Chapter 645: Who is the First?

Chapter 645: Who is the First?

Even the hidden figure in the air, Yan Nan, was bewildered.

He knew about Purple Lightning Phoenix, and Yan Bei Han had obtained the Qiong Xiao Flower, but Purple Lightning Phoenix did not have the Qiong Xiao Flower.

However...

The sight of over ten thousand people being bombarded by Purple Lightning Phoenix was still enough to make Yan Nan and Bi Changhong's vision go dark.

"That two-headed serpent... Purple Lightning Phoenix..."

Yan Nan was so angry that his vision darkened. "Isn't this an unnecessary loss? Why did all of you go provoke that thing when you had nothing better to do? The Qiong Xiao Flower is good, but can you handle Purple Lightning Phoenix?"

Did they not know the meaning of the four words 'knowing one's limits'?

But now was not the time to pursue this matter.

Yan Nan transmitted his thoughts to Bi Changhong, "Let's complete the ceremony first."

Bi Changhong waved his hand in the air, and a chilling aura instantly covered the entire venue, silencing everyone.

"Take the data!"

A man in white came forward, holding a box, which he placed on the table and opened.

Fang Che, standing nearby, stole a glance at the box and saw that it was indeed that pitch-black object, emitting a mysterious, powerful, and evil aura.

It lay quietly in the box.

"Headquarters of the North!"

The master of ceremonies shouted.

The members of the Northern Headquarters lined up and approached the pitch-black object one by one.

The Five Spirit Toad automatically appeared.

A puff of black smoke rose from the black object in the box, and then data appeared in front of the box.

"Zhang Changgong, surrendered, seventy-six people, slaughtered, fifteen people. Disqualified!"

"Chen Shangdong, surrendered, one hundred and fifty-one people, slaughtered, one person. Qualified!"

"Mu Feng... Qualified!"

Upon hearing this name, Fang Che furrowed his brows. How could this guy be among them? He hadn't seen him from start to finish.

"Han Jian Mountain Gate!"

No one answered.

"Han Jian Mountain Gate!"

Still, no one responded.

"The people of Han Jian Mountain Gate were all killed, slaughtered by the Night Demon as they were about to leave," someone said.

A moment of silence followed.

"All dead?"

Yan Bei Han's eyes widened.

"Killed by the Night Demon?"

Yan Bei Han immediately lowered her eyelids.

Bi Yun Yan was indignant and said, "Is this Night Demon deliberately disrespecting us? This kid needs a lesson!"

Ever since Yan Bei Han had spoken ill of the Night Demon, describing him as having poor character and taking pleasure in toying with women, Bi Yun Yan now had a very negative impression of him.

Up above, the master of ceremonies shouted, "Han Jian Mountain Gate, step forward! Kneel down!"

In the crowd, Ji Changyan's face turned pale, and his body trembled.

Why... am I about to go out and kneel?

Someone nearby explained, "Palace Master Ji, this is the rule..."

After the master of ceremonies called out twice, Ji Changyan's face turned pale, but he didn't move.

Although he couldn't compare himself to the Supreme Leader of the Only Righteous Sect, he was, in principle and status, of equal rank.

But now, he had to go out and kneel? In front of such a large crowd? It was simply unacceptable!

Bi Changhong's face turned cold, and two figures by his side dashed out like lightning, "Ji Changyan! Are you deaf? Kneel down!"

Yan Bei Han gracefully approached and stopped in front of Ji Changyan.

Ji Changyan, seeing her as a savior, said, "Palace Master Yan, I..."

Yan Bei Han replied indifferently, "Palace Master Ji, this is the rule of the Only Righteous Sect. Everything is decided by performance and strength. Since your people are all dead, you must come forward and kneel. If my name is called, I, too, must come forward and kneel!"

"This is not meant to humiliate you! It's just... the rule!"

"So, I must kneel?" Ji Changyan asked in despair.

"Yes, you must kneel," Yan Bei Han nodded.

Ji Changyan's beard trembled, and his eyes held a hint of desolation.

He turned to look at the two elders who had accompanied him, but they both lowered their heads.

"Haha..."

Ji Changyan gave a bitter laugh, his body swaying unsteadily as he walked out like a living corpse, feeling as if his knees weighed a thousand pounds.

