Chapter 384: The First Contest

Chapter 384: The First Contest

Upon seeing this, Lu Yuezhang turned his head to look at Du Xianming. "Friend Du, I think Chu Shizhi's words make sense. Let's save people and treat their injuries first. What do you think?"

Du Xianming looked at Rong Zhangping, who was obviously seriously injured with a greatly diminished aura at the moment, and his face became extremely gloomy.

Hearing Lu Yuezhang's words, he couldn't say anything more.

Although Chu Ning's words were quite infuriating.

But Du Xianming also knew that when Rong Zhangping made his move at the beginning, he indeed did not hold back at all.

In the end, the outcome could only be attributed to their underestimation of Chu Ning's strength.

Now that the Guiyuan Zong was siding with Chu Ning, it would be futile for him to continue arguing.

Instead, he would only lose more face in front of the various sects.

Having realized this, Du Xianming took a deep look at Chu Ning, who was confined by the restriction, and then took a light breath. "As Friend Lu said, saving people is the priority."

At this moment, Du Xianming found an excuse for himself, implying in his words that he was mostly doing it to give Lu Yuezhang face.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yuezhang immediately stepped aside and announced the result. "The winner of this round is Chu Ning of Jiuhua Zong!"

Hearing these words, Chu Ning's face did not show any sign of complacence. Instead, he became extremely vigilant and flashed away from the high platform, flying towards the Jiuhua Zong's viewing platform.

Although Du Xianming said nice things, he was not sure if the other party would play any dirty tricks.

It would be better to leave first.

At this moment, the gazes of everyone present were almost all focused on Chu Ning, who had just flown out.

Especially the three Jin Dan cultivators from Da Luo Zong, their eyes were about to spit fire.

The result of this battle was completely beyond their expectations.

Ao Xuan and the others from Da Luo Zong never expected that Rong Daoping would actually lose to Chu Ning.

Moreover, he lost so thoroughly and cleanly, and the speed was even faster than when Jiang Cheng won his previous battle.

In fact, those who were surprised were not just the cultivators from Da Luo Zong.

The cultivators from the other sects also had to re-evaluate Chu Ning's strength.

On the viewing platform of Guiyuan Zong, Jiang Cheng and He Feng looked at each other, and a strange light flashed in their eyes.

As Jiang Cheng said, even if he were to take the stage, it would not be easy to defeat Zong Daoping so easily.

"This Chu cultivator's attack is very strong, and the power of his flying sword treasure is also not small."

This was the first time Jiang Cheng had given an evaluation of Chu Ning.

"I never expected that in addition to Yu Change, there would be such a powerful Jin Dan cultivator in Jiuhua Zong.

I'm starting to get interested."

Hearing this, Shi Xerong immediately turned her head and said, "Senior Brother Jiang, Chu has saved my life. If you meet him later, remember to go easy on him."

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng smiled and shook his head. "Junior Sister, you're overestimating me. I think Chu Ning didn't use his full strength.

If we really meet next, it's hard to say who will go easy on whom."

Shi Xerong shook her head. "That cultivator from Da Luo Zong only lost because he underestimated his opponent. Senior Brother Jiang, after you've prepared, how could Chu be your match?"

Hearing Shi Xerong's words, Jiang Cheng did not refute.

After all, he somewhat agreed with what she said.

In Jiang Cheng's opinion, the reason why Chu Ning won was mainly because he used his escape technique to dodge and caught Zong Daoping off guard.

Although they were both at the late peak of the Jin Dan stage, he was more confident in his strength.

Secondly, knowing that Chu Ning was not weak, he would not be careless.

Jiang Cheng did not really believe that Chu Ning was stronger than him.

Of course, if Jiang Cheng knew that Chu Ning had not only held back his divine abilities but also did not use the Fire Spirit Sword to its full potential, he might not have thought so.

Perhaps because Chu Ning's battle with Zong Daoping was beyond the expectations of too many people, and the result was quite tragic.

The discussion was so heated that the following battles between the cultivators did not attract much attention.

Until Zhuang Zhong was called out by a late-stage Jin Dan cultivator, and he once again defeated an upper-stage opponent.

Then, the attention of the crowd turned to this mid-stage Jin Dan cultivator.

Because they both used fire-attribute spells, many people even compared him to Chu Ning.

