Chapter 632 - 632: Three Rules

Each battle ring would host a fight between nearly one hundred ninth-level Martial Spirits.

However, as Chu Qingyun drew closer, he realized something.

The battle ring wasn't very large. For nearly a hundred ninth-level Martial Spirits, it could even be described as cramped.

Chu Qingyun soon understood the reason for this design.

With the battle ring being so cramped, everyone would be close together from the very start, ensuring fights would break out quickly.

This was the most efficient and fastest way to determine the strongest person in each battle ring.

Otherwise, if the ring were too large, the last few combatants might resort to hit-and-run tactics, dragging the fight on endlessly.

After arriving at Battle Ring Seventeen, Chu Qingyun didn't rush in. Instead, he waited off to the side.

Just then, someone from Battle Ring Fourteen walked over to Chu Qingyun.

Xu Shijie.

"Xu, were you also assigned to Battle Ring Seventeen?" Chu Qingyun asked with a smile.

Chu Qingyun had helped Xu Shijie once in the Celestial Sword Sect's Withered Wood Forest. After that, their relationship had eased considerably.

Xu Shijie shook his head with a wry smile. "I'm not that unlucky. I didn't get assigned to the same ring as you."

"Then why did you come over?" Chu Qingyun asked.

"I came to tell you about some of the stronger experts in the Outer Sect."

"Junior Brother Chu, I know you're very strong, but this tournament has a direct elimination rule. There are three stages in total, and if you lose even once, everything you've done will be for nothing. It's better to be cautious."

Xu Shijie said with a serious expression.

This was his way of returning the favor, repaying Chu Qingyun for standing up for him in the Withered Wood Forest and helping him pass through the Land of Trial.

Chu Qingyun nodded, his expression growing more serious as well.

'Even though I'm confident, who can say for sure that others don't have powerful trump cards of their own?'

A single loss meant instant elimination. There was no room for a careless mistake.

"Junior Brother Chu, first off, there are six particularly strong people in the Outer Sect. It's almost universally acknowledged that they're the ones who will become Core Disciples."

"These six people are Xu Zhengchu in Battle Ring Nine, Liu Ying in Battle Ring Twenty-One, Zhao Yong in Battle Ring Thirty-Eight, and Zhang Tianjie in Battle Ring Forty-Five."

"Then there's Meng Hongliang in your ring, Battle Ring Seventeen. And one more... is me, Xu Shijie, in Battle Ring Twenty-Two."

Xu Shijie told Chu Qingyun all six names and their corresponding battle ring numbers.

He had spent many years in the Saint Extreme Sect's Outer Sect, so he understood many things far better than Chu Qingyun. He also knew more people and had easily gathered this information after arriving.

"Oh? It seems your strength isn't weak either, Xu," Chu Qingyun chuckled.

"Haha, stop teasing me, Junior Brother Chu. To be honest, if you run into any of those six, you just need to be a little careful. They probably won't be a match for you."

"But there are two other people you must be extra careful of. It would be best not to run into them."

"Otherwise, even with your strength, you might not be able to win against them!" Xu Shijie continued.

Hearing this, Chu Qingyun's expression couldn't help but shift slightly.

Xu Shijie had seen his strength firsthand, yet he still thought Chu Qingyun might not win.

This just went to show how powerful those two must be.

"Which two?" Chu Qingyun asked.

"Shen Hao in Battle Ring One, and Zhou Yongyang in Battle Ring Four!"

"If I were to face either of them, my defeat would be certain. They're definitely stronger than He Liang and Pei Yongqing from the Celestial Sword Sect."

"As for you, Junior Brother Chu, it's hard to say. But it's still best to avoid them. You should pay attention during the semifinals and try to steer clear if you can," Xu Shijie said earnestly.

"Thank you for the advice, Xu," Chu Qingyun replied.

Xu Shijie exchanged a few more words with Chu Qingyun, then returned to his area by Battle Ring Fourteen.

Chu Qingyun, meanwhile, silently committed the eight names Xu Shijie had mentioned to memory, especially those of Shen Hao and Zhou Yongyang.

If he encountered them, Chu Qingyun would certainly not be careless.

Still, he didn't feel much fear or worry. After all, his current strength was much greater than it had been back in the Celestial Sword Sect's Withered Wood Forest!

After Xu Shijie left, a steady stream of contestants arrived at the entrance and were guided to their respective battle rings.

The crowd around Battle Ring Seventeen slowly grew as well.

Soon, nearly a hundred people had gathered, waiting outside the battle ring.

Among them, almost everyone had formed small groups of three to five, creating alliances to deal with their opponents together.

Their goal was simply to last a little longer in the fight to come.

After all, the audience consisted of nearly all the ninth-level Martial Spirits from the Outer Sect, along with many Inner Sect Disciples and Elders.

So, even if they couldn't advance, being one of the last few people standing in a battle ring was an excellent opportunity to make a good impression.

After all, many of them knew their own limits.

They all knew that not everyone had a chance to advance from the battle ring.

The goal for many was simply to last as long as possible, hoping for a good performance that might catch the eye of an Elder or a senior disciple from the Inner Sect.

Chu Qingyun, however, had no interest in any of that.

Chu Qingyun had only one goal: knock everyone else out and be the last one standing in Battle Ring Seventeen.

And he was more than confident in his ability to do so.

Besides Chu Qingyun, there was one other person standing alone near Battle Ring Seventeen, not forming any alliances.

He was a man who looked to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven, and he watched the surrounding people with a disdainful expression.

Just then, three people furtively approached him and began whispering in his ear.

The four of them whispered amongst themselves, occasionally glancing up at Chu Qingyun as if they were discussing something involving him.

Soon, all the participating disciples had arrived.

An Inner Sect Elder leaped down from the nearby Observation Platform, landing on the largest stage in the center of the field.

This man was the host and referee for the Inner Sect qualification tournament.

"I will now announce the rules for the Inner Sect qualification tournament!"

"First, the tournament is an elimination-style competition. Regardless of the reason, once you leave the battle ring and the stage, you are defeated and eliminated!"

"Second, killing is strictly forbidden. If one side surrenders or leaves the battle ring and stage, the fight must end immediately!"

"Third, the use of any external aids, such as Elixirs or Puppets, is prohibited during the tournament!"

"Do you understand these three rules?"

After finishing, the Inner Sect Elder and referee scanned his eyes over all the participating disciples below.