txolops Chapter 162 The Grand Competition Concludes, Fame Resounds Throughout Dongzhou
Chapter 162 The Grand Competition Concludes, Fame Resounds Throughout Dongzhou
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The sea of clouds churned high in the sky, and the wind was fierce.
Only half an hour remains until the end of the Eastern Continent Grand Competition.
Outside Meteor Abyss, on the towering cliff to the west, the giant airships of the various hegemonic forces hovered silently.
The shimmering patterns on the ship's hull isolated the area above the cliff face, creating a tranquil, ethereal realm.
A row of white jade tables were laid out, filled with the fragrance of spiritual fruits and the aroma of celestial tea.
Zhou Chongyue, the Grand Elder of Law Enforcement of the Cangxuan Sect, sat at the head of the table.
His hair and beard were all white, and he had an air of otherworldly elegance. His withered fingers gently lifted the white jade teacup, stirred the spiritual tea leaves on the surface of the water, and his expression was one of complete confidence in control of the situation.
To his left, the elder leading the Guixu Sect stroked his beard and smiled, his gaze occasionally drifting towards the hazy abyss below.
On the right is a shirtless, burly man from Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, his rugged face full of arrogance.
These three forces represent the highest level of cultivation in the Eastern Continent today.
As the competition was about to end, these important figures shed their previous seriousness and began exchanging pleasantries with each other.
"Brother Zhou, your esteemed disciple Li Qingge is born with an ice spirit root. I'm afraid she has already taken the fragment of the Taixu Demon Suppression Tower in this competition."
The Guixu Sect elder spoke with a smile, his tone carrying a hint of probing.
Zhou Chongyue put down his teacup, waved his hand, and smiled modestly: "Junior Nephew Tianqi's ink sword intent has reached a state of perfection. However, when it comes to overall strategy and group combat ability, Qingge is still a bit immature. It is still unknown who will take the first place."
The burly man from Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain laughed loudly, his voice booming like a bell: "Stop flattering each other, you two. My disciple Tuoba Ye may act recklessly, but when he fights for his life, his beast horde can definitely catch you off guard. The fragments of the Great Void, Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain is determined to obtain them."
The three bigwigs chatted and laughed, speaking modestly, but their eyes revealed an undeniable arrogance.
In their view, the top spot in this competition will undoubtedly be won by one of Li Qingge, Zhou Tianqi, and Tuoba Ye.
As for the disciples of other sects, they were nothing more than supporting characters accompanying the prince in his studies.
In a secluded corner on the edge of the cliff, the Liuyun Sect, a third-rate sect, appeared somewhat deserted.
The Grand Elder Zhao Wuji sat in a grand chair, holding two iron walnuts in his hands, which made a cracking sound.
He was in such a good mood that he could barely suppress the sinister smile on his lips.
Judging by the time, the Blood Swordsman should already be waiting at some hidden exit of the secret realm, carrying Gu Changsheng's head, to exchange for the spirit stone mine.
That beast who murdered his son and dared to speak disrespectfully, causing him to lose face, will finally be buried forever in this dark abyss.
Thinking of this, Zhao Wuji felt his mind clear and his body relaxed.
Sect Master Qingyunzi stood at the bow of the ship, his brows furrowed, looking down at the still, motionless mist.
Sword Master Ye Gucheng remained as aloof as ever, cradling his longsword, closing his eyes to meditate, and silently praying that his ranking wouldn't be too bad this time.
"Thump."
"Thump."
"Thump."
Three ancient and desolate bell tolls suddenly erupted from the depths of the sky.
Zhou Chongyue suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and waved his sleeve: "The secret realm has opened, the time has come. All sects, prepare to welcome your disciples' triumphant return."
The dark red aura that had shrouded the Meteor Abyss for a month below began to churn violently like boiling water.
A colossal pillar of light, connecting heaven and earth, violently tore through the gray mist, transforming in mid-air into a void gate thousands of feet high.
All the elders and disciples from various sects walked to the edge of the flying boat, craning their necks and looking at the light gate with expectant faces.
They were all waiting, waiting for their own prodigy to return in glory, laden with fragments of stars.
