abcnovels
Chapter 65: The Tianyuan Tournament
Chapter 65: The Tianyuan Tournament
Chapter 65: The Tianyuan Tournament
Amidst the bustling atmosphere of the Tianyuan Tournament, crowds from every corner of the world gathered at the immense central arena. Both contestants and spectators fixed their eyes on the towering golden stairway before them, eagerly awaiting the challenge of the ascent.
Elders from various clans, experts in the martial arts, engaged in lively conversation.
"Who do you think will be the first to reach the top?" one elder asked, his voice full of excitement.
"I believe it will be the First Princess of the Immortal Phoenix Emperor Clan, Feng Yi. She has been unparalleled in recent years," one elder confidently replied.
Another elder chimed in, "No, I think it will be Young Master Wen from the Wen Emperor Clan. He possesses the Immortal War Emperor Physique!"
A third elder chuckled. "You both overlook Lin Qingyi. She recently awakened her special physique, the Eternal Frost Immortal Body. I've heard her power is terrifying."
Suddenly, a voice interjected from another group. "Nonsense! Haven't you heard that the Jiang Clan has three geniuses, including Jiang Baitian, the Son of God? I believe one of them will win!"
"I disagree!" another confidently declared. "How could you forget Long Tian, the Son of God from the Dragon Clan? He will claim the highest position!"
The debate among the elders grew more heated until one proposed, "Since we all have differing opinions, why not place bets?"
Everyone exchanged interested glances. "Very well! I'll wager 10 million high-tier Immortal Spirit Stones on Feng Yi!"
"I'll place 10 million on Long Tian!" another quickly responded.
As the betting escalated, the contestants raced to ascend the golden stairway. The tension was palpable, but then, a booming voice interrupted the frenzy.
"I wager 10 billion Immortal Spirit Stones on Mu Zhuyuan!"
Immediately, all eyes turned toward the source of the voice. A man dressed in black stood calmly, an air of authority radiating from him. A plaque on his waist bore the inscription "Elder Protector."
"Who is that? How is he so wealthy?" an elderly man asked.
Someone else murmured, "Could he be from the Fallen Heaven Blood Sect?"
The crowd was stunned, murmuring in confusion. Just as the whispers grew louder, another voice broke through.
"10 billion Immortal Spirit Stones... on Mu Zhuyuan as well."
All eyes shifted again toward the origin of this voice, revealing another man. Someone in the crowd spoke up, "Old Man Lin, you're here too? Why didn't you bet on your granddaughter?"
"I have my faith..." Lin Jia replied calmly.
Confusion and curiosity spread through the crowd, but after a brief moment of tense silence, the betting frenzy resumed. People began wagering on their chosen champions with wild abandon. The contest was no longer limited to climbing the golden stairway; the entire atmosphere buzzed with excitement, as fortunes were now at stake.
The area around the golden stairway became a boiling cauldron of anticipation. Outside the stairway, the crowd's cheers and shouts echoed, while within, the pressure intensified. At the forefront of the climb, Princess Feng Yi of the Immortal Phoenix Emperor Clan led the charge, having reached the 1,251st step. She soared with immense power, but despite being in the lead, she knew better than to relax.
Just behind her, a green-haired woman ascended with a calm, dangerous ease. She wasn't in a hurry, yet there was a sense that she could overtake Feng Yi at any moment.
Feng Yi glanced back and saw nine other competitors close behind. To her surprise, they all bore the insignia of the Fallen Heaven Blood Sect on their waists. A shiver ran through her. She knew this sect belonged to Jiang Yun, and her mind immediately turned to thoughts of him.
"Hmph... You can hide now, but when I grow strong enough, I'll drag you out myself. But how has Jiang Yun trained these people to be so powerful?" she mused, while trying to speed up.
Despite her efforts, Feng Yi's pace began to slow. The further she climbed, the greater the pressure became, making each step more challenging. Eventually, she was overtaken by the group of ten.
She wasn't entirely surprised and silently asked her system, "System, can you check the personal details of these people?"
The system responded immediately, [System will unlock the detection skill once you've upgraded to level 4.]
