Outer Sect Grand Competition (2)

Everyone feigned excitement and nodded in eager agreement with the sect leader's words. Yet their hearts seemed shrouded beneath heavy gloom, weighed down by a shadow that was hard to dispel.

Now that they knew of the hidden danger of a Demonic Cultivator infiltrating the competition to cause trouble, no one could truly relax. That worry was like a thorn, faintly lodged in every heart.

Fortunately, Shen Yuxi was still immersed in his thoughts about the Demonic Cultivator and noticed none of the strange atmosphere permeating the surroundings.

He continued muttering to himself inwardly, "Come to think of it, that Demonic Cultivator wasn't actually very strong. Under normal circumstances, he would never have succeeded. It was only because, for this Outer Sect Grand Competition, the elders had decided not to intervene and left everything entirely to the disciples.

"This was everyone's first time taking on such an important task. With so many outer sect disciples as well, it was understandable that one fish had slipped through the net."

His expression was exceptionally focused, as though he had vividly constructed in his mind the scene of the Demonic Cultivator infiltrating the competition.

He continued calculating in secret. "That Demonic Cultivator poisoned the outer sect disciples in secret. The poison was extremely insidious—the more the disciples activated their spiritual power, the more the demonic qi in the poison would rapidly take root along their meridians.

"In the original work, several outstanding outer sect disciples were thrown into mental chaos by demonic qi before everyone's eyes at the end of the competition. They even injured Sixth Junior Sister." At that thought, a trace of worry flashed through his eyes, as if he had personally witnessed that chaotic, peril-ridden scene.

"Fortunately, Eldest Senior Brother acted decisively. He wounded them without killing them, but the demonic qi had seeped too deeply into their bodies. If those disciples wished to continue cultivating, they could only choose demonic cultivation. Once that happened, they would have no further ties to the righteous path and would be all but crippled. In the end, not a single person from that year's Outer Sect Grand Competition entered the inner sect. Sigh, what a pity."

Shen Yuxi sighed inwardly, deeply regretting the fate of those disciples whose futures had been ruined by demonic qi.

As everyone listened to Shen Yuxi's inner voice, they could not help sighing. They exchanged looks, their eyes filled with surprise and concern. None of them had expected things to turn out so badly.

"Speaking of that Demonic Cultivator who infiltrated the competition—" Shen Yuxi's thoughts drifted back to the original novel.

That Demonic Cultivator had once been one of the countless cultivators who longed to enter the Profound Heaven Sect.

When he took part in the Heavenly Mystery Assembly, he had been harmed by a villain. The other party had secretly played dirty and struck him with a vicious move, severely damaging the foundation of his cultivation and ultimately causing him to fail the trial.

From then on, the seeds of hatred took root and sprouted in his heart. Love turning to hate, he gradually embarked upon the path of demonic cultivation, with nothing left in his heart but the desire to take revenge on the Profound Heaven Sect.

For this Outer Sect Grand Competition, he had come alone and in secret. First, he covertly murdered an unsuspecting outer sect disciple, then openly assumed that disciple's identity and successfully infiltrated the competition.

He had slipped quietly into this contest, which was of vital importance to the Profound Heaven Sect, solely to strike from the shadows, stir up towering waves, deal the sect a heavy blow, and vent the resentment in his heart.

To be fair, with his strength and that somewhat crude, flaw-ridden plan of his, even if he really could cause some chaos and trouble the sect to a degree, there was absolutely no way he could shake the Profound Heaven Sect's deep foundations.

Before the elders, such conduct was like a clown capering on a stage—ridiculous and laughable, both childish and vastly overestimating himself. Such an act of an egg striking a stone could never inflict any substantive harm upon the Profound Heaven Sect.

If this had happened in the past, with his insignificant tricks and limited strength, he likely would not even have been given the chance to put his conspiracy into action.

The Profound Heaven Sect's elders were all unfathomably cultivated. Under their strict protection, any petty scoundrel attempting to disrupt the sect's peace would be swiftly noticed at the slightest sign of irregularity.

He probably would have been struck down by the elders with thunderous force long before he even approached the competition grounds, without the slightest room to struggle.

Yet this time, perhaps fate had deliberately played a trick. Through a series of coincidences, he had stumbled into tremendous luck and truly obtained an opportunity to carry out his plot.

On careful thought, the reason for it was not difficult to understand.

After all, in the setting of the story, without this sudden upheaval, how could Long Aotian's trait of standing like a crane among chickens, so different from the other disciples, have been highlighted?

As the crisis pressed down like dark clouds over their heads, Chu Shihan stepped forward without hesitation.

His figure was as straight and vigorous as a pine, his gaze as steadfast as stone. With extraordinary strength and decisive judgment, he turned the tide and swiftly stabilized the utterly chaotic situation.

Moreover, because Lin Mumu could not bear to strike her fellow disciples ruthlessly, she was accidentally injured herself. Chu Shihan then enacted a scene of a hero saving a beauty and rescued Lin Mumu in time.

