The legendary warrior novel Chapter 56

However, not all of the nine elders would attend the Outer Competition.

From mid-air, four figures came floating down. The first one, who was familiar to Ricky, was Elder Abbott. He had just hosted two of Ricky's most recent battles to the death.

From the murmur of the other disciples, Ricky came to know the other three elders.

One grizzly man was Elder Neil; one old woman was Elder Lucia, and the last one was an ancient-looking man who had been the top elder of the Snow Sect. He had achieved demi-immortality for centuries.

He was known as a senior demi-immortal.

Their presences showed the difficulty in making a breakthrough to the level of an innate spirit from that of only a demi-immortal.

The four elders settled down, smiling at the disciples and standing beside the chairs on the dais. The sect chief of the Snow Sect hadn't arrived yet; they did not sit down out of courtesy.

"Are they waiting for the sect chief? I've heard that the chief of the Snow Sect is an out-and-out inborn overmatch. What could he be like?" Ricky murmured to himself.

"Ricky, it is said that the sect chief is honored as the top-ranked overmatch of the whole Snow Land!" Heather whispered into his ear.

"As the top-ranked overmatch of the Snow Sect, he must really deserve to be the sect chief!" Ricky thought.

...

"Ricky!" An aggressive voice yelled. Two young men walked up to Ricky and Heather.

One of them was Lean, and Ricky also knew the other one as Jarvis, the fourth-ranked outer disciple. They both belonged to the Refinement Faction.

"Lean, what's up? What? Can't wait to watch my body refinement cultivation method again?" Ricky snickered, looking scornfully at Lean.

"Watch your cultivation method? Don't flatter yourself of your nonsense refinement cultivation method! I'm here to warm you to watch your back at Outer Competition!" Lean said ferociously, his lips curling.

"Don't you know that offending anyone in the Refinement Faction will always end badly?" Jarvis echoed.

"Really? Then you should know as well that anyone who crosses me will suffer the same fate!" Ricky said coldly.

"I wonder if you will still be this arrogant after the Outer Competition!" Lean said softly, his eyes narrowed in anger.

After that Lean and Jarvis left, because words could only go so far. To really disgrace him, they had to defeat Ricky at the Outer Competition.

"Today's Outer Competition will be very interesting!" Many disciples remarked, after seeing the confrontation Ricky had had with the two disciples of the Refinement Faction.

"Of course, aside from the Refinement Faction, I'm sure that the Casting Faction wouldn't want to pass up an opportunity to humiliate Ricky."

"But Ricky is not easily beat either. After all, he's the ruthless person who killed Dustin!"

...

"Heather, if you meet people of Refinement Faction or Casting Faction, be careful, alright? Don't go declaiming your superiority. If you think you stand a fair chance of being defeated, you can just throw in the towel," Ricky told Heather.

He was serious, like he was giving her a command.

At this, Heather's cheeks felt hot. She was blushing.

"I know, Ricky. My goal is only the rewards. Making it into the top fifty of the outer disciples is enough for me," Heather replied, sticking her tongue out.

Everyone crowded around the arena suddenly looked up.

A chill had swept through them, making them shiver slightly.

Then, a white figure appeared in the distance.

He was a middle-aged man, more than eight feet tall, wearing a snow-white garment. Every inch of his body exuded the majesty and power of a king, especially his dark irises which were so deep that they looked as though they could see through everything, even walls.

Adorning his black hair were ice crystals, emanating frosty steam.

All of Snow Sect focused on him.

Of course, this man was Zenith, the chief of the Snow Sect and the top-ranked overmatch of the Snow Land.

"Respects to the sect chief!"

The four elders and all the disciples bowed and shouted, as he alighted onto the dais.

"Well!" Zenith nodded his head gently, looking at the disciples, and again nodding with satisfaction. After all, the prosperity of a sect and community relied on, in addition to the top-ranked overmatch, the disciples' skill and perseverance.

"Elder Evan, please begin. Let me see how these outer disciples are doing," Zenith said to Elder Evan.

"Yes, Chief Zenith!" Elder Evan walked out to the edge of dais and stopped to address the crowd.

"Everyone here must have heard about Outer Competition. The top one hundred disciples will win rewards. Aside from this, it is a chance to test your refinement outcome, so I hope all of you can actively participate in it. Don't give up this opportunity because of the rare odds to win the rewards.

As to the rules of Outer Competition, seniors or juniors, you are all fellow disciples, so I know I need not go more into this than necessary. Anyone who goes too far will be punished severely.

Understand?" Elder Evan said the last sentence spiritedly, his energy bursting forth.

"We understand, Elder Evan!" The strong response rang around the square.

Finally! It was the day that warriors had been longing for endlessly.

Although there were still some of them who felt afraid of fighting, the excitement was contagious nonetheless.

"Next, for the disciples who will participate in Outer Competition, please gather in the center of the square!" Elder Evan announced.

In no time, the center of the square was crammed with outer disciples.

Finally, the number of participants vying to place high as outer disciples reached more than four hundred people, which accounted for eighty percent of the total number of outer disciples. Seeing this percentage, Zenith and the four Elders were greatly satisfied.

Zenith then stood, waving his hands and showering the disciples' hands below with countless of ice crystals.

"Each ice crystal has a number. Find the people holding the same number as yours. They will become your opponents." Elder Evan added, "The winner will get one score, and this battle will last ten rounds.

After ten rounds, disciples whose scores rank in the top one hundred will get rewards. Next, the top fifty and the top ten disciples will be selected from them.

The closer you are to the top of the rank, the greater rewards you will receive. Everyone must be clear on this. Remember well that every battle is of vital importance to you and your rank. I hope to see everyone give their best efforts!"

"Rahhh!" Encouraged by the mention of rewards again, the disciples cheered aloud.

"Well, go search for your opponent and fight with them on any one of the arenas!"

...

Very quickly, battles ensued on the hundreds of small arenas around the square.

After a round ended, Zenith would re-distribute ice crystals to determine a new set of opponents for the participants.

Ten rounds lasted till the evening, which produced the top one hundred disciples.

Ricky, as well as many other disciples at the ninth grade of Skin Refinement, won all ten rounds they engaged in.