Chapter 69
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Chapter 69: Outer Sect Competition
Several days passed in a flash!
That day, Fang Lie was meditating during closed-door training to accelerate his cultivation.
Suddenly, a majestic voice boomed: "The Mo Sect Outer Sect Competition begins now! Thirty-two life-and-death arenas stand ready. All outer disciples may participate—life and death rest with fate! Those who remain as Arena Masters after three days shall qualify for ranking battles! Times change in the blink of an eye, and a thousand years pass swiftly! Let all witness who shall claim the title of top outer disciple!"
As the voice faded, Fang Lie felt faint tremors beneath his feet.
"It begins!" Fang Lie straightened up, ceasing his Dao magic and exiting the cave dwelling.
The Ice and Fire Poison Dragon trio waited outside.
"Big Brother! The Clan Leader announced the competition!" Ice Second Brother exclaimed.
"May victory follow your first strike!" Fang Huo congratulated with clasped fists.
"Of course! Big Brother’s worth two fighters alone!" Ice Second Brother grinned. "With your might, who could possibly oppose you?"
"Enough! Many in Mo Sect could crush me like ants!" Fang Lie retorted.
"I meant Qi Sea realm disciples!" Ice Second Brother amended quickly.
"Even inner gate scoundrels at Qi Sea level surpass me!" Fang Lie shook his head. "Take Zhou Hongjian—I couldn’t beat him now despite stripping him naked before."
"Pah! He’s nothing without his Thunder Tribulation Immortal patron!" Ice Second Brother scoffed.
"He’s inner gate anyway." Fang Huo smiled. "Among outer disciples, you’re unmatched!"
"Outer gates hide dragons among nearly a million disciples. Huang Mao’s barely noteworthy—how dare I claim supremacy?" Fang Lie waved dismissively. "Let’s observe!"
He soared on wings while others followed using treasures.
Beyond their cave entrance loomed faint arena shadows. They flew to the nearest one.
The ancient Mo Sect tradition required no explanations. First came arena conquests.
With hundreds of thousands of outer disciples, thirty-two 300-zhang arenas solved logistical issues. Challengers paid 10,000 spirit stones to enter—defend if unopposed, attack if occupied. All battles must conclude within two hours.
Losers could re-challenge elsewhere after paying another 10,000 stones—a deterrent against endless grudge matches for Qi Sea Cultivators.
Winners received two hours’ rest under Great Rain Blessing Spell’s effects, healing Injuries, restoring Magic, and rejuvenating spirits. The sect ensured fairness—no stamina-draining battles allowed.
Single-use treasures were banned—true skill mattered, not wealth. This competition selected inner gate elites, not the richest.
Life-and-death battles held grave importance for one’s Path to Dao. However, harming surrendered or unconscious opponents was forbidden.
Law Enforcers from the Ancestral Hall monitored each arena as Referees. Rule-breakers faced certain punishment.
When Fang Lie and the others arrived, thousands of Cultivators were already gathered to watch.
The towering Arena rose hundreds of zhang into the air, forcibly elevated from the earth through great Magic. Its solid surface could withstand battles between Golden Pool realm cultivators without sustaining damage.
Most spectators were merely here for entertainment. True participants required Qi Sea Realms exceeding four hundred zhang – each a long-cultivated Talent.
Few met this standard, with only several hundred in the outer gate. Stronger Talents had already ascended to the inner gate.
Two figures now clashed upon the Arena. Fang Lie’s group recognized Huang Mao facing off against a hulking armored man.
"Huang Mao actually dared enter?" Ice Second Brother scoffed. "The fool’s overestimating himself!"
"Odd indeed," Fang Lie mused. "His Qi Sea cultivation barely surpasses two hundred zhang. Why risk so many spirit stones?"
"I know why!" Longxing Tianxia grinned. "His opponent Xiong Ba – nicknamed Black Bear – once harassed Huang Ying. Though Black Bear’s cultivation surpasses Huang Mao’s, their past clashes always ended deadlocked. The Huang Family’s defensive techniques make Huang Mao an unbreakable wall!"
"Huang Mao isn’t here to win," Longxing Tianxia concluded. "He aims to waste Black Bear’s ten thousand spirit stones through stalemate!"
"But dragging out the match would cost Huang Mao his own stake too!" Fang Huo protested.
"Huang Tianbi recovered completely after taking our leader’s medicine," Longxing Tianxia explained. "His restored strength solidified his family position. Those who tried plundering Huang assets were harshly punished. Huang Mao now flaunts wealth – ten thousand stones mean nothing if he humiliates his sister’s tormentor."
"Rascal though he is, Huang Mao’s filial devotion shines here," Ice Second Brother remarked.
As they spoke, combat commenced. Huang Mao manifested a top-grade second-tier treasure – the Wutu Divine Shield – combining it with ancestral Shield Expert techniques to form impregnable defenses.
Black Bear retaliated by summoning his mechanical steel bear puppet. The dark-yellow armored construct stood over one zhang tall, its rune-covered plates radiating durability. Surprisingly agile, the puppet circled Huang Mao with lifelike movements – testament to Xiong Ba’s craftsmanship.
Both fighters knew each other’s patterns intimately. They exchanged probing strikes rather than all-out assaults.
"Black Bear pays 1:1! Huang Mao 1:2! Tie 1:3!" a bookmaker’s shout pierced the air. Spectators swarmed to wager:
"Five hundred on Huang Mao!"
"Three hundred on Black Bear!"
"A thousand on tie!"
Fang Lie grimaced. "They’ve turned the sacred sect competition into a carnival!"
"The rules don’t forbid gambling," Fang Huo countered. "Even Mo Ancestor wagered often! A small bet amuses the spirit. Try it!"
"I avoid uncertain gambles," Fang Lie refused.
"But they always tie!" Fang Huo insisted. "Threefold returns!"
Fang Lie tapped his brother’s forehead. "If everyone knows their history, why offer 3:1 odds? Does the bookmaker enjoy losing money?"
Fang Huo gaped. "A trap?"
"Exactly." Fang Lie snorted. "Since when does Huang Mao spend fortunes for vengeance? He’s conspiring with the bookmaker to fleece fools!"
"That snake!" Fang Huo spat. "I nearly bet ten thousand stones!"
"Gambling requires brains, which you lack," Ice Second Brother jeered. "Save your coins for when Big Brother enters!"
As they bickered, the Arena combatants finally unleashed full force.
