Chapter 39: Claiming the Championship, Recorded in the Prefecture Chronicles!
Up on the elevated platform.
Centurion Zhu of the Literary Dao Academy raised his hand lightly, and within a mere three breaths, the entire arena fell into silence.
Every spectator instinctively fixed their eyes on the disc-shaped artifact.
The Round of Eight advancing to the Round of Six.
How would this lottery draw work?
However, Centurion Zhu cleared his throat and announced in a resonant voice:
“Bring them out!”
Moments later, dozens of Blade-Bearers marched into the arena in perfect, unified formation from outside.
At the center of the procession stood eight iron cages, each one imprisoning a black bear demon.
“Roar!!”
The black bear demons’ eyes burned crimson as they let out furious, shrieking howls, thrashing wildly against their chains in a desperate bid to break free.
Countless spectators felt chills crawl across their skin.
So this was the legendary demon-kind?
Eight iron cages, each positioned atop one of the eight arenas.
Centurion Zhu’s expression remained calm as still water as he spoke with resounding force:
“The Sacred Grounds’ duty is to eradicate demons and evil, to protect our lands and safeguard our people.”
“Your first trial upon entering a Sacred Ground shall be exactly this—the slaying of demons!!”
“These eight black bears are all Tier One Lower-grade minor demons, ones that have not yet awakened intelligence, nor formed a demon core.”
“For the final trial of this selection, results will be judged by the speed at which each demon is slain. The top six will secure Sacred Ground placements!”
Once the words had settled, the entire arena fell into a solemn hush.
Many spectators whispered amongst themselves, while numerous sect disciples took the opportunity to explain the basics of demon-kind to those around them.
The weakest tier of demon-kind was Tier One Lower-grade, roughly equivalent in strength to a martial cultivator at Cavern Mystery Third Level.
But since these particular demons hadn’t yet awakened intelligence or formed a demon core, their strength was closer, on the whole, to the very peak of Cavern Mystery First Level.
Centurion Zhu of the Literary Dao Academy raised his voice, deliberately emphasizing the point:
“The top six secure placements—the bottom two are eliminated!”
“Whoever claims the championship of each prefecture’s selection trial across all of Chu Province will receive treatment twenty percent higher upon joining their Sacred Ground. All of you should seize this opportunity.”
Hearing this, Chu Sheng, Li Zhixu, and the others’ eyes burned with intensity, their emotions surging with excitement.
First place wasn’t just a matter of glory—it also came with a twenty percent boost in treatment.
Almost instinctively, they all glanced toward Gu Lin.
He had already deployed his secret art—there was no way he could recover in such a short span of time!
There was a real chance Gu Lin posed no threat to them at all now!
Clang—
As the bell’s toll rang out across the arena, all eight contestants stepped onto their respective arenas.
The rank, foul stench of the black bears wafted out from the iron cages, their massive paws slamming against the iron chains with a resounding clatter.
“Prepare!”
Centurion Zhu’s voice rolled out like thunder.
All eight contestants opened their acupoints simultaneously, redirecting their internal energy as they fixed their eyes on the iron cages.
In that instant, a wave of commotion swept through the crowd.
Every gaze turned toward Arena Six.
Gu Lin…
Why did Gu Lin only have Energy Condensation Sixth Level cultivation now?
His cultivation had dropped a full stage!
Could this be the lingering aftereffect of his secret art?
That had to be it—every secret art carried some manner of aftereffect. Gu Lin had forcibly deployed his, achieving a level of combat strength beyond belief in order to crush Yan Xu, and now he stood utterly, dangerously weakened!
Could Gu Lin actually lose here?
Up on the elevated platform, a sharp glint suddenly flashed through Zhao Can’s dark, malicious gaze.
Having served within the Martial Extremity Hall, he naturally possessed extensive knowledge of cultivation matters.
A secret art like that couldn’t be used twice within such a short span of time—especially for anyone below the Life’s Mandate realm, whose very body, acupoints, dantian, and meridians simply couldn’t withstand the strain a second time!
In other words, the man surnamed Gu would have to face the black bear demon with nothing more than Energy Condensation Sixth Level cultivation.
Every single one of the other seven contestants was at the Cavern Mystery realm!
A cruel smile suddenly spread across Zhao Can’s face—if he failed to make the top six, he’d still remain a mere Blade-Bearer, and this beast would be joining the Blade-Bearer Bureau under the Martial Extremity Hall after all!
Every Sacred Ground member present had their attention fixed on Gu Lin, a flicker of regret passing through the depths of their eyes.
That battle against Yan Xu had cost him so tremendously, truly pushing himself to the very brink of collapse—and now, to fall at this final step, would leave him with a regret that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
“Release the demons!”
Centurion Zhu of the Literary Dao Academy barked out a sharp command.
Clang!
The eight Sacred Ground members threw open the iron cages, severing the chains binding the black bear demons.
