Translator: Silavin
The rights to revenue from the Saints City Transport Array were publicly competed for each year.
This competition for revenue rights was undoubtedly extremely fierce and brutal. Each year, geniuses from various Major Forces perished in the process.
Moreover, what they competed for was merely one-tenth of the Saints City Transport Array’s revenue rights!
The other ninety per cent had always been divided equally between Radiance Sacred Land and Roaring Heaven Sacred Land. Not a single Force dared raise the slightest objection to this!
Yet as one of the three great Sacred Lands in this region, the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land had to compete with other Forces to obtain any share of the revenue rights!
Even more mockingly, in recent years’ competitions, the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land had actually lost to both Formless Gate and Sky Cliff Pavilion for five consecutive years, becoming a laughing stock across this region!
If judged by overall strength, undoubtedly the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land possessed the power to crush both Formless Gate and Sky Cliff Pavilion!
However, when Saints City was first established, written law stipulated that all participants in the competition for Transport Array revenue rights must be below the Martial Ancestor Realm.
In truth, countless people understood this perfectly. If Martial Ancestors were not restricted from participating, each Transport Array revenue rights competition would likely result in apocalyptic battles with innumerable losses. Forces with insufficient powerful combatants might even suffer crippling damage.
Below Martial Ancestors naturally meant primarily Martial Emperors. This could prove a Force’s potential!
At present, less than a month remained until the next competition for Saints City Transport Array revenue rights.
This was one of the primary causes of the grave atmosphere within the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land!
Sky Cliff Pavilion already possessed a Saint as its foundation. If the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land lost to Sky Cliff Pavilion again in this competition, the latter would likely use this as justification to pressure the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land into relinquishing its Sacred Land status!
The strong shall prevail. This was the law of Heaven, applicable everywhere!
In the past, the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land had used this very regulation to force out a Sacred Land, thereby obtaining its Sacred Land status!
Now, with the Sky Cliff Pavilion Master advancing to the Saint Realm, they already possessed the qualification to compete for Sacred Land status!
Perhaps this competition for Saints City Transport Array revenue rights would mark the starting point for the transition of a Sacred Land!
Moreover, the Radiance Sacred Land and Roaring Heaven Sacred Land, who had always oppressed the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land, would surely delight in watching them fight to mutual destruction, perhaps even covertly fanning the flames!
After all, if they could cultivate Sky Cliff Pavilion into a Sacred Land that would grovel before them, the benefits and resources they’d obtain would multiply!
Under such threat, the atmosphere throughout the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land was extraordinarily grave and oppressive.
On a certain day, the Sacred Land finally made a decision… To open the Brilliant Sky Sacred Lake!
The Brilliant Sky Sacred Lake was formed from condensed liquid World Energy. Cultivating within it could produce twice the results with half the effort!
Because maintaining the Brilliant Sky Sacred Lake consumed vast resources, normally it only opened once per year. Each opening triggered fierce competition amongst Inner Sect Disciples for just three entry positions!
This time, the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land’s higher echelons clearly felt a tremendous threat, prompting them to open the Brilliant Sky Sacred Lake despite the consumption.
Moreover, this time the entry quota was directly granted to the top thirty ranked Outer Sect Disciples!
Thirty positions seemed ten times more than the three spots usually obtained through arduous competition, but in terms of actual consumption, it was actually less than a normal opening. After all, Inner Sect Disciples who could compete for those three positions were definitely Martial Ancestors of considerable strength, whereas the Outer Sect’s top thirty were ultimately just thirty Martial Emperors!
When this news spread through the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land, it immediately triggered countless cheers. Everyone gained considerable confidence in the upcoming Transport Array revenue rights competition.
When Qin Yichen learned this news, joy quietly bloomed in his heart. After his battle with Yi Buyan, he would precariously land at the twenty-fifth position!
Moreover, during this period, rankings within the Outer Sect had not fluctuated dramatically. He remained within the top thirty, meaning he too was qualified to enter the Brilliant Sky Sacred Lake this time!
At this critical final moment, countless Outer Sect Disciples coveted these top thirty positions. Yet not a single person designated Qin Yichen as a challenge target. After all, word had spread of him gaining favour with the Inner Sect Pill Hall. No one was foolish enough to offend someone who would become a prominent figure in the Inner Sect Pill Hall!
Thus, Qin Yichen harboured a somewhat opportunistic mindset when seeking out Manager Lin from the Outer Sect Northern Brilliant Hall, who was responsible for tallying these thirty positions.
When Manager Lin saw Qin Yichen, his expression became somewhat nuanced.
Strictly speaking, Qin Yichen belonged to the Pill Hall, and such quotas should logically be distributed to Northern Brilliant Hall Disciples.
However, on the Outer Sect rankings, Qin Yichen’s name remained rooted like a stubborn weed at twenty-ninth position, neither rising nor falling!
…
In the depths of the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land’s Inner Sect lay a basin surrounded by four mountain peaks. Between these four mountains existed a World Energy-wreathed lake. This was the Brilliant Sky Sacred Lake, formed through countless efforts and resources from the Brilliant Sky Sacred Land!
Normally, this place was Forbidden Territory. Ordinarily, no one was permitted entry. Only during its annual opening could people be allowed inside.
At this moment, figures already stood atop these four mountain peaks. Inner Sect Disciples whose gazes all fixed upon the Outer Sect’s direction.
At a certain moment, within everyone’s line of sight finally appeared a group of young people led by an Outer Sect Northern Brilliant Hall Manager.
The instant they saw them, countless Inner Sect disciples’ eyes narrowed slightly amidst the mountain peaks.
“Why is there even an Early Stage Martial Emperor!?” When someone’s gaze fell upon Qin Yichen, they couldn’t help but cry out in astonishment.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!* The moment that voice fell, countless gazes shot towards Qin Yichen’s location.
“Did he obtain his quota through bribes?”
“Bloody Hell, what a waste of Heaven’s gift!”
“What use does an Early Stage Martial Emperor have entering the Brilliant Sky Sacred Lake!?”
“*Hmph!* He’d be better off obediently staying in the Outer Sect. His cultivation speed might actually be faster!”
“Indeed, how could he possibly withstand the Brilliant Sky Sacred Lake’s pressure? If you ask me, at most he’ll only manage to cultivate around one metre below the Brilliant Sky Sacred Lake’s surface!”
Seeing that amongst these thirty Martial Emperor Juniors there was actually an Early Stage Martial Emperor, immediately waves of sighing voices echoed through the mountain peaks. Some hot-tempered individuals even loudly cursed him to get out.