Just then, a powerful expert approached with a few people in tow. Upon seeing Zhu Tianhong, he smiled and said, "Patriarch Zhu, long time no see. I wonder what place you’ll manage to get this time? Don’t end up in the teens like last time. That would be quite embarrassing."

"Patriarch Wang, you needn’t worry about that. We know what we’re doing." Zhu Tianhong’s gaze was ice-cold; his attitude toward Patriarch Wang was clearly hostile.

"Very well, then. I hope you start off with a victory... Hm? This young man... don’t tell me he’s the Divine Rune Master you’re sending to compete?" Seeing Yi Tianyun, Patriarch Wang couldn’t help but laugh. "He looks so young and delicate. Tsk, tsk... Is he even qualified as a Second Grade Divine Rune Master?"

Yi Tianyun, standing to the side, remained expressionless. ’Looks like my Sin Value is high enough to attract trouble this easily. I’m just standing here and I’m already being called out. This system is kind of a pain. But if I use up the value, how am I supposed to accumulate more?’

"You don’t need to know that!" Zhu Tianhong snorted, clearly unwilling to reveal Yi Tianyun’s secrets.

"Patriarch Zhu, no need to be so cold. I’m just offering a little reminder. I suddenly recall that the outside help you hired in the past wasn’t all that great, and now you’re even sending in someone this young. If the Zhu Family is that short-staffed, I could lend you a few of my people. Surely that’s better than bringing a little boy, no?" Patriarch Wang’s smile was as smug as could be, making it obvious that he and Patriarch Zhu were not on good terms.

"Whether he’s up to the task or not is none of your business!" Zhu Tianhong sneered, but he had to admit that compared to the experts Patriarch Wang had hired, his family’s participants were indeed of a much lower caliber.

"Of course it has nothing to do with me. You’ll just end up at the bottom anyway, same as every other year... Hahaha!" Patriarch Wang flicked his fan open and laughed heartily. "Let’s head inside. The competition is about to begin."

"Let’s go!" Zhu Tianhong’s tone was frigid as he led his people inside. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Yi Tianyun watched from the side, his eyes narrowed. ’The internal relationships within the Star Pavilion are said to be poor, and it certainly seems that way.’

After that little interlude, they all entered the competition venue.

Yi Tianyun followed them into the hall. Many people were already seated in the surrounding area, which was divided into several sections, one for each family.

There weren’t many families in the entire Star Pavilion—only five in total—but each was allowed to send five Divine Rune Masters to compete. These could be heirs or hired experts, but the total number could not exceed five.

That came to a total of twenty-five competitors. It wasn’t a large number, yet Patriarch Wang had mentioned that even with so few people, the Zhu Family could only rank in the teens, near the bottom. It was easy to imagine just how poor their skill level was.

Yi Tianyun scanned his surroundings. There were a fair number of competitors, and none of them looked particularly young. The youngest was at least twenty-three or twenty-four, while the oldest was no more than thirty. ’There must be an age limit. If there wasn’t, and some expert at the Divine Rune Master level showed up, wouldn’t we all be doomed?’

"These are your family Tokens. They represent our Zhu Family." Zhu Tianhong handed one to him. The Token was engraved with the character "Zhu," representing the Zhu Family.

This internal competition was to be judged by the Grand Pavilion Master himself, who would personally inspect the Overall Strength of all the branch families. Furthermore, his own skill was not to be underestimated, having reached the level of a Divine Rune Master! He was more than qualified to be the referee, and his presence was enough to convince everyone of the results’ fairness. His cultivation was even more astonishing, having reached the second level of the Core Formation Stage!

That was an impressive display of power. For a Pavilion Master’s cultivation to reach the Core Formation Stage was expected, but seeing it firsthand still left Yi Tianyun feeling a bit shaken.

This was the might of a Third-Rank Faction. All the Patriarchs present were at the Spirit Pill Stage, and though their levels varied, none were below the fifth level of the Spirit Pill Stage. There were also numerous deacons and elders present, and this was merely the tip of the iceberg. In terms of Overall Strength, they were certainly stronger than the Cyan Profound Mansion.

