Chapter 268: Uninvited Guests and Secret Realm News

"Is this real?"

"A Foundation Establishment Perfection disciple of the Heavenly Azure Sect is actually being suppressed by a Seventh-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator to the point of being almost unable to fight back?"

"It is indeed Beyond Common Sense. Even if that armor is a Two-Pattern Magic Tool, the shockwaves from the attacks should still be enough to injure his internal organs."

The crowd was filled with bewilderment.

Wenren Jie and the other aristocratic family geniuses also revealed expressions of doubt upon witnessing this scene.

"Last time, when Ye Fan took Yun Yi's moves head-on, the recoil made him cough up blood. So how is it that he's taken so many of Zeng Guang's attacks now without looking the slightest bit injured?"

"It is indeed strange. Even if Zeng Guang's strength is inferior to Yun Yi's, the gap shouldn't be this massive!" Shangguan Hong, a genius of the Shangguan Family, remarked.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged dozens of moves.

This was because the shockwaves generated by their repeated head-on collisions caused no damage whatsoever to Ye Fan, yet they significantly affected Zeng Guang.

It caused the aura surrounding his body to gradually fall into disarray.

Seizing a fleeting opening, Ye Fan took a fierce step forward. Consolidating seventy percent of his physical strength along with the might of his Dharma Tool into his right fist, he ruthlessly smashed it toward Zeng Guang's chest.

Zeng Guang hurriedly brought his wooden sword up to block.

However, Ye Fan's physical power was simply too terrifying, striking with the force of a crashing hill.

"Boom!" The gauntlet slammed into the wooden sword, scattering its mana, and continued right into Zeng Guang's chest.

The tyrannical force sent Zeng Guang flying backward like a kite with a snapped string. He crashed heavily against the edge of the arena platform, violently coughing up a mouthful of blood as his wooden sword flew from his grasp.

"He lost!"

"Zeng Guang actually lost!"

The crowd found it entirely unbelievable.

"He actually managed to do it. A gap of three cultivation layers shouldn't be something two Dharma Tools can bridge, right?"

"Who knows? Perhaps those two Dharma Tools are exceptionally special," someone suggested.

"I... lost." Zeng Guang struggled to his feet, finding the agonizing pain in his chest unbearable. Evidently, several of his ribs had been fractured.

Ye Fan stowed away his gauntlets and armor, gave Zeng Guang a brief nod, and turned to walk off the arena.

"Cloudstream Xu Family, Ye Fan, passed!" the deacon announced indifferently. "Leng Chen, go up and take Zeng Guang's place."

"Yes, Deacon." A person beside him stepped forward and cupped his fists.

After Ye Fan, Xu Deyue, and Xu Mingxian passed the arena assessment, they turned and left without lingering in Corner Constellation City for even a single breath.

They truly just came to Go Through the Motions!

Today, Ye Fan's feat of defeating a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator as a mere Seventh-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator would soon spread throughout the entire Heavenly Azure Prefecture.

Wenren Jie and the others wore solemn expressions. As geniuses nurtured by aristocratic families and future leaders of their clans, they felt a profound pressure emanating from the Xu Family.

"Four out of the five core members of the Xu Family are this outstanding. What about the Xu Clan Head? What kind of extraordinary figure could command them? Surely it can't just be suppression through seniority?" Wenren Jie muttered.

"Brother Wenren, are you implying that the Xu Clan Head is also exceptionally formidable in terms of combat power?" Shangguan Hong asked.

"Perhaps. But I've heard he is a Grandmaster Alchemist with profound attainments in pill refining, so his combat prowess might not be that important."

After a moment, Wenren Jie sighed with emotion. "I wonder where the Xu Family even came from.

"Out of curiosity, my Wenren Family once investigated them but found absolutely nothing. The Wu Family, who were the only ones that might have known, were wiped out early on by a Golden Core Perfected Being."

"Right now, the Xu Family is holed up in Cloudstream Town. If they expand to the Seven Cities in the future..."

"It will be very difficult, unless a Golden Core Perfected Being emerges from the Xu Family. But even if that happens, adding another Golden Core Aristocratic Family means the existing ones in every city will have to cede a portion of their interests.

"It is no easy feat for a newly established aristocratic family to quickly gain a firm foothold.

"The last time a Golden Core Aristocratic Family emerged was over one hundred and eighty years ago."

Over the past two days, aside from the Golden Core Aristocratic Families and the Xu Family, only five others had passed.

