With their previous competition experience, Pei Yan and the others had certain expectations about this contest, but on the day of the competition, they found themselves still too young.
Stepping out of Chongren Square Street, Pei Yan and his companions felt sothing unique. The roads were packed with spectators. Pei Yan had seen such a scene once in the Holy City of the Hell Plane and wasn't fazed, but his companions were overwheld and appeared unnaturally awkward.
Sitting in a floating vehicle controlled by the Immortal Palace disciples, Pei Yan pulled out a folding fan, enjoying the attention from the roadside spectators. Next to him, Xia Yu straightened up slightly and looked at him, saying, "Pei Yan, you seem quite at ease, huh!"
"It's better to be at ease; they're just here for the show," Pei Yan said, as he fanned himself and looked at the spectators. These people, while not as exuberant as the crowds in the Holy City, were neither disdainful and seed curious, even friendly. Seeing this, he continued, "Perhaps because of their standpoint, they're relatively friendly to us. Look at those two teams behind us; it's a wonder these people aren't spitting at them. The ho-field advantage is quite sothing. By sticking with the Daoist Realm, we're also basking in so of the glory."
Following Pei Yan's gaze, Xia Yu looked towards the team that left a bit later than them, from the Magic Realm. The longstanding rivalry between the Dao and Demon realms ant that the locals weren't keen on them but maintained their composure and didn't act too aggressively.
The Blood Fiend team behind them wasn't as fortunate. They were pointed at and insulted by people on both sides of the street. Despite being the target of abuse, no one dared to approach them physically, under the watchful suppression of the Immortal Palace disciples.
"Ha! The Daoist Realm's publicity is tily. Seeing this mob so incensed, you'd think it was they who were invaded, not the Hell Plane!" Jiang Feiyang couldn't help but mock.
"The Daoist Realm has indeed done ample publicity concerning the Blood Fiend. After the Immortal Palace was attacked and the association between Blood Fiend and the Underworld's eighteen courts caused a stir, the deeds of Blood Fiend—like turning mortals into mindless puppet Devouring Demons—were spread widely by the Immortal Palace, hitting the pain points of all cultivator sects and ordinary people. It's turning Blood Fiend and the eighteen courts of the Underworld into targets of universal criticism. This must be the Immortal Palace's war mobilization for the upcoming battles," i Simiao, who usually manages intelligence, said. She had been busy infiltrating the intelligence agencies across several planes recently.
As they spoke, their vehicle continued through the bustling streets into the Immortal Palace territory, where the number of onlookers gradually thinned out until they reached a circular building reminiscent of a Hakka tulou, ornate and ancient. No spectators lined the road here, only Immortal Palace disciples standing at intervals, bowing in greeting.
The vehicle stopped at the round building's entrance. When Pei Yan dismounted and, led by a Guiding Disciple, was about to enter when he noted that the Magic and Blood Fiend teams that had been following them had also arrived, but they were led to the other side of the building, which clearly had a separate entrance.
Walking inside the winding corridors, Pei Yan absentmindedly observed his surroundings. The round building was vast, much larger than any tulou he'd seen but still smaller than the Beast Fighting Arena big enough for tens of thousands that hosted group competitions before.
A ray of sunlight pierced the dim corridor and t Pei Yan's eyes. At the corridor's end, a large open area appeared, but before he could admire the sudden clarity of the space, a figure he loathed appeared in his line of sight.
Whether by design of the Immortal Palace or not, opposite the entrance to the Investigation Hall's entry point was the Blood Fiend's. In the Blood Fiend team, Shitang Longsi's sinister gaze hadn't left Pei Yan since his appearance.
"That guy's here too. Could he be a contestant for the Blood Fiend in this competition?" Xia Yu blinked at the familiar face, then joked with a smile.
"No way!" Pei Yan replied resolutely.
"Why not?"
"He's not worthy!" Having said that, Pei Yan looked away from Shitang Longsi, focusing on the three formidable mbers of the Blood Fiend team. Apart from the two from the previous group competition, Pei Yan was astonished to see that the third was neither Bai Ze, who claid to be a Candle Dragon disciple, nor Mu Fanchen, who once hard him, but soone entirely unfamiliar. Could it be that the Godly Desire mbers aren't yet the core subordinates of the Candle Dragon?
Feeling Pei Yan's gaze on him, Nero, who had once clashed with Pei Yan in the Holy Hall of the Hell Plane, waved at him with a treacherously charming and frightening smile.
"Ugh, what a disgusting smile! Are you guys close?" Seeing that smile, Wang Wenze instinctively shivered, a sense of fear and revulsion creeping in.
"We crossed paths once in the Hell Plane; I think if we clash with the Blood Fiend, he's likely the one I'll primarily face," Pei Yan said indifferently as they were led by Immortal Palace disciples into a private room for the Investigation Hall. He looked around the round building's interior, noticing a ring in the center about three basketball courts in size, and on all sides, the people seated behind opened partitions were the audience that ca to watch.
"There aren't as many spectators as last ti," Jiang Feiyang comnted after taking a glance.
"Though fewer in number, they're of much higher caliber," Gu Shenghui noted as he also surveyed the scene. "Those who watched last ti are present inside the venue for the group competition and will first receive the live broadcast from here. anwhile, those attending in person here are top figures from various planes and sects. Even the avatars of primordial bodies are mingling among them, just undetectable to you."
"This ring seems a bit small," Pei Yan mused at the arena. For ordinary duels, it was plenty large, but for folks like them wielding earth-shattering powers, just exerting a bit of strength could level the place.
Perhaps the ring had so special chanism, like generating a separate space as in the previous group competition, Pei Yan thought, staring intently at the ring.
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