"I heard that Lord Sima personally went to the Bluestone Mountain Range to capture the sacrifice for this year’s Yulan Festival. I wonder what it could be!"

"Last year’s Yulan Festival used a Fiery Iron Rhinoceros, an equal to the Eighth Stage of Martial Arts. I can’t see the true form of this sacrifice, but the feeling it gives off seems even more terrifying than that Fiery Iron Rhinoceros from last year..."

"Could it be a Demon Beast of the Martial Arts Ninth Stage?"

"No way, right? A Martial Arts Ninth Stage beast... Aside from the Three-headed Demon Dog Jiang Taixu captured all those years ago, Yandu City hasn’t seen a sacrifice of the Ninth Stage for nearly a decade..."

A buzz of discussion rippled through the crowd.

Every eye was fixed on the prison cart.

Qian Duoduo scanned the crowd, quite pleased with their reaction. He began, "Today is the grand Yulan Festival! To honor the heavens, our Yandu City has specially prepared this offering. First, let us thank Lord Sima, who went through great hardship to capture this sacrifice for us."

Sima Tao stood up and waved to the crowd.

Qian Duoduo continued, "I now invite Lord Sima to slay the sacrifice and present our offering to the heavens!"

"Well then, I’d be happy to oblige!"

Sima Tao let out a booming laugh that sounded like rolling thunder. He leaped lightly, landing beside the prison cart, and tore away the curtain with a single motion!

BOOM—

The instant the curtain was pulled back, a terrifying, deafening roar erupted from within the cart. The legs of some onlookers with weaker cultivation gave out, and they collapsed to the ground.

The cart was constructed from iron bars as thick as a man’s arm, yet now they were grotesquely twisted, all from the impacts of the sacrifice trapped inside.

It was a massive black serpent with a single, spiraling horn growing from its head—a great python on the verge of transforming into a Flood Dragon!

"Gasp—a Horned Flood Python! It’s as strong as a master of the Martial Arts Ninth Stage!"

"Lord Sima is truly impressive! To think he actually captured a sacrifice at the Martial Arts Ninth Stage..."

Everyone was stunned.

In Yandu City, the Martial Arts Ninth Stage was the absolute Peak, the Sovereign of all!

The thought that such a being was now to be used as a sacrifice was terrifying, yet at the same time, incredibly exhilarating.

ROAR—

The Horned Flood Python slammed against the cart, bursting free of its cage with a loud CRASH. It shot into the air, attempting to flee.

Sima Tao sneered. "You’re not going anywhere!"

SWISH!

A flash of cold light appeared in his hand, a chillingly sharp Battle Blade now gripped firmly in his grasp. He leaped high into the air, catching up to the Horned Flood Python. Sima Tao grasped the Battle Blade with both hands, raised it high, and brought it crashing down. A blinding silver arc of light erupted from the blade’s edge.

The arc of light cut across the sky like a silver crescent moon before it descended.

SPLURT!

One slash, two pieces!

The Horned Flood Python, an existence as powerful as a Martial Arts Ninth Stage Martial Artist, was slain by Sima Tao with a single slash!

Fresh blood rained down from the sky, a thick, crimson shower that spattered across the ground below.

"All hail Lord Sima!"

"Glory to the Yulan Festival...!"

Bathed in the rain of blood, the millions of Yandu City’s citizens let out excited cheers. Qian Duoduo narrowed his eyes and roared, "The sacrifice has been offered! I trust the heavens will feel our sincerity and bless Yandu City with prosperity and peace. Now, let the Yulan Festival officially begin! Will all Martial Artists under the age of eighteen please step forward!"

The crowd immediately began to stir.

Figures emerged one by one from the crowd, all the Martial Artists under the age of eighteen, gathering around the sacrificial altar.

A dense, dark mass of people, numbering fifty to sixty thousand in all!

"Even more people than last year!"

"I’m sure the Four Great Clans will take all the top spots again, but I’ve heard a few of the smaller families have produced some real geniuses this year. Maybe we’ll get a few surprises!"

"Lin Yu from the Lin Family, Chen Fan from the Chen Family, Xu Qilin from the Xu Family, and of course, Jiang Ziyou from the Jiang Family... They’re the leaders of the younger generation! Especially Jiang Ziyou—I hear her cultivation is likely at the Martial Arts Seventh Stage. The grand prize of this Yulan Festival is surely hers!"

"Not necessarily. I heard the Money Commerce Association has trained a real monster named Du Shisan. They say he’s a terrifyingly powerful expert, too!"

Amid the growing buzz, Qian Duoduo spoke again. "As you all know, the Yulan Festival consists of three trials. You are about to face the first, a threshold to determine if you are worthy of participating in the later competitions." He pointed to the Zhenjiang Stele. "You must leave your name on the Zhenjiang Stele. The higher you carve it, the better! The deeper you carve it, the better!"

"Only those who carve their name at a height of ten zhang or more will qualify for the second trial of the Yulan Festival’s grand competition."

"Good luck to you all!"

Qian Duoduo took a step to the side, clearing the way.

The crowd of young prodigies grew restless. Lin Yu of the Lin Family looked toward Jiang Ziyou, his tone laced with provocation. "Jiang Ziyou, why don’t you go first?"

