427: The conference begins

Arriving at the Plaza, everyone, guided by an Elder of the Human Emperor Hall, entered a Teleportation Array, immediately stepping into a peculiar space.

This space was enormous, capable of accommodating over ten thousand Prodigies from the Nine Provinces.

Tens of thousands of stone platforms were arranged in a circular formation, with a central high platform holding over a dozen luxurious seats.

The four people sat upon four adjacent stone platforms, quietly awaiting the start of the Convention.

Fifteen minutes later, a charming young woman dressed in yellow robes flew in from the horizon and landed on the high platform.

She walked directly toward the central-most seating area, then sat in the position to the right of the center seat (C-spot).

Needless to say, given such a grand entrance, her identity must be extremely noble.

If he wasn't mistaken, she was the Hall Master of the Human Emperor Hall, Zhong Ruiyi.

Lu Xingchen clicked his tongue in wonder.

This Hall Master of the Human Emperor Hall was truly peerless in beauty, simply the finest among women.

Compared to her, his two wives were like little girls.

But what shocked him even more was the strength of this Hall Master; he looked at the top of Zhong Ruiyi's head, where he saw "???".

One must know that even though Shi Lei, Vice Hall Master of the Human Emperor Hall was a Four-Star Martial Saint, Lu Xingchen could see through his Realm, yet he could not see through the Realm of this Hall Master.

Her strength was definitely above the Five-Star Martial Saint, perhaps even stronger!

The Hall Master of the Human Emperor Hall, the spokesperson for the Human Race in the Nine Provinces—she was truly terrifying!

The moment Zhong Ruiyi appeared, the entire venue immediately erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

"The Hall Master has appeared! She is truly too beautiful. If I could just speak one sentence to her, I'd willingly join a Ninth-Rank Sect and consume precious Medicinal Pills!"

"You really want to have your cake and eat it too! The Hall Master is so noble, how could common folk like us approach her? Just being able to see her true face makes attending this Martial Arts Convention worthwhile."

"Although there isn't a trace of fighting Qi fluctuation on her body, I can confirm that she is absolutely a peerless powerhouse."

"Nonsense. The Human Emperor Hall is guarded by multiple Saints; the Hall Master's strength is certainly above that of ordinary Saints. She is a Peak that we can never surpass in our lifetime!"

Hearing the discussions around him, Lu Xingchen slightly raised an eyebrow.

The Hall Master's popularity is quite high.

This is not only related to her Realm and status but also to her stunning beauty.

After all, who would refuse a charming young woman?

However, Lu Xingchen was startled, realizing the Hall Master had not taken the center seat (C-spot), even though the Human Emperor Hall was the organizer of this Martial Arts Convention!

Would the next person to appear be even more formidable?

Could the legendary The First Chosen One also be descending here?

The Chosen Ones hold high prestige in the Nine Provinces; any one of them could rival his title of "God of War."

This is because they are recognized by the heavenly emperor seal—meaning they are recognized by the Heavenly Emperor—and every one of them is a peerless Prodigy.

But they are usually busy Cultivating and rarely show their faces, only appearing when the Human Race faces a crisis of life and death.

Even during the last fifth great war between humans and demons, including the Lord of Ten Thousand Dao of Arrays, only four Chosen Ones appeared at the Demon-Rejecting Pass.

Most people don't even know how many Chosen Ones there are, and The First Chosen One is even more mysterious; Lu Xingchen hadn't even heard of his title.

Could he really have the Opportunity to see the true face of The First Chosen One today?

Following Zhong Ruiyi, the Alliance Leader of the Righteous Path Alliance, Ning Zhifeng, also quickly arrived.

Lu Xingchen looked at the top of his head, where he also saw "???".

He sat in the seat to the left of the center seat (C-spot).

This was the first time Lu Xingchen had seen this important figure; he had previously heard Miss Wanqing mention that Ning Zhifeng was the first person to find her and bring her back to the Righteous Path Alliance to Cultivate.

Ning Zhifeng was also a handsome Young Master, but he was not as handsome as his teacher, Jiang Taishen, and his looks were far inferior compared to Zhong Ruiyi.

After Ning Zhifeng took his seat, the two began chatting, but Lu Xingchen could not hear the content of their conversation.

After another three minutes, two more "???" figures descended.

A rough and robust-looking man sat in the center seat (C-spot); he was covered in muscle and clearly not someone to be trifled with.

The other person sat next to Ning Zhifeng.

With all the important figures present, Zhong Ruiyi stood up, and her majestic and solemn voice echoed throughout the entire space.

"Fellow Human Race Prodigies, please allow me to introduce the distinguished guests attending this Martial Arts Convention."

"Seated in the center is the heavens chosen second, Lord Wu Zicang Qiong. It is entirely thanks to his personal visit to the special space reported by Jiang Taishen, and his months of research within it to master it, that this Martial Arts Convention could be held."

"Lord Wu Zicang Qiong's time is precious, and he originally did not intend to attend the opening ceremony, but under my persistent pleading, he agreed to make an appearance. Let us thank him for his contribution to the growth of the Human Race!"

After Zhong Ruiyi finished speaking, she paused briefly.

Enthusiastic applause immediately erupted from the audience below; there were no whispers or idle chatter, as everyone expressed their highest respect to Lord Wu Zicang Qiong.

Zhong Ruiyi continued: "This is the Fourth Chosen One, Lord Fu Zhuzhou Mo. He is a Ninth-Rank Spirit Talisman Master and has also made significant contributions to the holding of this Martial Arts Convention."

"As for Ning Zhifeng and me, everyone has heard of us, so we won't waste your time with further introductions. We will proceed directly to the main topic and introduce the competition rules."

"The rules of this Convention are based on a point system. Everyone will soon receive a Spirit Tablet and a Spirit Talisman. After entering the special space, you are free to explore, seek Opportunities, and enhance your own strength. If you defeat Yao Beasts or other combatants during this time, you can gain points, and you can also hand over any treasures you find to the Human Emperor Hall, which will also earn you points."

"The top one hundred in points ranking will enter the finals and participate in the arena competition. Furthermore, after defeating other contestants, you can plunder their points. You can only plunder half of their points at one time, and you can only plunder the same person once per day."

"Private duels are permitted in the special space. After all, only powerhouses who can withstand the test of battle are the pillars of talent the Human Race needs. The Fourth Chosen One, Lord Fu Zhuzhou Mo, has prepared a Spirit Talisman for every contestant; when your life is in danger, it will Teleport you back here."

"However, the Spirit Talisman can only be used once. If you are defeated and Teleported back, you have only two choices: either forfeit, or recover from your injuries and re-enter the special space."

"Alright, I have finished introducing the competition rules. Please keep your Spirit Tablets and Spirit Talismans safe. The Spirit Tablet records your points, and the Spirit Talisman gives you a second chance to participate. Both are extremely important."

With that, Zhong Ruiyi waved her sleeve, and tens of thousands of streams of light flew toward the crowd, causing a Spirit Tablet and a Spirit Talisman to appear in everyone's hands.

Immediately, Zhong Ruiyi announced loudly: "I declare the Nine Provinces Martial Arts Convention officially open!"