Chapter 123: The Final Begins

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The moment Elder Jin from Blazing Flame Peak arrived, the arrogant bluster of Chong Guang and his cohorts from Sword Burial Peak vanished instantly. Elder Jin was a contemporary of the masters of both Chong Guang and Chong Ming and had long been held in high esteem throughout the Blazing Flame Mountain Range. While he did not hold the title of a peak master, his prestige was beyond challenge.

"Elder Jin, we shall take our leave!" Chong Guang and the others bid farewell respectfully, their attitudes filled with trepidation. Naturally, their questions regarding Lin Zhan and the whereabouts of the three remaining swords were shoved to the back of their minds.

Elder Jin walked slowly toward Lin Zhan, his expression kindly and his movements carrying a sense of warmth.

"Disciples Gu Yuanzhou and Teng Sheng, pay respects to Elder Jin!" The two Blazing Flame Peak disciples who had been standing behind immediately stepped forward, bowing and kneeling with a flourish.

Lin Zhan hurriedly followed suit, though he declared, "Service disciple Lin Zhan, pays respects to Elder Jin!"

"Haha, rise, rise!" Elder Jin bypassed Gu Yuanzhou and Teng Sheng, waving his sleeve to lift Lin Zhan to his feet with an invisible force.

"I heard that in this qualifying round, three disciples from my Blazing Flame Peak made it into the top ten of Area Two. I have been wanting to meet you all—are you Lin Zhan?"

"In reply to Elder Jin, this disciple is." Seeing such a high-ranking elder from Blazing Flame Peak for the first time, Lin Zhan’s heart thumped wildly.

"Come, let us talk over there." Elder Jin placed a hand on Lin Zhan's shoulder and led him aside.

Gu and Teng remained where they were, jealousy flashing in their eyes. This was Elder Jin, a powerful patron! Even the peak masters had to show him respect; ordinary people couldn't get close to him even if they tried. Now that he was showing such intimacy toward Lin Zhan, the implication was obvious.

"I am already aware of the situation during the qualifying round. You did well. While disciples of various peaks should generally respect and love one another, the tournament is a time to fight for honor. Using every possible means and giving your all is the mark of the truly intelligent. Hearing that you are merely a service disciple makes your achievement even more commendable. No matter which service hall you come from, from this day forth, you are an official disciple of Blazing Flame Peak. Take this disciple identity token and keep it safe."

"Thank you, Elder Jin!" Hearing these words, Lin Zhan was nearly moved to tears. Elder Jin was a true benefactor; this was help provided exactly when it was needed. Now, he no longer had to fear anyone questioning his status.

"The final is the key, and it will bring even greater challenges, but..." Elder Jin spent a full two hours analyzing the situation for Lin Zhan. He showed no sign of impatience, and Lin Zhan listened respectfully, asking questions whenever he was uncertain and receiving clear answers.

"I left in such a rush that I didn't bring anything of value, so once the tournament concludes and we return to the sect, I will ask the Peak Master to reward you personally," Elder Jin said with a hint of regret. "Blazing Flame Peak has not placed in the top three for many sessions. Our hopes rest on you! As for the other peaks, no matter what trouble you encounter, remember: you represent Blazing Flame Peak! You are a disciple of Blazing Flame Peak!"

A sense of burning passion and glorious mission surged within Lin Zhan, sparked by Elder Jin’s words. Driven by this motivation and the weight of the pressure, Lin Zhan was filled with fighting spirit. Finally, Elder Jin approached Gu Yuanzhou and Teng Sheng, offered them a few words of encouragement, and led his party away from the assembly point.

"Haha, congratulations to Brother Lin on becoming an official disciple of Blazing Flame Peak! You must treat us to drinks once the tournament is over!"

"So you were a service disciple all along, Lin Zhan? I truly couldn't tell," Liang Siqi giggled, her eyes full of admiration.

Fang Daguang and Lian Ming also offered their congratulations, though the two disciples from Blazing Flame Peak remained silent. Lin Zhan didn't mind; he hadn't known these people to begin with, and whether or not he built relationships with them was entirely up to his mood. He didn't give their reaction a second thought.

That night, Lin Zhan focused on further refining the first page of the *Creation True Scripture*, then practiced his sword control and teleportation techniques, waiting for the final moment of the tournament.

The Nanguang Abyss in the Northern Border Forest! It was a perilous zone second only to the Eighteen Abysses of the North. This massive chasm stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles in length and hundreds of miles in width. The bottom of the abyss was covered in giant trees, hidden from the sun, teeming with wild beasts, and characterized by strange, complex terrain—it had once been an ancient battlefield.

"Damn it!" Lin Zhan spat, his ink-colored sword still dripping with blood. Before him lay a massive Abyss Earth Dragon.

The Abyss Earth Dragon was not a true dragon, but a unique beast of the abyss. It was incredibly ugly, resembling a rat, yet it possessed two dragon-like horns on its head and tough scales, and its roar sounded like that of a dragon. This was the first enemy Lin Zhan had encountered upon entering the Nanguang Abyss; he had struck it over a dozen times with his sword before finally severing its neck.

"The final is held in the Nanguang Abyss and will last for three months. Remember, every living creature in the abyss is your enemy, including the fellow disciples beside you—they are all your rivals."

"From this moment on, the return-to-city formation on your number plates is active. If anyone cannot hold on, you may exit the tournament at any time. But remember: to reach the top ten or the top three, you must fight relentlessly. After three months, your ranking will be determined by the total score from hunting wild beasts and points gained from defeating opponents."

Before the start of the final, the words of the tournament host, the Master of Wangxi Peak, still echoed in Lin Zhan's mind. The final was truly a place of constant peril and hidden danger. There were no rules here; it was even permitted for disciples to kill one another!

Automatic withdrawal could save one's life, but having come this far, how many disciples would be willing to admit defeat? Which of them didn't want to carve a path of blood through the masses?

"Kill! Kill until the opponents are terrified!" Lin Zhan dug the beast core out of the Abyss Earth Dragon with his sword, tossed it into a specialized storage ring, and began to advance, starting his journey through the final.

Back when the three hundred finalists had assembled, Lin Zhan had tried hard to find Qin Qingxuan, but because there were so many people and spiritual sense could not be used at the site, he hadn't seen her. Even if he had, they had been scattered to different locations upon entry, so they certainly couldn't be together now. He hadn't seen Fang Daguang or Ye Xiaoyao either.

His spiritual sense detected no other disciples, but the grotesque, snarling wild beasts were everywhere.

"It seems I must deal with these beasts first!" Lin Zhan locked onto an Abyss Earth Dragon and crept forward.