Although the ranking tournament was paused for a day, the disciples on Main Peak didn’t disperse in a hurry.
When Fu Yan and Bai Li arrived outside the grand hall, they saw that quite a few disciples were already gathered there in twos and threes.
Of course, they weren’t worried about what might happen to Tong Zhen inside. They were simply curious and had come to watch the excitement.
“Hey, Senior Sister Bai and Fu Yan are here too.”
Someone spotted Bai Li and Fu Yan and muttered softly. Everyone turned to look.
“I remember Tong Zhen and Fu Yan seem pretty close. Fu Yan’s so strong—do you think she might also have some powerful spirit treasure on her?”
“Not likely… Spirit treasures aren’t cabbage on the roadside. How could everyone have one?”
“But Tong Zhen has them. Two of them, even!”
“…”
Fu Yan was long used to being the center of attention and didn’t care what others might think. She looked at Bai Li’s back ahead of her, wondering what she intended to do.
As the chief senior disciple of the Shui Ling Sect, Bai Li naturally had the qualification to enter the grand hall. She gestured for Fu Yan to wait outside, then went straight in.
Fu Yan watched her back receding, her expression shifting slightly.
Time trickled by. While she waited, Fu Yan even ran through the worst possible outcome in her head once. Yet there was still no movement from inside the hall.
Just as everyone’s curiosity was reaching its limit, they suddenly felt a terrifying aura rapidly drawing closer to Main Peak. Fu Yan’s eyes flickered in surprise. When she lifted her gaze, she saw a brown‑green streak fall from the distant sky.
The newcomer was a middle‑aged man, landing steadily before the Shui Ling Sect’s grand hall.
His expression was anxious. He didn’t so much as glance at the crowd before striding straight into the hall.
Only after he went in did that suffocating aura finally begin to slowly dissipate, allowing everyone to let out the breath they’d been holding.
“My heavens, who was that just now? Why did I feel like I could barely breathe just from him casually leaking a bit of his aura?”
“Same here. It was terrifying. I felt like he could crush me with a twitch of his finger. I’ve never felt that way before!”
“Could he be a Void Transformation stage expert?”
“No way. We only have a few Void Transformation experts in the Northern Region. I’ve never even heard of that person. Unless… he’s not from the Northern Region at all.”
“…”
Silence followed those words, because that very likely was the truth.
Fu Yan stared at the man’s back as he entered the hall and slowly came back to herself. She had felt that terrifying pressure as well.
So this was the gap between her and a true powerhouse?
She had to admit, the difference in strength was enough to make one feel they could never catch up.
But she still firmly believed that one day, she would become just as strong.
As for the man’s identity, Fu Yan had already guessed roughly who he was. He was most likely from Tong Zhen’s clan. She didn’t know how he’d tracked her down, but since someone from Tong Zhen’s family was here, then Tong Zhen naturally wouldn’t be in any danger.
The Shui Ling Sect absolutely didn’t have the qualifications to casually offend someone from another region.
With that thought, the anxiety she’d been holding in her chest finally eased. At the same time, she understood that Tong Zhen most likely would not be staying here any longer.
Sure enough, things unfolded just as Fu Yan had expected. Soon, an elder walked out from the grand hall and ordered everyone outside to disperse. The disciples didn’t dare disobey and could only turn and leave.
Fu Yan also turned back and returned to her small wooden hut.
Not long after she got back, Bai Li led Tong Zhen into the courtyard from outside. Bai Li didn’t enter the house. She only watched with a smiling face as Tong Zhen ran straight inside.
“Fu Yan!” Tong Zhen called out.
Fu Yan opened her eyes from meditation, looked at Tong Zhen rushing in, and smiled helplessly.
“What is it?”
Tong Zhen didn’t answer right away. She just stared at Fu Yan and giggled twice, then finally said bluntly:
“I came to say goodbye. I’m going home.”
“Mm.” Fu Yan nodded.
Tong Zhen stared at her, puzzled.
“I thought you’d ask me a bunch of questions. You’re not curious at all?”
Fu Yan had already guessed eight or nine tenths of it. What was there to be curious about?
“Forget it, forget it, that’s not important.” Tong Zhen waved her hand carelessly, looking a bit dejected.
