This time, the True Remnant Continent Genius Disciple Competition was hosted by Jiang Xiushan, the Sect Leader of the Great Evolution Sect, and Feng Zhenqiu, the Second Dean of the Heaven Inquiry Academy. As for Bei Suting, she simply stayed in Yindu. She had little interest in hosting such a competition, even if she was nominated.

Although Yindu Square was vast and expansive, after the construction of ten new competition stages and a selection main altar, the remaining space was almost entirely packed with people.

Sitting in the center of the main altar were Xia Mu and Xu Chihuang, who wanted to see what talents the Lost Continent possessed. They were also the head judges of this competition. Jiang Xiushan, Feng Zhenqiu, and several other judges from the Lost Continent were seated on either side, below them.

"Let's begin," Xia Mu nodded to Jiang Xiushan and said quietly.

Jiang Xiushan stood up, clasped his fists towards Xia Mu and Xu Chihuang, and walked to the center of the main altar. Although Xia Mu seemed to value him more than the Heaven Inquiry Academy, he didn't really care about such valuation. He was indeed unhappy about the Heaven Inquiry Academy being above the Great Evolution Sect, but he was equally dissatisfied with Xia Mu.

"Fellow Daoists, all cultivators of our Lost Continent. Here, I must first thank the seniors from the True Remnant Continent. If they hadn't appeared here in time, perhaps the Lost Continent would have already been occupied by extraterritorial cultivators. I believe all of you, like myself, clearly recognize the shortcomings of our Lost Continent's cultivation civilization. Fortunately, the True Remnant Continent has given us another opportunity. This time, the True Remnant Continent will recruit one hundred disciples from the Lost Continent to join their sects. I believe this is not only the expectation of our Lost Continent but also the expectation of every cultivator."

Jiang Xiushan's words elicited waves of enthusiastic applause, indicating that his statement about it being the expectation of every cultivator was true.

"I further hope that everyone has the opportunity to go to the True Remnant Continent to aspire to the true Great Dao. Unfortunately, our quotas are limited, and time is limited. This time, we can only select one hundred cultivators with opportunities to go, and the selection criteria are above the Transcending Mortality Realm and under fifty years old..."

As expected, after Jiang Xiushan announced the selection restrictions, a wave of noise erupted from Yindu Square, indicating that many were dissatisfied with the selection.

Jiang Xiushan waved his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down before continuing, "Although many are not qualified to participate in the competition, it doesn't mean there won't be opportunities in the future. This selection will be held every three years and combined with our previous Five Elements Desolate Domain Pill Competition. Future competition conditions will also be relaxed, allowing more people to have the opportunity to enter the True Remnant Continent for cultivation. Now, let Dean Feng announce the competition rules."

Hearing Jiang Xiushan's words, the noise gradually subsided.

Seeing that it was Feng Zhenqiu, not Bei Suting, who walked onto the competition stage, Xia Mu visibly frowned. However, seeing that Xu Chihuang showed no reaction, he could only remain silent. He was the special envoy, but every Human Immortal King was a unique existence. Even as a special envoy, he had to respect Protector Xu.

Feng Zhenqiu clasped his fists towards the numerous cultivators in the square and said directly, "Due to the limited time, there is no registration process for this competition. Therefore, anyone who meets the conditions can come on stage to participate. We have set up ten competition stage champions. These ten are the top ten on the Hundred Sect Alliance Contribution榜(bǎng), and there is no age restriction..."

Feng Zhenqiu's words elicited enthusiastic applause. No one had any objections to the top ten on the Hundred Sect Alliance Contribution 榜(bǎng) becoming champions, as they had earned it through their own abilities.

Many were even looking forward to the rogue cultivator number 2705, wanting to know who this rogue cultivator ranked first on the Contribution 榜(bǎng) actually was.

Feng Zhenqiu pointed to the ten competition stages and said, "Now, please the heroes ranked in the top ten of the Hundred Sect Alliance Contribution 榜(bǎng) to come onto the competition stages. The rest can challenge them at will. Each person needs to win three consecutive matches to advance to the next round. Challengers who successfully defeat a champion also need to win three consecutive matches to enter the next round. In all challenge matches, losing any match will result in elimination. If no one challenges within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, you will automatically advance to the next round."

The crowd was secretly startled. Although this competition rule was fast-paced, it was also very cruel. Once on the competition stage, you couldn't afford to lose. Losing one match meant losing the entire competition.

As Feng Zhenqiu's voice fell, six cultivators stood on the competition stages.

Feng Zhenqiu looked at the empty competition stages and asked, "Where are the other four?"

A judge stood up and said to Feng Zhenqiu, "Gao Chi, ranked fourth, Sha Moao, ranked seventh, and Sun Qianlie, ranked ninth, have all died in the Yin Tomb Beach battle. There has been no news of rogue cultivator 2705, who is ranked first..."

The judge's voice was not low, and almost everyone heard it. The originally lively Yindu Square seemed to quiet down.

Feng Zhenqiu saw that Xia Mu's expression was even more unpleasant and immediately said loudly, "Countless heroes of our Lost Continent have fallen in this battle against extraterritorial cultivators, but we cannot let their blood be shed in vain. What we need is to reach a higher level, so that we can protect our homeland on their behalf in the future."

"Yes, protect our homeland!" An even more enthusiastic roar resounded. The expectation for this competition was filled with a passion to protect their homeland.

Feng Zhenqiu nodded and continued, "Please the eleventh to fourteenth-ranked cultivators on the Hundred Sect Alliance Contribution榜(bǎng) come on stage to complete the ten champions..."