However, when the first group of cultivators stepped out of the portal, the atmosphere of joy and anticipation on the cliff face instantly froze.
There was no triumphant laughter as I had imagined, nor any extraordinary phenomenon of dazzling light.
The people rushing towards them were a group of pitiful cultivators, dressed in rags and covered in blood.
They supported each other, their Taoist robes tattered and worn. Some had broken arms, some were blind, and some had half their bodies burned to a crisp, clinging to life only by a breath of true energy.
The female elder of Tianyin Pavilion let out a shrill scream and plunged off the flying boat without regard for her image.
She saw that her sect's elite force, which originally consisted of more than twenty people, now had less than five survivors. As for the chief disciple, on whom she had placed high hopes, he had disappeared without a trace.
"What happened? What exactly happened inside?"
The female elder grabbed a female cultivator who looked dazed, her voice trembling.
The burly elder of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain was also furious.
He saw dozens of body cultivators from Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain collapsed on the ground like mud. Their proud protective aura seemed to have been shattered by some terrifying force and could no longer be reconstituted.
"this……"
Zhou Chongyue, who was in charge of the competition, frowned deeply.
Although it was expected, the casualties this time were simply too heavy.
Although there have been casualties in previous competitions, the number has never exceeded 30%.
Even though this competition aims to select the most powerful talents in Dongzhou as seeded players to participate in the Enlightenment Conference in Zhongzhou, the competition rules have a strong sense of "breeding poison" (a metaphor for using powerful, albeit potentially harmful, talents).
But they never imagined that not only were only one in ten disciples alive, but each of them also had a look of disorientation and blankness in their eyes after experiencing such a great terror.
"Qingge!"
Zhou Chongyue could no longer remain calm. In a flash, she arrived in front of the portal.
A chilling aura emanated from the portal.
Li Qingge of the Cangxuan Sect floated out slowly, stepping on an ice lotus.
The once spotless ice-blue fairy dress was now stained with dark red blood.
Her face was ashen, her breathing rapid, and several tiny chips, the size of rice grains, had appeared on the blade of her ever-present Eternal Ice Sword.
Immediately afterwards, Zhou Tianqi of the Guixu Sect and Tuoba Ye of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain also emerged one after another.
Zhou Tianqi's hair was disheveled, and his ink-colored Taoist robe was covered in dust.
Tuoba Ye was in even worse shape, with a deep, bone-revealing wound on his chest, requiring the support of his disciples to walk.
These three prodigies, who were once highly regarded and represented the pinnacle of the younger generation in Dongzhou, no longer displayed any semblance of victory. All that remained was an undisguised state of dishevelment and weakness.
"Qingge, what about the Taixu Fragment? Did it encounter an irresistible demon?"
Zhou Chongyue grabbed Li Qingge's wrist and asked anxiously.
The elders of Guixu Sect and Wanshou Mountain also surrounded Zhou Tianqi and Tuoba Ye, eagerly inquiring about the situation.
Li Qingge shook his head, his voice terribly hoarse: "This disciple is incompetent; I have not obtained any fragments of the Great Void."
"Didn't get it?"
Zhou Chongyue was struck dumb and turned to look at Zhou Tianqi and Tuoba Ye.
The two men also shook their heads with bitter expressions.
At this, all the big shots from the sects gasped in shock.
Even with the three strongest prodigies of Dongzhou joining forces, they still couldn't obtain the Taixu Fragment.
Could it be that the Nascent Soul stage tomb guardian beast in the secret realm has awakened? Or has the Demonic Sect beaten them to it?
Just as the outside world was engulfed in a chaotic state of suspicion.
On the flying boat of the Flowing Cloud Sect, the hand holding the teacup by the Great Elder Zhao Wuji suddenly trembled violently.
Because he saw four familiar figures emerge from behind the gate of light.
Shen Youwei's white clothes were stained with blood, with Nangong Yue and Su Hongxiu standing on either side of her.
On Shen Youwei's shoulder leaned a young man with disheveled hair, covered in mud and blood.
The young man's eyes were tightly closed, and his face was as pale as a dead man, which deeply stung Zhao Wuji's eyes.
"Gu Changsheng! He's still alive!"
