Pei Zhangzhi turned his head in surprise and asked, "He's only been in the sect for a few months?"
The one speaking with them was Bai Ning'er, the disciple bearing the Lucky One Fate. Half a month ago, he had applied to be transferred out of the spiritual mine, and his request had just been approved the day before.
Even though his Cultivation Aptitude was mediocre, after spending so long in the mine, his cultivation had reached the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm—a level already considered first-rate within Qingxiao Sect. That was why he intended to join the Grand Dao Combat Tournament—he wanted to prove himself.
He didn't understand why the Sect Master valued him, but he was determined to show his worth.
Seeing Zhao Qi and Pei Zhangzhi—people of noble bearing—taking an interest in Xiao Wudi, Bai Ning'er deliberately revealed Xiao Wudi's identity.
He still remembered vividly when Li Qingqiu had once brought the three brothers of the Xiao clan to the spiritual mine. That visit had left a deep impression on him. Bai Ning'er envied them immensely. He too wanted to stand by the Sect Master's side like those three.
In response to Pei Zhangzhi's question, Bai Ning'er smiled proudly. "That's right! Impressive, isn't it? After all, not just anyone can catch the Sect Master's eye. Our Sect Master values them highly—he takes them wherever he goes."
With that, Bai Ning'er continued up the mountain path.
Hearing those words, Zhao Qi immediately gave up any thought of recruiting Xiao Wudi. However, his curiosity about Bai Ning'er grew, and he quickened his pace to catch up.
"Young man, what's your name? Who's your master?" Zhao Qi asked with a friendly smile, his tone gentle, completely devoid of princely arrogance.
Bai Ning'er glanced at him and replied, "My name is Bai Ning'er. I don't have a master for now."
"You're heading up the mountain?"
"Mm. I'm going to sign up for the Grand Dao Combat Tournament."
"Could you tell me about your sect's tournament? I'm actually an old acquaintance of your Li Sifeng Hall Master. I came here today to pay respects to Hall Master Zhang Yuchun."
"You're that capable, and you still need me to explain? When you meet Hall Master Zhang, he'll tell you himself."
"I'll be discussing important matters with him. He's a busy man—if I ask about such things, won't I just waste his time?"
"That's true," Bai Ning'er admitted after a pause.
He thought for a moment. The tournament wasn't a secret—everyone in the sect and the martial world already knew about it. There was no reason to hide it.
So he began to explain the details of the Grand Dao Combat Tournament to Zhao Qi as they walked.
Meanwhile, Pei Zhangzhi watched Bai Ning'er with growing curiosity. His instincts told him that this disciple was far from ordinary.
By the time one reached the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm, one's bearing and presence changed completely. To Pei Zhangzhi and the retainers behind him, Bai Ning'er already seemed profound and unfathomable.
Throughout March, Qingxiao Sect was filled with excitement. The tournament hadn't even started yet, but disciples were already betting and predicting who would take the top three spots in the sect's first ever Grand Dao Combat Tournament.
At the top of everyone's list was Xu Ning.
She had stepped down from her position as Hall Master, and as the Sect Master's direct disciple—young, brilliant, and immensely talented—no one dared to question her participation. In fact, everyone eagerly anticipated her performance. She was widely seen as the pillar of the younger generation.
Xue Jin, Li Yang, Lu Qing, Huang Shan, Zheng Yunqiao, and Zhao Zhen were all considered strong contenders for second place.
Among them, Zhao Zhen was acknowledged as the most gifted—but at only ten years old, few believed he could truly secure second place.
Aside from these well-known disciples, many others were eager to shine. They clenched their fists, vowing to stand out in this competition.
Currently, Qingxiao Sect had twenty-five disciples who had reached the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. Most of them were still relatively unknown, so naturally they longed to make names for themselves—just like Xue Jin and Lu Qing had done before.
By midday, five close friends of Ji Ya entered the Sword Sect Courtyard, teasing their companion Yang Lin along the way.
"You really signed up for the tournament? What's the point? You're only at the second layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm. You won't even make it past the first round!"
"It's not about rank," Yang Lin said firmly. "If I can show my skill in front of the Hall Masters and Elders, maybe one of them will take me as a disciple."
