Immortal Path in the Palm of a Mortal's Hand

The grand competition was held at the martial arts arena at the foot of the main peak. The arena spanned several acres, with a three-zhang-high, ten-zhang-square bluestone platform in the center, and a stone pillar engraved with reinforcing runes at each of the four corners. Surrounding it were stands built along the mountainside, capable of accommodating thousands of people. When Chen Fan arrived, the stands were already quite full—participating disciples, fellow disciples watching the battles, and those maintaining order. Unlike other sects, the Spirit Beast Mountain Grand Competition had a specially designated area at the edge of the stands for participating disciples' spirit beasts to temporarily roost in. Various spirit beasts crouched within the area: fire wolves, wind falcons, ice pythons, thunder leopards… a diverse array of species, their roars echoing throughout.

Chen Fan reported his name and cultivation level at the registration desk. The disciple in charge glanced up at him, as if trying to identify him, then lowered his head and inscribed the words "Chen Fan of Fire Cloud Peak, Qi Refining Level 12, Spirit Beast Golden-backed Demon Mantis" on a jade slip, before waving his hand to signal him to wait for the lottery.

Chen Fan retreated to the edge of the arena, leaning against a stone pillar, his gaze sweeping over the contestants. There weren't many, but none were benevolent. Most striking were a group of disciples in green robes, their chests embroidered with mountain peak patterns—the insignia of the Greenwood Peak's direct disciples. The leader was tall and slender, with a cold, stern face, a longsword in a green sheath hanging at his waist, its blade gleaming with spiritual light. Perched on his shoulder was a small, emerald-green beast, resembling a weasel, its amber eyes shimmering with spiritual energy.

"Zhang Ziming of Qingmu Peak." A whisper came from the side, "He is a direct disciple of Elder Sun, at the Great Perfection of the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, and it is said that he is currently working on his Foundation Establishment. That Azure-Eyed Spirit Sable can see through illusions and is as swift as lightning, with venomous teeth. In this competition, he is the most popular candidate."

Besides Zhang Ziming, several other people attracted attention: Han Tong, a disciple of the Crimson Cloud True Man of Fire Cloud Peak, was at the thirteenth level of Qi Refining, with a robust physique, carrying two short red axes on his back, and sitting beside him was a fire wolf half a person's height, its fur as red as flames, with sparks appearing from its mouth and nose; a tall, thin man from Golden Peak had a sinister face, was at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, and a golden snake as thick as a thumb coiled around his shoulder; and there was also a female cultivator from an unknown peak, at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, with a beautiful appearance, and a gray-feathered falcon perched on her arm.

These people all carry spirit beasts. When disciples of Spirit Beast Mountain engage in combat, they never fight alone.

The draw will take place in an hour. The competition will be a single-elimination tournament, with the winner advancing and the loser retreating. It's simple, brutal, and allows no room for error. Chen Fan's draw is average; his first opponent is Zhao Ping, a disciple of the External Affairs Hall, who is at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, one level below him in cultivation.

The first round of competition took place the following morning.

When Chen Fan stepped onto the stage, the morning mist had not yet dissipated. The bluestone surface was slippery with dew. Opposite him, Zhao Ping, about twenty years old, had a round, fair face and a hint of nervousness. He held a light blue flying sword, the standard design of the Foreign Affairs Office, and a gray-brown hyena crouched at his feet. The wolf was dog-like in size, with rough fur and cloudy yellow eyes.

The hyena is the lowest-ranking spirit beast in Spirit Beast Mountain. It is docile and easy to tame, but its combat strength is mediocre. The disciples of the External Affairs Hall receive meager monthly stipends and often keep such cheap creatures.

The referee, a Foundation Establishment Deacon, stood at the edge of the platform and indifferently announced the start of the proceedings.

Zhao Ping made the first move. Before even moving his flying sword, he commanded the hyena! The hyena growled, its limbs pushing off the ground, transforming into a gray shadow as it pounced straight at Chen Fan! At the same time, a pale blue flying sword circled around from the flank, its blade transforming into a streak of light as it pierced towards Chen Fan's chest! This combined attack by human and beast, a pincer movement, was the most basic and practical tactic among the disciples of Spirit Beast Mountain.

Chen Fan did not move. He lightly patted the spirit beast pouch with his left hand, and a dark golden shadow shot out from the pouch and landed on the bluestone platform.

armor!

The moment the Golden-backed Mantis landed, its six legs slightly bent, its center of gravity lowered, and its forelimbs' scythe-like bone blades suddenly unfolded, assuming a defensive posture. Its carapace gleamed with a deep bronze luster in the morning light, the patterns on its surface subtly shimmering. Now, the Ironclad Mantis had advanced to the mid-stage of the first tier, its size about the size of an adult's fist, much smaller than a hyena, yet its calm and chilling aura was no less formidable!

The hyena pounced halfway when it suddenly sensed the aura of armor, and its movements clearly froze!

The demonic beasts sense each other. The Golden-backed Mantis is of a far higher rank than the Hyena! A flicker of instinctive fear crossed the Hyena's cloudy yellow eyes, and its pounce slowed slightly! In that instant, the armored creature moved! With a burst of power from its six legs, its dark golden body shot out like a bolt of iron, instantly reaching the Hyena's flank! Its forelimbs swept across like scythes, the bone blades drawing a cold arc in the morning light!

