In the eastern part of the Ancient City was a vast, empty square. This area, also the rear garden of the Imperial Palace, was now a scene of utter devastation, bleak and desolate. The immense Imperial Palace was, at this moment, both exceptionally quiet and bustling.

Today, numerous experts from the Sixteen Countries had all gathered in this desolate Imperial Palace. The contest for the Array Discs was about to begin, but without Talisman Seals, what use were the Array Discs?

The experts from the Sixteen Countries each occupied their own section, their groups scattered in various locations and differing in size.

This time, the Sixteen Countries had gathered their top geniuses. Every single one was the elite of the elite, a genius among geniuses.

Lanyu Country, Tang Country, Yul Country, Lan Country, Celestial Martial Country, Divine Wind Country, Hua Country, Snow Country, Heng Country, Sang Country, Yuqi Kingdom, Gaotang Country, Chil Kingdom...

These countries had assembled countless geniuses, and at this moment, they all stood as if waiting for something.

Among them, Yul Country had the fewest people. A single glance was enough for everyone to guess that they had most likely been killed. Only the people of Lanyu Country knew the secret behind it, but with Guann Xuan present, they wouldn’t dare speak carelessly. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The group from Celestial Martial Country was in a remote corner, completely inconspicuous.

Wen Tongyu sat cross-legged amidst his group. He knew they were surrounded by numerous experts, all eyeing them like tigers, so he simply closed his eyes to rest his mind.

"Well, well, what’s this? Why are the people from Celestial Martial Country hiding all the way over here?"

The group from Celestial Martial Country looked toward the source of the voice. They saw a man in flowing white robes, holding a folding fan, a disdainful smile on his face as he looked at them.

Nie Shuang and the others flushed with anger, but none of them dared to step forward and argue.

Because this man was the number one expert of Hua Country, the Seventh Young Master. Just yesterday, Wen Tongyu had suffered a crushing defeat at his hands.

At this, Wen Tongyu had no choice but to step forward. He snorted coldly, "Where my Celestial Martial Country stands seems to have nothing to do with you, does it?"

"Hahaha! Rats will be rats."

The Seventh Young Master laughed heartily. He had already seized five Talisman Seals from the Celestial Martial Country group yesterday and wasn’t lacking any more at the moment. He then ignored Wen Tongyu and strode away toward the group from Lanyu Country.

The Seventh Young Master walked up to Guann Xuan and said with a smile, "Brother."

Seeing the Seventh Young Master, Guann Xuan clapped him on the shoulder, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile as well. "Xiaoqi."

The Seventh Young Master then nodded to Luo Xue, who was standing nearby. Luo Xue returned the gesture with a smile.

At this point, people were chatting with one another. The various countries seemed to be relying on each other, forming one small group after another.

Several people from Tang Country and Heng Country were pointing and whispering amongst themselves as they looked in Celestial Martial Country’s direction, murmuring quietly.

After a good while, still no one had spoken up to address the crowd, and the scene remained a disorganized mess of small conversations.

"Fine. Since no one is willing to speak first, then I, from Lan Country, will." A radiant woman stepped forward, a touch of springtime warmth in her eyes as she addressed the crowd with a smile.

When the crowd saw this woman, their eyes couldn’t help but light up. No matter the circumstances, beautiful things always draw attention; this was an immutable fact.

This woman was precisely the one from Lan Country with an impressive cultivation that Wen Qingye had seen standing behind Ren Yu outside the Thousand Rivers Secret Land.

The hearts of everyone from Celestial Martial Country tightened. They were not unfamiliar with this woman. Her name was Zhou Yuling, and her strength was at the Peak of Refining Spirit Sixth Layer Heaven. She was just a hair’s breadth away from breaking through to the Refining Spirit Seventh Layer Heaven. She was considered one of the top experts present, even a cut above the Seventh Young Master.

Zhou Yuling turned her head to look at the group from Celestial Martial Country, a hint of coldness in her eyes.

"You wastes from Celestial Martial Country, either come out and fight, or hand over your Talisman Seals. Take your pick!"

Zhou Yuling clasped her hands behind her back, an imposing aura emanating from her. Standing there in the wind, she possessed an added air of authority and heroic spirit.

At this, the members of the other fourteen countries stopped their conversations, their eyes turning to the group from Celestial Martial Country.

It felt as if countless pairs of eyes were fixed upon them. The members of the Celestial Martial Country group looked at each other in dismay, the pressure on them mounting instantly. Not a single person spoke up.

"What? None of you dare?" Zhou Yuling laughed, a mocking look in her eyes.

