The battle continued. With a flash of light, Bixiao appeared beside Tongtian. Startled at first, Bixiao quickly recovered and playfully coaxed Tongtian, "Master, this is so difficult! Who could possibly reach the core for the next round of trials?"
Looking at his most cherished disciple before him, Tongtian laughed and said, "When Yunxiao usually urges you to cultivate, you slack off. Do you know shame now? Look at your two elder sisters, and your eldest brother."
Bixiao pouted coquettishy, "I'm still young, and I'm already a Taiyi Golden Immortal!"
Tongtian smiled, shook his head, and said, "Keep watching."
Bixiao curled her lips, muttered a few words, and turned her attention back to the matches. By now, the disciples still in combat were gradually drawing closer to the core arena, but the resistance they encountered was also growing stronger. The disciples began to converge; some traveled in company to help one another, while others journeyed alone, clearly brimming with confidence in their own strength.
Tongtian looked toward Our Lady of Turtle Spirit. By this time, Our Lady of Turtle Spirit was deeply surrounded by a pack of Desolate Beasts. She cast her turtle shell into the air, and let the Desolate Beasts attack; it merely stirred up ripples without breaking her defense. Her Sun-Moon Pearls and Primordial Sash lashed out continuously, blasting apart Desolate Beast after Desolate Beast. Yet it was like a drop of water in a blazing cartload of firewood—she could never break through the encirclement. Moreover, the Desolate Beasts were gathering in greater numbers, and a war of attrition would inevitably wear her down. Our Lady of Turtle Spirit frowned in secret, racking her brain for a way to escape.
The rest of the disciples arrived at the arena one after another. Below the Mystic Immortal realm, no disciples reached the arena; among the Mystic Immortals, only Lü Yue and Luo Xuan made it. The disciples of the Golden Immortal realm relied on a formation to reach the core, while those at the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm relied on their respective abilities to make it as well. The Daluo disciples arrived in succession, leaving only Our Lady of Turtle Spirit still trapped in the tide of Desolate Beasts. She was practically fuming with rage; she hadn't advanced a single step since entering. Tongtian couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, after all, her plight was too miserable. He laughed uncharitably, and then with a wave of his hand, he plucked her out.
Once she was out, Our Lady of Turtle Spirit looked around and discovered that she was the only Daluo Golden Immortal left outside. Her expression darkened immediately, and she stared resentfully at Tongtian. Tongtian felt thoroughly uncomfortable under her gaze and said to her, "Turtle Spirit, my disciple, Qi fortune is also part of a cultivator's strength. Your Qi fortune was poor this time, and there will surely be subsequent repercussions. You shall not step foot outside Jinao Island for ten thousand years."
Our Lady of Turtle Spirit was already in a foul mood, and hearing this made her feel even worse. In a fit of pique, she turned her head away. Looking at this disciple who had fought to the very last moment in the Myriad Immortals Formation, Tongtian felt a warmth in his heart and silently resolved that he would never let such a thing happen again.
Next, a projection appeared within the small world. He looked at the disciples who had reached the core, nodded, and distributed the rewards. The disciples looked at the pills before them with burning hearts and promptly accepted them.
"The arena tournament will be held in ten years." With that, his figure faded away.
The disciples within the world exchanged unspoken glances, then sat cross-legged one by one to ingest and refine their Golden Cores, hoping to advance their cultivation further and secure a better ranking.
Tongtian waved his hand to infuse spiritual Qi into the small world; otherwise, relying on the small world's own meager production of spiritual Qi, it would be goodness knows when before the disciples inside could recover their cultivation.
Lü Yue and Luo Xuan bowed to their senior brothers and said, "Senior brothers, this junior brother will now make a fool of himself."
Duobao and the others nodded.
Lü Yue and Luo Xuan stepped onto the arena and stood facing each other, the tension thick enough to cut.
Lü Yue wore a black Taoist robe, held the Plague Bell, and wore an icy, expressionless look. He excelled in the manipulation of plague arts, capable of summoning all sorts of virulent viruses and venomous insects that struck terror into the hearts of enemies. Luo Xuan, on the other hand, was clad in a red battle robe and gripped the Flying Smoke Sword, looking dashing and spirited. He excelled in harnessing the power of flames, able to spew blazing infernos that could reduce enemies to ashes.
