Inside Gong Shangyu’s room at the royal inn.
Gong Shangyu sat cross-legged on the bed, the spiritual energy around her fluctuating like tides.
A layer of faint pink spiritual light enveloped her, clearly indicating she was at a critical moment of breaking through to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.
Her eyes were tightly shut, fine beads of sweat dotting her forehead as she concentrated fully on guiding the surging spiritual energy within her to stabilize her realm.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open with a bang.
Gu Qingying rushed in like a whirlwind, turned and closed the door behind her, then leaned back against it, panting slightly.
Her small face was flushed an unnatural red from both the running and the agitation of her internal spiritual energy.
The sudden disturbance startled Gong Shangyu, causing her energy to fluctuate.
She forcefully suppressed the churning spiritual energy and abruptly opened her eyes, glaring angrily at the uninvited guest.
“Gu Qingying! What are you doing?! Don’t you know I’m breaking through? Why are you running in here?! Didn’t I tell you to keep an eye on that Jian Mingzi from the Heavenly Sword Sect outside?!”
Her voice was kept low, thick with irritation.
Gu Qingying gasped for breath a couple of times, her purple eyes sparkling with excitement and urgency.
She spoke rapidly, “I… I’m about to break through too! Just now, when I sensed Master breaking through to the middle stage of the Golden Core, my spiritual platform suddenly cleared! The bottleneck for the middle stage of Foundation Establishment loosened on its own! I can’t suppress it!”
“What?!”
Gong Shangyu exclaimed in shock, her anger momentarily forgotten.
She hurriedly asked, “What about Master then? Master just broke through and needs to stabilize his realm. Why did you run back? What about that Jian Mingzi? Is she still with Master?!”
This was her primary concern.
“Master is also stabilizing his realm. He should be fine,” Gu Qingying shook her head, a hint of conflict on her face.
“That Jian Mingzi… I didn’t let her into Master’s room. She’s in the courtyard. When I left, I felt… she didn’t seem to have any ill intent. She was just standing there, looking a bit dazed. I even gave her a few formation flags so she could notify me if anything happened.”
“You!”
Gong Shangyu nearly jumped up from the bed in fury.
The spiritual energy she had just suppressed churned again.
“Gu Qingying! What on earth is in your head?! Paste?! That person’s origins are unknown, her behavior is strange, and she came looking for Master first thing in the morning! And you just left her alone near Master’s courtyard?! And gave her formation flags?! Do you even know what ‘inviting a wolf into your house’ means?! What if she harbors malicious intentions towards Master?!”
Gu Qingying shrank her neck, still defending herself.
“I… I felt the opportunity for my breakthrough was immediate! I couldn’t wait a moment longer! And… and I felt the way she looked at Master, although strange, didn’t seem to have any evil intent… It was just a… very complicated feeling. She doesn’t seem like a bad person.”
Her voice grew softer and softer.
Deep down, she felt a bit uneasy, but the impulse to break through was simply too strong.
Looking at her expression, Gong Shangyu felt her chest tighten with anger, yet there was nothing she could do.
What was done was done.
Both of them were at a critical moment for their breakthroughs.
They couldn’t just run out now and chase that Jian Mingzi away.
She could only forcefully suppress the unease and anger in her heart, gritting her teeth and saying, “Forget it! It’s too late to say any of this now! Let’s just pray that Jian Mingzi is truly just eccentric and not harboring sinister designs towards Master! Hurry up! We each need to break through! The faster we finish, the better!”
The two said no more.
Each found a relatively empty spot in the room, quickly set up simple isolation and protective formations, and then sank back into their breakthrough states.
However, just as they had calmed their minds and spirits, preparing to fully assault their bottlenecks—
Whoosh!
An aura of pressure, even more vast, more majestic, and seemingly imbued with the Dao’s resonance of Heaven and Earth than the earlier middle-stage Golden Core pressure, erupted once more from the direction of Lu Li’s room without any warning!
It instantly swept through the entire inn area like an invisible tsunami.
Late-stage Golden Core!
Gu Qingying and Gong Shangyu both shuddered violently, their newly gathered spiritual energy almost scattered by this sudden high-level pressure!
They snapped their eyes open, looked at each other, and saw unconcealed shock and bewilderment in each other’s gaze.
“Master… broke through again?”
Gu Qingying’s voice trembled with disbelief.
“Wasn’t it just middle-stage Golden Core? It… it hasn’t even been the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, right?”
Gong Shangyu’s face was also full of incredulity, her pink eyes shining with astonishment.
“Late-stage Golden Core… How is this possible? Two consecutive small realm breakthroughs? And in such a short time? Master… how on earth did he do it?”
Beyond the shock, the admiration and that secret infatuation she held for her Master grew wildly in her heart like weeds.
Such talent, such progress, truly worthy of the person she had set her sights on!
But now was not the time to dwell on it.
Both of them felt their internal spiritual energy becoming even more active due to the successive stimulations of the pressure.
The opportunity for breakthrough was fleeting.
