Chapter 84: The Grand Tournament Concludes

Returning to the Immovable Peak, just by looking at the joyful expressions of the two, Fang Junmei and Fan Lanzhou immediately understood the outcome. When they inquired further, they too were overjoyed.

Upon hearing the details, and learning that Yang Xiaoman had also achieved a profound understanding of the sword path, the two were astonished. After the initial surprise, Fan Lanzhou nodded with delight, his expression one of deep satisfaction, making the three laugh heartily.

“Help me up. Let us go together to pay our respects to Master and share the good news,” Fan Lanzhou said spiritedly.

“Second Brother, it’s only been a few days since you were injured. You should remain in bed. The three of us can go,” Fang Junmei advised.

“Exactly,” Yang Xiaoman and Linghu Jinjiu echoed.

“I’m not dying. Help me up. I can’t participate in the next match anyway, so there will be plenty of time for me to recover,” Fan Lanzhou said with a hint of displeasure, casting a glance at the three.

None were surprised that Fan Lanzhou would not be fighting in the next round. Had he insisted on participating, they would have been shocked.

After exchanging glances, the three relented. Fang Junmei and Linghu Jinjiu supported Fan Lanzhou on either side, and together they left the room and entered the chamber of the Ascetic Daoist.

...

Upon the bed, the Ascetic Daoist still slept soundly, his face serene, his breathing faint.

The four entered, standing in a row. Looking at the Ascetic Daoist, they all felt a sense of melancholy.

“Master, the Immovable Peak and its winds and clouds, my junior brothers and sister and I have guarded them for you. When you awaken, you may watch over them as long as you wish,” Fan Lanzhou said in a somber, low voice.

Hearing his words, the other three could sense the deep bond between him and the Ascetic Daoist, their faces showing emotion. Before entering, the Ascetic Daoist had already been asleep; it was clear they could not have formed such a profound connection with him.

The Ascetic Daoist remained motionless.

A sorrowful atmosphere filled the room.

Yang Xiaoman’s eyes darted, looking at the Ascetic Daoist with a bitter expression. “Master, you’d better wake up soon. When the next centennial tournament comes, it will be hard to say if we can hold the peak. You should take the field yourself.”

The three chuckled at her remark.

After some idle chatter, Fan Lanzhou returned to his room, sending the others away. He lay on his bed, gazing at the ceiling, his eyes distant.

“Even if you leave, Linghu Jinjiu, Xiaoman, and I will still guard Immovable Peak. Besides... Junmei has never even taken the field,” he murmured, seemingly talking to himself, yet perhaps speaking to someone else, his expression particularly complex.

...

Linghu Jinjiu, badly injured, also retired to heal.

Fang Junmei had intended to resume his cultivation, but Yang Xiaoman dragged him off to hunt some wild game. She roasted it herself, and with several jugs of wine, they feasted in celebration before finally calling it a day.

...

Three more days passed, and the Dao Embryo group’s tournament was set to resume.

---

The four finalists of the Dao Embryo group were Gu Xijin, Fan Lanzhou, Feng Jianmei, and Ji Nujiao.

Gu Xijin faced Fan Lanzhou, while Feng Jianmei took on Ji Nujiao.

Due to Fan Lanzhou’s severe injuries, he declared his withdrawal, allowing Gu Xijin to advance directly to the finals without a fight. No one thought Gu Xijin had gained an unfair advantage; even if Fan Lanzhou was in peak condition, he could not have defeated Gu Xijin.

On the high platform, Gu Xijin, upon hearing Yang Xiaoman announce Fan Lanzhou’s withdrawal, did not even lift her eyelids. Her expression was calm and composed.

Thus, only one match remained for the day: Feng Jianmei versus Ji Nujiao.

On the surface, the two battled for a spot in the final, but in reality, it was a contest for second and third place. The winner would not be able to best Gu Xijin, and the loser would not have another chance against Fan Lanzhou.

The outcome would determine their rewards: would they gain access to the fifth floor of the Scripture Pavilion to learn a new technique or supernatural skill as third place, or receive a damaged top-tier magical treasure as second place?

Without further ado, the match began swiftly.

Both women were exceptionally skilled and possessed striking beauty; their duel was indeed the most captivating of the day.

The battle lasted nearly half an hour before a victor emerged.

Relying on the Star-Picking Sword Technique from the Seven Swords of the Big Dipper, Feng Jianmei claimed victory.

With this, no further matches were needed. The Dao Embryo group’s tournament concluded: Gu Xijin took first place without contest.

Feng Jianmei was second, Ji Nujiao third.

...

After the tournament ended, Yang Xiaoman and Fang Junmei returned to Immovable Peak.

Yang Xiaoman’s mood was unusually subdued that day; she was uncharacteristically quiet, lost in her own thoughts.

...

