Outer Gate Competition

"The Outer Sect Grand Competition officially begins!"

As he spoke, Yang Xiude, the Elder of the Internal Affairs Pavilion, gave a grand wave of his hand. A group of Internal Affairs Pavilion Disciples swarmed into the field, distributing a Teleportation Talisman and a crystal-clear jade token to every participant.

After a round of screening, there were now about one hundred and fifty Disciples qualified to participate in the Outer Sect Grand Competition. Their identities were quickly verified, and they were led to a large flying boat.

"Listen up, Disciples. The jade tokens you received are the tokens for this competition. They will be used for scoring and must not be lost or damaged, otherwise, you will be immediately disqualified."

"This Outer Sect Grand Competition will take place in the Sect's Back Mountain and will last for three days. Within the competition area, slaying Yao Beasts or gathering Heaven And Earth Treasures will earn you corresponding points, which will be displayed on the jade token. After the competition ends, the ten Disciples with the highest points will be the top ten of this competition."

"During the competition, Disciples may confront each other. Interference and plundering are not prohibited."

"If you can defeat an opponent and seize their jade token, the points on their token will belong to the victor. However, you must know when to stop and not kill indiscriminately. Otherwise, not only will your results be voided, but you will also be punished according to the Sect rules afterward, with no leniency!"

Plundering is not prohibited!

As soon as these words were spoken, many people's spirits were jolted. They cast unfriendly glances toward Qi Yuan, wishing they could rush up and beat him to the ground right then and there.

Qi Yuan completely ignored the hostile gazes around him and curiously toyed with the jade token in his hand. At the moment, the surface of the jade token was empty, with a faint fluorescent glow, looking indeed like it was meant for scoring.

Then, Yang Xiude continued:

"If you encounter a danger you cannot handle or wish to withdraw midway, simply activate the Teleportation Talisman to be transported out of the task area. Those who withdraw midway will have their competition results canceled."

"Furthermore, during the competition, the use of talisman treasures and Medicinal Pills that forcibly boost combat power is prohibited. You may use your own Magical Artifacts and recovery Medicinal Pills. I hope you will keep this in mind."

After saying this, Yang Xiude's expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice:

"If there are no objections, set off now. This flying boat will drop you off at the task area."

"We respectfully obey your teachings."

Everyone participating in the Outer Sect Grand Competition responded in unison, then entered the flying boat under the guidance of several Internal Affairs Pavilion Disciples.

Once everyone had boarded, Yang Xiude turned and nodded to the Deacon in charge of the flying boat. The Deacon understood and waved the Command Flag in his hand. Immediately, bursts of white light lit up around the flying boat, which then turned into a streak of light and shot through the air... Meanwhile, on the square, a giant magic mirror slowly rose, and vivid, detailed images showing every minute detail clearly appeared within the mirror.

The image showed a vast forest spanning a hundred miles in circumference, which was the task area for this Outer Sect Grand Competition.

After the giant mirror appeared, the spectating Falling Cloud Valley Disciples were all excited, eagerly looking for the best viewing spots around the square. Many people were pointing at the screen and talking loudly.

"The scale of the Outer Sect Grand Competition has been growing year by year, and this time they've really gone all out. It seems the Sect is truly determined to cultivate new Disciples."

An old Disciple sighed with emotion, his tone full of envy.

"The number of participants this time is nearly double that of last year, making the competition even more intense. The Disciples who win the competition will surely be dragons and phoenixes among men. They will certainly be highly valued after entering the Inner Sect, with a limitless future."

Another Outer Sect Disciple chimed in:

"In my opinion, Senior Brother Xie Yuxing of the Outer Sect has extraordinary strength and is only half a step away from Foundation Establishment. He will surely take first place this time."

Someone nearby immediately shook their head in rebuttal. "I favor Senior Brother Han Zaiyuan. After his defeat last time, Senior Brother Han took the lesson to heart and cultivated hard for a year, all for the sake of winning the competition and making a name for himself. I've bet a hundred Spirit Stones on Senior Brother Han's victory!"

As soon as the competition's betting pool was mentioned, everyone suddenly felt energized, and the atmosphere became lively.

