cǐ quán yī chū ， wàn xiān méng jìng nèi shà shí yā què wú shēng 。
此拳一出，万仙盟境内霎时鸦雀无声。
The moment the fist was unleashed, a sudden silence enveloped the entire realm of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
ér nà fù rén què shì yī fù dàn dìng wú bǐ de yàng zi ， huǎn huǎn shōu huí le quán tou ：「 wǒ men huí qù ba 。」
而那妇人却是一副淡定无比的样子，缓缓收回了拳头：「我们回去吧。」
Yet, the woman remained unperturbed, slowly retracting her fist: "Let's go back."
wǔ lǎo huì fāng de wǔ dòu dài biǎo yě shì yǎn zhōng shǎn guò yī sī jīng jù de yàng zi ， gēn zài nóng fù shēn hòu ， màn màn xiāo shī zài guān jǐng jìng de huà miàn zhī zhōng 。
五老会方的武斗代表也是眼中闪过一丝惊惧的样子，跟在农妇身后，慢慢消失在观景镜的画面之中。
The martial representative from the Five Elders Association also showed signs of fear in his eyes as he followed behind the farmer and gradually disappeared from the view of the scenic mirror.
zhí dào wàn xiān méng de nà wèi míng wèi xǔ jìng de diān fēng huà shén ， cóng hūn mí zhōng yī liǎn máng rán dì xǐng lái ， guān zhàn de zhòng rén cái fēn fēn cóng zhèn jīng zhōng huí guò shén lái 。
直到万仙盟的那位名为许靖的巅峰化神，从昏迷中一脸茫然地醒来，观战的众人才纷纷从震惊中回过神来。
Only when Xu Jing, a peak cultivator known for his transformation into a divine being, woke up from a daze did the spectators finally come back to their senses.
「 huò ！ nà ge lǎo niáng men hǎo qiáng ！」
「霍！那个老娘们好强！」
"Ho! That old woman is incredibly powerful!"
「 zhè yī quán ， fǎng fú dà dào dōu yào mó miè le ！」
「这一拳，仿佛大道都要磨灭了！」
"Her fist seems to be erasing the Dao itself!"
「 nǐ men yǒu shuí kàn qīng chǔ tā shì zěn me chū shǒu de ma ？」
「你们有谁看清楚她是怎么出手的嘛？」
"Has anyone seen how she made her move?"
bāo kuò lǐ fán zài nèi ， guān zhàn zhòng rén bù duàn huí fàng zhe guān jǐng jìng gāng gāng jì lù xià de huà miàn 。
包括李凡在内，观战众人不断回放着观景镜刚刚记录下的画面。
Including Li Fan, everyone kept replaying the scene recorded by the scenic mirror.
rán ér ， nǎ pà yǐ jīng màn fàng dào jí zhì ， què réng rán wú fǎ kàn qīng chǔ nóng fù de dòng zuò 。
然而，哪怕已经慢放到极致，却仍然无法看清楚农妇的动作。
Even when it was slowed down to its absolute limit, no one could make out the farmer's movements clearly.
zhǐ jué yǎn qián yī huā ， quán yǐng zhà xiàn 。 xǔ jìng biàn yǐ jīng bèi quán jìn zhèn yā ， chè dǐ hūn sǐ guò qù le 。
只觉眼前一花，拳影乍现。许靖便已经被拳劲镇压，彻底昏死过去了。
A flash of light appeared before Xu Jing was immediately suppressed by the fist's power and lost consciousness completely.
「 nóng fù sān quán ， tiān tā dì xiàn 。」
「农妇三拳，天塌地陷。」
"Three punches from a farmer woman, heaven collapses and earth crumbles."
lián jiě shuō yě bèi zhè yī quán zhèn jīng le shì de ， guò le xǔ jiǔ ， yī jù huà fāng cái huǎn huǎn fú xiàn zài jìng miàn shàng 。
连解说也被这一拳震惊了似的，过了许久，一句话方才缓缓浮现在镜面上。
The commentator seemed equally stunned as well, taking a long time to finally appear on the screen with one sentence: "Three punches from a farmer woman? Does that mean she still has two more powerful techniques left?"