“You don’t know—now that I’ve been caught and dragged back, I definitely won’t have any freedom again. It’ll be hard to sneak out next time.”
Fu Yan slowly stood up.
“That just means you’re not strong enough yet. They’re worried about you. You’re already very talented. When you go back, you should cultivate properly and not waste it.”
“Of course.” Tong Zhen tilted her head, clearly very pleased with Fu Yan’s praise. At last she added,
“Next time we meet, I’ll definitely be stronger than you. Then we can have a real fight!”
Fu Yan nodded.
“Alright.”
When she left, Tong Zhen didn’t forget to stand at the edge of the courtyard and wave at Fu Yan and Bai Li.
“If you ever come to the Central Capital, remember to visit the Tong clan and look for me!”
With that, Tong Zhen turned and left the Shui Ling Sect with the middle‑aged man who had appeared on Main Peak earlier.
On the way back, Tong Zhen looked at the person beside her with some grievance and cautiously asked,
“Uncle Wu, can we not go back?”
Wu Qiming let out a sigh, sounding helpless.
“You little ancestor, do you have any idea how angry the clan head was when he found out you snuck out this time?”
At that, Tong Zhen immediately snapped back in a sulky tone,
“He’s the one who suddenly decided my marriage for me for no reason. I don’t even know who the other party is. I don’t want to get married.”
Now it was Wu Qiming’s turn to be confused.
“Who told you that?”
“I overheard it.” Tong Zhen said with perfect confidence.
“…”
“That marriage was arranged back when Madam was still alive.” Wu Qiming naturally knew a bit about those old matters and could only explain patiently,
“The clan head just wants you to go and meet him. If you really don’t like him, with how much the clan head dotes on you, how could he possibly force you?”
“Who knows?” Tong Zhen still felt wronged.
“Oh, right.” As if suddenly remembering something, Tong Zhen lifted her gaze to him.
“I made a friend here called Fu Yan. I think her swordsmanship is amazing. She’s really talented. It’s just that the resources in the Northern Region are too poor. I don’t know if she’ll ever have the chance to come to the Central Capital.”
Wu Qiming had only swept a casual glance over the two girls from a distance earlier, so he didn’t know which one Tong Zhen was talking about. Judging by talent, one was a Pure Yin constitution, and the other’s aptitude was rather ordinary. So he automatically assumed Tong Zhen meant the one with the Pure Yin constitution.
“I really didn’t expect to run into a Pure Yin constitution out here.” He had been a little surprised when he’d seen Bai Li, but he didn’t pay it much mind.
“Pure Yin constitutions are rare, but aside from making cultivation much easier in the early stages, they aren’t particularly useful later on. And… they can also bring her tremendous calamity.”
“What?” Tong Zhen didn’t really understand.
Wu Qiming didn’t elaborate. He simply changed the subject.
“By the way, little ancestor, how did you end up in the Northern Region? No wonder the clan head’s Thousand‑Mile Mirror couldn’t find your aura.”
At that, Tong Zhen immediately looked a little smug.
“Well, I’m not stupid. If I didn’t head somewhere remote, wouldn’t you have caught me right away? If I hadn’t slipped up this time, you still wouldn’t have been able to find me!”
Wu Qiming: “…”
“Do you have any idea how dangerous the outside world is? You’ve only just stepped onto the path of cultivation. Anyone could kill you with a flick of the wrist.”
He was still shaken when he thought about it. After all, Tong Zhen had only just opened her Qi Sea and stepped into the Aperture Opening stage not long ago.
At his words, Tong Zhen clapped her hands over her ears.
“I know, I know. You’ve told me this eight hundred times already, Uncle Wu. My ears are getting calluses. Aren’t I perfectly fine now? And even those elite disciples in that sect couldn’t beat me just now.”
Wu Qiming: “Why don’t you compare yourself to the geniuses in the Central Capital instead?”
“I don’t want to. They’re all monsters!”
…
Watching Tong Zhen’s departing figure, Fu Yan finally let out a long breath. Although she still didn’t know Tong Zhen’s true identity, it seemed she really didn’t have anything to worry about.
“She’s from a Central Capital clan.”
Bai Li, standing beside her, seemed to have seen through her thoughts and spoke up. She had been in the hall just now and naturally knew the details.
