Two days passed in a flash.
The Yunlan Sect, as the most powerful force in the Jia Ma Empire, had been passed down uninterruptedly through generations, surviving several dynastic changes, allowing this behemoth to take deep root in the Jia Ma Empire's soil.
Even the Jia Ma Empire's royal family was quite wary of it.
With its renowned reputation, the Yunlan Sect's grand sect competition naturally attracted the attention of many forces.
The vast plaza, paved entirely with massive stones, appeared ancient and grand. In the center of the plaza stood a huge stone monument, imposing and majestic.
Around the plaza, stone steps could easily accommodate nearly a thousand people, yet only a few dozen were present.
These few dozen were all from various forces who had received invitations to watch the competition.
At the top of the plaza, towering stone steps had been erected, ascending gradually. According to their status and cultivation level, a dozen or so white-robed elders sat in order.
On the highest step, a beautiful woman in a light blue dress slowly rose, glanced around, and her clear, cold voice, enveloped in battle aura, resounded throughout the plaza.
"The competition begins."
As her voice fell, an elderly man in white robes, only one step below her, stood up and announced, "Disciples, enter!"
With his words, a slight tremor rippled through the vast plaza. From
the gaps between the steps, an unknown number of Yunlan Sect disciples, dressed in white robes with cloud-embroidered swords on their sleeves, poured in.
Only disciples under the age of twenty were eligible to participate in this sect competition after passing the bone-testing examination; those over twenty could only watch.
In less than half an hour, over nine hundred Yunlan Sect disciples had completed the test, filling all the empty steps.
"Now, the competition rules will be read. All participating disciples, please listen carefully," said the same elderly man in white robes, Yun Ling.
"First, there's the selection of outer disciples. Due to the large number of participants and time constraints, a free-for-all format will be adopted. All outer disciples will participate, without forming teams. After one incense stick's time, fifty will be selected to remain on the field.
The fifty who advance will have their opponents determined by drawing lots. All advancing disciples will draw numbers, and those with the same number will be opponents. The top ten in this competition will directly advance to the inner sect."
"The inner sect selection will also be determined by drawing lots. The rewards for the top ten are extremely generous. The first-place winner will also receive an extra fifth-grade pill personally refined by Pill King Guhe."
"Remember, this competition is for friendly competition. Stop when you've made your point; do not kill anyone."
After Yun Ling finished speaking, a middle-aged man in magnificent robes waved to everyone.
Whoosh!
The entire audience was astonished. Even the leaders of various factions, dressed in noble robes and standing in mid-air at the top of the steps, slightly turned their heads.
A fifth-grade pill personally refined by Pill King Guhe.
The name of the pill was not mentioned; it was very likely that the winner would choose it themselves.
"As expected of the Yunlan Sect," Fa Ma couldn't help but admire.
"The first place this time will definitely go to Senior Sister Nalan. Do you think the reward for first place might be related to Senior Sister Nalan?"
"Very likely. Senior Sister Nalan is the Sect Master's personal disciple, and there are rumors about the relationship between the Sect Master and Pill King Gu He..."
Several disciples whispered among themselves.
The outer sect disciples' competition wasn't very interesting. To be precise, so many people came today not to watch the outer sect competition.
Apart from the top ten, those who performed well after the top ten didn't attract much attention.
The competition lasted until noon. After a short rest, the inner sect competition officially began.
There were only sixty-seven inner sect disciples under the age of twenty. (Chen Mo was an exception.)
To demonstrate the prestige of the Yunlan Sect, the Grand Elder called out names one by one. When a name was called, the disciple would announce their cultivation level and then briefly demonstrate a few moves.
In Chen Mo's view, this was just a personal show.
The first to appear was Yun Hai, the Grand Elder's grandson.
He entered the arena radiating brilliance, showering everyone with compliments, followed by detailed explanations from his disciples.
For example, when using a particular move, he would first let out an "Ah!" followed by an explanation of how difficult the move was, how to counter it, and how powerful it was.
Goodness, even the World Cup wasn't explained in such detail.
Yunhai also performed admirably, and Yunling's face beamed with a smile as bright as a chrysanthemum.
He drew number 32, bowed slightly, and then left.
Chen Mo, who had deliberately sat in a corner, was about to explode with headaches, as various notification sounds kept ringing incessantly.
"Ding ding ding, what the hell are you doing, extra?"
The worst part was that Chen Mo couldn't turn on "Do Not Disturb" like on WeChat, and his head was still buzzing.
So when Yun Leng called out the name of number 29, Chen Mo, no one stepped forward for a moment.
The square, which had been relatively quiet, became chaotic again.
"Chen Mo, isn't that the sect leader's newly accepted personal disciple?"
"Don't talk nonsense, he's not yet, he has to be in the top ten first."
"He's not going to step forward yet, is he afraid of the battle?"
"No way, then the sect leader will lose face big time."
...
"Chen Mo, where is Chen Mo? Hurry up and step forward." Yun Leng couldn't help but raise his voice, urging him.
The higher-ups of Yunlan Sect also started to discuss among themselves, their eyes all looking towards the high platform behind them.
However, Yun Yun just snorted coldly, and they quickly withdrew their gazes.
Yun Yun frowned.
Just then, a slender, tall, and masculine-looking young man arrived at the center of the plaza.
A hint of annoyance lingered on his face. He had originally intended to keep a low profile with his solo performance, but his delayed appearance had embarrassed Yun Yun.
This time, Chen Mo had to regain his dignity.
"Chen Mo, sixteen years old, two-star Dou Shi." Chen Mo's calm voice surprisingly reached everyone in the plaza.
"That's Chen Mo?"
"He's quite handsome." "
Damn, he was sitting right next to me." "
Wow, a sixteen-year-old two-star Dou Shi? Really? This talent, even Senior Sister Nalan can't compare. "
"Did anyone see how old he was when his bone age was measured?"
...
"Two-star Dou Shi? Didn't the sect leader say he was a one-star Dou Shi at the elders' meeting a couple of days ago? It's only been a few days, and he's already two-star?"
The elders and various factions maintained a skeptical attitude.
Under the watchful eyes of thousands, Chen Mo glanced at Yun Yun and began his solo performance.
A sudden gust of wind whipped Chen Mo's white robes, making them flutter wildly. Chen Mo, mimicking a character from an anime, struck a pose of swagger while simultaneously practicing the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Technique.
Even the heavens seemed to cooperate with Chen Mo's swagger; the sky darkened instantly, and the wind intensified.
Just when everything seemed perfect,
"Roar!"
A roar like that of a colossal elephant erupted from Chen Mo's body. A gigantic elephant, its body crackled with tiny lightning snakes and its long trunk encircled by purple flames, suddenly appeared above Chen Mo's head.
With a stomp of its foot, cracks spread from the sole of the solid boulder, extending over ten meters. A surge of black battle aura, mixed with lightning and purple flames, erupted from Chen Mo's body.
In this moment, Chen Mo transformed into a messenger of hell.
(End of Chapter)