Chapter 27

"The Hundred City Jade Seal is not only your proof of participation in the Hundred City Battle, but it also directly affects your final scores. I have left a special essence energy on the Hundred City Jade Seal, which is the white essence energy you see. This represents that your Hundred City Jade Seals are currently activated at the first stage. The Hundred City Jade Seal has a total of four stages, ranked from highest to lowest by color: gold, purple, blue, and white. In other words, the Hundred City Jade Seals you now hold are merely at the lowest first stage."

As Wei Xiong finished speaking, the three hundred geniuses on the white jade platform all focused their attention, tightly gripping their respective Hundred City Jade Seals, their eyes fixed on Wei Xiong.

"The lowest white Hundred City Jade Seal proves that you have the qualification to participate in the Hundred City Battle. Each main city has three participants, meaning each main city has three white Hundred City Jade Seals. Therefore, after you enter the Hundred Essence Realm, your task is to upgrade your white Hundred City Jade Seal to a purple Hundred City Jade Seal. In the final tally of the first stage, if any one of the three Hundred City Jade Seals in a main city has not been upgraded to purple, then all three participants representing that main city will be eliminated! This is the rule of the first stage of the Hundred City Battle."

Holding the Dragon Light Jade Seal in his hand and recalling the rules Wei Xiong had explained, Ye Wuxue suddenly understood. Sima Ao and Lin Yingluo also nodded slowly. Clearly, the first stage of the Hundred City Battle was a team battle, where the three participants representing a main city must upgrade all their white Hundred City Jade Seals to purple. Even if one is not purple, it won't do.

This rule implied that the three people from the same main city must work together wholeheartedly to achieve this. Ye Wuxue and his two companions now understood why Qi Shilong had taught them the Dragon Assault Formation.

Only by being in sync, working together, and advancing and retreating together could they survive the first stage of the Hundred City Battle and perhaps achieve victory.

However, the most critical question was how to upgrade the white Hundred City Jade Seal to purple?

This question arose in everyone's mind.

Wei Xiong's sharp gaze swept over the eager young faces, a hint of cruel amusement flashing across his stern face.

"There are two methods to upgrade a white Hundred City Jade Seal to purple. The first is to hunt the beasts in the Hundred Essence Realm. After killing a beast, you can absorb a thread of its soul power through the Hundred City Jade Seal, which will allow the seal to upgrade. Of course, the higher the level of the beast you kill, the more soul power you can absorb. In addition to absorbing the soul power of beasts, the essence energy contained in some heavenly materials can also be absorbed by the Hundred City Jade Seal. Similarly, the better the quality of the heavenly materials, the more essence energy the seal can absorb. This is the first method."

As he finished speaking, the cruel expression on Wei Xiong's face did not intensify but rather diminished, as if the real highlight was yet to come.

The three hundred young geniuses on the white jade platform were now filled with intense enthusiasm, but their expressions were also very serious. Hunting beasts and finding heavenly materials to upgrade the Hundred City Jade Seal made it clear that the Hundred Essence Realm was not an easy place. Those beasts were not easy to deal with, especially if one encountered a high-level beast by bad luck, the outcome of who kills whom would be uncertain!

The three representatives of each main city exchanged glances, their eyes conveying various unspoken understandings. Being able to represent their respective main cities, they must have a strong sense of teamwork, which was the first issue each main city's lord had to address, just like Ye Wuxue and Sima Ao.

At this moment, Sima Ao and Lin Yingluo both looked at Ye Wuxue, the meaning in their eyes easily understood by him: everything is led by you. After all, they had practiced the Dragon Assault Formation for twenty days, and the默契 (mòqì,默契 means默契, which can be translated as "rapport" or "understanding") they had developed was no less than that of the representatives from other main cities.

Although Ye Wuxue was only at the initial stage of the Transcendent Soul Realm, his true combat strength was likely enough to match a mid-stage Transcendent Soul Realm cultivator!

Strength is the rule, and this was what Sima Ao always believed in. He had been convinced of Ye Wuxue's strength after losing to him and further understood Ye Wuxue's ability to control the dragon's head through the twenty days of practicing the Dragon Assault Formation. Therefore, Sima Ao had long been convinced of Ye Wuxue.

As for Lin Yingluo, this cold and beautiful girl had already been impressed by Ye Wuxue when he made a four-year pact with the terrifying Jun Shanlie, both in terms of strength and will.

