Final Ranking

Once all the disciples of the seven sects had made their appearances, an elder in charge of presiding over the tournament from the Burning Heaven Palace stepped forward. He gathered his spiritual power and called out across the entire arena:

“Silence!”

The noisy martial arena gradually quieted down.

Everyone knew that the main event was about to begin.

The elder swept his gaze across the arena and announced loudly, “The rules for this year’s Seven-Sect Tournament are as follows: each sect will send six core disciples, for a total of forty-two contestants.

“Opponents will be determined by drawing lots. The contestants will fight in pairs; the victor advances, while the loser is eliminated. Anyone who draws a bye will advance directly to the next round. This will continue until the final rankings are decided.”

The rules were simple, direct, and ruthless. Here, everything would be decided by strength.

“Now, begin the draw!”

The drawing ceremony proceeded under the watchful eyes of countless spectators. The leading disciples of each sect stepped forward in turn and drew jade tokens engraved with numbers from the container.

“The tournament begins!”

With the enforcement elder’s command, several platforms shrouded in protective barriers rose from the center of the Burning Heaven Arena. The fierce competition officially began.

Battles followed one after another. The thunderous collisions of spiritual power, the crisp clang of weapons striking one another, and the spectators’ cries of surprise and cheers rang out without end.

Liu Chengfeng, the leading disciple of the Myriad Laws Pavilion, revealed his Violet Palace realm cultivation without reservation.

Regardless of which sect his opponent came from, they rarely lasted more than ten moves against him before being defeated.

His effortless, overwhelming bearing firmly established him as the greatest favorite to claim the championship, drawing wave after wave of astonished exclamations.

Lin Lie of the Burning Heaven Palace was equally unstoppable.

His fighting style was fierce and violent. He pushed his peak Core Formation cultivation to its utmost limits, unleashing waves of blazing flames and ending nearly every battle with overwhelming ease. Yet anyone with a discerning eye could tell that he still had not shown his full strength.

The disciples of the Cold Moon Valley, Heavenly Derivation Sect, and the other sects also delivered impressive performances, making for exceptionally intense battles.

By comparison, the disciples of the Azure Mystic Sect performed in a far more ordinary manner.

In his first match, senior disciple Li Xuanfeng faced the leading disciple of the Jade Pure Sect, a prodigy who had likewise reached the late Core Formation realm. The two fought for nearly a hundred exchanges, and the battle was deadlocked for a time.

In the end, Li Xuanfeng seized upon a tiny opening in his opponent’s defense and won by the narrowest of margins with a secret technique that appeared to consume an enormous amount of energy.

When he stepped off the platform, his face was pale and his breathing disordered. Even his arm seemed to tremble slightly as he cupped his fists toward his opponent.

The battles fought by Mu Chenyu, Lin Xiaowan, and the others followed much the same pattern. Every victory came only after a bitter struggle. They often sustained injuries of varying severity, and each battle left them looking thoroughly exhausted.

As the tournament progressed, the strong only grew stronger.

The disciples of the Myriad Laws Pavilion and the Burning Heaven Palace advanced triumphantly, displaying strength far beyond their peers. Without any suspense, they met in the finals.

Meanwhile, the Azure Mystic Sect stumbled through the competition. Li Xuanfeng was ultimately defeated by the leading disciple of the Cold Moon Valley, stopping at the semifinals.

Mu Chenyu, Lin Xiaowan, and the others also fell one after another to powerful opponents. In the end, none of the Azure Mystic Sect’s six disciples managed to enter the battle for the top three places.

When the final match began, the atmosphere reached an unprecedented fever pitch.

On the platform, Liu Chengfeng stood with his blue robes fluttering and his expression calm. Yet the immense aura unique to a Violet Palace cultivator—an aura that faintly resonated with the spiritual power of heaven and earth—had already locked firmly onto Lin Lie.

He was widely acknowledged as Xuanzhou's foremost talent of the younger generation. This battle was to defend the Myriad Laws Pavilion’s title.

Lin Lie’s crimson hair whipped wildly around him, flames coiling about his body. His peak Core Formation aura had likewise been pushed to its limit, but burning in his eyes was a nearly frenzied battle intent—and a thread of absolute confidence hidden deep within.

“Lin Lie, the fact that you’ve made it this far is already commendable. Give up. The Violet Palace and Core Formation realms are worlds apart.” Liu Chengfeng’s voice was clear and resonant, yet carried unquestionable authority.

Lin Lie bared his teeth in a grin, revealing a row of stark white teeth. “Liu Chengfeng, save that speech until after we’ve fought!”

Before his voice had even faded, his aura suddenly erupted!

The shackles of the peak Core Formation realm shattered completely with an inaudible crack!

The Violet Palace realm!

“What?!”

“Violet Palace! Lin Lie broke through to the Violet Palace realm too?!”

“He’s been hiding his strength all along?!”

The entire arena exploded in an instant. Cries of astonishment surged like a tidal wave.