"Now that you mention it, I kinda want to join too."
"Honestly, in our Sword Sect, probably only Senior Brother Han Lang has a shot at reaching the top sixty-four, right?"
It wasn't just them—every Sword Sect disciple at the training grounds was discussing the tournament.
At that moment, the sect's top disciple Han Lang stood alone at one end of the courtyard, holding a wooden sword in silence. He seemed lost in thought, his expression calm—eerily reminiscent of Shen Yue, who once sat under the eaves comprehending the sword.
Since the announcement of the Grand Dao Combat Tournament, not only had the disciples been fired up, but each Hall and Department was also preparing intensely. Every Hall Master wanted their disciples to perform well and bring honor to their hall.
Though Shen Yue himself was busy comprehending the sword, the Sword Sect disciples were determined to uphold their hall's reputation. The pressure naturally fell on Han Lang.
If Han Lang couldn't even make it into the top sixty-four, it would be a huge embarrassment for the Sword Sect.
Of course, in Han Lang's mind, only reaching the top ten would truly bring glory to the Sword Sect.
Once all the disciples had gathered, Han Lang snapped out of his thoughts. Turning around, he looked at his junior brothers and sisters, ready to call them to practice.
Just then—
"Ha ha ha ha!"
A burst of laughter echoed from behind them. Han Lang turned and saw Shen Yue standing on the eaves, laughing heartily.
The other Sword Sect disciples looked up as well—and to their shock, a wooden sword was floating before Shen Yue. The scene was almost identical to that of the Sect Master and his Tianhong Sword.
Could it be…
"I've done it!" Shen Yue shouted joyfully.
As soon as he finished, he leapt into the air, stepping onto the wooden sword itself and soaring toward the mountain peak—straight toward Lingxiao Pavilion—vanishing quickly beyond the treetops.
The disciples erupted in excitement. They all knew what Shen Yue had been attempting to comprehend, and they immediately guessed where he was headed.
"Elder Shen must be going to see the Sect Master!"
Han Lang watched the direction Shen Yue had flown, his blood surging with excitement. If even Elder Shen was striving so hard to cultivate, how could he possibly slack off?
As long as he kept training diligently, one day his sword would yield the results he sought.
Turning back to his fellow disciples, Han Lang barked out an order, urging everyone to take their positions and begin sword formation practice.
The formation they trained in was one personally created by Jiang Zhaoxia—a sword array designed to repel invading enemies. Every disciple was required to master it.
Ziyang Peak stood on the eastern side of Qingxiao Mountain, taller and sharper than the main peak itself, like a giant sword piercing through the surrounding mountain range.
It was also the second peak planned for development by Qingxiao Sect.
The lower half of Ziyang Peak was a vast, majestic mountain connected to the surrounding ridges, while the upper half rose sharply into treacherous cliffs, wrapped year-round in thick mist.
On a cliffside terrace, Li Qingqiu sat cross-legged in meditation, cultivating a new spell. Behind him sat Yuan Li, Zhao Zhen, and Ji Ya, also cross-legged, each with a faint, shimmering sword shadow forming in their palms.
Possessing the Born Sword Maniac Fate, Li Qingqiu was capable of creating his own sword techniques. This new spell he had developed was called Soul-Stealing Flying Sword, a fusion of the Supreme Sword Control Art, Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles, and the Soul-Binding Curse.
The Soul-Stealing Flying Sword combined the ferocity of the Supreme Sword Control Art, the piercing power of the Rejuvenation Ghost-Immortal Needles, and the soul-locking effect of the Soul-Binding Curse.
When struck by the flying sword, one's body would be destroyed and their soul would be pierced and bound, forcibly separated from the flesh.
The Born Sword Maniac Fate gave Li Qingqiu extraordinary comprehension in the Dao of the Sword, while his insight into the Dao of Souls came from his Mortal God and Ghost Fate.
When Li Qingqiu first unleashed the Soul-Stealing Flying Sword, Chu Jing, Nangong E, and Lin Chuan had been utterly terrified. They could all feel that this technique was their natural nemesis.
At the same time, Chu Jing had realized that the technique must have been Li Qingqiu's own creation. That realization deepened his awe, and he began to suspect that Li Qingqiu wasn't simply a mortal blessed by divine inspiration—but perhaps the reincarnation of an immortal.
