Chapter 45

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Chapter 45

Looking back at the scroll, most of the Immortal Sect’s emblems had dimmed, and many disciples had been thrown out of the painting, landing with heavy thuds.

Yet the three of them were escorted out with relative grace, and the four golden points beneath the moonfire pattern shone brightly.

Before anyone else could speak, Yan Fangji rushed over with his fellow disciples, beaming with joy.

"Well done! You’ve brought great honor to our sect!"

It had only been two and a half hours since they entered the scroll, and the fastest of the other teams had just barely reached the third trial.

Many disciples had acted recklessly or failed in their tribulations, returning defeated from the first and second trials. Now, they stared at the trio with piercing, envious gazes.

Du Ren bowed to her Master and Uncle, then pulled Gong Wu closer, saying, "My sister and I were so anxious throughout; it feels like a dream to have emerged successfully."

Gong Wu came to her senses, realizing she was still in the guise of Du Ju, and simply nodded.

At the same moment, Hua Tingxiao gave Ji Yang’s shoulder a firm pat, his admiration evident after witnessing the entire ordeal.

"You have cultivated to this level and created an illusion so convincing, it truly shows you have great potential!!"

"A dream as complex as the third tribulation may not even be stable for me—it’s not because of a lack of spiritual energy, but because one’s mind must be steady."

"Subei, your Path of Emotionless is excellent, truly excellent!"

Qin Cuohua confirmed the details once more, struck a bronze gong, and announced loudly, "Moonfire Valley has won first place!"

The surrounding chatter never ceased; some people turned pale on the spot.

Tu Xuixin brought the two girls back to the feast, personally serving them bowls full of cordyceps chicken soup.

"Take your time, this is just served; it’s quite hot."

Gong Wu blew on her soup, finished half a bowl, and finally caught her breath.

"Master, I noticed those old cultivators… they seemed quite unwilling."

"Isn’t that so?" Ji Kai muttered. "The Master of Satin Red Workshop seems cheerful and open-hearted, very easy to talk to."

"But Zhi Bai Guan and Ba Jing Tower have turned against us before; they wouldn’t want to meddle and prevent us from using that defensive formation now."

Before he could finish, several groups of disciples from different Immortal Sects came to congratulate them.

Bao Pu Mansion led the way, and the Grand Palace Lord came personally to toast and congratulate.

In addition, several smaller factions sought to cozy up to them, all coming to share greetings.

Yan Fangji knew his two junior brothers were shy, so he stood up to chat and drink with these outsiders, responding politely yet confidently.

Tu Xuixin, fearing being dragged into socializing, hid near Gong Wu, pretending to sip his soup.

Gong Wu couldn’t help but laugh softly, saying, "So many people, I don’t even recognize them."

"Maybe some of them are in your little book," Tu Xuixin remarked. "There were too many who chased us earlier, calling us practitioners of the Path of Evil."

Bao Pu Mansion’s public show of goodwill indirectly influenced many indecisive sects.

Unexpectedly, after the first wave of congratulations and thanks ended, Qin Cuohua led a few palace lords and elders from Satin Red Workshop to raise a toast, cheerfully calling out "little benefactor" right in front of them.

"The little benefactor truly is a young prodigy, remarkably capable!"

"Satin Red Workshop has always respected women who are both virtuous and talented; we look forward to further interactions!"

Gong Wu came to her senses, realizing that with her near-immortal cultivation, she had likely seen through her disguise of changing identity, and blushed as she drank a cup of wine.

Qin Cuohua’s clear and pleasant voice changed the expressions of many male cultivators present.

How could such a young little girl become the benefactor of a prominent sect?!

Could it be that by chance she saved Master Qin’s life, which earned her such high regard?!

Even several palace lords from Moonfire Valley were momentarily stunned, struggling to respond when Satin Red Workshop’s Master toasted them.

Such a distant sect could build a friendship?!

