World's Strongest Martial Warrior

Turning our attention to the third branch palace, it was clear that their top talent, Yan Li, had been eliminated quite early. He had managed to secure just over a hundred Nether Pearls, contributing to the third branch palace's meager haul of fewer than eight hundred. This was less than half the number amassed by the first and second branch palaces.    

By the time the first seventeen sub-palaces had reported their counts, the third sub-palace had plummeted out of the top ten rankings. The early elimination of Brother Duanmu had caused the Ninth Sub Palace to also fall in the standings, landing them in 15th place.    

In contrast, the eighth branch secured a spot in the top five, thanks in large part to Xu Ji reaping significant rewards by aligning with Peter Parker.    

Finally, it was time for the eighteenth branch palace to tally their Underworld Pearls. Peter Parker had impressively collected a total of 1,300 Dark Pearls, earning him the top spot in his group. However, with He Yu and the others contributing a smaller number of Underworld Pearls, the eighteenth branch palace's total came to 1,703, positioning them just behind the second branch palace.    

Silvermoon was quite pleased with the first stage rankings at the Immortal Gathering. Despite having a prodigy like Peter Parker in the eighteenth branch, Silvermoon Immortal Venerable had not set her sights on first place. Securing third place was an achievement she found more than satisfactory.    

Yet, the mood was not universally celebratory. Concern and solemnity hung heavy over the third and ninth branch palaces.    

Within the third sub-palace, the Black Cloud Deity addressed Yan Li with a grave tone, "Yan Li, we're on the cusp of the second stage. I expect you won't disappoint me again."    

Yan Li inhaled deeply, his response resolute, "Master, have no worries. I will ensure our ranking climbs back into the top three."    

The Black Cloud Immortal Venerable offered no further comment. The upcoming second stage of the Immortal Gathering would be a test of sheer strength. And at this moment, Yan Li stood as the undisputed powerhouse among the younger members of the third branch palace.    

Given Yan Li's capabilities, he stood little chance of victory whether he was up against Luo Shock Scale from the first branch palace, Yi Qiankun from the second branch palace, or Peter Parker from the eighteenth kill. Black Cloud Immortal Venerable harbored scant hope that Yan Li would reclaim a spot in the top three. For them, managing to secure fourth place was considered quite an accomplishment.    

"Underworld Pearl statistics complete. We will now proceed to the second stage of the Immortal Gathering," announced Mu Ziqian, as he outlined the rules for the next phase of the competition. In this stage, each branch hall was permitted to send only one representative. The challenges would be conducted based on the rankings from the first stage, starting with the lowest-ranked hall. The 17th hall, currently at the bottom, chose Xu Bao to represent them in the second round of challenges.    

Xu Bao's initial target was the 17th sub-palace from the first round. He had to defeat the 17th-ranked opponent to earn the right to challenge the one ranked 16th. The harsh rules of the second round meant that a poor performance in the first round made the subsequent challenges exceedingly tough.    

Take Yan Li from the third sub-palace, for instance. If he wished to elevate the third sub-palace back to third place, he would need to begin from the tenth rank and successively defeat the prodigies from eight sub-palaces. The elite talents from all eighteen branch palaces of the Nameless Immortal Palace were formidable opponents.    

Despite Yan Li's formidable strength, overcoming the prodigious youths from eight consecutive sub-palaces was no simple feat. Xu Bao's challenge commenced against a prodigy from the 16th sub-palace, whose cultivation had reached the early stage of the second-grade Heaven Immortal realm. This young genius was not only a level above Xu Bao, who was at the peak of the first-grade Heaven Immortal realm, but his talent and foundation were equally matched.    

After about a hundred exchanges, Xu Bao was soundly defeated by the young prodigy.    

Periodically, the eighteen sub-palaces of the Nameless Immortal Palace convene for an immortal gathering to reassess their rankings. The stakes are high, as a higher rank means more resources.    

This is why the rankings of the Nameless Immortal Palace's sub-palaces are taken so seriously.    

Typically, it's a long shot for a lower-ranked sub-palace to successfully challenge one that's higher up the hierarchy. True to form, the initial challenges by the next two sub-palaces ended in defeat.    

However, intrigue spiked when the 15th place challenger, formerly the 9th Sub Palace, stepped up. Brother Duanmu of the ninth branch was known for his exceptional talent and strength. Despite being at the peak of the first-grade Heaven Immortal Realm, his combat prowess surpassed many second-grade Heaven Immortal contenders from the eighteenth branch.    

For this challenge, the ninth branch put forth Duanmu Yang. Harnessing his remarkable combat abilities, he secured victories in two consecutive battles. Alas, he was bested in the third, ultimately securing the 12th place ranking.    

The Challenger League marched on.    

It wasn't long before the third sub-palace, ranked 11th, hosted the next round of challenges. Yan Li, the premier genius of the third branch, stepped forward to compete.    

As the top talent of the Third Branch Hall, Yan Li had reached the pinnacle of the Third Tier of the Heavenly Immortal Realm. His innate abilities were among the finest across all eighteen branches.    

With the exception of Luo Shock Scale and Yi Qiankun, there were few who could rival him within the eighteen branches. The third branch's eleventh-place ranking in the initial stage was seen as nothing more than a fluke.    

Therefore, Yan Li's upcoming challenge was anticipated to be the highlight of this year's league.    

Speculation abounded even before the battles commenced, with many wondering, "How many consecutive victories will Yan Li secure in this Challenger League? Can he propel the Third Branch Hall back into the top three?"    

"It's a tough road ahead... To claw his way back into the top three, he'll need to secure eight straight wins. That's an unprecedented feat at the Nameless Immortal Palace's Immortal Gathering."    

"I have my doubts about Yan Li's chances, too. Securing third place in the first stage is already a challenge, and he's up against the eighteenth branch palace. Facing an unexpected contender like Peter Parker, Yan Li doesn't stand much of a chance."    

As the spectators buzzed with their opinions, Yan Li's challenge was already underway.    

In that moment, Yan Li showcased the extraordinary prowess that made him the premier prodigy of the third branch palace.    

Throughout the three consecutive Challenge Competitions, Yan Li dispatched his adversaries with seemingly effortless moves.    

With each battle, Yan Li's courage swelled. He amassed a staggering five-match winning streak in less time than it takes an incense stick to burn.    

In the sixth challenge, Yan Li faced off against Jiang Xingwei from the eighth branch hall. The only reason the eighth sub-palace had secured the fifth rank in the first round was because Xu Ji had managed to collect a substantial number of Nether Beads from Peter Parker.    

Jiang Xingwei, in terms of strength, was not quite on par with the previous opponents Yan Li had faced. Yan Li dispatched him with ease, not breaking a sweat.    

Shortly thereafter, a rising star from the Fourth Sub Palace, at the Third Stage Heavenly Immortal Realm, fell to Yan Li after a brief but intense exchange of blows.    

Yan Li had successively vanquished seven formidable young talents from the seven great Sub Palaces, achieving an extraordinary seven-victory streak!