After a short silence, there was a commotion on the cloud platform.

Su Muhan had been defeated!

His brilliance had been apparent at a young age, so the seven major lineages of Cloud State had fought over him. In the previous battle, he had shown a performance that could be called earth-shaking.

He was like the sun, shining alone on the world!

In the end, however, he still lost.

No one could clearly see how Su Muhan had lost in the last confrontation, but it was precisely because of this that the result was even more shocking.

Just how strong was Jin Duyi?

Perhaps only Su Muhan, who had fought with him, could answer that question.

"It's so satisfying, it's really satisfying... I have been cultivating for so long, and I had believed that there were only a handful of people in Cloud State who had the qualifications to elicit a true battle with me. Now I have discovered that the journey for the great dao is far more wonderful and exciting than I have ever imagined.”

In the arena, Su Muhan looked extremely touched as he continued, "Brother Jin, this battle was a rare opportunity for me to temper myself. Even though I have ultimately lost, I am extremely very happy. Thank you very much."

He cupped his hands and saluted Lin Xun seriously, looking convinced.

Some influential figures were moved by this.

Su Muhan's ability to not be discouraged after being defeated in such a venue and having such a broad mind and courage made his conduct very praiseworthy.

Lin Xun nodded and didn't say much.

Su Muhan was very satisfied, but Lin Xun couldn't say he felt the same.

This feeling was very subtle.

Perhaps for Su Muhan, this battle was one of the best experiences of his life. Even though he had lost, he had also gained a lot of experience and insights.

Unfortunately, for Lin Xun, this fight was nothing special. The only thing worth savoring for him was perhaps experiencing Su Muhan’s Sole Shining Sun Great Dao Field.

…

In the first battle to determine the top ten of the Dao Debate Contest, Jin Duyi won!

When Lin Xun walked down from the arena, he instantly became the focus of everyone's attention. No matter who it was, everyone had the same feeling.

Where is Jin Duyi’s real limit?

Who can really shake him?

In any case, after this battle, Jin Duyi was already one of the top six candidates and had the qualification to participate in the Great Six Courts’ Dao Debate Assembly!

What awaited him next were the fights to determine the top three of Cloud State!

…

In the second fight, Lu Dubu fought against You Tianxing.

Lu Dubu won and You Tianxing lost.

This defeat once again dealt a heavy blow to You Tianxing.

However, he still had one last chance to compete for one of the top ten slots and had not been completely eliminated. This was a blessing in disguise.

The third match was between Wu Huang and Wang Tu.

This battle was full of exhilarating and fierce attacks, which attracted the attention of the whole audience.

Wu Huang was extremely aggressive with unparalleled fighting power and unparalleled bravery. In addition, he had a treacherous fighting style, making him resemble a killing god walking on the edge of darkness. His attacks were so powerful that the whole audience trembled.

Wang Tu had the appearance of a youthful child and carried a huge sword. Despite that, he was equally powerful. His swordsmanship was solemn and forceful, looking as if it could reverse yin and yang and transform the world.

When the two fought, the expressions of the influential figures in the audience flickered rapidly, and top-notch experts like Xie Yuhua and Lu Dubu also looked serious.

At this point in the selection, the geniuses obviously no longer held back as they displayed their various, unparalleled fighting methods.

Such a scene can only be described as stunning.

In the end, Wang Tu lost!

Although his swordsmanship was amazing, Wu Huang's combat power was even stronger.

When Wang Tu lost, his youthful face was dark and gloomy. He left the arena without saying a word as he was obviously unwilling to accept this loss.

Wu Huang sneered and shook his head.

After this battle, Wu Huang had also successfully entered the top six and had the qualification to compete for the top three.

In the third match, Xie Yuhua faced Gui Shanxing.

Xie Yuhua was a legendary figure in Cloud Star Sect. She had an ethereal and dreamy temperament, a graceful demeanor, and a rare talent.

Her fame had spread throughout Cloud State many years ago.

Gui Shanxing was a core successor of Unified Sword Pavilion, a disciple of an Emperor, and a sword cultivator at the perfect Supreme Saint-King Stage. In the second round of selections, he was ranked sixth.

In terms of fame, background, and combat power, they were not inferior to the others present.

The duel between the two also captivated the entire audience.

What shocked everyone was that from the beginning of the battle, Gui Shanxing was at a disadvantage. It was not that he was not strong enough, but that the power displayed by Xie Yuhua was too amazing.

Her Great Dao Field, True Martial Ruins, was a vast martial arts universe, where thousands of martial arts were released. No matter how hard Gui Shanxing resisted or fought back, he was always suppressed and pushed back.

In the end, Gui Shanxing had to admit defeat.

This made Xie Yuhua the focus of everyone. Some bigwigs gasped and were shocked by her astonishing combat style.

With the end of the third battle, one battle after another was launched on the ancient battlefield following that.

Some opponents were evenly matched and had fierce showdowns.

Other battles were full of danger and excitement.

In the end, the top six were selected: Lin Xun, Lu Dubu, Wu Huang, Xie Yuhua, Teng Yichen, and Leng Xiujia.

Among them, Teng Yichen came from Phoenix Cloud Mountain, one of the seven major lineages of Cloud State. He was also a descendant of the Primeval Imperial Golden Vine Tribe with extraordinary talent and strong foundation.

Leng Xiujia was from Jianan Zen Sect. He was a powerful Buddhist practitioner with an indestructible body.