Three of them were from the top five Foundation Establishment Aristocratic Families of Corner Constellation City, while the other two were rogue cultivators who suddenly rose to prominence like dark horses.

On average, only about seven or eight people passed the assessment in the other cities.

Corner Constellation City had slightly more simply because of the unexpected variable that was the Xu Family.

Among the Golden Core Aristocratic Families across the seven cities, the Yan Family of House Constellation City had the most members pass, with only two.

Of course, this wasn't to say that Golden Core Aristocratic Families couldn't cultivate exceptional geniuses. It was just that there were far too few who were under one hundred and twenty years old, had reached Foundation Establishment Perfection, and possessed strong combat capabilities.

Many geniuses had yet to reach Foundation Establishment Perfection.

After all, not everyone was a Ye Fan.

Even those at the Ninth-Level Foundation Establishment who could pass were exceptionally rare.

Three days later.

Those who had passed from each city gathered together. They boarded a Magic Skiff to travel alongside the deacons and disciples of the Heavenly Azure Sect. A maximum of two family members could accompany each candidate who passed.

Xu Chuan intended to tag along and have a look.

Meeting more people and deducing their fortunes would benefit the growth of his divination cultivation.

Seven Magic Skiffs, each several dozen meters long, sequentially passed through the Heavenly Azure Sect's Sect-Protecting Grand Formation before finally hovering above a certain mountain peak.

While it was called a mountain peak, its summit had actually been sheared off, leaving behind a perfectly flat surface.

This location was different from the one Xu Chuan had visited last time.

There were seven square arena platforms here, each a hundred meters long and wide. They were covered in grayish-blue stone slabs and looked exceedingly ordinary.

Traces of array patterns could be seen around the bases of the platforms.

Presumably, defensive formations could be activated for all of them.

Xu Chuan sent a telepathic message to Xu Mingxian, asking about the grades of these formations.

"These arenas are all rigged with high-grade Tier-2 formations," Xu Mingxian replied telepathically after a sweeping glance. "They should be used for matches between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining disciples."

Xu Chuan gave a slight nod.

"Everyone, please disembark from the Magic Skiffs."

One after another, Foundation Establishment cultivators, and even Golden Core cultivators, departed from the Magic Skiffs and landed on the ground.

A short while later.

Streaks of rainbow light flew over from all directions.

It was the disciples of the Heavenly Azure Sect and the members of the Three Sects arriving.

Leading the Green Wood Sect were Sect Master Feng Juechen and Law Enforcement Elder Chen Changge.

Xu Chuan stepped forward and greeted them with a smile. "Sect Master Feng, Elder Chen, it's been a long time."

"Daoist Friend Xu," Chen Changge replied.

Feng Juechen merely gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

His relationship with Xu Chuan was ultimately rather shallow, remaining strictly at the level of nodding acquaintances.

Chen Changge, however, was much more enthusiastic.

Before the elders of the Heavenly Azure Sect arrived, the various disciples greeted and conversed with one another.

Ye Fan, in particular, drew a lot of attention. Many sect disciples and scions of Golden Core Aristocratic Families were curious about him and flocked over to offer their greetings.

Ye Fan returned their pleasantries one by one.

"Your Xu Family descendants are truly outstanding. Unlike my Chen Family; we only have one person barely ranked ninth in the Green Wood Sect. I don't even know if he'll have a chance to secure a spot this time."

"Which one?"

Chen Changge paused for a moment before pointing toward one of the Green Wood Sect disciples standing not too far away.

The young man was quite short compared to the crowd. He wore the standard uniform of the Green Wood Sect, possessed a plump figure, and had squinty eyes.

It was hard to tell if his eyes were squeezed shut because of his weight or if they naturally only opened to a mere slit.

'Squinty eyes?'

Xu Chuan rested one hand behind his back and began to form hand seals.

A moment later, he offered a faint smile. "Elder Chen, this disciple of yours is quite interesting. I believe he will give you a pleasant surprise."

"Oh?" Chen Changge was immediately surprised. "How could you tell?"

"Because those with squinty eyes are all monsters in disguise!"

"Huh?"

"Hahaha," Xu Chuan chuckled lightly. "Don't mind me, Elder Chen. I was merely spouting nonsense."

"Daoist Friend Xu is humorous as always. But please, stop calling me Elder Chen. It sounds awkward."

"Brother Chen!"

"Brother Xu!"

The two exchanged a knowing smile.

Many Golden Core Perfected Beings were quite surprised to see this interaction.

It was exceedingly rare to see a Golden Core Perfected Being willing to lower their status and associate so closely with a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.