As Qin Cuohua left, many who had suppressed their impulses earlier immediately felt regret and came to raise their cups and greet her.

Only the few old talisman practitioners from Zhi Bai Guan looked incredibly displeased, almost ready to leave the table.

But their disciples were still deep within the scroll, racking their brains to help the Emperor through the tribulation.

It wasn’t until another two hours passed that the disciples of Bao Pu Mansion finally emerged, wiping the cold sweat from their brows, exhausted to the point of being unable to speak.

"Bao Pu Mansion—ranked second!"

At that moment, Gong Wu had already fallen asleep, leaning against Ji Yang’s shoulder, while several Masters continued to watch the battle with their arms tucked into their sleeves.

"That was close," Yan Fangji murmured. "If they hadn’t handled their first tribulation so decisively, the top spot would have gone to Bao Pu Mansion."

"Quite a stroke of luck," Hua Tingxiao remarked. "If they had proceeded cautiously, we wouldn’t have stood a chance against these formidable sects."

As midnight approached, the three girls from Satin Red Workshop finally emerged from the painting with smiles, their steps steady.

"Satin Red Workshop ranks third!"

As the rankings were announced one by one, the members of Ba Jing Tower repeatedly rushed to the front of the painting to check if their golden ink had lit up.

After a round of celebration and feasting, the people from Bao Pu Mansion went off to bathe and rest, showing no intention of waiting around.

By twelve thirty, the Masters from Moonfire Valley noticed that their four disciples had all dozed off, prompting Hua Tingxiao to hurriedly escort them back to the inn for proper rest.

Yan Fangji and Tu Xuixin remained behind, continuing to observe the competition’s results.

When the fourth place turned out to be a surprising upset, several major sects grew restless.

What’s wrong with their disciples?! Couldn’t they figure out how to overcome such a straightforward tribulation?

Why not just eliminate Lady Fuju and be done with it?!

Tu Xuixin couldn’t suppress a chuckle when he caught sight of the long-bearded old Palace Lord of Zhi Bai Guan’s sullen expression.

"Jin Yan Tuo didn’t disappoint, managing to hold onto sixth place."

"Sixth place is just the scraps left by these major sects," Yan Fangji said nonchalantly. "They never expected that both first and fourth would be claimed by smaller sects this year."

When the fifth place was secured by Great Wuxiang Temple, Zhi Bai Guan and Ba Jing Tower stomped their feet in frustration, nearly cursing aloud.

With Great Wuxiang Temple at fifth and Jin Yan Tuo at sixth, there was no hope left for any dignity!

The long-bearded old Palace Lord of Zhi Bai Guan abruptly stood up, his voice icy and sharp. "What are we waiting for? Let’s go!"

As if summoned by his words, the painting swirled, ejecting the three talisman practitioners from Zhi Bai Guan.

Qin Cuohua, drowsy, struck the gong once.

"…Zhi Bai Guan is seventh."

The long-bearded old Palace Lord looked as though he had been slapped in the face and stormed off in a rage.

When the three disciples emerged, they were momentarily disoriented by the bright moonlight before being swiftly pulled away by their Master.

"Stop gawking! How humiliating! Utterly humiliating!!"

Tu Xuixin watched with satisfaction, then sighed and shook his head.

"Seventh place still comes with rewards; there’s no need to be so harsh on their disciples."

"They’re the most competitive bunch," Yan Fangji said, glancing at his junior brother. "Even second place feels like a loss to them; how could they accept seventh?"

"From now on, Ba Jing and Zhi Bai will no longer be counted among the six major sects. The tides of fortune turn just like that."

"Who told them to tarnish their own reputation?" Tu Xuixin said with a smile. "Our Moonfire Valley has been doing good deeds for years; it’s about time we had our turn."

Qin Cuohua granted a total of fifteen days, along with countless days and months within the painting.

When the time was up, she personally retrieved all the disciples who were still struggling with their tribulations.

