During the highly anticipated semifinals, I watched as Yan Mingqiu stood tall on the stage. To his left was Wei Qingming, standing at the edge; to his right was the petite He Hong; and further right was Yi Fei, her head bowed shyly as if she couldn't bear the weight of so many gazes. Suddenly, I made a startling discovery: although the top sixteen of this Tianshan Meet had been almost entirely male, the final four appeared to be an even split at first glance, but were actually three women and one man!
I nearly doubled over with laughter, though no one around me understood what was so funny.
The opponents for this round were to be chosen by the four themselves; their fates were in their own hands. I, on the other hand, felt quite relaxed. It didn't matter much who Wei Qingming faced; I could just lean back in my soft chair and watch her display her divine prowess.
Wei Qingming, of course, deferred to the others, and Yan Mingqiu likewise yielded to the ladies. Yi Fei was so flustered she didn't know where to put her hands. In the end, it was He Hong who decisively reached into the urn first. she pulled out a jade slip, gripped it bluntly in her hand, and stepped back to stand in a daze.
Seeing that Yi Fei still hadn't moved, Yan Mingqiu urged her, "You go first."
Yi Fei’s face turned a deep, blood-red. Wei Qingming gave her a gentle, cultured smile, signaling with her eyes for her not to hesitate—the sooner it was taken, the sooner it would be over. Only then did Yi Fei timidly pick a jade slip from the urn. She originally held the slip hidden between her palms, but after enduring for a moment, she curiously peeked through a tiny gap, squinting at her palm. After all, the elders had always handled the draws before; she had never seen these things... Watching her, Yu Niannian, Zhu Yixin, and I found it both hilarious and adorable. Our hearts were practically melting!
Wei Qingming wasn't about to yield to Yan Mingqiu. She reached out to take a slip, but Yan Mingqiu used a high-level speed technique to shove his thick, heavy arm into the urn first, filling it so completely that Wei Qingming couldn't get her hand in. But Master Wei was no pushover. Even if she was willing to yield, she wouldn't allow someone else to snatch it away. Without any visible movement on her part, the jade urn suddenly shattered into pieces. It looked for all the world as if the boorish Yan Mingqiu had been so clumsy that he’d smashed the heavy, hundred-pound vessel.
Not only did she shatter the urn, but she also used a clever force to strike the remaining two jade slips, sending them flying. Yan Mingqiu was unprepared and a split second slower than her. Both used their movement techniques to catch the slips, but Wei Qingming reached hers first. Her robes fluttered as she landed gracefully, holding the jade slip and giving him a cool, steady stare. Yan Mingqiu, however, thought it was great fun and burst into a loud laugh on the spot.
Yu Niannian and Zhu Yixin also thought it was hilarious, clapping their hands thunderously. The Crown Prince and Anchi Nalong had long since become Wei Qingming’s devoted fans; they were beaming with joy, their faces full of adoration. Only Yan Xiangjun and I—the two "family members"—found it utterly childish and embarrassing, both of us covering our faces, unwilling to look any longer.
Vindictive as she was, Wei Qingming always maintained her sense of propriety. She naturally wouldn't let the shards injure the two people behind her. Initially, the urn had broken into only a few large pieces that fell heavily, never flying about wildly. However, in his haste to grab the slip, Yan Mingqiu had kicked one of the pieces, causing it to shatter into countless fragments. One sharp shard, the size of a fingertip, flew straight toward Yi Fei.
The Ink Feather Sect focused on the path of divine communion and didn't teach martial techniques at all. Furthermore, Yi Fei was of a delicate constitution and couldn't possibly dodge it. Although the strike wouldn't pierce her protective gear, it would certainly hurt. Just as we were all worrying for her, the hilt of a bronze saber shifted slightly, easily parrying the shard away.
He Hong had casually warded off the danger for her. Expressionless, she returned to her dazed stance. Yi Fei hurriedly thanked her in a thin voice, but He Hong ignored her. I suspect she didn't actually intend to help; rather, she subconsciously parried any attack she saw within ten paces. She truly was a martial idiot...
