Chapter 21

Chapter 21: First Battle (Part 1)
“Calm down,” Ye Hua said, shooting Li Xin a stern glance. “The Demon Hunter Selection Tournament gathers the elite talents from the entire Temple Alliance. What’s so strange about an Earth Knight appearing? Nearly every edition has one. Don’t forget, our Knight Temple ranks first among the Six Holy Temples. It’s not just our Knight Temple that produces fifth-rank professionals; the other major temples do as well. Understand this: by the final stage of the Demon Hunter Selection Tournament, when the top ten competitors clash, it becomes almost exclusively a stage for fifth-rank professionals. Don’t assume that because you excelled in Haoyue City, you’ll automatically stand out here. First, adjust your mindset. Your task is to strive for a place among the top ten in the preliminary round, thereby advancing to the finals and earning the chance to become a member of a Demon Hunter team.”
Although this year’s Demon Hunter Selection Tournament featured numerous young powerhouses, Ye Hua felt no particular urgency. Long Haochen was only fourteen years old and would still have two more opportunities to participate in future tournaments. This time, his primary hope was simply for his cherished disciple to gain some practical experience. As for competing for rankings, that could wait until the next tournament. Give Long Haochen another five years, and an Earth Knight? Hmph, he would at least become a peak-level Earth Knight.
Of course, Ye Hua would not say this to Long Haochen now; he did not wish to dampen his disciple’s fighting spirit.
“In a certain sense, the preliminary rounds are even more ruthless than the finals. Elimination matches are determined directly by drawing lots. However, participants above the fifth rank receive byes for the first two rounds. Moreover, the Holy Temple will arrange it so that they only have a chance to meet each other during the competition for the top ten, ensuring that our Knight Temple secures a good ranking in the final stage of the selection tournament. Therefore, you must be doubly vigilant and cannot afford any mistakes; otherwise, you are likely to be eliminated in the very first round.”
“Yes,” Long Haochen and Li Xin replied respectfully.
Ye Hua said, “Very well, return to your respective rooms to rest. Do not go out before the competition begins; every slight increase in your spiritual energy will enhance your chances in the tournament.”
Long Haochen returned to his room, but before he could begin his cultivation, Ye Hua followed him in.
“Teacher,” Long Haochen said respectfully, bowing to Ye Hua.
Ye Hua waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down. “Tell me about your experiences during this trial.”
Long Haochen naturally had no intention of hiding anything. He recounted in detail their successive hunts against the Luk tribe, the Dike tribe, and finally the Emerald Twin-Blade Demons. He also made no secret of encountering Lin Xin and the violent priest Sima Xian along the way.
Upon hearing Long Haochen describe their successful slaying of the Emerald Twin-Blade Demons, a faint smile appeared on Ye Hua’s face. However, that smile quickly turned into anger.
“Fool! Who told you to agree to that fellow’s promise? You’ve been deceived.”
Long Haochen was taken aback and said, “Teacher, Lin Xin seemed quite sincere, and the pills he gave me were truly excellent!”
Ye Hua tapped his own forehead, sighed lightly, and said, “You child, you are still too young. Do you think your chances of ranking in the top three are slim, so agreeing to him doesn’t matter?”
Long Haochen remained silent, but he knew that such thoughts had indeed crossed his mind at the time.
“You, oh you, what am I to say about you? Since he possesses the Insight Technique, he must have discerned your age and cultivation level. You are only fourteen; if you cannot make the top three this session, can you not strive for it in the next? I dare say that boy is no older than twenty and can also participate in another selection tournament. Moreover, his magical prowess is likely far worse than merely being poor.”
Long Haochen lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Master. I was wrong.”
Ye Hua let out a heavy, labored breath. “Forget it. Since I’ve already agreed, what else can I do? A true man’s promise is worth a thousand gold. Show me the pills he gave you.”
Long Haochen hastily retrieved the three types of pills along with the Strength Pill from his Forget-Me-Not storage ring and handed them to Ye Hua.
“Hmm, that boy does have some conscience after all. These are all fourth-tier pills. The combined value of these vials probably exceeds even a hundred thousand gold coins. If he truly refined them all himself, then even if his magical abilities are somewhat lacking, he’s still worthy of being your teammate. Put them away safely. Push yourself hard over the next couple of days; the goal I’ve set for you is simple: make it to the finals.”
The Demon Hunter Team Selection Competition has no audience. This is because future members of the Demon Hunter Teams will all face the demonic races, and their information must remain confidential. Therefore, although ordinary people are aware that such a grand event takes place, they know nothing about its proceedings or outcomes.
Long Haochen’s badge number was ninety-seven, coincidentally matching his innate internal spiritual energy, while Li Xin’s was ninety-eight.
