82: My Godly Father (Thirteen)

The registration desk was set up at the entrance plaza of the Cangyun Martial Arena, with long lines snaking out like dragons.

All sorts of people had come to participate in the Great Competition.

There were scions of the imperial Family, dressed in luxurious silk robes and surrounded by servants.

There were Sect elites with restrained auras and gazes as sharp as knives.

There were also disciples of small families in groups of three to five, their faces a mix of nervousness and excitement.

Their cultivation bases varied, but the weakest among them was at the Qi Nurturing Realm.

The age limit for the Great Competition was set at eighteen. At this age, those who could reach the Spirit Nurturing Realm could be called Geniuses. If one could reach the Spirit Transformation Realm, they would be a Prodigy that major powers would fight to recruit.

Most of those in the Qi Nurturing Realm who came to participate were just looking to gain some experience or were holding onto a slim hope of luck.

Even so, the Qi Nurturing Realm was already an unattainable existence in the eyes of Mortals.

Against this backdrop, Quan Yun's appearance seemed particularly out of place.

When he reached the front of the line and walked up to the registration desk, the woman in charge of registration even froze for a moment.

She looked up and saw a ten-year-old boy dressed in plain cloth clothes with a wooden sword strapped to his back.

Most importantly, the aura on his body was extremely weak.

Body Tempering Realm Ninth Level.

The woman blinked, thinking she had misread him.

A slight smile appeared on her face, but her tone carried obvious mockery.

“Little Brother, are you also here to participate in the Great Competition?”

Countless gazes instantly gathered on him, falling first on Quan Yun himself and then on the wooden sword on his back.

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted into uncontrollable laughter.

“Body Tempering Realm? Am I seeing this right? Someone in the Body Tempering Realm actually came to register?”

“Hahaha, is this kid here to be a comedian? He's even carrying a wooden sword—does he really think this is playing house?”

“Even those in the Qi Nurturing Realm are overestimating themselves by coming here, but the Body Tempering Realm... this is simply a joke.”

Ridicule and chatter poured in from all sides.

Quan Yun turned a deaf ear to these voices; he simply looked at the woman in front of him and nodded with a serious expression.

“Yes, I am here to participate in the Great Competition.”

His voice was very calm, not wavering in the slightest despite being mocked.

At this, the laughter from the surroundings grew even louder.

The woman in charge of registration also found it somewhat amusing, but her professional etiquette allowed her to restrain herself.

“The registration fee is ten Low Grade yuan crystals.”

She spoke business-like, already certain in her heart that this kid was just here to cause trouble; once he heard he had to pay, he would surely leave dejectedly.

However, Quan Yun just nodded and expressionlessly rummaged through that worn-out Storage Pouch of his.

He took out a High Grade yuan crystal and placed it on the table.

*Thud.*

The crisp sound and the pure energy radiating from the yuan crystal caused the surrounding laughter to come to an abrupt halt.

Everyone's eyes were fixed tightly on that crystal.

One High Grade yuan crystal was equivalent to a hundred Low Grade yuan crystals.

It was enough for the annual expenses of many small families.

The smile on the registration woman's face froze. She looked at the High Grade yuan crystal on the table and then at Quan Yun, for a moment not knowing what to say.

“I don't have any Low Grade yuan crystals. Is this acceptable?”

Quan Yun asked.

“Yes... it's fine...”

The woman answered stutteringly, quickly putting away the High Grade yuan crystal.

She swiftly completed the registration process for Quan Yun and handed him a wooden plaque engraved with a number.

“Alright, take this plaque and come here tomorrow morning for the first round of matches.”

Her attitude had become much more respectful.

Quan Yun took the wooden plaque and turned to leave.

Watching his departing back, the woman and the people around her all had the same thought.

A Body Tempering Realm boy who could casually produce a High Grade yuan crystal.

Could this kid be a scion of some wealthy merchant clan out to experience life?

However, no matter how much money he had, the Body Tempering Realm was still just the Body Tempering Realm.

In this Great Competition, he would ultimately be nothing more than a joke... The reputation of the 'Body Tempering Realm wooden sword Boy' quickly spread among the participants.

A massive joke, a walking 'free pass to the next round'.

“Did you hear? Someone in the Body Tempering Realm registered for the Great Competition, and he's even carrying a wooden sword!”

“For real? If someone draws him in the first round, wouldn't that be an automatic advancement?”

“God bless, please let this jackpot fall on my head!”

Almost all participants with cultivation bases in the Qi Nurturing Realm or the lower reaches of the Spirit Nurturing Realm were silently praying in their hearts.

The next day, the Great Competition officially began.

Inside the massive Cangyun Martial Arena, intense battles were taking place simultaneously on over a hundred martial stages.

The booming sounds of spiritual energy collisions, the crisp clashing of weapons, and the deafening shouts from the spectator stands converged, making the entire arena boil with excitement.

Quan Yun took his number plaque and found his corresponding stage, Number 91.

The referee verified his identity and announced loudly.

“Stage 91, First Match: Number 30 versus Number 18!”

As soon as the words fell, a young man jumped onto the martial stage with great excitement.

He looked around, searching for his opponent.

When his gaze landed on the boy with the wooden sword below the stage, he was first stunned, then his face broke into an undisguised look of wild joy.

“Yes! I hit the jackpot!”

A cheerful cry rang out through the entire area.

The young man's name was Zhou Kai, and he had a cultivation base of the Spirit Nurturing Realm Third Level.

This cultivation was neither high nor low in the Great Competition, belonging to a very awkward level. According to his own estimation, his hopes of passing the first round were very slim.

But he never imagined his luck would be this good.

The legendary 'wooden sword Boy', that Body Tempering Realm 'free pass' gift pack, had actually been drawn by him!

Zhou Kai excitedly waved to a few companions below the stage and shouted loudly.

“Brothers, did you see that! It's in the bag! I've already advanced one round!”

His companions also broke out into envious cheering.

“Brother Kai has such good luck!”

“He hit the jackpot.”

“This is literally a pie falling from the sky!”

Quan Yun ignored his clamoring, silently walked onto the martial stage, and stood still opposite him.

Zhou Kai looked at Quan Yun before him, the contempt in his eyes undisguised as the smile on his face grew even wider.

“Little Brother, it's not too late for you to admit defeat now.”

He put on an air of giving well-intentioned advice.

“Blades and swords have no eyes. It wouldn't be good if I accidentally hurt you later.”