Chapter 26

As the authoritative voice echoed, all the mayors of the hundred major cities became solemn, and together they bowed to a spot in front of the white jade platform: "We greet the Second Mayor."

The three hundred geniuses from the hundred major cities, all quick-witted, immediately followed suit, raising their hands in a bow, their voices filled with respect and a hint of awe: "We greet the Second Mayor."

Above the white jade platform, a vast fluctuation flashed and disappeared, revealing a middle-aged man in a black martial robe. He stood in the air with his hands behind his back, his square face and sharp, terrifying gaze exuding a heavy and unfathomable aura.

This suddenly appearing middle-aged man was Wei Xiong, the Second Mayor of the First Major City among the hundred major cities. Apart from the elusive First Mayor, Wei Xiong was undoubtedly the top figure in the entire Eastern Land of the hundred major cities!

The Hundred Cities Battle, as the premier event in the Eastern Land, was led by the First Major City, and as the Second Mayor of the First Major City, it was most fitting for him to preside over the Hundred Cities Battle. Besides his status, Wei Xiong was known for his impartiality and almost cold-blooded strictness. In his eyes, right was right, and wrong was wrong. Any favoritism or deceit could not escape his scrutiny.

In the Eastern Land of the hundred major cities, Wei Xiong's name was even more renowned than the First Mayor. Almost all the geniuses from the hundred major cities had heard of him and knew his character. Therefore, when Wei Xiong appeared, these geniuses from the hundred major cities felt a chill.

Wei Xiong's stern gaze swept across the area, and the three hundred geniuses standing on the white jade platform instantly felt as if they were being scrutinized by a deep and terrifying gaze, as if they were being seen through, with no secrets left.

"How strong! Even stronger than Mayor Qi! This must be the pressure of a true powerhouse."

Under Wei Xiong's gaze, Ye Wuxie also felt an extremely oppressive force, as if the gaze had pierced through the void, carrying immense power, and struck him hard. If some weak-willed cultivators were under this gaze, they might feel fear and lose composure. Ye Wuxie knew this might be a test from Wei Xiong.

Seeing no one lose composure under his gaze, Wei Xiong nodded imperceptibly, though his face remained stern. His authoritative voice then echoed: "The Hundred Cities Battle is a grand event in the Eastern Land, held every three years. You have been chosen to represent your respective cities, which is itself an affirmation and an honor, proving that you are the strongest among the young generation of your cities."

Pausing, Wei Xiong looked at the vibrant, confident faces on the white jade platform. Some faces were filled with pride, some remained calm, but most eyes sparkled with a sense of pride. This was not unexpected to Wei Xiong.

"Unfortunately, in my eyes, you are nothing more than a bunch of self-satisfied shrimps. You think you are geniuses, basking in others' praise, but in reality, you are just a bunch of ignorant, inexperienced youngsters. Geniuses? Hmph, a bunch of trash."

The contemptuous words from Wei Xiong's mouth spread instantly across the entire white jade platform, clearly reaching the ears of every young genius from the hundred major cities. Wei Xiong's words were merciless, like pouring boiling oil on a fire, like steel knives piercing the hearts of the three hundred young geniuses!

Young people are often passionate and cannot tolerate provocation.

Sure enough, Wei Xiong's words instantly changed the expressions of the three hundred geniuses. Shock, defiance, anger, and impulsiveness appeared on their young faces, their eyes blazing with fury, staring at Wei Xiong.

"Unconvinced? I've seen too many like you. In every Hundred Cities Battle, I see a large batch of them. They all start like you, disbelieving and defiant, but what happens in the end? They return to where they came from, defeated by others, becoming stepping stones for others. However, there are some true geniuses who use others as stepping stones, as whetstones, and advance with unstoppable momentum, ultimately shining brightly and standing out, like the cream of the crop, laughing to the end, becoming the true geniuses of the Eastern Land's hundred major cities! They deserve the title of genius, but you do not..."

Wei Xiong's words were like a wildfire, instantly igniting the emotions of all the young people on the white jade platform. Their emotions, thoroughly provoked by Wei Xiong's words, finally erupted, their auras rising! The burning fighting spirit and pent-up defiance seemed to burst forth like lava from a volcano!

The entire white jade platform, under Wei Xiong's provocation, seemed to have turned into a live volcano!

"Is this a strategy of first praising and then criticizing? By using words to stir up everyone's emotions and fighting spirit, making everyone feel an invincible fighting spirit and a desperate desire to prove and achieve, this is the true purpose of the Hundred Cities Battle. Haha, I must admit, although this tactic is old, it never fails."

Ye Wuxie smiled, clearly sensing the surging passion in Sima Ao behind him. Even the usually calm Lin Yingluo was now gripping her hands tightly, her gaze intense!

Even Ye Wuxie himself felt a surge of passion, despite understanding Wei Xiong's intentions. After all, he was just a fifteen-year-old boy, passionate and fearless, ready to challenge anything. Although ten years of seclusion had made him more mature than his peers, some things were deeply buried, not lost or extinguished.

At this moment, the mayors of the hundred major cities all wore smiles, their eyes filled with growing anticipation as they looked at the geniuses representing their cities.

