The disciples were dumbstruck by the arrival of the young man, their gazes lingering on his handsome appearance. Even in the midst of their desperate situation, the female disciples couldn't help but stare, their mouths agape in awe. He possessed a perfect facial structure and a well-defined body, an irresistible combination of cuteness and handsomeness.
"Here."
The young man extended a water bottle toward them, offering his assistance.
"Who are you, young man?" inquired one of the elders, his tone laced with doubt. The stranger bore no emblem or uniform denoting sect affiliation.
"You can ask questions later. For now, please help her," he replied, gesturing to Elder Sandra.
Claire recognized the wisdom in his words and accepted the water bottle, gently sprinkling its contents on Elder Sandra's face.
As the elders and disciples watched him with suspicion, the young man maintained his calm smile. Although the lady before him was undeniably beautiful, her allure didn't captivate him as Gaya's did.
"Huh."
The water droplets roused Elder Sandra, who slowly opened her eyes.
"Elder Sandra!"
Claire's tears mixed with the water, falling onto Elder Sandra's face.
"Sect Leader Claire."
The words trembled as they left Elder Sandra's lips, leaving the young man perplexed.
"Did Riyan come?"
"He will, Elder Sandra, he will," Claire replied, her voice unsteady.
Though he was unsure of the reasons behind their search for Riyan, he knew that their expectations would go unfulfilled. Riyan was no longer among the living, as he had buried him just the day before.
"I raised you, Sect Leader Claire. I can tell when you're lying. Without Riyan's participation, we won't receive the resources, Sect Leader Claire. You're well aware of the consequences if we fail to secure those resources."
"Human, I believe they are expecting their deceased member to represent their sect in the competition," Gaya whispered to him.
Looking at the saddened and hopeless faces, he decided not to be the bearer of the bad news. Instead, he resolved to assist them in honor of Riyan, a kind soul who had died defending those children. As an orphan, he sympathized with the plight of those youngsters. Since Riyan had lost his life while helping those kids, Michael's intuition told him to support this sect.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Before he could utter a word, the resonating sound of war drums filled the square, instantly silencing the previously noisy crowd. It appeared that the war drums marked the beginning of the competition.
The war drums emanated from all four corners of the square. Each beat started with great volume and gradually faded, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present. These war drums had been passed down for generations and symbolized the spirit of battle. Warriors who heard these drums on the battlefield would immediately feel their blood surge with determination.
Surrounding Heaven's Gate Square were four long, wide passages. Above each passage, a few giant golden holographic words were displayed.
Above the East passage, the prominent Morning Star Sect was inscribed, while above the West passage, the Golden Valley Sect was represented. The words above the South passage identified the Silver Moon School, and lastly, above the North passage, in plain text, it read "Others."
The first three passages were designated for the three major sects. Even though the square was teeming with people, no one dared to approach these sections. Everyone understood that showing disrespect to these prominent sects was ill-advised. Although this competition had started as a recruitment ceremony for young talents, it had now transformed into a competition among the major sects.
"Look, the disciples of the three major sects are about to arrive!" whispered one of the girls standing behind Claire.
Following the beat of the war drums, figures began emerging from the three passages designated for the sects. They walked confidently towards the center of the square, wearing proud and arrogant expressions. Most people held great respect for these disciples, while others couldn't help but feel deep envy.
Michael noticed that some of them even gazed skyward, displaying a level of pride and arrogance he had never witnessed before. The reverential and envious looks they received from the common folk seemed to elevate them, like an intoxicating drug.
Every disciple who emerged from the three passages was at the Body Refining stage, with even the weakest among them being at level 6. He had expected to see young talents at his level of cultivation in the fourth passage, but there, too, most of them were at the Body Refining stage level 5, with only a couple appearing to be at his level.
On the east side, where the Morning Star Sect was situated, all the disciples wore golden robes adorned with an embroidered star symbol on their chests – the symbol of the Morning Star Sect.
The disciples of the Golden Valley Sect donned plain yellow robes, with an intricately decorated long swords on their chests. As for the Silver Moon Pavilion, it seemed to consist mainly of girls who wore a variety of colorful, patterned dresses. All of them exuded a captivating allure, akin to actresses and models in Michael's eyes.
"Why does everyone in this world look so attractive and alluring?" Michael wondered.
Their snug dresses perfectly accentuated their stunning features and curves, causing men's testosterone levels to surge at the mere sight of these girls.
"Wow! Those Silver Moon girls are incredibly seductive!"
"If you have the talent, you could just join the Valley of Happiness and enjoy their company every day!"
"Fool! The Silver Moon sect specializes in seduction cultivation, which is considered an unethical practice. They'll harness your lust as a form of energy for their cultivation. The more you desire them, the more they'll exploit you, potentially leading to your slow demise or worse."
"Leeches," Gaya muttered, scowling at the female disciples.
...
The Silver Moon girls immediately captured everyone's attention. Among the three major sects in the kingdom, they had the fewest disciples, but their combined strength was not to be underestimated, particularly their unmatched seduction skills.
Some of the female Silver Moon disciples were known to be promiscuous because their seductive techniques garnered support from various powers, making the Silver Moon a highly influential sect in the kingdom.
"Look, it's Evan Clark from Morning Star!" someone exclaimed.
Upon hearing this, many people turned their gaze toward the Morning Star sect. Michael also shifted his attention and saw the final person emerging from the passage. This man was tall and handsome, dressed in dark greyish robes.
While all the other Morning Star disciples wore golden robes, he was the sole individual in greyish attire, a testament to his exceptional status and fame among the other prodigies.
"Many believe he's an extraordinary genius, with potential equal to that of Miss Celina."
"He's likely to secure first place this time!"
The arrival of this young man stirred excitement in the crowd. His genius aura and handsome appearance made him an instant center of attention, particularly for the female attendees.
However, the entire stadium erupted with astonishment when they saw the girl stepping out of the Golden Valley passage.
"Oh my goodness! It's Victoria Parken from Golden Valley! She's incredibly beautiful!"
"And powerful!"
She wore a blue robe with subtle green accents, radiating an angelic and serene aura, much like the calmness of the ocean. The color of her robes and the jewels she adorned harmonized perfectly with her physical attributes. Every aspect of her appearance was captivating, as she possessed an exceptional level of beauty. In Michael's estimation of the beautiful girls he had encountered in this world, she would only be surpassed by Gaya.
"I've heard that she progressed from Formation Stage level 8 directly to Body Refining Stage level 3. Rumor has it she learned an ancient spell from one of her elders. That's an extraordinary stroke of luck. Very few possess knowledge of ancient spells, and now she's one of them. She might even rival Evan Clark in power."
"It appears that Hannah Berry and Nyla Reid from the Silver Moon are also participating! Both of them have the potential to contend with Evan and Miss Parker, though their odds of winning are slimmer."
"It's difficult to predict the outcome! Many things have changed this year; no one can anticipate the final results. Last time, Miss Celina unexpectedly emerged and claimed fourth place in the competition, and she was the youngest contestant that year."
"And let's not forget about that mysterious young girl who set a record by ascending to the seventieth step. I wonder if she'll make an appearance today? If she does, this competition will truly become exciting!"