Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Yunlan Sect, as the most powerful force in the Jia Ma Empire, had been passed down through generations without interruption. Having weathered several dynastic changes, this colossal entity had deeply rooted itself in the soil of the Jia Ma Empire.
Even the imperial family of the Jia Ma Empire regarded it with considerable wariness.
With such a formidable reputation, the Yunlan Sect's Sect Competition naturally drew the attention of numerous factions.
The vast square, paved uniformly with massive stones, exuded an ancient and majestic aura. At its center stood a towering stone monument, imposing and grand.
Surrounding the square were stone steps built from massive rocks, capable of accommodating nearly a thousand people. Yet, at this moment, only a few dozen individuals were present.
These few dozen were all representatives from various factions who had received invitations to observe the competition.
At the top of the square, a series of elevated stone seats had been constructed, ascending step by step. According to their status and cultivation level, over a dozen elderly men in white robes were seated in order.
On the highest stone seat, a stunning woman dressed in a cyan ruqun slowly rose to her feet. She swept her gaze across the surroundings, and her cold voice, amplified by Battle Qi, echoed throughout the square.
"The competition begins."
As her voice faded, a white-robed elder seated just one step below her stood up and declared, "All disciples, enter the arena."
Following the elder's command, the massive square trembled slightly.
From the gaps between the surrounding stone steps, an unknown number of Yunlan Sect disciples, dressed in white robes with cloud and sword patterns embroidered on their sleeves, began to pour in.
After passing through the Bone Age Assessment Gate, only disciples under the age of twenty were eligible to participate in this Sect Competition. Those over twenty could only spectate.
In less than half an hour, over nine hundred Yunlan Sect disciples had completed the assessment, filling the previously empty stone steps.
"Now, I will announce the rules of the competition. All participating disciples, please listen carefully," said Yun Leng, the same white-robed elder from before.
"First, for the selection of outer sect disciples, due to the large number of participants, we will adopt a free-for-all format to save time. All outer sect disciples will enter the arena. Without forming teams, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the fifty remaining on the field will be selected.
The fifty who advance will then determine their opponents through a draw. All advancing disciples will come forward to draw lots, and those with the same number will face each other. The top ten from this competition will directly enter the Inner Sanctum."
"The selection for the Inner Sanctum will also determine opponents through a draw. The rewards for the top ten are exceptionally generous, with the first-place winner receiving an additional Fifth-Grade Pill personally refined by Pill King Gu He."
"Remember, this competition is for sparring purposes only. It should be conducted with restraint, and no lives should be taken."
After Yun Leng finished speaking, a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious robes waved to the crowd.
Whoosh!
The entire audience was stunned. Even the several dignified figures standing in the air at the top of the steps, leaders of various factions, turned their heads slightly.
A Fifth-Grade Pill personally refined by Pill King Gu He.
Without specifying the pill's name, it was highly likely that the first-place winner would be allowed to choose it themselves.
"Truly befitting of the Yunlan Sect," Fa Ma couldn't help but admire.
"The first place this time is undoubtedly Senior Sister Nalan. Do you think the first-place reward might be related to her?"
"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…"
Among the crowd, a few disciples whispered quietly.
The competition among the outer disciples was rather uneventful. To be precise, the large crowd that had gathered today wasn't there to watch the outer disciples.
Apart from the top ten, who garnered some attention, those ranked beyond the tenth place, even if they performed exceptionally, hardly drew any interest.
The event continued until noon, with a brief rest before the Inner Sanctum competition officially began.
There were only sixty-seven Inner Sanctum disciples under the age of twenty. (Chen Mo was an exception.)
To showcase the prestige of the Yunlan Sect, the Grand Elder called out the names one by one. Those whose names were called would step forward, announce their cultivation level, and then demonstrate a few moves.
In Chen Mo's eyes, this was nothing more than a personal showcase.
The first to take the stage was Yun Hai, the Grand Elder's grandson.
As soon as he appeared, he was showered with praise, and various compliments flew around. Then came the explanations from the disciples.
For example, whenever he used a certain technique, there would be an exclamation of "Ah!" followed by an explanation of how difficult the technique was, how to counter it, and how powerful it was.
Good heavens, even the World Cup wasn't analyzed in such detail.
Yun Hai's performance was commendable, and Yun Leng's face beamed like a blooming chrysanthemum.
He drew the number 32, gave a slight bow, and then left the stage.
Chen Mo, who had deliberately seated himself in a corner, felt his head about to explode from the constant barrage of notifications.
"Ding, ding, ding, ding your sister! Why are you dinging, you extra?"
The problem was, Chen Mo couldn't set his notifications to "Do Not Disturb" like on WeChat, so his head was still buzzing.
As a result, when Yun Leng called out the name of the 29th contestant, Chen Mo, no one stepped forward.
The previously quiet square once again became chaotic.
"Chen Mo, isn't that the new personal disciple the Sect Master just took in?"
"Don't spread rumors; it's not official yet. He has to make it into the top ten first."
"Why hasn't he come up? Could he be chickening out?"
"Surely not, or the Sect Master would lose face."
...
"Chen Mo, where is Chen Mo? Hurry up and come forward!" Yun Leng raised his voice, urging.
The higher-ups of the Yunlan Sect also began to murmur, their gazes involuntarily turning toward the high platform behind them.
However, Yun Yun merely let out a cold snort, and they quickly averted their eyes.
Yun Yun frowned.
At that moment, a slender yet upright young man with an air of masculinity stepped into the center of the square.
The young man's face carried a hint of irritation. He had originally intended to keep a low profile during his personal showcase, but his delayed appearance had caused Sister Yun Yun to lose face.
This time, Chen Mo had to reclaim that lost dignity.
"Chen Mo, sixteen years old, Two-Star Battle Master." Chen Mo's calm voice surprisingly reached everyone in the square.
"Is that Chen Mo?"
"He's quite handsome."
"Damn, he was sitting right next to me earlier."
"Wow, a Two-Star Battle Master at sixteen? Is that for real? Even Senior Sister Nalan can't match that talent."
"Did anyone see how old he was during the bone age test?"
...
"Two-Star Battle Master? Didn't the Sect Master say he was a One-Star Battle Master during the Council of Elders meeting a few days ago? How did he reach Two-Star in just a few days?"
The Council of Elders and various factions maintained a skeptical attitude.
Under the watchful eyes of over a thousand people, Chen Mo glanced at Yun Yun and began his personal showcase.
A sudden gust of wind caused Chen Mo's white robe to flutter noisily. Chen Mo, imitating a character from a certain anime, struck a pose, simultaneously demonstrating the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Strength.
It seemed as though even the heavens were cooperating with Chen Mo's show of bravado, as the sky suddenly darkened and the wind grew fiercer.
When everything seemed absolutely perfect.
"Roar!"
A mighty elephant's roar erupted from within Chen Mo's body. The shadow of a colossal elephant, its body entwined with tiny lightning serpents and its long trunk encircled by Purple Flames, suddenly appeared above Chen Mo's head.
With a single stomp of his foot, the hard stone beneath him cracked, radiating fissures that extended over ten meters. Surging black Battle Qi, mingled with streaks of lightning and Purple Flames, burst forth from Chen Mo's body.
At this moment, Chen Mo had transformed into a messenger from hell.
(End of Chapter)