Even the leaders of the various sects seated on the elevated platform changed expressions one after another.

Lie Tianxiong suddenly tightened his grip around the armrest of his chair, his eyes blazing with brilliance. It was the restrained ecstasy and pride he had suppressed for so long. He had waited far too long for this moment!

The confidence that had always characterized Yun Canghai’s face finally wavered for the first time. His pupils contracted, and his expression darkened abruptly.

A trace of astonishment also flashed through Liu Chengfeng’s eyes, but it quickly transformed into even greater fighting spirit.

“Good! Now this is interesting!”

“Fight!”

The auras of the two Violet Palace cultivators collided with a thunderous crash, causing the entire Burning Heaven Arena to tremble violently.

This was no longer a one-sided crushing victory, but a true clash between evenly matched peak experts!

Lin Lie’s attacks were as violent as fire. Every strike carried scorching heat and power capable of burning the heavens and boiling the seas, allowing him to display the Burning Heaven Palace’s ultimate arts to perfection.

Liu Chengfeng, on the other hand, was as steady as a mountain. The Myriad Laws Pavilion’s inheritance was vast and profound, its techniques exquisite and its offense and defense seamlessly integrated. He neutralized Lin Lie’s furious assault one attack at a time while waiting for an opportunity to counter.

Both sides revealed all their trump cards. Divine abilities clashed, and magical treasures battled one another. The platform had long since been reduced to scorched earth and deep craters, while violent currents of spiritual power swept in every direction.

The battle raged until the sky and earth seemed to darken, lasting a full half-hour!

At last, amid a deafening explosion, Lin Lie—his entire body drenched in blood and his battle robes torn to pieces—launched a fearless charge that was nearly suicidal.

He forcibly broke through Liu Chengfeng’s final defense. His fist, imbued with the ultimate flames of the Burning Heaven Palace, stopped just three inches before Liu Chengfeng’s chest.

Liu Chengfeng’s face was pale, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He gave Lin Lie a long look, then slowly lowered his hand. After taking a deep breath, he said solemnly, “I concede.”

“We have a winner! Lin Lie of the Burning Heaven Palace has claimed the championship!” the enforcement elder announced at the top of his voice, his tone filled with excitement.

“Roar—!”

The Burning Heaven Palace’s camp erupted in earth-shaking cheers and roars. Every disciple and elder was flushed with excitement. After so many years, they had finally trampled the Myriad Laws Pavilion beneath their feet and ascended to the summit of Xuanzhou!

Lie Tianxiong could no longer restrain himself. He shot to his feet and threw his head back in laughter. His laughter rolled across the arena like thunder, filled with the exhilaration of finally venting years of suppressed frustration and the heroic arrogance of one who looked down upon the world.

He suddenly turned his head. His gaze, sharp as lightning, shot toward the already livid Yun Canghai, Pavilion Master of the Myriad Laws Pavilion. His voice rang across the entire arena, filled with undisguised mockery and triumph:

“Pavilion Master Yun, thank you for yielding! Hahahahaha!”

“It seems the title of Xuanzhou's number-one genius should change hands now! And along with it, certain things should also be returned to their rightful owner!”

Lie Tianxiong’s voice suddenly turned stern, carrying an intimidating edge.

“According to our agreement, since my palace has taken first place in the tournament, shouldn’t your Myriad Laws Pavilion promptly hand over that superior-grade spirit vein in the Cloudlink Mountains?!”

Yun Canghai’s face was ashen with fury, his chest rising and falling slightly. The spirit vein in the Cloudlink Mountains was rich in resources and constituted one of the Myriad Laws Pavilion’s most important assets.

He had never imagined that not only had Lie Tianxiong broken through to the King realm, but the Burning Heaven Palace’s leading disciple had also been concealing Violet Palace realm cultivation. Their scheme had ended in total defeat!

In the battle for the remaining rankings, the Cold Moon Valley defeated the Heavenly Derivation Sect and secured third place.

The Qingxuan Sect, meanwhile, fought for fourth place with Li Xuanfeng battling his opponent in a bloody struggle before finally securing a hard-won victory and preserving the sect’s fourth-place standing.

The ranking was neither high nor low, placing them squarely in the middle. It attracted no additional attention, as if it were merely an inconspicuous footnote in this grand competition—one dominated by the clash between two major powers, with Cold Moon Valley profiting from the chaos.

As for the Formation-Breaking Sect, whose foundations had been weakened, they could only take seventh place with regret.

The grand competition came to an end, and the rankings were set:

First: Fentian Palace

Second: Myriad Arts Pavilion

Third: Cold Moon Valley

Fourth: Qingxuan Sect

Fifth: Tianyan Sect

Sixth: Yuqing Sect

Seventh: Formation-Breaking Sect!

I wrote the grand competition a little hastily. There isn’t much more that can be written about battles between cultivators in the Core Formation and Purple Abode realms!

Starting from the next chapter, a new storyline will begin!