Chapter 81

The first round.

A chaotic free-for-all.

Out of the 3,000 participants, only 16 would advance. The elimination ratio was so ruthless, it could make someone cry for their mom.

From the very first second, the battle went white-hot.

Three thousand disciples unleashed their various abilities, not only to showcase their skills but to knock out as many opponents as possible. And charging in first—as always—was none other than Chi Xiao.

Bathed in blazing crimson flames, clad in her signature Red Lotus Armor, Chi Xiao transformed into a fiery phoenix and threw a devastating punch. Her true flame surged forward, taking the shape of a massive firebird, and crashed straight into the crowd.

Boom!

Several participants were sent flying amid pained screams, eliminated in an instant.

“Come on! Who’s next?!”

Chi Xiao roared with joy, her fighting spirit surging. Surrounded by such a grand stage, she couldn’t have been more thrilled. Her fists flew in all directions—indiscriminately targeting anyone near her. She didn’t even spare the girls from her own peak.

Of course, she’d warned her sisters beforehand not to get close—because once she went all out, even they wouldn’t be safe.

“What a maniac…”

Han Luo, observing from the spectator stands, wiped cold sweat from his brow.

Good thing I never told her who I am.

If Chi Xiao ever found out his true identity, she might flatten Luoxian Mountain on a whim. And if he ever got caught… forget bones—even his ashes might end up feeding the fish in Luoxian Lake.

He quickly took out his little notebook and bumped Chi Xiao up to number two on his personal “danger list.”

Chi Xiao’s aggressive rampage naturally provoked backlash. Many male disciples already felt oppressed by her dominance. Today was the perfect chance to gang up on her and strike back on behalf of every guy she’d ever humiliated.

“Let’s get her!”

“I’ll flank from the left!”

“I’ll come in from the right!”

“I’ll hit her from behind!”

One by one, they coordinated their attack.

They weren’t Foundation Establishment cultivators, so their power was limited to basic spells like fireballs, wind blades, or straight-up charging with swords in hand. But even basic attacks from hundreds of people were intimidating.

At least, to a normal person.

But Chi Xiao had never been normal.

“Looks like I’ve been going too easy on you people.”

With a crack of her neck, Chi Xiao summoned her Eight-Foot Flame-Tip Spear. She held it in both hands, slammed it into the ground, and growled—

“Battleflame!”

The entire Luoxian Arena shook violently as if struck by an earthquake.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the floor beneath everyone’s feet. Their newly formed formation instantly broke apart—and then jets of flame erupted from the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions erupted across the field.

Anyone caught in the flame pillars was blasted into the air and instantly eliminated.

The anti–Chi Xiao alliance didn’t even last a full minute. They were utterly dismantled.

From that moment on, no one dared get close to her.

It was too brutal.

Too terrifying.

This wasn’t a duel—it was a massacre.

Chi Xiao’s rampage was overwhelming.

“Now this… this is interesting.”

Wu Dao walked calmly through the chaos, step by step approaching Chi Xiao. He had no interest in fighting weaklings. Only battles against the strong could make him stronger. Fighting weaklings just dulled your edge—and one day, you’d be erased before even realizing it.

Why wait for the finals?

If the rules allowed him to challenge Chi Xiao here, then so be it—he’d do it now.

But before he could reach her, someone else got in his way.

“Wu Dao! Ranked twentieth? You think you deserve that spot? Fight me!”

It was Lin Lei, a disciple at the seventh stage of the Qi Refinement realm—ranked twenty-first. He’d always believed his strength was underestimated. Seeing Wu Dao walk so confidently enraged him.

He launched his attack—roaring fists powered by five rounds of spirit tempering. His punch cut through the air like a wild tiger.

Wu Dao didn’t even flinch.

As Lin Lei’s punch approached, Wu Dao merely adjusted his stance and leaned slightly aside—barely dodging it.

Then he calmly extended his fist.

CRACK!

Lin Lei’s face slammed right into Wu Dao’s knuckles.

In that moment, it felt like he’d collided with a mountain. Pain—sharp, sour, and dizzying—overwhelmed him. His knees buckled, and he collapsed on the spot, unconscious.

“Quit pretending to be some hotshot!”

Several others nearby couldn’t accept what they’d seen. They believed it was just luck—that Wu Dao was nothing but a paper tiger. Yelling in frustration, they charged him.

But just as they approached, a terrifying aura erupted from Wu Dao’s body—primal and beastlike. The kind of aura that made your spine freeze.

For a second, they felt like prey, locked in the gaze of a predator.

“If we weren’t from the same sect,” Wu Dao said in a low, gruff voice, “you’d already be missing limbs. I suggest you retreat—find a quiet corner and maybe, just maybe, survive into the next round.”

His words were not a threat. They were sincere advice.

He wasn’t trying to intimidate them—he was stating facts.

Years of training in the Wan Beast Mountain Range had carved that aura into him. Constant life-and-death battles with wild beasts had turned him into something dangerous.

Still, the group of disciples exchanged looks and refused to back down.

One of them, sword in hand, pointed at Wu Dao.

“Enough talk! We’re disciples of Luoxian Sect. None of us are cowards who hide in the back! If we want to become number one, we’ve got to fight for it. How else can we protect our junior brothers and sisters?”

“That’s right!”

“Let’s go!”

“Charge!”

With determined howls, they launched themselves at Wu Dao like hungry wolves.

Wu Dao stood alone, unmoving, face unreadable.

Then he slowly clenched his fist.

“…You have earned the right to see me fight.”

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three seconds later, the same disciples lay groaning on the ground—clutching legs, arms, heads—badly bruised but alive.

Wu Dao gave them a glance.

Though his face remained stoic, inwardly, he acknowledged them.

He respected fearlessness—those who dared to fight even when they knew they might lose. That, to him, was the true path of cultivation.

He turned his eyes toward Chi Xiao, who was still tearing through the battlefield.

The fire in his heart ignited.

Perfect.

Before he reached Shen Xian’er… he would sharpen his blade on Chi Xiao.

It was time to show everyone who the real number one of Luoxian Sect was.

And so, Wu Dao strode toward Chi Xiao without hesitation.