Chapter 57: First Round of Tournament

Chapter 57: First Round of Tournament

Ning Feng strolled through the bustling arena, a confident grin plastered on his face. As he made his way through the crowd, he caught sight of two familiar figures. Ning Rong and Wang Mie, both radiating auras of newfound strength, stood talking animatedly. The moment they spotted him, their faces lit up with joy.

"Ning Feng!" Ning Rong called out, waving enthusiastically. Wang Mie mirrored her excitement, her eyes sparkling as she hurried over to him.

"Ning Rong, Wang Mie! It's great to see you both!" Ning Feng greeted them warmly. The three friends quickly fell into a humorous reunion, their laughter ringing out amid the tense atmosphere of the arena.

"It's been a while," Wang Mie said, punching Ning Feng lightly on the arm. "How have you been holding up?"

"Surviving, as always," Ning Feng replied with a chuckle. "But enough about me. You two seem different, stronger. What's been happening?"

Ning Rong's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Oh, you wouldn't believe it! I've finally achieved the initial level in the Lightning concept. It was tough, but I managed to push through, and I've progressed quite a bit in it."

Wang Mie nodded, a proud smile on her face. "And I’ve done the same for the Decay concept. It feels like a whole new world has opened up for me. The power and possibilities are incredible."

Ning Feng raised an eyebrow, genuinely impressed. "That's amazing! Lightning and Decay, huh? You two are really pushing the boundaries."

Ning Rong's smile turned into a playful smirk. "But that's not all. I've also reached a preliminary understanding in the Soul concept."

Both Ning Feng and Wang Mie stared at Ning Rong, dumbfounded. Wang Mie was the first to find her voice. "Wait, you’re telling us that you’ve started to understand the Soul concept too? How is that even possible?"

Ning Rong glanced at Ning feng thankful for the knowledge he shared with her because she knew very well that, she on her own couldn't have gleamed so much from the dao glyphs in such a short period of time.

Ning Rong shrugged modestly, though the pride in her eyes was evident. "It wasn’t easy, but I found some old texts and managed to piece together enough to get a preliminary grasp of it. It’s still rough, but I can feel the potential." She lied to Wang Mie but she can't disclose the truth as that might put Ning Feng in danger.

It's better for as few people as possible to know about it although she found it odd that Ning Feng can always pull out knowledge about everything from somewhere, she never doubte it when she was a kid nor did she understood it's significance but now she can't believe how lucky she was to have this knowledge directly being passed down to her without any effort.

Ning Feng shook his head in disbelief as if he was truly amazed. "You're unbelievable, Ning Rong. Lightning and Soul? You're becoming a true master of concepts."

Wang Mie nodded, still stunned. "You always were a quick learner, but this is on another level. How do you even manage to grasp all these concepts?"

Ning Rong laughed lightly. "It's all about focus and determination. And a bit of luck finding the right resources. But enough about me, Ning Feng. What about you? Any new breakthroughs?"

Ning Feng hesitated for a moment before breaking into a grin. "Let’s just say I've had my fair share of adventures. I've been working on trying to create something new. It’s been... challenging."

Wang Mie leaned in, intrigued. "Something new? That sounds ambitious. What kind of concepts are we talking about?"

Ning Feng shrugged and smiled mysteriously.

Ning Rong's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "That sounds incredible. If anyone can pull it off, it’s you, Ning Feng."

"By the way where are Lu Jing and Li Liang." Ning Feng asked trying to find the other two members of their gang.

Their conversation was cut short by the booming voice of the announcer echoing through the arena.

[Welcome, participants, to the first round of the individual tournament! The matches will begin shortly. Please proceed to the designated areas for your first duel.]

Ning Feng, Ning Rong, and Wang Mie exchanged determined glances. "Well, looks like it's time to put our skills to the test," Ning Feng said.

"Let’s show them what we’ve got," Wang Mie agreed, her eyes shining with excitement.

Ning Rong nodded, a confident smile on her lips. "May the best cultivator win."

As Ning Feng, Ning Rong, and Wang Mie made their way to the designated areas, a sudden hush fell over the arena. The once lively crowd quieted, their attention drawn to the ceiling. Out of thin air, tokens of various patterns began to materialize, seemingly conjured by an invisible force. The tokens floated gently downward, shimmering with ethereal light as they descended.

Each token was unique, adorned with intricate designs of mythical creatures. Some bore the likeness of serpentine dragons, others depicted majestic phoenixes, and still others featured fantastical beasts like qilins and basilisks. The tokens seemed almost alive, their patterns shifting and glimmering as they fell.