Each Hundred Cities Battle was not just about the young people but also about the mayors' reputations. If the geniuses representing their cities could ultimately succeed, their faces would shine, and as mayors, they would receive rewards from the First Major City. Therefore, they were careful in their selection and devoted to their cultivation.

However, more than that, the mayors of the hundred major cities were also moved by the young faces and the burst of passion, which reminded them of their own youth. Back then, they were just like the three hundred young people before them—passionate, impulsive, fearless, and full of ambition! They... had also come from their youth.

Wei Xiong seemed to be accustomed to the geniuses' reactions to his words. His stern face remained unchanged, his gaze always focused on the emotional changes of the three hundred young people on the white jade platform, feeling the surging fighting spirit and determination. Wei Xiong slowly spoke: "Very well, I know you are unconvinced, so I will give you a chance, which is the true purpose of the Hundred Cities Battle. Next, the Hundred Cities Battle will begin, and you will enter an independent spatial area. Here, you can prove yourselves, prove that you are not trash, and prove that you will laugh to the end. I, along with the mayors of the hundred major cities, will watch you, witnessing whether you will advance with unstoppable momentum or be trampled underfoot like a dead dog. So, strive, strive to earn the right to advance, and let me tell you, this Hundred Cities Battle is particularly special, just the beginning, which is why it has been held again after only two years. The opportunity is in your hands, whether you become a dragon or a worm depends on you, and whether you win or lose, you have no one to blame but yourselves."

"Buzz"

As he finished speaking, Wei Xiong extended his right hand and waved it forward, a vast fluctuation sweeping out from his body. The entire white jade platform seemed to tremble, and then, in front of Wei Xiong, above the three hundred young geniuses, a bright white light flashed, quickly engulfing everyone's sight.

"Hmm? What is this fluctuation? It is extremely unfamiliar, ethereal, and elusive, with a sense of profound mystery."

Despite the intense light obscuring his vision, Ye Wuxie still sensitively felt an extremely unfamiliar and mysterious fluctuation from above, which piqued his curiosity.

"This is the fluctuation from opening a spatial portal. It seems the battlefield of the Hundred Cities Battle is in a small, independently created world."

Kong's words rang out, and Ye Wuxie's curiosity deepened upon hearing them.

"Spatial fluctuations? What are those?"

Unable to resist his curiosity, Ye Wuxie asked Kong.

"Space is something that only powerful cultivators at a high level can touch. Mastering spatial power allows one to instantly traverse vast distances, teleport through the void, and is an extremely powerful means for both combat and escape. The power of space is wondrous, but for you now, it is too early to understand. When your cultivation reaches a certain level, you will naturally gain insight."

Kong's explanation satisfied Ye Wuxie's curiosity and also quelled his desire to explore for the moment. He knew that Kong's words were not empty, and he was not yet qualified to touch these things.

"Buzz"

The intense white light slowly faded, and the three hundred geniuses simultaneously looked up to the high place above them, their pupils constricting!

Above their heads, a light portal about a hundred feet long had appeared, as if a huge crack had opened in the void, emitting a mysterious white light, seemingly connecting to an unknown space.

This scene left everyone on the white jade platform in awe!

"Is this a spatial portal?"

"Yes! Only powerful cultivators who have mastered spatial power can open a spatial portal!"

"I feel a sense of oppression from this spatial portal!"

"Ha ha ha... It seems the battlefield of the Hundred Cities Battle is on the other side of this spatial portal."

"I can't wait!"

...

Ye Wuxie quietly gazed at the pulsating spatial portal, while Sima Ao's exclamations of admiration continued behind him.

"This spatial portal leads to the battlefield of the Hundred Cities Battle! Ha ha ha..."

Lin Yingluo's small face also showed a hint of excitement and longing.

Wei Xiong opened the spatial portal, connecting this place to the battlefield of the Hundred Cities Battle. Slowly raising his left hand, a huge light orb appeared above it, with palm-sized tokens floating within.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh"

With a wave of his left hand, the huge light orb shattered, and a series of white jade tokens shot out, flying towards the three hundred people on the white jade platform. At the same time, Wei Xiong's authoritative voice echoed: "These Hundred Cities Tokens are your identity proofs for this Hundred Cities Battle, one for each person."

"Swish, swish, swish"

Everyone extended their hands, catching the Hundred Cities Tokens flying towards them, and began to examine them closely.

"Swish"

Ye Wuxie caught the Hundred Cities Token flying towards him, as did Sima Ao and Lin Yingluo, who caught their own tokens. Their eyes met, and they each held out their tokens.

The three Hundred Cities Tokens were jade-colored, palm-sized, and each had two ancient characters engraved on them:

Dragon Light

On the back, their names were engraved.

These were the Hundred Cities Tokens representing the Dragon Light City, and also the identity proofs for Ye Wuxie, Sima Ao, and Lin Yingluo in this Hundred Cities Battle.

The Hundred Cities Tokens in their hands glowed with a faint white elemental power. Ye Wuxie felt that the white elemental power in the tokens had been infused by someone and was extremely special, clearly the work of Wei Xiong, and this must have a certain purpose.

As everyone studied their own Hundred Cities Tokens, Wei Xiong's voice rang out again.

"You had better remember what I am about to say, as it will determine your final results in this Hundred Cities Battle."

Upon hearing this, the three hundred people on the white jade platform immediately held their breath and focused their attention on Wei Xiong!