Chapter 1242: Team Entry! Generous Rewards!

"Next, let us welcome the 31 teams participating in this year's Exchange Tournament!"

"First up, the champion of the last Sacred Grounds Exchange Tournament—the team from the Lingshu Sacred Grounds!"

The music suddenly turned fierce, accompanied by roaring cheers from the audience seats.

A team of competitors clad in ice-blue battle suits stepped out from the corridor.

The team was divided into two rows: one of Starlight Rank, one of Starry Rank.

At the forefront of the Starry Rank row walked a silver-haired girl.

With every step she took, crystalline ice flowers formed beneath her feet.

"Ice Queen Elinna!"

"Just seeing this queen up close is worth the ticket price!"

"Among all Starry Rank competitors here, she is unquestionably the strongest."

"......"

The Starry Rank competitors in the competitor zone instinctively glanced toward her.

This child of destiny was indeed an extremely formidable opponent.

She had participated in the last seven or eight Sacred Grounds Exchange Tournaments, maintaining an undefeated record without exception.

Xu Jingming likewise narrowed his eyes, carefully observing this formidable rival.

Elinna's features were flawless, her silver hair cascading like a waterfall, her ice-blue eyes seeming to pierce straight into the soul.

But what drew more attention was the chilling aura surrounding her—space itself appeared frozen.

"She hasn't unleashed her domain yet; merely walking casually stirs changes in the surrounding environment."

"Her Ice Domain has reached perfect completion and is beginning to touch upon the Laws."

Xu Jingming silently mused within his heart.

Starry Rank Ninth Stage, Ice Domain Eighteen Layers perfected.

And she wields the upper-tier Time Domain, reaching the Eleventh Layer.

Even her T7-level Divine Form, the "Ultimate Frost Ice Phoenix Form," has achieved perfect mastery.

Even he, without activating the Purple Nightmare Demon Body, couldn't guarantee victory.

"Still, it's opponents like this that are interesting."

Xu Jingming's lips curled slightly, his cold, sharply defined black-and-white eyes already ablaze with battle intent.

"Boring. It's all just crushing weaklings—better to use this time to carry out missions."

"True. These low-tier civilization universe states' Sacred Grounds are too weak—they don't spark any interest in me."

"Every ten years, same thing. Still not used to it? Just go through the motions—maintain Lingshu Sacred Grounds' dignity, that's enough."

"True. Might as well treat it as a leisure activity—after all, winning brings rewards."

"......"

Amidst the fierce music and the cheers of tens of millions in the crowd,

aside from the newcomers, who wore expressions of excitement, the rest of the Lingshu Sacred Grounds team remained utterly unmoved.

Some even yawned out of boredom.

Indeed, for them, this Sacred Grounds Exchange Tournament held no challenge whatsoever.

Crush too many weaklings, and even that grows tiresome.

Elinna, who had participated in the last eight Exchange Tournaments and climbed from Starry Rank One to her current position, wore the same expressionless face.

Yet she noticed one young man in the competitor zone gazing at her with burning battle intent.

"Elder Elinna, what's wrong?"

A teammate noticed her anomaly and asked with a smile.

"Who is he?"

Elinna's ice-blue eyes turned toward the Noa Sacred Grounds.

In the Sacred Grounds Exchange Tournament, nearly every Sacred Ground receives data on members of other Sacred Grounds.

To formulate targeted tactics and secure victory more easily.

But she had none—and needed none.

Because no matter who it was, she could win effortlessly.

"Him? I know.

Xu Jingming of the Noa Sacred Grounds, Eternal Divine Spirit's direct disciple.

His talent seems decent—he broke from Starry Rank Two to Seven in just half a year.

His combat strength is formidable: Lightning Domain Seventeenth Layer, Destruction Domain Tenth Layer.

Yesterday, he single-handedly defeated the entire Starry Rank team of the Black Cliff Sacred Grounds.

If it hadn't caused a major commotion, I wouldn't have known about him."

The man beside her replied with a smile.

"Destruction Domain Tenth Layer?"

Elinna slightly lifted her gaze, then quickly looked away, no longer paying attention.

His talent was indeed impressive—but to show battle intent toward me? Only proves he's still too young.

After Lingshu Sacred Grounds, teams emerged one after another.

Though this was Lingshu Sacred Grounds' home ground, the audience still generously offered applause and cheers.

Of course, this was merely polite formality.

"Fifteenth! The Noa Sacred Grounds team! Let us welcome them!"

Soon, the group from Noah Sanctuary also appeared.

Sol took the lead, unleashing his Star Peak aura without restraint.

His three-meter-tall frame resembled a mobile fortress.

Ye Lan, at Star Stage Two, stood slightly behind, her purple hair fluttering, her cold and stunning aura immediately drawing countless glances.

"Sol! Sol!"

"Goddess Ye Lan! Look this way!"

"Raymon! The mighty Juling clan member!"

"......"

The veteran competitors from Noah Sanctuary clearly had their own fan bases.

Especially Ye Lan—wherever she went, screams never ceased.

Xu Jingming and Raymon walked in the middle of the procession; the Law Seed marks on their foreheads drew some audience attention.

"Who are those two with Law Seed marks on their foreheads?"

"Don't know. Seems like newcomers."

"Eternal Divine Spirit's direct disciple—shouldn't their strength be decent?"

"......"

Similar murmurs rose and fell across the audience seats.

But overall, the fame of the others clearly couldn't compare to Sol and Ye Lan.

For example, Xu Jingming—even though he caused such a commotion yesterday.

Yet when they appeared, few in the audience could shout his name.

In contrast, beauties like Ye Lan, Lu Yunji, and Yuli received far more cheers.

There's no helping it—humans are visual creatures; beautiful women naturally draw more attention.

"How's it feel? Feeling a bit ignored?"

Raymon lowered his head slightly and asked with a smile.

"Fine."

Xu Jingming smiled, "It doesn't matter. Once the competition starts, they'll remember our names."

"Haha, I feel the same way."

Raymon's eyes gleamed with sharp light.

As a rare Juling clan member, he held himself to extremely high standards.

Sweeping all opponents in his own stage was the bare minimum.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would challenge stronger opponents of higher stages during the challenge phase.

A few minutes later, amid endless cheers, all thirty-one Sanctuary teams stood on the stage.

"The entire Sanctuary Exchange Competition lasts thirty days, divided into two phases.

Phase One! Same-Stage Ranking Battle!

Each competitor will fight against all other Sanctuary competitors in their own stage!

Thirty matches—any competitor who wins all will receive an S9-grade cultivation resource and the privilege to soak in the Lingshu Sacred Spring for three days!

Phase Two! Cross-Stage Challenge!

The Sanctuary Exchange Competition encourages cross-stage challenges; each competitor must accept at least ten cross-stage challenges!

Ten successful challenges will earn a reward of one billion Cosmic Coins and the privilege to observe the Sanctuary Stone Tablet and receive an inherited battle technique!

The host's voice rang out again, and the audience erupted in a wave of gasps.

The competitors from each Sanctuary also breathed heavily.

S9-grade resources, the Lingshu Sacred Spring—even one billion Cosmic Coins—were all impossibly distant for them.

Yet now, if you performed well enough in the Exchange Competition, everything was within reach!