A Little Show of Skill

Facts proved that every so-called "brief remark" ended up being anything but brief.

Watching his old father speak eloquently, endlessly, and without pause, Li Ping'an's Dao heart somehow grew cheerful.

Previously, he had considered taking note of the elders deliberately making things difficult for his father and finding chances to put in a few bad words about them.

But now, as he watched the increasingly clouded eyes of those elders under his father's unending barrage of "bureaucratic terminology"...

Li Ping'an suddenly let it go.

There was no need to hold a grudge.

His father was only in the Origin Immortal Realm, so these people naturally dared to come forward and cause trouble.

Once his father's cultivation reached the True Immortal Realm, they would have to weigh their words three times over.

If his father broke through into the Heavenly Immortal Realm with unstoppable momentum, there would be little more unpleasant noise within the sect. These people would either go with the flow or devote themselves wholeheartedly to the immortal path and enter seclusion to cultivate.

They were merely worldly people among immortals.

Li Ping'an had always had a clear understanding of himself.

Whether father and son could establish themselves in the Myriad Cloud Sect depended on his father's cultivation realm and cultivation speed.

As for himself...

At this stage, he could only do his utmost and rely entirely on his father.

Li Ping'an stayed in the corner for two hours.

Li Dazhi's condition grew better and better. The preparations meeting quickly got on track, the elders reached a consensus, the opponents lost their voices, and Li Ping'an's ideas had all been put to use by Li Dazhi.

Although Li Dazhi deliberately made things sound complicated and added plenty of official jargon and empty formalities, Li Ping'an's design concept was actually simple, consisting of only three points:

First, establish a "special task office," namely the "Inner Sect Tournament Preparations Hall," to take full responsibility for this Inner Sect Tournament. His father would lead it and select Outer Sect elders familiar or close to him, or those with ability, to join the Preparations Hall.

This process was mainly intended to consolidate the temporary authority in his father's hands and eliminate all dissenting noise.

Second, propose several innovations to the tournament system.

For example, move the competition venues to the various peaks. By taking advantage of immortals' fondness for saving face, each peak would be given a chance to showcase its own mountain, thereby creating new points of value.

Previously, most events had been held at the foot of the Main Peak.

Third, add some new activities outside the matches, such as fun competitions for immortals and spirit pet contests.

The main purpose was to spice up the dull cultivation lives of the sect's Qi cultivators.

To Li Dazhi and Li Ping'an, these three points were merely old, familiar ideas, but to the sect's immortals, they were rather novel.

Once Li Dazhi explained them point by point, he directly stunned the four elders who had wanted to stir up trouble.

Seeing that his father had already taken control of the situation, Li Ping'an turned and left the Affairs Hall, returning to his cave abode to make further preparations for his upcoming arena battle.

As he left, he could still hear his father's vigorous, unhurried voice:

"This tournament is quite important to the sect. Because of this importance, it is itself extremely important within the development cycle of the entire sect.

"The disciple tournament is a window through which we display the spirit and foundations of our Myriad Cloud Sect. We must fully seize the opportunities brought by this window, proceed from practical considerations, follow a path of seeking truth from facts, and steadily carry out the overall coordination of this tournament.

"Perhaps the elders will ask, what is the path of seeking truth from facts? That is an excellent question. We must absolutely prevent, prevent the extreme phenomenon of favoritism and fraud that may arise during this tournament. Of course, I believe the disciples of every peak will follow the sect rules..."

Director Li's peak form was gradually returning!

Not long after Li Ping'an left, Li Dazhi announced the end of the meeting and spared these Outer Sect elders.

Deacon Wang Xinhui, who had been waiting for some time, hurried to Li Dazhi's side holding a sheet of cloth.

Li Dazhi accepted the cloth, took one look, frowned, shook his head, and told Wang Xinhui to redo it.

After roughly five or six revisions, the Myriad Cloud Sect's first red-background, large-character announcement was finally completed...

Myriad Cloud Sect Affairs Hall Announcement:

With the Myriad Cloud Sect Inner Sect Disciple Tournament approaching, the sect successfully convened a special working meeting for the "Inner Sect Tournament."

This meeting successfully passed three resolutions.