Jiang Ziyou’s expression was placid. She glanced at him and said calmly, "I’m in no hurry."

"Hmph!"

Lin Yu snorted, clearly displeased by Jiang Ziyou’s cold indifference, and looked away toward Chen Fan and the others.

No one seemed to want to go first; they were all busy sizing up their rivals.

"If no one else will, then I’ll be first," a cold voice declared. The speaker was a pale-faced youth named Du Shisan, from the Money Commerce Association.

Du Shisan walked to the front of the Zhenjiang Stele, lifted his chin slightly, and then stomped on the ground. With a BOOM, he shot into the air.

His body rocketed a full ten zhang into the air.

In the end, Du Shisan left his name at the sixteen-zhang mark, causing an uproar. "Damn, this Du Shisan is strong! In past years, a score like that would be enough for the top three!"

"A mere sixteen zhang. Watch this!" Lin Yu snorted and strode forward.

He ended up carving his name at the seventeen-zhang mark, drawing gasps from the crowd. Even Lin Shengfeng, seated on the high platform, revealed a satisfied expression and nodded inwardly.

After him, the other powerful contestants took their turns one by one.

However, the vast majority failed to pass the ten-zhang mark. After this round, it seemed that not even a tenth of the original fifty or sixty thousand participants would remain.

Chen Fan took his turn, scoring sixteen zhang. Xu Qilin of the Xu Family gave an astonishing performance, exceeding seventeen zhang by an inch and temporarily taking first place!

Aside from them, a few others managed to surpass fourteen zhang, but very few reached fifteen.

Before anyone realized it, night had fallen.

Tens of thousands of people had taken their turn...

Lin Yu looked at Jiang Ziyou. "It’s your turn, Jiang Ziyou!"

Xu Qilin said coolly, "Everyone else has had their turn. You’re the only one left."

"Let’s see just how powerful the legendary prodigy of the Martial Arts Seventh Stage really is!" Chen Fan said, his face a mask of defiance.

Du Shisan simply watched her with a cold, indifferent expression.

Jiang Ziyou swept her gaze over them and said coolly, "A swarm of ants like you could never comprehend the power of a Divine Phoenix. Open your eyes and watch closely..."

She walked unhurriedly toward the Zhenjiang Stele, and the sight of her caused a sudden shift in the crowd’s demeanor.

"Patriarch Jiang, is the rumor true? Has your esteemed daughter broken through to the Martial Arts Seventh Stage?" Sima Tao asked.

All eyes turned to him.

Jiang Tai couldn’t hide the smugness in his eyes, but he waved his hand dismissively and put on a troubled expression. "Ziyou has always been very independent, and she’s displayed heaven-defying talent on her cultivation journey since she was a child. I’ve never interfered with her training. To be honest, even I don’t know what stage she’s reached!"

"Oh?"

Sima Tao’s brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of displeasure on his face.

Lin Shengfeng and the other patriarchs also let out a cold snort.

But soon, they wouldn’t dare show any more displeasure...

Jiang Ziyou soared into the air, her first leap carrying her past the seventeen-zhang mark. Just as everyone thought she was about to carve her name, a majestic power suddenly erupted from within her.

She leaped a second time in mid-air!

"Such exquisite control!" Lin Yu’s eyes lit up.

Sima Tao’s eyes narrowed to slits, his hands tightening on his armrests as he stared intently at the ascending Jiang Ziyou.

"Based on that display of True Qi control alone, she’s no weaker than a typical Martial Arts Seventh Stage expert. And she’s only fourteen... her future is limitless." He turned to Jiang Tai, the last trace of his displeasure vanishing as he smiled. "Patriarch Jiang, my sincerest congratulations. The Jiang Family has produced a true phoenix!"

Lin Yu also chimed in, "Patriarch Jiang, that’s incredible!"

"With Miss Ziyou’s abilities, she could easily earn the status of a core student at Yulan Academy!" Xu Ying exclaimed.

But Jiang Tai just laughed. "Yulan Academy? No, no, no. As soon as the Yulan Festival is over, Ziyou will be taking a Saint Martial Order to the Saint Martial Sword Sect!"

"Gasp!"

"The Saint Martial Sword Sect?"

Everyone drew in a sharp breath. Just as they were about to speak, a sudden uproar erupted from the crowd below.

Before the Zhenjiang Stele, Jiang Ziyou’s ascent had stopped; she had reached her limit. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes. Her sword, poised in the void, struck out, carving her name into the Zhenjiang Stele from mid-air!

The height was an astonishing—twenty-one zhang!

"Holy shit, twenty-one zhang! That’s a top-ten score in the history of Yandu City!"

"Unbelievable! Jiang Ziyou is just too powerful!"

"She’s undoubtedly the number one expert of Yandu City’s younger generation!"

Everyone was utterly astounded.

Landing back on the ground, Jiang Ziyou looked at her achievement. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and she too felt quite satisfied.

However...

Just as everyone was reeling from the shock of her twenty-one-zhang record, an indifferent voice rang out at the most inopportune time, causing the smug satisfaction on Jiang Ziyou’s face to freeze instantly.

"Twenty-one zhang? Not so impressive."