About thirty minutes later.

Suddenly, the sharp sound of something tearing through the air rang out from the distance.

The crowd looked up, only to see three brilliant streaks of light hurtling across the distant horizon.

One was crimson like fire, one was amber like earth, and the last was a translucent white like jade. Each streak of light was enshrouded in a majestic pressure, radiating the distinct mana fluctuations that only Late-Stage Golden Core cultivators possessed!

The three streaks of light traveled at an incredible speed, landing atop the mountain peak in the blink of an eye. The radiant glow abruptly withdrew, revealing three figures who gently touched down.

The leading elder was clad in a scarlet-gold Daoist robe. His complexion was ruddy, his long beard was as white as snow, and his entire body exuded scorching Spirit Power. He was the Fire Elder among the Five Elements Elders.

To his left stood a burly man wearing an earth-yellow brocade robe; his aura was as heavy as a towering mountain. This was the Earth Elder.

To the right was an elder with a youthful face and white hair, dressed in a moon-white Daoist robe and clutching a Horsetail Whisk. This was the Metal Elder.

The Five Elements Elders of the Heavenly Azure Sect was a title of deep respect, bestowed only upon those who had achieved extreme mastery in the Dao of the Five Elements.

Every single one of them was at the Late-Stage Golden Core cultivation level.

The Fire Elder's gaze swept across the crowd, his voice resonating as loud as a bell. "The thirty-six cultivator slots for the Heavenly Azure Prefecture will be decided through Arena Battles today!

"Those who believe they are worthy of a spot may step onto the arena to defend it. You must accept challenges from three people. If you win all three matches, you will secure a slot.

"If no one challenges you within fifteen minutes, it will also be considered a successful defense.

"Once you successfully defend an arena, you can no longer participate as a challenger.

"Each person may act as a defender once and a challenger three times.

"If you fail three times as a challenger, you may not challenge again. If you also fail as a defender, you will lose all hope of obtaining a slot.

"The Arena Battles will conclude once all thirty-six slots have been filled.

"Those who obtain a slot will be permitted to enter our Heavenly Azure Sect's Dao Repository Pavilion to choose a single cultivation art or Divine Ability.

"Half a year from now.

"You will gather at our Heavenly Azure Sect once more to head to the Profound Moon Prefecture for the Prodigy Grand Assembly's preliminary qualifiers.

"Has everyone clearly understood the rules of the arena?"

"We understand!"

"Then let us begin. The central platform will serve as the battleground. As for the rest of you Daoist friends, watch the matches obediently and do not interfere. Once on the arena, unless one surrenders, life or death matters not.

"If anyone violates these rules, do not blame this old man for showing no mercy!"

Everyone's expressions turned solemn.

The Earth Elder personally presided over the Arena Battles to prevent any "accidents" from occurring after a surrender.

The young Foundation Establishment cultivators scattered around looked at one another. For a time, no one stepped onto the platform.

The rules of this Arena Battle were exceptionally simple. Defending an arena secured one's own spot, while challenging an arena eliminated others.

Therefore, acting as a defender was of the utmost importance.

However, the very first person to step up to defend would face the greatest pressure.

It was highly likely they would be challenged by the three strongest individuals among the remaining participants.

"Since no one else is going up, I'll be the first to defend the arena!"

A handsome young man, hands clasped behind his back, pushed off his toes and floated onto the platform as if riding the wind.

"I am Xi Tianqing. Which Daoist friend is willing to come up and enlighten me?"

The crowd remained utterly silent.

This was simply because he was ranked first on the Genius Ranking in the Heavenly Azure Prefecture—the most outstanding talent of the current generation in the Xi Family.

At just a little over sixty years old, he had already reached Foundation Establishment Perfection and even comprehended the Divine Ability Power of a certain Divine Ability.

"This kid is quite extraordinary," Xu Chuan casually remarked.

"Brother Xu, that goes without saying. He has the Heavenly Spirit Root Aptitude and has been nurtured with the Xi Family's most premium resources from the very beginning. While the rest of us must bitterly search for high-grade cultivation methods,

"he started practicing a top-tier cultivation method right out of the gate.

"Every pill he consumes for cultivation is a high-grade one. His path has been smooth sailing, and on top of that, his comprehension is astonishing, allowing him to successfully grasp Divine Ability Power at just over sixty years of age.

"Even before I achieved Core Formation, I probably wouldn't have been able to defeat him."

'My Xu Family is much the same. It's just that our cultivation methods are slightly lacking, requiring a switch once reaching Foundation Establishment,'

Xu Chuan grumbled internally.

