Three days later, at the Martial Arts Platform west of Fog City.
The first round of the Sect Rankings auditions officially began. The registration area was a sea of people, with everyone queuing up to draw their number tags.
However, the audition rounds were generally just for show, with little to actually pay attention to. Because the matchmaking mechanism was randomized, cases where opponents were evenly matched were rare. Furthermore, the foundations of the various sects varied, and the strength of the disciples they produced was uneven.
This led to many disciples from third-rate sects forfeiting immediately upon being matched against those from top-tier immortal sects, simply chalking it up to bad luck. Since the auditions didn’t provide advertising spots—those only became available once one reached the top sixty-four—it was better to preserve one’s strength whenever possible.
One could say there was not much to see; it was best to just treat it as a bit of entertainment.
Lin Shu arrived at the competition grounds early that morning, bringing Lu Zhiyun and Chen Yin with him. Today was Chen Yin’s first battle, and he had already finished drawing his number.
As luck would have it, the opponent he drew was very strong, and also happens to be his rival. He was pitted against Ling Jie of the first-rate War Soul Sect, who was also at the peak of the Golden Core Realm.
“Junior Brother Chen Yin, you must be careful in this fight!” Lin Shu said to Chen Yin as the latter gripped his spear, preparing to take the stage.
“Don’t worry, Senior Brother! I lacked experience before, but I will definitely take him down this time!” Chen Yin said with a cupped-fist salute.
He then walked confidently toward the stage.
***
A few quarters of an hour ago, when Ling Jie learned his opponent was Chen Yin, he could hardly suppress a laugh. In the past, whenever he was matched against Chen Yin, Ling Jie had never lost.
He did admire that disciple from the Heavenly Firmament Sect for being able to cultivate to the same peak Golden Core level as himself despite only having triple spiritual roots. Unfortunately, the man was far too stubborn and straightforward.
Both were artifact refiners, yet the additional attributes Chen Yin added to his artifacts were always singular and practically useless in actual combat. In contrast, Ling Jie’s own artifact gloves were praised by the elders for their defense alone. They called him a ‘genius of defensive equipment’ and a ‘master hand at forging defensive artifacts.’
After all, being able to forge a defensive artifact with a rare attribute like **[Damage Reflection]** while only at the Golden Core Realm meant he, Ling Jie, deserved to be called a future master refiner. As for Chen Yin, he was nothing more than an unknown refiner.
Although his senior brother, Qi Shan, had repeatedly warned him when he first arrived in Fog City to be extremely careful of the people from the Heavenly Firmament Sect—claiming they were incredibly devious, lacked the conduct of righteous cultivators, and had no bottom line—Ling Jie had never suffered a single defeat against Chen Yin. In fact, his victories had been relatively easy.
After taking the stage, Ling Jie looked at the honest-looking man before him and couldn’t help but speak out in provocation.
“Junior Brother Chen, why don’t we just forget it? The result will be the same anyway!”
“Counting today’s match, I’ve been beating you for four years. I’d hate for me to become your Inner Demon Tribulation when you try to break through later. You might try to blame me for it!”
In the past, Chen Yin would likely have charged straight in to start the fight. But after several days of guidance from Lin Shu, he was confident he could win, so he didn’t mind chatting for a bit longer.
“Junior Brother Ling, does your War Soul Sect have a rule that says if you lose a single match, you have to go back to the sect and be replaced?”
The War Soul Sect worried that disciples sent to Fog City for experience would slack off in their cultivation. Thus, they had a hard rule: if a disciple couldn’t even make it past the auditions in the Sect Rankings, they had to scramble back to the sect to cultivate and let someone else take their place.
“So what if we do? It’s not like you’ve ever beaten me!” Ling Jie sneered. “But then again, I should thank you, Junior Brother Chen. It’s thanks to you that I’ve been able to stay here for four years!”
Chen Yin was not annoyed. He simply smiled and said, “Don’t worry! Junior Brother Ling, I’m sure you can still help escort the ‘manure’ your War Soul Sect bought from the Spirit Beast Sect this year!”
Seeing Chen Yin bring that up, Ling Jie’s rage finally boiled over. His veins bulged as he lunged forward, and the two were instantly locked in a fierce struggle.
***
Below the stage, Lu Zhiyun watched the infuriated Ling Jie and asked in confusion, “Senior Brother, why are the people from the War Soul Sect so angry about that?”
Lin Shu thought for a moment before replying, “Do you remember the duel between Ye Bufan and Qi Shan?”
Lu Zhiyun nodded. She had watched it on a recording stone back then. The image quality had been clear and the movements smooth; she could even practically sense the ‘scent’ emanating from it, so the memory was fresh.
Lin Shu pursed his lips and said, “Back when the Heavenly Firmament Sect was promoted to a top-tier immortal sect and was challenged by various other sects, Junior Brother Ye relied on… well, let’s not get into the specifics. Anyway, he managed to poison their eldest senior brother, Qi Shan. That incident caused the War Soul Sect’s reputation to suffer quite a bit.”
“The most serious part was that some people even began to question whether the War Soul Sect’s cultivation techniques were just brute force. They claimed the sect was useless against devious tricks—basically, strong on the outside but hollow on the inside.”
“This matter affected the War Soul Sect’s Immortal Ascension Assembly. Their recruitment that year was quite worrying.”
