Qinghe Immortal Clan.

Ling Zhentian's trip to the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" was also for the purpose of the trade fair.

I want to see if I can find the spiritual item I need at the "auction".

However, he arrived a little late. He didn't arrive at the Demon-Slaying Palace until the second day of the "auction," so Song Qingming and the others didn't notice his arrival.

After parting ways at the "Floating Cloud Mountains" years ago, Song Qingming and Ling Zhentian had not seen each other for decades. Now that they had finally met, they naturally had a long chat.

Especially Song Qingyu, who has a master-disciple relationship with Ling Zhentian.

Having a rare opportunity to meet her mentor, Song Qingyu was busy asking him about the shortcomings in her cultivation techniques, and at the same time, she couldn't help but show Ling Zhentian the results of her cultivation over the past few years.

It must be said that since receiving personal guidance from Ling Zhentian, Song Qingyu has undergone a significant transformation in both her skills and supernatural abilities.

Otherwise, it would probably take her at least another 10 or 20 years to advance to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Seeing that Song Qingyu and Ling Zhentian rarely get to see each other, Song Qingming didn't want to disturb them too much, so he and Li Xuanyi went to the side to leave them some space to talk alone.

Several hours later, the sky began to lighten again, and the sun slowly rose.

As the final day of the tournament was about to begin, everyone who had been looking forward to it turned their attention to the central arena.

Next, the new generation of the top ten sects of the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" will be determined here.

What changes will occur in the ranking of the top ten sects this time? Will there be a generational shift, with new powerhouses replacing those declining sects?

The answer will come soon.

Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, three figures representing "Tianyu Sect," "Xianyuan Sect," and "Dangmo Palace" quickly appeared above the arena.

"Thank you all for your support. Today is the last day of our Donghuang Sword Tournament. The ten strongest sects representing our Donghuang Immortal Continent for the next two hundred years will also appear here."

Next, the three of us will take turns drawing the contest list. Whoever's name is called will step onto the stage to fight.

"Qingyang Sect, Yuan Luohua!"

"Liang Yuchuan of the Sanyuan Sect."

As He Yuliang, the leader of the "Dangmo Palace," called out the first name, Yuan Luohua, who had won yesterday, immediately flew out onto the arena.

And his opponent was indeed, as Song Qingming had suspected, Liang Yuchuan, the Grand Elder of the "Sanyuan Sect," one of the top ten sects in the previous competition.

The "Sanyuan Sect" ranks ninth among the ten major sects. Currently, there are no half-step Nascent Soul experts in the sect. The strongest one is the Grand Elder Liang Yuchuan, who has the peak cultivation of the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage.

Compared to other top-ranking sects, Yuan Luohua was actually quite lucky to draw Liang Yuchuan from the "Sanyuan Sect".

Both were at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage, so theoretically the difference in strength between them shouldn't be too great. In everyone's eyes, this battle was still quite interesting.

After the two started fighting, they were indeed evenly matched at first, with the fight going back and forth.

However, as Liang Yuchuan used a powerful jade ruler magic weapon, Yuan Luohua was quickly suppressed and had no power to fight back.

After barely managing to hold out for two hundred rounds, Yuan Luohua was finally defeated.

Although most of the cultivators present did not recognize the jade ruler in Liang Yuchuan's hand, Song Qingming still judged from its power that it was most likely a replica of a spiritual treasure.

Although Yuan Luohua's supernatural abilities were not much weaker than Liang Yuchuan's, the magical treasures he possessed were clearly far inferior to his opponent's, so it was not too surprising that he suffered this defeat.

Even the "Sanyuan Sect," which ranks only ninth, can easily produce a replica of a spiritual treasure, demonstrating that the other established sects generally have considerable resources.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to maintain their position as one of the top ten sects in the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" for so many years.

With the "Sanyuan Sect" advancing to the top ten sects first, Yuan Luohua left the arena somewhat disappointed.

It must be said that as the only Grand Cultivator in the "Tianhai Immortal Cultivation World", he has already done his best to enter the top twenty in this competition.

Ultimately, their sect's foundation was inferior to others, and they could only helplessly accept this outcome.

After the first battle, the next to take the stage was the first-ranked Elder of the "Formless Sect," Master Qiushui.

This "Autumn Water Master" primarily cultivates water-attribute techniques, which are relatively weak in combat.

