While it's not entirely fair, these are the rules; you must find a way to be the last one standing.
Before each contestant stepped onto the stage, an Elder from the City Lord's Mansion checked their bone age, and only those who met the standards were allowed to proceed to the arena.
When it was Qin Chu's turn, the Elder from the City Lord's Mansion carefully sized him up, then nodded slightly, acknowledging him.
This treatment was not afforded to others; this Elder had maintained a stern expression when checking everyone else.
Qin Chu arrived at the large arena in the plaza and then stood to one side.
The plaza now featured a large arena, and in the center of this large arena were the smaller arenas for the upcoming draw and duels.
The rules for the draw duels were that a victor must be determined; only one person could remain in the arena. Being knocked out of the arena meant defeat, as did death or surrender.
After Qin Chu took his position, several more members of the Vermilion Bird Sacred Clan joined the fight, gathering behind Qin Chu. Then, two Loose Cultivators also positioned themselves behind Qin Chu, knowing his prowess and hoping that by following him, they might survive the preliminary rounds.
Seeing that Qin Chu did not drive away the Loose Cultivators, while other factions disdained them, more and more Loose Cultivators began to gather behind Qin Chu.
"Are they a bunch of pigs?" Grand Elder Su, wearing a golden cloak, said to Mei Tianling, who was seated beside him in a special viewing box on the side of the main platform.
"Is this worth getting you, Grand Demoness Su, so agitated?" Mei Tianling said with a smile.
"It's not agitation; I just feel that, by comparison, their Aura and pattern are far inferior, not on the same level," Grand Elder Su said.
Mei Tianling looked in Qin Chu's direction. "How does that saying go? Without comparison, there's no harm. With this comparison, the harm is evident."
Noticing Mei Tianling and Grand Elder Su in the golden cloak looking at him, Qin Chu slightly bowed and cupped his fists towards them. They had both been good to him, a kindness he remembered.
As the Elder from the City Lord's Mansion continued his checks, more and more people gathered in the arena.
The Loose Cultivators all converged behind Qin Chu. The Blazing Thunder Sacred Clan and White Tiger Sacred Clan, realizing the unfavorable situation, were too late to rally the Loose Cultivators. The Black Tortoise Sacred Clan was in the same predicament, with the leading woman continuously staring at Qin Chu.
After Qin Chu withdrew his gaze from Grand Elder Su and Mei Tianling, he looked at no one else. The number of Loose Cultivators behind him grew steadily, quickly exceeding a hundred.
After a moment of thought, Qin Chu turned around. "Since you have chosen to stand behind me, I have something to say: I, Qin Chu, have indeed tricked people, but only my opponents. If you don't stab me in the back, I will not attack you!"
After speaking, Qin Chu closed his eyes. He was exceptionally calm now. The ranking on the Azure Cloud List, personally, he didn't care about, but it concerned the Aura the Vermilion Bird Sacred Clan had invested and the Vermilion Bird Soft Armor, so he had to win.
Half an hour passed, and over five hundred participants for the Azure Cloud List competition had arrived in the arena. Of these five hundred, three hundred would be eliminated in the preliminaries, more than half the total.
"Once the war drums sound, the preliminary round will begin. Life and death are not considered. If you feel you can't continue, step down yourself," Ye Ming said.
As Ye Ming retreated from the main arena, the war drums sounded. At this moment, the forces of the White Tiger Sacred Clan and the Blazing Thunder Sacred Clan charged towards Qin Chu's side, while the forces of the Azure Dragon Sacred Clan moved to attack the Black Tortoise Sacred Clan.
With a shake of his arm, Qin Chu drew his Azure Spirit Sword, then led the Vermilion Bird Sacred Clan members and the Loose Cultivators to charge towards the forces of the White Tiger Sacred Clan and the Blazing Thunder Sacred Clan.
His Level Six Sword Intent erupted, and Qin Chu's Azure Spirit Sword began to slash, launching direct, powerful attacks.
The leading man of the White Tiger Sacred Clan was immediately repelled by Qin Chu.
Having repelled the leader of the White Tiger Sacred Clan, Qin Chu's Sword Qi scattered as he charged into the crowd of the White Tiger Sacred Clan.
Sword Qi crisscrossed, and blood splattered. Qin Chu only needed to focus on the front; his back and sides were protected by the members of the Vermilion Bird Sacred Clan.
Several members of the White Tiger Sacred Clan were cut down in an instant; those not killed were quick to evade.
The Azure Dragon Sacred Clan and the Black Tortoise Sacred Clan also fought fiercely. Shang Shuyu and the leading woman of the Black Tortoise Sacred Clan battled each other, while other clan members clashed, with people constantly falling.
"Is this still the Azure Cloud List competition? This is war; they've brought war onto the arena!" Mei Tianling exclaimed, watching the blood continuously rise on the arena.
The other onlookers shared this sentiment; this was clearly not an arena battle. These factions were fighting to the death, intent on annihilating their opponents.
The most brutal part of the battle was in the area Qin Chu was attacking. The people of the White Tiger Sacred Clan and the Blazing Thunder Sacred Clan were scattered by him; they couldn't stop him. Every strike of his Azure Spirit Sword yielded results.
Suddenly, Qin Chu felt a sense of crisis. At that moment, a figure in a black robe emerged from the crowd beside him, their long sword striking towards Qin Chu like a venomous snake.
With a swing of his Azure Spirit Sword, Qin Chu blocked the strike, but his body was also forced back. The opponent's strike was not only extremely sudden but also unleashed incredibly potent energy.
Spinning in mid-air, Qin Chu noticed the black-clad assailant, who was one of the Loose Cultivators he had led.
As Qin Chu turned, a phantom White Tiger appeared behind the man. After the White Tiger phantom merged with his body, he charged towards Qin Chu.
Qin Chu activated his Sword Spirit Realm, wielding the basic sword techniques enhanced by the Shocking God Sword Art with his Azure Spirit Sword, to defend against the opponent's attack.
"You dare to provoke my White Tiger Sacred Clan? You're not worthy!" The black-clad man's voice carried a chilling killing intent.
Qin Chu frowned. He knew who his opponent was now, and why he was so powerful. The opponent was a member of the White Tiger Sacred Clan, employing their unique White Tiger Soul technique. The White Tiger Soul could be considered a unique skill or a talent, an ability derived from a secondary Bloodline Awakening. The Bloodline Power condensed into a phantom White Tiger, which then materialized its energy and fused with the user, thereby boosting combat power, by at least three layers.
Qin Chu activated his Sacred Flame Sword Wings, increasing his speed, and engaged the man in a rapid exchange of blows.
The various factions observing were quite surprised, as their investigative records contained no mention of such a person in the White Tiger Sacred Clan.
"My younger brother, Shang Tiandu, is twenty years old this year. He awakened the White Tiger Soul at seventeen. Any Genius is trash in front of him; they can just wait for death!" Noticing Lei Tianying's questioning gaze beside him, Shang Tianhua said.
Hearing Shang Tianhua's words, Lei Tianying understood. Shang Tiandu must have been born before the White Tiger Sacred Clan's old Clan Chief was killed. It was normal for the son of the White Tiger Sacred Clan's old Clan Chief to possess outstanding talent.
Neither Qin Chu nor Shang Tiandu were at the Sixth Tier, yet both were fighting while soaring through the air. In the areas affected by their Sword Qi, other contestants had to retreat.
"I, Shang Tiandu, have never met an opponent. Today, you must die!" A faint bloody glow emanated from Shang Tiandu.
"It doesn't matter who you are; no one can block my path!" Qin Chu's Aura changed, becoming profound.
