Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Time is like a ghost, fleeting and silent.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

The triennial Sword Tower City Tournament has finally begun.

To avoid disturbances during the competition and to demonstrate the strength of the leading company.

Basic stability maintenance agencies such as the Night Patrol Division and the City Defense Army were mobilized to patrol day and night, and the Plum Blossom Spy Agency frequently operated in the shadows, nipping all potential threats in the bud.

The heavily armored axemen legion outside the city lord's mansion, as the city lord's personal guard, was under even stricter martial law than before at such a critical and sensitive time, with sentries everywhere and ten times more axemen patrolling squads than ever before.

In addition, the Immortal Slaughtering Legion, composed of 12,500 high-level cultivators, stands atop the Sword Tower.

These high-level cultivators were all clad in golden armor, each wielding a halberd in one hand and a golden shield to protect their hearts in the other. They carried the Immortal-Slaying Bow and Immortal-Slaying Arrows, and had the Immortal-Slaying Sword hanging at their waists. They were like heavenly soldiers and generals, sacred and inviolable.

Once the Zhuxian Legion forms the Nine Turns Yellow River Formation, even immortals and Buddhas will die with resentment.

They are stationed year-round in a military castle outside the main city of Sword Tower, responsible for protecting the city's security. They are not allowed to leave the castle without the First Lady's orders.

The First Lady's deployment of the Zhuxian Legion into the main city is intended to demonstrate the First Family's military strength, prove the glory of the First Family's millennia-old heritage to all outsiders who have come to the Sword Tower, and deter all unscrupulous individuals.

The millions of citizens were waiting for the city lord to appear, hoping that he would stand up and say a few words to everyone this year, but the First Lady did not appear in the end.

Even the children of many city lords and the royal family of the Python Sparrow who came to participate in the competition gathered in the city lord's hall. The First Lady did not attend; she simply had Mao Erlang take charge of receiving them and presiding over the event.

Everything is proceeding according to the usual practice, step by step.

Four thousand six hundred calamity-level magical artifacts flew out of the city lord's mansion, growing larger in the wind and transforming into four thousand six hundred magnificent fighting arenas, suspended in the sky like thousands of sky islands.

Immediately afterwards, two staircases automatically extended from each arena, connecting to the main roads of the city, allowing both cultivator and mortal spectators to enter and exit the arena smoothly and freely choose to watch the preliminary competition.

At the same time, Mao Erlang's enormous Dharma body appeared above the Sword Tower.

Mao Erlang had a dignified expression, with a vertical eye on his forehead. He held a three-pointed double-edged sword and his body was surrounded by a strange, filthy, and extremely evil golden light. A thin, vicious dog was wrapped around his shoulders and the back of his neck.

Mao Erlang said loudly, "Gentlemen who have come from afar, welcome to the Sword Tower for the 666th Heavenly Pride Tournament. On behalf of the people of the Sword Tower, I welcome you!"

Logically, since the lady of the house wasn't present, the eldest son, Ma Dalang, should have represented the Sword Tower. However, because Ma Dalang had a tainted past and a terrible reputation, he wasn't suitable to appear as a representative of the Sword Tower in this situation. So, the second son, Mao Erlang, had to step forward.

After a brief opening, Mao Erlang immediately began to hype up the atmosphere and explain the rules: "Citizens of the Sword Tower, I know that you have been suppressing your feelings for a long time and are looking forward to a fierce and exhilarating battle where every strike draws blood."

"However, I must solemnly declare the rules here. Whether you know them or not, please be patient and let me finish reading the rules of the Heavenly Pride Tournament."

"Rule 1: The competition adopts an elimination system. Once you lose, you are eliminated. There are 4,600 fighting arenas, and only one person can qualify for advancement from each arena."

"Rule Two: Each match is limited to one incense stick's time. If the time runs out and neither side has a winner, the referee will make a decision based on their performance on the field."

"Rule 3: If one player voluntarily concedes defeat, the winning player cannot continue to play."

Rule 4: Spectators must not interfere with the normal conduct of the competition.

"Rule Five: The defeated player can donate 100 million coins to qualify for the revival match."

"These are all the rules for this competition. That concludes the reading."

"Then let's enjoy the brilliance of the talents from all over the world on the stage!"

As Mao Erlang's towering Dharma body disappeared, cheers surged like a tidal wave, resounding through the sky.

In the streets and alleys, in taverns and teahouses, there was a great deal of discussion.

People are eagerly anticipating the intense showdown that is about to unfold.

