For the next month, Li Yan reduced his missions in the Spirit Plant Garden and spent most of his time cultivating his techniques and immortal arts. He knew that he had only recently reached the late stage of the seventh layer of Qi Condensation, and it would be impossible to advance to the eighth layer in a short time, unless he was given some heavenly materials and earthly treasures to consume. But he didn't have the kind of fortuitous encounters that the old scholar in his village used to talk about in his stories—a scholar failing the imperial examinations meets a fox spirit in a ruined temple and has a wonderful adventure; a certain youth falls off a cliff in a dangerous place but survives and finds Immortal Peaches at the bottom that can increase his cultivation by decades. These were all just fabrications. In this world, there were immortals, so of course there were fox spirits, and there were many strange fruits as well. But they weren't something that someone like him, who stayed in the sect and didn't even leave Little Bamboo Peak, could obtain. Even if the sect had such fruits, they would be buried thousands or tens of thousands of zhang underground by now. Otherwise, with so many Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and even a few Nascent Soul Old Monsters in the sect, their Divine Sense would have scanned every inch of the sect's land countless times. Any strange fruits would have been taken long ago. As for fox spirits, unless a fourth-tier one appeared, any that were found in this area would have been captured as spirit beasts.
On this day, Li Yan was sitting cross-legged in his room when the token at his waist suddenly shone with a bright white light. He slowly opened his eyes, submerged his Divine Sense into it, and after a moment, he looked up. "Is it about to begin?"
Lord Lao Peak's summit pierced into the clouds and out of sight. At the halfway point of the mountain, there was an enormous platform covering an area of a hundred thousand zhang. Today, ten tall stages had been erected in the center of the platform. Each pair of stages was separated by twenty li. The stages were three zhang high and about fifty li long. The ten stages were arranged in a diamond shape. In the middle of the diamond was an open space of over a hundred li. And above and behind this large platform, a carved pavilion floated in the air. A dozen rows of seats awaited on the pavilion's balcony, but many handsome young boys and girls were already bustling between the seats, either setting out fresh, exotic fruits or placing small dishes of light, delicious food.
At this time, the hundred-li space in the middle of the diamond formed by the ten stages was already bustling with people coming and going. Looking closely, although there was a sea of heads, it was all very orderly. This hundred-li space was divided into five areas, each twenty li wide.
Li Yan looked at the lively scene dozens of li away and then back at his own group. Eleven people. Their area had only eleven people. Even if each person was spaced nearly a kilometer apart, they could barely line up to the edge.
"Eldest Senior Brother, why don't we move closer to one side? There are too few people on our Little Bamboo Peak. Standing in the middle of these dozens of li is a bit too conspicuous," a clear voice said beside Li Yan.
Lin Daqiao looked left, right, forward, and back, feeling as if a draft was blowing from all directions.
"No. This is the dignity a peak should have. What does it mean to lean toward someone else's area? Are you thinking of leaving Little Bamboo Peak?"
"No, no, Eldest Senior Brother, you can't just throw a big accusation like that at me. I was just making a suggestion. If it doesn't work, we'll just stand here," Lin Daqiao said, startled by the words, and quickly waved his hands.
A corner of Li Wuyi's mouth curled up. He looked at the people beside him and couldn't help but sigh internally. 'Teacher, can't you just open your doors wider? Every time we come to participate in a sect-wide event, you always make us so glaringly conspicuous.'
At this time, besides Li Yan and the three martial nephews who were looking around with some curiosity, everyone else in Li Wuyi's group had a serious expression. They were either sitting cross-legged in meditation with their eyes closed or talking in low voices in pairs.
This was Li Yan's first time participating in such a major sect event. When he first arrived, he was quite shocked. He had never seen such a magnificent scene. Ten stages stood tall, covering an area of several hundred li. Standing in the middle of the diamond, they seemed as small as ants. The five major areas naturally corresponded to the five peaks. The disciples of each peak stood in their respective areas, Foundation Establishment in the front, Qi Condensation in the back, all neat and tidy. However, the other peaks each had one or two thousand disciples. Although the twenty-li area was spacious, it was still a dense black mass of people, truly a magnificent sight. And their group of eight senior brothers and sisters, plus three disciples, stood alone in the middle, which was quite eye-catching. But fortunately, a cultivator's eyesight and hearing were extremely sharp. In this open space without any obstructions, they could of course see dozens of li away with perfect clarity.
