168: It can even resonate with the Supreme Bone

The true monsters hidden away by the major powers for years were all at the Late Stage Martial Emperor, and each possessed the combat power of a Peak Martial Emperor!

When Lin Fan arrived at the square with King Kong and Li Yan, everyone's gaze instantly focused on him.

There was awe, jealousy, wariness, and also... Battle Intent.

"Is that Lin Fan? The one who took first place in the qualifiers, the ruthless person who single-handedly defeated the four monsters like Xuan Ming?"

"He doesn't look like much, his aura is only at the Peak Martial King..."

"What do you know! He is forcibly suppressing his cultivation because he doesn't want to have a Breakthrough! I heard that in the battle at the Hanging Palace, the combat power he unleashed had already touched the threshold of a Martial Venerable!"

"Really? A Martial King touching the threshold of a Martial Venerable?"

Amidst the discussions, Lin Fan looked straight ahead and walked directly towards the qualifiers' area.

Qin Yue and Su Muyu did not follow; the two were in the spectator stands, waving at Lin Fan from afar.

Lin Fan nodded in acknowledgement, but his gaze fell upon those seven figures.

Seven people, six men and one woman.

On the far left was a youth with red hair and golden eyes, wearing dragon-patterned battle armor, with dragon shadows faintly circling around him—Dragon Clan, Ao Jin.

Beside him was a youth dressed like a scholar, holding a Jade Slip, his eyes as deep as the starry sky—Heavenly Secret Pavilion, Mo Wentian.

Further to the right was a figure shrouded in black robes, whose aura was faint and indistinct, as if he could merge into the shadows at any moment—Shadow Temple, Shadowless.

The other four also had terrifying auras:

A burly man carrying a giant sword, with knotted muscles, exuding a wild, primitive aura.

A bewitching youth wearing a seven-colored feather garment, with Phoenix patterns at the corners of his eyes.

An old man holding a scepter and wearing a crown of stars—yes, an old man, looking at least a hundred years old, but his aura was the most steady of the seven.

And the last one, also the only female, in a white dress, with a face as cold and clear as the moon, holding a crystal-clear sword in her hand.

It could faintly resonate with Lin Fan's Supreme Bone.

"Seven people..." Lin Fan narrowed his eyes, "Indeed, none of them are simple."

King Kong whispered: "Master, the one carrying the giant sword is called Savage Mountain, from the Savage God Temple, with the Law of Strength at Minor Achievement, who once shattered a thousand-foot mountain with a single punch."

"The one in the seven-colored feather garment is Feng Jiuge, with a Phoenix Bloodline, whose Rebirth from Fire technique has been Cultivated to the extreme; it is said he died once and came back to life."

"The one wearing the crown of stars is Elder Xingyan, the Personal Disciple of the Star Palace's Old Ancestor, skilled in star divination and Formation, because of the Cultivation Technique he practices, he looks like this despite being young."

"As for the woman in the white dress..." King Kong paused, "Her name is Yue Qingying, from the Moon God Temple, with Sword Dao Law at Minor Achievement, who once froze a thousand miles of ocean with a single sword strike."

Lin Fan nodded, committing this information to memory.

At this moment, on the high platform, the figure of Seventh Master slowly appeared.

Appearing with him were three other old men with equally unfathomable auras—they were all Enforcers!

"Silence."

Seventh Master spoke; his voice was not loud, but it spread throughout the entire square.

Everyone instantly quieted down.

"The main competition of the Prodigy Battle officially begins today."

"The rules are very simple: Arena battle, elimination format."

"Three hundred and seven contestants will draw lots to determine their opponents. One person will get a bye each round until the top ten are decided."

"The top ten will earn the qualification to enter the Myriad Races Treasury to select one treasure."

"The top three will additionally receive an opportunity to Cultivate in the Law Secret Realm for one month."

"And the champion..."

Seventh Master paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience, finally landing on Lin Fan:

"Will receive the right to apply for plane-travel resources, as well as... the qualification to become an Enforcer reserve."

The entire audience was in an uproar!

The right to apply for plane-travel resources!

Enforcer reserve!

These two rewards, each one alone was enough to drive a Peak Martial Emperor crazy!

Especially those direct-entry contestants; their eyes erupted with scorching light—they participated in the Prodigy Battle precisely for this!

"Now, begin the draw."

Seventh Master waved his hand, and three hundred and seven Jade Slips scattered from the air, flying precisely towards each contestant.

Lin Fan raised his hand to catch one.

The Jade Slip was warm to the touch, and a line of text appeared on it: "Arena 7, third match, opponent: Savage Mountain."

Savage Mountain?

Lin Fan raised an eyebrow and looked at the burly man carrying the giant sword.

What a coincidence, the first opponent is a direct-entry contestant?

And it's Savage Mountain, known for his Law of Strength at Minor Achievement?

At the same time, Savage Mountain also saw the information on his Jade Slip; he grinned, revealing his stark white teeth, and made a throat-slitting gesture towards Lin Fan.

It was full of provocation.

"Heh." Lin Fan laughed.

Interesting.

At this moment, an exclamation came from the side: "Damn! I drew Ao Jin!"

"Mine is Mo Wentian..."

"It's over, mine is Shadowless..."

The qualifiers' area was filled with wails.

Clearly, the allocation of the direct-entry contestants was not completely random—the seven direct-entry contestants were all assigned to different Arenas, and their opponents were all qualifiers who had ranked high in the qualifying rounds.

Is this... to eliminate a batch of seeded players first?

"It seems someone doesn't want the dark horses of the qualifiers to go too far," Lin Fan muttered to himself.

King Kong said in a deep voice: "Master, this is deliberate targeting. They want the direct-entry contestants to eliminate all threatening qualifiers in the first round, ensuring that most of the top ten are direct-entry contestants."

"Normal." Lin Fan was not surprised, "Resources are limited; how could those major powers be willing to give opportunities to those of us from the borderlands?"

He put away the Jade Slip and looked towards Arena 7.

"However..."

"Want to eliminate me?"

"They'll have to see if they have the ability."

[Ding! Facing the provocation and hidden rules of the direct-entry contestants, a domineering response, prestige value + 3000!]

[Current prestige value: 65000 points!]

The draw ended, and the competition soon began.

The first few matches were duels between ordinary qualifiers; although intense, compared to the battles of the direct-entry contestants, they seemed a bit lackluster.

On Arena 1, Ao Jin's opponent was a Sword Cultivator ranked 23rd in the qualifiers, with Early Stage Martial Emperor cultivation, and Sword Dao Law already introduced, who was quite well-known in the Central District.

However, after the battle began.

"Dragon Roar—Break!"

Ao Jin didn't even use a weapon; he just opened his mouth and roared!

The terrifying Dragon roar turned into tangible sound waves, instantly shattering the opponent's protective sword aura, blasting him out of the Arena, unconscious.

One-hit kill!

"Next." Ao Jin said indifferently, as if he had just swatted a fly.

The whole audience was silent.

Arena 2, Mo Wentian versus a Formation Master.

"Heavenly Secret—Lock."

Mo Wentian just raised his hand and pointed into the Void Realm, the triple major Formation set up by his opponent instantly solidified, then operated in reverse, trapping the Formation setter himself within it.

Three breaths later, the Formation Master vomited blood and conceded.

Arena 3, Shadowless's battle was even stranger.

His opponent had just stepped onto the Arena when he felt a chill on his neck.

Looking down, a pitch-black dagger was already pressed against his throat.

And Shadowless, who knew when he had already stood behind him.