Three Sects Tournament

The plaza before the Three Purities Hall was already buzzing with voices.

The enormous plaza had been divided into several areas. At its center stood three massive arenas built from white jade and inscribed with reinforcement formations.

Banners fluttered all around, representing the three great Daoist sects: Maoshan, Dragon Tiger Mountain, and Ge Zao Mountain.

Maoshan disciples mostly wore blue and gray Daoist robes, their auras sharp and fierce. They excelled in talismans and lightning arts. Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples mostly wore yellow and purple robes, their auras upright and peaceful, and specialized in alchemy and beast-taming techniques. Ge Zao Mountain disciples dressed more simply, with ethereal auras, and were skilled in formations and divination.

The disciples of the three sects were clearly divided, their gazes crossing as invisible sparks of rivalry filled the air.

On the high platform sat the sect leaders and important figures from all three factions. Maoshan's sect leader, Shi Jian, sat in the middle in a dignified purple robe. To his left was Celestial Master Zhang of Dragon Tiger Mountain, with the bearing of an immortal. To his right was Qingxu Zhenren of Ge Zao Mountain, his face lean and refined. Uncle Nine, Lin Jiu, Qian He, Four Eyes, and other Maoshan higher-ups were seated among them as well.

Mo Yuan stood among Maoshan's competing disciples, his calm gaze sweeping across the venue.

He could sense several powerful divine senses sweeping over the plaza. A few lingered briefly on him, filled with scrutiny and curiosity.

Clearly, this Maoshan rising star, who had only entered the sect recently but was already well known, had drawn quite a bit of attention.

"Is that Mo Yuan? I heard Sect Leader Shi Jian personally bestowed the Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Scripture upon him?"

"Eighth level of Qi Refinement? His aura is certainly condensed, but who knows how he performs in actual combat."

"Look at that spear on his back. Its killing aura is restrained, and lightning flickers around it. It must be extraordinary."

The discussions were quiet, but they could not escape cultivators' sharp hearing.

Mo Yuan paid them no mind, his heart tranquil.

His goal today was not merely to participate. He intended to win the respect and standing he deserved—for himself, for his master, and for Maoshan!

The tournament rules were simple and direct. Opponents would be determined by drawing lots, with single-match elimination until the final eight were decided, followed by ranking matches.

When the drawing began, Mo Yuan drew Arena One, third match. His opponent was a Dragon Tiger Mountain disciple named Zhao Huan, at the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refinement and reportedly highly skilled in fire-controlling arts.

The first two matches ended quickly, each with a victor and a loser. When it was Mo Yuan's turn, he took a deep breath and steadily stepped onto the arena.

His opponent, Zhao Huan, was a tall young man with an arrogant face. Seeing Mo Yuan take the stage, he snorted coldly. "Maoshan's Mo Yuan? I heard you had some good luck and found a few opportunities.

"But luck always runs out. Today, I'll show you the authentic Daoist arts of Dragon Tiger Mountain!"

Mo Yuan could not be bothered with nonsense. He merely cupped his hands slightly. "Please."

At the referee's command, Zhao Huan immediately formed hand seals. Fire spiritual energy surged around him as three scorching fire snakes appeared out of thin air, hissing as they lunged at Mo Yuan from different directions! Their momentum was truly frightening.

The Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples watching below burst into cheers.

Yet Mo Yuan remained where he was, neither dodging nor evading.

Just as the fire snakes were about to reach him, a sharp light flashed in his eyes. He raised his right hand, fingers together like a sword, and lightly pointed forward.

There were no talismans and no incantations—only an incomparably condensed, hair-thin arc of platinum lightning bursting from his fingertips!

"Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!"

With three soft sounds, the three aggressive fire snakes were split apart by an invisible blade and instantly collapsed into sparks before vanishing into the air.

Fast! Precise! Ruthless!

The entire venue fell silent.

No one had seen clearly how he had attacked.

That platinum lightning arc had been too fast, and its power was even more astonishing.

The arrogance on Zhao Huan's face instantly froze, turning into shock! His strongest Fire Snake Art had been broken so effortlessly?

Before he could react, Mo Yuan activated the Ghost Shadow Footwork beneath his feet. His body left behind a ghostly afterimage as he instantly closed in on Zhao Huan.

He did not use the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear. He merely held his fingers together like a sword, platinum lightning flickering from his fingertips as he struck toward Zhao Huan's Tanzhong acupoint.

Zhao Huan hurriedly formed a fire shield to defend himself, but the finger-sword imbued with the power of Geng Metal Thunderous Evil was incomparably sharp!

"Pfft!"

The fire shield was pierced as easily as paper, and the finger force penetrated his body.

Zhao Huan felt an incomparably sharp force, carrying a numbing effect, instantly seal several of his major acupoints. His spiritual power stagnated, and his entire body froze in place, unable to move!

