Chapter 126: Contest (2)

***Wooo!-

“How insane.”

“I never imagined witnessing such a spectacle in my lifetime.”

“Well now. Who did you bet on?”

“My money’s on that sword-wielding lass over there.”

“The one with the starlight armor?”

“Yeah. I reckon she might be the favorite to win. Doesn’t seem like she’s shown her full strength yet.”

“I’ll say, you are clueless. Did you see that girl with the peculiar green mask? She finished her opponent with a single blow before they could even move.”

“That’s just her fancy objects I’m telling you.”

“Good grief. You clearly don’t have an eye for proper fights!”

Despite their bickering, the two spectators were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

This was possibly the biggest festival in the history of the Northern Continent, uniting cultivators and mortals alike no less.

The colossal arena, carved from an entire mountain, stretched beyond sight, teeming with spectators. Their roars drowned out all else.

Thousands of floating rectangular screens broadcast the action, while fireworks and thunderous music electrified the atmosphere.

Pop-pop-boom!

Wooo!!

The competition, kicking off with a dazzling fireworks display, was heating up and offering an endless array of marvels.

The extravagance defied belief, even considering the Northern Continent’s recent rapid progress.

“Sweet N Spicy Tornado Potatoes and Black Water for sale!”

“Scalped tickets for the direct viewing seats!”

“Sweet snacks, fried chicken! We’ve got everything! Just one inferior-grade Spiritual Stone each!”

Had there ever been a festival of this scale?

Slack-jawed mortals reveled in their brush with Immortality, while cultivators found themselves utterly captivated by sights far removed from their usual austere training.

Of course, for Karlstein, all this served only to elicit a sigh.

“How’d things come to this…”

He shook his head, clutching his forehead as he surveyed the arena from his vantage point.

“Wasn’t it just yesterday that they were raising hell, demanding we cancel this immediately?”

Milo avoided Karlstein’s gaze.

“I did not say or do anything, Your Majesty.”

Bravado was his initial response.

“You, of all people, should have intervened!”

“Y-Your Majesty!”

Though he quickly crumbled.

“You lot… I swear.”

Karlstein sighed, unable to tear his eyes away from the arena beyond the glass wall.

This was the ultra-VVIP box, constructed entirely of glass to overlook the arena. Naturally, those outside could not see in.

“A woman’s heart may be fickle, but this is just…”

The woman in starlight-like armor and the girl wearing a full-face gas mask stood in the arena. Karlstein struggled to believe that these were the same women who had seethed with icy rage over the contest. He focused intently on their matches, though with an incredulous look.

“Why?”

Moments ago, they had vehemently demanded the contest’s cancellation. Now they led the charge, reveling in the event more than anyone else. Could they be plotting some greater mischief?

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“…”

A competitor’s defensive Dharma Tool was sliced clean through by a sword strike imbued with faint starlight. Another participant was blasted out of bounds, struck by thousands of invisible bullets at the match’s start.

“…”

Maxien and Camilla were currently wielding Ether.

“How?”

Karlstein was roughly aware that their Avatars somewhat differed from his own.

“Well sir… Their Avatars were apparently crafted from recently acquired Sacred Relics. Although… they are single-use, do not feature logging out, and have limited durability…”

“Aria relinquished those…?”

Judging by Milo’s gloomy expression, it seemed a fair bit of significant backdoor dealing had occurred. Knowing Aria’s personality, she must have driven a hard bargain.

“Even so, this is excessive.”

Karlstein shook his head, while Milo’s body language screamed injustice.

“Your Majesty…”

***As confused as Karlstein was, there was a group of cultivators equally perplexed at the topmost VIP viewing box in the arena. This section was filled with Nascent Soul cultivators.

“What is happening here?”

“I’m at a loss myself…”

Grave expressions dominated as they each sought solutions to the situation.

“Junior Sister Hong’s elimination is shocking…”

“If only Senior Sister Zhen had given it her all.”

“Tell Sister Ling she may use our sect’s treasures.”

They watched several matches intently, concern etched on their faces.

Just then, the participant in starlight armor defeated an Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Woooo-

The boisterous cheering in the general stands contrasted with the VIP box’s somber atmosphere.

“…”

“Did she appear to use her full strength?”

“I’m… also unsure.”

“I suppose I shouldn’t expect much from a mere Core Formation cultivator like you.”

Nascent Soul cultivators, having achieved prideworthy feats on the Great Dao, commanded universal respect. Possessing the pinnacle of status, they could even establish sects at will.

Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators rarely appeared in public, as every action impacted their reputation. Yet, everyone in the VIP box was undoubtedly among the elite of the Northern Continent.

Or so it should have been.

“Can anyone identify their Dharma Treasures?”

“Is it… Spiritual Power?”

“A kind of Spiritual Power even we cannot comprehend…”

“Goodness…”

“They’re unstoppable.”

The cultivators were utterly bewildered by the chaotic turn of events.

***Meanwhile, Maxien and Camilla were realizing the fights were harder than anticipated.

“…This isn’t easy.”

“Wheeze-Wheeze-…”

Their intense focus on the contest revealed the caliber of their opponents. Both women were giving their all.

I can’t lose.

I’ll beat everyone, including Maxien!

This was, after all, the selection for Karlstein’s cultivation partner. Even if just for cultivation, wasn’t it still a partner?

Partner, companion, spouse. With such titles at stake, how could they not take this seriously?

How dare they presume to become Karlstein’s partner?

Impudent fools.

The contest was divided into four categories, but from what they heard, the Nascent Soul cultivators’ matches were the main event.

This explained the difficulty. All the cultivators they faced had tricks up their sleeves, and a single misstep could lead to eternal regret.

“I thought I just had to deal with Camilla…”

“Wheeze- It’s not just Maxien…”

Though their Avatars limited their abilities, the conditions were equal for both. As such, it would have been wise to conserve strength to face each other. However…

“I am Zhang Rouhe of the Tranquil Spirit Dao Sect. May I have the honor of a match?”

“I am Hu Yue of Heavenly Rain Valley. There’s no need to hold back.”

Their opponents did not allow such luxury. Not to mention, these cultivators were capable of summoning their Nascent Souls, a small soul entity which could demonstrate power beyond physical limitations.

If I’m not careful…

‘Maxien will laugh at me.

Clearly, both women needed to take things a little more seriously.

***Gnash-

“Worthless, insolent creatures…”

Biting rage materialized as flaming breath.

“Hmph.”

Countless corpses lay piled at the man’s feet, the stench of blood thick in the skies. Yet, he who was responsible for this carnage remained indifferent.

“This should take care of any more nuisances.”

The head of the Spirit Severing female cultivator, who had resisted him to the very end, had just fallen.

Thud.

Her face, frozen in terror even in death, testified to their vast power difference.

Jiao Zhenqing spat on the ground.

“Damn them all.”

The Spirit Severing cultivator had been the problem.

“I never imagined finding a Spirit Severing cultivator in this backwater Lower Realm.”

Gnash-

Normally, in the Lower Realm, environmental factors alone made it difficult to break through to the Spirit Severing Stage, which came after the Nascent Soul Stage.

Even Jiao Zhenqing himself had to suffer numerous restrictions in order to move within the Lower Realm, barely managing Spirit Severing power himself.

Who would have thought my secret tracking technique would prove so useful?

Jiao Zhenqing had hardly imagined finding a Spirit Severing cultivator among these Lower Realm weaklings, let alone falling for their trap.

Had he not wasted a humiliating amount of time because of that?

Even my searching Dharma Tool is broken.

This was a predicament indeed.

“But no matter. I’ll just slaughter them all and be done with it.”

That would naturally resolve his mission. Moreover…

“As luck would have it, it seems they’re all gathered in one place.”

Jiao Zhenqing could at least sense the flow of Spiritual Power.

He summoned his crude treasure, the Blood-Draining Needle. The surrounding red sea vanished into it.

“Surely there can’t be more than two Spirit Severing cultivators around.”

Not only was the probability slim, but last time he had merely been slightly careless in his search. No Spirit Severing cultivator could escape his notice now.

If there had been more, they would not have deployed such an imperfect sealing formation again.

“I’ll kill every last one of them.”

Jiao Zhenqing closed his eyes, chanting a spell. An eye of light appeared between his brows, and he began to perceive a distant scene. He was using Celestial Vision, also known as the eye of the sky.

As the technique activated, he began to see a place where immense Spiritual Power was concentrated.

“…A festival?”

Jiao Zhenqing’s gut twisted, a vein twitching at his temple. But only for a moment.

A deep smile spread across his face.

“Haha. While you fools make merry, your only hope lies crushed.”

Nothing could stop him now that he had finished off the lone Spirit Severing cultivator. This time, he had even cleaned up all the Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators he previously marked.

“Very well. I too shall indulge in this festival.”

Jiao Zhenqing lifted off, flying leisurely towards his target.

Pshhhh-

He unleashed the sea of blood around him once more.