Chapter 827

Chapter 827: Fighting Spirit

Not long after, elders and sect leaders from the top-tier sects arrived with lavish gifts, expressing their desire to participate in the competition.

“You should be asking the Elder Council for permission, why come to me?” Xu Fan asked.

“We went to the Elder Council first, and they sent us to ask you,” an elder from the Joyful Union Sacred Land explained.

“Alright then.”

While all the sects were busy selecting their core disciples, in a fairy city at the Elder Council headquarters, one man sat alone, drinking in solitude.

“Old Sword, I can confirm that it was Junior Brother Xu who repelled the Golden Winged Roc’s avatar and suppressed the Golden Devourer Tiger and the Purple Jade Flood Dragon.”

After downing a drink, Ye Xiaoyao smiled bitterly.

When he regained his cultivation, he and his dear Junior Brother Xu had such a good relationship; he was at the Golden Core Stage while Junior Brother Xu was at the Qi Refinement Stage.

But now, even though he was a Great Ascension Master, the gap between him and Junior Brother Xu felt like that between an ant and the blazing sun above.

“I am you. Focus on your tasks now, gather resources, and hurry to cultivate to reach the invincible realm,” Old Sword shouted in Ye Xiaoyao’s mind.

“If you’re feeling down, you can go to the Hidden Spirit Sect and reconnect with your Junior Brother Xu,” Old Sword added.

“Reconnecting is impossible; we can’t reach him now,” Ye Xiaoyao shook his head.

“Becoming the supreme figure in a realm means you may have hopes of ascending to the Immortal Realm in the future.”

“With my help, advancing to Great Luo is just a matter of time.”

“You and your Junior Brother Xu seem worlds apart now, but your future heights will be the same,” Old Sword comforted Ye Xiaoyao.

“How can it be the same? Junior Brother Xu is an artifact great master and a Supreme Elder; even if we both become Great Luo, he will still be stronger than me.”

Hearing this made Old Sword roll his eyes.

Do you really want to compete? Isn’t that just asking for trouble?

“Let me tell you a bit about my past to comfort you.”

“Once, there was a genius as extraordinary as your Junior Brother Xu.”

“I had to expend all my effort to build a relationship with him, and then…”

Old Sword was speaking when Ye Xiaoyao interrupted.

“Stop right there; I understand what you mean.”

“Not practicing the path of forgetting emotion, anyone encountering such situations is bound to feel melancholy. Just let me enjoy my drink in peace,” Ye Xiaoyao said with a smile.

“Then will you still seek to reconnect with your Junior Brother Xu?”

“After all, he is an artifact great master who could really help you,” Old Sword said.

“No thanks; we have already gathered enough resources to cultivate to the invincible realm, then ascend to the Immortal Realm.”

“I will make a name for myself in the Immortal Realm before showing up in front of Junior Brother Xu.”

“I was his senior brother; when I appear before him, I must deserve that title of brother,” Ye Xiaoyao’s eyes filled with determination as a fire of inner fighting spirit ignited within him.

“Alright, that’s more like it!” Though Old Sword didn’t think his silly host would catch up to Xu Fan in the short term, he believed that with his help, surpassing Xu Fan would be quite simple in the long run.

Ye Xiaoyao drained the last drop of wine from the jar and stood up, heading towards the Elder Council’s task hall.

“May we soon reach the invincible realm and ascend to the Immortal Realm!”

Amid the eager anticipation of the top sects, the third battle between the Hidden Spirit Sect and the Elder Council began.

It was a straightforward contest for the crystal tower, and both sects’ disciples were fully prepared.

However, the result was unexpected—the Elder Council’s disciples narrowly defeated the Hidden Spirit Sect, securing the first victory.

Once the battle ended, all the disciples emerged from the Mystical World.

“I’m sorry, everyone; this is my fault,” Situ Nan said, her head lowered.

From the very start of the battle, it felt like an invisible eye was watching her; every move she made was known to the Elder Council’s disciples.

Despite exhausting all her strategies, she was ultimately defeated by the Elder Council.

“It’s not your fault; they had a disciple who specialized in the art of divination, burning their own lifespan to predict our every move,” Xiong Li sighed.

At that moment, Qian Bing suddenly asked, “Grape, if you were in command under those conditions, what outcome would you predict?”

Qian Bing’s question sparked curiosity among all the disciples.

“Based on my calculations, without using my own power, we could defeat them, but it would cost us half of the sect’s disciples,” Grape’s voice echoed.

“Grape, can you show me your thought process?” Situ Nan asked suddenly.

“Of course.”

A jade slip descended from the sky, landing in front of Situ Nan.

“This is based on your perspective, gathering intelligence from the first and second battles, and planning a full counterattack for the third battle.”

“The required computing power is immense; you’ll need an artifact-level spirit to assist you,” Grape advised.

Situ Nan silently examined the jade slip, her eyes widening in astonishment.

“Grape, I truly wish to become your disciple,” Situ Nan said sincerely.

“You could transform into a spirit, but unfortunately, the Grand Elder doesn’t permit it.”

“However, you can submit an application to me, and the Grand Elder might recommend a suitable technique and method for you,” Grape replied.

“Really? I’ll apply right now!” Situ Nan exclaimed.

“Application received. Please wait for the outcome,” Grape said before vanishing.

“All the points were taken by those Elder Council disciples, and all the treasures we coveted on the redemption list are now out of our reach,” Xiong Li said to the group.

“I hope all my brothers and sisters remember today’s humiliation. I’ll apply to the Grand Elder to face the Elder Council’s disciples again and reclaim our honor.”

“Let’s reclaim our honor!”

All the competing disciples wore expressions of determination.

“No need to apply; a year from now, there will be a league where all the major top sects in the cultivation world will participate.”

“There will be 72 sects and holy lands in total. Whether you can redeem yourselves will depend on your efforts.”

Xu Fan’s voice echoed from above, reigniting the fighting spirit of the disciples who had just faced defeat.

“Everyone, come train with me! If your fighting strength doesn’t improve by at least ten percent in a year, I’ll break your bones,” Xiong Li said, his eyes blazing.

“Seeing them so fired up makes me want to join,” Xu Gang said with envy.

“Senior Brother, if you join, it wouldn’t be as fun,”

“The Mystical World’s limited space isn’t enough for you to unleash your full power,” Wang Xiangchi remarked from the side.

“It’s a shame my powerful technique has been banned; I’ll have to think of other methods I can use normally,” Zhou Kailing lamented.

“Fifth Senior Brother, you could develop a large-scale positioning technique; once it’s attached, it can emit a unique aura or scent for tracking,” Li Xuandao suggested.

His presence in the sect was minimal; if not for his master summoning him, he’d still be practicing in his estate.

Hearing Li Xuandao’s suggestion, Zhou Kailing’s eyes lit up.