With the first round of the competition complete, thirty disciples advanced to the second. Among them, even the weakest was ranked fortieth on the Dragon and Tiger List, which showed just how difficult this round would be!

However, aside from a few independent disciples, the remaining thirty were all from either the Chen Alliance or the Yao Sect. It was looking more like a clash between factions!

Shen Haoran reflected on the situation. The members of the Chen Alliance were clearly a cut above those from the Yao Sect. Among the current contenders, Long Zhen and Shui Ruolan could only be considered relatively weak. In fact, besides Long Mo and Zi Mo, Shen Haoran was the only one left in the Yao Sect who could truly contend with them. And to make matters worse, Ouyang Chen of the Chen Alliance had yet to make a move; Shen Haoran had no idea what level of power he had reached.

’No matter what, I have to win this Sect competition!’ Shen Haoran vowed fiercely. Winning wasn’t just about his promise to Elder Huo; it was also crucial for obtaining the Fire Spirit Pearl. Although the top ten all had a chance to enter the Sect Secret Realm, ’surely there must be some special consideration for first place!’

After a few more moments of thought, Shen Haoran closed his eyes and resumed his Cultivation. ’It’s useless to dwell on this now,’ he thought. ’Everything will be settled on the Martial Arts Arena! I’ll only know if I can win the championship after I’ve fought for it!’

「Two days passed in the blink of an eye...」

Early on the morning of the third day, the disciples of the Five Elements Sect hastily finished their breakfast and rushed toward the Central Martial Arts Arena. Today was the final showdown of the Sect competition, and the disciples’ enthusiasm was even greater than during the first round. Within just a dozen minutes, the Central Martial Arts Arena was completely packed!

When Shen Haoran arrived, he couldn’t help but click his tongue at the sight of the sea of people packing the arena. Fortunately, the contestants had their own separate entrance; otherwise, he would have had no idea how to squeeze his way in!

After Shen Haoran entered, Zi Mo and the others followed close behind. Before long, Chen Yu and his entourage also arrived.

Looking down at the thirty remaining contestants, Chen Yu smiled and announced in a clear voice, "Today is the final day of the Sect competition. From the thirty of you, we will determine the top ten! The rules are the same as the first round: opponents will be decided by drawing lots. Number one will face number two, and so on! Now, come up and draw to determine your opponents!"

After speaking, Chen Yu produced a wooden box with thirty bamboo slips placed randomly inside. Shen Haoran and the other contestants then stepped forward one by one to draw their lots.

He casually drew a slip and glanced at it. "Number Sixteen" was written on it.

Glancing around, he saw the thirty contestants wearing mixed expressions of joy and sorrow. Those who drew a favorable lot were visibly pleased, while those who drew a powerful opponent looked utterly dejected.

"Boss, Boss, let me see your slip!" Zi Mo sidled up to him again. Upon seeing the number in Shen Haoran’s hand, his face filled with envy. "Boss, your luck is insane! Number sixteen! Your opponent is Qiu Ling, ranked thirtieth on the Dragon and Tiger List!"

Hearing this, Shen Haoran just chuckled and shook his head. Anyone who could make it into the top thirty of the Dragon and Tiger List was bound to have real skill. No one could say with absolute certainty that they would win against any particular person. After all, major upsets weren’t unheard of.

"What about you?" Shen Haoran asked Zi Mo. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Sigh, my opponent is Fan Zhu, that damn baldy!" Zi Mo sighed. One was ranked sixth on the Dragon and Tiger List, the other seventh. Who knew what kind of sparks would fly when those two met!

"And Long Mo and the others?" Shen Haoran asked, curious at the worried look on Zi Mo’s chubby face.

"Ruolan’s fine; she drew a disciple ranked outside the top twenty. I don’t know about Long Zhen yet. But Long Mo... he really drew the short straw!" Thinking about Long Mo’s opponent suddenly made Zi Mo feel much better about his own lot.

"What do you mean?" Shen Haoran asked, confused.

"Because my opponent is Ouyang Chen," Long Mo’s calm voice suddenly cut in. He brandished the slip in his hand, which was carved with the number eight.

Number Eight. Ouyang Chen’s was number seven. The two of them had really been matched up!

However, even with Ouyang Chen as his opponent, Long Mo’s face remained expressionless, as if he didn’t care in the slightest.

Seeing Long Mo’s stoic face, Shen Haoran chuckled. He couldn’t even sense the true extent of Long Mo’s power now. The outcome of a battle between him and Ouyang Chen was still very much an unknown. After all, Shen Haoran wasn’t even confident that he himself could defeat Long Mo, who possessed the Purple Thunder Celestial Fire.

"AH! I’m doomed!"

Just as Shen Haoran and his friends were talking, Long Zhen’s terrified cry rang out. With a pained expression, he held up his bamboo slip and said, "My opponent... is Gou Shi!"

Everyone was stunned. Seeing the slip in Long Zhen’s hand, they all sighed at his terrible luck. Long Zhen’s strength was, at best, ranked somewhere in the teens on the Dragon and Tiger List. Pitting him against Gou Shi, the second-ranked disciple, was a truly cruel twist of fate.

"Well now, hehehe, so you’re my opponent. Big Sister is just thrilled!" a snide, theatrical voice suddenly piped up from behind them. Everyone turned to see Gou Shi staring at Long Zhen, his eyes gleaming with a strange light.

Seeing Gou Shi’s twisted gaze, the hair on Long Zhen’s neck stood on end. He pointed at the man’s heavily made-up face and snarled, "You damn freak, don’t think I’m afraid of you! So what if you’re second on the Dragon and Tiger List? I’ll still knock you right off your pedestal!"

Hearing Long Zhen’s words, Gou Shi’s face instantly darkened. The term "damn freak" had struck a deep nerve. Of all the things people could call him, Gou Shi hated being called a "damn freak" the most.

"Hmph. Brat, you want me to knock your teeth out right here and now?" Gou Shi said with a sinister chill in his voice.

"Bring it on! You think I’m scared of you?" Long Zhen puffed out his chest, completely unafraid. For a moment, the two squared off, ready to fight.

"This is not the place for you to fight. If you don’t wish to participate in the competition, you are free to withdraw!" Seeing their auras flare and a fight about to break out, an Elder serving as a Law Enforcer stepped forward to warn them.

At his words, both Gou Shi and Long Zhen snorted coldly. They exchanged a final glare before withdrawing their auras.

"Hmph. We’ll see if you still have this tough attitude when you’re on the Martial Arts Arena," Gou Shi said coldly.

"And as for a certain someone," Gou Shi continued, turning his venom on Shen Haoran, "don’t think you’re so special just because you squeezed into the top thirty. You’re just a nobody who got here on pure luck. Someone will put you in your place and make you realize you aren’t qualified to stand on this stage!"

Hearing this, Shen Haoran’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them. His voice was calm as he replied, "Is that so? Then let’s just see who the real star of this stage is."

Meeting Shen Haoran’s gaze, Gou Shi snorted again and turned to leave.