The second round ended. The top four contestants with the most Celestial Fate Qi from each of the five Martial Arts Arenas advanced to the next round.
The four from the South Martial Arts Arena were the Extreme Ice Fairy, Blood Sun Finger, the Sword Madman Yin Xiaofeng, and Luo Tian.
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, the mountain peaks beneath their feet began to tremble and move toward the center.
The five mountain peaks crashed together, forming a new, even wider Martial Arts Arena!
The twenty contestants, previously separated on five arenas, were now gathered together.
In the spectator stands, all eyes fell upon the top twenty contestants of this year’s Celestial Pride Conference.
These twenty individuals were destined to become influential figures on the Dongchen Continent, heralding a new era.
Luo Tian’s Cultivation at the Peak of the Eighth Layer of Spirit Sea Realm made him stand out conspicuously among the others.
The amount of attention he received rivaled that of the five great Celestial Prides!
"Luo Tian, we will meet again in the third round."
The Extreme Ice Fairy shot him a frigid glare and sneered.
The next time they met, she would make Luo Tian wish he were dead!
「Outside the arena.」
The spectator stands were in an uproar!
"We’re finally at the final stage!"
"As things stand, the five great Celestial Prides are untouchable. The top five spots are practically theirs."
"I’m more interested in seeing how high Luo Tian can rank!"
Luo Tian was a hot topic of discussion.
However, the vast majority of spectators believed Luo Tian would end up ranked near the bottom!
There were two reasons for this.
First, the other geniuses would certainly not underestimate Luo Tian again, giving him no exploitable openings.
Second, the Extreme Ice Fairy hated Luo Tian to the bone and would surely be ruthless. Once Luo Tian was seriously injured, he would likely lose every match from then on.
「In the VIP viewing area.」
The upper echelons of the Yunxiao Sect were all beaming with joy.
Five Yunxiao Sect disciples had made it into the top twenty of the Celestial Pride Conference: Ye Feng, Qiao Hai, Yi Jingwen, Luo Tian, and the mysterious woman in white.
In terms of sheer numbers, the Yunxiao Sect had even surpassed the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and the Celestial Ring Alliance!
Even if their individual rankings were poor, the Yunxiao Sect’s overall performance this time would still place them second among the Four Major Sects.
The upper echelons of the Purple Luo Hall and Bishui Palace looked displeased.
"A large number of contestants doesn’t necessarily mean anything."
"It’s been a century, has it not, since a Yunxiao Sect disciple made it into the top three of the Celestial Pride Conference?"
The black-robed woman from the Purple Luo Hall chuckled.
Her words made the Yunxiao Sect’s upper echelons look awkward.
It was true, and they couldn’t refute it.
However, in this year’s Celestial Pride Conference, they had placed high hopes on Ye Feng, believing he had a chance to break into the top three!
If he truly succeeded, all of the Yunxiao Sect’s upper echelons would be more than satisfied.
’Ye Feng, don’t disappoint your master...’
The Grand Elder sighed to himself.
「Inside the arena.」
Ye Feng felt his master’s gaze and vowed inwardly, ’Master, I will do everything in my power to succeed!’
This was the Grand Elder’s wish, and it was Ye Feng’s goal as well!
"Everyone, the battle for the title of King of the Celestial Pride begins in three days. The final rankings will be determined by the amount of Celestial Fate Qi!"
"I hope that if any of you face me, you will concede immediately."
Ye Feng said with utmost gravity.
Of course, his words were directed at Luo Tian, Yi Jingwen, and Qiao Hai; the mysterious woman in white had a background and strength that were far from simple.
"Understood."
Yi Jingwen and Qiao Hai nodded in agreement.
They knew, of course, that the sect’s overall standing was what mattered most, and besides, they were no match for Ye Feng.
"Alright."
Luo Tian nodded as well.
"If you two run into Junior Sister Yi, concede to her as well,"
Ye Feng added.
Yi Jingwen was ranked thirteenth on the Spirit List and had a good chance of breaking into the top ten.
As for the remaining two, Luo Tian and Qiao Hai, Ye Feng didn’t say anything further. In his eyes, Luo Tian’s strength was likely on par with Qiao Hai’s.
Furthermore, the two of them had a grudge, so asking one to concede to the other was clearly out of the question.