The expressions on the faces of the Celestial Martial Country group grew even uglier, especially with all the cold stares from the onlookers, which felt like daggers piercing their hearts. Yet, not one of them stepped forward, because they knew they were no match for Zhou Yuling. They couldn’t even withstand a single blow from her.

The field fell into an eerie silence.

A cold sneer formed on Wen Tongyu’s lips. "Where’s Wen Qingye? Did he not dare to show up?"

The rest of the Celestial Martial Country group remained silent.

The Seventh Young Master looked at the Celestial Martial Country group and couldn’t help but mock them. "The people from Celestial Martial Country are just a bunch of wastes. Besides that Wen Tongyu, who has a bit of talent, the rest of them are really nothing special."

Guann Xuan shook his head and said slowly, "That’s not necessarily true."

"Oh? You don’t think so, Brother?" the Seventh Young Master asked, turning his head curiously.

"Celestial Martial Country..." Guann Xuan paused, then chuckled. "They still have one other person."

In the group from Yuqi Kingdom, a man with a faint smile on his lips looked ahead and remarked, "Zhou Yuling certainly picked a soft target. She should have enough Talisman Seals already, right?"

This was the very man Wen Qingye had seen on the Ancient Dao.

Beside him was a woman with plain features and a cascade of hair that fell to her waist. The only peculiar things about her were the loose sleeves on her arms and the thick layer of calluses on her palms. This was the number one genius of Sang Country, Lin Zijun.

Lin Zijun chuckled lightly. "Just because Zhou Yuling doesn’t need any more doesn’t mean the others from Lan Country have enough."

The smiling man beside her nodded in agreement.

「Outside the Thousand Rivers Secret Land.」

The Stewards from the various countries were gathered before the Water Curtain, and one by one, they couldn’t help but taunt Ling Xiao.

Ren Yu stared at the Water Curtain in front of them, then looked at Ling Xiao and said, "Your people from Celestial Martial Country were acting so tough before they went in. What happened? Why are they so useless now?"

At Ren Yu’s words, Ling Xiao’s face immediately flushed beet-red, as if it were on fire.

Guan Hong fanned the flames from the side, saying, "Ah, this kind of competition usually results in death or serious injury. We should probably leave some of Celestial Martial Country’s young talents alive. Otherwise, in a few years, won’t Celestial Martial Country be left with no one?"

Ling Xiao was so stung by their mockery that he couldn’t utter a word in response. He sighed heavily in his heart. ’But I have to admit, the geniuses from their two countries are truly remarkable.’

.....

After a long moment, the group from Celestial Martial Country was still silent.

"Is anyone from Celestial Martial Country going to step up? If not, then just hand over your Talisman Seals!"

"Yeah, that’s right! Are you too scared to even send someone out?"

"What a bunch of wastes. It’s ridiculous. You might as well not even bother coming to the Thousand Rivers Secret Land next time."

These words made the faces of the Celestial Martial Country members burn with shame.

"I’ll go." A flash of determination passed through Yann Chuxue’s clear, cold eyes.

Wen Tongyu nodded. "Alright. It’s good for you to go first. Just focus on staying alive. If you lose, I’ll go next."

The meaning behind Wen Tongyu’s words was obvious: he was sending Yann Chuxue to probe Zhou Yuling’s strength for him. But how could Yann Chuxue, with her Refining Spirit Fourth Layer cultivation, possibly probe the strength of Zhou Yuling, who was at the Peak of Refining Spirit Sixth Layer Heaven?

The difference between them was more than two full layers. Furthermore, Zhou Yuling was not someone with an undeserved reputation. If Zhou Yuling decided to be ruthless, whether Yann Chuxue would even come back alive was another question entirely.

Yann Xiangyang’s pretty face turned pale. She grabbed Yann Chuxue’s arm and pleaded, "Sister, don’t!"

Yann Chuxue’s eyes were calm, and the corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "Someone has to bleed. It might as well be me."

With that, Yann Chuxue slowly walked out from the crowd, heading toward Zhou Yuling.

Everyone present stared, dumbfounded, at Yann Chuxue. A beauty whose smile could topple cities and whose glance could overthrow nations, it was as if ten thousand years of ice were melting in their hearts. Dressed in white robes like snow, she looked like an Exiled Immortal.

Everyone present couldn’t help but think to themselves, ’To think Celestial Martial Country has such a woman. It’s just a pity her cultivation isn’t high. Her fate in this contest is uncertain!’

"Wait!"

Just as the crowd was sighing with mixed emotions, a voice from the distance reverberated in their ears. Everyone subconsciously turned to look toward the source of the sound.