Three days later, the semifinals of the Floating Dust group began.

The four finalists were Yang Xiaoman, Duan Qingkuang, Zhang Qiuchi, and Ying Hong, a female cultivator from Absolute String Peak—all inner disciples, just as in the Dao Embryo group.

From this alone, it was clear that despite inner disciples spending less time training outside the mountain, their strength still surpassed that of the outer disciples.

Among the four, Yang Xiaoman faced Zhang Qiuchi, while Duan Qingkuang faced Ying Hong.

Lacking profound sword mastery, Zhang Qiuchi relied on several magical treasures to contend with Yang Xiaoman, but ultimately lost.

Duan Qingkuang and Ying Hong’s match was even more intense, with Duan Qingkuang eventually prevailing. As expected, Yang Xiaoman and Duan Qingkuang advanced to the finals together.

...

A few days later, the sect’s grand tournament finally drew to a close.

In the last match, Yang Xiaoman and Duan Qingkuang staged a fierce showdown. The stubborn Duan Qingkuang refused to admit defeat, but in the end, was beaten so badly it was painful to watch. Yang Xiaoman vented her frustrations thoroughly.

For the Dao Embryo group, third place Ji Nujiao was rewarded with access to the fifth floor of the Scripture Pavilion for a new technique. Second place, Feng Jianmei, received a damaged top-tier magical treasure. First place, Gu Xijin, earned an audience with the mysterious sword master suspected to be at the Mortal Shedding stage.

Of all the Dao Embryo cultivators who participated, the most regrettable was certainly Fan Lanzhou. Had it not been for his injuries, he would have been eligible to compete with Feng Jianmei and Ji Nujiao. Now, he could only settle for fourth place and receive nothing.

Whether Fan Lanzhou himself felt any regret was unknown.

---

The luckiest ones were Leiyinzi and Tie Yi, two outer disciples, who were accepted into Taixu Peak and Chaoyang Peak, respectively.

For the Floating Dust group, third place Zhang Qiuchi received a high-grade magical treasure. Second place Duan Qingkuang gained access to the fourth floor of the Scripture Pavilion to choose a technique. First place, the previously unremarkable Yang Xiaoman, was awarded three Dao Embryo Pills. For Yang Xiaoman, already at the late Floating Dust stage, this was a perfectly timed reward. With good fortune, she might soon advance to the early Dao Embryo stage.

In this group, Yang Xiaoman and Duan Qingkuang were both prominent figures, but while Duan Qingkuang’s prowess was within expectations, Yang Xiaoman’s rise was truly astonishing.

Long Jinyi, Fan Lanzhou, Yang Xiaoman—the talents of Immovable Peak were truly abundant. Yet few knew that atop Immovable Peak was one who had been forbidden from competing, who had already reached a step and a half in sword mastery, quietly receiving a handsome reward.

Linghu Jinjiu ultimately reached the quarterfinals and would be awarded a considerable sum of spirit stones.

Among the outer Floating Dust disciples, three were chosen by inner elders as disciples, including Wu Yu, who had competed with Linghu Jinjiu.

However, Immovable Peak accepted no new disciples, as Fan Lanzhou, now in charge, disagreed, and no one dared challenge his decision.

...

With the grand event concluded, the cultivators of the other three sects naturally took their leave. The next step was the distribution of rewards, details of which need not be elaborated.

On Fang Junmei’s side, after another seven or eight days, he finally awaited the arrival of the Tianhe Daoist.

One morning, Tianhe Daoist arrived.

“Greetings, Elder Uncle,” Fang Junmei bowed, welcoming him into the courtyard.

“I’ve already instructed Xijin regarding the audience with that elder. The people of Immovable Peak have always had some reservations about him, but I trust that in this matter, he will show no favoritism. As for whether that elder will agree in the end, no one can say,” Tianhe Daoist said as they walked side by side, speaking via transmission.

Fang Junmei nodded.

“The opening of that mysterious secret realm is not yet upon us. For now, I won’t say more. When the time comes, you’ll know,” Tianhe Daoist continued.

Fang Junmei nodded again.

Tianhe Daoist produced a storage pouch, handing it to him with a reminder: “Inside are nearly a million mid-grade sword spirit stones, as well as some premium essence pills that can be directly absorbed for cultivation. These should suffice to take you to the late Floating Dust stage. Unless necessary, stay in the sect and do not leave the mountain.”

Nearly a million mid-grade sword spirit stones.

Premium essence pills for direct cultivation.

Even though Fang Junmei was not greedy by nature, he was elated, especially by the latter. He had heard of them but could never afford even half a pill—they were invaluable for greatly shortening cultivation time.

He accepted the pouch and thanked him profusely.

“Now, come with me to the Scripture Pavilion to choose your technique,” Tianhe Daoist said finally.