Heaven rewards diligence, but there are always fairies plotting against me.

With the conclusion of the three rounds of elimination, the number of participating teams, which originally numbered in the thousands, was instantly reduced to ninety-six.

These ninety-six people are all elites among the outer sect. Even the weakest among them has the cultivation of the ninth level of Body Tempering. Among them are many peerless geniuses who are half-step Qi Tempering or have even truly entered the Qi Tempering stage.

In the center of the square, the nine arenas were merged back together, leaving only four larger main arenas.

The battles to come will no longer be skirmishes, but brutal one-on-one elimination draws until the final top ten are determined.

Chu Chang stood in the rest area, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.

Not far away.

A figure as tall as an iron tower stood silently in the sunlight. His skin had an eerie, iron-black color, and the sunlight shining on him not only failed to gleam, but seemed to be swallowed up instead.

The top disciple of the outer sect, "Immovable King" Iron Battle.

Seemingly sensing Chu Chang's gaze, Tie Zhan slowly turned his head.

Those emotionless black eyes collided violently with Chu Chang's gaze in mid-air.

boom!!!

An invisible gravitational field was faintly generated between the two people in the air. The disciples who passed by felt a tightness in their chests and were so frightened that they quickly took a detour.

Tie Zhan's lips twitched slightly, revealing a half-smile, before he looked away.

"Very strong."

Chu Chang thought to himself.

The oppressive feeling he experienced in this iron-fisted battle was even greater than that he felt towards Zhao Meng, whom he had killed two months earlier.

His physical body had clearly been cultivated to an extremely high level, almost to the point of giving birth to "physical supernatural powers".

Apart from the Iron War.

Chu Chang also saw Lie Shan, the "Fiery Blade" dressed in red and carrying a giant sword, whose presence was so great that no one dared to approach within three zhang; and Feng Wuji, the "Phantom Sword" who was leaning against the shadow of the bamboo forest, his figure appearing and disappearing as if he might melt into the wind at any moment.

These three truly lived up to their reputation as the three giants of the outer sect; the aura emanating from each of them made ordinary disciples tremble with fear.

however.

What made Chu Chang most wary was not these three people.

His gaze shifted slightly to a thin, inconspicuous young man in the corner, dressed in faded outer uniform.

Zao Wou-Ki.

At this moment, Zhao Wuji had his head down, his hands tucked into his sleeves, and his body slightly hunched over, looking like an ordinary disciple trembling with nervousness.

However, Chu Chang, with his keen divine sense, could faintly sense an extremely hidden and extremely vicious "deathly aura" within his body.

That aura was exactly the same as the demonic poison he had sensed during the "Tranquility and Poison Avoidance" technique.

It seemed that he had noticed Chu Chang's gaze.

Zhao Wuji slowly raised his head.

It was an ordinary face, but his eyes now gleamed with an extreme madness and cruelty. He grinned at Chu Chang, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, and then slowly drew a line across his neck with his right index finger.

"Zhao Wuji..."

Chu Chang narrowed his eyes slightly, and at that moment, the Golden Geng True Essence within his body emitted a crisp sword cry.

he knows.

The upcoming battle for the top 100 will be a true clash of titans. And his fate against Zhao Wuji is destined to be decided on this very stage.

Just then, the Grand Elder's voice came from the sky again:

"The battle for the top 100 begins with the draw!"

"The first battle will be between Chu Chang of Tianxuan Peak and... Duan Hong of Tianxing Peak!"

Upon hearing this name, a gasp of surprise erupted from the audience.

Duan Hong, ranked eleventh on the Outer Sect's Prodigy Ranking, is ruthless with his "Deadly Chain Spear" technique, having defeated countless renowned masters.

Chu Chang withdrew his gaze and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Warm-up is over."

He strode forward, walking step by step toward the main arena.

Chu Chang, dressed in black, walked steadily onto the arena.

On the other side, Duan Hong had already remained motionless.

He was dressed in his signature red-patterned outfit and held a silver-white spear called "Liquan Spear" with a tip that gleamed with a cold light.

Duan Hong was renowned in the outer sect, not only because he ranked eleventh, but also because he came from Tianxing Peak.

The disciples of Tianxing Peak are in charge of the sect's punishments and are known for their ruthlessness and decisiveness. Their spear techniques are particularly focused on killing with a single blow.

