Guild Wars

After reading through the objectives of the floor, Draco and Eva were partially bored and partially intrigued. A competition was a good way to see the creativity of the other lads, as well as test out their prowess against their fellow cultivators.

The Sect Master, Dongfang Wang, spoke again. "Here are the rules for the competition. The Combat block will have a preliminary round where all those at the Blood Pulsation Realm to Flesh Hardening Realm will undergo a Strength, Speed, Endurance, and Mental test. An elimination tournament will be organized for those who remain after the preliminaries."

"For the Tradeskill block, you talented lads with abilities to craft will separate into your various categories and be tested by our resident Grade 10 masters. We only account for Pill Making, Artifact Refining, Divination, Formations, and Spirit Cooking, the five main occupations of the Martial Spirit World. Each of the different occupations will have its own single-round competition, so try to stand out among your peers."

Dongfang Wang rose to his feet, the other Elders and Grand Elder doing so as well. "With that out of the way, I hereby declare that this bi-annual sect competition shall begin!"

The youths began chattering giddily as they walked to the various stations around the compound to register for the competition they thought they were qualified for. Draco and Eva shared a wordless glance and both smiled.

Draco walked to the Pill Making station to register for the Tradeskill block while Eva went to the Combat block station. They both easily registered and when declaring their cultivations, shocked the entire group.

Not because it was fast, but because it was too slow! No, even that was too nice a description, since it hadn't changed at all!

The two Little Ancestors had only been allowed to go outside after reaching the Blood Pulsation Realm level 1, so had they completely stopped cultivating, treating the Sect Mission as some sort of vacation?

Given their talent, nobody would have been too surprised if they had returned somewhere between the Bone Cleansing and Flesh Hardening Realm. Heck, depending on how many of the treasures they had enjoyed during their time, the Elders estimated that even the Qi Condensation Realm would have been a possibility, yet for them to remain stagnant...

Well, the fact of the matter was that Draco and Eva had been focused on their other Cultivation Methods, yet they had refrained from disclosing their Bone Cleansing Realm cultivation because they had no plans to use it.

The Dragon and Phoenix Palace knew that they used the Dragon Ascension Chant and the Phoenix Rebirth Mantra respectively, so they intended to stick to that. The reason why they had refrained from using pills to increase it artificially was due to it being their primary style, hence they felt it was crucial to not take any shortcuts.

While most were confused, they didn't dare look down on the duo because the power they passively radiated was worrisome even to the Elders at Integration, much less these disciples.

However, this fact could not stop the lads from feeling hope. Just how glorious would it be if they could defeat one of the Little Ancestors? Probably, their name would go down in sect history, right?

The Elders saw this and were amused. The Ancestors were so lofty not just because they had the best Martial Spirits, but because the Cultivation Method they used was OP, to the point where even Draco and Eva didn't dare rush it.

The kind of benefits it gave was beyond what these lads could comprehend. Even without all the stuff Draco and Eva had - in other words, assuming they were normal residents of this world with only their current cultivation - At Blood Pulsation, they could easily deal with anyone below the Qi Condensation Realm.

Why else would Blood Pulsation Realm be the threshold in which they had been allowed out?

Still, the Elders kept quiet because this was important. The Little Ancestors had to build faith and reverence among disciples, otherwise they would only worship them superficially, not truly devoting themselves to the sect and the Ancestors.

The first to begin was the Combat block.

Exactly 232 lads had registered for this event, and they were arranged neatly in a field. Before them stood the Grand Elder Tuo Fan, who as usual was stroking his beard with a light smile.

"First, we begin with the Test of Strength. The average Blood Pulsation Realm cultivator can lift over 3,000kg or 3 tonnes. Those at Bone Cleansing can lift 4,000kg or 4 tonnes and those at Flesh Hardening can lift 5,000kg or 5 tonnes. You will each be provided a weight that coincides with your realm. If you can lift it over your head once, you pass the test!"

The sect's servants quickly came forth and distributed weights according to the various realms. Eva however shook her head and requested for a 5,000kg weight, which Grand Elder Tuo Fan simply allowed with a knowing smile.

Eva then breathed out and 'contacted' the system with her mind.

'Can you disable my Rank 3 stats and all boosts from Cultivation Methods and Control for this event? Just leave me with my Phoenix Martial Spirit and Blood Pulsation Realm cultivation only.'

The AI was conspicuously silent for a while before deciding to be clever.

｢System to Player Announcement

The Tower of Babylon has heeded your request and applied the relative difficulty to your person! As such, your floor rewards have been increased by 200%!｣

Eva smiled knowingly, while the Tower Spirit that had been used like a damp rag roared with anger and pain. It would never naturally grant Draco and Eva such boons knowing their prowess, rather do everything to hamper them!

However, it could only make like a team leader who bullied his team members during work when he met the store manager who liked to bully team leaders and eat shit.

Eva felt breathless as huge waves of power drained from her. She tested and found that while she retained Control, she was unable to cast out her VoP or use any BoG techniques.

Her stats were reset to that of an average female teen - which was the body she had now - and she could neither feel her Goddess and Angel Inheritances nor the respective Martial Spirits, as well as the cultivation that came with.

For all intents and purposes, she had been stripped bare. The AI could only do this because Eva directly gave permission. It could not strip any player of their bloodline, Control, or any non-system-related power or technique.