A storm raged within Zhao Wuji's heart. With a snap, the white jade teacup in his hand shattered in his grasp. With a flick of his finger, he instantly transmigrated to Chapter 162, the exciting world where the grand competition had concluded and fame resounded throughout Dongzhou. He was completely unaware that the scalding tea had spilled all over his hand.
Twelve top assassins from the Shadow Tower, plus the reckless demonic madman Blood Swordsman, couldn't even kill this piece of trash.
When Qingyunzi saw that Gu Yan had come out alive, he breathed a long sigh of relief and immediately ordered his disciples to take the four of them back to the flying boat and give them the best healing pills.
In the middle of the cliff, Zhou Chongyue looked at the tragic scene below and knew that asking his disciples now would not yield any results.
The truth must lie hidden in the points ranking that represents strength.
"Please do not panic, everyone. I will now remove the Meteorite Golden List, and everything will become clear."
Zhou Chongyue shouted, quickly forming a complex hand seal, and pointed sharply at the sky.
"Boom!"
The clouds dispersed, and a golden jade tablet, hundreds of feet tall, descended from the sky, crashing heavily onto the plaza in the center of the cliff face with a deafening roar.
Ancient Daoist charm flows over the golden stele, a treasure passed down for ten thousand years by the Cangxuan Sect, and it is absolutely genuine.
All the elders present, including the disciples who had just escaped the secret realm and were still panting heavily, all fixed their gazes on the golden jade tablet.
Zhou Chongyue took a deep breath, activated his spiritual power, and the rankings on the Golden List began to appear row by row from bottom to top.
[Fiftieth place, Tiegushan, Wang Mang, 2200 points.]
[Thirtieth place, Tianyin Pavilion, Liu Ruyan, 3400 points.]
The rankings jumped rapidly, and the once high and mighty sect elders looked at their disciples' pitiful scores, their faces turning pale and then red.
Soon, the list reached the most eye-catching top five.
Zhou Chongyue stroked his beard and held his breath.
The elders of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain and Guixu Sect clenched their fists tightly.
[Fifth place, Illusionary Sound Sect, Su Xiaoxiao, 5800 points.]
[Fourth place, Wan Shou Shan, Tuoba Ye, 13,400 points.]
Upon seeing this name, the burly elder of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain widened his eyes and roared incredulously, "How is this possible? How come Tuoba Ye is only ranked fourth?"
[Third place: Cangxuan Sect, Li Qingge, 15,000 points.]
Zhou Chongyue's face turned ashen, and his hands trembled.
Li Qingge didn't even make it into the top two?
[Second place: Zhou Tianqi, Guixu Sect, 16,500 points.]
The entire room fell silent.
The three prodigies all failed to secure first place!
Their scores are almost the same as, or even higher than, those of the top scorers in previous competitions.
But today, they can only occupy second, third, or even fourth place.
This means that the person who ranked first received a score that made everyone feel hopeless.
Who is it? Who exactly is it?
Could it be a Blood Swordsman from the Blood River Sect? Or some reclusive old monster?
Zhao Wuji stared intently at the list of successful bidders, a bad feeling creeping into his heart.
He could accept it even if it was a dog that won first place, as long as it wasn't Gu Changsheng.
A brilliant golden light shone, so bright that it was impossible to open one's eyes.
At the very top of the list, the line of characters enveloped in the essence of heaven and earth was finally revealed to everyone without reservation.
[First place: Gu Changsheng, Liuyun Sect.]
[Points: 38,000]
Silence, still silence.
Hundreds and thousands of cultivators on the cliffside plaza were frozen in place, their mouths agape, staring dumbfounded at the name flashing with dazzling golden light and the number that sent chills down their spines.
Thirty-eight thousand points!
This not only surpassed Zhou Tianqi, who came in second place, by more than double, but also broke the highest historical record in the Eastern Continent's cultivation world since the Meteor Abyss Grand Competition began.
"This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Zhao Wuji could no longer control his emotions. He spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered back two steps, pointed at the golden list, and cursed like a madman: "There must be something wrong with this list! Gu Changsheng is just a Foundation Establishment stage waste who sneaked into the inner sect by cheating and deceiving. How could he possibly get 38,000 points?"
