One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly across the bluestone path of Longhu Mountain. Nie Lingfeng stood by the window of his guest room, slowly wiping the cold blade of his Snow Drinking Blade with a snow-white cotton cloth. The blade reflected the swaying bamboo shadows outside the window, and also his pensive face.

Although he didn't go all out in his battle with Zhang Lingyu during the day, it gave him a clear picture of the combat strength of the younger generation in the world of supernatural beings.

"Zhang Lingyu... is considered top-tier among the younger generation." He muttered to himself, the cotton cloth brushing against the blade. "He has mastered the Golden Light Mantra to the point of 'condensing light into armor,' and can control the Yin Five Thunders at will, making him unpredictable... He is indeed a formidable opponent."

He recalled the details of their sparring match. Zhang Lingyu's responses, counterattacks, and even the eerie atmosphere created when the water-based mines were unleashed were all exquisite. But…

"It's still a bit lacking." Nie Lingfeng flipped his wrist, and the Snow Drinking Blade drew a bright silver arc in the air before returning to his Qiankun Bag.

He only used seventy percent of his power. Shi Fang Wu Di didn't use his full strength, and he also held back much of the internal energy from the Xuanwu True Scripture, not to mention the Snow Drinking Blade had been lying dormant in his Qiankun bag. If he had gone all out, combined with his complex yet increasingly refined martial arts…

"I should be able to easily overpower him." Nie Lingfeng walked to the bedside and sat down, putting his hands behind his head. "But that's just being able to overpower him. If it really comes down to a life-or-death struggle, if he goes all out and unleashes his full power with the Yin Five Thunders, plus the defense of the Golden Light Mantra... I'll have to put in some effort, and I might even get hurt."

This is the level of the top young masters in the world of supernatural beings.

So, what about the older generation?

What about a top-tier expert like Lu Jin, whose life was "flawless"?

And... just how powerful is the seemingly kind and gentle, yet unfathomably profound, Supreme Elder Zhang Zhiwei, who sits in the main hall of the Celestial Master's Mansion?

Nie Lingfeng gazed at the bright moon outside the window, a hint of curiosity and a touch of... anticipation flashing in his eyes.

The following day, the Luotian Grand Ritual officially began.

On the back of Longhu Mountain, eight temporarily cleared areas were arranged in a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) pattern. Each area was surrounded by a simple barrier to prevent the aftershocks of the battle from injuring the spectators. The stands were already packed with people, including martial arts practitioners from various sects, tourists who came to watch the excitement, and spies from various forces, making the area extremely crowded.

The first round's format was simple and straightforward—over eighty participants were drawn into eight groups of about ten people each, engaging in a free-for-all competition in the same area. The last two remaining advanced to the next round.

Efficiency is paramount; the law of the jungle applies.

Nie Lingfeng drew the third group and was standing at the edge of the field, arms crossed, watching his opponents who were eager to fight and wary of each other.

Nine opponents, men and women, young and old. Some had fierce eyes, some were wary, and some were eager to try. Their gazes swept over each other, and also lingered on Nie Lingfeng—this stranger who looked too young, yet whose aura was too calm, made them instinctively feel uneasy.

"This is boring," Nie Lingfeng muttered to himself, letting out a small yawn.

"Group Three, the match begins!"

The moment the referee's voice fell, the atmosphere on the field changed drastically!

The burly man closest to Nie Lingfeng was the first to attack! This man's muscles were bulging, clearly a practitioner of external martial arts. With a loud shout, he thrust his fists straight at Nie Lingfeng's face like cannonballs! The force of his punches was fierce, accompanied by the sound of air being torn apart!

Nie Lingfeng didn't even lift his eyelids. Just as the fist was about to touch his nose, he slightly shifted his body, and his right leg shot up silently like a whip—

"Bang!"

A muffled thud, like a heavy object hitting a sandbag, abruptly halted the burly man's forward momentum. The fierce expression on his face froze, then his eyes rolled back, and his massive body, as if struck by a battering ram, flew backward several feet, crashing heavily into the transparent barrier at the edge of the arena. He slowly slid down, slumped to the ground, and fell silent.

The entire process, from the start of the kick to the opponent falling to the ground, took less than a second.

Quiet.

For a moment, both inside and outside the venue, there was silence.