"The six of you will draw lots again to select pairings for the fights for the top three candidates."

Guan Xu then stood up and announced, "The other six who lost will also draw lots to determine the fights for the eighth, ninth, and tenth candidates."

After a pause, he continued, "Jintian Xuanyue, who drew the lucky lottery, does not need to be selected again and can be ranked seventh."

As soon as this was said, the whole audience was stunned.

Jintian Xuanyue frowned and said, "Senior, I would rather give up on this chance from the lucky lottery and rely on my own combat power to compete for the top ten rankings."

Guan Xu retorted, "This is the power of luck. The rules cannot be broken. You drew the lucky lottery and can be directly ranked seventh, but because of this, you will not have the opportunity to continue to participate in the selection."

Just as Jintian Xuanyue was about to say something else, Guan Xu made her stop.

Rules were rules and cannot be changed.

Jintian Xuanyue was speechless. Perhaps being ranked seventh without needing to participate would be a great honor for other experts, but for her, it felt empty. Unfortunately, since things were like this, she could only accept such an arrangement.

The next step was the drawing of lots.

The first competition was for the eighth, ninth and tenth places.

Su Muhan was matched against You Tianxing.

Wang Tu was matched against Gui Shanxing.

Wen Junzhai was matched against Yu Xiaofeng.

In the end, Wang Tu was ranked eighth, Su Muhan was ranked ninth, and Wen Junzhai was ranked tenth.

You Tianxing, Gui Shanxing, and Yu Xiaofeng were eliminated.

The top ten places were now decided!

Of note, the tenth ranked Wen Junzhai was from Xuanji Dao Sect.

…

"The competition for the top three starts now!"

After Guan Xu's announcement, Lin Xun and the other six drew lots one by one.

Lin Xun drew Leng Xiujia.

Lu Dubu picked Teng Yichen.

Wu Huang picked Xie Yuhua.

After seeing such a lineup, the whole audience looked at each other eagerly, full of expectations.

All six people had a peerless demeanor while belonging to the cream of the crop within the same cultivation realm. They also represented the best of the best Saint-Kings in Cloud State.

Now, the top three would be decided among the six of them, so who could not pay attention to this?

"The first fight will be between Jin Duyi versus Leng Xiujia!"

Lin Xun floated into the battlefield while looking at Leng Xiujia from afar.

His opponent was a thin youth with an extremely mellow and ethereal aura. His eyes were like the deep sea, and he exuded a wisp of law power that resembled a mythical dragon snake’s.

Leng Xiujia came from Jianan Zen Sect, practiced the Subduing Empty Wave Sutra, controlled the Great Dao Field, Swirling Brahma Fire, and had shown extremely outstanding combat power in the previous battle.

"Fellow Daoist Jin, I know you have been holding back. If possible, I hope you can use your real strength in our fight."

Leng Xiujia looked solemn and his face was clear and tranquil. "That way, even if I lose, I can be as magnanimous as Fellow Daoist Su Muhan."

The whole audience became silent. No one expected that Leng Xiujia would make such a request before the battle started.

Did that mean that deep down in his heart he didn't have much hope of defeating Jin Duyi?

Lin Xun was also stunned. After thinking for a while, he responded, "Alright."

Leng Xiujia smiled and said, "I will use my strongest strength as well. Please give me some advice."

As soon as his voice faded…

Boom!

Leng Xiujia's temperament suddenly changed as if he had transformed from a solemn Bodhisattva into a Vajra with furious eyes!

Around him, a shadow of a swirling world emerged. Within it, Buddhist chants and the light and shadows of three thousand Buddhas emerged, sitting in all directions with the Buddhist light shining everywhere.

For a moment, the battlefield was filled with the vast golden Buddhist light, magnificent and unparalleled!

The invisible terrifying aura spread like a tide.

With that kind of power, even if it was facing the top figures of the same generation, they would probably have to bear great pressure and be extremely wary.

Despite that, Lin Xun seemed to be unaware of it.

He stepped forward and wherever he passed, the surging golden Buddhist light acted as if it was hitting an eternal rock, unable to shake or stop him at all.

Instead, as Lin Xun took a step, the rolling Buddhist light seemed to evaporate, dissipating and becoming annihilated under his footsteps!

Boom!

At the same time, various Buddhist chants resounded, like peals of thunder shaking Lin Xun's soul and state of mind.

In an instant, it was as if thousands of Buddhas were reciting scriptures of enlightenment, generating supreme Buddha power!

This kind of power was enough to convince all living beings and spirits in an instant and generate a fervent desire to convert. From then on, they would become an extremely pious Buddhist.

Even for a cultivator, it was extremely difficult to resist this terrible power of the soul.

However, all of this was in vain.

From the very beginning, the Buddhist sounds that contained the essence of a supreme mystery could not shake Lin Xun's state of mind and spirit.

He looked calm and continued to move forward as he walked in the sea of Buddhist light and the realm of Sanskrit sound, as if he was merely strolling in a garden.

Leng Xiujia's expression suddenly became extremely serious.

Kaboom!

As he put his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name the golden Buddhist light and Sanskrit sound in the sky suddenly turned into endless fire, illuminating the world.

Everyone who witnessed this scene felt a stinging pain in their eyes and a burning feeling in their souls. Their expressions could not help but morph.

What a terrifying, purifying fire!

Translator note:

Haha, poor Jintian Xuanyue, her luck is through the heavens here.