Li Fei burst into laughter. "Senior brother? I won't call you that."
Lei Xiuyuan pinched her cheek, then lifted her chin to gaze at her intently. After a long moment, he murmured, "You seem to have lost weight again?"
"Have I?" Li Fei touched her own face. It was true that with Xiuyuan away, she hadn't had much appetite, and her disciple uniform's belt had loosened slightly. Not wanting him to notice, she immediately smiled. "I've grown taller, that's why I look thinner."
Xiuyuan let out a long "Hmm." Li Fei instantly felt annoyed. "I have grown taller! What's with that 'hmm'?"
He remained silent, just looking at her. Li Fei grew slightly embarrassed and averted her gaze, her eyes landing on his hair. His long locks and skin seemed to faintly emit a dull golden hue—or perhaps it was just her imagination. When she lifted a strand of his hair to examine it closely, that faint golden light had already vanished.
A hand covered her eyes as Xiuyuan pulled her closer, his voice soft. "If we don't sleep now, we won't want to later."
Li Fei felt warmth on her lips as he kissed her lightly, lingering as if hesitating. After a long pause, he kissed her again before slowly pulling away. She pushed aside the hand covering her eyes and felt his heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Her face gradually grew warm, and for some reason, she started laughing again.
Xiuyuan cupped her cheeks and unceremoniously rubbed them. Li Fei quickly grabbed his hands, chuckling. "No more sleeping. Let's talk."
She quietly shared the interesting events and cultivation progress of the past few months with him. She didn't know how long she spoke before she unknowingly drifted back to sleep. When she woke the next morning, Xiuyuan was already gone, with only a slight gap left in the window. Li Fei felt as if it had all been a dream—had Xiuyuan really visited last night?
After barely enduring the morning's cultivation session, she didn't even stop to eat, immediately flying on a cloud to Shining Light Peak. The summit's Yaoguang Great Hall was crowded with people—elders from other peaks, all of Guangwei Zhenren's direct disciples except Hu Jiaping—and among them stood a young man in an althaea white disciple uniform with three black stripes on the collar and cuffs. The surrounding direct disciples and elders were all speaking to him, and he wore a faint smile, his demeanor elegant and refined. It was Lei Xiuyuan.
Last night hadn't been a dream.
Li Fei watched him from afar, along with the direct disciple robes he now wore. A prodigy—just eighteen and already breaking through the third bottleneck, surpassing even Hu Jiaping, who had once shocked the entire sect, by several years. Praise and admiration surrounded him, but none of them knew how desperately he had struggled or what he had struggled for.
"Junior Brother Lei has become a direct disciple." Su Wan had arrived at some point. Seeing Li Fei standing alone in the distance, she walked over with a smile and patted her shoulder. "Hard to believe that just a few months ago, we were at the same level, and after going to Chestnut Blaze Valley together, he left us far behind."
She suddenly noticed tears welling in Li Fei's eyes and asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Is something upsetting you?"
Li Fei remained silent. Su Wan glanced at her, then at Xiuyuan, and the straightforward yet sensitive girl seemed to suddenly understand something. She laughed again, wrapping an arm around Li Fei's shoulders and giving her another pat. "Cheer up. Junior Brother Lei didn't become a direct disciple just to make you cry."Li Fei also wiped away her tears with a smile. When Lu Gongzhen first met this cunning and clever boy, she never imagined that one day she would grow so fond of him. Even in a crowded hall, she could always pick him out at first glance. Lei Xiuyuan had taught her what it meant to be one of a kind.
The news of Lei Xiuyuan becoming a direct disciple spread throughout No Moon Court within days. Countless disciples from Shining Light Peak flocked to catch a glimpse of this prodigy. However, unlike the playful and approachable Hu Jiaping of the past, this genius carried an air of aloof pride, making him difficult to approach. Over time, even the female disciples who admired his striking features grew reluctant to bother him.
After all, disciples of cultivation were different from ordinary people—each possessed an unyielding pride and would never stoop to groveling or shameless behavior.
On the twenty-first day of the first month, No Moon Court’s once-in-a-decade Martial Competition Tournament finally commenced. This trial was mandatory for every disciple except those who had joined less than ten years prior. It served as both a test and a means to select the most outstanding disciples—an endeavor always prioritized by the Immortal Sects.
The tournament could last up to ten days, offering a rare break for the hardworking new disciples. Even the elders were too busy to guide their training, and even Chongyi Zhenren, usually the most leisurely, was dragged into serving as a judge.
Given the varying cultivation levels of the disciples, the matches were not chaotic free-for-alls. They were divided into six groups based on bottlenecks, from the first to the fifth. The top two hundred winners from each group would pass this once-in-a-decade trial.
For ordinary disciples below the Cloud Sea, this was their only path to ascending to the Cloud Sea. Ranking within the top two hundred of their group meant being accepted as an elite disciple under an elder, no longer bound to the mundane duties of paying annual tributes. For those already above the Cloud Sea, stagnation meant regression—those unworthy would inevitably be cast back down.
The first five days of the tournament were dedicated to disciples who had broken through the first and second bottlenecks. These disciples made up the majority, nearly seventy to eighty percent of the participants, with ordinary disciples from below the Cloud Sea constituting more than half. After five full days of competition, the two hundred winners from each group were selected. By the sixth day, the tournament finally began to show its true excitement.
