The Fourth Elder raised his hand, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged, converging toward the dune. With a thunderous roar, the sands trembled, rising a hundred meters to form a circular arena, a kilometer in diameter.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Reinforce!" the Third Elder barked, weaving seals with both hands. A formidable Body Unity Stage force enveloped the arena's perimeter, hardening it to withstand the onslaught of powerful contenders.
"Such terrifying earth control!" the crowd marveled, their eyes alight with awe for the Body Unity elders.
Pointing at the arena, the Third Elder's voice, amplified by spiritual energy, resounded. "Each Earth Battle Grand Assembly brings new challenges. In this round, all participants engage in a free-for-all melee on this arena. No time limit—those forced out of bounds are eliminated. The final eight advance."
The announcement sparked uproar. The Yellow Sand Continent teemed with earth-attributed cultivators, and over five hundred prodigies had entered. The first round's brutal culling, leaving only eight, was merciless.
Strength alone wouldn't ensure victory. Even the mightiest could fall to a coordinated assault—a lone tiger overwhelmed by wolves.
Confidence waned among some prodigies, their minds racing for strategies. Some began forming alliances, whispering plans to protect each other.
Unfazed by the murmurs, the Third Elder continued, "The eight who advance will receive rewards from the White Sand Empire—techniques, elixirs, cultivation methods. However, only the top three will enter the Scenic Land for cultivation."
"The rules are clear: suppress your cultivation to Early Spirit Transformation. Body cultivators are limited to Early Fifth Revolution strength. Only earth techniques are permitted, with no restrictions on weapons or artifacts."
His gaze swept the crowd, voice stern. "This battle unfolds before White Emperor City's masses and under the scrutiny of the empire's elites. Cheaters will be expelled, their cultivation crippled as a warning!"
"We obey, Third Elder!" the crowd roared.
Before a Body Unity powerhouse, cheating was madness.
Over five hundred participants adjusted their cultivation to Early Spirit Transformation. Those already at this level remained unchanged, while a few bold souls below this realm joined, though they were rare.
Lan An, with a thought, suppressed his Flame Heart Cauldron and Tribulation Thunder Cauldron within his dantian, projecting only Early Spirit Transformation aura. As a body cultivator, he restrained himself to Early Fifth Revolution strength.
"Begin! Fight at your own peril!" the Fourth Elder bellowed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Hundreds of figures soared, flooding the sky.
"Little Sister, I'll claim the championship for you!" Bai Lie said tenderly to Bai Lian Hua, brimming with confidence.
"Haha, Second Brother jests! Little Sister, I won't disappoint!" Bai Yang laughed, gazing at her with affection before transforming into a sandstorm, charging forward.
Bai Lian Hua nodded encouragingly at her brothers, but her eyes quickly scanned the arena, seeking one figure.
Her attention caught Crown Prince Bai Tian's notice, his brow furrowing. Was his sister smitten with that nobody?
Having struck a deal with Bai Lie, Bai Tian couldn't allow this. His voice carried a warning. "Little Sister, mind your status. Some are born unworthy of our world. Understand?"
Bai Lian Hua pouted, silent. If Bai Tian knew Lan An wielded five attributes, Strange Flames, and body cultivation, would he dare speak so arrogantly? At Mysterious Yellow Academy, few could rival Lan An. Beyond his talent, he was gentle, attentive, and understood her heart.
Bai Tian's eyes narrowed at her defiance, a cold smile within. "If she remains blind, I'll erase that pest from existence."
"Husband, fight well!" Nangong Yuan cheered from the crowd, her gaze fixed on Lan An.
Leaping a hundred meters to the arena without movement techniques, Lan An landed effortlessly.
"Get down!" a massive earthen hammer swung at his back.
A burly man, grinning viciously, aimed to knock his first opponent out before reaching the arena.
His grin froze as Lan An vanished into an afterimage. The man's hammer-wielding hand was seized, crushed with a sickening crack, the weapon falling.
"A body cultivator…" the man's face paled, realizing he'd struck an iron wall. Only a body cultivator could shatter bones barehanded.
"Go down first!" Lan An said, uninterested in banter. With a flick, he hurled the man downward, stomping his face to propel himself onto the arena.
Similar skirmishes erupted around the arena's edge, some toppling foes, others falling to stronger opponents.
With All-Seeing Thousand Miles, Lan An observed Yu Chen and the princes dominating, flinging rivals off without being challenged.
"You want to go down, or shall I act?" a green-robed youth sneered at Lan An, confident.
Before Lan An could reply, a massive earthen palm struck the youth from behind, forcing blood from his mouth, nearly sending him off the arena.
"Seeking death?" the youth roared, turning to his ambusher.
A bearded man smirked, reveling in his sneak attack. His hands formed seals. "Earth Surge!"
Sand surged, launching the youth skyward, aiming to eject him.
"Dream on!" the youth sneered, preparing a movement technique.
Crack!
Lan An, grinning, appeared before him. With Early Fifth Revolution strength, he delivered a devastating kick.
"Shameless opportunist!" the youth howled, his chest caving, blood spraying as he crashed out.
