“Looks like he’s going to go all out. I wonder if Mu Haoran will actually get killed?”
“He seems very confident. He must be a seventh-grade mid-level spiritual controller. This is going to be good to watch.”
“I refuse to believe Mu Haoran can still defeat a senior seventh-grade mid-level spiritual controller.”
“What a pity. Instead of humiliating Mu Haoran, killing him would be less satisfying. I’d much rather see him humiliated.”
“Exactly. Humiliating him is way more enjoyable than killing him. Besides, this old man isn’t very smart. He already said he’s going for the kill. Mu Haoran will definitely be prepared. Even if his spiritual power really can’t match up, he’ll surely use vital energy to save his life at the last moment.”
…
The crowd began discussing fervently. Many people showed looks of anticipation.
After all, this was an older powerhouse nearing fifty. His cultivation was certainly not weak.
However, even if Mu Haoran struggled to match him this time, whether the old man could truly kill him was still hard to say.
Mu Haoran also cultivated vital energy. Unless he was killed in one strike, he would definitely use vital energy. Even if it meant disqualification for breaking the rules, it was better than losing his life.
So the old man’s chances of actually killing Mu Haoran were not very high.
“Chi!”
At that moment, the old man made his move. A strand of spiritual sense surged towards Lin Xiao’s brow.
However, Lin Xiao easily shattered it.
A seventh-grade mid-level spiritual controller, even without spiritual ability, was still far from being able to control him.
Of course, Lin Xiao did not waste effort attacking with spiritual sense either. His own spiritual sense could not control a seventh-grade mid-level spiritual controller.
“Shoo!”
Then a dagger flew out from the old man’s hand. Under his spiritual power’s control, it shot towards Lin Xiao at extreme speed. In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of him.
But with a sharp surge of Lin Xiao’s spiritual power, the dagger stopped instantly. Lin Xiao reached out and caught it in his hand.
The old man’s attack was effortlessly neutralised by Lin Xiao.
“Anyone who wants to kill me, I never show mercy. Even if it’s just a matter of different positions.”
Lin Xiao said calmly, “However, for you, killing or sparing makes no difference to me. Since you were very straightforward, I’ll let you off this once!”
With that, a spiritual beast spiritual form condensed and charged towards the old man.
This spiritual form had already unleashed Lin Xiao’s strongest spiritual power aside from his main spirit.
Lin Xiao had roughly gauged the old man’s spiritual power.
Even among seventh-grade mid-level spiritual controllers, he ranked quite high. Unless Lin Xiao used his maximum strength, defeating him would be difficult.
“So strong?” Feeling the terrifying spiritual power fluctuations, the old spiritual controller was instantly shocked. His heart was filled with confusion.
Sixth-grade advanced level, yet the spiritual form he summoned was this powerful?
Was this Mu Haoran’s true spiritual power strength?
In his shock, the old man hurriedly summoned his main spirit to attack. A spiritual bird spiritual form, two to three parts materialised, condensed and clashed against Lin Xiao’s spiritual beast spiritual form.
“Boom boom boom!”…
A thunderous roar erupted. A vast wave of energy exploded outward. Terrifying spiritual power fluctuations surged entirely in one direction towards the old man.
The old man spat out a large mouthful of blood. His entire body was instantly sent flying off the platform.
Once off the platform, the array barrier around it blocked all the spiritual power fluctuations.
“What? Even a seventh-grade mid-level spiritual controller was blasted off by Mu Haoran?”
“How is this possible? Mu Haoran’s spiritual power is actually this strong? He can fight two levels above himself and still win?”
…
The crowd was stunned. Before this, Mu Haoran’s displayed strength had not been weak.
But the opponents he had faced were mostly middle-aged or young, all seventh-grade initial-level spiritual controllers.
At most, it could be said that Mu Haoran had the ability to cross one level and sweep through seventh-grade initial-level spiritual controllers.
This old man’s summoned spiritual form already had two to three parts materialisation.
Even without checking his exact cultivation, they could tell from the spiritual form that he had reached seventh-grade mid-level spiritual power.
Yet a real seventh-grade mid-level spiritual controller had stepped up and was still blasted off the platform in one move by Mu Haoran?
Crossing two levels to easily defeat his opponent, dual cultivation of vital energy and spiritual power, first in vital energy, and spiritual power this monstrously strong. Mu Haoran was truly too freakish?
“This life is one you spared. No matter what, I will no longer target you. Unless I am being controlled.” The old man stood up, clasped his hands towards Lin Xiao, swallowed a pill, and returned to the edge of the platform.
