Reigning Supreme in countless worlds With Beast taming

Chapter 184: Chapter 181: Raising the Curtain Chapter 184: Chapter 181: Raising the Curtain The closer they got to the direction of the Mountain Gate Hall, the more disciples they saw in the sky, riding all kinds of mounts.

Qin Feng and Liu Wuxiang also had their eyes opened, as the sky was filled with countless Spiritual Birds and Exotic Beasts.

Although the majority were various Spiritual Birds—since birds by their nature can fly and were the preferred mounts for Qi Refining Realm disciples of the Beast Taming Sect—there were also quite a few Exotic Beasts.

In addition, there were some peculiar disciples riding on top of huge Strange Insects, including giant dragonflies with wingspans of three zhang, ladybugs with shells as large as grinding plates, slender jade praying mantises, and colorful butterflies adorned with beautiful patterns.

But the most bizarre was a young cultivator sitting cross-legged on the back of a stink bug.

As they approached the Mountain Gate Hall, people and shadows were everywhere—above and below—and considering the size of everyone’s mounts, even the sky seemed rather crowded.

However, upon noticing the disciple riding the stink bug, all other disciples made way for him to pass first.

…

The reason was simple: the stink bug, which had transformed into a demon, emitted a very strong odor, and no one wanted to be overwhelmed by its scent.

So that disciple, with a smug grin on his face, bulldozed his way through the dense crowd, making his way unimpeded.

Qin Feng and his companion couldn’t help but admire the sight, wondering how eccentric a disciple had to be to tame such a stinky creature as a mount, and not mind being shunned by others on a daily basis?

They flew back and forth through the crowd, winding left and right, and finally, after a lot of effort, made their way toward the Mountain Gate Hall.

In front of the hall, a high platform had been raised, on both sides of which, many disciples from the Internal Affairs Hall were busy recording the names of those who had come to register for the Outer competition.

A tally had to be done before the competition began, and these tasks were in charge of the Internal Affairs Hall Elders and their disciples.

Qin Feng lined up, while Liu Wuxiang waited by the side.

Looking around, he saw that the peaks surrounding the plaza were already filled with people and couldn’t help but sigh—it seemed they would have to find any corner to watch the competition later.

A good half an hour later, Qin Feng returned with a jade token in hand.

This token wasn’t particularly useful; it merely recorded their battle achievements.

In the end, a tally would be made, and if a disciple’s strength and Talent were impressive, even if they were unlucky and repeatedly faced strong opponents and were defeated, they would still get another chance to challenge.

The Sect organized the Outer competition not merely for fairness but to choose outstanding Talents for cultivation in the Inner Sect, so they didn’t mind giving defeated disciples a chance.

However, continuous defeats warranted a retreat to avoid angering the Sect Elders.

After receiving his token, Qin Feng and Liu Wuxiang walked to the edge of the plaza, looking around as they went.

He hoped to find Qin Xi, but with a sea of people and a large number of Spiritual Beasts flying back and forth in the sky, it was too difficult to locate the Creation Peak disciples.

So, he quickly gave up the idea.

Qin Feng needed to compete later, so he didn’t leave the plaza, just found a place on the edge to wait quietly.

He chose not to stay in the center of the plaza because it was already crowded with people, and later, when the competition started, stages would be raised, and everyone would have to leave again.

Cultivators worked quickly, and within half an hour, not only had all the disciples prepared for the competition finished registering, but all the Outer disciples planning to watch had arrived as well.

Since a Golden Core Elder from the Inner Sect would preside over the competition, none of the disciples dared arrive too late; being late when an Inner Sect Elder spoke would seem quite impolite.

If recognized, one might get labeled as arrogant.

Once all the Outer disciples landed and occupied the space around the plaza and the mountaintops, the Peak Masters and Elders from the 108 peaks of the Outer Sect also arrived. S~eaʀᴄh the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Qin Feng looked specifically in the direction of Spiritual Snake Peak and did not see Liu Xuanling among them, only Yin Qi and another Golden Core Realm Elder who came to watch.

He found it strange, as Liu Xuanling had seemingly vanished since their return from the Heavenly Pool Secret Realm.

His mentor had mentioned going into seclusion for Cultivation, and he wondered what Cultivation Technique he was practicing, since he hadn’t even appeared for the Outer competition.

As Qin Feng pondered, he suddenly saw more than a dozen streaks of light soaring from the Inner Sect, arriving above the high platform with astonishing speed.

These were the Inner Sect Elders, each with distinct appearances: some were tall and sturdy as bears, others had an ethereal presence befitting immortals, while some were so slender they seemed they could be blown away by a gust of wind.

Qin Feng looked carefully and noticed the slender Elder was always surrounded by whirling winds, agile and extraordinary—it seemed he didn’t need the wind to blow him away, for he could become the wind at will if he pleased.

Soon, a stern-faced Elder with a black beard from the Law Enforcement Hall stepped forward in front of the high platform, his icy voice reaching out in all directions, “I am Elder Lu Wu from the Law Enforcement Hall, here by the order of our Hall Master to supervise this Outer competition, ensuring its fairness and that no cheating occurs.

All disciples should give it their all to seize the opportunity to enter the Inner Sect.

This is a rare chance, and I hope all of you cherish it.”

This Elder from the Law Enforcement Hall spoke succinctly.

After finishing his brief words, he stepped aside, and immediately two rows of black-clad Law Enforcement Disciples emerged, their sharp eyes intimidating many disciples from meeting their gaze.

Another Elder took the stage, and this one appeared much more amiable.

