The First Immortal of Destiny

Chapter 576: Chapter 576: New Round of Core Battle_1

On this day, the sky was shrouded with dark clouds, and the rain fell as if a dam had broken.

The torrential downpour did not douse the enthusiasm of the Sect Disciples, who used their magic and magic artifacts to shield themselves against the harsh wind and rain.

Around the hills and in mid-air, flashes of spirit light silently bloomed, as dazzling as flowers.

In their eager anticipation, Zhou Ru, Yuan Wenxuan, and Feng Kai—the three current core disciples—along with fourteen core candidates including Chen Mengze, Lu Ming, and Cao Ren, arrived in sequence via escaping light at the competition field.

Before long, Shen Mo and the two patriarchs, Yuan and Zhou, also arrived together, standing in mid-air.

Zhou Zhiwei initially planned to use magic to disperse the rain clouds overhead, but he was stopped by Shen Mo.

”This weather is advantageous for disciples who cultivate water-type cultivation methods. It’s their Luck.”

”If other disciples feel uncomfortable, they can disperse the clouds by their own abilities... We’d better not interfere!”

The contest for the core position in the Riverside Sect has always been akin to actual combat. It doesn’t prohibit help from external resources, usage of Madness Pills, or one-time magic treasures. After all, when encountering strong enemies outside, there aren’t so many rules and regulations to restrain the opponent! Shen Mo and the others would only take action when the outcome was decided, to prevent the defeated party from being completely annihilated.

Therefore, the persistent rainy weather today was part of the competitors’ fate. Forcefully changing it would be unfair to the disciples who practiced water-type cultivation methods.

”Junior Brother Shen is right; I was indeed not thinking thoroughly!”

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Zhiwei abandoned his previous plan. He took out a desk, tea set, and other items to prepare for a tea tasting and Tao discussion with Shen Mo and Yuan Heming, while overseeing the core contest.

Shen Mo laughed and nodded. He then took out his Green Cloud Umbrella, creating a small world free from wind and rain, and sat down on a seat made of clouds.

Seeing that the three patriarchs had arrived, Jin Chinian, who had taken over as Sunrise Peak Master, stood up and flew out to announce today’s competition procedures to Zhou Ru, Chen Mengze, and the others.

These procedures had major differences compared to previous core contests.

It was divided into two rounds.

In the first round, the existing core disciples—Zhou Ru, Yuan Wenxuan, and Feng Kai—did not participate.

The fourteen core candidates, including Chen Mengze, Lu Ming, and Cao Ren, drew lots and then fought in pairs. The defeated party was directly eliminated, and the remaining seven advanced to the second round.

In the second round, the remaining ten core disciples and candidates competed according to the seating order of past years to determine their ranks. Only the last one was eliminated.

As in the past, defeated core candidates still had one opportunity to challenge the last seat within six years.

However, if the three current core disciples, such as Zhou Ru, were pushed out of the core ranks, they would not be granted such privileges and would have to serve as ordinary Elders!

The process was not complicated, taking into account the current situation of the Riverside Sect while also balancing past rules.

For the three current core disciples like Zhou Ru, there were both privileges and incentives. In the first round, they did not have to compete with others, which would save a lot of True Yuan Mana and keep their Dao Body and soul in top condition. At the same time, if they still ranked tenth in the second round even under this condition, it would show that their cultivation and strength were not sufficient for the core role. They would then have to obediently serve as sect Elders!

The results of the draw soon came out.

To Shen Mo’s surprise, Chen Mengze had drawn Guo Zhao as her opponent!

He watched for a while and saw that Chen Mengze’s eyes were calm and her face composed. Apparently, her Path Heart remained unmoved despite her opponent being Guo Zhao, who had pursued her in the past.

Guo Zhao, on the other hand, looked somewhat conflicted. Holding the iron sign, he seemed to want to say something but held back.

Heh. This competition between them seems to be quite interesting, Shen Mo sipped from his teacup, reflecting inwardly.

Additionally, Cao Ren had drawn Yao Ting as his opponent. Lu Ming had drawn a core candidate from Bright Moon Peak as his adversary. The other eight individuals from Rising Sun Peak and Bright Moon Peak had also drawn their respective opponents.

CLANG!

As Jin Chinian rang the Daoist bell, two core candidates, a man and a woman, landed in the field via their escaping light. After paying their respects to Shen Mo and the other two patriarchs, they soon engaged in intense combat.

Both of them were from Rising Sun Peak.

It was just that Rising Sun Peak’s dominance had lasted for too long. Its accumulated Elite Disciples were not only numerous but also possessed extraordinary Talent. No wonder they could occupy five seats among the core positions in recent years.

However, the two combatants did not show any mercy despite being from the same peak. They both used their trump cards to fight.

For disciples at the Spirit Sea Realm, the gap between sect Elders and core disciples was enormous, a world apart. Everyone wanted to seize this opportunity to step into the upper echelons of the sect!

Magical powers bloomed wildly, and magic treasures darted around.

They fought fiercely, but it all seemed lackluster in Shen Mo’s eyes. He found nothing particularly impressive about this fight. On one hand, Shen Mo’s Cultivation Realm was much higher, and his mastery of magic and martial arts was profound. On the other hand, he had fought various formidable enemies—such as evil cultivators, Heavenly Demons, Outer Zone Demons, and strange Evil Spirits—and had thus witnessed many bizarre and fearsome tactics!

Of course, for the other Sect Disciples, this was undoubtedly a visual feast.

An hour later, the female disciple from Rising Sun Peak was defeated due to exhaustion. The male disciple broke through her defensive magic with several Grade IV talismans, leaving her severely injured.

Jin Chinian promptly rang the Daoist bell, announcing the outcome of the battle.

Immediately, an Elder from Rising Sun Peak flew out via escaping light and retrieved the severely injured female disciple. He fed her Elixirs to treat her injuries.

The scene quieted down for a moment, and soon, the second match began.

Those heading onto the stage this time were Chen Mengze and Guo Zhao. Shen Mo, seated in the clouds, also turned slightly and cast his gaze downwards.

”Junior Brother Shen, you seem to care a lot about disciple Chen Mengze!” Yuan Heming, his baby-smooth face devoid of wrinkles and full of smiles, remarked to Shen Mo.

Shen Mo’s relationship with Chen Mengze was no secret in the Riverside Sect. After all, he had attained the Golden Core at a very young age and held the position of Supreme Elder, making him extremely noticeable. Unlike the other Elders, his peers had either perished on the path of cultivation or had already died of old age. Anyone who paid a little attention could learn about Shen Mo’s life history and his relationships with friends and relatives.

Patriarch Yuan was clearly asking rhetorically with a hint of teasing.

With Shen Mo’s continuous improvement in cultivation, his thinking was much sharper than before. Coupled with his Basic Destiny of Wisdom having reached the ’Foresighted’ level, how could he not understand Yuan Heming’s intentions?

He did not deny it, saying casually, ”Chen Mengze and her father, Chen An, are as dear to me as my own blood. Of course, I am concerned for them.”

”Moreover, in this core disciple competition, she has a high chance of winning the top position.”

”If she doesn’t disappoint me, I intend to let her take charge of Green Cloud Peak.”