For martial artists, continual cultivation is also a form of enjoyment, especially for someone like Ye Zhen who yearns for increased strength; they find pleasure in it.
Therefore, when Ye Zhen received Fengh Qingyue’s talisman communication, deep down, he was unwilling to participate in the semi-annual competition of Moonlight Hall.
Half a year ago, Ye Zhen had killed a martial artist at the peak of the Fifth Stage of the Soul Sea Realm as casually as slaughtering chickens or dogs. Not to mention today, after consecutive breakthroughs in strength.
Regarding the current Moonlight Hall competition, Ye Zhen had absolutely no interest.
To Ye Zhen, it felt like a lion baring its fangs in a flock of sheep, which was meaningless.
Moreover, he had even more reason not to participate.
According to the rules of Moonlight Hall, any member whose cultivation has broken through within a year may directly enjoy the upper-class monthly allowance of Moonlight Hall.
In other words, with Ye Zhen’s current cultivation at the Third Stage of the Soul Sea Realm, after the semi-annual competition, Ye Zhen’s monthly allowance within Moonlight Hall could be promoted from the middle-class monthly allowance to the upper-class monthly allowance.
With a direct way to upgrade the monthly allowance, why bother participating in the semi-annual competition?
Ye Zhen’s reply to Fengh Qingyue was just that straightforward and simple.
But, Fengh Qingyue’s subsequent talisman letter made it impossible for Ye Zhen not to stand now in the martial arts arena of Moonlight Hall.
"If you want to participate in the Spirit Returning Assembly, you need to win the semi-annual competition of Moonlight Hall in order to have a chance!"
Just this sentence forced Ye Zhen to interrupt his cultivation.
Participating in the Spirit Returning Assembly was a deal between Ye Zhen and Tian Guizhang and a promise.
A man’s promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold; Tian Guizhang had obtained the Black Lotus Pill for Ye Zhen, fulfilling his promise. Therefore, Ye Zhen had to keep his word as well, participate in the Spirit Returning Assembly, and make it into the top three.
The only choice Ye Zhen had was which session of the Spirit Returning Assembly to participate in, this one or the next?
Since Ye Zhen had arrived at the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s martial arts arena in Moonlight Hall today, Ye Zhen’s choice was self-evident.
The semi-annual competition of Moonlight Hall was even more grandiose than Ye Zhen had imagined.
By the time Ye Zhen arrived, not only had all ninety-nine members of Moonlight Hall aside from him assembled, but also several of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect’s leaders had come to watch.
People like Vice Sect Master Tian Guizhang, Yao Sen, the Grand Commander of the Sun and Moon Divine Guards Jio Yuanxiu, the Second Commander Chen Changxing, the Third Commander Jiao Xi, and the Punishment Hall Elder Tus De were present.
Of course, the reason Elder Tus De from the Punishment Hall was present was mainly to supervise the fairness of the semi-annual competition, since the rewards for the top ten competitors in the Moonlight Hall competition were quite substantial.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Moonlight Hall is the cradle for nurturing talents in our Divine Sect. The Divine Sect provides you with generous monthly allowances, and it has never assigned any Divine Sect missions. The purpose is to allow you all to cultivate in peace, aiming for breakthroughs to serve the Divine Sect faithfully."
"Today, we shall assess the results of your cultivation!" Fengh Qingyue’s voice rang out, "Now, Punishment Hall Elder Tus shall announce the rules for this semi-annual competition!"
As Punishment Hall Elder Tus stood up, his blood-red regalia, along with his oppressive aura, immediately made the temperature inside the martial arts arena drop a few degrees.
"Master Fengh has said what needs to be said, and I will not belabor it. I will speak only of the rules here. After the competition, everything must proceed according to the rules. I hope that during the competition, all participants will display their true skills and not be among those who fall clumsily!"
"This semi-annual competition consists of two contests: a group stage and a ranking match!"
"As before, the groupings will be determined by the passage through the Sun and Moon Divine Altar. Those who break through the third layer will be placed in the first group, those who only break through the second layer will be placed in the second group, and those who only breach the first layer will be placed into the third group.
