Chu Ming’s eyes flashed with a hint of fervor; the Starlight Pill held great appeal for him as well.
A white-robed elder stepped forward from the group of other Elders, donned in flowing white robes and exuding an air of ethereal calm. This person was none other than the Grand Elder of the Celestial Travel Sect, Kong Qianren, an elite Realm of Transcendence fighter with immense influence within the sect.
"Ahem, let’s proceed with the first part of the tournament. Each sect disciple will draw lots and be divided into groups of one hundred. These hundred disciples will engage in chaotic battles, and the last three standing on the stage can advance to the second round."
Kong Qianren waved his long sleeve, and countless points of light, resembling starlight, shot out towards the disciples at incredible speed. However, there was no trace of any attack in the process.
Many disciples gently reached out and caught the starlight. The glow faded to reveal a hand-sized jade token lying quietly, marked with a number. Chu Ming glanced at the number on his token: 12.
"What number did you get?"
Chu Ming asked Zhu Hongxue.
Zhu Hongxue replied. In fact, Zhu Hongxue’s strength was formidable; his ranking in the Celestial Travel Sect originally fell within the top five hundred. Now, having advanced to the True Dao Fifth Layer, his combat power had likely increased by thirty to forty percent. As long as luck wasn’t terribly against him, advancing to the second round should be entirely achievable.
There were thirty thousand Inner Sect Disciples in the Celestial Travel Sect. If they were to compete one-on-one, it would be an immense waste of time. The first round’s chaotic battle was sufficient to eliminate many opportunistic disciples. Moreover, if one were unlucky enough to encounter a strong opponent and get eliminated, challenges could still be issued to those who passed the first round before the second round began. If victorious, one could take their place, thereby maintaining a level of fairness.
Mo Ling, seated in the front row of the audience, glanced down to see that his jade token was numbered 2, then remained silent. To him, it mattered little which group he was in because his goal was to be first. Everyone was destined to be his opponent.
"Junior Sister Bai, which group are you in?"
He Wumu, wielding the Ghost Face Saber and seated next to Bai Hanyan, asked with a forced smile.
Bai Hanyan replied coldly.
At this point, the Grand Elder Kong Qianren stepped forward and formed several Dharma Seals in his hands. Green light shot out and the entire Central Hall began to tremble slightly. To the astonishment of Chu Ming, numerous metal arenas slowly ascended from the center of the hall, totaling one hundred and emitting a dazzling light.
"Now, disciples from Group 1 to Group 100 take your place on the arenas for the tournament. During the tournament, cease attacks when your opponent admits defeat."
Removing the seal, the Grand Elder spoke indifferently.
The sound of disciples breaking through the air erupted as nearly one-third of the Inner Sect Disciples left their seats and flew towards the arenas.
The arenas were square-shaped, each twenty meters long and wide. With a hundred disciples standing on them, it felt crowded. Chu Ming landed steadily on the arena and scanned the other people there, noting their vigilant expressions. Some disciples had already made small alliances, discussing strategies to eliminate others first.
The disciples varied greatly in strength in the first round. In Chu Ming’s group, the strongest was likely the Inner Sect’s 14th-ranked disciple, Hu Xue wielding the Heaven-Reaching Sword. Chu Ming could easily defeat Wang Daoran; thus, Hu Xue considered Chu Ming’s strength comparable to his own. Fortunately, each group allowed three disciples to advance in the first round, meaning he didn’t have to compete directly with Chu Ming. As for the others, Hu Xue considered them insignificant opponents.
"Let the tournament begin!"
As the Grand Elder Kong Qianren’s words fell, the disciples on the hundred arenas immediately began chaotic battles. Countless fist and saber shadows flew about. The limited space on the arenas and the numerous disciples meant that even unintended attacks would affect others. In just an instant, countless disciples were blasted off the stages.
On Arena 12, as the Grand Elder had just announced the start, half the disciples jointly attacked Chu Ming, while the other half aimed at Hu Xue, creating an imposing scene. The battles stirred up the winds on the arena, indicating that the others had already secretly agreed to eliminate Chu Ming and Hu Xue, the two strongest disciples first, before deciding the final outcome among themselves.
Unfortunately for them, they underestimated Chu Ming’s and Hu Xue’s strength.
"Blood Killing Sword!"
Chu Ming’s steps lightly tapped the ground, a cold smile at the corner of his mouth. Without drawing his sword, he clenched his right fist, his body stretching, muscles slightly bulging. With a punch towards the front, golden light like a dragon engulfed a dozen disciples.
A dozen disciples immediately spat blood and were hurled off the stage. If Chu Ming hadn’t restrained his attack power, that punch could have easily killed them all.
On the other side of the arena, Hu Xue also made his move. A white light, fine as silver thread and impossibly fast, penetrated the chests of over a dozen disciples, severely injuring them.
The Inner Sect rankings were divided into several tiers: those ranked within the top five hundred were on the same tier, albeit with varying strength. Disciples in this range were relatively comparable.
From three hundred to one hundred formed another tier. Disciples in this range could defeat those from the previous tier without much effort.
From one hundred to fifty formed yet another tier, and then fifty to thirty, and thirty to ten, each forming distinct levels. Although there were many tiers, the gap with the top ten was immense. Even Su Xin, ranked tenth, could easily defeat any disciple from the lower tiers.
Even among the top ten, the disparity in strength was significant. Su Xin couldn’t last a single bout against Mo Ling, illustrating the enormous gap between ordinary disciples and Chu Ming.
Chu Ming repeatedly threw punches, sending waves of energy and blasting away dozens more. At this moment, the disciples on the arena realized the terror of Chu Ming and Hu Xue and ceased attacking them, instead fighting among themselves for the last spot.
Chu Ming chose not to continue attacking, feeling it unnecessary. Instead, he turned his attention to the other arenas. On a nearby stage, Ying Qiangge wielding the Infinite Sword was slaughtering disciples indiscriminately, the sword aura splashing, blood flying, forcing the disciples to scamper in panic. Yet, the restricted size of the arena and Ying Qiangge’s quick attacks meant these disciples were having a tough time.