Chapter 37: Grand Tournament, Ambush, Crushed!
Having arrived at the Cloud Mist Sect, the people from the other great sects had also gathered, awaiting tomorrow's competition.
Here, you encountered an old acquaintance, Xiao Fan!
Seeing Xiao Fan appear here, you felt somewhat puzzled. After all, in the last simulation, by this time Xiao Fan should have already reached Foundation Establishment and become an inner sect disciple.
It seems that without me as a butterfly, Xiao Fan hasn't been doing too well in the Body-Refining Sect! That was what you thought.
The only thing you felt regret over was that the Body-Refining Sect Master, Ouyang Xiu, had actually not come!
Ouyang Xiu cultivated both body and law. Without absolute certainty, you would never lightly make a move.
Fortunately, you still had a trump card: divine sense that had just reached the Nascent Soul stage!
Your divine sense had wandered the Taixu Realm for a full year. Though you had nearly lost yourself, the results were quite good. It had directly pushed your divine sense to breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage.
With your divine sense strengthened, when fighting above your level, you no longer needed to fear divine sense attacks. Your weak point had been completely shored up!
The next day, the Grand Tournament began. Your disciple Shangguan Lan's first opponent was a cultivator from the Body-Refining Sect.
The moment she stepped onto the stage, Shangguan Lan attacked without another word. Her very first move was a Profound-Rank Mid-Grade Technique: a palm strike descending from the heavens!
Shangguan Lan's fighting style was almost entirely copied from yours. Once the fight began, there was no idle talk whatsoever, and she struck with full force from the very first move.
A Body-Refining Sect cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining lasted only two exchanges in Shangguan Lan's hands before being directly defeated.
You looked toward the direction of the Body-Refining Sect disciples and noticed Xiao Fan's brow was tightly furrowed, no telling what he was thinking.
You knew that Xiao Fan had seen through the technique Shangguan Lan was using, because that technique was precisely the one Xiao Fan had given you back then.
You found it quite interesting. A former friend had now become a stranger.
The Grand Tournament continued. Shangguan Lan won battle after battle without defeat. No opponent could last more than three exchanges in her hands! She successfully entered the semifinals.
"This disciple of yours is very much like you!" Beside you, Qingyunzi said with emotion.
"But of course. Who told her Master to be so outstanding?" Your disciple was invincible among her peers, and you felt an indescribable sensation in your heart. Extremely pleasant!
Entering the semifinals, Shangguan Lan's opponent this time was the Cloud Mist Sect's number one outer sect disciple, at the ninth layer of Qi Refining.
The battle began loudly. You watched the Cloud Mist Sect disciple holding a Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifact and wearing Profound-Rank High-Grade armor, and laughed coldly to himself.
This Cloud Mist Sect is truly shameless!
Whoever heard of a Qi Refining cultivator having two Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts?
"This isn't fair! Senior Sister, don't fight him!"
"Cultivation emphasizes wealth, companions, method, and land. So what if he has two Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts? Are you saying you're not allowed to use them?"
"Exactly. Artifacts are also a part of one's strength!"
The Soul-Refining Sect disciples and Cloud Mist Sect disciples immediately started arguing, neither side willing to yield.
"Since the other side is shameless, then you use yours too." You sent a voice transmission to Shangguan Lan on stage. In order to test her own strength, Shangguan Lan had always been using Yellow-Rank artifacts.
But that did not mean Shangguan Lan had no Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts!
Shangguan Lan put away her Yellow-Rank artifact and slowly drew a Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifact from her storage bag: the Surging Waves Sword!
"Wait, are Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts common street goods now? How do two Qi Refining cultivators both have one?" Immediately, a Foundation Establishment cultivator could not help but start complaining.
"No way, there's more?"
Shangguan Lan then took out three more Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts. A full four Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts surrounded her. This time, not only the Foundation Establishment disciples, but even the Golden Core cultivators could not help themselves!
"Is this how you raise your disciple?" Beside you, Qingyunzi pointed at Shangguan Lan and asked.
"Mere Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts. Is there a problem?" You gave a noncommittal nod.
"When I was her age, how could I have had such conditions? Back when I was at the Golden Core stage, I only had a single Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifact in my hands!" Qingyunzi seemed somewhat broken by this.
On stage, the Cloud Mist Sect disciple saw Shangguan Lan take out so many Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts and immediately chose to surrender.
Shangguan Lan won without fighting and successfully advanced to the finals.
"Master." Shangguan Lan came to your side very obediently.
"Not bad. Tomorrow in the finals, you'll face the Body-Refining Sect's Xiao Fan. This person is very strong. Do not be careless." You stroked Shangguan Lan's head and instructed her.
That night, as you were studying formations, your brow suddenly furrowed slightly, and your body vanished in an instant.
In the room next to yours, Shangguan Lan, who was cultivating, was suddenly ambushed by a Golden Core cultivator!
How could Shangguan Lan, whose cultivation was only at the Qi Refining stage, possibly resist? At this moment of life and death, you struck!
You struck with one sword, not only blocking the attack but even directly heavily injuring the ambusher!
In order to figure out which faction the ambusher belonged to, you did not directly kill him.
The huge commotion drew the attention of all the various factions.
Qingyunzi also came to your side and asked, "What's the situation?"
"Someone wants to kill my disciple!" You held the heavily injured man, your divine sense probing into him to search his memories.
A moment later, the Cloud Mist Sect Master arrived. Glancing at the Golden Core cultivator in your hands, hovering between life and death, he said, "Fellow Daoists of the Soul-Refining Sect, my apologies!"
"Please hand this person over to me. My Cloud Mist Sect will definitely give all of you an explanation!"
"An explanation? What kind of explanation?" Your expression was unfriendly as you stared at the Cloud Mist Sect Master. Just now, through the soul search, you had already learned the sequence of events.
A Cloud Mist Sect Elder had actually ambushed a Qi Refining junior for the sake of four Profound-Rank High-Grade Artifacts!
The last person who did such a thing had already been sent by you to the underworld!
"Fellow Daoist Qingyunzi, what do you think?" The Cloud Mist Sect Master did not even glance at you, instead asking Qingyunzi beside you.
"Ahem, Fellow Daoist Wuji, this is the Cloud Mist Sect's territory after all. It's best not to blow this matter up." Qingyunzi reminded you.
From Qingyunzi's words, you learned that the Cloud Mist Sect, as one of the Five Great Sects, also had a Spirit Transformation stage Ancestor within its ranks.
You knew Qingyunzi meant well. After all, the current you was still no match for a Spirit Transformation stage Ancestor.
Seeing Qingyunzi speak up, the Cloud Mist Sect Master waved his hand, ordering the Law Enforcement Team to bring the man back.
You laughed coldly, and in front of the Cloud Mist Sect Master, you forcefully crushed the skull of the ambushing Golden Core cultivator!
Blood splattered across your face. You tossed the headless corpse before the Cloud Mist Sect Master and said with an innocent expression, "My apologies. A slight lapse in strength. I didn't expect him to be so weak."
"You!" The Cloud Mist Sect Master was furious, but after glancing at the surrounding onlookers, he ultimately flicked his sleeve and left.
Before leaving, he did not forget to send a voice transmission threatening you: "You've got guts. Just you wait!"