Children rode on their fathers' shoulders, waving their little flags excitedly; women gathered together, whispering about the rumors and stories of the contestants; and the men, full of pride, predicted who would ultimately win and become the new generation's champion.

The atmosphere in the city reached an unprecedented climax. Every shop was adorned with colorful ribbons and sold souvenirs related to the competition. From wood carvings depicting the participants to paintings depicting the heroic deeds of past champions, everything revealed the importance and enthusiasm that the people of Sword Tower placed on this competition.

A series of drumbeats and horn calls began to sound, signaling the official start of the competition.

Those arenas suspended in the air acted like giant magnets, attracting everyone's attention. At the entrance of each arena, the young geniuses who participated entered one after another, their faces filled with confidence and determination, while behind them came the enthusiastic cheers of supporters from different regions.

At the same time, colorful fireworks suddenly burst forth in the sky above Sword Tower City, dazzling and adorning the sky like a dream. Beneath the fireworks, the emotions of the people were completely ignited.

In this sea of ​​revelry, Sword Tower City seemed to be united by an invisible force. Whether they were high-ranking officials or ordinary people, everyone forgot their social status and witnessed this grand celebration together.

For the participants who have traveled from afar, Sword Tower City is not just a competition arena, but also a place where dreams take flight. In everyone's heart burns an inextinguishable flame, eager to prove their worth and pursue their own glory and brilliance in the upcoming competition.

The four thousand six hundred fighting arenas represent four thousand six hundred competition venues.

Each venue is randomly assigned 101 players, and each venue has a maximum seating capacity of 100,000 spectators. There are also temporary betting points where spectators can place bets before each match begins.

In addition, the main officials at the competition venue include a referee responsible for deciding the outcome, two hosts responsible for commentating on the battles, and a large number of people who use various means to record the players' battles and resell the footage for money.

Zhou Qingfeng was assigned to the first arena, along with 100 other contestants from the Food Disaster Realm. They were all waiting in the preparation area, and their ages were roughly the same as Zhou Qingfeng's, with the oldest being 24 and the youngest being 18.

Zhou Qingfeng held a cup of lychee black tea, casually surveying his group of opponents.

While doing so, they also searched for Ye Tingxiu and Xiao Hongyun.

Then it was discovered that the two were not in the first arena, and it was unclear whether they had participated or not.

A referee walked over and spotted Zhou Qingfeng in the crowd. He immediately felt uneasy, wondering whether to pull some strings behind the scenes. He decided to do so, since at least he wouldn't be targeted if he did, but if he didn't, he might be.

The referee, with a stern expression, waved his hand and scattered 101 contestant cards, which flew around in the air before landing in the hands of the 101 contestants: "There are numbers on the cards. Line up in numerical order to enter the arena. Who is number 1?"

Everyone looked at their player cards. Nobody wanted to be the first to go on stage. Damn it, the first player would have to defeat 100 opponents to win the first round. The later a player went on stage, the more advantageous it would be.

A little girl with a long face raised her hand and said, "I'm number 1, I'm so unlucky."

Zhou Qingfeng looked at the number 101 player card in his hand, glanced at the referee with a normal expression, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Ever since he got to a higher position, he was surrounded by 'good people'.

Unfortunately, Zhou Qingfeng will not appreciate this kindness.

He came to compete with his peers, hone his combat skills, and enhance the prestige of the Zhou family.

Winning by such a trick is meaningless and will only raise questions from the audience, because one's own identity is already quite sensitive, with one's own family participating in a competition hosted by one's own family.

Even without any underhanded dealings, people would still be suspicious.

If you want to win without being questioned and to win in a way that convinces everyone, you must crush all your opponents with your own hands until you win the championship. Only then can you silence all the geniuses and doubters.

Zhou Qingfeng stepped forward, snatched the player card from the little girl's hand, casually tossed his own player card over, and then turned to the referee and said, "Referee, I'd like to go first and switch places with her, is that alright?"

Upon hearing this, the referee looked surprised. He had kindly given the Fourth Young Master a card for the last player to go on stage, so why did the Fourth Young Master give it to this little girl? Was he perhaps trying to play the hero and save the damsel in distress?

The others also looked at the girl strangely, then at Zhou Qingfeng, and all thought that Zhou Qingfeng was really going to any lengths to pick up girls. He even gave up the player card with the best chance of winning to a girl in order to get her.

However, they were also envious of the girl for getting such good luck, and they only regretted that they were not girls and could not let Zhou Qingfeng woo them, otherwise winning would have been much easier.

The referee frowned slightly, not daring to say no to Zhou Qingfeng. If he did, he might be banished from the city tomorrow for some ridiculous reason: "Hmm, okay."

