Chapter 101: Second Stage Of Competition

Long Feng finally understood. So that was the real reason behind the competition.

It wasn’t simply about reputation.

The Blazing Flame Mountain was an enormous resource treasure for both sects. Flame Spirit Stones were only one of the many valuable resources hidden within it.

If a sect gained priority over those resources for three years, the benefits would be enormous.

Li Qiang suddenly sighed. His expression became slightly gloomy.

"And there’s another problem."

"What?"

"The last competition was won by the Vermilion Flame Sect."

Long Feng fell silent. Now he finally knew why the atmosphere among the elders had been so tense.

The Azura Heaven Sect wasn’t only trying to win back its lost face, they were trying to reclaim the advantage over the Blazing Flame Mountain.

For a moment, none of the three spoke.

Li Qiang was the first to break the silence.

"Well, so what if they won last time?"

His expression quickly became spirited again as he clenched his fist.

"Three against seven isn’t ideal, but we don’t necessarily have to be afraid of them."

Zhi Yuan glanced at him and said in a calm tone,"Don’t get ahead of yourself."

But hearing this made Li Qiang frowned who resorted back.

"What? I’m just saying we have a chance."

"Of course we have a chance, but don’t forget who entered the top ten aren’t ordinary disciples. They are at a similar level to us or may even be stronger."

"Do you really think defeating one of them will be easy?"

Li Qiang opened his mouth but didn’t immediately answer. Actually, these words are harsh truth of their situation.

Zhi Yuan looked ahead and sighed.

"Even in a one-on-one fight, none of us can guarantee victory. Yet you’re already thinking about defeating them one after another."

Li Qiang scratched his cheek awkwardly. His previous confidence finally faded somewhat. He glanced toward the distant residence of the Vermilion Flame Sect.

"That’s... actually quite troublesome."

Long Feng listened to their conversation without interrupting.

He had to admit that Zhi Yuan’s assessment was reasonable.

None of them could be underestimated simply because their sect had won the wilderness training.

The previous lighthearted atmosphere had disappeared, replaced by a quiet anticipation of the battle that awaited them.

Soon, they reached the point where their paths separated.

Li Qiang stretched his arms and smiled.

"Alright, I’m going back."

He looked at Long Feng and then at Zhi Yuan.

"Get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll fight properly."

"Good night." Zhi Yuan also nodded and went their separate ways.

The night gradually grew quieter.

And with the wilderness training finally over, everyone began preparing themselves for the battle that would determine the final winner.

/

The next morning, the place that had been an ordinary open ground yesterday had undergone a complete transformation overnight.

A huge circular arena now stood in the center of the vast clearing.

The arena was constructed from enormous dark-red stone slabs, each one covered with faint defensive inscriptions.

A thick layer of formation light surrounded the outer edge of the battlefield, creating a transparent barrier that separated the combatants from the spectators.

Clearly, the two sects had prepared this place long before the final battle.

The arena itself was several hundred meters wide, large enough for Golden Core cultivators to unleash their techniques without being restricted by space.

Around it, countless seats had been arranged in layers.

By this time, thousands of people had already gathered.

Disciples from the two great sects occupied the eastern and western sides respectively.

The disciples of the Azura Heaven Sect sat on the eastern side, their blue robes fluttering gently in the morning breeze.

Across from them, on the western side, were the disciples of the Vermilion Flame Sect.

The atmosphere between the two groups was completely different from yesterday.

Yesterday, there had been excitement and competition. But today, there was tension.

Every disciple understood that this was the true deciding battle. The final winner would be decided here.

At the highest point overlooking the arena stood a massive platform.

Several seats had been arranged there for the elders of both sects.

Elder Dong sat among the Azura Heaven Sect elders, his expression calm as he looked toward the arena below.

On the opposite side sat the elders of the Vermilion Flame Sect.

The elders of both sides did not say much.

Their gazes occasionally met across the platform, but neither side showed any intention of backing down.

After all, this competition was not merely about the pride of their younger generation.

The result would affect their sect’s position within Blazing Flame Mountain for the next three years.

If Vermilion Flame Sect won again, they would continue holding the greater authority over the mountain’s resources.

If Azura Heaven Sect won, the situation would completely change.

Therefore, even the elders were taking this battle extremely seriously.

As the sun gradually rose higher into the sky, more and more cultivators arrived.