Fu Yan nodded.
“I guessed as much.”
“She’s not even fourteen yet, and she already has that level of cultivation.”
That was the gap.
After that, neither of them spoke. Fu Yan lifted her gaze. Their eyes met in midair, and she suddenly understood.
Bai Li’s ambitions were the same as hers. They would never stop at a tiny Shui Ling Sect, nor even at this vast Northern Region.
Bai Li didn’t stay long in Fu Yan’s courtyard. Before she could leave, though, Fu Yan suddenly called out to her.
“Senior Sister!”
Bai Li paused, turned halfway back, and looked at her in mild confusion.
Fu Yan walked straight up to her and reached into her robes to take something out, then held it out to Bai Li.
Bai Li looked at her, baffled, but she could tell Fu Yan wanted to give her something. After a short daze, she still extended her hand, palm up, under Fu Yan’s.
The girl in front of her suddenly smiled. Her bright smile was dazzling in the sunlight.
In the instant Bai Li’s mind went blank, she heard Fu Yan’s voice by her ear.
“Tomorrow is the last day of the ranking tournament. Take this as my congratulations in advance for Senior Sister winning first place in the inner sect again.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Fu Yan loosened her fingers. A cool, smooth sensation slid into Bai Li’s palm.
Bai Li looked down. A translucent jade‑colored sword tassel lay quietly in her hand.
In truth, Fu Yan had prepared this red sword tassel for herself. She’d made a scabbard for her Linglong Sword, and adding a sword tassel to it would have been perfect.
But just now, when she looked at Bai Li, she’d suddenly felt the urge to give it away. Bai Li had helped her so much all this time. Since the thought had arisen, Fu Yan didn’t hesitate in the slightest and took out the tassel.
Everyone knew that tomorrow’s main event in the finals would be the fight between Bai Li and Yu Heng for first place. Fu Yan believed that the woman in front of her would win.
“Thank you.”
Bai Li finally put the red sword tassel away. After a long moment, she raised her eyes to Fu Yan and quietly voiced her thanks.
Once Bai Li left, Fu Yan didn’t waste any time. She quickly returned to her room and continued cultivating her movement technique.
She felt she was already close to breaking through the first level; all that was left was a matter of time.
The day passed in a blur.
The finals of the Shui Ling Sect’s inner sect ranking tournament began once more.
Although everyone was still thinking about the huge gap Tong Zhen had shown yesterday, it didn’t dampen their excitement one bit.
Fu Yan’s first match was against a disciple who’d ranked fifty‑second in the last tournament.
The closer to the top, the stronger they were. Fu Yan had to fight with everything she had and only barely managed to scrape out a victory, successfully entering the next round.
As things stood, Fu Yan was already in the top fifty of this year’s ranking tournament. All her remaining opponents were late‑stage, peak Aperture Opening cultivators. Just looking at it was enough to give her a headache.
“Next match, Fu Yan versus Xia Ningsheng!”
After resting for about half an hour, Fu Yan went up again. This time her opponent was Xia Ningsheng, ranked thirty‑fifth.
On the vast arena, Fu Yan stood with her sword in hand, facing Xia Ningsheng. He was also a sword cultivator with excellent swordsmanship and peak late‑stage Aperture Opening cultivation.
Fu Yan estimated her chances of victory at less than twenty percent.
But no matter what, she had to give it her all. She didn’t want to leave any regrets on the stage.
With that in mind, after the two exchanged formal bows, Fu Yan gripped the broken Linglong Sword tightly and charged straight at him.
Her attack was like a bamboo spear thrusting through paper, but Xia Ningsheng merely raised his sword to block.
The two blades clashed, throwing up a shower of sparks and a harsh screech that rang through the entire arena.
The heat of it made everyone secretly click their tongues.
“Even though Fu Yan is this year’s biggest dark horse, I didn’t expect her to actually make it this far.”
“Yeah. I thought she’d top out around fifty or sixty. Now, win or lose, she’s already in the top fifty.”
“This one’s going to be rough, though. Her opponent is Xia Ningsheng, ranked thirty‑fifth.”
“True, but you can’t say that for sure. What if she still has some massive trump card? She’s pulled that off several times already.”
“…I doubt it. I feel like she’s already shown all her strength.”
