Chapter 21 : Competition
Arriving at the Jade Spirit Sect, Chen Fan was struck by the sheer size of the building up close. It seemed almost too grand, like a residence meant for giants. He estimated that there were probably around 3,000 people gathered at the entrance. Chen Fan had already known that the building attracted Qi toward its direction, but experiencing it up close was something else entirely. The Qi concentration here was overwhelming, and even just standing at the entrance, the rate of absorption was nearly twice as fast as anywhere else he had been. He couldn't help but wonder about the Qi inside—how much richer it would be there.
Before long, the massive doors opened, and an elderly man dressed in golden robes stepped out. His presence caused the 3,000 people at the entrance to fall silent, all eyes fixed on him.
"Follow me," the old man said curtly, as if there was no need for further words. He turned and walked back into the sect, the doors fully open to admit the participants. Without hesitation, the crowd of participants quietly followed him inside. The Qi concentration seemed to gather even more intensively as they moved further in.
Soon, they arrived in a vast open field, where Chen Fan could see 20 arenas surrounded by loud cheers. The noise was deafening, and he could clearly make out that hundreds of thousands of people were gathered around the stage. Among them, he expected Xu Jianhong to be present as well.
After stopping near one of the arenas, Chen Fan and the other participants patiently awaited the start of the event.
Dong dong dong
Suddenly, the sound of a gong echoed from the center of the highest point of the audience area. Dozens of figures emerged, led by a middle-aged man, an elderly man, and a mature, beautiful woman. The three of them seated themselves in grand chairs, decorated magnificently. Behind them, 27 individuals of various ages and genders took their seats in simpler chairs. It was clear that the group was divided into three factions, as the members were dressed in white, gold, and blue robes.
"The competition will begin now," the elderly man from earlier stood and spoke, his voice enhanced by Qi, ensuring it resonated clearly throughout the arena.
"The rules are simple: keep winning until you're the last one standing. You can see your palm to find out which arena you'll fight in. If you are delayed for even a minute, you will be immediately disqualified. Always check your palm to see if there is an open arena," the old man said, eyeing the participants before continuing, "Now, the prizes are as follows:
1. 1 million high-grade spirit stones, the ability to request 10 pills (below 5th grade) from the three sects, and the option to choose any array below the 5th grade.
2. 0.5 million high-grade spirit stones, the ability to request 5 pills (below 5th grade) from the three sects, and the option to choose any array below the 4th grade.
3. 0.3 million high-grade spirit stones, the ability to request 3 pills (below 5th grade) from the three sects, and the option to choose any array below the 3rd grade.
4. 0.1 million high-grade spirit stones, the ability to request 1 pill (below 5th grade) from the three sects, and the option to choose any array below the 2nd grade.
5. 50,000 high-grade spirit stones, and the ability to choose any array of the 1st grade.
Additionally, the top 1-10 ranked participants will be granted immediate entry into one of the three sects as inner disciples."
Upon hearing the rewards, almost everyone present widened their eyes in shock and quickly exclaimed in surprise.
"So generous! Especially the first one. Any of these prizes would be enough to turn a poor cultivator into a wealthy one!"
"Damn, why didn't they have this competition when I was younger?"
"Brothers, remember, if someone takes the first prize, greet them as our big brother!"
"My son is only 7 years old, please open another slot!"
A variety of emotions could be seen and heard among the crowd. But one thing was clear: everyone was astounded by the incredible rewards. Almost all the participants felt a sudden surge of adrenaline, their impatience growing as they prepared to defeat the others. Those who had qualified but chose not to participate felt regret, wishing they could slap their past selves. Even Chen Fan felt excitement bubbling inside him. For someone like him, with nothing but his cultivation and skills when he left the mountain, this was finally a chance to become rich. These past few days, while exploring the city, had been one of the most uncomfortable experiences for him—so much luxury around him, but he had been unable to afford any of it.
"All participants, look at your hand immediately. If it's not your turn, you can leave the stage and wait in the audience area." The old man's voice rang out again, causing most participants to eagerly glance at their palms.
Chen Fan quickly moved toward Arena 5, where he awaited his opponent. A bald, muscular man leapt onto the arena and glared at Chen Fan with an intimidating look. Chen Fan sized up the man—Foundation Building 5.
"Boy, our cultivation levels are already clear. You'd better give up to avoid unnecessary pain," the man said, trying to conserve his energy. He knew that fighting someone one level lower would still take some effort. Hearing this, Chen Fan merely smiled without responding, which made the man scoff and fall silent.
"The one who loses consciousness or leaves the arena will be disqualified," the old man declared, before shouting, "BEGIN!"
At the signal, the man immediately kicked off the ground, causing small cracks to appear as he rushed forward, intending to end the fight with one move. In less than a second, the man reached Chen Fan and punched, his right hand imbued with fire, aiming directly at Chen Fan's face.