「 nóng fù sān quán ？ zhè qǐ bù shì shuō ， tā zhè jué xué hái yǒu liǎng quán méi yǒu shǐ chū ？」
「农妇三拳？这岂不是说，她这绝学还有两拳没有使出？」
"Ssshh, this first punch alone could easily suppress someone like Xu Jing. If all three were used, who would be able to withstand them?"
「 sī ， zhè dì yī quán jiù néng qīng yì jiāng xǔ jìng zhè děng tiān jiāo zhèn yā 。 yào shì sān quán quán dōu shī zhǎn ， yòu yǒu shuí néng dǐ dǎng ？」
「嘶，这第一拳就能轻易将许靖这等天骄镇压。要是三拳全都施展，又有谁能抵挡？」
"Surely Shuofeng is out of the question, what about Li Wu No. 6?"
「 shuò fēng kěn dìng shì bù xíng le ， nà dì lù wǔ háng me ？」
「朔锋肯定是不行了，那第陆武行么？」
"Wu No. 6's speed is too fast; it might not even harm her."
「 dì lù wǔ de sù dù tài kuài ， nóng fù wèi bì néng shāng dé le tā 。」
「第陆武的速度太快，农妇未必能伤得了他。」
"Not necessarily,"
「 wǒ kàn wèi bì 。」
「我看未必。」
...
……
……
Amidst the ongoing discussions, the first day’s competition finally came to an end.
zhòng rén yì lùn fēn fēn zhōng ， dì yī tiān de bǐ shì zhōng guī shì là xià le wéi mù 。
众人议论纷纷中，第一天的比试终归是落下了帷幕。
The final draw result seemed to have set a good tone for this 'friendly exchange.'
zuì zhōng píng jú de jié guǒ ， yě sì hū wèi zhè chǎng 「 yǒu hǎo jiāo liú huì 」 kāi le yí gè hǎo tóu 。
最终平局的结果，也似乎为这场「友好交流会」开了一个好头。
However, as time passed and more competitions concluded with unexpected draws, the atmosphere gradually became eerie.
dàn shì jiē xià lái ， suí zhe shí jiān yī tiān tiān guò qù ， dāng dào 、 qì ， zhèn 、 dān 、 fú děng shèng yú bǐ shì de jié guǒ ， quán dōu chū rén yì liào de yǐ píng jú shōu chǎng hòu 。
但是接下来，随着时间一天天过去，当道、器，阵、丹、符等剩余比试的结果，全都出人意料的以平局收场后。
If it was just the first or second day's results, one could still attribute them to coincidence.
qì fēn jiù zhú jiàn biàn dé guǐ jué qǐ lái 。
气氛就逐渐变得诡谲起来。
But six consecutive days of all matches ending in draws...
rú guǒ shì dì yī tiān 、 dì èr tiān de bǐ shì shì píng jú ， hái néng miǎn qiǎng yòng qiǎo hé lái jiě shì 。
如果是第一天、第二天的比试是平局，还能勉强用巧合来解释。
The implications were quite intriguing.
nà me lián xù liù tiān 、 quán bù bǐ shì dōu shì rú cǐ ……
那么连续六天、全部比试都是如此……
It seemed that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association had secretly reached some kind of agreement, sending a signal to all cultivators.
zhè qí zhōng de yì wèi ， jiù yǒu xiē lìng rén wán wèi le 。
这其中的意味，就有些令人玩味了。
A 'peace' signal.
zhè sì hū shì wàn xiān méng hé wǔ lǎo huì àn zhōng dá chéng le mǒu zhǒng xié yì ， gòng tóng xiàng quán tǐ xiū shì sàn fà zhe mǒu zhǒng xìn hào 。
这似乎是万仙盟和五老会暗中达成了某种协议，共同向全体修士散发着某种信号。
---
「 hé píng 」 de xìn hào 。
「和平」的信号。
Both sides appeared evenly matched on the surface.
wú lùn shì nǎ yì fāng miàn ， shuāng fāng kàn qǐ lái dōu shì shì jūn lì dí 。
无论是哪一方面，双方看起来都是势均力敌。
Rekindling hostilities would likely result in a stalemate at best.
zài qǐ zhàn duān ， yě sì hū hěn nán fēn chū shèng fù 。 zuì duō luò gè liǎng bài jù shāng de xià chǎng 。
再启战端，也似乎很难分出胜负。最多落个两败俱伤的下场。
So, what was the point of fighting?
