The Legend of Innate Mage

However, not all of the nine elders would attend the Outer Competition.

From mid-air, four figures came floating down. The first one, who was familiar to Ricky, was Elder Abbott. He had just hosted two of Ricky's most recent battles to the death.

From the murmur of the other disciples, Ricky came to know the other three elders.

One grizzly man was Elder Neil; one old woman was Elder Lucia, and the last one was an ancient-looking man who had been the top elder of the Snow Sect. He had achieved demi-immortality for centuries.

He was known as a senior demi-immortal.

Their presences showed the difficulty in making a breakthrough to the level of an innate spirit from that of only a demi-immortal.

The four elders settled down, smiling at the disciples and standing beside the chairs on the dais. The sect chief of the Snow Sect hadn't arrived yet; they did not sit down out of courtesy.

"Are they waiting for the sect chief? I've heard that the chief of the Snow Sect is an out-and-out inborn overmatch. What could he be like?" Ricky murmured to himself.

"Ricky, it is said that the sect chief is honored as the top-ranked overmatch of the whole Snow Land!" Heather whispered into his ear.

"As the top-ranked overmatch of the Snow Sect, he must really deserve to be the sect chief!" Ricky thought.

...

"Ricky!" An aggressive voice yelled. Two young men walked up to Ricky and Heather.

One of them was Lean, and Ricky also knew the other one as Jarvis, the fourth-ranked outer disciple. They both belonged to the Refinement Faction.

"Lean, what's up? What? Can't wait to watch my body refinement cultivation method again?" Ricky snickered, looking scornfully at Lean.

"Watch your cultivation method? Don't flatter yourself of your nonsense refinement cultivation method! I'm here to warm you to watch your back at Outer Competition!" Lean said ferociously, his lips curling.

"Don't you know that offending anyone in the Refinement Faction will always end badly?" Jarvis echoed.

"Really? Then you should know as well that anyone who crosses me will suffer the same fate!" Ricky said coldly.

"I wonder if you will s

r eighty percent of the total number of outer disciples. Seeing this percentage, Zenith and the four Elders were greatly satisfied.

Zenith then stood, waving his hands and showering the disciples' hands below with countless of ice crystals.

"Each ice crystal has a number. Find the people holding the same number as yours. They will become your opponents." Elder Evan added, "The winner will get one score, and this battle will last ten rounds.

After ten rounds, disciples whose scores rank in the top one hundred will get rewards. Next, the top fifty and the top ten disciples will be selected from them.

The closer you are to the top of the rank, the greater rewards you will receive. Everyone must be clear on this. Remember well that every battle is of vital importance to you and your rank. I hope to see everyone give their best efforts!"

"Rahhh!" Encouraged by the mention of rewards again, the disciples cheered aloud.

"Well, go search for your opponent and fight with them on any one of the arenas!"

...

Very quickly, battles ensued on the hundreds of small arenas around the square.

After a round ended, Zenith would re-distribute ice crystals to determine a new set of opponents for the participants.

Ten rounds lasted till the evening, which produced the top one hundred disciples.

Ricky, as well as many other disciples at the ninth grade of Skin Refinement, won all ten rounds they engaged in.