Chapter 1718 — Chapter 1718 Tournament of Rising Stars(2)

Once the tournament officially began, a hundred pairs of participants entered their individual platform. Since there were tens of thousands of participants, it'd take weeks if not months to finish the tournament if they did one match at a time.

None of the Demon Sealing Faction members were chosen for the first session, so they merely stood in their area and waited for their turn. A few of them were staring at Yuan, trying to analyze him.

Li Jinxi had the most intense gaze, but it was not because she recognized Yuan.

'Why am I getting this weird feeling in my gut when looking at that person?' she wondered inwardly. It was an inexplicable feeling she was not familiar with. She wondered if this feeling was a natural desire to battle someone strong or something else entirely different.

"Burning Lotus Sword Art!"

A handsome young man with black and red hair unleashed a powerful and dazzling sword technique, instantly catching the spectators' attention.

"That must be Xing Chen, the number one disciple of the Burning Lotus Sword Sect. His sword art is as grand and powerful as they claim! He definitely deserves the title 'Sword That Burns All!'"

Several platforms away, a beautiful young lady wielded a green fan as she leaped around the platform with graceful movements, resembling a dancer.

"Fairy Ling is as beautiful as ever! I'd climb a thousand mountains just to have a glance of her beauty!"

Although many participants were disciples of sects, the majority hailed from prominent clans and families that spanned across the Fourth Heaven. While these individuals might also be disciples of various sects, they were here primarily representing their families, promoting the strength and pride of their bloodlines.

The rest of the participants were rogue cultivators, and a sizable portion of them stood out from the rest, mostly because of their demeanor and attitude towards the tournament.

"Damn! This event is too difficult! Who could possibly win this?!" A specific individual shouted after losing to his opponent. There were other players besides the Demon Sealing Faction present at the tournament. Whether they were qualified to even participate or not was a different story. Three years may not seem like a significant amount of time to those born in the cultivation world, but for those from Earth, three years was a substantial period. In that time, the entire Cultivation Online player base made remarkable progress in their cultivation, advancing far beyond what even talented people born in the Nine Heavens could achieve.

While not every player had made significant progress, this was largely because not everyone pursued advancement with the same level of effort or determination. However, those who did dedicate themselves to improving had risen far beyond what individuals of the same caliber, born in the Nine Heavens, could typically achieve.

In other words, even those players with average talents were able to surpass the talented natives of the Nine Heavens, thanks to the system's assistance. The system provided the players with advantages that allowed for faster growth and cultivation progress in ways that natural talent alone could not.

However, in the eyes of the natives of the Nine Heavens, the players simply appeared to be extraordinary geniuses. Even if some sensed that something was unusual, the Celestial Emperor's curse worked its magic, making the players' presence and achievements seem completely normal.

As for the participants present at the tournament, they ranged in age significantly. There were competitors as young as ten years old and others as old as twenty-seven, just barely hitting the upper age limit for participation.

That said, none of the younger participants expected to win. They were only there for the experience and to show off their talents so others could pay attention to them in the future.

This is also why there was typically only a single reward for the tournament, and it was usually not as grand as the Innate Miracle Pill. This made Emperor Ning's announcement all the more shocking to the participants, as such a valuable prize far exceeded their expectations.

"Winner, Xing Chen!" One of the judges there suddenly announced.

Once a match ended, the winner was granted a recovery pill to help them recover their exhausted cultivation for the next fight, but they wouldn't fight immediately.

Whenever a stage is available, the next pair would immediately be called to it. Since the platforms were protected by restoration formations, any damage done to them would repair itself.

An hour later, Xi Murong was the first member of the Demon Sealing Faction to be called onto the stage.

"I'll be right back," he said to them before walking to the stage in calm steps.

Xi Murong's opponent had arrived on the stage before him.

'Seventh level Spirit Emperor, huh?' Xi Murong smiled inwardly.

"I'll give you a chance to forfeit." Xi Murong said to his opponent as he released his cultivation at the third level of Spirit Enlightenment.

In just three short years, Xi Murong had progressed all the way to Spirit Enlightenment. It wasn't just Xi Murong, however. Every member of the Demon Sealing Faction had managed to enter Spirit Enlightenment. As a matter of fact, it didn't even take them three years. They'd spent the first two years improving their foundations and the last year increasing their cultivation.

Naturally, this wasn't solely due to the system. Kelan had also provided them with numerous treasures that, while priceless in the Fourth Heaven, were abundant in his realm. This is one of the many reasons people seek favor with those from the upper heavens, as what is considered trash in the higher realms is often regarded as treasure in the lower heavens.

"S-Spirit Enlightenment?! Who could've anticipated such a genius would show up in this tournament!"

"That senior from the upper heavens must be kicking himself now! There's no way he could bridge the gap between Spirit Grandmaster and Spirit Enlightenment, regardless of where he's from!"

The spectators were shocked by the presence of a Spirit Enlightenment cultivator since the majority of the other participants were below Spirit King, with a few at Spirit Sovereign.