After Zhu Yixin helped Qiao Songlin back, I hurried forward, wanting to assist in tending to his wounds. Wei Qingming, however, smiled and said, "Let me." She cast a ray of spiritual light to mend his scars and steady his soul, then pressed her palm against Qiao Songlin’s back. Indeed, his expression relaxed significantly, and the dull ache in his soul eased, though his eyes remained unusable.
"How long until he can see again?" Zhu Yixin asked Wei Qingming anxiously.
Qiao Songlin was about to speak, but Wei Qingming beat him to it, answering coolly, "Three days."
"What? That’s the day of the next round!" Zhu Yixin stomped her foot. "I’ll go ask the Hall of Eternal Spring for help!"
"Why trouble my sister?" Wei Qingming rose with a smile. "I’ll make the trip myself. You stay and accompany Brother. Talk to him more; he hasn't quite returned to reality yet." She shot me a mischievous look, and I understood instantly. I lowered my head, biting my lip to stifle a laugh.
Zhu Yixin, believing her completely, began flooding Qiao Songlin with words. Fourth Brother listened patiently, occasionally offering a "I'm fine" or "It's nothing," his voice unusually airy and raspy. Overwhelmed by a surge of maternal tenderness, Zhu Yixin spent the following days feeding him, bringing him water, and serving his medicine with utmost gentleness. Only I knew that Lord Wei was deceiving an innocent young maiden's feelings again—there was no way it would take three whole days to heal. Ah well, since she finally managed to play matchmaker for them, I suppose it counts as a great service on her part.
Lu Lingfeng, that piece of "black charcoal," held out for a full hour before finally losing. The reason? His Ghost Aspect had been enchanted by the beauty of the Jade Corpse controlled by his opponent. Yes, "Xiao Guai" stood seven feet three inches tall, graceful and slender, and loved wearing women's clothing, but he was a bona fide boy...
By this point, Fourth Brother Qiao was the only remaining hope for Mount Gomeng in the top sixteen, and because his injuries were so "severe," he was treated like a star for those three days. The five of us revolved around him constantly.
He was quite unaccustomed to it at first and often blushed. We would simply clamor, "You’re always the one taking care of us; now it’s time for us to repay you. Just accept it!"
Lu Lingfeng was the most practical. He pulled two spinning ghost eyeballs from his robe and thrust them toward Qiao Songlin’s face, saying generously, "I gouged these out of that Jade Corpse’s face. They're for you."
Zhu Yixin was angry, terrified, and disgusted all at once. Lately, she had become like a protective mother hen; she wouldn't let such filthy things near Qiao Songlin even if the Heavenly Emperor himself came. She rolled up her sleeves and fired a Bolt of Lightning at Lu Lingfeng. He dodged it, stuffed the ghost eyeballs back into his robes with a look that said, "If you don't want them, I'm not eager to give them," and vanished out the door.
Ren Xuzhou’s way of expressing care was to suggest giving Fourth Brother a bath every night. Finally, Lu Kaifeng lost his patience and locked Ren Xuzhou in the room next door with a Sunset Glow-level illusion array, preventing any unreliable characters from interfering with Fourth Brother’s recovery and preparation.
Liar though she was, the spiritual medicine Wei Qingming sent via Hong Lu from the Hall of Eternal Spring was truly effective. On the night before the match, Zhu Yixin carefully removed the medicated bandages from Qiao Songlin’s eyes and wiped his face clean. Fourth Brother’s eyes fluttered open, his vision focusing until her reflection was deeply etched into the dark pools of his pupils.
We all chimed in to ask if he felt any discomfort. He gave a faint smile, turned, and picked up his blade. "I’m going to practice."
Though we felt for him, no one stopped him. Missing three days would indeed affect his feel for the blade; it was better for him to regain his form quickly.
In this round, the Wujing Sect’s characteristic of "few people but high quality" became apparent. Duan Hongyun, Qiu Zhengshan, Bai Yuyu, and Feng Baili all successfully advanced. Yan Mingqiu went without saying; she barely spent a move or two more than Wei Qingming had against the Tianjun disciple. After thrashing Guan Shanping, she was actually fuming, her eyes wide with annoyance because she hadn't enjoyed the fight at all. Yu Niannian’s cultivation was too far below that of the rogue cultivator Xiao Yingzong, who was nearing the peak of the late stage. Still, Niannian used her superior martial techniques to contend with him for half an hour, losing with no shame whatsoever.
The strangest case was Yi Fei, who actually defeated the monk Yuanzheng despite the gap in their cultivation levels. I watched the final fifteen minutes through the Sky Mirror and confirmed that the Holy Monk hadn't been swayed by worldly desires or held back. It was simply that the Moyu Sect’s God-Summoning technique was too unpredictable. Yi Fei had temporarily summoned a Heavenly General of immense power—Gouchen, the fierce deity who presides over war and litigation. Even the Buddhist Golden Bell Shield could not withstand him, and the monk was eventually defeated.
In the God-Summoning state, the practitioner’s consciousness is clouded. Yi Fei was unconscious for a whole day after coming down. When asked how she did it, she just said blankly, "I don't know."