As Lan An retracted his leg, the bearded ambusher charged. "Earth Cleaving Slash!"
A giant blade slashed at Lan An's head, timed perfectly as he recovered.
But Lan An, ever vigilant, summoned his Heavy Sword. With raw body strength, he swung brutally, meeting the lethal strike.
Clang!
The bearded man's face twisted, pain shooting through his arm, his blade trembling, nearly shattering.
"What kind of sword is this?"
As Lan An's sword descended again, fear gripped the man. He discarded his blade, fleeing at top speed.
Lan An smashed the blade to fragments with another swing.
Swish! Swish!
The bearded man, thinking he'd escaped, was bombarded by earthen bullets from another attacker, leaving him defenseless and gravely wounded.
His assailant seized the chance, kicking him off the arena.
The melee raged, countless eliminated in moments.
Lan An, unconcerned, shouldered his Heavy Sword and charged toward the arena's center—the safest position, far from the edges, reducing the risk of elimination.
Only the strongest could claim the center, and Lan An craved the spotlight. His nature forbade mere defense.
Others shared his goal. Yu Chen, wielding his Black War Spear, carved a path to the center, unchallenged, sweeping foes aside without using Black Sand.
Young Lord Bai Chun, venting his earlier humiliation, unleashed high-grade techniques, tormenting nearby competitors.
At the center, Bai Lie and Bai Yang stood back-to-back, hair flowing, exuding arrogance. None dared approach, deterred by their royal status and Golden List fame.
"Third Brother, our true battle awaits in the finals," Bai Lie said loftily, hands clasped behind him.
"Naturally, it'll be a dragon-tiger clash to shake the empire. I won't yield," Bai Yang replied, brimming with confidence.
"Haha, good! For now, watching these fools flail is amusing," Bai Lie chuckled.
Their gazes locked on Lan An, intent on humiliating him thoroughly to open Bai Lian Hua's eyes.
"You've gone too far!" Five figures surrounded Lan An, sneering.
Their leader, a handsome youth with a solid aura, was Qi Ming of the Qi Clan.
Having allied with Mysterious Yellow Academy peers, Qi Ming's five-man team had ousted numerous prodigies. Lan An was their next target.
"Earth Escape!" one member burrowed into the sand, ready to ambush.
"Earth Form Fist!" Three others, fists imbued with earth energy, attacked Lan An's face.
As Lan An moved to dodge, his expression shifted. The sand beneath had turned to quicksand, trapping his legs.
"Haha, Quicksand!" Qi Ming laughed triumphantly, weaving eerie seals to pin Lan An.
Three fists closed in, poised to crush him despite his body cultivation.
"Turning earth into quicksand? Clever," Lan An thought, smirking. "High Heaven-Grade Technique—Mother Earth's Embrace!"
The sand beneath him quaked, forming a massive, thick sand egg, encasing him completely, severing him from the outside world.
Qi Ming's quicksand was neutralized. Within Mother Earth's Embrace, Lan An was immune to effects unless countered by a technique of equal or higher grade.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The three attackers' fists struck the egg, pain shooting through their hands, the shell unyielding as steel.
"Damn coward, hiding like a turtle!" Qi Ming scoffed.
Inside, Lan An grinned, activating Swift Shift.
His figure vanished, reappearing behind Qi Ming. The Heavy Sword swung down. "Mountain Suppression!"
"Boss, watch out!" a teammate screamed, baffled by Lan An's escape.
Qi Ming sensed danger, coating his arms in quicksand to block.
Boom!
He flew like a sandbag, cracks spiderwebbing his vaunted quicksand defense.
As Lan An pursued, hands erupted from the sand, seizing his legs, pulling fiercely.
"Little rat, I've been waiting!" Lan An laughed, body cultivation surging.
Raising his Heavy Sword, it hummed ominously.
"Second Form—Earth Splitter!"
With brutal simplicity, he struck the sand.
The reinforced arena trembled faintly.
"Aaaah!" a scream echoed from below. Qi Ming's team shuddered.
A blood-soaked figure emerged, barely alive, coughing blood.
Though not directly hit, Earth Splitter nearly claimed his life.
The arena fell silent.
Bai Lian Hua and Nangong Yuan smiled, their earlier worry easing.
"Run!" Qi Ming, terrified, transformed into mud and fled. His quicksand, his pride, had failed.
"We surrender!" his teammates shouted, dragging their dying comrade off the arena, their fighting spirit shattered.
They cursed their luck, having struck an iron wall.
As Lan An turned to advance, a voice rang in his mind.
Ding! Branch Quest Triggered: Tyrant's Bearing. Reward: One Physique Summon. Penalty for Failure: Little Brother Shortened by 1 cm!
"What the hell?" Lan An froze, dumbfounded. What sadistic game was the System playing? Shorten his pride? That was his capital for charming women!
Yet the reward—a Physique Summon—was tantalizing. He checked the details.
Quest Note: Tyrant's Bearing—Defeat all competitors on the arena, standing alone supreme!
Lan An: "???"