Chapter 1123: 晋入前十

“Ouyang fellow Daoist, you flatter me. Your junior is also quite good, though their methods are a bit heavy-handed,” Wang Changsheng said politely, as both parties exchanged compliments.

Following Wang Changsheng's gaze, on a certain arena, Ouyang Yuerong was completely enveloped in crimson flames, transforming most of the platform into a sea of fire. Before long, the flames dispersed, revealing a scantily clad young female cultivator lying in a steaming large pit, her aura weak.

“I don't think so,” Zhang Wuchen said nonchalantly. “Swords and blades have no eyes. If one holds back, wouldn't that give the opponent an opportunity? While it's said to stop when victory is clear, accidents are inevitable.” Wang Changsheng smiled faintly, offering no rebuttal.

On another arena, a beautiful young woman in a green dress controlled nine green flying swords, releasing a dense volley of green sword energy towards Zhang Hongwu. Zhang Hongwu remained unhurried. With a flick of her jade hand, a delicate, small green bell appeared in her grasp.

*Clang, clang, clang!* Three bell tolls rang out, and visible rings of green sound waves swept forth. All the green sword energy disintegrated upon contact with the green sound waves, vanishing like snow melting in spring.

The green-dressed girl frowned. Just as she was about to take other action, a house-sized colossal fireball hurtled towards her from the opposite side. She scoffed lightly, flicked her wrist, and a large expanse of green sword energy shot out, shattering the giant fireball into fragments, scattering sparks.

A flash of green light appeared above her head, and a massive green bell materialized. With a gentle sway, it unleashed a broad stream of green sound waves. The green-dressed girl's protective spiritual light shattered instantly, and her body exploded into a rain of blood, a truly gory sight.

“Zhang Hongwu wins.” Ouyang Hongsheng frowned slightly and said to Zhang Wuchen, “Madam Zhang, please instruct your clansmen to avoid taking lives if possible. It damages goodwill and isn't good for anyone.”

Over a thousand cultivators participated, and now only forty remain. These forty cultivators have a high chance of advancing to the Core Formation stage. Since Zhang Hongwu killed her opponent, Ouyang Hongsheng could not ignore it.

“I'll speak with her right away, but as I said, blades have no eyes, so it's difficult to guarantee such things.” Zhang Wuchen readily agreed, but judging by her tone, she didn't take it seriously, perhaps harboring other intentions.

Wang Youwei had bad luck, being matched against Huangfu Yu, a Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator. He conjured his magical artifact and struck Huangfu Yu's arm, producing a dull clang of metal. Even his puppet beast couldn't harm Huangfu Yu.

Huangfu Yu wore a pair of golden gauntlets on his hands, his expression indifferent, with a hint of playful mockery in his eyes.

“Heh heh, now it's my turn.” Huangfu Yu chuckled and charged towards Wang Youwei, becoming a blur.

“I concede!” Wang Youwei shouted loudly, simultaneously conjuring a blue shield to block in front of him.

Since neither his magical artifact nor his puppet beast could harm Huangfu Yu, Wang Youwei's chances of winning were slim. Moreover, Huangfu Yu was a key protégé of the Huangfu family. Crippling or killing him would create a mortal enmity between the Wang and Huangfu families. Knowing he couldn't control the outcome precisely, Wang Youwei simply conceded.

Most Foundation Establishment cultivators who had faced Huangfu Yu in combat had suffered severe injuries. Knowing his odds were low, Wang Youwei naturally wouldn't risk a reckless fight. One must have self-awareness; face is trivial compared to life itself. A true man knows when to yield and when to push forward.

No sooner had he spoken than Huangfu Yu was before Wang Youwei. His gleaming golden fist smashed into the blue shield, instantly shattering it into pieces. With a muffled thud, Wang Youwei's defenses completely crumbled. He was sent flying backward, spitting out a large mouthful of blood, his face turning pale.

“Huangfu Yu wins!” Following the referee's loud announcement, Huangfu Yu triumphantly leaped off the arena.

“Uncle Youwei, are you alright?!” Wang Jiyun rushed onto the stage and helped Wang Youwei up.

Wang Youwei's gaze was grim. He had already conceded, yet Huangfu Yu still struck him, clearly intending to make an example of him and warn other opponents.

“I'm fine, but that guy is truly monstrous. I hope Huaxuan doesn't encounter him,” Wang Youwei's voice was weak, and his face was drained of color.

“Yu'er, that child, doesn't know when to hold back. Young people are just impulsive,” Huangfu Rui sighed, clearly defending Huangfu Yu.

“Indeed! Young people can be a bit impulsive. We've all been through that, so it's understandable.” Wang Changsheng's tone was calm. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, he wouldn't harbor resentment against the Huangfu family over such a minor incident.

The Treasure Competition was essentially a way for various powers to showcase their strength. Wang Changsheng was curious about Zhang Hongwu's spiritual physique. High-level cultivators would use secret arts to conceal the aptitudes of their most talented disciples, making it difficult for other cultivators to discern their spiritual physique unless the individual revealed it themselves.

This round of competition swiftly concluded, with twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators advancing to the next round. The remaining twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators would compete further, with the winners joining the top thirty.

This time, Wang Huaxuan's opponent was a burly, broad-shouldered man with a dark face. The dark-faced man possessed a cultivation of Foundation Establishment Layer Eight, his muscles bulging and brimming with power.

As soon as the match began, the dark-faced man conjured a black long staff. After infusing it with spiritual power, the staff glowed intensely, manifesting numerous staff shadows. With the force of a collapsing mountain, they slammed directly towards Wang Huaxuan. If struck by these heavy staff shadows, Wang Huaxuan would be severely injured, if not killed.

Wang Huaxuan's figure blurred, transforming into an afterimage, heading straight for the dark-faced man. The dark-faced man's attack missed its target, and a small portion of the arena was smashed to smithereens by the heavy staff shadows, sending dust flying.

Relying on his agile movements, Wang Huaxuan darted erratically around the arena. The dark-faced man, despite his raw strength, found himself unable to contend with Wang Huaxuan.

Given Wang Huaxuan's Wind-attribute Special Spiritual Root, the dark-faced man truly could not match his speed.

After less than a quarter of an hour, the dark-faced man was panting heavily. Wang Huaxuan suddenly appeared behind him, flicked a finger, and a dazzling green light shot out, piercing into the dark-faced man's body.

The dark-faced man's limbs bent uncontrollably, as if an invisible giant hand had seized his arms and legs—it was the Wind Binding Technique. Numerous black spiritual紋 appeared on the dark-faced man's body, and he struggled free from the Wind Binding Technique. However, a green flood dragon descended from the sky, pressing the dark-faced man to the ground with its massive claws, rendering him immobile.

“Wang Huaxuan wins.” The referee announced Wang Huaxuan's victory, and only then did the green flood dragon release its claws.

On a certain arena, Chen Yunhai swung his right hand towards the void. Countless surges of seawater emerged, suddenly transforming into a five to six-zhang-sized blue fist shadow that struck towards his opponent.

After a deafening roar, the opponent's defenses completely shattered. They were sent flying backward, continuously spitting blood.

“Chen Yunhai wins.”

This round of competition swiftly concluded. Ouyang Yuerong, Huangfu Yu, Zhang Hongwu, Chen Yunhai, Feng Yunyang, Wang Huaxuan, Ouyang Mingli, Ouyang Mingshuang, Ouyang Yurou, and Ouyang Yulin—these ten individuals would compete for the top ten positions. Wang Youwei also won his match, joining ten other Foundation Establishment cultivators who would contend for positions twenty-one through thirty.