Director-General of the Sect Tournament

"Disciple, you have learned too many different things. Though you can integrate them well, you tend to overthink during spell battles."

"In the upcoming disciple tournament, you may only use three spells against the other disciples... Hmm, when you are about to lose, you may use more spells. Try your best to win regardless, and do not get hurt."

"Practicing combat skills is only meant to safeguard your Dao Fruit. Do not neglect the fundamentals in pursuit of the trivial. Always remember that the Dao is one."

Master Qingxu's instructions still echoed in his ears;

Only Li Ping'an remained in the forest.

He sat cross-legged on the grass and arranged a small Spirit Gathering Formation with nine spirit stones. The Immortal Treasure spear lay across his legs, while a faint wisp of aura drifted from Li Ping'an's nose and mouth into the spear shaft.

Li Ping'an was using the refinement method his master had taught him, refining the spear with the power of his primordial soul.

When Qi cultivators reached the Spirit Gathering Realm, their souls gathered into primordial souls. Only upon reaching the Void Refinement Realm could they "shed the spirit" and gradually transform toward a primordial spirit.

His master's instruction that he use only three spells in the tournament had undoubtedly added another measure of difficulty to his path through the competition.

Li Ping'an naturally understood that his master wanted him to move from complexity to simplicity and simplify his combat techniques as much as possible.

But what could he do?

Compared to his father, his cultivation speed was far too slow. To have more means at his disposal, he could only cultivate more spells.

Today, Li Ping'an had not revealed all his combat methods to his master. He had kept some unconventional techniques he had figured out himself hidden.

First, these unorthodox moves probably would not be needed during the sect tournament.

Second, because... these moves were chiefly distinguished by the fact that they "didn't look like something the righteous path would use."

Of course, Li Ping'an also had normal unconventional moves. For instance, the Spirit Detonation Art, which could detonate specially made artifacts, along with the accompanying "detonating artifact array," could greatly compensate for his current low realm and weak spiritual power. It required only a little spiritual power to activate in battle, yet could unleash powerful spirit energy in an instant, temporarily easing the fear of insufficient firepower buried deep in Li Ping'an's bones.

This move had only one drawback: it consumed quite a few spirit stones.

The benefits from this tournament are no more than the sect's rewards, and making a name for myself within the sect is of little use. I'll go as far as I can. Reaching the top fifty of the Heaven Ranking will count as a win.

Hm?

A warning suddenly rose in Li Ping'an's spiritual awareness. Someone had silently approached his side, yet not a trace of aura leaked from the other person's body!

Just as he was about to spring up, flee, and call for his master, he heard his father call out in a suppressed, low voice:

"Ping—an—"

"Dad?"

Li Ping'an turned toward the corner, his face full of bewilderment.

Li Dazhi's upper body was sprawled over a branch, while his legs were still embedded in the tree trunk. He gently waved at Li Ping'an.

Good news: his father had genuinely taken his advice and carefully practiced the Five Elements Escape Art.

Bad news: his father had used the Five Elements Escape Art in a very strange way.

Li Ping'an made the spear float behind him and strolled beneath the tree, saying with a wry smile, "Dad, you could have come openly. Why do you always have to sneak around?"

"Wasn't I afraid of running into your master and making things awkward for everyone?"

Li Dazhi chuckled. His smile was somewhat lacking in confidence as he deliberately made small talk. "So... how has your cultivation been these past two days?"

Li Ping'an's gaze immediately sharpened. "Dad, didn't you say you were going into seclusion to cultivate?"

"Well, someone really did call me out to work. It wasn't easy to refuse."

Li Dazhi spoke somewhat hesitantly.

Li Ping'an sighed inwardly, then smiled. "Dad, did you promise someone something outside, and now you're in a difficult spot?"

"As expected of my son! Hahaha!"

Li Dazhi crawled out of the tree trunk and jumped down in front of Li Ping'an. Laughing heartily, he punched Li Ping'an lightly on the shoulder, then suddenly turned serious.

"But this time, you really guessed wrong.

"I didn't recklessly promise anyone anything. The Sect Leader gave the order and personally appointed me."

Li Ping'an was somewhat confused as well. "The Sect Leader gave an order? Why would the Sect Leader suddenly issue an order?"

"Well, ahem! Standing before you now is—"

Li Dazhi raised his head and puffed out his chest, clasping his hands behind his back like a great general onstage. He smugly swayed his head about for quite a while before calmly transmitting his voice.

