500: Before the ceremony, the Tianjiao Competition

The square within the Imperial City was unimaginably vast, easily accommodating hundreds of thousands of people without appearing crowded.

The ground was paved with smooth, polished profound black flagstones, upon which intricate Spirit Scripts for guiding spiritual energy were etched. These were now faintly glowing, enveloping the entire square in a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

To the north of the square was a majestic platform, built of jade and adorned with carved railings and painted beams. Luxurious seats were arranged upon it, clearly intended for the Northern Spirit Dynasty's imperial family and important ministers to observe the proceedings.

On either side of the platform were the viewing areas for the various Sects and aristocratic families, already filled with individuals possessing extraordinary Auras.

In the very center of the square stood ten massive circular arenas. Each was forged from obsidian, as hard as fine steel, mixed with special metals, and its surface shimmered with runes, clearly indicating powerful protective Restrictions. These were sufficient to withstand the fierce clashes of high-level Spirit Cultivators.

At this moment, the square was a sea of people, with a thunderous roar rising to the heavens.

Countless gazes were eagerly directed towards those arenas, as well as the area below the platform that had been cordoned off and was filled with over a thousand young Spirit Cultivators—these were the participants of this Prodigy Grand Competition!

Xiao Zhuo was also among them.

"Silence!"

An ancient voice, yet imbued with an undeniable majesty, like a great bell, instantly quelled the uproar of the entire venue.

On the platform, an elder, dressed in Northern Spirit Dynasty robes and possessing an Aura as profound as the sea, slowly emerged.

His gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the entire square, and around him, the light of over ninety Spirit Scripts subtly flowed without cease!

A ninth-rank Spirit King! And a powerful one at that!

"Before the Spirit Sacrifice Grand Ceremony, our Northern Spirit Dynasty will always hold the Prodigy Grand Competition to select the top hundred Prodigies to participate in the Spirit Sacrifice, the Prodigy Grand Competition! It begins now!" The elder's voice echoed in all directions. "The rules are simple! A free-for-all on the arenas! The ten individuals who remain standing on each arena will advance to the top hundred and qualify for the Spirit Sacrifice!"

"Now, all participants, according to the number plates in your hands, ascend to your corresponding arenas!"

As his voice fell, over a thousand young Prodigies instantly transformed into streaks of light, shooting towards the ten arenas.

Xiao Zhuo's number plate was "C7." With a flicker of his figure, he silently landed in a corner of Arena C, his Aura restrained and inconspicuous.

Tian Yidao and Du Mo, meanwhile, mingled in the crowd below, closely observing their master's competition while also gathering information from the other arenas.

"Dong!"

A dull clang of a bell announced the start of the free-for-all!

In an instant, on the ten arenas, spiritual light burst forth and roars erupted!

Spirit skills of various attributes instantly bloomed: wind blades howled, fireballs exploded, earth walls rose, vines grew wildly, and metal clashed... The scene instantly descended into extreme Chaos.

Those who made it here were all young talents from the Northern Spirit Dynasty and even surrounding regions, at least outstanding fourth-rank Great Spirit Masters, and many were even fifth-rank Spirit Sovereigns!

The battle was incredibly fierce from the start, with people constantly being blasted off the arenas or falling heavily wounded.

Arena C, where Xiao Zhuo was, was no different.

He did not take the initiative to attack, merely standing like a steadfast rock in the corner, maintaining his Aura at the Peak of a sixth-rank Spirit Sovereign.

Occasionally, a clumsy spirit skill would attack him, or someone would try to clear him from the arena, but he would simply wave his hand.

Either a highly condensed wind shield would deflect it, or a silent, vibrating Spirit Script would shock the attacker, causing their Qi and blood to churn and them to stumble back, but he did not strike with heavy force.

His Aura was subtly revealed but not high-profile; only those who approached him could feel the pressure he exuded.

Seeing that he did not try to eliminate them, they all went to find other opponents.

Xiao Zhuo was extremely low-key; he had no interest in such low-level combat. All he wanted was the qualification to participate in the Spirit Sacrifice and meet the Great Spirit Shaman, and he did not want to expose too much of his strength and attract excessive attention.

However, his relaxed demeanor soon attracted the attention of some observant individuals.

"Oh? That young man in the green robe on Arena C has some skill. He seems to be a sixth-rank Spirit Sovereign?"

"Looking at how effortlessly he attacks, and his exquisite use of Spirit Scripts, he doesn't seem to be from a small place."

"Let's see how long he can last. In the later stages of the free-for-all, those top Geniuses will start clearing the arena!"

Indeed, as time passed, the number of people on the arenas sharply decreased, and those remaining were all formidable opponents.

On Arena C, a burly young man with bronze skin, surrounded by thirty-six Spirit Scripts of various colors, let out a wild laugh and slammed his fists onto the ground!

"Earth Tremor!"

Boom!

The entire arena shook violently, and countless sharp stone spikes suddenly erupted from the ground, indiscriminately attacking everyone on the arena except him!

This strike was extremely powerful, comparable to a sixth-rank spirit skill, and instantly, seven or eight more people screamed as they were blasted off the platform.

"It's Shi Man! The legitimate son of the Zhenyue Marquis Estate! It is said that he possesses seventy-seven Spirit Scripts and mainly cultivates earth-element spirit skills, with terrifying strength!"