The day of the competition finally arrived. Early in the morning, Ye Hua took the two of them to the Holy Alliance’s Grand Trial Arena.
The entire Grand Trial Arena was designed with the Six Holy Temples in mind; thus, its six trial grounds each belong to one of the Six Holy Temples. Relying on their identification tags, Long Haochen and his companions proceeded directly to the Knight Trial Ground for registration. As their instructor, Ye Hua presented both the letter of introduction issued by the Governor of Haoyue City and the confirmation document from the Haoyue Knight Branch Temple, granting him permission to accompany them inside. Of course, each city is permitted only one instructor per profession.
The bone age assessment was completed during yesterday’s registration, so after verifying their identification tags today, they can enter directly.
“Brother Ye Hua, we meet again.” The father-and-son duo, Gui Ying and Gui Wu, happened to be registering right behind Long Haochen’s group.
Ye Hua’s eyes turned cold as he stated flatly, “You’d better pray your son doesn’t run into Haochen.” With those words, he led Long Haochen and Li Xin inside.
Gui Ying replied coldly, “It is you who should be worried.”
Ye Hua paused slightly, saying without turning his head, “Also, wash your face clean, lest you soil my hands when the time comes.”
“You…” Ghost Shadow’s face flushed with anger, nearly losing his temper. Yet Ye Hua had already led Long Haochen and Li Xin inside.
The Holy Alliance’s Grand Trial Arena was not open-air; above each trial ground, at a height of twenty zhang, loomed a massive dome that enveloped the arena below, which spanned three hundred meters in diameter. Viewed from the sky, the Holy Alliance’s Grand Trial Arena appeared as six enormous semicircular protrusions.
As soon as he entered the Knight Trial Grounds, an intense surge of magical elements washed over him. The magical elements here seemed almost tangible; though they possessed no aggression, they exerted an invisible pressure.
High above on the domed ceiling, faint outlines of enormous magical symbols could be discerned. Intricate magic circles were scattered everywhere, evidently serving various functions.
At the center of the trial grounds lay a vast plaza two hundred meters in diameter. Its surface was covered with yellow earth, beneath which, it was said, another great magic circle resided. No matter how severely the yellow earth was damaged, it could restore itself within a short time.
Surrounding the square is a ring of spectator stands, among which one particularly tall stand stands out; that is the main podium of the trial grounds.
“The elemental fluctuations are so intense!” Li Xin exclaimed in awe.

First Battle (Part Two)
Ye Hua said, “The magical formation within this grand trial ground can withstand attacks from ninth-rank professionals; how could the elemental fluctuations not be strong?”
Guided by the staff of the trial arena, they made their way to the contestants’ area and took their seats. By now, many had already arrived; all the participants were clad in full battle gear, each radiating an imposing martial aura.
Before long, the dome of the trial arena suddenly illuminated, as a vast ring of golden halo spread outward from its apex. Since there were no spectators present, the surroundings of the arena appeared somewhat desolate. However, over a dozen individuals had already assembled on the main podium. Yet, due to the considerable height of that elevated platform, it was difficult to discern what was happening up there from below.
A powerful voice resonated from the main podium: “Registration has concluded. The preliminary round of the Demon Hunter Team Selection Competition officially begins. We expect contestants from all cities to compete with utmost effort. Competition rules: intentional maiming of opponents is prohibited. Should one party cause the death of the other, that party shall also be declared the loser, and responsibility will be pursued against the branch temple of their respective city.”
“All matches in the preliminary round are elimination bouts. Today marks the first round. With one hundred and thirty-eight registrants, the four fifth-rank participants will receive byes for the first two rounds. The drawing of lots shall now commence. All contestants, prepare yourselves.”
No one knew how this trial arena was controlled. In the center of the domed ceiling above, a massive golden orb slowly materialized, and immediately afterward, numerous numbers began to flash across its surface.
Li Xin murmured, “Such a famous Demon Hunter selection tournament is surprisingly simple! There isn’t even an opening ceremony or anything.”
Ye Hua replied calmly, “This is a competition to select the worthy and talented, not a spectacle. What need is there for ceremonies? With over one hundred thirty participants, more than sixty matches must be held on the first day alone. If we waste time, when will the competition ever finish?”
Just as they were speaking, the flashing numbers on the golden orb in the sky suddenly stopped. Two large numerals transformed into halos of light and projected themselves into midair.
“First match, contestant number twenty-nine versus contestant number ninety-seven. Both parties, enter the arena. Anyone failing to enter within ten breaths will be declared the loser.”
Number ninety-seven? Long Haochen was startled. Isn’t that me?
Ye Hua and Li Xin were equally shocked; no one had expected Long Haochen to be drawn first.
The other contestants around them unanimously turned their gazes toward Long Haochen, who looked so young yet devastatingly handsome.
