A week flew by in the blink of an eye, and the day of the competition finally arrived.

  Devor stood at the edge of a high platform, his hands resting casually on the rail. Below him, the circular arena hummed with quiet energy. Over a hundred disciples from various sects stood in neat rows, their faces a mix of intense focus and barely concealed excitement.

  At the center of the arena stood a massive mirror, its towering frame nearly three meters high and one meter wide. The surface gleamed like liquid silver, catching the morning sun and scattering light into strange, otherworldly patterns. Surrounding the mirror were four powerful cultivators, their stances solid as stone, their expressions cold and unyielding. Their presence alone commanded silence, the air thick with an unspoken pressure.

  Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky, his movements as fluid and graceful as flowing water. Dressed in a black Taoist robe embroidered with glowing gold and white threads, the man landed lightly at the center of the arena. He radiated both elegance and power, his presence impossible to ignore.

  “I am Liuning,” he announced, his voice smooth but carrying the weight of someone used to being heard. It echoed across the arena, sharp and clear. “I’ll be your host for this year’s Heavenly Troop Tournament.” A faint, almost mischievous smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “To those watching from afar, remember my name. And when I visit your sects one day, be sure to greet me... warmly.”

  A ripple of laughter spread through the audience, but Devor couldn’t help but notice the subtle confidence beneath Liuning’s playful tone. This man wasn’t just a host—he was someone to be reckoned with.

  Liuning’s gaze briefly flicked to the crimson crystal suspended high above the arena. The artifact pulsed softly, broadcasting every detail of the tournament to countless spectators across the land. Its glow bathed the scene below in an ethereal light, casting long shadows across the arena.

  “The first team to enter the arena will be the Golden Core team,” Liuning announced, his voice smooth and steady, like a river flowing without interruption. “Some of you might be wondering—why start with the strongest? Why not ease in with the weaker teams?”

  Devor tilted his head slightly, the same question drifting through his mind. He could hear the quiet murmur of curiosity rippling through the crowd around him.

  “The answer is simple,” Liuning continued, his tone shifting, sharpening. “The strongest teams are the most adaptable. They thrive in chaos and uncertainty. By starting with them, the other teams will learn from their approach—watch carefully, and you might just pick up a thing or two that will help you survive the challenges ahead.”

  Devor rubbed his chin, nodding to himself. There was logic in Liuning’s words, though the Fragmented World itself remained a mystery. What dangers lay in wait? What strategies would prove crucial? The air buzzed with anticipation, thick with the unknown.

  “And now, let’s welcome the first team—the Blazing Fire Sect!” Liuning announced, his voice rising with excitement.

  A wave of cheers erupted from the crowd as ten disciples stepped forward, their crimson robes glowing like embers in the morning sun. They moved with purpose, their steps measured and confident—each movement a reflection of their sect’s fiery spirit.

  The four mirror guardians stirred at last, their movements synchronized as their hands glided over the surface of the mirror. Intricate symbols flared to life along its edges as the artifact activated, its glow shimmering in a way that was almost hypnotic.

  The mirror rippled like water, and a vivid image began to take shape: a vast wetland, shrouded in a misty gray haze. The land looked desolate, scattered with stagnant pools of murky water, while a translucent white energy wall encircled the entire area, forming an invisible cage. Whatever lay beyond that barrier was hidden, obscured from view.

  Liuning turned sharply to the captain of the Blazing Fire team, his gaze cutting through the air. “Step through the portal. But heed my warning—don’t make a move until the Secret Barrier fades. Anyone who violates this will be immediately disqualified and forfeit all rewards.”

  The Blazing Fire captain gave a slight nod, his voice calm but firm. “Understood.”

  With practiced precision, the team moved forward. One by one, they passed through the mirror’s shimmering surface, their figures briefly disappearing before reappearing on the other side. They hovered for a moment in midair before descending smoothly to the ground below.

  The mirror guardians acted swiftly, resetting the artifact with unreadable expressions. The image on the mirror flickered and returned to its neutral state, showing only the blank expanse of the wetland and the gleaming energy wall.

  Next, the names of the remaining teams were called. Each stepped forward and entered the portal, one by one. Every team was assigned to one of the ten scattered locations across the Fragmented World.

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  The atmosphere grew heavier with each passing second, the weight of anticipation pressing down on the spectators like an invisible force. Only the soft rustling of the wind disturbed the silence.

  When the last team vanished into the portal, Liuning’s voice sliced through the stillness. “Prepare yourselves! The countdown starts now!”

  High above the arena, a massive holographic screen flickered to life, its translucent surface divided into ten panels—each showing a live feed from one of the teams. The crowd leaned forward in unison, eyes fixed on the unfolding scenes.

  Devor tightened his grip on the railing, his pulse quickening. Each panel revealed a different, treacherous landscape—dense forests, jagged cliffs, shadowy marshlands. The environments were as varied as they were dangerous, a clear reminder of how unpredictable the Fragmented World could be.

  "Three!" Liuning’s voice rang out, his words charged with energy.

  The tension in the arena thickened, the crowd holding its collective breath.

  "Two!"

  The disciples in the Fragmented World adjusted their stances, weapons in hand, ready for whatever lay ahead.

