The Sect Grand Competition had begun.
Disciples from the seven peaks descended their respective mountains, gathering at the vast plaza originally used for the new disciple recruitment trials.
“Senior Brother, have you heard? The Daozi has returned with an ancient inheritance. He’ll likely sweep the championship in this competition.”
“The Daozi is actually back? He hasn’t participated for 5 years because he was away traveling for experience. It seems the winner of this year’s competition is already decided.”
“Since the first place is already set, why don’t we guess who will take second?”
“It has to be Tang Si, who is ranked second on the Minor Wind and Cloud List!”
“I don’t think Xiao Yan, ranked fourth on that list, is any ordinary person either!”
“Feng Bujue, who is fifth on the list, practices hard until late every night. I think the rankings will see a major shuffle after this competition.”
“Well, I think the Master Senior Brother of Yushou Peak is also mysteriously powerful. I was lucky enough to see him take action in the wild once. He killed one mid-stage Foundation Establishment beast in an instant.”
…
The Minor Wind and Cloud List was a ranking created by the disciples of the Tianyan Sect to rank each other’s strength.
It was modeled after the Great Wind and Cloud List, which was widely recognized across the Cultivation World.
The Great Wind and Cloud List recorded the world’s most extraordinary individuals.
Every cultivator named on it was a prominent powerhouse.
The procedure for the Sect Grand Competition was not difficult; it was similar to the recruitment process.
The only difference was that it offered more room for error.
Some disciples might have poor luck despite their impressive strength, ranking among the top of the Tianyan Sect.
However, if they drew a favorite to win as their opponent, they would lose.
The Elders’ Council would then grant them an opportunity to enter the losers’ bracket based on their performance, where they could continue to draw lots for duels.
What if you drew another favorite to win?
Then you simply had to wait for the following year.
Luck was also a part of one’s strength.
For a cultivator, luck and destiny were extremely important.
“Disciples of my Tianyan Sect! This year’s first-place winner will receive an additional ancient divine weapon! The rewards for the other ranks will remain unchanged. The Sect Grand Competition is about to begin. I wish you all excellent results!”
The Sect Leader of the Tianyan Sect appeared and concluded the opening remarks with a few brief sentences.
The Elders stood in the air, activating the Celestial Sphere to transform the environment and expand the arena.
Zhu Lan drew an opponent in the Qi Condensation stage and handled them in two or three moves.
“Outer disciple Zhu Lan wins!”
Zhu Lan only breathed a sigh of relief after the Elder announced her victory.
‘I’ve stayed by the male lead’s side for so long that I almost forgot what normal people are like.’
There weren’t actually that many geniuses.
As an outer disciple, her Foundation Establishment cultivation was quite formidable.
Zhu Lan’s arena didn’t cause much of a stir, but the arena where Ye Feng stood once again caught the attention of all the Elders.
Ye Feng was facing the Daozi.
Ye Feng was not very famous, but being the Daozi’s opponent boosted his reputation by several levels.
“So it’s you. Long time no see.”
The speaker was a man dressed in casual blue robes with his hair tied behind his head.
Although he looked lazy, no one could ignore his presence.
“So you are the Daozi.”
Ye Feng was somewhat surprised.
He hadn’t expected the person he met in the secret realm earlier to be the famous Daozi.
“You’ve finally reached Foundation Establishment. But no matter how solid your foundation is, you are only at the early stage.”
The Daozi smiled, his figure becoming hazy.
“I have been at the late stage of Foundation Establishment for 6 years. I can form my Golden Core whenever I wish. Your current self is too weak.”
Ye Feng watched the Daozi’s hazy figure as he spoke and was surprised again.
“Your ‘Purple Qi From the East’ has reached the Great Success stage? Then I am indeed no match for you right now.”
“In that case, you should just admit defeat. Save your energy to fight the others; there are still many geniuses in the Tianyan Sect. I will wait for you to form your Golden Core before fighting you again.”
The Daozi seemed a bit disappointed.
He waved his hand and prepared to leave.
“Wait,” Ye Feng said, drawing his sword with a half-smile.
“You’re acting too cool; I want to smack you. Don’t speak too soon. If I knock you down in a moment, you won’t be able to keep your title as the Daozi.”
“I knew it.”
The Daozi could not hide his smile either as he stepped back onto the stage.
Clang!
Two figures crashed together like ghosts.
The disciples below the stage instantly broke into an uproar.
The reason was simple—the speed of these two was so fast that the naked eye could not keep up with their movements at all!
“Your strength is acceptable, but your cultivation level is a fatal flaw.”
The Daozi gave a brief critique and suddenly increased the force in his hands.
“Prajna Dragon Elephant Technique!”
Ye Feng felt a massive force travel through his sword, instantly numbing the web of his thumb.
He decisively retreated a step, his figure becoming illusory as he moved.
“Yin-Yang Mystical Steps?”
The Daozi’s eyes widened slightly, finally showing some interest.
Several whistling sounds rang out as sharp sword lights reached the Daozi in the blink of an eye.
“Returning Swallow Sutra!”
The Daozi’s speed suddenly increased, his footwork becoming dazzling.
By the time everyone could see him clearly again, he had dodged all the sword Qi unscathed.
“Let’s see how your sword fares!”
The Daozi remained stationary with a steady lower body.
He clenched his fist and threw a punch, unleashing a dominating fist aura.
The howling wind carried the majestic power of dragons and tigers.
A sharp-eyed disciple in the crowd recognized the technique and cried out in shock, “Subduing Dragon and Tiger Fist! That’s a supreme technique of the Buddhist Sect!”
“A Buddhist technique?! How did our Daozi learn that?”
“For a monstrous genius like the Daozi, it’s probably not surprising even if his opportunities led him to a Buddhist technique!”
…
Dust flew across the arena.
Ye Feng was forced back repeatedly.
Just as he was about to fall off the stage, a startling white light flashed as a violent sword light left its sheath.
“Canglang Sword Art? That is the treasure of those people from the Wanjian Sect. How did you steal it?”
The Daozi was somewhat surprised, but his movements did not stop.
He threw several more heavy punches.
“That’s a funny thing to say,” Ye Feng sneered, neutralizing the fist auras rampaging across the stage.
“Isn’t your fist technique also the treasure of those lunatics from the Western Buddhist Sect?”
The two of them had no idea how many people their duel had attracted.
Disciple A: “What kind of monsters are they? The techniques they use so casually are dazzling to us.”
Disciple B: “I can’t see their movements at all. I can understand if it’s the Daozi on the stage, but who on earth is this Ye Feng? He can actually trade blows with our Daozi?”
Even the Elders watching were amazed.
Just as they were about to ask the Sect Leader why Ye Feng knew the Canglang Sword Art, the Sect Leader smiled faintly.
“I don’t care where he came from before. As long as he is not a wicked person, anyone who joins our Tianyan Sect is an indispensable part of us.”
Seeing the Sect Leader’s firm stance and clear meaning, the Elders could only return to their posts to continue presiding over the competition.
In the crowd, Zhu Lan was shocked beyond measure.
Ye Feng had indeed reached Foundation Establishment long ago.
But what she hadn’t expected was that he could actually fight the Daozi to a standstill!
The character of the Daozi was a very critical figure in the original plot, and his future achievements were legendary.
If she remembered correctly, the Daozi was currently just one step away from forming his Golden Core.
For monstrous geniuses like them, they were essentially no different from Golden Core cultivators.
In fact, ordinary Golden Core cultivators were no match for these famous geniuses.