However, this person had already successfully advanced to the half-step Nascent Soul realm five hundred years ago, and was recognized by the entire cultivation world of the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" as one of the few people most likely to break through to the Nascent Soul realm in the future.

In terms of combat prowess, he is far superior to ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

The person who fought against "True Man Qiushui" came from a Nascent Soul sect in Yuanzhou of "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom". He was also a great cultivator who had advanced to the late Nascent Soul stage for many years and whose cultivation had reached the peak of the ninth level of Nascent Soul.

In the previous round of competition, this person easily defeated an opponent at the eighth level of the Nascent Soul stage, demonstrating that their strength should not be underestimated.

However, this battle, which seemed to be fought between equally skilled opponents, ended much faster than the first one, much to everyone's surprise.

In just over a hundred rounds, "Master Qiushui" easily defeated his opponent and won the victory.

The fact that these established sects easily won both battles in a row was quite disappointing to the spectators below.

Unexpectedly, the difference in strength between the two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators is so great.

It wasn't until the third match, when Lin Tianrong, the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Dao Sect, faced off against a Nascent Soul Ninth Level Elder from the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain, that the battle became slightly more interesting.

Both fighters unleashed replicas of magical artifacts, and it took them nearly three hundred rounds to barely determine a victor.

In the end, Lin Tianrong, who had a half-step Nascent Soul cultivation level, proved to be the stronger opponent and successfully defeated his opponent, thus preserving the "Heavenly Dao Sect's" position among the top ten sects.

The results of the fourth and fifth battles were as expected: the original "Top Ten Sects" of Donghuang Kingdom emerged victorious, and no dark horse emerged to overthrow their positions.

Soon, the battle on the arena reached its sixth match.

When Elder Hu Canghai of the Demon-Slaying Palace drew the names of the two opponents, a chorus of surprised exclamations arose from the surrounding cultivators watching the battle.

"It's Bixia Palace versus Yuling Sect. Both of their elders are half-step Nascent Soul cultivators. I didn't expect them to go head-to-head. This is going to be interesting."

"Hahaha, last time the Jade Spirit Sect only managed to enter the top ten sects of the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom by luck, but this time they are facing the Azure Cloud Palace, and it will probably be very difficult for them to get through this hurdle."

The cultivation world of Qiyun is, after all, a small place. It's indeed a bit unseemly for them to always occupy one of the top ten sects.

"Hehe! Brother, you are mistaken. The Grand Elder of the Jade Spirit Sect, True Man Qingyu, had already advanced to the half-step Nascent Soul realm three hundred years ago."

"Elder Biyun of Bixia Palace has only advanced less than two hundred years; I doubt she can defeat her."

"Oh! So you think Bixia Palace might lose?"

".."

Of the top twenty cultivators this time, seven of the eight half-step Nascent Soul experts belong to the "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom," while only the Jade Spirit Sect's Grand Elder, True Person Qingyu, comes from the Qiyun Immortal Cultivation World.

Two hundred years ago, in the previous "Eastern Phoenix Sword Tournament", Master Qingyu represented the "Jade Spirit Sect" in the competition.

Having already advanced to the half-step Nascent Soul realm, he easily overcame numerous opponents and entered the top twenty.

In the battle for the top ten, Master Qingyu faced off against the declining Jin Yang Sect from the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom.

Although this sect is an old Nascent Soul sect in the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom, it has lost a cultivator at the half-step Divine Transformation realm, and the highest-ranking cultivator is only at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul realm.

In the end, Master Qingyu successfully defeated his opponent with his own supernatural powers, making the "Jade Spirit Sect" one of the top ten sects and renowned throughout the entire Eastern Phoenix Immortal Continent.

Although it ranks last among the top ten sects, the Jade Spirit Sect has brought a lot of glory to the cultivators of the "Qiyun Immortal Cultivation World" over the years.

This time, the Jade Spirit Sect participated in the competition again. They thought that with Qingyu Zhenren, a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator, it would not be difficult for them to maintain their original position.

Unexpectedly, in the battle for the top ten, they encountered the Grand Elder of "Bixia Palace", which was also one of the top ten sects, which was quite surprising.

It's unclear whether they were simply unlucky or if the three major sects responsible for the refereeing did it on purpose.