He felt that once he or another member of the Xu Family formed a Golden Core, the Clan Genealogy would surely bestow an exclusive Foundation Establishment cultivation method.

With both of these foundations in place, the potential of the Xu Family descendants wouldn't be lacking in the slightest.

Seeing that no one was stepping up to challenge him, Xi Tianqing looked a bit bored. "Junior Brother Cang, Junior Brother Shen, Junior Brother Lei, Junior Sister Liu, won't any of you come up and exchange a few moves with your senior brother?"

"I heard the Ling Fairy of the Cloudstream Xu Family has comprehended Divine Ability Power. I wonder if she is present today?"

Chen Changge nudged Xu Chuan with his elbow. "Brother Xu, he's calling out your Xu Family."

Xu Chuan's lips twitched slightly.

"Sister Ling has long since gone out to travel the world. Let me be the one to seek your guidance instead." Xu Deyue's cold voice rang out as she leaped onto the arena platform.

"'Cold Moon Immortal Fairy.' As pure and cold as the moon, just as your name implies," Xi Tianqing smiled faintly. "Please, feel free to attack with everything you have, Cold Moon Immortal Fairy."

"I only have three sword strikes. If you can block them all, I will concede."

Xu Deyue's jade-like fingers lightly brushed her Storage Pouch. The Heavenly Water Sword shot into the air, its blade shimmering with watery light as if it contained a clear spring within.

Hearing this, a confident smile tugged at the corners of Xi Tianqing's mouth.

Xu Deyue didn't waste another word. Her fingertips shifted through incantation seals, and the Heavenly Water Sword began to hum with power.

"Frigid River Cascade!"

The moment her voice fell, the watery light on the blade surged dramatically, transforming into a biting sword current that swept toward Xi Tianqing like a torrential winter river.

Wherever the sword current passed, the very air filled with a piercing chill.

With a wave of his hand, Xi Tianqing condensed the wind currents around him into a shield, effortlessly blocking the sword stream.

Xu Deyue's expression remained unchanged as she drove her sword art further. "Tidal Roar Breaker!"

The Heavenly Water Sword suddenly erupted with the roaring sound of crashing waves. Wrapped in layers of water, the blade turned into a surging sword tide, cleaving straight toward Xi Tianqing's face with the immense momentum of a tsunami crashing against the shore.

The smile on Xi Tianqing's face gradually faded. He channeled his wind-element Divine Ability Power, turning the surrounding gales into a cyclone of spinning wind blades that clashed directly with the sword tide.

"Boom!"

As the crashing waves and wind blades collided, violent shockwaves scattered in all directions. Xi Tianqing's body swayed slightly, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes.

The power of this strike was actually comparable to the ultimate moves of the top five young disciples of the Heavenly Azure Sect.

The four individuals Xi Tianqing had called out earlier all revealed shocked expressions.

Liu Yue, in particular, was astounded.

"Xu Deyue's strength has grown significantly compared to a year ago!"

"Azure Abyss Lock!"

At this moment, Xu Deyue's fingertips rapidly shifted incantations. The Heavenly Water Sword hovered in midair as the watery light gathered upon its blade, actually manifesting into a miniature vast sea.

As the water rippled, it gave off a profound sense of confinement, heavily pressing down toward Xi Tianqing.

Feeling the oppressive pressure of this sword strike, Xi Tianqing's expression turned entirely serious. Not daring to show the slightest bit of negligence, he immediately executed the Divine Ability he had comprehended.

"Wind Evolution, Sky Rift!"

The pale green wind instantly exploded outward, morphing into countless razor-sharp threads of wind. As the threads intertwined, they physically tore the air apart, forming a colossal green light blade stretching dozens of feet long that violently charged at the miniature sea.

"Crack!"

The miniature sea was cleaved clean in half by the green light blade.

Following that, Xi Tianqing wrapped his fist in terrifying wind currents, burst through the divided sea, and punched directly onto the Heavenly Water Sword.

"Clang!"

As the howling fist collided with the blade, Xu Deyue felt a sharp, cutting wind travel up the body of the sword. Her arm grew slightly numb, and the Heavenly Water Sword nearly slipped from her grasp.

She hurriedly recalled her sword and retreated, only to find that Xi Tianqing had already closed the distance and was right in front of her.

He hurled a punch right at her.

At that crucial moment, a ring on her left hand lit up with a blue glow, forming a translucent, watery-blue Light Screen that blocked Xi Tianqing's punch.

