A small interlude concluded, and the auspicious hour was drawing near.
Qingyan was helpless in the face of the Flying Cloud Pavilion's absence; he had no choice but to announce the opening of the Grand Competition.
After all, with so many factions present, he couldn't postpone the opening ceremony for one Flying Cloud Pavilion.
Cough! Cough!
The next moment, two light coughs echoed throughout the hall. Everyone turned to see Qingyan standing up from the main seat.
Needless to say, the Grand Competition was about to begin, so everyone was tacitly in agreement and returned to their seats promptly.
Seeing the hall quieten down, a hint of satisfaction flashed across Qingyan's eyes.
"Distinguished guests, it is with great regret that the Flying Cloud Pavilion has not arrived in time for this Grand Competition."
"As per tradition, we shall not wait any longer."
"I now declare the Grand Competition officially open..."
As Qingyan's voice faded, the sound of firecrackers erupted outside the hall.
When the cannons ceased, Qingyan swept his gaze across the assembled guests and spoke again, "Firstly, on behalf of Misty Rain Tower, I extend my sincerest welcome to the newly participating factions in the Grand Competition."
"This is not only an affirmation of your strength but also a recognition of your contributions to the relic."
"Secondly, there is one point I wish to clarify: the Grand Competition is not a place to compare strength or settle personal grudges! We gather here to serve the relic and strive for self-improvement!"
"Therefore, I hope all factions will put aside their grievances during the Grand Competition..."
Qingyan's words spread, and not a single sound came from the crowd below, yet smiles appeared on their faces.
Naturally, they would choose to consider the bigger picture, but what happened behind closed doors was another matter entirely.
Moreover, Misty Rain Tower was merely one of the five peak factions, and its influence was indeed limited. To put it bluntly, Qingyan's words were akin to idle chatter.
However, everyone chose to give him some face.
On the other side, seeing that no one objected, Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew his words carried little weight, but as the organizer, he had to say them. Therefore, when he spoke, he had genuinely worried someone would disregard his authority.
Fortunately, it turned out to be acceptable.
Muttering to himself, Qingyan continued, "This Grand Competition, as in the past, will be divided into three parts. The first part will be a martial arts exchange..."
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian felt a pang of awkwardness.
It was his first time participating in the Grand Competition, and he had understood it to be merely an activity for jointly exploring unknown territories. He hadn't expected it to be just one part of a larger event.
There was even a segment for martial arts exchange.
Speaking of which, since there was such a segment, why had Yun'er been looking for people to challenge everywhere previously? Couldn't she have just waited for the martial arts exchange?
As Ye Cangtian mused, Qingyan on the other side had already ordered a tray to be presented.
On the tray were three wooden plaques, inscribed with the characters for weapons, cultivation techniques, and elixirs.
"Distinguished guests, the rewards for this martial arts exchange are all here. The first-ranked participant will win all the rewards!"
"Additionally, I must remind everyone that while the rewards are precious, all duels must be fought to a controlled conclusion. Anyone who deliberately injures another will be directly expelled from the Grand Competition and severely punished by Misty Rain Tower..."
"Furthermore, the martial arts exchange is merely to foster mutual improvement through sparring, and after the matches, we will jointly explore the unknown regions. Therefore, I have added a restriction..."
As the voice fell, everyone present was taken aback.
In previous martial arts exchanges, there were no regulations except that the team leaders and some Heavenly level experts would not participate.
However, this time, Qingyan had forcibly added a new rule, leaving everyone unsure whether it was good or bad.
But the problem was, Misty Rain Tower, as the organizer and provider of rewards, indeed had the right to propose such a restriction.
With that thought, everyone's gaze converged on Qingyan.
Sensing everyone's attention, Qingyan did not hesitate.
He directly stated, "In fact, this restriction is very simple. It is to give some young people an opportunity for tempering, allowing them to gain benefits and grow faster."
"Therefore, I have decided that in the martial arts exchange, participants' cultivation shall not exceed the third level of Quasi-Heavenly!"
Quasi-Heavenly third level?
Ye Cangtian's brow furrowed slightly. The factions present were all relatively powerful entities within the relic.
