Hu Jiaping's expression was uncharacteristically grave. Ten years ago, both he and Qin Yangling had just barely broken through the third bottleneck as direct disciples when they coincidentally met at the Martial Competition Tournament. Back then, Qin Yangling had already mastered the Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror, though the Ice Mirrors he summoned were neither as numerous nor as large. It was only through clever tactics that Hu Jiaping had managed to defeat him.
Another decade had passed. Though Qin Yangling still hadn't broken through the fourth bottleneck, both his cultivation and combat experience were far beyond what they had been as a green disciple. If the Hu Jiaping of ten years ago were to face the current Qin Yangling, he probably wouldn't fare much better than Zhaomin.
Today's Lei Xiuyuan was likely at about the same level Hu Jiaping had been a decade ago.
After much deliberation, Hu Jiaping finally decided to act like a proper senior brother and opened his mouth to warn him: "Xiu Yuan, the Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror might be difficult to handle. You should—"
He looked at Lei Xiuyuan and saw his cold expression, yet there was a strange fervor in his eyes. This look wasn't unfamiliar to Hu Jiaping. Over the past three years of training together in the Cinnabar Cave, Lei Xiuyuan always had this gleam in his eyes before their magical combats. Beneath his calm and rational exterior, Lei Xiuyuan harbored an unyielding pride—he would rather be shattered to pieces than bow his head. What he truly craved was competition with the strong, to run wild within permitted limits. That was just the kind of person he was.
Hu Jiaping shrugged and swallowed the rest of his words. It seemed this kid might really surpass him someday. He had only recently broken through the fourth bottleneck, yet Lei Xiuyuan was already a direct disciple.
He recalled Guangwei Zhenren's admonishment in the Cinnabar Cave: "Do you know what sets you apart from Xiu Yuan? His competitive spirit burns brightest—that is his path of cultivation, using every means to grow stronger. As his senior brother, you idle about all day. Where is your cultivation heart?"
Ah, how irritating. Hu Jiaping frowned.
Suddenly, his hand was grasped by a cold yet bonelessly soft one. Hu Jiaping tightened his grip and pressed it against his cheek as the black-veiled woman's delicate, icy voice whispered, "Young Master Ping, your mind is unsettled. Are you unwell?"
Hu Jiaping closed his eyes and after a long pause, murmured, "Just stay with me."
"Since you've returned, why not see the master?" It was improper for him to avoid Guangwei Zhenren, and he would inevitably face another scolding next time. She knew Hu Jiaping too well—all reprimands and lectures were utterly ineffective on him. Some disciples thrived under criticism, but he was the opposite. Only with praise and indulgence did he show his true potential.
Hu Jiaping shook his head. "I'll return to see Master after breaking through the fifth bottleneck. A Mu, will you come with me?"
"Your command is my duty."
"I'm not ordering you. What do you want?"
"Why ask? I'm already here."
Hu Jiaping chuckled and kissed her icy fingertips.
Beneath the arena, within the massive Earth Barrier, Zhaomin remained unconscious, her body enveloped in Five Elements Aura. The cold poison afflicting her was severe. The Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror combined three types of spiritual energy, and the frost it produced was far more persistent and difficult to cure than ordinary Water-element cold poison. Until treated, the female disciple would continue to suffer excruciating pain from the poison's ravages.Li Fei leaned dazedly against the Earth Barrier, staring blankly at Zhaomin's pale face. Su Wan was comforting her nearby, and Deng Xiguang was chattering about something, but she didn't hear any of it.
Suddenly, a strong hand grasped her shoulder and gave it a firm pat. Li Fei looked up in a daze to see Chongyi Zhenren smiling gently at her. "Don't worry about your shijie. She's tougher than old bamboo in winter."
A lump rose in Li Fei's throat as she whispered, "That Qin Yangling, it was because of me..."
She had considered that Qin Yangling, after being expelled from the Cloud Sea, would harbor resentment. But when Zhao Min Shijie was severely injured, she realized how naive she'd been. Qin Yangling had only been banished for a year—after that, he could return as a direct disciple as before. Humiliated, he had become even more terrifying and persistent, just like Zhen Yunzi back then. Their actions could only be described as "evil," yet there was no so-called justice to suppress them. Some elders even praised Qin Yangling, marveling at his mastery of the Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror, and lamented that he had been expelled over such a trivial, unfulfilled matter.
This world truly didn't distinguish between good and evil—it was merely one force overpowering another.
Chongyi Zhenren chuckled. "What, regretting it now? Would you rather have stood by and watched him trample over others?"
Li Fei fell silent for a moment. She didn't know.
"Living with a clear conscience is enough. If doing something brings you peace, then it's the right thing for you. Today, Qin Yangling took his revenge, and he feels satisfied. When you gain the strength to return today's suffering, the satisfaction will be yours instead. Li Fei, don't overcomplicate things. We cultivators transcend the mundane world, yet we can never fully detach from it. The struggles we engage in—for fame, for profit, or simply for the satisfaction of our desires—are all part of the path of cultivation. Hating those who hurt and humiliate you, even regretting it, is completely unnecessary. Even Celestials can't produce a cure for regret. What's done is done—clean and decisive, never looking back. That's the kind of disciple I, Chongyi, want."
He patted her shoulder again before passing through the Earth Barrier to Zhaomin's side. A soft glow of Five Elements Aura emanated from his sleeve as he worked to dispel the cold poison within her.
