The spring wind was like scissors, trimming the willow branches and warming the years. The spring wind carried a gentleness, like a sudden breeze in summer that lightly swayed the bamboo curtains, bringing a sense of clarity to the heart.
Gazing at the tender bamboo leaves in the air above his courtyard, Li Yan straightened his long, dark green robe and walked out.
The day of the Qi Condensation competition had finally arrived.
On Lord Lao Peak, twenty battle stages had been erected on the massive platform halfway up the mountain. The number of participants among the Qi Condensation disciples was larger, so the number of battle stages had also clearly increased. It was just that the length of each battle stage had been reduced from the original fifty li to five li, a clear indication that the combat area for the Qi Condensation realm was several times smaller.
Li Yan looked at the thousands of disciples in the five areas, but still felt that there were far fewer people than at the last Foundation Establishment competition. Just looking at the Foundation Establishment masters in front of each peak, many were not present. On their Little Bamboo Peak, only Li Wuyi, Wei Chituo, Yun Chunqu, Gong Chenying, Lin Daqiao, and himself had come. Even the three martial nephews had not come; they had all stayed on the peak in secluded cultivation. The Foundation Establishment cultivators who did come were mainly from the top forty-nine, while the rest, like Lin Daqiao, were mostly here to cheer.
From the other peaks, Li Yan saw Gan Shi, the Chu brothers, and Wei Feng from Four Symbols Peak; Wang Tian and his Dao Companion Zuo Shengyan, Li Zhi, and Zhang Cailian from Spirit Insect Peak; and Baili Yuan, Ning Qingqing, and Zhang Tai from Lord Lao Peak. It was just that Zuo Shengyan's gaze toward Little Bamboo Peak was somewhat cold, but she didn't find Wen Xinliang. Wang Tian was also staring in their direction. Never-Parting Peak, diagonally opposite, was still blocked from view. He figured that Li Changting and Zhao Min were certainly there; both of them had entered the top forty-nine. The thought of Zhao Min's slender and clear figure caused an inexplicable stir in Li Yan's heart.
Not long after, the Golden Core great cultivators arrived quickly, but their numbers were also much smaller than last time, with only a dozen or so arriving. Then, following the same procedure, Yan Longzi said a few simple words, and then an elder from the sect's Law-Enforcement Hall announced the rules. Then, with a wave of his hand, he scattered the small red arrows, letting Li Yan and the others come forward to draw them. After that, the competition was announced to have begun.
This time, the twenty battle stages were supervised and judged by twenty Foundation Establishment masters. These twenty people were drawn from each peak, but to allow the forty-nine Foundation Establishment cultivators participating in the secret realm harvest to watch the entire process, they were not asked to supervise. Li Wuyi, for example, was responsible for supervising one of the battle stages.
At this moment, next to the small golden bamboo on the cuff of Li Yan's long, dark green robe, was a line of bright red small characters: "Thirty-three." He looked at the small characters slowly condensing from the flowing blue light on the different areas of the Thousand-Li Flowing Light Mirror in the sky and the announcer's voice, but did not see his own number appear. He then silently thought about the people Li Wuyi had told him to pay attention to when he arrived, hoping to see their matches before he went on stage.
Before the forty lines of small characters condensed from the blue light on the twenty battle stage crystal screens had even dissipated, brilliant lights flashed from all the areas, and dozens of streaks of light of different colors shot toward different battle stages.
After scanning the area, Li Yan finally locked his gaze on one of the battle stages. On this stage, amidst the constantly flowing blue protective light shield at the edge, two people were already standing hundreds of meters apart in the center, looking at each other from a distance. The battles of Qi Condensation cultivators were not like those of Foundation Establishment cultivators, who would stand suspended dozens of li apart after entering the shield. Qi Condensation cultivators could not yet fly on their own and could only rely on spirit artifacts and other items to fly up to the high stage. Generally speaking, after entering the battle stage, both sides would retrieve their flying magical artifacts. After all, flying magical artifacts not only consumed Spirit Stones but also consumed spiritual power when used in battle. They didn't have the abundant spiritual power of Foundation Establishment cultivators. If not careful, their spiritual power might be exhausted halfway through a flying battle on the stage, which would be tragic.
On the battle stage Li Yan was focused on, one person was of medium height, about twenty years old, with a buzz cut, each hair standing on end. His face was resolute and determined, his skin dark. He held a pair of strange, one-chi-long drumsticks. He was a disciple of Never-Parting Peak named Zhu Gaotai. The person opposite him was a disciple of Spirit Insect Peak, one person and one beast. This person was about the same age as Zhu Gaotai, but was tall and thin, with a sinister face. On his right shoulder squatted a half-man-sized, crimson mantis. At this moment, it was constantly tilting its head, its large eyes darting around, occasionally glancing at Zhu Gaotai opposite it. The aura of this insect was impressively that of a late-stage first-tier spirit beast. Its pair of huge, black-red double sabers were crossed and grinding against each other. On them was a row of hard serrations, and their interaction produced a sound that made one's teeth ache, though this sound could not be heard through the Thousand-Li Flowing Mirror.
