The next day was the opening of the sect tournament.
The tournament was held every fifty years, and disciples from the many peaks of Wuling Immortal Sect all took part. There were, however, age restrictions. Foundation Establishment cultivators could participate regardless of their actual age, but cultivators at Essence Transformation or above were subject to additional rules.
Essence Transformation cultivators aged three hundred or above were ineligible. Golden Core cultivators aged four hundred or above could not enter, nor could Nascent Soul cultivators aged five hundred or above.
Those above Nascent Soul needed to devote themselves to furthering their own immortal paths. At such cultivation levels, the sect tournament no longer concerned them.
Qi Refinement cultivators were not qualified for the grand tournament either. Their opportunity to compete came at the smaller inner-sect tournament held once every three years, which accepted all cultivators below Foundation Establishment. Outstanding outer-sect disciples could also earn places in it through competitions held in the outer sect.
Thus, both the grand and minor tournaments served as ways for the sect to assess its disciples’ cultivation and provided stages on which its many geniuses could measure themselves against one another. Following the grand tournament, the sect bestowed abundant resources upon outstanding participants, encouraging everyone to improve.
Accordingly, whenever the tournament approached, disciples flocked to it and employed every means at their disposal to earn a place.
On Little Slaughter Peak, Xu Ziqing had already learned the rules from Yun Lie and was filled with anticipation. The two then traveled together to Little Bamboo Peak to meet their master, Perfected Qiu He.
Perfected Qiu He wore his usual kind, smiling expression. Seeing his two beloved disciples arrive, delight filled his eyes. “Yun’er, Ziqing, you’ve come early.”
Yun Lie nodded slightly. “Greetings, Master.”
Xu Ziqing smiled too. “Naturally, we couldn’t leave Master waiting for us.”
The two had very different temperaments, but Perfected Qiu He saw how naturally they got along and was comforted.
Eight young women stood in a line behind him, each lovely as a flower. Unfortunately, at the sight of Yun Lie, their pretty faces turned pale, making them appear rather pitiful.
Though Perfected Qiu He was kindly, he placed importance on proper respect for elders. He knew that his eight nominal disciples feared Yun Lie, but he would not permit them to be discourteous.
The women served Perfected Qiu He every day and understood his temperament. One in yellow, who appeared to lead the others, stepped forward and bowed gracefully. “G-greetings, Eldest Senior Brother. Greetings, Second Senior Brother.”
The other seven barely overcame their fear and bowed together.
Yun Lie scarcely acknowledged them. Xu Ziqing, however, could not bear to see their distress. After a silent sigh, he smiled and said, “Junior Sisters, there’s no need for such ceremony.”
Seeing his gentle smile, the eight women felt more at ease, and some color returned to their faces.
Perfected Qiu He was even more satisfied with this second personal disciple.
Yun Lie said, “It is nearly time. We should go.”
Perfected Qiu He was accustomed to his eldest disciple’s cold nature and took no offense. Instead, he asked with some concern, “It’s Ziqing’s first time entering the tournament. Have you prepared well?”
Xu Ziqing said gently, “Senior Brother Yun has instructed me already. Please don’t worry, Master.”
Perfected Qiu He was very pleased. “Yun’er is becoming more and more like a proper senior brother. Very good, very good.”
He did not expect Yun Lie to show much affection toward his eight nominal junior sisters. As long as this second disciple could keep Yun Lie from turning into a monster consumed by slaughter, Qiu He was immensely relieved.
Xu Ziqing smiled. “Senior Brother has always treated me exceptionally well. I’ve benefited greatly from his guidance and should thank him.”
Perfected Qiu He laughed. “It’s good that you support your senior brother so wholeheartedly too, Ziqing.”
They stepped outside the cave. Perfected Qiu He curled his fingers and whistled sharply. A rumbling immediately came from the mountainside, and before long, a fierce beast three zhang in length came running from behind the mountain.
Its coat was brown, with a tiger’s head, a deer’s tail, four ox-like hooves, and two whiskers like a fish’s upon its cheeks. It was an extraordinary-looking creature called a Deer-Tiger Beast, a fifth-rank spiritual beast and Perfected Qiu He’s companion and mount.
A current of wind arose beneath Qiu He’s feet, and he landed upon the beast’s back, caught its long mane, and sat there with the carefree air of an immortal.
The eight female cultivators remained where they stood, unsure what to do. Perfected Qiu He swept his sleeve, drawing them all over and setting them behind himself.
They crowded together and barely managed to sit securely, then stared in astonishment. They had been on Little Bamboo Peak for years and had seen Perfected Qiu He ride away on his Deer-Tiger Beast, but had never imagined they would ride upon it themselves. A fifth-rank spiritual beast was equivalent in strength to an Essence Transformation cultivator and held far higher status than they did. They were overwhelmed by the honor.
Everyone from Little Bamboo Peak now had somewhere to sit, except Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie, who remained standing.
Perfected Qiu He smiled. “Yun’er, Ziqing, come along too.”
Just then, the beating of wings sounded overhead. A dark shadow quickly swept down, and a majestic eagle landed before them. Its body was more than half a zhang long, and its feathers glittered brightly.
Chonghua had come, unwilling to be outdone, and wanted to carry its master too.
Xu Ziqing had always indulged Chonghua. After hearing it call affectionately a couple of times, he gave in. He leaped up and seated himself upon its back.
