Entering the Earth Ranking

The day of the Human Ranking matches, on Xuyun Peak.

Li Ping'an was waiting for his debut match.

This Myriad Cloud Sect grand competition had three main venues: Xuyun Peak for the Human Ranking battles, Colorful Cloud Peak for the Earth Ranking battles, and the main peak for the Heaven Ranking battles.

According to the "exclusive inside scoop" Li Ping'an had obtained, the competition to host these events was fierce.

Immortals from various peaks showed great enthusiasm for this matter. Out of the thirty-six peaks in the sect, twenty-seven had actively submitted applications within two days.

The downside of Li Dazhi's extensive network of friends became apparent here; his acquaintances from various peaks kept approaching him, leaving him overwhelmed.

Even the Peak Masters, elders, and old Immortals from the peaks, in their eagerness to seize this opportunity to bring glory to their respective peaks, directly alarmed the Sect Master.

Fortunately, Li Dazhi withstood the pressure from all sides and ultimately adopted a fairer method: a lottery.

The Preparations Hall also established a rule: peaks that drew the hosting rights this time would not participate in the next lottery draw until all peaks had had a turn.

Just as the peaks within the sect were eagerly anticipating drawing for these three spots, the Sect Master suddenly paid a visit to the Affairs Hall and had a friendly chat with Li Dazhi and a few elders.

Following that, the Preparations Hall, after careful consideration, permanently fixed the venue for the Heaven Ranking battles at the main peak. Lotteries would only be held for the Earth Ranking and Human Ranking battle venues.

[The Sect Master's Charm].

Just as Li Ping'an had predicted, Xuyun Peak and Colorful Cloud Peak, having drawn the hosting rights, displayed unprecedented enthusiasm.

—Immortals value their reputation, and Immortals of great sects even more so prize their renown.

About eighty percent of the disciples below the Origin Immortal realm from both peaks were mobilized to assist the organizing committee in setting up the venue. Qi cultivators busied themselves flying through the air and burrowing underground, and the venue was meticulously arranged within half a day.

Observe the grandeur of Xuyun Peak:

A hundred-zhang-long square stone platform hovered in mid-air halfway up the mountain. A viewing platform was built along the mountain's contours, and on three sides were cloud platforms formed by Immortals using immortal techniques.

Two to three thousand inner and outer disciples, hundreds of Immortals from various peaks, and nearly a hundred honored guests from friendly sects gathered here to watch the matches.

This was merely for the Human Ranking battles, and Xuyun Peak itself didn't possess many distinctive features to attract attention.

The venue for the Earth Ranking battles on Colorful Cloud Peak was more than twice as large as this one!

Considering Colorful Cloud Peak's special status as the "home of all peaks" and the fact that the female cultivators of Colorful Cloud Peak had stayed up all night to craft over ten thousand "competition souvenirs," the number of spectators for the Earth Ranking battles was expected to reach a thousand. The number of disciples would be upwards of four thousand, possibly even five to six thousand!

Such a grand occasion was a rare sight in Myriad Cloud Sect for a thousand years!

At the uppermost part of the viewing platform, chatting and watching the matches with a few Sect Masters from friendly sects, Daoist Yun Mo, the Sect Master of Myriad Cloud Sect, had a constant upward curve at the corner of his lips.

The Sect Master found the slightly chubby Origin Immortal, who was energetically flying around on a cloud, more and more pleasing to his eye.

Of course, Li Ping'an couldn't hear the Sect Master's thoughts at this moment. All he could hear were the surrounding discussions, laughter, and the shouts of the Origin Immortal realm referee.

"Next match! Human character three-five versus Human character one-two! Disciples to the stage!"

Here it comes.

Li Ping'an let out a soft breath and quickly walked to the writing desk at the edge of the arena. He handed the jade token inscribed with "Human character one-two" to the old steward in front of him, then turned and leaped onto the floating stage in mid-air.