Soon, the entire area around the arena was filled with people. Some had even climbed onto distant rocks and surrounding platforms just to obtain a better view.

Whispers constantly spread through the crowd.

"Today’s battle is finally beginning."

"Seven against three... Azura Heaven Sect really has a disadvantage this time."

"Exactly. These ten disciples are the strongest Golden Core experts among the younger generation of both sects."

"I’m afraid Azura Heaven Sect will have a difficult time."

At this moment, a group of figures suddenly appeared from the eastern side. Three young men walked together behind an elder.

The moment they appeared, the surrounding noise gradually became quieter.

They were none other than three representative disciples of their sect; Long Feng, Zhi Yuan, and Li Qiang.

The three walked toward the eastern side of the arena.

Long Feng’s expression was calm. Zhi Yuan remained as composed as ever. Li Qiang, however, was rubbing his fists together, his eyes filled with excitement.

"Finally."

His voice carried a hint of anticipation.

"Today I can finally fight properly."

Zhi Yuan glanced at him. "You sound as if you’ve been waiting for this your entire life."

"Of course." Li Qiang grinned.

"Yesterday was only the wilderness training. Running around looking for Flame Spirit Stones isn’t really my style. Fighting is much more interesting."

Long Feng couldn’t help smiling slightly.

These two were quite different.

Zhi Yuan was cautious and restrained. Li Qiang was energetic and straightforward.

Yet both were among the strongest disciples of the Azura Heaven Sect’s younger generation.

As they reached their seats, the Elder stopped. His gaze swept across the arena before settling on the western side.

At almost the same moment, another group appeared. The Vermilion elder walked at the front with seven young disciples behind him.

The moment the seven figures appeared, the atmosphere changed.

Powerful auras spread through the surroundings.

Every one of them was a Peak Golden Core Realm expert or someone who had already reached the Perfect Golden Core Realm.

There was not a single weak person among them.

Even though their cultivation was similar to that of Long Feng’s group, their sheer number of advantage was clearly in front of all.

Long Feng’s eyes slowly swept across them, six men and one woman.

His gaze eventually stopped on one particular figure.

Han Tianyu.

He was standing among the seven disciples with a calm expression.

Yesterday, he had been the number-one-ranked disciple in the wilderness training before Long Feng suddenly appeared.

Today, he was still one of the strongest competitors.

As if sensing something, he turned his head to look towards them. But to Long Feng’s surprise, he didn’t look at him and someone on his side.

Zhi Yuan and Han Tianyu looked at each other from across the arena.

Neither of them spoke, but there was clearly recognition between them.

At this time, Li Qiang leaned slightly toward Long Feng and whispered.

"Can you see the raging fire between them? These two are old rivals, after all. There has never been much of a difference between them."

Long Feng’s gaze returned to Han Tianyu.

"So if they fight today..."

"It’s hard to say." Li Qiang shrugged. "If Elders sends Zhi Yuan against Han Tianyu, I honestly wouldn’t know who would win, but definitely want to."

"I can hear you."

Zhi Yuan heard their conversation and calmly said, "Don’t underestimate him."

"I know, I know." Li Qiang immediately laughed. But then his gaze turned toward Han Tianyu as said seriously.

"But the problem isn’t whether one of us can defeat one opponent."

His words immediately made the atmosphere around them quieter, even Li Qiang understood what he meant.

One or two battles could still wins, but the problem was that there were still seven opponents.

Even if one of them defeated two opponents consecutively, their spiritual energy would be severely depleted.

The advantage in numbers would eventually become overwhelming.

Elder Wei looked at the three disciples in front of him.

"The rules are very simple. The winning disciple remains on the battlefield and the losing disciple leaves. Continue until one side has no disciples remaining."

His gaze became serious.

"Do not underestimate anyone. Every disciple standing in that arena today has reached the perfection of his realm."

At that moment, a referee also came onto the center of the arena. His powerful aura spread throughout the surroundings, instantly suppressing the noisy crowd.

The entire arena became silent.

The referee looked toward the elders of both sects.

"Are both sides ready?"

Elder Wei and Vermilion Flame Sect’s elder nodded.

Then the referee turned toward the western side.

"According to the rules of the competition, because the Vermilion Flame Sect lost the wilderness round, they will send their disciple first."