Chu Ning also couldn't help but take a second look at him.

"The techniques and spells of this Xuanhuo Zong are quite unique. Look at the power of his spells; it far surpasses ordinary fire-attribute spells."

Chu Ning couldn't help but marvel at what he saw.

The second round of the competition was a bit slower than the first round, mainly because the gap between the two sides in this round was smaller.

In terms of opponent selection, the cultivators ranked in the front did not necessarily choose those ranked behind them.

Firstly, the cultivators they faced in the previous round had slightly different strengths, so this ranking did not necessarily represent their absolute strength.

Secondly, the cultivators would also consider whether their techniques and spells had any countering effects.

However, overall, the top ten ranked cultivators still emerged victorious.

Except for Chu Ning and Zhuang Zhong, as well as the cultivator ranked eleventh, who defeated the tenth-ranked cultivator.

However, since the two were close in both ranking and strength, it wasn't too surprising.

Thus, the top ten were finally decided.

However, according to the rules for obtaining the Wanfa Fruit, one more person had to be eliminated from these ten.

Furthermore, the first-place winner had to be determined, who would gain the right to bring one person to consume the Wanfa Fruit.

Lu Yuezhang stood up and flew onto the high platform. "According to past practice, the cultivators ranked eighth, ninth, and tenth will have a match to decide the eighth and ninth places.

The tenth-ranked cultivator will also have one more chance to challenge any one of the cultivators ranked above him."

"The vacant spot will go to the cultivator who ranks first. The top three cultivators in terms of victory speed can compete for first place. They are Chu Ning from Jiuhua Zong, Jiang Cheng from Guiyuan Zong, and Yuan Xiaolu from Jinghua Valley."

Of the first three, Chu Ning was the fastest to win, which was something no one had expected before the round began.

However, at this moment, no one was optimistic about Chu Ning's performance in the next round.

Jiang Cheng from Guiyuan Zong and Yuan Xiaolu from Jinghua Valley were both well-known late Jin Dan stage cultivators in the Yunxiao Alliance.

Both of them had already reached the peak of the late Jin Dan stage and could cross the threshold into the Yuan Ying stage at any moment.

In fact, what everyone was more interested in was the duel between Jiang Cheng and Yuan Xiaolu.

However, they would have to wait a little longer, as Lu Yuezhang began to organize the competition for the eighth, ninth, and tenth-ranked cultivators.

At this moment, Zhuang Zhong once again surprised everyone.

In the competition among the last three cultivators, he held his own against two late Jin Dan stage cultivators, securing the eighth position and earning a spot.

The other cultivator, who had lost twice in a row, ranked tenth.

He was also a cultivator from a mediocre sect and, according to the rules, chose to challenge another late Jin Dan stage cultivator who had previously ranked sixth.

In the end, he was unable to win and forfeited the tenth spot.

At this point, everyone's interest was piqued.

The first-place competition was not just about earning an additional spot for their sect to consume the Wanfa Tree Spirit Fruit.

In a way, it also represented the individual's strength, crowning them as the most powerful Jin Dan stage cultivator in the entire Yunxiao Alliance.

"Chu Ning from Huazong, Jiang Cheng from Guiyuan Zong, and Yuan Xiaolu from Jinghua Valley, please come forward to draw your battle order."

Lu Yuezhang's voice resonated once more in the arena.

Chu Ning stood up from the spectator stand, preparing to fly out.

At that moment, an unexpected voice rang out from the Jinghua Valley spectator stand.

Yuan Xiaolu, the female cultivator, cupped her hands towards Lu Yuezhang on the high platform and said, "Senior Lu, I know I am no match for Jiang Daoist. As for the first-place competition, I will not be participating."

Yuan Xiaolu's statement caused Chu Ning to pause momentarily.

He then scanned the crowd and noticed that many cultivators were looking in his direction, their gazes filled with curiosity.

Apparently, the other cultivators wanted to see if Chu Ning would concede, now that Yuan Xiaolu had admitted that she was no match for Jiang Cheng.

Chu Ning did not rush to respond. In terms of ranking, he was the one with the advantage.

As expected, the next moment, Jiang Cheng flew up to the high platform, cupped his hands towards Yuan Xiaolu, and said, "Thank you, Daoist Yuan, for your gracious concession. I am humbled."

