The one hosting the assembly was naturally not a force from Qianhun City, nor was it anyone from Jiuxuan City, but rather a more transcendent organization—the Great Dao Association.
The Great Dao Association was originally a loose organization founded by Saint King Wendao. It had few members, mostly his disciples and friends, all of whom were Cultivators who cultivated the Way of Laws.
Later, it gradually expanded, absorbing more and more Cultivators who cultivated the Way of Laws, eventually becoming a colossal entity.
Its members were spread across all forces on the Eternal Continent, belonging to no single faction, and adhering to only one principle.
Discussing the Dao through Laws, and respecting strength above all. The original intention of the Law Conference was also to periodically hold internal Dao-discussion assemblies for mutual exchange.
Now, it had gradually evolved into selecting Prodigies, with actual combat as the focus.
Hosting the assembly today was an external affairs Elder of the Great Dao Association, surnamed Meng.
His hair and beard were completely white, but his face looked like that of a young man. His aura was peaceful and restrained, making it impossible to gauge his depth.
However, his gaze was extremely sharp. As it swept across the crowd in the stands, it felt as though he could see through everyone's cultivation and background.
"Everyone, welcome to Qianhun City."
Elder Meng stood in the center of the Martial Arena. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly entered everyone's ears.
"This Law Conference is hosted by the Great Dao Association. The rules are very simple."
"You may not use divine weapons or Magic Treasures that exceed the level of an eternal dao artifact, and you may not rely on external help. Violators will be disqualified."
"Other than that, it all depends on your own abilities."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the Prodigies from all directions in the stands, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"I'm sure you all already know the rewards for this assembly."
"The top ten can enter the Jiuxuan Sacred Realm to cultivate."
"The top three will receive additional heavy rewards."
"In addition, Lord Holy Lord Jiuxuan will also be paying attention to this assembly."
"Those who perform exceptionally may receive an extra Opportunity."
As soon as these words were spoken, a clamor erupted in the stands, everyone clearly excited by the news.
The Holy Lord Jiuxuan.
These words were the greatest temptation.
High on the platform, Elder Meng spoke eloquently.
Below the platform, Hun Jiuge, Wang Ping, and Li Tiantong sat together. Their seats were not near the front, but they could still clearly see everything in the center of the Martial Arena.
The surroundings were bustling with noise, and the discussions of various Cultivators surged like the tide. Some whispered analyses of the strengths of different Prodigies, while others looked around, trying to spot those rumored figures in the crowd.
Unfortunately, except for a few on the high platform, most of those figures had not appeared.
Wang Ping scanned the crowd several times, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
He turned to Hun Jiuge and lowered his voice, "Jiuge, have you seen Brother Han?"
"Jiuge, did you see Brother Han?"
Hun Jiuge shook his head, his expression also somewhat solemn.
"No, I've been keeping an eye on the entrance, but I haven't seen Young Master Han."
Wang Ping looked at Li Tiantong again, his eyes filled with anticipation and a bit of anxiety.
"Brother Tiantong, you are the closest to Brother Han. Did he actually come or not? He's not planning to skip it, is he?"
Li Tiantong gave a bitter smile and shrugged.
"Brother Wang, you ask me, but who am I supposed to ask? I only know he has been in secluded cultivation at the Creation Platform all these years, and he hasn't even replied to any messages."
"I didn't dare to disturb him rashly. If he's at a critical juncture, my message might distract him instead."
Wang Ping sighed, leaning back against his chair, his eyes a bit dazed.
"What should we do? The Law Conference has already begun, and he still hasn't shown his face."
"Could it be that he's really not coming?"
Hun Jiuge patted his shoulder and comforted him,
"Don't worry, Young Master Han always knows what he's doing. Besides, the assembly has just begun, and it's not like it's his turn to enter the arena right away."
"Didn't you hear Elder Meng explain the rules?"
"What rules?"
Wang Ping looked completely blank; he really didn't know the rules of the Law Conference.
Hun Jiuge was speechless and explained patiently,
"There are over a thousand participants in this Law Conference, and their strengths vary wildly. To prevent powerful contestants from meeting too early, the Great Dao Association has rated participants into four major grades: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow, based on their past performances."
"Heaven-Grade seeds are automatically placed into the top 64, while Earth-Grade seeds enter the top 128. The remaining Black-Grade and Yellow-Grade contestants will draw lots to battle each other."
"Young Master Han's past performances weren't bad either, so he was rated as an Earth-Grade seed and can bypass the early battles."
Hearing this, Wang Ping nodded, feeling a bit more at ease, but he still couldn't help but mutter:
"Still, there's absolutely no news. Is Brother Han really not interested in these rewards at all?"
Whether Han Xuanji participated had nothing to do with him, but as Han Xuanji's little fanboy, he still hoped to see him display his strength.
"Sigh."
Hun Jiuge took a deep breath, pulling his attention back to himself.
"I'll first pray that my luck with the draw is a bit better, and that I don't run into any powerful figures in the first round."
"I don't want to get knocked out as soon as I go up; that would be too embarrassing."
Wang Ping was amused by his words and shook his head.
"What is there to embarrass? You're not some big shot; nobody will care if you lose."
"Of course, if you really lose in the first round, I'll treat you to a drink at Qianmeng Pavilion."
Hun Jiuge glared at him.
"Listen to yourself! How am I not a big shot? I am at least an A-grade Genius of the Hun Family, representing the Hun Family's reputation!"
Listening to their bickering, a slight smile played on Li Tiantong's lips, and the trace of worry in his heart dissipated slightly.
He looked toward the center of the Martial Arena, his gaze calm.
Li Tiantong spoke quietly,
"What is meant to be met cannot be avoided. Instead of worrying about this, we might as well think about how to fight each match well."
Hun Jiuge nodded, and the tension in his heart eased a bit more.
On the high platform.
Hun Qianxue sat upright in the City Lord's exclusive seat, a proper smile on his face. He looked calm and composed, carrying the dignity of a regional ruler.
But only he knew that he was already cursing in his heart.
"Han Xuanji, are you coming or not?"
He muttered secretly to himself, his gaze scanning the entrance of the Martial Arena from time to time, yet he never saw that familiar figure in green robes.
He had sent several messages to Han Xuanji, but they had all sunk like stones into the ocean without even a "received" reply.
Could he still be in secluded cultivation?
He didn't dare to disturb him either; if it was indeed a critical moment, there was no need to force him out of seclusion...
"Brother, relax a bit."
Hun Qianling sat beside him. Sensing the tense aura around him, she advised in a low voice,
"Xuanji naturally has his own plans."
Hun Qianxue took a deep breath, trying to make himself look more natural.
"I'm just afraid he'll miss the time.
You know the rules of the assembly. Although he is an Earth-Grade seed and doesn't need to participate in the early elimination rounds, if he misses the time, his qualification will still be canceled."
Hun Qianling said no more. Her gaze fell back onto the Martial Arena as she prayed silently in her heart.
Fortunately, Han Xuanji wouldn't have to take the stage so soon anyway.
...