[Vol. 6] Chapter 196: Jungle Survival
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the [Four Saints' Immortal Selection Ceremony] had been running for nearly half a month.
The competition was both fair and unforgiving. Those who lacked skill or tried to bluff their way through were swiftly eliminated, going from participants to spectators.
Out of the over one million contestants, at least 80% had already been weeded out in this short time. Those who remained weren’t necessarily elites, but they all possessed at least one strong skill, shedding the label of mediocrity.
For the [Geographical Spiritual Veins] literary competition, which Violet and Hen participated in, the initial round was simple. Around a hundred contestants were randomly gathered and sat together in an exam-like setting. Each had to complete a timed test, which was graded on the spot, and the top ten scorers from each group advanced to the next round.
While the questions were notably harder than the basic-level test during registration, they were still fairly straightforward. Hen, as an expert in this field, breezed through without trouble. Even Violet, despite not being specialized in this area, managed to pass the selection with ease.
That said, the process wasn’t without its twists. For Violet, used to having control over situations, the uncertainty of waiting for results felt refreshingly different. Adding to the drama, the examiners placed her as the last of the ten advancing participants, giving her quite a shock.
She wasn’t expecting to shine, but being eliminated in the first round would’ve been too embarrassing!
Now that the preliminaries for both the literary and martial competitions were over, the next stage was the "elimination round", which promised to be far more challenging.
Although fewer than 300,000 martial contestants remained, the traditional one-on-one format would still take over a month to finish. That was far too long for the current situation.
This tournament had a unique urgency, as the arrival of the Immortal Island had been scheduled earlier than expected. The four nations had no choice but to compress the tournament’s schedule, balancing fairness with efficiency. As a result, the elimination round introduced a drastically different format.
…………………………………
Outside Xingyuan City.
“Wilderness survival? This sounds like summer camp… Are the tournament designers out of their minds?”
Violet casually flipped through a thin booklet of rules she had just received, commenting as she read. Her remarks drew wry smiles from the two others waiting nearby for the competition to start.
“They probably spent a lot of time planning and designing this. Look, it’s not just the rules listed here. There’s also a detailed catalog of wilderness survival supplies and common tools. Supplying enough resources to support 300,000 people in a giant forest for several days isn’t something you can pull off without preparation.”
Violet raised an eyebrow and flipped another page. “I guess, but it still sounds like they’ve gone a bit overboard.”
Hen, not participating in this round, stayed behind in Xingyuan City. In her absence, Xiao Kong eagerly stepped up to act as the team’s “strategist.” With her paw-like gestures, she patiently explained.
“This competition actually has some clever design behind it. This large forest, though not far from Xingyuan City, is incredibly vast and one of the largest primeval forests in the Eastern Kingdom.”
“Not only does it feature a complex and unpredictable wilderness environment, but the forest sits slightly higher in elevation compared to the surrounding plains, with clear boundaries. It’s essentially a natural arena that requires no maintenance costs.”
In the [Ancient Spirit Realm], remote mountainous regions and primeval forests often naturally birthed small yokai and odd creatures that roamed their depths. From a game perspective, they were like randomly spawning roadside monsters, adding difficulty to the competition without causing large-scale casualties.
The most interesting part was the supply system. While the preparation seemed thorough, the booklet explained that contestants would only receive a limited amount of basic supplies at the beginning. After that, they would have to rely on the forest’s resources to survive or use “currency” to trade for materials.
This currency wasn’t the regular gold or silver coins used in the outside world but instead a key item distributed to every participant, something they couldn’t afford to lose.
Although the rules didn’t explicitly spell it out, the booklet made it clear: contestants could use [Crystal Jade] to exchange for supplies. Each contestant would be given one [Crystal Jade] along with their initial supplies before entering the forest.
The intention was obvious, the organizers were encouraging contestants to fight each other and seize the [Crystal Jade] from others to secure their own survival resources. Since [Crystal Jade] represented a contestant’s eligibility, losing all of it would result in immediate disqualification. This ensured that everyone would do whatever it took to hold onto their own [Crystal Jade] or take it from someone else.
“It’s a brutal jungle law. Even if the organizers manage it well, there are bound to be casualties in this round. It seems the [Eastern Origin Holy Sect] does lean heavily on the principle of survival of the fittest.”
Contestants would need to survive five full days in the forest, enduring environmental challenges and survival pressures while staying alert to potential attacks from other participants. This round would test a person’s overall abilities. Far beyond simply relying on cultivation level.
To put it simply, you not only need to be strong but also smart to succeed.
“Got it? Make sure you understand the rules first. It seems we’ll be separated when the competition starts. Do you want me to help coordinate things for you, or should we each fend for ourselves?”
Murong Yun shook his head and replied without hesitation.
“No need to worry about me. Miss Violet, feel free to act on your own.”
“I don’t need any help either! A competition organized by mere humans won’t be a problem for me,” Xiao Kong chimed in confidently.
“Alright then… suit yourselves,” Violet said.
Murong Yun and Xiao Kong were both capable and resourceful, so Violet wasn’t too concerned about their safety. After getting their answer, she casually tossed the rulebook to the cat-girl Xiao Kong and turned her attention to the massive crowd growing around her. The sea of people stretched as far as the eye could see, sparking a flicker of anticipation in her heart.
She had initially thought this round would be a straightforward process, something she could handle with a little planning and minimal effort. But the Eastern Kingdom had surprised her with this unique survival-themed format.
“Wilderness survival, huh…”
If her guess was right, the design of this competition probably involved significant input from the [Spirit Veil Immortal Island]. Many elements of the rules and setup seemed highly advanced, beyond what could be explained by the conventional logic of this world.
There was something… deeper to this format, she felt.
About an hour later, with the sun high in the sky, the [Eastern Origin Guards], dispatched from nearby military camps, established multiple checkpoints outside the vast forest. The contestants, scattered in all directions, began to enter the forest in an orderly manner.
As expected, the entry process strictly followed the contestants’ numbered assignments, meaning Violet had to enter at a different time and through a different checkpoint than Murong Yun and Xiao Kong. Given the forest’s vastness, it was unlikely they would meet again during the competition.
Before entering, the [Eastern Origin Guards] conducted thorough inspections of each contestant’s belongings. To ensure fairness, participants were only allowed to bring essential weapons and the limited supplies provided by the officials. Any other items, including space-storage tools, were temporarily confiscated and promised to be returned after the competition.
This served as both a rule and a form of identity screening. Most contestants, even if reluctant, complied with the regulations, knowing they had no other choice.
After all, the reputation of the Holy Sect and the involvement of the Immortal Island guaranteed that their belongings would be safe. With this assurance, the contestants entered the forest empty-handed, except for one special exception.
A certain former game player, who still had the [player’s inventory], quietly smiled to herself.