Chapter 426 - 232: Battle of Immortals! Competition Rules Revealed

"Oh?" Yue Lingfeng raised an eyebrow and asked, "How grim are we talking?"

Chen Jiayu gave a wry smile.

"According to the intel I have, among the contestants this time, there are no fewer than twenty who have reached the Third Layer of the True Master Realm! There are even six or seven top masters at the Fourth Layer!"

HISS—

As soon as he spoke, a wave of sharp gasps echoed around the dinner table.

Shi Poyue, who was in the middle of picking up some food, felt his hand tremble, and a piece of braised pork fell directly onto the table.

"The Third and Fourth Layers of the True Master Realm?!" he cried out in shock.

One had to remember, all contestants were under forty years old!

Everyone present knew exactly what it meant to be a master at the Third or Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm before the age of forty!

Yue Lingfeng and Xu Qingshan exchanged a look, and both saw the bitterness and shock in each other’s eyes.

In their youth, the two of them had been hailed as once-in-a-century geniuses in Cangzhou Prefecture.

But now?

They were now old men with white hair and beards, and after a lifetime of arduous Cultivation, they had only just managed to break through to the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm!

And now, a group of youngsters the age of their own grandchildren had already reached the same heights as them?!

This immense disparity made the two academy heads, who were usually incredibly dignified, feel a complex mix of emotions.

"Th-That’s too absurd, isn’t it?" Wang Zhenhai swallowed hard and said with difficulty. "Then... aren’t we just going there to be cannon fodder?"

However, Chen Jiayu’s next words were like a heavy hammer, once again striking everyone in the heart.

"That’s not all."

Chen Jiayu took a deep breath, lowered his voice, his expression growing extremely grave.

"I’ve heard... that there are two others... who are suspected to have already broken through to the Fifth Layer of the True Master Realm!"

BOOM!!!

That sentence was like a clap of thunder, instantly exploding over the dinner table!

The Fifth Layer of the True Master Realm?!

Under forty years old?!

The entire hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.

To put it in perspective, even the former Vice Sect Leader, Xie Songnian, was only at this Realm!

In other words, the strength of these two young contestants was already enough for them to walk uncontested through Cangzhou Prefecture, and either one of them could single-handedly suppress a small or medium-sized Sect?!

Is this... the cream of the crop of the Great Chu Dynasty’s prodigies?

Jiang Che sat in a corner, listening quietly, and couldn’t help but reflect.

’It seems I’ve been a frog in a well!’

’There’s always someone better, a sky beyond the sky. Cangzhou Prefecture is, after all, just one of the Forty-Three Prefectures of Great Chu, and a relatively remote and resource-poor one at that.’

’In those large, resource-rich Great States with ancient legacies, the birth of such Demon Fiends... doesn’t seem so impossible after all!’

However, he didn’t feel fear. Instead, he felt a faint trace of excitement.

’The Fifth Layer of the True Master Realm...’

’After using my Black Armor Transformation and all my trump cards, I might not necessarily lose!’

Besides, only by clashing with the strong could he hone himself!

But the others beside him clearly didn’t share his positive mindset.

Gu Qingxuan lowered her head, staring at the wine cup in her hand, silent.

She had once been Cangzhou Prefecture’s proudest sword, possessing Sword Heart Clarity and looking down on everyone.

But ever since her defeat at Jiang Che’s hands, her pride had been cracked.

Now, having come to this Capital City full of hidden masters, and hearing one piece of despairing news after another, she finally realized just how insignificant her vaunted Talent was in the face of true geniuses.

A deep sense of powerlessness washed over her!

Meanwhile...

Fang Muye’s face was as pale as paper, his eyes unfocused.

He had originally thought that even if he wasn’t as good as Jiang Che, he could still be considered a notable figure among the younger generation.

But now it seemed...

In front of this group of true monsters, his so-called "genius" was nothing but a joke!

A complete and utter joke!

’In their eyes, I’m probably just some crude country bumpkin of a martialist!’

Shi Poyue and Wang Zhenhai, the two burly men who were usually the loudest, were now completely crestfallen and deflated.

They looked at the table full of delicacies but had lost all appetite.

First and Second Layer True Masters were a dime a dozen, and Third and Fourth Layer ones were as common as dirt...

There were even some at the Fifth Layer of the True Master Realm.

For those like them who hadn’t even broken through to the True Master Realm...

This was just too cruel!

It seemed now that the ninety-nine spots...

were a nearly impossible goal!

This Celestial Strategy Guard selection—what kind of selection was this?

This was clearly... a battle of Immortals!

"Come, come, eat up, eat up."

Seeing the oppressive atmosphere, Xu Qingshan forced a smile and broke the silence.

"Alright, alright, the competition hasn’t even started yet, so don’t lose heart! Those Demon Fiends are the minority, after all. Our goal isn’t to fight for first or second place. As long as we can make it into the top ninety-nine, that’s a victory!"

He turned to Chen Jiayu, trying to change the subject. "By the way, Nephew Chen, have you managed to find out the specific rules for the selection? What are they testing?"

Chen Jiayu nodded, put down his chopsticks, and said with a serious expression,

"I have. And there’s good news. To ensure no specialized talent is overlooked, the Court is using a ’three-trial point system’ this time!"

"Oh? A three-trial point system?" the crowd asked curiously.

Chen Jiayu nodded and said, "As the name implies, all contestants will participate in all three trials. Each trial will be scored based on performance, and in the end, the scores from the three trials will be added together. Only those who rank in the top ninety-nine by total score will be selected!"