With two of the top ten sects facing off, one of them would inevitably be eliminated, which excited many of the cultivators watching from below the stage.

Including Song Qingming and others, they also felt a greater sense of anticipation for this great battle.

In mid-air, the "Qingyu Zhenren" dressed in a Taoist robe looked at the green-clad woman standing opposite him with a somewhat solemn expression.

Although both of them were at the half-step Nascent Soul stage, and "Qingyu Zhenren" had advanced to the Nascent Soul stage more than a hundred years earlier than the other.

However, Fairy Biyun comes from the "Bixia Palace," a Nascent Soul sect with a history of tens of thousands of years, and her strength is far more than it appears on the surface.

As the competition began, "Master Qingyu" was the first to release a golden flying sword, which transformed into several golden sword lights that rushed straight towards his opponent.

On the other side of "Fairy Biyun", a blue pipa magic weapon had already appeared in front of her.

With a gentle flick of his wrist, an invisible blade ripped through the air, easily severing the incoming sword light.

".."

In this battle, the two fighters were evenly matched, fighting for more than two hundred rounds without a clear winner.

Seeing that he could not defeat his opponent and not wanting to drag the matter out, "Qingyu Zhenren" risked unleashing a powerful divine ability.

Unexpectedly, this move played right into the hands of "Fairy Biyun," who suddenly produced a powerful replica of a magical treasure, instantly deflecting the opponent's attack.

As a result, "Master Qingyu" not only failed to injure his opponent, but was also somewhat embarrassed by his own supernatural power.

From then on, facing "Fairy Biyun" wielding a replica of a magical artifact, "Master Qingyu" began to lose, and ultimately lost to his opponent.

Seeing this result, Song Qingming felt a little sorry for "Qingyu Zhenren" but was not too surprised.

Although "Qingyu Zhenren" has been at the half-step Nascent Soul realm for many years, the foundation of "Yuling Sect" is somewhat insufficient, and he does not have any spiritual objects of the level of imitation spiritual treasures.

The fact that "Bixia Palace" ranks fourth among the top ten sects shows that its foundation is unmatched by ordinary Nascent Soul sects.

Even the ninth-ranked "Sanyuan Sect" could produce spiritual items like imitations of magical treasures, let alone the "Bixia Palace" which ranks higher.

"Master Qingyu" must have known this, which is why he didn't want to drag the battle out for too long and chose to take a risk.

Ultimately, however, their strength was slightly inferior, and they were unable to help the Jade Spirit Sect retain its position among the top ten sects, which is a pity.

The battle between "Master Qingyu" and "Fairy Biyun" can be said to be the most exciting battle since the start of this sword tournament, leaving the audience feeling completely satisfied.

Even Bai Yuxian, Li Xuanyi, and the others in the attic couldn't help but sigh.

The difference in combat strength between these experts who have already advanced to the half-step Nascent Soul realm and ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators is truly astonishing. If it were Bai Yuxian, who was at the sixth level of Nascent Soul, and she were to encounter a top expert like "Azure Cloud Fairy" on the field...

They would probably be defeated in less than twenty-three rounds, completely powerless to resist their opponent.

Despite being at the same Nascent Soul stage, the difference in their strength was like an insurmountable chasm, which could not help but shock everyone.

The sixth battle has ended, and the next two battles are equally exciting.

They are facing off against the Taiyi Immortal Sect, the eighth of the Ten Great Sects, against a well-known late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom.

And two Nascent Soul Stage 9 peak experts from the same "Eastern Phoenix Kingdom" will clash in a fierce battle.

Yang Yunbo, the Grand Elder of the Taiyi Immortal Sect, is a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator, but his lifespan is running out, and his strength has declined compared to his peak.

The rogue cultivator at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage that he was facing not only possessed formidable supernatural powers, but also had a replica of a spiritual treasure in his possession.

The battle between the two was almost evenly matched, with the final three cultivators deciding the outcome. Yang Yunbo narrowly won, helping the "Taiyi Immortal Sect" retain its position among the top ten sects.

Although the "Taiyi Immortal Sect" is also an old Nascent Soul sect in the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom, apart from Yang Yunbo, a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator, the highest cultivation level in the sect is only the seventh level of Nascent Soul.

It is estimated that when Yang Yunbo passes away at the next "Donghuang Sword Tournament", the strength of "Taiyi Immortal Sect" will probably be difficult to maintain its position, and it will inevitably be squeezed out of the top ten sects by the successors.