The worst it could do was just not support it, which did make things difficult, but that was all.

Eva clenched her firsts and felt her Phoenix Martial Spirit cry out within her. Now that all her various powers had been sealed, leaving her with only the Light Phoenix Martial Spirit and Light Bloodline, Eva had never felt more closer to it.

While it had previously felt like being in a room with 10 other people who were all chattering and conversing at the same time, making it hard to focus on one specific person at a time, now it was as if someone had pressed mute on the other 9, leaving you capable to hear the one person left clearly.

This was how it felt for Eva who had so many different powers and abilities within her, and it might be even worse for Draco who had a few extra ones like Subjective Magic.

This kind of clarity of power was why they said a jack of all trades was a master of none. While that saying alluded to the fact that a jack of all trades was better than a master of one, that was bullshit.

As the great teacher and martial artist, Bruce Lee once said, fear the man who practiced one punch a 1,000 times rather than the man who knew 1,000 different punching styles.

Soon, the 5,000kg weight was brought before Eva and she took in a deep breath, bracing her body for the turmoil. She and all the other youths gripped the weights when the signal was given, then lifted when it was called.

Most did not struggle to lift it up to their chest, but once they reached their necks, they began to sweat. This was only those with Grade 10 Martial Spirits though, as those with Grade 11 manage to bring it over their heads after a bit of struggle.

Those with Grade 12 Martial Spirits lifted their weights with ease, held it up for about 3 seconds, then tossed it down while panting and feeling accomplished.

However…

"How disappointing."

When they heard this lovely and soul-attracting feminine voice speak out, they turned to see the Little Phoenix Ancestor hold up her 5,000kg weight over her head with one finger, an expression of chagrin on her face.

She looked like she expected more from this, and hated the fact that it was too easy. The lads around here who were struggling, and those who had barely made it, couldn't help but drop their weights, almost smashing their own legs.

As for those who had already finished, they patted their chests and clutched their throats, but their resistance was futile as a thick wad of blood sprayed out.

The Elders simply shook their heads knowingly. This was not surprising to them, as this was what they expected from those who had been personally taught by the Old Ancestors.

While they may not be privy to know the specifics of their top-tier Cultivation Method, they were not ignorant either. Every time one broke through a new realm, their Martial Spirit would spit out some essence that would refine the body from the atomic level, producing results greater than anyone else.

After all, the first five realms were all about body tempering. From Muscle Tempering to Tendon Refining, Eva went through a refinement with the Phoenix Martial Spirit, and from Tendon Refining to Blood Pulsation, she went through another.

Even if one was the most average among the history of Dragon and Phoenix Ancestors, each refinement boosted one's body power by 2 realms at least.

So when the first refinement happened at Tendon Refining level 1, one would have the power of level 1 Bone Cleansing Pulsation. When one reached Blood Pulsation level 1, they would have the power of Flesh Hardening Level 1 and so on.

This was for AVERAGE inheritors.

Those with talent could see bigger explosive boosts, and the current Dragon and Phoenix Ancestor jumped 2.5 realms with theirs. They had lasted 3 hours during their time and had taken in 150 gobs of Origin Essence from their Martial Spirits back during their first time, and 300 in their second time, and so on.

So then what about Draco and Eva who took 1,000 gobs of far higher quality of essence - due to their bloodlines - the first time and 2,000 the second time? Just what kind of power did they have?

Flesh Hardening Level 10? Ha!

That might be the highest level of body tempering in the Martial Spirit World, but it was clear Draco and Eva had realistically surpassed that just using their Dragon and Phoenix related Cultivation Methods alone.

Even the Elders didn't know how powerful the Evil Duo were. They were just basing it off their assumptions since Draco and Eva had Grade 13 Martial Spirits, which was rarer than a wise young master.

"Of 232 candidates, 189 passed and 43 failed. Those who failed shall vacate the area and go to the Punishment Hall for three tasks to redeem yourself!" Tuo Fan spoke out calmly.

The failures left dejectedly lamenting their weakness and dreading the make up tasks which would eke out their potential - by hook or by crook.

"Next is the Test of Speed! You are to race around the field and come back to your starting point. Only those who complete the race in under 5 seconds will be counted as a pass!" Grand Elder Tuo Fan announced as the track was displayed by him.

The youths got into the position and prepared to run. The signal was given, and the call made, so each of them blasted forth with such energy that the starting line was completely coated with dust.

Grand Elder Tuo Fan waved his hand and use a wind spell to clear the dust since it annoyed him, but was soon left speechless when he saw a svelte form sanding at the starting line arrogantly.

With a smile, grand Elder Tu Fan spoke. "Little Ancestor, is the race not to your liking?"

Eva shook her head. "It's not that. I have already completed the race."

Grand Elder Tuo Fan laughed. "Haha, if you didn't want to participate, you could have told me to-… Ah? You have completed the race?"

Eva nodded and the Grand Elder blinked. He then checked the track with his spirit sense and almost clutched his hair. On the track, from where Eva stood and in a perfect circle to right behind where she stood was a line traced by a stick, which Eva threw towards the Grand Elder to verify.

"I thought you might have your doubts, so I marked the ground where I passed."

This time, it was the Elders' turn to try to fight against fate, but fail miserably as they all sprayed out a thick wad of blood.