Honor of the Champion

The thunderous cheers went on and on, crashing over the central arena like ocean waves.

Mo Yuan stood with his spear in hand, straight as a pine. Though his face was slightly pale, his robes dust-stained, and the blood from his split tiger's mouth had yet to dry, his eyes shone with startling brilliance like the brightest stars in the night sky—sharp, calm, yet carrying a trace of weariness and relief after a fierce battle.

Champion! Champion of the Three Sects Tournament!

The title weighed heavily upon his shoulders, yet it also ignited the passion and pride of every Maoshan disciple.

On the high platform, Sect Master Shi Jian slowly rose. His purple robes stirred lightly in the wind as his imposing gaze swept across the arena before settling on Mo Yuan, filled with undisguised approval and satisfaction.

He raised a hand in a pressing gesture, and the boiling plaza gradually fell silent.

"This Three Sects Tournament has now come to a successful conclusion."

Shi Jian's voice was calm yet clear, reaching every corner. "Maoshan disciple Mo Yuan defeated one formidable opponent after another and seized the championship, bringing glory to Maoshan. He is truly a blessing to our sect!"

He turned his gaze toward Celestial Master Zhang of Dragon Tiger Mountain and Qingxu Zhenren of Ge Zao Mountain, giving them a slight nod. "Fellow Daoist Zhang, Fellow Daoist Qingxu, thank you for yielding."

Celestial Master Zhang stroked his beard and smiled. Though his grandson had been defeated, he remained magnanimous. "For Fellow Daoist Shi to have such a gifted disciple under his tutelage, congratulations indeed."

Qingxu Zhenren added, "Nephew Mo possesses heaven-sent talent. His future is limitless."

Shi Jian looked at Mo Yuan again, raising his voice slightly. "Mo Yuan!"

"This disciple is here!" Mo Yuan replied with a bow.

"Your performance in this tournament was exceptional. You surpassed all others and claimed the championship. You are hereby awarded one hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones, one mid-grade Foundation Establishment Pill, and three thousand contribution points! Furthermore, you are specially permitted to enter the fourth floor of the Scripture Pavilion for three days!"

The generous rewards drew cries of envy from the disciples below the platform.

One hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones were enough to sustain a Qi Refining cultivator's cultivation for a long time. A mid-grade Foundation Establishment Pill was priceless and could greatly increase the chances of successfully reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm. Three thousand contribution points were an enormous sum, while the fourth floor of the Scripture Pavilion housed Maoshan's true core inheritances and profound secret arts. Ordinary inner disciples might never have the chance to enter it in their entire lives!

"Thank you, Martial Grand-Uncle, for your generous reward! This disciple will cultivate diligently without pause and never disappoint the sect's nurturing!" Mo Yuan gave a solemn salute, his heart surging with emotion.

These resources would provide powerful support for his attempt to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm.

The award ceremony proceeded beneath countless watchful eyes.

When Mo Yuan accepted the jade box containing the Foundation Establishment Pill and the special token recording his contribution points from Shi Jian, he could feel innumerable burning gazes upon him.

Glory had descended upon him, yet his mind was exceptionally clear—this was both recognition and responsibility, and it also meant that he would henceforth stand at the center of greater storms.

A grand celebration followed. The disciples of the three sects cast aside their rivalry from the tournament, drinking and laughing together while exchanging insights on the Dao. The atmosphere was lively.

Mo Yuan naturally became the center of attention. Disciples from every sect constantly approached to befriend and congratulate him.

He handled them appropriately, neither arrogant nor servile. He maintained the bearing of a champion without losing his humility, earning quite a bit of goodwill.

Yet beneath the noise and glory, Mo Yuan's keen divine sense continued to detect several faint, chilling auras, like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, appearing and disappearing.

He knew that the gazes hidden in the darkness had not retreated because of his victory. On the contrary, his brilliance might have made them even more fervent and dangerous.

The celebration did not gradually disperse until deep into the night.

Upon returning to Listening Thunder Abode, the clamor was shut out, leaving only master and disciple.

Uncle Nine, Lin Jiu, looked at his disciple, his eyes filled with indescribably complicated emotions—pride, relief, and a faint, barely noticeable worry.

"Yuan'er, after today, you will truly become famous throughout the three sects. But remember: the tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind. You must be even more cautious in the future."

"This disciple will remember Master's teachings." Mo Yuan nodded, fully aware of the dangers involved. "There seemed to be petty villains watching outside the venue today."

Uncle Nine snorted coldly. "A bunch of clowns, nothing to fear, but they must still be guarded against. You are in the spotlight now, so they would not dare act within the sect. But when you descend the mountain for future experience, you must be careful.

"As for the Foundation Establishment Pill bestowed by your Sect Master senior brother today, keep it safe. Wait until your cultivation reaches the complete ninth level of Qi Refining and your foundation is stable before taking it to attempt Foundation Establishment."