First, establish the Inner Sect Tournament Preparations Hall. All matters relating to this tournament would be handled by the Preparations Hall, and all positions within it would be filled by senior Outer Sect elders and deacons.

Second, in order to display the splendor of our Myriad Cloud Sect to friendly sects, this tournament sincerely invited fellow disciples from all peaks to attend and observe. Exquisite cultivation commemorative gifts would be distributed to every sect disciple visiting the tournament.

Third, this tournament would for the first time adopt a "peak-hosting system." Three mountain peaks would be selected as competition venues, while the Preparations Hall would be responsible for setting up the arenas and formations.

Hereby announced.

"Ancestor Dazhi, do you think this version is acceptable?"

Holding the announcement, Deacon Wang Xinhui wiped the hot sweat from his forehead.

"Where else should the wording be streamlined? I'll go revise it immediately!"

"Let me see."

Li Dazhi scrutinized it for a few moments, took a sip from his tea mug, and clicked his tongue with a frown. "It still feels like it's missing something."

"This?"

Deacon Wang Xinhui gave a bitter smile.

"Grandmaster, this announcement is already far more sophisticated than those our Affairs Hall issued before. It can't be streamlined any further!"

Li Dazhi smiled. "Everything needs standards. The beginning of all things is difficult, so don't be afraid of trouble."

"Yes, yes, you are absolutely right."

"This... tsk..."

Li Dazhi pondered for a moment, glanced at the elders not far away who were arguing over a certain backdrop, then gave Wang Xinhui a meaningful look.

"Grandmaster, what is it?"

"Add a list of the elders in the Preparations Hall after the announcement," Li Dazhi said quietly. "The elders have worked so hard, so naturally they should sign their names. Remember to add a line—signature order will be determined by the number of strokes in their Daoist names."

Wang Xinhui nodded as though he understood. This would not be difficult.

Li Dazhi took the announcement, inspected it carefully for a few moments, and pointed to the third vertical line. "Before the five words 'the sect specially convened,' you can add two more sentences."

"What does Grandmaster want to add? Didn't you just tell me to streamline it?"

"Look at that, your comprehension is lacking! Since this is your first time handling such matters, I'll give you a few more pointers."

Li Dazhi said seriously:

"Who should the entire Myriad Cloud Sect unite around in order to continually carry the sect forward and make it flourish?"

A hint of confusion appeared on Wang Xinhui's square face, but his eyes soon lit up. "The Founding Ancestor!"

"Oh dear, the Sect Leader, the Sect Leader! My master has not concerned himself with worldly affairs for many years. He does not care about such titles!"

With a look of utter disdain, Li Dazhi frowned and said:

"Before the words 'within the sect,' add the phrase, 'Under the supervision of the Sect Leader and the care of all Inner Sect Elders.'

"And before the ending, add another paragraph. Say... hmm, I have it.

"Since its founding, the Myriad Cloud Sect's generations of disciples have advanced with concerted effort, followed the teachings of the three ancestors, carried forward the spirit of arduous cultivation, promoted chivalry and righteous spirit, nurtured countless talents, and made outstanding contributions to the rise of the human race in the East Continent.

"We hope newly initiated disciples will cultivate diligently, repay the sect, and demonstrate both character and bearing in this tournament.

"That will do."

Wang Xinhui nodded repeatedly as he listened, inwardly filled with admiration.

No wonder Ancestor Dazhi was so highly valued by the Founding Ancestor and the Sect Leader. With only a few simple words, he had created something with such style.

"Grandmaster, your insight is exceptional. I'll get to it right away!"

"Much appreciated, much appreciated."

Li Dazhi nodded with a smile, then added:

"Xinhui, after the tournament concludes, remember to make another announcement. That announcement should list everyone in the Preparations Hall, from elders to deacons, according to their corresponding positions.

"Everyone will have worked hard, so they should naturally receive some praise."

Wang Xinhui froze, then asked softly, "Even the deacons' names should be written?"

Li Dazhi smiled. "As long as they did work and held a clear position, write them down directly. For those without a clear position, give them titles like event staff, reserve, or assistant at the end, and write them down as well."

"Thank you, Grandmaster!"

