With the approval of his application, one of Han Shuang's worries was finally put to rest.
Han Shuang was brimming with energy, her fighting spirit visibly soaring. It was clear she took this contest for the Crimson Water Celestial Pool extremely seriously and was putting her heart and soul into it.
Early the next morning, Han Shuang led her team toward the venue of the Crimson Water Celestial Pool contest.
The contest naturally took place in the vicinity of the Crimson Water Celestial Pool.
The people from the Divine King's Manor had long since prepared the grounds in this area, making every possible arrangement.
Arriving at the Crimson Water Celestial Pool once again, Jiang Chen gazed upon the endless expanse of scarlet waters and was overcome with emotion. In his previous life, he had visited this place with his father and had marveled at the wonders of creation.
Who could have imagined that hundreds of thousands of years later, he would return — yet as an entirely new person?
"Elder Zhen, what are you daydreaming about?" Han Shuang suddenly walked over with a cheerful grin.
"The wonders of creation, the work of nature's divine chisel — surely you feel at least some emotion, Sect Master Han?" Jiang Chen replied.
"I've been to the Crimson Water Celestial Pool many times before. If I had any sentiments to express, I expressed them long ago. Elder Zhen, if you want to soak it all in, wait until our Evil Star Sect claims a seat in this contest, moves into the Crimson Water Celestial Pool, and establishes our foothold. Then you can stand by the pool and marvel to your heart's content every single day, and no one will stop you," Han Shuang said with a laugh.
"Let's go." Jiang Chen tilted his head forward.
A total of twelve factions had entered this contest.
However, three of them were so powerful that the other factions stood no chance of contending with them. The White Chi Sect, for example — they had practically reserved a seat for themselves already.
These twelve factions had been assigned to twelve separate areas.
Each faction had brought along all of its elite members to watch, so the atmosphere at the venue was exceedingly lively.
High above on the grand platform, the organizers from the Divine King's Manor had already made their appearance.
Like the moon embraced by a circle of stars, the tall and imposing figure of the Scarlet Water Divine King stood out with striking prominence — impossible to forget at a glance.
"We pay our respects to the Divine King! May the Divine King's longevity match the heavens, and may his fortune endure forever!"
The Scarlet Water Divine King's stern expression softened into a faint smile. "Fellow Daoists, you are all the foremost pillars of the Scarlet Water Small World. There is no need for such formality. The sole principle guiding this contest for the Crimson Water Celestial Pool is absolute fairness and impartiality!"
"However, in the interest of fairness, each seat will be contested in separate rounds. The seats for the top three positions, in particular, require prior registration. Those factions wishing to contend for the top three seats may register first. That said, if you fail in the contest for the top three, you will be disqualified from competing for the remaining two seats."
The Scarlet Water Divine King began to announce the rules.
These rules essentially ensured that the top three seats would go to the three most powerful factions — which aligned with the interests of the Scarlet Water Small World and the expectations of the Divine King's Manor.
Of course, to a certain extent, this also served to protect the other factions. If everything were thrown wide open, whichever unlucky faction drew one of the top three as their opponent would be at an undeniable disadvantage. After all, drawing one of the top three meant you had virtually no hope of winning.
So these rules simultaneously protected the interests of the top three factions and those of the rest. If the other factions wanted to challenge the top three, they were free to register. If they chose to forgo the challenge, they still had the right to compete for the remaining two seats.
It was a rather considerate set of rules.
"Any faction willing to contest for the top three seats may now register."
On the Evil Star Sect's side, Han Shuang didn't even lift her head. She had absolutely no interest in joining that fray, nor was there any possibility of doing so. The three great powers, including the White Chi Sect, were far beyond anything the Evil Star Sect could currently stand against.
Challenging them for those seats would be nothing short of courting death.