As the red sun leaped above the horizon, its light shining upon the towering outer walls of the dueling grounds, the voice of the Dali Realm Lord rang out just in time, "Ladies and gentlemen, you are all well aware of what you are competing for. Therefore, I won’t waste any more words! Now, allow me to announce the rules of this selection tournament..."

In reality, the rules had already been communicated, but Ning Xuan hadn’t had the time to pay attention. For this reason, he listened intently, a rarity for him.

Though Ning Xuan’s ranking was low, many people now recognized him. On one hand, it was because Zang Peng had bet 100,000 Divine Crystals on him. On the other, it was due to the attitude Ding Heyan and Lu Ying had shown toward him earlier.

"This guy’s strength isn’t all that great, but he sure has offended quite a few people!"

"Is that even the issue? Any one of the people he’s offended could easily give him a world of trouble!"

"This guy is done for!"

"Ahem, if only I could draw him as my opponent!"

Hearing this last remark, many felt a stir in their hearts. Ning Xuan had offended the Ten Elders and Ding Heyan! Judging by their expressions, they looked like they wanted to tear him to pieces. If I could do them this favor, wouldn’t that mean... With such thoughts, it seemed even the Law Enforcement Officers were praying.

As the Dali Realm Lord’s voice faded, twelve boxes appeared. The Law Enforcement Officers immediately lined up to draw lots. The rules of this selection were simple: competitors would fight in pairs, with the victors advancing until only eight remained. The losers would draw lots again to enter a resurrection bracket and compete for the last two spots. Then, these ten would duel again to determine the final rankings.

The twelve boxes were drawn from simultaneously, and soon each Law Enforcement Officer had their opponent. Ning Xuan was quite surprised, for he had drawn Su Quan.

Wasn’t this guy supposed to be dead? How is his name still on the list?

Ning Xuan initially thought the Zhang father and son had deceived him, but he soon realized Su Quan must truly be dead. Because regardless of the reason, when Ning Xuan stepped onto the stage for the opening match, Su Quan failed to appear within the stipulated time.

When Ning Xuan was about to leave the stage, a voice rang out, "Realm Lord, this is the opening match. This seems somewhat improper."

He looked over and saw the elder who had been conversing with Lu Jing earlier. There was even a slight resemblance between his features and Lu Jing’s.

"And what, in your opinion, would be appropriate?" the Dali Realm Lord immediately asked. He was also somewhat unsatisfied. Because of this, Ning Xuan will jump directly into the top two hundred. If that guy wins the next match, I’ll lose a substantial amount of Divine Crystals!

"Realm Lord, I am willing to fight an extra bout!"

"Realm Lord, I too am willing!"

"Realm Lord, let me do it! My match is scheduled much later, so I can go first without disrespecting my designated opponent!"

"I agree with this proposal!"

One after another, people stood up, all wanting to battle Ning Xuan.

Zang Peng began to gloat. "Ning Xuan, oh Ning Xuan, look how unpopular you are! To use a common human phrase, you’re like a rat scurrying across the street that everyone wants to swat, aren’t you?"

Zang Peng had originally thought he could finally avenge his past humiliation, but Ning Xuan’s next move made him want to slap himself a couple of times.

"Ahem, Realm Lord and esteemed elders, there’s no need to trouble yourselves. I have a solution," Ning Xuan said, standing in the center of the field and immediately attracting everyone’s attention.

"What solution?" the Dali Realm Lord asked instinctively.

"Simple. An auction," Ning Xuan replied with a sly smile. "You all want to duel me, don’t you? Simple. I’ll auction off this spot. Whoever bids the highest gets to be my opponent!"

Upon hearing Ning Xuan’s words, Zang Peng was dumbstruck. What the heck, you can play it like this?!

The others also stared at Ning Xuan in shock. This bastard is so shameless!

The Dali Realm Lord’s eyes, however, lit up. This idea is an absolute stroke of genius! It ensures the opening match is spectacular and makes money! Two birds with one stone!

He immediately made a decision. "This is a great idea! I’ll oversee it! Let’s start the bidding at 10,000 Divine Crystals, and each bid must increase by at least 1,000!" After saying that, he personally took the stage, his face blooming into a wide smile. These participants volunteered themselves. I set the amount, so they have no choice but to participate!

The Law Enforcement Officers who had just been jeering now looked sick to their stomachs. The Realm Lord has set up a real money pit! A single spot starting at 10,000 Divine Crystals! He’s clearly treating us like cash cows! And what’s worse, we can’t even opt out!

Naturally, they didn’t dare hold a grudge against the Dali Realm Lord, so Ning Xuan became the target of their resentment.

"Eleven thousand Divine Crystals!" one of the Law Enforcement Officers yelled through gritted teeth while glaring at Ning Xuan.

The surrounding crowd fell silent. The Dali Realm Lord had anticipated this and immediately said, "Gentlemen, after the opening match, we will split into ten groups for the duels. This way, you can all start training with your masters sooner!"

With these words, the bidding suddenly heated up. The Realm Lord’s words were a reminder, a prod, and a threat all at once. If the bids don’t meet his expectations, this auction won’t stop! Damn it! It’s all because of that troublemaker Ning Xuan! For a moment, these Law Enforcement Officers wished they could tear Ning Xuan to shreds.

However, their bidding was resolute. With the Realm Lord now involved, tens of thousands of Divine Crystals surely won’t be enough to satisfy him. We just have to bid aggressively for now! Someone else will just keep raising the price later anyway!

With this mindset, the price unknowingly surpassed 200,000.

The Dali Realm Lord was ecstatic. Keep it going, keep it going! Everyone get fired up! he thought, still hoping for more.

However, more and more Law Enforcement Officers began to come to their senses. Eventually, the spot to face Ning Xuan in the opening match was sold for 326,000 Divine Crystals. The person who won the spot was named Chen Tao. Ning Xuan remembered him. Among the participating Law Enforcement Officers, this guy’s strength was in the top three hundred.

"Don’t worry, I definitely won’t disappoint you," Ning Xuan said confidently, looking at the pained expression on Chen Tao’s face.

As for the Dali Realm Lord, Ning Xuan acted as if he had completely forgotten about him, while the Realm Lord brazenly pocketed the Divine Crystals.

Putting other things aside, this kid sure is sensible. Let’s see how strong he is. If he’s passable, perhaps I’ll keep him around later. Having taken something of value from Ning Xuan, the Realm Lord’s impression of him had improved somewhat.

Luckily, Zang Peng had no clue what he was thinking. Otherwise, he might have coughed up blood. Your Secret Vault was completely looted by this guy! And you still think he’s a good person! Are you out of your mind?!

Even without knowing the Realm Lord’s thoughts, Zang Peng couldn’t feel happy. Ning Xuan, that damn dog, is too freaking cunning! I have a feeling he’s been plotting against me all along! Damn it! I must never trust a word this guy says! I’ll keep a low profile for now and just lie low for a bit! Zang Peng reminded himself inwardly.