His first opponent was a young female immortal child with a naive face. She held a magic lamp-like treasure and gave Li Ping'an a charming cupped-hand salute.

It couldn't be helped. The standard for the Human Ranking was "disciples who have entered the sect for less than five years." Li Ping'an had only started cultivating as an adult, making it inevitable for situations like an adult fighting a child to occur.

Li Ping'an used a few talisman techniques and easily sent the senior sister, who was close to completing Foundation Establishment, out of the arena's bounds, securing a simple victory.

The little girl pouted, almost in tears.

Li Ping'an awkwardly lowered his head and performed a Daoist salute, "Apologies."

From the three-sided viewing platforms, many disciples chuckled. Li Ping'an quickly slipped off the stage, retrieved his token, and entered the queue for the next round of combat.

The early stages of the Human Ranking battles indeed lacked a bit in terms of watchability.

However, fortunately, the disciples had practiced their combat skills and fought earnestly, making the matches lively and engaging.

Li Ping'an and Mu Ningning's paths through the matches were quite smooth.

In four consecutive matches, no one could force Li Ping'an to reveal any techniques beyond his talisman arts.

Mu Ningning, relying on her Swift Swallow Stance, easily defeated three disciples. In her fourth match, she encountered an opponent in the early Void Refining Realm, and the fight was perilous. In the end, she narrowly won through an unconventional approach.

This victory, with Mu Ningning at the Light Condensation Realm defeating a Void Refining Realm cultivator, astonished everyone.

The top three in the Human Ranking could participate in the Earth Ranking competition.

Mu Ningning was determined to return to her peak and show off the magic treasures and artifacts her senior brother had given her to the senior sisters.

After four rounds of combat, Li Ping'an and Mu Ningning had both reached the top eight of the Human Ranking. They only needed to win three more matches to determine the final rankings.

This also signaled that their upcoming opponents would not be to be underestimated.

As expected, Li Ping'an's fifth opponent forced him to use his spear formation.

This was a male cultivator of about seventeen or eighteen years old, robust and dark-skinned, with constantly surging magic power, demonstrating the formidable strength of the early Void Refining Realm.

He wielded a demon-subduing staff and seemed to follow a rare body-refining path. When he announced himself, his voice was quite rough.

"Xuyun Peak, Yu Yingshu, Void Refining Stage Four!"

Li Ping'an cupped his hands and smiled, "Disciple of Immortal Qing Su, Li Ping'an, Light Condensation Stage Five."

"I know you," Yu Yingshu grinned, "I saw your master take you in before. You've been at Flowing Cloud Temple for three years and your foundation is a bit weak. How about I let you have one arm?"

"Fellow Daoist, please attack with your full strength," Li Ping'an said seriously. "Let's stop when we reach a limit. There's no need for you to hold back like this."

"Hahaha! Good! Then you'd better dodge my staff!"

With a loud shout, Yu Yingshu leaped dozens of feet like a ferocious tiger. The demon-subduing staff in his hand erupted with brilliant golden light. Li Ping'an could even hear chanting in his ears.

Is the physical combat technique fused with the Western religion's demon-subduing arts?

Li Ping'an knew he couldn't dodge at this moment, or he would inevitably face a thunderous blow from his opponent. He clenched his left hand in the air, bent his knees, and sprang up. A silver-white spear appeared in his hand. He moved like a dragon emerging from the sea, his spear tip aimed directly at Yu Yingshu's shoulder!

"Well done!"

Yu Yingshu's body bulged with golden light as he brought the demon-subduing staff down. His moves seemed simple but contained many hidden variations.

Li Ping'an understood. If he dodged even slightly, he would lose the initiative and momentum, allowing his opponent to unleash their full strength.

When fighting a cultivator like this, even if their cultivation was much higher than his own, he had to sever their 'momentum' first!

Therefore, Li Ping'an gripped the spear with both hands, swaying his body left and right, his magic power surging out. A point of cold light burst from the spear tip.

Clang!

