"The winner is Chen Fan!"
The moment the old man announced the result, the crowd erupted into cheers. All eyes were on Chen Fan, and some spectators even began chanting his name, their admiration solidified after witnessing his performance. Conversations buzzed through the audience—expressions of awe, disbelief, excitement over won bets, and every other emotion imaginable filled the air.
Unbothered by the deafening atmosphere, the old man walked over to Zhou Yuze, placing a pill into his mouth. Moments later, Zhou Yuze stirred awake, though he now looked noticeably thinner compared to before the match.
"Now, we move on to the final phase," the old man's voice rang out, instantly silencing the crowd. "If there is anyone who wishes to challenge Chen Fan and Zhou Yuze for the first and second place rankings, step forward now. The match will take place three hours from now."
His sharp gaze swept across the remaining competitors. Yet, after a long pause, no one dared to speak.
And it was no surprise. After witnessing the sheer intensity of Chen Fan and Zhou Yuze's battle, no one had the confidence to challenge them—not even for the sake of appearances. Even Jiang Haoran, who once saw himself as a worthy rival, could only shake his head with a bitter smile. He had faced Chen Fan earlier, but now, after seeing the true depths of his power, he realized how much the latter had been holding back.
Seeing no challengers, the old man moved on. "Very well. If no one wishes to fight for the top two spots, then let those who want to contest ranks three through ten step forward."
This time, several competitors stepped up, including Jiang Haoran. As a saint, he had his pride—losing to Chen Fan was one thing, but he still wanted to secure a higher position. He directly challenged the fifth-ranked cultivator, determined to reclaim some dignity. Soon, a series of battles broke out, but they remained confined to ranks six through ten. It was clear to everyone that the top five were simply on a different level.
Three hours passed before the matches concluded, finalizing the tournament's top ten. Among them, Bai Mulan stood as one of the three women who had secured a place, with the rest being men. Aside from Chen Fan and Zhou Yuze, all of them belonged to one of the three dominant sects.
"Now, we shall distribute the rewards," the old man declared. The top ten winners were called to line up in the arena, standing directly before the representatives of the three sects—who had watched the entire tournament from start to finish. It wasn't just the audience whose attention was fixated on Chen Fan and Zhou Yuze; even the sect representatives couldn't take their eyes off them.
Without delay, the old man retrieved his phone and began transferring the prize money to each winner. When Chen Fan received his reward, his eyes gleamed with excitement—one million high-grade spirit stones had just been deposited into his newly created cultivator bank account. As the name suggested, the bank specialized in managing spirit stones for cultivators.
"I'm rich!" he thought, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
Next came the selection of pills and arrays. The old man asked each participant which rewards they desired. Chen Fan had long decided—he chose the highest-grade fourth-rank Qi Gathering Array, which would allow him to cultivate efficiently no matter where he went. As for pills, he selected two Energy Pills for emergencies and four pills each to strengthen his body and soul.
Seeing the sheer value of the rewards Chen Fan had claimed, many in the audience couldn't hide their envy and jealousy.
"Now, for the final reward," the old man continued, not giving the winners much time to bask in their achievements. His eyes landed on Chen Fan and Zhou Yuze. "Do you wish to join any of the three sects?"
A hush fell over the crowd.
Now that they thought about it, both Chen Fan and Zhou Yuze were complete unknowns—mysterious cultivators who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Naturally, curiosity about their backgrounds burned within the audience. But at this moment, a far more pressing question dominated everyone's minds: Which sect would they choose?
The sect representatives, too, watched the two like valuable treasures. If it weren't for their dignity, they might have rushed forward and personally extended their invitations. Even the three sect leaders, seated at the highest vantage point, maintained a calm and composed demeanor, their expressions unreadable. However, deep inside, even they couldn't suppress their curiosity.
Chen Fan fell into deep thought.
Over the past few days, he had learned much about the three sects from Sun Xi and Xu Jianghong. Each sect had its own unique focus and specialty:
Jade Spirit Sect – Focused primarily on mental and soul cultivation. Their specialty was blacksmithing, and nearly all weapons in the cultivation world were crafted by them.
Azure Sky Sect – Specialized in body cultivation, making their members incredibly strong and capable of wielding destructive power. Their expertise lay in alchemy and pill refinement.
Ethereal Frost Sect – Contrary to their name, the Ethereal Frost Sect did not limit themselves to ice techniques; instead, they mastered various elemental abilities to perfection.
Faced with three powerful sects, each offering unparalleled opportunities, Chen Fan knew that his decision would shape the course of his cultivation journey. However, he found himself leaning toward the Ethereal Frost Sect—not just for its elemental focus, but primarily because of its expertise in arrays.