The coyote couldn't dodge in time and instinctively sidestepped, bracing itself with its shoulder! The scythe pierced half an inch into the fur of its shoulder blade before being trapped by the muscles! The coyote howled in pain and turned to bite back! The armored figure had already sheathed its blade, and with a powerful push of its six legs, it retreated rapidly, easily avoiding the attack!

They attacked and retreated without suffering any damage!

At the same time, Zhao Ping's flying sword had already pierced three feet from Chen Fan's face! Chen Fan didn't use his magic weapon, but instead flicked out a fireball talisman! Three fireballs formed a triangular shape to meet the attack. Two of them struck the sword, causing it to deflect, while the third hurtled straight at Zhao Ping's face! Zhao Ping dodged quickly, and the flying sword's attack faltered!

Chen Fan wouldn't allow him a moment's respite! He immediately unleashed a second fireball talisman! Three more fireballs! Zhao Ping frantically recalled his flying sword to parry, staggering back several steps! Before he could regain his footing, the Ironclad had already dealt with the Earth Wolf, and the Golden-Backed Mantis had advanced and retreated three times, leaving five deep and shallow wounds on the Earth Wolf! The Earth Wolf lay prostrate on the ground, covered in blood, whimpering softly, daring not to advance again! Zhao Ping's face turned deathly pale. The spirit beast was crippled, and he himself was suppressed by the talismans; the outcome was already decided!

"I admit defeat," Zhao Ping said, his voice hoarse.

The referee announced that Chen Fan had advanced. The entire process took less than forty breaths.

murmurs arose from the stands. Some were astonished by the ferocity of the Golden-backed Mantis, whose superior size, despite its smaller size, had rendered the massive spirit insect utterly powerless; others marveled at the abundance of talismans Chen Fan possessed; still others noticed that Chen Fan had not used any offensive magical artifacts throughout the entire ordeal, nor had he moved his feet much.

Chen Fan didn't care. He recalled the armored vehicle, and the golden-backed mantis slithered up his trouser leg to his shoulder, lying quietly with its scythe folded at its chest like a dark gold shoulder ornament. He stepped down from the platform and returned to his position, waiting for the next round.

Her next opponent was a female cultivator from Beast Taming Peak, at the eleventh level of Qi Refining. Her spirit beast was a mid-stage first-tier Wind Falcon, with a wingspan of four feet, sharp beak and claws, and swift as the wind. At the start of the match, the female cultivator immediately commanded the Wind Falcon to swoop down from the air, while she herself used her rapier to launch a combined attack from the ground.

A pincer attack from both air and land—the standard battle tactic of Beast Taming Peak.

Chen Fan responded succinctly. He used his armored armor to fight the female cultivator, while personally confronting the Wind Falcon.

The armored creature and the female cultivator were locked in a fierce battle with their rapiers. The female cultivator's swordplay was light and agile, skillful but lacking in power. Her rapier pierced the armored creature's back armor, leaving only a faint white mark, unable to break through the shell. Every swing of the armored creature's scythe forced the female cultivator to retreat. The insect and the human were evenly matched.

In the air, Chen Fan used his divine sense to lock onto the Wind Falcon's trajectory. Although the Wind Falcon was fast, its wings flapping as it swooped down, every arc of its flight was clearly discernible under the seventy-foot coverage of his divine sense! He activated the Golden Mirror to protect himself from the Wind Falcon's sudden attack, while simultaneously using Ice Cone Talismans to continuously block its dive path. The Wind Falcon attempted to break through several times, but was forced back by the ice cones each time, screeching in frustration.

After a brief struggle lasting about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the female cultivator's magic power was depleted by half, and her swordplay gradually slowed. Seeing an opening, the armored warrior parried the slender sword with his scythe and crashed headfirst into the female cultivator's arms! The female cultivator cried out in surprise and fell backward! Seeing its master in danger, the wind falcon in the air swooped down to rescue him, only to have its escape route blocked by three ice cone talismans prepared by Chen Fan! The nine ice cones intertwined into a net, leaving the wind falcon nowhere to dodge. Its left wing was grazed, feathers flew everywhere, and it crashed askew onto the platform.

"I give up!" The female cultivator scrambled to her feet, her face pale and flushed.

Round 3. Round 4. Round 5.

Chen Fan fought his way through the battles. Ironclad gradually became more skilled in combat, evolving from initial tentative exploration to a more composed and experienced fighter. It learned to use its small size to squeeze into the blind spots of large spirit beasts' attacks and defenses, launching surprise attacks during the opponent's breathing breaks. Furthermore, it developed a tacit understanding with Chen Fan's talisman attacks; when fireball talismans forced back the enemy, it would flank and cut in; when earthen wall talismans divided the battlefield, it would circle around to cut off the enemy's retreat.

The cooperation between the man and the insect became increasingly harmonious through repeated fierce battles.

Yet, his divine sense, in every battle, is even more effective than iron armor! The opponent's movements, the spirit beast's actions, the trajectory of magical artifacts, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy are all completely exposed within his seventy-foot divine sense coverage! The strength of the divine sense bestowed by the *Great Evolution Prison Suppression Scripture* far surpasses that of his peers. While the divine sense of an ordinary Qi Refining 12th level cultivator is only fifty feet, his covers a solid seventy feet! This means that on the arena, every move of his opponent is within his perception; before they even make a move, the slightest ripple of their spiritual energy reveals their attack direction and force!

The opponent in the sixth round was that gloomy, thin, tall guy from the top of the mountain.