After Simulating a Million Years, I Became the Holy Emperor of the Human Race

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. During this time, Li Beifei dedicated himself to comprehending the Tianshu Sword, except for eating, drinking, and sleeping. He was now on the verge of opening the Divine Sea, condensing his spiritual consciousness, and advancing to the condensation.

Honghong, under Gu Changsheng's guidance, also made significant progress, nearly reaching the peak of the mortal transcendence realm. She had successfully condensed the Xuanhuang Seed into her innate Dao Diagram, though it still lacked a bit of Dao essence, which would come with time and self-understanding. This could not be hurried.

On this day, the Demon Suppressing Land Arena Competition was set to begin.

"Master, I'm going to participate in the competition," Li Beifei called from outside Gu Changsheng's room. He didn't dare enter for fear of angering his master and getting beaten, which would embarrass him in front of his female cultivator fans.

"Go ahead and win the championship!" came Gu Changsheng's faint voice from the room.

"Yes!" Li Beifei, full of confidence, left the inn with his sword box on his back. Meanwhile, Gu Changsheng’s clone in the guest room dissipated.

At that moment, Gu Changsheng was in the demon suppressing grounds, instructing his precious disciple.

"Honghong, safety first, competition second. Of course, if you can win the championship, go for it. If not, it's okay. I don't need the source crystals now."

"Don't worry, Master. I'll win the championship and make you proud," Honghong replied confidently.

Gu Changsheng, amused by her enthusiasm, repeated, "Okay, okay, okay," while Su Wanqing, standing nearby, found his behavior odd. Normally, Gu Changsheng wouldn’t emphasize safety first; otherwise, he wouldn’t have thrown Honghong into the demon-infested Grounds for training. Was he provoking her on purpose, knowing her easily stimulated nature?

"Wanqing, what are you thinking? Take Honghong to the competition," Gu Changsheng's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes, my lord," Su Wanqing replied. She placed her hands on Honghong's shoulders and whisked her away to the Demon City. Despite Honghong's newfound ability to fly, she was no match for Su Wanqing, who was on the brink of the Nirvana Realm. She was but an ant in front of a fighter jet.

As they disappeared into the sky, a sly smile crossed Gu Changsheng's lips. "I wonder how they'll react when they discover each other's identities," he mused, indulging in a bit of mischief.

When they arrived at the competition site, Honghong was awestruck by the scene. Thousands of people were lining up to register, and the weakest among them were in the late stages of the Awakening Realm.

"Sister Su, I'm going," Honghong said, walking to the entrance to register. Despite the large crowd, the process was swift, and within half an hour, all contestants were registered.

The registration staff led the contestants to a massive duel arena already packed with spectators.

"Everyone, be quiet!" A powerful voice commanded attention. An old man appeared in the air, exuding an aura that stunned the young monks. He was in the mid-stage of the Void-Breaking Realm.

"I am Duan Heng, the steward of the City Lord's Mansion and the host of this competition. Now, I will explain the rules. Please listen carefully," he announced.

"This competition lasts for three days. The first day is the elimination round, selecting the top 100. The second day will narrow it down to the top ten, and the third day will be the finals."

“In this arena competition, using prohibited weapons and drugs is strictly forbidden. Offenders will be disqualified immediately. You might not be able to avoid deadly attacks, but prioritize safety. If you can't continue, surrender immediately to be removed from the arena."

"For the top three rewards: first place receives 10,000 high-grade source crystals and a cultivation manual up to the Shattering Void Realm. Second place gets 8,000 high-grade source crystals, and third place receives 5,000 high-grade source crystals. Additionally, the top three can join the Yin-Yang Sect. Good luck!"

Most participants, being casual cultivators or from lesser-known sects, were stunned by the champion's rewards. The allure of advanced cultivation techniques and the opportunity to join the prestigious Yin-Yang Sect fueled their determination to win. 

"Next, proceed to your designated competition areas based on your registration numbers. Numbers 1 to 100 go to Arena One, numbers 101 to 200 to Arena Two, and so on," Duan Heng instructed.

Dozens of massive arenas, each inscribed with complex formations to withstand attacks from monks in the spirit condensation Realm, rose in the huge competition area. Honghong's number was 520, placing her in Arena Six.

"The knockout round will use a random confrontation mode. The names of opponents will appear on the arena's magic array. Please note the numbers to avoid confusion," Duan Heng continued.

All contestants nodded in understanding.

"The knockout competition begins now. Contestants whose names are displayed, please step onto your arenas. Remember, there is no killing, but prioritize your safety. If you can't continue, preserve your life to achieve greater heights later," Duan Heng concluded.

In a viewing attic, Gu Changsheng observed the proceedings calmly. Seated with him were the Lord of the Demon Suppressing City, a formidable life-and-death realm cultivator, and the heads of the Mu and Liu families, two prominent families in the city. The family heads were wary, aware of Gu Changsheng's power from the city lord's nervous reaction around him, so they didn’t dare to make any mistakes.

"Why not have a free-for-all in the knockout round? All cultivators rush forward, and the top 100 will be quickly determined," Gu Changsheng suggested.

The City Lord, breaking into a cold sweat, stammered, "My lord, as you say. The next competition will follow your suggestion."

The city lord knew that some participants would still be using the prohibited drugs and weapons which would be hard to detect in such close range. Despite his reservations about the chaos and potential rule violations in a melee, the City Lord was too terrified of Gu Changsheng to protest. He recalled Gu Changsheng's terrifying display of power and dared not contradict him.