He reached the front of the stage, his spiritual sense slightly dazed.

Just then, a loud voice came from above, "Kneel down!"

Ji Changyan's legs bent, but then straightened again.

He wanted to maintain some dignity.

Kneel? How humiliating! A figure appeared in front of him with a whoosh.

Two slaps rang out, and Ji Changyan saw stars as he received two heavy slaps. Then, his knees were kicked hard, and he fell to his knees with a thud.

His entire body trembled.

His mind filled with flashing thoughts, and it seemed as if his entire life was shattering in that moment.

Kneeling, he dared not to raise his head, but he felt as if all his strength, hope, bones, spirit, aspirations, and dignity were being drawn out of him in that instant!

A cold voice rang out from high above, "Ji Changyan, since this is your first time, I'll spare you this once! If there's a next time, a thousand cuts await you!"

Ji Changyan knelt on the ground, his mind in complete disarray, feeling like an empty shell, his soul completely gone.

What knelt there was nothing more than a living corpse.

In his daze, a figure seemed to flash by in front of him. It was his uncle, Gu Changhan.

Gu Changhan, dressed in white, had a cold and sharp demeanor, like a sword that would rather break than bend, standing tall and proud. His voice rang out like the clashing of metal, "The Cold Sword Sect must live up to its name. The Cold Sword is a sword that chills the world, and we would rather take the direct path than seek a crooked one. We would rather break than bend, and we would rather die than surrender. This is the way of the Cold Sword!"

Ji Changyan knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the floor.

He felt like his heart was being torn apart.

The data collection continued.

Finally, it was the next person's turn.

"Western Headquarters! Bring out the team leader, kneel down!"

Another person knelt beside Ji Changyan.

This gave Ji Changyan a strange sense of comfort.

He couldn't help but look up and gaze at the person kneeling beside him.

The person knelt calmly on the ground and turned his head to look at Ji Changyan with a mocking and disdainful expression, "Palace Master Ji, is this your first time kneeling? Are you not used to it?"

Ji Changyan remained silent.

The person said indifferently, "It's okay, Palace Master Ji. After you kneel a few more times, you'll get used to it."

Ji Changyan's heart stirred with a surge of emotion, like a towering wave.

The Western Headquarters' Chief Officer knelt there, already feeling irritated. Now, seeing Ji Changyan like this, his irritation grew.

"Palace Master Ji, you need to open your mind. In the end, you'll have to kneel. Why bother clinging to your dignity?"

The Western Headquarters' Chief Officer spoke indifferently, "It's like being a prostitute. Once you enter this place, no matter how unwilling you are, no matter how much you cry and protest, you'll still have to serve customers in the end."

Ji Changyan's eyes blazed with anger.

Prostitute!

You compare the Palace Master of the Cold Sword Sect to a prostitute?

"Are you angry? Hit me then." The Western Headquarters' Chief Officer sneered, "We're already kneeling, and if you hit me... If you dare to hit me, the Cold Sword Sect will be finished... Starting today, you're dismissed. Do you believe me?"

A bucket of cold water was poured over Ji Changyan's head, and his body stiffened.

"Tsk, being insulted like this and you still dare not retaliate... Haha..."

The Western Headquarters' Chief Officer said, "Palace Master Ji, you're a good dog!"

He turned away and fell silent.

I'll kill you!

Ji Changyan's heart screamed, his entire body almost exploding with anger.

However, he didn't move. He had already knelt and made a mistake, and if he caused a scene now, it would be the end of him.

So, despite his heart being torn apart with hatred, he didn't move.

At this moment, another person knelt beside the Western Headquarters' Chief Officer and spoke softly, "No matter what, you're one of the Eight Great Sects. Why are you getting angry with a mere dog?"

The Western Headquarters' Chief Officer replied, "If you see a drowning dog, won't you hit it?"

"Yes... Hehehe..."

The two of them knelt there, laughing happily.

Ji Changyan felt a surge of anger, and his vision blurred with stars. He fainted from the rage.

His body remained kneeling, and he slumped softly.

But no one paid attention.

Or perhaps someone noticed but didn't bother to intervene.