But Qiao Hai suddenly spoke up, "Junior Luo, I’m ranked seventeenth on the Spirit List. If you run into me, you should just concede. After all, we’re both fighting for the Yunxiao Sect!"
"Oh?"
Luo Tian remained noncommittal. He gave Qiao Hai a cool glance, then walked to the side and sat down cross-legged.
The battle for King of the Celestial Pride was in three days. If he used this time well, he could raise his strength to another level.
The others did the same, either recuperating from their injuries or consolidating their Cultivation in final preparation.
’Trying to break through to the Spirit Sea Ninth Layer in just three days is too rushed. My foundation would be unstable.’
So, Luo Tian focused his efforts on his Nether Dragon Divine Vein, the Celestial Furnace Treasure Body, and the Celestial Sword Technique.
His Wind Manipulation Technique had just reached Great Success, so it would be difficult to improve it any further for a while.
As for his Nine Heavens Sword Technique, he had only just grasped the Fifth Technique, Furious Sword Torrential Rain.
The subsequent techniques were progressively more difficult. Forcibly trying to comprehend the Sixth Technique within three days would be an immense challenge.
Luo Tian took out the Celestial Yin Jade. About sixty percent of its Yin Cold Energy remained.
’I can absorb all of the Celestial Yin Jade’s Cold Power within three days, but...’
After a moment of contemplation, Luo Tian changed his plan.
He divided the energy within the Celestial Yin Jade into two parts: Yin Netherworld and Cold Power. The former would be absorbed to strengthen his Nether Dragon Divine Vein, while the latter would be used for Body Refinement.
His Nether Dragon Divine Vein and Celestial Furnace Treasure Body would advance in tandem!
Conveniently, his Celestial Furnace Treasure Body was close to reaching the Great Success Level of the Third-Layer. Perhaps he could achieve a breakthrough!
HUMMM!
Wisps of dim, ethereal light and silvery cold energy began to rise from the surface of the Celestial Yin Jade.
The former surged into the Nether Dragon Divine Vein on his back, while the latter adhered to the surface of his Celestial Furnace Treasure Body. Following the Refining Technique, it coursed through his entire body, tempering his physique.
His body had already been hammered and tempered through successive battles, making his current cultivation particularly effective.
「One day later.」
Luo Tian stopped. Now, less than forty percent of the energy within the Celestial Yin Jade remained.
His Celestial Furnace Treasure Body was drawing ever closer to Third-Layer Great Success.
He then switched to practicing the Celestial Sword Technique, simultaneously studying the Sword Intents recorded in the Celestial Book to deepen his comprehension of the True Sword Dao Intent.
At the start of the Celestial Pride Conference, the first layer of his Celestial Sword Technique was already nearing the Perfection Realm.
However, Luo Tian didn’t want to practice the peculiar movements of the Celestial Sword Technique in front of a hundred thousand spectators.
The Celestial Sword Technique was derived from one of the three great ’Sword Dao Strange Books.’ It could accelerate the cultivation of Sword Skills, drastically increase their power, and deepen one’s understanding of True Intent.
Luo Tian had researched all kinds of records but had never heard of any ’three great Sword Dao Strange Books’.
He had a nagging feeling that the Celestial Sword Technique was immensely valuable, and revealing it publicly could attract unforeseen trouble.
As a result, Luo Tian could only activate the Celestial Sword Technique during combat, using battles as his opportunity to practice and comprehend it.
「In the Celestial Book World.」
Several pages in the Celestial Book depicted different Sword Intents, which Luo Tian could study to deepen his understanding of the Sword Dao.
「In his mind’s eye.」
A sword shadow, shimmering with a silver-white luster, pulsed with alternating light and darkness. All around it, small, magnificent sword shadows constantly materialized. They crisscrossed and collided, striking up sparks of spiritual light that then merged into the central, silver-white sword shadow.
「The second day passed.」
He gained some new insights into the Celestial Sword Technique and had several new realizations regarding his Sword Intent. His progress was significant, bringing him another step closer to forming a Sword Intent Prototype.
「On the final day.」
Luo Tian switched back to absorbing the Celestial Yin Jade to strengthen his physique and enhance his Nether Dragon Divine Vein.
Around him, the other nineteen geniuses were all cultivating quietly. It was the calm before the storm.
Until, at a certain moment...
