Chapter 186 Targeting Rules

"What is the holy aura?"

Li Bai asked curiously, and Tai Bai Jin Xing rolled his eyes and said, "You are always busy with poetry, but you don't bother to read the ancient classics. Don't even think about being my disciple!"

Li Bai felt depressed when he heard this. You never mentioned it to me at all, did you?

There was no way. Tai Bai Jin Xing was the master, and he was the disciple. He could only endure it!

"The first round of the competition is very simple. All martial artists will sit on the ground and absorb the spiritual energy from the dragon veins underground. At that time, a column of energy will rise above your heads. Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the competition is to see whose energy column is the highest, and the top thousand will be selected!"

Luohuang finally finished the long-winded pleasantries, but the rules of the first round caused an uproar among the crowd.

This is completely based on the level of cultivation!

The speed of absorbing spiritual energy for those in the mortal realm must be faster than those in the golden core realm. Of course, there may be some advanced techniques that can compensate for this difference, but they are definitely in the minority.

To eliminate tens of thousands of people within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn completely breaks the norm.

Such competition rules were rarely seen in the past.

Upon hearing this, Qin Jun was dumbfounded. Damn, this is clearly targeting me!

In the eyes of many, Qin Jun's own cultivation level was nothing special. He had almost reached his current status relying on Li Yuanba.

Despite being listed among the top ten geniuses, there were plenty of martial artists with higher cultivation levels than him, making the situation look very unfavorable for him.

Yes, it only looked that way!

Qin Jun was a man with top-grade techniques and ancient body-refining techniques. The gap in cultivation levels could be completely compensated for by his techniques.

"Hmph! Trying to plot against me, but you won't succeed!"

Qin Jun sneered inwardly. Such rules had not appeared in the past hundred years, and there had been no prior rumors about them. It was obvious that they were targeting him.

A genius who dared to cause trouble in the imperial capital, how could Luohuang possibly allow him to grow?

It was almost certain that the rules for the first round of the competition had been changed at the last minute.

Looking up at Luohuang, who seemed like a deity in the sky, Qin Jun couldn't help but feel that this guy seemed like a villain.

"Tsk tsk, it seems that yesterday's incident has alarmed the emperor."

"Haha! It looks like Qin Jun is going to kneel in the first round!"

"You guys are too pleased with yourselves. We will all be eliminated just the same..."

"Exactly... Is this still fun? My great sword won't even have a chance to shine..."

The surrounding martial artists were discussing fervently, which made Qin Jun feel exasperated. It was clear that everyone could see that the imperial dynasty was deliberately targeting him, but no one sympathized with him. Instead, they seemed to take pleasure in his misfortune.

Just wait and see what cruelty means!

Qin Jun snorted, and Qin Yun, Zhu Yanqing, and You Fenghuang beside him all wore helpless expressions. Their cultivation levels were not as high as Qin Jun's, so they were inevitably going to be eliminated.

"I'm not interested in the Hidden Dragon Competition anyway, and my mission was interrupted by someone."

You Fenghuang absentmindedly played with her hair and said with a touch of resentment, casting a glance at Qin Jun. Qin Jun pretended not to notice, and he would never hand over the White Tiger Gate, even if he were to die.

Zhu Yanqing and Qin Yun were also indifferent. It was already quite an achievement for the two of them to have come this far. It was enough to broaden their horizons, and they were not greedy.

"The first round officially begins!"

Luohuang suddenly shouted, and as soon as he finished speaking, everyone felt a surge of spiritual energy rising from the ground beneath their feet, which startled them into quickly sitting down.

"Your Highness, should I do the same?" Li Yuanba scratched his head and asked Qin Jun. If he absorbed the spiritual energy, his cultivation level in the Earthly Immortal realm would be revealed.

However, after yesterday's beating of Luo Taosha, it was likely that the powerful figures in the imperial dynasty had already guessed his cultivation level.

"You can, but keep your distance from me. Let's wait and see first."

