Chapter 299: The First Bitter Battle

Ten days of fierce competition finally came to an end, and the square of the Loose Cultivator Alliance was filled with people. This square is one of the core areas of the alliance, covering hundreds of acres. Ancient runes were carved on the tall stone pillars around it, emitting a faint spiritual light, providing long-lasting spiritual support for the square. The central arena has been restored to its original appearance. On the wide and flat bluestone ground, traces of the previous fierce battle can still be vaguely seen, as if to show the excitement and cruelty of the past ten days.

Around the square, huge light screens were floating in the air, displaying the names and regions of the 128 geniuses who won the final auditions. Each name sparked a heated discussion among the crowd, and these geniuses became the focus of attention of countless casual cultivators in the square.

The atmosphere of excitement and excitement spread among the crowd. Whether it was the contestants, spectators, or the league staff in charge of the event, they all had excited or nervous expressions on their faces.

"Look, number 76, that's a friend of mine. He's usually very low-key, but he made it into the top 128!" A casual cultivator said excitedly, pointing at the name on the light screen.

"Ye Fan... why does this name sound a bit unfamiliar?" Someone noticed Ye Fan, who was ranked 36th, and frowned and whispered.

"Yeah, this guy wasn't famous before, but his performance in this audition was really impressive," another person responded.

At this time, Ye Fan stood at the edge of the crowd, his face calm, but his eyes revealed a hint of complexity. The people around him, his partners who had competed with him before, had different expressions at this moment.

"Alas, what a pity that none of us made it to the next round." One of the casual cultivators patted Ye Fan on the shoulder with a hint of regret in his tone and said, "But Brother Ye, you succeeded. This is the honor of our team!"

Ye Fan smiled calmly and said nothing more. His eyes swept across the light screen and then fell on the high platform, with a faint sense of anticipation in his heart.

As time went by, the square suddenly became quiet. The noisy crowd gradually calmed down, and all eyes were cast on the high platform opposite the arena.

On the high platform, the top leaders of the Loose Cultivator Alliance finally appeared.

The leader was the leader of the alliance, named Chu Tianxing. He looked to be about fifty years old, with a burly figure, a resolute face, and deep and sharp eyes. He was wearing a black robe with gold edges, and he looked majestic. Just standing there, people could feel a sense of oppression that could not be ignored.

Next to Chu Tianxing were two deputy leaders. The middle-aged man on the left had a cold look on his face. He was wearing a dark blue robe and had an ancient sword hanging from his waist. He was Lan Tianyu, deputy leader of the Loose Cultivator Alliance. He was known for his calmness and decisiveness, and his strength was unfathomable.

On the right was a dignified and beautiful woman who looked no more than 30 years old, but her eyes revealed endless wisdom and majesty. Her name was Feng Wanqing, and she was a strategist in the Loose Cultivator Alliance, responsible for most of the alliance's internal affairs.

Behind the three of them, there were more than a dozen elders, each of whom was a top-notch cultivator. Their auras were restrained, but they stood there like unshakable mountains.

Chu Tianxing looked around the square, and his voice was loud and deep, spreading throughout the venue: "Fellow cultivators of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, the auditions for this conference have ended, and 128 geniuses have emerged. They are the backbone of our Loose Cultivator Alliance in the future, and our hope to resist foreign enemies and maintain the living space of cultivators!"

He paused here, his eyes fell on the geniuses below the stage, and continued: "You are the best who have stood out from tens of thousands of people, and you are the heroes in everyone's mind! But remember, the auditions are just the beginning. The next elimination round will be even more brutal, and you need to prove your worth with your true strength!"

These words drew warm applause from the crowd.

Then, Lan Tianyu stepped forward and added in a cold voice: "The knockout round will not only test your combat effectiveness, but also your wisdom and teamwork ability. This is a test, but also an opportunity. I hope you can cherish this opportunity and fight for a place in your future!"

Feng Wanqing smiled slightly and said softly, "No matter what the result of the competition is, the Loose Cultivator Alliance will provide resources and support to every genius who enters the knockout round. Your efforts will not be in vain."

Hearing this, the crowd in the audience started discussing heatedly again.

"From what the leader said, this elimination round is even harder than the auditions!" someone sighed in a low voice.

"Of course. The knockout rounds are not like the auditions, they are just a simple battle. Legend has it that there will be various extremely difficult trials, which are where people are truly tested." An old monk next to him nodded, with some emotion in his tone.

"Ye Fan has entered the knockout round, how far can he go?" People who are familiar with Ye Fan discussed in a low voice.

"It's hard to say. His ability is good, but compared to those geniuses who have already become famous, he is still a little behind." Someone shook his head.

……

Ye Fan, standing in the crowd, listened to the discussions silently, his expression calm as water. He looked up at Chu Tianxing and the other two on the platform, but secretly clenched his fists in his heart.

"128 people?" He thought to himself, "No matter what the road ahead holds, I will never give up easily. This conference may be my first step to the top."

In the early morning, the first round of elimination competition officially kicked off. The arena was crowded with people, and countless casual cultivators came to watch, looking forward to the exciting duels between geniuses. Ye Fan stood in the audience, his eyes calm, his fingers gently stroking the Qiankun bag on his waist, adjusting his breath. In the first game, his opponent was a well-known genius cultivator - Jiang Chengyu.