Hearing this rule, the despairing Fang Muye and the others finally felt a glimmer of hope rekindle in their eyes.

If it were a direct elimination format, they’d stand no chance against those with higher Realms.

But with a point-based system...

They might be able to score more points in the areas they excelled at to make up for their shortcomings!

Chen Jiayu continued,

"The first trial is called ’Realm Assessment.’ As the name suggests, it’s a competition of one’s Cultivation Realm."

"The Court has brought a ’Heaven-Reaching Stele’ from the Imperial Palace treasury. This stele is incredibly miraculous. A Martial Artist only needs to place their palm on it and input a trace of True Qi. The stele will then light up and accurately display the Martial Artist’s specific Cultivation Realm! Even if one has concealed their aura, there’s no hiding from it!"

"What?! Such a divine object actually exists?"

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this.

In the past, they had mostly judged Cultivation by sensing auras or sparring. A treasure that could directly display a precise Realm was simply unheard of.

However, it was clear they didn’t have much confidence in this trial.

If it was just a comparison of Realms, they obviously wouldn’t be able to get many points.

Jiang Che’s heart stirred, and he thought to himself:

’Accurately displays one’s Realm, huh...’

’I’m currently at the Peak of the Second Layer of the True Master Realm, just a step away from the Third Layer. Although I can’t compare to those freaks at the Third, Fourth, or even Fifth Layer, I should still be able to rank in the upper-middle tier among all the contestants.’

’For this trial, getting into the top one hundred shouldn’t be a problem!’

Chen Jiayu didn’t pause and continued,

"The second trial is called ’Heart Inquiry,’ and it tests the strength of one’s Divine Soul."

"Divine Soul? How do you compete with something that’s formless and intangible?" Shi Poyue scratched his head, looking completely lost.

"The Heart Inquiry Celestial Ladder!"

Chen Jiayu said gravely, "The testing ground has a special Array passage with a total of one hundred steps. With every step you climb, the pressure on your Divine Soul increases! This pressure strikes directly at your true heart and can even cause hallucinations."

"In the end, it’s about who can climb higher and last longer! The higher you climb, the stronger your Divine Soul and the firmer your will!"

"This trial is designed to screen for those potential dark horses who, despite not having a high Realm, possess a strong Divine Soul and a resolute will!"

Hearing this, everyone’s expressions relaxed considerably.

Although they didn’t know how strong their own Divine Souls were.

But at least in this trial, they had a chance to compete with those True Master Realm freaks!

Jiang Che was also delighted.

’Divine Soul strength?’

’This is playing right into my hands!’

’Half a month ago, I might not have had much confidence in this trial.’

’But ever since I received the True Intent inheritance from True Master Xuan Yang in the Luoyan Mountain cave, which reshaped my Comprehension and dramatically boosted my Divine Soul, its strength has long since surpassed others of the same rank!’

’It might not even be inferior to those powerhouses at the Fourth or Fifth Layer of the True Master Realm!’

Jiang Che felt secretly glad.

’Good thing I made that trip to True Master Xuan Yang’s cave... Otherwise, facing so many Demon Fiends from all over the country, this trial would have been really dicey!’

’It seems the waters of this selection run much deeper than I imagined! I originally thought breaking through to the True Master Realm was a huge accomplishment, but I never expected there to be so many astoundingly talented people in this world!’

Then, Chen Jiayu held up a third finger, his expression turning grim and somber.

"As for the final trial, it’s ’Practical Combat’!"

"All Martial Artists will be placed into a large Array called the ’Asura Illusion Realm.’"

"The Array will continuously generate illusory monsters of various strengths, starting with the Bone Forging Realm, then the Refining Organ Realm, and finally, even high-level monsters of the True Master Realm will appear!"

"Moreover, the number of monsters will increase, and their strength will grow!"

"The evaluation criteria are simple: the number of enemies killed and survival time!"

"In short, whoever kills the most and lasts the longest gets the highest rank!"

"Of course, this is all an Illusion Realm. Dying only means you’ll be ejected from the large Array; there will be no actual harm."

’Practical combat, huh...’

Hearing the rules for this final trial, Jiang Che’s heart was completely set at ease.

’On this front, I’m not afraid of anyone.’

’In terms of crowd control, I have the newly comprehended Ten Thousand Dragons Prison Suppression, a Divine Technique perfect for racking up points.’

’In terms of single-target burst damage, I have the twenty-five-times-multiplied Azure Dragon Annihilation and the Silent Extinction Star-Chasing Arrow.’

’In terms of endurance, I have the [Yin Yang Transformation Force], and the passive effects of the [True: Infinite Battle Armor] also include many recovery-type attributes!’

’Even without using the Black Armor Form, my ultimate trump card, and relying solely on my current practical combat ability that far surpasses others in my Realm... making it into the top ninety-nine, or even aiming for a higher rank, should... not be a problem!’ Jiang Che thought.

As for the others at the table, their expressions also relaxed slightly after hearing the rules of the point-based system.

"A point-based system... In other words, as long as we have a particular skill we excel at, we still have a chance!" Fang Muye clenched his fists, the fighting spirit rekindling in his eyes.

Shi Poyue also said in his booming voice, "I’m tough and thick-skinned. I can definitely last a while longer and kill a few more in the third trial!"

Although the pressure of facing opponents at the Third and Fourth Layers of the True Master Realm was still immense, at least it was no longer a hopeless situation!

"Alright, now that the rules are clear, everyone should go back and prepare."

Xu Qingshan stood up and said, "First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll go and register!"

Everyone nodded in agreement and went their separate ways.