Xi Tianqing was knocked back by the rebound, and Xu Deyue was similarly forced to the very edge of the arena.

Liu Yue and the others were utterly shocked. They never imagined Xu Deyue could actually force Xi Tianqing to take her so seriously and even utilize his Divine Ability.

Although her sword art wasn't quite a Divine Ability, its raw power was infinitely close to one.

"I concede!" Xu Deyue understood that if she continued fighting, she would be no match for Xi Tianqing.

"Xi Tianqing successfully defends the arena!"

The Earth Elder announced calmly, a trace of appreciation in his eyes as he looked at Xu Deyue.

He opened the array's Light Screen to let her step down.

"Fairy Xu's strength has truly opened my eyes. Might I ask the name of that sword art? It seems quite extraordinary."

"The Heavenly Water Sword Art."

Having said her piece, Xu Deyue walked off the arena and returned to Xu Mingxian and Ye Fan's side. She then silently swallowed a pill to restore her depleted mana.

After that, no one else dared to challenge Xi Tianqing.

Once the fifteen minutes were up, Xi Tianqing smoothly claimed the very first slot.

The next to take the stage were the individuals in the top five of the Genius Ranking: Cang Daoling, Shen Feiyu, Lei Zhaojian, and Liu Yue.

They also happened to be the top five young disciples of the Heavenly Azure Sect.

Following that, no one dared to step up to the platform.

Many people turned their gazes toward Xu Deyue.

Xu Mingxian casually remarked, "Go on up. If you don't go, I'm afraid none of them will have the courage to."

"Yes, Father."

Xu Deyue leaped onto the platform, waited for fifteen minutes without facing a single challenger, and then stepped back down.

Next was the person originally ranked sixth on the Genius Ranking, who was also a disciple of the Heavenly Azure Sect and possessed immense strength.

However, there was still a noticeable gap between him and the top five.

Therefore, not long after he took the stage, he was challenged.

Yet, he effortlessly defeated his first two challengers.

It wasn't until his third challenger, Yan Kuangtu, took the stage that he was finally defeated.

The crowd was in an uproar.

No one expected that the Yan Family had secretly been hiding such a genius!

Given that Yan Kuangtu had previously forced Xu Deyue to use the Supreme Yin Flying Sword to defeat him, his strength was naturally formidable.

"Yan Kuangtu, do you wish to defend the arena?"

"I do!"

Two more people subsequently stepped up but were defeated by Yan Kuangtu, making him the seventh person from the Heavenly Azure Prefecture to secure a spot.

Liu Yue and the others grew secretly wary of Yan Kuangtu.

The strength he had displayed was already enough to threaten them.

Next up was Wang Chuan.

He fought tooth and nail to defeat three opponents, successfully claiming a slot.

This continued until the eleventh spot.

Ye Fan was itching for action.

Xu Mingxian said, "If you want to go up, just go. There is no need to hold back."

Ye Fan nodded and strode onto the platform.

"I am Ye Fan. Please enlighten me, Daoist friends."

The moment he spoke, many people began to whisper amongst themselves.

"He's the guy known to Speak Arrogantly? The Dao companion of the Cold Moon Immortal Fairy?"

Seeing Ye Fan take the stage, Yun Yi instantly recalled the humiliating scene at the "Cloud Lake Gathering" where he had lost entirely.

Without another word, he leaped onto the arena.

"Enemies are bound to cross paths on a narrow road, Daoist Friend Yun Yi," Ye Fan stated calmly, his gaze narrowing slightly.

"I didn't expect you to be so arrogant, Daoist Friend Ye, jumping out so early. Wouldn't it have been better for you to obediently fight for the final few spots?"

"You want me to learn from you? I would rather die!" Ye Fan's voice suddenly turned ice-cold. "Perfect timing. We can use this battle to settle our grievances once and for all."

"Such arrogance!"

A Black Iron Staff appeared in Yun Yi's hand. It was a One-Pattern Magic Tool.

A flash of crimson light flared around Ye Fan, and his scarlet-gold armor and gauntlets materialized.

Chen Changge's eyes lit up. He nudged Xu Chuan's arm again. "Brother Xu, I heard your Xu Family has quite a few Two-Pattern Magic Tools. Seeing it now, the rumors are indeed true.

"I wonder if you might be willing to sell one to my Chen Family."

"We actually do have one that is perfectly suited for that plump kid from your Chen Family. Four thousand five hundred Spirit Stones. Once the competition is over, you can come to my Xu Family to hand over the Spirit Stones and collect the Dharma Tool."

