Nan Xi’s view opened up the moment he stepped out of the arena tunnel.
The Martial Arts Field was semicircular in shape.
Apart from the open side facing the school’s Rear Lake, the surrounding area was built up with tall spectator stands. In the center of the field was a square fighting ring.
While Nan Xi was observing, disciples from two different sects were engaged in an intense match on it.
To be honest, Nan Xi didn’t quite understand why they had left half of the field empty.
Maybe so that if a disciple got knocked off the platform, falling into the water would mean lighter injuries.
Nan Xi smiled faintly and walked toward the center of the spectator stands.
He was now at the highest level of the stands, where he could not only overlook the entire Martial Arts Field but also clearly see the whole Rear Lake in the distance.
Under the gentle breeze, the distant Rear Lake rippled repeatedly. It was a truly refreshing sight.
Before he knew it, Nan Xi had reached the center of the stands.
A group of Elders had already gathered there, led by the Old Headmaster of Daye Village School.
Catching sight of Nan Xi out of the corner of his eye, the Old Headmaster quickly rose to welcome him.
“Ah, Peak Master Nan Xi has arrived. Please, take the seat of honor!”
With that, he seated Nan Xi in the main guest position to his right. Once Nan Xi was settled, the Headmaster enthusiastically introduced him to the other guests present.
“This is Great Swordsman Wenjian of Sword-Seeking Villa.” “A pleasure.”
“This is Master Dengdeng of Burning Lamp Temple.” “A pleasure.”
“And this…”
The Old Headmaster’s hand moved toward the figure on his left, and his smile froze on his face.
“This is a displeasure.”
Nan Xi said it with a grin, showing no mercy.
As for that graceful figure…
“Hmph — as if I want to see you either.”
Huazhu gave a cold snort and shot Nan Xi a dirty look.
Seeing this, the Old Headmaster quickly tried to mediate.
“Ahem, ahem. Both of you, please calm down. This, this, this — why don’t we let the competition on the field speak for itself? Friendship first, long live friendship!”
“Heh —”
Nan Xi and Huazhu let out identical cold laughs, but fortunately, they didn’t press their attacks on each other any further. They simply sat back down quietly in their own seats.
The Old Headmaster gave an awkward laugh.
He had miscalculated. He shouldn’t have let the Martial Arts Field event drag on this long. Now these two rivals had run into each other again.
He turned his gaze to Nan Xi, trying to strike up a conversation to ease the tension.
“Well, then, Peak Master Nan Xi, allow me to continue introducing… ah, you’ve already met the Elders from Cloud Pleat Valley and Zhulu Plain? Good, good.”
“And Hall Master Huazhu… I see, you’re not interested in any of them. This old man understands.”
Unfortunately, he was rebuffed on both sides and could only shrink back into his seat with a helpless sigh.
While the Old Headmaster was sitting there dejected, the matches on the field were progressing rapidly.
Thanks to the fact that several matches had already taken place before Nan Xi’s arrival, the event quickly advanced to the quarterfinal stage.
Aside from the major sects like Tianhe Sect and Wuxing Sect, which had been fast-tracked to the quarterfinals, only two smaller sects had fought their way through the earlier rounds.
The disciples they sent had both reached the late Foundation Establishment Stage, so they were not to be underestimated.
In short, the quarterfinals marked the true clash of the strong.
No more watching weaklings peck at each other!
The Old Headmaster chuckled and leaned toward Nan Xi.
“I wonder which disciple Peak Master Nan Xi has sent to compete this time?”
From the earlier introductions, he had some understanding of the disciples Nan Xi had brought.
The strongest among them was undoubtedly the disciple named Yun Peng.
Young as he was, he had already reached the Golden Core Stage and even held the title of ‘Seven Stars of Tianhe’ within the sect. His strength could not be ignored.
Alternatively, there were the two Inner Sect Disciples from Tianshu Peak and Tianxuan Peak.
Though their cultivation levels were not as high as Yun Peng’s, coming from the two most powerful peaks of Tianhe Sect, they would not fall too far behind him in terms of technique and training.
Or perhaps…
“Just watch and you’ll see.”
Nan Xi shrugged indifferently.
He hadn’t really given this competition much thought. As for the person he had chosen…
Just as the two men were pondering, a loud announcement rang out from the field below.
“Next up will be the quarterfinal stage of the competition! After the preliminary rounds, two sect teams have emerged and advanced to the quarterfinals. They will now join the other six sects in vying for the final championship. Who will claim the title of the strongest sect today?”
Whoa!!!
The Elder’s loud announcement immediately ignited the enthusiasm of the surrounding disciples.
They were at an age full of vigor and energy. Having eight major sects from all over Mulan Prefecture come here to compete was truly a feast for their eyes.
“Silence!”
The Elder bellowed, forcibly suppressing the disciples’ noise.
His gaze slowly swept across the crowd, then he gathered his breath and shouted again.
“Before the competition, we held a drawing of lots in advance. According to the results, the first match of the quarterfinals…”
Everyone held their breath.
It was easy to predict that this would be an unprecedented clash of powerhouses.
It was no exaggeration to say that this might be the most extraordinary battle between geniuses they would ever witness.
Everyone’s expectations were at their peak as they awaited the announcement of the two opponents.
Everyone, that is, except Nan Xi.
In the center of the spectator stands, Nan Xi crossed his arms loosely over his chest and practically slumped back into his seat.
His gaze casually swept toward one corner of the Martial Arts Field — the spot where the disciples would enter.
As for the person he was waiting for…
“Let’s welcome Xia Xia, from Tianhe Sect!”
As the Elder’s voice fell, the gate at one corner of the Martial Arts Field burst open, revealing a small, thin figure behind it.
Her frame was so slender that it was hard to believe she was actually a genius disciple from Tianhe Sect… um, was she really a genius?
The sharp-eyed among them had already noticed.
This disciple named Xia Xia hadn’t even reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. She was even weaker than some of their own smaller sects’ disciples.
“Th-this is…” The Old Headmaster also noticed Xia Xia’s appearance and stammered repeatedly, his body leaning involuntarily toward Nan Xi. “Peak Master Nan Xi, are you serious!?”
“Yes, I’m serious.”
“But…”
“Xia Xia is my personal disciple. What’s wrong with letting her take the stage?” Nan Xi said casually.
“Well…”
With Nan Xi’s endorsement, the Old Headmaster couldn’t say much more. After all, Nan Xi was the one who decided which disciple to send. There was no use questioning it.
“Oh, right. I forgot to ask you earlier. Who is our opponent again?” Nan Xi’s gaze shifted to the Old Headmaster.
“Er…” The Old Headmaster wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
Nan Xi’s brow furrowed. A strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart.
Just as he was pondering, the Elder on the competition field shouted the next words —
“And her opponent will be the genius disciple from Wuxing Sect — Luluo!”