"Myriad Cloud Ancestor's closed-door disciple, the father of Myriad Cloud's strongest disciple of tomorrow, and also—the director-general of the Myriad Cloud Sect disciple tournament!"

What the hell?

Question marks seemed to fill Li Ping'an's forehead.

Li Dazhi sighed and honestly explained:

"I added the words 'director-general' myself.

"The Sect Leader ordered Marvelous Cloud Hall, Cloud Nurturing Hall, and Affairs Hall to fully assist me in preparing for this Inner Sect Disciple tournament. He also said we should try to come up with something new and make it more lively."

Li Ping'an frowned upon hearing this. "Could someone be trying to dig a pit for us to jump into?"

"I actually asked around," Li Dazhi sighed. "When the sect higher-ups were meeting, an elder surnamed Bi suggested that since I was also a newly initiated disciple, I should participate in this tournament too."

Li Ping'an's gaze immediately turned cold.

That man harbored ill intentions.

Li Dazhi continued, "Fortunately, the Sect Leader gave me a hand and changed my participation in the matches to participation in organizing the event."

Li Dazhi glanced around. Even his voice transmission became much more cautious, and his regional accent grew heavier.

"We need to remember the Sect Leader's favor this time.

"As for those little people, once I can beat them in the future, I'll slowly pay them back. There's no need to bother with them now. Mainly because my strength doesn't allow it.

"The troublesome part is that the Sect Leader wants me to prepare this tournament...

"Ping'an, you know me. Back then, I could even mess up a factory social event. If you asked me to handle production, there'd definitely be no problem. I was just short of becoming a Grade Eight Fitter back then. But evening parties, social gatherings, sports meets, and that sort of thing—I really don't know how to organize them!

"My head's buzzing right now. It feels like I'm about to grow another brain. I can only ask you to come give your dad a hand.

"Ping'an, will you be the assistant director?"

"Dad," Li Ping'an said helplessly, "I'm an Inner Sect Disciple now. I have to participate in this tournament."

"There's no conflict between competing as a disciple and serving as assistant director to help prepare the tournament."

Li Dazhi lightly tapped Li Ping'an's chest with the back of his hand, then transmitted his voice again.

"There must be a lot of people waiting to see your dad make a fool of himself.

"Can you bear to watch those old men squeeze your dad out?

"Come with me and... well, wage a war of words against the old crowd. Give them a little shock from scientific society!"

"Dad, since you've already decided, I'll do the work. Let me think about how to handle it."

Li Ping'an folded his arms and paced back and forth, carefully considering the matter inwardly as well.

His father had asked for his help, so naturally he would not refuse. Father and son were one, sharing honor and disgrace.

The problem was that they truly did not have much time to prepare. The tournament was imminent, and invitations had already been sent to the Myriad Cloud Sect's "friendly sects." They likely had only six days left.

"Dad, I'll do my best to make a plan for you, but I won't participate in the actual implementation. And first, let's agree on three rules."

"No problem!"

"First, Dad, you can't ask for my opinions in front of outsiders. We'll discuss these things behind closed doors. Before outsiders, I'm only tagging along to borrow some of your fame. You take the lead, and I take second place."

"Fine!"

"Second, no matter what happens, Dad, don't get anxious. They may try to provoke you. Getting angry is harmful to your Dao heart."

"You're underestimating your dad," Li Dazhi grinned. "When I ran the factory back home, I had to play the grandson in front of plenty of big shots. What's a few more years of pretending?"

"Dad, those are two different things. Cultivation requires clarity of mind. Anyone who wants to damage your Dao heart is an enemy second only to one who wants your life.

"Third... Dad, don't drink alcohol for the time being."

Li Ping'an said seriously:

"If this matter is botched, it will affect your future development within the sect.

"But if it is handled well, the gains will naturally be substantial. At the very least... the Sect Leader has entrusted you with an important duty. If you support this matter well, the Sect Leader will naturally gain face."

Li Dazhi smiled. "There are priorities in all things. It's not like I'm some hopeless drunkard. I only drank everywhere before so I could quickly build good relations with the immortals in the sect."

"Then..."

Li Ping'an's expression became solemn as he transmitted his voice.

"Dad, first go to Affairs Hall and speak with the Outer Sect Elders you know well about this matter.

