Chapter 633 - 633: Meng Hongliang

No one spoke.

The three rules were all very simple and clear.

"Alright. Since there are no questions, all competing disciples will now enter your battle circles!"

Before the referee had even finished speaking, a series of whooshing sounds instantly filled the air around the forty-eight battle circles.

Nearly everyone burst forward at full speed, rushing into the circles to seize the most advantageous positions.

The rule for the first round was that being knocked out of the circle meant elimination.

Therefore, it was obvious that the closer one was to the center, the harder it would be to get eliminated.

Conversely, those on the outside could be knocked out right at the start.

In the span of just two breaths,

nearly all of the four hundred-plus competitors had scrambled into the battle circles.

However, next to each circle, there were one or two—or perhaps two or three—people who didn't rush in. Instead, they waited for everyone else to enter before casually strolling in and finding a spot somewhere along the periphery.

Watching these individuals, the Inner Sect Elder acting as referee on the central platform couldn't help but crack a smile.

'These are the true elites of the Outer Sect,' he thought. 'They are the ones the Inner and Outer Elders truly favor—the ones they deliberately separated to give them a chance at becoming Core Disciples.'

Those who were truly confident in their strength didn't care about their position.

Besides, for them, being in the center meant being surrounded on all sides, making them an easy target for a group attack. Staying on the edge was actually better.

Beside Battle Circle Number Seventeen, Chu Qingyun also waited until everyone else had rushed in and claimed their spots. Only then did he step into the circle, choosing a position on the edge.

Across from him, the other person who hadn't formed an alliance earlier entered even later than Chu Qingyun, leisurely stepping into the circle.

As soon as he stepped in, everyone nearby flinched back, putting a significant distance between themselves and him.

In response, a cold, disdainful sneer appeared on his face.

Soon, everyone was in position.

They all stood on high alert, wary of those around them.

Then, following an order from the Inner Sect Elder on the central platform, the atmosphere in every battle circle suddenly grew tense.

At first, no one made a move. Everyone remained on guard, cautiously watching and waiting.

But it wouldn't be long before someone ignited the flames of battle in the circles.

In Battle Circle Number Seventeen, a contemptuous voice suddenly rang out from over a thousand meters across from Chu Qingyun, "All of you, get out of my way!"

Following the shout, many people moved, clearing a path.

Soon, Chu Qingyun saw a figure striding toward him like a meteor.

The man wore a cold sneer, his eyes fixed on Chu Qingyun from start to finish. He didn't spare even a single glance for the others nearby.

It was as if, in his eyes, they posed no threat and weren't worthy of his attention.

"You're Chu Qingyun?"

The man stopped several dozen meters in front of Chu Qingyun, looking him up and down as he asked.

At that moment, Chu Qingyun recalled that this was the only other person from Battle Circle Number Seventeen who, like him, hadn't bothered to form an alliance.

And he, too, had seemingly waited for everyone else to enter the circle before making his own way in.

"That's right, I'm Chu Qingyun. And who are you?" Chu Qingyun replied calmly.

Hearing this, the man was clearly taken aback. He retorted, "You don't know who I am?"

"Am I supposed to know who you are?" Chu Qingyun said.

At this, the man suddenly burst out laughing.

"Haha! He actually doesn't know who I am?"

"Hah? Tell me, isn't this hilarious? He came to participate in the Inner Sect qualification tournament and doesn't even know who I am?"

The man turned his head, laughing boisterously at some of the people nearby.

"Haha, he doesn't even recognize Meng and he dares to compete in the Inner Sect qualification tournament? How ridiculous!"

"Meng's strength is easily in the top ten of the Outer Sect! He's definitely going to become an Inner Sect Core Disciple!"

"Chu Qingyun... is that the lucky brat? Hmph, don't think you're so great just because you have a lot of Saint Extreme Points. With Meng's power, he could knock you out with a single finger!"

"Meng, please be merciful later..."

The people nearby obviously recognized the man, and they all chimed in hurriedly, wearing sycophantic smiles.

Some even began to plead for mercy on Chu Qingyun's behalf in advance.

They had heard a little about Chu Qingyun's strength, but compared to Meng, they thought he was nothing!

After all, Chu Qingyun wasn't famous in the Outer Sect, nor had he ever displayed his strength in any major, public setting.

To most people, everything about him was just hearsay.

"Meng... could it be that you are Meng Hongliang?" Chu Qingyun said suddenly after a moment of contemplation.

'To be this arrogant in a battle circle, with so many people who know and fear him… this person is most likely one of the six guys Xu Shijie told me about—the ones who are almost guaranteed to become Core Disciples.'

Realizing this, Chu Qingyun couldn't help but rub his nose. 'Putting me in the same circle as this guy... It seems most of the Elders in charge of the assignments still don't think I can win, or even make it to the semi-finals...'

There were six recognized powerhouses and two even stronger ones, making only eight in total.

And yet, they had placed Chu Qingyun in the same circle as one of those six.

'Evidently, they think that not only am I inferior to those eight, but that at least forty other people in the other circles are stronger than me too!'

After all, they were the ones who set the matchups for each circle, with the goal of preventing the strongest competitors from facing each other and getting eliminated early on.

'I wonder what kind of expressions you'll all have when I knock this Meng Hongliang out...'

A slight smile touched the corner of Chu Qingyun's mouth as his gaze suddenly flickered left and right, toward two high towers on the distant Observation Platform.

The competition grounds were surrounded by a ring of tall Observation Platforms.

This ring was divided into four equal sections by four tall towers set at even intervals.

The disciples of the Inner and Outer Sects watched from the Observation Platforms, while the Elders watched from the various high towers.

At this moment, in a room at the top of the southern tower, six Inner Sect Elders and three Outer Elders stood by a window, observing the battle circles below.

And the gazes of all nine of them were focused on Battle Circle Number Seventeen, where Chu Qingyun stood.