The presiding monk raised his hand and said with a smile,
"Since there are no objections, let the competition begin."
"The Jade Pool Immortal Realm is just above your heads."
Hearing this, the cultivation geniuses standing on the Sacred Ladder all looked up at the sky simultaneously, including Xu Mu.
Above them, clouds rolled, and dazzling golden rays pushed outwards on both sides, like a scroll unfolding. At the very center of the scroll, nestled among green mountains and clear waters, birds sang and flowers bloomed amidst a hazy mist. In the middle, crystal clear pool water surged and flowed.
"So beautiful!"
Upon seeing the scene before them, everyone's hearts trembled. Was this the legendary Jade Pool Immortal Realm, like a paradise on earth, so clean it seemed no one had ever set foot there.
"We are to fight in a place like this?"
A young cultivator, seeing the Jade Pool Immortal Realm for the first time, after being amazed by the scenery, asked the old monk somewhat hesitantly.
"Yes, it is here." The old monk smiled slightly and then continued to explain, "Don't worry, this Jade Pool Immortal Realm is one of the eight polluted lands. Its internal spatial structure is stable, possessing its own supreme rules. Any degree of damage will be restored after the secret realm is closed."
"Moreover, you will not be in any danger, because the area you will be fighting in is merely an inconspicuous corner of this immortal realm. We judges will oversee the entire process. If any accident occurs, we will immediately intervene to rescue you."
Hearing this, the people present also nodded in relief. Forbidden lands were terrifying, but not so terrifying as to make all of them retreat. This was because humans still ruled this world!
Seeing that no one had any further questions, the old monk smiled and said, "In that case, let the final decisive battle commence."
As he spoke, he waved his hand.
Buzz...
With a buzzing sound that shook heaven and earth, holy light slowly condensed at the end of the Sacred Ladder, where Xu Mu stood on the hundredth sacred platform, forming a higher-tier ladder.
The end of the ladder led directly to the Jade Pool Immortal Realm.
Xu Mu gazed at the stairs before him, narrowed his eyes, and glanced back at the old monk. The latter was also looking at him kindly, with a hint of encouragement in his eyes.
"Little one, step onto it."
Hearing this, Xu Mu turned, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the ladder.
Nothing happened.
Thus, as he had done before, Xu Mu walked with ease, one step at a time, ascending towards the heavens, and soon entered the Jade Pool Immortal Realm.
Behind him, many other geniuses began to ascend the ladder. Although they held reverence for the Jade Pool Immortal Realm, none of them were afraid; at most, they were apprehensive.
Furthermore, Xu Mu had already entered. Could any of them back out now?
Everyone moved quickly. There was no oppressive force on these stairs to hinder them, so in a blink of an eye, all of them appeared in the immortal realm.
"Except for the two who have immunity, all of you will fight in order, from head to tail. The third will fight the five hundredth, the fourth will fight the four hundred and ninety-ninth, and so on. You will continue to fight according to the rules until the top thirty-two seats are decided."
The old monk's phantom appeared in the Jade Pool Immortal Realm. His voice, ancient and suddenly dignified, boomed, "The Myriad Races Alliance, final round."
"Now, begin!"
Rumble!
Within the Jade Pool Immortal Realm, the ground shook violently. The entrance they had used slowly closed, signifying that before the end of this round, no one could leave, unless eliminated or voluntarily crushed their jade slip.
"Such beautiful scenery, I do not wish to spoil it with my own hands. Who wants to go first?" Chen Changkong said lightly. According to the order, he should have been the first to fight, but the rules did not forbid delay.
"In that case, let's do it, no need to waste time." Zhou Jie cracked his knuckles, making a clicking sound, and glared at a young man in the crowd, a blinding number, four hundred and ninety-eight, floating above his head.
He had ranked fourth in the previous round. With Xu Mu and Zuo Mingqiu exempt, he had naturally moved up to second place. According to the rules, he was to fight the second to last ranked participant of this round.
"Why the rush? If Chen Changkong doesn't want to fight first, then let me!" Xuanyuan Shennian stepped forward, her jade-like legs straight. Her thick eyebrows were filled with icy resolve. She looked at the man ranked four hundred and ninety-eighth and said, "Come and fight!"
The man's expression turned grave. He raised his great axe and stepped forward, standing opposite Xuanyuan Shennian by the Jade Pool fountain.
"I am Murong Tianhai of the Murong Clan of Gusu. Miss Xuanyuan, please enlighten me!"
