The next day!
At the hour of Chen!
The five prodigies!
The closed-door disciples of the eight thousand grand elders!
The twelve thousand inner disciples!
And the elites among the sixty thousand outer disciples gathered at the Dao Sect's training ground!
They were all to participate in today's grand competition!
And to obtain fortuitous encounters!
Nearly two hundred thousand people converged on the training ground, a magnificent spectacle!
"Junior Brother Xuanyuan, I truly didn't expect you to participate in this grand competition. I recall you never cared for such matters before!" the Second Holy Son, Yang Tu, a man two meters tall, asked with a half-smile.
The Dao Sect held countless competitions of various scales every year, with generous rewards.
Yet, Xuanyuan Yue had never participated before.
His sudden entry this time piqued curiosity.
The other two prodigies were Geng Rao!
And Lu Yuqiu!
Though they spoke little, their eyes were filled with curiosity.
They had not witnessed Xuanyuan Yue and Ao Hanye's spar, but they had heard about it.
And upon hearing it, they were all astonished.
They had never imagined Xuanyuan Yue would change so much after his marriage!
"Xuanyuan Yue, if you fall into my hands during the competition, I swear I will wash away this disgrace!" Ao Hanye's killing intent was undisguised.
Chen Nan: "You mean to add insult to injury, don't you?"
"We'll see!" Ao Hanye snorted coldly. He had already broken through to the peak of the sixth level of Nascent Soul and, with his talent for defeating opponents of higher cultivation, he was confident he could trample Chen Nan.
Roar!
Accompanied by a deafening dragon's roar!
A thousand-meter-long azure dragon flew into the sky!
The terrifying dragon's might sent tremors of unease through many disciples with shallower cultivation.
Zhou Daoyuan, clad in a green robe, stood atop the dragon's head!
Eight elders, including Ye Hongyi, stood behind him.
Zhou Daoyuan looked down and declared, "The Dragon's Nest is opening. This is a once-in-a-millennium grand event for our Dao Sect. According to tradition, one thousand disciples are allowed to enter the Dragon's Nest to seek fortuitous encounters when it opens."
"However, due to the blessings upon our Dao Sect, not every disciple can enter the Dragon's Nest. Hence, this grand competition today!"
"The grand competition is divided into three rounds!"
"The first round tests perseverance!"
"Those with exceptional perseverance may proceed to the second round!"
As he spoke, a large porcelain bowl appeared in his hand!
Whoosh!
The porcelain bowl flew out, its opening facing down.
"Master, is the first trial related to this bowl?" the Third Holy Son, Geng Rao, inquired.
Zhou Daoyuan smiled and said, "See, isn't this bowl large and round?"
In the next second, a terrifying divine might swept across the land, enveloping everyone below.
Many were caught off guard and collapsed to the ground.
Zhou Daoyuan stated, "This bowl is called the Qiankun Bowl. It can contain a world within itself! The divine might within will be adjusted according to your respective realms. Whoever can persist until only ten thousand people remain will qualify for the next round!"
This test, seemingly simple, presented a significant challenge to everyone present.
Let alone ordinary disciples, even Chen Nan's expression grew solemn.
Perhaps due to his peak Nascent Soul cultivation, the divine might he felt was far more intense than others.
Fortunately, his physical body was formidable, allowing him to endure.
Thump!
Thump!
As time passed, more and more people on the field succumbed to the divine might and fell into a stupor.
This assessment was destined to be brutal.
Approximately two hundred thousand participants, yet only ten thousand spots were available!
A mere twenty-to-one probability.
However, because the Qiankun Bowl could release varying levels of heavenly might based on each individual's realm, this was a remarkably fair competition.
"Senior Sister, your disciple shows good perseverance!" an elder remarked, looking at Ye Hongyi.
Ye Hongyi: "This grand competition, Yue'er will come in first!"
The crowd's mouths twitched upon hearing this.
What was happening?
Were they going to cheat?
An elder stated, "Senior Sister, the grand competition is fair, just, and open. We should not engage in foul play. If you intentionally hold back, it would be an injustice."
"Indeed, such actions would be detrimental to the sect's unity!"
Ye Hongyi let out a stern cold snort, "What I mean is, Yue'er can win first place, not by you intentionally holding back!"
An elder shook his head dismissively, "Although Xuanyuan Yue's previous performance was surprising, it only showcased his formidable physique! To claim first place will be difficult."
Another elder chimed in, "Precisely. While I admire Xuanyuan Yue greatly, to win first place in this grand competition requires not only extraordinary perseverance but also profound cultivation and extensive combat experience!"
"Especially combat experience, which everyone else possesses, but Xuanyuan Yue somewhat lacks."
Several elders voiced their opinions, not optimistic about Xuanyuan Yue's chances.
------
The competition began at the hour of Chen and concluded at sunset.
The remaining ten thousand disciples on the field appeared weak and utterly exhausted.
This was true for the so-called prodigies and Holy Sons, as well as the outer disciples.
Many even disregarded their appearances, lying sprawled on the ground, greedily drawing in air.
"Congratulations on qualifying for the second round!"
Zhou Daoyuan announced, "The assessment for the second round is simple!"
He formed a hand seal, and a spatial portal appeared within the Qiankun Bowl: "This is an independent small world. I have arranged for two thousand Dragon Scale Tokens to be hidden within. Whoever can obtain a Dragon Scale Token and successfully bring it back will pass!"
"The time limit is twelve hours!"
"When the time is up, the small world will automatically close!"
This round tested individual fortune, as well as strength!
One could not afford to be lacking in either.
The rules were straightforward, yet the difficulty was significant.
Finding the Dragon Scale Token itself depended on individual fortune, let alone bringing it back!
This heavily relied on personal strength.
"Very well, the competition begins. You may now enter the small world!" Zhou Daoyuan said indifferently, and in an instant, countless disciples flew into the small world.
Chen Nan also entered the small world immediately!
"Hmm? I can't fly here?"
Upon entering the small world, Chen Nan's body faltered in mid-air.
If he hadn't reacted quickly, he would have crashed to the ground!
"The Dao Sect's competition rules are fair to everyone. If flight were not restricted here, cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage would have no hope of finding Dragon Scale Tokens!"
Nascent Soul cultivators were considered incredibly powerful compared to those in Foundation Establishment or even Golden Core stages.
If there were no restrictions here, ordinary disciples would have no chance to participate.
Seeing the dense crowd of figures disappearing into the forest ahead, Chen Nan also began to move.
However!
His luck was abysmal!
Utterly terrible!
After more than an hour, he hadn't even seen what a Dragon Scale Token looked like.
"I come from the mortal world, not a native of this world!"
"The heavenly laws here inherently reject me, so why would they grant me any fortuitous encounters?"
"Searching for Dragon Scale Tokens is an unrealistic endeavor for me."
Chen Nan sighed inwardly.
But if he couldn't obtain a Dragon Scale Token, he couldn't complete the grand competition, nor could he enter the Dragon's Nest.
With this thought, a clever idea struck him, a hint of intriguing glint flashing in his eyes: "Since I can't find Dragon Scale Tokens myself, borrowing them from others shouldn't be too much of an issue, right?"