The Main Peak of the Piaomiao Sect was shrouded in a thin mist, and the distant peaks flickered in and out of sight amidst the dense clouds.
Today was the day of departure for the Five Sects Tournament, and the area around the Martial Arts Square was already packed to the brim. Thousands of outer and inner sect disciples, dressed in their Taoist robes, surged like a tide. Countless gazes filled with reverence, envy, and expectation converged on the massive Spirit Boat hovering in the center of the square, as well as on the six figures standing before it.
There were three Golden Core Stage cultivators and three Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators.
The Golden Core cultivators were Wu Yan of Zhuqu Peak, Lin Xiao of the Main Peak, and Zhao Wuji of Wanjian Peak. The Foundation Establishment cultivators were Yu Qingyao, Gu Jian, and Su Qianqian from Medicine Peak.
“Eldest Senior Sister is truly beautiful. She has both looks and strength!”
“Senior Brother Zhao isn’t bad either! He used to be the Number One of the Inner Sect!”
“I think Senior Brother Lin Xiao of Jujian Peak is even better.”
“Tsk, weren’t they all defeated by Eldest Senior Sister anyway?”
“Then let me ask you, was Li Hu selected?”
Cheers and arguments broke out one after another. Wu Yan felt like a rare and exotic beast trapped in a cage for people to admire.
‘What a bunch of noisy ants,’ Yan sneered. Standing beside Wu Yan, her blood-red eyes scanned the crowd below. ‘Though, this feeling of being admired by others isn’t half bad.’
“Eldest Senior Sister!” A bright voice came from beside her. Gu Jian, carrying a heavy sword on his back, waved familiarly at Wu Yan with a brilliant smile on his face. “In this Grand Competition, I will definitely follow your lead.”
“Just do your best,” Wu Yan nodded slightly. She then turned to look at Yu Qingyao beside her. “Qingyao, how have you been feeling lately? Has your injury healed?”
Yu Qingyao nodded and quietly moved a bit closer to Wu Yan. “Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. I have completely recovered. My cultivation has even reached Foundation Establishment Peak.”
Yu Qingyao did not finish her sentence. Although she was at Foundation Establishment Peak, it would take her at least one and a half years before she could step into the Golden Core Stage.
This was related to the Great Sun Nirvana Sutra she practiced. She had obtained this technique by a stroke of luck in her previous life. It allowed the practitioner’s cultivation to become very easy after breaking through the Foundation Establishment Stage. In her previous life, she had used this technique to raise her cultivation to the Tribulation Transcendence Stage in a short period.
However, this technique had a drawback: the practitioner was forced to remain at the Foundation Establishment Stage for one and a half years. During this period, while their physical strength would increase with cultivation, their level would not grow. It was beautifully called “nirvana after encountering adversity,” but Yu Qingyao always felt it was just a vulgar, bad joke.
Fortunately, she still had the Soul Governance Art to assist her cultivation. Since discovering another core mark of the Soul Governance Art in her Sea of Consciousness, Yu Qingyao had been practicing it constantly. Now, her soul strength was nearly at the Soul Transformation Stage.
“Senior Sister, how have you been…?”
Having not seen Wu Yan for half a month, Yu Qingyao wanted to ask how she was doing, but the scene before her eyes suddenly distorted.
Gray currents swirled in the depths of her eyes, and the space around Wu Yan vibrated inexplicably. A circle of extremely bewitching red ripples rose, silently spreading outward. Within those ripples, Yu Qingyao felt as if she caught a glimpse of a face with a mocking expression, looking exactly like Wu Yan.
“!?”
Yu Qingyao’s pupils constricted, and she instinctively took a half-step back as the gray vortex in her eyes intensified. When she looked again, the ripples had already vanished, leaving only that cold figure standing in place.
‘That feeling just now… how could it be… it was exactly like that Female Devil from my previous life.’
“Junior Sister Yu, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?” Beside her, Su Qianqian from Medicine Peak was holding a medicine box half her height and asking timidly.
“I’m fine. Senior Sister Su, I just saw things for a moment,” Yu Qingyao said calmly, suppressing the trepidation in her heart.
‘How could that familiar aura suddenly appear on Senior Sister? Did something important happen during these two weeks?’
“Silence!”
A clear voice rang out as Xia Lingshuang descended from the sky, landing at the very front of the Spirit Boat. She wore the light purple robes of an Elder, her expression as cold as frost. Although she did not intentionally release the pressure of the Soul Transformation Stage, the disciples below all fell silent at the same time.
Behind her, Sun Elder, wearing the gray robes of the Law Enforcement Hall, stared solemnly at the six people on the Spirit Boat.
“Since the Sect Master is in seclusion, Sun Elder and I will lead the team for this Five Sects Tournament.”
Xia Lingshuang’s cold voice echoed across the square.
Sun Elder scanned the six people standing behind him and said with a stern face, “The time has come. This Grand Competition concerns the honor of the sect. You are all sect elites; do not shame the Piaomiao Sect.”
Xia Lingshuang did not say much more. After telling the disciples below to maintain order, she flicked her sleeve, and a massive amount of Spiritual Power poured into the Spirit Boat.
A low roar sounded, and the huge Spirit Boat slowly rose into the air, breaking through the clouds. Wu Yan stood against the wind, her clothes fluttering loudly.
On the ground, thousands of disciples cupped their hands in unison, their shouts shaking the sky. “Farewell, Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters! We wish you a victorious return!”
“Tsk, that old woman really loves putting on an act as much as ever!” Yan’s sour voice rang in Wu Yan’s ear.
Amidst the thunderous cheers, Yu Qingyao unconsciously rubbed the hilt of her sword, her gaze fixed on Wu Yan. That fleeting flash of red made her think of some very unpleasant things.
***
At dusk, a majestic and grand city appeared on the horizon—Tianyuan City.
This was the hub of Zhongzhou and the venue for this Five Sects Tournament. The giant city was not built on the ground; instead, it relied on the main peak of a leveled mountain range, surrounded by hundreds of floating small islands connected to the main city by rainbow bridges.
The Spirit Boat slowly landed at a dedicated hostel area in the north of the city. The area was already filled with flags and banners, and cultivators from various sects were gathered there, their lights brilliant and their voices deafening.