Chonghua let out a low cry and was about to spread its wings, but Xu Ziqing gently pressed its head. “Wait a moment.” He turned and beckoned toward Yun Lie. “Senior Brother, come quickly! Chonghua can carry people now.”
Yun Lie had been preparing to fly using his sword intent. Hearing Xu Ziqing call him, he paused.
Xu Ziqing tilted his head. “Senior Brother Yun?”
Yun Lie dispersed the sword intent surrounding him. With a slight movement, he appeared behind Xu Ziqing. “Let’s go.”
Xu Ziqing’s smile widened. He patted Chonghua’s back. “Senior Brother is right… Chonghua, let’s hurry.”
Chonghua raised its head with a clear cry, spread its wings fiercely, and soared skyward.
The Deer-Tiger Beast could not fly. It immediately began racing across the ground, its four hooves pounding rapidly.
Chonghua did not know the way, so it flew high behind the Deer-Tiger Beast and followed it southeast.
Along the way, all sorts of riding beasts ran across the land, while spiritual birds flew endlessly overhead. Many cultivators were dressed in brilliant colors, magical treasures shone in competition, and auspicious clouds streamed through the sky, creating a magnificent spectacle of immortals.
Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie riding together was merely a sign of the affection between senior and junior brothers. But after Yun Lie’s recent series of extraordinary achievements had drawn attention back to his name, long quiet for years, seeing him so close to Xu Ziqing surprised many onlookers.
Fortunately, Xu Ziqing’s state of mind had become far steadier. Unlike when he first entered the sect and felt every whispered remark sting him outside the Merit Pavilion, he was no longer disturbed by a little gossip.
Wuling Immortal Sect occupied an immense territory, with its inner sect taking up more than half of it and housing innumerable disciples.
Even though the tournament site was also in the inner sect, reaching it took considerable time.
After a little more than a quarter of an hour, an enormous square finally came into view.
It seemed to have been carved from a vast expanse of stone, with countless towering stone platforms standing within it, magnificent and imposing.
At first glance, no boundary to the stone square could be seen. The platforms stretched away into the distance. The sheer scale made the assembled cultivators feel exceedingly small.
This was the place where the sect tournament had been held through the ages.
Just as the tournament was about to begin, riding beasts and spiritual birds surged in from every direction, their dark masses resembling layers of clouds rolling across the sky.
At the center of the enormous square, an old man suddenly appeared.
He was rather thin and looked perfectly ordinary. Yet no matter how many disciples released their spiritual senses, not one could clearly discern his face.
That alone showed that his cultivation was unfathomably profound, far beyond that of the assembled crowd.
As the disciples gathered, this extraordinarily powerful elder gently waved both sleeves.
With one raised hand, an immense stone wall shot into the sky, separating several stone platforms. A further tap of his finger brought another towering wall up on the opposite side.
Before long, under everyone’s astonished gaze, the vast grounds had been divided into ten orderly martial arenas, lending the proceedings a more solemn air.
Having arrived at the tournament grounds, the numerous cultivators descended from their mounts and gathered in their own groups.
Chonghua landed and rejoined the Deer-Tiger Beast.
Perfected Qiu He had already dismounted and was explaining matters to his eight female disciples. “At every tournament, the grounds are divided into ten martial arenas. Otherwise, having so many disciples compete one by one would take far too long…”
Yun Lie had not mentioned these details, so Xu Ziqing listened carefully as well.
It turned out that Foundation Establishment cultivators made up the greatest number of participants. The sect also wished to identify those with the most potential among them, so the Foundation Establishment competition always took place first.
Every Foundation Establishment cultivator possessed an identification talisman marked with an assigned martial arena. They merely had to enter that arena and draw a lot to determine their opponent.
When the Foundation Establishment competitions ended, each of the ten arenas would select its top ten cultivators. Those one hundred would then compete in a smaller contest, from which twenty would be chosen to receive rewards from the sect.
The selection process was exceptionally strict.
Moreover, each of the ten martial arenas was overseen by a high-ranking Steward of Discipline. Anyone who broke the tournament rules would be seized and taken away by the officer.
After the Foundation Establishment matches came the Essence Transformation matches. They also took place in ten arenas, this time under the supervision of Disciplinary Elders. The top ten competitors would be rewarded.
When the Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators took their turns, the dividing walls of the arenas would be dismantled. The entire square would undergo tremendous changes so those cultivators could fight without restriction. Their matches were overseen by the Hall Master of Discipline, assisted by many Disciplinary Elders and Officers to keep the contest grounds under strict surveillance.
Spectators would also arrive in great numbers. Not only would the Sect Master and many reclusive elders attend openly or watch from concealment, but numerous other mighty figures would also come. It was one of the grandest occasions within the entire sect.
For disciples hoping to establish a position within the sect, this opportunity was not to be wasted.
It was also an important chance for inner-sect disciples who had not found masters to display their strengths openly and perhaps catch the eye of a Perfected One.
After hearing Perfected Qiu He’s explanation, Xu Ziqing clicked his tongue in astonishment.
He had known the tournament rules were strict, but not that they were quite so demanding. So many cultivators wanted to distinguish themselves. As he sensed the atmosphere of competition around him, his state of mind gradually settled into a stillness like water…