Among the thirty major and minor Immortal Sects, seventeen teams failed their tribulations, either getting stuck or going off course; in short, they did not complete the Dragon’s four tribulations.

The remaining thirteen teams had the shortest time taken by Moonfire Valley from the southern lands.

Even though two major sects held them in high regard, they could not escape some murmurs of dissent.

Qin Cuohua sat upright, unperturbed by the malicious speculations from the crowd, and once again announced the ranks, finalizing this year’s Yuan Xian Immortal Assembly standings.

At that moment, an old talisman practitioner from Zhi Bai Guan suddenly raised his voice in protest.

"This is outrageous!"

"The sect ranked first should be the leader among the six major sects, the pinnacle of all Daoists!"

"Moonfire Valley has only two to three thousand disciples; in terms of seniority, cultivation, and the number of ascended immortals, they do not deserve the top spot!"

"To let such an obscure and insignificant sect rise above all others would be the height of absurdity!"

Qin Cuohua raised an eyebrow and replied coolly, "In the previous Yuan Xian Immortal Assemblies, was this not the rule?"

Half the crowd nodded in agreement, clearly thinking the old Daoist was being unreasonable.

The other half, who considered themselves of higher standing, hesitated and did not immediately voice their support.

Indeed, how could such an unexpected sect suddenly claim the title of the leading Immortal Sect? Where was the logic in that?

Even Jin Yan Tuo, though currently out of favor, had a more established structure and a larger scale than Moonfire Valley.

If asked whether they accepted this outcome, they would find it difficult to agree.

The old Daoist practitioner, sensing the silence and hesitation, raised his voice further.

"Determining ranks solely based on the speed of overcoming tribulations is utterly nonsensical!"

"Exactly!" A member from Ba Jing Tower immediately interjected, pointing at Yan Fangji. "Do not forget, it is him! Master Yan!"

"He is the head of the Six Palaces in Moonfire Valley and even keeps a monstrous daughter; he must have secret dealings with the Demon Realm!"

"If they weren’t using some forbidden techniques, how could they possibly finish faster than everyone else?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, many faces in the crowd darkened.

They had heard the whispers about the undying rumors and had quietly discussed them days prior.

However, fearing Moonfire Valley’s formidable reputation, no one dared to bring it up publicly, wary of damaging future relations.

While everyone feigned ignorance, Ba Jing Tower had boldly dredged up old grievances, directly challenging the legitimacy of Moonfire Valley’s ranking!

At this moment, Qin Cuohua’s smile faded, and her tone turned icy. "Where is your evidence?"

A certain immortal from Ba Jing Tower cleared his throat, and several disciples stepped forward in unison.

"We saw that little girl from Moonfire Valley die under He Zhao Li’s arrow, only to come back to life!"

"Yes, she was completely dead, but then she revived right before the eyes of her own disciples!"

"That’s right! If you don’t believe us, ask the people of Moonfire Valley themselves; can they silence everyone?"

Qin Cuohua countered, "Is rebirth such a rare occurrence for a cultivator?"

The disciples from Ba Jing Tower were momentarily speechless.

"Even if it is true, how can you prove it was not an auspicious sign, rather than something sinister?"

"Alright, Qin Cuohua, you must have colluded inside and out, leaking the questions to Moonfire Valley early!" the old talisman practitioner with a long beard scolded. "Now you no longer care about your reputation, are you trying to speak up for her?!"

"This is unfair, unjust!"

Before his words fell, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, and an eerie old laugh echoed.

"I love to seek justice for others; today is so lively, why wasn’t I invited?"

In just a moment, the colors of the world changed, with ominous black clouds blocking the mountaintops and the sky, plunging the day into darkness where one could not even see their own hand!

"With so many immortal disciples gathered here, just thinking about it is delightful."

The Old Abyss Master sat upon a feathered serpent and let out a chilling laugh, revealing his sharp, triple-layered teeth.

"Xuisheng, capture them."