Han Li steadied himself and scanned the platform, spotting several individuals Zhou Xianyang had mentioned as noteworthy.

Among them were Luo Yuanshan of Qinghui Forest and Fairy Ziluo of Tianyou Lake, and of course, Si Kongjian, who had disregarded his status as sect leader to participate personally.

The audience below disapproved of his actions, even finding them shameful, and a chorus of boos erupted around the plaza.

Si Kongjian, however, simply smiled, snapped open his folding fan with a "pap," and began to fan himself with an air of composure, unmoved by the jeers.

Despite their disdain, many secretly admired his audacity, recognizing the immense benefits that a Bodhi Token could bring, making it a gamble worth taking.

In that respect, Si Kongjian's gamble was not entirely foolish.

"Sect Leader Zhou, if your fellow Daoist Chang is lucky enough to draw Si Kongjian, be sure to defeat him. It would send Guyang Peak's reputation plummeting, and avenge your long-standing feud," Zhao Yuanlai said with a laugh.

"Drawing lots is a matter of chance; how likely is such a coincidence?" Zhou Xianyang replied with a smile, secretly hoping Zhao Bolao would encounter Si Kongjian.

The truth was, Si Kongjian's strength as a sect leader was well-established, and his reputation for treachery preceded him. Naturally, others hoped to avoid a confrontation.

"Here are ninety-six numbered pellets. Each of you will choose one, and the number on it will be your designation. Then, we will pair you up according to these numbers: Number One will fight Number Ninety-six, Number Two will fight Number Ninety-five, and so on. Is that clear?" the presiding elder said slowly.

"Clear," the participants responded in unison.

"Begin selecting your numbers," the presiding elder announced, tossing his hand.

Ninety-six luminous pellets soared into the air, hanging above the crowd like a scattering of stars.

Each participant reached out, and a pellet fell like a shooting star into their hand.

Han Li summoned a pellet, channeling a strand of immortal spiritual power into it. The pellet dimmed, revealing a number.

"Number Ninety-one..." Han Li murmured to himself.

The others around him also held their pellets, examining their numbers.

Si Kongjian's number naturally drew the most attention, and many eyes turned in his direction.

Seeing the attention on him, he didn't hide it, openly raising his pellet. It showed the number "Nine Zero," making his number Ninety.

"How could this be..." a wail came from the crowd.

People turned to see a green-skinned man with pointed ears and bulging cheeks, clutching a pellet and staring at Si Kongjian in despair.

While others breathed a sigh of relief, they couldn't help but sympathize with the unfortunate man.

"Heh, what bad luck. Fellow Daoist Chang, what number did you get?" Zhao Bolao suddenly appeared beside Han Li, asking with a smile.

Han Li raised his pellet for him to see.

Seeing the number, the smile froze on Zhao Bolao's face. He raised his own pellet.

Han Li frowned, seeing the number "Six" written on it, corresponding to Number Ninety-one.

"This is... quite the fate..." Zhao Bolao said with a wry smile.

His expression was bitter, full of regret, but his lips twitched slightly, betraying his true delight.

Earlier, when communicating with Zhao Yuanlai, they had both agreed that "Chang Qi" was a useless simpleton. Now that he had stumbled upon such a great opportunity, his joy was hard to contain.

"This... I beg Brother Bolao for mercy," Han Li's acting surpassed his, his voice low with a hint of anxiety amidst his regret.

"Fellow Daoist Chang, it's mutual..." Hearing this, Zhao Bolao's confidence surged, but his words remained polite.

"Now that you have all chosen your pellets, will the holders of numbers one through twelve, and the last twelve numbers, please ascend to the twelve Earthly Branch Martial Platforms and begin your contests. The rest will wait for their turn," the presiding elder announced again.

Han Li and Zhao Bolao were among the first to fight, assigned to the sixth martial platform, the Si platform, according to the twelve Earthly Branches.

Si Kongjian's Wu platform was right next to theirs, only a hundred zhang away.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the first twenty-four contestants ascended to the martial platforms.

Zhou Xianyang and Zhao Yuanlai had barely begun to celebrate that neither Han Li nor Zhao Bolao had drawn Si Kongjian when they saw the two of them appear on the same martial platform.

"What a coincidence..." Zhao Yuanlai and Zhou Xianyang said almost simultaneously.

There was surprise and a touch of schadenfreude in both their voices.

"Sect Leader Zhou, our two sects have always been close. No matter the outcome today, let's not damage our harmony," Zhao Yuanlai said, turning to Zhou Xianyang with a chuckle.

Zhao Yuanlai naturally assumed he was in a winning position, paving the way for Zhao Bolao to defeat Han Li.

"Of course," Zhou Xianyang replied with a smile.