Any faction capable of running a Treasure Pavilion couldn’t possibly be weak. To protect one’s treasures, one must first be powerful. Otherwise, as the saying goes, possessing a treasure becomes a crime in itself.

Yi Tianyun accepted the Token and looked up. "The content of the competition—can we know what it is in advance?"

Zhu Tianhong shook his head. "It’s always random. No one knows what the tasks will be. Only the Grand Pavilion Master knows beforehand."

While the various families below were still in discussion, an old man walked onto the distant stage, followed by several slightly younger individuals. The chatter from the crowd quickly died down, and in moments, the hall fell completely silent.

This elder was the Grand Pavilion Master of the Star Pavilion, Li Tianlong. Those who followed him were all deacons from the Main Pavilion, and their ranks were not low either—all were Fourth Grade Divine Rune Masters. It would be impossible for Li Tianlong to inspect every single Divine Rune himself, so these deacons were there to assist. A Fourth Grade Divine Rune Master was more than capable of handling this task, so their presence was not an issue.

Li Tianlong stood on the high platform and swept his gaze across the crowd. His stare felt almost tangible as it passed over them, causing many to shudder. As expected of one who cultivates Spiritual Power, his level was beyond words. That gaze alone seemed powerful enough to instantly kill a crowd of people.

After a moment, he spoke in a deep voice, "This internal competition is about to begin. I will now announce the rewards for the top three!" Li Tianlong wasted no time with pleasantries, getting straight to the point.

"First place will be rewarded with five days of cultivation time in the Celestial Spirit Jade Pool!"

"Second place will be rewarded with a copy of my personal insights on Divine Rune cultivation!"

"Third place will be rewarded with a Divine Rune Pen of Soul Artifact Level!"

The rewards for the top three were all extremely enticing. The Celestial Spirit Jade Pool was a special cultivation site where, according to legend, so much Spiritual Power had gathered that it had become liquefied. One could only imagine how much Spiritual Power could be absorbed by soaking in it for five days. It would absolutely be enough to raise one’s cultivation by an entire realm.

The second-place prize was nothing to scoff at either. Li Tianlong was a Divine Rune Master, and his personal insights were naturally priceless. It was an opportunity an ordinary person could never hope to obtain.

As for the third-place prize, a Divine Rune Pen of Soul Artifact Level... Such an item was far more expensive than a normal Soul Artifact. ’I can forge Soul Artifacts,’ Yi Tianyun thought, ’but if I tried to forge a Divine Rune Pen of that level, my success rate would plummet!’

However, Yi Tianyun wasn’t particularly interested in the second or third prizes. ’So what if they’re a Divine Rune Master’s insights? The Celestial Eye and the memories Ye Qingxuan gave me are far more heaven-defying than anything this Divine Rune Master could offer. That’s the culmination of the entire Spirit Race’s knowledge; its significance is on a completely different level.’

Only the first-place prize truly caught his interest. ’If the pool is filled with Spiritual Power, and I use my Star Absorption Technique... my experience points will skyrocket! And I can absorb for five whole days? How could I not be tempted?’

"The first-place prize is amazing! Five days in the Celestial Spirit Jade Pool!"

"Second place isn’t bad either! The Grand Pavilion Master’s personal insights... you couldn’t buy that for a mountain of gold!"

"Come on, just making it into the top eight would be a great achievement, let alone the top three..."

Yi Tianyun might not have been interested, but the others certainly were. Their eyes lit up with excitement, and they looked as if they couldn’t wait to win the competition right then and there.

The crowd was already stirring with anticipation, just waiting for the contest to begin. Although only the top three places had grand prizes, the other ranks also came with rewards, albeit internal ones. Achieving a high rank would bring glory to one’s family, and that in itself was another point of fierce competition.

Even if they couldn’t get into the top three, simply placing higher than the other families was enough.

It was all a matter of face, as the saying goes.

Li Tianlong was quite satisfied with the crowd’s excitement. The rewards weren’t extravagantly high, nor were they poor; they were more of a formality to spur on the competition.