192: People with different thoughts

However, Liu San did not know that his Disciple had long since formed an irreconcilable feud with Yao Delong.

After two failed attempts to kill him, the seeds of hatred had long since taken root and sprouted in Meng Bi's heart, growing into a towering, poisonous tree.

At this moment, Meng Bi was so stimulated by that "Heaven-Grade Weapon" and the "Secret Realm qualification" that his eyes were bloodshot; how could he listen to any advice?

Meng Bi stared fixedly at Yao Delong in the distance, who was as dazzling as the scorching sun, the flames of jealousy and greed burning intertwined in his heart.

He knew deep down that with his Middle Golden Core Stage cultivation, in this Core Disciple ranking filled with Geniuses, it would be good enough just to squeeze into the top one hundred. The top ten?

That was wishful thinking! Not to mention the unreachable Heaven-Grade Weapon for first place!

He suddenly turned his head to look at the Third Prince Xiao Chen beside him, who was calm and composed with a playful smile on his lips, and squeezed out a flattering smile on his face, transmitting his voice:

"Brother Xiao! If it is possible to bring people into that Burial God Abyss Secret Realm, I wonder... I wonder if you could give me a spot? The Marquis's Mansion will definitely reward you handsomely! I will certainly make Brother Xiao satisfied!"

Upon hearing this, a flash of brilliance crossed Xiao Chen's eyes, and the playful smile on his lips widened, tilting into a forty-five-degree evil arc, and he replied via voice transmission as well:

"Easy to say, easy to say. Brother Meng is a good friend of this Prince, so a mere spot is naturally not a problem. This Prince is very much looking forward to the sincerity of the Marquis's Mansion."

His gaze swept over Yao Delong, the look in his eyes like he was watching a rare treasure about to be in his possession, "Burial God Abyss... can only be entered by those below Soul Transformation? Heh, heaven is truly helping me. Yao Delong, the secrets on your body, and this Heaven-Grade Weapon, this Prince will gladly accept them!"

On the outskirts near the Core Disciple preparation area, Lin Shishi and Xiao Huohuo, who had just been promoted to Core Disciples and were still carrying a trace of excitement and trepidation, were also shocked and stirred by this heaven-shaking reward.

Lin Shishi was dressed in white, cold and aloof like the moon; she looked at Yao Delong in the distance, who was focused on by countless gazes yet remained as calm as an abyss, a trace of complexity flashing in her clear eyes.

Her cherry lips parted slightly, her voice carrying a trace of undisguisable disappointment and self-mockery: "Since our parting at the Immortal Mausoleum, I was lucky enough to achieve a Breakthrough to the Golden Core, and I thought I could narrow the gap with Senior Brother Yao... I did not expect that the gap is now as vast as the heavens and the abyss; even looking up to him requires all my strength."

The sense of powerlessness emanating from that coldness was exceptionally clear.

"Hey! Senior Sister Lin, what are you saying!" Xiao Huohuo slapped his thigh carelessly, his fiery red hair shaking with excitement, "So what if the gap is big? The stronger Senior Brother Yao is, shouldn't we be happier? Think about it, we have the friendship of eating and sleeping together with Senior Brother Yao in the Immortal Mausoleum! What do you call this? This is called a life-and-death friendship! It's rock solid!"

He leaned close to Lin Shishi, winking and blinking, lowering his voice but unable to hide his excitement: "In the future, we should hug Senior Brother Yao's golden thigh tightly! When he eats meat, we follow him to drink some soup, and that will be enough for us to benefit infinitely! Heh heh, I dare not think about the Heaven-Grade Weapon, but that Secret Realm qualification... maybe if Senior Brother Yao is in a good mood, he will take us in to see the world? Just picking up some ancient Magical Artifacts inside would be enough for us to make a fortune!"

Lin Shishi was so angered by his blatant "hugging the thigh" rhetoric that her pretty face flushed slightly, her cold eyes widened, and she tapped Xiao Huohuo's arm not too lightly or too heavily with her scabbard: "Xiao Huohuo! You... how can you be so mercenary! Senior Brother Yao treats us with sincerity! How can you harbor such thoughts of attachment and reaping where you have not sown? It needlessly insults Senior Brother's friendship, and it also insults your and my Dao Heart!"

"Ouch! It hurts!" Xiao Huohuo rubbed his arm exaggeratedly, baring his teeth, "Senior Sister Lin, go easy! I call this being pragmatic! Don't you understand? What kind of person is Senior Brother Yao? He is a True Dragon destined to soar into the sky and shake the Azure Cloud World! As his 'old friends', if we don't build a good relationship now, are we supposed to wait until he becomes a Peak Master or Sect Head before we go to climb the relationship? That would be so distant! This is called being prepared for a rainy day and making rational use of resources!"