With a smile on his face, he said, “Fellow disciples, I am Li Hong, the Vice Hall Master of the Preaching Hall of the Inner Sect, and by the order of our Sect Master, I preside over this Outer Sect tournament.

“Since the founding of our Beast Taming Sect in ancient times, our legacy has endured for tens of thousands of years.

We have emerged through the Ancient Great Tribulation, faced calamities, shown bravery, and countless predecessors have sacrificed their lives and shed their blood to ensure the unbroken legacy of our Sect, which accounts for its current strength.

“To guarantee the continuation of our Sect and to expand its glory, selecting promising talents has become one of the most critical tasks.

Each Outer Sect tournament selects numerous outstanding disciples, thereby further solidifying the foundation of our Beast Taming Sect and enhancing our collective strength.

None of this would be possible without the dedication of every one of our fellow disciples.

“Of course, those not passing the tournament and entering the Inner Sect need not lose heart.

As long as you have the aptitude and potential, there will be no lack of Cultivation Techniques for you in the Outer Sect.

Should you prove your potential by reaching the Golden Core in the Outer Sect, the Inner Sect will still welcome you with open doors.”

Different from Elder Lu Wu of the Law Enforcement Hall, who had spoken plainly and concisely, this Elder from the Preaching Hall went on at length, talking from the times of the Ancient Great Tribulation to the present, and only after a full half-hour did he seem to reluctantly close his speech.

Fortunately, his words contained an invisible energy that stirred the blood of the disciples listening, even invigorating those who had heard these tales countless times, causing their excitement to swell dramatically.

Seeing that his speech had successfully aroused the emotions of the surrounding disciples, Elder Li Hong nodded in satisfaction and continued, “Alright, time is of the essence, and I’m sure everyone is eager to begin.

I shall not belabor the point any further.

“Disciples of the Internal Affairs Hall, activate the platforms immediately.

As per tradition, each peak of the Outer Sect shall send a Golden Core Cultivator to guard the platforms.

We must ensure our disciples can compete without causing undue harm to their fellow Sect members.”

The Golden Core Cultivators from the various peaks bowed and accepted their orders.

In the presence of these Inner Sect Elders, they dared not refer to themselves as Elders, for among the Inner Sect Elders present, some were their own mentors.

It was best to maintain proper etiquette and respect before their seniors.

Upon Elder Lu Wu’s soft command from the Internal Affairs Hall, numerous platforms suddenly rose in front of the hall.

This was the unique selection method of the Beast Taming Sect.

Since the Inner Sect only recruited one hundred disciples each year, they simply and directly set up numerous platforms.

Any disciple wishing to become an Inner Sect Disciple must first defend a platform.

Only by holding a platform without being defeated could one hope to become an Inner Sect Disciple.

Of course, those who were overcome need not worry too much, as the Sect would consider if they failed due to excessive prior exertion before being defeated, so generally, each disciple had more than one opportunity to challenge others.

Particularly for those disciples who successively defeated opponents, the Sect would grant them one or two additional chances to challenge others, based on their number of victories.

However, if one were truly unlucky, depleted of True Yuan, and also happened to suffer severe injuries, then in all likelihood, they would lack the strength to fight again.

This was what happened with Fang Zheng.

He was powerfully skilled and formidable in battle, but due to issues with his temperament, he frequently clashed with the Noble Heirs, who then purposefully employed a strategic rotation during the Outer Sect tournament to challenge him.

Eventually, they wore him down until he didn’t have any fight left in him, depleting his True Yuan and costing him the opportunity to enter the Inner Sect directly.

However, those who faced him didn’t get off lightly either; many were injured by him during their opportunities, leading to more of his challengers being eliminated than not, resulting in a situation where neither side truly won.

Nevertheless, Fang Zheng’s performance caught the attention of the watching Vice Hall Master Mingxin of the Law Enforcement Hall.

He was immediately taken as a Registered Disciple by Hall Master Mingxin, and upon entering the Inner Sect, he could directly report to the Law Enforcement Hall.

For this reason, the Noble Heirs who had opposed him were extremely frightened, fearing that once Fang Zheng joined the Law Enforcement Hall, he would seek retribution against them.

If they caught the attention of a Law Enforcement Disciple, their days would be far from pleasant.

Even if Fang Zheng, true to his nature, did not engage in personal vendettas, any mistake they made that he caught would likely result in a harsh lesson.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Figures landed on the platforms, the Golden Core Elders of the various Outer Sect peaks.

Standing atop the platforms, they called out lightly in all directions, and each disciple promptly leaped onto the platforms.

Many disciples were actually reluctant to be the first to step up.

They felt that ascending the platform early would lead to an undue depletion of their strength, and gradually reveal their tactics during combat, so they preferred to wait until later to take the stage.

Yet, there were also those disciples who felt there were advantages to ascending early, as those talented cultivators with advanced Cultivation considered themselves too prestigious to engage first, thereby providing an opportunity for these earlier participants to secure victories.

They could defeat several opponents early on, ensuring that, even if later defeated, they retained the chance to challenge again.

But if they failed to secure even a single victory, unless they had some special skill, chances to climb the platform again were slim.

Once the defending disciples were on the platforms, the Golden Core Elders disembarked.

After all, this place was meant for the disciples to compete, and there was no need for the Elders to remain so close, least they become a distraction.

Even with the Golden Core Elders at a distance, their Golden Core Realm cultivation ensured that no major mishaps would occur.

Soon, the disciples on the platforms began calling out eagerly, inviting other disciples to join them in combat.