"Yes, Master."

"Go regulate your breath and recover from your injuries and spiritual power. In three days, I will take you to the fourth floor of the Scripture Pavilion." With that, Uncle Nine returned to his meditation chamber.

Mo Yuan returned to his room but did not rest immediately. He first used spiritual power to nourish the injury on his tiger's mouth, then took out the mid-grade Foundation Establishment Pill.

The pill was the size of a longan, perfectly round and deep purple. A hazy pill glow circulated over its surface, and it emitted a refreshing, exotic fragrance. Merely taking a breath of it made his spiritual power stir more actively.

"Foundation Establishment..." Mo Yuan's gaze deepened.

At the Qi Refining stage, Foundation Establishment was the crucial step toward truly entering the path of cultivation. It opened the Purple Mansion, condensed stronger divine sense, transformed spiritual power into higher-grade True Essence, and greatly increased one's lifespan.

This was his most important goal from this point onward.

He carefully put away the Foundation Establishment Pill and checked his other rewards.

One hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones piled together, their spiritual qi swirling around them until it nearly formed a thin mist.

Three thousand contribution points were an immense fortune, enough to exchange for many rare resources.

"System, sign in!"

At such an important moment, he naturally would not forget to sign in.

[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Top-Grade Spirit Stone x3, Primal Chaos Qi Refining Canon (Fragment) x1, Myriad Year Warm Jade (small piece) x1, residual aura of the Primordial World: a wisp of faint Innate Dao Rhyme (attribute-free)!]

[Primal Chaos Qi Refining Canon (Fragment)]: Records an artifact-refining philosophy and method that points directly to the origin. It can improve the quality and spirituality of artifacts, and even has a certain chance of causing an artifact spirit to be born within a magic artifact. (The fragment only reaches the magic treasure tier.)

[Myriad Year Warm Jade]: A precious jade containing gentle yet vast spiritual power. Long-term wear can nourish the meridians, stabilize the soul, assist cultivation, and ward off heart demons.

[A wisp of faint Innate Dao Rhyme (attribute-free)]: Contains traces of the primordial Dao laws from before heaven and earth were formed. It can greatly improve comprehension, assist in understanding the laws of heaven and earth, and integrate all methods. (Extremely precious; must be slowly refined and absorbed.)

"Innate Dao Rhyme!" Mo Yuan's heart shook violently.

This was more precious than every reward he had received from signing in before! Though faint, the level it represented was far too high.

This was a treasure that pointed directly to the origin of the Great Dao. It would bring immeasurable benefits to his future cultivation of any technique and his comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth!

He immediately guided the intangible, formless Dao Rhyme, which seemed to contain the ultimate truths of the universe, into his sea of consciousness.

In an instant, he felt his thoughts become clearer and more lucid. Many obscure and difficult points from his previous cultivation suddenly seemed to reveal new directions for understanding.

Even his understanding of the Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Scripture, Divine Dragon Body Refining Art, and Gengjin Sword Qi Secret Arts showed faint signs of merging into a unified whole!

"With this to aid me, my attempt at Foundation Establishment—and even my future path of cultivation—will become much smoother!" Mo Yuan's heart brimmed with joy.

He hung the Myriad Year Warm Jade around his neck. A gentle, rich stream of spiritual power immediately flowed into his limbs and bones, nourishing his battle-weary body and slightly damaged meridians. Even his divine sense felt a wave of comfort.

This jade would be of great benefit in stabilizing his current realm and preparing for his attempt at Foundation Establishment.

Then, he picked up the scroll of the Primal Chaos Qi Refining Canon (Fragment) and immersed his divine sense within it. The artifact-refining philosophy it expounded was entirely different from the Detailed Explanation of Basic Artifact Refining he had studied before. It placed greater emphasis on communicating with the spirituality of materials, using one's own essence, qi, and spirit as a guide, blending them into primal chaos qi to forge the origin.

This would provide revolutionary guidance when he later reforged the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear, the Soul Cleansing Banner, or even crafted new magic artifacts.

His gains were enormous! The glory of being champion and the system's rewards had once more caused Mo Yuan's foundation to soar!

Just as he immersed himself in the joy of his gains and began circulating his cultivation, absorbing the spiritual power of the Myriad Year Warm Jade while slowly refining that wisp of Innate Dao Rhyme—

In the night outside Listening Thunder Abode, several ghostlike black shadows silently drew near under the cover of the formation.

They concealed their auras extremely well, nearly blending into their surroundings. They were clearly skilled in stealth and assassination.

The leader held an unremarkable black clay jar in his hand. A dim light flickered at its mouth, as though it were detecting something.

"The target is inside the courtyard... His aura is steady. He seems to be cultivating..."

"Move! End this quickly! Take his storage artifact and that thunder spear! If there is a chance, seize his soul!"

Killing intent suddenly descended at the moment when Mo Yuan was at his most glorious—and most in need of rest!