One by one, the numbers were announced, and high-ranking officials knelt before the platform.

"Mo Wang, surrender, one hundred and eighty-two, slaughter, four hundred and thirty-five."

"Long Yikong, surrender, one hundred and sixty-nine, slaughter, three hundred and twenty-seven."

"..."

"Cao Baimillion, surrender, one hundred and six, slaughter, one thousand and ninety-three..."

This Cao Baimillion surprised everyone. It was the first time they heard of someone with a kill count in the thousands.

That name, tsk tsk...

Many who were waiting burst out laughing, "Damn, that's impressive... It's not easy to aim for a million in a lifetime..."

"No wonder he's killed so many, with such impressive results, he's aiming for a million..."

People whispered among themselves.

Long Yikong, standing beside Feng Wanxia, couldn't help but laugh, "Second Sister, you're the real Wanxia. This guy directly aims for a million, what about you..."

Feng Wanxia remained silent and directly activated her divine sense, intertwining it with Long Yikong's. Her body erupted with flames as she began the Divine Sense Self-Immolation Technique, a method of mutual destruction.

"Mercy... Sister, I was wrong, please, I'm just a fart..."

Long Yikong was shocked by this sister's explosive temper. Without a word, she wanted to destroy herself along with him, and he was terrified.

Feng Wanxia remained unmoved and continued burning, coldly laughing, "You're not lowly? I'll die with you, what are you afraid of?!"

Long Yikong's soul flew out of his body, and he quickly called for help, "Night Demon Leader... Save me, quick, save me... Feng Wanxia's gone crazy..."

Fang Che saw that both of them were about to burn up.

He quickly transmitted a sound to stop them, "Wanxia!"

Feng Wanxia hummed and stopped the self-immolation. She released Long Yikong, but both of their divine sense powers had already been severely damaged.

Long Yikong's body trembled uncontrollably.

Feng Wanxia looked at him coldly and said indifferently, "I welcome you to seek me out again in the future!"

"No, no... I won't dare..."

Long Yikong was truly terrified.

This woman is crazy! Others might threaten mutual destruction or just scare people, but this woman doesn't even say a word and truly wants to destroy herself along with you!

Long Yikong hugged his head and retreated to the back of the group.

The ceremony officer's announcement and the naming of officials came to an end.

"Southeast Headquarters, Squad Leader! Come out! Kneel down!"

The inevitable had finally arrived.

Wu Xiang's face fell, and he obediently walked out, kneeling before the stage with a sigh.

"Wan Mo Sect, Squad Leader, come out and kneel!"

Then, the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived.

"One Heart Sect!"

Fang Che stepped forward, "This subordinate is here."

He walked up to the stage.

Suddenly, the Five Spirit Toad appeared on his head.

It was pitch black and shiny, and its size was clearly several times larger than the Five Spirit Toads of others!

The strange black object in the box seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if it hadn't expected it to be so large.

Then, a puff of black smoke emerged and rose to face Fang Che's Five Spirit Toad.

But something strange happened!

This time, Fang Che's Five Spirit Toad didn't lie down obediently like the others; instead, it stood up proudly, its small fangs bared from its mouthparts, snarling at the black smoke in the air.

The black smoke swirled, seemingly trying to intimidate.

However, the Five Spirit Toad showed no weakness, chirping defiantly.

Then, it opened its mouth and bit off a piece of the black smoke, chewing and swallowing it.

Whoosh! The black smoke retreated.

"!!!"

Everyone who witnessed this scene was stunned.

What the hell was going on? Even Bi Changhong, who had been meditating with his eyes closed and seemed indifferent to everything, widened his eyes in disbelief.

"What's going on?" Bi Changhong asked.

Sweat dripped from the protocol officer's forehead, and his face turned deathly pale. "Night Demon's Five Spirit Toad... has automatically upgraded..."

"Damn!"

High above, Bi Changhong exclaimed, his voice clear and resonant, addressing everyone present. The Deputy Supreme Instructor's cultivation was indeed profound, and this single word carried the weight of thunder.

In the hidden realm.

Yan Nan and Bai Jing simultaneously covered their faces with their palms.

Among the group of sisters.

