Unrivaled Martial Emperor

Chapter 39 - First Battle

Chen Fan glanced at Zhong Li, Chen Changfeng, and the others before walking away silently.

Such occasions didn’t call for words—they called for strength. Ultimately, he would have to demonstrate his strength to prove himself.

Moreover, even if he were to speak up, it would be nothing more than a joke to those listening.

The most effective retaliation would be during the upcoming grand competition.

Zhong Li, Chen Changfeng, and their cohorts also refrained from further humiliating Chen Fan as it served no purpose.

In their eyes, Chen Fan was already a dead man. If they came across him during the competition, they would show him no mercy.

“Zhong Li, I didn’t expect you to really step into the Qi Grandmaster realm!”

Chen Changfeng’s gaze fell onto Zhong Li, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the primeval qi surging within him like a roaring furnace.

A Qi Grandmaster was an expert who had cultivated their Qigong to the level of a grandmaster.

The next step involved primeval vessels in their dantian, condensing an immense primeval force, and ascending to the realm of expert qi cultivators.

In the Yuanfu realm, martial artists had to condense primeval force into droplets brimming with terrifying energy and store them in their primeval vessel. Their powers were immense, letting them traverse the skies, soar over mountains and rivers, and wield power similar to a god’s.

Although Qi Grandmasters could also transform their primeval qi into wings, allowing them to run in the skies, they could only do it briefly due to the substantial energy consumption involved.

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If they exhausted their primeval qi, failing to keep up with the energy consumption, they could even fall to their deaths. Such incidents occurred more frequently than one might think.

Nevertheless, it was a realm that hundreds of millions of people dreamt of and pursued.

Qi Grandmasters could ascend to the heavens with a single step, commanding the weather as they pleased. Within the entire Great Chu Empire, they were regarded as masters and experts.

After all, the Spring Autumn Sect had ten thousand outer sect disciples, yet only Zhong Li had become a Qi Grandmaster so far.

Advancing to the ninth level from the eighth level was unimaginably difficult.

Many peak eighth-level Qigong experts failed to cross this final boundary throughout their lives.

This was also why Zhong Li could suppress and injure Chen Fan half a month ago with just his aura, potentially even killing him.

If the difference between each small realm before Qi Grandmaster was tenfold, then the disparity between the eighth level and Qi Grandmaster would be thirtyfold or even fiftyfold.

“Hehe, I just got lucky. Chen Changfeng, you, on the other hand, are already at the eighth level. You will surely earn a spot in the outer sect’s top 10.” Zhong Li smiled.

Chen Changfeng swept his gaze across Fei Kuang, He Junyang, and the others. Eventually, his gaze returned to Zhong Li. “Even though you managed to become a Qi Grandmaster a bit before me, I’ll still fight you if we meet at the grand competition. I’ll see exactly how strong a Qi Grandmaster is.”

“If that’s true, you’ll find out," Zhong Li replied casually, his smile light.

Watching Chen Changfang leave, Fei Kuang, standing next to Zhong Li, said with disdain, “Hmph, that guy’s hilarious. What did he mean, ‘a bit before him?’ He just stepped into the eighth level; he is nowhere close to you. And he still dares to challenge you, Boss. Bing Ye and He Junyang are enough to take care of him easily.”

He Junyang laughed and said, “Haha, why are you being so humble, Fei Kuang? You’re already at the peak of the seventh level, and with your strong foundation, it’s not like you can’t fight against an eighth-level Qigong martial artist.”

......

The entire outer sect plaza buzzed with activity, filled with people's voices.

Outer disciples gathered in groups, chatting or quietly recuperating their energy, eagerly awaiting the start of the grand competition.

Finally, after an hour, Grand Elder Su Yuntian stood up at the observation gallery.

“Silence!” Su Yuntian's voice, though raised only slightly, resonated across the skies like thunder, reverberating in the ears of the crowd and showcasing his extraordinary cultivation.

Immediately, the entire outer sect plaza fell silent. Even the proud Heaven’s Alliance members were quiet.

“The Outer Sect Grand Competition, held once every three years, is a rare event that aims to assess the results of the last three years of your cultivation. Those who perform well will receive great rewards from the sect. I hope every one of you will do your best at the competition and display your strength to the fullest.”

“However, the world of martial arts is a harsh one, where strength reigns supreme. Our Spring Autumn Sect is not a sheltered haven that nurtures delicate flowers that can’t withstand a little damage. Therefore, real swords and spears are used in the Outer Sect Grand Competition, but killing isn’t forbidden. The heavens decide life and death.”

“So, if you feel your strength is insufficient, you have the option to forfeit and not take part in the competition. In the fighting arena, you can also voluntarily admit defeat. Once you declare surrender, no one is allowed to deliver a killing blow. Anyone who violates this rule will face severe punishment, regardless of their status.”

“As per our longstanding tradition, the Outer Sect Grand Competition will be split into ten groups, following an elimination system. The winner stays, the loser is eliminated, and the cycle continues until the top 10 are decided for each group. These one hundred disciples will then enter the inner sect after the new year, becoming inner sect disciples. Ultimately, the number one disciple from each group will be identified, and these ten individuals will be recognized as the outer sect's top ten disciples, granting them entry to the blessed land for further training.”

“Alright, I won't delve into the details as you should already be familiar with the competition rules. Now, we’ll draw lots to decide your groups.”

Just as Su Yuntian was done speaking, tens of executives immediately walked up, each carrying a large cauldron, and in them were countless iron lots [1]for the disciples to draw from to ensure fairness.

Soon, Chen Fan drew an iron lot. He was in the tenth group, number 345.

With more than 13,000 disciples split into ten groups to do battle, each group would have more than 1,300 people.

Holding his iron lot, Chen Fan walked to the bottom of the tenth fighting arena and waited quietly.

The drawing of lots concluded swiftly; now, everyone knew which group they belonged to and their assigned number.

The competition host, an elder, leaped into the air and announced, “Now, let the Outer Sect Grand Competition begin.”

“First group, number 1 versus number 998.”

“Second group, number 453 versus number 1123.”

“Third group, number 32 versus number 698.”

......

The disciples whose numbers were called quickly jumped onto the arena and engaged in a fierce battle with their opponents.

For a time, each fighting arena shone brightly, and the resounding booms of clashes filled the air.

The Outer Sect Grand Competition was incomparably cruel. Each participant had only one chance, and defeat meant elimination or even death.

“Tenth group, number 345 versus number 874.”

The host’s voice rang out again.

Chen Fan entered the fighting arena with a calm expression.

His opponent was a youth dressed in yellow, his figure tall and lanky, his gaze a bit vicious, and his cultivation at the sixth level.

Inside the observation gallery, Sun Wenshan’s gaze fell onto the tenth fighting arena. When he saw the two participants were Chen Fan and his son, he immediately smiled coldly. “Hehe, Qin Changkong, didn’t you say my son is a good-for-nothing? This is perfect! I didn’t expect my son to go against Chen Fan. Now, watch closely and see who’s the real good-for-nothing.”

He had indeed abused his position and helped Sun Youwei obtain plenty of benefits, and Sun Youwei’s talent was indeed only average. However, how could he let anyone belittle his son?

1. iron sticks with labels in a container ?