Senior Brother Hongliu is a true tough guy; though defeated, his iron-willed spirit shines with honor.

The first round of the tournament was filled with suspense, particularly regarding the masked Baili Qingyan. Everyone was curious: just how wicked could this masked disciple be to use vines as a weapon? Baili Qingyan was promptly blacklisted by all the female disciples, as no one wanted to face an opponent wielding tentacle-like vines. However, a small number of female disciples were secretly looking forward to a match against Baili Qingyan, some even prepared to sacrifice their own standing for the chance.

Dongmen Jianhao dominated the arena. He didn't take a single hit from his opponent, ending the fight with one punch. He claimed it was merely a warm-up, a display of arrogance that pushed him into the spotlight.

Ji Liancheng’s matches were peculiar; through complex calculations, he seemed to predict every enemy move in advance, ending his bouts in the most effortless and energy-efficient way possible.

The final match of the round featured Yang Hongliu, who faced Li Wudi, the top disciple of the Extreme Immortal Sect and the biological son of Li Qianjun. After a flurry of exchanges, Yang Hongliu was covered in blood. Li Wudi said indifferently, "Give up. If you keep fighting like this, you’ll die!"

Gritting his teeth and staring intensely at Li Wudi, Yang Hongliu replied, "I... I will never bring shame to the Danxia Sect! Hah!" With that, Yang Hongliu activated his spirit ability, the Green-Armed Treant. His entire body was encased in tree bark as he smashed a fist directly at Li Wudi.

Li Wudi narrowed his eyes. "You are a worthy opponent, but I’m sorry, with your level of skill, you aren't even qualified to make me use my own spirit ability!" He swung a massive stone sword toward Yang Hongliu.

"Ah!" Dongmen Xianyun, sitting beside Xie Wuji, covered her eyes, unable to watch. Xie Wuji gritted his teeth, muttering, "Brother Hongliu, hurry and surrender!"

Yang Hongliu was sent flying like a discarded stone, crashing from one side of the ring to the other before collapsing, motionless.

"Is he dead? Is he dead?"
"What a tough guy, a real man!"
"Damn, I’ve never seen a man that stubborn. Everyone knows how terrifying Li Wudi is, but this guy didn't fear him at all. What a hero!"

The surrounding disciples were shocked by Yang Hongliu’s reckless disregard for his own life. Everyone assumed the match was over since he had been knocked unconscious. But just as they thought he had lost, Yang Hongliu’s body twitched. He let out a boisterous laugh, blood streaming down his head. One of his arms hung at an unnatural angle—it was clearly broken—yet he managed to stand up.

The atmosphere turned breathless. Li Wudi frowned. "It’s just a competition. Is it worth risking your life like this?"

"It is! This is a battle for the honor of the Danxia Sect!" Yang Hongliu said, trembling as he rose, his gaze locked on Li Wudi.

"Fine. I respect you, but you are still no match for me." The unscathed Li Wudi walked toward Yang Hongliu, his massive stone sword resting on his shoulder. The ground was slick with Yang Hongliu’s blood, and the onlookers worried he might pass out from blood loss.

"You’ve fallen for it!" Yang Hongliu glared. Suddenly, a mass of tree roots erupted beneath Li Wudi’s feet, wrapping him into a sphere! "This is my ultimate move! Ha! Treant Cage Entrapment! Shrink!" Yang Hongliu clenched his fist, and the roots began to constrict.

Xie Wuji exclaimed in joy, "He won!"

"No," Dongmen Yong said with a heavy expression. "Li Wudi won't be subdued by an attack like this. His true power might even surpass Jianhao's..." Dongmen Yong’s words filled Xie Wuji with despair.

"Brother Hongliu!" Dongmen Xianyun’s heart jumped into her throat.

Just as Yang Hongliu was reveling in his triumph, a root snapped with a sharp crack. More and more roots began to break, and from within the tangle, a massive white object emerged.

"I must admit, you are a worthy opponent. Forcing me to use my spirit ability in the first round was not part of my plan," Li Wudi’s voice emanated from the wooden sphere.

Suddenly, a giant clad in white rock appeared—one of Li Wudi’s two great spirits, a rare Stone Demon! Li Wudi was virtually unharmed. Yang Hongliu, blood blurring his vision, collapsed as the behemoth approached. Li Wudi’s stone sword had transformed into white rock armor. He grabbed Yang Hongliu by the head and, despite his desperate struggle, tossed him out of the ring with cold precision. Yang Hongliu finally succumbed to his injuries and lost consciousness.

As he left, Li Wudi glanced back at Yang Hongliu and smiled faintly. "The Danxia Sect really is a fascinating place."

"The matches are concluded!" the Head Eunuch shouted. The first round had ended, signaling the start of a rest period. Xie Wuji rushed to the side of the ring, cradling Yang Hongliu in his arms and pressing on his philtrum. "Brother Hongliu!"

"Haha... hahahaha..." Yang Hongliu laughed bitterly. "Am I pathetic? All of Master’s other disciples made it through the first round, but only I... I was eliminated."

"You did very well," Dongmen Jianhao said, grabbing Yang Hongliu’s hand. "Even I only have a fifty-fifty chance against a monster like Li Wudi. For you to force him to use one of his spirits is already an incredible feat."

"Hehe... as long as you guys don't blame me. I just want to rest now. Damn it... one of my arms is broken, looks like another two weeks of recovery," Yang Hongliu cursed.

"A broken arm takes two months to heal, you stupid brother!" Dongmen Xianyun remarked as she approached.

In the lounge, Xie Wuji took count. Including Yang Hongliu, five people had been eliminated. The remaining disciples were Dongmen Jianhao, Baili Qingyan, Ji Liancheng, Xie Wuji, and a disciple named Zou Yingjun. Zou was an ordinary inner-sect disciple with only an eighth-grade Golden Core foundation, but he used his Blood-Sucking Bat spirit to drain his opponent's stamina and energy, winning through a clever war of attrition.

Shi Zhentian had also been eliminated. His spirit was a slug, and he had been matched against an opponent using a burying beetle. Beetles were the natural predator of slugs, and Shi Zhentian’s attack method—which involved spraying toxins and slime—was exactly what the beetle thrived on. He had been completely outmatched.

The First Elder’s expression was grim; among his disciples, only Baili Qingyan remained. Fortunately, Baili’s strength was considerable, giving the Elder some confidence.

After Yang Hongliu was bandaged, Xie Wuji laughed, "Brother Hongliu, do you know what a mummy is?"

"What?"

"Nothing, you just look incredibly adorable right now!" Xie Wuji chuckled.

"You brat, mocking me? Once I'm healed, I'll show you!" Yang Hongliu laughed back. Although injured, they were only external wounds, so everyone felt relieved. As long as he was safe, the results didn't matter as much.

The first round made the disciples realize the cruelty of the tournament. Many were injured, so the Kingdom of Li had prepared ample medical supplies and healers. As long as the injuries weren't critical, a bit of treatment would restore them to their full strength.

The five remaining disciples from the Danxia Sect were in good spirits. The drawing for the second round was about to begin. With forty-four people left, there was no way for Xie Wuji to "skip" this time.