Chapter 299: The Opening of the Immortal Martial Grand Assembly
"To all of my kin, the assembly arena for the human race has been completed. The Immortal Martial Grand Assembly is about to commence. We should set off." Jiu Xiaoyin stood, surveyed everyone, and announced with authority.
A voice responded, "Yes!"
"Ahahaha, I've longed to teach those humans a lesson for some time now."
"Even if Ji Junhao is useless, he remains one of us. It's time for his vengeance."
One by one, the demon race cultivators rose, faces contorted into menacing smiles, their eyes brimming with malevolence.
"Then let's move!" Bo Lang gave a slight nod, waving his hand. Turning into a continuously rolling black mist, he flew toward the outer regions of the Moon Plucking Heavenly Sect.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Jiu Xiaoyin and other powerhouses of the demon race, along with the corrupted Dao Palace realm powerhouses from the Moon Plucking Heavenly Sect, all took to the skies. They morphed into a vast expanse of black luminescence, trailing closely behind.
After leaving the headquarters of the Moon Plucking Heavenly Sect, the elite members of the demon race reached a large lake nearby and descended headfirst.
They had long ago received intel that the Dao Palace realm great powerhouses of the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect were preoccupied with preparations for the Immortal Martial Grand Assembly.
The underwater passage in the Black Wood Island sea domain wasn't watched over by any experts of the human race!
From this large lake in the Pure Frost Domain, one could directly access the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sea!
Plop, plop.
Numerous members of the demon race entered the lake. They moved like shadowy dragons weaving through the lakebed, steadily vanishing into the abyss below.
However, the forces dispatched by the demon race weren't merely these. Bo Lang, Jiu Xiaoyin, and the rest were entrusted with confronting the high-level cultivators.
The junior cultivators were left to the lesser demons, demonic cultivators, and the tainted demonic beasts.
Swiftly, demons and demonic cultivators of the Dao Comprehension realm, leading vast legions, entered the lakebed one after the other.
...
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, three days had gone by.
On this day, the sky was a brilliant clear blue, with not a cloud in sight. The radiant sun gently rose from the horizon, casting a soft pink shade across the sky.
Jiang Chen stood atop the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Mountain's peak, taking in the view below.
He noticed that at the vast southern foothills of the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Mountain, a huge circular arena had been fully set up.
Streaks of light, created by cultivators flying across the sky, intersected overhead. They were so numerous, they looked like threads interweaving a tapestry.
These glowing trails all led to the circular arena. The majority were spectators.
But these spectators weren't solely from the Lustrous Yang Domain. Countless cultivators from other domains had also arrived, totaling in the millions.
After all, this event marked the most significant cultivator gathering in the Immortal Martial Continent for hundreds of thousands of years.
No cultivator who could attend wanted to miss this; otherwise, it would be a regret for life.
"Ding!"
"Ding!"
"Ding!"
In that instant, three clear and resonant bell tones rang out across the entire Ageless Spirit Heavenly Mountain, marking the beginning of the Immortal Martial Grand Assembly.
Upon hearing the bell sounds, all cultivators quickened their steps, hurrying into the arena to find their places in the circular seating.
Before long, not a single person remained outside. Every seat within the arena was occupied, and the crowd was so tightly packed it appeared impenetrable. The hum of conversations was deafening; the excitement palpable.
An awed voice remarked, "Such an expansive arena!"
"It's truly incredible!"
"Hurry, look over there! That's the group from the Silver Ring Domain. So striking in their silver robes!"
"That's nothing. Look at the delegation from the White Sea Spirit Palace – each one a beauty. A true vision!"
"Certainly a sight to see. And although the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple isn't participating, many of their female cultivators have come as spectators."
"Best not to gawk. Those women from the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple are known to look down on men. Be wary or they might just glare daggers at you!"
Male cultivators gazed admiringly at the women, their faces bright with eager smiles.
This assembly indeed brought together the best of the best from the Immortal Martial Continent, including many famous beauties.
Many cultivators were treating their eyes.
"Hey, can you all not just focus on the women? We're here to pick the future of the Immortal Martial Continent!" A stern-faced man admonished.
"What's there to pick?" Another chuckled. "I've heard the Holy Son of the Purple Heaven Holy Land has already defeated and beheaded an injured Transcendence realm powerhouse. Surely, he'll be the champion."
"Defeated an injured Transcendence realm powerhouse? Really?" Someone countered. "That sounds like a stunt by the Purple Heaven Holy Land for attention."
"I don’t buy it either!"
"If that Purple Heaven Holy Son could defeat an injured Transcendence realm powerhouse, then why even have this Immortal Martial Grand Assembly?"
"Exactly. Word is, that demon race powerhouse wasn't even taken down by the Purple Heaven Holy Son alone. He had help from a Supreme Elder from the Purple Heaven Holy Land. Isn’t it obvious?"
"Yes, regardless of whether that demon was in the Transcendence realm and injured, dropping to the Dao Palace realm, I bet the Supreme Elder of the Purple Heaven Holy Land is the one who defeated him. Then they simply gave the credit to the Purple Heaven Holy Son."
Many shared these doubts.
Mostly, the news of Jiang Chen defeating and beheading the injured Transcendence realm figure, Long Tianlu, was so extraordinary that many found it hard to believe.
This skepticism wasn't just among the audience but also the competing prodigies.
"The Purple Heaven Holy Son, Jiang Chen, might have some skill, but I doubt he's as powerful as the rumors say," a resolute man in a black and gold short robe muttered to himself. "Besides, this assembly isn't solely about showcasing combat skills."
His eyes sparkled with ambition as he added, "I am sure I'll get the opportunity to best everyone, claim all the cultivation resources of the Immortal Martial Continent, advance to the Transcendence realm, and be the first to do so in the Immortal Martial Continent in over a million years!"
He was none other than Peng Shi, the undisputed top prodigy of the Black Wasteland Domain, and one of the three Dao Palace realm powerhouses from the same domain.
Given his natural talent and young age, with the right resources, he genuinely had a good shot at reaching the Transcendence realm.
Besides Peng Shi, there were two other prodigies in the Early-stage Dao Palace realm.
The rest were prodigious cultivators at the Dao Comprehension realm and below.
This Immortal Martial Grand Assembly wasn't solely a showcase of combat prowess but also a testament to one's aptitude, innate talent, willpower, and wisdom!
In total, there were four competitive categories!
Each contest had a set of points attached, and the contestant with the highest cumulative score would be named the top prodigy of this Immortal Martial Grand Assembly!
Suddenly, a resonating voice spread across the venue, clear and audible to every listener. "Everyone! Silence, please!" the announcer declared.
With an authoritative tone, he proceeded, "We will now clarify the criteria for selecting the foremost prodigy in the Immortal Martial Grand Assembly! The whole assembly comprises four parts..."
"Four competitions!" someone shouted.
"Even though our domain's prodigies are only of the Inquiring Journey realm, we still stand a chance!"
"Push your limits and don't back down, show them your resilience!"
Upon hearing the official rules, domains with lesser-known prodigies buzzed with newfound excitement.
Shortly after, the authoritative voice rang out again, "Now, all spectators of the Dao Comprehension realm and above, kindly move to the designated viewing area."
"What?" a spectator cried out in surprise.
Another expressed his bewilderment, "I thought only the Dao Protectors were being relocated. Why are all Dao Comprehension realm cultivators being shifted?"
Many shared their sentiments, wearing expressions of shock.