The reason was simple: arrays were one of the few techniques that could be actively used in combat. Alchemy, while invaluable, wasn't a necessity for him—he already possessed medical knowledge capable of replacing most healing pills, and he trusted his own talent to progress without relying on them. Blacksmithing was tempting, but after spending ten years in isolation cultivating in the mountains, he had no desire to be confined again. Moreover, blacksmithing required immense stamina and physical strength—neither of which were his greatest assets.
With all this in mind, his choice became clear. Arrays were the path best suited to him.
"I choose the Ethereal Frost Sect."
The moment Chen Fan uttered these words, the cultivators from the Ethereal Frost Sect erupted with excitement. Some even laughed wildly, overjoyed at the prospect of having such a monstrous genius join their ranks. Meanwhile, disciples from the other sects could only sigh in disappointment, clearly regretting the loss of such a talent.
This reaction highlighted the deep pride each disciple held for their sect. The three great sects maintained a strong sense of unity and camaraderie among their members.
However, while most people were either rejoicing or lamenting, one particular woman could only smile helplessly.
The Saintess of the Ethereal Frost Sect. "Is this the power of the plot?" she mused to herself.
[That woman must be crying tears of joy right now.]
[Being able to see her man every day, how lucky.]
As expected, the voice in her head rang out again with its usual nonsense. At first, she had been eager to listen to it, hoping to gather valuable information. But now, she desperately wished for a mute button. More than ninety percent of what it said was complete nonsense.
[The next plot should involve Bai Mulan and Chen Fan getting trapped in a secret realm.]
Her eyes widened in shock. Trapped in a secret realm?!
This revelation hit her like a bolt of lightning. Instinctively, she held her breath, waiting for the voice to provide more details.
[A competition, one that occurs at unpredictable intervals, will naturally serve as the perfect opportunity for a villain to make an entrance.]
[The Devil Sect will rise again, launching a large-scale attack on the three sects.]
Bai Mulan's heart trembled.
Though she had never personally encountered them, she knew all too well about the notorious Devil Sect. Their cultivation method had only one principle: devour others to grow stronger. Unlike normal cultivators, who absorbed Qi from the world, the members of the Devil Sect were incapable of doing so. Instead, they relied on consuming other cultivators—and even ordinary mortals—to increase their strength.
A thousand years ago, the three great sects had joined forces to eradicate the Devil Sect's main forces, leaving only a few remnants hidden in the shadows. While occasional Devil Sect members would surface to hunt mortals and weaker cultivators, the three sects maintained an ongoing mission to exterminate them whenever they appeared.
But if the Devil Sect was now planning a large-scale attack, it could only mean two thing.
They had either developed a powerful new method—or gathered enough strength to directly confront the three sects.
Bai Mulan felt a powerful urge to demand more details from the voice. However, she held herself back.
The mere fact that this voice knew about the world as if it were a novel suggested a terrifying possibility—an unknown entity, possibly a system, might be guiding him. Or worse, a higher power could be assisting him behind the scenes.
If she carelessly revealed that she could hear his inner monologue, there was a chance that her free will could be erased.
Even if the probability was small, Bai Mulan would not gamble her existence on an unknown force. Not until she had more answers.
[But really, what does it mean to be a protagonist? An event like this could only lead to two outcomes—either he gains a treasure or wins the heroine's heart. Hahaha.]
A faint throbbing pain pulsed in Bai Mulan's head.
Can't you stick to one topic?!
She kept listening, hoping for more details about the upcoming event, but the voice offered nothing. This only made her more anxious.
Damn it, don't let me find out who you are!
Realizing she wouldn't get any more useful information, Bai Mulan let out a quiet sigh. She made up her mind—once the event concluded, she would inform her master about this immediately.
"Next, Zhou Yuze, which sect do you wish to join?" The old man's voice rang out, completely oblivious to Bai Mulan's turmoil.
Without hesitation, Zhou Yuze responded, "I will join the Jade Spirit Sect." It was clear he had made his decision long ago.
"Alright," the old man said flatly. "With that, the competition is officially concluded. You both may now meet your sect leaders to discuss the details."
The crowd silently agreed—this elder was as straightforward as they came.
Chen Fan turned his gaze toward the leader of the Ethereal Frost Sect—a mature beauty with short red hair. He was just about to walk toward her when the old man from earlier suddenly took out a wooden sword.
The moment it appeared, the crowd's attention instantly shifted. Despite its plain appearance, the onlookers couldn't help but study the sword with curiosity.
"My name is Ming Tao," the man announced. "I am the chief elder of blacksmithing from the Jade Spirit Sect. I am seeking a successor. If any participant wishes to try, step into the arena."