65: Chapter 65: Advancing to the Top Ten, only to Encounter Wang Chuan?

"First place, Bai Yunzhou, 63 points!"

The moment Elder Yan's voice fell, the previously boiling discussion across the entire Inner Gate Plaza instantly ceased, becoming as quiet as a falling needle.

Whether it was the participating Disciples under the arena, the watching Outer Sect Disciples, the Sect Elders on the high platform, or the intelligence personnel in charge of the market gambling stalls, all of them widened their eyes.

"6… 63 points?!"

A Disciple who had just been eliminated from the third group said in astonishment.

"Did I hear wrong? Zhang Hao only got 45 points, Liyan 42 points, and Bai Yunzhou actually scored so much higher than them?"

Another Disciple shook his head fiercely.

"He wandered around the edges the whole time and didn't even seem to use much strength. How could he get 63 points? The point tally must be wrong!"

Sounds of doubt spread like pebbles thrown into a calm lake, and the previously dead silent plaza became clamorous once again.

"The tally is correct!"

Elder Yan wore a stern expression and raised his hand to suppress the noisy sounds around him.

"The points are recorded in real-time by the grand protective array, notarized throughout, and absolutely without error."

"Bai Yunzhou, defeated 14 Peak Foundation Establishment Disciples and 21 Late Stage Foundation Establishment Disciples, totaling 63 points, first place in the third group, advancing to the next round!"

"Boom—"

This time, the plaza completely exploded!

"14 Peak Foundation Establishment Disciples? 21 Late Stage Foundation Establishment Disciples? My god! What kind of terrifying efficiency is this? In the span of an incense stick, an average of less than two breaths to eliminate one person?"

"A devil! This is the true devil! Zhang Hao and the others swept through with hard clashes, while Bai Yunzhou harvested with precision. This efficiency is even more terrifying than Wang Chuan!"

"Didn't Wang Chuan get 78 points?"

"He owed that to the credit of the Spirit Treasure spear, but Bai Yunzhou's is solid, genuine hard strength!"

"Who said he was cowardly earlier? Stand out! He wasn't cowardly, he was looking for an opportunity! He specifically picked off stragglers and those with high Spiritual Qi consumption, striking Spiritual Qi nodes precisely with every move. This tactic is simply too ruthless!"

"The speed blessed by the zhuiyun boots, coupled with precise control over Spiritual Qi nodes, this combination is simply a melee harvester! No wonder he could break out of the devil group and take first place!"

"…"

Discussions surged like a tide, and countless gazes focused on Bai Yunzhou, filled with shock, awe, jealousy, and sudden realization.

Those Disciples who had previously mocked him as a "background board" all flushed red at this moment, wishing they could crawl into a crack in the ground.

In the competition area, tournament favorites like Li Dongjun and Zhang Miaoyi wore solemn expressions, their eyes locked tightly on Bai Yunzhou as he walked down the arena.

"63 points… only 15 points behind Wang Chuan's 78 points, yet the overall strength of the third group was more than a tier stronger than the first group!"

Li Dongjun gripped the long sword in his hand and mused.

"This Disciple's speed and actual combat experience are extremely strong. If we cross paths, we must respond with caution."

Zhang Miaoyi's red lips parted slightly, and her eyes similarly revealed a thoughtful look.

"His movement technique and Spiritual Artifact are extremely fast, and he excels at ambushing vital points. It is very hard to lock onto his figure during a frontal clash."

"Fortunately, his cultivation is only Mid Foundation Establishment. If it's a protracted battle, his Spiritual Qi should not be enough to sustain it; otherwise, he wouldn't have adopted the method of wandering the edges to win."

Not far away, Liu Qingmo, who had just finished the second group melee and stood in the rest area, also looked at Bai Yunzhou, her cool eyes similarly solemn.

Clearly, she had not expected that the Outer Sect Disciple whose engagement she had broken off back then would now possess such strength!

On the arena, the six top Disciples including Zhang Hao and Liyan had iron-blue faces, looking extremely unsightly.

As prodigies on the rankings, they fought with all their might, believing they had already controlled the battle situation.

