Chapter 168 - Arc 11: The Sect's Grand Compet.i.tion | Chapter 168: Match 15

Translator: Lynn

From the collection, Xu Ziqing selected the golden bead and expressed, These were obtained from Li Cai. Apart from a couple with water and fire attributes, most of them are quite versatile. I particularly fancy this golden bead, so Ive decided to take it. The rest shall be offered to Master, hoping that you will accept it. While he did consider a few new friends, he prioritized honoring his Master.

Immortal Qiu He observed Xu Ziqings performance and noticed him brus.h.i.+ng away several magical weapons. a.s.suming his disciple didnt possess substantial reserves, he expected him to keep the items for himself. However, to his surprise, Xu Ziqing offered them up, evoking a sense of grat.i.tude for his filial piety.

Being a renowned Jindan pract.i.tioner, Master Qiu He had no intention to covet his disciples gains. He glanced at the young disciples, smiling as he flicked the silver whip, making it bounce and fly into Luo Yaos hand. You focus intensively on studying talismans, but occasional restrictions cant be avoided. You also need an offensive magical weapon. This is the Bone Destruction Whip. Despite its unattractive name, its top-grade. Take it and make good use of it.

Luo Yao was momentarily bewildered. However, upon receiving the whip from Master Qiu He, his surprise couldnt be hidden. His thoughts became somewhat complicated. In the past, he might have refused such a gift, but now, seeing the whip, he accepted it with grat.i.tude, saying, Thank you for your kindness, senior. His eyes flickered with uncertainty, pondering the implications.

Master Qiu He noticed the s.h.i.+ft and offered gentle advice, Youre overly cautious, and you possess a reserved temperament. The latter quality may help you achieve your goals, but the former could hinder your progress. Ponder on it carefully. Hearing this, Luo Yao felt a jolt, raising his gaze to meet the Jindan Daoists eyes. The meaning within those eyes seemed profound, as if he had already seen through him. Yet, upon reflection, he interpreted the Masters words as a subtle warning coupled with genuine concern, feeling a sense of grat.i.tude. He took a deep breath and smiled calmly, Thank you, Master, for your guidance. I will take it to heart.

Observing the instruction being imparted, Master Qiu He nodded slightly. He then activated one of the ropes, sending it to Yue Jun. This is called the Immortal Binding Rope. Its effective for capturing individuals, and I offer it to you.

Yue Jun accepted it with joy, expressing his grat.i.tude, Thank you, Master!

Next, Master Qiu He handed a ruler to Long Xuan, stating, This is the Huoyuan Ruler. Its perfectly suited for you. Take it and make good use of it.

Long Xuan also conveyed his grat.i.tude for the gift.

In the end, Master Qiu He entrusted the Moon Wors.h.i.+ping Ding, a powerful item, to Qiu Ze, saying, This is the Moon Wors.h.i.+ping Ding, among the finest items. Possessing the strength of a mountain, it complements your earthly affinity. Collaborate with it, and your efforts will yield twice the results with half the exertion.

Qiu Ze expressed his grat.i.tude.

As the treasures were distributed, Yue Jun and the others felt a bit self-conscious, remarking, The esteemed Masters have bestowed these exceptional magical treasures upon us, leaving a few of our female companions without. Even though Xu Ziqing acquired these, according to Master Qiu Hes allocation, Qiu Ze should receive one, and the rest should be shared with our junior sisters. Its a bit unfair for individuals like us to benefit more, making it somewhat challenging to accept.

Master Qiu He smiled rea.s.suringly, However, its appropriate to use items of that caliber if you possess the corresponding level of cultivation. My female disciples have yet to establish their foundations. Even if you were to give these to them, they wouldnt be able to utilize them effectively. Its better that you make the most of them. When they advance in their cultivation, I, as their master, will ensure they are appropriately taken care of.

These words were meant to pacify the eight female disciples, encouraging them not to harbor feelings of envy.

The atmosphere soon regained its harmony.

Observing this, Xu Ziqing was pleased. Seeing Yun Lie alone, he couldnt resist turning towards him and stated, Although Li Cais items were of high quality, they dont suit s.h.i.+xiongs nature. Allow me to find a rare sword for s.h.i.+xiong.

Yun Lie paused and responded, You neednt trouble yourself.

Xu Ziqing sighed, Is it possible that s.h.i.+xiong finds me bothersome?

Yun Lie a.s.sured, Youve never been a bother.

Xu Ziqing chuckled, In that case, I implore my s.h.i.+xiong to agree to this proposition. Otherwise, Ill remain unsettled, lost in idle thoughts, and fear it might affect my mood.

Yun Lie shook his head, remarking, Youve been quite at ease recently.

Xu Ziqing grinned, Its simply that I was overly cautious in the past.

This exchange revealed a relaxed countenance on both of them.

Xu Ziqing indeed experienced a heightened sense of ease, a result of numerous battles and a fortified mindset. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from his heart, and at times, he felt a touch more astute.

He now had the clarity to reflect upon his journey in the realm of immortals. Initially, he fell victim to schemes and deceit upon entering this realm, prompting him to become overly cautious and stifled. However, whether it was during his bedridden days in his previous life or his carefree days in the mountain village, he wasnt this rigid. He had found enjoyment in simple things. Presently, he realized there was no need for such excessive caution even in front of those closest to him.

Contemplating, Xu Ziqing considered that his senior brother had been with him since he was ten years old, hidden within a storage ring. The senior brother knew all about his experiences. Even during times of embarra.s.sment and hards.h.i.+p, how could his senior brother have missed those moments? In the past, he didnt shy away from being himself. However, upon meeting his senior brother face-to-face, he had become uneasy and apprehensive.