  "One!"

  The colossal screen above the arena split into ten sections, each showing a different team’s location. In an instant, the shimmering Secret Barriers surrounding the teams dissolved into motes of light, revealing the grim reality of their environments—a dark, foreboding forest, its twisted trees and shadowed paths sending a chill through the spectators.

  Dim sunlight filtered weakly through the dense canopy, casting the landscape in soft, muted hues. Shadows shifted unnaturally, and an oppressive, almost suffocating aura lingered in the air, hinting at unseen dangers.

  Above the forest, the captains of each team hovered effortlessly, their sharp eyes scanning the terrain below. Their commanding voices rang out, guiding their teams into tight, coordinated formations.

  On the ground, the Spiritual Farmers moved with precision. From their Spatial Rings, they pulled out spheres etched with intricate patterns of floating islands. With practiced flicks of their wrists, they sent the spheres soaring into the air, their hand seals flashing faster than the eye could follow.

  The spheres burst in showers of radiant light, each one creating a vast 200-square-meter Spiritual Garden that hovered above the treetops. These glowing platforms shimmered with ethereal energy, starkly contrasting with the dark, menacing forest below.

  Devor's brow furrowed as he studied the teams on the screen. Something didn’t sit right with him. He could feel it—a strange, crawling sensation in the air. His eyes darted across the panels, searching for an explanation.

  Then, the first tremor struck.

  On the screen, the forest rippled as massive shapes emerged from the shadows. Hulking creatures—five meters tall, their black scales gleaming like polished obsidian—charged toward the teams. Their glowing crimson eyes burned with hunger, and despite their beastly appearance, their movements were unnervingly coordinated.

  “The battle begins!” Liuning announced, his voice crackling with excitement.

  The monsters wasted no time. With terrifying speed, they leapt toward the newly-formed Floating Islands, their powerful limbs propelling them through the air.

  Panic flickered across the faces of the Spiritual Farmers. They scrambled, their hands trembling as they fought to stabilize the Spiritual Gardens. The creatures landed with bone-shaking force, rocking the islands as they roared and charged.

  Devor’s chest tightened. The farmers had miscalculated. These creatures weren’t just drawn to the Floating Islands—they were reacting as though something deeper, something primal, had set them off.

  Lightning and sword strikes filled the air as the battle erupted. Arcs of energy cut through the dark forest, lighting up the murky landscape. The deafening clash of weapons and the monsters' roars created a chaotic symphony that echoed across the Fragmented World.

  Devor’s eyes widened as one of the Blazing Fire Sect members appeared on the screen. A fierce-looking woman hovered into view, her arms raised as she summoned a massive stone sphere. Veins of glowing magma pulsed within it.

  With a sharp cry, she hurled the sphere at the oncoming beasts.

  "Boom!"

  The explosion shook the forest, sending a wave of heat and force that left a smoldering crater in its wake. Flames surged outward, consuming a dozen monsters in an instant.

  Devor swallowed hard, his throat dry. The sheer destructive power of the attack left him stunned. Behind him, Yulin’s eyes were wide with admiration.

  "Amazing," she whispered, her voice full of awe.

  The battles raged on. Some teams chose to shrink their Floating Islands, pulling back to safer ground while postponing their cultivation efforts. Others, more daring, fought fiercely from their islands, defending their Spiritual Farmers as they hurriedly planted seeds in the hastily prepared gardens.

  On one screen, a Spiritual Farmer spread rich, dark soil over a section of their Floating Island, forming a half-meter-thick layer. With practiced precision, they planted the seeds, their hands moving quickly despite the chaos surrounding them. Each action was a mix of hope and desperation.

  Devor bit his lip, his mind racing. The difficulty of this stage was far beyond anything he’d faced in training. This wasn’t just a test of skill—it was a test of willpower.

  Minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity as the teams fought to adapt to the relentless onslaught. Hundreds of monsters were slain, their bodies piling up in the wake of the battle.

  But each victory came at a heavy cost. The cultivators were visibly exhausted, their auras dimming as their energy reserves dwindled. They barely managed to carve out enough space to create stable safe zones, their breathing labored as they fought to hold their ground.

  Devor noticed something strange on the screens. The fallen monsters didn’t leave any corpses behind. Within minutes of their deaths, their bodies turned to fine ash. The ash swirled for a moment in the air before sinking into the earth, as if the world itself were absorbing them.

  “What is this place?” Devor murmured, a cold shiver running down his spine.

  Yulin’s voice broke through his thoughts. She gave his shoulder a light pat, leaning in with a wide, excited smile.

  “Cheer up! Doesn’t this competition look like so much fun?” she exclaimed, her enthusiasm contagious.

  Devor glanced at her, his expression somewhere between disbelief and amusement.

  “Fun?” he muttered, incredulous. “Are we watching the same thing? Or are we seeing two completely different events?”

  Yulin just laughed, her sound light and carefree.

  Devor sighed, shaking his head. He turned his focus back to the screens, where the battles continued to unfold. His grip on the railing tightened. The weight of what was to come felt heavier now, more real.

  And deep down, a nagging thought lingered—was he truly ready for what lay ahead?