"Thank you, referee." After receiving permission, Zhou Qingfeng immediately put his hands behind his back and walked along the contestant passage towards the arena.

He doesn't care what others think, because he knows what he wants.

Others might think of him as a hero rescuing a damsel in distress, or as someone who picks up girls.

That only proves that your mind is filled with lust for women, and that you are really too low-level to pay attention to.

Those who remained standing stared at Zhou Qingfeng's retreating figure and couldn't help but start gossiping behind his back: "Who is this guy? He loves to show off so much. He's just looking for an opportunity to be a show-off and attract attention."

"Who cares who he is? He's just a brainless guy driven by his lower body. He actually gave up contestant number 101 just to pick up girls. It makes me so angry. I'm a woman too. Why won't he switch with me?"

The referee coldly said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Get out of here. Who is contestant number 2? Get up and start the match."

Upon hearing this, everyone dispersed from the preparation area and went to the stands to watch the game.

Contestant number 2 also entered the passage leading to the arena from another direction.

Seeing this, the referee walked towards the arena.

The girl clutched her player badge tightly, excitedly standing on tiptoe to wave at Zhou Qingfeng's retreating figure: "Thank you so much! Who are you? Can you tell me your name? My name is Tan Ningxiang. I'll be cheering for you from the stands!"

The arena is a hundred feet wide and a hundred feet long, with protective magic arrays around its edges. No matter how fiercely the fighters battle, the audience in the stands will not be affected.

The door in front of Zhou Qingfeng suddenly swung open, and he stepped into the fighting arena at a leisurely pace.

The host, holding a megaphone, shouted urgently, "They're out! They're out! The contestants are out!"

The second host said, "Who is the first contestant? He's so unlucky. To win, he has to beat 100 opponents. This is unprecedented. His chances of winning are too slim."

Host #1 said, "Yes, it's too unlikely. No, wait, who is that? Look, that's Zhou Qingfeng, the peerless genius of our Sword Tower and the fourth young master with unparalleled wisdom!"

Host number 2 was shocked: "What? How is that possible? How could he be the first one!"

Host #1 said, "Yes, how could he be the first one!?"

Host #2 chuckled and said, "Haha, doesn't this just prove that the Sword Tower's Tournament of Heroes is fair, just, and open, with no underhanded dealings?"

The host said, "Fairness, impartiality, and transparency are essential. Even if he is one of the four young masters, he must abide by the competition rules. He is no exception. No one can give him special treatment. The reputation of the first company cannot be tarnished."

The atmosphere at the event was electric, with tens of thousands of spectators nodding in agreement, confirming that it was indeed true. In the past, when they lost money betting, they would suspect foul play.

But now, the fact that the first family's four young masters are ranked in this position that is despised by gods and ghosts is tantamount to proving that the first family to hold the competition is absolutely no problem. If they lost the bet, it can only be said that they had poor judgment.

Zhou Qingfeng stood smiling on one side of the arena, waving gracefully to those around him.

"Zhou Qingfeng, go! Zhou Qingfeng, go!" There were already many loyal supporters of Zhou Qingfeng in the audience, who regarded him as a new generation hero of Jianta. They shouted wildly to cheer for their idol.

Zhou Qingfeng was as dazzling as the blazing sun, like a chosen one of heaven, exuding nobility.

In contrast, the appearance of contestant number 2 was unremarkable, with no one even cheering for them.

Contestant number 2's eyes gleamed as he watched Zhou Qingfeng gracefully bow to the audience. Hearing the tsunami of cheers, he immediately knew the identity of the person in front of him, but he was not afraid.

If he could defeat Zhou Qingfeng, Zhou Qingfeng would become his stepping stone to overnight fame, and all the praise and flattery used to praise Zhou Qingfeng would be transferred to him.

Contestant number 2 clasped his hands in a salute and said in a cold voice, "Ke Lan from Baidi City, Wudao Sword Sect, please enlighten me."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng suppressed his smile and slowly clasped his hands in a salute: "Zhou Qingfeng, the fourth young master of the First Family, deputy governor of Sword Tower, member of the Council, deputy commander of the Censorate, head of the Zhou family, and baron of Sword Tower, please enlighten me."

Ke Lan's lips twitched: "Hehehe, your name is really long."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled faintly: "Please understand, my name is too long, it's also a hassle for me."

The referee, now in his seat, glanced at both players and announced loudly, "Both competitors, please take your positions. Time limit: one incense stick's time. Ready to begin! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six..."

Zhou Qingfeng lifted his shirt and held out one hand, gesturing: "Come on, show me."