Leaving behind the vast and towering expanse of the Yanshan Mountains, Haofeng and Limo stepped into the bustling realm of Beiling Province like a pair of wild horses breaking free from their reins. Beiling, a name steeped in ancient legends and boundless treasures, was now displaying the vibrant vitality of the post-spiritual-recovery era in its own unique way. Shops lined both sides of the street, and from the crisp clinking sounds echoing out of weapon-smithing workshops to the faint fragrance of herbs drifting from apothecary shops, everything spoke of prosperity and hope upon this land.
"Have you heard? Beiling Province is holding the first-anniversary Prodigy Tournament for the spiritual recovery in seven days. The prizes—tsk tsk—are simply enough to turn anyone green with envy!" A young cultivator dressed in a cyan robe and holding a folding fan said excitedly to the friend beside him. His words spread like a spring breeze rapidly through the crowd, sparking enthusiastic discussions among the surrounding practitioners.
Haofeng and Limo exchanged a smile, anticipation gleaming in their eyes. Along this journey, enduring wind and rain, making the heavens and earth their home and wild beasts their companions, they had occasionally reaped some rewards, but it was ultimately just a drop in the bucket, hardly enough to support their path toward further cultivation. Now, this sudden Prodigy Tournament had undoubtedly opened a door for them leading toward a higher realm.
"Spirit stones, elixirs, and those legendary medicinal herbs..." Haofeng murmured to himself, his heart already burning with fervor. He knew deeply just how important these resources were to a practitioner. Spirit stones were the foundation of cultivation, capable of accelerating the circulation and condensation of spiritual energy within the body; elixirs were the accelerators on the cultivation path, helping people break through bottlenecks at critical moments; and medicinal herbs were incomparably precious, often containing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, capable of altering one's physique and even bringing about a complete rebirth.
"Let's go sign up!" Limo patted Haofeng on the shoulder, his tone filled with determination. Without any further hesitation, the two weaved through the crowd and hurried toward the registration desk. Along the way, they occasionally heard more information about the tournament: it was said that this tournament was jointly organized by the most powerful sects in Beiling Province, aiming to select the prodigies who had emerged after the spiritual recovery to encourage them, with the hope that they would become the backbone safeguarding this continent in the future.
The registration desk was set up in front of a majestic hall in the center of the city, which was already surging with people and overwhelmingly lively. Squeezing through the crowd, Haofeng and Limo finally reached the registration table. A crystal-clear spirit stone rested upon the table, emitting a faint spiritual glow, clearly used to test the cultivation levels of the registrants.
"Name, age, cultivation level," an elderly man dressed in a long robe asked with piercing eyes and a calm tone.
"Haofeng, twenty-one years old, Foundation Establishment Mid-stage."
"Limo, twenty-five years old, Foundation Establishment Mid-stage."
With their replies, the spirit stone successively lit up with a glow, confirming that their cultivation levels were correct. The man nodded, retrieved two tokens from his sleeve, and handed them to Haofeng and Limo respectively. "These are your competition tokens; please keep them safe. The tournament will be held in seven days, and the specific rules and schedule will be announced in the city square tomorrow."
Receiving the tokens, an inexplicable excitement surged in the hearts of Haofeng and Limo. They knew that the coming period of time would be a critical phase for their preparation and advancement. Thus, the two decided to separate temporarily, each seeking a suitable cultivation spot of their own in hopes of performing better in the tournament.
Haofeng chose a secluded valley where spiritual energy was dense and few people visited—truly a fine place for secluded cultivation. Sitting cross-legged with eyes closed and mind focused, he guided the surrounding spiritual energy to slowly enter his body, circulating it in endless cycles to continuously strengthen the foundation of his spiritual energy. At the same time, he also began trying to comprehend some new techniques and martial arts skills, hoping to win by surprise during the tournament.
As for Limo, he chose a dense forest overrun by monster beasts as his cultivation ground. He knew profoundly that actual combat was the best way to elevate one's cultivation. In the dense forest, he matched wits and courage with various monster beasts, and every single battle gave him a deeper understanding and mastery of his own martial arts skills. Simultaneously, he also acquired quite a few precious materials from the monster beasts, preparing to use them to refine elixirs to aid his cultivation.
The span of seven days passed in the blink of an eye. When the city square of Beiling Province was once again roaring with voices to announce the official start of the tournament, Haofeng and Limo were already brimming with confidence, ready to show off their skills in the arena. They knew that this was not merely a contest of strength and glory, but also an important turning point on their cultivation path. At this very moment, their names would be remembered by practitioners throughout Beiling Province and even the entire continent.