On Arena Six, the black bear demon flung open its blood-red maw and charged forward with heavy, thunderous steps, its black fur slowly turning white with rage, moving with astonishing speed as it bore down like a collapsing black mountain.
In that instant, Gu Lin drove the Wave-Treading Steps at full mastery to their absolute limit, dodging within a hair’s breadth of the black bear.
As purple mist surged forth from his brow, the Righteous Energy within his Literary Palace transformed into an invisible cage, descending heavily to trap the black bear demon.
At the same time, blood energy surged from the crown of Gu Lin’s skull, shooting straight toward the heavens, his black hair whipping wildly in every direction, each strand wreathed in a crimson glow.
It was, once again, “Striving to Rival Heaven Itself”!
Its only lingering aftereffect was the loss of a single stage of cultivation.
He was only half a step from victory now—how could he possibly begrudge losing a single stage of cultivation for that?!
Watching Gu Lin’s aura climb all the way to Energy Condensation Eighth Level, Zhao Can’s eyes nearly split from sheer fury, a boundless rage with no outlet forcing his arms to creak and crack with tension.
This completely overturned everything he understood about cultivation—just what manner of fortune had this beast stumbled upon?!
Up on the arena, with the black bear bound by the Confine Art, Gu Lin gave everything he had, forcibly drawing out even the internal energy reserved deep within his acupoints, the Thousand-Hand Tathagata Palm transforming directly into a single massive palm that tore through the very air itself, descending upon the black bear demon with an unstoppable force.
Boom—
The black bear demon crashed heavily to the ground, its body caving inward, a gaping, bloody crater exposed where its intestines and organs had been torn apart.
At the same moment, on Arena Ten where Li Zhixu stood, the black bear demon there had also had its neck twisted and broken, teetering on the edge of collapse.
In this instant, the very air itself seemed to freeze solid.
Of the nearly hundred thousand spectators present, half had their eyes fixed on Arena Six, while the other half watched Arena Ten intently.
Young Master Order was a pure Confucian Dao cultivator, and his demon-slaying speed was extraordinarily fast!
But a demon was still a demon—its hide and flesh tough beyond belief. One black bear had its organs torn apart yet still hadn’t died; the other had its head twisted around yet still struggled on.
Almost instantaneously, Li Zhixu unleashed another surge of Righteous Energy, a blade of pure light slicing clean through the black bear’s neck, severing it completely.
Thud!
The black bear’s head rolled several times across the ground, dead beyond any doubt.
“I win!”
Li Zhixu declared, blood coursing through his entire body at an astonishing speed, his emotions surging with an almost explosive intensity.
He turned to look toward the Heavenly Mystery Guard official in the Qilin robe.
But the latter’s gaze remained fixed on Arena Six.
Li Zhixu turned around.
There, on Arena Six, the black bear demon lay perfectly still, unmoving.
“Who won?” he murmured, lips barely moving, his heart suddenly seizing tight.
Heaven and earth fell utterly silent.
In the very next instant—
“Gu Lin!”
“Gu Lin is magnificent!”
“Gu Lin is glorious!!”
The cheers rose like a tidal wave crashing against the mountains, nearly enough to overturn the entire arena itself.
Countless spectators, swept up in raw excitement, roared their praise for Chuwei Prefecture’s new champion.
Everyone had witnessed it with their own eyes—the very instant Young Master Order unleashed his “Righteous Blade of Light,” the black bear demon on Arena Six had already been dead.
The Heavenly Mystery Guard official in the Qilin robe turned to Li Zhixu and spoke solemnly:
“At the very moment Gu Lin struck with his palm, he simultaneously used a claw print to burn through the black bear demon’s heart.”
Li Zhixu’s face was etched with reluctant acceptance, and all he could do was let out a heavy sigh—it must have been that silent, unseen martial art of his.
Moments later, the black bear demon on Arena Twelve finally fell dead, and the Tyrant King Chu Sheng ultimately placed third.
Countless spectators turned their gazes toward Gu Lin.
Chuwei Prefecture’s champion, the leader of the younger generation!
The results of every Sacred Ground selection trial were recorded in the prefecture chronicles, and this time, Gu Lin’s radiant glory was more than enough to eclipse every other contestant in the entire trial!
Having entered the selection at mere Energy Condensation Seventh Level, ranked outside the top hundred and twenty on the pre-trial popularity list, he had ultimately claimed the championship of the entire selection trial, demonstrating to every martial cultivator throughout Chuwei Prefecture what true talent looked like, what the very pinnacle of combat strength truly meant!
Amid the crowd, Gu Changchuan and Zhou Man’s faces were already streaked with tears, overwhelmed with an excitement and pride they could barely contain. Even Headmaster Yan of Shiyang Academy wept openly with joy—though Zhao Can had secured a Sacred Ground placement six years earlier, claiming the championship of an entire selection trial was something utterly unprecedented, something no one would ever have dared to even imagine.
Gu Lin of Shiyang County had done it!
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