At this time, streaks of rosy light would still flash across the sky, followed by groups of people descending. It was clear that disciples from the other four peaks were still arriving.
As Li Yan was looking around, Li Wuyi's gentle voice rang out. "Fellow Junior Brothers and Sisters, please listen to me." Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Li Wuyi.
"For this Foundation Establishment competition, you also know that there are only forty-nine spots. Just give it your all, do your best, and fight for a great opportunity. But there are a few people you must be wary of. I know some of you have made preparations in advance, or have gotten to know many people from the other peaks over the years you've been in the sect. But I still have some past experience that can be used for reference."
Everyone knew that this was their Eldest Senior Brother passing on his experience from previous competitions, mainly to provide information for the new participants. Wen Xinliang and Lin Daqiao cast respectful and grateful glances. Neither of them had ever participated in the secret realm harvest trial. Here, apart from Wen Xinliang who had experience fighting against other peaks in a small Foundation Establishment competition a few years ago, Lin Daqiao had none. Even Miao Wangqing hoped to hear something; she was a type of cultivator who was not skilled in combat. On the other hand, it was also meant to explain things to newcomers like Li Yan and the three martial nephews.
"Look over there at Four Symbols Peak, the three men and one woman in the front row." As he spoke, Li Wuyi looked to his left. He didn't point with his hand, because a cultivator's senses were sharp. Even just looking over like this could be detected by the other party.
From their angle, because it was a diamond-shaped area, they could only see three other areas. Little Bamboo Peak's area was on one edge of the diamond, and the five areas consisted of four sides and a center. The center was where the disciples of the main Lord Lao Peak were, so Li Yan and the others could only see their two sides and the center. The area diagonally opposite was blocked by the disciples of Lord Lao Peak in the center.
Li Yan, like everyone else, followed Li Wuyi's gaze to the location of Four Symbols Peak on the left. The front three rows there were Foundation Establishment disciples, about fifty or so, in a triangular formation. At the very front stood three men and one woman. The tall man was extremely burly, with a broad face and thick ears, over a zhang tall, with bulging muscles. He had a short crop of golden-yellow hair, each strand standing straight like a steel cone. Standing there, he looked like a golden divine buddha.
The other two shorter men were clearly twin brothers, also strong and powerful. The two were currently looking around from time to time, pointing and gesturing. The woman was about twenty years old, with skin like condensed fat, a slender waist, and full hips, possessing an outstanding charm. Her black hair was piled high. As if sensing someone looking at her, she turned her head to look in their direction, then the corners of her cherry-like mouth curled up, and she gave Li Wuyi's group a slight smile before turning back. Her action also made the two twin brothers beside her turn their heads, and they grinned at their group. Li Wuyi also smiled and nodded. However, the large man who looked like a divine buddha seemed not to have seen anything, not even turning his head.
Li Yan then heard a cold snort from beside him. He looked up and saw it was his Third Senior Brother. He didn't know if it was directed at the large man or the other three.
Li Wuyi, however, withdrew his gaze and continued, "The yellow-haired man's name is Gan Shi, perfected late-stage Foundation Establishment, Heaven Spirit Root, with a rare combination of earth and metal dual-element spirit roots. He is the Eldest Senior Brother of Four Symbols Peak. His offense and defense are one. Normally, an earth-element spirit root would not simultaneously have a metal-element offensive spirit root; it would more often be combined with wind, fire, or wood. But he is proficient in both offense and defense, and is skilled in combined attacks. If he can condense a Golden Core, he should be the next candidate for the Peak Master of Four Symbols Peak. He is skilled in offensive and defensive formations, and has already integrated formations into his own body. His entire body can be used to defend against enemies with formations. Formations appear with his techniques, and his techniques are manifested through formations, killing the enemy in an instant. This is an extremely difficult person to deal with. You must be extra careful if you encounter him." But in Li Wuyi's heart, there was another sentence he didn't say. Here, perhaps only Second Senior Brother might be able to fight him for a bit. The others would likely find it very difficult to be his opponent. But he was afraid of dampening their spirits, so he didn't say it. He had fought this person before and had only won by suppressing him with his realm, and it was an extremely difficult victory. However, this competition was managed by a Golden Core Martial Uncle, so there would be no loss of life. He would just let these junior brothers and sisters see for themselves. It was also a rare opportunity for exchange.