The other three who had originally planned to attack Nie Lingfeng froze in mid-air, their expressions shifting from ferocity to astonishment, and then to disbelief. They looked at their fallen companion, then at Nie Lingfeng, who stood with his arms crossed, seemingly having merely dusted himself off. A chill ran from their feet to the top of their heads.

Nie Lingfeng turned his head to look at the three people, a gentle smile curving his lips: "Gentlemen, shall we all come at me together? It'll save me the trouble of dealing with them one by one."

The three exchanged glances, each seeing fear in the other's eyes, but even more so, a shameful anger at being slighted. Who among those who could attend the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony didn't possess a degree of arrogance?

"Arrogant!"

"Let's attack together and take him down!"

The three roared simultaneously and pounced from three directions! One used claws, his fingers flying fiercely; another used his palms, his palm strikes powerful; and the last one slid two short blades from his sleeve, their cold light flashing!

Nie Lingfeng sighed softly.

Why bother?

Wind God Leg Technique 5: Torrential Rain and Gale!

He no longer held back, his figure suddenly transforming into a sky-reaching, earth-shattering azure tornado! This was not a metaphor, but a visual spectacle formed when true qi was released outwards at extreme speed! A gale howled, stirring up dust and sand everywhere!

The three attackers felt a blur before their eyes, followed by a gust of wind that nearly blinded them! Then, a sharp pain shot through their chests, abdomens, or faces! Before the pain could fully register in their brains, their bodies were already uncontrollably lifted off the ground, like kites with broken strings, tossed into various corners of the arena!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three thuds, almost simultaneously, followed by the sound of something hitting the ground. The dust settled.

The cyan tornado dissipated, and Nie Lingfeng reappeared, still standing in the same spot, his clothes perfectly in place.

In the arena, besides him, there was only one other person still standing—a thin young man dressed in inconspicuous gray clothes. He was staring dumbfounded at his opponents lying haphazardly on the ground around him, then looked at Nie Lingfeng, and swallowed hard.

Nie Lingfeng looked at him and smiled slightly.

"thump!"

The short man immediately knelt down, raising his hands above his head, his voice trembling with tears: "I...I give up! Big brother! Grandpa! I give up! Please don't hit me!"

The referee was silent for two seconds, then announced with a twitching eye: "Group 3, Nie Lingfeng... advances."

From start to finish, it takes thirty seconds.

After a brief silence, the audience erupted in a cacophony of voices.

"What... just happened?"

"I didn't see it clearly! I just saw a gust of wind, and then everyone was blown away!"

"Who's that kid? Which family does he belong to? Why is he so fierce?"

"I don't know, she looks unfamiliar...maybe a newbie?"

"A newcomer? A newcomer with this kind of skill? You must be joking!"

Nie Lingfeng ignored these discussions, dusted off non-existent dust from his sleeves, and slowly walked off the field, heading straight for the spectator stands where Xu San, Xu Si, and the others were.

"Wow, that was fast." Xu Si grinned, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Clearing the field in thirty seconds? Are you in a rush to be reborn? Can't you give the other contestants some face?"

"A quick victory saves time and effort." Nie Lingfeng sat down in an empty seat, his gaze turning to the seventh group of the arena on the other side—Zhang Chulan was in that group.

Then, he witnessed the most astonishing scene since the opening of the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony.

In the seventh group's arena, Zhang Chulan stood alone in the center, surrounded by nine opponents in a semi-circle, each with hostile eyes.

Then, Zhang Chulan... cried.

He wasn't faking it; he was really crying! Tears streamed down his face, instantly creating an atmosphere of weakness, pitifulness, and helplessness, especially considering his fairly handsome face.

"Brothers and sisters! Please have mercy on me! Let me go!" he wailed, wiping away tears, his voice so pitiful it sounded like he'd suffered a terrible injustice. "I'm just an ordinary college student! I accidentally went to the wrong place and stumbled into this competition! I don't know anything! Look at my skinny arms and legs, I'd fall over in a gust of wind, I'd break if I got hit!"

The nine people looked at each other, some showing impatience, and others with a hint of hesitation in their eyes.

Seeing this, Zhang Chulan cried even harder, even starting to sob, "My grandfather died young... my parents are gone too... I'm all alone, just trying to make a living... I signed up by accident, who knew it would be so scary! Please, let me go, I'll quit right now! Quitting isn't enough?"

As he spoke, he made a gesture as if he were about to walk off the field, looking exactly like a cowardly man who had been scared out of his wits.