"The final round of the Celestial Pride Conference begins now!"
A deep, resonant, and electrifying voice echoed in all directions.
The spectator stands erupted in a clamor.
Around the Martial Arts Arena, the twenty geniuses opened their eyes in unison. Their formless spiritual auras clashed, and the atmosphere instantly became charged, like gathering storm clouds!
At that very moment, Luo Tian’s jade-like physique began to shine with a cyan light. The texture of natural jade appeared on his skin, and he radiated a heavy, oppressive aura.
’I’ve broken through to the Great Achievement Realm!’
A look of joy spread across Luo Tian’s face.
With his Celestial Furnace Treasure Body breaking through to Great Success, both his power and defense had increased. He was even stronger now!
"In the final round, each of you will face the other nineteen contestants in turn! You will also have one opportunity to issue a direct challenge!"
"The final rankings will be determined by the amount of Celestial Fate Qi you possess!"
The referee announced, briefly explaining the rules.
The final round was the main event. To ensure fairness, it was designed to be comprehensive and could last for several days.
’I have to fight nineteen matches?’
Luo Tian didn’t mind this; in fact, he quite approved of it.
This way, he would have plenty of opportunities for real combat and more room to improve.
"First match: Qi Yuntian versus Yi Jingwen!"
Yi Jingwen’s slender frame trembled slightly. A flicker of panic appeared in her indifferent eyes, which were as dark as a deep pool.
Anyone here would find it difficult to remain calm when facing Qi Yuntian.
The two took the stage, and the battle began in an instant!
Yi Jingwen attacked first. Deep within her eyes, a silent, dark, and void-like Sword Mark began to flash!
Her Sword Intent erupted. The Black Jade Treasure Sword in her hand became wreathed in a layer of heavy, pitch-black liquid light. It was as if night had fallen, plunging the surroundings into darkness.
Qi Yuntian stood there calmly, his expression unchanging.
BOOM!
With a single wave of his hand, a terrifyingly vast and brilliant aurora swept out, instantly shattering the heavy, night-dark Sword Light.
Among cultivators of the same realm, a Sword Cultivator’s attack was always considered top-tier.
Yi Jingwen had even comprehended Sword Intent, yet Qi Yuntian shattered her attack with a single palm strike!
SWOOSH!
Yi Jingwen leaped to Qi Yuntian’s right and slashed out with another silent, dark Sword Light.
Qi Yuntian still shattered it effortlessly with a single palm.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions rocked the Martial Arts Arena.
Yi Jingwen pushed her Body Technique and Swordsmanship to their limits, weaving around the stage and relentlessly attacking Qi Yuntian.
But Qi Yuntian remained rooted to the spot, shattering Yi Jingwen’s attacks with one palm strike after another.
"He’s too strong! The thirteenth-ranked on the Spirit List is no match for him at all. It’s like they’re not even in the same league!"
Someone exclaimed in awe.
’He’s truly unfathomable!’
Luo Tian thought with a sense of wonder.
He had fought the Extreme Ice Fairy, so he had a decent grasp of her true strength.
He also had a rough estimate of the strength of the Celestial Evil Sword, Ye Feng, and Shangguan Su.
Only Qi Yuntian remained an enigma, shrouded in mist.
"North Nether Fifth Technique!"
Yi Jingwen’s eyes flashed. Pouring all her strength into it, she unleashed her ultimate killing blow.
The Black Jade Treasure Sword conjured a wave of icy, pitch-black sword light that streaked across the sky like a dark curtain of night, exuding a desolate, silent cold.
"Wuji Palm!"
Qi Yuntian’s expression finally shifted, and he radiated an aura of arrogant disdain.
RUMBLE!
The air trembled violently as a magnificent, brilliant Palm Force pierced through the space between heaven and earth, shattering all of the Sword Qi.
Yi Jingwen was caught in the aftershock, her body sent flying twenty or thirty meters as blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"I concede!"
Even the fiercely competitive Yi Jingwen had no choice but to bow her head in defeat.
’That palm strike... that must be a glimpse of Qi Yuntian’s true power...’
Luo Tian mused that if he were in Yi Jingwen’s place, he too would have been utterly crushed by that palm strike and forced to concede.
Such was the terrifying power of the previous King of the Celestial Pride.
"Second match: Luo Tian versus..."
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