Warriors assigned to the first group are tentatively granted an upper-class monthly allowance, those in the second group a middle-class monthly allowance, and those in the third group a lower monthly allowance.
Humph, if one cannot even breach the first layer, they will be expelled from Moonlight Hall on the spot!" The cold and stern voice of Elder Tus De echoed.
"Pass the Sun and Moon Divine Altar?"
Ye Zhen’s expression showed some surprise; he had thought the semi-annual competition would just be a martial contest and did not expect such an arrangement.
"Following the group stage is the ranking match, where each group will conduct their ranking battles separately. The top three warriors of the first group will receive rewards specially prepared by the Divine Sect.
However, the last three ranked in the ranking match of the third group will be... expelled from Moonlight Hall!" With these words, the faces of all the martial artists of Moonlight Hall turned solemn.
The treatment in Moonlight Hall is indeed generous, and there are no missions assigned. Yet the semi-annual competition is not to be underestimated. To put it plainly, six people would be eliminated each year.
"In addition, after the rankings are determined, they will be compared to the previous two competitions’ rankings. Those whose ranking rises more than five positions will have their monthly allowance upgraded by one level. Those whose ranking falls behind by more than five positions will have their monthly allowance downgraded by one level.
Furthermore, those who rank below seventy-fifth place in three consecutive semi-annual competitions and whose ranking declines each time will be directly expelled!"
Several punishments were announced one after another, making the faces of the many martial artists of Moonlight Hall turn somber once more, and even Ye Zhen was somewhat astonished.
The competition within Moonlight Hall was fiercer than Ye Zhen had imagined. If one was unlucky, about ten people would be eliminated in just one semi-annual major comparison, and there were only a total of one hundred members in Moonlight Hall.
"Next, we shall commence the group competition!" While speaking, Elder Tus De of the Punishment Hall turned his gaze towards Grand Commander Jio Yuanxiu of the Sun and Moon Divine Guards, "I ask Commander-in-Chief Jio to activate the Ritual Altar!"
"Sure!"
Upon agreement, Jio Yuanxiu from the Sun and Moon Divine Guards flicked his hand, and three dots of starlight flew toward the air, beginning to interweave and spin. As they intertwined and rotated, they actually formed a screen of light.
Gradually, the light screen started spinning and showed a tendency to form a Vortex Light Gate.
"A Secret Realm?"
Ye Zhen was somewhat surprised, having not expected the Sun and Moon Altar mentioned by Elder Tus De to actually be a Secret Realm.
"The Sun and Moon Divine Altar is a secret realm fundamental to the foundation of the Sun and Moon Divine Sect, profoundly mysterious and infinitely useful. When activated by someone, it can generate countless Spirit Shadows made purely from concentrated Spiritual Power," Fengh Qingyue’s voice timely echoed in Ye Zhen’s mind.
"Don’t underestimate these Spirit Shadows made purely from Spiritual Power. Their combat power within the Sun and Moon Altar is almost the same as that of real martial artists, and their strength can be controlled at will by the person who activates them.
During the semi-annual comparison, the first layer of the Sun and Moon Divine Altar will contain thirty Fourth Stage Soul Sea Realm martial artists, whose combat power is only slightly less than that of ordinary Fourth Stage Soul Sea Realm martial artists. The second layer will have twenty Spirit Shadows at the Fifth Stage of the Soul Sea Realm, and their combat power is only slightly weaker than that of real Fifth Stage Soul Sea Realm martial artists.
The third layer of the Sun and Moon Divine Altar houses ten First Stage Vein Forging Realm Spirit Shadows, whose combat power lies between the peak of the Fifth Stage of the Soul Sea Realm and the First Stage of Vein Forging Realm. They are particularly skilled in Joint Strike techniques and are extremely formidable, and must not be taken lightly.
Moreover, every person who enters the Sun and Moon Divine Altar does so into an independent space, meaning, when you enter the Sun and Moon Altar, everyone faces the same enemies! Also, the attacks within the Sun and Moon Altar are just as lethal; if you die inside the Sun and Moon Altar, you truly die!
If you cannot handle it, simply crush the Jade Talisman given to you, and you can immediately get out," advised Fengh Qingyue.
