Chapter 669: Different from the Past
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
With regards to Li Xingfei’s question, Liu Xiafeng avoided it and didn’t answer. He only smiled and said, "You will know soon."
As she saw that he was unwilling to say, she also did not force him. She smiled, "Since you say so, I shall await then."
Inside the Dharma Hall, the younger cultivators among the guests placed all their attention on the disciples of the Celestial Sect of Wonders in the internal competition.
The results left them serious.
Besides Huang Zhenting, Ying Luozha and the others, the overall standard of the Celestial Sect of Wonders was quite exceptional.
As they faced the dangerous environment and the attack of the Wuyang beasts, the disciples performed well. The more challenging the conditions were, the greater the potential and abilities of the disciples were exhibited.
The Successive Disciples who were defeated lost to their fellow disciples, rather than at the hands of the Wuyang beasts.
The younger cultivators who observed the competition could confirm the powers of the Wuyang beasts and did not underestimate them.
Many of the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators questioned themselves whether they could kill three Wuyang beasts if they were placed in such an environment.
Not to even mention that they had to fight an opponent at the same time.
Once they were distracted, they would perish under the hands of the Wuyang beasts.
The attentions of the Aurous Core Stage cultivators were fixed on Dao Yuting. As the heavy favorite in this competition, although she was suppressed till the Foundation Establishment Stage, she managed to overcome the obstacles easily. Just like Ying Luozha, she defeated her opponent almost instantaneously. At the same time, she killed the required number of Wuyang beasts. In fact, she seemed more relaxed than Ying Luozha.
These Aurous Core Stage cultivators pondered in their minds. They wondered that if they were suppressed till the Foundation Establishment Stage, would they be able to survive in such an environment or could they be so relaxed?
They were not positive about that. Most of them shook their heads secretly.
For the competitions with Wasteland Valley cultivators, most of the opponents chose the same method to deal with this situation.
They would band together with the Wasteland Valley cultivator and kill the Wuyang beasts first. After that, they would fight each other to determine the victor.
In fact, such a situation highlighted the initial concerns of Lin Feng, Shi Tianhao and the rest with regards to adding the Wuyang beasts into the competition. But because of the special circumstance with regards to the Wasteland Valley disciples, this method left Lin Feng and the rest impressed.
Some things could be negotiated, while some things could not. In terms of principle, no leeway could be given. But between principles, some leeway could be afforded.
To a certain extent, the choice of these disciples was to exterminate the outsider first before dealing with their own conflict.
But there was a condition. Only if the Wasteland Valley disciples were involved could such a method be used.
There were situations where none of the two parties were from the Wasteland Valley, but they used the same method. Under such a circumstance, Lin Feng and the rest allowed them to pass, but their evaluation of these disciples were bound to be lower.
While it seemed to demonstrate flexible thinking and opportunism, it was actually different.
The rules did not prevent them from doing this, but this defeated the purpose of the competition. It was a demonstration of a lack of intelligence.
For many things, if the initial condition was different, using the same method to deal with them might not be the right method.
With regards to practical judgment and the control of the situation, a little discrepancy could lead to vast and different outcomes. This competition was also a test of the disciples’ judgment and decisiveness.
The test was holistic. It was not just a test of who would emerge victorious in the end.
Such a result only determined the ranks of those who competed today. Whereas Lin Feng, Shi Tianhao, Xiao Yan and the rest would determine the overall performance of the disciples holistically.
In terms of such a thinking, there was a limit to what the Successive Disciples of the Celestial Sect of Wonders and the younger cultivators from the other sects could reach.
The younger cultivators were focused on the powers of the Successive Disciples of the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
The Nascent Soul Stage Grandmasters were able to understand to some extent, as they observed their own disciples normally.
Furthermore, besides watching this competition, the attentions of the Nascent Soul Stage Grandmasters were also caught by other things.
The battle arena was formed from the top level of the Dharma Hall.
Whereas the bottom level of the Dharma Hall was also put into use. From the Small Worlds on the top level, flowing radiances formed from their spiritual energy seeped into the lower level of the Dharma Hall like ropes. After that, they converted into countless light figures.
These light figures were the appearances of humans. They stood without moving.
For those who noticed those figures, they could not help but whisper in their minds. They wondered what these figures were for.
Inside the Grand Heavens Pavilion, the bunch of Immortal Soul Stage Elders looked at these light figures. After a while, Yan Mingyue said, "I remembered that it was mentioned before that the top level is the battle arena whereas the bottom level is the training arena. Since it is named the training arena, I believe that these light figures help in a cultivator’s training."