Jiang Chengyu was already well-known in the Loose Cultivator Alliance. He not only had outstanding cultivation, but also practiced a martial art that was known for its strange speed. His appearance was quite ordinary, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle, which made people shudder.

"Ye Fan, right?" Jiang Chengyu smiled slightly, clasped his fists and said, "I saw your previous performance, you are very strong. However, you are unlucky to meet me in the first round."

Ye Fan smiled calmly and did not reply, but slowly stepped onto the arena. His expression was calm, but his eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

"The match begins!" the referee announced loudly. The aura of the two men suddenly surged, and the spiritual energy in the entire arena fluctuated violently, as if the air had become heavy.

Jiang Chengyu took the lead in launching the attack. His figure instantly turned into a shadow, and he appeared beside Ye Fan like a ghost. In his hand, a slender short sword flashed with cold light and pierced Ye Fan's throat.

Ye Fan was well prepared. He suddenly turned his body to the side and slapped his palm at the same time. A palm print of lightning condensed towards Jiang Chengyu's dagger. The power of the Five Thunders Hand exploded instantly, and the harsh sound of thunder echoed on the stage. The audience below couldn't help but hold their breath.

"Huh?" Jiang Chengyu obviously did not expect Ye Fan's reaction speed to be so fast. He hurriedly withdrew his sword, and his figure retreated again, turning into a series of afterimages, trying to disrupt Ye Fan's judgment.

"Interesting." Ye Fan thought to himself. He did not rush to chase, but stabilized his position and stared at Jiang Chengyu's figure. The opponent's speed was very fast, but it was not completely beyond his perception.

"Not bad for being able to block my first attack." Jiang Chengyu said with a smile. The next moment, his figure suddenly rose up again. The short sword in his hand suddenly burst out with a cold light, transforming into dozens of sword shadows that covered Ye Fan.

Ye Fan waved his hands calmly, and the lightning from his Five Thunders Hands circled like a thunder dragon, blocking all the sword shadows. However, when the sword shadows were broken, Jiang Chengyu's real body appeared behind Ye Fan, and his short sword stabbed out like a poisonous snake.

Ye Fan turned around quickly and slapped the dagger with one palm, but Jiang Chengyu's strength was much stronger than he expected. After the two collided, Ye Fan was knocked back several steps, and the bluestone ground under his feet faintly cracked.

"Sure enough." Ye Fan thought to himself. Jiang Chengyu's attack was not only fast, but also accurate. Every strike went straight to the vital point, and at the same time, the force did not decrease at all. It was obvious that he had a deep cultivation base.

Seeing Ye Fan was forced to retreat, Jiang Chengyu showed a hint of pride on his face: "Ye Fan, although you are strong, the winner of this round can only be me."

Before he finished speaking, he launched another attack. This time, a layer of blue light was attached to his short sword, which was obviously an extremely powerful martial art. The sword energy was so strong that Ye Fan was forced to retreat step by step.

Ye Fan took a deep breath, and a fierce look flashed in his eyes. He slapped the ground with his palm, and the lightning of the Five Thunders Hand spread along the bluestone ground, forming lightning patterns that quickly spread to the entire arena.

"Boom!" Thunder patterns suddenly erupted, and Jiang Chengyu's figure was forced to be exposed, and his sword power also stagnated slightly.

Seizing the opportunity at this moment, Ye Fan suddenly jumped up, put his hands together, and condensed the power of the Five Thunder Hands into a thunder dragon, rushing straight towards Jiang Chengyu.

"What a strong force!" Jiang Chengyu's face changed, and he had to give up attacking and turn to defense with all his strength. However, even so, his figure was still knocked back, and a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.

Ye Fan did not relax, but took advantage of the victory to pursue. His figure was like lightning, rushing directly towards Jiang Chengyu, his hands intertwined with lightning, and he slapped out two palms again.

Jiang Chengyu gritted his teeth and dodged repeatedly, but the range of the Five Thunders was extremely wide, and the lightning surged like a tide, making it difficult for him to completely avoid it. After several confrontations, Jiang Chengyu's speed gradually slowed down, and it was obvious that he had consumed a lot of energy.

"This guy... is hiding so deeply!" Jiang Chengyu was shocked.

Finally, in a fight, Ye Fan's palm hit Jiang Chengyu's chest firmly. Lightning flashed, and Jiang Chengyu's body flew out and fell heavily on the edge of the arena. He struggled to stand up, but the paralyzing effect of lightning made him weak all over.

Seeing this, the referee decisively announced: "This round, Ye Fan wins!"

There was a burst of warm applause and exclamations from the audience. No one expected that Ye Fan could turn the situation around in this hard battle and finally win.

Ye Fan panted slightly and gathered the chaotic spiritual power in his body. He glanced at Jiang Chengyu and clasped his fists and said, "Thank you."

Jiang Chengyu stood up with a wry smile and said, "I was careless. Your strength is beyond my imagination."

When Ye Fan walked down the arena, he didn't feel too happy. This battle made him realize that there was still a big gap between him and the real strong. He clenched his fists and made up his mind: "I must not let down in the next game."