Then, he turned towards Chu Ning and cupped his hands, "Daoist Chu, I wish to win another spot for my sect. Please enlighten me."

Hearing this, Chu Ning smiled and flew out from the spectator stand, landing on the high platform.

He cupped his hands and said, "I, Chu, have long heard of Senior Jiang's remarkable abilities. Please enlighten me."

If it had just been up to him, that would have been enough. Whether or not he got first place didn't matter much to Chu Ning.

However, Chu Ning also wanted to secure a chance for Cen Zijin to consume the Wanfa Tree Spirit Fruit, so he naturally had to give it his all against Jiang Cheng.

Chu Ning's actions sparked discussions among the spectators.

"This Chu Ning is truly fearless, challenging Senior Jiang even after Daoist Yuan conceded. He's like a young bull unafraid of tigers."

"Indeed, even the current Jiuhua Zong's sect leader, Yu Change, who has already advanced to the Yuan Ying stage, was once defeated by Jiang Cheng. How dare Chu Ning, who has just entered the late Jin Dan stage, challenge him?"

"He's still young and impulsive. While his abilities are indeed remarkable, I doubt he thinks that just because he won against Zong Daoping, he can also defeat Jiang Cheng. Not only in the Yunxiao Alliance but also among the top ten alliances, Senior Jiang is one of the most powerful Jin Dan stage cultivators."

...

While the spectators clearly didn't think highly of Chu Ning's chances, Jiang Cheng himself did not underestimate his opponent.

To everyone's surprise, he took out his brush-shaped artifact and prepared for the battle with a focused expression.

In response, Chu Ning took out the Fire Spirit Sword and held it in his hand.

"Begin!"

As Lu Yuezhang's voice rang out, Chu Ning immediately swung his hand, brandishing the Fire Spirit Sword and unleashing the Heaven Fire Sword Art. However, instead of summoning a downpour of fiery rain as he had done against Zong Daoping, he sent a single sword beam toward Jiang Cheng.

Perhaps wanting to test his opponent first, Jiang Cheng, the renowned cultivator from Guiyuan Zong, did not attack immediately.

It was only when Chu Ning's sword beam was upon him that he waved his brush-shaped artifact, creating a white halo imbued with dense water spirit energy in front of him.

Chu Ning's sword beam was trapped within the halo and couldn't advance any further, resulting in a brief stalemate before both attacks dissipated.

However, the next moment, several red beams appeared in the sky.

Chu Ning had swung the Fire Spirit Sword multiple times in quick succession, unleashing a series of Heaven Fire Sword Arts.

Following this, an enormous fiery phoenix with flames dancing across its body appeared.

Since Jiang Cheng was already familiar with Chu Ning's attack methods, Chu Ning didn't bother hiding the Fiery Sun Spirit Phoenix within his sword.

The countless sword beams and the colossal fiery phoenix turned the entire sky into a dazzling crimson spectacle, awe-inspiring in its might.

The spectators, witnessing this display, couldn't help but show surprise and solemnity on their faces.

But at this moment, seeing Chu Ning's extremely fierce attack, the crowd began to realize that such an attack would be difficult to counter even in a direct confrontation, and an ordinary cultivator would not be able to withstand it.

In an instant, everyone's gaze turned to Jiang Cheng, wanting to see how the number one Jin Dan cultivator in the alliance would respond.

Jiang Cheng pointed his brush tip a few times, and immediately, a cluster of water globes appeared in the air.

Then, with a wave of his brush, Jiang Cheng seemed to connect all the water globes, causing them to rapidly expand.

In the blink of an eye, a giant wave of white spiritual light formed in front of him.

With a point of his finger, Jiang Cheng sent the giant wave crashing towards the red sword beam and the Fiery Sun Spirit Phoenix.

The resulting spectacle was equally majestic.

In the blink of an eye, the red light and white wave collided, resulting in a temporary stalemate.

Then, they began to fade simultaneously.

Apparently, the impact was eroding both combatants' spell power.

However, whether it was Jiang Cheng in the arena or the other cultivators watching from the sidelines, everyone was astonished by what they saw next.

They noticed that under this kind of contact, the white wave seemed to be evaporated by the flames at a faster rate.

Water overcomes fire, and under normal circumstances, a water-attribute spell of equal power would have a natural advantage due to the principle of the Five Elements.

