In the bustling square, everyone watched with eager anticipation as the ten competitors drew lots on the arena.
Since there were no elimination rounds in the top ten competition, Ye Tian felt little concern and casually opened a crumpled piece of paper.
"Number five!"
As Ye Tian announced the number, a wail of despair echoed beside him.
Turning to look, he saw Prince Thirteen displaying a piece of paper with a bitter expression—number five!
"What a coincidence!" Ye Tian exclaimed, momentarily taken aback.
"What a coincidence, indeed! There's no need to fight; I concede!" Prince Thirteen said, his face clouded with frustration, feeling that his luck had taken a turn for the worse by facing Ye Tian in the very first match.
Ye Tian chuckled and shook his head at this.
Soon, the others revealed their papers, and almost everyone facing Ye Tian, the Seventh Prince, Meng Shiyun, or Yun Shuiyao chose to forfeit without contest.
Thus, the top ten competition progressed swiftly.
After five consecutive opponents conceded, Ye Tian finally encountered someone willing to battle him—Yun Shuiyao.
Standing on the arena with an air of pride, she pointed at Ye Tian and declared loudly, "Although I know I cannot possibly defeat a freak like you, I still wish to give it a try."
Ye Tian rubbed his nose, feeling exasperated.
Then, a unique match commenced; Ye Tian stood firm on the stage, activating his protective true essence, remaining motionless as he faced Yun Shuiyao's relentless barrage of attacks.
However, the outcome was that Ye Tian remained unscathed, while Yun Shuiyao was left exhausted.
This was not due to her lack of strength; on several occasions, she breached Ye Tian's protective true essence, yet her small fists left no mark on his robust physique.
"Little girl, concede!"
"Stop fighting, Miss Yun! This freak is not someone you can overcome!"
"Better hurry home to do your laundry!"
...
Hearing the taunts from the audience below the stage, Yun Shuiyao's face flushed crimson with embarrassment and fury. Finally, abandoning her duel with Ye Tian, she directed her anger toward an insolent spectator below, leaving the elder in black robes serving as the referee utterly astonished, rushing forward to intervene and avert a potential "bloodbath"!
From that point on, any battle involving Yun Shuiyao was observed from a considerable distance by the spectators.
Soon, another match captured the attention of many.
The Seventh Prince faced Meng Shiyun!
This time, even Ye Tian, Prince Thirteen, and others became solemn; the Seventh Prince's formidable strength was well-known, and Meng Shiyun was no slouch either.
More importantly, due to the absence of formidable opponents to gauge her abilities against, no one had yet discerned Meng Shiyun's true strength.
"She is a woman shrouded in mystery!" Lin Fei remarked, gazing intently at Meng Shiyun not far away.
Prince Thirteen nodded in agreement, stating, "During the assessments, the old man mentioned that among us, only this girl could contend with our Seventh Prince."
"If the Nanlin King believes so, then Meng Shiyun is certainly not as simple as she appears," Lin Fei remarked, taken aback.
"You may not know, but among the four great families, only Sister Meng has never fought against us three. Thus, her true strength remains a mystery," Yun Shuiyao added, her expression serious.
Ye Tian squinted at the veiled Meng Shiyun in the distance, feeling a faint resonance within his azure martial soul, as if it were stirring—this sensation had only arisen since his emergence from the Spirit Pool.
"Could it be that my martial soul has evolved into the azure form?" Ye Tian speculated, reflecting on how his greatest transformation since emerging from the Spirit Pool was the evolution of his martial soul from green to azure.
However, how could this evolution relate to Meng Shiyun? Why did he feel such a sense of resonance?
As Ye Tian pondered, Meng Shiyun and the Seventh Prince had already ascended the stage.
In stark contrast to the imposing aura of the Seventh Prince, Meng Shiyun donned a delicate white gown, draped in silk, resembling a quintessential beauty, her attire exuding an air of elegance. The breeze swayed her garment, lending her a somewhat ethereal quality.
"Concede! You are no match for me!"
As the Seventh Prince prepared to speak, he was suddenly interrupted by a resounding voice. Turning, he saw the crowd below erupting in laughter.
It turned out that the audience had spoken in unison, explaining the volume and synchronization of their words. Moreover, what they said was precisely what the Seventh Prince intended to convey!
Ye Tian couldn't help but smile, while Lin Fei and Yun Shuiyao stifled their laughter, and Prince Thirteen laughed heartily, his face filled with derision.
However, the crowd clearly underestimated the Seventh Prince's tenacity—or perhaps his thick skin.
Without a flicker of emotion, the Seventh Prince looked down imperiously at the audience, raising his chin and proclaiming, "It seems you understand my intentions well, but alas, you dullards are unworthy to accompany me."
The spectators below rolled their eyes in unison, speechless.
Even the elders from the Divine Star Sect and the lord of Nanlin County burst into laughter.
"Your Seventh Prince is quite the character!" Zang Lao remarked with a teasing glance at the Nanlin King beside him.
"Sigh!" the Nanlin King covered his head, lowering it with a deep sigh.
On the stage, the Seventh Prince ignored the audience, instead adopting a serious expression as he turned to Meng Shiyun, stating solemnly, "Those fools were mistaken this time; I know your strength is formidable. Aside from Ye Tian, you are worthy to witness my true power."