Yet they didn't expect that Bai Yunzhou, who had always "hidden in the corner", would snatch away first place!

In the distant pavilion, the reactions of several Old Ancestors were also all different.

Xing Zhan's hand stroking his beard stopped in mid-air.

Previously, he was still proud of Liu Qingmo's performance, but he never expected that Bai Yunzhou's current points would directly crush hers.

Yuan Xi, however, grew worried in his heart.

After all, at the gambling stall of the Outer Sect Market shop he was involved with, quite a few people had bet that Bai Yunzhou could enter the top ten.

Judging by the other party's current performance, perhaps there really was such a possibility.

If the other party really entered the top ten, he would have to pay out a lot of Spirit Stones.

On the contrary, Cao Yuanbai at the side let out an exclamation of praise.

"Little Friend Bai's talent is truly extraordinary. Fellow Daoist Zhou seems to have taken in a good Disciple!"

Although Elder Zhou Mu did not reply, it was not hard to tell from the expression on her face that her mood at the moment was quite good.

At this moment.

As soon as Bai Yunzhou walked to the rest area, Zhou Zhiting quickly greeted him, her eyes filled with adoration and excitement.

"Senior Brother Bai! You are too amazing! 63 points! First place in the third group!"

Bai Yunzhou nodded slightly toward her and said with a smile.

"Just a fluke. How is your preparation going? The fifth group will start soon."

"I am ready!"

Zhou Zhiting nodded vigorously.

The two chatted for a moment, and the fourth match had already begun, but there was nothing much to watch.

Soon the fifth match began.

Bai Yunzhou turned his head to look at Zhou Zhiting and spoke.

"The fifth group is about to start. Go and get ready first, I'll wait for you here."

"Okay! Senior Brother Bai, I will definitely advance!"

Zhou Zhiting nodded vigorously and turned to walk toward the gathering area of the fifth group.

At this time, the discussions in the Inner Gate Plaza still had not stopped, except that the topic had completely focused on Bai Yunzhou and Liu Qingmo.

The person in charge of the market gambling stall was even busier to the point of being flustered; countless Disciples surged over to adjust their bets, and the odds for Bai Yunzhou and Liu Qingmo plummeted rapidly, almost catching up to Wang Chuan's level.

Not long after, the melee of the fifth group ended, and Zhou Zhiting successfully advanced without any surprise.

It's just that her score was not considered high, only 27 points.

But even so, it still shocked quite a few people.

After all, she was merely a Utility Disciple previously; being able to achieve such results in a hundred-person melee indeed exceeded the expectations of many.

Subsequently, the seventh match was Deng Mufeng, and the 24th match was Song Xinghe. Both performed decently, but there weren't many eye-catching aspects, as if they didn't care about the points at all.

Besides, the tournament favorites Li Dongjun and Zhang Miaoyi also successfully advanced as group first place.

As a day passed like this, the first round hundred-person melee of the Inner Sect Grand Competition finally ended.

However, even so, there were still nearly 600 Disciples participating in the Inner Sect Grand Competition.

And among these remaining Disciples, except for a few Disciples like Liu Qingmo and Bai Yunzhou, the rest were basically at the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm.

At this time, on the plaza of the Scripture Transmission Hall, heads were moving densely. Elder Yan personally stepped forward once again, standing on the high platform, and proclaimed the rules of the second round in a deep voice.

"There are a total of 596 Disciples advancing from the first round. The second round adopts the 'Point Ransom + Hunting Advancement System', with the core rules as follows—"

"First, the first-round points serve as the second-round 'ransom points', which cannot be traded or transferred."

"All Disciples independently choose to become 'arena defenders' or 'challengers'. Arena defenders occupy the bluestone arenas of the Scripture Transmission Hall plaza and must face challenges consecutively."

"Challengers choose arenas to launch attacks according to the drawing order, and each person only has three challenge opportunities."

"Second, the hunting count rule: Every time an arena defender defeats a challenger, they obtain 1 'hunting count'."

"Every time a challenger defeats an arena defender, they likewise obtain 1 'hunting count'."

