177: Sect Competition

Lu Xingchen nodded slightly.

“It is indeed quite arduous.”

The four chatted for a while, and then Cangxuan Sect Sect Master Gu Chen arrived at the Plaza with ten Inner Sect Elders.

This was the first time Lu Xingchen had seen the Sect Master since joining the Cangxuan Sect.

Gu Chen was a refined Young Master, with slender limbs and a fair complexion.

If it weren't for those who didn't know him, they might have thought he was a delicate scholar.

But Lu Xingchen looked at the top of Gu Chen's head and saw “Five-Star Martial Ancestor” written there.

This Sect Master of the Cangxuan Sect was, as expected, a Martial Ancestor in Cultivation, the strongest person Lu Xingchen had ever seen since coming to Tianyuan Continent!

Truly worthy of being a Sect Master!

Moreover, Gu Chen looked very young, only about thirty or forty years old.

He still had plenty of time to Cultivate, and a future Breakthrough to Martial Ancestor, entering the Martial Venerable Realm, was not impossible!

The ten Inner Sect Elders following Gu Chen were all of Five-Star Martial Emperor Cultivation or higher.

This was the foundation of the Cangxuan Sect.

Gu Chen stood on the high platform of the Plaza, and all the Inner Sect Disciples below bowed to him, respectfully saying, “Greetings, Sect Master!”

Gu Chen waved his hand and said in a clear voice, “Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come to the Plaza! I won't waste any more words, let's get straight to the point!”

“A Secret Realm has appeared in the territory of the Greedy Wolf Sect in Western Qingzhou, and it is suspected to contain numerous Opportunities. The Greedy Wolf Sect alone could not handle it and reported the matter to the Righteous Path Alliance.”

“The high-ranking officials of the Righteous Path Alliance decided to let the Seventh-Rank Sects from Western and Eastern Qingzhou send Disciples to jointly share the resources within this Secret Realm. Each Sect will send five Disciples, and their age must not exceed thirty.”

“This Secret Realm is very important to the Cangxuan Sect; it may help us raise our rank. The two Saints will go together, but there are still three spots. So I have decided to hold a Sect Grand Competition, and the top three winners will accompany the two Saints to the Secret Realm.”

“I warn you, the Secret Realm is in the Greedy Wolf Sect's territory, and many Sects will enter, making it very dangerous. I cannot provide you with any assistance. Therefore, if you don't have the strength, do not participate in the Sect Grand Competition.”

“Now, those who wish to enter this Secret Realm, please register with Elder Li Xuan, and then we will immediately begin the Sect Grand Competition!”

As Gu Chen's words fell, whispers immediately broke out below the stage.

“Holy cow, it seems this Secret Realm is very precious! The Sect Master actually sent both Saints, and even held a Sect Grand Competition.”

“To get benefits from this Secret Realm, you need to have some skill. If I remember correctly, there are four Seventh-Rank Sects in Western Qingzhou. Needless to say, they will also send Saints. Those of us who haven't reached the Martial Emperor Realm will just be cannon fodder if we go.”

“That's right! It's too dangerous! If we die accidentally inside the Secret Realm, we might not even be able to preserve our bodies.”

“One can only say that Opportunity and danger coexist. There will always be brave ones who go.”

Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, “How about it, do you want to give it a try?”

Long Chen shook his head and said in a deep voice, “No thanks. The stakes for this Secret Realm trip are too high. The Saints of seven Seventh-Rank Sects will all participate, and the number of Martial Emperors will be in the double digits. Those of us who are Martial Kings will just be committing suicide if we go.”

Li Fei also echoed, “We just entered the Inner Sect; our foundation is too shallow, and we are not qualified to participate in such a major event. Perhaps after I Cultivate for a year or two, I can go.”

Jiang E said softly, “I don't plan to register either. However, Junior Brother Lu, I imagine you will definitely go, right?”

Lu Xingchen nodded slightly.

“That is natural. Cultivate is like sailing against the current; if you don't advance, you retreat. I will not give up any Opportunity to become stronger!”

Just then, a System prompt sounded in Lu Xingchen's ear.

“Congratulations, host, you have received a mission: Sect Grand Competition!”

“Mission Requirement: Win the championship in the Sect Grand Competition.”

“Mission Reward: One million experience points, and the Pill Formula for the sixth-grade elixir, 'poji pill.'”

Lu Xingchen immediately rejoiced.

He had already planned to go to this Secret Realm, and now that a System mission had been triggered, there was even less reason to hesitate.

First place in the competition was indeed somewhat difficult, but it was not impossible.

Moreover, the mission rewards were too generous!

One million experience points might not be much, but this 'poji pill' Pill Formula could be said to be a priceless treasure.

If he could refine the 'poji pill,' he would be able to attract many Martial Dao masters and gain connections.

However, a Martial Artist could only take one 'poji pill' in their lifetime, so he couldn't use it himself.

Lu Xingchen walked up to Elder Li Xuan and registered for the Sect Grand Competition.

An hour later, the competition roster was finalized.

A total of 32 Disciples registered, all of whom were high-star Martial Kings; there wasn't a single one below Five-Star.

This was enough to show the high quality of this Sect Grand Competition.

Immediately, everyone went to the Martial Arts Field and began the competition.

Sect Master Gu Chen personally served as the referee, which was enough to prove his Pay attention to for this competition.

With Gu Chen overseeing, everyone could relax and go all out, without worrying about killing their fellow Junior Brother.

The competition format was very simple: a continuous knockout tournament. Only those who defeated all their opponents would qualify to go to the Secret Realm.

Other Disciples who had not registered could also stay and watch.

The first round of drawing lots began, and Lu Xingchen met an old acquaintance: Ye Chen.

The two walked onto the arena, and Lu Xingchen looked at the top of Ye Chen's head.

His Realm had already risen to Nine-Star Martial King; his progress was quite significant.

But unfortunately, his opponent was Lu Xingchen, a player with a cheat.

Before the battle even began, discussions erupted below the stage.

“Holy cow, the first match is already this exciting! It's a known fact that Lu Xingchen and Ye Chen had a conflict before, and now that they've run into each other, sparks are sure to fly.”

“I remember half a year ago, Lu Xingchen defeated Ye Chen in one move while he was a Three-Star Martial King. Now that so much time has passed, Lu Xingchen's strength must have become even greater. Does Ye Chen still have a chance to win?”

“Don't underestimate Ye Chen. He hasn't wasted his time in the past six months. According to unofficial news, Ye Chen's Realm has already reached Nine-Star Martial King, which is incredibly fast progress!”

“Nine-Star Martial King? Ye Chen is awesome! It seems this match will be quite entertaining.”

On the arena, Ye Chen stared intently at Lu Xingchen and said in a deep voice, “Lu Xingchen, in the half-year since you defeated me, I have been in seclusion, cultivating diligently, not daring to forget that humiliation. The me of today is no longer the same as before; this time, I will definitely defeat you!”

Lu Xingchen said indifferently, “Then come and try.”

As for Ye Chen, Lu Xingchen didn't take him seriously at all.

He was just an ant.

Watching Lu Xingchen's calm and composed demeanor, Ye Chen felt a little wary, but he was still full of confidence in himself.

He immediately activated his fighting Qi, and his Nine-Star Martial King Realm was fully displayed.