For this situation to occur, there could only be one explanation.

Chu Ning's spell power was stronger than Jiang Cheng's!

"Is Chu Ning's spell power really stronger than Jiang Cheng's? Could it be that Jiang Cheng isn't using his full strength?"

"He must be holding back. Now he's probably going all out."

...

Everyone was closely watching every move of the two combatants in the arena. Soon, they noticed that Jiang Cheng was pinching a spell seal with his left hand while continuously tapping his brush tip with his right, sending streams of spiritual light toward the giant wave.

With this boost, the giant wave's might surged.

However, the wave still failed to engulf the red sword beam and the fiery phoenix in the sky.

The audience consisted of Nascent Soul and Jin Dan cultivators, and at this moment, they could tell that Jiang Cheng had just unleashed his most powerful attack.

Now, he was simply casting additional spell seals to boost the power of his spell and counter Chu Ning's attack.

Everyone was astonished.

They knew that if Jiang Cheng could do this, then Chu Ning could as well.

As expected, in the next moment, they saw Chu Ning waving the Fire Spirit Sword and continuously casting fireballs onto the sword beam and the Fiery Sun Spirit Phoenix.

The sky was filled with dazzling red light.

The giant wave, which had just stabilized the situation, once again began to dissipate at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Jiang Cheng's face turned solemn.

The power of Chu Ning's spells was even stronger than he had imagined.

Jiang Cheng quickly channeled his spiritual power into his hands and prepared to continuously cast spell seals.

If he couldn't gain the upper hand in terms of spell power, then he would have to compete in terms of the thickness of their spiritual power.

But just then, Jiang Cheng saw Chu Ning place the Fire Spirit Sword in front of his chest and continuously cast spell seals with both hands.

"Could he be preparing to directly attack with his magic treasure? His magic treasure is quite powerful."

Jiang Cheng didn't want to use his own magic treasure to block the attack head-on, as he wanted to avoid damaging it.

So, he prepared to use another technique.

But at that moment, he felt that something was amiss.

Chu Ning didn't directly wield his flying sword. Instead, after casting several spell seals with both hands, he waved his hand, creating an invisible wind that swept forward.

Wind and Fire Scorching the Plains!

It was a top-tier spell that Chu Ning had learned from the Lei Huo Sect!

With the boost of this spell, the power of the sword beam in the air and the giant fiery phoenix surged tremendously!

Before Jiang Cheng could react, the fiery light filled the sky.

The fierce red flames and sword beams directly crushed the giant wave.

The sharp sword beams led the way, followed by the Fiery Sun Spirit Phoenix, as they instantly rushed towards Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Cheng's face changed slightly as he saw this, and his figure flashed as he flew away.

However, to his great surprise, his figure had just appeared when a red rainbow flashed and struck where he had been an instant before.

"It's Chu Ning's magic treasure flying sword!"

Jiang Cheng almost instantly realized what had happened, and his heart skipped a beat.

"How did Chu Ning predict my escape technique so accurately? Is he relying on some secret technique, or is his spiritual sense that strong?"

As this thought flashed through his mind, Jiang Cheng's figure flickered and disappeared from his original position once again.

At the same time, Chu Ning's figure also turned into an illusion and vanished.

In the next moment, where the two of them had been standing, a spiritual sword and a brush-shaped magic treasure pierced through the air.

"Hmm?" At this moment, Chu Ning was also slightly surprised.

Jiang Cheng's spiritual sense was indeed not weak, as he had accurately detected Chu Ning's flying sword attacks twice in a row.

At this moment, Chu Ning vaguely understood why Jiang Cheng had been able to overpower so many Jin Dan cultivators.

With such spiritual sense, Jiang Cheng could sense many attacks in advance.

Of course, if they were comparing spiritual sense, Chu Ning was far superior to Jiang Cheng.

If he were to use the Soul-Severing Art, Chu Ning was confident that he could inflict heavy damage on his opponent.

However, Chu Ning didn't want to expose the full strength of his spiritual sense so easily.

When Jiang Cheng dodged the Fire Spirit Sword's attack again and then countered with his brush-shaped magic treasure, Chu Ning stopped using illusions and dodging.

Chu Ning pinched a sword seal with one hand, and the Fire Spirit Sword spun in the air before slashing at the empty space in front of him.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end