On the Wujing Sect’s viewing platform, Qu Weizhang, the Head of the Lingbao Pavilion, fumed, "Destroying public property! What should their punishment be?" It made sense—to ensure the fairness of the draw, that urn must have been forged from precious materials and enhanced with high-level spells. It might have even been forged by Head Qu himself!
Before Sect Leader Lu could speak, Yan Mingqiu’s master, the old gentleman Zhong Shikuang, took offense. He tossed his head and laughed at Qu Weizhang’s stinginess. "It’s just a broken pot. If it’s smashed, it’s smashed. Why are you shouting so loudly, Old Qu?"
Seeing the two about to start bickering, Cang Jiang—who, as the Head of the Shenxiao Hall, was in charge of internal discipline—decided to settle the matter by penalizing both sides. "Mingqiu has too much strength and nowhere to use it; he shall be punished by going to Yanzhou to hunt beasts and gather materials for Senior Brother Qu. Qingming’s Solar True Fire is rare; having her stoke Senior Brother Qu’s furnace for seven days should be enough. What does the Sect Leader say?"
Sect Leader Lu said with a smile, "Quite right. The cost of that Fengshen Jade Urn was not small; the two of them must share the expense as well."
Though Old Zhong was a rough man, he came from a proper aristocratic clan. Neither he nor his disciple lacked the money, and a trip to Yanzhou would be good for the boy to hone his skills, so he readily agreed. Head Qu had long been salivating over Wei Qingming’s Solar True Fire, but before the Tianshan Meet, the entire sect treated her like a treasure and wouldn't let her overwork herself. Now that his craving was to be satisfied, he was content. That left only the two childish rivals on stage, completely unaware that they had been assigned troublesome chores, each still enjoying their own private amusement.
The moderator for this match was Head Lu of the Lingxian Pavilion. A man of great cultivation and poise, he remained indifferent to the chaos on stage. Seeing that the four had drawn their lots and there was no further dispute, he elegantly raised his hand, signaling them to reveal their jade slips.
The four slips gradually emitted light—two blue and two red. The red ones belonged to Yan Mingqiu and He Hong, while the blue ones belonged to Wei Qingming and Yi Fei.
Yan Mingqiu was delighted. As long as he didn't have to fight someone from the Ink Feather Sect, it was fine—he couldn't very well go throwing another bucket of dog blood on a beautiful woman! His eyes flashed with excitement as he provocatively challenged He Hong, but she didn't even look at him.
Yi Fei also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She feared boorish men most of all; Wei Qingming at least looked refined and elegant, a person of status. As for whether she would be ruthless or heavy-handed once the fight started, Yi Fei chose not to think about that for now.
Wei Qingming’s attitude remained indifferent. She smiled faintly and lifted her sleeve, politely extending a hand toward Yi Fei. "Senior Sister Yi, let us step down and wait for these two to finish their match."
As soon as the two of them stepped off the stage, Head Lu waved his sleeve to collect the shards of the jade urn and withdrew. The disciple responsible for sounding the gong had just raised his mallet when Yan Mingqiu and He Hong already drew their blades and clashed.
By the time the gong rang out, they had already exchanged three moves. Three deafening sounds of clashing blades rang out, making the gong—which usually echoed through the heavens—sound weak in comparison.
Yan Mingqiu had been stifled for so long. Since the start of the Tianshan Meet, he hadn't encountered a single satisfying opponent. They were either lacking in strength or didn't rely on martial arts, ending the fights in just a few moves. After entering the top sixteen, he had hoped to at least fight Duan Hongyun or Wei Qingming, but through various twists of fate, he never crossed paths with them. The moment He Hong struck, his entire being screamed with joy.
He Hong’s style was exactly the same as before—just one heavy chop after another. Yan Mingqiu knew his opponents today both used sabers; feeling that his spear wouldn't be satisfying, he had set it aside in favor of an ancient, heavy saber.
The moment they engaged, Yan Mingqiu immediately felt that He Hong’s power was pure, solid strength, fundamentally different from the refined, skillful power of high-level martial arts. This female cultivator looked small and delicate, but she was likely born with divine strength. She didn't even need to use demonic techniques like Yan Qing to cultivate it; she possessed such formidable power naturally. As Yan Mingqiu parried her blade, a sense of pure exhilaration rose from his heart, and his fighting spirit blazed. In the blink of an eye, both were unleashing powerful killing moves, teetering on the edge of life and death with every reversal.