"Isn't that price a bit steep?"

"It is a Two-Pattern Special Defensive Dharma Tool of the earth element. Not only does it have excellent defensive capabilities, but much like that plump disciple of yours, it can also store earth-attribute Spirit Power."

Xu Chuan added through a telepathic message, "The upper limit of earth-attribute Spirit Power this Dharma Tool can store is much higher than what he is currently capable of holding."

"How do you know?" Chen Changge was slightly surprised.

"That is not convenient to disclose. Just tell me whether you want it or not."

"I want it!" Chen Changge said decisively. "What is the name of this Dharma Tool?"

"The Taotie Shield!"

Having struck the deal, he returned his attention to the match on the arena.

Ye Fan unleashed one hundred percent of his physical strength. Coupled with his Grandmaster-level martial arts techniques, he was able to push this strength to an even more terrifying level, rivaling the might of a Tier 2 Peak Demonic Beast.

With his two-pattern armor and gauntlets, Ye Fan was now undeniably a humanoid Demonic Beast.

A humanoid Demonic Beast that actually knew martial skills and all sorts of magical arts, to boot!

Fully equipped with his Dharma Tools, even utilizing just seventy percent of his strength was enough to suppress an ordinary Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator armed with a Top-Grade Magical Artifact.

Now, he was beating Yun Yi so badly that the man was fleeing all over the platform.

The Top-Grade Magical Artifact shield floating in front of Yun Yi was littered with fist indentations, looking as though it were on the verge of being physically shattered.

Not only were the Foundation Establishment cultivators utterly shocked, but even the Golden Core immortal cultivators had their pupils contract as they felt a secret sense of astonishment.

The sheer physical strength this kid possessed was truly Beyond Common Sense!

After merely dozens of exchanges.

Yun Yi was blasted into a state of severe injury, his Dharma Tool and shield knocked completely from his grasp. Had he not called out his surrender in time, he likely would have been smashed into pieces by Ye Fan's fists. Even maintaining a mana barrier wouldn't have been able to save him.

After Yun Yi stepped down, two more people who refused to believe the hype came up to try their luck.

However, after only a dozen or so exchanges, they sequentially surrendered, Stopping at the Right Point.

Even after they had left the arena, their sword-holding hands were still trembling faintly.

"Freak!" the two cursed quietly.

Ye Fan smoothly secured the eleventh slot.

Time slowly trickled by.

Since Yun Yi had been severely injured, if he couldn't recover, he likely had no hope of obtaining a slot.

When it came time to vie for the eighteenth slot.

Xu Chuan suddenly sent a telepathic message to Xu Mingxian. "Go up and challenge the arena, but do not act as the defender. You only need to take the very last spot."

"Understood, Father," Xu Mingxian nonchalantly replied.

The current defender was a rogue cultivator, one of the dark horses who had suddenly risen to prominence during the seven-city selections.

His strength was nothing to scoff at; he had consecutively defeated two challengers.

The third challenger was Xu Mingxian, who mercilessly shattered the man's beautiful dream relying on the sheer might of his Two-Pattern Magic Tool.

Among everyone present, barely a dozen individuals possessed both an offensive and defensive Two-Pattern Magic Tool. The majority of the rest wielded One-Pattern Magic Tools that were highly compatible with their arts.

The tier below them used Top-Grade Magical Artifacts, though they might have cultivated incredibly potent cultivation arts.

Techniques such as Xu Deyue's Heavenly Water Sword Art, Wang Chuan's Frenzied Blood Blade Art, and Yan Kuangtu's Scarlet Thunder Sword Art were all terrifyingly powerful and notoriously difficult to cultivate.

One needed a highly compatible constitution just to stand a chance at mastering them.

The same logic applied to Dharma Tools.

A Top-Grade Magical Artifact that was easy to handle and perfectly harmonized with one's cultivation method could allow a cultivator to unleash more of their true strength than an Artifact Pattern Dharma Tool that possessed no such compatibility.

After that rogue cultivator admitted defeat, he shot Xu Mingxian a fierce glare before stepping off the platform.

"Do you wish to defend the arena?" the Earth Elder asked.

Xu Mingxian shook his head and stepped off the platform as well.

Many people were perplexed by this.

For the next several spots, Xu Mingxian refrained from challenging.

It wasn't until another dark horse rogue cultivator took the stage that he attacked at the final possible moment.

The previous two challengers had already drained a significant amount of the rogue cultivator's mana.

Thus, when Xu Mingxian made his move, his victory was much easier.