"When the hunting count reaches 3 times, they directly advance to the third round, without needing to participate in subsequent duels."

"Third, the point ransom rule: If an arena defender is defeated, they can consume one-third of their own first-round points to 'ransom' themselves, retaining their arena defending qualification and clearing the current hunting count. They can ransom a maximum of 2 times, and failure on the third time results in direct elimination."

"If a challenger fails a challenge, they can consume one-half of their own first-round points to 'ransom' themselves, retaining remaining challenge opportunities. They can ransom a maximum of 1 time, and failure on the second time results in direct elimination."

"Fourth, the final fallback rule: The time limit for the second round is one day. After the day ends, Disciples who have not achieved 3 hunting counts are sorted from high to low according to remaining 'ransom points' to fill up the advancement slots, totaling 100 advancing people in the end; those whose points are exhausted or whose ransom times are used up are directly eliminated."

As Elder Yan's voice fell, the entire venue instantly exploded, and the discussions of the Disciples rose one after another.

"Point ransom? Losing doesn't mean direct elimination, and points can save your life?"

"Reaching 3 hunting counts means advancing? Then you just need to quickly defeat three opponents!"

"Bai Yunzhou had 63 points in the first round and would still have some left after ransoming twice. This fault-tolerance rate is simply too high!"

"…"

Bai Yunzhou, who had just returned to the rest area, heard the rules, and a trace of understanding flashed in his eyes.

This set of rules not only utilized the value of first-round points but also compelled Disciples to actively fight through the "hunting count".

For him, the high score of 63 points was an excellent fallback, and his style of excelling at quick victories was just right for rapidly accumulating hunting counts.

Zhou Zhiting beside him clenched her fists, her face carrying a bit of tension.

"Senior Brother Bai, I only had 27 points in the first round and can only ransom once. The pressure is so high…"

Bai Yunzhou smiled and comforted her.

"Your goal is to accumulate 3 hunting counts, not to stubbornly fight strong opponents head-on."

"You can completely choose arena defenders with weaker strength to strike, resolve it quickly, and get 1 count first."

"If you really lose, it doesn't matter to use points to ransom; safety first."

Tournament favorites in the competition area like Li Dongjun and Zhang Miaoyi maintained calm expressions.

Li Dongjun had 58 points in the first round and Zhang Miaoyi had 55 points, with deep point foundations.

Their goal was very clear: quickly gather 3 hunting counts, lock in the advancement slot as early as possible, and preserve Spiritual Qi to deal with subsequent hard battles.

"3 hunting counts is not difficult; what's difficult is avoiding entanglement with other strong experts."

Li Dongjun muttered to himself in a low voice.

"Bai Yunzhou is fast, and his hunting efficiency is definitely not low. He might become a formidable rival later on."

At the other end of the rest area, a trace of solemnness flashed in Liu Qingmo's cool eyes.

She had 37 points in the first round, could ransom twice, and her strength was sufficiently formidable.

But Bai Yunzhou's 63 points and record of 14 Peak Foundation Establishment Disciples still forced her to take him seriously.

"That Outer Sect Disciple back then has actually grown to this step now…"

She murmured in a low voice, light golden spiritual light quietly circulating at her fingertips, already starting to prepare for the second round.

Early the next morning, the plaza was already bustling with noise.

Hundreds of bluestone arenas were neatly arranged, and morning light spilled onto the platform surfaces, casting a cold luster.

The 596 advancing Disciples gathered here, and the arena defenders successively stepped onto the arenas, waiting for challenges with steady expressions.

Challengers queued in the waiting area, tightly gripping their draw tokens in their hands and secretly sizing up the target arenas.

"Dong—"

The muffled sound of a drum rang out, and Elder Yan's voice spread across the entire audience once again.

"The second round of the Inner Sect Grand Competition, the Point Ransom + Hunting Advancement System, officially begins!"

As his voice fell, the teleportation arrays on both sides of the plaza flickered with light, and the first challenger, holding a token, walked quickly toward the chosen arena.

Almost at the same time, the sounds of Spiritual Qi collisions in various arenas sounded one after another, and the slaughter of the second round began.