With Wei Qingming not by my side, I only half-understood what I was seeing. Zhu Yixin also hurriedly turned to Qiao Songlin for help. "What’s the situation with those two? They seem perfectly matched, even their styles are identical—just heavy hacking!"
"Brother Yan is inferior to her," Qiao Songlin said calmly. "After three hundred moves, his strength will fail him, and openings will begin to appear."
"What would you do if it were you?"
Qiao Songlin sighed. "Limited by my cultivation, I could only avoid her edge. I would have to rely on my illusions to interfere with her senses and mind, risking a wound from her blade to trade my life for hers."
"And Qing-di?"
"He has many more options," Qiao Songlin smiled slightly. "Besides, you’ll be able to see for yourself in a moment." His words implied a certainty that Yan Mingqiu would lose!
Over there, Feng Baili, Duan Hongyun, and Yu Niannian were also chattering away. "Senior Brother Yan is strange too. Why is he being so stubborn with her? He should yield a step first!"
Duan Hongyun looked thoughtful. "There are other ways to handle that strike besides meeting it head-on, but they aren't as straightforward as Senior Brother Yan’s methods. When strength and speed are lacking, there truly is no solution."
"Who is He Hong’s master? Does the Tianjun Sect have such a powerful expert who could train a disciple like her?"
"Money can always buy a master. Haven't you heard? In their previous generation, there was a wealthy man who used money to entice a Star-Plucking Realm ancestor out of seclusion just to take him as a disciple..."
The two continued their direct confrontation for over an hour. Before the formation could determine a winner, Yan Mingqiu was the first to leap out of the circle. He threw his saber to the ground, laughed heartily, and turned to jump off the stage. The moment the saber touched the ground, it shattered into pieces like a spiderweb. It turned out it had long been damaged by He Hong’s strikes, ruined beyond use.
The martial idiots in the crowd were all mesmerized, and cheers echoed across the mountains. I, however, grew nervous. Wei Qingming and Yi Fei rose from their seats, still showing each other polite deference as they ascended the stage.
The two exchanged bows. Wei Qingming stood still, her sleeves fluttering. She was in no hurry to set up a formation or summon her weapons, patiently and considerately waiting for Yi Fei to complete her Divine Descent. I suddenly felt that while the Ink Feather Sect’s divine powers were limitless—at their peak, they might even be able to invite the Jade Emperor or the Queen Mother of the West—they were also quite limited. In a real fight, who would give you the time to finish your spell?
Yi Fei’s figure was enveloped in an ink-like black mist. The sky and earth gradually grew dim, and a thick scent of seawater spread and surged. The entire arena was flooded by ten thousand acres of deep black ocean waves—ominous and sinister. Wei Qingming, however, seemed oblivious. She remained standing there calmly, a faint, bright golden light of protective energy rising around her, carving out a clean area so the seawater wouldn't dampen the hem of her robes.
The seawater rose by a foot. The formations around the arena only enclosed the four sides, leaving the top open, allowing the briny liquid to surge and churn. Finally, a figure like a vengeful ghost crawled up from the seabed. It had two horns on its head and four terrifying fangs in its mouth. With red, angry eyes, it was none other than one of the four great Asura Kings, the ancestor of the Asuras—Vimacitra!
Legend has it that when the mountains and seas of the world were first formed, celestial beings from the heavens went into the sea to bathe, leaving behind certain substances. Eight thousand years later, a female monster was born from the seawater. She had a thousand eyes, nine heads, and nine hundred and ninety-nine hands; she was the ancestor of the Asura race. The monster was hideous, yet she sought the daughters of the Gandharvas—the most beautiful race in the world—as wives for her sons. From then on, Asura men were hideous, while Asura women were beautiful.
The crowd below was shocked. Could the art of Divine Descent even summon demons? Although the Asura race often fought with the heavens, their strength was considered on par with the gods...
