Wuji Sanren’s speech was short, yet impactful. The general mood of the disciples shifted from grim reluctance—as if they had no loyalty toward the Nether Lotus Sect and wanted to bail out—to focused ambition. It seemed Wuji Sanren understood his disciples well; he used the allure of strength as a carrot to direct their goals.

  Liu Xing stood behind the rows and watched Wuji Sanren ascend into the air. The sight was quite regal. Even though the wind blew strong, his robes and hair barely stirred, as if he displayed control even over the wind itself. He rose higher and higher until a door on the upper level of the pyramid opened. He turned, hands still clasped behind his back, and entered the building. Liu Xing made sure to note the floor and the specific door. It was the highest floor with an open balcony, and likely the highest floor in the building. That was where Liu Xing intended to go. His target was Wuji Sanren, after all.

  Still, he didn't rush hastily into the building. He scouted around for a little while longer. Wuji Sanren was at the peak of the Core Splitting realm. His aura was like that of a black snake slithering in the shadows. He felt strong, calm, intimidating, and precise. Although Liu Xing was confident that he could defeat the man, a fight between them would likely cause a commotion. He didn't want that. He needed to kill the man silently. Fortunately, he would have plenty of chances.

  After Wuji Sanren reentered the building, the people who took control were the fellow disciples of the Nether Lotus Sect, those Wuji Sanren referred to as his direct disciples. They moved to the front of the assembly. They wore the black robes of the sect but differentiated themselves with golden bands on their left arms. They faced the rest of the disciples in a neat, straight line. In total, twenty people stood ready to judge and referee the fights and tournaments that would shortly occur.

  One of them stepped forward. He was a man with short hair and a chiseled jaw. His body was big, as if he had rippling muscles beneath his robe. "As per the Elder's decree, we will oversee this affair. What the Elder said was true. Every one of you has the right to claim techniques, treasures, talismans, pills, and many more of our resources, whether brought from the sect or taken from our enemies. However, because this event is short, two days max, we need to make this affair fast, effective, and efficient. Thus, the hundred most valuable resources will be given to the hundred disciples with the most sect points."

  At that declaration, sounds of disagreement erupted from the normal disciples.

  "That's not fair! That's not what the Elder said!"

  "This is clearly a violation of the decree!"

  "Their status and position as direct disciples need to be questioned! It's clear they want to monopolize the most valuable treasures since they have the most points among all of us!"

  As the sound of dissent spread, the direct disciple in charge shouted, "Silence! Silence!"

  His face twisted as his shouts were ignored.

  "Silence!" he shouted again, this time lacing his voice with qi. This made the majority of the disciples shut their mouths. "I'm not done. What I said earlier cannot be debated! We are on the cusp of war! Handing the strongest and most valuable resources to those who are weaker is a waste. It's better to hand them to those who can use them to their full potential! However, while these treasures will be distributed to the hundred disciples with the most points, every person here can challenge anyone to prove they are more worthy."

  Murmurs spread, though some nodded their heads, agreeing with the rules. From there, the direct disciples established the regulations. Everyone could raise a challenge against others three times. Likewise, a single person could be challenged only three times. By these rules, a single person could fight at most six times. Aside from individual challenges, people could agree on tournaments by betting their own treasures. However, they decided to make the tournaments team events. A single team could have at most four people, and a single tournament needed at least four teams to compete. Additionally, since the number of treasures exceeded a hundred but was less than the total number of disciples—around a thousand—the rest of the treasures would be distributed using a lottery system.

  "This way, it will be fair. Those who are lucky will get their hands on one of these resources first, but those who are more worthy will get it in the end."

  Some people asked whether they could use the treasures they won in the fights, and the answer depended on their agreement.

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  "You decide it yourself with your opponent. If both of you agree, then go ahead."

  "What if I decide I want a personal treasure of my opponent, not the one they just received?"

  "In that case, the opponent can decline your challenge. However, if your opponent agrees, then it is only fair if you also bet your personal treasure."

  Some of the people smirked upon hearing this, as if they already had targets in mind.

