Chapter 566: Chapter 564: No Pity for Beauty
The second to draw lots was Chen Xuanji.
Among the ten opponents, Xu Yang was included.
Then it was Xu Yang’s turn.
When it was Xu Yang’s turn, the previously calm crowd started to stir.
Even the four Celestial powerhouses above cast meaningful glances at Xu Yang.
As Celestials, they rarely appear in public!
But the name "Xu Yang" was not unknown to them!
Xu Yang walked up to the ball of light and slipped his curved palm inside.
It was as if he had plunged his hand into a vast ocean, with beads surging around in the void, yet he couldn’t see the numbers marked on them.
Well, that’s to be expected—if a Celestial set this up, how could it be that simple?
Besides, with rules like these, there’s no need for any trickery.
Ten people, ten fights—most are bound to run into each other.
Xu Yang’s face remained calm as his hand casually stirred inside.
Swoosh swoosh swoosh!!
Beads burst out one after another.
But just the first bead brought a wave of exclamations.
"Number One!"
"The very first one is Xiao Ming, hahaha, what rotten luck."
"Ten beads among thirty-two people—it’s likely, sure, but still, picking Xiao Ming first is wild."
"A fight between Xu Yang and Xiao Ming will definitely drag on for ages."
...
Xu Yang’s expression never changed. He glanced at the first bead, utterly unruffled inside.
Soon after, he swept up his ten beads with a flick of his sleeve and stepped back.
The remaining people came forward one after another.
Each of the thirty-two drew ten beads apiece.
At a quick glance, most Martial Artists saw plenty of overlaps in the numbers on their beads.
"Let’s start from the very last,"
came Yun Zheng’s voice from above.
Immediately, someone stepped out from the edge.
He was a High-tier Cultivation True Monarch!
Hailing from one of the nine major factions.
If word of this day got out, it would surely shake the entire Spirit Realm.
The weakest among the prodigies here were all High-tier True Monarchs—simply unheard of!
The young man strode to the center and held out the first bead: Number Eight!
"I forfeit the first match!"
Number Eight—ranked in the top ten on the Celestial Pride List, it was Shi Hu standing right beside Xu Yang.
There was no doubt, he simply couldn’t win!
Forfeiting decisively was the smartest move!
Nobody ridiculed him for it.
Still, an awkward look clouded the youth’s face.
"Second match, I forfeit!"
"Third match, I forfeit!"
"Fourth match, forfeit!"
...
The experts from his faction looked especially grim.
It’s true—he was outmatched here.
But forfeiting one after another from the start was downright embarrassing.
All around, the other factions’ Martial Artists could barely keep a straight face.
Finally, after six matches,
the young man chose to fight one.
And he won!
Seventh and eighth? Forfeit again.
Ninth match—lost!
Tenth—lost again!
He secured just one Spirit Talisman, only thirty people allowed in!
It left people both amazed and helpless.
The truth is, in this competition, every prodigy was simply too overpowering.
In previous years, twenty made the Celestial Pride List—most were Initial or Mid-stage True Monarchs.
Now, even the weakest were High-tier True Monarchs—not a single pushover in sight!
As time passed, each prodigy made their move, picking battles based on their beads.
A quarter-hour could feel long or short, depending on the fight.
Unless the power gap was massive, battles between rivals dragged on and chewed up time.
Plus, there was no time to recover. They could only take pills mid-battle to keep going!
Xu Yang had spotted a few smart ones in the crowd.
They’d forfeit many rounds, and if they saw a strong opponent coming up—even if they faced a close matchup—they’d grit their teeth and go all in.
If they won that one at least, they could still snag a quota spot or two.
If they blindly overestimated themselves and slipped up—they’d walk away with nothing!
The fighting progressed rapidly.
Everyone watching had their eyes opened wide today.
This kind of showdown—across the whole Spirit Realm—was truly unprecedented in a thousand years.
Along the way, several opponents drew Xu Yang as well.
But Xu Yang never got a chance to fight—they all surrendered as soon as his name came up.
The rules might be novel, but it all felt a bit like a farce.
Soon, it was the turn of the Celestial Pride List’s top ten.
The prodigies who drew later all got very few quota spots.
Among them, seven or eight could only score one Spirit Talisman, just enough to let thirty people in.
Fifty spots sounded plenty, but they were going to the Xianyungu Ruins—fifty people, counting both prodigies and experts, wasn’t a lot at all.
The only choice was to seek backing from a top-tier faction later for more chances.
The top ten were basically all from the seven strongest factions.
"I’ll try to win a few. The rest is up to you." Shi Hu secretly messaged, his face solemn.
Of his ten opponents, he was confident of winning six.
But because of time constraints, he wouldn’t necessarily get all six Spirit Talismans in the end!
Luckily, with Xu Yang covering him,
he didn’t have to worry much about results against acquaintances.
Shi Hu stepped up; his first match was against Zuo Guangchen.
He forfeited on the spot!
Although the strength difference between them wasn’t huge, he might not lose if they really fought.
But it would be a grueling battle!
Giving up straight away might have cost him face, but it was definitely the wisest move.
In the end, Shi Hu got five Spirit Talismans!
That’s one hundred and fifty!
Shi Feng’s face split into a broad grin.
Just from Shi Hu’s wins, they had a lot of spots.
And with Xu Yang as a backup, they’d surely secure over two hundred people.
The Battle King Clan might get an unbelievable total this time.
"Mr. Xu, please!"
Xu Yang’s brow shot up as he looked to the striking figure on the field, surprised.
Men Long!
She actually didn’t forfeit?
Xu Yang’s eyes flashed, and he strode forward.
"Men Long versus Xu Yang."
"Xu Yang is ranked second alongside Chen Xuanji on the Celestial List—his power is unquestionable. Men Long’s not likely to win."
"Besides, at the Battle King Clan gates, Men Long was already beaten by Xu Yang. She still dares to challenge him? Is she hiding something up her sleeve?"
"Miss Men is my goddess—Xu Yang, you’d better go easy on her."
The crowd instantly grew excited.
Whether in power or beauty, Men Long was top-notch.
This match was unmissable.
"You’re not my match." Xu Yang gazed at Men Long, voice cool.
Men Long giggled, "I’ve improved a lot lately. How will I know without trying?"
Her words barely faded before her figure vanished like a ghost.
Whoosh!
Purple light erupted massively, engulfing everything.
Illusion Realm—Soul Device!
From the get-go, Men Long went all out, holding nothing back!
Xu Yang’s face showed only scorn. Unwilling to waste time, he leaped skyward, immune to the illusion, gripping the Asura Blood Saber and slashing straight up.
"Cut!"
Boom!
Thud!
The purple domain split in two, shattering instantly.
Her Soul Device rang as if struck by thunder.
Men Long’s graceful figure was revealed to all—shaking like a leaf, she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, face turning pale as paper.
Defeat in an instant!
Everyone around was dumbstruck.
They knew Xu Yang was strong, but Men Long was a top prodigy too. No one thought she’d lose this miserably!
"Damn, Xu Yang is ruthless!"
"He took Men Long out with a single blow. If she faces another top ten opponent next, it’ll be much tougher."
"This bastard—he didn’t show an ounce of mercy. He really is heartless."
"He could’ve just won, but he had to seriously injure her. With Miss Men being so pretty, how could he bear to do it?"
...
A bunch of Men Long’s admirers now all glared murderously at Xu Yang.