Then came the thirtieth spot, where Xu Mingxian once again caused a rogue cultivator's defense to fail.

As for another dark horse rogue cultivator, he was ousted by the plump disciple from the Chen Family during the battle for the thirty-fifth spot.

This, naturally, had been ordered by Xu Chuan.

The plump kid then acted as the defender. Relying on his astonishing earth-attribute defense and a sudden burst of power, he successfully claimed the thirty-fifth spot.

As for the very last slot.

Xu Mingxian finally stepped up to defend the arena.

The three challengers who opposed him were none other than the dark horse rogue cultivators whose defenses he had ruined at crucial moments earlier.

All three had solid strength, fully capable of ranking in the top twenty of the Genius Ranking.

However, Xu Mingxian casually pulled out a high-grade Tier-2 killing Array Disk, effortlessly inflicting heavy injuries upon them.

An Array Disk of such caliber was treated as a fundamental treasure even by Golden Core Aristocratic Families; they would absolutely never use it so lightly.

After all, unless one was a Tier-3 Array Master, it was extremely difficult to craft Array Tools of this grade—unless, of course, they possessed powerful formation deduction abilities like Xu Mingxian.

With that, all thirty-six slots had been decided.

"Since the thirty-six individuals have been determined, you will now follow this old man to the Dao Repository Pavilion to make your selections..."

Before he could finish his sentence.

A sinister, icy voice suddenly echoed across a radius of several hundred miles. The voice penetrated the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation of the Heavenly Azure Sect, carrying a distinct hint of provocation.

"Daoist friends of the Heavenly Azure Sect, guests have arrived from afar. Won't you come out and welcome us?"

Hearing this voice, the expressions of the Metal, Earth, and Fire Elders changed slightly. They instantly transformed into three streaks of escaping light and flew toward the edge of the Sect-Protecting Grand Formation.

A portion of the disciples and spectating cultivators followed them without a second thought.

The crowd arrived at the edge of the grand array and peered out through the Light Screen. There, hovering in the void, were twelve cultivators clad in black and red attire.

They consisted of both young disciples and middle-aged cultivators. Embroidered on all their robes was a blood-colored lotus flower that radiated an eerie and murderous aura.

Standing at the very front of the group were two extremely conspicuous elders.

The elder on the left was dressed in a crimson robe and possessed a figure as fat as a ball. His face was plastered with a greasy smile, yet his eyes were overflowing with ruthlessness. A faint, blood-colored mist swirled around his body.

The elder on the right was garbed in black robes. His frame was as frail and withered as firewood, and his hands were clasped behind his back. His skin clung tightly to his bones, making him look like a walking corpse, and his aura was bone-chillingly cold.

"Greedy Wolf Sect! For what reason have you come here?" the Earth Elder bellowed deeply, fury flashing in his eyes. "Are you looking to start a war with our Heavenly Azure Sect?"

The fat elder in crimson grinned widely. "Huang Yuan, it's been a long time. Your temper is still as fiery as ever."

"During the Prodigy Grand Assembly, sects are strictly forbidden from rashly starting conflicts, lest they face the combined wrath of the five peak sects. While our Greedy Wolf Sect doesn't put your Heavenly Azure Sect in our eyes...

"...we certainly don't dare offend the five peak sects."

"Then why are you here?"

"Asking a question you already know the answer to," the withered elder in black interjected, his voice as raspy as sandpaper. "Our Greedy Wolf Prefecture produces an endless stream of geniuses. Thirty-six slots are simply too few.

"Why doesn't your Heavenly Azure Prefecture lend us a few spots? Who knows, maybe it will even help your Heavenly Azure Prefecture bump up your ranking by a place or two and escape from the absolute bottom of the barrel."

Within the Eight Prefectures of the Northwest Region, the Profound Moon Prefecture, guarded by the Profound Moon Sect, naturally boasted the strongest overall power. The Greedy Wolf Prefecture, where orthodox and demonic cultivators mingled, ranked third.

The Profound Moon Sect had a regulation: if a prefecture contained multiple Nascent Soul Powers, they would be granted an additional thirty-six slots.

Aside from the Profound Moon Prefecture, only the second-ranked Cangshan Prefecture possessed two Nascent Soul Powers. The rest all had only a single Nascent Soul faction overseeing them.

Hearing this, Huang Yuan and the other two Heavenly Azure Sect elders were utterly incensed.

"This is daylight robbery," Xu Chuan muttered under his breath, though everyone else seemed completely accustomed to it.

It was the classic case of the weak being bullied by the strong!