They forcefully suppressed the shockwaves in their hearts, re-focused their minds, and with all their might guided the surging spiritual energy within them to launch the final assault on the barrier of the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.
***
In the courtyard, by the time Lu Li had finally tamed the immense power granted by the system reward and his late-stage Golden Core cultivation had stabilized, over an hour had passed.
The night was still deep, and the inn was silent, with only faint insect chirps.
Lu Li let out a long sigh, feeling the power within him, several times stronger than before, and the dazzling Golden Core slowly rotating in his Purple Mansion, shimmering with golden light and faintly visible Dao patterns.
He felt a sense of unreality and a trace of helplessness towards the system’s rough reward method.
He pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard, wanting to see if his breakthrough had disturbed anyone and also to get some fresh air.
However, the courtyard was empty.
That Jian Mingzi from the Heavenly Sword Sect was already gone.
Only on the stone table lay a neatly folded plain white silk handkerchief, weighed down by a smooth pebble.
Lu Li walked over, picked up the handkerchief, and unfolded it.
On it, written in elegant yet forceful characters that seemed to pierce the silk, was a line of words.
[Urgent summons from the Heavenly Sword Sect, recalling this disciple to return immediately. I beg for your understanding, Senior. Regarding our discussion on joining forces to eradicate evil and defend the Dao, I look forward to continuing it another day. The mountains are high and the waters long; we will meet again. Left by Jian Mingzi.]
The handwriting on the handkerchief was neat, the tone polite yet distant, carrying a sense of a hurried departure.
Lu Li held the silk handkerchief, looking it over twice.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that the strokes and flow of the characters seemed vaguely familiar, as if he had seen them somewhere before.
But when he tried to think about it carefully, he couldn’t find a clue.
He shook his head.
He was probably overthinking it.
The Heavenly Sword Sect was far from here.
For them to urgently recall a disciple via communication methods, it must be a truly important matter.
‘It seems this fellow Daoist Jian Mingzi is also a busy person,’ Lu Li murmured to himself, storing the handkerchief away.
The subtle suspicion he had felt due to her late-night visit faded considerably.
Only that faint, elusive cold fragrance seemed to linger at the tip of his nose, along with that complex gaze hidden behind the white veil, together forming a somewhat special interlude for the night.
***
Several days later, at the central square of the capital city.
It was the final day of the Dharma Assembly.
This grand event was not a bloody contest of martial prowess but focused more on a comprehensive test of a cultivator’s control over spiritual energy, understanding of techniques, use of magical tools, and on-the-spot adaptability.
The formats were diverse, quite popular among low and mid-level cultivators and scattered cultivators from various sects.
It was also a platform for major sects to showcase their young disciples and secretly observe and recruit talent.
Over the first four days, one themed Dharma competition was held each day, and fifteen winners had been decided.
Today was this final round, the ultimate contest that would determine the final champion of this Dharma Assembly!
At the center of the square, a massive white jade Dharma stage, inscribed with reinforcement and protective formations, had long been erected.
The stage was currently empty, save for a middle-aged man in the robe of a Jin Kingdom royal family elder, his aura steady at the middle stage of the Golden Core, standing in the center as the referee and host for this round.
Below the stage, it was already a sea of people.
Flags of various sects fluttered, cultivators gathered in clouds.
The sounds of discussion and expectant gazes intertwined into a heated ocean.
The Xuling Sect, as one of the major sects within the Jin Kingdom, naturally occupied a prime viewing seat with excellent sightlines.
Lu Li sat in the seating area with his two disciples.
After several days of consolidation, both Gu Qingying and Gong Shangyu had stabilized their realms.
Gu Qingying still held her Love Thread Sword, her purple eyes curiously surveying the bustling scene around her, often leaning close to Lu Li to ask questions.
Gong Shangyu appeared much more composed, sitting quietly on Lu Li’s other side, idly playing with an exquisite jade-bone folding fan.
Her pink eyes calmly swept over the referee on stage and the other winners who were arriving one by one, assessing the opponents Gu Qingying might face.
Lu Li looked at the Golden Core elder on stage, feeling a bit of anticipation himself.
In the game, the final rewards for this Dharma Assembly were always impressive.
He wondered what the reward for this session would be.
As the designated hour arrived, the Golden Core elder cleared his throat.
His voice, amplified by spiritual energy, clearly spread across the entire square.
“Silence! The final round of this Dharma Assembly begins now! I invite the fifteen winners from the previous five rounds to come onto the stage!”
“Now, allow me to introduce the identities of these fifteen winners.”
“First place, Xuling Sect, Gu Qingkong.”
“Second place, Heavenly Sword Sect, Jian Mingzi.”
“Third place, Scattered Cultivator, Zhou Ku.”
“Fourth place, Beast Mountain, Qu Baichuan.”
As the names of the contestants were called one by one, the other fourteen cultivators—men and women, sect disciples and scattered cultivators, each with their own distinct aura—flew onto the stage in sequence and stood according to their winning order.
