Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Yunxi's victory was secured, and cheers erupted from the audience. The girl in white sheathed her sword, bowed slightly to Elder Wudao, and then lightly leaped off the stage, her movements as graceful as a crane returning under the moon.

Ouyang Dongfang gripped his spear tightly, his face alternating between pale and flushed, finally letting out a reluctant sigh. Though he had lost, he had lost clearly. Watching Yun Xi's departing figure, the arrogance in his eyes had faded considerably, replaced by a sense of solemnity and acceptance. He then leaped off the stage, standing at the edge of the crowd, continuing to observe the upcoming matches.

Elder Wudao lightly waved his whisk, and the protective barrier of the arena slowly dissipated. He announced loudly, "The first match has concluded. The winner is Yun Xi, who advances to the next round! The remaining disciples will proceed to the stage in the order drawn!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than two figures leaped onto the arena simultaneously.

A person dressed in a blue Taoist robe, holding a feather fan, was none other than Su Lingyue, who ranked fourteenth on the list. Her spiritual wood root had already awakened, and her body was surrounded by a faint green spiritual energy. Her eyebrows and eyes were gentle, but her actions were swift and decisive.

Her opponent was a burly outer disciple wielding a broadsword. His spiritual energy, at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, erupted with a fierce wind as he lunged straight at Su Lingyue.

Su Lingyue remained calm and composed. With a gentle wave of her feather fan, verdant spiritual energy transformed into several vines that burst forth from the ground of the arena, wrapping around her opponent's legs. Although the burly disciple's sword strikes were fierce, he was restrained by the vines and found it difficult to move. After only a dozen or so rounds, Su Lingyue struck him on the shoulder with a wooden spike of spiritual energy, forcing him to admit defeat.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Yue appeared with a gun.

He was already a robust man, his blood and energy as fiery as the sun. Although his spear was not as precious as Ouyang Dongfang's black gold spear, he had honed it to its full sharpness. His opponent was a cultivator skilled in escape techniques, whose movements were elusive and who repeatedly attempted to launch sneak attacks. However, Shen Yue's spear technique was steady and composed, combining defense with offense. With a single sweep of his spear, he shattered the opponent's escape light, and then the spear tip went straight for the opponent's face, decisively securing the victory.

After several rounds of competition, the stage was filled with exciting matches, and the sounds of spiritual energy clashing were deafening. Some people crushed their opponents with the advantage of their spiritual roots, some won with skill, and some fought desperately, but ultimately lost due to the difference in their cultivation levels.

Lin Yan stood in front of the crowd below the stage, calmly watching the competition on the arena. His eyes were slightly narrowed, as if he were observing the techniques and strength of the participants. Several elders from Laoshan Mountain beside him nodded in approval at his composure. This young man not only possessed the skill to slay evil, but was also humble and unassuming, with a temperament far superior to his peers.

Before long, the first round of competition was already halfway through, and the advancing disciples were determined one after another. Although the losers were disappointed, they were convinced of their defeat. After all, being able to enter the top twenty was already a recognition from the sect. Even if they did not make it into the top ten, they could still enter the inner sect to cultivate, which was still a gain.

Just then, Elder Wudao announced loudly once more, "Next match: Lin Yan versus Zhao Shan!"

These words caused an immediate silence in the room, which was then followed by an even greater uproar.

All eyes turned to the figure in blue robes below the stage. Lin Yan, the top of the merit list this time, single-handedly slew the evil cultivator elder and saved the Laoshan Grand Ceremony from collapse. Just how strong he was was the most intriguing question for all the disciples present.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan slowly stepped forward.

His green robes fluttered slightly in the wind. He didn't fly on a sword, nor did he unleash any powerful spiritual energy. He simply took ordinary steps, yet with each step, a faint shimmering light seemed to surround him, the spiritual energy of the Guanhai Inkstone quietly protecting him. His face was handsome, his eyes clear, and he possessed no sharp edge whatsoever, yet Zhao Shan on the stage felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

Zhao Shan, a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining, was considered above average among the top twenty. He wielded a mountain-splitting axe, but now he gripped the handle tightly, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Facing Lin Yan, who had slain an evil cultivator elder, he had lost all confidence in victory from the start, leaving only the thought of fighting to the death.

"Junior Brother Lin, please forgive me!"

Zhao Shan shouted loudly, no longer hesitating. His axe, imbued with powerful spiritual energy, slammed down on Lin Yan. The axe's wind was so fierce that it even caused the air to explode.

The audience held their breath, eager to see how Lin Yan would respond to this thunderous attack.

Lin Yan remained still, gently raised his right hand, and gathered a wisp of spiritual energy as light as water mist at his fingertips, then gently brushed it away.

There was no earth-shattering roar, no dazzling brilliance.

The fierce axe wind seemed to have struck an invisible wall of water, instantly dissipating into nothingness. Zhao Shan felt a gentle yet irresistible force travel along the axe handle, his wrist went numb, the axe nearly slipped from his grasp, and he staggered backward, his blood churning.

Before he could regain his footing, Lin Yan had already moved forward, flicked his fingertips, and a wisp of spiritual energy, as light as a water arrow, shot out and gently touched his shoulder.

"Bang!"

With a soft thud, Zhao Shan could no longer stand. He staggered back several steps and sat down heavily on the arena, his axe falling to the ground with a clang.

one move.

With just one move, Zhao Shan, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, was defeated.

The entire stadium was deathly silent for a moment, then erupted into deafening cheers and gasps.

"Defeated in one move? That's incredibly strong!"

"That's Zhao Shan, a seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator! He was utterly defeated by Senior Brother Lin Yan!"

"As expected of the person who slew the evil cultivator elder, his strength is probably enough to qualify him for the top ten!"

Elder Wudao's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he stroked his beard, announcing loudly, "Lin Yan wins this battle and advances to the next round!"

Lin Yan nodded slightly to the elder, then turned and stepped off the stage, his expression still calm, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

Meanwhile, the competition continued on the arena.

Ye Qing's wooden prison technique became increasingly refined, trapping his enemy invisibly; Chen Dagang, on the other hand, used brute force to break through all techniques, his fists like hammers, forcing his opponent to retreat step by step...

With the conclusion of the final match, the first round of the top 20 competitions has ended, and the top 10 spots have been decided.

Elder Wudao stepped onto the arena, gazing at his ten spirited disciples below, his voice resounding throughout the surrounding area: "The top ten are decided! Rest for half an incense stick's time, then draw lots for the top ten duels. The winners will advance to the top five, until the ultimate champion is determined and receives the supreme opportunity!"

Sunlight streamed onto the arena, making the figures of the ten disciples shine brightly.