185: Chapter 185 Mountain Hermit Cultivator

Zhou Tianchen's match was more eye-catching; his fighting style was completely different from the other Disciples, with the qiankun furnace hanging by his side and golden Alchemical Fire surging and swirling in his palms.

His opponent was a Loose Cultivator at the Initial Stage of Void Refinement who had made it through two rounds of the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony before encountering someone from Kunlun, and had originally been full of confidence.

But the moment Zhou Tianchen made a move, the Qian Fire transformed into a golden Dragon of fire, surrounding his opponent layer by layer. The Loose Cultivator didn't even have a chance to get close before conceding amidst the scorching Alchemical Fire.

Ao Qin, Mu Qingxue, Baili Qingfeng, and the others took the stage one after another, each winning in a clean and decisive manner.

Mu Qingxue's sword was as fast as flowing frost. When she unleashed the Ice Heart Spiritual Body Art, a chill permeated the air, and she didn't even move a step.

Baili Qingfeng's application of deduction techniques in battle was even more unexpected; every time, he could foresee the opponent's offensive before they moved, calmly neutralizing it.

For a time, the strength of the Kunlun Disciples caused waves of discussion to rise and fall among the audience.

The first stage neared its end at sunset, and those Disciples who had stood out in the elimination tournament returned to their places, preparing for the upcoming second stage.

According to the format of the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony, the first stage was purely an elimination screening, while the second stage would be a true clash of strong opponents, where the Prodigies of the Seven Great Factions would inevitably meet.

Everyone knew that the real show was only just beginning.

Just as Ancestor Zhou Huaixu stood up to announce the end of the first stage, three ripples suddenly appeared in the Void Realm above the battle platform.

The ripples expanded, and three figures stepped out from the Void Realm, landing on the edge of the battle platform.

The person in the lead wore a black robe, their face hidden in the shadows of a hood, making it impossible to see their features.

But the aura that permeated from beneath the black robe made everyone present change their expressions.

Peak of Tribulation Transcendence—a genuine Peak of Tribulation Transcendence. Moreover, that aura carried a coldness and depth completely different from the spiritual energy gained through ordinary Cultivation, as if it had stepped out from some ancient and secret Legacy.

Half a step behind him followed a figure in gray robes with an ordinary face and ordinary aura, as if they were just an ordinary person.

On the other side behind him stood a young man at the Middle Stage of Void Refinement with a cold expression, who was unhurriedly looking around, as if examining this fresh new world.

Lu Jinghan's gaze froze the moment the gray-robed figure appeared—Xu Mo.

He was too familiar with that face; although Xu Mo's aura was deeper and more restrained than when they last met, there was that faint fluctuation of the Power of Devouring.

Thoughts raced through his mind; Xu Mo's changes in this life far exceeded his previous life, and his cultivation had improved so quickly—it likely had something to do with that black-robed person.

On the battle platform, Ancestor Zhou Huaixu had already stood up, his gaze fixed on the black-robed person with a solemn expression.

He knew all the Tribulation Transcenders of the Southern Wilderness; even the old monsters he didn't see often had had some contact with him.

But this person before him, he had never sensed before.

The way that aura circulated was not the style of any Legacy in the Southern Wilderness; it seemed to come from a system completely unfamiliar to him.

"May I ask for your name, Fellow Daoist?" Ancestor Zhou Huaixu asked.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking directly at the black-robed person. "I am familiar with basically all the Tribulation Transcender Cultivators in the Southern Wilderness, but I have never seen Your Excellency before. May I ask which force you hail from?"

The atmosphere on the battle platform slightly stiffened. The Cultivators who had been whispering to each other went quiet, their gazes converging on the three figures who had suddenly appeared.

The black-robed person raised a hand and slowly lifted the hood, revealing the face of a middle-aged man. It was an ordinary face with no distinguishing features, the kind that would disappear if thrown into a crowd.

But those eyes were exceptionally deep, like two bottomless pools, making anyone who looked at them feel a tightening in their heart.

He looked at Ancestor Zhou Huaixu, a smile devoid of emotion appearing on his face. "Old Ancestor Zhou, there is no need to be so nervous. I am just a Loose Cultivator from the wilds, with no name or surname. Today, I have merely brought two Disciples to participate in the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony."

His tone was calm and polite, but the aura invisibly radiating from him made many present secretly alarmed.

A "Loose Cultivator from the wilds" at the Peak of Tribulation Transcendence, bringing a Disciple at the Middle Stage of Void Refinement, appearing suddenly just as the first stage of the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony was about to end—few people would likely believe this explanation.

But his attitude was too natural, so natural that it was impossible to refute him directly.

After all, the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony did not stipulate that only Disciples of the Seven Great Factions of the Southern Wilderness could participate; as long as one was a Cultivator within the Southern Wilderness, regardless of their background, they were eligible to participate.

Ancestor Zhou Huaixu was silent for a moment. His gaze swept over the two figures behind the black-robed person, lingering on Xu Mo for an instant before moving to the young man beside him.

He did not press the issue, only nodding slightly. "Since Your Excellency has brought Disciples to participate in the Cloud Sea Grand Ceremony, then follow the rules."

After Ancestor Zhou Huaixu's words fell, he did not pursue the matter further, only nodding to the steward nearby.

There were still a few matches left to be completed in the first stage, and according to the rules, these latecomers could fill in.

The black-robed person nodded slightly, said nothing more, and retreated to a corner of the spectator stand to take a seat.

Xu Mo and the pale-faced young man walked out one after the other and stood in the waiting area.

Xu Mo's expression was as usual, as if he had just come to participate in an ordinary match. His eyes swept calmly across the battle platform, not lingering on anyone for too long.

The young man beside him had a cold expression and was half a head taller than Xu Mo. The aura of the Middle Stage of Void Refinement swirled around him, and standing there, he was like a blade that had sheathed its edge.

Soon, it was their turn to take the stage.

Xu Mo's opponent was a Disciple from the Medicine King Valley, at the Peak of Soul Transformation, known for being steady among the younger generation of the Medicine King Valley.

He looked solemn when he stepped onto the stage, clearly having sensed from the aura that had invisibly permeated earlier that his opponent was not easy to deal with.

But the moment the signal for the match to begin fell, Xu Mo only took one step forward, raised his right hand casually, and curled his fingers into a void grasp, a nearly invisible gray light flashing from his fingertips.

The protective spiritual light the Medicine King Valley Disciple was preparing to unleash had not yet fully unfolded when he froze in place.

He looked down at his chest; there were no wounds, no bloodstains.

But the circulation of spiritual energy within his body became incredibly sluggish in that instant, as if it had been devoured by something, and his entire aura suddenly withered by more than half.

He opened his mouth to say something, but found he couldn't even make a sound, and could only kneel on one knee, his face pale.

Xu Mo had already withdrawn his hand and stepped back, his expression calm, as if that strike just now had been done casually.

The audience below was silent for a moment, then erupted into low exclamations.

No one saw his move clearly, and no one even sensed the nature of that gray light, but the state of the Medicine King Valley Disciple already explained everything.

Xu Mo did not look at his opponent again; he turned and walked off the battle platform, returning to the waiting area to stand, his expression still as calm as if nothing had happened.