"Cage duel?"
A commotion broke out amidst the crowd.
They were familiar with the format of the tournament.
In ancient times, when the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe ruled over mankind, they often resorted to such a method to amuse themselves.
It was to lock a group of people in the same cage and have them kill one another. The one who emerged victorious in the end would be allowed to live, or else they would be eaten alive. It was an extremely cruel method, and it was a huge test of human nature.
For the sake of their own survival, even their closest kin would lay their hands on their own flesh and blood … This was an unorthodox method that had been rejected by the humanist Mingshi Tang. Why would it be used in the secondary selection?
"There's no need to panic. This so-called cage duel isn't a bloodbath but an elimination round!"
Noticing the peculiar expressions on the faces of the crowd, Zhao Xingmo waved his hand and explained, "You will be banished to an isolated island, and within three days, you will have to find the others and eliminate thirteen of them. Of course, the elimination round is to find a way to crush the jade token you have on you, not kill you. If you are found to have killed your companion, you will be disqualified! "
"If I can't kill him, I'll crush the jade token?"
"That's difficult …"
Grim expressions appeared on the faces of the crowd.
They were all geniuses, and even though there was a disparity in their fighting prowess, their ability to escape and their means of survival were on par with one another. It might still be possible for them to launch a sneak attack, but to crush the jade token without harming one's life … the difficulty of this was unimaginable!
Sometimes, they might even be killed instead!
"Of course, you aren't the only ones on this isolated island. There are saint beasts, traps, and unique natural barriers as well. While you want to eliminate others, you will have to protect yourself as well!"
A glint flashed across Zhao Xingmo's eyes. "If you insist on staying put and allowing others to eliminate you, I can tell you that you will be eliminated as well! The Sanctum of Sages doesn't accept cowards and deserters. Also, if you fail to eliminate thirteen people within three days, all of you will be disqualified! "
"This …"
"In other words, you have to be eliminated, or else you won't even be able to enter the Sanctum of Sages?"
"Isn't that a little too cruel?"
"If it were that easy to get into the number one academy of the Master Teacher Continent, it would be packed to the brim with freshmen every year!"
…
After a moment of uproar, the crowd fell silent.
While the cage duel sounded simple, it was actually far crueler than being placed in a cage.
It was a comprehensive assessment of a person's coordination, strength, strategy, and many other means. It was far more than a simple battle.
As expected of the examination of the Sanctum of Sages, the difficulty of the examination was apparent from the very start.
"This is a jade talisman, which represents each of your identities. You can carry it on you, hide it, or put it anywhere. However, it can only be placed on the island. As long as you don't crush it, it means that you haven't been eliminated!"
With a flick of his hand, more than thirty jade talismans flew straight toward everyone, one for each person.
"I can hide it?"
"In other words … it's useless even if he's captured?"
"Without the jade token, there's no way to eliminate him. It's useless to kill him. This … what should we do?"
…
Everyone was stunned once more. None of them dared to believe their eyes.
With the jade token on him, it would be easy to defeat the other party and force the other party to take it out and crush it. However … the jade token could be hidden away, but once it was placed on the side of the island, it would be useless even if the other party were to capture it!
It was already difficult to begin with, but with this rule, the difficulty instantly increased by more than ten times!
"This is also a test of one's character!"
Unlike the others, Zhang Xuan's eyes flashed.
Zhang Xuan's Soul Depth was high, and he didn't have any urgent requirements for the Sanctum of Sages. As an observer, he could easily see through the crux of the problem.
In truth, the reason why the other party said that they could hide their jade tokens was to test the other party's character.
Honestly speaking, in terms of safety, what place could possibly be safer than him?
If the other party were to hide it, it would mean that they didn't trust him. If they were to do so, they would surely lose face before the other party.
But of course, Zhang Xuan wouldn't say those words aloud. He stretched out his hand and grabbed the jade token.
It was a unique kind of black jade. One's name was written on the back of the jade token, and the front of the jade token was inscribed with bizarre inscriptions. It seemed to have some sort of communication function, and as long as one crushed it, one would be eliminated.
"Zhao shi, if someone were to use a powerful weapon, wouldn't we be eliminated without a chance to retaliate?"
Ma Minghai, the genius of the Qianchong Empire, asked.
Hearing his words, the crowd swiftly turned their gazes to Zhang Xuan.
Back when that fellow was fighting with Pavilion Master Yue, he had tossed out more than a hundred puppets, and even a Half-Grand Dominion realm cultivator was pummeled into a pig's head. If he were to use those puppets against them … there was no way they would be a match for him.
"The Cage Duel is a fair and impartial examination. You are not allowed to use weapons, snatch jade tokens, or do anything that will help you eliminate your opponent. Those who violate this rule will be eliminated right away," Zhao Xingmo said.
"That's good."
The crowd heaved a sigh of relief.
As long as weapons were not allowed, even if Zhang Xuan's fighting prowess was not weak, he wouldn't be that fearsome!
Even if they were no match for him, they still had their own trump cards, so it shouldn't be a problem for them to escape.
"Are there any other questions?"
"That's all … Right, Zhao shi, may I know where the island we are on is? How big is the area? What are the saint beasts and traps you mentioned? "
One of the master teachers asked.
