By midday, half the tournament day had passed. Of the one hundred warriors, only fifty remained; half had been eliminated. The victors rejoiced, while the defeated left the arena in dejection.
A few warriors with strong composure stayed in the stands to watch the remaining battles. Of course, they could no longer occupy the front row and had to squeeze into the upper tiers.
With fifty contestants left, an odd number from start to finish, the ancestral elders decided to hold one more round of eliminations. From the remaining twenty-five, a single fortunate warrior would be chosen to advance directly to the next stage.
In the end, twelve would remain. The selected contender would then challenge any one of the twelve; victory would earn them a place among the elite twelve, while defeat would leave the original twelve to compete among themselves.
From this group, the top three would be selected through individual duels. The remaining nine would then fight in a points-based system: one point for each win, none for losses. The warrior with the highest total would claim fourth place, with rankings determined accordingly.
As the afternoon matches began, Gao Han returned to his seat to observe. Among the fifty remaining contestants, the Misty Sect held eight spots, Fire Cloud Manor eight, Serene Lotus Sect six, Qianling Sect eight, three each from the Lu, Zheng, Gu, and Hu clans, Jian Qingtian of the Jian clan, three disciples of the Duan clan, and four lone wanderers of the martial world.
The remaining contestants made clear that the Misty Sect, Qianling Sect, and Fire Cloud Manor were closely matched in strength, while the Serene Lotus Sect lagged behind. Yet no one ever underestimated the all-female sect.
The Serene Lotus Sect was the only one of the four major sects that accepted solely female disciples, each of renowned beauty. Many lone warriors sought their mates among its members. Though the sect's internal strength was modest, its network of disciples beyond the mountains formed a considerable force.
At that moment, Nian Hua was competing on the arena against a third-layer True Essence disciple of the Qianling Sect. For Nian Hua, this was hardly a fight at all. He did not even draw his sword, defeating the disciple with a single palm strike.
To the announcement of You Canghai and the dejected gaze of the Qianling Sect warrior, Nian Hua descended the platform and returned to the Misty Sect contingent. Several fellow disciples rose at once to greet him.
"Senior Brother Nian, truly a worthy true disciple! To defeat him with but one palm!" The speaker was Ling Mei of the Drifting Flower Peak, a peak third-layer True Essence cultivator.
Wei Ying was also among them, likewise at the peak of the third layer of True Essence. His gaze turned solemn as he said, "It would seem you could defeat any of us within ten moves."
Nian Hua shook his head gently. "The only ones who might stand against me are Jian Qingtian, Duan Qianchou, and Wen Rensi of Fire Cloud Manor."
Though Jian Qingtian and Duan Qianchou were only at the third layer of True Essence, no one dared underestimate them. As the Third Young Master of the Western Sword Jian clan, Jian Qingtian held a status within his family even higher than elite sect disciples. Moreover, his recent display of sword intent had left all others feeling daunted.
Duan Qianchou, heir to the mysterious Southern Valley Duan clan, stood on equal footing with Jian Qingtian. As for Wen Rensi, Nian Hua did not dare take him lightly: he was the only contestant bearing the epithet "Fire Palm", and from their earlier encounter, Nian Hua knew his own power fell short.
Gao Han stood to the side, arms folded, watching the arena with a frigid expression. "There may be others," he said quietly. His words silenced the Misty Sect group, all eyes turning to him in curiosity.
Gao Han tilted his head toward the arena, where the next combatant waited: a towering, powerfully built man, eight chi tall, clad in a dark green tight-fitting tunic, his chest bare and bronzed, muscles rippling with strength. "His steps are heavy enough to shake the earth, his muscles knotted and dense. He is a body-refining expert, and his cultivation has reached the pinnacle of perfection."
"Hmph! You are but an outer-sect disciple, yet you dare spout such nonsense. Do you think we would believe such absurd claims? You have no right to speak here." Wei Ying had long harbored resentment toward Gao Han, looking down on his status as an outer disciple and resenting his repeated defiance, which had cost him face.
What galled him most was that Gao Han had advanced to the top fifty through sheer luck.
Gao Han did not respond to the insult, merely staring silently at the arena. His eyes, infused with soul power, pierced through cultivation bases and laid bare every weakness.
Unlike Wei Ying, Nian Hua and the others sensed that Gao Han's advancement as a first-layer True Essence cultivator was no mere fluke. At his words, they fixed their gazes upon the arena.
Wei Ying clenched his fists in fury as no one acknowledged him, veins bulging as his knuckles cracked.
The brute on the platform was Hao Han, a lone wanderer unaffiliated with any clan. His opponent was a Serene Lotus Sect disciple named Yue Han.
Serene Lotus Sect disciples differed from others: upon entering the sect, they abandoned their birth names in favor of sect-bestowed titles. Only upon becoming elders could they revert to their original names or keep their sect-given ones.
