Chapter 20: The Sect Tournament (III)

The Outer Sect Grand Competition thus came to an end. In just a few short days, Hansu felt she had learned more than she could ever have imagined. The Outer Sect, after all, was composed mostly of disciples with mediocre spiritual roots—most possessed three to five roots, and many among them were impoverished cultivators. Few could produce decent magical tools, nor did they possess advanced cultivation techniques. Each month, they received only two lower-grade spirit stones and one lower-grade Purification Pill. With such meager talent, to establish a foundation within their brief lifespans required far more resources than the Inner Sect enjoyed. The supplies distributed by the sect were woefully insufficient for their cultivation, and there were tasks to be completed for the sect besides. Thus, they were compelled to accept additional assignments, or to learn the arts of talisman crafting, array setting, or pill refining on their own. Lacking fine magical tools, they could only triumph through ingenuity—practicing the simplest moves to perfection, wielding even the most basic entry-level spiritual swords with mastery, and applying every scrap of knowledge they had to their duels. They fought with greater ferocity, keenness, and tenacity. For the privileged disciples of the Inner Sect, watching the Outer Sect’s competition was always a sobering experience—let alone for someone like Hansu, a natural-born prodigy.

Once the top five had received their prizes, the Outer Sect Grand Competition was officially concluded. After a few days of rest, it would be time for the Inner Sect Grand Competition. Hansu used the opportunity to enter a brief seclusion, reflecting on and studying the insights she had gleaned from watching the matches. On the day she emerged, it was the first day of the Inner Sect Grand Competition.

The dueling arena was the same, the guests in attendance unchanged, but many of the contestants were now familiar faces to Hansu. Spurred on by her recent progress, Tao Xinzhen and Zhu Shaoyi had also entered seclusion, and upon their return had each advanced a level—one reaching the eighth layer of Qi Refinement, the other the ninth. Both were participating in this competition. Bai Ke, now at the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, was competing in the early-stage division as well. Su Yunmo, who had already reached the twelfth layer and could have secluded herself to prepare for Foundation Establishment, chose nonetheless to participate, leaving many puzzled. Her father, Lord Daojun Zhanzhan, was delighted, believing that more experience in dueling would only benefit his daughter.

In front of the Radiant Transformation Mirror, disciples clustered in thick layers, with a few children at the very front, while the rest kept a respectful distance. These children were Hansu’s own team. News of her breakthrough on the spirit vessel had spread widely throughout the sect. Even cultivators were not immune to gossip, and soon a list known as the "Four Young Lords and Five Beauties of Yaohua" was compiled. Among the Four Young Lords, besides Hansu’s usual companions Bai Ke and Lu Ming, were two other young men—Ji You, a blood relative of the sect master, and Yu Hanshan, nephew of Lord Yuheng of the Spirit Medicine Peak. Both were already in their twenties and had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, so they seldom mingled with the others, though their paths had crossed before.

As for the Five Beauties, Su Yunmo naturally held the first position. Another prodigious girl, a descendant of a Nascent Soul Patriarch and a rare mutated thunder spiritual root, was seldom seen at the sect, reportedly always cultivating alongside her ancestor. Though her lineage, spiritual root, and cultivation were superior, her infrequent appearances relegated her to second place. The third was Ning Xin, niece of Lord Daojun Miaozhen of Lingyin Peak and mother to Su Yunmo. She hailed from a renowned family, famed for her beauty, and possessed fire and earth dual spiritual roots. In Hansu’s previous life, Ning Xin had always allied with Su Yunmo against Lutan Immortal, her mind as deep as the sea. Early on, she had attached herself to Yu Hanshan, and even after Su Yunmo’s death, she continued to thrive. Hansu herself, due to her legendary spiritual root and the miraculous breakthrough on the spirit vessel, had been placed third on the list, while the last spot was occupied by Tu Qiqi. Thanks to this list, their fame had spread far and wide, and now, seeing them at the front, no one dared approach. With such illustrious backgrounds, who would risk offending them? Should any jostling or mishap occur, who would bear the blame? At first, Hansu felt uncomfortable with this treatment, but after a talk with her father, she paid it no further mind.

Several pairs of eyes remained fixed on the shifting roster displayed on the Radiant Transformation Mirror, waiting for the drawing of lots to conclude and the matchups to be finalized. On the first day, none of Hansu’s acquaintances were scheduled to compete; Bai Ke and Zhu Shaoyi would fight on the second day, while Tao Xinzhen and Su Yunmo were assigned to the third.