rú cǐ ， hái yǒu shén me zhàn dòu de bì yào me ？
如此，还有什么战斗的必要么？
Thus, most cultivators realized that this so-called 'friendly exchange' was merely a grand performance show.
yú shì tiān xià xiū shì fēn fēn huǎng rán 。 shuō shén me 「 yǒu hǎo jiāo liú huì 」， qí shí bù guò shì chǎng dà xíng biǎo yǎn xiù bà le 。
于是天下修士纷纷恍然。说什么「友好交流会」，其实不过是场大型表演秀罢了。
The final outcome had probably been predetermined from the start, with each match following a script.
kǒng pà zuì zhōng de jié guǒ zǎo yǐ jīng dìng xià ， shèn zhì měi yī cháng bǐ dòu dōu shì àn jù běn háng shì 。
恐怕最终的结果早已经定下，甚至每一场比斗都是按剧本行事。
But for just 100 contribution points, one could watch and analyze the performances of these prodigies to gain insights.
bù guò huā fèi yì bǎi gòng xiàn dù ， kàn chǎng rè nào 。 ér qiě hái néng chóng fù chuǎi mó zhū wèi tiān jiāo de bǐ dòu guò chéng ， cóng ér yǒu suǒ lǐng wù 。
不过花费一百贡献度，看场热闹。而且还能重复揣摩诸位天骄的比斗过程，从而有所领悟。
For the majority, it was worth the cost.
duì yú jué dà duō shù de xiū shì ér yán ， yě shì bù kuī 。
对于绝大多数的修士而言，也是不亏。
Moreover, this performance seemed to set the tone for peace in the near future, bringing some relief to the cultivators.
ér qiě zhè cì biǎo yǎn ， yě sì hū wèi jīn hòu yī duàn shí jiān 「 hé píng 」 de zhǔ jī diào dìng le xìng ， ràng xiū shì men zǒng suàn xīn zhōng ān dìng le xǔ duō 。
而且这次表演，也似乎为今后一段时间「和平」的主基调定了性，让修士们总算心中安定了许多。
Therefore, discussions about the 'friendly exchange' continued even after its conclusion.
yīn cǐ ， yǒu hǎo jiāo liú huì jié shù hòu yī duàn shí jiān ， xiū shì men duì yú tā de tǎo lùn réng rán méi yǒu zhōng jié 。
因此，友好交流会结束后一段时间，修士们对于它的讨论仍然没有终结。
"I observed those prodigies who participated; they were just as expected. Though strong, none of them exceeded my expectations. Once I break through to theyuanxiong/yuanling realm, I might be able to challenge them!"
「 wǒ guān cǐ cì bǐ shì zhōng chū liè de nà xiē tiān jiāo ， yě bù guò rú cǐ 。 qiáng zé qiáng yǐ ， què yě méi yǒu chāo chū wǒ děng xiǎng xiàng 。 rú jīn wǒ shì yuán yīng xiū wèi ， děng wǒ tū pò hòu ， wèi bì bù néng yǔ zhī yī zhàn ！」
「我观此次比试中出列的那些天骄，也不过如此。强则强矣，却也没有超出我等想象。如今我是元婴修为，等我突破后，未必不能与之一战！」
"Indeed, take Wu No. 6, who transformed at age nine. He is still young, and his speed is merely faster. With careful thought, we could find a way to counter him."
「 bù cuò ， jiù ná nà wèi jiǔ suì huà shén de dì lù wǔ lái shuō ， bì jìng nián yòu 。 guān qí dòu fǎ ， yě zhǐ shì sù dù kuài le yī xiē bà le 。 xì xì sī liáng ， wèi bì bù néng zhǎo dào kè zhì tā de fāng shì 。」
「不错，就拿那位九岁化神的第陆武来说，毕竟年幼。观其斗法，也只是速度快了一些罢了。细细思量，未必不能找到克制他的方式。」
"I have similar thoughts. It’s not just an illusion?"
「 wǒ yě yǒu zhè zhǒng xiǎng fǎ 。 kàn lái bú shì cuò jué ？」
「我也有这种想法。看来不是错觉？」
"We should strive in cultivation; perhaps next time there's another performance, we might be able to participate and make a name for ourselves."
