Debut on Purple Bamboo Peak

The Grand Elder raised his hand to signal for silence, putting a stop to the crowd's discussions. Once the scene had calmed down slightly, he continued, "Second place will be rewarded with one high-tier Earth-grade weapon and five Heavenly Spirit Pills!"

"Third place will be rewarded with one mid-tier Earth-grade weapon and five Heavenly Spirit Pills!"

"Fourth to tenth place will be rewarded with one high-tier Profound-grade weapon and three Heavenly Spirit Pills!"

Although the subsequent rewards were not as shocking as those for first place, Earth-grade weapons, Profound-grade weapons, and Heavenly Spirit Pills were all incredibly precious treasures, enough to drive the disciples crazy.

Heavenly Spirit Pills could rapidly cleanse impurities from the physical body, making one's cultivation more condensed, while also having a massive effect on breaking through bottlenecks.

"Too generous! The rewards for this Grand Competition are simply too generous!"

The Sect Master is actually this extravagant this year. Is he throwing caution to the wind?

"For a Heaven-grade weapon, I have to give it my all!"

"It's not just the Heaven-grade weapon; the Heavenly Spirit Pills are equally precious. With them, my cultivation might just take another step forward!"

The participating disciples from the various peaks rubbed their palms together, their battle intent soaring.

The crowd's emotions were thoroughly ignited. As if pumped full of adrenaline, their eyes flickered with a fervent light.

Mu Chenyu of Sword Howl Peak clenched his fists and muttered, "The Heaven-grade weapon, I am determined to get it!"

Lin Xiaowan of Pill Cauldron Peak had a resolute gaze. "Even if I can't get first place, I must charge into the top three and secure an Earth-grade weapon and Heavenly Spirit Pills!"

Sunset Cloud Peak's Su Qingyuan gently stroked her longsword. The blade emitted a faint hum, as if responding to her determination.

...

Gu Changge sat in the spectator stands, looking down at the impassioned disciples, a faint smile curving the corners of his lips.

The Grand Elder looked at the disciples' reactions and nodded in satisfaction. He announced loudly, "Now, I declare that the Azure Profound Sect's Grand Competition officially begins!"

As his voice faded, the array formations on the ten arenas lit up simultaneously. Resplendent spiritual light shot up into the sky, illuminating the entire martial arts field.

The sixty-four participating disciples, according to the results of the drawing of lots, walked sequentially toward their corresponding arenas.

The first round of matches officially raised its curtains.

The moment the gong for the Grand Competition sounded, the ten arenas simultaneously lit up with spiritual light.

When Xiao Ruobai walked onto Arena Three holding his long halberd, a disciple from Flying Cloud Peak was already standing opposite him.

That disciple had a slightly chubby figure and a fleshy face, looking completely harmless.

Holding a short blade, he was none other than Chen Yun, a genius from Flying Cloud Peak who had recently begun to show his talent.

His cultivation at the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm could be considered outstanding among the disciples who had entered the sect at the same time.

He smiled at Xiao Ruobai. Seeing that his opponent was Xiao Ruobai, who had just joined the sect this year, a broader smile immediately spread across his lips.

"Tsk tsk, this match is in the bag. The heavens truly treat me well."

Chen Yun rolled his wrists, twirling the short blade around his fingertips.

"Junior Brother Xiao, I won't bully you. Why don't you just forfeit? It'll save you from being beaten too miserably by me later and losing face."

"Brother Yun, hit him lightly, don't make him cry!"

The disciples of Flying Cloud Peak in the surrounding stands "kindly" reminded him.

Xiao Ruobai ignored the voices from the stands. Expressionless, he simply tapped his long halberd against the ground.

The moment the tip of the halberd touched the arena, fine cracks actually appeared on the bluestone slabs. The smile on Chen Yun's face instantly froze by half.

"Enough nonsense. Make your move."

Xiao Ruobai's voice was flat, yet it carried an intense sense of oppression.

Looking at Xiao Ruobai, whose aura had drastically changed, Chen Yun couldn't help but get serious.

"Junior Brother Xiao, watch out!"

His figure blurred. Despite his slightly chubby physique, he was exceptionally agile, darting forward like a civet cat.

