Chapter 21: The Grand Sect Tournament (Part Four)

By the time Hansu and her companions gathered, the vast martial arena was already packed to the brim. During the Outer Sect Competition, some of the Inner Sect disciples had been too proud to attend, but now, on the day of the Inner Sect Tournament, almost every Inner Sect disciple remaining in the sect had come, and even most of the Outer Sect disciples had shown up. The elders and mentors of the Inner Sect disciples were also present in great numbers to watch the matches.

“Which arena should we go to first?” someone asked.

“My senior sister will be competing at Arena Three soon. I’d like to go watch her,” Taoxin Xian said.

“Let’s go to Arena Three, then!”

Everyone agreed and headed for Arena Three so Taoxin Xian could watch her senior sister’s match. There were five arenas, each designated for different cultivation levels: early, middle, and late Qi Refinement, and early and middle Foundation Establishment. There were fewer participants in the late Foundation Establishment stage, so those matches would begin only after the middle stage rounds concluded. Taoxin Xian’s senior sister, Wang Wei, was at the tenth layer of Qi Refinement, the late stage, which did not give her much advantage—most of her opponents were at the eleventh or twelfth layer. Without an ace up her sleeve, defeat seemed almost certain.

Wang Wei had large, round eyes and a complexion as fair as snow, her beauty especially charming. Her opponent was a senior brother at the eleventh Qi Refinement layer, a sword cultivator from the Spirit Sword Peak. Though his looks were unremarkable, he exuded a sharp, commanding presence. After they exchanged formal greetings, the senior brother gestured for her to make the first move.

Wang Wei possessed dual Earth and Wood spiritual roots. Earth countered Wood’s attacks, giving her some advantage in defense, but her opponent, although he had not yet grasped true sword intent, wielded the renowned “Rain Beating Petals” sword technique. With his higher cultivation, he quickly seized the upper hand, pressing Wang Wei into a corner. Just as she was about to admit defeat, in a split second, vines sprouted at her command, binding the senior brother tightly. As he tried to cut them down with his sword, he found himself suddenly standing in a dense forest. Realizing he had fallen into a formation, he searched desperately for its core to break free, but the woods seemed illusory and without flaw. Vines periodically lashed out, striking his limbs and body, the ordeal stretching on as if for a hundred years. At last, unable to endure any longer, he cried out, “I concede!”

In that instant, the greenery vanished, and he found himself still on the arena platform, with Wang Wei—whom he had just cornered—now standing behind him. His face flushed red as he stammered, “Junior Sister, your mastery of formations is remarkable. May I ask under which elder you study?”

Wang Wei’s round eyes crinkled with delight. “Wang Wei, disciple of Real Person Zi He of the Spirit Talisman Peak, greets Senior Brother.”

“No, no, you flatter me. With such talent, you might well surpass us all in the future,” he said hastily.

Below the stage, Hansu and the others burst into cheers at Wang Wei’s victory. Nearby, two female cultivators watching the match sneered, “Copying Senior Sister Lu’s tactics—that’s shameless.” The group turned to see that the two were Inner Sect disciples, most likely diehard fans of Lu Tanxian. Seeing the group look back, the two girls made an exaggerated face and added, “Borrowing tricks from others—how dull.”

Taoxin Xian, usually gentle and demure, flushed with anger at their words. Unable to bear hearing anyone malign her senior sister, she retorted, “Using seeds to lay formations is no invention of Senior Sister Lu’s! Such techniques have existed since ancient times—how dare you accuse my senior sister of copying?”

The two female cultivators rolled their eyes and left in a huff. Hansu and the others quickly comforted Taoxin Xian, and soon Wang Wei came down to greet them. To keep her senior sister from worrying, Taoxin Xian acted as if nothing had happened and introduced everyone.

Wang Wei was a lively, cheerful soul, and the group quickly became friendly. Upon meeting Hansu, Wang Wei laughed in exaggerated delight. “So you’re the prodigy who advanced on the spirit boat! With that cute, dazed look, I never would’ve guessed it was you.”

Hansu liked her immediately and teased her back, “And you say that about me? You seem so lively, who would’ve thought you were so skilled with formations!”

The group shared a laugh before splitting up to watch the matches. Bai Ke and the others, all early-stage Qi Refinement cultivators, went to Arena One. Hansu, Taoxin Xian, and Zhu Shaoyi, all in the middle stage, headed to Arena Two, while Wang Wei, still needing to compete again in the late stage, returned to Arena Three.