「 wú bèi dāng fèn qǐ xiū xíng ， shuō bù dìng xià cì zài yǒu biǎo yǎn jī huì ， wǒ men yě néng chū chǎng ， jiè cǐ míng dòng tiān xià 。」
「吾辈当奋起修行，说不定下次再有表演机会，我们也能出场，借此名动天下。」
...
……
……
While the rest of the world was still speculating about their future prospects, Li Fan received a message from Immortal Xinhui.
jiù zài tiān xià xiū shì fēn fēn yǐ wéi zì jǐ yòu néng xíng de shí hòu ， lǐ fán què shì shōu dào le hóng xī xiān jūn de chuán xùn 。
就在天下修士纷纷以为自己又能行的时候，李凡却是收到了鸿曦仙君的传讯。
"The real competition is about to begin. Do you want to come watch?"
「 shuāng fāng
「双方
Li Fan’s heart stirred slightly.
zhēn zhèng de bǐ shì jí jiāng kāi shǐ ， nǐ xiǎo zi yào bù yào yì qǐ lái kàn ？」
真正的比试即将开始，你小子要不要一起来看？」
"Real competition? What do you mean by that?"
lǐ fán xīn zhōng wēi wēi yī dòng 。
李凡心中微微一动。
Immortal Xinhui replied lazily: "This friendly exchange has two parts—public and private. The public part is a pre-determined performance."
「 zhēn zhèng de bǐ shì ？ dà rén nín zhè shì shén me yì si ？」
「真正的比试？大人您这是什么意思？」
"Cultivators participating can't show their full strength, as it would dampen their enthusiasm for cultivation when the war just ended. We need to replenish fresh blood."
hóng xī yòng lǎn yáng yáng de yǔ qì huí dá dào ：「 cǐ cì yǒu hǎo jiāo liú huì ， fēn wéi míng àn liǎng bù fèn 。 míng miàn shàng ， shì zǎo yǐ jīng dìng hǎo jié guǒ de biǎo yǎn xìng zhì dì bǐ shì 。」
鸿曦用懒洋洋的语气回答道：「此次友好交流会，分为明暗两部分。明面上，是早已经定好结果的表演性质的比试。」
"So, both sides have not given their all in these matches."
「 cān yù bǐ shì de shuāng fāng ， yě bù néng zhǎn xiàn chū lìng rén jué wàng hé kǒng jù de shí lì 。 rú jīn dà zhàn fāng xiū ， zhèng shì xū yào bǔ chōng xīn xiān xuè yè de shí hòu 。 rú guǒ dǎ jī dào tā men de xiū xíng jī jí xìng ， nà jiù bù hǎo le 。」
「参与比试的双方，也不能展现出令人绝望和恐惧的实力。如今大战方休，正是需要补充新鲜血液的时候。如果打击到他们的修行积极性，那就不好了。」
"Privately, we must truly determine the winner and probe each other's strengths."
「 suǒ yǐ shuāng fāng de bǐ shì ， qí shí dōu wèi jìn quán lì 。」
「所以双方的比试，其实都未尽全力。」
"The entire process needs to be kept secret. Only two remote viewing slots are available per state. Zi Yun is here, so there’s an empty slot for you."
「 ér sī dǐ xià ， zǒng yào zhēn de fēn chū gè shèng fù 、 tàn yī tàn shuāng fāng dǐ xì cái xíng 。」
「而私底下，总要真的分出个胜负、探一探双方底细才行。」
Immortal Xinhui explained.
「 bǐ shì de quán guò chéng xū yào bǎo mì ， měi zhōu zhǐ yǒu liǎng gè yuǎn chéng guān kàn míng é 。 zǐ yún tā zài xiàn chǎng guān mó le ， suǒ yǐ jiù kòng chū le yí gè wèi zhì 。」
「比试的全过程需要保密，每州只有两个远程观看名额。紫云她在现场观摩了，所以就空出了一个位置。」
Li Fan agreed immediately, feeling a sense of relief.
hóng xī xiān jūn jiě shì dào 。
鸿曦仙君解释道。
He thought that these prodigies' performances were somewhat underwhelming. While their techniques and skills were impressive, none had demonstrated any truly awe-inspiring abilities.