"Chu Chang, I admit your physical strength is formidable." Duan Hong held his gun in one hand, pointing it diagonally at the ground, his entire being resembling a peerless divine spear poised to strike. "But in the heat of battle, brute force alone won't get you far. Today, I'll show you what true weaponry and pinnacle of skill really mean!"

"Please enlighten me." Chu Chang's expression was calm as he slowly placed his right hand on the hilt of the iron sword at his waist.

Facing an opponent like Duan Hong, he no longer dared to be arrogant and prepared to use his swordsmanship.

"Arrogant!"

Seeing that Chu Chang remained so calm and composed even now, Duan Hong's eyes turned cold, and she instantly sprang into action.

"Whoosh!"

A flash of red light appeared, and Duan Hong became one with his spear, transforming into a silver lightning bolt that tore through the air, aiming straight for Chu Chang's throat.

"Deadly Chain Spear, Gale Thrust!"

The shot was incredibly fast; the tip of the spear, due to high-speed friction in mid-air, actually created a faint vortex of white airflow. Many disciples below the stage only caught a blurry afterimage.

However, Chu Changna, whose senses had been refined through several marrow-cleansing rituals and whose perception was far more acute than that of ordinary people, could clearly see the trajectory of the spear.

"when!"

A crisp metallic clang rang out.

Chu Chang's iron sword was already drawn from its sheath at some point. He didn't use any fancy moves, just a simple horizontal block.

The sword's edge sliced ​​precisely at the side of the spear tip.

The two immense forces collided, sparking a dazzling display of sparks. Duan Hong felt an overwhelming force emanating from the gun, causing a sharp pain in the web of his hands, and his intended killing shot immediately veered off course.

"What?!" Duan Hong was shocked, but he was extremely experienced in combat. In an instant, he used the rebound force to twist his waist, and his spear drew a perfect arc in the air before sweeping out again.

"Sweep through the enemy ranks!"

The gun barrel slammed into Chu Chang's ribs with a terrifying whistling sound.

"The Golden Geng Sword Technique: As solid as Mount Tai!"

Chu Chang remained unfazed. With a light stroke of his iron sword beside him, a faint golden protective shield of true essence instantly formed, resembling a majestic golden mountain that firmly protected him within.

"boom!"

The spear slammed heavily against the golden shield, producing a dull thud.

The protective shield trembled violently, but it did not break. On the contrary, the powerful recoil forced Duan Hong back five steps.

"A prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat; now take my sword."

Chu Chang's eyes narrowed, and instead of retreating, he advanced, taking a step forward. The iron sword in his hand transformed into a blazing golden sword light, slashing down diagonally.

"Golden Geng Sword Technique, Breaking Army!"

This sword strike, imbued with the domineering and unparalleled true essence of metal and metal, and further enhanced by the Tai Xuan sword intent, made the disciples watching from below the stage feel a faint pain on their skin due to its sharpness.

Duan Hong's pupils constricted sharply; he sensed the threat of death. In haste, he could only hold his spear horizontally in front of his chest, attempting to take the blow head-on.

"boom,!"

The golden sword light slashed fiercely at the spear shaft.

Duan Hong felt as if a mountain had crashed into his chest, causing his blood and qi to surge wildly. His Liquan Spear, forged from refined steel, was bent into an astonishing arc by this single strike.

"puff!"

Duan Hong ultimately could not withstand this terrifying power. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying off the stage, crashing heavily to the ground, his spear slipping from his hand.

"Arena Number One, Chu Changsheng!"

The elder referee's voice rang out.

The audience erupted in uproar once again.

Duan Hong, ranked eleventh, couldn't even last three moves against Chu Chang. At that moment, everyone acknowledged the true value of this dark horse.

As the match progressed, the battles became increasingly brutal.

Zhou Linzi, relying on the endless stream of poisonous mist and the exquisite array plate, struggled to enter the top 32, but ultimately lost to a veteran prodigy due to her slightly weaker cultivation foundation.

However, she was not discouraged. Instead, she excitedly ran to Chu Chang's side to cheer him on.

Chu Chang, on the other hand, made rapid and triumphant progress.

In the round of 16 to the quarterfinals, he encountered the number two figure of Tianxing Peak, known for his defense. However, Chu Chang used the Eight Desolations Demon Suppression Fist to smash through his defensive shield with three direct punches, causing him to admit defeat.

