C48 Broke into the Puppet Tower

All the Outer Sect disciples had congregated in the clearing beside the Puppet Tower.

The Head Elder took his position at the forefront. Once a hush fell over the crowd, he began:

"The first round of the Grand Competition is the Puppet Tower elimination challenge.

The rules are the same as in previous years. Disciples at the Enlightenment Stage must clear Level 1.

Disciples at the Qi Gathering Stage need to clear at least three levels to qualify.

Failure to meet these standards will result in a reduction of your monthly cultivation resource allocation from the sect.

Additionally, the top twenty finishers will advance to the next round of head-to-head matches.

Let's begin!"

With that, he and Xu Annlan made their way to a stone bench to the side and took their seats to observe.

"Competitors in the Grand Competition, step forward and form a line! Those not participating, please move to the perimeter area!"

Several deacons stepped forward, their voices ringing out clearly.

Following the deacons' instructions, the disciples began to queue up.

Despite the Puppet Tower's vast footprint, spanning several hundred meters, its internal capacity was quite limited.

It couldn't possibly hold nearly two thousand disciples at once.

Thus, they had to be divided into squads and enter in staggered waves.

The veteran disciples were, of course, required to participate, lest they face cuts to their cultivation resources.

The new disciples, however, could choose freely.

Ultimately, only those with potential, such as Lin Xuan and Zhang Tao, along with a handful of new disciples confident in their abilities, chose to compete.

This didn't come as a surprise to the older disciples, who were largely indifferent.

History had shown that the new disciples were merely going through the motions; breaking into the top twenty was out of reach for them.

Each of the top twenty was at the Peak of the Qi Gathering Stage, the elite among the elite.

It was a realm unattainable for the newcomers.

Not even the presence of a prodigious talent like Lin Xuan would change the status quo.

The teams were quickly organized.

They formed into groups of two hundred, with around ten teams in total.

Each team was led by one of the top ten experts from the Outer Sect.

Lin Xuan found himself in the seventh team.

"First team, enter now. Remember, you have a maximum of fifteen minutes—this applies to all teams," the deacons commanded from the front.

The first team, two hundred strong, surged toward the entrance of the Puppet Tower.

All eyes were on Sun Heh from Team One, a top ten powerhouse of the Outer Sect, as everyone eagerly anticipated his performance.

The sound of commotion echoed from the Puppet Tower as the first team's disciples charged inside. A quarter of an hour later, they were all ejected, with only two having successfully navigated the challenge. As anticipated, both were at the Peak of the Qi Gathering Stage, including Sun Heh and another renowned expert of the Outer Sect.

Lin Xuan, amidst the onlookers, raised an eyebrow in surprise. The Puppet Tower's difficulty was more than he had expected, seemingly only conquerable by the Outer Sect's top ten.

"Team Two, it's your turn!" the elder instructed.

The second team's disciples promptly stormed the Puppet Tower, and soon after, their results mirrored the first team's—only two made it through.

"Team Three, enter!" The deacon's voice, usually cold, carried a hint of anticipation this time, sparking whispers and speculation among the spectators.

The spotlight was on Zhou Lei, the second-ranked disciple of the Outer Sect, as he was part of the third team.

"The Outer Sect's three great masters are up," the crowd murmured. "What will Zhou Lei achieve?"

"I heard he took ten minutes last time!"

With high hopes, the crowd watched as Team Three entered the Puppet Tower. Zhou Lei emerged after just eight minutes, a stark contrast to the other successful disciple who took a full quarter hour. His performance set a new record, leaving the others in the dust and sending ripples of excitement through the crowd. The disciples and deacons were visibly impressed. Zhou Lei's reputation as the second-ranked disciple of the Outer Sect was well deserved—he was truly formidable.

The trials pressed on with Team Four taking their turn. The disciples refocused, their attention converging on the arena. This round featured Guan Yuanshuang, the third-ranked disciple of the Outer Sect. As one of only two women in the top ten and the sect's most beautiful, her popularity rivaled even that of Chen Yuze, the top-ranked disciple.

She captured the attention of all the disciples.

Unlike Zhou Lei, Guan Yuanshuang was a woman of remarkable agility.

In terms of speed, she outpaced Zhou Lei.

The challenge of the Puppet Tower was straightforward: participants needed to break through the puppet onslaught and reach the top floor to succeed.

They could either bulldoze their way through with sheer force or use deft movements to evade and complete the challenge with greater ease.

The latter approach was typically quicker.

This suggested that Guan Yuanshuang's performance in this round could very well eclipse that of Zhou Lei.

The disciples were drawn to her feat.

Soon enough, the fourth team's results were announced.

True to expectations, Guan Yuanshuang breezed through the challenge in just five minutes, significantly faster than Zhou Lei.

She temporarily claimed the top spot, sparking a wave of cheers and astonishment.

The trial pressed on.

Yet, the crowd's focus remained on Guan Yuanshuang.

The fifth team's challenge went largely unnoticed, but they swiftly completed their mission.

The arrival of the sixth team, featuring Chen Yuze, the top disciple of the Outer Sect, rejuvenated the disciples' enthusiasm.

Guan Yuanshuang, ranked third in the Outer Sect, had finished in five minutes.

Everyone was eager to see how Chen Yuze would perform.

Their eyes were glued to the sixth team as they entered the Puppet Tower.

Chen Yuze lived up to the hype, clearing the level in just three minutes.

His impressive result nearly shattered a years-long record, leaving the audience in awe, struggling to regain their composure.

Subsequently, the seventh team, including Lin Xuan, received scant attention.

With the deacon's command, Lin Xuan and the rest of Team Seven charged into the Puppet Tower.

They were greeted by a vast space filled with towering black puppets, poised to attack from every direction.

"Are these the puppets?" Lin Xuan mused, his demeanor calm and collected.

He sensed that the puppets' aura lingered at the Enlightenment Stage, posing little threat to him.

Lin Xuan knew his top priority was to utilize the treasure he had replicated from the Head Elder and core disciple Xu Annlan, enhancing his innate talent and strength.

With a mere flicker of thought, Lin Xuan could feel streams of warmth coursing through his body, ebbing and flowing, swiftly absorbed into his very being.

Simultaneously, a crisp notification echoed in his ears.

"Congratulations, Host, on advancing to Spiritual Rank in your cultivation talent!"

"Congratulations, Host, on achieving 20% Sword Intent!"

"Congratulations, Host, on upgrading to Top Grade Strength talent!"