Wang Xinhui gave a somewhat honest smile. Even his steps now seemed to carry the wind, and he suddenly brimmed with motivation.

Li Dazhi set down his tea cup, rose, wandered around the hall once, then found an empty corner. Holding the Jade Talisman Li Ping'an had written for him, he carefully read it several more times and could not help sighing inwardly.

"It still has to be our Ping'an."

While the Affairs Hall was bustling with activity, the atmosphere in the pavilion near Daoist Mo Yi's cave abode became heavy once more.

At this moment, even Daoist Mo Yi himself was somewhat uncertain.

Could this be what they called "great fortune"?

The pavilion was shrouded by a transparent barrier, naturally for the convenience of the elders gathered there to speak.

An old woman frowned. "Li Dazhi truly hid himself deeply. Today in the Affairs Hall, he seemed like an entirely different person. He truly caught this old Daoist off guard."

"He did far more than hide himself deeply."

The Inner Sect Elder surnamed Bi sneered.

"This old Daoist does not know whether you all understood it today, but Li Dazhi is deeply versed in the art of power.

"His thoughts are more complicated by who knows how many times than ours, Qi cultivators who have lived in the mountains for so long!

"When you were discussing these matters in the Affairs Hall earlier, he first deliberately showed weakness and acted quite bewildered. Once you had nearly finished speaking, he suddenly began his counterattack.

"His move of establishing the Preparations Hall was truly brilliant. With just a simple claim that it would make things easier and more efficient for all immortals, he firmly seized the great authority the Sect Leader had granted him.

"Originally, so long as we possessed elder status, we could all speak a few words on matters concerning the tournament.

"Now that the Preparations Hall has been established and is controlled by elders and deacons personally invited by him, he has effortlessly excluded us. Though we are elders, we are not members of his Preparations Hall and can no longer exert the slightest influence over this tournament!"

The four elders who had earlier flattered and squeezed Li Dazhi in the Affairs Hall all wore gloomy expressions.

"Ancestor Dazhi naturally won this round."

An Outer Sect elder sighed.

"This was not our fault either. Ancestor Dazhi showed us a little of his skill today, and this old Daoist truly sees him in a new light."

"Are we really just going to watch him throw his weight around in the Affairs Hall?"

"You cannot put it that way," Daoist Mo Yi said with a smile. "Junior Brother Dazhi accepted the Sect Leader's orders and is now doing his utmost to complete the tasks entrusted to him by the Sect Leader. How could that be called throwing his weight around?"

The Outer Sect elders hurriedly nodded. "What the Vice Sect Master says is absolutely right."

Daoist Mo Yi continued, "Why not let this matter end here?"

"Let it end here?"

Elder Bi frowned.

"The Sect Leader favors Li Dazhi so blatantly, and we are simply supposed to swallow our anger?"

"This is not about swallowing anger. Elders, listen to this old Daoist."

Daoist Mo Yi said solemnly:

"It is one matter for all of you to feel dissatisfied because the Sect Leader favors Junior Brother Dazhi, and another matter entirely when it comes to the Inner Sect Tournament.

"For this tournament, sixteen Immortal Sects have already sent replies. By then, there will surely be many honored guests and countless immortal friends. If we are not united and make a joke of ourselves, would we not become a laughingstock?

"If you are dissatisfied with Junior Brother Dazhi, you may settle accounts behind closed doors later.

"If anything goes wrong during this tournament, this old Daoist will naturally lodge a complaint against Junior Brother Dazhi before the Sect Leader. But if the tournament proceeds smoothly and the sect is satisfied, then there is no need to mention this further. We can simply wait and see what follows."

The elders each nodded.

However, Elder Bi frowned slightly, and a trace of contemplation flashed through his eyes.

Daoist Mo Yi smiled. "None of you have anything important to do next, so why not let this old Daoist host an immortal banquet and make merry for several days?"

The elders responded:

"Excellent!"

"The Vice Sect Master is indeed broad-minded!"

"The Vice Sect Master is right. Everything should be considered from the greater picture. We may dislike Li Dazhi, but we can wait for him to make a mistake later."

Elder Bi said, "Forget it. This old Daoist will simply return to seclusion, lest I offend everyone's eyes."

With that, he rose and departed.