Feng Yi remained silent for a moment before nodding in understanding. Though she was now in 11th place, she still had hope and determination.
Behind her, Lin Qingyi, Long Tian, Mo Ling, Su Xiaolan, Su Wenzhe, Wei Qinglong, Jiang Baitian, Shen Lihua, and others — all powerful figures — pursued the climb. Some were famed immortals, while others had never appeared in previous competitions, making this gathering of geniuses truly formidable.
Meanwhile, on the 7,412th step, Jiang Feng gazed at the masses ahead of him, shocked by how many had surpassed him. "Am I truly this weak? How are they all so powerful?"
This realization forced Jiang Feng to compose himself. Despite facing the harsh truth, he refused to give up, continuing his steady climb, battling the immense pressure with every step.
Outside the golden stairway, a chorus of excited chatter filled the air. Spectators were shocked by the astonishing speed of some contestants.
"How have some people reached step 9,000 in just 10 minutes? And millions of others have already passed step 5,000! Could the rumors be true?"
On step 8,412, Zi Hao was stressed. The system had tasked him with finishing in the top 100 for this first trial, yet there were still over 30,000 people ahead of him. "Who are these people? How are they so fast?"
Jiang Ting and Jiang Lei, who were on step 8,312, were similarly discouraged. They hadn't expected so many competitors to surpass them so easily. Long Tian, in 12th place, voiced his thoughts aloud.
"I can understand Feng Yi, but who are these ten maniacs? How are they so strong?"
Lin Qingyi, ranked 13th, murmured, "Why do I feel like I know the person in first place? Why does it seem so familiar?"
Meanwhile, outside the stairway, anguished cries arose from the crowd.
"My spirit stones! Why did I bet on the wrong person?"
"No! No! Princess Feng Yi, hurry! I've staked everything on you!"
"I should never have picked the Jiang Clan!" another lamented.
As the crowd outside teetered between excitement and panic, Lin Jia ignored the complaints. He quietly approached a man and sent a secret message. The man was none other than the Samsara Clone.
"Young one... I have something to discuss with you."
The Samsara Clone smiled faintly, and the two exchanged quick, secret words.
...
"My master agrees," the Samsara Clone replied with a mysterious tone.
Lin Jia smiled with satisfaction. "I hope we can become great allies in the future. If the day comes when you are the strongest, I will submit to you!" He laughed loudly and turned to gaze at the monumental stone inscription floating in the sky.
At the Golden Stairway, the fierce and hurried atmosphere remained constant. Everyone climbed with unwavering determination, aiming to advance to the next round of the Tianyuan Tournament. With every step upwards, the pressure increased, relentlessly testing the strength and perseverance of the participants.
At the 9,951st step, 10 individuals from the Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect were in the lead, holding their positions firmly. They not only competed against others but also against each other for the top spot among their ranks.
"Wait for me! Let me get out of the last place!" Chang Qian, one of the ten lagging behind, shouted in frustration. The others laughed, picking up their pace with even more amusement, as if enjoying leaving Chang Qian behind.
Fuming, Chang Qian decided to use her ace in the hole. She shouted cunningly, "Oh no! Someone dropped honey-roasted pork down there!"
Chang Qian's face was full of pride, confident her ploy would make the others halt. However, to her surprise, a crimson flame blazed past her. Feng Yi shot forward with incredible speed, overtaking all the Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect warriors in an instant, closing in on the 10,000th step.
"Damn!" Chang Qian cried in shock as the others turned to watch Feng Yi with astonished gazes.
But then, a soft laugh echoed from another side. Mu Chuyuan, not far away, smirked. She glanced at Feng Yi before saying confidently, "You're too young to compete with me."
In a flash, Mu Chuyuan surged forward at an unbelievable speed. Both Feng Yi and Mu Chuyuan raced fiercely, neither willing to give an inch, while the others were gradually left behind.
All eyes outside the arena were fixated on the two. Cheers and excitement filled the air. "Who will reach the 10,000th step first?" Voices from the crowd grew louder, and the atmosphere was electrifying.