At this stage, the Wujing Sect held six of the top sixteen spots. The Tianjun Sect had only He Hong and a male cultivator named Gong Guangji. The Moyu Sect had Zhang Yuande, Yi Fei, and a female cultivator named Shi Qinxuan. There were two from the three Buddhist sects, one demonic cultivator, one rogue cultivator, and our Fourth Brother.
I began to pray for Lord Wei again, hoping she wouldn't run into Fourth Brother. As usual, I prayed for one thing and overlooked another. Wei Qingming was unluckily drawn against her own sect member: Qiu Zhengshan. Yan Mingqiu was against Gong Guangji of Tianjun; He Hong against Duan Hongyun; the rogue Xiao Yingzong against Shi Qinxuan of Moyu; Yi Fei drew another monk; Feng Baili and Bai Yuyu were against a Buddhist and a demonic cultivator respectively; and Fourth Brother was unfortunately paired with Zhang Yuande.
Zhu Yixin and I cried out in disappointment together. To make matters worse, Qiao Songlin and Wei Qingming were scheduled to fight at the same time. We had to temporarily part ways to support our respective champions.
In the six months since joining the Wujing Sect, I had rarely seen Qiu Zhengshan. He was never present at banquets or outings; he must have been entirely focused on secluded cultivation for the Tianshan Meet. When Wei Qingming and I arrived, he had already been sitting cross-legged on the stage for some time. He looked exactly as he did when I first met him, yet within that cold, frost-like demeanor, I sensed a trace of sorrow and lonely indignation that hadn't been there years ago.
Actually, I could understand his mindset. At thirty-five, a late-stage Cloud Swallowing cultivation would be considered a genius elsewhere. But this was the Wujing Sect—the Wujing Sect that only accepted geniuses among geniuses. Yan Mingqiu was ten years younger than him and already at the peak of the late stage, not to mention Wei Qingming, who was another two or three years younger. Even visiting cultivators like Lu Kaifeng had reached the Sunset Glow stage by thirty and were looking to hit the mid-stage before forty. Qiu Zhengshan was the Eldest Disciple of his generation, Cang Jiang’s first pupil. Seeing how glorious the Tianjun Sect’s eldest disciple, Guan Shanping, appeared, while he could only stand at the front during official ceremonies and rituals...
From our brief meeting in the capital, I had already seen that his talent, strategy, and social grace were all merely average. Of course, that was in comparison to a qilin-like figure like Wei Qingming. In truth, he was never lacking; it was just that the title of "Eldest Disciple" was a burden that led people astray.
Wei Qingming understood his heart as well. For the first time at the Tianshan Meet, she solemnly summoned the Still Water Blade, holding it in her hand with the tip pointing respectfully toward the ground.
Qiu Zhengshan opened his eyes and stood up composedly, giving a slight nod. "Junior Brother Wei."
"Senior Brother Qiu," Wei Qingming replied with lowered eyes. She performed a deep, formal bow, said nothing more, and struck with her blade.
Both their techniques leaned toward the color gold, but Qiu Zhengshan’s was deeper and more dazzling, with a solid, metallic texture. Wei Qingming’s Solar Power was softer and more elegant, translucent and ethereal. When their blade qi clashed within the Golden Array, they often merged, becoming indistinguishable. Wei Qingming did not hold back a single move, and Qiu Zhengshan met her with his full strength, leaving no openings and no regrets. I remembered how they once coordinated perfectly to kill Huang Bulao with a single strike. In truth, relationships between people aren't always a matter of life and death. It is hard to get close to someone, but easy to push them away. Perhaps Senior Brother Qiu just needed an opportunity to vent his loneliness.
In the end, Qiu Zhengshan’s Golden Array had no flaws, but Wei Qingming didn't bother with the calculations of array-breaking. She used sheer brute force to shatter his protective Golden Array with a single strike, triggering the stage’s protective light. There was no more direct way to feel the gap between oneself and a true genius.
Standing outside the ring, a faint smile actually appeared on Qiu Zhengshan’s frost-cold face, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. "I lost," he said. Then, facing the Wujing Sect’s viewing platform from afar, he knelt toward Cang Jiang. With solemnity and gravity, he performed three slow, respectful kowtows.
Cang Jiang, seeing her eldest disciple suffer defeat but finally untie the knot in his heart, smiled slightly. Those three kowtows were not an apology to the sect, but a message to his master, thanking her for her long-standing tolerance and for never placing excessive expectations or pressure on him. It was he who had refused to let himself go, and today, he had finally reached a state of clarity.
Wei Qingming reached out her hand and pulled him up. Qiu Zhengshan gripped her hand and said in a low, smiling voice, "Fight well."
"Rest assured, Senior Brother."
Seeing my eyes brimming with tears of emotion, Wei Qingming only smiled. She said nothing, but gently patted my back and led me to the other stage to see Fourth Brother’s situation.
