This gambling entertainment, though permitted by the Starfield Master Realm, was limited in duration—lasting only the time it took for one stick of incense to burn.
After the incense burned out, the pillars were sealed, and no further bets could be placed.
In the end, Chu Feng emerged as the overwhelming favourite, a result driven by sheer dominance.
This outcome was dramatic, as no one could have predicted such a turn of events at the start.
The ones who shifted the tide were naturally Master Liangqiu and the others. Not only did they lend Chu Feng immense support, but their backing also reshaped everyone’s perception of him, prompting many who didn’t know Chu Feng to choose to support him.
With this segment concluded, the real spectacle began.
The old man holding the giant brush, named Wuming Ken, had been the host of the Ancestral Martial Ten Stars selection for many years.
Though Wuming Ken’s strength wasn’t among the absolute peak of the Starfield Master Realm, he held considerable prestige and a high status, making him a widely accepted choice to host.
Wuming Ken retrieved an object from his Cosmos Sack.
It was a door, small enough to resemble a playing card.
*Whoosh—*
With a flick of his hand, Wuming Ken tossed the door high into the air. It rapidly expanded, transforming into a colossal gate ten thousand metres tall, which landed on the ground.
The appearance of this gate sparked excitement in some and tension in others.
All the juniors participating in the selection would enter this gate, and the first hundred to emerge would proceed to the Nine Dragons Anomaly Hill for the true test.
Those who failed would be eliminated.
At this point, Wuming Ken reiterated the gate’s purpose and the rules, as was customary.
As expected, the gate was a formation designed to filter out a hundred qualifiers from tens of thousands of participants.
“In the dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, every selection is brutal, but within the rules, we strive for fairness. As long as you have strength, you’ll eventually rise.”
“For the sake of fairness, before entering the grand formation, you may challenge the ten individuals on the pillars of honour. If you win, you can take their place on the pillar, securing direct qualification for the next round. But if you lose, you’ll be eliminated immediately.”
“Now, if anyone disputes the ten on the pillars of honour, step up to their pillar,” Wuming Ken announced.
*Whoosh—*
No sooner had Wuming Ken finished speaking than over a dozen figures shot forward, landing directly on the pillar where Chu Feng stood.
These were all prodigies from the Gong Heavenly Clan’s younger generation, long resentful of Chu Feng. The challenge segment for the pillars of honour was their best chance to defeat him.
“Brother Gong, it seems many of your clan’s juniors aren’t convinced by Chu Feng,” teased old friends standing beside the Gong Heavenly Clan’s patriarch.
“How utterly foolish.”
At this moment, the patriarch’s expression was grim. By now, he had no desire to offend Chu Feng further.
But with a challenge to the pillars of honour, there was nothing he could do to stop it. After all, this was hosted by the Starfield Master Realm—no one dared to use force recklessly here, not even against their own juniors.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*
Following the Gong Heavenly Clan’s juniors, many more flew forward, landing on Chu Feng’s pillar.
In moments, nearly ten thousand people had gathered on Chu Feng’s pillar.
Though the pillar was large, with so many crowding it, it became visibly cramped.
Yet, among the ten pillars of honour, only Chu Feng’s was packed with challengers. The other nine stood empty.
The contrast was stark!!!
No one dared challenge Linghu Yueyue or the others—not even Wuma Shengjie.
But so many had come to challenge Chu Feng.
This was blatant disdain for him!!!
“What’s going on? They’re so dismissive of Chu Xuanyuan’s son?”
Many onlookers were puzzled.
“What’s there to misunderstand? Haven’t you heard the rumours that Chu Feng is just a First Rank True Immortal? Many who come to the Ancestral Martial Ten Stars selection are just fishing in troubled waters, hoping for a stroke of luck. They don’t have the strength to compete.”
“And Chu Feng is their perfect chance to fish. If he’s really a genius, they’ll just get eliminated—nothing new for people like them.”
“But if Chu Feng is truly a failure, their opportunity arises.”
Someone offered an analysis.
Their reasoning was sound. Some, like the Gong Heavenly Clan juniors who had seen Chu Feng’s weakness firsthand, were confident they could defeat him.
But most were indeed fishing in troubled waters.
Notably, the Xu Heavenly Clan juniors, who had previously clashed with Chu Feng, seemed to have coordinated in advance—none of them stepped up to challenge the pillar.
“Move aside! I was the first to step onto this pillar!”
“There’s no first-come, first-served here. Whoever defeats him gets to stay—everyone else, get lost!”
Since it was rare for anyone to challenge the pillars, such a crowded scene was unprecedented, and soon, those on Chu Feng’s pillar began arguing.
“Don’t argue. Challenging a pillar isn’t about who got here first, nor is it about who defeats the pillar’s occupant first. Only the one who remains standing at the end earns the right to stay,” Wuming Ken suddenly clarified, providing the answer.
“What? The last one standing?”
Hearing this, many of the opportunists felt a headache coming on.
Their strength was already lacking—surviving against so many to be the last standing was clearly beyond them.
“By the way, there’s one thing I must add.”
“The Nine Dragons Anomaly Hill is your next challenge. There are nine keys within it that grant an advantage.”
“These nine keys belong to those on the pillars of honour. However, since there are only nine, one person is destined to miss out.”
“For fairness, we’ll hold a duel. Two pillars will be randomly selected to face off, and the loser will forfeit their chance at a key.”
“I’ll handle the draw.”
As Wuming Ken spoke, he began the draw, pulling two slips from ten.
At this moment, those on the pillars—except for Linghu Yueyue, Linghu Tiemian, and a few others—grew tense.
They feared being drawn, especially if paired against someone like Linghu Yueyue, which would spell certain doom.
After all, they knew how formidable Linghu Yueyue was.
“Chu Feng versus Linghu Mingye,” Wuming Ken announced, holding up the two slips.
“Lord, when does their duel begin?” a junior on Chu Feng’s pillar asked.
“It begins now. Including all of you, only the final victor will earn the right to a key,” Wuming Ken replied.
“What? So we’re not facing Chu Feng but Linghu Mingye?”
At this, the juniors challenging the pillar were filled with despair.
Linghu Mingye, ranked fifth in the Ancestral Martial Ten Stars, was immensely powerful. Truth be told, none felt confident defeating him—many even considered him invincible.
At this moment, not only the juniors challenging the pillar but also the onlookers felt these challengers were terribly unlucky.
Some lamented Chu Feng’s misfortune. He’d finally reached a pillar of honour, only to face thousands of challengers—and now, he had to contend with a powerhouse like Linghu Mingye.
Under these circumstances, many grew worried—not just those who’d bet on Chu Feng but also those genuinely concerned for him.
For instance, Gong Qing was now sweating bullets for Chu Feng.
But at that moment, a voice rang out, stunning everyone.
“I concede,” Linghu Mingye declared loudly.
