"Welcome for the 103rd Intersect Competition!" the host that the Righteous Alliance arranged spoke in a big and hearty voice, amplifying his voice using his spiritual energy so everyone, the participants and the audience, could hear. He is also the same host during the opening ceremony, before the registration period started and announced the general rules of the competition.

"OOOH! It's here! It's finally here!!!" the audience cheered.

"AAAAH! The competition is about to start!!!" some of them screamed in excitement.

The atmosphere in the surroundings immediately heat up as everyone's blood boiled, waiting for the action to begin!

The host cleared his throat before he continued. "The first stage is the elimination stage. There are four thousand seven hundred and eighty participants that were registered. Three thousand one hundred and fifty are sword cultivators and one thousand six hundred and thirty are mages." He spoke.

"WOAH! That many?!" the audience exclaimed in shock.

"Well, the registration area is always full every hour. I was there!" someone spoke.

"Yes ah! I really felt sympathetic to the Righteous Alliance disciples since they can't even leave their seats because of the large number of cultivators who wanted to participate in the competition!" someone said.

"Ah… too many cultivators still want to participate despite what happened in the last competition…" someone said and sighed.

"Shh! Don't mention it! No depressing topics for today!" someone shushed him.

"Of course many still wants to participate. Who doesn't want to take this opportunity to be the chosen one?" someone laughed.

"'chosen one', huh…" the others muttered with their expressions looking thoughtful.

"This applies only to the rogue cultivators, of courses, since the other participants are already disciples of their respective sects." Someone spoke. "But, there are also these participants who are just here to join in the fun~" they said.

"Yes, yes… young people should know how to have fun." An old man spoke as he stroked his white beard.

"You said that right, you old man!" his friend said and patted his back.

"You are also old like me!" the old man retorted.

The audience became more pumped up as they continued to chatter.

"Ehem." The host coughed to catch the audience's attention. "The elimination stage of the Intersect Competition will be held for one week, and is different from the advancement stages which will be a solo, duo or group battles." He spoke. "The elimination stage will be a battle royale!" he said.

"OOOOOOH!!!!!" the audience cheered in excitement.

"A battle royale! Oh, my god!" someone exclaimed.

"Yes! For an elimination stage, and such a large number of participants, this is really the best way to do it!" they said.

"One week, huh…? Not too long nor too short! Everyone, good luck!" the audience added.

The host watched the audience's reaction and smiled in satisfaction. "There will be five arenas: three for the sword cultivators and two for the mages." He continued.

The audience finally lowered their voices as they resumed listening. Separating the sword cultivators from the mages is reasonable since it will be unfair for the mages who relies on alchemy which consumes more qi to attack and also to defend unlike the sword cultivators who can rely on their martial arts.

"The participants will be teleported to their respective arenas which they will draw." The host spoke. "Killing is not allowed. Those who will kill someone will be disqualified in the competition, and will be banned in all sects for eternity." He said with a stern expression. "This applies to the disciples, too. They will be expelled from their sect." he said with no partiality.

Everyone fell silent. This is how the Righteous Alliance is, given from their name. They are impartial to everyone.

The host resumed speaking. "The participants who wishes not to continue in the middle of the event can also declare that they wish to withdraw." He spoke. "If there is an unexpected accident that will occur, the Righteous Alliance has the right to forcefully pull the participants involved out of the event." He said.

There was a collective gasp from the audience as they talked in low voices, whispering to each other. The host's expression didn't change even though he can clearly hear what they are talking about. Some of them mentioned about the last Intersect Competition where a female demonic cultivator managed to slip past through the Righteous Alliance's defenses and attacked the other participants. If not for a promising disciple seeing through the intruder's disguise, who knows what could have happened?

Yes. The one they are talking about is none other than Jie Mei. The other protagonist in their gossip who is a promising disciple is none other than Cheng Sheng, who is now one of the elders of the Xinfaxian Sect.

"Ehem." The host coughed louder.

The audience's voices instantly lowered.

"In the elimination stage, only one hundred will be chosen." The host spoke as he looked around. "That is, only twenty participants should be left for each arena." He said.

"WHAT?!" The audience exclaimed in shock. "Out of almost five thousand participants… only one hundred will be chosen?! And that includes the mages?!" they said.

"Are you kidding me?!" they almost uttered a curse. "In more than three thousand sword cultivators, only sixty will remain?! Isn't this too absurd?!" they said.

"And for near two thousand mages, there will only be forty?!" they added.

The host saw the audience's strong reaction and couldn't help but inwardly sigh. He also thinks that this is too vile, but they have no choice. Just recalling the impending danger in Zhongyang, he couldn't help but nervously gulp. If it wasn't for Cheng Sheng's warning, they really would have leave more spots for the winners. But, the sooner they finish the competition, the better. And the lesser the people, the lesser the danger.

They know that in these events the enemies lurking in the dark would like to make troubles. So, the Righteous Alliance got no choice but to narrow down the number of winners. Also –

"Now – " the host spoke, breaking the tension in the atmosphere. " – the four thousand seven hundred and eighty participants are currently in the teleportals nearest to them and are waiting." He spoke.

The audience, as expected, fell silent.

"As early as when they have registered, they were given a jade slip that will serve as their identity as a participant." The host continued as he raised a jade slip. Then, he suddenly crushed it and it turned into a powder.

But, the powder didn't sink. It floated mid-air instead, and suddenly, formed into a screen! The screen is displaying the participants!

"Their jade slip contains their designated arena." The host said as they all watched the jade slips on the hands of the participants glowed, and the light coming from it spread from their hand until it covered their whole body before they disappeared!

Then, they saw five places on the screen: desert, forest, canyon, mountain and an empty city!

"As long as there are only twenty participants left in each arena, the participants will be teleported out and will be declared as the winners, and be qualified for the next stage." The host spoke. "As for those who lost, they can still participate in the next Intersect Competition as long as they haven't violated the rules." He said.

The audience clapped. "That's right… unlike before, from here on, there are only five years in between each Intersect Competition." Someone spoke.

"Yes. It isn't too late for them…" the other agreed.

"Now, let us welcome elder Zheng Fu Gong to officially start the elimination stage." The host spoke as Zheng Fu Gong appeared and walked up the stage.

Zheng Fu Gong nodded at the host before he turned to the audience, then to the elders of the Righteous Alliance sitting on their seats, which are beside the other sect leaders wearing their respective sect uniform, looking so mighty and highly respectable.

Zheng Fu Gong spoke a few words as his narrowed eyes scrutinized the audience, rendering the whole place silent. "Then… let the competition start!" he finished.

The audience instantly cheered. And as soon as Zheng Fu Gong's voice fell, the participants in their respective arenas immediately acted. Some fled to avoid being attacked while the others who have a slow reaction were immediately hit by the other participants.

"Ai… poor foundation. Poor foundation." A sect leader spoke when he saw some disciples from the other sects fell. Of course, they weren't killed but their wounds aren't not serious either.

The sect leaders of those disciples reddened in shame, but they felt proud when they saw their disciples didn't give up and immediately healed themselves before they hid in a safe area to recuperate, then wait to rejoin the battle!

"Woah… those rogue cultivators are also good!" some sect leaders exclaimed when they saw the fast and sharp rogue cultivators hitting the other participants – both rogue cultivators and disciples.

"As expected… every time, the Intersect Competition is exciting!" the audience exclaimed.