He rubbed his arm and continued, speaking with righteous indignation: "Besides, our working hard on cultivation does not conflict with hugging Senior Brother Yao's thigh! Having Senior Brother Yao give us some pointers is a hundred times better than us fumbling around by ourselves, right? Senior Sister Lin, you are just too rigid, too aloof..."

"You! You are arguing sophistry!" Lin Shishi was so angered by his twisted logic that her chest heaved, her hand gripping the scabbard tightened again and again, and she could no longer maintain her cold and aloof temperament, wishing she could hit him again.

One of them valued affection and righteousness but was shy to speak, while the other was mercenary, straightforward, and righteous; their bickering attracted the sideways glances of some Disciples nearby, diluting the tense atmosphere before the competition.

"Burial God Abyss... can only be entered by those below Soul Transformation?" Thoughts turned in Yao Delong's mind, and his interest in that Secret Realm grew a few degrees stronger.

The refining of the Life-Generating Creation Fire had reached a critical point, and it was only missing the last two spiritual items — Heart-Burning Stone Milk and Li Fire Wutong Wood Core!

These two things had not been found after searching for so long, and perhaps only in such an ancient Secret Realm would there be a glimmer of hope to find them!

Venerable Ziyang's voice was like a booming bell as he announced the detailed rules and stage divisions of the Core Disciple ranking competition.

When they heard that the first stage was the brutal "Forty-Three Heavenly Gang Group Ranking Battle", and that they needed to engage in high-intensity circular slaughter within ten groups, with only the top ten from each group advancing, all the Core Disciples felt a heavy pressure.

This was not just a competition of strength, but a test of endurance and will!

"Grouping begins!" Venerable Ziyang waved his sleeve, and ten huge light screens immediately appeared above the martial arts field, each light screen representing a small group, with countless names flowing, colliding, and settling inside like stars.

Everyone's gaze was fixed tightly on the light screens, searching for their own names, and also paying attention to the whereabouts of those top Prodigies.

Soon, the results were revealed.

"Group Seven!" Xiao Huohuo had sharp eyes and pointed at one of the light screens as he shouted.

Lin Shishi also concentrated on looking, and saw that on the light screen for Group Seven, a name appeared first like a needle that calms the sea — Yao Delong!

Immediately following, two names emitting unique light followed closely behind, representing the seeded players of the group: Seeded Disciple: Zhuàn Zhèn Peak, Zhao Wuhen (previous winner 7th place)! Seeded Disciple: Chiyan Peak, Yan Wu (previous winner 15th place)!

"Hiss — Zhao Wuhen! That Formation madman!" "And Senior Sister Yan Wu, the Genius fire manipulator of Chiyan Peak!" Low exclamations sounded all around.

Yao Delong's gaze swept across the light screen, his expression remaining calm.

Zhao Wuhen of Zhuàn Zhèn Peak, whose Formation techniques were treacherous and ever-changing, impossible to guard against; Yan Wu of Chiyan Peak, whose fire control technique was said to have already obtained the true inheritance of Ji Yanshuang, with astonishing power.

They were both formidable enemies. However, when his gaze fell on another name, the corner of his mouth curled into a subtle arc that was almost imperceptible — Wu Feng (Spirit Forging Peak).

In another corner of the preparation area, the burly and muscular Wu Feng saw his name listed in the same Seventh Group as Yao Delong, and his rugged face instantly collapsed, looking as ugly as if he had swallowed a fly.

He had provoked Yao Delong many times, and even ridiculed him when the other party was "down and out"!

Now the other party had transformed into a peerless Prodigy that even the Peak Masters marveled at; his own Middle Golden Core Stage cultivation was probably not even considered a side dish in the other party's eyes!

A huge sense of fear and regret instantly seized him, making him wish he could slap himself a few times.

"It's over..." Wu Feng wailed in his heart, his face deathly pale.

He had no doubt that if Yao Delong wanted revenge, it would be as easy as pie to "accidentally" seriously injure him on the arena, making him completely miss the subsequent matches!

He subconsciously looked towards Yao Delong's direction, but saw that the other party just calmly withdrew his gaze, as if he were just an insignificant passerby.

This indifference made Wu Feng feel even more uneasy.

On the other side, Meng Bi saw that he was assigned to the third group and was not in the same group as Yao Delong, and he felt a strange sense of relief, followed by a strong sense of humiliation — he was actually rejoicing at avoiding that former "trash"!

His face was livid, and his fists clenched until they creaked.

The Third Prince Xiao Chen looked at the list for the second group he was in and shook his head with regret, the evil smile on his lips carrying a trace of pity: "It's a pity we couldn't be in the same group. Yao Delong, I will let you hop around a little longer in the Seventh Group."

He was full of confidence; with his strength as the sixth place in the previous competition, there was no suspense about him qualifying from the second group.