Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 376 - Insane Rewards

The rules were fixed, but people could be flexible. Despite the rules, countless deaths occurred each year in the competition. Once one stepped onto the arena, they would have to fight until one side conceded voluntarily.

“Next, I will announce the rewards for this year!” That was what everyone cared about. After all, the rewards for each year drove the disciples to compete fiercely.

Liu Wuxie's gaze shifted to the stage. Rumors had circulated about the extravagant rewards this year, and he was eager to see what was being offered.

"One thousand points await those who reach the top one hundred!" This indicated that every participant making it into the top one hundred would receive one thousand points, a truly generous reward.

Roars could be heard from the surroundings. After all, most people couldn’t make it into the top ten, but they still had a chance to reach the top one hundred.

"Two thousand points await those in the top fifty!" Elder Tian Xing's voice drowned out the commotion. Those achieving this rank would earn two thousand additional points, on top of the initial one thousand.

Points held the same value as treasures; with sufficient points, participants could exchange them for any desired treasure. Upon entering the inner sect, even more valuable items such as sixth-grade pills, spiritual talismans, and guidance from elders became available for exchange.

“The top thirty will be rewarded with five thousand points!” The points increased exponentially. The top thirty would receive five thousand points, equivalent to several years of earnings for outer disciples.

“Ah, it's tough for us to crack the top thirty with our current strength. It's almost like taking a year off," sighed voices from the crowd.

“Don’t bother vexing about it. Those who can make it into the top thirty will become inner disciples. The points are meant to help them quickly gain a foothold in the inner sect, or do you think the points are given for nothing?” There were still many sensible people in the surroundings.

After all, the foundation of outer disciples was inferior to that of inner disciples when they advanced to the inner sect. The points were meant for them to develop quickly.

Those who reached the top thirty were experts in the outer sect but often found themselves at the bottom upon advancing to the inner sect. They needed substantial points to navigate this transition, and the rewards served to expedite their growth during this critical period.

Liu Wuxie nodded, grasping the significance of the rewards. The pivotal moment had arrived; historically, those who managed to break into the top ten were guaranteed at least ten thousand points.

“Ten thousand points for those who make it into the top ten!” Elder Xing Tian announced the reward for the top ten as expected. Points were one aspect, but there were additional rewards for the top ten, especially the champion.

The surroundings erupted because ten thousand points were something many disciples couldn’t accumulate even if they spent several years. Even Liu Wuxie was tempted by the reward.

Although Liu Wuxie still had forty thousand points on him, who would complain about having more points?

It seemed like a lot, but sixth-grade pills cost one thousand points, while fifth-grade pills required just one hundred points, creating a tenfold disparity.

“I wonder what the reward is for the champion and runner-up. They shouldn’t be worse than last year.” The surrounding discussion grew louder. Everyone was most concerned about the top three rewards; ten thousand points only caused a minor stir.

“I believe everyone is getting impatient. After all, the rewards for the top three have always been highly anticipated, and this year is no exception.” Elder Tian Xing looked around, slowing his speech and making everyone hold their breath.

“The third place will receive an additional ten thousand points, two hours in the Scripture Collection Hall, a guidance session with an elder, and one day of cultivation in the Celestial Spirit Cave,” Elder Xing Tian said, and gasps could be heard from the surroundings.

"The rewards are overly generous. In previous years, the reward of cultivating in the Celestial Spirit Cave wasn't offered!" An uproar erupted around Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie was bewildered upon hearing about the Celestial Spirit Cave. He hadn't known about it because neither Jian Xing'er nor Bai Lin had shared that information with him.

"The Celestial Spirit Cave! I've heard that one can absorb a faint immortal aura inside. Just cultivating there for two hours can yield tremendous benefits, potentially paving the way to immortality." The six peaks were in chaos.

“Senior brother, can you tell me more about the Celestial Spirit Cave?” Liu Wuxie had read many books but had never seen any record of this cave. Thus, he turned to ask the youth beside him.

“You don’t know about the Celestial Spirit Cave?” The youth looked at Liu Wuxie with a hint of disdain as though he was looking at a country bumpkin coming to the city for the first time. After all, the Celestial Spirit Cave was the only sacred land in the sect.

Typically, only the sect’s higher-ups had the authority to enter because even true disciples couldn’t cultivate inside. No one had expected it to be part of the rewards for this year’s competition.

“Please enlighten me!” Liu Wuxie asked humbly and showed no emotion on his face.

Seeing how polite Liu Wuxie was, the youth didn’t conceal anything and explained, “The Celestial Spirit Cave is the only sacred land in the sect. Only the patriarchs and grand elders are allowed to cultivate there.”

The title of the only sacred land was enough to drive countless people insane.

“What about true disciples?” Liu Wuxie asked.

After all, those in the top three would advance into the inner sect. This meant inner disciples were allowed to cultivate inside, which should also be possible for elite and true disciples.

"Entry is reserved for those who make substantial contributions to the sect; it's not accessible to the public."

Liu Wuxie learned from the youth that the Celestial Spirit Cave wasn't a typical sect benefit, and entry couldn't be purchased with any amount of points.