"You can first take the initiative to say that everything will follow precedent, and see whether anyone comes out to cause trouble.

"I'll make a detailed plan. Later, Dad, you can simply advance it step by step. It'll be done in four hours."

Li Dazhi let out a breath of relief.

At last, he had some confidence.

Li Ping'an added, "Oh, right, Dad. When you pass Colorful Cloud Peak, send Junior Sister Mu a message. Tell her to come here early tomorrow morning. I'll teach her some combat routines."

Li Dazhi readily agreed and immediately sent Mu Ningning a Message Transmission Jade Talisman.

This was the real important matter for the Old Li family. How could he afford even the slightest negligence?

After his father left, Li Ping'an returned to his cave dwelling to see his master and reported that he would be helping his father arrange the sect tournament shortly.

"Hmm?"

Qing Su was somewhat puzzled.

"Hasn't your father only just become an Origin Immortal? He is preparing this tournament?"

"Well," Li Ping'an spread his hands and shrugged, "I also don't know why the Sect Leader entrusted such a heavy responsibility to my father."

"Just go help him."

Qing Su nodded gently.

"If you need people to carry things, you can come and call me."

Li Ping'an nearly laughed aloud. "Master, rest assured. There are many Outer Sect Disciples, as well as numerous Deacons... It's just that this disciple likely won't be able to fully prepare for this tournament."

"It's fine," Qing Su said quite seriously. "If you are eliminated too early, I will make up a reward for you. I won't let you fall behind the others."

Li Ping'an: ...

He did not lack resources for cultivation, but since his master had already said this, he could not embarrass her.

Thus, Li Ping'an deliberately revealed a delighted expression, then quickly hid it and gave his master a Daoist salute.

"Thank you, Master! This disciple will go make preparations now."

Qing Su seemed rather satisfied and continued comprehending the Great Dao beside the spring.

Now, Li Ping'an returned to his room, spread out a piece of cloth, and carefully recalled the two summer sports meets he had participated in during university.

He first drafted an outline of the actions to take.

Then he wrote rapidly, laying out the framework for the specific process of the sect tournament before carefully working through it, finding omissions and filling the gaps.

After his father became an immortal, his standing within the sect had also undergone subtle changes.

For his father, preparing this tournament was also a good opportunity to make a name for himself.

If his father displayed enough "leadership ability" and "organizational ability," he would naturally receive more care from the Sect Leader, and his prospects would become brighter as well.

But in all things, one had to beware of excess, and leave some room for maneuver.

For this sect tournament, it would be enough to achieve "steady innovation." There was no need to stand out too much.

Li Ping'an buried himself in writing and drawing, and without realizing it, three or four hours passed.

A Message Transmission Jade Talisman streaked through the air and hovered outside the entrance to his cave dwelling.

Li Ping'an immediately understood. He packed away the seven or eight scrolls of cloth before him, briefly finished up the contents of the Jade Talisman at hand, changed into a light blue disciple robe, and prepared to head for the Main Peak.

Just after he rose into the air, he saw Wei Yanzi waiting amid the clouds.

Li Ping'an smiled. "Deacon, weren't you going to take up a post on the coast of the Eastern Sea?"

"I won't set off until after the sect tournament."

Wei Yanzi wore a deeply gloomy expression.

"The sect needs people right now... Sigh, how could it possibly be more comfortable outside than in the mountains? But the elders have already made the arrangements, so I can only obey."

Wei Yanzi took him forward on a cloud and habitually began transmitting his voice.

Li Ping'an briefly asked about the tournaments of previous years, and Wei Yanzi naturally answered everything he knew.

Put simply, in past years they would set up an arena at the foot of the Main Peak, and the newly initiated disciples would go up one by one to compete.

Li Ping'an asked, "How enthusiastic are the participating disciples?"

"Enthusiastic?"

Wei Yanzi was unaccustomed to such wording. Only after pondering it carefully did he understand, and he smiled.

"Everyone values this kind of competition. After all, they can make a name for themselves, and the sect's rewards are not small either."

In that case, the contestants' enthusiasm was not a problem.

If they wanted to make the tournament livelier, they would have to start from other directions.

"Deacon, were there many immortals watching the tournament in previous years?"

"Not really."

Wei Yanzi smiled.

"Those who came on the day of the tournament were basically disciples participating in it. Most Inner Sect Disciples who had passed the eligibility period would not show up. Most of the immortals present were working in the six halls.

