Chapter 618: True Heaven Talent Showdown

As this punch landed, silence instantly descended upon the Myriad Immortals Alliance territory.

The woman, however, remained perfectly calm, slowly withdrawing her fist. “Let’s go back,” she said.

The martial combat representative from the Five Elders Council also showed a flicker of fear in his eyes. He followed the farmwoman and slowly disappeared from the viewing mirror’s screen.

It wasn't until Xu Jing, a peak Soul Transformation cultivator from the Myriad Immortals Alliance, woke from his coma with a bewildered expression, that the spectators finally recovered from their shock.

“Wow! That old woman is incredibly strong!”“That punch felt like it could obliterate the Grand Dao itself!”“Did any of you manage to see how she struck?”

Including Li Fan, the spectators repeatedly replayed the footage just recorded by the viewing mirror.

However, even when slowed down to the absolute maximum, the farmwoman’s movements remained indiscernible. All they perceived was a blur, a sudden flash of a fist, and Xu Jing was already suppressed by the punch's force, completely unconscious.

“The Farmwoman’s Three Punches: Heaven Falls, Earth Crumbles.”Even the commentator seemed stunned by the punch. After a long silence, a single sentence slowly appeared on the screen.

“The Farmwoman’s Three Punches? Does that mean she still has two more punches of her ultimate technique left unrevealed?”“Hiss, if the first punch can easily suppress a prodigy like Xu Jing, who could withstand all three if she unleashed them?”“Shuofeng certainly couldn’t. What about Lu Wu?”“Lu Wu’s speed is too great; the farmwoman might not be able to injure him.”“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

Amidst everyone’s discussions, the first day of competitions finally concluded.

The eventual draw also seemed to set a good precedent for this “friendly exchange event.”

However, as the days passed, and the results of the remaining competitions — involving Dao, artifacts, formations, pills, and talismans — all unexpectedly ended in draws, the atmosphere gradually became unsettling.

If only the first and second days’ competitions had been draws, it could barely be explained as coincidence. But for all competitions over six consecutive days to end this way… the implications became rather intriguing.

It seemed as though the Myriad Immortals Alliance and the Five Elders Council had secretly reached some agreement, jointly sending a particular signal to all cultivators: a signal of “peace.”

From every perspective, both sides appeared evenly matched. Reigniting hostilities seemed unlikely to result in a decisive victory, at best leading to mutual destruction. Given this, was there any further need for conflict?

The cultivators across the land suddenly realized. The so-called “friendly exchange event” was nothing more than a grand performance. It was likely that the final outcomes had already been decided, with every match proceeding according to a script.

Nevertheless, spending one hundred contribution points to watch the spectacle and repeatedly study the matches of the various prodigies to gain insights was not a loss for most cultivators.

Moreover, this performance seemed to set a dominant tone of “peace” for the foreseeable future, finally bringing a sense of calm to the cultivators.

Consequently, even some time after the friendly exchange event concluded, discussions among cultivators about it continued.

“In my opinion, the prodigies who emerged from these competitions were nothing extraordinary. While strong, they didn’t exceed our expectations. I am currently at the Nascent Soul stage; once I break through, I might well be able to contend with them!”

“Precisely. Take Lu Wu, the nine-year-old Soul Transformation cultivator; he is, after all, still young. Observing his combat, he’s merely a bit fast. Upon closer thought, it might be possible to find a way to counter him.”

“I had the same thought. So it wasn’t an illusion?”

“We should all strive diligently in our cultivation. Perhaps next time there’s an opportunity for a performance, we too can participate and make a name for ourselves across the land.”

Just as cultivators across the land were feeling reinvigorated and capable, Li Fan received a message from Immortal Lord Hongxi.

“The true competition between both sides is about to begin. Care to join me and watch, kid?”

Li Fan's heart stirred slightly.

“The true competition? What do you mean by that, Sir?”

Hongxi replied in a lazy tone: “This friendly exchange event was divided into two parts: open and covert. On the surface, it was a performance-based competition with predetermined outcomes. Neither side participating in these matches could display truly despair-inducing or terrifying power. The great war has just ended, and it’s a time when new blood is needed. It wouldn’t do to dampen their enthusiasm for cultivation. Therefore, neither side truly exerted their full strength in those matches. But secretly, they always had to determine a true victor and probe each other's true capabilities.”

“The entire process of this competition must remain confidential. Each province only has two remote viewing slots. Ziyun is observing it firsthand, so that leaves one spot open,” Immortal Lord Hongxi explained.

Upon hearing this, Li Fan immediately agreed. At the same time, he felt somewhat relieved. He, too, had felt that the performance of those prodigies was somewhat underwhelming. While their techniques and moves were indeed impressive, none had displayed truly astonishing divine abilities. At equivalent strength, let alone compared to Li Fan, even Zhong Shentong, who commanded the Seven-Colored Divine Light, might not have been guaranteed a steady victory. Now, it seemed there truly was something amiss.

Li Fan arrived at the Bureau of Administration, where Hongxi was already waiting. He lightly tapped the table, and instantly, the scenery changed. They had moved from Congyun Immortal City to a mountain peak amidst a sea of clouds.

Li Fan was startled at first. However, seeing that Hongxi appeared to bear no ill will, he chose to wait and observe.

“This competition is about to begin. There won’t be any commentary; how much you grasp depends entirely on your own understanding.” As he spoke, he waved his hand, and in the distance, the sea of clouds churned, revealing a large square seal. The pattern carved on the seal seemed somewhat similar to the scenery of Congyun Sea.

At this moment, the large seal projected a ray of light upwards, illuminating the sky. The next instant, two figures suddenly appeared.

These were not merely fully realistic images; even the aura and oppressive presence emanating from them felt substantial. It was as if a great mountain had suddenly pressed down on him; Li Fan nearly bent over, struggling to breathe.

The spiritual power within his internal grotto-heaven circulated slightly, not at full strength, but enough to slightly alleviate the burden. Li Fan intently stared at the two figures standing above the sea of clouds.

One of them was strikingly similar to the nine-year-old Soul Transformation cultivator who had appeared earlier. Even their attire and weapons were identical. However, this one was even younger, appearing to be only five or six years old.

“Please enlighten me!” the figure spoke in a childish, milky voice, appearing utterly adorable.

But when he made his move, Li Fan's expression drastically changed.

He saw the figure gently grasp at the empty space ahead, and instantly, tens of thousands of silver rays descended from heaven and earth. While completely bathing the world in a silver hue, it also seemed to transform his surroundings into a domain under his control.

In Li Fan’s perception, the area in front of them had transformed as if into an independent world.

“I fear my Insect Binding divine ability would be greatly weakened within this domain,” a thought instantly arose in Li Fan’s mind.