Only two more people came up, and it wasn't until Feng Zhenqiu called out the eighteenth name that the ten champions were completely filled.

This not only weighed heavily on Feng Zhenqiu's mind but also on the minds of all the cultivators of the Lost Continent. How many geniuses and elites had fallen in this great battle with extraterritorial cultivators?

"The challenge now begins!" After all ten champions were standing on the competition stages, Feng Zhenqiu announced the start of the competition and then voluntarily stepped down.

Xia Mu, who had been somewhat expectant, shook his head directly after seeing the fights begin on the ten competition stages. Apart from the champions on competition stages two and three, who still had some strength, he really couldn't stand the others.

...

Due to the great battle with extraterritorial cultivators, almost all the Heaven Inquiry Academy cultivators with some strength had left the sect. Even during the day, you wouldn't see many people if you took a walk around the sect.

The number of people was even scarcer at night.

At this moment, besides some faint moonlight, only Mo Wuji was standing in front of the Heaven Inquiry Steps. Next to the Heaven Inquiry Steps stood a huge Heaven Inquiry 榜(bǎng). On the Heaven Inquiry 榜(bǎng), Gou Zihan was still ranked first.

Mo Wuji smiled. He was now in the Transcending Mortality Realm, which was the most suitable realm to ascend the Heaven Inquiry Steps. Once his realm improved further, the pressure of ascending the Heaven Inquiry Steps would increase several times over.

Looking at the Heaven Inquiry Steps, which had no visible top, Mo Wuji composed himself and stepped onto the first step.

A faint pressure washed over him, but Mo Wuji stepped onto the second step without any effect. Even when he was in the Vein Opening Realm, he should have had no problem entering the top twenty. Moreover, now that he had opened one hundred and one meridians, his cultivation had entered the Human Extremity Realm.

In just a few breaths, Mo Wuji broke through twenty steps and arrived at the twenty-first step. At this moment, the pressure and force of propulsion had increased dramatically, but it still had no effect on Mo Wuji.

Half an incense stick later, Mo Wuji stepped out of the fifty-third step and arrived at the fifty-fourth step.

Mo Wuji looked at a white stone tablet beside him. He knew that as long as he wrote his name here, his name would quickly appear at the fiftieth position on the Heaven Inquiry 榜(bǎng). He had seen Cen Shuyin's name on the Heaven Inquiry 榜(bǎng) before. Cen Shuyin was ranked fiftieth, and she had also climbed to the fifty-fourth step. Mo Wuji was sure that Cen Shuyin couldn't have stepped onto the fifty-fourth step in just the time it takes for one incense stick to burn.

This pressure was not small for Mo Wuji, but it didn't affect him too much.

Fifty-fifth, fifty-sixth...

The higher he went, the pressure and propulsive force became stronger and stronger. By the time he reached the sixty-seventh step, it was more than just pressure. On these Heaven Inquiry Steps, there was a kind of rotating force, a force that seemed to want to roll Mo Wuji up and throw him down.

Sixty-eighth step, sixty-ninth step...

Another hour later, Mo Wuji stopped on the eighty-second step.

Violent pressure and rotating propulsive forces surged, and Mo Wuji's legs were shaking a little, which made him feel a bit disappointed. He had originally wanted to ascend one hundred and eight steps, but now he had only reached eighty-two steps, and his legs were already shaking. Maybe he could go up another ten steps, but that would only rank him first on the Heaven Inquiry 榜(bǎng). It was impossible to reach the one hundred and eighth step.

Regardless of whether it was possible or not, he had to try. What he wanted was not the first place on the Heaven Inquiry 榜(bǎng). That empty reputation was useless to him.

Eighty-third step, eighty-fourth step...

At this moment, Mo Wuji's elemental energy surged around him, compressing the surrounding space into a series of booming sounds. The elemental energy in his one hundred and one meridians was flowing completely, as if forming rings of circulating elemental energy.

Ninety-third step, ninety-fourth step...

"Puff!" A mouthful of blood spurted out, and Mo Wuji collapsed on the ninety-fifth step. That powerful sweeping force almost sent him directly out of the Heaven Inquiry Steps.

There were still more than ten steps left. Mo Wuji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked up, still unable to see the top of the Heaven Inquiry Steps.

The rolling pressure and propulsive force squeezed Mo Wuji's bones, causing them to crack. The ruthlessness in Mo Wuji's heart was also squeezed out.

Since his debut, he had never actively retreated, unless he really couldn't hold on anymore. Now, although his legs were trembling and his bones were cracking, he could still persevere.

Ninety-sixth step, ninety-seventh step...

Mo Wuji fell again on the ninety-eighth step. He knew that if he wanted, he could write his name now and then walk down. From now on, the first place in the Heaven Inquiry Academy would no longer be Gou Zihan, but him, Mo Wuji.

Taking a deep breath, Mo Wuji still didn't give up. He realized his difference from others. On the ninety-eighth step, when he was about to be swept down, his one hundredth and one hundred and first meridians automatically formed a cycle, and an additionally generated elemental energy supported him.

Since opening the one hundredth and one hundred and first energy storage meridians, this was the first time Mo Wuji felt the effect of these two meridians. In normal times, these two meridians might only allow him to absorb spiritual energy faster, but when his elemental energy was about to be exhausted, these two meridians were his true capital.

Looking again at the Heaven Inquiry Steps, whose top was nowhere in sight, Mo Wuji clenched his fists. Perhaps these two extra meridians would give him an unexpected surprise.

(Fourteen plus, the first update is here, asking for monthly ticket support!)