The sound of weapons clashing echoed through the mountains, and a shockwave spread horizontally through the air.

Yu Yingshu's body leaned back, while Li Ping'an shot towards the ground like an arrow.

Li Dazhi, watching from the sidelines, suddenly tensed up and rose to his feet, focusing on the figures on the stage.

Yu Yingshu adjusted his position and immediately lunged forward.

Just before Li Ping'an's body hit the ground, he suddenly flipped, swaying left and right like a falling leaf. With a poof, three misty illusions burst out, and layers of mist emerged from the stage.

Myriad Cloud Sect immortal technique: Cloud Soaring Illusionary Form!

Many immortals from the Myriad Cloud Sect outside the stage's eyes lit up.

Most immortals knew this immortal technique was incredibly complex and required extremely high comprehension to practice. They never expected to see it on a disciple in the Light Condensation Realm today.

Yu Yingshu's lunge missed. He immediately turned to dodge, but the surrounding mist had already formed. Three spear illusions whistled towards him, forcing him to block and parry left and right.

This person reacted extremely quickly. His Daoist robe was merely torn by a spear illusion, and he already judged that he couldn't cope with Li Ping'an's spear formation. He immediately shot up into the sky, intending to break through from above.

Two illusions suddenly flashed out from the left and right, and two shining magic treasure spears smashed down!

Yu Yingshu swept his demon-subduing staff horizontally, shattering the left illusion into mist;

But another spear landed squarely on Yu Yingshu's back, smashing him down from mid-air and into the cloud formation!

The whistling sound echoed in Yu Yingshu's ears again as spear illusions shot towards him from all directions.

The power of these direct spear thrusts was no less than sword control techniques of the same realm!

Yu Yingshu had skills but couldn't use them, dodging left and right in the mist, his momentum rapidly declining.

Worse still, as the incoming spear illusions continuously shattered, the mist around Yu Yingshu grew thicker. This mist not only hindered his spiritual sense but also produced bursts of music, making it difficult for Yu Yingshu to concentrate.

Spear formation, illusions, talisman techniques;

Li Ping'an strictly followed his Master's instructions, using only these three types of techniques.

As for his spear formation itself, it incorporated sword control, cloud control, illusion arrays, movement techniques, and other methods, so it didn't violate the agreement with his Master.

After a period of chaotic spear attacks.

"I concede!"

Yu Yingshu panted heavily, his Daoist robe tattered, and the hand holding the demon-subduing staff trembling.

He had no injuries, only a dozen shallow scratches.

This was not because his physique was as strong as metal and stone, but clearly because Li Ping'an had held back and not injured him.

A gentle breeze blew, and the mist on the stage immediately dispersed.

Li Ping'an's figure appeared in a corner. He cupped his hands in a fist salute to Yu Yingshu. His Daoist robe was barely wrinkled.

"Thank you for the match."

"Your formation! It's truly amazing! Hahaha! I'm convinced!"

Yu Yingshu laughed heartily, bowed to Li Ping'an, and turned to jump off the stage.

A gong sounded from the side.

"The winner is Li Ping'an, disciple of Qingxu!"

On the sidelines, Mu Ningning happily gave a thumbs-up gesture, then clenched her small fist, seriously preparing for her next match.

A corner of the viewing platform.

Li Dazhi grinned, his smile radiating warmth.

Around him, several elders and stewards showered Li Ping'an with praise.

"Uncle Dazhi, Ping'an has such skill!"

"To be able to counter-attack a Void Refining Realm cultivator while in the Condensing Light Realm, and to win so easily and elegantly, is truly remarkable!"

"Ping'an's calm and steady disposition is the most precious quality!"

"Ah!"

Li Dazhi chuckled, "Gentlemen, please, no more praise. You'll spoil the child!

"Ping'an's talent isn't exceptional, but he's always worked diligently. Even I, as his father, feel ashamed in comparison."

