The Lingxiao Pavilion disciples had claimed first place in both the team and individual competitions at the Cultivator Assembly—and had done so three times in a row. That was certainly cause for celebration, but Ling Tian and the others still had an even more important match ahead of them, so they celebrated only briefly. Afterward, everyone went off to cultivate and prepare for the coming bout against Li Huo's faction.
On the second day of the individual competition, Li Huo sent Zhao Gao to deliver the wager they had agreed upon. They hadn't delayed at all, which satisfied Ling Tian and the others. After Zhao Gao and his group left, Ling Tian took a quick look through the cultivation techniques. They were all quite good, and both he and Old Man Ling were delighted.
Next came the Cultivator Assembly's award ceremony. Lingxiao Pavilion was the biggest winner of this year's Assembly and had reaped a rich harvest. Ling Tian and the others couldn't help remarking that, after this, their pavilion's scripture library would undergo a qualitative leap.
In previous years, when the Cultivator Assembly ended, the cultivators would all go their separate ways. This year was different, though. The main event had yet to come, so no one had left. On the contrary, cultivators from the Cultivation World were still arriving in droves, and even many who had long been famous had come. That showed just how seriously they regarded the upcoming showdown between Ling Tian and Li Huo's faction.
Around this time, several of Ling Tian's old friends arrived. Among those he was particularly close to were Shi Ao and Feng He.
At the previous Cultivator Assembly, Ling Tian had learned that Feng He and Shi Ao had resolved to establish a sect to shelter the mixed-bloods rejected by