Chapter 36: Vice Sect Master, Sparring
“Where is Qingyunzi?” You arrived beside Shangguan Lan and questioned the assembled Elders before you.
“Uh, the Sect Master… he should be with the Vice Sect Master right now,” one Elder replied.
“Go summon him at once!” After this affair, your impression of the Soul-Refining Sect had sunk to its absolute lowest.
A Golden Core Elder, and he had actually gone to threaten a disciple with nothing but Qi Refining cultivation. Where was his face?
What was more, before you entered seclusion you had already told Qingyunzi to look after Shangguan Lan. Yet the enemy had come knocking at the door, and now there was still no sign of Qingyunzi.
If you had not already promised Qingyunzi, you would want to walk away right now!
After a pause, Qingyunzi hurried over, travel-worn, a woman following behind him. This was presumably the Vice Sect Master of the Soul-Refining Sect.
“Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Wuji, for breaking through three realms in four years!” The moment they met, Qingyunzi offered you his congratulations.
“Qingyunzi, were you aware of today’s events?” Your gaze fixed tightly on Qingyunzi.
“This matter, I truly was not aware of it. These past few days I have been discussing the Dao with the Vice Sect Master.” Qingyunzi’s expression held a trace of awkwardness. As the master of a sect, he could not even keep track of the sect’s movements.
“I say, Qingyunzi, how did you become so spineless now? Even a mere Golden Core sixth-layer cultivator dares to interrogate you?” The woman behind Qingyunzi wore a face full of contempt.
“The way you run this sect, you really have grown more senile the older you get! If you truly cannot manage, then abdicate and yield your position to someone worthy!”
“You are the Vice Sect Master?” You looked at the woman and asked.
“So what if I am? Do you dare raise a hand against me?” The Vice Sect Master spoke with some disdain. As a Nascent Soul cultivator, how could she possibly fear a Golden Core cultivator?
You answered no further. You simply threw a punch, aimed straight at the Vice Sect Master.
A Nascent Soul cultivator, nothing more. It was not as if you had never killed one before!
“How dare you!” the Vice Sect Master raged. Seeing that you had actually taken the initiative to attack, she felt her dignity had been provoked.
You and the Vice Sect Master fought. Wary of your monstrous physique, the Vice Sect Master always kept a certain distance from you.
Though the Vice Sect Master only had first-layer Nascent Soul cultivation, between Golden Core and Nascent Soul stood an insurmountable mountain!
With your current Golden Core sixth-layer cultivation, without relying on the power of your fleshly body, it was fundamentally difficult to defeat a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Unless you used the Art of Burning Longevity!
After more than a dozen exchanges, though you were no match for the Vice Sect Master, the Vice Sect Master had also been wounded by you, and she put away her contempt.
“The First Elder is truly terrifying. With Golden Core cultivation, he can actually fight the Vice Sect Master head-on.”
“Who says otherwise? The Vice Sect Master is a Nascent Soul cultivator, and she was actually wounded by the Golden Core First Elder!”
“Master is so amazing, to actually fight across so many realms!”
The probing was over. You were just preparing to go all out and use the Art of Burning Longevity to slay the Vice Sect Master when Qingyunzi, who had been watching from the sidelines, hurried over to stop the fight.
“Fellow Daoists, no more fighting, no more fighting!” Qingyunzi stood between the two of you, preventing another clash.
At the same time, he transmitted his voice to Shangguan Lan, who had been spectating, explaining the stakes.
Worried for your safety, Shangguan Lan hurried over to dissuade you.
“Master, let her off for now. This is their territory. We must avoid being surrounded and beaten,” Shangguan Lan came to your side and transmitted.
Hearing this, you felt it made some sense. Though you did not fear it, your disciple might not!
Of course, you did not intend to let it go just like that. You immediately demanded compensation from the Vice Sect Master.
“Your people wounded my disciple. Should you not give some compensation?” Hearing this, Shangguan Lan beside you directly collapsed into your arms.
Seeing the two of you like this, the Vice Sect Master’s brow furrowed tightly. “You killed my people, and you still want to demand compensation from me?”
“Otherwise?”
“Do you truly think I am afraid of you!” The Vice Sect Master was instantly enraged.
“Not convinced? Then let’s go outside and fight again!”
Qingyunzi once again spent a long while dissuading them. In the end, the Vice Sect Master forcefully suppressed her rage, tossed you a storage bag, and turned to leave.
You opened it and looked. Inside were five thousand middle-grade spirit stones, plus a Mystic-rank middle-grade artifact.
You knew when to stop while ahead. You placed the storage bag in Shangguan Lan’s hands, then began conversing with Qingyunzi.
“Why did you not join hands just now? You and I together could have killed her!” You transmitted to Qingyunzi.
Qingyunzi let out a bitter laugh and replied, “Alas, we are all fellow disciples of the same sect. It is not fitting to slaughter one another.”
“Moreover, the Vice Alliance Master has a Spirit Transformation Ancestor backing her. She cannot be touched!”
Hearing this, realization struck you. So she had backing. No wonder she was so arrogant.
“By the way, the cultivation resources you gave me, I have already used them all up. When will you give me more?” You changed the subject.
“What! You used up all those resources? How could that possibly be!” Qingyunzi jumped straight up, unable to believe it.
“That was enough resources for ten Golden Core cultivators to cultivate from the first layer to the ninth layer of Golden Core, and you used it all up just like that???”
Is cultivating that resource-intensive for me? You felt somewhat panicked. If I were on my own, where would I get that many cultivation resources?
And this was only the Golden Core stage. Once your cultivation reached a higher realm, you did not dare imagine it.
“It seems I still underestimated Fellow Daoist’s potential!” Qingyunzi sighed, and stated that everything would wait until after the Five Great Sects’ competition, after which he would gather resources for you.
Hearing this, you could not say much more.
There were still three days until the competition. Seizing this time, you earnestly guided Shangguan Lan in her cultivation.
In terms of cultivation, the ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivation achieved through an immortal-grade technique, in terms of depth of spiritual power, absolutely no one at this tournament could surpass her!
In terms of technique, Shangguan Lan’s Startled Swan Sword Art had reached the Minor Completion Stage, while her other techniques had only just entered the threshold.
To handle a battle against a mere Qi Refining cultivator, this was enough!
Three days later, you brought Shangguan Lan and followed the sect to the Cloud Mist Sect!
This grand competition was hosted by the Cloud Mist Sect!
The rules of the competition were also very simple. Each of the Five Great Sects sent out twelve Qi Refining disciples, then by drawing lots, they were paired off, and the victor advanced to the next round.
Until the first place was decided!
Winning first place in the competition, aside from bringing glory to the sect, would also earn very generous rewards.
“Nervous?” After arriving at the destination, you looked at Shangguan Lan and asked.
“With Master here, your disciple is not nervous.” Shangguan Lan shook her head, then continued, “This time, your disciple will definitely take first place in the competition and bring glory to Master!”
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