Hearing the names of these three, the crowd inwardly groaned, and the image of the Heavenly Star List took another hit. Not only were their appearances lacking, but their names were also utterly unimpressive.
Take Ru Xian, for example. Her name sounded beautiful, evoking images of a celestial fairy. But on this woman… it felt nauseating.
No matter how you looked at her, she didn’t resemble a fairy!
Of course, these thoughts could only be kept to themselves.
Hearing Mu Yao’s words, the three showed no trace of anger, instead appearing calm, as if they had expected this.
At that moment, among the three, the silent Ru Xian scanned the crowd with her gaze, finally locking onto Lin Xiao, a faint killing intent in her eyes.
Lin Xiao caught this trace of killing intent, which left him puzzled. He hadn’t offended this Ru Xian, nor had he ever met her. Why would she have killing intent towards him?
“Could it be someone from the Xiahou family?” Lin Xiao’s gaze swept over Xiahou Wanyu and Mo Jiutian, but he saw no unusual reaction from either.
Ru Xian didn’t seem connected to them, which only deepened Lin Xiao’s confusion.
“I need to watch out for this Ru Xian in the Mysterious Domain Battlefield!” Lin Xiao’s expression grew serious. With his current cultivation, let alone someone like Ru Xian from the Heavenly Star List, even the Earth Star List disciples were beyond him.
His cultivation was still far behind. In the six months within the Mysterious Domain Battlefield, he had to raise his cultivation as quickly as possible. Otherwise, in the ultimate battlefield, these people would tear him apart.
“Hey, Lin Xiao, looks like that Ru Xian girl has taken a fancy to you!”
At that moment, noticing Ru Xian staring at Lin Xiao, Ma Bi, standing nearby, teased.
“Exactly, exactly!” Niu Bi echoed.
“Get lost!” Lin Xiao scolded them softly, but then he turned to Hu Yue and the others, whispering seriously, “If you encounter this Ru Xian, be cautious. I sense killing intent from her towards me.”
“Oh? Someone from the Xiahou family?” Hu Yue asked, surprised.
“Doesn’t feel like it, but I definitely caught a trace of killing intent,” Lin Xiao shook his head. With the experience of the Heaven-Devouring Spirit Emperor, he was certain he hadn’t misread it.
“That’s odd!” Hu Yue said, puzzled.
“Just be cautious, that’s all,” Lin Xiao said.
“Hiss!” At that moment, a figure soared into the air above the square, an aura of commanding authority faintly enveloping the area, silencing the crowd.
This person was none other than Baili He, the first core elder overseeing the Holy City.
“Everyone, the Mysterious Domain Battlefield is about to begin. Now, please, elders, activate the formation,” Baili He said concisely, glancing around.
“Hiss! Hiss!”
To everyone’s surprise, the formation wasn’t elsewhere. Four beams of light shot out from the four corners of the Holy City, converging brilliantly above the Life-and-Death Platform.
Rolling energy surged and gathered from the beams. After a moment, a rift tore open in the void.
The entrance to the Mysterious Domain Battlefield was here. As it appeared, an ancient, desolate aura emanated from the formation’s opening, enveloping the entire square.
“This formation opening is the entrance to the Mysterious Domain Battlefield. Disciples entering it will be teleported to various regions. The higher your cultivation, the closer your teleportation point will be to the centre of the battlefield, where the ultimate battlefield will take place,” Baili He explained. “The closer to the centre, the greater the opportunities, but also the greater the dangers. Of course, nothing is absolute. Peripheral areas may also hold heaven-defying opportunities or deadly dangers. I hope the disciples of the Holy Origin Academy will unite against external threats and avoid internal conflicts.”
“At the centre of the Mysterious Domain Battlefield, seven stars hang high. In six months, these stars will converge, triggering a celestial phenomenon, marking the opening of the ultimate battlefield.”
“When the ultimate battlefield ends, the spatial barriers will weaken, and the Holy Origin Academy will use formation light to teleport everyone out. Disciples must rush into the formation, or once the time is up, the ultimate battlefield will unleash a phenomenon that annihilates all life.”
“Even if you manage to escape the ultimate battlefield’s location, countless spirit beasts will chase you like mad across the land. If you can’t exit through the formation in time, it’s not just a matter of being trapped in the Mysterious Domain Battlefield for ten years—there’s a ninety-nine percent chance you’ll die inside.”
Baili He’s words made the crowd solemn. The ultimate battlefield had such conditions—if they couldn’t leave in time when it closed, a life-destroying phenomenon would erupt, and spirit beasts would hunt them relentlessly, greatly increasing the danger.
As Baili He spoke, waves of Martial Monarch auras enveloped the entrance from all directions. Three figures then appeared at three sides of the entrance, forming a four-cornered stance with Baili He.
“The other three Martial Monarch elders!”
The crowd was shocked. Four Martial Monarchs guarding the entrance—who among the youths would dare sneak in?
They’d likely be slapped to death on the spot.
For such a major event, it probably wasn’t just these four Martial Monarch elders. The vice-dean was likely hidden in the background.
This formation wasn’t just to prevent youths from sneaking in.
It was likely also to guard against other forces forcibly sending people in.
If someone tried to force their way in, not only the powerhouses of the Holy Origin Academy but probably all the experts in the Holy City would go berserk. No one would likely have the guts for that.
Still, the Holy Origin Academy had made the strictest preparations, just in case.
Looking at the four figures, Lin Xiao was somewhat shocked. Were these Martial Monarch powerhouses?
Their aura was so intimidating, each with the presence of one man holding the pass against ten thousand.
Four Martial Monarchs—this was a gathering of peak powerhouses.
One was Baili He, and another, Lin Xiao recognised, was the seventh elder, Xiahou Lan.
The other two, he hadn’t seen before.
One elder wore a palace robe, with black hair, exuding a vigorous air despite his age. The other, in a simple wooden robe, had an almost imperceptible aura.
But the more unassuming, the more terrifying.
Lin Xiao felt that this wooden-robed elder was likely more than just a first or second-level Martial Monarch. His cultivation might even approach that of the vice-dean.
“The palace-robed elder is the master of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, the third elder. The other is the master of the Eight Directions Tower, the second elder. Their cultivation far surpasses the seventh elder and Elder Baili!” someone knowledgeable exclaimed, shocking Lin Xiao.
The lowest of the eight elders was a first-level Martial Monarch. Just how strong were the second and third elders? Could they be high-tier Martial Monarchs?
Apart from the unfathomable vice-dean, Lin Xiao had never seen such powerhouses.
“All disciples, enter the formation opening now!” Baili He’s shout rang out.
As his words fell, figures shot into the sky, swiftly flying into the formation opening.
But at this speed, they couldn’t possibly evade the four Martial Monarchs. They must be on the list.
Lin Xiao glanced at Hu Yue and the others. The group nodded, their battle intent surging. Then Lin Xiao rose, soaring into the sky, leading the group towards the formation opening.
In the instant he entered, Baili He’s hopeful gaze and Xiahou Lan’s cold sneer both fell on Lin Xiao. He only nodded to Baili He before plunging into the formation opening.