The elders offered another round of compliments, and Li Dazhi felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

As they were chatting, Li Dazhi suddenly sensed a trace of immortal sense probing him. He instinctively looked into the distance and met the eyes of a beautiful female immortal.

An immortal's vision was naturally far superior to that of a mortal.

The one whose gaze met Li Dazhi's was Elder Xiao Yue, who had just returned to the sect for the ceremony yesterday.

Today, Xiao Yue was dressed much more simply, eschewing her usual long dresses that, despite their ample fabric, seemed to reveal more than they concealed. Clad in an elegant purple gown, combined with her naturally captivating figure, beautiful face, and mature, alluring demeanor, she naturally attracted the covert attention of many young male cultivators.

She looked at Li Dazhi with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Li Dazhi, though somewhat puzzled, habitually offered a kind and gentle smile, cupping his hands towards Xiao Yue.

Xiao Yue bowed slightly, then turned her gaze back to the arena.

Li Dazhi mused, 'Strange, why was Elder Xiao looking at me just now? Is Vice Sect Master Mo Yi plotting something?'

Xiao Yue pondered inwardly, 'Could it be that this person has developed feelings for this elder? He possesses great fortune and is also a disciple of a Golden Immortal. Although my master is a disciple of Ancestor Master Kongming, it's not entirely impossible to consider... However, I can't be too familiar with him now. Alas, this matter is truly troublesome.'

"Good!"

Cheers erupted from the surroundings, followed by the cheers of a group of female disciples.

On the stage, Mu Ningning's "Escaping Swallow Stance" was steady. A female cultivator in the late stage of Condensing Light Realm sighed, cupped her hands in salute to Mu Ningning, and retreated from the stage with a dejected expression.

Mu Ningning was also drenched in sweat. She searched for Li Ping'an's figure and smiled at him, her lips pursed.

Her realm was ultimately too low. Reaching the top four of the Human Ranking had already been quite a struggle.

However, if she didn't encounter Li Ping'an in the next match, she could secure a spot in the top three of the Human Ranking and then compete with the Earth Ranking disciples back at Colorful Cloud Peak.

Li Dazhi had already made preparations for this.

Wei Yanzi appeared at the referee's stand in a timely manner, briefly categorized the names of the four disciples, and found opponents for Li Ping'an and Mu Ningning respectively.

Wei Yanzi's reasoning was quite sound: "It's not easy for two Condensing Light Realm disciples to reach this stage. Everyone enjoys watching underdogs overcome stronger opponents. Let's see if they can create a beautiful legend."

Several old stewards nodded with smiles, raising no objections.

A little over half an hour later.

Li Ping'an and Mu Ningning, having each defeated their next opponents, appeared on opposite sides of the arena.

Li Ping'an smiled and nodded at Mu Ningning, intentionally yielding.

The rewards for first and second place on the Human Ranking only differed by a few spirit stones. Letting her be happy for a moment wouldn't hurt.

"Junior Sister, this match..."

"Oh, oh, oh."

Mu Ningning suddenly feigned a delicate fall to the ground. Her peach blossom eyes shimmered with a faint light. She clutched her chest, lowered her head, and coughed out a small spurt of blood. Then, as if channeling a tragic heroine, she said in a delicate voice, "Oh no, I fought too fiercely just now, and ended up with internal injuries. What should I do?

"These treasures were all given to me by Senior Brother. It's fine to concede. I couldn't have beaten him anyway.

"I concede, cough, cough, cough, Senior Brother, please help me up."

Li Ping'an's lips twitched slightly. The delicate Mu Ningning winked at him. Nearby, some prearranged senior and junior sisters stepped forward to help her up. The stage was filled with laughter and chatter from the young women.

The assembled immortals also chuckled, and the "amused immortals" began to telepathically discuss the romantic entanglements of the younger disciples.

Li Ping'an, securing the first place on the Human Ranking, advanced to the battle for the Earth Ranking!

Outside the arena, a large hand slowly descended, patting the shoulder of Li Dazhi, who wore a proud father's smile.