"It was like this last time too. The Greedy Wolf Sect always arrives with impeccable timing," Chen Changge sent a telepathic message. "It's not just our Heavenly Azure Prefecture. The Flowing Moon Prefecture, which is ranked second from the bottom, also gets robbed of a few spots during every Prodigy Grand Assembly."

"Hehehe~"

"Does your Heavenly Azure Sect not have the guts?"

The withered black-robed elder cackled maliciously. "If you don't have the guts, then have the thirty-six Foundation Establishment immortal cultivators you've selected lower their heads and admit defeat to the Greedy Wolf Prefecture cultivators behind me, one by one. Do that, and we'll leave."

Upon hearing this.

The cultivators behind him all revealed mocking grins. Some even taunted, "That's right! We won't even make them kneel, kowtow, and call us granddaddy!

"Just bowing their heads and saying, 'I admit defeat, I am inferior to you' will be enough.

"That's a rare act of generosity on our part."

Xi Tianqing spoke up coldly, "A bunch of trash actually dares to spout such arrogance before my Heavenly Azure Sect's Sect-Protecting Grand Formation? If you have the guts, come duel me right now. I will absolutely sever your heads!"

"You have quite the temper, little friend. You must be the Xi Family's genius, Xi Tianqing."

The fat elder in crimson smiled faintly. "You are indeed qualified to say such words. But are you sure you want to lower your status to fight a group of cultivators from our Greedy Wolf Prefecture who couldn't even grab one of the thirty-six slots?"

Following that, he turned back to the Fire Elder. "Daoist Friend Chiyang, how about this? If you agree, I will share the details of a Secret Realm with you. It is a Secret Realm of the ancient Mount Tai Sect, and it will be opening for the very first time."

"The ancient Mount Tai Sect?!"

Delight surfaced on Huang Yuan's face. He looked toward Chiyang, who pondered for a moment before replying, "Is your Greedy Wolf Sect really so kind?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe me. Then, just as we said, have the people of your Heavenly Azure Prefecture take turns admitting defeat and we will leave. Otherwise, we'll just temporarily camp out right outside your grand array."

"Shameless!" Chiyang gritted his teeth. A moment later, he inquired again, "How do you want to battle?"

"Naturally, we won't start by challenging the top of your ranking. After all, we've heard of the Xi Family genius's reputation. Even among our Greedy Wolf Prefecture's top ten, there are only a sparse few who could exchange blows with him.

"We'll start from the thirty-sixth person.

"However, the people of my Greedy Wolf Prefecture have always been fiercely combative and don't know how to hold back. If they show mercy, it will be hard for them to utilize their full strength. Therefore, these battles will be to the death."

The three Heavenly Azure Sect elders exchanged glances, and Chiyang finally said, "Very well."

"Tianqing, go call the other thirty-six people over."

"Yes, Elder Chiyang."

Xi Tianqing immediately left, and a short while later, he brought the remaining individuals to the scene.

The group stepped out of the grand array and confronted the members of the Greedy Wolf Sect. Those who had just arrived also learned of the Greedy Wolf Sect's intentions, and each and every one of them was filled with righteous indignation.

Chiyang looked at the fat, crimson-robed elder. "Old Demon Liyang, isn't it time you shared the news about the Secret Realm?"

Old Demon Liyang smiled and immediately sent a telepathic message to the three Heavenly Azure Sect elders: Chiyang, Huang Yuan, and Bai Yan. Upon hearing the contents, all three of their pupils constricted slightly.

"The information has been provided. Can we begin now?"

Chiyang gave a slight nod before turning to sweep his gaze over the thirty-six cultivators behind him. He spoke with absolute gravity, "This battle concerns the honor of our Heavenly Azure Prefecture! Anyone who kills three Greedy Wolf Prefecture cultivators will have our Heavenly Azure Sect's Artificing Elder custom-forge an offensive Two-Pattern Magic Tool for them!

"Killing six will earn you a custom-forged defensive Two-Pattern Magic Tool as well!

"Killing nine will reward you with a complete Talisman Treasure!

"Killing all of them will allow you to make any one request of my Heavenly Azure Sect, so long as it falls within our ability to fulfill!"

Many people's eyes lit up with intense greed.

"The battles will begin from the thirty-sixth person. Step forward on your own."

Everyone else turned their gaze toward Xu Mingxian. Xu Mingxian glanced at his father, only to see Xu Chuan giving him a faint smile, an inexplicable curve playing at the corners of his mouth.

'So this is why.'

'As expected of Father!'