141: Chapter 141 Lu Chen Avenue is close to the water, Han Yunxi: I have more water than him

Three days later.

In the center of the Yaochi Immortal Mountain, the Altar of Heaven Square.

The Altar of Heaven Square was built on a Floating Island in the exact center of the Yaochi Immortal Mountain, with no paths on any side; only a Void Plank Road paved with Yaochi Immortal Lotuses connected it to the main mountain.

The platform was constructed from Ninth-Grade White Jade, spanning three hundred feet in radius, and its surface was engraved with ancient Yaochi Array Patterns that flickered as the Spiritual Qi flowed through them.

Surrounding the platform, nine ten-thousand-foot-high Immortal Waterfalls hung upside down from the clouds, filling the air with mist and Spiritual Qi so dense it was visible to the naked eye.

Today, the Altar of Heaven Square was packed with people.

Thousands of Yaochi's female Disciples were arranged across the four sides of the Altar of Heaven Square according to their seniority and cultivation.

Inner Sect Disciples wore plain white immortal gowns, Outer Sect Disciples wore moon-white training uniforms, and Core Disciples wore silver-patterned palace dresses; looking out, it was a sea of white flowers.

On the northern side of the Altar of Heaven Square was the judges' seating.

Nine high chairs made of white jade were lined up, with the largest one in the center featuring a coiled dragon carved into its back.

Lu Chen sat in that chair, his expression wooden.

To his immediate left was Yao Xi, dressed in a Seven-Colored Cloud Gown with exquisite makeup; her gaze drifted toward Lu Chen from time to time, a smile playing on her lips.

Second on the left was Yu Yao, in a plain white palace dress with her hair in a Flying Immortal Bun held by a jasper hairpin; she held a teacup, her phoenix eyes half-closed, looking calm and composed.

To his immediate right was Jiang Yi, in a purple-gold long gown with her taixu sword resting across her knees; she leaned back against the chair with her long legs crossed, her gaze sweeping across the crowd below, though her full attention was on Lu Chen.

Second on the right was Nangong Waner, in a red dress, her bare feet resting on the edge of the chair and her chin on her knees; she stared at Lu Chen's profile with focused eyes.

Further out, Ji Ziyue sat in the third chair, wearing a purple flowing immortal dress, her phoenix eyes smiling in silence.

It was the very definition of 'stars surrounding the moon.'

Sitting in the center, Lu Chen felt less like a judge and more like a fish on a cutting board.

"Let us begin," Han Yunxi's voice drifted down from the highest point of the Altar of Heaven Square.

She did not appear at the judges' table herself; instead, she sat cross-legged on a green lotus a hundred feet above the square, an immortal veil covering her eyes as she looked down from above.

Yao Xi stood up and faced the thousands of Disciples below, her voice clear and resonant.

"The Yaochi Decennial Great Competition officially begins today."

"This competition is divided into three rounds: the first is the Dao Arts Competition, the second is the Alchemy Competition, and the third is the Arena Competition."

"The top three overall across all three rounds will receive priority training status from the Yaochi Holy Land, as well as various grades of Medicinal Pills and Magic Treasures."

A small commotion broke out below, though the noise remained subdued.

These rewards were standard, and everyone had long since grown accustomed to them.

Yao Xi paused for a breath, the corners of her mouth curving slightly as she turned to look at Lu Chen.

"However, this year is a bit different."

Her voice rose half a pitch, her gaze carrying a hint of fawning.

"We are honored to have the only Supreme Emperor currently walking the mortal world, Emperor Yun, Lu Chen, here to personally observe."

The crowd below instantly erupted.

"Emperor Yun!!"

"Ahhh! He really is at the judges' table!"

Yao Xi raised her hand to quiet the noise and continued, "Emperor Yun has also added an ultimate reward for this competition to encourage the younger generation of Yaochi."

She turned to face Lu Chen and gave a slight, dignified bow.

But Lu Chen saw clearly that the angle of her bow caused his line of sight to fall exactly three inches below her neckline.

This woman was doing it on purpose.

Lu Chen didn't respond; he leaned back and took a bite of an immortal fruit from the nearby fruit plate.

He didn't want to steal the spotlight; what did the Yaochi Great Competition have to do with him? He was just here to sponge off the hot springs and incidentally sponge off Yao Xi!

But his gaze inadvertently swept over the crowd below.

In the front row, Ye Qingxian was dressed in a sleek white training uniform with her twin tails tied high; she was jumping in place with her fists clenched, her large eyes shining like lamps.

Beside her, Nangong Ziyi stood with her arms crossed, the fighting spirit in her peach blossom eyes impossible to hide.