Feeling the trust conveyed through their eyes, a fiery passion quietly rose in Ye Wuxue's heart!

Just as the three hundred geniuses were secretly communicating with each other, Wei Xiong's voice rang out again, his tone playful and cruel, immediately capturing everyone's attention!

"Hunting beasts and finding heavenly materials can indeed upgrade the Hundred City Jade Seal, but it is very slow and not the fastest method. The first stage of the Hundred City Battle lasts only three days and three nights. If the three participants from a main city have not upgraded their Hundred City Jade Seals to purple by the end of three days and three nights, they will undoubtedly be eliminated! The fastest method is... to seize others' Hundred City Jade Seals and absorb the essence energy within them! This is the fastest method!"

Wei Xiong spoke each word clearly, and as his words fell, the three hundred geniuses on the white jade platform all stiffened, their eyes narrowing. Then, except for those from the same main city, their gazes towards others slowly turned wary and fiery!

"What a Hundred City Battle! What a method to upgrade one's jade seal by seizing others' jade seals! It seems this is a covert encouragement of competition among the geniuses of the main cities! This way, a batch of people will be eliminated by another batch. It looks like the next three days and three nights will be extremely brutal..."

Ye Wuxue's gaze swept over Yue Chengfeng in the distance, noticing the latter's greedy look towards him, the meaning in his eyes clear.

"Ha, it seems this person has his eye on my Hundred City Jade Seal..."

The atmosphere on the white jade platform seemed to freeze, with the three hundred geniuses from the main cities on guard and wary of each other.

At this moment, Ye Wuxue noticed that not just one but several pairs of eyes were subtly scanning him, Sima Ao, and Lin Yingluo, the meaning in their gazes unmistakable. Clearly, Ye Wuxue's initial stage Transcendent Soul Realm cultivation had attracted the covetous eyes of many.

"Hmm, it seems I've become a soft target, and everyone wants to pinch me."

Ye Wuxue inwardly chuckled, but he felt no fear, only a faint sense of anticipation. If someone really considered them a soft target, he wouldn't mind absorbing their Hundred City Jade Seal.

"Alright, I have explained all the rules. Next, it's up to your own performance. Who will laugh last, who will be the true genius, will be clear after three days and three nights."

"Hum"

Without any visible movement, Wei Xiong emitted a dazzling white light, and the hundred-meter-wide spatial gate above the white jade platform began to tremble violently, slowly cracking open a huge gap, emitting a powerful suction force!

Looking at the cracked spatial gate, Ye Wuxue could almost feel the heat and bloodiness emanating from within. He knew that on the other side of the spatial gate, in the Hundred Essence Realm, the most brutal battles would soon erupt!

"Remember, in the Hundred City Battle, you can use any means to seize others' Hundred City Jade Seals, but remember not to kill. As long as you don't die, everything else is allowed! Violators will be severely punished! If any of you cannot bear it and want to quit, just shatter your Hundred City Jade Seal, and you will be teleported out of the Hundred Essence Realm. Of course, once you come out, you will lose your qualification for the Hundred City Battle. Do you... understand?"

Wei Xiong's tone was now extremely stern, causing everyone on the white jade platform to tense up, and they loudly replied, "Understood!"

"Very well, the time has come. If not now, when? All enter the Hundred Essence Realm!"

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh"

Continuous sounds of breaking wind echoed as hundreds of young figures burst with powerful cultivation, leaping high into the air, and were swallowed by the spatial gate's powerful suction force!

Ye Wuxue and his two companions exchanged glances, then their essence energy vibrated, and they stepped on the ground, their bodies shooting into the sky, entering the spatial gate!

"Hum"

As soon as they entered the spatial gate, Ye Wuxue's vision was filled with white light, unable to see anything clearly. He vaguely felt as if he was riding the clouds, and the Hundred City Jade Seal in his hand suddenly emitted a slight fluctuation. After a few breaths, Ye Wuxue's vision suddenly brightened, and his body felt light, falling downward!

"Thud"

Controlling his body, Ye Wuxue landed on solid ground, and two more thuds sounded behind him, as Sima Ao and Lin Yingluo followed closely.

The Hundred City Jade Seal, which had just emitted a slight fluctuation, had now calmed down, and a sharp light flashed in Ye Wuxue's eyes!