Li Fei lowered her head, pondering his words, when suddenly Ri Yan's voice sounded in her ear: "This little Celestial has some mettle. I like what he said."
He was awake again? Hadn't he just woken up two days ago?
Li Fei bowed to Chongyi Zhenren through the Earth Barrier, then turned to Su Wan and Deng Xiguang with a smile, looping her arm through Su Wan's. "I'm fine now. Thank you both. Let's go back to watching the matches."
Su Wan and Deng Xiguang both looked uneasy. Deng Xiguang forced a bitter smile. "With Zhao Min Shijie injured like this, I'm even more uncertain. Lei shidi... uh..."
Li Fei couldn't help but glance up at Lei Xiuyuan. He was speaking quietly with Hu Jiaping, a faint smile on his face as if the intense magical combat earlier hadn't affected him at all.
The more he wore that expression, the more it meant he was forcing himself to appear strong. Li Fei clenched her fists tightly before slowly relaxing them. She smiled again. "Let's just watch quietly."Ri Yan seemed quite interested in the Martial Competition Tournament, having flown up high early on to watch with wide eyes, his large ears constantly twitching. Li Fei whispered, "Haven't you noticed you've been waking up more and more often lately?"
He replied indifferently, "Naturally. The Demon Qi disturbed by your Source Spiritual Qi needs time to settle. After a while longer, I can even temporarily leave my host and wander around. Hmph! Far more enjoyable than being stuck with a fool like you!"
"Leave me? Aren't you afraid of being discovered?" Li Fei gasped.
Ri Yan sneered, "Stupid question!"
At that moment, the dozen or so Martial Training Fields below suddenly began moving, gradually merging into one enormous arena. There weren’t many disciples who had broken through the third Bottleneck to begin with—likely no more than two hundred across the entire Cloud Sea. The further one progressed, the fewer disciples remained, and the purpose of the magical combat shifted from selecting talents to mere sparring, showcasing the disciples' cultivation progress to the elders.
By midday, most participants had already been eliminated. The remaining disciples would now compete on this merged grand arena to determine the top ten of their group. Rumor had it that the elders would reward the top ten of each group with prizes—perhaps Magical Pills and Elixirs or even some Mystical Treasure—making it all the more thrilling.
Two disciples had already begun their magical combat on the massive arena, dazzling bursts of Advanced Immortal Techniques leaving the ordinary disciples below spellbound. Li Fei had intended to watch quietly, but Ri Yan kept muttering beside her, alternating between praise—"That Earthen Guardian was beautifully executed!"—and scorn—"Idiot! Falling for such an obvious feint when their back was exposed!"
"Too slow! Too soft! Tch! In real combat, such hesitation would’ve gotten you killed countless times! These disciples are still too green, never tempered by life-and-death struggles. Every move is cautious and hesitant—how can they fight like this?"
Despite his endless complaints, Ri Yan seemed thoroughly engrossed, his ears twitching nonstop. Li Fei was both amused and exasperated. Well, watching the battles while listening to his scathing commentary might still teach her a thing or two about combat.
But as he had pointed out, the disciples' duels were inevitably restrained—balancing self-preservation with caution to avoid harming their opponents, leaving their movements stiff and awkward. None of the exhilarating, life-or-death intensity from the Eastern Sea Trial Grounds was present here.
After three consecutive matches, Dongyang Zhenren suddenly soared into the arena atop his gourd, evidently serving as the next judge. He pulled out a booklet from his sleeve, glanced at it, and announced clearly, "Lei Xiuyuan, Qin Yangling!"
It was Xiu Yuan’s turn?! Instantly, all eyes turned to the two. Qin Yangling’s previous match had been ruthlessly efficient, and deep down, the disciples yearned for something more thrilling—endlessly trading soft Immortal Techniques was just dull.
Qin Yangling landed first, expressionless, then looked up at Lei Xiuyuan and pointed at him—a second blatant provocation! The crowd erupted.
Just as Lei Xiuyuan was about to descend, his sleeve was suddenly tugged. Li Fei held onto him tightly, saying nothing—unsure of what to say.
He chuckled softly, raising a hand to brush her cheek. "Have you decided what reward to give me yet?" he murmured.Li Fei gave a bitter smile when she suddenly felt her hands lighten—Lei Xiuyuan had gently slipped free from her grasp. In the blink of an eye, he had already landed on the Martial Training Field, his snow-white disciple uniform swaying gracefully, exuding an air of calm composure.
Dongyang Zhenren glanced at the two disciples. Qin Yangling wore a cold smirk, while Lei Xiuyuan remained indifferent—their expressions were far from those of ordinary disciples engaged in magical combat. Frowning, he immediately warned, "Listen well. The purpose of this combat is to exchange skills, not to recklessly harm fellow disciples. Especially you—"
His gaze fixed on Qin Yangling. The man’s earlier act of freezing Zhaomin with the Yin-Yang Tribulation Mirror had displeased him greatly. Though strength was paramount in the cultivation world, what could one truly achieve without even the most basic understanding of human decency?
"If I detect any malicious intent to harm, regardless of who wins, this match will be immediately voided!"
As soon as Dongyang Zhenren finished speaking, he soared into the air atop his gourd. The next moment, Qin Yangling raised his hand, and countless towering Ice Mirrors densely covered the entire Martial Training Field—far more than when he had confronted Zhaomin.
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