Her gaze flashed and she looked at Lin Feng, "I shall make a bold guess. These light figures record the process of the competition. After this, when your disciples look back on how they performed, they can correct their mistakes?"
Lin Feng smiled, "It’s just a small trick. It can’t escape your sharp eyes."
Yan Mingyue replied, "Master Lin, you are too humble. This is not some small trick. Come to think of it, for your disciples to watch what they did wrong and improve on it, it’s as if there’s an invisible teacher guiding them."
The other Immortal Soul Stage Elders nodded their heads. Yan Mingyue expressed what they thought.
The Lightning Swordmaster and the Great Barren Swordmaster looked at each other. They communicated using their mana, "With such a convenient method, this will increase the overall standard of the Celestial Sect of Wonders. After all, everyone can benefit from this."
The polishing of one’s powers need time. To understand the brilliance of their abhijnas, control the secret beneath and increase their familiarity, all this need time as well as proper guidance. And the Dharma Hall is able to fulfil all these.
The Great Barren Swordmaster said, "In the past, everyone commented that the foundation of the Celestial Sect of Wonders is too shallow. But now it seems like they are different from the past."
The Lightning Swordmaster nodded his head, "This is indeed the case. Just from the Dharma Hall, we can tell how prepared they have become."
Everyone understood why Lin Feng instructed Shi Tianhao to open the bottom level of the Dharma Hall only during the internal competition. Whereas during the social gathering, he had to close the bottom level off.
For such a social gathering, if both the arenas were opened at the same time, the cultivators from the other sects would be recorded down too.
If their mantras and abhijnas were too deep to understand, recording them would be useless. But most of their mantras and abhijnas would be recorded down, and from there, the Celestial Sect of Wonders could benefit greatly.
Although the training arena recorded Huang Zhenting, Ying Luozha and the rest, the recording would only be played after all the cultivators had left the mountain.
After the first round of competition ended, only half of the Successive Disciples remained.
Those who were eliminated returned to their resting areas to consolidate and reflect on their performance. While those who emerged victorious were given time to regain their energies. After that, the second round of competition was due to start.
In this round, the powers of these disciples were of another level. Except for Dao Yuting who breezed through the first round, no one was able to emerge victorious as easily as previously. Even Ying Luozha and Huang Zhenting had to break a sweat.
The number of Wuyang beasts increased, which increased the difficulty of the round too.
As the competition progressed, the elites from each faction differentiated themselves from the rest.
Average speaking, if the competition environment was complex, the chances of upsets were higher. But Lin Feng had always taught his disciples to adapt to different environments.
Thus, under such a situation, the hot favorites were more likely to adapt better to the complex environments. That was because they were the more outstanding ones in this aspect.
Besides Dao Yuting, Huang Zhenting and Ying Luozha, Yan Wuwei and Ke Jing also performed well too.
The only pity was a young lady from the Heavenly Temple who was called Sun Xueer. Her cultivation was naturally not ordinary. She was a talent in cultivating Ice-type mantras. She was a motivated, filial and humble person. She was quite a sociable person in the sect.
She was originally one of the hot favorites for the last 16. But it was her misfortune as she faced Dao Yuting in the last 32. Eventually, she lost, unsurprisingly. Many of the disciples thought that this was a pity.
Inside the Grand Heavens Pavilion, Xiao Yan, Yue Hongyan and the rest shook their heads in pity. "Sun Xueer is unlucky to meet Yuting. If she met someone else other than her, Ying Luozha and Huang Zhenting, she will have a high probability of entering the last 16 of the competition."
Zhu Yi smiled, "No worries. She has benefited much from this competition too."
Xiao Yan laughed lightly, "Third Junior, it seems like there are more girls than guys from those under you."
Wang Lin heard this and was stunned for a moment. After that, he laughed.
Under him, there were three disciples who managed to enter the last 16, but they were all females. Besides Dao Yuting and Li Xingfei, the remaining disciple was in the Intermediate Stage of the Foundation Establishment Stage. They were all females, whereas everyone under Wang Lin had been eliminated.
Zhu Yi, Yue Hongyan, Yang Qing and Luo Qingwu shook their heads and laughed. Li Yuanfang turned to look at them, as if he did not know why they were laughing.
"Lin Tong has performed well." Wang Lin smiled as he said.
As Xiao Yan heard this, he was happy, "Ha, of course. She is my goddaughter!"
At this point, inside the Dharma Hall and a particular Small World, there was a seven or eight years old girl. She was very cute and her hair was tied in a pigtail. As she looked at the ferocious Wuyang beasts, she made a clown face, "All of you are so ugly!"
She was Lin Tong.