The sudden emergence of a genius like Michael sent shockwaves through the square, leaving everyone eagerly anticipating his performance in the next round. The second round of the competition was set to take place on a fighting stage, and this was what most people were looking forward to. In this round, only the most powerful participants would have a chance to survive and secure victory.
Although Michael had claimed first place in the initial round and had even set a new record by reaching the 100th step, some spectators remained skeptical about his abilities due to his relatively low cultivation level. Since there were no eyewitnesses to confirm his defeat of the Blood and Bone sect disciples, doubts naturally arose.
Many wondered if his ability to withstand some soul pressure truly translated to the capability to defeat higher-level cultivators in close combat. Some even went as far as placing bets on whether he would survive, given that he had offended the celebrity disciples, particularly Alex Fisher and Celina. Neither of these two formidable figures was known for being easy to deal with, and they were the rising stars of Bredia, heirs to two prominent families.
The disciples of the Morning Star and Golden Valley sects watched Michael with a mix of emotions. Throughout the competition, no other participant had brought such shame to their sects and seniors as Ghost did, an outsider who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. What frustrated them even more was that despite his remarkable performance, he chose not to join any of their sects but instead decided to join a declining sect, further fueling their anger.
"The first round of the competition is now completed. All top 24 participants, please proceed to the fighting stage in five minutes," Celina announced, and the four celebrity disciples flew to the next stage, landing on a high tower at the center of the square. In front of the tower, twelve 4-meter-tall fighting stages awaited the 24 participants.
"This guy is going to dominate them all," Gaya sighed, her frustration palpable.
Unlike the doubting crowd, she had witnessed Michael single-handedly defeat every disciple and even Ralphy without resorting to any underhanded tactics. Even a level 2 Body Strengthening stage cultivator couldn't pose a threat to him, let alone these weaker opponents.
If it weren't for the risk of someone recognizing her, Gaya would have been tempted to jump in and place bets to get incredibly rich. However, the 24 enthusiastic young participants didn't take the full five-minute break, and they had already made their way to the fighting stages while Michael approached the members of the Sunrise sect.
"Everyone," Michael said as the Elders and a group of disciples rushed to surround him. His demeanor, which had been extremely arrogant and cold just a moment ago, now took a 180-degree turn, appearing friendly and warm.
"Young man, you..." Elder Sandra's voice trailed off, her eyes wide as she and the others stared at Michael in shock. Their bodies trembled slightly as they saw the blood-stained badge he held in his hand.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Michael said with a heavy sigh. He began to recount what had transpired at Rosewood Village, portraying Riyan as the hero of the story. Some of the female disciples dropped to their knees, tears streaming down their faces, while even the male disciples couldn't hold back their emotions. Michael was surprised to see that each of them genuinely mourned Riyan's death, and except for Elder Mark, the other Elders also couldn't hold back their tears.
"Young man, you don't have to join us for Riyan's sake," Elder Sandra began, her voice choked with emotion. "It's still not too late for you to join one of the big sects."
"No, what use are the big sects if they don't even teach their students basic humanity?" Michael responded firmly.
Simultaneously, standing on the tower, Celina took a step forward and addressed the crowd with a commanding voice, "The Stairway was just a warm-up, so it doesn't matter who took the first place or the last place. It served as a filter for the second round. Only those with exceptional cultivation and power will be able to survive the second round."
Celina's words appeared to be directed at Michael, though she delivered them while scanning the audience.
"Miss Celina, may we know what the rewards are this year?" Someone from the crowd shouted, and all eyes turned expectantly to Celina.
"Yeah, tell us, Senior. It will be an extra motivation for us!" A youngster from Morning Star chimed in. Both the participating disciples and the spectators were filled with curiosity. The competition was jointly organized by the Royal Family and the three major sects, so the rewards were anticipated to be substantial.
"So be it, the first place will receive three rewards: fifty thousand gold, one storage ring, and a one-thousand-year-old blood lotus."
