Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Below the viewing platform, the unspoken competition among the prodigies continued.

The sea breeze howled, and banners fluttered. The prodigies from all sides gathered behind their respective camps, their gazes meeting, a murmur of unspoken tension swirling within them.

Some people closed their eyes to rest, some talked in hushed tones, some were eager to try, and some watched coldly. The tension in the air grew stronger and stronger.

Just then, the first conflict finally broke out between the prodigies.

The cause was Li Tianxing, the holy son of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

He suddenly stepped out of his own camp, strode towards the area of ​​rogue cultivators, and stood directly in front of Ye Xingchen, a wicked smile on his lips.

"Young Master Xingchen, I have long admired your name."

Li Tianxing sized Ye Xingchen up and down, his gaze finally settling on an ancient ring on his right wrist. A glint of greed flashed in his eyes. "I've heard you have an ancient ring with quite a history. Why don't you lend it to me?"

Ye Xingchen remained calm and said indifferently, "I won't lend it."

"That's not up to you." Li Tianxing's smile remained unchanged as he reached out to grab Ye Xingchen's wrist with lightning speed, black demonic energy faintly swirling between his fingers.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Xingchen's eyes. Instead of retreating, he advanced, unleashing a sharp and unparalleled burst of true energy from his fingertips, like an invisible sword, piercing straight into Li Tianxing's palm.

Li Tianxing snorted coldly, flipped his hand, turning his grasp into a palm, and unleashed a surge of demonic energy between his five fingers, clashing head-on with Ye Xingchen's sword energy.

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, several cracks appeared in the ground beneath their feet, and shockwaves swept outwards.

They each took three steps back, and were evenly matched.

Li Tianxing steadied himself, glanced at the shallow bloodstain on his palm, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes: "You've got some skill."

Ye Xingchen remained calm, withdrew his finger, and said indifferently, "Likewise."

His tone was indifferent, as if he had merely brushed away a fallen leaf.

The surrounding prodigies all looked over, some excited, some indifferent, and some disdainful.

"If you want to fight, go outside and fight. Don't get in my way here." A cold and arrogant voice came from the Chu family camp.

Everyone looked over and saw Chu Yunxiao standing with his hands behind his back, his face cold and his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

Li Tianxing turned and glanced at him, a wicked smile playing on his lips: "Young Master Chu, you have quite the airs. What, you want to try your luck too?"

"You're not worthy," Chu Yunxiao said calmly.

Li Tianxing's smile froze, and a hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

"I'll learn from you another day." He said this and turned to leave. Before leaving, he gave Ye Xingchen a meaningful look, his gaze lingering on the ring for a moment.

Ye Xingchen remained expressionless, but the ring on her right wrist glowed faintly, as if it possessed a spiritual energy, before quickly dimming.

This minor conflict was just a warm-up.

All parties knew perfectly well that the real contest would not take place on the viewing platform, but inside the great tomb.

On the viewing platform, the bigwigs from all sides took in everything that happened below, but no one stepped forward to stop it.

Jian Wuming, the Grand Elder of the Four Extremes Sword Sect, picked up his teacup and said calmly, "Young man, you have too much of a temper."

Chu Tianxing, the head of the Chu family, gently waved his folding fan and smiled slightly: "It doesn't matter if you have a bad temper, as long as you have the ability."

Cao Zhengchun, the commander of the Suspended Mirror Platform, said in a sinister tone, "I'm afraid that you'll have a temper but no ability, and lose your life in vain."

Master Liaoyin softly chanted the Buddha's name: "Amitabha, life and death are predestined."

Master Qingyuan waved his whisk and laughed, "Why should you all worry about this? Let the young people handle their own affairs."

The King of the East Sea sat upright in the main seat, his gaze deep and unreadable.

He coughed lightly, his voice booming like a bell, silencing the clamor of the entire hall: "Gentlemen, now that all the prodigies have arrived, I have a few words to say."

The entire arena fell silent, and all eyes turned to the King of the East Sea.

The King of the East Sea stood up, his purple royal robes fluttering in the sea breeze, and the pearls and jade on his seven-tassel crown gently clinked together, making a crisp sound.

"First, once the tomb is opened, all prodigies under the age of thirty are free to enter, and no force may interfere."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and said, word by word, "Secondly, the opportunities, treasures, and inheritances within the tomb will be contested based on individual strength. Whoever obtains them keeps them, and no force may seize them by trickery or force after they emerge."

These words were met with a murmur of discussion from the audience.

The King of the East Sea raised his hand and continued, "Third, after the tomb closes, all factions may negotiate and exchange treasures, but they must not seize them by force. Anyone who violates this rule will be considered an enemy of all the factions present."

His last words were spoken with great emphasis, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Does anyone have any objections to these three rules?"

There was a moment of silence, followed by scattered responses.

"The Four Extremes Sword Sect has no objection."

"The Chu family has no objection."

"Wanfo Temple has no objection."

"The Zhenwu Dao Sect has no objection."

"The imperial court has no objection."

Representatives from all sides expressed their views, their tone respectful, but each harboring their own thoughts.

Everyone knows that these three rules are just for show.

Inside the great tomb, swords and blades have no eyes; life and death are preordained. Once inside, who will remember any rules?