Lin Xiao said nothing. From the other’s character, he had already guessed this outcome. That was why he had spared him.
Otherwise, if it had been someone arrogant and overbearing, the opponent would already be dead on the platform.
After this match, sure enough, no one chose Lin Xiao again.
His spiritual power level was simply too high. Only now did they realise that these seeded contestants were not all hype.
Moreover, there were plenty of smart people present. The number one genius of the nine provinces, chosen as a seeded contestant by Spirit Pool Island. How could he possibly lack powerful backing?
No grudge, no enmity, yet fighting Mu Haoran to the death. Even if they won, there would definitely be trouble afterwards.
Besides, most of them were older. They did not care as much about the empty title of defeating the number one genius of the nine provinces as the younger generation did.
The main reason was fear of Mu Haoran’s strength. Losing would push them further from advancing to the next round. They did not want to take the risk.
With no one challenging him, Lin Xiao did not need to step up. Only in the final match of the round did he go onto the platform and choose a relatively weak opponent, defeating him easily.
After completing all five matches, there was nothing left for Lin Xiao until everyone on Platform No. 10 finished.
On Platform No. 10, ten people had actually achieved five wins. In this first wave of the second round, only the top eight could advance directly.
Two people were randomly selected by the referee and given one chance to challenge any of the five-win contestants.
In the end, two lost and were placed ninth and tenth.
The same situation occurred in other groups.
Next, from each group, the three people ranked ninth to eleventh were drawn for the second wave of screening.
From a total of ninety-nine people, thirty-six were finally selected to advance to the next round.
Most of the spiritual controllers who reached the third round were seventh-grade mid-level spiritual controllers.
The seeded contestants, without exception, all advanced.
Lin Xiao scanned the remaining three hundred people in the venue but did not see Shangguan Tong’s figure. He felt some regret.
With Shangguan Tong’s strength, he had already expected she would not advance to the next round. His hope of eliminating Shangguan Tong along the way had come to nothing.
“Now, we proceed to the third round of the competition.”
At that moment, Ximen Haoyue’s voice rang out again. “In the third round, three hundred people compete. Only one hundred will advance.”
“Three hundred people will be divided into fifty groups. Each group has six people. The six are split into two teams of three for a free-for-all battle. Those who remain on the platform are provisionally advanced. The two who fail can individually challenge a survivor from the other team.”
“Ultimately, two people from each group advance.”
Hearing this, the crowd grew lively again.
There was actually a three-person free-for-all. The Spiritual Controller Grand Competition really was quite different from vital energy cultivator competitions.
The remaining people who were provisionally advanced were not without hope. The two who lost could still challenge a winner from the other team.
This prevented strong players from being drawn together and eliminated, or the strongest in a group of three being teamed up against and knocked out.
Of course, if the opponent’s strength was overwhelmingly superior, the losers did not need to challenge at all. This also saved a lot of match time.
“Now, begin drawing lots!”
At that point, another large handful of bamboo slips flew past the Illuminating Spirit Mirror and shot towards the interior of the battle platform island. Apart from the thirty-three seeded contestants who did not draw, the other spiritual controllers all drew their slips.
The entire island had exactly fifty battle platforms. The group of spiritual controllers flew to the corresponding platforms.
Those who did not draw a seeded contestant’s platform all showed excitement.
This way, they would not have to face a seeded contestant. Otherwise, it was almost like having one less spot.
On Platform No. 10, the person who drew Lin Xiao as the seeded contestant was overjoyed.
That person was none other than Fei Mo, the seventh-grade mid-level spiritual controller elder from Spirit Phoenix Valley.
When drawing, he had prayed with all his heart to be grouped with Mu Haoran.
Now, he had actually drawn him.
Looking at Lin Xiao by the platform, he smiled.
Lin Xiao was also surprised. He naturally recognised the Spirit Phoenix Valley emblem on the old man. It was clearly someone from Spirit Phoenix Valley.
In fact, in this round, aside from hoping to encounter Shangguan Tong, he had also hoped to meet this old man. He never expected they would really be drawn into the same group.
Seeing the full smile on the other’s face, it was obvious he had been drawn into the same team as him.
So Lin Xiao smiled as well.
The two looked at each other and smiled.
“The slips already have numbers. In each group, numbers one, two, and three form one team. Numbers four, five, and six form the other team. On platforms without a number six, number six is the seeded contestant.” Ximen Haoyue said.
Even without him saying it, everyone who drew a number could figure this out.
“Before the competition begins, I have one announcement to make.” Ximen Haoyue spoke again.