The cultivation of Quasi-Heavenly third level was indeed not much among these factions; it could be said that every faction had some experts at this level.
If this were the case, breaking through the crowd would not be a simple matter. It could be said that every faction had a chance to win.
But at the same time, no single faction had a significant advantage.
After all, they were all experts of the same tier, with not much difference between them. It was hard to say who would persist until the end.
"Distinguished guests, for fairness, each faction is allowed to register only one person. Of course, you may also choose to forfeit."
"To give everyone ample time to select their young talents, I have prepared some small entertainment. You may enjoy them while you choose..."
With that said, Qingyan clapped his hands, and a group of dancers entered the hall. Accompanied by ancient music, they began to perform a graceful dance...
On the other side, Ye Cangtian turned to Rose and whispered, "Keep an eye on things here. I'm going to make some arrangements."
Seeing Rose nod, Ye Cangtian rose and left the hall.
He headed directly to the resting area of the Stealth Group.
Seeing Ye Cangtian and the others leave the hall, Yao Bao'er and the rest became confused.
"The Grand Competition is divided into three parts. The first part is a martial arts exchange, and the final winner will receive rewards of weapons, elixirs, and cultivation techniques..."
Ye Cangtian did not hesitate. Upon reaching them, he explained the matter of the martial arts exchange in detail.
Sigh!
Upon hearing the rules, Wu Yingjian sighed helplessly. He would have liked to participate, but the problem was that he had already reached the fourth level of Quasi-Heavenly, which did not meet the requirements!
Beside him, Yao Bao'er, seeing Ye Cangtian's gaze sweep over her, immediately trembled and scurried behind Wu Yingjian.
"Boss, you can't do this to me. I'm your most, most, most beloved Bao'er. You can't trick me!"
Yao Bao'er said anxiously.
After all, her cultivation was only at the second level of Quasi-Heavenly, while other factions would surely send out experts at the third level. If a fight broke out, how could she be a match for them?
Hmph!
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian let out a cold snort and said impatiently, "Look at your pathetic self! It's truly embarrassing."
Truthfully, Ye Cangtian had intended to let Yao Bao'er participate.
Firstly, it would hone Yao Bao'er's combat prowess.
Secondly, Yao Bao'er herself possessed a certain level of combat ability and was skilled in using poisons. If she used her poisons, it would not be difficult to achieve victory.
But seeing Yao Bao'er's timid demeanor, Ye Cangtian hesitated.
If, due to nervousness or other emotions, Yao Bao'er were to misuse the poison, it would not be a competition but a slaughter.
At that point, countless factions would become enemies with the Stealth Group, which would not be good.
With that thought, he looked at Yao Bao'er and continued, "Don't worry. Even if you wanted to participate, I wouldn't agree. I was just looking at you to tell you not to participate, and you reacted so strongly!"
Uh...
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Yao Bao'er was momentarily speechless.
However, even though her reaction was a bit excessive, as long as she didn't have to fight, she wouldn't care what he said.
On the other side, Ye Cangtian, too lazy to bother with Yao Bao'er, turned his gaze directly to Ci Dao and Tai Shan.
Currently, only the two of them met the requirements.
The next moment, Ye Cangtian spoke, "Who among you two will fight?"
As the words fell, Tai Shan and Ci Dao exchanged glances. They did not place much importance on the rewards.
After all, in the Stealth Group, they had obtained quite a bit, not inferior to the rewards.
What they valued was performance.
They had followed Elder Long for a long time, and now that they had finally accompanied Ye Cangtian, it was time to showcase their skills.
With that thought, Ci Dao patted Tai Shan's shoulder and smiled, "Tai Shan, your offensive capability is relatively weak and not suitable for this competition. Leave this martial arts exchange to me!
If I win the rewards, I'll give them all to you!"
Hmph!
Tai Shan let out a soft snort and then said, "Ci Dao, your attack power is light, but are you durable?"
Durable?
At that phrase, Ye Cangtian almost burst out laughing, clearly thinking of something unhealthy.
Ci Dao, on the other hand, turned bright red and jumped up, exclaiming, "Tai Shan, that's personal insult! Who are you calling not durable!"