lǐ fán wén yán ， dāng jí yīng xià 。 tóng shí xīn zhōng yě yǒu xiē shì rán 。
李凡闻言，当即应下。同时心中也有些释然。
At the same level, even if they faced Li Fan or Zhong Shenming who mastered the Seven Divine Lights, it was uncertain who would win.
tā yě jué de nà xiē tiān jiāo de biǎo xiàn ， yǒu xiē bù jìn rú rén yì 。 suī rán gōng fǎ zhāo shì dí què biǎo xiàn jīng rén ， dàn què méi yǒu shuí néng shī zhǎn chū lìng rén gǎn dào jīng yàn de dà shén tōng lái 。
他也觉得那些天骄的表现，有些不尽如人意。虽然功法招式的确表现惊人，但却没有谁能施展出令人感到惊艳的大神通来。
It seemed there was indeed some hidden agenda at play.
tóng děng shí lì xià ， bú yào shuō gēn lǐ fán bǐ le ， kǒng pà jiù lián zhǎng wò qī cǎi shén guāng de zhōng shén tōng dōu wèi bì néng shuō wěn yíng 。
同等实力下，不要说跟李凡比了，恐怕就连掌握七彩神光的钟神通都未必能说稳赢。
Li Fan arrived at the Office of Administration, where Immortal Xinhui had been waiting for him.
xiàn zài kàn lái ， qí zhōng guǒ rán yǒu xiē māo nì 。
现在看来，其中果然有些猫腻。
He gently tapped on the table, and in an instant, the scenery changed dramatically.
lǐ fán lái dào bù zhèng táng zhōng ， hóng xī zǎo yǐ zài cǐ děng hòu le 。
李凡来到布政堂中，鸿曦早已在此等候了。
They moved from the Congyun Immortal City to a peak amidst a sea of clouds.
tā qīng qīng qiāo le qiāo zhuō zi ， shà shí jiān ， tiān dì biàn huàn le jǐng sè 。
他轻轻敲了敲桌子，霎时间，天地便换了景色。
Li Fan was initially startled but chose to observe as Immortal Xinhui seemed harmless.
cóng cóng yún xiān chéng ， yí dòng dào le yī zuò yún hǎi shān diān 。
从丛云仙城，移动到了一座云海山巅。
"This competition is about to start. Without commentary, how much you can understand depends on your own comprehension."
lǐ fán xīn zhōng xiān shì yī jīng 。 bù guò kàn zhe hóng xī sì hū méi yǒu è yì ， yú shì xuǎn zé le zàn qiě guān wàng 。
李凡心中先是一惊。不过看着鸿曦似乎没有恶意，于是选择了暂且观望。
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the distant sea of clouds revealed a large square seal.
「 zhè cì de bǐ shì kuài kāi shǐ le 。 méi yǒu jiě shuō ， néng lǐng wù duō shǎo ， quán kàn nǐ zì jǐ lǐng wù le 。」
「这次的比试快开始了。没有解说，能领悟多少，全看你自己领悟了。」
The pattern etched onto the seal resembled the scenery of Congyun Sea.
shuō zhe ， tā dà shǒu yī huī ， yuǎn chù yún hǎi fān gǔn ， xiǎn xiàn chū yī méi fāng xíng dà yìn 。
说着，他大手一挥，远处云海翻滚，显现出一枚方型大印。
Suddenly, the seal projected a beam of light upwards, illuminating the sky.
yìn zhāng shàng kè zhe de tú àn ， sì hū gēn cóng yún hǎi jǐng sè yǒu diǎn xiāng sì 。
印章上刻着的图案，似乎跟丛云海景色有点相似。
In the next moment, two figures appeared.
cǐ shí ， dà yìn xiàng shàng tóu shè chū yī dào guāng huá ， zhào shè zài tiān mù zhī shàng 。
此时，大印向上投射出一道光华，照射在天幕之上。
Not only were they perfectly realistic, but their aura and pressure felt tangible as well.
xià yī kè ， liǎng dào rén yǐng hū de fú xiàn 。
下一刻，两道人影忽的浮现。
It was as if a mountain had suddenly been placed on his shoulders, nearly causing Li Fan to bend over and suffocate.