Qin Jun nodded. A powerful figure in the Earthly Immortal realm absorbing spiritual energy would leave no chance for those in the Golden Core and Mortal realms.

Then he looked up at Luohuang, who was high above, and his imposing figure seemed as dazzling as a deity. Qin Jun really wanted to pin him down and teach him a lesson!

The martial artists around him sat on the ground like a tide, afraid of wasting time, but Qin Jun was not in a hurry.

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn is not short.

The surging dragon vein spiritual energy was being absorbed frantically by tens of thousands of martial artists. Looking around, only Qin Jun and Li Yuanba were not meditating, which was quite eye-catching.

This scene caused the civil and military officials standing in front of the palaces on the Imperial Palace Peak to discuss among themselves.

"Why aren't those two starting?"

"They seem to be Qin Jun and Li Yuanba!"

"Hiss—Isn't that the Qin Jun who caused a scene in the imperial capital yesterday?"

"Tsk tsk, it seems that Qin Jun is thinking of giving up!"

"Of course, he is not strong on his own. If it weren't for Li Yuanba, how could he have entered the imperial capital?"

Most of the civil and military officials in the imperial capital looked down on Qin Jun. In their eyes, he relied entirely on the mysterious power behind him. Otherwise, how could a strong figure have helped him?

Luohuang, high in the sky, also narrowed his eyes, and his expression was difficult for ordinary people to read.

"What does this boy want to do?" Luohuang thought to himself. The actions of Qin Jun and the others yesterday had angered him greatly. If it weren't for Ao Wu Jian from the Cangyun Sect interceding, he would have sent the army to wipe out Qin Jun and the others. Even so, he had secretly sent people to kill Qin Jun.

Yesterday's incident had already spread, causing embarrassment to the imperial capital. Most importantly, the current Qin Jun could act recklessly. If he were to truly grow stronger, what then?

If he were just a disciple of a sect, it would be fine, but the key was that Qin Jun was a prince of a kingdom!

"What does Your Highness want to do?" Li Bai asked with a frown.

"Just watch. Your Highness won't act rashly," Tai Bai Jin Xing said calmly, also pondering the matter.

Daji and the others also stared at Qin Jun and Li Yuanba with confusion. Although they were thousands of meters apart, their eyesight was still sharp enough to see clearly.

Qin Jun's gaze swept around incessantly, and columns of qi had begun to emerge from the heads of all the martial artists, in various colors. The shorter ones had a column of about an inch, while the taller ones had already exceeded ten feet.

"Yuanba! Go over there to absorb the qi! Remember, don't hold back!"

Qin Jun pointed to the area where the taller columns of qi were more concentrated and Li Yuanba understood. He immediately flew over to that direction.

After speaking, Qin Jun began to absorb the qi on his own, quickly entering a state of concentration.

What is he trying to do?

The civil and military officials on the peak of the imperial palace and the cultivators watching around the square were all astonished as they looked at Li Yuanba, and even Emperor Luo couldn't help but frown.

Li Yuanba quickly arrived at the location pointed out by Qin Jun, about a kilometer away from him. He directly kicked a cultivator, sending him flying, and then sat down on the spot to absorb the qi.

"Who dares..."

The cultivator who was kicked fell among a group of people, angrily getting up to curse, but before he could speak, he stopped himself, as did the other cultivators who were accidentally injured by him.

There was no choice; Li Yuanba's reputation was too great, and no one dared to offend him.

Boom!

Just as Li Yuanba entered the state of absorbing qi for less than three seconds, a red column of qi suddenly emerged three yards high above his head. The surrounding spiritual energy of the dragon veins crazily surged toward him, shocking tens of thousands of cultivators around, who all opened their eyes wide in surprise.

Damn!

Tens of thousands of cultivators cursed in unison in their hearts. They saw the red column of qi above Li Yuanba's head rapidly increasing at a speed that left them dumbfounded, while the surrounding spiritual energy of the dragon veins was also forcibly sucked away by Li Yuanba, causing the growth speed of their own columns to plummet.

This scene shocked countless people, and even Emperor Luo on the cloud couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.