"Chu Weixiong, Chu Weili, twin brothers, late-stage Foundation Establishment, also Heaven Spirit Root, earth and fire dual-element cultivators. They are skilled in deploying Four Symbols Peak's famous great formation, the Four Symbols Formation. This formation can normally be deployed by eighteen, thirty-six, seventy-two, one hundred and eight, three hundred and sixty, or seven hundred and twenty people to form the Heaven-Locking Interlocking Four Symbols Formation. But these two are geniuses in the way of formations, one could say the prodigies of this generation's formation arts. At the eighth layer of Qi Condensation, they were given special permission by a great elder of Four Symbols Peak to study the Four Symbols Formation. After three years and seven months, they refined a two-person Small Four Symbols Formation. Although it has many loopholes, it is still astonishing. After decades of diligent research, their two-person Small Four Symbols Formation has gradually taken shape. They advanced to late-stage Foundation Establishment through the way of formations, a true calling of the Heavenly Dao. It is said that the two of them working together can fight against seven or eight people of the same rank. Although this competition will be individual matches, with their way of formations, they will definitely be extremely difficult to deal with."
Everyone fell silent after hearing this. Even Yun Chunqu didn't make a sound. Although the Chu brothers were not as high in realm or as famous as Gan Shi, their formation arts were much higher than Gan Shi's. A Formation Master who entered the Dao through formations was extremely difficult to deal with. He was not like an ordinary Formation Master who had low defense and a weak body, and needed a master to protect them when setting up a formation, otherwise someone could kill them with a surprise attack. These two brothers entered the Dao through formations, not setting up formations for the sake of setting them up, but the formation was the technique, and the technique was the formation. Cultivating their techniques was cultivating the way of formations. They were generally hard to kill and wear down, exhausting their opponents until they died. Moreover, the Malevolent Spirit Sect's specialty was poison. Their formation and poison were mutually integrated.
"As for that junior sister, her name is Wei Feng, peak mid-stage Foundation Establishment, with a sharp Divine Sense, Heaven Spirit Root, earth and water dual-element cultivator. She is skilled in Illusion-Poison Formations, and can create a realm with a wave of her hand. Within the realm, poisonous gas runs rampant, either colorless and odorless, or with a captivating fragrance, either charming all living beings, or leading to a dream-like death. It is said that her illusion formation has already been integrated with eleven types of deadly poison. It is said that she once tested her skills against the Chu brothers and was narrowly defeated, but she was only trapped in their joint formation. The Chu brothers couldn't do anything to her either, which shows her capability. In addition, besides these four, there are no fewer than five people on Four Symbols Peak who are only slightly inferior to them."
After Li Wuyi finished speaking, apart from Wei Chituo, Yun Chunqu, Miao Wangqing, and Gong Chenying who looked like they already knew, the others were somewhat shocked. Even Wen Xinliang had shed his usual lazy expression. Although he had been through one small Foundation Establishment competition and had collected some information on the senior brothers from the other peaks, it was not as comprehensive as what their Eldest Senior Brother had said. Li Yan had a curious expression, and Lin Daqiao had lost his usual liveliness, bowing his head in thought. It was clear he was calculating how far he could go. But after thinking about it, he was still disheartened. Unless he didn't run into them, he would have to admit defeat on the spot. This way, it was all down to luck.
Li Wuyi paused for a moment, and without waiting for them to discuss, he turned his gaze to the right. That was the area where Spirit Insect Peak was, and it was also the most imposing side. All sorts of demonic beasts filled every corner. Each person was separated from the others by a certain distance. Even so, the roars and hisses were incessant. And the masters of those demonic beasts had a relaxed expression, not stopping their demonic beast partners' provocations. It wasn't that they couldn't stop them, but that this was not the opening moment of the competition. It was their time to show off their style. They were also happy to watch the demonic beasts glare at each other, growling and hissing.
But after looking for a few moments, Li Wuyi seemed not to have found the person he was looking for. Just as he was about to look away, several streaks of brilliant light came from the horizon.