The short blade carried a cold gleam as it thrust straight toward Xiao Ruobai's heart. This was precisely Flying Cloud Peak's "Cloud Piercing Thrust," a technique focused entirely on speed.

Up in the stands, the Peak Master of Flying Cloud Peak was just about to nod in praise when he saw Xiao Ruobai's feet shift slightly. The moment the Shadow Treading Steps were deployed, his figure shifted half a foot to the side like a phantom, perfectly dodging the blade's edge.

At the same time, the long halberd swept horizontally. The shaft of the halberd carried a sharp, air-piercing whistle as it accurately struck Chen Yun's wrist.

With a crisp crack, Chen Yun felt a sharp pain in his wrist, and the short blade clattered to the ground.

Without giving him a chance to react again, Xiao Ruobai had already closed the distance. The crescent blade of the long halberd pressed against his throat, the icy touch making his entire body go stiff.

"You..."

Chen Yun's eyes were filled with disbelief. No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't understand how the speed he was so proud of was as slow as a snail in his opponent's eyes.

Xiao Ruobai withdrew his long halberd and said calmly, "Thank you for the match."

The entire venue fell silent for a moment before erupting into exclamations.

"What? Xiao Ruobai actually defeated Chen Yun? Chen Yun is in the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment realm!"

"If I remember correctly, he only joined the sect three months ago, and his aptitude is only low-tier Mortal-grade."

"Are my eyes playing tricks on me, or is my memory messed up? Could it be that he joined the sect many years ago, and I just woke up to find I've transmigrated ten years into the future?"

Some disciples muttered to themselves in disbelief.

"Could I have transmigrated too? I also remember him just joining the sect this year."

Another disciple chimed in.

The smiles of the Flying Cloud Peak disciples froze on their faces. Looking at Xiao Ruobai calmly putting away his halberd on the arena, it was as if they were truly recognizing this Purple Bamboo Peak disciple for the first time.

High up on the platform, Flying Cloud Peak's Peak Master Ji Yanqiu stroked his beard and said to Gu Changge beside him, "Junior Brother Gu, this disciple of yours has hidden himself quite deeply."

"Senior Brother Ji must be joking. It was merely a fluke."

Gu Changge replied modestly, a trace of approval flashing deep in his eyes.

The formidable power of the War God Physique went far beyond just this.

As Xiao Ruobai walked down from the arena, the gazes of several Peak Masters in the spectator stands uniformly landed on him, their expressions varying.

Qingyue Peak's Master, Shi Wanshan, patted his round belly and smacked his lips, saying, "This kid tested as having a low-tier Mortal-grade aptitude when he first joined the sect. At that time, I even discussed with Xuanyangzi whether we should look for a few more good disciples to send to Purple Bamboo Peak..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was nudged by the elbow of Pill Cauldron Peak's Master, Li Muran, who then pursed his lips in Gu Changge's direction.

Shi Wanshan immediately understood and chuckled.

"But looking at it now, Junior Brother Changge truly has a knack for training disciples. Thinking about his endless stream of treasures, it's not surprising that he could forcefully revitalize a Mortal-grade aptitude."

The several Peak Masters exchanged glances, all seeing a bit of understanding in each other's eyes.

Over these years, which of the treasures Gu Changge casually brought out wasn't a divine artifact capable of driving the entire Profound State crazy?

Right at this moment, a burst of cheers erupted from Arena Seven.

Fang Hanyu held the Taichu Sword, its tip pointing diagonally toward the ground. The late-stage Foundation Establishment disciple opposite him had already slumped to the floor, staring at his severed longsword with a face full of bewilderment.

From start to finish, Fang Hanyu had only executed two sword strikes, cleanly and decisively ending the battle before his opponent could even react.

The first strike blocked the opponent's attack and smoothly broke through their defense, while the second strike cleanly severed their weapon, the longsword pointing straight at the opponent's throat.

It seemed effortless, yet it revealed the unique precision and sharpness of Chaos Sword Qi.

"I've lost. Thank you for showing mercy. I will seek your guidance again in the future."

This disciple was rather straightforward. Inferior in skill, he frankly admitted defeat and walked off the arena.

"Is that... the newly joined Fang Hanyu? He's this fierce?"