Chapter 9
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Chapter 9: Outer Sect Grand Competition
“Hurry, the outer sect grand competition is about to begin! Let’s go and enjoy the spectacle!”
“Why the rush? Let’s place our bets at the stall first! I’ve wagered all my spirit stones on Senior Brother Song Yuan; I’m certain he’ll win!”
“I think Senior Sister Liu Rui will claim the top spot!”
“Then I’ll place my bet on Senior Brother Wang Feilong.”
At a bustling stall on the outskirts of the Liu Yun Sect, a throng of outer sect disciples clad in blue surged forward, each eager to stake their hard-earned spirit stones on their favored competitors, hoping to strike it rich.
“I’m betting on Su Ming He!”
A voice cut through the cacophony of chatter, clear and distinct amidst the chaos.
“Who is Su Ming He?” one disciple asked his companion, eyeing the girl in blue as she approached.
“I have no idea!” the companion replied, equally puzzled.
“Is this allowed?” Ming He paid no heed to the curious gazes around her. She picked up a brush and wrote her name on the smooth, inked paper before her, then looked up at the young disciple manning the betting table.
Song Yuan, Liu Rui, and Wang Feilong were all standout performers from the previous outer sect grand competition, so they naturally drew attention from bettors. However, as an unknown disciple, Su Ming He had to write her name to place a bet.
Though she currently held the third rank in Woodman Lane, few were aware of it, and since Ming He preferred to keep a low profile, she remained an unremarkable figure among the crowd.
“Ah, that’s fine,” the young disciple at the table said, slightly taken aback but unwilling to turn away business.
“How much does Senior Sister intend to wager?” Since her cultivation level surpassed his, she was addressed as a senior sister. In the Liu Yun Sect, age was irrelevant in such matters.
“Five hundred spirit stones,” Ming He declared firmly, producing a storage ring and tossing it to the young disciple. “Do you accept?”
These five hundred spirit stones had come from Wang Feihu, and even if she lost, it would still sting.
But with the outer sect grand competition yet to begin, the outcome was still uncertain, and she still had a chance to win.
“Five hundred spirit stones!” The surrounding disciples gasped. For outer sect disciples, this was a significant sum, likely her entire savings.
“Accepted,” the betting disciple replied, taking the storage ring. He was merely a runner, not the one managing the bets, and the person behind the table didn’t seem to lack spirit stones. It wouldn’t do to tarnish his reputation.
“Good,” Ming He said without a hint of surprise, then turned and walked away.
In an outer sect teeming with hidden talents, there was no shortage of remarkable individuals.
“Hey, should we bet on Su Ming He too?” someone whispered to his companion. “She wagered five hundred spirit stones; she must be very confident.” He felt tempted to take a gamble.
“Are you out of your mind?” his companion chided. “No matter how confident she is, her aura is only at the eighth level of Qi Refinement. Senior Brother Song Yuan, Senior Sister Liu Rui, and Senior Brother Wang Feilong are all at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refinement, just a step away from the Spirit Guiding stage. She’s either reckless or wealthy; we’re practically broke—why gamble?”
After hearing this, the disciple placed his spirit stones on Wang Feilong’s betting card.
“Alright, I’ll bet on Senior Brother Wang Feilong too.”
Ming He’s bold wager of five hundred spirit stones stirred many, but in the end, only a handful followed suit.
As time passed, the outer sect grand competition was about to begin.
The crowd at the betting stall gradually thinned, and the young disciple began rolling up the betting cards and inked paper, preparing to close shop.
He, too, wanted to watch the outer sect grand competition, even though he wasn’t participating.
“May I ask, can I place a bet here?” a hoarse, deep voice inquired.
The young disciple at the betting table looked up, feeling slightly nervous. The person before him was unfamiliar; he must be a senior brother from the inner sect.
“Of course, you can! May I ask which competitor you wish to bet on and how much?” he respectfully inquired.
“Su Ming He, one thousand spirit stones.”
“Clang!”
The Southern Bell of Liu Yun Sect rang out loudly, announcing the start of the outer sect grand competition.
“Silence!” A disciple in white from the inner sect shouted, channeling his spiritual energy, and his voice echoed across the venue, drowning out the noisy chatter of the outer sect disciples.
Is that the power of the Spirit Guiding stage?
Ming He stood among the outer sect disciples, feeling the clear voice ringing in her ears as she remained calm on the outside but felt excitement within.
“Next, we have our Liu Yun Sect’s triennial outer sect disciple competition!” The disciple in white delivered a long opening speech, finally getting to the point.
“This grand competition will be presided over by Liu Yun Sect’s chief disciple, Sister Qin Chu Yi. Please welcome Sister Qin to the stage.” The disciple in white looked respectfully behind him.
Qin Chu Yi? It’s her!
As Ming He heard those three words, she felt the crowd around her suddenly erupt in passionate excitement. She found it a bit difficult to understand, but then realized.
A transcendent genius, aloof and unreachable, she was also incredibly beautiful; the impact on the outer sect disciples, who had little experience, was easy to imagine.
Not to mention the fact that even Liu Yun Sect’s greatest talent and former chief disciple, Yun Zhao Feng, had not only been defeated by her but had also fallen for her charm.
Dragon Hero’s mother was also a figure with countless admirers, but she wondered when she and Su Cheng Feng had developed feelings for each other.
Ming He watched the Woman in White gliding through the air, curiosity and gossip swirling in her mind.
As if sensing her intense gaze, the Woman in White cast a look back at her, their eyes meeting for a moment, sending a chill down Ming He’s spine.