Bai Yunzhou chose the nineteenth arena as his defending point. In the groove at the edge of the arena, a token engraved with the characters "63" was embedded, exceptionally eye-catching.

He wore a cyan Daoist robe, standing with his hands behind his back. His gaze swept calmly over the challenger waiting area below, and he already had a plan in mind.

First, find three challengers of medium strength to quickly secure hunting counts and lock in a promotion spot as soon as possible. As for plundering points, that was secondary.

"Ring Number Nineteen, challenger, Fang Hao! Please take the stage!"

The voice of a Disciple came over, breaking Bai Yunzhou's thoughts.

The incoming person wore a black Daoist robe, had a sturdy build, and his cultivation had already reached Peak Foundation Establishment. The Spiritual Qi fluctuations around his body were not weak.

His gaze stared fixedly at Bai Yunzhou, carrying a bit of disdain and greed in his eyes.

"Bai Yunzhou? You're the one who relied on wandering around to farm points and took first place in the third group? You're just an opportunist. Today, I will seize your qualification for defending the ring and earn a batch of points!"

Bai Yunzhou's expression did not change as he spoke indifferently.

"Cut the crap and make your move."

"Arrogant!"

Fang Hao let out an angry shout, and with a fierce slap of his hands, the spiked club at his waist was instantly summoned. It was pitch black all over, covered in sharp spikes, and smashed toward Bai Yunzhou with a whistling wind.

This strike carried immense and heavy momentum, clearly intending to directly suppress Bai Yunzhou by relying on Physical Body strength and the advantage of a Magic Treasure.

Seeing this, the Disciples under the stage exclaimed in succession.

"It is Fang Hao! His Black Wind Staff technique is very famous among Late Stage Foundation Establishment Disciples, and his strength is immense!"

"Bai Yunzhou is only at Mid Foundation Establishment. Taking this strike head-on will likely make him suffer!"

"Perhaps the very first ring to be breached will be Number Nineteen!"

"..."

On the ring numbered fifty-six not far away, Liu Qingmo had just finished a duel. While sending the challenger flying, she also instinctively glanced in the direction of Bai Yunzhou.

A trace of surprise flashed through her cold, clear eyes, but it immediately returned to calm.

In her view, Bai Yunzhou being able to reach this step was definitely not just by opportunism, but wanting to stubbornly resist Fang Hao's heavy blow probably wouldn't be so easy.

Facing the whistling spiked club, Bai Yunzhou's footwork suddenly shifted, his figure sliding three feet to the left like a ghost, narrowly avoiding the trajectory of the spiked club's smash.

"Boom!"

The spiked club heavily smashed onto the bluestone of the ring, sending gravel flying, and a shallow pit was actually smashed into the platform's surface.

"You sure dodge fast!"

Seeing this, a trace of surprise flashed in Fang Hao's eyes, and then his wrist turned, sweeping the spiked club horizontally. The spikes tore through the air, forming a black shadow of the club that sealed off Bai Yunzhou's retreat.

Bai Yunzhou remained unhurried, his figure sinking slightly as he slashed out with a bolt of Sword Qi. Fast as lightning, it landed accurately on the node of the spiked club's shaft.

"Clang!"

A crisp collision sounded, and Fang Hao only felt a tricky spiritual power transmit along the club's shaft, numbing his arm and causing the sweeping momentum of the spiked club to stall instantly.

Now!

A sharp light flashed in Bai Yunzhou's eyes, and his figure suddenly stepped forward, avoiding the attack range of the spiked club, striking toward Fang Hao's chest with a punch.

This punch looked plain, but it actually contained exquisite spiritual power manipulation, pointing directly at the flaw in Fang Hao's circulation of spiritual power.

Fang Hao's expression changed drastically. Wanting to retreat and defend was already too late, so he could only hurriedly circulate spiritual power to protect his chest.

"Puff!"

As the fist landed, Fang Hao let out a muffled grunt, his figure flying backward and heavily crashing into the defensive formation at the edge of the ring, coughing up a mouthful of fresh blood.

He struggled to crawl up, only to find that the spiritual power within his body was disordered and completely unable to condense.