The surrounding crowd gasped in surprise; it was rare for the Seventh Prince to refrain from boasting, suggesting that Meng Shiyun was indeed exceptional.
Then, the Seventh Prince directed his gaze toward Ye Tian, shouting, "Ye Tian, watch closely! I will demonstrate that submitting to me is your best choice."
As his words fell, a powerful aura of the third level of Martial Spirit erupted from the Seventh Prince as he drew his spear for the first time, pointing it toward Meng Shiyun, exuding an air of unparalleled sharpness.
Though her expression was obscured by the veil, the audience could still discern a flicker of seriousness in Meng Shiyun's eyes. Then, amidst the gasps of astonishment from all, a tremendous and magnificent aura surged upward, overwhelming everyone in its wake.
Ye Tian's pupils constricted in shock.
"How powerful! She surpasses even the Seventh Prince; she must be at least at the fourth or fifth level of Martial Spirit!" Ye Tian thought, astonished. The cultivation level of Meng Shiyun left him feeling intimidated. When he had encountered her in the Black Blood City, she was merely a half-step Martial Spirit; how could she have suddenly advanced to the fourth or fifth level? Could it be that she had concealed her true strength all along?
Beside him, Prince Thirteen, Lin Fei, and Yun Shuiyao were equally taken aback.
The entire crowd was astounded, especially when an inner sect disciple announced that Meng Shiyun had reached the fifth level of Martial Spirit, causing a wave of commotion as everyone gasped in disbelief.
Fifth Level of Martial Spirit!
Even among the inner disciples of the Divine Star Sect, such cultivation can be considered quite respectable.
However, Meng Shiyun has only been with the Divine Star Sect for three days; if this continues for another three years, she will undoubtedly secure her place among the top ten strong within the sect.
"Her talent is exceptional, akin to your esteemed Seventh Prince, with a significant chance of ascending to the rank of Martial King!" Elder Zang remarked approvingly from the stands.
The Nanlin King nodded in agreement, his face reflecting envy as he said, "The Meng family has truly produced a treasure this time. This girl possesses a blue martial soul and cultivates at an unparalleled speed compared to her peers. At this rate, my Seventh Prince may soon find himself outpaced by her."
"Do not underestimate yourself; although your Seventh Prince is only at the third level of Martial Spirit, he is more than capable of defeating her. Moreover, in such a setting, his combat prowess is greatly amplified," Elder Zang replied, casting a sidelong glance at the Nanlin King.
"Thank you for your kind words, Elder Zang," the Nanlin King chuckled, a sheepish grin on his face.
Elder Zang was momentarily rendered speechless.
On the arena, the Seventh Prince found himself thoroughly suppressed by Meng Shiyun's formidable presence, leaving the surrounding spectators in a state of astonishment.
Throughout the matches, they had never witnessed such a scene; it had always been the Seventh Prince asserting dominance, yet now he was being overwhelmed.
Many who harbored resentment towards the Seventh Prince for his arrogance and might could not help but cheer.
"To think she has reached the fifth level of Martial Spirit; this will be a setback for the Seventh Prince," Lin Fei remarked with a hint of schadenfreude.
"Hmph! Let's see if he dares to be so arrogant in the future," Yun Shuiyao scoffed, shaking her small fists in a display of delight at his misfortune.
However, Prince Thirteen shook his head and said in a solemn tone, "Do not rejoice too soon; the elder stated that in our cohort, the Seventh Prince possesses the greatest strength, a claim even the Silver-Robed Elder of the Divine Star Sect did not contest."
"But his strength is clearly two levels below Sister Meng's; how could he possibly defeat her?" Yun Shuiyao replied, her face etched with confusion.
Lin Fei shared her bewilderment; despite his respect for the Nanlin King, the disparity between the Seventh Prince and Meng Shiyun was insurmountable.
"This likely pertains to the Seventh Prince's hidden cards. Observe, though he is being thoroughly suppressed by Meng Shiyun, his expression remains unchanged, still exuding calmness!" Ye Tian interjected suddenly.
Everyone turned their attention back to the arena.
There, the Seventh Prince, spear in hand, fixed his gaze on Meng Shiyun's overwhelming aura, soaring into the air with an air of arrogance, hovering above and looking down upon her.
"Fifth level of Martial Spirit?" he declared, scrutinizing Meng Shiyun with an imposing demeanor. "Your cultivation speed is indeed impressive, but alas, cultivation does not equate to combat strength. This time, I shall ensure your defeat is both convincing and complete."
"Is that so? Then come at me!" Meng Shiyun's voice, cool and composed, carried a distinct chill.
Clearly, after enduring the Seventh Prince's repeated arrogance, this usually reticent celestial maiden could no longer restrain herself.
"Dream Fairy, defeat him swiftly!"
"Show this arrogant fool your true power!"
"Give him a thorough thrashing!"
The Seventh Prince evidently lacked public favor, as many spectators around the arena rallied in support of Meng Shiyun.
However, at that moment, a surge of overwhelming will erupted from the Seventh Prince, akin to a tidal wave sweeping across the entire square.
Instantly, everyone in the plaza felt their weapons tremble violently in their grasp, as if they might fly from their hands at any moment.