The howling winds gradually died down between heaven and earth, and the surrounding canopies dipped slightly.
All at once, numerous cultivators bowed.
"Greetings, Sect Master Tianhua!"
"Greetings, Sect Master Tianhua!"
Voices rang out one after another from the onlookers gathered around.
From their shouts, Li Guanqi learned the name of the man hovering in midair.
Chen Tianhua, the current sect master of the Tianhua Sword Sect, a third-tier True Immortal.
Yet terrifying as such strength was, in the broader lands of Qinzhou, he could not even be considered a top expert.
Even within Qinzhou's Northern Region, Chen Tianhua was by no means the strongest.
Still, his might was never to be underestimated; otherwise, he could hardly command four major cities and their boundless resources.
The middle-aged man possessed sharp, well-defined features and a somewhat lean face.
He had high cheekbones, thin lips, and faint stubble along his jaw, beneath which a pair of tiger-like eyes gazed out with calm detachment.
He wore a dark blue, gold-trimmed robe embroidered with pythons in gold thread, topped by a purple-gold crown.
With one hand clasped behind his back, Chen Tianhua exuded an extraordinary presence. His calm gaze swept in all directions, and he raised a hand slowly.
"No need for formalities, everyone.
"I shall keep this brief."
A solemn silence fell over the world, quiet enough that a falling pin might be heard. Everyone waited for Chen Tianhua's next words.
Standing before the massive rift, the man spoke in a deep voice.
"To be frank... this rift has already been opened once by my Tianhua Sword Sect!"
A collective uproar instantly swept through the crowd.
Even Li Guanqi was thoroughly surprised. Through his perception, he already knew the rift had been opened before.
Yet the others had no way of knowing!
Why is he lying?
What is the Tianhua Sword Sect trying to hide?
Not only Li Guanqi, but the other cultivators gathered there were also buzzing with speculation.
"What does Chen Tianhua mean? Is he trying to scare us away by saying the realm is too dangerous?"
"Hmph, hardly likely. Since when has the Tianhua Sword Sect been so kindhearted?"
"Something feels off..."
"Let's hear what he has to say next!"
Chen Tianhua's expression remained unchanged, as though he hadn't heard the clamor, and he continued,
"My Tianhua Sword Sect has already lost more than ten disciples inside.
"Coupled with the fact that it was opened once before, this time only a maximum of one hundred entrants can be accommodated.
"Furthermore, cultivation must be kept at or below the fifth tier of Mystic Immortal! If anyone exceeds this realm, the secret realm's collapse will only accelerate."
At these words, quite a few cultivators grew disgruntled.
A burly man stepped forward, cupping his fists with an unfriendly sneer.
"Sect Master Chen, what is the meaning of this cultivation restriction?
"We came all this way from tens of thousands of li away, only to be barred at the entrance?
"If you want an entrance fee, just say so. We are more than willing to pay."
Yet the man merely flicked his gaze toward him, then flicked a finger.
*Bang!*
The burly man's head burst open like a rotten melon.
The headless corpse crashed into the treetops before tumbling to the ground.
Silence gripped the area, and the atmosphere turned suffocatingly heavy.
Without sparing it even a glance, Chen Tianhua said softly,
"My word... is the law.
"Does anyone else have a question?"
Li Guanqi's brow knitted slightly, and he murmured inwardly, *Ruthless enough.*
That single display intimidated many. The man was a seventh-tier Mystic Immortal expert, yet Chen Tianhua had crushed him as casually as an ant.
After such an act, everything became straightforward.
To put it plainly, under another man's roof, one danced to his tune.
Chen Tianhua stated plainly,
"Fifty disciples of the Tianhua Sword Sect will enter this time. The remaining fifty spots are yours to contest.
"No one above the fifth tier of Mystic Immortal may step onto the stages.
"You have the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
As the words fell, a thick stick of sandalwood incense roughly a zhang tall materialized before everyone's eyes.
Yet this incense burned at roughly the same rate as ordinary incense.
Immediately after, fifty enormous martial platforms drifted into midair.
Without the slightest hesitation, Li Guanqi turned into an afterimage and shot forward!
In the blink of an eye, he landed upon an inconspicuous platform.
Once on stage, Li Guanqi realized no barrier had formed around it!
Which meant...
Beneath his black robe, excitement crept onto Li Guanqi's face, his eyes gleaming with battle lust.
A storm of sword glares and blade shadows enveloped Li Guanqi in an instant!
A white-browed elder sneered ferociously,
"A mere Mahayana who hasn't even breached the Mystic Immortal realm dares to claim a Dao platform?! Go to hell!"
At that exact moment, six cultivators converged upon Li Guanqi from all sides.
Nearly everyone assumed Li Guanqi would be cut down instantly.
Even his ambushers thought so, keeping half their attention guarded against competitors trying to steal the spot.
Yet in the very next breath, a sight stunned the entire crowd.
Dozens of cold gleams flashed past, too fast for the naked eye to track.
Li Guanqi remained where he stood, sword in hand, while blood erupted from the six around him like blooming crimson lotuses.
Their bodies were severed into dozens of pieces by the sheer fury of the sword light.
Mangled flesh littered the platform!
A chorus of sharp gasps rippled through the surroundings.
Li Guanqi's aura was now laid bare—second-tier Mystic Immortal!
Even Chen Tianhua, high above, registered a flicker of astonishment in his eyes.
Frowning slightly, he turned toward a young man in the crowd and sent a low voice transmission:
"Be careful of that fellow. His sword... is fast."
The handsome young man in fine silk robes nodded calmly, though he still didn't pay Li Guanqi much heed.
The gap between their realms was too vast; in his eyes, Li Guanqi's sword was nothing extraordinary.
The cultivators who had originally intended to seize Li Guanqi's platform all turned and chose different targets.
Time was limited, and none of them wanted to waste it here.
With blood dripping from his black robe, Li Guanqi offered an indifferent smile, bent down, and retrieved several storage rings from the mangled remains.
His vicious methods and formidable strength caught the attention of many.
Spreading his divine sense slightly, Li Guanqi kept guard against sneak attacks while observing the cultivators on the surrounding platforms.
One by one, the platforms were claimed by powerful figures.
Li Guanqi noticed six of them were fifth-tier Mystic Immortals!
Most of the rest were fourth-tier or third-tier Mystic Immortals.
Close to a thousand cultivators were gathered in the area.
Even excluding those above the fifth tier, those at higher cultivation realms still numbered barely a hundred.
By now, quite a few gazes had converged on Li Guanqi!
Li Guanqi licked his lips, completely fearless.
He kicked the mangled remains off the platform into the empty air, then curled his fingers toward the predatory onlookers around him in a beckoning gesture.
On a nearby platform, a grim bladesman in a black robe struck with ruthless efficiency.
Catching Li Guanqi's gesture out of the corner of his eye, he frowned slightly.
"Reckless folly!"
Yet Li Guanqi's provocation thoroughly enraged the surrounding cultivators.
In an instant, more than ten cultivators, mostly of the second and third tiers, lunged straight toward Li Guanqi!
The incense stick was already half burned.
Chapter 1600