bù jǐn jǐn shì wán quán nǐ zhēn de yǐng xiàng ， shèn zhì tā men shēn shàng de qì xī yǐ jí wēi yā ， dōu wǎn ruò shí zhì 。
不仅仅是完全拟真的影像，甚至他们身上的气息以及威压，都宛若实质。
His Inner Heaven cultivation energy flowed slightly, not fully exerting itself, just enough to alleviate the burden.
fǎng fú shēn shàng hū de yā le yī zuò dà shān ， lǐ fán jī hū dōu yào wān yāo 、 zhì xī 。
仿佛身上忽的压了一座大山，李凡几乎都要弯腰、窒息。
Li Fan tightly focused on the two figures standing above the clouds.
tǐ nèi dòng tiān fǎ lì wēi wēi liú zhuǎn ， méi yǒu quán lì yǐ fù ， zhǐ shì shāo shāo jiǎn qīng le fù dān 。
体内洞天法力微微流转，没有全力以赴，只是稍稍减轻了负担。
One of them bore an uncanny resemblance to the young divine being who had appeared earlier. Their attire and weapons were identical.
lǐ fán jǐn jǐn dīng zhe yún hǎi shàng fāng nà liǎng dào chù lì de rén yǐng 。
李凡紧紧盯着云海上方那两道矗立的人影。
However, this one was even younger, around five or six years old.
qí zhōng zhī yī ， hè rán gēn xiān qián chū xiàn de nà wèi jiǔ suì huà shén jí wéi shén sì 。 jiù lián yī zhuó wǔ qì dōu shì yì bān wú èr 。
其中之一，赫然跟先前出现的那位九岁化神极为神似。就连衣着武器都是一般无二。
"Please teach me!" he spoke with a childlike voice that seemed adorable.
dàn què nián líng gèng xiǎo ， zhǐ yǒu wǔ liù suì de mú yàng 。
但却年龄更小，只有五六岁的模样。
But his actions left Li Fan in shock.
「 qǐng cì jiào ！」 shuō qǐ huà lái ， gèng shì nǎi shēng nǎi qì ， kàn shàng qù shí fēn kě ài 。
「请赐教！」说起话来，更是奶声奶气，看上去十分可爱。
He lightly grabbed the air before him, and instantly, countless silver rays descended from heaven.
nà tā dòng qǐ shǒu lái ， què shì ràng lǐ fán bó rán sè biàn 。
那他动起手来，却是让李凡勃然色变。
The entire world was dyed silver as if it had become part of his own domain.
zhǐ jiàn tā qīng qīng cháo zhe qián fāng xū kōng yī zhuā ， tiān dì jiān chà nà biàn yǒu wàn qiān dào yín máng là xià 。
只见他轻轻朝着前方虚空一抓，天地间刹那便有万千道银芒落下。
"I suspect my insect-binding technique will be significantly weakened here,"
jiāng tiān dì chè dǐ yìng rǎn chéng yín sè guó dù de tóng shí ， yě sì hū jiāng tā zhōu wéi biàn huàn chéng zì jǐ zhǎng kòng de guó dù 。
将天地彻底映染成银色国度的同时，也似乎将他周围变换成自己掌控的国度。
Li Fan thought immediately.
The moment the fist was unleashed, a sudden silence enveloped the entire realm of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
Yet, the woman remained unperturbed, slowly retracting her fist: "Let's go back."
The martial representative from the Five Elders Association also showed signs of fear in his eyes as he followed behind the farmer and gradually disappeared from the view of the scenic mirror.
Only when Xu Jing, a peak cultivator known for his transformation into a divine being, woke up from a daze did the spectators finally come back to their senses.
"Ho! That old woman is incredibly powerful!"
"Her fist seems to be erasing the Dao itself!"
"Has anyone seen how she made her move?"
Including Li Fan, everyone kept replaying the scene recorded by the scenic mirror.
Even when it was slowed down to its absolute limit, no one could make out the farmer's movements clearly.
A flash of light appeared before Xu Jing was immediately suppressed by the fist's power and lost consciousness completely.
"Three punches from a farmer woman, heaven collapses and earth crumbles."
The commentator seemed equally stunned as well, taking a long time to finally appear on the screen with one sentence: "Three punches from a farmer woman? Does that mean she still has two more powerful techniques left?"
"Ssshh, this first punch alone could easily suppress someone like Xu Jing. If all three were used, who would be able to withstand them?"
"Surely Shuofeng is out of the question, what about Li Wu No. 6?"
