202: Intercept?

A million entry slots.

Seems like a lot?

Actually, it's not much.

Don't forget, the entire grand plaza, with the five major states—East, West, South, North, and Central—has nearly a hundred thousand cultivation powers of Vice-State, State, Vice-Continent, and Continent levels.

Are a million entry slots a lot?

No!

Even when spread among these colossal cultivation powers, each only gets about ten slots.

It's fair to say that even for the major cultivation powers, entry slots are extremely scarce.

And the reality is even harsher!

The slots cannot be divided equally!

Some colossal cultivation powers might not even secure a slot in the Grand Competition, not to mention that to appease the Loose Cultivator community, a small portion of the million slots must be allocated to Loose Cultivators through auction.

The competition for slots is fiercer than imagined.

This is also why the major cultivation powers don't bring too many people to the assembly; the competition is too intense, and it's not a matter of how many people you bring, but rather the quality.

Each major cultivation power brings their most outstanding Geniuses.

Commonly known as Seed Prodigies.

If even a Seed Prodigy cannot secure a slot, then no matter how many others come, they will only add to the ridicule.

Not only that, but if entry slots are obtained, the major cultivation powers will also send Seed Prodigies to undergo training within the Secret Realm.

Of course, while it's called training, it's more like carrying out Sect missions, fiercely competing to plunder Tribulation Dao resources within the Secret Realm.

The Tribulation Dao resources for Breakthrough to Tribulation Transcendence Realm are simply too precious, and the Tribulation Dao Secret Realm only opens once every thousand years. How can they not go mad?

They hand over most of the plundered Tribulation Dao resources to their Sect, and the remaining small portion they can auction off. This is definitely a highly profitable item with demand far exceeding supply.

It can be said that every Prodigy who emerges from the Tribulation Dao Secret Realm is a walking Treasure Trove; killing for Treasure Trove is especially common after the Tribulation Dao Secret Realm closes.

To protect their Sect's Seed Prodigies and safeguard their Sect's interests, the major cultivation powers might not have many leaders accompanying them to the Grand Competition, but when the Tribulation Dao Secret Realm closes, the ones who come are the strongest individuals from each major cultivation power.

At this time, those most trembling with fear are undoubtedly the Loose Cultivators without the protection of cultivation power experts, and many major cultivation powers seize this opportunity to recruit them into their Sect for Tribulation Dao resources.

This is when the real scramble for talent begins!

Past monstrous talents who stood out in the Grand Competition, unless they were super-monstrous figures like Long Aotian and Ao Jingtain, who shocked and moved them profoundly and influenced the continental landscape, might not be taken seriously.

Prodigies who emerge from the Secret Realm are different.

For a Prodigy who can survive the Secret Realm, their Martial Arts Talent is secondary; what's most important are the Tribulation Dao resources on them that can create hundreds of Tribulation Realm Experts.

Why is Long Aotian's decision to heavily favor Loose Cultivators with the majority of entry slots a cause for universal joy, with even the major cultivation powers expressing no dissatisfaction?

The reason lies in the scramble for talent after the Tribulation Dao Secret Realm closes!

The major cultivation powers will intercept those Loose Cultivators at the final stage, gaining both talent and Tribulation Dao resources. This is far more satisfying than paying to auction for entry slots.

Long Aotian evidently didn't consider this point; otherwise, he might not have heavily favored Loose Cultivators with a large number of entry slots.

Of course, perhaps even if he knew this, he might not have valued the meager resources obtained from auctioning slots...