Chapter 86: Chapter 84: First Round of the Grand Tournament, Lin Chen Enters the Arena

As soon as these words were spoken, the disciples on the square began to chatter.

“Hiss~ This year’s rewards seem to be more generous than usual!”

“This is a middle-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, you can’t even buy it for two thousand spirit stones in the marketplace!”

“Unfortunately, I’m only at the sixth layer of Qi Refining, so I have no hope of winning first in the sect competition…”

Lin Chen looked at the disciples around him, all wearing expressions of eager anticipation.

“The first place in the Changchun Sect competition, quite a lavish reward…”

Lin Chen thought to himself.

The first place winner receives rewards worth several thousand spirit stones.

Moreover, to ensure fairness, the sect sets up four arenas.

There are actually four first-place winners.

Apart from the fierce competition among the Outer Sect disciples, the competition among the Inner Sect disciples is not as intense.

Just like the competition Lin Chen participated in, the arena competition for those under five years of practice.

Each peak sends representatives, totaling 32 disciples.

Their strength mostly ranges from the sixth to the ninth layer of Qi Refining.

As long as one stands out among the thirty-two disciples and becomes the first in the competition, they will receive generous rewards.

“However, compared to the previous year’s disciples, they still have quite an advantage…”

Lin Chen looked at a group of young disciples not far away, wearing disciple robes.

Most of them are around eighteen or nineteen years old, with cultivation at the late period of Qi Refining.

Some even have outstanding talents, almost reaching Qi Refining Perfection.

Compared to the newcomers like Lin Chen, the previous year’s disciples have three more years of cultivation.

Whether it’s in cultivation true essence or mastery of techniques, they undoubtedly have much more advantage.

While Lin Chen was pondering, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

“Lin Chen, in this sect competition… I will defeat you head-on!”

Lin Chen turned around and saw the speaker was Li Zhenqian.

“Taoist Friend Li…”

Lin Chen started to speak but suddenly hesitated as he clearly saw Li Zhenqian’s appearance.

A thin stature, messy hair hanging behind the head.

A face unusually pale, with dark circles around his eyes, as if wearing heavy makeup.

“Uh, Taoist Friend Li, have you gone astray in your practice?”

Lin Chen asked tentatively.

He can’t be blamed for being suspicious; Li Zhenqian’s appearance was very much like a demon cultivator practicing a demon skill.

Upon hearing Lin Chen’s words, Li Zhenqian opened his mouth but eventually swallowed his words.

With a cold snort, he said:

“Lin Chen, I will definitely defeat you, see you in the finals!”

After saying that, he turned around, thinking he looked profound, leaving Lin Chen with the back of his head.

A moment later, when he turned around again, Lin Chen’s figure was already nowhere to be seen.

Li Zhenqian’s eyes flashed with resentment.

“Damn, still looking down on me… After this, I’ll let you know who’s the true genius of the sect!”

In the depths of Li Zhenqian’s eyes, there was a touch of confidence.

After being repeatedly beaten by Lin Chen, he renewed his vigor, became sleepless, and practiced day and night.

During this period, he delved into artifact refining, alchemy, and array formation, wishing he could split a day into 48 hours for use.

And finally, a few days ago, he stepped into the eighth layer of Qi Refining.

This cultivation speed is terrifying among the new batch of disciples.

Even compared to those disciples who entered three years earlier, his cultivation may not be lower.

It’s fair to say that human potential is truly limitless.

Especially for a True Spirit Root cultivator like him, practicing with dedication leads to rapid progress.

…

On the other side, Lin Chen didn’t pay attention to Li Zhenqian.

For him, whether to get the first in the competition depends only on his mood.

“Hello, I’m representing Pill Peak in this sect competition.”

Lin Chen handed over his disciple token to register with the Elder.

“Oh, a disciple from Pill Peak, you all haven’t participated in the competition for over ten years… Sending you this year is quite refreshing!”

After registering Lin Chen, the Elder in charge of the competition let him draw a number.

The number was 32, meaning according to the rules, he would face the disciple who drew 31.

After drawing the number, it was a long waiting time.

Being number 32 and last in the ranking, Lin Chen was in the last group of the competition.

“This competition officially starts now!”

With the Sect Leader’s announcement, the competition began in full swing.

Lin Chen stood below the arena, observing the battles between different disciples on the stage.

Fire-igniting Skill, Water Element Technique, Wood Binding…

Various flashy techniques burst into five-colored brilliance onstage.

After watching for a while, Lin Chen commented:

“For a Qi Refining stage cultivator, the most practical skill is the Artifact Manipulation Skill!”

“The Five Elements Techniques consume more true essence, and their power is limited. At the Qi Refining stage, they are far less effective compared to the immediate impact of Artifact Control…”

Currently, the techniques Lin Chen mastered are not many.

He believes in focusing on quality over quantity.

The Wood Concealment Technique has been cultivated to perfection by Lin Chen.

Under concealment, unless Lin Chen fully unleashes his cultivation, not even Core Formation stage cultivators can see through it.

The Spiritual Control Technique is as easy for Lin Chen as moving his own arms, being his best skill.

Additionally, the Yin Wood Force and Rejuvenation Technique have reached entry-level, able to unleash considerable power.

While Lin Chen kept pondering, the results of more than ten matches had already been decided.

Unsurprisingly, all the winners were the older batch of disciples.

The few new disciples at the sixth layer of Qi Refining were all defeated.

“Next match, between disciple number 23 and disciple number 24…”

After the Elder announced, Li Zhenqian leaped onto the arena.

His opponent was a senior at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, whose cultivation was close to the ninth layer.

Lin Chen originally thought Li Zhenqian would be easily defeated, but surprisingly this guy did have some skills.

With a single hand Earth Spike Technique, he reversed the situation at a critical moment to snatch victory.

“Tsk tsk, after all, he is a True Spirit Root cultivator… A bit more power in the techniques is understandable!”

Lin Chen thought inwardly.

“The winner is disciple number 24, Li Zhenqian!” came the Elder’s voice from the stage.

After winning, Li Zhenqian didn’t hurriedly get off the stage.

His gaze was tightly fixed on Lin Chen under the tree, with strong fighting intent in his eyes.

“Lin Chen, I will defeat you! I will be the one to win first in the competition!”

Li Zhenqian’s voice was loud, catching the attention of disciples and elders on the square.

Even from a distance, Lin Chen received several gazes.

“That Li Zhenqian, is he the only True Spirit Root cultivator this year? Then who is Lin Chen?”

“He’s a disciple from Pill Peak, the first in his batch to reach the Qi Refining stage.”

“Tsk tsk, it seems there’s quite a grudge between these two junior brothers!”

“But isn’t it too ambitious to think of winning first place in the competition? For decades, no disciple has won first in their first year into the sect!”

Listening to the chatter around him, Lin Chen looked at Li Zhenqian on stage, his eyes showing a bit of resignation.

“On the first day in the sect, my master told me that trees standing out in the forest are sure to be destroyed… ”

“Darn it, I just wanted to honestly win first in the competition… Now, the whole sect is watching.”

Lin Chen thought, feeling somewhat helpless.

For Qi Refining stage disciples, duels do not last long.

Soon, the Elder on the stage announced:

“The last match of the first round, between 32 and 31 numbered disciples…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep