Mother, I Saw an Immortal?

At noon the next day.

Tiansang Spirit Palace's outer court welcomed its annual frenzy, because today would see the champion of the Wind and Cloud Tournament crowned.

Not only had outer court disciples and elders come to watch, but even some inner court disciples with time to spare had come over for a look.

The audience's excitement was soaring through the roof.

Some had come at the crack of dawn to claim seats, only to find that seated before them were some of the Spirit Palace's most renowned figures.

Look to the left: the elder of the Spirit Affairs Pavilion, the elder of the Spirit Medicine Pavilion, the elder of the Spirit Weapon Pavilion...

There were also some unknown figures who were usually as elusive as divine dragons—elders who seemed like elders, yet somehow not quite elders...

Then look to the right: the top hundred of the Wind and Cloud Ranking, the top ten, the top five...

Those people who had initially dominated the arena with peerless momentum now sat obediently below, quietly awaiting the start of the matches.

One female disciple had come last night to secure a seat. Now, Chao Qingteng sat on her left and Zhou Tianshen on her right.

Cupping her face, she looked from side to side and fainted on the spot from sheer bliss.

The people beside her stared with envy until their eyes nearly popped out.

"Wow, she fainted! Hurry and take her for treatment—I'll save this seat for her."

"My heavens, who are all these people? Senior Brother Du, Senior Sister Ling... they're all in the top ten of the Wind and Cloud Ranking!"

"Look, isn't that... Su Qianqian from the inner court?"

"Where? Where?"

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn by the cry. Su Qianqian of the inner court was a legendary figure within Tiansang Spirit Palace.

The strongest genius of the current generation of Tiansang Commandery's Su Family, she had broken through to Innate at thirteen, cultivated Innate Sword Intent at fourteen, wielded Snowfall over Tomb City, the twenty-first renowned sword on the continent, and was the personal disciple of Xiao Qixiu from the Spirit Law Pavilion...

Any one of those titles was enough to make the world tremble, yet such a figure sat right before their eyes! Su Qianqian wore a fitted white outfit, a snow-white greatsword laid across her thighs. Her little feet swung back and forth from her seat, utterly accustomed to such scenes.

She looked around, but ultimately pursed her lips in disappointment. She had not found the little beast brother she wanted to see.

"What a pity. We didn't see the inner court's senior sister. I heard she likes Su Qianqian very much and is always by her side."

"Yeah, yeah. Senior Sister Rao is my goddess. Not only is she stunningly beautiful with an incredible figure, her strength also reigns supreme in the inner court. What a shame I couldn't witness her elegance with my own eyes. Sigh!"

"Hey, I think I've seen the person you're talking about. She came during the group stage..."

"Oh, give it a rest. How could Senior Sister Rao possibly have the time to wander around the outer court? You must have dreamed it!"

"I really saw her!"

"Tch~"

The audience gathered in little clusters, watching the spectacle as they kept pointing out famous inner court figures nearby and whispering among themselves.

For them, such a sight was rare even in previous years.

Only because the outer court had erupted this year, producing four Innate cultivators plus Xu Xiaoshou, had so many people from the inner court come to watch.

"Holy shit, Zhang Xinxiong! One of the inner court's Thirty-Three, a living big shot!"

"One of the inner court's Thirty-Three? Damn, where? Where?!"

The crowd hurriedly looked over in the direction indicated by the speaker and indeed saw an imposing man not far away.

Zhang Xinxiong looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight. His beard was full, and he radiated rugged masculinity.

He was very tall; even seated, he stood a head taller than ordinary people.

His attire was exceedingly simple: just a set of light-colored hemp clothes and a shawl thrown over them.

Yet even so, beneath the sunlight's reflection, everyone could still see the astonishing contours of muscle hidden beneath his clothes.

"My heavens, he's way too handsome! That's a real man!"

"I'm in love, I'm in love!"

This famous inner court figure was not seated in the front rows, but rather in the middle. Beside him sat Liu Zhen, who had severely injured Xu Xiaoshou before.

Liu Zhen was also a large man, but seated beside him, he somehow gave off the feeling of a petite bird nestled against someone.

"Which one is Xu Xiaoshou, the one who killed Ah Chong?" Zhang Xinxiong asked.

"I'll look..."

Liu Zhen answered respectfully, his gaze moving across the various waiting areas before he finally shook his head. "It seems he hasn't arrived yet."

"Heh, he's calm enough. Saving his entrance for the finale..."

Zhang Xinxiong chuckled softly. No emotion could be heard in his voice, yet the people around him clearly sensed something amiss.

Ah Chong...

Was that something one called someone with an ordinary relationship?

"I heard Boss Wen knew someone from the inner court. Could it be Zhang Xinxiong?"

"Seems like it. Then isn't Xu Xiaoshou done for? He killed Wen Chong!"

"My heavens, I think I can see Xu Xiaoshou's end..."

Just one sentence stirred waves through the crowd, and everyone lowered their voices to discuss it.

"You can't put it that way either. Zhang Xinxiong is one of the inner court's Thirty-Three. How could he possibly make a move against someone at the eighth realm of Spirit Refining? Wouldn't that lower his status?"

"But it won't be easy for Xu Xiaoshou if he's been marked."

"You're overthinking it. Even if Xu Xiaoshou wins the championship, with his cultivation level, it's still uncertain whether he can even enter the inner court."

"Besides, Mu Zixi stands before him and Senior Sister Mo behind him. He'll be lucky to make the top three."

"But he has an Innate physique!"

"So what if he has an Innate physique? Does it have a future? Have you ever seen an Innate physique? Have you ever seen a Grandmaster-level physique?"

Everyone fell silent at once.

Above Innate lay the Grandmaster realm. Spirit Refining cultivators still had a sliver of hope of reaching that cultivation realm capable of founding a sect, but as for the physical body...

That was far too difficult!

Forget seeing it—they had not even heard of it!

At the judges' platform.

Xiao Qixiu drained the contents of his cup in one gulp, then flew onto the arena, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"The time has come. The semifinals begin!"

Spiritual energy activated the array token. The light screen shifted, then froze, two bright-red names standing in the air.

"Xu Xiaoshou!"

"Mu Zixi!"

With a boom, the audience instantly erupted.

The semifinals meant Innate-level battles—exactly what everyone had been waiting for.

One of them had entered the Spirit Palace only a year ago before breaking through to Innate, his talent pressing close to that of Su Qianqian from the inner court;

The other possessed an Innate physique, and his crushing victory over Chao Qingteng yesterday had further proven that he possessed strength capable of directly contending with Innate cultivators! The doors to the waiting area opened, and Mu Zixi, dressed in pale green, skipped toward the arena as though she had not the slightest worry about the coming battle.

Every step she took overflowed with youthful vitality, filling the onlookers with delight.

"As expected of Junior Sister Mu. Innate... she's as steady as a rock!"

Everyone looked toward the other side, where Xu Xiaoshou's waiting area was located.

Smack! The doors opened.

Two staff members emerged with stiff expressions, spreading their hands to indicate that Xu Xiaoshou was not there.

Everyone: "???"

"Why are these two here? Where's Xu Xiaoshou?"

"What the hell, why has that guy disappeared again?!"

"At a critical moment like this, why does he always drop the ball? It's already the semifinals—can't he just let us have some peace of mind..."

"You two over there, where did Xu Xiaoshou go?"

The two staff members were utterly bewildered. You're asking us—who are we supposed to ask? They had come to the waiting area early in the morning to wait, but the contestant simply had not shown up.

They had even sent people to Xu Xiaoshou's courtyard. There were only sword marks all over the ground; they had found no trace of him.

Where exactly had Xu Xiaoshou gone? Xiao Qixiu's face darkened. He wanted to roar again.

Suddenly, the sword on his back trembled. He abruptly turned and looked toward the horizon.

Everyone in the audience sensed it as well and raised their heads.

A streak of sword light came from afar, like an immortal sword descending into the world. Upon it stood a figure whose robes fluttered in the wind.

That dustless, transcendent bearing, that posture untouched by mortal smoke and fire...

Mother, I saw an immortal? No...

When everyone focused their eyes again, their eyeballs nearly bulged out.

What the hell!

Xu Xiaoshou???