When the two reached the final step, they ascended together. Both Feng Yi and Mu Chuyuan stepped onto the 10,000th step simultaneously! No one could tell who had arrived first. Inside and outside the arena, everyone focused on the sky, which remained empty. The stone inscription, meant to declare the winner, remained silent, offering no answer to the eagerly awaiting crowd.
Everyone stared upward in anticipation. Who would be declared the victor in this round?
"Who was first?" someone in the crowd asked, curiosity growing.
"Princess Feng Yi, please!" Another voice chimed in.
The stone inscription slowly began to glow, revealing engraved characters on its surface. But at the same time, two men who had just finished a conversation turned away and quietly left, as though uninterested in the commotion outside.
"I hope my bet is right," Lin Jia said with a small laugh before disappearing into the mist.
Before the question could be answered, a terrifying voice boomed in everyone's hearts: "Look there."
[Rank 1: Mu Chuyuan, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 14 minutes 30 seconds]
[Rank 2: Feng Yi, Immortal Phoenix Emperor Dynasty, 14 minutes 31 seconds]
[Rank 3: Ming Hai, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 14 minutes 34 seconds]
[Rank 4: Chang Ming, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 14 minutes 35 seconds]
[Rank 5: Chen Wei, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 14 minutes 37 seconds]
[Rank 6: Wang Bai, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 14 minutes 38 seconds]
[Rank 7: Wang He, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 14 minutes 39 seconds]
[Rank 8: Mo Jun, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 14 minutes 53 seconds]
[Rank 9: Gao Yuan, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 14 minutes 54 seconds]
[Rank 10: Long Teng, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 14 minutes 56 seconds]
[Rank 11: Chang Qian, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 15 minutes 02 seconds]
[Rank 12: Long Tian, Immortal Dragon Emperor Clan, 15 minutes 24 seconds]
[Rank 13: Lin Qingyi, Immortal Lin Emperor Clan, 15 minutes 25 seconds]
[Rank 14: Mo Ling, Immortal Demon Emperor Holy Land, 15 minutes 35 seconds]
[Rank 15: Su Xiaolan, Immortal Star Emperor Holy Land, 15 minutes 45 seconds]
[Rank 16: Su Wenzhe, Immortal Star Emperor Holy Land, 15 minutes 46 seconds]
[Rank 17: Wen Lihua, Immortal Wen Emperor Clan, 15 minutes 49 seconds]
[Rank 18: Jiang Bai Tian, Immortal Jiang Emperor Clan, 15 minutes 52 seconds]
[Rank 19: Xue Ting, Xue Clan, 15 minutes 55 seconds]
[Rank 20: Gu Chen - 15 minutes 57 seconds]
[Rank 21: Cui Meng, Fallen Heavenly Blood Sect, 16 minutes 01 second]
...
...
[Rank 30,021: Zi Hao, Immortal Sword Emperor Holy Land, 35 minutes 36 seconds]
[Rank 30,022: Jiang Li, Immortal Jiang Emperor Clan, 35 minutes 37 seconds]
[Rank 30,023: Xiao Chen - 35 minutes 38 seconds]
[Rank 30,024: Jiang Ting, Immortal Jiang Emperor Clan, 35 minutes 39 seconds]
[Rank 30,026: Zhang Xinye, Immortal Winter Emperor Holy Land, 35 minutes 41 seconds]
...
[Rank 30,826: Feng Ling, Immortal Phoenix Emperor Dynasty, 37 minutes 33 seconds]
...
[Rank 40,025: Jiang Feng, Immortal Jiang Emperor Clan, 38 minutes 52 seconds]
...
[Rank 410,000: Gu Qingxue, Immortal Winter Emperor Holy Land, 1 hour 36 minutes 25 seconds]
...
[Rank 430,571: Guan Mengyao, Immortal Winter Emperor Holy Land, 1 hour 37 minutes 30 seconds]
...
[Rank 477,071: Li Dongyu, Immortal Winter Emperor Holy Land, 1 hour 41 minutes 45 seconds]
...
...
[Rank 13,466,463: Ye Chen, Immortal Demon Emperor Holy Land, 2 hours 34 minutes 24 seconds]