Zhai Bairong walked toward the competition stage, his expression clouded with displeasure. Duan Mingyu tried to grab his sleeve but missed, his face etched with anxiety.
"She must be doing this on purpose. Senior Brother is only acting this way because his concern has clouded his judgment," Duan Mingyu said aggrievedly to the other two.
Rong Lü, having been defeated by Qi Miaohan himself, felt a flicker of annoyance toward her, but it was mostly the bitter sting of his own loss. He pursed his lips and remained silent.
"There is no need for words," Zhai Bairong said as he leaped onto the stage. Without hesitation, he waved his hand and summoned two Star-Moon Spirit Wood Swords. He had never revealed the other three in public, and he certainly wouldn't show his true strength now. Even so, the crowd felt he was taking the fight seriously enough.
Qi Miaohan gave a sharp snort and drew her Lotus Leaf Whip, striking directly at Zhai Bairong’s face. Facing the pincer attack of the two spirit swords, she flipped through the air, executing a Wind-Riding Art to dodge nimbly. Zhai Bairong’s attacks were crisp and seemingly fierce, but only the person on the stage could sense the slight, deliberate openings he left in his movements.
However, Zhai Bairong had told Qi Miaohan the day before not to hold back. While she might lack in other areas, she certainly didn't lack ruthlessness. The moment her toes touched the ground, she leaped again, throwing out five high-grade Golden Arrow Talismans mid-air. A rain of arrows formed from spiritual energy poured down from the sky. Zhai Bairong retracted his swords, using one to deflect the scattered golden arrows and the other to circle his body in defense.
"Metal overcomes Wood, and she’s using high-grade Treasure-rank talismans. How ruthless! With just this one move, Qi Miaohan must have thrown away thousands of spirit stones!"
"She’s the most sought-after disciple of Pinyin Pavilion right now. Sect Leader Jiang has been worrying about a lack of successors and has poured so much effort into her. Would she really be short on money?"
The spectators below muttered in a mix of envy and jealousy.
As if to prove them right, Qi Miaohan pulled out a handful of high-grade Vajra Talismans for defense. The wood-attribute attacks hitting them were like mere scratches. Seizing the momentum, she threw another volley of Golden Arrow Talismans. A few golden arrows grazed Zhai Bairong’s face, leaving several bloody streaks.
"Senior Brother!" Duan Mingyu cried out in sorrow. Unfortunately, Zhai Bairong on the stage could not hear his melodramatic calls.
Zhai Bairong appeared somewhat impatient, but he retreated a few steps for the time being, refraining from a forced offensive.
Standing at opposite ends of the stage, both chose this moment to summon their spirit pets.
Zhai Bairong summoned a Red-Crowned Crane. It was a beast lent to him by the Reflecting Moon Sect with a respectable cultivation level, though it was still a notch below Qi Miaohan’s Snow Leopard.
The audience was dazzled. On the stage, Zhai Bairong and Qi Miaohan moved like flickering shadows, trading blows back and forth. Their spirit beasts sometimes assisted their masters and sometimes fought independently to disrupt the opponent, becoming a tangled blur of fur and feathers.
Zhai Bairong flipped his right hand, manifesting a remnant soul of an Earth Fire. Although it wasn't a complete Earth Fire, it was still a treasure. This remnant soul had once been a small part of a Green Lotus Earth Fire, sharing an affinity with Qi Miaohan’s lotus platform. Upon appearing, it burned joyfully and lunged straight for Qi Miaohan, its speed no slower than that of a Wind-root cultivator.
"What is this!" Qi Miaohan cried out, looking somewhat disheveled as she was chased around the stage.
Someone with sharp eyes in the crowd recognized it as an Earth Fire remnant. After envying Qi Miaohan, they now turned their envy toward the other side. An Earth Fire that had recognized a master could not be transferred. If one was lucky enough to encounter one in eight lifetimes, most cultivators would choose to form a contract on the spot unless they had the physical means to imprison and take it away. Thus, it was a priceless treasure!
