.
Bai Long extended a single finger.
The fiery punch stopped cold.
Then, with a casual motion, Bai Long closed his hand around Shen Feng's fist and flicked his wrist, sending the man flying off the stage as if he were a rag doll.
The referee( man who came on a flying sword from Sword Manor) stared blankly for a moment before finding his voice.
"Winner... Li Yan!"
"Next match, Xue He versus Hao Bei!"
The battles continued through the afternoon, a blur of clashing auras and flashing swords. There were even a few surprises — cultivators like Xue He revealed strength at the Nascent Soul stage. Yet no matter how many duels followed, the crowd could not forget the sight of Bai Long defeating a peak Golden Core cultivator with nothing but a single finger.
By the end of the day, Bai Long and the other Nascent Soul experts were granted a special privilege — their strength was deemed beyond the current bracket. They were automatically advanced into the top thirty-two, where the next round of fights would begin the following morning.
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Author:
Every living being possessed a natural elemental affinity, one element that resonated most strongly with their spirit and qi. That affinity determined the element they could wield with greatest power and efficiency. Attempting to use an element outside one's affinity was possible, but it came at a steep cost, weakening the attack's strength and control significantly.
Lu Yan's use of wind-based techniques wasn't random; it was his innate element, perfectly aligned with his cultivation.