Whether Han Li was impersonating his junior brother or it was truly Chang Qi fighting, he had confidence in his junior brother.

On the circular stone platform, those seated in the center were not particularly interested in the contests, merely chatting amongst themselves. They were surrounded by an invisible barrier, separating them from the others. None could hear their conversation and no one dared to eavesdrop.

"Celestial Envoy Feng, I heard that there has been turmoil in the True Immortal Realm lately. Not only is the Samsara Hall restless, but even the Gray World is stirring. What's going on?" Chun Junzhen asked.

"Traces of Gray World creatures have been found in many places in the Northern Cold Immortal Territory, the Qing Mang Immortal Territory, and the Black Mountain Immortal Territory. However, they are only minor skirmishes and pose no real threat," Celestial Envoy Feng Tian said with a dismissive smile.

Hearing this, Chun Junzhen frowned. If the Heavenly Court maintained such an attitude, that would be a problem in itself.

"Didn't the Heavenly Court make arrangements in the Gray World before? Has something changed in the Gray World?" Chun Junzhen asked.

"There have indeed been changes in the Gray World. The formerly neutral Black Rope Domain has begun to join forces with the Samsara Domain. The Nine Nether Domain, under pressure, has severed its ties with our Heavenly Court. In short, from what we can see, they seem to have reached a consensus and are launching a large-scale invasion of the Immortal Realm," Celestial Envoy Feng Tian said with a hesitant expression before finally speaking through sound transmission.

Although Chun Junzhen had already received some information, he was still surprised to hear it directly from Feng Tian.

Many years ago, the Ancestor had analyzed the future situation of the Immortal Territory, and now it seemed to be gradually coming to pass.

As the two were talking, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the plaza. The presiding elder, seeing that the twelve Earthly Branch Martial Platforms were occupied by the contestants, announced the start of the contests.

"Forgive me, Brother Bolao," Han Li said, cupping his fist towards Zhao Bolao on the Si platform.

"Fellow Daoist Chang, please do not hesitate to strike," Zhao Bolao replied with a smile.

With a wave of his hand, a white light curtain appeared out of thin air, expanding to envelop the entire martial platform.

The light curtain shimmered with a crystalline glow, its surface covered in a dense array of six-petaled snowflake patterns.

"Brother Bolao's ice attribute law power is truly profound. I have broadened my horizons," Han Li said with a smile.

"I heard that Fellow Daoist Chang excels in Xuanxiu body refinement. Today, I will have the opportunity to learn from you," Zhao Bolao said politely, but his actions were not hesitant at all.

With a wave of his hands, wisps of blue frost qi rose from the ground, and the sound of "crackling" ice echoed through the air. A layer of blue ice crystals spread out instantly, covering the entire martial platform.

Han Li stomped his foot heavily on the ground, and a wave of white astral qi expanded from beneath his feet. The surging blue ice crystals were instantly shattered into powder by a powerful force.

Seeing this, a smile appeared on Zhao Bolao's lips. With a gesture of his hands, the frost qi on the ground intensified, and sharp ice cones rose from the ground in layers, stabbing towards the sky like spears.

Seeing this, Han Li activated hundreds of his Xuan窍, and leaped into the air.

Immediately after, Zhao Bolao's figure flickered behind him, following closely.

He held a blue spear in his hand, thrusting it straight towards Han Li's heart.

With Han Li's speed, it would have been easy to dodge. However, he was participating as Chang Qi, and showing extraordinary speed would only arouse suspicion.

Therefore, he simply lowered his shoulder, dropped down, and stood on the tips of two ice cones, allowing the blue spear to strike his shoulder.

Seeing that Han Li had avoided a vital point, Zhao Bolao felt a slight regret. He poured immortal spiritual power into his hands.

The runes on the tip of the blue spear lit up instantly, and a wave of extreme cold energy seeped out. The spear tip glowed with blue light, from which a blue ice flame surged, freezing half of Han Li's shoulder and his entire arm.

"Fellow Daoist Chang, I apologize," Zhao Bolao said, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

He shook the spear in his hand, and a powerful force penetrated it, instantly shattering the newly frozen ice crystals.

Han Li felt a numbness in his arm, and the blue ice crystals covering it turned into a light blue powder, dissipating into the air.

"How is this possible?"

Zhao Bolao's expression instantly turned ugly when he saw that Han Li's arm had not disappeared with the ice crystals.

"Brother Bolao, you may not understand us Xuan cultivators. The physique is the foundation. This little bit of cold energy is simply not enough. You should not hold back," Han Li said with a gentle smile.

With that, the Xuan窍 on his arm lit up, and he punched Zhao Bolao.

He mimicked the characteristics of Chang Qi's technique, his power originating from his bones, his arm covered in a white light, as if bathed in starlight.