Ning Feng extended his hand, and a token landed softly in his palm. He examined it closely, noting the detailed pattern of a dragon intertwined with a phoenix. The token felt warm to the touch, pulsing with a subtle energy.

"Wow, look at these," Ning Feng remarked, holding up his token for Ning Rong and Wang Mie to see. "Pretty fancy, huh?"

Ning Rong admired her own token, which depicted a qilin in mid-leap. "They’re beautiful. I wonder what they mean."

Wang Mie turned her token over in her hands, revealing a pattern of a basilisk coiled around a pearl. "Guess we’re about to find out."

The announcer’s voice echoed through the arena once more, providing the awaited explanation.

[Participants, the tokens you hold are your keys to the first round of the tournament. Each token bears a unique pattern of a mythical creature. Those with matching patterns will be paired to duel against each other. This ensures that every match is a test of both skill and fate.]

As the announcement continued, Ning Feng glanced around the arena. The sea of cultivators was a mix of various sects and factions, many of whom he didn’t recognize. There were disciples clad in the austere robes of the Heavenly Sword Sect, their expressions stern and focused. Others wore the vibrant colors of the Crimson Lotus Clan, their auras blazing with fiery energy. He spotted a few members of the Moonlit Garden Sect, their presence serene and enigmatic, as if they carried a piece of the night sky with them.

"So many different groups," Ning Feng mused, his tone light and casual. "This is going to be interesting."

Ning Rong nodded in agreement. "It’s not every day you get to see such a diverse gathering of talents."

Wang Mie added, "And it means we’ll get to test ourselves against some of the best from all over the realm."

The announcer continued, [Once you’ve identified your match based on the patterns of your tokens, proceed to the designated dueling areas. The first round will begin immediately, and only the victors will advance to the next stage. May your skills and your resolve guide you to victory.]

Ning Feng looked at his token again, feeling a mix of excitement and curiosity. "Well, I guess it’s time to find my match," he said with a grin.

As they started moving towards their respective areas, Ning Feng couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. The mood was electric, and the atmosphere buzzed with the energy of the upcoming battles. Despite the serious nature of the tournament, he kept his demeanor light-hearted, knowing that this was just another step on his journey.

He spotted a cultivator from the Iron Fist Sect, a burly figure whose token bore the same dragon-phoenix pattern. Their eyes met, and a disdainful smile appeared on the burly figure's face.

"Only a mid level Qi manifestation brat, you better give up already, I will save you some face if you introduce me to those beauties you were with.

"Looks like I’ve found my first opponent," Ning Feng said, his grin widening. "Let’s see what he’s got."

With that, he stepped forward, waiting for his turn.

"You dare ignore me, I am a peak level Qi manifestation cultivator." The burly figure said angrily.

 The arena was set, the tokens had chosen, and the first round of the tournament was about to begin.

" The first match is between that Jian Mie of the heavenly sord sect and someone... I don't seem to remember."

A second guy interjected "It seems that the heavenly sword sect will get an easy victory fighting against this nobody she is the strongest in heavenly sword sect's group that have entered this time and is alrwady famous in the younger generation of their sect. It's said that she has gained an preliminary master over her sword concept because of Dao glyphs. I overheard them congratulating her just a few moments ago. "

"Sigh, this time no one was prepared for what happened who would have thought that mission to retrieve the key would result in somehow everyone directly entering the abode of jade immortal, I still can't believe we are actually here and out of all the hundreds of people who entered only 64 are left.

And Luckily for sects like Heaven dao and spirit mountain at least their best talents have entered, most of the other sects are not that fortunate."

Ning Feng was curious so he looked towards the stage, anyway it's not like he had anything better to do.

The moment he saw the boy opposite Jian Mie, he was dumbfounded and almost laughed out loud.

Jian Mei, a pretty girl with a serene yet determined expression, moved gracefully across the arena floor. Her long, dark hair flowed behind her, and her robes, adorned with delicate floral patterns, accentuated her natural elegance. Her eyes, sharp and focused, surveyed the surroundings with a hint of curiosity. There was a quiet confidence in her step, a testament to her rigorous training and inner strength.

Walking beside her was a boy of around sixteen years, his relaxed and composed demeanor creating a stark contrast to the intensity of the moment. His short, tousled hair and casual stance gave him an air of nonchalance, yet there was an undeniable aura of power around him. He wore simple, unadorned robes, yet his presence commanded attention. The boy’s eyes, calm and observant, seemed to take in every detail of the arena without a trace of nervousness.

It was Lu Jing.