Bi Yun Yan's face turned as red as a tomato, and she lowered her head deeply.

Great Ancestor... could you please be a little less... straightforward?

Bi Changhong's face contorted, and he no longer maintained his pose in the air. He descended swiftly, his face twisted in confusion, "What's going on?"

When he got closer, he was also stunned. He waved his hand to create a soundproof barrier and turned to look at Fang Che, "Night Demon, how... how did you upgrade it?"

Fang Che already looked dazed, his face filled with bewilderment, "I... I don't know..."

Fang Che's face was on the verge of tears, "I didn't even know that the Five Spirit Toad could upgrade... this, this... what's going on?"

He genuinely didn't know!

His mind was now a blank canvas after an explosion.

Why did this issue only arise with me? Bi Changhong locked his Divine Sense on Fang Che and then released it.

Yes, Night Demon didn't know, and he couldn't possibly know.

In this situation, no one could deceive themselves. So, this was strange...

How did this Five Spirit Toad upgrade? The detection data showed that the Toad God was only at the second level, which was already sufficient. But who would have thought that they would encounter a second-level Toad?

The Toad God is the condensed form of the Toad's divine essence after its death. How could it possibly be a match for a complete second-level Toad?

And how could a second-level Toad accept the detection and suppression of a second-level Toad God? This was impossible!

So, when the Toad God emerged to perform the detection, Night Demon's Toad didn't cooperate; instead, it opened its mouth and swallowed one-tenth of the Toad God...

Now, the Toad God retreated into the Black Demon Jade, never daring to come out again!

"This is truly unbelievable..."

Bi Changhong stared with wide eyes for a long time before finally exclaiming in astonishment. Then, he looked at Fang Che with a mixture of surprise and curiosity, "You, kid... this, this is truly unique... every time you're here, things are different, and now, even the Five Spirit Toad has upgraded..."

Fang Che's face was filled with grief, "Deputy Supreme Instructor, please believe me, I truly didn't know..."

"Of course, I believe you didn't know!"

Bi Changhong said, "But how did it upgrade? How many people have you killed?"

Fang Che calculated for a moment and replied with a blush, "Not many..."

"How many is not many?" Bi Changhong asked.

"Should be... less than a billion," Fang Che answered honestly.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Bi Changhong started coughing.

He remembered—this was none other than Fang Che the Butcher! For a moment, even Bi Changhong was stunned.

This detection showed that Night Demon had even lost his Toad God. What should they do about the Incubation Deity Program? Should they stop it halfway? Such a significant matter couldn't be stopped just like that. But what if they didn't stop it? What should they do without the Toad God?

This was a huge problem. How could they blame Fang Che?

He didn't even know what he was being blamed for. Moreover, he had unknowingly allowed the Five Spirit Toad to upgrade, which was not only an achievement but also a great contribution.

How could they blame him?

But what should they do in this situation? Bi Changhong looked at the void with pleading eyes and transmitted his voice, "Fifth Brother, hurry... what should we do?"

It must be said that after more than ten thousand years, this was the first time Deputy Supreme Instructor Bi had been pushed to such a desperate situation. It was truly a groundbreaking moment in history!

Night Demon's Five Spirit Toad had definitely not been upgraded before entering. Bi Changhong would stake his life on this. Because if Night Demon had upgraded before entering, the Toad God would have sensed it.

"This is too coincidental, too unbelievable!"

Bi Changhong felt like even the heavens were making things difficult for him.

In the air, Yan Nan took out a piece of black demon jade from his ring and handed it to Madman Halberd, his expression filled with disbelief. "Take this to Bi Changhong."

Madman Halberd took it without hesitation and immediately disappeared.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Bi Changhong, "Sixth Master, here. A third-level Gu Spirit."

Bi Changhong breathed a sigh of relief.

He quickly concealed his emotions and put away the second-level Gu Spirit, replacing it with the third-level one.

Fang Che said, "Go and test it."

"Yes, sir."

Fang Che obediently walked over.

This time, his Five Spirit Toad remained still, lying motionless and allowing itself to be bullied.

However, the official in charge of counting couldn't keep his composure.

"Night Demon, submission, one hundred and fifty. Qualified. Slaughter... six thousand one hundred and ninety-nine. Holy sht..."