Ye Hua had already regained his composure and quickly said, “Stay calm and proceed with steady, methodical steps.”
“Mm,” Long Haochen replied, not daring to be negligent, and strode forward with great strides. Descending the stairs, he stepped into the competition arena.
Long Haochen’s opponent was a young man clad in full silver armor, appearing to be around twenty years old. Like him, he was also a Guardian Knight, wielding a shield in his left hand and a heavy sword in his right.
As the two combatants entered the arena, a middle-aged man dressed in tight white attire followed them onto the field, clearly serving as the referee for this match.
Without unnecessary words, once the two had taken their positions approximately fifty meters apart at the center of the arena, the referee shouted loudly, “The match begins. Do not maim your opponent. Defeat is declared when one side surrenders or loses the ability to fight.”
Following the referee’s announcement, a golden luminous barrier rose from around the competition ground, isolating the arena from the surrounding spectator stands.
Just as Long Haochen was about to begin his first battle in the Demon Hunter Selection Tournament, in another space.
Darkness. This was a world of pitch blackness. Fierce winds raged across the land, while a purple moon in the sky emitted an eerie glow. The earth was cracked open everywhere, with surging lava and clouds of deadly poison gas visible at every turn.
Within a deep cavern, Haoyue lay quietly prostrate. Both Xiao Guang and Xiao Huo had dazzling light flickering in their eyes. Before them, the stone sphere purchased for ten thousand gold coins now bore a crack. Threads of cyan radiance continuously spread outward from within the sphere.
Xiao Guang and Xiao Huo kept taking deep breaths, devouring these strands of cyan light into their bellies. The three purple luminous markings on their backs flashed incessantly. Their bodies exuded a violent, bloodthirsty aura. Four sharp claws dug fiercely into the ground.
Through the cracks in the stone sphere, one could discern what appeared to be a cyan-colored orb within. The surface of this orb was surprisingly scaled, and as it shimmered with cyan light, the faint outline of a lizard-like body could be seen inside. Yet, despite its modest appearance, this cyan sphere emanated an invisible majesty. It was the aura of a dragon.
Had Lin Xin witnessed this cyan orb within the stone sphere, he would have been consumed by overwhelming regret. This was unmistakably a Dragon Pill—a seventh-tier medicinal pill known as the Dragon Pill.
Dragons were exceedingly rare, yet every true dragon was at least an eighth-tier powerhouse, with the mightiest Dragon Kings reaching the tenth tier, equivalent to ninth-tier human experts.
The greatest challenge plaguing the dragon race was reproduction; they often had only one opportunity to bear offspring every thousand years. The rarity of Dragon Pills was directly linked to this fact. A Dragon Pill was, in essence, an unhatched dragon egg that had absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth over a millennium.
The Dragon Clan’s reproduction is so difficult that one can imagine how precious their dragon eggs are to them. Therefore, dragon eggs capable of forming Dragon Pills are exceedingly rare. In terms of scarcity, they even surpass certain eighth-tier elixirs.
Dragon Pills are beneficial to both humans and magical beasts. If a human consumes one, they immediately gain a certain degree of Dragon Clan bloodline, causing their internal and external spiritual energy to surge by at least three hundred points, while raising the cultivation ceiling for external spiritual energy to five thousand. Consuming a single Dragon Pill grants at least the potential to cultivate up to the seventh tier.
For magical beasts, however, the requirements to consume a Dragon Pill are far stricter. First, they must possess Dragon Clan bloodline to digest it; second, their cultivation level cannot be below tier six. Only then can consumption promote their evolution, granting the powerful effect of advancing one full tier.
At this moment, Haoyue was absorbing and circulating the spiritual energy emanating from the Dragon Pill. Judging by its demeanor, it seemed utterly unafraid of any backlash from the pill’s potent energy.
“Roar—” Xiao Guang emitted a low growl from his mouth. Xiao Huo looked at him and nodded slightly.
A faint purple glow rose from above their heads, and slowly, each sprouted a single purple horn. They stepped forward slightly, their horns thrusting forward in unison; with a sharp crack, they pierced into the hard stone shell surrounding the dragon core.
With both heads working together, the stone shell proved as fragile as tofu beneath their purple horns. In just a short while, an emerald-green dragon core, covered in dragon scales, was revealed.
At that moment, the eyes of Xiao Guang and Xiao Huo transformed entirely, shifting instantly from their original gold and red to a deep, profound purple. Raising their heads, they gazed into the distance, longing for companions from another world.
Brother, wait for us when we return.
Xiao Guang suddenly lowered his head, opened its massive jaws, and swallowed the azure dragon core in one gulp. In an instant, intense azure flames erupted from their bodies. The bulge on one side of Xiao Guang’s neck began to writhe violently as primordial power surged forth explosively.