Lu Zhiyun gasped. She hadn’t expected the impact to be so significant!
Inside the mental space, the Sanqing Fairy couldn’t sit still after hearing the story and hurriedly sent a transmission: ‘What happened after that?’
Lin Shu hesitated on whether to continue, but considering everyone hadn’t eaten breakfast yet, he spoke up. “Later, the elders of the War Soul Sect realized this wouldn’t do! They had to change their policy and refine their techniques so they could provide poison resistance.”
“The War Soul Sect really has resolve!” Lu Zhiyun remarked with admiration. But then another doubt surfaced. “But the poison Qi Shan faced back then wasn’t ordinary poison. That was…”
That was basically like having feces thrown at him. If even Qi Shan couldn’t handle it, how could new disciples?
The Sanqing Fairy raised her hand. ‘I know the answer to this one! Just buy the raw materials from that girl in your Heavenly Firmament Sect who cooks!’
“Fairy!” Lu Zhiyun was so startled she nearly jumped out of her skin.
It was fine for her to say such things to herself, but if her young aunt heard her cooking being described like that, the Green Phoenix Peak might actually explode.
Lin Shu laughed. “After that incident, it was already lucky enough that we didn’t become sworn enemies with the War Soul Sect. How could they possibly come to us to buy things?”
“Then what did they do?” the Sanqing Fairy asked curiously.
“So, the War Soul Sect tried a different approach. They went to the Spirit Beast Sect to purchase massive quantities of spirit beast manure. They used it to ‘immerse’ the sense of smell of their new disciples, thereby training their poison resistance,” Lin Shu said, his words shocking everyone.
It was safe and had no side effects!
Except they nearly got into a fight with the people from Shennong Valley. Those old scholars who spent every day planting spirit vegetation immediately lost their cool when they heard someone was snatching their orders for ‘high-quality fertilizer.’ They went straight to the War Soul Sect to demand an explanation.
But as soon as they entered the sect and saw the new and old disciples huddling around that stuff, inhaling deeply and sharing their thoughts—saying things like ‘99% pure, a rare treasure’—they immediately turned around and went home, never daring to say another word.
They had thought the War Soul Sect was trying to steal their business by finding a new path, but they never expected…
Sigh!
They were a bunch of ruthless people! No wonder they were a first-rate sect!
“It was also from then on that War Soul Sect disciples all wished they could come to Fog City for experience. Because in Fog City, they have to consider the sect’s image, so they don’t have to cultivate that poison resistance technique like they do at the main sect.”
After hearing Lin Shu’s explanation, Lu Zhiyun was only glad she hadn’t eaten breakfast.
In the mental space, the Sanqing Fairy had already started taking notes. ‘Spirit beast manure is more convenient than the food made by the cooking girl; it can serve as a substitute!’
“Fairy!!!”
If there weren’t so many people around, Lu Zhiyun would have screamed at the top of her lungs!
On the Martial Arts Platform, the two were already in the thick of a heated battle. However, it was almost entirely Ling Jie on the offensive. Sweat poured from his forehead as he swung his artifact gloves with a whistling wind.
Whenever he recalled the letters from his eldest senior brother—who couldn’t escape and wrote about how many tons he had to inhale that day—Ling Jie felt fortunate to be in Fog City, but he felt even more humiliated.
It was all the Heavenly Firmament Sect’s fault! If not for them, why would they have to suffer such misery?
He heard that Chen Yin was Ye Bufan’s junior brother, so every time they fought, Ling Jie made sure to win decisively, giving the other man no chance at all. This time was no different!
Seeing an opening, he lunged forward, raising a fist clad in the Stone Armor Gloves and aiming it at Chen Yin’s chin with incredible speed.
Chen Yin retreated sharply, pouring spiritual energy into his long spear. Using the impact of the fist, he moved back to the very edge of the platform.
“Come on! Why don’t you dare to fight? Are you afraid of the **[Damage Reflection]**?”
Ling Jie pressed his advantage, following Chen Yin closely while continuing his taunts. “I suppose that’s right! Aside from storing spiritual energy, your spear is useless!”
“You don’t know how to adapt. No wonder you always lose!”
After blocking a strike, Chen Yin glanced back at his senior brother and junior sister below the stage. He replied, “You’re right! But today, I’m going to win!”
“Watch closely!”
“Look at the spear!”
Chen Yin unleashed a heavy, powerful spear strike. Ling Jie raised both hands to defend.
‘Stupid!’
Knowing he had **[Damage Reflection]**, Chen Yin still attacked with full force? With this strike, Chen Yin would surely be blasted right off the stage by the recoil!
As Ling Jie thought this, he suddenly saw Chen Yin drop his usual honest demeanor. Chen Yin grinned and said, “I told you! Look at the spear!”
‘The spear?’
Ling Jie shifted his focus to the tip of the spear. It looked ordinary; what was there to pay attention to?
‘Could it be?!’
His heart sank. Could this spear change its trajectory of attack?
He reacted quickly, spreading his hands to block attacks from both sides. His eyes were fixed on the spear tip, fearing a change in the strike’s path.
In the next moment, a blindingly intense beam of light suddenly erupted on the platform.
“Ah! My eyes! Damn you, Chen Yin! You have no honor!”