It didn’t take long for the twelve disciples to take their positions.

Standing on top of their respective arenas, they looked down at the rest of the disciples.

Their expressions varied.

Some of them were arrogant and taunted those "lowly" disciples, while others fidgeted awkwardly in place, having never been under the gaze of so many people.

The one who attracted the most attention was neither the ordinary-looking Xiao Huo nor the graceful Huo Ling’er.

Rather, it was Situ Yang.

Not because of his reputation, appearance, or strength, but because of his outrageous behavior.

The moment he stepped onto the arena, he turned around and flashed a sneer at the gathered crowd.

"I’m warning you upfront: you’re all trash! Don’t try to compete with me! Whoever steps into the arena should be ready to face death!"

"Don’t say that I didn’t warn you!", he taunted, resting lazily on his sword as if it were a cane.

His words caused intense displeasure, and a chorus of angry noise erupted.

Although the other disciples admitted that he was the most talented among them, they were all still at the Qi Refining realm for now.

The Spirit Body had yet to reveal its extraordinary characteristics in this realm.

Without fighting, who could truly know who was the strongest?

In the eyes of the other disciples, some of whom had been praised as geniuses since childhood, Situ Yang’s words were supreme humiliation!

"I will fight you!" A young man wearing a luxurious silk robe and waving a beautiful fan leapt out, landing gracefully on the arena.

"It’s Senior Brother Cheng! He is only half a step away from breaking through the Late Stage of Qi Refining! Although Situ Yang is slightly stronger, the outcome is unpredictable!"

None of the other disciples took the initiative to challenge the remaining defenders, preferring to spectate this battle first.

Their own decision would hinge on its outcome.

"Senior Brother Cheng" seemed pleased by the attention he received. He waved his fan and offered a delicate smile, highlighting his feminine appearance.

"Senior Brother Situ is too overbearing. I want to know if you have what it takes to be this arrogant—"

Halfway through his words, his pupils shrank.

A sharp, glowing light appeared at the edge of his vision and rapidly closed the distance.

He had no time to defend. A thunderous clang echoed, followed by the sound of flesh being torn apart and blood splattering.

A figure was sent flying out of the arena, smashing into the ground outside.

When the dust settled, the figure’s appearance was revealed.

It was "Senior Brother Cheng". But compared to just moments ago, his elegant demeanor had vanished entirely.

A large gash ran from his chest to his abdomen, nearly cleaving him in two.

His eyes were empty, staring at the sky with a confused, hollow expression.

He had expected to lose. However, he had never foreseen that he would be defeated in a single strike.

As if that were not enough, Situ Yang on the stage glanced at him with utter contempt and taunted again.

"Don’t overestimate yourselves like this, trash. Otherwise, you’ll follow his steps. Hmph!"

People might have doubted his words in the past, but having witnessed "Senior Brother Cheng’s" fate, no one dared to confront him.

"Fortunately... fortunately, there are eleven more arenas. I refuse to believe that all of them are as strong as Situ Yang." A disciple breathed a sigh of relief, secretly thanking "Senior Brother Cheng" for his timely contribution.

Then, they took flight.

Having learned from the previous lesson, they didn’t challenge Situ Yang, nor anyone else among the more powerful disciples. Rather, they rushed towards the arena defended by the weaker disciples.

Rather than facing an insurmountable opponent and suffering instant defeat, it was much better to prey on the weaklings.

Or so they believed.

--

"These disciples are too immature and inexperienced. The rules of the competition have already been stated."

"It would be better to wait until the end before they use their three challenges. This is not a mere test of strength. Intelligence, decision making, and even luck, are as important, if not even more."

A cold-looking female Peak Master commented, displaying deep displeasure at the decisions of the disciples below.

Seeing that those of her own peak were acting no differently, she almost rushed out to teach them a lesson.

However, there were some who didn’t mind.

"Haha. There is no reason to be so hasty," another Peak Master countered.

"Some of these disciples understand that they don’t have a chance to advance further. Rather than wait, they would prefer to step up at the start and showcase their talents."

"Who knows? Maybe an Elder will be tempted by their bravery and take them in as disciples."

Opinions varied.

But ultimately, the rules of the competition meant that neither choice was incorrect.

’Being the last to stand is indeed the way to achieve victory. However, those acting as defenders at the start have ample time to win the Elder’s favor.’ Chen Xuan judged as his gaze focused on one of the twelve arenas.

The battles had already begun. Most disciples ignored Situ Yang and Mu Chen, choosing to challenge the others instead.

Among them, Huo Ling’er, who was not supposed to be in the sect to begin with, received special attention.

"Please step down, Junior Sister! Don’t force me to take action against you," a brutish, muscular disciple stated as he leaped onto the stage, reaching for the massive club hanging on his back.

Huo Ling’er remained silent and simply looked back at him, seemingly unaffected by his provocation.

However, her tightened fists behind her back made it clear that this calm facade was merely an illusion.

"Don’t let me repeat my words! Step down—"

Before the muscular disciple could finish his sentence, a sea of flames erupted and covered the entire arena.

He didn’t even have time to react. The flames parted, and a crimson figure rushed out from within, appearing in his blind spot almost instantaneously.

Fire coiled around Huo Ling’er’s fists, dancing like venomous snakes, as she delivered a set of precise, ruthless attacks.

One of her punches targeted the opponent’s abdomen, while the other one aimed at his head.

Using this as a cover, Huo Ling’er sneakily lifted her leg and delivered a kick at the gap between his thighs.

The result...

"Aagh!" A shrill, soul-tearing cry soon echoed across the arena.

The muscular man’s eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as tears streamed down his cheeks.

The two punches were mere flesh wounds. Though they split his skin and cracked his ribs, he could accept it.

The kick, however, sent him flying. Worse still, the disciple felt as though his manhood was slipping away into the void.

By the time he crashed outside the arena, his face was filled with tears and snot.

His hands instinctively twitched, trying to clutch his ruined "treasure", but the mind-numbing agony finally overwhelmed him.

His vision went dark instantly.

A heavy silence shrouded the arena, only broken by the sound of several sharp, collective inhales.

The disciples stared at Huo Ling’er, who had regained her earlier harmless appearance, in shock.

They had never expected that this female disciple, who looked so fragile and unassuming, would be so terrifying once the fight started.

Her power was nothing special, but her cruel methods and ruthlessness were enough to make people place her on the same level as Situ Yang.

The male disciples who were about to challenge her instantly shrank back, vowing to turn around and run whenever they met this demoness in the future.

As for the female disciples? They began to cheer, as if they had met their idol.

They looked at their Senior Brothers with enlightened eyes.

Lowering their heads, they focused on a certain part of their male bodies and made a kicking motion through the air, as if preparing for the future.

Instantly, the faces of hundreds of male disciples grew pale.

--

At the Peak Masters’ hall, two people watched this scene and nearly spat out their tea.