In the world of cultivation, it's often a case of either progressing or regressing; no sect can remain prosperous forever.

Next to participate in the eighth battle were two newly established Nascent Soul sects. Neither of them had experts at the half-step Divine Transformation realm; instead, they all fielded Nascent Soul level nine cultivators.

After hundreds of rounds of fierce fighting, the sect called "Shen Gu Men" proved to be the stronger one and won the battle.

After this battle, the "Divine Gu Sect" became the first Nascent Soul sect to enter the top ten sects this year, drawing cheers from the audience.

The "Divine Gu Sect" is a special sect that is skilled in controlling Gu insects, located in Qingzhou in the northwest of Donghuang Kingdom.

Although it is a newly established sect, the "Divine Gu Sect" is actually not weaker than the other ten major sects. There are currently eleven Nascent Soul cultivators in the sect.

Going back over a thousand years, the "Divine Gu Sect" was once selected as one of the top ten sects in the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom.

However, the sect later declined and fell out of the top ten sects, and its reputation gradually weakened.

In today's battle, they have restored the glory of their ancestors.

The sect that lost to them was the "Golden Sun Sect," which had been pushed out of the top ten sects by the "Jade Spirit Sect" in the previous competition.

The Grand Elder of the "Golden Sun Sect" fought his way into the top twenty, hoping to have the opportunity to lead the sect back to the ranks of the top ten sects.

Unexpectedly, despite avoiding other powerful sects and drawing a favorable lot, they still lost to the "Divine Gu Sect".

In the end, the Grand Elder of the "Golden Sun Sect" could only walk off the stage with great regret and helplessness.

"Next up is..."

"Song Qingming of the Free and Unfettered Sect versus Jingyue Zhenren of the Qingyang Holy Sect!"

".."

"What? It was Master Jingyue who drew him? The Qingyang Holy Sect is really lucky. This time they're guaranteed to be among the top ten sects again!"

"Haha, I was wondering why Elder Liang Yushan of the Qingyang Holy Sect didn't come this time. It turns out everything was already arranged."

"With such good fortune in the draw, I doubt any other sect could even come close."

"Oh! What do you mean by that, fellow Daoist? Could it be that you mean..."

"Sigh, I didn't say anything."

".."

Song Qingming came from the remote "Floating Cloud Mountain Range" cultivation world. He had no reputation in the Eastern Phoenix Kingdom before, and there were not many cultivators who knew him.

Among the top twenty cultivators, he, with only the seventh level of the Nascent Soul stage, was the one with the lowest cultivation level.

In addition, Song Qingming's previous opponents on the arena were all mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, so his ability to reach this point also involved a bit of luck.

So much so that even before the competition began today, the audience naturally categorized him as the weakest opponent among the twenty.

Whichever sect draws him, their entry into the top ten sects is practically guaranteed.

The opponent Song Qingming is facing now is "Master Jingyue" from the Qingyang Holy Sect, one of the ten major sects.

Everyone thought the outcome of the battle was already decided, and many people couldn't help but marvel at the incredible luck of the "Qingyang Holy Sect".

Meanwhile, in the pavilion where Song Qingming was, Li Xuanyi, Song Qingyu, and the others all showed some worry when they heard that his opponent was actually "Master Jingyue".

"Seventh Brother, it's actually someone from the Qingyang Holy Sect. What a coincidence! Could it be something they arranged on purpose?"

"Why don't you stop fighting him, so you don't fall into his trap."

“My lord, Qingyu is right. You destroyed Liu Yukun’s magic weapon the day before yesterday and then you encountered them today. There’s probably more to it than meets the eye.”

Anyway, we've already done a good job of making it into the top 20 this time, so there's no need to risk fighting for that title.

"As everyone's cultivation improves in the future, we will eventually have a place among the top ten sects."

"Junior Brother Song,!"

Faced with Li Xuanyi and the others' persuasion, Song Qingming nodded calmly.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!"

After giving the group a reassuring word, Song Qingming flashed with spiritual light and disappeared from his original spot, arriving on the high-altitude arena.

Meanwhile, "Master Jingyue," who was standing not far away, had been waiting there, his eyes fixed on him.