"Wu No. 6's speed is too fast; it might not even harm her."
"Not necessarily,"
...
Amidst the ongoing discussions, the first day’s competition finally came to an end.
The final draw result seemed to have set a good tone for this 'friendly exchange.'
However, as time passed and more competitions concluded with unexpected draws, the atmosphere gradually became eerie.
If it was just the first or second day's results, one could still attribute them to coincidence.
But six consecutive days of all matches ending in draws...
The implications were quite intriguing.
It seemed that the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Association had secretly reached some kind of agreement, sending a signal to all cultivators.
A 'peace' signal.
---
Both sides appeared evenly matched on the surface.
Rekindling hostilities would likely result in a stalemate at best.
So, what was the point of fighting?
Thus, most cultivators realized that this so-called 'friendly exchange' was merely a grand performance show.
The final outcome had probably been predetermined from the start, with each match following a script.
But for just 100 contribution points, one could watch and analyze the performances of these prodigies to gain insights.
For the majority, it was worth the cost.
Moreover, this performance seemed to set the tone for peace in the near future, bringing some relief to the cultivators.
Therefore, discussions about the 'friendly exchange' continued even after its conclusion.
"I observed those prodigies who participated; they were just as expected. Though strong, none of them exceeded my expectations. Once I break through to theyuanxiong/yuanling realm, I might be able to challenge them!"
"Indeed, take Wu No. 6, who transformed at age nine. He is still young, and his speed is merely faster. With careful thought, we could find a way to counter him."
"I have similar thoughts. It’s not just an illusion?"
"We should strive in cultivation; perhaps next time there's another performance, we might be able to participate and make a name for ourselves."
...
While the rest of the world was still speculating about their future prospects, Li Fan received a message from Immortal Xinhui.
"The real competition is about to begin. Do you want to come watch?"
Li Fan’s heart stirred slightly.
"Real competition? What do you mean by that?"
Immortal Xinhui replied lazily: "This friendly exchange has two parts—public and private. The public part is a pre-determined performance."
"Cultivators participating can't show their full strength, as it would dampen their enthusiasm for cultivation when the war just ended. We need to replenish fresh blood."
"So, both sides have not given their all in these matches."
"Privately, we must truly determine the winner and probe each other's strengths."
"The entire process needs to be kept secret. Only two remote viewing slots are available per state. Zi Yun is here, so there’s an empty slot for you."
Immortal Xinhui explained.
Li Fan agreed immediately, feeling a sense of relief.
He thought that these prodigies' performances were somewhat underwhelming. While their techniques and skills were impressive, none had demonstrated any truly awe-inspiring abilities.
At the same level, even if they faced Li Fan or Zhong Shenming who mastered the Seven Divine Lights, it was uncertain who would win.
It seemed there was indeed some hidden agenda at play.
Li Fan arrived at the Office of Administration, where Immortal Xinhui had been waiting for him.
He gently tapped on the table, and in an instant, the scenery changed dramatically.
They moved from the Congyun Immortal City to a peak amidst a sea of clouds.
Li Fan was initially startled but chose to observe as Immortal Xinhui seemed harmless.
"This competition is about to start. Without commentary, how much you can understand depends on your own comprehension."
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the distant sea of clouds revealed a large square seal.
The pattern etched onto the seal resembled the scenery of Congyun Sea.
Suddenly, the seal projected a beam of light upwards, illuminating the sky.
In the next moment, two figures appeared.
Not only were they perfectly realistic, but their aura and pressure felt tangible as well.
It was as if a mountain had suddenly been placed on his shoulders, nearly causing Li Fan to bend over and suffocate.
His Inner Heaven cultivation energy flowed slightly, not fully exerting itself, just enough to alleviate the burden.
Li Fan tightly focused on the two figures standing above the clouds.
One of them bore an uncanny resemblance to the young divine being who had appeared earlier. Their attire and weapons were identical.
However, this one was even younger, around five or six years old.
"Please teach me!" he spoke with a childlike voice that seemed adorable.
But his actions left Li Fan in shock.
He lightly grabbed the air before him, and instantly, countless silver rays descended from heaven.
The entire world was dyed silver as if it had become part of his own domain.
"I suspect my insect-binding technique will be significantly weakened here,"
Li Fan thought immediately.