Daoist Mo Yi gave Elder Bi's departing back a meaningful look. A faint gleam flashed through his eyes, and he continued chatting and discussing the Dao with the immortal friends around him as though nothing had happened.

Early in the morning.

Li Ping'an had begun cultivating early in the woods near his cave abode, quietly waiting for Mu Ningning to arrive.

He had changed into a brand-new disciple robe, tied his long hair up simply, and continued refining the long spear in his hand.

The power of his primordial soul carefully nourished every inch of the spear's material. For a moment, Li Ping'an truly felt that the spear had acquired an extremely faint spirituality and could respond to his summons.

However, when he sensed it carefully, he discovered that it was merely a slight illusion.

Spirit treasures were not so easily nurtured.

When his spiritual sense caught that graceful figure flying over on her sword, Li Ping'an stopped refining the spear, rose to his feet, and waited for her to descend.

"Senior Brother! Uncle sent me a message yesterday and told me to come at this time!"

"Junior Sister Mu."

Li Ping'an examined Mu Ningning's pretty face and noticed the unmistakable exhaustion between her brows. He therefore comforted her gently:

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. In this Inner Sect Tournament, disciples like us who have only recently joined the sect have no advantage to begin with. We just need to give it our all."

The little female cultivator in the Light Condensation Realm, who had spent the entire night wondering, Why did Senior Brother ask me to come? and thus failed to rest properly, was startled for a moment. Then she nodded decisively and said aggrievedly:

"Mhm, the pressure on the two of us is simply enormous!"

"It's fine. Look at what I prepared for you."

Li Ping'an smiled and shook his head. With a flick of his right hand to the side, five streaks of light shot forth and turned into five "wooden stakes" that landed nearby.

"This is a set of magical treasures I prepared for you."

"Magical treasures? For me?"

"Who else?"

Li Ping'an smiled. "These five stakes are a set called the Swallow Escape Stakes. Refine them first, then I'll teach you how to use them. They are very easy to pick up."

Mu Ningning's Peach Blossom Eyes shone brightly. Without asking how valuable such treasures were, she obediently began refining them and soon started practicing among the trees.

This set of magical treasures offered enormous benefits to Mu Ningning, who excelled with the sword.

Its function was simple: it allowed the user to swiftly escape between the five treasure stakes. The five stakes came with dozens of shifting formation methods.

After a little practice, Mu Ningning had already grasped the essentials.

She was like a lively swallow, darting back and forth between five rapidly shifting treasure stakes.

"Senior Brother! This thing is incredible!"

Li Ping'an smiled. "I'll give you two hours to familiarize yourself with this magical treasure. In two hours, you'll spar with me."

"Alright!"

Mu Ningning rubbed her fists together, her competitive spirit already roused.

Two hours later.

Qing Su quietly appeared atop a tree branch, not disturbing the spar between her two disciples.

Li Ping'an gripped his spear in one hand and launched the first attack.

Mu Ningning activated the Swallow Escape Stakes with all her strength. The five treasure stakes spun at high speed as she weaved among them, her longsword flinging out streak after streak of sword light. Its speed and intricate variations were dazzling to behold.

For a time, the sounds of spiritual power colliding rang out without end.

Li Ping'an deliberately fed her moves, while Mu Ningning met them with her full attention.

Spear shadows, sword light, and the afterimages of the Five Elements escape stakes reflected one another, while clear, bright laughter echoed through the forest.

By the time she was drenched in fragrant sweat, Mu Ningning stopped the Swallow Escape Stakes. Her vision blurred, and Senior Brother Ping'an's figure became that of a pale-faced senior sister from the same peak. The latter sighed, cupped her hands to Mu Ningning in salute, then turned and descended to the ground.

Mu Ningning hurriedly leaped down from the Swallow Escape Stakes and returned the senior sister's salute.

Clang!

A bronze gong rang out, followed by the shout of the Outer Sect Deacon:

"Colorful Cloud Peak, Mu Ningning wins!"

Cheers erupted all around.

Mu Ningning pressed her lips together in a smile. Her gaze swept across the area until she found Li Ping'an standing in a corner, and she waved at him vigorously.

On the day of the Human Ranking tournament, she had claimed victory in her opening match.