The Portal of Wonderland

“Everyone, my name is Peng Tao, a deacon in the lower commandment hall and a century-old disciple. I will be the host for the second round of the challenge today! There are a total of 108 contestants, who will present themselves and show off their strength and power. Let me introduce you to the challengers for the day!” a red-browed youth announced aloud and raised his head to his left and right, drawing the crowd’s attention to him.

As his voice fell, the Qinglan Ranking in the center suddenly lit up with a layer of green light curtains, dividing the whole platform into three areas. The middle ring was naturally the largest, occupying three-thirds of the space.

Shi Mu and others immediately looked in the direction of the crowd and flew towards the platform, standing on the left side of the Qinglan Ranking.

On the other side of the ring were several flashes of light as well.

It was only a moment of effort, the ends of the ring were separated by a ray of blue light curtains. In the middle stood 108 disciples who would be taking on the battles today.

Shi Mu looked at the opposite side and his eyes fell on the leftmost figure.

This person wore a golden robe and his facial features were long. The surface of his skin seemed to be covered by a faint golden color. His figure was thin and straight, like a javelin. He stood upright, giving off a mysterious vibe.

“The elder disciple who ranked first, Long Zhanye…” Shi Mu thought, his eyes betraying his awe.

It was obvious that this person was extremely strong. Even with the current knowledge and sight Shi Mu possessed, he was not able to see through this person and which stage of cultivation he was in. Shi Mu’s only intuition told him that this person was undoubtedly strong. He may very well be the strongest opponent Shi Mu faced in his whole life.

Beside Long Zhanye stood a man in a green robe. His face was elegantly good-looking. This person was none other than brother Ling Feng. He did not change much for the past ten years. He still had a smile on his face, making him look relaxed and calm.

The disciples next to them were of different races and they seemed to be extraordinary.

He once learned from Qing Zhangtian that those who occupied the top ten places among the hundred-year-old disciples had retained their position for the past 30 years, some for centuries.

Shi Mu looked at them a few times and made a rough estimate of their strength.

Among the hundred other disciples on the opposite side, only a small number of them were of Xiantian level. The remainder were Moon-ranked magicians. Most of them were at the late stages of cultivation. The breath they exuded was strange and unpredictable. They clearly possessed secretive blood essence within them.

Shi Mu’s eyes turned and fell on Liao Yon who ranked thirty-seven. He happened to catch on to Shi Mu’s gaze and looked back at him with a cold smile in his eyes.

Shi Mu smiled and immediately looked away.

As Shi Mu was observing the elder disciples, the rest of the challengers and the people around the lower ring were mostly doing the same. After all, as the leader among the century-old disciples, most of them were hardly seen, making this a rare sight.

Among the upper disciples was a hint of arrogance to the point of not looking directly at their opponents. The rest were mostly looking at the challengers, assessing their strength in a vigilant manner from time to time.

“Well, since both sides have arrived, the second round of the test will officially start now! About the rules of the test, the elders have already explained but I’ll repeat once again. To all one 108 challengers, there is only one chance each to challenge the upper disciple at will. Upon winning, the victor will take the loser’s position. However, a disciple can only be challenged three times at most. If one has been challenged more than three times, they have the right to turn down the challenge. Is everyone clear?” the red-browed youth asked once more.

“Clear!” Shi Mu and the others replied in unison.

“Great! Since everyone is here now, the battles will start immediately!” the youth announced as he flew out of the ring and returned to the forefront of the high platform.

The onlookers around the ring suddenly went pin-drop silent.

Shi Mu and the other one 108 disciples did not immediately jump out of the challenge. Their eyes once again fell on each other, seemingly trying to decide which opponents to choose for their battle.

Time passed slowly and after a quarter of an hour, no one came up for the challenge.

“If no one makes a challenge in the next sixty seconds, all disciples will be considered as having forfeited. Time starts now!” came the red-browed youth’s voice once again. It was unknown when an hourglass appeared in his hand as he calculated the time passing by.

Within the hourglass, the time slowly went by.

A figure walked out from the left side of the crowd, falling in the middle of the battle ring.

“Since everyone is being so polite, then I shall go first! I’d like to challenge brother Fang Huifang, the disciple who ranked 100th on the ranking.”

This person was tall and his body was glowing red. It was none other than Chinizi.

At the same time, two other challenged disciples flew out, seemingly wanting to rush into the ring. Sadly, they were a pace slower than Chinizi, resulting in them being blocked by the blue light curtain in front of them. They were forced to turn back and wait for their turns after Chinizi’s battle.

Under the ring, there was a commotion.

On the opposite right side of the area, a figure walked out clad in black armor. He had a helmet covering the majority of his face but his eyes were dark as a black hole.

The man leaped from a distance through the cyan light curtain. He landed with a tremble that shook the stage.

Two red lights lit up under the dark helmet, and a slightly hoarse male voice sounded from within

“Challenging me once again? Hehe, that’s a good choice. My blade hasn’t tasted any blood for days now. I’ll be glad to take you as a sacrifice.”

Based on the tone of his voice, he did not seem like someone who was considered an elder disciple.

As Fang Huifang’s voice fell, a black broadsword that was a few feet long appeared in his palm. Fresh blood seemed to be flowing on top of it.

“We’ll see about that!”

Chinizi’s eyes were slightly stunned, revealing a dignified look. With a wave of his hands, a rifle glowing in red light emerged. The surface appeared to be covered in red flames.

Shi Mu’s eyes locked on the both of them. By analyzing the qi they exuded, he could tell they were at their peak compared to one another. The result of the battle would not rest on what kind of trump card they had under their sleeves.

He turned his gaze towards the direction of the gambling table not far away.

The gambling table seemed to be unobstructed.

“Come now, the first round of battle will begin soon. Chinizi versus the disciple who ranked 100th in the Holy Land Ranking. Those who want to place their bets better hurry up or be left behind!” Duan Muguang shouted loudly.

The disciples around him quickly placed their spirit stones on the table as bets.

Shi Mu’s focused his eyes and noticed the odds at the table at the moment. Chinizi was a two-for-one and the other was of three for one. It was plainly obvious that the party was rather optimistic.

“The battle begins now!” the red-browed youth sighed low and waved a blue light.