The free-for-all competition explicitly banned the use of weapons to prevent accidents, yet nobody expected Bai Fan to use a poisoned dagger.

"Despicable, using a weapon when so many are attacking one person."

"Yes! It's so shameful!"

A wave of dissatisfaction came from the audience.

Having succeeded with his strike, Bai Fan ignored the surrounding jeers, his face wearing a cold, mocking smile.

Once Lin Chen was dead, even if he broke the rules, Bai Ling, as the new Sect Leader, would surely set him free.

Not only would he escape any punishment, but he would also rise to a higher position effortlessly.

The dagger was smeared with deadly poison, fatal upon entering the bloodstream. The dagger that Bai Fan had plunged deep into Lin Chen's shoulder would undoubtedly spell death, even for a god.

However, just as Bai Fan was reveling in his triumph, suddenly a pair of strong hands seized his neck.

"Impossible!" Seeing Lin Chen appear before him like lightning, Bai Fan's complexion drastically changed.

"How could he not be poisoned, how could he not be dead?" amazement spread across Bai Fan's face.

An icy glint flashed in Lin Chen's eyes as he coldly said, "Here's your dagger back."

As soon as he spoke, Lin Chen's body shook, and a burst of energy forced the dagger out, driving it directly into Bai Fan's palm.

"No!" Bai Fan, seeing the dagger ejected from Lin Chen's body hit him, his face turned ghostly pale.

Suddenly spitting out a mouthful of dark blood, Bai Fan's body wobbled, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"A man has died!"

Cries of alarm rose from the arena.

Quickly, several monks rushed over, only to find that Bai Fan had already breathed his last.

With someone dead just as the competition had begun, the entire arena was in an uproar.

Master Zi Yang, with a somber expression, said to Lin Chen, "Young man, the arena is meant for friendly combat, yet you made such a ruthless move, your competition qualifications are now revoked."

Upon hearing Master Zi Yang's words, Lin Chen's face turned cold, "Old man, what do you mean by that? I did not kill him, it was he who stabbed me with the dagger. I merely forced the dagger out, is that wrong?"

"As for the dagger striking him, that was his misfortune, what does it have to do with me?" Lin Chen said coldly.

Lin Chen's words instantly resonated with many in the audience.

"Right, Lin Chen didn't kill anyone, it was that dead guy who wanted to kill."

"Exactly, that guy was too ruthless, smearing his dagger with lethal poison; he got what he deserved."

Hearing the murmurs of the audience, Master Zi Yang's face grew even darker.

Then, Master Xu Kong coldly remarked, "Junior brother, Bai Fan was the initiator of this mischief. His death was merely an accident."

"This!"

Master Xu Kong's statements essentially set the final tone on the matter, and since everyone had witnessed the event clearly, Master Zi Yang, knowing he had no ground, could only sit down huffily back in his seat.

Bai Ling's face became especially grim, his well-laid trap had not only failed to take Lin Chen's life but had instead cost his own confidant's life.

The competition continued, with over seventy people still left in Lin Chen's group. However, for the remainder of the matches, Lin Chen was merely a spectator.

With Bai Fan dead and their so-called alliance dissolved, Lin Chen's recently demonstrated formidable combat skills deterred anyone from daring to challenge him further.

Lin Chen had been resting in a corner with his eyes closed, healing his injuries until the competition was over.

The matches in the even-numbered groups were just as intense, and the duo of Zhao Xiaohua and Tang Bao'er became the highlight of the event.

The two were so fierce that several martial artists who tried to challenge them were killed with a single move, and soon this duo also became an existence that no one dared to provoke, smoothly advancing to the next round.

After an afternoon of competition, the top 32 were finally determined.

This result made the Elder extremely displeased, as according to their plan, Lin Chen should have been eliminated.

"It seems we need to carefully arrange the order of appearances to get Lin Chen eliminated," the Elder thought to himself.

However, the Void True Man suddenly stood up and said, "I will personally supervise the drawing of lots for the final match!",

Hearing the words of the Void True Man, the Elder's face changed, "Could this old man have discovered something?"

"Sect Leader, such trivial matters should be left to our subordinates," the Elder said with a laugh.

The Void True Man smiled faintly, "This is no trivial matter. This concerns who will ultimately be the Sect Leader of Kunlun. That's decided then."

In a secret room in Kunlun, "The expressions on True Man Zi Yang and Bai Ling were very grim."

"Who would have thought that this kid is immune to all poisons? That poisoned dagger was stabbed into his body, and yet this guy is unharmed," True Man Zi Yang said furiously.

"Master, rest assured, it's good that he's not dead. I actually hope to encounter him and torture him to death," Bai Ling said coldly.

"Bai Ling, this time you must secure the position of Sect Leader at all costs. Remember, you can only succeed, not fail. Otherwise, not only our lives but also our entire clan will be doomed," True Man Zi Yang said coldly.

Bai Ling sneered, "Me lose? How could that be? Lin Chen is as good as dead."

In another corner of Kunlun, in a room, Lin Chen lay on the bed while Tang Bao'er wiped his wounds.

"Bao'er, I'm fine. The wound will heal by tomorrow morning," Lin Chen said with a smile.

Zhao Xiaohua glanced at Lin Chen, "You let Bai Fan stab you on purpose, didn't you?"

Lin Chen smiled faintly, "If I didn't let him stab me, how could I kill him in front of everyone?"

"Hmph, weren't you afraid that you couldn't neutralize his poison?" Zhao Xiaohua complained a bit.

In fact, Lin Chen dared to do so because his biggest reliance was the popularity system.

The popularity system had told him that it could filter out any deadly poison, thus Lin Chen dared to take such a risky move.

"Lin Chen, I noticed quite a few suspicious people in the crowd. I feel like this martial arts competition might not be as simple as we think," Zhao Xiaohua said gravely.

"Can you identify who those people are?" Lin Chen frowned and asked.

"These people have altered their appearances, but from their aura, all are True Yuan Realm strength," Zhao Xiaohua said gravely.

Lin Chen nodded, "There are a few more days of competition left. Bring all the brothers from Devil's Island here, so we have backup in case anything happens."

Kunlun Mountains, known as the number one sacred mountain in China, had a beautiful night scene, but at this time, it was filled with a dense murderous intent.

The Void True Man looked at the match diagram with a tight frown, "Lin Chen, you rascal, why couldn't you just accept being the Sect Leader quietly? You had to make me exert so much effort."

Just then, the Void True Man's ears twitched, and his sharp gaze fixed on the door, "Who's hiding outside the door?"

The door was pushed open, and a young man in Taoist robes stood outside.

"Senior Void, I am Xu Ye, and I have a matter that I would like to discuss with the Sect Leader," Xu Ye said with a smile.