Breaking through the third bottleneck meant eligibility to study Advanced Immortal Techniques. Beyond that, each subsequent breakthrough grew increasingly difficult, with decades-long bottlenecks being common. Upon breaking through the sixth bottleneck, one would show signs of ascending to immortality.
In any case, watching magical combat involving Advanced Immortal Techniques was far more thrilling than the Five Elements Immortal Method.
Early in the morning, Li Fei descended from the Cloud Ascending Platform to the area below the Cloud Sea. The past few days marked her first time venturing below the Cloud Sea since joining over five years ago. Unlike the dense, concentrated spiritual energy above, the energy here was much thinner. The landscape was dotted with endless pavilions and towers, bustling with crowds. There were even shops and tailor stores, resembling the town of Guangshenghui more than an Immortal Sect—it felt like an ordinary city.At the northernmost part of the city stood over a dozen massive Martial Training Fields, each snow-white brick appearing brand new and spotless. By now, both the ground and sky around the training fields were packed with disciples, the air buzzing with excitement. Those from the Cloud Sea hovered higher up on their clouds, waiting for their turns, while ordinary disciples dared not approach—the distinction between the Cloud Sea disciples and others was stark, a hallmark of No Moon Court.
Lei Xiuyuan glanced at the slip in his hand bearing the characters "Bing Mao," likely the name of a training field. Ordinary disciples passing by immediately gave way upon seeing his Direct Disciple uniform, their reverence creating an unintentional empty space around him and his companion.
"Junior Brother Lei! Junior Sister Jiang!" Deng Xiguang waved excitedly at them from a distance, standing on a cloud with Su Wan at a higher vantage point. He pointed downward at one of the training fields—presumably the one labeled "Bing Mao."
Li Fei and the others hurried over. Inside the Bing Mao field, two disciples were already engaged in magical combat, unleashing whirlwinds, flames, thunder, and lightning with deafening clashes—a spectacle both awe-inspiring and terrifying. A No Moon Court elder hovered at the edge, scrutinizing the duel intently. As judges, the elders couldn't afford even a moment's lapse in focus. Immortal Techniques were merciless, especially Advanced Immortal Techniques—a single misstep could cost more than just a limb.
"All the disciples matched against Junior Brother Lei have broken through the third bottleneck. I did some research—here are his potential opponents—"
Deng Xiguang had clearly prepared thoroughly, pulling out a stack of papers filled with names of disciples who had surpassed the third bottleneck. Su Wan gasped, then burst into laughter. "Good heavens, Senior Brother Deng! How long did you spend on this? Wait—don't tell me it's all female disciples again?"
Deng clutched his chest in mock offense. "Junior Sister Su! Do you really see me as such a lecher?! This concerns Junior Brother Lei's match—how could I only investigate female disciples?"
Su Wan only laughed harder, giving him a hearty slap on the back. "Enough nonsense. Tell us who to watch out for."
Deng shot her a wounded look and instinctively edged away from this woman who was tougher than most men, muttering, "Keep this up, and no one will dare marry you... Ahem. Anyway, after careful study last night, I concluded most of these names aren't too concerning. The one to watch is Senior Brother Qin Yangling. He's already at the peak of the third bottleneck, just one step from breaking through the fourth. Rumor has it he specializes in restraint techniques, most infamously with that Evil Bone Flute underfoot—crafted from the spine of a monstrous creature. That demon was trapped motionless for three days and nights before he slowly ground it to death using the Supreme Harmony Art. Truly twisted..."
When disciples slay demons and exorcise evil, aside from harvesting materials for Mystical Treasures, they usually make quick work of it—employing Advanced Immortal Techniques if possible. But to prefer using low-level Supreme Harmony Art to torment a demon to death? Senior Brother Qin was downright terrifying.
"Junior Brother Lei..." Deng spoke with grave sincerity. "If you can avoid this match, do so. Once he restrains you, there's no escape. His cultivation surpasses yours—maybe we should just forfeit?"Lei Xiuyuan smiled and was about to speak when the two disciples on the Bing-Mao stage finished their match. The elder loudly called his name: "Lei Xiuyuan, Gu Wensheng."
Deng Xiguang exclaimed, "So soon! Wait a moment, let me see what abilities this Gu Wensheng has..."
The paper in his hand was abruptly covered by Lei Xiuyuan, who chuckled, "Senior Brother Deng, just watch quietly."
With that, he soared down on a cloud and cupped his hands in salute to the elder and Gu Wensheng opposite him. "Disciple Lei Xiuyuan, seeking guidance from Senior Brother Gu."
Gu Wensheng had long heard of his reputation and dared not underestimate him due to his youth. He immediately returned the salute with a fist-and-palm gesture. "Junior Brother Lei, let's begin."
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately erected an Earth Barrier. Knowing Lei Xiuyuan possessed a single Metal spiritual root with unparalleled offensive power, the Bronze Wall Technique would likely be ineffective. The Earth Barrier was a safer choice.
The next moment, a massive, radiant golden greatsword descended from the sky. Lei Xiuyuan struck the sword with his palm, and in an instant, it transformed into a golden mist, shimmering and floating as if alive, clinging to the Earth Barrier. The transparent barrier shattered into dust in the blink of an eye. Gu Wensheng hastily retreated several steps, erecting three more Earth Barriers. His entire body turned into a wisp of black smoke as he suddenly shot into the sky. Thunder rumbled immediately after, and over a dozen bolts of lightning struck the stage, creating a terrifying spectacle.
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