"What incredible speed," someone remarked. The Green Lotus Earth Fire wasn't specialized for combat; it was better suited for nourishing the spirit and soul or assisting in alchemy. However, for a Wood-root cultivator like Zhai Bairong who lacked his own pill fire, having such a thing was already exceptional.
Qi Miaohan thought to herself that Zhai Bairong hadn't mentioned he had such a thing yesterday. She glanced toward Duan Mingyu’s group below. Seeing that none of them looked surprised, she realized this wasn't a secret within their small circle, and it wouldn't have made sense for Zhai Bairong not to use it. She guessed that the flame could actually be much more aggressive, but Zhai Bairong was holding back.
Seeing Qi Miaohan stumble and get caught by the green flames, which scorched her hem and calf, Duan Mingyu’s face lit up with the hope that his side might win. However, Qi Miaohan decisively crushed a lotus petal, splashing Spirit Recovery Liquid directly onto herself. The scorched skin immediately returned to its fair, smooth state.
She followed up by kicking off the lotus platform, summoning a flying sword to use as a flight tool. She simply commanded the lotus platform to float to the side to draw the Earth Fire away from her.
"Take this!" Qi Miaohan seemed ready to strike with her sword, rushing toward Zhai Bairong.
Everyone knew she used a whip and focused intently, wanting to see her swordplay.
Instead, Qi Miaohan returned to her true nature, incessantly throwing out high-grade Golden Arrow and Vajra Talismans.
"How despicable!" Duan Mingyu shouted anxiously.
Nie Shiyun raised an eyebrow, feeling as though his past self was being insulted as well.
The crowd watched as the match reached a fever pitch, and then it became a stalemate. It dragged on and on... the battle lasted for nearly two hours, with the two of them locked in a deadlock.
Ultimately, it was Zhai Bairong who first retracted his exhausted spirit beast and swallowed his last two Spirit Recovery Pills. Qi Miaohan’s lotus platform was mostly shattered, but she still had some strength left. She knew in her heart that Zhai Bairong hadn't used his full power; he had simply kept leaving openings for her, which was why he now appeared out of breath.
Furthermore, when they had discussed today's battle yesterday, Zhai Bairong had only said he would "do the same as last time and only manifest two of the Star-Moon Swords." Qi Miaohan didn't know how many swords were in that set, but she found herself looking forward to a real match with him in the future to truly experience his skills.
An intense match was dragged out until the audience was weary, only then ending with Qi Miaohan winning by a narrow margin.
In the end, Zhai Bairong was approached by the agile Snow Leopard. As a sharp, cold claw-swipe lunged at him, he dodged in feigned shock, only to be forced off the stage by a whip strike at his feet from Qi Miaohan.
He appeared somewhat indignant, but Qi Miaohan stepped onto her lotus platform first, floating triumphantly in the air as she shouted, "Once you're off the stage, you've lost! Don't tell me the great Reflecting Moon Sect can't afford to lose."
"..."
Zhai Bairong looked somewhat disheveled due to his "carelessness," with scratches on his cheeks and arms. Qi Miaohan hadn't escaped unscathed either, but her expression was relaxed, clearly still having plenty of "ammunition" left.
"A match between dignified cultivators, yet she used so many talismans..." Duan Mingyu said indignantly. He completely ignored the fact that his Senior Brother had also used quite a few, only that his reserves were far less than Qi Miaohan’s in the end.
The Reflecting Moon Sect certainly wouldn't deprive Zhai Bairong of resources, but he knew when to stop and withdrew when the time was right. Instead, he comforted Duan Mingyu, saying, "It was my oversight; I was ill-prepared. I'm sorry."
Hearing the sadness in his voice—not because he lost, but because he was apologizing to him—Duan Mingyu was moved beyond words. "Senior Brother, it doesn't matter if I don't get that reward. I'm just happy you worked so hard for me."
By now, the stage's barrier had been lowered. Qi Miaohan, who overheard this conversation, suppressed her temper. Why did Duan Mingyu make it sound like she was only getting something he didn't want?