One move!

With only one move, a Dragon Tiger Mountain disciple at the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refinement had been defeated.

The whole venue erupted!

"What kind of lightning art was that? It's so fierce!"

"What incredible speed! What terrifying finger force!"

"He seemed to... use neither a magical artifact nor talismans?"

On the high platform, a trace of surprise flashed through Celestial Master Zhang's eyes as he looked at Shi Jian. "Fellow Daoist Shi, your disciple's lightning art is pure, and his finger force is razor-sharp. It even faintly carries the intent of Geng Metal banishing evil. Truly impressive."

Shi Jian's expression did not change, though an almost imperceptible hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. "Fellow Daoist Zhang flatters him. This disciple of mine is unruly and still needs much tempering."

He, too, was inwardly shaken. Mo Yuan's control over lightning arts and the special power contained within that finger force seemed even more profound than he had imagined.

Qingxu Zhenren of Ge Zao Mountain stroked his beard and nodded as well. "This child is extraordinary."

Mo Yuan withdrew his hand and cupped his fists toward the frozen Zhao Huan. "You let me win." He then drifted off the stage, leaving behind a sea of discussion and astonishment.

His first battle had ended in a clean, decisive victory! For the first time, Mo Yuan's name truly entered the sight of the disciples from all three sects, no longer relying solely on rumor.

In the following rounds, Mo Yuan remained just as dominant.

Whether his opponents were Maoshan fellow disciples skilled in talismans, Ge Zao Mountain disciples proficient in formations, or Dragon Tiger Mountain talents who commanded spirit beasts—

He used his elusive, peerlessly sharp Geng Metal Thunderous Evil finger-sword in tandem with the exquisite Ghost Shadow Footwork to end every battle within a few moves.

He had not even used the spear on his back or the talisman pouch at his waist.

His performance drew the attention of more and more people. Dragon Tiger Mountain and Ge Zao Mountain in particular began to truly regard him as a formidable opponent.

"This boy's lightning art is strange. His finger force can break protective qi, and his movement technique is even more unfathomable. We must deal with him carefully."

"He likely hasn't used his full strength yet. That spear has remained unused the entire time."

"Maoshan has produced quite a talent this time."

As the tournament progressed, fewer and fewer competitors remained. Those who had made it this far were all true elites of the three sects, with the lowest cultivation at the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refinement, while several had reached the ninth level.

In the quarterfinals, Mo Yuan encountered a Maoshan fellow disciple, a senior brother at the ninth level of Qi Refinement who was skilled in many mid-grade talismans and attacked without pause.

This time, Mo Yuan finally used a talisman—his self-made Purple Firmament Thunder Talisman!

When the purple-gold thunder talisman, radiating an aura of destruction, was activated and transformed into a pillar-thick bolt of Purple Firmament Divine Thunder that crashed down, the entire arena was engulfed in blinding lightning.

The layers of talisman defenses his senior brother had desperately erected melted away like snow before the Purple Firmament Divine Thunder. In the end, the referee had to intervene in time to save him from severe injury.

The appearance of the Purple Firmament Thunder Talisman once again shocked the entire venue.

Among Qi Refinement disciples, those capable of drawing and successfully using such a powerful lightning talisman could be counted on one hand!

Mo Yuan advanced forcefully into the semifinals!

The semifinalists were decided: Mo Yuan of Maoshan, eighth level of Qi Refinement; Zhang Tianyuan of Dragon Tiger Mountain, ninth level of Qi Refinement and Celestial Master Zhang's direct grandson; Luo Li of Ge Zao Mountain, ninth level of Qi Refinement and a formation prodigy; and Wang Gang of Maoshan, peak ninth level of Qi Refinement and the senior inner sect disciple.

In the semifinal draw, Mo Yuan's opponent was Zhang Tianyuan of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Zhang Tianyuan wore a bright yellow Daoist robe. He was handsome, his aura deep and powerful, and he had already reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refinement, only one step away from Foundation Establishment.

He looked at Mo Yuan with a trace of condescending scrutiny in his eyes. "Junior Brother Mo, it hasn't been easy for you to make it this far. But this is where it ends. I will show you the gap between a true genius and someone who relies on luck."

Mo Yuan looked at him calmly. Sensing the vast spiritual power within him, carrying the hidden harmony of dragon and tiger, he knew this would be a hard battle.

But there was not the slightest fear in his eyes—only boiling fighting intent.

"Senior Brother Zhang, please."

The two stepped onto the arena, and the atmosphere instantly tightened.

Everyone knew that this would be a clash of dragons and tigers. Would Dragon Tiger Mountain's favored son defend his glory, or would Maoshan's rising star continue to create miracles?

A fierce battle was about to begin!