The reason Li Yan locked onto this battle stage was because Li Wuyi had previously given a detailed introduction to both of them. Zhu Gaotai, perfected tenth-layer of Qi Condensation, was a leader among the Qi Condensation disciples of Never-Parting Peak. It was said that he could rank in the top three in the Outer Sect of Never-Parting Peak. Eight or nine out of ten of his basic immortal arts had been cultivated to the mid- to late-stage of Greater Mastery, and he could use them at will. He was skilled at commanding the "Urn-Thunder Gu," ranked 630th on the Poisonous Insect Index. This Gu-insect was two inches long but could emit a heaven-shaking cry. When it attached to an enemy's body and made its sound, the victim's body would continuously expand until it burst and they died. If this Gu-insect made its sound from a distance, although the sound shook the heavens, it could only disturb the enemy's mind. Its most terrifying attack was to attach to the skin of a living being. Its four claws would sink deep into the skin, and when it made its sound at this time, the shockwaves would be transmitted into the living being's body through its four limbs. The living being would expand as if being inflated, and during this period, its internal organs would be attacked by the sound waves. It might die from its organs being shaken into a pulp before its body had even expanded to a certain extent.
The disciple of Spirit Insect Peak opposite him was also at the perfected tenth-layer of Qi Condensation, Fei Ling, a wood-element master. His companion spirit beast was the Blood-Palm Saber Mantis, a fire-element vicious beast, ranked 637th on the Poisonous Insect Index. It was ferocious by nature and loved to eat the tendons of all living things. The moment its pair of huge sickle-like forelimbs cut into the body, the hard, barbed serrations on them would become extremely hot. As they pierced into the opponent's blood vessels and tendons, the high temperature on the barbs would firmly stick the blood vessels and tendons to them. It would then pull up fiercely, directly ripping this blood vessel or tendon out of the human or other living being's body, causing the enemy to curl up in pain, as if their body had been shrunk. It would then open its mouth and directly suck it into its belly before looking for the next tendon.
He never expected these two to meet in the first round. After scanning all twenty crystal screens, Li Yan locked onto this battle stage.
On the stage, the two stood opposite each other for a moment. Neither of them spoke, just continuously releasing their auras, letting their momentum build. As their auras were rising, Fei Ling, without waiting for them to reach their peak, flickered and vanished from his original spot. This move of his was truly masterful, showing that he was rich in combat experience, adept at disrupting the expected rhythm.
The next moment, an afterimage continuously disappeared and reappeared on the field. In just over a breath's time, it had approached to within a few hundred meters of Zhu Gaotai. Zhu Gaotai, as if he hadn't seen it, was still continuously building his aura, which was about to reach its peak. The next moment, he could strike out with the force of wind and thunder. Fei Ling's figure, flickering in and out of view, had already reached a few zhang in front of him. This was currently the best attack distance. With a soft "whoosh," several green wind blades had already rotated into a half-moon shape and slashed toward Zhu Gaotai's neck, chest, abdomen, and legs. They were actually unleashed simultaneously, and with only a single soft sound. He had chosen the most common "Wind Blade Art," but at this time, it was undoubtedly the most correct choice. At this distance, the Wind Blade Art was the fastest and most direct. The one he released was a Wind Blade Art cultivated to the late stage of Greater Mastery, its power immense, its rotation carrying a needle-like sharpness.
And on the other side, the air suddenly fluctuated, and then that Blood-Palm Saber Mantis actually appeared two zhang to Zhu Gaotai's left. Li Yan hadn't even seen clearly how it got there. Its huge, black-red double sabers crossed with a "clang." At the point of intersection, a dark red light was actually produced and shot out like an arrow, as if squeezed out by the huge double sabers. This dark red light moved like lightning, reaching Zhu Gaotai's head in an instant. Seeing this power, if he were hit, even with his protective spiritual power, he might not be able to block this attack. And after firing the dark red light, the Blood-Palm Saber Mantis's figure also pounced forward like a shadow, its huge forelimbs slashing out fiercely.
In this way, Zhu Gaotai was trapped under the pincer attack of two great masters of the tenth layer of Qi Condensation. Just as the two attacks were about to land, a strange smile appeared on Zhu Gaotai's originally square and honest face. His body suddenly vanished without a trace. The several green wind blades immediately hit empty air and shot into the distance. At the same time, a dark red light arrow also shot diagonally into the sky, whistling past. Then, the figure of the Blood-Palm Saber Mantis appeared where Zhu Gaotai had just been standing, its pair of sickles suddenly slashing through the air with a trail of dark flames.
