Outside the light barrier, there was an uproar, with many people left dumbfounded and wide-eyed.
Even the bald referee, after giving the young man a deep, peculiar look, loudly announced, “Han Li of the Fallen Cloud Sect, victorious!”
Han Li remained expressionless as he bowed slightly to the referee before calmly stepping out of the barrier.
Two disciples from the Ancient Sword Sect then rushed into the arena to carry away the unconscious Yao Feng and attempt to revive him.
Meanwhile, the short elder outside the arena was staring in disbelief, his face twisted in shock.
Though he had suspected that this low-level disciple might have some tricks up his sleeve, he never expected him to use talismans as his primary attack method. His prized disciple had been defeated in a single exchange, leaving him utterly humiliated after mocking the red-robed elder earlier.
For a moment, an awkward expression flickered across his face, his frustration boiling inside yet unable to voice a single word.
“Haha! Brother Duan, your disciple is quite interesting. To use dozens of spirit stones’ worth of talismans in one go—though a bit opportunistic, the skill to activate so many fireball talismans simultaneously is no small feat. Ordinary disciples would struggle to achieve such proficiency,” the Fu elder chuckled after witnessing Han Li’s match.
“It’s nothing special. This disciple of ours is a talisman maker himself, so using talismans in battle is natural. Though I must admit, even I was surprised he was willing to expend so many at once,” the red-robed elder replied lightly, inwardly pleased at the Ancient Sword Sect’s Jiang Yun’s sour expression.
“Hmph! Just a few extra talismans. Now that everyone knows his trick, he won’t get far in the next matches,” Jiang Yun muttered resentfully.
“Is that so?” The red-robed elder smirked but said nothing more.
“However, the movement technique your disciple used to close the distance seemed like a mundane lightness skill. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have caught Yao off guard so quickly,” the green-robed scholar observed, glancing at Han Li, who had returned to the Fallen Cloud Sect’s ranks.
“Brother Bai noticed as well! This disciple was once a rogue cultivator, so his skills are rather eclectic. I hope your sect won’t hold it against him,” the red-robed elder replied, slightly surprised.
“Not at all. I once took an interest in mortal martial arts myself. While useless against high-level cultivators, they can give Qi Condensation disciples an edge if used cleverly. And given how proficient your disciple is, it seems he’s seen plenty of real combat. My sect’s disciple lost fairly,” the scholar said with a smile.
As the three factions’ high-ranking cultivators conversed leisurely, the referee—now the gray-robed elder from the Fallen Cloud Sect—announced expressionlessly, “Second match: Ruan Tianci of the Hundred Crafts Pavilion versus Zhou Xu of the Ancient Sword Sect.”
Two young men stepped forward, exchanged bows, and at the elder’s command, began their duel with spells and magic tools.
The Core Formation elders quickly shifted their focus to this new match, leaving the previous one behind.
Perhaps influenced by Han Li’s earlier fight, the two disciples fought cautiously, making for a dull and tedious spectacle.
In the end, the Ancient Sword Sect’s sword cultivator emerged victorious, shattering his opponent’s defenses with his sword.
The next match pitted the Fallen Cloud Sect against the Hundred Crafts Pavilion…
And so, the first round of matches took two full days to complete.
The Ancient Sword Sect’s sword cultivators lived up to their reputation.
Apart from Han Li and a few others, most disciples from the other two sects found themselves outmatched and defeated.
This turn of events finally lifted Jiang Yun’s spirits, as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.
The Hundred Crafts Pavilion’s Core Formation elders and the red-robed elder of the Fallen Cloud Sect had anticipated this outcome. Though their pride was wounded, they maintained composure, their demeanor far more dignified than the short elder’s.
In the second round, Han Li faced a spirited female Qi Condensation cultivator from the Hundred Crafts Pavilion.
Having seen his previous match, she immediately took to the air on a flying artifact, believing this would neutralize his talisman attacks while keeping her safe from his swift movements.
Han Li sighed softly before hurling another batch of fireball talismans.
As she smugly prepared to evade, he formed a hand seal, and the fireballs transformed mid-flight into dozens of flaming sparrows, swirling around her.
Startled, she tried to summon a defensive artifact, but Han Li gave her no chance. While pretending to chant, he willed the firebirds to converge from all directions.
Though she hastily activated a water-based barrier, it shattered under the relentless assault, forcing her to concede.
After this match, the remaining skeptics among the other sects’ disciples finally began to take Han Li seriously.
Yet some Foundation Establishment disciples with powerful artifacts still dismissed his flashy tactics—until…
Five days later, at dusk, in a secluded valley nestled within the heart of the Cloud Dream Mountains.
Shrouded in perpetual mist, the valley was a gloomy, snake- and scorpion-infested place, easily overlooked by passing cultivators.
But today, the fog was thicker than usual.
Deep within the valley, atop a seemingly haphazard yet deliberately arranged pile of rocks, a flash of white light appeared, and two figures materialized.
One wore gray robes, his face fierce, while the other was elegantly dressed in green.
“Brother Bai of the Ancient Sword Sect and Brother Yu of the Fallen Cloud Sect! Has the Sword Trial Conference ended?” A lazy, slightly hoarse voice echoed from nowhere.
“Brother Yue, on duty today? Indeed, the conference has concluded. We came ahead to check if the Sacred Clear Spirit Water is ready. If all is prepared, we’ll have the ten disciples teleported over immediately to avoid complications,” the Bai cultivator replied with a smile.
The gray-robed elder remained silent.
“What complications? With three Core Formation cultivators guarding this place day and night, and all of you arriving later, what could a bunch of low-level cultivators possibly do?” the voice scoffed.
“The Spirit Eye Tree is too important to take risks. Moreover, the Clear Spirit Water must be mixed with the Mellow Liquid at the last moment, and the eye-washing must follow immediately, or its efficacy will diminish. Why else would we bring these disciples here?” Bai countered.
“Fine, fine. The Clear Spirit Water is nearly ready. Once their eyes are washed, they’ll leave at once. With all the restrictions here, they won’t even know where they are after teleporting,” the voice said confidently.
“Perfect. Brother Yu will stay here while I inform the others to bring the disciples over,” Bai said with a nod.
“By the way, did the Ancient Sword Sect win the conference again?” the voice suddenly asked.
“This time, our sect’s Meng Di took first place. Apologies if that disappoints you, Brother Yue,” the green-robed scholar replied with a faint smile.
“Hmph! Sword cultivators have the upper hand at the Foundation Establishment stage—no surprise there. But at the Core Formation level, who’s stronger is another matter. Next time you see your Third Brother, tell him Yue wants a rematch,” the voice grumbled.
Bai fell silent briefly before chuckling. “Still holding a grudge over that loss, I see. But I’m afraid Third Brother is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to late Core Formation.”
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