Yet this master, despite infrequent encounters, showed genuine kindness. Considering this, he resembled a father figure in Xu Ziqings life. Having no biological parents in this life, he ought to cherish this friends.h.i.+p. If he maintained a respectful distance without getting close, estrangement would eventually settle in. After arriving at this understanding, his outlook became much clearer, and it reflected in his words, actions, and demeanor.

Observing this change, Yun Lie nodded and remarked, In the upcoming battle, lets give it our all.

Xu Ziqing turned and smiled, affirming, Ziqing is grateful for s.h.i.+xiongs advice.

Shortly after, the battle commenced.

Despite Xu Ziqings relatively recent entry into the Wuling Immortal Sect and his exceptional apt.i.tude and diligent practice, he still lagged behind individuals who had immersed themselves for an extended period. Without timely comprehension of the Qingyun Needle, he might have been defeated by Du Linglong halfway, eliminating any possibility of competing.

However, even with these circ.u.mstances, Xu Ziqing had only two additional fights and was ultimately defeated by a direct disciple of the Nascent Soul Patriarch. This young man possessed a single spirit root, was two years younger than Xu Ziqing, and had been under his ancestors tutelage for a decade. Moreover, he specialized in thunder sword cultivation, showcasing an astonis.h.i.+ng level of power.

Despite practicing swordsmans.h.i.+p with Yun Lie for many days, Xu Ziqings realm paled in comparison to this serious and devoted sword cultivator. Although the Qingyun Needle held great power, it hadnt yet been honed to its peak. It was still in its early stages of comprehension. Faced with thunder-infused sword techniques, it succ.u.mbed within moments.

After an arduous battle, Xu Ziqing eventually stepped down from the arena, narrowly dodging a thunderous flash, and was defeated by that young man.

He landed in the top ten or so in the rankings, a commendable achievement, thankfully securing a spot in the top twenty. It was truly a satisfactory outcome for him.

In this compet.i.tion involving hundreds of partic.i.p.ants, only the top three were definitively determined. The Thunder Sword Cultivator who defeated Xu Ziqing claimed the second position, a worthy adversary.

Xu Ziqings accomplishment filled Master Qiu He with genuine joy.

In the Foundation Establishment stage, there were hundreds of thousands of monks. While most were ordinary inner sect disciples without a master, there were numerous disciples from the small peak and even the middle and upper peaks.

Historically, the top 20 rankings were typically dominated by disciples from the middle and upper peaks. It took years for small peak disciples to occasionally secure first or second place, but now, Xu Ziqing had earned this honor for himself.

Daoist Qiu He lacked a master, achieving recognition from the small peak purely through his own dedication. His background was far less prestigious than many small peak disciples who had been around for a long time. He had never envisioned experiencing such glory in his life. Once considered average and unremarkable, he was now finding great solace in his old age.

Xu Ziqings victory in this ranking brought generous rewards from the sect, including:

Two top-rank spiritual artifacts

Five middle-rank spiritual artifacts

Twenty low-grade spiritual artifacts

Thirty bottles of high-grade Buyuan Pill

Five high-grade spirit stones

Fifty middle-grade spirit stones

Three hundred low-grade spirit stones

Such treatment was bestowed upon the top 20, but the top three received even more substantial rewards.

Nevertheless, many monks exhibited admiration and even envy.

It was no wonder everyone was eager to partic.i.p.ate in this compet.i.tion. Obtaining such a ranking meant an unexpected windfall. Not only was it worth several years of savings, but it could also be used to cultivate friends.h.i.+ps. Even for personal cultivation, it saved a considerable amount of effort.

Xu Ziqing initially intended to use these rewards to honor his master, but Master Qiu He firmly declined. Consequently, Xu Ziqing had no choice but to bestow some benefits upon his junior sisters. Regrettably, they hadnt reached the Foundation Establishment stage, rendering several rewards unusable for them. Only human-level exercises could be shared. Although there were only three copies of the human-level exercises, the junior sisters received a total of eight, and ultimately, no rewards went to waste.

After all, the Foundation Establishment stages grand compet.i.tions were just the beginning. Soon, the arenas were reconfigured into martial arts arenas, and the numerous martial arts arenas were further divided into ten to accommodate pract.i.tioners from the Golden Core Transformation period.

Master Qiu He and his group remained, still observing the compet.i.tions from the high platform. With hundreds of thousands of disciples in the Wuling Immortal Sect, these compet.i.tions would inevitably take a considerable amount of time

In the depths of Jile Peak, a cavern was excavated and named Jile Residence.

One day, a monk in a yellow robe ascended the mountain hastily, presenting a token, and made his way into the heart of Jile Residence.

The cavern was remarkably s.p.a.cious, its interior adorned with the skin of an unknown creaturesmooth, soft, and a striking bright red.

A plush couch rested upon this unusual skin, and on the couch reclined a man. Surrounding him were over ten attractive men and women, each engaged in various actssome playfully holding his fingers, others offering wine with their lips, and a few provocatively rubbing their knees together. Notably, some were engrossed in more intimate activities.

The yellow-robed monk displayed no sign of embarra.s.sment, although he avoided looking at the men and women. He respectfully lowered his head and, with a slightly nervous tone, called out, Elder Ancestor!

The man responded with a soft yes before a beautiful female cultivator, obediently kneeling behind him, helped him lean against her chest, revealing his face.

This man possessed long, refined eyebrows and delicate eyes, thin lips, and a pale complexion that lent a rather feminine appearance.

Despite looking around thirty, his actual age undoubtedly exceeded that.

His voice was remarkably gentle as he inquired, Whats the matter? You seem quite agitated.

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