Upon hearing about these rewards, the crowd became immediately restless, their excitement palpable.
"Awesome! Fifty thousand gold! With that much, the winner won't need to cultivate; they can live like a king for the rest of their life."
"Forget the gold, the thousand-year-old blood lotus is even more precious and valuable. When it's turned into an Arch pill and consumed, it can break through the bottleneck between the Body Refining and Body Strengthening stages! This is an enormous reward!"
"And don't underestimate the storage ring. It's not just any ordinary item. It's small and convenient to carry, and it can imprint on a person's soul wave, ensuring that only the owner can use it."
Celina began to detail the rewards for other places, but Michael, focused on winning first place, was no longer interested.
"I hope the rewards are worth my time," he muttered to himself, determined to secure the top spot.
The disciples felt like they had been struck by a huge hammer when they heard Michael's response, and they exchanged bewildered glances.
"Brother Ghost, don't tell me you don't know the value of these things?" one of them asked incredulously.
Michael shrugged. "Not much," he admitted. He was still relatively new to this world, so he had no clear idea of what he could do with fifty thousand gold. The concept of space rings didn't impress him, as he had the system storage for that. As for the blood lotus, it was the first time he had heard of it.
Elder Miles couldn't help but express his doubts. "Young man, do you really think you can take first place in the second round too?"
Michael responded with a confident smile. "I don't think, Elder. I know I can. I have a reputation to protect, after all."
His fearless demeanor surprised the elders, who couldn't help but wish him good luck as the war drums boomed loudly once more.
Boom boom boom.
"Good luck, young man," one of the elders said.
"Please be safe, Brother Ghost," added another.
Michael waved at them and made his way to the fighting stage where Alex was already waiting for the participants.
When all 24 participants were ready, they awaited Celina's command. She casually waved her hand, and 24 phone-sized marble plates flew out in a line, each with a number from 1 to 12 on top. The participants' backs were turned toward the plates.
"Here are 24 plates, each with a number from 1 to 12 on top. Choose one randomly. Participants who get the same number will be fighting against each other on the stage," she explained, reiterating the rule that Gaya had mentioned earlier.
"Pray to your god that we don't pick the same number," taunted the red-haired youth from earlier, sporting an evil smile.
Michael was taken aback. "Who the heck are you?" he asked, genuinely curious why this guy seemed so intent on provoking him.
"You'll find out soon enough," the youth replied, his eyes flashing with anger.
Aside from the top three, the other participants were reminded by Adam Kane, "Your sect will reward you individually depending on your results, so everyone must fight with all their strength."
"Let the fights begin," Celina announced. The participants walked up and randomly selected a plate.
Of the 24 participants, eight were from Morning Star, six from Golden Valley, and six from Silver Moon. The remaining four joined Morning Star and Golden Valley, with Michael being the sole participant without a prominent background who chose the Sunrise sect.
Michael randomly picked up a plate and flipped it, revealing the number 'six.' This meant that his opponent, the person with the same number, would be fighting him on the sixth fighting stage.
"Who's the poor soul stuck with six?"
Alex's words resonated through the crowd. "The fights will be deathmatches, and the only way to escape death is to surrender. This is a survival of the fittest competition. There's no room for mercy here. If you have the skill and opportunity, eliminate your opponent without giving them the chance to surrender."
Most of the crowd frowned upon hearing Alex's ruthless statement, but Michael agreed with it. These cultivators were exceptionally cruel and ruthless, and in their eyes, he was just another enemy. He couldn't expect mercy from them, nor would he show any.
However, Michael couldn't help but reflect on Riyan. Despite being a cultivator like the others, Riyan had been kind and had died saving innocent children.
As he turned his attention back to the surroundings, he once again heard the annoying voice of the red-haired youth who had taunted him earlier.
"Well, well, well, you've got some terrible luck!"
Michael turned to see the red-haired youth standing in front of him, holding a marble plate with the number 'six' on it.
"Number six," the youth announced, confirming that they would be facing each other in the sixth fighting stage.