  Liu Xing was not part of this sect, and what happened was of no concern to him, so he walked away as soon as the direct disciples began to bring the treasures out. The disciples chatted with each other, excited by the event. For them, it must have felt like a festival. Still, he couldn't help but think that these tournaments and fights were not quite fair. Even if the fights were divided between those at the Core Splitting and Lock Opening realms, he knew that at the end of the day, some people would lose everything, while others would amass a fortune. However, he didn't mind. They were his enemies. In the end, none of this mattered.

  Liu Xing arrived near the edge of the wall. He sat and leaned back, sending more qi to his shark. For a moment, he thought perhaps someone would sense him. However, as he sent qi directly into Tide Walker, he remained invisible to their senses. His shark happily absorbed the potent qi and recovered further.

  "Eat well, little buddy," Liu Xing whispered as he watched racks of weapons, talismans, pills, techniques, and many more being brought out of the pyramid. Several people used earth techniques to raise platforms on the plaza. "Soon, you and I need to fight against these people."

  As the shark absorbed his qi, the direct disciples began distributing the hundred most valuable resources. The hundred disciples with the most points could choose one valuable item, whether it be a treasure, technique, talisman, jade slip, or other trinket. The disciple ranked number one hundred chose first. He picked a defensive amulet made of blood-red coins. After he chose, the coordinator announced the name of the item loudly, as well as its effect. "This amulet can make the wearer withstand an attack from a Core Splitting cultivator. It's not an exaggeration to say that it grants its wearer a second life!"

  People shouted in excitement. The man with the amulet looked at the crowd defiantly and snorted, as if they were nothing to him, though Liu Xing detected anxiousness shrouding his eyes. The procession continued. Some chose weapons, some chose armor, and others chose trinkets with various effects. The most popular items were treasures that could be used immediately. However, some people chose pills or even techniques.

  Not all the pills given were refined from humans. There were pills that could temper the body or spirit and increase one's cultivation made from valuable but normal herbs and ingredients. One was actually a pill that could increase one's affinity. Similarly, while there were plenty of demonic techniques, there were also legitimate ones. One of them was a lightning technique that piqued Liu Xing's interest. It was an Earth Grade technique called Lightning Clone. Yet, no one from the first hundred disciples chose it.

  Once the hundred disciples with the most points finished getting their resources, many items remained. As agreed, the rest would be given out via lottery. The system was simple. The coordinators assigned numbers to the remaining valuables, then wrote numbers on paper for every disciple who hadn't received a treasure. They put those papers in a box, and people had to grab one. Some would be lucky and pull a number assigned to a valuable item, while others would be unlucky and pull a dud.

  As he sat there helping Tide Walker recover, he cataloged the treasures they were handing out. He wouldn't touch some of them, like pills made from humans, cursed treasures, and demonic techniques, but others were compatible with him. There were also items that would be useful in dealing with Wuji Sanren. Liu Xing looked at disciple number ten. This man chose a hairpin capable of channeling a technique to suppress an opponent. Then, he looked at disciple number ninety-nine, who chose golden handcuffs that would sap the energy of those captured by them. He also took note of disciple number eleven, who chose a fast-acting poison capable of killing even a cultivator at the peak of Core Splitting realm, along with its antidote. He noted those who held lightning techniques and pills compatible with him.

  Liu Xing thought this event was fortunate. He was being given everything he needed on a silver platter to interrogate Wuji Sanren and more.

  "Now, let's wait a little bit," he murmured.

  Liu Xing intended to kill those who held interesting resources. However, this was not the time. He needed to wait for the fighting and commotion to dwindle. He needed to wait for the losers to recuperate and the winners to rest or celebrate. When the time came, he would come to them like a ghost, kill them, and take the treasures from their cold bodies.

  In the meantime, he followed the weaker disciples into the main building. It turned out that not all of the techniques and treasures had been brought outside. Those deemed not valuable enough remained in their initial positions, be it in the library, the treasure room, or other places. Disciples could purchase these low-grade techniques, treasures, talismans, and other items at a discount. Some of the weaker disciples, who were unfortunate enough to miss out on the treasures and lacked the confidence to defeat their peers, decided to do just that. Liu Xing browsed with them. Who knew? Perhaps he would discover a treasure or technique that others considered worthless, but which would suit him perfectly.

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