As the last stone casket was taken, the first round of the Dharma Assembly’s elimination tournament officially came to a close.
A giant screen of light floating in the air flowed with spiritual light, finally settling to clearly display the names of the three winners and their respective sects.
[Xuling Sect — Gu Qingkong]
[Heavenly Sword Sect — Jian Mingzi]
[Scattered Cultivator — Zhou Xi]
With the results announced, the stone caskets in the hands of the three winners seemed to be drawn by an invisible force.
They opened automatically, revealing the reward treasures placed inside.
Gu Qingying looked curiously at the item in her stone casket.
It was an exquisitely crafted, lifelike tiger-head hat.
The hat had a bright yellow base with the character for “King” embroidered in majestic black silk.
Two furry tiger ears stood upright, and a ring of soft white fur decorated the brim.
More uniquely, the tiger-head hat emitted a strong surge of Spirit Energy, proving it was clearly no ordinary item.
As Gu Qingying took out the hat, a stream of information naturally flowed into her mind:
[Tiger Roaring in the Forest Hat], high-grade Magic Weapon.
When worn, it can summon a sliver of a tiger demon’s remnant soul to possess the wearer, significantly increasing the wearer’s Strength, speed, and reaction time for a short period, especially in close-quarters combat.
The attached Shentong, [Tiger Awe Protection], can automatically defend against three full-power attacks from a beginning-stage Jindan Cultivator.
After use, it requires Spirit Energy nourishment for 12 hours before it can be activated again.
“Pfft…”
Beside her, Gong Shangyu couldn’t help but let out a laugh when she saw the childish tiger-head hat.
She looked Gu Qingying and the hat up and down, her pink eyes full of mischief and teasing as she intentionally drawled, “Oh — Senior Brother Gu, congratulations! To think you would obtain such a ‘divine weapon’! It’s just… isn’t this style a bit too… unique? You aren’t exactly young, Senior Brother Gu. Wearing that thing, I’m afraid people will take you for a baby who hasn’t been weaned yet.”
Gu Qingying had actually been quite satisfied with the practical functions of the tiger-head hat, but being ridiculed by Gong Shangyu made her face flush with embarrassment and annoyance.
She glared huffily at Gong Shangyu and stiffened her neck.
As if trying to prove something, she pulled the tiger-head hat onto her head in one swift motion.
The bright yellow hat complemented her fair skin and those slightly angry purple eyes.
The white fur along the brim trembled slightly with her movements.
Combined with her current pouting expression, she didn’t look majestic at all; instead, she looked quite adorable in her fierce, childish rage.
Once it was on, she immediately turned to Lu Li.
She tilted her face up, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible nervousness and expectation.
“Master! Look! Does your disciple… look good in this?”
Gu Qingying’s voice grew smaller toward the end, sounding a bit lacking in confidence.
Lu Li looked at his “Big Disciple” wearing the tiger-head hat and staring at him expectantly, feeling both amused and a bit helpless.
This child was still a youth at heart after all.
He smiled gently, unwilling to hurt his disciple’s small amount of self-esteem.
He nodded and comforted her in a sincere tone.
“Mmm, not bad. This item can protect you and increase your combat power; its practicality is excellent. As for the appearance… it looks… spirited. With the tiger head, you have a bit of a… mmm, fierce air about you.”
Lu Li tried his best to find a complimentary word.
Hearing her Master say this, the awkwardness in Gu Qingying’s heart dissipated instantly, and she even felt a secret sense of joy.
She gave Gong Shangyu a triumphant glance and even intentionally shook her head, letting the two furry tiger ears sway.
‘Hmph! Master said it looks good! That means it looks good!’
Seeing this, Gong Shangyu rolled her eyes, speechless.
She didn’t bother arguing further, but she couldn’t help but complain in her head, ‘Master is truly biased! The filter he uses when looking at Junior Sister must be at least 8 yards thick!’
***
At almost the same time, on the other side of the square within the resting area of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
The Cultivator who had previously stepped on Gu Qingying’s head to grab the stone casket was standing quietly.
She wore green robes and a slightly ridiculous Big-Head Doll Mask with a smiling face.
From beneath the mask, her gaze pierced through the bustling crowd, landing accurately in the distance where Lu Li and his two disciples were.
Her gaze lingered for a moment on Lu Li, then on the “youth” wearing the tiger-head hat beside him.
Her gaze was deep, carrying an indescribable sense of nostalgia and a faint trace of confusion.
This person was the other winner of the first round, “Jian Mingzi” of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
A young Cultivator wearing the standard Heavenly Sword Sect disciple uniform walked up to her, followed her gaze, and asked curiously, “Senior Uncle Jian Mingzi, what are you looking at?”
Jian Mingzi didn’t look away, only asking indifferently, “Those people… what is their background?”
She pointed toward Lu Li and his disciples.
The Heavenly Sword Sect disciple looked closely and then answered respectfully, “In response to Senior Uncle, that True Person in the green robes with the extraordinary temperament is the Peak Lord of Duanqing Peak from the Xuling Sect. His Daoist title is Chongyang, and his name is True Person Lu Li. The two youths beside him are his Direct Disciples.”
The disciple paused, his tone gaining a bit of admiration as he continued, “Senior Uncle, you have been in seclusion for a breakthrough recently, so you might not know. This True Person Chongyang and his disciples did something great in Yangzhou City in the Jin Kingdom not long ago!”
“They not only uncovered the truth behind the disappearance of children in the city and rescued those innocent children, but they also thwarted the plot of the Yin Corpse Sect. They are considered heroes who acted for the people and are recognized throughout the Jin Kingdom! Because of this, the King specifically invited them to participate in this Imperial Secret Realm trial.”
Finally, he added one more thing, his tone becoming heavier.
“Speaking of which, they can be considered one of the key rivals we need to watch out for in this Secret Realm trial. Especially that True Person Chongyang; it is said his cultivation has already reached the Jindan stage and is unfathomable.”
“Xuling Sect… Duanqing Peak… True Person Chongyang, Lu Li…”
Jian Mingzi whispered these names.
Her gaze flickered slightly beneath the mask as if she were thinking about something.
From a distance, she watched Lu Li talk gently to the disciple wearing the tiger-head hat, then looked at the pink-haired “youth” beside him.
Finally, her deep gaze fell back onto Gu Qingying — specifically on the tiger-head hat that swayed with her movements and those violet eyes that looked exceptionally clear in the sunlight.
Then, she turned her head back toward Lu Li, feeling that this True Person Chongyang was inexplicably familiar.
‘Duanqing Peak… Lu Li… Chongyang…’
Jian Mingzi felt countless blurry thoughts quietly cross her mind, yet she couldn’t grasp any specific traces.
At this moment, she felt that as the Closing Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, she should perhaps be over there instead of here, joining the conversation of those three and becoming one of them.
After a moment of silence, she waved her hand at the disciple beside her.
“I understand. Go prepare for the next round.”
“Yes, Senior Uncle.”
The Heavenly Sword Sect disciple bowed and retreated.
Jian Mingzi remained in place.
The smile on the Big-Head Doll Mask remained eternal and unchanging, and no one could see the true expression beneath it.
Only the gaze she cast toward Lu Li became increasingly deep and difficult to read.