Mythical Cultivation

Chapter 234 The Competition Begins

"First, this competition will be decided by drawing numbers. Each disciple has his or her own number, which will be randomly drawn by me and ten deacons. There will be a total of twenty arenas on the battlefield, and everyone will compete on these twenty arenas. You can use any means in the competition, including magic weapons, secret treasures, and elixirs. All of these are considered as your own strength. Those who lose their fighting ability or surrender will be the loser, and the winner cannot fight again. Although there are no restrictions on any means, I still hope that nothing unexpected will happen to you. You are all the future of my Qingyun Sect... Now the competition officially begins."

Deacon Wang Cheng stood on the podium, eloquently expounding on the various rules of the competition. Time ticked by, and after a full half hour, he finally finished explaining all the rules. However, no one in the audience found his words long-winded, as these rules were crucial to the numerous contestants about to participate, each one crucial to their performance and victory.

After Deacon Wang Cheng finished speaking, he gently waved his arm, and as if lifted by an invisible force, over 900 numbered plates fell into the hands of every disciple in the square with the precision of a celestial being. Everyone gripped their numbered plates tightly, their hearts filled with anticipation and nervousness.

At that moment, everyone saw a huge box suddenly appear on the platform. Deacon Wang Cheng stepped over to the box and randomly drew two numbers from it. As he called out the names corresponding to the numbers, opponents for the over 900 disciples were quickly identified and assigned to the twenty arenas.

At this moment, Wang Xiaohu's slightly anxious voice echoed from the crowd: "I drew number 586, but my opponent is number 920! I have no idea who number 920 is, or what their cultivation level is. Ugh, it's really unpredictable! Who are the opponents you guys drew?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fei, who was standing next to Wang Xiaohu, immediately raised his chin and answered confidently: "Haha, I drew number 238, and my opponent is number 708! But, with my strength, I can definitely win this competition easily!" After saying that, he glanced around proudly.

"I am number 312, and my opponent is number 371." Wu Ming said seriously.

At this moment, Ishikawa on the side also spoke up: "I am number 89, and my opponent is number 778." There was a hint of nervousness in his voice, but more of it was anticipation and excitement.

Wu Ming nodded slightly and said thoughtfully, "It seems the number assignment for this competition is indeed completely random. There's no pattern to be found. But this is also good. It's fairer. It all comes down to real ability! Everyone, be ready to compete at any time. I wish everyone can defeat their opponents and achieve a desired ranking in this fierce competition!"

Hearing this, Wang Xiaohu in the crowd immediately patted his chest and responded confidently: "Don't worry! With my strength, passing the first round is definitely not a problem!" As he spoke, he stretched his muscles, rubbed his hands, and looked eager to try.

At this moment, looking out, twenty enormous arenas were scattered like stars in a circular pattern across the vast square. They were spread out in all directions of the square, staggered and arranged in an orderly manner. This way, no matter where a disciple was standing, as long as they walked a few hundred meters towards the arena they wanted, they would be able to see the exciting competition taking place there.

A resounding voice resounded throughout the venue like a huge bell: "Ring number one, contestant number 78 versus contestant number 120!"

Then another loud shout was heard: "Ring number two, contestant number 214 versus contestant number 602!"

Then another voice was heard: "Ring No. 3, contestant No. 6 versus contestant No. 555!" In this way, the announcements came one after another without stopping.

From rings one to twentieth, the names of the competitors were announced one by one. Beside each ring stood a deacon and an inner disciple. The deacon, with a serious expression, shouldered the heavy responsibility of refereeing, ensuring the fairness of the competition. The inner disciples, holding lists, clearly and loudly read out the names of the competitors in each match and maintained order on the scene.

By this time, the twenty arenas were already crowded with people, and the participants had taken their positions. A fierce contest was about to begin. Wu Ming and a few others around him observed the competitors carefully and found that none of them were familiar with them. Therefore, they decided not to go to any specific arena to watch the fights, but to stay where they were and wait patiently.

Yet, though their bodies remained motionless, their gazes darted swiftly across the twenty arenas like nimble birds. They closely observed the figures engaged in fierce combat, attempting to identify those with exceptional strength and performance to focus on. After all, amidst such a large gathering of contestants, perhaps a future master or potential formidable foe lay hidden.

However, only a dozen breaths had passed when Wu Ming and several people around him suddenly heard a noisy discussion coming from not far away.

"Hey! Look, the competition on the No. 12 ring is so fast. It just started, and it's over in the blink of an eye!" One of them shouted in surprise.

Another person immediately echoed, "That's right! That's Zhao Wuji, a prominent figure who ranks among the top among the outer disciples! His opponent in today's competition is just a disciple who has just entered the late stage of Qi Refining not long ago. The difference in strength is so huge, how could that person be a match for Zhao Wuji!" The person who said this was a disciple who seemed to be quite well-informed.

At this time, Wang Xiaohu who was standing aside couldn't help showing an envious look and interrupted: "I seem to have heard of the name Zhao Wuji. After seeing him today, I find that his reputation is well-deserved!" It turned out that Wang Xiaohu liked to make friends with all kinds of people outside and had a wide network of contacts. Therefore, he was not unfamiliar with the name Zhao Wuji.

Hearing Wang Xiaohu's words, Wu Ming involuntarily turned his gaze towards Arena No. 12. There, a burly, middle-aged man stood with a haughty expression, his arms folded across his chest, his gaze cold and indifferent as he gazed down upon the crowd below. Opposite him, the disciple he had been battling with collapsed to the ground, unconscious. An inner disciple quickly led his men to carry the injured away for treatment.