But at least, it's acceptable on the surface.

Night falls.

The viewing platform was brightly lit, where elders and patriarchs from various factions were still discussing the details of the tomb's opening the next day. Amidst the clinking of glasses, subtle tensions lurked. Meanwhile, the young prodigies returned to their camps to rest and recuperate, preparing for tomorrow's exploration.

The camp of the Marquis of Weeping Blood was located on the east side of the viewing platform. Several tents were scattered in an orderly manner, and the black banners embroidered with the golden characters "East" fluttered in the sea breeze.

Dongfang Mingyue returned to her tent early, saying she wanted to get a good night's sleep and recharge. Before going to sleep, she specifically reminded Dongfang Weiwo, "Little brother, don't oversleep tomorrow. Your sister will take you inside to broaden your horizons."

Dongfang Weiwo smiled and agreed.

But he did not go back to the tent to rest.

He walked out of the camp alone, came to the seaside, found a reef protruding from the sea, jumped onto it, and sat down cross-legged.

A salty, damp night breeze swept over him, ruffling his clothes. The starry sky overhead shone brightly, while waves crashed rhythmically against the rocks below. In the distance, a faint light flickered on the sea—the entrance to the Great Tomb of the East Sea, slowly coalescing, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.

Dongfang Weiwo gazed at that light, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

The tomb will be opened tomorrow.

He will compete against the most outstanding talents in the Eastern Continent, vying for opportunities and proving his martial arts prowess.

Those people—Ye Xingchen, Wu Zhao, Chu Yunxiao, Li Tianxing, Wangwo, Guiyuan, the Four Extremes Sword Master… none of them were ordinary individuals.

But he was not afraid.

He clenched his fist, feeling the surging true energy within his body and the energy points stored in his Shadow Cloak—more than seven million, his biggest trump card.

"What are you thinking about?"

A crisp sound came from behind, interrupting Dongfang Weiwu's thoughts.

He turned around and saw that Dongfang Mingyue had arrived at the beach at some point and was carefully walking towards him, stepping on the rocks. She had changed into dry clothes, and her long hair was loose. She looked less heroic than during the day and more gentle and feminine.

"Sister? Weren't you asleep?" Dongfang Weiwo asked, somewhat surprised.

"I can't sleep." Dongfang Mingyue jumped onto the reef, sat down next to him, kicked off her boots, and put her feet into the seawater. The icy water made her shiver. "Hiss—it's so cold."

"Then why did you stick it in?" Dongfang Weiwo said, both amused and exasperated.

"It feels good." Dongfang Mingyue smiled, turning her head to look at him. "Little brother, are you nervous?"

Dongfang Weiwo shook his head: "I'm not nervous."

"Really?" Dongfang Mingyue raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow we'll be facing so many prodigies—Chu Yunxiao, Li Tianxing, Wu Zhao… none of them are easy to deal with. Aren't you nervous at all?"

Dongfang Weiwo was silent for a moment, then said, "A little."

"I knew it." Dongfang Mingyue patted his shoulder. "But don't be afraid, your sister is here. If anyone dares to bully you, your sister will chop them up."

Dongfang Weiwo laughed: "Can my sister handle all of them? There are so many geniuses."

"Cut one down as you go," Dongfang Mingyue said with boundless pride, then added, "If you can't kill them, just run. You're fast enough to run anyway."

Looking at her, Dongfang Weiwo felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

From childhood to adulthood, my older sister has always been like this—she seems carefree on the surface, but she protects him more than anyone else.

"Sister," he suddenly said.

"Um?"

"Be careful when you enter the tomb tomorrow."

Dongfang Mingyue paused for a moment, then smiled, reaching out to ruffle his hair: "Don't worry, your sister is very resilient. But you, don't be reckless. If you encounter danger, run, understand?"

"understood."

The siblings sat side by side on the rocks, gazing at the faint light on the distant sea.

The sound of waves, the twinkling of stars.

"Little brother," Dongfang Mingyue suddenly said.

"Um?"

"Have you ever thought about what you'll become after this tomb raiding?"

Dongfang Weiwo remained silent for a moment, gazing at the distant sea with a profound look in his eyes.

"I don't know," he said, "but I want everyone to remember my name."

Dongfang Mingyue turned to look at him, and seeing the calm yet firm expression on his profile, she suddenly realized that her little brother seemed to be different from before.

In the past, Dongfang Weiwo always concealed his sharpness and was unwilling to compete with others.

But at this moment, there was something else in his eyes.

That's ambition.

It's also about self-confidence.

Dongfang Mingyue smiled, didn't ask any more questions, and simply reached out and patted his shoulder.

"Then we'll see, sister."

In the distance, the light on the sea grew brighter and brighter, as if a sleeping ancient beast was slowly opening its eyes.

The Eastern Sea Tomb is about to be opened.

Tomorrow, as the sun rises, these young prodigies will step into that ancient ruin that has slumbered for millions of years, vying for opportunities and fighting to the death.

Some will return with a full load, while others will perish there.

But in any case, this will be the most significant chapter in their lives.

Dongfang Weiwo stood up, clenched his fist, and his eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

"Tomorrow, the Great Tomb of the East Sea—"

He said in a low voice, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I want to see who will have the last laugh in this era of rising talents."