The recorder suddenly looked up, his face filled with shock. "How many?!"

The white-robed official shook his head, "You heard correctly."

The recorder's hand trembled, and a large blob of ink dropped, causing him to fumble in panic.

Six thousand one hundred and ninety-nine!

This number was loud and clear for everyone to hear.

Bi Changhong's face turned pale.

He recalled the question he had asked Night Demon when it first emerged.

"Night Demon, where are the others? Did you kill them all?"

"I barely completed the task, and there are still many, many others..."

Hearing the number six thousand one hundred and ninety-nine, Bi Changhong felt like kicking Night Demon to death.

You call this barely completing the task?

And there were only one hundred and fifty submissions!

That was the bare minimum required for task completion.

You didn't want to submit even one more? You killed everyone except for those one hundred and fifty!

Someone in the crowd muttered, "Not just six thousand one hundred and ninety-nine. This Night Demon killed three at the entrance, then ambushed and killed eight more at the exit, and finally killed three more from the Cold Sword Sect at the end. Those don't even count."

"So, if you add those fourteen, it should be six thousand two hundred and thirteen in total."

"The title of 'Killer' is truly well-deserved."

Even Feng had to admit, "Xiao Han, if you were to continuously kill without holding back, could you reach that number?"

Yan Bei Han shook her head. "I couldn't. I wouldn't be that ruthless and would stop before reaching that number..."

"One hundred and fifty submissions, not one more, not one less, just barely passing... Tsk tsk... This Night Demon is truly amazing..."

Bi Yun Yan said, "No wonder even our grandmaster..."

Feng Xuechen interrupted, "Don't try to sugarcoat it... That word, you can't wash it away."

Bi Yun Yan's face turned red, and she transmitted a message to Feng Xuechen, "You!"

Feng Xuechen's face flushed, and she transmitted back, "Dmn!"

"Ahhh!" Bi Yun Yan went crazy and was about to fight with Feng Xuechen.

"The rankings are out," Feng announced.

"Tenth place, Golden Soul Sect!"

"Ninth place, Northern Headquarters!"

"Eighth place..."

"..."

The six important figures stood on the stage, divided into two groups.

Facing them were fourteen other important figures who were already kneeling in front! The tips of their toes were at the height of the kneeling figures' scalps.

Bi Changhong pointed a finger, and a strand of spiritual energy struck Ji Changyan, who was already lying limp and unconscious, causing him to cry out in agony and spit out a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Kneel properly!"

A cold voice came from above, "Kneel straight! You from the Cold Sword Sect, you don't even teach your disciples how to kneel properly!"

Ji Changyan's heart bled, but he had no choice but to kneel properly.

His heart felt slightly better knowing that so many others had to kneel due to poor performance, and this was indeed the rule.

Thinking this, he felt he could accept it...

"Those called, please take your seats."

"Fourth place, Eastern Headquarters!"

"Third place, Ice Demon Sect!"

"Second place, Northeastern Headquarters."

Three figures stood up, their spirits high, and walked towards their seats with smiles and composure. Although they didn't get first place, they felt honored to be able to sit down.

After hearing Night Demon's terrifying number, they had already given up on the hope of getting first place. With over six thousand... what was there to compete for?

The highest chair remained empty.

Facing the sun, it radiated thousands of golden rays.

First place...

But everyone's gaze had already collectively turned towards one person.

Yinshen Gong! Yinshen Gong's entire body seemed to be glowing with excitement.

"First place... Am I dreaming?" Mulin Yuan, Qian San Jiang, and Hou Fang, standing behind Yinshen Gong, held their heads high, their faces radiant with excitement, almost bursting with joy.

If not for maintaining their image, they would have gone crazy with celebration!

Night Demon! First place! Wahaha... This was the ultimate glory! Today, I truly witnessed this historic moment!

Since arriving here, One Heart Sect had the lowest status, surrounded by leaders. Speaking to anyone required utmost caution.

But it was us, the lowest-ranked One Heart Sect, that produced Night Demon, who achieved first place!

Truly trampling all heroes underfoot!

Amidst the crowd's anticipation, the official finally announced, "First place, One Heart Sect!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end