“Sky-Pride Champions.h.i.+p?!” Chu Kuangren was shocked when he received the message from Elder Ruyan.

Lan Yu was also curious. “What champions.h.i.+p?”

“Well, the sky-prides from four domains of the Firmament Star are congregating together to fight it out in an arena. This champions.h.i.+p is joint-organized by the sage orthodoxies of four different domains.”

“I see, then are we partic.i.p.ating in this tournament?”

Lan Yu asked curiously.

“Elder Ruyan is asking me the same thing. If we wish to partic.i.p.ate in this tournament, we'll have to contribute a prize to the prize pool. The prize pool will, in turn, be used to reward the sky-prides who've put on an excellent performance in the champions.h.i.+p,” said Chu Kuangren.

“Then aren't they all ours already? With your abilities, you can easily defeat everyone in the tournament.” Lan Yu's eyes lit up.

“The problem is that the Champions.h.i.+p is only open for the disciples of all sage orthodoxies. Elders or above aren't allowed to partic.i.p.ate in this tournament.”

Chu Kuangren smiled helplessly. It meant that as the Black Heaven Sect Leader, he was not allowed to partic.i.p.ate in this tournament.

Upon thinking more about it, with his abilities, it would not be meaningful for him to partic.i.p.ate in this champions.h.i.+p anyway. If he did, would it not make so many unhappy?

Once he stood in the arena, who would dare accept his challenge?

“Let's head back to the Black Heaven Sect. I was intending to waste some more time but it looks like duty has called.” Chu Kuangren laughed.

“Master, are you keen on having the sect partic.i.p.ate in this tournament?”

“Of course.”

Chu Kuangren grinned and said, “Nangong Huang and the few have been training in the sect for a year now. It's time for them to s.h.i.+ne.”

Besides, they were the Daoist Sky-Prides of the Black Heaven Sect, so he could not allow these disciples to slack too much.

Soon, the duo found themselves in the Black Heaven Sect.

When Elder Ruyan and the rest had long received Chu Kuangren's message and were ready at the front door to greet Chu Kuangren home. When Chu Kuangren arrived, the group looked at Chu Kuangren helplessly.

“Sect Leader, your journey this time has caused many commotions out there.”

Elder Ruyan said.

Chu Kuangren acted innocently and said, “No it didn't. Lan Yu and I have been staying a low profile all this while.”

The group could feel their lips twitching.

Low profile?

Staying a low profile so much that the entire Ancient Battlegroup was almost flipped upside down, and the Shang clan's Sage of the Scarlet Phoenix Domain was killed?!

Only a fool would believe in that.

Deep down, Elder Ruyan and the group could not help but whine.

“By the way, Sect Leader, Shang Qingxue has already joined the Black Heaven Sect. But due to her unique ident.i.ty, we placed her as one of our True Disciples first.”

Elder Ruyan explained.

Shang Qingxue would have been promoted to a Daoist immediately due to her remarkable Daoist Physique. However, since she just joined the Black Heaven Sect and was still a member of the Shang clan, it was not appropriate to do so.

“Okay, I've taken note of it.”

Chu Kuangren nodded. “What about the champions.h.i.+p?”

“Please take a look at this, Sect Leader. This is the schedule and rules of the Sky-Pride Champions.h.i.+p.”

Elder Ruyan retrieved a list for Chu Kuangren.

Chu Kuangren read through the list and noticed that one of the rules was to forbid anyone above the rank of Elders to partic.i.p.ate in the champions.h.i.+p. It also specified that Sect Leaders were included in such restrictions.

In fact, the words 'Sect Leader' was even written in red font.

It was as if the rules were specifically telling Chu Kuangren to not look any further. 'We're talking about you!'

'You're not allowed to partic.i.p.ate in the Champions.h.i.+p!'

Chu Kuangren closed the list and murmured, “Fine. It's not like I'm dying to join anyway.”

After all, there would probably be no remarkable partic.i.p.ants who could even defend half an attack from Chu Kuangren. Then what was the fun in doing so?

On the other hand, training the Black Heaven Sect disciples did not seem like a bad idea.

“Elder Ruyan, revert to the organizer that we'll be partic.i.p.ating in this tournament. I'll leave the matter of the prize pool in your hands.”