Before the punch could land, Chen Fan deflected it with his left hand, sending it flying to the side. Without hesitation, he followed up with a swift palm strike to the man's chest, forcing him to stumble backward. Before the man could regain his balance, Chen Fan spun around and delivered a powerful kick with his left leg, sending the man flying out of the arena.
The entire match took only three seconds, leaving the audience stunned as they all turned to look at Chen Fan's arena in unison. Even some of the participants, who had been cautiously assessing their own opponents, glanced over, momentarily caught off guard.
"Damn, I just blinked, and the fight's already over?"
"The guy's recklessness cost him. He underestimated his opponent and paid the price for it."
"Yeah, with his superior cultivation, he would've had a good chance of winning."
Various thoughts echoed among the crowd as they analyzed the fight. However, most people viewed the outcome as fair—everyone knew that a higher cultivation level wasn't always an absolute advantage. Meanwhile, the defeated man stood frozen on the sidelines, staring blankly into the air as the reality of his loss sank in. Regret clouded his face, and though he seemed to have much to say, he ultimately walked away dejectedly without a word.
Chen Fan calmly stepped down from the arena and moved toward the audience section. His palm showed no information about his next match, so he decided to watch the remaining fights. Scanning the crowd, he quickly spotted Sun Xi waving at him and made his way over to sit beside him. Over the past few days, their friendship had grown considerably closer.
"Hahaha, you're incredible, Brother Chen! Looks like my bet on you was spot on!" Sun Xi laughed, clearly thrilled with the boost to his winnings.
"You saw it. It was just luck," Chen Fan replied modestly.
"That wasn't luck, Brother Chen. Wit, patience, and quick decision-making are all part of true strength," Sun Xi countered, continuing to heap praise on Chen Fan, who couldn't help but smile before turning his attention back to the arenas.
"You should check out Arena 17, Brother Chen. That's where all the focus is right now," Sun Xi said, leaning in slightly. "The Holy Saint of Azure Sky is up against a rising star, one of the core disciples from the Jade Spirit Sect. No one expected such a high-profile fight this early on."
Intrigued, Chen Fan shifted his gaze to Arena 17. There, two men stood silently, sizing each other up. One was the Holy Saint of Azure Sky, a Foundation Building Stage 7 cultivator, while his opponent, a core disciple, was at Stage 6. The tension in the air was palpable.
Suddenly, the core disciple unleashed seven arrows in quick succession, their trajectory bending mid-air like homing missiles as they shot toward the saint. However, the saint remained completely still. Raising his middle and index fingers, he infused them with concentrated qi, creating a powerful suction force. The arrows were pulled toward his fingers, striking them directly. Yet, thanks to the concentrated qi armor at the impact points, the arrows failed to leave even a scratch.
The saint raised his finger and fired a qi bullet at his opponent. The speed and power of the projectile far surpassed the arrows fired earlier, leaving the core disciple unable to block them all. One struck his leg, forcing him to his knees.
"I surrender," the man said bitterly, clearly overwhelmed by the difference in their abilities. He hadn't anticipated the gap between himself and the saint would be so vast.
"It was a good match," the saint replied with a polite smile before calmly leaving the arena. His composed demeanor only deepened his opponent's bitterness. Limping slightly, the defeated man exited the stage, knowing it would take hours to fully heal his injured leg.
"I didn't expect the gap to be this huge. Their abilities are on a completely different level," Sun Xi remarked with a sigh, watching the match's conclusion.
Chen Fan observed the scene with a faint smile. After witnessing the saint's display of strength, a deep sense of excitement surged within him. He knew that the saint had likely held back much of his power, which only fueled Chen Fan's eagerness to face him. The thought of testing himself against someone hailed as the best of his generation filled him with anticipation.
The other matches continued without incident, though the excitement peaked whenever the remaining saints and saintesses stepped into the arena. The crowd erupted in cheers, eagerly awaiting their performances. However, those matches were over before they even began, as their opponents forfeited upon seeing the saints' names. Having witnessed the overwhelming power of the Azure Sky Saint, most challengers didn't dare face the others, knowing their chances of winning were nonexistent.
The crowd groaned in disappointment, and even Chen Fan couldn't hide his dissatisfaction. He had been eager to see the strength of the other saints but was instead met with a series of forfeits.
It took five hours for the first round to conclude. Without delay, the old man reappeared, his voice booming across the arena. "The second round will now begin!" he announced, prompting all the winners to glance at their palms for their next arena assignments.
"Arena 7," Chen Fan murmured, spotting his match. Without hesitation, he made his way toward the designated location, his steps accompanied by Sun Xi's cheers from the distance.
As he approached, Chen Fan froze for a moment, his gaze locking on his opponent. A faint but eager smile spread across his face. The crowd, too, turned their attention to Arena 7, excitement rippling through the spectators. Whispers and exclamations filled the air as they realized who was about to compete.
Standing opposite Chen Fan, exuding a calm yet commanding aura, was none other than the Azure Sky Saint himself—one of the most favored candidates to win the entire competition.