Not only did Zhao Wuji disbelieve it, but Zhou Chongyue also frowned deeply, his face ashen: "Qingyunzi, did your Liuyun Sect use some kind of cheating magic treasure to conceal the secrets of heaven? Otherwise, how could a mere Foundation Establishment disciple overpower all the geniuses of my Eastern Continent? If this matter is not given a reasonable explanation, my Cangxuan Sect will not let it go lightly."
The elders of Guixu Sect and Wanshou Mountain also came to their senses, burning with rage.
They would never allow their carefully nurtured prodigy to be trampled underfoot by an unknown nobody from a third-rate sect.
Several Nascent Soul cultivators simultaneously unleashed their oppressive power, aggressively pressing towards the Flowing Cloud Sect's flying boat.
Qingyunzi looked completely bewildered and helpless.
Although he hoped that Liuyun Sect would achieve good results and strive to secure more cultivation resources for the sect.
Could Gu Changsheng break historical records and win first place? He wouldn't even dare to write such a script in his wildest dreams.
Just as the elders of the various sects were preparing to launch an attack and the situation was about to spiral out of control.
Below the plaza, the exhausted disciples from various sects who had just experienced a life-or-death ordeal suddenly made a move.
Li Qingge, the senior disciple of Cangxuan Sect, pushed away the elders who came forward to help her, and dragged her heavy steps to the front of Liuyun Sect's flying boat.
Immediately afterwards, Zhou Tianqi of the Guixu Sect and Tuoba Ye of the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain also pushed aside their respective masters and walked side by side to Li Qingge's side.
"Qingge, what are you doing? Get out of here at once!"
Zhou Chongyue shouted sternly.
Li Qingge ignored the elder's reprimand.
An unprecedented solemnity and reverence emerged from her cool and aloof face.
She straightened her tattered skirt, bowed deeply to Gu Yan, who was being supported by Shen Youwei and looked extremely weak, on the Liuyun Sect's flying boat, and performed a very solemn salute: "Li Qingge of Cangxuan Sect thanks Senior Brother Gu for risking his life to break the formation and saving my life."
The sound was crisp and clear, echoing throughout the entire cliff face.
Zhou Tianqi clasped his hands together and bowed deeply, his voice resounding: "Zhou Tianqi of the Guixu Sect thanks Fellow Daoist Gu for his mitigating act. I am truly convinced of the right to be number one."
Tuoba Ye pounded his chest heavily with his fist: "Tuoba Ye of Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain is willing to honor Brother Gu as the number one person of our generation in Dongzhou."
If the actions of these three top talents were merely a pebble thrown into a lake...
What happened next was a tsunami that directly overturned the entire cultivation world of Dongzhou.
On the plaza, the thousands of surviving disciples from various sects, whether they were sect members or idle cultivators, all turned around in unison to face the flying boat of the Flowing Cloud Sect.
They didn't discuss it, yet they had a tacit understanding etched into their very bones.
"Splash!"
Thousands of people bowed in unison.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Gu, for saving my life!"
"Thank you, Senior Brother Gu, for saving Dongzhou!"
The deafening shouts converged into an invisible, immense force that soared into the heavens, shattering the vast sea of clouds.
Those sect elders who were originally in a fierce mood and ready to question and punish were all frozen in place, their eyes bulging.
Zhou Chongyue's mouth dropped open, and the hand that had been holding the teacup hung in mid-air, trembling slightly.
Zhao Wuji's vision went black, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the armchair, his face filled with terror and despair.
Those high and mighty Nascent Soul cultivators felt a chill run down their spines as they watched this awe-inspiring scene unfold before them.
On the airship, Gu Yan, who was leaning on Shen Youwei's shoulder, opened his eyes and coughed twice.
He suppressed the laughter churning in his chest and murmured in a weak, compassionate tone, "Fellow Daoists, please rise. Changsheng was merely doing his duty. As long as everyone is safe, what do a mere hundred years of lifespan and these serious injuries matter..."
As soon as he finished speaking, he coughed up a mouthful of blood at just the right moment, causing Shen Youwei beside him to tear up and hug him even tighter.