"Miaohan!"
"Miaohan won!"
At that moment, the senior sisters from Pinyin Pavilion crowded around her, cheering. Although Qi Xuan'er had known since yesterday that her sister would win, she was still overjoyed. She cast aside her usual reservations and hurried over, taking her sister's hand to congratulate her.
With all the matches concluded, Jiang Baixiang, who had started watching at some point, released her pressure. The noisy crowd of cultivators instantly fell silent. Using her divine sense and profound cultivation to project her voice, she announced that she would gather the top eight cultivators this afternoon to present their rewards, and others were naturally welcome to watch. Afterward, the winners would be led by sect elders into the rear mountain's Spirit Herb Garden to select their herbs.
Many cultivators who had been eliminated early stayed behind, partly for the spectacle and partly because they were waiting for this. Most had heard of the Spirit-grade Bone-Refining Pill but had never seen one, let alone the Spirit-grade Frost Sword. A Spirit-grade treasure... in small sects, those were items exclusive to the Sect Leader. These minor cultivators might never touch or use one in their entire lives.
After a break, they returned in the afternoon. Qi Miaohan and Zhai Bairong, who had looked a bit disheveled after the morning match, had both tidied themselves up. Since the results were set, Zhai Bairong, who had looked displeased earlier, had put away his indignation and wore his usual polite smile. Standing beside Qi Miaohan as the runner-up, he had completely retracted the morning's hostility, looking every bit the graceful loser. To outsiders, someone like Zhai Bairong, acting as a representative of a major sect, truly possessed the poise and conduct of a great master.
The onlookers in the square scanned the eight people on the stage and silently reached this conclusion.
Though he stood at the very edge, Nie Shiyun was the only cultivator not from the four major sects. When the Pinyin Pavilion elder called his name, many people below began to whisper about the Cloud Clear Pavilion.
"Cloud Clear Pavilion... in my memory, they're just a small sect that knows a bit of artifact forging."
"Yes, I heard from my elders that they were once prominent, but they declined over a thousand years ago. If you ask me, a side profession is just a side profession. If the core cultivation doesn't go up, the sect has no backbone."
"Maybe they're on the rise now," someone couldn't help but speculate. "How many Cultivation Grand Meets have been swept by the four major sects? This man doesn't seem simple."
Another disagreed. "I think it's unlikely. He seems to have a grudge against Xu Yehua of Red Rock Cliff. You know, right? Xu Yehua and Duan Mingyu—those few are always together, very close. Crossing them won't end well."
"Is that so? I was thinking of trying to get close to them before their sect makes it big..." Fearing the power of the four major sects after all, that person lost their nerve.
Nie Shiyun didn't care what the crowd was saying. However, the members of Cloud Clear Pavilion in the crowd vaguely felt that as Nie Shiyun drew attention, they were receiving successive looks of scrutiny and curiosity. They all straightened their backs, maintaining a calm and indifferent facade, not wanting others to see their inner joy or think they were unsophisticated. This pretentious act actually made many uninformed cultivators look at them in a new light, thinking they truly lived up to their former glory by remaining so composed.
The top four received Bone-Refining Pills. Unfortunately, the pills were stored in exquisite, narrow-necked white porcelain bottles, so the crowd had no chance to feast their eyes or even catch a whiff of the medicinal fragrance. Fortunately, the Frost Sword was presented on a velvet cloth by a Pinyin Pavilion cultivator following behind Jiang Baixiang. Qi Miaohan was not one for modesty; after bowing to thank the Sect Leader, she took the Frost Sword and claimed ownership on the spot. She then stepped forward into an open space and performed a sword flower with her spiritual energy. As a Wind-root cultivator, she couldn't actually activate the sword's true abilities, but even so, people could sense the power of the Frost Sword.
