Looking at the small bronze cauldron and the curling sandalwood smoke in the center of the hall, none of the disciples dared to make a sound, but those who believed they met the criteria had flickering eyes, each harboring their own thoughts.
“Brother Han, are you going to participate?” After the sandalwood had burned nearly halfway, Yin Yue, seeing Han Li’s indifferent expression, couldn’t help but ask quietly.
“Participate? Why not? Every other disciple seems eager. If I don’t join, it’ll only draw more attention,” Han Li replied calmly through telepathy.
Hearing this, Yin Yue fell silent.
After a while, the sandalwood in the bronze cauldron burned out, and the middle-aged man who had been meditating opened his eyes.
“Those who do not meet the criteria or do not wish to participate in the competition may now leave the Hall of Cleansing Hearts.”
“As you command, Grandmaster!” Most of the disciples bowed and slowly exited the hall.
Apart from the Foundation Establishment cultivators, only about thirty to forty young disciples, including Han Li and the burly man, remained in the hall.
The middle-aged cultivator glanced at Han Li and the others, nodding in satisfaction. “Good, almost all eligible disciples have stayed. I am pleased. Even if you are not selected in this sect’s competition, broadening your horizons and sparring with fellow disciples from other peaks will greatly benefit your future cultivation. Next, your senior brother will explain the rules of the competition. Your Grandmaster Yu and I have other matters to attend to and will take our leave now.”
With that, the Xin-named cultivator stood up and walked toward the back hall, followed silently by the gray-robed elder.
“Ahem! Since the Peak Master has entrusted this matter to me, I hope all of you will listen carefully. After all, this competition is among fellow disciples, and there are certain taboos to avoid,” said the sickly-looking Miao-named youth, coughing lightly as he stepped forward and addressed Han Li and the others unhurriedly.
“First, any techniques or magical tools that are excessively cruel or instantly fatal are prohibited in the competition. Violators will face expulsion from the sect at the least, or the stripping of their cultivation at worst. Also…”
A quarter of an hour later, the disciples who had remained in the hall exited once more, their faces alight with excitement as they flew away.
Han Li watched the others depart, shook his head, and then flew off from Tianquan Peak on his own magical tool.
Returning smoothly to his cave abode, Han Li began preparing for the sect’s competition the following month. To secure one of the twenty-four spots without revealing his true strength, he decided to rely on talismans and a few long-unused magical tools.
Top-tier magical tools were no issue—Han Li had looted over a dozen from the Core Formation cultivators he had killed. However, to avoid drawing attention, he carefully selected only a few.
For the competition, he didn’t plan to use all his tools. Instead, he began crafting a large number of low- to mid-tier talismans, intending to overwhelm his lower-tier opponents with sheer quantity.
But this alone wouldn’t suffice. Han Li also revisited the “Art of Flame Manipulation” he had obtained years ago from the old Daoist in Yue Kingdom’s Xin Palace. While useless against high-level cultivators, it was perfect for deceiving Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment opponents.
He had acquired the Art of Flame Manipulation many years ago and had skimmed through it, gaining significant insights. Now, with his late Core Formation cultivation, the technique seemed trivial. In just a few days, he mastered its flame-shifting methods, even surpassing the original records in subtlety.
In the following days, Han Li devoted himself entirely to crafting talismans.
During this time, his gold-and-silver Devouring Beetles finally began cannibalizing each other. A quick glance filled him with joy. He believed that even if these evolved beetles weren’t fully mature, they were nearing the legendary stage of devouring anything.
In contrast, the neighboring Soulcry Beast gave him a headache. It remained in deep slumber in the spirit beast room, showing no signs of waking. Fortunately, through the Soulcry Pearl inside him, he knew the beast was unharmed—though its prolonged evolution was concerning.
—
A month later, the foot of Falling Cloud Sect’s main peak buzzed with activity as countless cultivators gathered. While many weren’t participants, thousands came to spectate. Nearly every unoccupied cultivator attended, eager to observe the competition.
Watching others spar, even without participating, was an enlightening experience.
The competition took place on a vast open field at the mountain’s base, where three massive formations, each over a hundred zhang wide, were set up. A semi-circular light barrier rose to contain the battles and protect spectators.
Three late Foundation Establishment cultivators served as referees, ready to intervene if things turned deadly.
By the third day of the competition, many disciples had already been eliminated.
Tianquan Peak’s thirty to forty participants were modest compared to Fire Cloud Peak’s hundred. With over four hundred participants across three arenas, even the first round took days.
Only three or four Foundation Establishment disciples participated. They were exempt from early rounds, joining only the final stage to face victorious Qi Condensation disciples.
These few, though not among the seven directly selected, were exceptional talents who had achieved Foundation Establishment before thirty.
Han Li stood silently among Tianquan Peak’s contestants, watching a match between a Tianquan disciple and a White Phoenix Peak disciple.
White Phoenix Peak was unique among the Six Peaks. Both its peak masters were Core Formation female cultivators, and most disciples were women. As a result, the peak had fewer disciples, with only about a dozen young women participating this time.
The Tianquan disciple facing the White Phoenix cultivator was a seemingly mature Yuan-named disciple in his late twenties.
Though an outer disciple, he came from a renowned Xi Country cultivation family and wielded a powerful high-tier magical tool, the “White Gold Halberd,” forcing his attractive opponent into retreat.
The Tianquan disciples near Han Li, likely the Yuan disciple’s friends, buzzed with excitement.
But as the Yuan disciple sent his halberd slashing down as a white arc, the female cultivator flicked her wrist, releasing a burst of green light to block the strike before vanishing.
Panicked, the Yuan disciple tried to cast a detection spell, but red mist enveloped him from behind, and he collapsed.
“White Phoenix Peak’s Jin Rong wins,” declared a gaunt referee hovering above.
Jin Rong bowed respectfully, then revived the unconscious Yuan disciple with a vial from her storage pouch.
Humiliated, the Yuan disciple left the arena, while Jin Rong exited triumphantly, surrounded by chattering female disciples, drawing the attention of nearby male cultivators.
“Next match: Tianquan Peak’s Han Li versus Fire Cloud Peak’s Xun Tong!” the gaunt referee announced emotionlessly, his voice carrying clearly.
Han Li stepped forward with a smile, entering the formation.
Shortly after, a handsome white-robed youth entered from the opposite side, causing a stir among the spectators.
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