“Alright.” Elder Ruyan nodded.

“Another thing, we still have about three months before the champions.h.i.+p commences. Get Nangong Huang, Murong Xuan, and the rest to gather in the Longevity Hall tomorrow. I shall get ready to begin an intense training regime with them!”

“Oh, and get Shang Qingxue over as well. Since she has just unlocked her Deep Freeze Physique, she could use some special training to refine the physique more.”

“Intense training regime?”

Elder Ruyan blinked. 'Just how intense could it be?'

“That's right.”

Chu Kuangren smirked.

Chu Kuangren was so handsome when he smirked, it could make all other objects of this world seem uninteresting in comparison. However, Elder Ruyan could feel chills down her spine instead.

She prayed silently for Nangong Huang and the rest.

After a brief conversation with Elder Ruyan and the rest, Chu Kuangren then returned to the Towering Heaven Palace.

Upon entering, a red silhouette flew towards Chu Kuangren. It was a red bird that was the size of an open palm.

“Brother.”

“Are you… Lil Red?!”

Chu Kuangren was shocked when he saw the little bird. “How did you become so small?”

Lil Red flapped its wings and stood on Chu Kuangren's shoulder before it said, “I've had a ma.s.sive breakthrough in my cultivation and I'm now a Supreme Honorable. I can shrink and enlarge into any size as I wish.”

“I see.” Chu Kuangren finally understood.

Lil Hong was a divine beast that was known as the Immortal G.o.dly Phoenix, and the blood that flowed in her was n.o.ble. However, the n.o.bler the blood, the more difficult it was for her to morph into other forms.”

The G.o.dly Phoenix would at least need to step into Sage Realm before it could freely morph into other forms.

“I can now follow you around freely, Brother,” said Lil Red happily. In the past, Chu Kuangren did not bring the G.o.dly Phoenix around as it was too distracting.

However, now that Lil Red could freely adjust to any size, it could shrink itself to the size of a pigeon. Once she concealed her aura, the average cultivator would not even know that she was a divine beast.

“Heh, great then. I'll bring you along on my next journey.”

Chu Kuangren smiled.

Lil Bing had also come to greet Chu Kuangren.

In their conversations, Lil Bing heard about the Sky-Pride Champions.h.i.+p from Chu Kuangren and could not help but look forward to it. “The Sky-Pride Champions.h.i.+p? With so many sky-prides from all walks of life gathering there, it'll be very happening.”

Chu Kuangren was moved. Lil Bing had served by Chu Kuangren's side for so many years, but she had never left Black Heaven Sect before. She even rarely stepped foot outside the Towering Heaven Palace.

Lil Bing was always looking after the palace when Chu Kuangren was away.

Chu Kuangren was a little touched at that thought, and he smiled. “It'll definitely be a happening occasion. Lil Bing, you should come with me to take a look.”

“But what about the palace?” Lil Bing was hesitant.

“Don't worry. The palace doesn't have legs and it won't run away. Come with me, and perhaps you may even have a chance to fight.”

“Ah, fight? Those partic.i.p.ants are remarkable sky-prides from many sage orthodoxies. How can a person like me put on a good fight?”

“Of course you can. Don't underestimate yourself. Your abilities are not weaker than those so-called sky-prides. Also, have you been refining the Golden Ancient Sword Seal?”

“I didn't dare procrastinate at all. It's near completion now.”

Lil Bing opened her palms and a line of Daoist runes appeared, surrounded by strands of golden sword qi.

Then, an intimidating Sage Daoist Rhyme emanated.

It was a Sage rune!

This was a prize that Chu Kuangren had gotten from the daily gacha. Although it was a Sage grade item, the Sage rune would not be useful to Chu Kuangren considering his sword Dao's level. Hence, he pa.s.sed it down to Lil Bing for her to refine it.

Meanwhile, receiving the Sage rune had drastically increased Lil Bing's combat abilities. She may have yet fully utilized the potential hidden within the Sage rune, but the power spike was enough to let her battle some Honourables.

Her cultivation had not even reached the Battle Monarch Realm. Such was the miraculous property of the Daoist rune.