Seeing the crowd ahead, Feng Yaorao laughed. “Your Highness, it seems everyone’s eager for your test results. Why not have some fun? Let the young titans of the world know your strength is beyond their challenge!”
The Holy Son gave a disdainful smile. Truthfully, aside from Mo Wushang, no one in this event caught her eye.
Even Mo Wushang wasn’t worthy of her full effort.
Still, Feng Yaorao had a point.
Crushing their hopes here would save energy in the finals, sparing her from pointless challenges by every nobody.
With that thought, Holy Son Ji Mingkong dismounted, stepped lightly, and floated toward the massive bronze pillar.
Everyone held their breath, watching her intently.
They were desperate to know—
As the top prodigy of the holy dynasty, first in the last Martial Arts Festival and descendant of the Human King, just how far could she go?
Though the pillar’s test wasn’t perfectly accurate, it was a reliable reference.
With a faint smile, Ji Mingkong struck with a palm.
Her fair hand, like carved jade, seemed to use no effort, just a casual tap.
Buzz!
Golden light shot skyward!
The crowd swallowed hard.
A hundred golden lamps!
No!
Not quite!
The gold faded, revealing red light!
“One red lamp!”
Golden lamps marked ordinary realm warriors, a hundred being their peak.
One red lamp meant Ji Mingkong’s strength rivalled Celestial Realm warriors.
Most terrifyingly, she seemed to have barely tried, just a casual strike.
Yet, one red lamp was enough to awe every young warrior on Tianlong Continent.
It confirmed the rumour that she had single-handedly killed a Celestial Realm warrior, her combat strength matching those just entering that realm.
How terrifying.
It was practically another level.
The news spread instantly across the holy city, as most warriors were gathered at the finals, making it easy to share.
Some had been unconvinced by Ji Mingkong, planning to break her record after her test.
Now, they gave up entirely.
Challenging such a fearsome woman was pure self-humiliation.
“Is that so? One red lamp. Truly the Holy Son, worthy of the Holy Emperor and Heavenly King Sect leader’s praise. Defeating someone like her would be thrilling!”
Hearing the news, Ling Xiao, seated with Moon Flower Sect, erupted with intense fighting spirit.
The stronger the Holy Son, the fiercer his desire to fight!
Lan Yuer gave a wry smile. “One red lamp. Does that mean Ji Mingkong has reached the Celestial Realm? Junior Brother Ling, why not leave the holy city now?”
“Senior Sister, I know you’re worried, but one red lamp isn’t a big deal.”
Ling Xiao wanted to keep his Celestial Realm breakthrough secret until the final battle, unwilling to reveal it now.
He planned to surprise everyone in Moon Flower Sect.
And give the Holy Son a “surprise.”
“You’re so confident. Did you test too?” Lan Yuer asked curiously.
Leng Hao jumped in. “Heavenly King Sect’s Dao Wuming bet with Senior Brother Ling and lost by half a lamp. Senior Brother hit ninety-three and a half golden lamps.”
“You little rascal, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Jin Guang Tianzun, hearing this, thought of Ling Xiao’s terrifying control, believing the ninety-three and a half lamps were intentional.
“Sort of. Without my sword, my combat strength reaches a hundred golden lamps, slightly less than Ji Mingkong. But combat strength isn’t everything. Many factors decide victory in a fight.”
Ling Xiao wasn’t entirely truthful.
“You kid, I don’t even know how to praise you!”
Hearing Ling Xiao, Jin Guang Tianzun, Tianyan Tianzun, and others showed surprise.
Though Ling Xiao still fell short of the Holy Son, a hundred golden lamps matched Mo Wushang and Hong Li.
At the very least, he had a shot at the holy dynasty’s six prodigies.
Moon Flower Sect, the lowest-ranked of the twelve sects, couldn’t compare to the top-ranked Heavenly King Sect.
Securing a six prodigies spot would be a miracle, and what could be more thrilling than breaking the monopoly and challenging the rules?
No one wants to stagnate; deep down, everyone yearns to challenge the strong and defy authority.
“Senior Sister Lan isn’t bad either. Ninety-five golden lamps give her a shot at the top ten.”
“Divine Sword Sect’s Long Chen is pretty fearsome too.”
Amid the crowd’s chatter, Ling Xiao felt a surge of excitement.
From a beggar in Tianfeng City, climbing step by step, he was now nearing the pinnacle of Tianlong Continent’s youth. It’d be unrealistic to say he wasn’t thrilled.
He believed the Holy Son had reached the Celestial Realm.
This Martial Arts Festival’s final battle would inevitably pit him against Ji Mingkong.
“Let’s see who’s the strongest among the young generation!”
Ling Xiao took a deep breath, eyeing the massive arena.
On the referee’s platform sat four Cave Heaven Realm warriors and one Yin-Yang Realm expert.
These five referees were unaffiliated, solitary masters, making cheating unlikely.
The head referee, a Yin-Yang Realm expert, was the holy dynasty’s former emperor, revered for his fairness during his reign.
No one objected to him as chief referee.
Before the finals, as usual, the chief referee announced the rules.
The rules were simple: only weapon-type treasures were allowed in combat. External aids like thunder-fire bombs, hidden weapons, sealed books, or pets were forbidden.
Violators would be deemed losers.
Severe violations could lead to expulsion from the finals and detention by the holy dynasty for interrogation.
This ensured the Martial Arts Festival finals remained fair, letting young prodigies compete with their own strength.
Over two hundred contestants were divided into ten groups of twenty, with only ten advancing per group.
The hundred who advanced in this round would earn the holy dynasty’s “Outstanding Talent” title.
This title wasn’t just honorary; it equated to a holy dynasty baronetcy, with monthly cultivation resources, highly practical.
In the second round, the ten groups merged into five, still twenty per group, with ten advancing from each.