"Ring Number Nineteen, ring defender Bai Yunzhou, wins! Gains 1 hunting count!"

The voice of the disciplinary Disciple rang out in a timely manner, announcing the result of this duel.

The area under the stage fell silent for a moment, and then an uproar erupted.

"He won just like that? Fang Hao didn't even last three moves?"

"Bai Yunzhou's speed is simply too fast! And that Sword Qi of his is terrifyingly accurate!"

"Mid Foundation Establishment can crush a Genius in Peak Foundation Establishment? This strength is too outrageous!"

"..."

Inside the pavilion on the high platform.

The smile on Elder Zhou Mu's face grew a bit more.

After all, that was her Disciple.

Xing Zhan on the side, while constantly paying attention to Liu Qingmo, was also watching the performance on Bai Yunzhou's side.

He immediately exclaimed in his heart.

'Could this Liu Qingmo end up inferior to Bai Yunzhou?'

'Then wouldn't I really have to give away the treasure?'

As for Yuan Xi, his face still wore a smile, but looking closely, one could discover the heartache in his eyes.

The more brilliant Bai Yunzhou's performance was, the more it indicated that the other party was likely to enter the top ten. By then, the losses of his market gambling stall would be even greater.

On the contrary, Cao Yuanbai's face had completely no worry.

After all, the performance of Song Xinghe, whom he favored, was quite steady.

At this moment on the ring, Bai Yunzhou watched Fang Hao, who was being helped down by a Utility Disciple, and his expression remained calm.

The victory of the first duel and the entry of 1 hunting count were merely an appetizer to him.

He raised his hand to brush off the dust on his sleeves, stood again with his hands behind his back, and waited for the arrival of the next challenger.

However, perhaps because his performance in this first match was too brilliant, it actually resulted in no one coming forward to challenge him for a long time.

Of course, those who similarly had no challengers were popular candidates for winning the championship, such as Wang Chuan and Li Dongjun.

After all, knowing clearly that it was a defeat, how could anyone go and challenge them?

Thus, time slowly passed, and the slaughter on the plaza became increasingly fierce.

Some successfully secured their hunting counts, high-spirited.

Some failed their challenges, gritting their teeth to consume points to redeem their lives, with solemn expressions.

There were also those whose points were exhausted, leaving in dejection.

Finally, as the sun set, the second round of ring matches finally ended.

It was just that because Bai Yunzhou, Wang Chuan, and others were too strong and no one dared to step forward to challenge them, their rankings in the second round were not particularly high, basically falling beyond the eightieth or ninetieth place.

Fortunately, they all successfully advanced.

The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled over the Merit Transmission Hall plaza, dyeing the bluestone rings into a golden-red.

As the defensive formation of the last ring dissipated, Elder Yan's voice resounded across the entire venue once again.

"The second round of the Inner Sect Grand Competition has ended! Congratulations to the one hundred Disciples who successfully advanced! Next, the rules for the third round will be announced—"

The plaza instantly quieted down, and the gazes of all Disciples focused on Elder Yan on the high platform.

"The third round adopts a 'one-on-one single-elimination system'."

"The core rules are as follows!"

"First, the one hundred Disciples who advanced will determine their dueling opponents and match slots through a random draw. The winner advances to the next round, and the loser is directly eliminated with no chance to redeem their lives."

"Second: During the battle, one can actively concede, or lose the ability to resist, and anyone knocked out of the arena is considered defeated."

"Second, during the course of the duel, intentionally harming lives is forbidden, otherwise, you will be directly disqualified and handed over to the Sect for punishment!"

As Elder Yan's voice fell, the entire venue instantly exploded into a commotion.

"One-on-one elimination? There's nowhere to hide this time; it all depends on hard strength!"

"One hundred into fifty, fifty into twenty-five, twenty-five into twelve, twelve into the top ten? Four rounds of elimination, every single match is a life-and-death battle!"

"There's a good show to watch now! Top Disciples like Wang Chuan and Bai Yunzhou will probably encounter each other early on!"

"..."

Amidst the discussions, an archaic drawing box appeared beside the white jade stele in the center of the plaza.