"Haha, you're destined to lose everything this time. Senior Sister Nie Cuilan of the Law Enforcement Pavilion has a powerful background, and her Wood-element techniques are unrivaled in the Outer Sect. She will definitely have the last laugh this time. I've bet three hundred Spirit Stones."

"Senior Brother Lu Kuang is the truly ruthless character. First place in this competition must belong to him. I bet five hundred Spirit Stones!"

While everyone was discussing, Lin Zhen had already arrived before the Bookie who had set up the betting pool at the edge of the square. He took out a Storage Pouch from his robe and said seriously:

"I bet one thousand Spirit Stones that Qi Da will take first place in the competition."

"Who is Qi Da?"

The Bookie was stunned and turned to look at the list behind him, which was marked with names and odds. He asked in confusion, "Why isn't the person you mentioned on here?"

Brother Qi doesn't even have odds?

Lin Zhen's expression was a bit strange, but he still explained patiently:

"Qi Da is a Utility Disciple participating in this competition. His cultivation is at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining. I'm betting on his victory."

As soon as he said this, he immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding Cultivators, who looked at him as if he were a fool.

Is he out of his mind? He actually came to bet on a Fifth Level of Qi Refining Utility Disciple winning?

"Are you sure?"

The Bookie frowned and confirmed once more.

"Of course!"

Lin Zhen nodded with certainty.

"Alright then."

After all, it was business coming to his door, and there was no reason to refuse. The Bookie shook his head helplessly, took the Storage Pouch, opened it to check, and then issued a Receipt to Lin Zhen.

"The person you want to bet on isn't on the list, so it can only be calculated according to the person with the highest current odds, ten to one. Settlement will be based on the Receipt after the competition. We recognize the Receipt, not the person."

Ten to one?

Taking the Receipt, Lin Zhen couldn't help but be slightly moved, thinking to himself:

If Brother Qi really wins, then these one thousand Spirit Stones will become ten thousand Spirit Stones!

After pondering for a moment, he inconspicuously touched the Ring on his hand and silently thought:

"Old Man Shi, I have followed your instructions and bet all my Spirit Stones on Brother Qi."

The next moment, an ethereal and ancient voice sounded in his mind:

"Lin Kid, just wait to earn Spirit Stones. That Qi Da is no ordinary person. No matter what happens in the future, do not easily offend him..."

On the other side.

The flying boat slowly descended until it was about ten-odd zhang from the ground, and then the cabin door opened. Beside the door, an Internal Affairs Pavilion Deacon scanned the crowd expressionlessly and said indifferently:

"Line up and jump off the flying boat one by one. The interval should not be less than ten breaths. After landing, you may form teams as you wish."

Jump off?

Everyone in the cabin was stunned upon hearing this.

Generally speaking, only Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm or above could fly in the air without the help of external objects.

A distance of ten-odd zhang wasn't particularly high. A Mortal would naturally die a miserable death jumping down, while a Qi Refining Realm Cultivator could control the Spiritual Qi in their body to slow the speed of their descent. However, if they weren't careful enough during landing, there was still a risk of injury, especially since the flying boat was still moving at high speed.

Therefore, upon hearing they had to jump off the flying boat, many Disciples looked hesitant, and some Disciples who were naturally afraid of heights began to turn pale... "Don't dawdle!"

Seeing this, the Deacon couldn't help but snort coldly and scolded:

"Hurry up, or this Deacon will personally throw you down."

"I'll go first."

Under the watchful eyes of the others, Qi Yuan came to the cabin door and leaped out of the flying boat, leaving behind a provocative remark:

"Didn't you all say you were going to deal with me just now? I'm waiting."

"How arrogant!"

"No way, I'm going down right now to beat him up!"

Hearing this, the people in the cabin seemed to have been injected with adrenaline, and they followed him, jumping off the flying boat without hesitation... On the square.

Looking at the scenes in the magic mirror, the Sect Head of Falling Cloud Valley, Bai Qingwu, nodded repeatedly and said in an appreciative tone:

"This year's batch of Disciples has quite the courage. They all jumped voluntarily, and no one was thrown down."

The other high-level figures present also nodded one after another, and they all felt a sense of anticipation for the upcoming competition.