"This time, it just so happened that because Qing Su was hunted down, many immortals had emerged from seclusion. So the sect wanted to take this chance to make things livelier."

It was more or less what Li Ping'an had expected.

Battles between low-cultivation disciples truly were not much to watch for immortals.

The issue of spectators would not be hard to solve. He had already written several solutions in the Jade Talisman.

Halfway through the journey, Wei Yanzi seemed somewhat hesitant to speak, but in the end, he still opened his mouth.

"Ping'an, the situation in Affairs Hall is a little off right now."

"How so?"

Wei Yanzi looked ahead, his lips moving slightly.

"Originally, the tournament only needed to follow precedent. There were only three tasks in total: build the arena, set up the formations, and establish the rules. Any Inner Sect Elder could easily oversee it.

"But this time, the Sect Leader suddenly asked Ancestor Dazhi to coordinate the sect tournament.

"Ancestor Dazhi initially intended to follow precedent as well. When he discussed matters with several Outer Sect Elders, a few Outer Sect Elders who normally did not concern themselves much with affairs suddenly appeared. Half praising and half ridiculing him, they propped Ancestor Dazhi up.

"Judging by their manner, if this year's tournament cannot be made unprecedented and unmatched, then it will mean Ancestor Dazhi lacks ability and is incompetent at handling affairs.

"Tch. Isn't that infuriating?"

Li Ping'an raised an eyebrow slightly and transmitted his voice through spiritual awareness. "Deacon, once we arrive at Affairs Hall, point out these elders to me."

"Alright. I'll make a round behind them later, then come back behind you."

"Much obliged, Deacon."

As they spoke, the Affairs Hall on the Main Peak was already close at hand.

The moment Li Ping'an arrived at the Affairs Hall, he realized that his father truly was not in good shape.

His father sat in the center of the hall with more than ten Outer Sect elders, while quite a few immortals watched from around the edges.

Two elders were introducing the structure of the arena formation, while his father sat beside them, looking somewhat dazed.

In short: he had no energy.

Li Ping'an stood at the entrance with his hands behind his back, and a few memories from his childhood suddenly surfaced in his mind.

These were also his only memories of his childhood:

Bright red banners, light bulbs hanging high overhead, a long table set upon a simple podium, an electric microphone placed on the table. The factory director, who had still been fairly young then, wore his hair slicked back and gleaming as he passionately delivered a speech encouraging production to the employees below.

"Ping'an? Ping'an?"

Wei Yanzi called softly from beside him. He had already taken a stroll behind four Outer Sect elders and returned to Li Ping'an.

Li Ping'an grabbed Wei Yanzi's arm and whispered a few words to him, then slipped him a Storage Pouch.

Though Wei Yanzi did not understand why, he did not ask. Taking what Li Ping'an had given him, he lowered his head and hurried off to the side.

Shortly afterward, several Outer Sect Disciples carried seven or eight long tables into the center of the hall. Under the elders' frowning gazes, they arranged the tables into the shape of the character "gate" and spread dark red coarse cloth across them.

Li Dazhi was baffled as well. "What the heck is this?"

Wei Yanzi hurried over and placed three items before Li Dazhi.

A white jade tea mug, a long upright sound-amplifying artifact, and a simple Jade Talisman for taking notes.

The rim of the tea mug was traced in blue, and a simple portrait of an immortal was painted upon it. A small couplet flanked the portrait.

On the right: A Dao heart condenses immortal bones;

On the left: Wholeheartedly devoted to the sect;

Horizontal inscription: Keep a low profile.

The moment Li Dazhi saw the tea mug, he liked it. He held it in his left hand, feeling the warmth of the hot tea within. Looking down, he saw several red, goji-like little fruits floating on its surface, then closed his eyes and sighed contentedly.

He sent his Immortal Sense into the Jade Talisman for taking notes. Seeing its clear, orderly entries, the corners of his mouth lifted in a faint smile.

"This?"

"Ancestor Dazhi?"

The Outer Sect elders had no idea what was going on.

Li Dazhi turned to look around and quickly found Li Ping'an standing in the corner.

Father and son met each other's eyes, and Li Dazhi broke into a grin.

He raised the tea mug and took a sip of the scalding fragrant tea, cleared his throat, pulled the sound-amplifying artifact before him, leaned forward slightly, and fixed his bright gaze ahead.

"Alright! Let me say a few simple words!"