These two girls had also specially signed up.

Ye Qingxian was only at the Early Stage of the Xiantai Realm, and Nangong Ziyi was at half-step Xiantai; although the contestants in the Yaochi Great Competition were all from the younger generation, Yaochi's Foundation was deep, so these two would likely get beaten if they went up.

He looked at Ye Qingxian again.

The little girl was waving at him, her mouth moving silently as if saying, "Revered Master, look at me."

Lu Chen stood up.

The women at the judges' table all looked at him at once; Jiang Yi lowered her legs, Nangong Waner lifted her chin from her knees, and Yu Yao's teacup stopped at her lips.

Lu Chen walked to the edge of the judges' seating, his black robes fluttering slightly in the wind.

He didn't intentionally release his Emperor's pressure, but a Great Emperor standing there was a silent form of suppression in itself.

The clamor in the Altar of Heaven Square vanished the moment he stood.

Thousands of eyes were fixed on him.

"For this competition, in addition to the rewards already set, I will add one more."

"The first-place winner will receive a Pseudo-Emperor Grade Dharma Weapon refined by my own hands."

The sound of collective gasping filled the air—a Pseudo-Emperor Weapon! A Pseudo-Emperor Weapon personally refined by a Great Emperor!

Lu Chen paused.

He looked down at Ye Qingxian; the little girl's eyes had widened like copper bells, her mouth forming an 'O' shape.

"Furthermore!"

"The first-place winner will also receive an Empowerment Baptism personally performed by me using my Great Emperor's Origin Dao."

His voice landed.

A Great Emperor's Empowerment Baptism!

A Great Emperor personally performing an empowerment with Origin power to cleanse the tendons, forge the marrow, reshape the Foundation, and clear the Meridians! What did that mean?

It meant a complete transformation; it meant ascending to heaven in a single step.

In the front row of the Altar of Heaven Square, Liu Ruyan's throat bobbed twice as she clenched her fists.

"This first place is mine."

Beside her, her Junior Sister Wei Lingxue's eyes also turned red with desire.

"Senior Sister Liu, I want it too."

"Step aside."

"On what grounds!"

Further away, Song Miaoyin touched her lower abdomen, recalling the warmth of Lu Chen's palm that day; her cheeks burned red as she gripped her fists.

At the judges' table.

Jiang Yi leaned forward, the taixu sword in her grip humming loudly; she turned to look at Lu Chen, the light in her purple eyes complex.

"An Emperor's Empowerment..." her voice was very low, audible only to Nangong Waner beside her.

"If I suppress my cultivation to below the Saint Realm, can I sign up?"

Nangong Waner turned her head, her bare toes curling unconsciously beneath her red dress.

"What a coincidence," she said softly.

"I was thinking the exact same thing."

The two looked at each other, seeing the same madness in each other's eyes.

Standing beside Lu Chen, Yao Xi noticed the subtle movements of the two on the right, and her mouth twitched.

She turned back to Lu Chen and sent a sound transmission.

"Did you do this on purpose?"

Lu Chen transmitted back, his tone innocent.

"I just wanted to give my little Qingxian some motivation."

Yao Xi took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over the thousands of greedy eyes below.

She regretted it.

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have brought it up; now, every female Disciple in Yaochi wanted to be touched by her man.

Below, Ye Qingxian tugged on Nangong Ziyi's sleeve and looked up, her large eyes full of excitement.

"Sister Ziyi! Revered Master is personally performing the empowerment! I have to take first place!"

Nangong Ziyi looked down at her, her peach blossom eyes narrowing into a dangerous smile.

"Little brat, you think you can beat me?"

"I am Revered Master's direct Disciple!"

"So what if you're his direct Disciple? Seniority doesn't matter in the arena; if I run into you, I'll still spank your bottom if I have to!"

The two stared at each other, sparks flying.

Above the Altar of Heaven Square, Han Yunxi sat on her green lotus, the thin lips beneath her immortal veil curving into a wide arc.

Her veil shifted slightly as she glanced at Lu Chen, who was surrounded by women and looking helpless at the judges' table, then at the thousands of female Disciples below who were sharpening their blades.

Then, Han Yunxi focused her Innate Divine Ability to look at Lu Chen's path of the Dao, only to find that it actually had some connection to hers.

"Interesting."

"Kid Lu Chen, his Great Emperor's Origin Dao has an affinity for water, and I also have a Dao affinity for water. However, my cultivation is higher, so I have more water. But who knows, maybe he'll catch up and pin me down?"

"After all, the waves of the Yangtze behind push those in front, slapping the front waves to death on the big bed!"