Someone below the stage exclaimed.

Shi Man, having succeeded with one move, his Aura grew even stronger. His gaze swept over the remaining people on the arena, finally settling on Xiao Zhuo, who remained calm and unruffled.

"Kid! Playing tricks! Get down here!" he roared, and he charged towards Xiao Zhuo like a cannonball, unleashing a punch that condensed into a giant rock skull, opening its mouth to devour him!

Xiao Zhuo's expression remained unchanged. Only when the rock skull approached him did he slowly raise his right hand and gently tap forward with his index finger.

A Chaos-colored Spirit Script flashed on his fingertip and then disappeared.

There was no earth-shattering explosion; the menacing rock skull seemed to hit an invisible wall, instantly stagnating, and then, starting from its large mouth, it shattered inch by inch, turning into dust and scattering!

Shi Man's charging momentum abruptly halted, the triumphant smile on his face froze, replaced by a look of horror.

He felt that the power of the earth-element Spirit Scripts he had condensed was rapidly melting and disintegrating under the opponent's casual finger, like snow meeting a scorching sun!

An invisible immense force surged back, and he grunted, staggering back more than ten steps, each step leaving a deep imprint on the obsidian arena. Only then did he barely stabilize himself, his Qi and blood churning incessantly.

He looked at Xiao Zhuo with suspicion and uncertainty, no longer daring to attack easily.

The crowd below was also in an uproar.

"Forcing Shi Man back with one finger? Who is this person?"

"Never heard of him! Where did this expert come from?"

"It seems Arena C has another formidable character!"

Xiao Zhuo paid no attention to the discussions, his gaze sweeping across the other arenas.

His gaze quickly settled on Arena E.

There, a familiar agile figure was moving through the crowd.

It was the woman he had glimpsed and found familiar when he entered the city!

At this moment, she moved like a nimble rabbit, her footwork elusive and unpredictable. As her hands waved, transparent ripples spread out, and any opponent swept by the ripples would feel as if they had been heavily struck, all simultaneously sent flying off the arena.

Her spiritual fluctuations were not particularly powerful, roughly in the Middle Stage of a fifth-rank Spirit Sovereign, but her invisible spirit skills were extremely strange and difficult to deal with.

"Duanmu Jiao! It's that illegitimate daughter of the Duanmu family!"

"I heard her Spiritual Root mutated, and her abilities are very strange. I didn't expect her to be so strong!"

"She doesn't seem to be using her full power yet!"

Someone below the stage called out her name and background.

"Duanmu Jiao..." Xiao Zhuo murmured the name, his eyes flickering.

That sense of familiarity resurfaced, but it was still vague.

The Spirit Scripts she possessed were of the Soul and Qi elements, making her combat style quite peculiar.

Besides Duanmu Jiao, top Geniuses on other arenas also began to reveal their prowess.

On Arena A, a young man in brocade robes with a stern face stood with his hands behind his back, seventy-two Spirit Scripts circling him like stars. Any opponent who approached within ten feet of him would be instantly shattered by invisible Sword Qi, utterly defenseless!

On Arena B, a white-clad woman with a veiled face, her eyes occasionally flashing with colorful light, made her opponents' spirit skills seem full of flaws before her. She could often strike a vital point with a casual blow, leading to their defeat.

On Arena G, a young man in tattered black armor, exuding Evil Qi, wielded a broken saber. His saber techniques were ruthless and unparalleled; every slash carried a bloody Evil Qi, striking fear into the hearts of all who witnessed it.

Besides them, several other Prodigies were also quite eye-catching, all top Prodigies at the sixth-rank cultivation level.

One by one, renowned Geniuses displayed powerful strength that crushed their opponents on the same arena, drawing continuous gasps from the crowd below, and the atmosphere surged higher and higher.

The free-for-all lasted for about an hour, and the ten arenas finally gradually quieted down.

On each arena, only ten people remained, each with a formidable Aura and sharp eyes. Most bore injuries, but only a few remained neatly dressed and composed.

Among the remaining hundred, the lowest were all fifth-rank Spirit Sovereigns at the Middle Stage, and the young man surnamed Xi, whom Xiao Zhuo had seen before, was also among them.

The top hundred were born!

The ninth-rank Spirit King elder on the platform reappeared, announcing the list of the top hundred and bestowing tokens.

"Rest for one hour! Next, we will proceed with the ranking battles! To determine the top ten positions! At that time, Your Majesty and the Great Spirit Shaman will personally preside over the Spirit Sacrifice for you!"

The entire venue erupted again.

The top ten! This concerned not only honor but also their positions during the Spirit Sacrifice and the additional generous rewards from the Northern Spirit Dynasty's imperial family!

Xiao Zhuo received the token, his gaze sweeping across the giant floating stones suspended in the sky in all directions.

Suddenly, his gaze narrowed, stopping on the imperial viewing platform.

There, a woman dressed in a luxurious black gown with golden patterns, her face exquisite and cold, sat quietly on the imperial viewing platform.

The imperial viewing platform had two main seats, with many other seats below, but this woman was in one of the two main seats.

Beside her sat an elegant man wearing a jade crown and also dressed in a black robe with golden patterns.