The two locked eyes, and then struck simultaneously. Lü Yue struck the Plague Bell, and immediately a wave of black plague miasma surged from the bell, sweeping toward Luo Xuan. Refusing to show weakness, Luo Xuan chanted incantations, and the Flying Smoke Sword in his hand instantly transformed into a ferocious fire dragon, lunging claws bared at Lü Yue. The fire dragon and the plague miasma collided in mid-air with a thunderous roar, kicking up a cloud of dust and smoke.
Neither Lü Yue nor Luo Xuan retreated, continuing to unleash their ultimate techniques. Lü Yue summoned countless venomous insects that swarmed toward Luo Xuan, while Luo Xuan spewed raging flames that burned the bugs to ashes. Trading blow for blow, the two fought to a standstill. On the arena, the miasma of plague and the power of flames intertwined, forming a bizarre and spectacular sight, yet all of it was strictly contained within the arena space without a single wispy trace leaking out.
In the end, both Lü Yue and Luo Xuan had consumed vast amounts of magical power and were forced to pause temporarily. Panting heavily, they glared at each other, their eyes filled with wariness and hostility.
Suddenly, Luo Xuan collapsed. After all, Lü Yue's skill was a notch higher, and Luo Xuan fell just short, suffering a regrettable defeat.
Lü Yue stepped forward and drew the plague miasma out of Luo Xuan's body. As it turned out, Lü Yue had relied on the plague miasma entering his opponent's body to disrupt the flow of Luo Xuan's magical power, ultimately securing his victory. Lü Yue pulled Luo Xuan to his feet, exchanged a few polite pleasantries, and stepped down from the arena, leaving the stage to their senior brothers.
The Golden Immortal realm disciples stepped onto the arena. In the one-on-one matches, none could match the third-generation disciples Yu Yuan and Our Lady of Fire Spirit. Even the Ten Celestial Masters were defeated in single combat. Eventually, the two remaining opponents stood facing each other.
Yu Yuan was the personal disciple of Our Lady of Golden Spirit and the Fairy of One Breath of Penglai Island. He had a face like indigo blue, red hair, and tusks, standing a zhang and seven or eight chi tall. He wielded a halberd and possessed the magical treasures known as the Universe Bag and the Heart-Piercing Lock.
Our Lady of Fire Spirit was the personal disciple of Duobao Daoren and the eldest third-generation disciple of Jiejiao. Her face was like a full moon, and her hair was dark as crow's feathers. Atop her head sat a Golden Mist Crown bound by a pair of golden forehead ribbons. She wore a bright red eight-trigram robe, hemp-soled shoes with powder bases, a silk sash around her waist, and held a treasured sword.
Both were third-generation disciples of Jiejiao. Though they usually had little interaction, they each knew the other was not to be trifled with, and they faced the upcoming match with twelve-tenths of their mental focus.
Atop Our Lady of Fire Spirit's head, the Golden Mist Crown cast down golden light to form a protective shield, while simultaneously amplifying her fire-attribute spells. Wielding his halberd and channeling his full magical power, Yu Yuan attacked Our Lady of Fire Spirit. The halberd swept a dazzling arc, the blade whistling with a fierce wind as it struck directly at her face. Relying on the defense of the Golden Mist Crown, Our Lady of Fire Spirit engaged Yu Yuan using the Fire Dragon Awl. The two fought tooth and nail, kicking up swirling sands and plunging the surroundings into gloom.
Ultimately, Our Lady of Fire Spirit spotted a flaw in Yu Yuan's defense and sent the Fire Dragon Awl straight at his back. Yu Yuan swept his halberd horizontally, attempting to block the awl, but unexpectedly the Fire Dragon Awl accelerated, staggering him with a heavy blow. Seizing the opportunity, Our Lady of Fire Spirit knocked Yu Yuan off the arena and claimed victory.
Catching his breath off the stage, Yu Yuan said to Our Lady of Fire Spirit, "Senior sister is formidable, this junior brother concedes defeat."
Our Lady of Fire Spirit returned the courtesy, saying, "Junior brother, you flattered me."
With that, she stepped down from the arena and began regulating her breathing behind Duobao.