Meng Liang was practically beaming at the sight of him and said, "As my personal disciple, Chen Zhen has proven himself as a capable fighter, even at his young age from my teachings of course."
The crowd began to chant as Meng Liang continued, "Let us hear it again for the future leader of the True Sword Sect!"
Once Meng Liang had finished, the entire crowd erupted into loud cheers and applause. Chen Zhen remained as composed as ever as he bowed his head respectfully in response.
Jian Li was trying her hardest to control the excited feeling she was getting. There were a few people that were standing close to them, each of them radiating a strong aura that made her blood boil. Jian Li was trying to ignore the stares they were giving them as Meng Liang stepped forward and Chen Zhen stepped back toward the other True Sword Sect contestants.
"Congratulations to you all. Let the games begin!" Meng Liang proclaimed, smiling and gesturing for the tournament to begin as Chen Zhen was the final contestant to be announced.
From the inside of the crowd, small colourful rocks were thrown high into the air, exploding into bright streaks of colour that rained continuously down on the arena. The crowd cheered and stomped on the ground, creating a thunderous rumble that filled the stadium.
"Hear! Hear!" the crowd continued to stomp to Meng Liang's words, but somehow he still managed to project his voice to be loud enough to be heard clearly.
"Now is the time to reveal your true potential and show all of us, just what you've learned in your sect. You have all worked very hard over the past few weeks and today is where you show off to the world.", Meng Liang's voice boomed throughout the stadium.
There was a moment when the stomping intensified and Jian Li felt like she could see the energy in the air. She could not help but be a bit nervous as she realized how much the audience had been looking forward to the event. Jian Li took a deep breath and reminded herself of her training, her purpose, and what she had prepared for.
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"This is a very exciting day, where many of our youths, will come out and showcase their talent and abilities. There will be many exciting contenders in the tournament to watch today, but only one of them can win it all."
The crowd went wild at Meng Liang's announcement, but Jian Li's heart was beating too fast for her to enjoy the celebrating along with the crowd.
"But for all of you fighting in the tournament, it will be more than just a contest. It is a test of your own strengths, and perhaps a chance to witness the skills of those who may become the greatest fighters of Alushan in the coming decades."
The crowd cheered and stamped their feet in approval.
Jian Li's palms were sweating, and she was struggling to contain the now excited energy inside of her.
"There are many talents in the tournament, but there can only be one winner. All of you should be proud of the fact that you are entering the tournament. Remember to fight with honour and respect the rules."
"Fight! Fight! Fight!", the crowd chanted. Jian Li was suddenly enveloped in a wave of fighting intent, accompanied by the sound of cheering as the crowds in the stands stood up by the masses, stamping their feet to encourage the contestants. Including the fact that most of them were probably cultivators, the sound truly became almost unbearable.
Abruptly, Meng Liang lifted both of his hands in towards the sky as a glowing rainbow cube nearly the same size as him materialized from thin air. The cube seemed to glitter with light, creating a beautiful sight for everyone.
Jian Li could only feel her heart pounding as Meng Liang stood before the crowd and declared, "Welcome to the Banmian Tournament!"
The crowd was louder at first, but Meng Liang's booming voice soon overpowered them, announcing to the contestants that the opening ceremony had begun while he launched the massive cube into the clouds.
As the massive cube was about to be engulfed by the clouds, Meng Liang summoned a giant golden spear and chucked it straight at the cube, with such force that even Jian Li felt her robe ruffling in the wind.
The spear soared through the sky and hit the cube straight on, creating a deafening blast. Everyone's eyes widened as every single cloud near the shattered cube turned rainbow. Shortly, the whole sky was dyed in colours and tiny glowing rocks descended from the clouds, leaving a breathtaking scene in the minds of everyone watching.
The crowd went wild as they gave the spear thrower, Meng Liang, a huge round of applause as he stood in front of them, breathing hard and smiling.
Jian Li was awestruck and tried to take it all in, but her mind was still reeling from the beauty that the entire situation had created.
As the cheers and shouts of the crowd died down, the spectators looked up at the stage, anticipating what would happen next.
Meng Liang then began to explain the rules of the tournament.