In the final draw for the top ten, "Master Jingyue" did not secretly interfere. He was somewhat surprised that he was matched against Song Qingming.

"Fellow Daoist Song, I never expected that my opponent would be you."

It seems Heaven has ordained it all; today, our sect will seek justice from you.

“Fellow Daoist Jingyue, the other day it was just that Fellow Daoist Liu was a little late in admitting defeat, so I couldn’t stop myself. I don’t owe your Qingyang Holy Sect any justice.”

If you are worried about this, fellow Daoist, you may concede defeat sooner rather than later. I will certainly take this matter into consideration this time.

"You arrogant brat!"

Faced with Song Qingming's provocative gaze, "Master Jingyue" immediately summoned a powerful cyan flying sword.

As the sound of something tearing through the air resounded throughout the arena, a terrifying azure light quickly headed straight for Song Qingming's location.

Although "Master Jingyue" has not yet entered the half-step Nascent Soul realm, he is a great cultivator who has cultivated to the peak of the ninth level of the Nascent Soul realm for many years and has very rich experience in combat.

Moreover, in order to participate in the "Eastern Phoenix Sword Tournament", "Master Jingyue" also brought a replica of a spiritual treasure from the Qingyang Holy Sect, whose strength was far beyond that of ordinary cultivators of the same level.

Even knowing that Song Qingming, a Nascent Soul cultivator who had just broken through to the late stage, possessed several powerful Grade 4 magic treasures, they did not really take him seriously.

Not only did "Master Jingyue" think this way, but many of the spectators watching the competition also felt that there was no suspense in this great battle.

Especially Liu Yukun, whose important magical artifact was destroyed by Song Qingming a few days ago.

Seeing "Master Jingyue" make a move, he was even more eager to see how pathetic Song Qingming would look after his defeat.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, we must not let him admit defeat easily later. We must teach this person a good lesson."

".."

On the arena, facing the sword light unleashed by "Master Jingyue", Song Qingming quickly cast spells with both hands, and a burst of five-colored golden light shot out from his body.

Before the sword light could reach him, Song Qingming had already summoned a golden bronze mirror, quickly blocking the opponent's fierce attack.

Since the Five Elements Divine Light Mirror was integrated with the Heavenly Gang Silver Stone, its defensive capabilities alone have long surpassed those of ordinary defensive magic treasures of the same level.

Even when facing the full force of "Master Jingyue," a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, he did not feel much pressure.

Just after Song Qingming blocked the attack, he looked up and saw that "Master Jingyue" had disappeared from the spot in mid-air.

Before Song Qingming could release his divine sense to investigate, a dangerous aura suddenly appeared in the void behind him, and the cyan sword light reappeared.

Faced with "Master Jingyue's" swift sneak attack, Song Qingming showed a slight surprise on his face and hurriedly called his natal magic weapon back to his side.

After a loud "bang!"

Although Song Qingming managed to block the opponent's flying sword in time, he was still knocked back more than ten feet before he could regain his footing.

Just as he was casting a spell to prepare for the next attack, a white mist suddenly appeared in front of him, and "Master Jingyue" once again disappeared from Song Qingming's sight under the cover of the white mist.

But this time, before he could reappear, Song Qingming sensed the abnormality first.

He cast a spell to control the "Five Elements Divine Light Mirror," which shot out several golden beams of light towards his side, forcing "Master Jingyue" out of the void.

"As expected, your divine sense is not weak, and you also have such a powerful defensive magic weapon. I underestimated you. Junior Brother Liu's defeat is indeed not unjust."

"Then let this old man see just how capable you really are."

Seeing that his supernatural ability to conceal his identity had been easily broken by Song Qingming, "Master Jingyue" immediately realized that the other party's spiritual sense was no weaker than his own, and gave up his plan to continue attacking.

The next moment, with a gentle lift of his hand, a white disc about a foot in size quickly appeared in his hand.

"Thousand-Blade Mystic Crystal Disc!"

"Haha, this kid is about to learn how powerful he is."

"Hmph! Song Qingming is only at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul stage. How could he be a match for Senior Brother Sect Leader? Junior Brother Hu, don't be anxious."

When Liu Yukun, who was sitting in the pavilion below, saw "Master Jingyue" take out the round magic weapon on the stage, he immediately stood up excitedly.

The other disciple sitting next to him also wore a confident expression. (End of Chapter)