A deacon shouted aloud.

"Will the advanced Disciples please step forward in order of their second-round rankings to draw lots!"

Disciples with higher rankings stepped forward one after another, most of them wearing looks of smugness, as if feeling that drawing lots first could give them an advantage.

Meanwhile, top Disciples ranked beyond the eightieth or ninetieth place like Bai Yunzhou and Wang Chuan stood leisurely in place, not walking up slowly until the Disciples in front finished drawing.

Bai Yunzhou casually took a bamboo slip from the drawing box. Inscribed on it was "Number 37", meaning his opponent was the Disciple who also drew Number 37.

Soon, all Disciples completed their draws.

The deacon posted the duel roster on the white jade stele. When everyone crowded around to look, some instantly revealed expressions of joy.

"Good thing I didn't draw Li Dongjun and the others; advancing is secure now!"

"Me too, my luck is considered pretty good!"

"..."

Of course, several people among them also wore expressions of agony.

"I actually drew Li Dongjun, the championship-contending seed player. How is this even supposed to be fought!"

"Junior Brother, don't complain; look who I drew—Wang Chuan!"

"Damn, he is already a popular candidate for the championship, and now he even holds a Spirit Treasure in his hand. If you go up there, won't you have to concede directly?"

"When I drew Bai Yunzhou, I still felt unlucky, but compared to you guys, I feel like I might not be that unlucky after all."

"..."

Amidst everyone's discussions, the third round of battles had already begun.

Without any surprise, popular championship contenders like Wang Chuan, as well as Bai Yunzhou and others, easily defeated their opponents and successfully advanced.

Among them, Wang Chuan's performance was particularly brilliant, still defeating his opponent with just a single spear strike.

Yet when the second round arrived, Wang Chuan unexpectedly crossed paths with Li Dongjun ahead of time.

For a time, heated discussions were endless.

After all, everyone had not expected that these two popular championship contenders would actually cross paths prematurely at this time.

And this also meant that one of the popular championship contenders would be unable to rush into the top ten.

Thus, under the anticipation of everyone, the two exchanged blows.

However, what was surprising was that Wang Chuan was as strong as ever. Relying on his own strength and the blessing of the Spirit Treasure spear, he instantly killed Li Dongjun with a single spear strike.

For a time, the entire audience was shocked.

After all, Li Dongjun's strength was right there.

Yet even so, he was still instantly killed by the other party.

And when it reached the third round, Wang Chuan actually drew Zhang Miaoyi, another popular championship-contending candidate.

Having Li Dongjun's cautionary tale as an example, Zhang Miaoyi went all out right from the start, but even so, she still didn't last 10 rounds.

Because of this, quite a few people expressed that this was unfair.

After all, participating in the competition while carrying a Spirit Treasure was truly too Heaven-Defying.

Wang Chuan did not care about this at all.

He even stated, "If you have the ability, go get one yourselves!"

Facing Wang Chuan's response like this, everyone could do nothing about it.

And when it reached the fourth round, there were still 25 people left on the stage. Everyone was praying in their hearts not to encounter this jinx.

Fortunately, everyone's prayers had an effect.

Because the person who encountered Wang Chuan this round was Bai Yunzhou.

"Bai Yunzhou actually drew Wang Chuan?!"

"My goodness! What kind of divine luck is this? Just as he was about to rush into the top ten, he ran into this jinx!"

"Wang Chuan could even instantly kill Li Dongjun with a single spear strike. No matter how strong Bai Yunzhou is, can he block a Spirit Treasure spear?"

"It's over, it's over. Bai Yunzhou is going to stop at the top twenty-five!"

"However, thanks to Bai Yunzhou blocking in front, it allowed us to survive for another round."

"Who is saying otherwise? That monster Wang Chuan is simply the nightmare of this Grand Competition!"

"Which of Li Dongjun and Zhang Miaoyi is not a popular championship-contending candidate? In the end, one was instantly killed with a single spear strike, and the other couldn't last ten rounds. Even if Bai Yunzhou loses, he can be considered to have blocked a disaster for us."

"..."