With Fengh Qingyue’s advice, Ye Zhen was no longer clueless, while many of the other martial artists of Moonlight Hall, having gone through this several times already, calmly waited.
The ball of light thrown by the Grand Commander of the Sun and Moon Divine Guards spun faster and increased in speed until, in an instant of silent ripples of Spiritual Power spreading in all directions, a Vortex Light Gate abruptly materialized before everyone’s eyes.
"The Divine Altar is ready, please take a Jade Talisman and enter in turn. Remember, this time’s limit is only two hours; the Divine Altar will shut down automatically after two hours. By then, the stage you have reached will be your score!" Jio Yuanxiu said.
Thereupon, a hundred martial artists of Moonlight Hall, after receiving a Jade Talisman from a Sun and Moon Divine Guard, lined up in turn to step through the Vortex Light Gate of the Sun and Moon Divine Altar. Soon, it was Ye Zhen’s turn.
"Ye Zhen, within the Divine Altar, do not hold back. You must charge through the Altar as quickly as possible. That way, when I recommend you—a martial artist at the Third Stage of the Soul Sea Realm—to participate in the Spirit Returning Assembly in one and a half months, there will be more confidence in success. The probability of success will also be higher!
However, to come back to it, the speed at which your Cultivation has improved truly surprised me. I had originally thought that your Cultivation had reached its limit at the Second Stage of the Soul Sea Realm, at most, but to think it has reached the third level..."
Tian Guizhang’s Divine Soul Telecommunication was abruptly cut off as Ye Zhen’s figure vanished into the Divine Altar’s Vortex Light Gate, and Ye Zhen was the last to enter. As Ye Zhen’s figure disappeared, the crowd’s murmurs abruptly began.
"Master Fengh, I remember that during the last two semi-annual major comparisons of Moonlight Hall, the number of people who passed through the third layer of the Altar was seventeen and fifteen, respectively, which was less than the previous years. I wonder how many it will be this time?
Alas, to think about it, the capabilities of Moonlight Hall’s martial artists are declining generation by generation. Ten years ago, in each comparison, the number of people who could enter the first group could reach up to thirty at most, but nowadays?" Vice Sect Master Yao Sen said, shaking his head.
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of everyone present became a bit peculiar, and the wise chose to remain silent.
This arguably was Vice Sect Master Yao Sen indirectly criticizing Moonlight Hall Master Fengh Qingyue for not being competent, for leading the Hall to decline year by year.
However, Vice Sect Master Yao Sen had deep-seated authority, and Moonlight Hall Master Fengh Qingyue had a very strong background as well. They had no reason to get involved in the warfare between these two.
Fengh Qingyue’s pretty face suddenly darkened, and her expression turned sour.
Regardless of the reasons, what Yao Sen said was indeed the truth.
"Haha, Vice Sect Master Yao, your words seem amiss! Just last year alone, more than ten martial artists from Moonlight Hall successfully broke through to the Vein Forging Realm, only to be snatched away by other halls.
So many elites disappeared all at once, how could we recover from that?
Besides, in this year’s semi-annual major comparison, the number of martial artists who can pass through to the first group will absolutely be nothing less than what it was last time!" Tian Guizhang stated.
"Nothing less? I believe it will be sixteen people, right? From the last semi-annual major comparison until now, there have been only four new martial artists in Moonlight Hall, and among those four, probably only Ye Zhen has a chance to break through to the third layer of the Divine Altar. That’s why you said it’s nothing less. Haha, indeed, one more person is still more, isn’t it?" Yao Sen laughed unrestrainedly.
As Yao Sen laughed, Third Commander Jiao Xi also began to laugh, and Grand Commander Jio Yuanxiu also chuckled a couple of times.
Tian Guizhang was not in a hurry, and after Yao Sen finished laughing, he slowly stated, "Sometimes, having one extra genius is worth more than having another ten-plus people! To me, with a martial artist like Ye Zhen among the recent Maidens of the Moonlight Hall, he alone is enough for the Moonlight Hall to shine brightly!"
"Humph, preposterous!" Upon hearing this, Yao Sen scoffed without hesitation!
(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

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