Zhang Yuande’s God-Summoning technique was much more stable than Yi Fei’s; he could generally control which deity he invited. This was a requirement for the Sunset Glow stage, yet he had achieved it before even reaching the peak of Cloud Swallowing, and he was even more proficient now. In this match, he had summoned a pair: the Lord of Wind and the Master of Rain. Out of consideration for his opponent’s dignity, he had shown great grace by not choosing more malevolent killing gods. However, though the wind and rain seemed gentle and drifting, they were still summoned by a god. Rain threads and wind blades pierced through the illusion array. Fourth Brother, blinded and deafened by the torrential rain, found his senses failing. Even if he hadn't been recovering from injury, he could not have won; this was a case of absolute suppression of strength. He remained composed until the very last moment, losing with dignity.
Zhu Yixin, feeling sorry for him, cast a fire spell to dry his clothes. She grumbled about Zhang Yuande not being considerate of a patient, then said with a mix of coquettishness and teasing, "You knew to use an umbrella to block wine before; why did you forget today?"
Qiao Songlin smiled faintly. "So you remember. I thought you were drunk."
Zhu Yixin huffed, her face blooming like a flower as she supported him. "From now on, I’ll hold the umbrella for you!"
After this round, only Yan Mingqiu and Wei Qingming remained for the Wujing Sect. Bai Yuyu had lost to the Buddhist monk Zhiding, and Feng Baili had gone head-to-head with the fierce ghosts controlled by the demonic cultivator Tu Tiangang. It was a satisfyingly fast-paced fight, but he ultimately fell short. Zhang Yuande’s victory was also a foregone conclusion.
The match between He Hong and Duan Hongyun was the most brilliant display of martial skill so far. When I first saw Duan Hongyun fight Guan Shanping, I already thought his martial arts were extraordinary and his talent top-tier. After six months, his power had progressed even further. Not only was he more stable with fewer openings, but he had also developed an increasingly steady personal style—as imposing as a pine or cypress, as delicate as dark moss. His transitions between offense and defense were becoming more and more fluid.
If He Hong’s style was "the blade is my body, domineering and singular," Wei Qingming’s was "ethereal and elegant, a beauty of both hardness and softness," Yu Niannian’s was "great skill appearing clumsy, the heart of a child," and Qiao Songlin’s was "following the heart's whim, movement born from extreme stillness," then Duan Hongyun’s style was the removal of all things strange or perilous, taking the most central and upright path of martial arts. In the end, Duan Hongyun was just a fraction slower and weaker than He Hong, and he was knocked out of the ring.
Had he not encountered He Hong so early, he would have certainly made the top eight. In this world, individual effort isn't always enough; luck is just as important!
Nothing illustrated this better than Yi Fei pulling off another upset. She summoned a slender, delicate Chang'e, and using the "Moon-Cold Green Frost," she actually froze the second great monk solid. They remained deadlocked until the two-hour time limit for the match expired, and she won automatically. This was a rarity never before seen in the five-hundred-year history of the Tianshan Meet—a mid-stage Cloud Swallowing female cultivator had fought her way into the top eight!
The sisters were ecstatic. We crowded around Yi Fei to take her out to a restaurant for a grand feast. Catching the tail end of autumn, we set out a crab banquet. Aside from He Hong, who truly lacked any feminine sentiment, and the secret "famous flower" Lord Wei, Yi Fei was the only delicate rose among a pile of cow dung! She was certainly worth getting drunk for in celebration!
Wei Qingming, who had made time to find us, was blocked at the door by me. She frowned in dissatisfaction. I smiled and held the door frame, saying, "My beauty, I’m truly sorry. Today is a gathering of the inner chambers. Given your current identity, you cannot enter."
Lord Wei raised an eyebrow. Pointing to the beautiful long robe she wore today—pale silver-green with a thin vermilion leather belt—she actually said, "I’ll go change my clothes."
I was stunned by the implication of her words. Although I really wanted to see her in women's clothing once, such things should be kept as private fun between the two of us. It would be a huge problem if others saw. I hurriedly grabbed her sleeve. "Fine, fine, I’ll go apply for permission!" Seeing the curl of her lips, I realized I had been easily manipulated by the Envoy again, but the words were out; it was too late to take them back.
The sisters had initially refused unanimously, but Yu Niannian came up with a wicked idea. She smirked and said, "If he comes in and lets us dress him up, then it’s not impossible."
Thanks to the fact that "Junior Uncle Wei" was handsome, always polite to women, and possessed the best reputation, she was eventually allowed in—after being adorned with a head full of pith flowers. Because the autumn wind in the north was bleak and there were no real flowers, these brightly colored artificial flowers were used instead. She wasn't annoyed at all. She sat quietly by my side, listening to the girls chatter and laugh wantonly. Ignoring the fishy smell on her hands, she meticulously peeled crabs to feed me.
I suddenly became suspicious of her unusually submissive attitude—this willingness to endure such humiliation just to spend a brief moment with me. I grabbed her hand and said, "Qingming, you... you won't disappear again as soon as the Tianshan Meet is over, will you?"
"I won't." She smiled and fed me a piece of crab meat, watching me eat it. "At least not until I’ve sent Azhi back to the mountain to see Master."
I lowered my head. That meant after seeing Master, she would leave. She would go far away from me again...
***
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