Duan Mingyu had already come to terms with it, thinking that since his Senior Brother had also lost, it simply wasn't meant to be. But seeing Qi Miaohan—who clearly didn't have an Ice root, or even a Water root—showing off with that crystal-clear Frost Sword while the crowd cheered, the thought that he should have been the one standing there inexplicably surfaced in his mind. His heart filled with bitterness, and he turned his head away, unable to look any longer.
"Alright, Miaohan," Jiang Baixiang scolded her disciple lightly, telling her that was enough.
She then addressed the eight people before her. "Next, please follow my sect's guides to the rear mountain's Spirit Herb Garden. These guides have been on duty there for centuries; if you have any questions about the herbs, feel free to ask. Please, do not be too formal."
The group thanked Jiang Baixiang respectfully.
It took some time for them to reach the Spirit Herb Garden deep in the rear mountain, flying on their swords behind the guides. Pinyin Pavilion rarely allowed outsiders into such a private area. However, with the mountain-like presence of Jiang Baixiang looming over them, all the cultivators were on their best behavior. Even Xu Yehua was much more disciplined and less casual.
The entrance to the Spirit-grade herb garden was small. After passing through a long corridor of vegetation, it felt as if they had entered another dimension. Inside, it was a hidden paradise with mountains and water, like a world apart. The scent of Spirit-grade herbs permeated the air; it felt as if merely breathing it in could nourish the body and mind.
The eight people were led to different areas to browse. The others were more or less indecisive, but Nie Shiyun had a clear goal and quickly found what he wanted.
"The Heaven-Mending Lingzhi? This is indeed a treasure that can significantly boost one's cultivation. It is extremely effective whether used in alchemy or consumed directly, and this specimen is quite old," the female cultivator leading Nie Shiyun introduced. "Next to it is the Quenching Essence Grass. You only need to grind and consume it once to clear all the pill toxins from your body. It is also a fine item."
Nie Shiyun smiled. He wasn't sure if it was because he looked friendly or if the Pinyin Pavilion staff were giving him preferential treatment because he was Qi Miaohan’s friend, but the guide was very enthusiastic, explaining everything to him. He told her that he had a way to handle pill toxins but thanked her for her kindness nonetheless.
"I see," the guide nodded understandingly. For many cultivators, clearing pill toxins was more difficult than finding miraculous medicines, and Quenching Essence Grass was worth its weight in gold on the market. However, she didn't know that Nie Shiyun’s "way" was to throw pills and herbs into his Chaos Space. As the Chaos Space grew, it became closely linked to him, allowing him to increase his cultivation without any side effects—thus, there was no such thing as pill toxins for him.
Moreover, the higher the quality of the pill, the lower the toxin content. Since meeting Zhai Bairong in Profusion City, he had almost exclusively handled high-grade and top-tier pills.
Nie Shiyun didn't need anything flashy or to worry about spiritual root compatibility. He chose the most straightforward option: the Heaven-Mending Lingzhi, which would significantly boost his cultivation.
Zhai Bairong was currently still restricted by his master, Qu Zhanmeng, who was at the Nascent Soul stage. Above him were several Soul Transformation ancestors. If those figures so much as moved a finger, existences like them would be turned to ash in an instant. After meeting Jiang Baixiang, Nie Shiyun felt the reality of the level gap even more acutely. He understood that breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage as soon as possible was the only thing that mattered.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 炼骨丹 | Bone-Refining Pill | A Spirit-grade pill given as a reward. |
| 寒冰剑 | Frost Sword | A Spirit-grade treasure sword, the first-place prize. |
| 补天灵芝 | Heaven-Mending Lingzhi | A rare herb that boosts cultivation level. |
| 淬元草 | Quenching Essence Grass | An herb used to clear pill toxins from the body. |
| 丹毒 | Pill Toxin | Impurities left in the body from consuming medicinal pills. |
| 青莲地火 | Green Lotus Earth Fire | A specific type of Earth Fire; Zhai Bairong has a remnant soul of it. |
| 灵草园 | Spirit Herb Garden | A garden for cultivating high-level medicinal plants. |