At the same time, a few zhang away, the surface of the ground fluctuated, and an illusory figure quickly rose from underground. The figure rapidly solidified from faint to solid. He was seen throwing the drumsticks in his hands into the air, and instantly, the two drumsticks each transformed into two giant cylinders, seven or eight zhang high and about twenty zhang wide, covering the area from above. In an instant, this area of several dozen zhang was enveloped within.
Li Yan's pupils shrank. A Spirit Treasure! It was a Spirit Treasure, rarely seen among Qi Condensation cultivators, its power more than ten times greater than the small spirit artifact sword in his hand.
This scene was also witnessed by many others watching this battle stage. Many people showed envy in their eyes. "I didn't expect Senior Brother Zhu to have a Spirit Treasure. This was not known before."
"I did hear a little about it, but I wasn't sure when I saw Senior Brother Zhu take out this pair of drumsticks just now. I heard that a year ago, Senior Brother Zhu and a few other senior brothers formed a team and found a small palace under a desert. At that time, there were also more than ten people from the Supreme Mystery Teachings present. The two sides fought a fierce battle over the treasures in the palace. Senior Brother Zhu's side lost two people, while the other side lost eight or nine. In the end, both sides snatched some treasures. I think this Spirit Treasure was obtained at that time," another person said.
Li Yan, at this time, was focused on the field. The two giant cylinders transformed from the pair of drumsticks looked like extremely powerful defensive items. It would be difficult to get out if one were trapped inside. And at this moment, Fei Ling and the Blood-Palm Saber Mantis were in the center of the two giant cylinders. It was too late to escape several dozen zhang in an instant.
And the next moment, an even stranger scene appeared. Just as the giant cylinders transformed from the two drumsticks covered the ground, the space a li away twisted, and Fei Ling and the Blood-Palm Saber Mantis actually appeared there. And at this time, his face was pale, and his aura was somewhat disordered. Zhu Gaotai was stunned, then his face changed. With a flash, he had already circled to the side of one of the giant cylinders. With a few muffled "thuds," several vine thorns like giant pythons shot out from underground, hitting the place where he had just been standing. If he had been half a fraction of a second slower, he would have been hit by these huge vine thorns. Although he knew that a Foundation Establishment master was supervising the battle at this time and wouldn't let him die, serious injury or defeat would have been unavoidable.
However, before he could make a move, Zhu Gaotai's face changed again. With a series of flashes, he had already moved far away from this place. When he reappeared, he was already standing on top of one of the giant cylinders. With a wave of his hand, the other giant cylinder had already transformed into a streak of dark light, shrunk, and flew into his hand, still a drumstick. He looked at the area where he had just been standing. In the space where the vine thorns had shot out, a faint mist was floating and slowly dissipating. He then turned his head to look at Fei Ling a li away and said, "Senior Brother Fei has good methods. I didn't expect you to have dual wood and wind elements. The power of wind, so swift and incomparable. The power of wood, to be able to release the 'Frostvine Thorns'."
He had not expected that besides the wood-element spirit root of Spirit Insect Peak, Fei Ling also possessed a rare wind-attribute spirit root. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to escape the envelopment of the giant cylinders transformed from his Spirit Treasure, the "Heaven-Breaking Hammer." He had escaped a li away in just an instant. If he reached the Foundation Establishment realm, how fast would he be? And while he was escaping, he even had time to leave a hidden trap. If his attention had been on his escape, he would have inevitably fallen for his trick. Fortunately, his Divine Sense had sensed it. And he hadn't expected him to have refined the "Frostvine Thorns." This type of wood-element plant was very difficult to find. Besides the attacks unique to vine-type plants such as piercing, twining, and winding, it would also simultaneously emit a deadly poison that was very easy to overlook. As long as a person inhaled it or it touched their skin, after a few breaths, their body would become stiff and they would fall into a deep coma. This was also one of the hunting talents of the "Frostvine Thorns."
"Are Senior Brother Zhu's methods any less impressive? Everyone thinks that Never-Parting Peak's metal-element attack is the sharpest. I didn't expect that among your other spirit roots, you also have an earth spirit root, and a very high-level one at that. Although your earth escape has not yet reached the realm of 'dust to dust, earth to earth,' I imagine that after you reach Foundation Establishment, it shouldn't be far off. You should have chosen Four Symbols Peak. Your achievements there might have been even higher than at Never-Parting Peak," Fei Ling said, his face pale. It was clear that the wind-element technique he had just used had exceeded the burden of his current realm.
Li Yan watched and thought, his face extremely grave. If he encountered such a person, what could he rely on to win?