Chapter 598 - 598: Rules

Soon after the Talisman Puppet Sect arrived, so did two smaller sects.

At this point, fourteen of the Fifteen Major Sects of the Northern Domain had arrived. Only the local host, the Celestial Sword Sect, was missing.

By all rights, as the hosts in the Withered Wood Forest, the Celestial Sword Sect should have been the first to arrive and welcome the other sects.

In fact, this was the practice at the other fourteen trial locations: the host sect always arrived first.

However, the Celestial Sword Sect was the sole exception. In all past Inner Sect qualification competitions, no matter whose Land of Trial hosted the first stage, the Celestial Sword Sect always arrived last.

It had become their tradition.

The fourteen sects had all arrived at roughly the same time, with no more than a two-hour gap between the first and the last.

However, after the last of those sects had arrived, all fourteen of them waited for a full two hours before the members of the Celestial Sword Sect finally made their belated appearance.

More than twenty enormous Flying Demon Beasts approached from the distance.

The Flying Demon Beasts did not land right away. Instead, they cast vast shadows over the gathered crowd, circling a few times before slowly descending.

"Hahaha, I had some matters to attend to, so I'm a bit late! My apologies, my apologies!"

A bald, powerfully built man who looked to be in his thirties or forties strode toward Zhu Zhijing and the other Elders, flanked by two of the Celestial Sword Sect's Outer Elders and a few Inner Sect Disciples, laughing heartily.

This man was Lei Jing, a powerful Inner Sect Elder of the Celestial Sword Sect.

"Not at all, not at all! We only just arrived ourselves, just a moment ago..."

"Greetings, Elder Lei."

"I trust you've been well, Elder Lei."

The Elders from the smaller sects, along with Sui Chengzhou of the Tianya Sect and Kuang Feiyin of the Purple Cloud Sect, all rushed forward with wide smiles, assuring him he wasn't late at all.

The Celestial Sword Sect was widely recognized as the strongest sect in the Northern Domain.

Thus, when faced with anyone from the Celestial Sword Sect, members of the other sects—even the Elders—couldn't help but feel a head shorter.

The only ones among the crowd who didn't move were the members of the Saint Extreme Sect and the Talisman Puppet Sect.

As fellow members of the Northern Domain's Three Major Sects, and Inner Sect Elders at that, they had no intention of fawning over the people from the Celestial Sword Sect.

Lei Jing said nothing in response, merely glancing at the members of the two sects with a cold smirk.

The Celestial Sword Sect's Elders were arrogant, and the disciples under their command were just as overbearing.

Being numerous, they immediately drove off the disciples of two smaller sects after dismounting their Flying Demon Beasts, seizing a large area for themselves.

The disciples from those two small sects felt helpless but didn't dare resist. They could only retreat and squeeze in with members of other sects, making do with the limited space.

Upon seeing this, the expressions of the two small-sect Elders darkened.

But Lei Jing just let out a hearty laugh and said to them, "My apologies, gentlemen. I've been lax with my discipline lately, and these disciples are forgetting their manners again!"

"Not at all, not at all..."

"Hehe, the disciples of the Celestial Sword Sect truly live up to their reputation. First place in the Withered Wood Forest's Land of Trial will surely go to none other than the Celestial Sword Sect."

Although the faces of the two small-sect Elders were grim, they could only force a smile and play along with Lei Jing.

'What could they do? Their sects were weak, and they themselves were only at the Human Emperor Realm.'

"Haha, first place in the Withered Wood Forest's Land of Trial will most certainly belong to our Celestial Sword Sect!"

"And not just that—the entire top ten will belong to our Celestial Sword Sect!"

Lei Jing's voice boomed as if he were making a declaration.

As a result, not only did the Elders and Inner Sect Disciples of the various sects hear him, but even most of the Outer Disciples below heard him loud and clear.

A wave of cheers instantly erupted from the Celestial Sword Sect's crowd.

At this, the expressions of not only Elder Zhu Zhijing and the Inner Sect Elder from the Talisman Puppet Sect, but also those of Sui Chengzhou and Kuang Feiyin, shifted.

'Claiming the entire top ten... They have absolutely no regard for the other sects.'

After all, the first stage of the Inner Sect qualification competition wasn't just about selecting elite Outer Disciples; it was also a competition between the sects themselves.

However, Lei Jing paid their displeasure no mind whatsoever.

With that, all members of the Fifteen Major Sects had arrived.

The Elders gathered together, while below, the Outer Disciples arranged themselves into formations according to their sects.

Lei Jing wasted no time. He spoke a few words to an Outer Elder behind him, instructing him to announce the rules for the Withered Wood Forest's Land of Trial.

The Celestial Sword Sect Elder assented and walked forward, followed by two Inner Sect Disciples.

The two Celestial Sword Sect Inner Sect Disciples unfurled a massive map, displaying it for the Outer Disciples of the various sects below.

Then, the Outer Elder began to explain the rules.

The Withered Wood Forest was a vast, roughly circular Land of Trial for the Outer Sect.

The rules for this trial were as follows: all two thousand-plus Outer Disciples from the Fifteen Major Sects would disperse around the perimeter of the Withered Wood Forest. When the time came, they would all enter the forest simultaneously.

Meanwhile, the Elders and Inner Sect Disciples would ride their Flying Demon Beasts directly to the center of the Withered Wood Forest.

Out of the more than two thousand participants, the first three hundred to reach the center of the Withered Wood Forest would pass. Upon returning to their sects, they would be eligible to continue to the second part of the Inner Sect qualification competition.

The remaining thousand-plus participants would be eliminated.

An Outer Sect Land of Trial was certainly a dangerous and challenging place for anyone below the level of a ninth-grade Martial Spirit, or even for an ordinary one.

However, for the Outer Sect Seed Disciples of the various sects—especially those from the five strongest—it posed no real difficulty.

Of course, the first stage of the Inner Sect qualification competition was not a simple race.

Since it also represented the competition between the sects, certain arrangements had already been made within the Withered Wood Forest.

Before entering the Withered Wood Forest, each person would be imprinted with a mark.

Once inside, these marks would emit one of fifteen distinct auras. This meant that even from a considerable distance, participants could clearly sense the presence of disciples from other sects nearby.

Furthermore, Inner Sect Disciples from each sect came forward to demonstrate, allowing everyone to memorize the fifteen different auras and the sects they represented.

For an ordinary person undertaking a trial here, the main dangers and challenges would come from the Withered Wood Forest itself.

But for those participating in the Inner Sect qualification competition, the primary danger and challenge came from the participants of other sects!

The objective was simple: reach the center of the Withered Wood Forest as quickly as possible.

But dividing the participants into fifteen sects immediately made a simple matter far more complex.