Unlike the Misty Sect, other sects had no core disciples, their highest rank being elite disciples. Thus, the Serene Lotus Sect used a naming hierarchy from elite to outer disciples: Meng, Rou, Yue, Xiang. Each generation's sect leader bore the prefix "Jing", and those of the leader's generation after stepping down took the prefix "Lian"—hence the sect's name, Serene Lotus.
Furthermore, every Serene Lotus Sect disciple wielded only two weapons: a sword and a dagger.
"I am Yue Han of the Serene Lotus Sect!" Slender and delicate, barely five chi tall, Yue Han was a graceful young woman in her twenties, at the third layer of True Essence.
Against her, Hao Han loomed like a giant in both stature and breadth.
"I am Hao Han! Enough talk—let us fight!" His voice boomed like distant thunder, rough and unpolished.
Yue Han nodded slightly, drawing her sword and darting toward Hao Han like a gust of wind. With a crisp shout, she unleashed Lotus Petal.
Her sword arced toward him like a petal drifting in the wind, shifting left and right with untraceable grace, its path utterly unpredictable.
Hao Han reacted quickly, crouching and leaping upward with such force that the stone beneath him shattered. He vanished from sight, soaring five zhang into the air.
Yue Han's strike struck empty air, piercing deep into the ground. For all its gentle appearance, the attack held fearsome penetrating power; the sword sank to its hilt.
"Hahaha! Now it is my turn! Meteor Chases the Moon!" Hao Han laughed as he descended, whipping out an iron flail from his waist, its spikes glinting with cold menace.
He spun the flail in rapid circles, slamming it downward with his full weight. The air shattered in its wake, issuing thunderous sonic booms as it tore through the space between them.
Yue Han sensed danger and whispered, Petal Shatter. Twisting her sword, she opened a circular hole in the stone and drifted backward.
BOOM!
The flail crashed into the ground, pulverizing a one-chi radius of stone, leaving the arena floor torn and broken.
Hao Han landed on one leg, his head lowered in a gruff grin. "To use your sect's strongest Lotus Shatter Sword Art right away—you honor me indeed." He snapped his head upward. "Sadly, you have mastered only one petal. Otherwise, you might have posed a real threat."
Star Serpent! Hao Han hurled the flail forward, its chain snaking toward Yue Han at blistering speed. Friction with the air sparked tiny flames, making the weapon appear as a living serpent.
Yue Han could not evade such speed and unleashed her most powerful strike again: Lotus Petal.
CLANG!
The impact sent her flying backward, slamming into the energy barrier before drifting to the ground, a trickle of blood escaping her lips.
Nian Hua and the others now looked at Gao Han with unconcealed admiration. Not once had they sensed any true essence from Hao Han's strikes; every move relied on pure physical power, confirming him as a body-refining warrior.
"Next match: Gao Han versus Wei Ying!"
The time had come for Gao Han to fight—against a fellow sect member, Wei Ying. Wei Ying's heart swelled with triumph. This time I shall erase my humiliation. No matter how strong you are, Gao Han, you cannot defeat me. You are dead.
Nian Hua smiled bitterly and sighed. "Junior Brother Han, I know you are powerful. But for the sect's honor, please concede victory to Junior Brother Wei. He is a third-layer True Essence cultivator and may achieve a higher ranking."
Nian Hua was willing to cast aside Gao Han for the sect's reputation. Around him, several Misty Sect disciples nodded in agreement. In their eyes, Gao Han, for all his strength, was only a first-layer True Essence cultivator, while Wei Ying stood at the third layer—surely superior.
Wei Ying glanced at Gao Han with contempt. Trash is always abandoned when it matters. Now you shall see who the sect truly values.
Gao Han first smiled faintly, then his face turned icy, his eyes as cold and vast as a winter sky, freezing all who met his gaze.
"Victory shall be decided by strength alone," he said, his voice cutting through the air like a bitter wind. "If he defeats me, the chance is his. If he falls, do not blame me for showing no mercy."
Without another glance at their contemptible faces, Gao Han vanished from sight, reappearing on the arena in an instant.
Nian Hua's face darkened. Gao Han had defied him so arrogantly, spurning his goodwill. "Arrogant fool! Do you think yourself invincible?"
Wei Ying's joy grew. He had feared Nian Hua might intervene if he tortured Gao Han, as he had done before. But Gao Han's insolence had turned Nian Hua against him—now there would be no restraint.
Eager to begin his torment, Wei Ying rushed onto the arena without a word of greeting, grinning maliciously at Gao Han.
In the stands, Ling Mei said to the fuming Nian Hua, "Senior Brother Nian, pay him no mind. Gao Han will suffer for his arrogance. We all know you acted for his good—and for the sect's."