"These are all secrets, so you'll have to explore the place carefully to find out. Alright, if there aren't any questions, let's set off right away. Also, you are not allowed to communicate with one another, and those who are caught doing so will be eliminated as well! "
Zhao Xingmo nodded. "Don't even think about cheating. Since I dared to make such a rule, it goes without saying that I'm aware of the situation on the island!"
"Yes!"
The crowd nodded.
"Pavilion Master Yue, let them set off!"
Seeing that everyone had understood the rules, Zhao Xingmo turned to Pavilion Master Yue and said.
"Un."
Pavilion Master Yue nodded. With a wave of his hand, more than thirty aerial saint beasts appeared in the sky. There was a cultivator on each of them, and they passed a blindfold over before leading the group onto the back of the aerial saint beasts.
The blindfold was similar to the ones in the black market. Once one blindfolded, not only would one be unable to see, one would also be unable to release one's Spiritual Perception. Under the lead of the cultivator, a loud roar sounded, and the aerial saint beasts soared into the sky.
After flying for an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan's feet suddenly jolted as he landed on the ground once more. He tore off the blindfold and realized that he was already in the midst of a dense forest. There was not a single person in sight.
It seemed like the blindfold had not only prevented him and the others from finding their companions, but it also prevented them from coordinating with one another.
As such, he could only rely on himself to clear the trial.
"Zhang Jiuxiao's cultivation has improved to Primordial Spirit realm advanced stage, and with my guidance along the way, his comprehension and fighting prowess have improved significantly. As long as he doesn't meet Ma Minghai and the others, he should be able to clear the trial!"
While the elimination round might sound cruel, it was actually targeted at one's opponents.
Those who were too weak would not be able to withstand it, but at his level of cultivation, there was no need for him to fear anyone.
Even though Zhang Jiuxiao was far weaker than him, no matter what, he was still an offspring of a powerful clan. On top of that, he had also received his guidance as well. As long as he did not meet anyone too monstrous, he should be able to deal with them easily. At the very least, escaping should not be a problem.
Not thinking too much into it, Zhang Xuan leaped onto the top of a tree and scanned his surroundings. He realized that the surroundings were filled with dense vegetation, such that he could not see the end of it. It did not seem like an island but an unfathomably deep mountain range.
"This is an island? Isn't it a little too big? "
Zhang Xuan thought in shock.
Given his current strength, he was unable to see the end of the island at all. Just how big was the island?
Five hundred kilometers? A thousand kilometers? Or perhaps even three thousand kilometers?
To place thirty people on such a large island, and then capture and eliminate them within three days …
It was indeed not as simple as he thought.
It seemed like finding an opponent was a test as well.
"How in the world did he manage to see such a large island so clearly?"
Zhang Xuan was perplexed as he landed on the ground.
As he had cultivated the Heaven's Path Divine Art, his Spiritual Perception had reached a range of 2,500 meters, far exceeding that of an ordinary cultivator's 400 meters. No matter how powerful Zhao Xingmo was, there was no way he would be able to see the entire island!
"Forget it, I'll just have to eliminate any cultivators I meet …"
Unable to make sense of the situation, Zhang Xuan decided not to think too much about it.
Over the past few days, his fighting prowess was already comparable to a Grand Dominion realm primary stage expert even without using a weapon. If he met any master teacher whom he found displeasing to the eye, he would be able to eliminate them right away, so there was nothing for him to worry about. On the contrary, it should be others who were afraid of meeting him.
After walking along the mountain range for a while, Zhang Xuan realized that he might not be able to meet anyone even if he were to wander aimlessly for an entire day. Thus, he flicked his wrist and took out a compass.
As a formation master, this was a necessity. Even though he had never used it before, he had prepared quite a few of them on him, and they were of decent tier.
"The spiritual energy in that direction is extremely concentrated … It seems like the center of the island is over there. Let's head over to take a look!"
After ascertaining the direction, Zhang Xuan swiftly dashed forward.
There were saint beasts all over the place, and if he were to fly into the air, it would be easy for him to become a target. No matter how powerful he was, he did not want to stand out.
Roar!
Not too far away, a furious roar suddenly echoed in the air. Following which, a massive Saint realm Tigerbone Beast charged in his direction.
Just like him, this fellow was also at Primordial Spirit realm. Even before it arrived, one could already feel the pressure exerted on one's soul, as if it could tear a cultivator apart with ease.
"Those are medicinal herbs!"
Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.
It was one thing for him not to cause trouble for the saint beasts, but this fellow actually dared to charge toward him. Zhang Xuan raised his palm and pressed it downward.
Paji!
The Tigerbone Beast's body immediately froze, as if it had been sealed in place. Its massive eyes were filled with shock.
"Blame it on your bad luck for meeting me …"
Zhang Xuan was just about to flick the Tigerbone Beast to death to extract some medicinal herbs when the sky suddenly jolted, and a voice echoed in the air.
"Zhang Jiuxiao, your jade token has been broken. You are the first to be eliminated. Remaining … 32 candidates!"
"What? Zhang Jiuxiao … has been eliminated? "
Zhang Xuan was taken aback. A look of disbelief surfaced on his face.
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