In the quarterfinals, Chu Chang finally met his true opponent.

Second on the Outer Sect Prodigy Ranking is Feng Wuji, the "Phantom Sword".

On the main arena, a fierce wind howled.

Feng Wuji, holding his longsword, looked at Chu Chang coldly: "Your strength is great, even surpassing Tie Zhan's. But within my Wind Domain, you can't even touch the hem of my clothes. No matter how strong you are, if you can't hit your target, it's all for naught."

Chu Chang stood with his sword in hand and said calmly, "Is that so? You can try."

"snort!"

Feng Wuji snorted coldly, and his figure disappeared from the spot in an instant.

The next moment, nine "afterimages" of Feng Wuji appeared out of thin air on the entire arena. Each afterimage was incredibly solid, with longswords in their hands radiating sharp wind blades, stabbing towards Chu Chang from nine different directions.

"Nine Shadows Wind Killing Formation!"

The disciples below the stage gasped in surprise. This was Feng Wuji's signature move; only one of the nine afterimages was a real entity, yet all nine could unleash deadly attacks, making it extremely difficult to distinguish between the real and the illusory.

Chu Chang closed his eyes.

"Your eyes can deceive you, but the wind cannot."

He stood quietly in the middle of the raging wind, his divine sense spreading out like a tide, keenly capturing the slightest movement of air in the void.

"To the left rear!"

Chu Chang suddenly opened his eyes, a dazzling golden light flashing in them.

Instead of using a sword, he clenched his right fist and punched out at a point in the void to his left rear.

"Eight Desolations Demon-Suppressing Fist, Shatter Mountains and Rivers!"

The violent force of the punch transformed into a dark golden shockwave, instantly sweeping across half of the arena.

"What?!"

A gasp echoed from the void. The previously empty space suddenly revealed Feng Wuji's somewhat disheveled figure. His longsword was still three feet away from Chu Chang, but the terrifying force of his fist had already locked him firmly in place.

"The tide has turned; suppress it!"

Chu Changquan's intent soared to the heavens, and that domineering and unparalleled "momentum" actually suppressed the raging wind on the arena.

Feng Wuji felt as if the space around his body had turned into a quagmire, and his speed dropped several times in an instant.

"boom!"

With no way to avoid it, Feng Wuji had no choice but to take it head-on.

However, faced with absolute power suppression, he was unable to unleash his swift sword technique.

After a loud bang, Feng Wuji and his sword were knocked back dozens of steps by the punch, and he was pressed directly against the barrier wall at the edge of the arena.

A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with bitterness and shock.

"I lost..."

Feng Wuji held his longsword upside down and bowed slightly. He knew that Chu Chang had held back with that punch, otherwise his meridians would have been shattered.

"You flatter me." Chu Chang withdrew his fist.

In this battle, Chu Chang made a strong advance into the semifinals.

The other three who advanced to the semifinals were, without any suspense, "Immovable King" Tie Zhan, "Fiery Blade" Lie Shan, and... that Zhao Wuji who was covered in deathly aura.

The draw for the semifinals came out quickly.

Iron Battle versus Lieshan.

Chu Chang's opponent was Zhao Wuji.

The moment Chu Chang and Zhao Wuji stepped onto the main arena, the temperature in the air seemed to drop to freezing point.

"Chu Chang, you killed my brother and took that thing, didn't you?" Zhao Wuji's voice was hoarse, like two rusty pieces of iron rubbing together. His eyes gleamed with an unnatural, ghastly green light.

Chu Chang remained expressionless: "Zhao Meng has committed many unjust acts and deserves to die. As for you... if you want revenge, feel free to take action."

"Hehe, revenge? That's just a side effect." Zhao Wuji chuckled strangely, slowly extending his hands from his sleeves.

His hands were an eerie dark green, with veins writhing wildly beneath his skin like tiny snakes, emitting a nauseating, fishy stench.

"Today, not only will you die, but I will also take back that thing!"

Upon seeing this, the elder referee frowned slightly, vaguely sensing something amiss with Zhao Wuji, but adhering to the rules of the competition, he still loudly announced:

"The match begins!"

"Die!"

Zhao Wuji screamed and his figure transformed into a green poisonous mist, instantly rushing towards Chu Chang.