Five days passed by in a flash, and the day of the inspection conference had arrived. This time, the Shura Sect sent over 100,000 new disciples, all of whom had comprehended Qi, and the sect had reminded them in advance that they would participate in the big competition during the inspection conference.
In this big competition, the sect had prepared seventeen valuable prizes, including elixirs that could boost one year's cultivation, two-star magic equipment, and martial arts skills surpassing those from the Cangwu Pavilion, among others. The rewards were enticing.
The first-place winner of the big competition could choose five out of these seventeen prizes, the second-place winner could choose three, the third-place winner could choose two, and the fourth to tenth places could each choose one. The sect's rewards were generous, but only the top ten were selected from among thousands of disciples, highlighting the fierce competition.
The days of the inspection conference were bustling with nearly 200,000 disciples. Those who had not comprehended energy in the previous session were somewhat disheartened, while the next session's disciples were filled with curiosity and anticipation for the Grand Competition.
Woo woo woo...
The Shura Sect's horn sounded. It was a magical instrument that could be heard clearly for hundreds of miles around the base of the outer gate of the Shura Sect, serving as a signal for the assembly of the Grand Competition. All the disciples were well aware of the conference's date, and they had not strayed too far from the Shura Sect base. Most of them were already waiting there.
"Is the big competition about to begin?" In the endless mountains, by a tranquil small lake, a figure suddenly materialized, disappearing from view. It was Zhao Feiyun. He gazed at the Shura Sect base, his eyes gleaming with determination.
Zhao Feiyun had been fortunate. While training in the Endless Mountains, he had stumbled upon a steward from the outer sect who had been deceased for over a decade. This encounter had yielded him a pair of magical boots and a magic dagger, both of which significantly enhanced his abilities.
Now at the second level of Qi Cultivation Realm, Zhao Feiyun not only felt confident about defeating Zhuge Xiang with these two magic weapons but also aimed to secure a spot in the top five of the competition.
Though the fourth to tenth places only had one prize each, those who ranked higher had the privilege of choosing first, giving them a significant advantage, possibly even better than what was available for the lower ranks.
"Blood Thunder Slash!" With a swift wave of his blood refining knife, a crimson streak flashed as Zhuge Xiang instantly defeated a monster wolf equivalent to the second level of Qi Cultivation Realm, earning 50 experience points. Hearing the horn, he turned to look toward the Shura Sect base, knowing that the big competition had begun.
For the past five days, Zhuge Xiang had immersed himself in the Endless Mountains, slaying monsters and fierce beasts to gain experience. However, there had been no instances of leapfrogging kills, so his experience had not seen significant increases. Regular beasts only provided one or two experience points. Zhuge Xiang understood that leapfrogging kills offered experience bonuses, and battling creatures much weaker than himself yielded very little experience. Consequently, he had amassed just over 1,000 experience points during these five days, falling short by approximately 500 points of the 2,000 needed to advance to the third level of Qi Cultivation Realm.
Over the past five days, Zhuge Xiang had seemingly exhausted all of his accumulated character, and the items he had obtained held no significant value. The two Qi recovery pills had been used to restore energy, and the only valuable item had been a pair of boots that increased movement speed by 30%. It seemed that leapfrogging kills not only provided experience bonuses but also increased the item drop rate.
While slaying the demon fox earlier, Zhuge Xiang had added the skill point gained from leveling up to the Bloodthirsty Technique, raising it to a mastery level. When activated, this skill now boosted all attributes by 50%. Although improving Blood Thunder Slash would significantly increase his attack power, the earlier enhancement of Bloodthirsty Technique meant more cards in his hand in the long run.
"Is it time for the big competition? My goal is to claim the top spot!" With a look of anticipation, Zhuge Xiang quickly returned. The boots, which boosted his movement speed by 30%, allowed him to traverse the terrain much more rapidly.
Zhuge Xiang's aspiration was not without reason. Even though he was currently only at the second level of Qi Cultivation Realm, he possessed a blood refining knife, a pair of movement-boosting boots, and two one-star magic weapons. His Bloodthirsty Technique had reached the mastery level, granting a 50% boost to all attributes. Even when facing disciples at the third level of Qi Cultivation Realm, victory was not beyond reach.
Moreover, with some luck, he could gain 500 experience points in the big competition, potentially propelling him to the third level of Qi Cultivation Realm. Becoming the first-place winner was not an impossible dream for Zhuge Xiang.
"The big competition has started? I wonder how much that guy's strength has improved in these days," Lu Yuling remarked upon hearing the horn. Her face was filled with anticipation, but she shook her head soon after. Having just broken through to the second stage of Qi Cultivation Level, any improvements he might have made wouldn't be significant. Nonetheless, Lu Yuling held high hopes for Zhuge Xiang and clearly regarded him as a formidable competitor.
Disciples who had been practicing in the endless mountains rushed back one by one. Some had only recently comprehended Qi, while others were prodigies like Lu Yuling. The Shura Sect's disciples, who were accustomed to solving problems through combat, were the least afraid of challenges. Even if they knew they had little chance of making it to the top ten, their enthusiasm for the competition remained high.
Nearly 200,000 disciples congregated beneath the massive stage of the Shura Sect, creating a sea of people. Looking down from the stage, it appeared as an expansive darkness. Due to the impracticality of having thousands of disciples approach the stage individually, the enormous arena had been divided into thirty-two dueling platforms.
Out of the 100,000 disciples who had trained for a year, more than 5,000 had comprehended Qi this year. With thirty-two dueling platforms available, only the top thirty-two could advance.
"Alright, these are the basic rules. Prior to the competition, as is customary, any disciples with conflicts can engage in duels on the stage. However, please refrain from causing any fatalities," the competition's host explained after outlining the rules.
In the world of demon sects, especially in the Shura Sect, duels were considered sacred, and the principle was clear: life and death were at stake. They didn't hesitate to fight to the death, and there were no interventions to save lives. This was in stark contrast to the righteous sects, which would often intervene to stop fights, even when lives were on the line.
As the host stepped off the stage, many disciples who had long-standing grievances couldn't wait any longer and jumped onto the stage. It was clear they had prearranged these duels. Among them, Zhao Feiyun was the first to take the stage and loudly called out, "Zhuge Xiang, come out!"
Zhuge Xiang, who was standing next to Niu Geng, heard Zhao Feiyun's challenge and flashed a smile at Niu Geng. He remarked, "Looks like your blood spirit fruit is available. It's not too late to start comprehending Qi now."
Niu Geng couldn't hide his concern as he replied, "Be careful. I heard that Zhao Feiyun has already broken through to the second level of Qi Cultivation Realm." Although he knew that Zhuge Xiang had also reached the same level, Niu Geng cared deeply for his friend's safety.
"Don't worry, he won't be a match for me. My goal this time is to become number one," Zhuge Xiang reassured Niu Geng. With that, he leaped onto the dueling platform, standing tall and confident in front of Zhao Feiyun, with the blood knife strapped to his back.
"Zhao Feiyun? I hope he can give Zhuge Xiang a run for his money," Lu Yuling remarked with growing interest as she watched Zhuge Xiang take the stage. Although Zhuge Xiang had already demonstrated his full capabilities in the fight against the demon fox, Lu Yuling believed that he must have made significant progress over the past few days. As for the outcome of the duel, Lu Yuling had no doubt in her mind. She only hoped that Zhao Feiyun would pose a challenge to Zhuge Xiang.