The man said, and before Xuanyuan Shennian could reply, he roared and charged forward with his great axe. His steps were enormous, as heavy as an elephant on the prairie, causing ripples to spread across the surface of the nearby lake.
The many observing cultivators watched with solemn expressions. They knew that Murong Tianhai's awakened ability was likely related to his physique, exerting pressure through sheer force.
Seeing this, a supremely noble golden light flowed in Xuanyuan Shennian's eyes. She conjured a long halberd in her hand, stirring up the wind and clouds in the void. With an incredibly terrifying aura, she swept outwards, clashing head-on with the great axe.
CRACK!
With a swing of her halberd, the heavens and earth were shaken. Xuanyuan Shennian, like a Valkyrie, smashed the great axe into the ground. Under the immense force, Murong Yunhai's shoulder was dislocated, and he was shocked.
"How is this possible? Aren't you a practitioner of Stellar Dao cultivation? Why are you so strong!"
Murong Yunhai exclaimed, dropping his great axe. He stared at Xuanyuan Shennian with horror.
He simply could not believe that this woman of the Xuanyuan clan possessed such high attainments in physical strength. The power transmitted through that halberd was like crushing him!
Before this, he had also seen Xuanyuan Shennian pluck stars from the sky and confront the two great geniuses Dongfang Yuchu and Zheng Fang head-on, holding her own in Daoist magical power and abilities, which was simply horrifying!
"Nothing to be surprised about." Xuanyuan Shennian spoke no further, drawing her halberd from the ground. With a loud boom, it transformed into a bright stellar trajectory, gathering immense terrifying power as it charged towards the man.
The man looked terrified and quickly raised his hands in surrender, "Stop, stop quickly, I surrender!"
Xuanyuan Shennian, hearing this, did not cease her attack. The halberd in her hand was terrifying. With a series of heavy booms, the man, along with the mountain behind him, was pierced through by this single strike.
"Why... didn't... you... stop?"
Murong Yunhai's chest was pierced by the halberd and pinned to the mountain. A large hole was also shattered in the mountain behind him. His eyes were filled with horror as he stared incredulously at Xuanyuan Shennian.
He had clearly said he surrendered, so why didn't she stop?
Clang!
Xuanyuan Shennian said nothing. She pulled the halberd from the man's body with one hand. Behind her, the sound of metal falling to the ground echoed.
When she turned around, she saw that the great axe she had personally driven into the ground was now here.
Of course, it hadn't flown there on its own; the man had controlled it to attack Xuanyuan Shennian.
"This Murong Yunhai is truly a despicable fellow. He kept saying he would surrender but secretly controlled his axe to attack Xuanyuan Shennian. If Xuanyuan hadn't sensed it and fallen for it, he might have truly won this round!"
In the crowd, a genius cultivator scoffed at the man, saying. These onlookers had witnessed the entire event from the side and naturally knew what had happened.
Fortunately, Xuanyuan possessed overwhelming strength. The axe was intercepted by the stellar light that appeared out of nowhere, preventing him from succeeding.
"Alright, it's my turn!"
Zhou Jie cast one last glance at Xuanyuan Shennian, then stepped onto the fighting stage. The young man ranked four hundred and ninety-ninth also took his position, and the two faced each other.
"I am Liang Chen, of the direct lineage of the Liang Clan!" The young man's expression was solemn. Two torrents of red and green condensed around him, swirling together to form a dragon-tiger posture, and he charged towards Zhou Jie.
A trace of cruelty flashed in Zhou Jie's eyes. He said nothing and unleashed a black mist that enveloped Liang Chen, dragging him into a barrier. Liang Chen was forced to split his consciousness, immediately reducing his strength significantly.
"Die!"
After the two had stalemated for several rounds, Zhou Jie seized an opening in one of Liang Chen's clones and unleashed a terrifying Ghostly Woe ability, like a vengeful spirit seeking its life. The tragic and terrifying cries made everyone's scalp tingle.
Liang Chen's three clones were instantly destroyed, and he was severely wounded. Seeing that Zhou Jie had no intention of holding back, he was forced to crush his jade slip, voluntarily choosing to be eliminated.
Instantly, his figure appeared on a white cloud outside the realm, his face ashen. He had been eliminated. After finally making it to the final round, he became the second person to be eliminated.
"If I hadn't met Zhou Jie, I would have had a chance to break into the top hundred!" Liang Chen thought, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His eyes darkened, and he fainted.
"Chen'erβ!"
...