Wei Qingming, however, did not seem particularly surprised. She flipped her hand to summon a sword. It was one of the eight longswords commissioned by King Goujian of Yue—the ancient legendary sword, Quexie. She raised her hand and swung, unleashing a golden flash of sword qi that cleaved through the surging waves, striking directly at the newly risen female Asura.
After Buddhism spread to the Central Plains, Vimacitra was also given a beautiful translated name: Jingxin, meaning "Pure Heart," which happened to fit Yi Fei’s image better. Because the strength of the deity summoned by the Divine Descent was generally equivalent to the practitioner’s own level and wouldn't exceed their realm by too much, Zhang Yuande could summon the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King and a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, but this "Jingxin" had only one head and six arms, with nothing else unusual.
As the sword qi arrived, the previously dazed and swaying Jingxin raised her six hands, forming a shield in front of her. She blocked the sword qi, her figure steady, without retreating an inch.
Asuras were warlike by nature. This strike completely awakened Jingxin. A violent, tyrannical aura flared up around her. She grinned, opening her mouth to spit out a fireball that shot toward her opponent like a bolt of lightning. Fireballs continued to form, like countless suns encircling the sky. Wei Qingming also took to the air. She didn't use the cool, steady power of the moonlight; instead, she wrapped herself in Solar True Fire, enduring the scorching heat head-on.
The seawater that had filled the space between heaven and earth quickly evaporated under the airtight demonic flames of Jingxin. For a moment, the stage was left with only the extremes of fire against fire. On one side was the sinister, demonic, and strangely beautiful aura of destruction; on the other was the grand, righteous, and life-giving power of the sun. In the collision between light and dark, it looked as if that gentle, pale sunlight was retreating before the evil. If not for the occasional flash of Wei Qingming’s jade-colored robes or the divine light of Quexie breaking through the demonic flames, I would have almost thought she had been completely swallowed by the fires of hell...
Yan Mingqiu had already bathed and changed. He returned to the spectator seats looking refreshed, only to sit down and see Wei Qingming narrowly dodging a wall of fire that seemed to move with the force of a mountain. He was so shocked he couldn't speak for a long time before finally commenting, "She can push Wei San to this extent? Could it be that I’m actually the weakest of the four..."
Although Yan Xiangjun was so tense from the danger on stage that she could hardly breathe, she didn't forget to glare at him and snap, "You finally realized? Go practice your cultivation properly instead of parading around everywhere!" Last time it was dog blood, this time it was breaking the jade urn—it was completely unbecoming of a noble. Knowing he had a match, she had endured him for a long time; the fact that she wasn't currently twisting his ear to give him a lecture was already showing him plenty of face!
Yan Mingqiu had a host of typical male flaws, but he had one good quality: he never knew the meaning of dejection. He rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Good, good! Once I’ve trained well, I’ll find whoever becomes the champion and give them a beating. Then Old Yan will be number one in the world. A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years..."
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 封神玉瓮 | Fengshen Jade Urn | A precious vessel used for drawing lots, likely named after the "Investiture of the Gods." |
| 毗摩质多罗 | Vimacitra | Also known as Vimalacitra, one of the four great Asura Kings in Buddhist mythology. |
| 净心 | Jingxin | "Pure Heart," a translated name for Vimacitra. |
| 却邪 | Quexie | "Ward Evil," one of the eight legendary swords of King Goujian of Yue. |
| 太阳真火 | Solar True Fire | A high-level fire cultivation technique or essence associated with the sun. |
| 天钧门 | Tianjun Sect | The sect He Hong belongs to. |
| 墨羽派 | Ink Feather Sect | The sect Yi Fei belongs to, specializing in Divine Descent. |
| 降神 | Divine Descent | A technique to summon the power or presence of a deity/spirit. |
| 乾达婆 | Gandharva | A class of celestial beings in Buddhism/Hinduism known for their beauty and musical skill. |
| 璩蔚章 | Qu Weizhang | Head of the Lingbao Pavilion. |
| 钟师旷 | Zhong Shikuang | Yan Mingqiu's master. |
| 苍绛 | Cang Jiang | Head of the Shenxiao Hall, in charge of discipline. |
| 灵宪阁 | Lingxian Pavilion | The pavilion responsible for moderating the matches. |
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