…
Fu Yan had already gone all out in her previous match. The only real card she had left now was the second form of the Illusory‑Void Sword. But even that alone was far from enough to deal with Xia Ningsheng.
After three or four exchanges, they quickly pulled apart and widened the distance.
Fu Yan ignored the sweat trickling down her forehead. She knew she couldn’t drag this out. His true essence was far more abundant than hers. She’d only lose in a war of attrition.
With that thought, she hesitated no longer. She rushed in again, sword in hand. The air around her began to surge violently, as if countless sword blades were closing in from all directions.
Yes—Fu Yan had decided to settle it in one move.
She unleashed her strongest attack: the second form of the Illusory‑Void Sword, Phantom Form.
Xia Ningsheng didn’t dare underestimate her. He moved just as fast. A faint golden sheen seemed to coat his sharp features, making him look extraordinarily dazzling.
“Golden Slash!”
He gave a low shout and swept his sword in a wide arc. Blinding light exploded outwards.
Fu Yan could feel her sword technique beginning to crumble under the impact. She could only pour in more true essence, burning through the last of her strength.
The instant their swords collided, a huge vortex of true essence erupted over the arena, as if it would suck people into another space. It was terrifying to behold.
When everyone finally came back to their senses, they saw Fu Yan at the far right side of the stage. She was bracing herself on her Linglong Sword with one hand, her body swaying as if she might collapse at any moment.
On the other side, Xia Ningsheng was still standing calmly.
Fu Yan gave a bitter little smile, then looked at the presiding elder to indicate that she no longer had any fighting strength. The elder understood and stepped forward, facing the crowd.
“Xia Ningsheng wins!”
As his voice fell, Xia Ningsheng walked over. He gave Fu Yan a look and asked,
“You alright?”
Fu Yan shook her head lightly.
“I’m fine.”
“Don’t be discouraged. Your strength is already impressive. I believe that if we had the same cultivation level, the outcome wouldn’t be so certain.”
Xia Ningsheng spoke sincerely.
Fu Yan smiled. After a moment’s rest she finally felt steady on her feet again. She lifted her eyes to him.
“Thank you.”
Soon, the two of them walked down from the stage.
After that, Fu Yan lost another match, which meant she’d been eliminated. Based on her overall performance, her final ranking was essentially set: forty‑seventh.
All in all, Fu Yan was fairly satisfied.
As time passed, the list of this year’s top ten was quickly decided: Bai Li, Yu Heng, Chen Jun…
In the afternoon, the ten of them would compete in a round‑robin, eliminating one another until a single inner sect champion emerged.
Because Fu Yan had been focused on her own matches all morning, she hadn’t paid much attention to Bai Li’s fights. So after lunch, she came early to the arena, ready to properly observe the top ten matches.
The top‑ten bouts were always the most exciting and what everyone looked forward to the most.
The stands were already buzzing with noise.
“Ahhhh!! It’s finally the last stage. I can’t take it, I’m too excited!”
“Same here. I skipped lunch and sat here waiting the whole time. Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping. When will it be my turn to stand up there?”
“Hahaha, go take a nap. You can be anything you want in your dreams.”
“Hey, you looking for a beating?!”
…
Fu Yan found a spot to sit and waited for the matches to start.
She didn’t have to wait long. Soon, a presiding elder took the stage and announced that the final round had officially begun.
The first match was Yu Heng versus Lin Zihao.
These two were the previous tournament’s second and third place holders. Starting off with such a high‑stakes match instantly grabbed everyone’s attention.
Fu Yan watched while quietly analyzing the flow of the battle.
After about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the outcome was decided. Unsurprisingly, Yu Heng still came out slightly on top.
After two more matches, Fu Yan finally heard a familiar name.
“Next match, Bai Li versus Liu Xu!”
As soon as the elder’s voice fell, Fu Yan saw Bai Li’s figure slowly step onto the arena. At that moment, a flash of red caught her eye.
Her gaze fell on the red tassel hanging from the Moon Sway Sword.
For some reason, the corners of her lips lifted slightly. The gloom from losing two matches in a row disappeared without a trace.
The afternoon sunlight spilled across every corner of the arena, warm and gentle.
The sunlight today was perfect, Fu Yan thought.