Hearing the referee call her name first, Gu Qingying immediately stood up from her seat.
She turned to look at Lu Li, her purple eyes sparkling brightly, carrying both the excitement of being about to go on stage and a subtle, barely noticeable hint of dependence, seeking encouragement.
“Master,” her voice was crisp, a eager smile on her face.
“It’s my turn!”
Looking at his eldest disciple’s fearless, newborn-calf-not-afraid-of-the-tiger demeanor, Lu Li felt both gratified and a bit worried.
After all, this was the final round, gathering the winners from multiple previous matches.
Their strengths were not to be underestimated.
But he didn’t show it.
He simply nodded gently, a warm, encouraging smile on his face.
He reached out and lightly patted Gu Qingying’s shoulder.
“Go ahead, Qingkong,” Lu Li’s voice was calm yet firm.
“Stay composed, don’t be impatient. Just demonstrate what you’ve learned daily. Don’t place too much weight on victory or defeat. Safety is most important.”
His gaze held complete trust and concern.
That light pat seemed to carry a calming power.
Gu Qingying felt her heart turn into an overturned honey jar from her Master’s pat and words.
A sweet, warm current instantly flowed through her limbs and all her meridians.
Master believes in me!
Master is watching me!
This filled her with more strength than any miraculous pill.
“Mm! I understand, Master! Just wait and watch!”
She nodded emphatically, the smile on her face growing even brighter, almost radiant.
Without further delay, she turned and flew towards the central white jade Dharma stage.
Her figure was light and agile, landing steadily on the stage after a few leaps, taking her place at the first position designated by the referee.
The “Love Thread Sword” at her waist shimmered with a faint silver light under the sun.
Standing on the stage, Gu Qingying instinctively glanced back towards the direction of her Master’s viewing seat.
Seeing Lu Li smiling as he watched her, and Gong Shangyu also glancing her way with eyes full of encouragement, Gu Qingying’s heart swelled with heroic spirit, feeling her entire body brimming with drive.
‘Master is watching!
I must perform well!
I can’t disappoint Master!’
Gu Qingying secretly clenched her fist, took a deep breath, and shifted her gaze to the other contestants arriving on stage, beginning to adjust her state.
On the viewing seat, Lu Li watched Gu Qingying’s spirited, confident back, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening slightly.
This child’s temperament is becoming more and more steady, and she’s more responsible now.
But…
His gaze inadvertently swept over the figure standing in the second position on stage—the one still wearing the veiled hat, her posture straight as a sword—”Jian Mingzi.”
This elite disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect has indeed also entered the final round.
For some reason, Lu Li vaguely felt that this Jian Mingzi might be an opponent Qingkong needed to pay attention to in this contest.
However, he quickly suppressed this thought.
He had basic confidence in his own disciple.
At the same time, on the stage, Feng Lingshuang’s gaze, hidden behind the white veil, swept over Lu Li’s figure on the viewing seat with extreme subtlety and complexity, then quickly withdrew, finally settling on Gu Qingying’s back in front of her.
‘Ah… Junior Sister, we meet again…’
However, neither Lu Li nor Gu Qingying, nor Feng Lingshuang and Gong Shangyu, were aware that among the Dharma contestants competing alongside Gu Qingying and Feng Lingshuang, there were two figures with obscure presences, occasionally staring at Gu Qingying, Feng Lingshuang, and also at Lu Li and Gong Shangyu in the audience seats.
One of those two figures was Zhou Ruoxi disguised as the scattered cultivator Zhou Ku.
The other was a mysterious contestant from the Phantom Sound Valley, entirely wrapped in a black cloak, features indistinguishable, referred to as “Youming.”
Soon, all fifteen winners had assembled, standing in a row on the Dharma stage, each exuding their own aura.
The discussions among the audience below reached a crescendo.
Countless gazes focused on the stage, anticipating the upcoming ultimate clash of dragons and tigers.
Once everyone was in place, the Golden Core elder flicked his sleeve.
Countless bubbles, each as large as a water vat, constantly flowing and transforming, emitting a hazy blue light and a gentle water-attribute spiritual energy, appeared out of thin air above the Dharma stage.
“These are water spheres formed from Profound Origin Heavy Water,” the elder announced loudly.
“They contain mysteries and can, to a certain extent, block divine sense probing and interfere with spiritual energy sensing. The topic for this final round of the Dharma Assembly is—Summoning the Treasure!”
His gaze swept over the fifteen cultivators on stage.
“The rules are simple! Shortly, I will suspend these water spheres at the center of the stage. Each of you must throw one of your commonly used magical tools—remember, only one—into this water sphere. The sphere will swallow and isolate it. Afterwards, you must each rely on your own abilities to sense and call to your own magical tool through this Profound Origin Heavy Water, willing it to break free from the water! Whose magical tool is the first to completely separate from the water sphere will be the winner of this round! If multiple cultivators’ tools break free simultaneously or in succession, then we will compare the speed of the tool’s separation!”