One could only be allowed to cultivate inside the Celestial Spirit Cave by making significant contributions to the sect.

"What makes the Celestial Spirit Cave so special? Why is everyone so excited about it?" It was evident from the expressions of those around him that the Celestial Spirit Cave held legendary status among them.

Ninety-nine percent of the disciples only knew the name of the Celestial Spirit Cave; they had no idea of its location, let alone how to gain entry.

"I don’t know all the details, but any disciple who enters the Celestial Spirit Cave experiences a profound transformation, often achieving breakthroughs across several levels. More importantly, their talents are said to multiply. Legend has it that a decade ago, an elite disciple spent three days in the Celestial Spirit Cave and ascended to the Nascent Transformation Realm within three years." After sharing this, the youth fell silent, and Elder Tian Xing proceeded to announce the runner-up reward.

Liu Wuxie was fascinated by the Celestial Spirit Cave's potential to facilitate advancement from the Heavenly Phase Realm to the Nascent Transformation Realm. Its restricted access suggested one thing: the cave's energy required substantial time to replenish after each opening. This limitation prevented the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion from operating the cave year-round and mass-producing experts.

“On top of the base rewards, the second place will receive an additional twenty thousand points, four hours in the Scripture Collection Hall, one guidance session, and two days in the Celestial Spirit Cave.”

A commotion erupted among the crowd as Elder Tian Xing announced the reward. While the difference between second and third place wasn't substantial in terms of additional hours in the Scripture Collection Hall—just two more hours—the opportunity to peruse numerous books within that timeframe was highly coveted.

Two hours might not be enough to study a martial technique thoroughly, but four hours could be sufficient. In contrast, those in third place could only manage to skim through a few basic techniques.

However, four hours were barely enough to finish reading a complete martial technique. Then again, that was secondary because the second place would receive twenty thousand points, sufficient to exchange for a decent martial technique. The main prize was the opportunity to enter the Celestial Spirit Cave.

Second place meant obtaining an additional day in the Celestial Spirit Cave compared to third. Since the establishment of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, the highest reward given was seven days in the Celestial Spirit Cave, and it was given to a true disciple who had saved the lives of several hundred other disciples.

The competition hadn’t even started yet, but everyone was already excited as if the rewards were theirs. That was especially the case for disciples who had reached the Heavenly Dipper Realm. Everyone was secretly gathering their strength and ensuring they were in top condition.

“What do you think the champion’s reward will be?” The champion’s reward hadn’t been announced yet, but it would be even more generous, judging from the second and third-place rewards.

Everyone craned their necks, eyes fixed on the stage where the elders stood. Elder Tian Xing swept his sharp gaze across the crowd before speaking slowly, “As for the champion, fifty thousand points on top of the base rewards...”

Before Elder Tian Xing even finished speaking, gasps echoed through the crowd. After all, the second place would only get twenty thousand points, but the champion would receive fifty thousand points.

Including the base rewards for the top ten, the champion would receive a total of sixty thousand points, enough to exchange for an incomplete heaven-grade martial technique.

Elder Tian Xing frowned, displeased by the surrounding commotion. He released his Nascent Transformation Realm aura, instantly silencing the crowd. Everyone held their breath, filled with anticipation for the forthcoming rewards.

“In addition to the points, the champion will also receive six hours in the Scripture Collection Hall, a guidance session from an elder, and three days in the Celestial Spirit Cave...” Elder Tian Xing paused intentionally, building suspense and reminding everyone that the rewards didn't end there.

“In addition to the points, the champion will also receive six hours in the Scripture Collection Hall, a guidance session from an elder, and three days in the Celestial Spirit Cave...” Elder Tian Xing paused intentionally, building suspense and reminding everyone that the rewards didn't end there.

"Senior Brother Shao Wendong will surely be this year’s champion!" came the flattery from a group within a fifty-meter radius. A man in a white robe stood out from the crowd, surrounded by admiration and respect. Though he appeared to be at the third level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm, his actual cultivation was much higher.

“Quiet, Elder Tian Xing hasn’t finished speaking. There should be additional rewards,” someone quickly interjected, urging everyone to listen. The crowd quieted down, eager to hear what else was in store.

“Elder Tian Xing, are there still more rewards? Don’t keep us in suspense; tell us everything at once,” the crowd urged, their curiosity piqued.

Elder Tian Xing smiled and said, “Besides the rewards already mentioned, the higher-ups have decided to raise the stakes even further after careful discussion.” His gaze unintentionally fell on Liu Wuxie.

The rewards were already enough to drive everyone crazy, and the thought of more was almost too much to bear.

“More rewards! How exciting!” The crowd buzzed with excitement. Even if they couldn’t obtain the rewards themselves, witnessing such a grand event was thrilling.

“In addition to the original rewards, we will add a supreme sixth-grade pill, the Meridians Purifying Pill, and ten high-grade spirit stones,” Elder Tian Xing announced; even the six peaks’ masters and deacons were stunned.

Such generous rewards had never been offered in the history of the sect's outer competition.