Just as Li Qingqiu was focused on teaching his disciples, a message suddenly appeared before his eyes:
[As the Qingxiao Sect gains its first disciple to step onto the Path of the Sword and become a Sword Cultivator, new possibilities have been unlocked for your Dao Lineage. You have gained one Fortune Opportunity.]
Li Qingqiu froze.
A Sword Cultivator?
That instantly reminded him of the earlier message when Chu Jing had first entered the path of Ghost Cultivation.
So merely learning sword techniques wasn't enough to be considered a Sword Cultivator.
He wondered which disciple had triggered this. Most likely, it was Jiang Zhaoxia.
Feeling pleased, Li Qingqiu smiled faintly. A Fortune Opportunity meant valuable cultivation resources—something no amount of training could produce on its own.
He decided to wait until the day's instruction was finished before activating it.
His heart stirred with anticipation. He hoped this Fortune would lead to another land rich in spiritual energy. That way, he could nurture even more True Disciples.
No matter how far away such a place might be, he wasn't worried. Qingxiao Sect had already grown powerful enough. Sending five disciples at the fourth layer of the Nurturing Essence Realm would be more than enough to guard an entire region.
As long as no true cultivators interfered, there was no one in the Great Li Dynasty capable of troubling Qingxiao Sect.
A while later, a sharp whistling sound pierced the air, startling Yuan Li, Zhao Zhen, and Ji Ya, who all turned their heads.
They saw Shen Yue flying toward them—stepping on a wooden sword! He descended quickly, landing behind the group, while the wooden sword hovered in midair behind him.
Yuan Li, Zhao Zhen, and Ji Ya stared in wide-eyed astonishment.
Li Qingqiu was surprised as well. He hadn't expected the new Sword Cultivator to be Shen Yue rather than Jiang Zhaoxia.
"Sect Master, my sword has entered the Dao," Shen Yue said with a proud smile. "What do you think?"
Li Qingqiu turned his gaze toward the wooden sword and immediately noticed something remarkable—within it resided a soul.
Unlike Chu Jing's ghostly form, this soul wasn't a human spirit, but its shape resembled Shen Yue himself, carrying an identical aura.
Shen Yue had actually created a Sword Soul.
Impossible.
Even with the Born Sword Maniac Fate, Li Qingqiu couldn't fathom how he had managed to do it.
"What a marvelous creation," Li Qingqiu said in genuine admiration. "You can truly be called a Sword Cultivator."
"Sword Cultivator? I like that name," Shen Yue said with a grin, raising an eyebrow.
Zhao Zhen and Ji Ya both stared in awe at the floating wooden sword. Being stronger than Yuan Li, they could feel the tremendous spiritual resonance emanating from it.
Shen Yue's eyes gleamed. "Sect Master, do I now have the right to challenge you again?"
Li Qingqiu turned slightly, smiling faintly. "Your achievement in the Sword Dao deserves a monument. If you're willing to share your method of entering the Dao and refining the soul, I'll have a stele erected in your honor."
"Of course I'm willing," Shen Yue replied without hesitation. "My insight came from you and everything within Qingxiao Sect. It's only right that I contribute it."
He smiled lightly, a trace of pride in his tone.
Li Qingqiu couldn't help but feel that both Shen Yue and Zhao Zhen shared a similar trait—they loved to show off.
Perhaps sensing his master's skeptical gaze, Shen Yue straightened his expression and asked solemnly, "Sect Master, you still haven't answered me—may I challenge you again?"
Before his words had even faded—
Whoosh!
A sharp sound split the air. Shen Yue's white hair and beard fluttered backward, his pupils dilated, and a blinding silver sword shadow appeared right before his eyes.
A crushing aura enveloped him, freezing him in place.
The scene was identical to that moment long ago.
Once again, Shen Yue was facing Li Qingqiu's sword—and once again, he couldn't even react.
He could feel the lethal intent emanating from the Soul-Stealing Flying Sword, and it made his heart tremble.
"You've become stronger," Li Qingqiu said calmly, "but it's still not enough."
Yuan Li, Zhao Zhen, and Ji Ya looked at him in utter admiration.