"Did the Hundred City Jade Seals in your hands also emit a slight fluctuation just now?"

After receiving their confirmation, Ye Wuxue looked at the Hundred City Jade Seal in his hand, his eyes like lightning, and said, "It seems the Hundred City Jade Seals have gathered the people from the same main city together and teleported the three hundred geniuses from the main cities to different places. This seems to be to prevent us from meeting each other too early."

Hearing Ye Wuxue's words, a hint of speculation flashed in Lin Yingluo's cold eyes, and her cool voice sounded, "You mean Lord Wei deliberately separated us?"

"Yes, if my guess is correct, he wants us to familiarize ourselves with the Hundred Essence Realm first, or perhaps to hunt beasts and find heavenly materials to upgrade our white Hundred City Jade Seals to blue. As time passes and we move forward, the teams from the main cities will eventually meet, and the true great battle will begin, making it more interesting."

Ye Wuxue's explanation made Lin Yingluo and Sima Ao both agree and feel somewhat surprised. The young man before them was only fifteen, a year or two younger than them, yet he possessed such a calm mind and powerful combat strength, making them feel convinced.

"Since that's the case, let's deal with things as they come."

Sima Ao looked around, the Hundred Essence Realm was very unfamiliar to the three of them.

In Ye Wuxue's line of sight, they were currently at the entrance of a dense ancient forest, with ancient trees blocking the sky, the entire forest exuding a wild and humid atmosphere. Behind them was a rugged mountain path and peaks stretching into the distance, and above their heads, the sun still shone, but it flickered with a white, ethereal, and elusive glow, proving they were now in a mysterious small world.

"Alright, let's go into the forest. I think there must be beasts in the depths of the forest. Also, during this journey, I have something to teach you."

Although they didn't understand what Ye Wuxue meant by teaching them, Lin Yingluo and Sima Ao still nodded.

"Whoosh"

The three of them put their Hundred City Jade Seals into their storage rings, gathered their essence energy, and ran into the forest. Ye Wuxue began to explain the new Dragon Assault Formation he had discovered to Lin Yingluo and Sima Ao.

...

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh"

The three figures quickly moved through the ancient forest, and half an hour had already passed. At this moment, Sima Ao and Lin Yingluo's faces were filled with surprise and disbelief!

"Ye Wuxue, where did you get the Dragon Assault Formation diagram you just mentioned? It's at least thirty percent more complex than the original version we practiced! Did Lord Qi give it to you later?"

As they moved, Ye Wuxue had taught Sima Ao and Lin Yingluo the new Dragon Assault Formation diagram, which was more complex and intricate than the original version they had practiced.

This new Dragon Assault Formation diagram was created when the Origin of the Battle Saint Law reacted to the original Dragon Assault Formation diagram the first time Ye Wuxue viewed it, instantly drawing a new Dragon Assault Formation based on the original.

Ye Wuxue was initially skeptical, but as they successfully practiced the new Dragon Assault Formation, he found that although it was more complex, its power had increased by at least thirty percent!

However, during this journey, Ye Wuxue had been continuously pondering and verifying. He didn't know why the Origin of the Battle Saint Law had altered the Dragon Assault Formation, but after his verification, the new Dragon Assault Formation could indeed be practiced.

It wasn't until now that Ye Wuxue had the opportunity to inform Sima Ao and Lin Yingluo about the new Dragon Assault Formation, and the two, who had also practiced the Dragon Assault Formation, quickly discovered its intricacies.

"Although this new Dragon Assault Formation looks more complex, it actually only requires us to pay attention to a few subtle changes and coordinate our movements. We can master it with some practice."

Lin Yingluo's calm voice followed, filled with certainty. The three exchanged glances and nodded.

"Roar"

Just as the three were about to stop and practice the new Dragon Assault Formation, a fierce roar suddenly sounded from a dark thicket ahead!

"It's a beast, be careful!"

With Ye Wuxue's warning, the three quickly formed a defensive stance. At the same time, a five-meter-wide shadow of a foul wind leaped from the front and landed heavily in front of them!

"Roar"

It was a dark red lion-like beast, its blood-red eyes fixed on Ye Wuxue and his companions, its sharp claws digging into the ground, emitting a fierce and bloody aura!

"A lower second-stage beast, the Dark Red Blood Lion!"

Lin Yingluo identified the beast after a careful look.