Chapter 475

Chapter 475: Sect Dao Debate, Four Void Realm
Dong.

A long bell rang out.

The huge platform suddenly fell silent.

Everyone who had come to take part in the Sect Dao Debate turned their eyes toward the towering stage in the center.

Ten cultivators wearing the robes of different sects walked up one after another.

Sect Master Hengnan of the Lingyin Sect was among them.

As they appeared, the surroundings grew so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

The elderly man standing in the very center spoke slowly: “Fellow Cultivators. The Sect Dao Debate of the Bi Fang Realm, held once every five hundred years, is about to begin. I, together with the Sect Masters of the top ten sects from the Upper Realm’s previous Dao Debate, will preside over this gathering.”

His voice was not loud, but it clearly entered every person’s ears.

“The one speaking is Sect Leader Wen Ding of the Qingxu Sect. The Qingxu Sect was the champion of the last Dao Debate,” Senior Qun Fang’s voice quietly reached Yu Zhao’s ears.

Yu Zhao nodded silently.

Based on her investigations over the past few days, the Qingxu Sect was once again the favorite to win the title.

This was all because the Qingxu Sect had produced a so-called once-in-a-thousand-years monstrous Disciple who had already broken through to the Void Refining Stage before the age of two hundred.

Some people believed he would definitely pass the selection of the Daqian Alliance and advance to the Great World.

Because of this Disciple’s fame and pressure, many other sects felt a great sense of threat. It was also for this reason that the Lingyin Sect broke the rules for the first time and sought outside help.

Thinking of this, Yu Zhao subconsciously looked toward the Qingxu Sect’s area, and saw that many people were also looking that way.

As the focus of the crowd, Lu Jiu Yuan seemed unaware of it all. His light blue eyes calmly watched the Sect Leader on the high stage, while his fingers played casually with a crystal-clear folding fan.

“This Dao Debate will be different from the last one,” Sect Leader Wen Ding continued. “After discussing with the various Sect Masters, we have decided that this Dao Debate will take place inside the Four Void Realm.

“The participating Disciples will first receive a number token, then send their consciousness into the Four Void Realm to compete and eliminate each other. The ten people who survive in the end will be the winners of this Dao Debate.

“You must note that there is no Spirit Power within the Four Void Realm. The only thing you can rely on is your own comprehension of Dao Intent.

“And each sect may only have one Disciple survive to the end. If there is any violation, that sect will be disqualified, and the best-performing other participant will replace them.”

The announcement of the new rules caused an uproar at once.

“We are not comparing Spirit Power, but Dao Intent? How are we supposed to compare that?”

“Why did we not hear even a hint of this? Did the top ten sects secretly join hands and set this up on purpose so we cannot win?”

“This is not fair! We don’t accept these rules!”

“…”

Some were shocked, some were angry, and some simply started to shout.

“Qun Fang, did you know about this beforehand?”

While the crowd boiled, Ancestor Sui Bian quietly asked Senior Qun Fang in a low voice.

Senior Qun Fang shook her head: “Hengnan never mentioned this to me before.”

Ancestor Sui Bian relaxed.

If even Qun Fang had not known, then it was obvious that the ten people on the stage had decided this in private.

Since no one else knew either, there was nothing to be afraid of.

Besides, this was a contest of Dao Intent. It was practically a set of rules made just for Yu Zhao.

[This time, it would be harder for Yu Zhao to lose than to win.]

In the ranks of Burning Heaven Valley, Du Wu Xiang’s face also turned dark.

Last time, he had lost to Yu Zhao in a contest of Dao Intent.

This time, the result seemed already decided.

“After you enter the Four Void Realm, try your best to avoid Yu Zhao. Do not clash with her. Just hold on until the very end,” Ancestor Fei Hong warned in a deep voice, and could not help sighing inwardly.

[The next time he saw Sui Bian, Sui Bian would probably look down his nose at him.]

“The rules for this competition were decided by us ten Sect Masters together and were not told to any outsiders. If any sect has objections, you may choose to withdraw from this Dao Debate. If you stay, it means you accept the rules. Anyone who continues to speak maliciously will be treated as breaking the rules.”

Sect Leader Wen Ding of the Qingxu Sect was very firm. With just a few sentences, he pressed down all the voices around them.

He swept his gaze around. Seeing no one speaking up anymore, he waved his hand. Over a thousand number tokens whistled out and floated above the high stage.

“The Dao Debate is about to begin. Disciples taking part from each sect, please come and take your tokens.”

When his words fell, the entire place fell silent again.

No one dared to move.

At this moment, Lu Jiu Yuan casually tossed out the folding fan in his hand.

The fan drew an arc in the air, circled once, then fell back into his hand. Between the fan’s ribs was now a simple, ancient-looking number token.

His action was like a signal. Disciples from other sects also began using their own methods to take tokens.

Yu Zhao wrapped one of the tokens with her own Soul Force and pulled it toward herself.

But halfway over, a figure leaped up. A big hand shot out and grabbed the token tightly. A provocative smile appeared on the man’s face.

Yu Zhao’s expression stayed calm. Not a ripple showed in her eyes.

Just as the token was about to leave her control, she moved her mind and stirred the Soul Force clinging to it.

With a muffled bang, the man’s palm burst open with a spray of blood. He cried out in pain as his five fingers loosened against his will.

Under many shocked gazes, the bloodstained token wobbled back through the air and stopped steadily in front of Yu Zhao.

She flicked her finger. A wisp of Spirit Power swept across the surface of the token, wiping away all the glaring blood.

Only after the token looked as good as new did Yu Zhao calmly take it into her hand.

Then she lifted her eyes and gave a small smile toward the man glaring fiercely at her in the distance.

“I will remember you.”

The man shot Yu Zhao one last vicious glare, spat out this harsh line, then turned and went to snatch other people’s tokens.

Ancestor Sui Bian curled his lip in disgust.

[Trash like this dares to shout in front of my little Yu Zhao. He really needs a beating. Once we get into that Four Void Realm, I’ll make sure this brat cries till he has no tears left.]

In just a few breaths, all the tokens above the stage were taken.

“Inside the Four Void Realm, death will not harm your body,” Sect Leader Wen Ding went on, his tone carrying a hint of warning. “But the death of your consciousness will likely leave a crack in your Dao heart. One day in the future, that crack may become your Heart Devil when you try to break through a realm.”

As soon as he said this, the crowd burst into noise again.

“A crack in the Dao heart? Isn’t that even more terrifying than being injured in the flesh?”

“Exactly, and it might create a Heart Devil! This is way too much!”

“In the past, there were never rules like this. Why is it suddenly so hard now that it’s our turn?”

Even Ancestor Sui Bian and Senior Qun Fang’s expressions grew serious.

Sect Leader Wen Ding seemed to have expected this reaction. He raised his hand slightly to signal everyone to quiet down.

He drew his palm lightly through the air, and a faint ripple spread out.

“Disciples who are willing to continue taking part in this Dao Debate, pour your Divine Sense into your tokens. After ten breaths, Disciples who have not yet infused their Divine Sense will be treated as having given up.”

“Ten.”

“Nine.”

“Eight.”

“…”

“Yu Zhao.”

Yu Zhao nodded to the worried Ancestor Sui Bian, the black-robed Daoist, and the others, telling them to rest assured. The next moment, she poured her Divine Sense into the token without any hesitation.

When she opened her eyes again, the world before her had already changed.