177 The Star Picking Ceremony
Of course, Yan Zhen wasn’t worried about losing to Huangfu Wenqing. After advancing to Mystic General, he was ridiculously strong.
The Emperor Flame Technique, the Ancestral Talisman Scripture, and the Primordial Dharma Body Chart were all top-tier cultivation techniques, their power increasing exponentially at higher realms.
And he hadn’t even reached his full potential yet. After this advancement, he could refine another Extreme Flame.
His target was the Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire within the Nine-Layered Celestial Dome Pagoda.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t act yet. He had to wait until he returned from Cloud Heaven Palace. This was also why his cultivation hadn’t progressed in the past half-month.
The first round quickly concluded. Those with higher rankings easily defeated their lower-ranked opponents, except for a few close matches between those at the edges of the upper and lower halves, and a few unexpected upsets.
After a fifteen-minute break, the second round began. Fifty-four participants remained, no byes this time. Yan Zhen was matched against the thirty-third ranked student, his old nemesis, Bai Ao.
Bai Ao, originally ranked thirty-third, had been replaced by Yan Zhen, then fought his way back up, only to encounter Yan Zhen again. His face darkened.
Yan Zhen said calmly, “Are you going to concede now, or should I beat you until you’re forced to?”
Bai Ao was indignant. “Don’t get cocky! You only won because of that flame sword! If I had a Tier 6 Mystic Tool, I could easily reach the top ten!”
“Even with a Tier 6 Mystic Tool, you still have to be able to wield it. Besides, my sword isn’t some crafted artifact, but my Natal Sword, forged by my own hands.”
He had shaped it himself, blow by blow, with his Spiritual Power as the hammer. Beautiful Master hadn’t interfered at all.
“Then let’s see how strong you really are!”
Bai Ao donned his wolf-head gauntlets, his body crackling with silver-white lightning, his Mystic Power transforming into a thunder wolf that lunged towards Yan Zhen.
Yan Zhen calmly drew his Extreme Tyrant Sword, holding it aloft with both hands in a high guard stance.
Flames erupted from the blade, a terrifying pressure descending.
Bai Ao abruptly stopped, about ten meters away, the lightning around him dissipating. He gritted his teeth and said, “I concede!”
He knew he couldn’t withstand a single blow from Yan Zhen’s sword.
It was better to concede than to be defeated and injured.
Yan Zhen, not surprised at all, dispelled his Extreme Tyrant Sword and, without even looking at Bai Ao, walked off the stage.
Bai Ao, his jaw clenched, also left the stage, heading straight out of the arena.
The spectators, referees, and remaining contestants were stunned.
A single display of the flame sword had forced a six-star Mystic General to concede? Even against a Mystic King, such a swift surrender was rare. Had Bai Ao been completely traumatized by Yan Zhen?
Wen Canglan adjusted his glasses, a flicker of hatred in his eyes as he looked at Yan Zhen, then, hearing his name called, he leaped onto the stage.
His opponent was ranked forty-fourth on the Rising Star List.
Within ten moves, the forty-fourth ranked student was covered in crystal, his body stiffening as he collapsed onto the platform, unconscious. Wen Canglan, however, was unharmed, not even breaking a sweat.
After the referee announced Wen Canglan’s victory, two medical instructors rushed onto the stage and carried the unconscious student away for emergency treatment.
The Wen family’s Crystallization Palm was truly formidable.
Wen Canglan casually walked off the stage, his gaze meeting Yan Zhen’s. He narrowed his Crystal Eyes and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Yan Zhen ignored him. This guy was indeed strong, even capable of advancing to Mystic King mid-battle, but Yan Zhen had more than a few tricks up his sleeve.
Then, Huangfu Wenqing also easily defeated her opponent and advanced to the next round.
After another fifteen-minute break, the third round began.
Twenty-seven participants remained, and there was another bye. This time, it was Huangfu Wenqing who benefited, advancing directly to the fourth round.
Yan Zhen also defeated his opponent, ranked nineteenth.
After three rounds, only fourteen remained. This time, they had a full hour to rest and recover.
In the fourth round, Yan Zhen was matched against his previously defeated opponent, Wu Tie. After his defeat, Wu Tie had climbed back up from thirty-third to twelfth place, hoping for a rematch with Yan Zhen during the Star Picking Ceremony to reclaim his lost glory.
He had even advanced from seven-star to eight-star Mystic General!
However, Wu Tie quickly changed his mind, understanding why Bai Ao had conceded. After twenty rounds, he was once again defeated by that terrifying flame sword, his prized Black Gold Mystic Armor sliced open like tofu. If he hadn’t conceded in time, he might have lost an arm.
While he thought he had improved, Yan Zhen’s strength had grown to an unbelievable level. Besides Gu Tiange, another monster had emerged in the Inner Academy!
Their battle electrified the crowd, everyone gaining a new understanding of Yan Zhen’s power.
He was definitely top-three material!
A betting pool on the side even added a “Yan Zhen wins” option.
After four rounds, the tournament reached the fifth, with only seven participants remaining:
Wen Canglan, Ling Fei, Yu Die, Yan Zhen, Huangfu Wenqing, and the leaders of Artifact Spirit and Medicine King.
The last two weren’t particularly strong individually, but they were wealthy and had come prepared, unleashing powerful, albeit expensive, attacks and techniques.
For alchemists, their creations were considered extensions of their own power. Therefore, the tournament didn’t prohibit the use of Mystic Tools and Mystic Pills, as long as they were crafted by the alchemist themselves. Before the tournament, specialized instructors inspected each item.
Yan Zhen’s Natal Sword, for example, had also been inspected. The tournament didn’t allow items above Tier 6, as they would be too powerful, and certain explosive or lethal weapons were also prohibited, ensuring fairness as much as possible.
The fifth round began. The matchups were now random, and the extra person wouldn’t receive a bye but would face one of the losers from the previous round.
Second place vs. third place.
Beauty vs. beauty.
Rich guy vs. rich guy.
Yan Zhen waited for his challenger.
The first match was between the two wealthy alchemists. They threw Mystic Tools and consumed Mystic Pills like they were going out of style, a dazzling display of wealth that ended in a draw, both severely injured.
The next match was between Yu Die and Huangfu Wenqing. Cousin Yu Die, specializing in a gentle Water-style fist technique, fought like a body cultivator, able to withstand Huangfu Wenqing’s sword Qi and even trade blows with her, forcing Huangfu Wenqing to reveal her trump card:
Sword Intent.
Something usually only comprehended at the Mystic King realm, Huangfu Wenqing not only grasped it early but also had a deep understanding of it, even able to channel the power of heaven and earth, shattering Yu Die’s defenses and forcing her to concede.
Cousin Yu Die was filled with resentment. One monster like Yan Zhen was enough; now even his “fiancée” was so outrageous. A mere three-star Mystic General, possessing Sword Intent and defeating her, a nine-star Mystic General!
The third match was between Wen Canglan and Ling Fei. Wen Canglan, after saying something to Ling Fei, conceded and then chose to challenge Yan Zhen.
As they entered the arena, Ling Fei adopted a stalling tactic, clearly trying to wear down Yan Zhen’s strength and force him to reveal his trump cards, increasing Wen Canglan’s chances of winning.
Leave a Reply