Chapter Twenty-One: The Grand Competition Begins

Among the possessions left behind by Wang Hu and his companions were a considerable number of spirit stones and elixirs. However, with so many people around in this place, Chen Yi found it inconvenient to examine them closely. He simply placed these items into his spatial ring, intending to inspect them at leisure once he returned to his room.

Back in his quarters, Chen Yi took out the stash he had acquired from Wang Hu and the others, and began to take inventory. After counting everything, he discovered three hundred spirit stones and three bottles of Essence Nurturing Pills. When added to the spirit stones he already possessed, he now had a total of five hundred—a fortune that, until recently, Chen Yi could scarcely have imagined.

At this moment, Fatty Wang arrived at Chen Yi’s room. Sensing the powerful aura emanating from Chen Yi, Fatty was taken aback and exclaimed, “Chen Yi, your cultivation has reached the sixth layer of Qi Refining? It’s only been a few days, and you’ve broken through two realms already!”

Chen Yi smiled and replied, “I had some fortuitous encounters in the Tianlong Mountains this time and managed to break through by luck.”

Fatty looked crestfallen. “I was stuck at the third layer for over a year, and only broke through recently thanks to the spirit stones you gave me. I’d been planning to boast to you, but in just a few days you’ve already reached the sixth layer! This is really discouraging.”

“So the rumors in the sect are all true, then,” Fatty said with curiosity.

“What rumors? Since returning from the Tianlong Mountains, I’ve just stayed in my room and haven’t gone out at all,” Chen Yi said.

“In the sect, everyone’s saying you taught Wang Hu and his gang a lesson single-handedly at the entrance. And I heard four of them had already reached the seventh layer of Qi Refining,” Fatty told him.

“It’s true, I did teach them a lesson today at the sect entrance. But how has word spread so quickly in such a short time?” Chen Yi said in amazement.

“Those were four cultivators at the seventh layer, not four heads of cabbage. You handled them so easily—your strength is just incredible!” Fatty said, his face full of shock. He had always known Chen Yi was formidable, able to defeat Wang Hu with ease when he first reached the fourth layer. But now, after breaking through to the sixth layer, Chen Yi could defeat cultivators at the seventh layer, and not just one, but four at once.

Fatty was genuinely happy for Chen Yi, seeing that his hard work over the years had finally paid off.

Meanwhile, in a lavish courtyard, Wang Hu sat disheveled before a young man of seventeen or eighteen. This was Wang Long, Wang Hu’s older brother, one of the top ten outer sect disciples, and a cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining.

“Brother, you must avenge me,” Wang Hu pleaded.

“Chen Yi is nothing more than a minor nuisance. With his current strength, he’s sure to participate in the outer sect tournament. I’ll make sure to teach him a lesson then, so he’ll know the price of crossing me,” Wang Long replied calmly. “But until the tournament, don’t provoke him again. I’m focusing on cultivating a new technique for the competition and can’t spare the time to deal with him now. Just bear with it for a while.”

Time passed quickly, and the annual outer sect tournament was about to begin. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the grand arena atop Tianlong Mountain. The Five Elements Sect greeted a new day, and the entire outer sect was filled with festive cheer.

There were over ten thousand outer sect disciples, but only a little more than a thousand would participate in this tournament. For those with insufficient strength, participation would be pointless. Only those with confidence in their abilities would sign up. Participation was voluntary—any disciple who wished could take part.

Compared to last year, the number of participants had increased, largely due to the generous rewards on offer. The top one hundred contestants would all receive prizes, with especially rich rewards for the top ten.

First place would receive two thousand spirit stones, a Foundation Establishment Pill, a lower-grade magical weapon, and a place in the Small World. Second and third place would each get two thousand spirit stones, a Foundation Establishment Pill, and a place in the Small World. Fourth through tenth would each get one thousand spirit stones and a place in the Small World. Beyond the top ten, the sect would award different spirit stones and elixirs according to rank.

The tournament took place at the center of the outer disciples’ residential area, where a hundred white jade arenas were arranged. Formation patterns shimmered on their surfaces, shielding spectators from the battles.

After meeting up, Chen Yi and Fatty hurried to the competition grounds. Fatty, visibly excited, said, “With your strength, you’ll definitely get a good ranking in the tournament!”

Fatty himself did not participate—as a newly advanced fourth-layer cultivator, he knew he had little chance. Besides, he had never been particularly interested in such contests.

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get a good result,” Chen Yi replied with certainty.

“But you must be careful. I heard that Wang Hu’s brother, Wang Long, plans to teach you a lesson in the tournament to avenge his brother,” Fatty warned, his expression serious.

“Teach me a lesson? Hmph, Wang Long doesn’t have what it takes,” Chen Yi said with indifference.

As they drew closer to the arenas, the crowds grew thicker and the atmosphere more lively. The disciples were visibly excited; after all, the outer sect tournament was a rare and grand occasion for the Five Elements Sect. Though the contestants were not the most advanced, the event drew a crowd of those who enjoyed the spectacle.

The area around the arenas was packed with people. Chen Yi and Fatty made their way to the lot-drawing station, where Chen Yi drew his number: 199. According to the rules, contestants fought in pairs—number one versus number two, three versus four, and so on. That meant Chen Yi’s first opponent would be the disciple who drew number 200.

Once all the contestants had gathered, the elders and inner sect disciples of the Five Elements Sect descended from the sky. The outer sect disciples looked on with envy; after all, only those at the Foundation Establishment stage or higher could fly.

Seeing the elders and inner disciples soaring through the air, the contestants’ faces filled with both envy and determination. Each hoped to perform well and catch the eye of an elder, to be taken on as a disciple and receive more resources for cultivation—perhaps one day to become an inner sect disciple themselves.

With the arrival of the elders and inner disciples, the tournament was officially declared open. Chen Yi and Fatty made their way to Arena 100, where they waited for Chen Yi’s opponent to arrive.