Startled, Ming He quickly averted her gaze and lowered her head, keeping her thoughts to herself. It was said that upon reaching the peak of cultivation, one could sense what others were thinking with just a thought.
She certainly didn’t believe that Qin Chu Yi had such abilities, but what if? She didn’t dare to take that gamble.
“Sister Qin.” The disciple in white bowed respectfully, but when he noticed the change in the expression of the young man in yellow behind her, he became even more respectful. “Brother Yun!”
“Hmm. There’s nothing else; let’s begin the outer sect grand competition.” Qin Chu Yi lightly instructed, ignoring the young man in yellow who was shadowing her, and took her seat of honor.
“The, um, Brother Yun…” The disciple in white hesitated as he glanced at Yun Zhao Feng. Even though Qin Chu Yi was now the chief disciple, she had jumped in unexpectedly and couldn’t truly compare to Yun Zhao Feng.
Moreover, the entire inner sect knew she wouldn’t succeed the next Sect Master, so it was a certainty that Yun Zhao Feng would remain the chosen one; he certainly didn’t want to offend the current young master over this matter.
“Just do as Fairy Qin says, no need to ask me. I’m only here to enjoy the excitement,” Yun Zhao Feng said with a helpless smile as he watched Qin Chu Yi’s back, calmly responding to the disciple.
He knew that Fairy Qin might be a bit annoyed with him, yet he felt an instant connection with her, unable to control his desire to stay by her side.
As long as he kept working hard, Qin Chu Yi would eventually recognize his feelings! His eyes sparkled with determination.
“Understood.” The disciple in white respectfully acknowledged, then turned to see Yun Zhao Feng seated a distance away from Qin Chu Yi, before addressing the bustling outer sect disciples below.
“Dear junior brothers and sisters, both Sister Qin and Brother Yun are attending this outer sect grand competition. You should all perform well.” He said a few words, satisfied as he noticed the excitement reflected in the crowd’s eyes, eager for the event to begin.
“I am Ma He, a disciple from the Liu Yun Sect’s inner sect, and I am honored to meet all of you junior brothers and sisters here.” He bowed and then straightened up. “As for the outer sect grand competition, you are all likely familiar with it.”
“This year’s outer sect grand competition will follow the same rules as last time, continuing with three rounds.”
Ma He spoke in a deep voice, “The first round will be a mixed arena match. Ten disciples will form a group, and those who remain standing on the arena after half an hour will advance to the next round. The rest will be eliminated.”
“Remember, only one person can be the winner in each group. If there are two, both will be eliminated,” the inner sect disciple in white chuckled, recalling his own tense experience in the outer sect grand competition.
“The second round will also be a mixed arena match, following the same rules as the first. However, the competition will end once only one hundred winners remain. These one hundred outer sect disciples will be the top contenders of this outer sect grand competition.”
Only one hundred winners?
Ming He pondered the words, realizing that the Liu Yun Sect’s outer sect grand competition was both a rigorous selection process and a test to identify the most exceptional among the participants, rewarding their efforts.
Over time, the strong would grow stronger, and the weak would fall further behind.
It was a system both rational and cruel, as a single failure could likely prevent one from rising again.
After all, in the vast cultivation world, individuals like Dragon Hero, Su Yu—those with both talent and determination—were exceedingly rare.
Cultivation world.
Ming He reflected on these words, finally grasping their deeper meaning. If even the outer sect of the Liu Yun Sect was so demanding, how much more challenging would the boundless world beyond Liu Yun be?
“The third round will also be an arena match,” Ma He said with a bright smile, emphasizing the words.
“This time, the arena matches will be individual contests, with one-on-one duels. Rankings will be determined by points: winners earn one point, and losers lose one point. Each participant will have thirty matches, with a maximum score of thirty points.
Rewards will increase in value based on the rankings, from the lowest to the highest.”
Ma He glanced at the eager disciples below, knowing that what he was about to say next was what they truly cared about.
“Those ranked from one hundred to fifty-first will receive five hundred spirit stones, a set of post-natal techniques or martial skills, and one bottle of spirit-nurturing pills.
Those ranked from fiftieth to eleventh will receive six hundred spirit stones, another set of post-natal techniques or martial skills, and three bottles of spirit-nurturing pills.
The top ten to second place will receive eight hundred spirit stones, a set of post-natal techniques or martial skills, and five bottles of spirit-nurturing pills.”
Ma He took a deep breath, facing the eager eyes of the crowd, and continued, “The first-place outer sect disciple will receive one thousand spirit stones, a set of innate techniques or martial skills, one bottle of innate spirit-nurturing pills, one innate weapon, and one drop of original spirit liquid!”
One thousand spirit stones, innate techniques, and original spirit liquid! Such generosity!
Ming He’s heart raced as she listened to the list of rewards.
She now understood that in this cultivation world, pills, weapons, and techniques were all classified under the same grading system. The leap from post-natal to innate was a monumental one, with innate cultivation being far beyond the reach of those in the Qi Refinement to Spirit Guiding stages.
Treasures of the innate level and beyond were still beyond her current aspirations.
And that original spirit liquid!
What a precious substance—only those at the Human King stage could refine it, containing pure and gentle spiritual energy.
Among the top one hundred disciples of the Liu Yun Sect’s outer sect, whoever consumed that drop of original spirit liquid would instantly advance to the Spirit Guiding stage—including her!
“Now, I declare the outer sect grand competition officially open!”
“All participants, please come forward to draw lots for your arena assignments.”
