Wearing a blue python robe, Qingzhou King stepped forward, bowing respectfully. He said, "Sacred Envoys, all sects have gathered."
The middle-aged man in the plain white robe, who was an elder in the Holy Land, named Yuan Haotian, also the host of this Qingzhou Union Martial Competition, nodded and said, "In that case, let me introduce the competition system."
Yuan Haotian began in a loud, resonant voice that echoed across the square.
"The competition consists of two rounds."
"The first round is a collective trial."
"Every participant will receive a message token. You will enter the Lianhua Mountains to compete and fight for tokens. Each token represents one point, and a tally will be taken at the end of the one-month trial."
"During this period, there are no restrictions on killing, but if you encounter a life-threatening situation, you can use a distress token, and the Sacred Envoys will come to your rescue immediately."
"If you are rescued in the middle of the trial, your points will be reset."
"And for those who stay in the mountains until the last day, as long as they have tokens, they will receive an extra ten points."
In reality, these rules were quite familiar to everyone, as they had likely reviewed them in advance. Nevertheless, everyone listened attentively.
In the middle of the square, Yuan Haotian continued in a loud voice:
"The second round is a tournament."
"In the first round, the top fifty participants based on their points will qualify for the second round, the tournament."
"In the tournament, for each victory, you will gain twenty points."
"After the two rounds, the points of all participants will be summarized by sects, and then, based on the total points of the sects, the ranking will be determined."
"Individual rankings are also based on their total points from the two rounds."
Sect martial competitions were more about measuring the overall strength and potential of a sect.
Individual strength, no matter how formidable, couldn't have a decisive impact. Therefore, a sect needed both strength and quantity to ensure victory.
Individual rankings were more of an honor and prestige rather than having a substantial impact.
Soon, hundreds of servants began distributing message tokens and distress tokens on the square.
Jiang Heng made a rough observation. At this moment, there were nearly ten thousand true lineage disciples, not including the servants. Each one of them was a top-tier talent, and apart from himself, every one of them was at the Sea Spirit Realm. In the outside world, they would be considered peerless experts.
"Indeed, no matter how rare the talents are, when the population base grows to a certain extent, they no longer seem so extraordinary."
"Even the Dragon Soaring List geniuses may not appear as dazzling. There might be other freaks akin to me in this competition."
Jiang Heng couldn't help but sigh.
At that moment, Core Elder Wu Hao approached him and whispered, "Jiang Heng, in the upcoming trial, you must be extremely careful with the Heaven Sword Sect disciples."
"You made quite a name for yourself by humiliating their sect in the past, and many from the Heaven Sword Sect resent you. They were apprehensive due to the rules set by the Holy Land, but in this unrestricted trial, they will show no mercy."
"You must remember, once you enter the Lianhua Mountains, immediately find a hiding place, avoid exposing yourself as much as possible, and especially, if you see Heaven Sword Sect disciples, run as soon as possible. Understand?"
Jiang Heng couldn't help but smile and didn't refute the elder's concern. He replied, "Don't worry, Elder Wu. I have a sense of proportion."
He turned his head to look.
Indeed, he saw Elder Huang from the Heaven Sword Sect briefing his true lineage disciples in hushed tones. It seemed that he noticed Jiang Heng's gaze, as Elder Huang and a few of the disciples turned their heads, revealing sinister smiles on their faces.
"Hello!"
Jiang Heng greeted the others with a bright smile.
"Hmph! Does he think we'll spare him just because he's being friendly?"
"Childish!"
Elder Huang turned back and whispered again:
"Remember, we must act quickly, be cautious, and the key is to survive till the end. If things go south, call for help without hesitation!"
"Furthermore, we must ensure that Jiang Heng of the Dalu Sect is eliminated, understood?"
"Understood!"
The disciples of the sect nodded firmly.
Before long, all the signal talismans were distributed.
Led by Yuan Haotian, they headed towards the Lotus Flower Mountains, about ten miles to the north.
With their speed, they reached their destination in just ten minutes.
As per Yuan Haotian's arrangement,
everyone was scattered into ten formations, each led by one of the ten elders, spreading out around the mountains and entering from different directions.
With this, the first round of the Qingzhou Union Martial Competition officially began!
...
As soon as they entered, everyone quickly dispersed deeper into the mountains.
Everyone knew that those participating in the martial competition were not to be underestimated. In the initial skirmish, there was a high chance of being taken advantage of or even facing a siege.
So, the best approach was to delve deep into the mountains, wait for everyone to fully disperse, and then carefully explore and seize opportunities one by one.
The Lotus Flower Mountains were vast, spanning hundreds of miles in every direction, with continuous mountain ranges, mirror-like lakes, and expansive plains. Once nearly ten thousand people entered, they disappeared as if they were swallowed by the sea.
At this moment, Jiang Heng was leisurely walking in a forest.
He watched as the others who had entered the mountains moved rapidly, with only three individuals quietly hidden not far away, seemingly ready to hunt him. The rest vanished from his sight.
A young man with short hair perched on the branches of a large tree, watching Jiang Heng's slow advance and muttering to himself:
"I noticed just now that there is a teenager among the participants, but I wonder who he is."
"However, he seems completely unaware of hiding, like an inexperienced fledgling."
He cast a brief glance in another direction.
He could vaguely sense that there were others hiding in different directions, seemingly waiting for an opportunity to prey on the ignorant youth.
So, he decided to stay patient and strike at the right moment.
"Hey! Are you not going to make your move?"
"If you don't act soon, I'll just leave!"
At this point, Jiang Heng stopped in his tracks and looked around.
However, the three hidden individuals remained still, apparently waiting for others to strike first.
Suddenly,
Jiang Heng moved, darting swiftly in one direction.
"Uh-oh! He's running!"
One of the hidden youths couldn't wait any longer and leaped from the tree, heading towards Jiang Heng.
Seeing this, the other two also emerged from their hiding spots.
For a moment, three shadowy figures moved through the forest like specters, racing after Jiang Heng.