Chapter 29: Second Round Selection, Barely Making the Cut?

As time passed, many late Foundation Establishment disciples gradually exhausted their spiritual energy.

"No, hold on a little longer; you'll be promoted soon."

"After feeling my spiritual energy drained, this Soul-devouring Mirror began to absorb my blood essence and soul..."

"No, it's not worth damaging your blood essence and soul just for the promotion reward!"

Not long after, several more disciples were eliminated, and the final hundred smoothly advanced to the second round.

The envoy rested a moment, then returned to the square's air, reaching out to take the Soul-devouring Mirror back into his palm.

"Having absorbed so much spiritual energy, it's a pity that in the end it still has to be handed over..."

After a brief silence, he swept his gaze across the square, his voice filled with immense pressure:

"Second round, test of killing and decisiveness!"

Before his words faded, the square's ground exploded open, and hundreds of blood flesh puppets burst out of the earth.

These puppets had blood-red eyes, their bodies entwined with complex runes, each exuding an evil aura comparable to peak Foundation Establishment.

"Within the time of one incense stick, ranking by the number of blood flesh puppets slain, the top twenty will advance!"

The envoy produced a stick of mysterious incense out of thin air and lit it.

At the same time, countless blood flesh puppets seemed to awaken, instantly letting out low roars and surging toward the disciples like a tide.

On the field, Xue Wu Ying moved first.

In an instant, all the eliminated disciples and the watching outer-sect disciples turned their gazes to him.

He turned into a blood shadow, constantly weaving through the blood flesh puppets, his form like a ghost.

However, these blood flesh puppets had astonishing defenses; even though he was at mid Core Formation, he couldn't achieve a one-hit kill.

Wang Lan saw this and involuntarily let out a cold laugh.

"I thought the senior brother at mid Core Formation would be formidable, but he's nothing special."

He followed closely, his body erupting with blinding golden light as his sword edge, wrapped in terrifying killing intent, came down on a blood flesh puppet.

In an instant, that blood flesh puppet was forcibly cut in half.

But what no one expected was that the flesh at the puppet's cut kept wriggling, and soon it reattached itself.

"Hmph, Junior Brother Wang is no different."

Xue Wu Ying and Wang Lan had already regarded each other as the ultimate rivals in this grand competition.

In their view, the Holy Son of this tournament would inevitably emerge from either themselves or the other.

Subsequently, Xue Wu Ying drew a drop of essence blood from his brow, channeling it into the blood blade in his hand, instantly causing the blade's pressure to surge again.

"Since chopping it doesn't kill it, let's mince it into scraps!"

Xue Wu Ying unleashed a dozen slashes in an instant; before most disciples could react, the puppets' bodies were already chopped to pieces on the ground.

Seeing this, Wang Lan naturally refused to be outdone.

A fierce clash thus unfolded.

At that moment, Lu Chen stood behind the crowd, watching their duel with a cold expression.

Gu Xiangxiang waved her jade fan, shattering the puppets that lunged forward, and looking at him she urged urgently:

"Junior Brother, why aren't you moving? The mysterious incense has already burned two-tenths."

Before her words finished, his body suddenly moved, a flash of blood color flickering deep in his pupils.

Wielding the fifth-grade Blood Spirit Sword gifted by Su Qian, he flashed to a puppet's front, circulated killing intent, and swung several swords.

The Blood Spirit Sword rang out, and the puppet instantly turned into countless bits of rotting flesh scattered across the ground.

"What the hell!!"

This sudden scene instantly drew the attention of disciples at the same realm as him.

"We're both late Foundation Establishment; my spiritual power is already exhausted, yet he seems perfectly fine."

"Moreover, those puppets that cost the two senior brothers considerable effort, he slays them so easily?"

Their exclamations drew the attention of Xue Wu Ying and Wang Lan.

Upon seeing Lu Chen instantly slay another puppet, their faces each showed a hint of surprise.

"I didn't expect this kid to actually have some skill."

The time of one incense stick is not long; the two soon withdrew their gazes and continued to fiercely slay the puppets.

Above the square, the Qing Luo Sect Master watched the scene, the corners of his mouth slightly twitching, his eyes bearing an expression of having anticipated this.

In contrast, the envoy furrowed his brows tightly.

His wager this time is not small; given Lu Chen's currently displayed strength, he could actually be mentioned alongside Xue Wu Ying and Wang Lan.

"No, I need to think of a plan..."

With a burst of explosive sound, several puppets instantly shattered into blood mist.

As everyone wondered who had caused such a commotion, they saw Yun Heng walk out from the blood mist.

"Yun Heng?"

Hiding one's strength is the tradition of demonic cultivators.

But upon noticing the strength Yun Heng displayed, everyone present still reacted with extreme surprise.

"As expected, the yearly grand competition is never as simple as it appears on the surface."

Outside the field, Su Qian watched the situation, her expression complex.

"But... for you, these should hardly be a problem, right?"

Time passed second by second; the mysterious incense burned quickly, soon leaving only half a stick's worth.

Judging by the current progress, Xue Wu Ying leads the rank, having slain as many as forty-seven puppets.

Next are Wang Lan, Yun Heng, Mei Qianxue, and the disciple who previously survived the ancient tomb.

Lu Chen had killed only a few puppets; whenever he made a move, he kept watching the movements on the field.

Since the third round was a team battle, he needed to, at this point, get to know everyone's abilities as thoroughly as possible.

That way, in the battles to come, he could obtain more advantages.

Twenty people could qualify; he only needed to guarantee his own qualification.

"Twenty-four." He struck out with another sword, silently counting the number, his peripheral vision sweeping over the burning mysterious incense, deliberately slowing his pace slightly.

But his thought was instantly seen through by someone.

"You brat, still trying to play pig to eat tiger? You clearly have enough strength, yet you deliberately slow the pace."

The speaker was no one else but Empress Qi Luo.

"Hehe, Empress sister, if you know, don't say it out loud."

"My realm is not as high as yours; I certainly lack the confidence to sweep everything away, so hiding a bit is quite reasonable."

Hearing Lu Chen's words, the Empress suddenly pointed at the heavenly messenger.

"Just now, I noticed that Wang Lan and the Heaven Demon Sect's envoy had several frequent exchanges of glances. Pay more attention."

"..." Lu Chen pondered briefly, then nodded.

As the last trace of mysterious incense burned away, only a few puppets remained on the field.

"One incense stick's time is up!"

The envoy swept his hand, gathering the remnants of the flesh-and-blood puppets into his storage bag.

Refining these flesh-and-blood puppets is inexpensive; with enough corpses, the Heaven Demon Sect's elder can produce dozens in one go.

"Now, announce the rankings."

"First place, Xue Wuying, with sixty-three puppets slain!"

"Second place, Yunheng, with sixty-two puppets slain!"

"Third place, Wang Lan..."

"Twentieth place, Lu Chen, with thirty-nine puppets slain!"