Chapter 422: The Curtain Falls

"Bai Xue, we’re matched up again." As fate would have it, Bai Xue had once again run into You Qingtian.

You Qingtian was incredibly strong, having won a total of eleven matches and rarely suffering a loss.

He was determined to keep winning the few matches that remained.

"Enough talk. Let’s just begin," Bai Xue said.

She was defiant, but the outcome forced her to concede.

In no time at all, she was defeated. She was simply no match for You Qingtian.

Seeing Bai Xue defeated so easily, You Qingtian couldn’t help but ask, "Bai Xue, why didn’t you use your Celestial Sword Technique?"

You Qingtian was extremely puzzled by this. He had been on guard against it the whole time, yet Bai Xue had never once used it.

"I couldn’t use it," Bai Xue said, before walking straight off the battle stage.

This left You Qingtian stunned. ’What just happened?’

’Did I say something wrong?’ You Qingtian muttered to himself, stepping off the battle stage in confusion.

At this point, Bai Xue had lost completely. Having not won a single match, she was officially eliminated from the top ten.

Li Zhengyi, however, was a different story. No matter who that guy faced, he won with ease, acting as if his opponents weren’t even worth his notice.

And so, he smoothly secured nineteen consecutive victories, successfully claiming first place.

Second place went to the man from Dragon Hall. He was also incredibly powerful. Though plain in appearance, his fighting prowess was terrifyingly fierce.

Third place was a disciple from the Wudang Sect. He won seventeen straight matches, losing only to Li Zhengyi and the man from Dragon Hall.

Fourth place went to a disciple from another Major Sect, one that was very well-known and highly regarded.

Fifth place was You Qingtian.

In seventh place was a disciple from the Seven Kills Sect, who came from the Southern Region. Chu Feng would personally instruct him in the future.

And in tenth place was Black Blade from Blood Blade Manor. He took the last spot, barely managing to make it into the top ten.

If he had lost even one more match, he likely wouldn’t have made it into the top ten at all.

The competition had now officially concluded. Monstrous talents like Li Zhengyi were a rarity; very few could fight their way into the top ten with such overwhelming force.

Every person who made it into the top ten came from one of the Major Sects. Their power and backing were immense, far beyond what disciples from ordinary Sects could hope to match.

After all, how could the disciples sent forth by the Major Sects possibly be weak? Every single one of them was absurdly powerful.

By now it was evening, and the grand competition was drawing to a close.

The Seven Kills Sword Master rose from his seat, and Chu Feng and the others with him all stood up to face the crowd.

Then, a bell tolled, signaling to everyone that the competition was officially over.

On the massive display screens, the final rankings began to appear, letting everyone see who had won the championship and where everyone else had placed.

"I hereby declare this Martial Arts Grand Ceremony successfully concluded! The list of the top ten has been announced!" The voice of the Seven Kills Sword Master echoed across the entire Big Snow Plateau.

He then proceeded to announce the names of the top ten finishers.

He also announced to the crowd, "The champion of this competition is Li Zhengyi of the Cloud Mist Sect! He shall receive a handsome reward and will forever be an honored guest of our Great Snow Mountain!"

Following his announcement, attendants brought the lavish rewards onto the stage.

All kinds of rewards were piled up like mountains. The gold, in particular, was stacked in massive heaps, as if it were worthless.

Of course, this worldly wealth, such as the gold, could be held for safekeeping, exchanged for a check, or deposited directly into a bank account.

"This is your sword!" At that moment, the Seven Kills Sword Master picked up a sword and presented it to Li Zhengyi.

The sword was heavy, and its sheath was adorned with exquisite patterns. When drawn, the blade flashed with a dazzling, cold light. It was clearly a weapon of extraordinary origin.

"This sword was forged by the Sword King Hall. It can cut through iron as if it were mud. It is a treasured blade—cherish it well," said the Seven Kills Sword Master.

"Thank you, Sword Master!" Li Zhengyi said, holding the treasured sword, his voice filled with excitement.

He had obtained the Essence Enhancing Pill he had long dreamed of, along with a considerable amount of Cultivation Spirit Stones.

At that moment, a man from the Medicine King Hall stepped forward and snorted. "Seven Kills Sword Master, what is the meaning of this? You’re giving Elixir Pills from our Medicine King Hall to the Cloud Mist Sect?"

This Elder from the Medicine King Hall wore a hostile expression. It was well-known that they hated the Cloud Mist Sect to the very bone.

"Lin Xuan, this prize is for the first-place winner. It’s not as if I singled him out for it. He earned first place himself, did he not?" the Seven Kills Sword Master replied.

"The Medicine King Hall has a rule," Lin Xuan stated. "Any Elixir Pills we refine are absolutely forbidden to be given to the Cloud Mist Sect!"

"Lin Xuan, I don’t want to repeat myself. This is the prize for first place. It was determined long ago. Whoever wins first place gets the prize. Do you not understand?" the Seven Kills Sword Master said sharply, his tone toward Elder Lin Xuan of the Medicine King Hall far from polite.

"Seven Kills Sword Master, don’t you forget," Lin Xuan retorted, "our Medicine King Hall provides the Elixir Pills for your entire Great Snow Mountain."