Ling Mei spoke the truth. Nian Hua held no personal favoritism; he and Wei Ying were barely on friendly terms. Within the Misty Sect, the Drifting Rain Peak ranked second only to the Misty Peak, and rivalry between the two was fierce, often erupting into open skirmishes.
Wei Ying was one of the most frequent tormentors of Misty Peak disciples. Nian Hua bore him deep resentment, not friendship.
He had urged Gao Han to concede for two reasons: first, he could see Wei Ying's malice and feared Gao Han would be humiliated; second, Misty Peak disciples placed the sect above all else. Despite his hatred for Wei Ying, the man would be an asset to the sect, so he could not afford to let him fall.
Perhaps the Misty Peak had grown accustomed to authority, making his tone overly harsh. Combined with Gao Han's innate pride, conflict had been inevitable.
High atop the witness platform, Gu Manxing, the Gu clan's ancestral elder, scowled. "Why has Gao Han not faced a single Gu clan disciple? My grandson's injury was for nothing!"
Li Changtian looked on in surprise. When had Gao Han made an enemy of the Gu clan? Only after Situ Wei explained the whole affair did he understand.
Li Changtian laughed loudly. "I fear your Gu clan disciples will only be crippled again by my Misty Sect's Gao Han. Will you pick another quarrel then?"
Hu Ziyan stepped forward with a wave. "Nonsense. I will vouch for the Gu clan. If Gao Han yields to the Gu clan's disciples, the Gu clan shall offer no retaliation."
Li Changtian frowned. This did not sound like Gao Han at all. He had defied even Li Changtian himself when Zheng Yunfeng of the Drifting Wind Peak had wronged him; he would never submit so easily.
Situ Wei, seeing Hu Ziyan evade talk of compensation, spoke up with a sly smile. "If a Gu clan disciple loses, the Gu clan shall pay Gao Han one million taels in compensation."
Li Changtian nodded in understanding. "That sounds more like him."
The Spirit Fusion elders broke into cold sweats. All had heard the terms now, watching Gu Manxing with amusement.
Gu Manxing burned with resentment. Curse you, old Hu! Why broadcast this? Now I cannot back out even if I wish.
Yet for the Gu clan's future, he pressed on. He had heard Gao Han was merely sixteen years old and had reached the first layer of True Essence, rising from the early ninth layer of Qi Condensation to the peak first layer of True Essence in just one month—a speed unrivaled in the realm.
His combat prowess was equally terrifying: he had defeated True Essence cultivators easily at the Qi Condensation realm, wielding power equivalent to a second-layer True Essence warrior. Now that he had entered the True Essence realm, Gu Manxing believed he could match third-layer experts.
A prodigy of this caliber, if bent to the Gu clan's will, could elevate the clan to the pinnacle of the Spirit Kingdom within years, and perhaps dominate the entire realm in decades to come.
With grim resolve, Gu Manxing turned to the other elders. "If you agree that Gao Han shall duel Gu Ye, the Gu clan's greatest prodigy, regardless of today's outcome, my clan shall add two million taels to the prizes for first and second place. Do we have a deal?"
Jian Wuxiang, Li Changtian, and Duan Muhua fell into thought. Only a handful of warriors could claim first place, and each believed their own disciple the most likely victor—whoever won would gain immense reward.
Silver, however, was mortal wealth; two million taels meant little to these great powers. Seeing their hesitation, Gu Manxing steeled himself. As the saying went, one must risk bait to catch a fish. His ring glinted, and a small pill appeared in his palm. "And this—will this convince you?"
The elders gasped. Jian Wuxiang could barely contain his shock. "A Condensing Solid Pill!"
The Condensing Solid Pill, as its name suggested, stabilized cultivation, pairing perfectly with the Foundation Gathering Pill. The latter granted rapid, explosive growth in power, but often left one's foundation shallow and unstable—a fatal flaw for any warrior.
The Condensing Solid Pill remedied this perfectly, consolidating one's cultivation. The two pills were a match made in heaven.
Regaining his composure, Jian Wuxiang said calmly, "I agree. What say the rest of you?"
Duan Muhua smiled faintly. "I too agree."
The Hu and Lu clans understood the Gu clan's gambit but stood united, offering their assent.
Situ Wei and Zheng Mufeng agreed as well. Originally, Gao Han would have faced retaliation if he lost. Now the Gu clan would pay dearly—and they did not believe Gao Han would lose.
After a moment's thought, Li Changtian said, "You must announce these additional rewards publicly."
Gu Manxing, relieved they had accepted, nodded at once.
And so the first-place prize was expanded to two low-grade swords, three million taels of silver, one low-grade storage ring, one Foundation Gathering Pill, and one Condensing Solid Pill.
Such a reward would drive countless warriors in the realm to madness.