Finally, a hot-tempered burly man couldn't take it anymore and waved his hand, yelling, "Alright, alright! What are you howling about! Get out of the way! Don't get in my way!"

"R-really?" Zhang Chulan raised his tear-filled face, his eyes instantly gleaming with hope. "Thank you, big brother! Thank you, big brother! You're such a good person! May good people have a peaceful life!"

He bowed and scraped, scrambling to the very edge of the area, hands over his head, squatting down, his body trembling in unison, perfectly embodying the phrase "cowardly as a ball."

Seeing this, the remaining nine people ignored the "trash," exchanged glances, and instantly engaged in a fierce battle! Fists and kicks flew, and qi surged, making for a heated fight.

Some people in the audience have already started cursing.

"Who is this bastard? How can he be so shameless?!"

"Damn, what a great actor!"

"Disgraceful! A complete disgrace to the Extraordinary!"

Zhang Chulan ignored the warnings, squatted in the corner, and secretly observed the battle through his fingers.

Time ticked by. Players fell one after another, some surrendering. Finally, when only three remained, and these three, after a fierce battle, were already panting heavily, exhausted, and covered in wounds—

Zhang Chulan, who was crouching in the corner, moved.

Like a cheetah that has been lying in wait, he was as still as a virgin and as swift as a rabbit! His previously curled-up body suddenly stretched out, and golden light burst forth from within him. Although it was not as solid and vast as Zhang Lingyu's, it was still bright and pure! He pushed off with his feet, causing the stone slabs on the ground to crack slightly, and his figure transformed into a golden stream of light, rushing straight towards the three people!

"What?!"

"This kid?!"

The three were exhausted, having exhausted their old strength and not yet generated new strength, and had no time to react!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three crisp, muffled thuds. Zhang Chulan's fists moved like lightning, delivering straight punches imbued with the power of the Golden Light Mantra to each person, each blow landing squarely and mercilessly!

The three of them collapsed with a thud, their eyes rolled back, and they passed out cleanly and decisively.

Zhang Chulan flicked his wrist, the pitiful look on his face vanished completely, replaced by a lazy calm. He walked to the center of the field, gave the bewildered referee an innocent and bright smile:

"Referee, I'm the only one standing on the field now. Shouldn't we... announce the result?"

The referee's lips twitched violently a few times. He glanced at the three people lying on the ground, then at the smiling Zhang Chulan, and finally squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "Group 7... Zhang Chulan... advances."

"Whoosh—!!!"

The audience erupted! Shouts of anger, laughter, gasps of surprise, and table-pounding filled the air!

"Holy crap! Shameless! Utterly shameless!"

"Is this some kind of superhuman?! Is he an Oscar-winning actor?!"

"Shameless! This bastard's name is Zhang Chulan, right? I'll remember you!"

"Hahaha, this is hilarious! You can even do this?!"

Amidst a chorus of boos and curses, Zhang Chulan calmly walked off the stage, even smiling and waving to some of the most vocal jeers, which nearly provoked them to rush down and punch him.

In the stands, Xu Si covered his face in anguish, his shoulders shaking: "I don't know him... I really don't know him..."

Xu San adjusted his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses revealing a complex expression: "From a tactical standpoint... it's the most efficient, least resource-intensive, and preserves strength and trump cards... impeccable. But from... a matter of face..."

Feng Baobao tilted her head, stared at Zhang Chulan for a few seconds, and commented seriously, "He won. He won, that's good enough."

Nie Lingfeng laughed so hard he almost slipped off his chair, only managing to steady himself by grabbing the backrest. He shook his head as he laughed, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts: No wonder he's the "shameless" character from the comics! His mental fortitude, his thick skin, his ability to assess situations and bend and stretch… amazing! Absolutely amazing!

The first round of fierce competition has ended, and the top 32 have been determined.

Nie Lingfeng and Zhang Chulan both advanced smoothly. Feng Baobao did not participate; her role was that of a "guardian," serving more as a safety net.

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

Nie Lingfeng strolled along the quiet stone path of Longhu Mountain, the mountain breeze carrying the fragrance of bamboo leaves, dispelling the daytime hustle and bustle. He gazed at the still-lit lights of the Celestial Master's Mansion in the distance, pondering the opponents he might encounter tomorrow.

As he walked, he suddenly stopped.