"To be honest, if Sixth Junior Sister's destined match hadn't been someone else, with how much of a love-struck fool she is, she would definitely have become a member of Eldest Senior Brother's harem." This rather unrestrained and unexpected thought suddenly popped into Shen Yuxi's mind again.

Upon hearing this, Eldest Senior Brother's mouth twitched faintly. His expression was full of helplessness, and in the end, he could only answer with silence: "..."

"What? What? My destined match? Second Senior Brother actually knows where my perfect match is?!" Lin Mumu, who had been deeply shocked by the Demonic Cultivator incident, seemed to catch a crucial piece of information. Her eyes instantly lit up like stars.

She was immediately drawn in by the topic, as if boundless energy had been injected into her. Her face was full of anticipation as she stared unblinkingly, waiting for Shen Yuxi to continue.

Upon hearing Shen Yuxi's teasing thought, the senior and junior brothers found it amusing on one hand, yet full of shame on the other.

After all, the Outer Sect Grand Competition had always passed safely under the elders' management. Yet this time, after being handed over to them, such an accident as a Demonic Cultivator infiltrating it had occurred.

How could they not feel dejected at that thought? It was undoubtedly a question of their abilities, and it made them realize that they still had a considerable gap to close compared with the elders in terms of coordination and crisis response.

"What a pity for that outer sect disciple. At this time, the Demonic Cultivator has probably already acted. Why couldn't I have remembered sooner? If I had recalled this earlier, perhaps I could have saved a life," Shen Yuxi sighed.

This gathering came to an end amid the warmth everyone had put on for show.

On the surface, they chatted with smiling faces, brimming with confidence and expectation for the upcoming Outer Sect Grand Competition. Their enthusiasm made it seem as though everything was under control. Yet they used that feigned warmth to conceal the complicated emotions in their hearts, ending the gathering with each harboring their own thoughts.

After the gathering ended, everyone went their separate ways. However, the senior and junior brothers tacitly avoided Shen Yuxi and quietly gathered somewhere hidden.

The matter of the Demonic Cultivator was no trifle and allowed no carelessness. Chu Shihan took out a sound-transmission talisman and contacted True Person Yu Qing to discuss how to deal with the Demonic Cultivator.

At that moment, the talisman flickered with light, and True Person Yu Qing's somewhat aged yet steady voice emerged from it. "This matter of the Demonic Cultivator concerns not only the success or failure of the Outer Sect Grand Competition, but also the sect's reputation. We must not lower our guard."

"Demonic Cultivators act unpredictably and are difficult to fathom. This competition involves many disciples; one misstep could bring about disaster. We truly cannot rest easy. After much consideration, it would be more appropriate for us to personally supervise the competition." Sixth Elder Yu Xuan True Person said.

However, the disciples firmly rejected the proposal. Their eyes were resolute. Though they knew full well that there was still a vast gap between their abilities and those of the elders, and though according to what Shen Yuxi knew, the sect would indeed suffer substantial losses because of the Demonic Cultivator, they did not shrink back. Instead, the foretold failure roused their competitive spirits.

Chu Shihan stepped forward on behalf of his junior brothers and sisters. "Since Second Junior Brother has already said that the Demonic Cultivator is not so powerful as to be impossible to contend with, then we naturally believe that we are capable of dealing with him as well.

"Now that we already know the Demonic Cultivator will infiltrate the competition and have some understanding of the methods he may use, capturing him is not entirely impossible. If the elders are still concerned, you may supervise us in secret. That would ensure nothing could go wrong."

Upon hearing this, the elders could not help sinking into thought. The disciples wished to grow and hoped to shoulder more responsibility in sect affairs. Seeing their resolute expressions, the elders saw their sense of responsibility and were filled with gratification.

Secret supervision was indeed a solution that served both sides. It could ensure that the Outer Sect Grand Competition proceeded safely and orderly while also giving the disciples a precious opportunity to train, accumulate experience in real combat, and improve their ability to handle crises.

After pondering for a long while, the elders exchanged glances. Approval showed in all their eyes, and they nodded in agreement.

True Person Yu Qing smiled. "In that case, go ahead and do as you please. We will keep watch in secret and ensure that the competition proceeds smoothly."

At once, joy blossomed across the disciples' faces. They replied in unison and with respect, "Thank you, Sect Leader!"

After settling on their strategy for dealing with the Demonic Cultivator, the personal disciples swiftly threw themselves into preparations for the Outer Sect Grand Competition.

Among the Profound Heaven Sect's current generation of disciples, when it came to meticulous thought, the first people who came to mind were Zhou Wan, fourth among the senior siblings, and Ye Jingxuan, seventh among them.

Because Zhou Wan had heavy responsibilities in this competition, the task of coordinating the overall situation naturally fell upon Ye Jingxuan.

He carefully assigned every task to each senior and junior sibling, rushing about day and night between the various sites and inspecting every detail. From the Sword Trial Platform's stability to the arrangements in the contestants' resting areas, he strove for perfection in everything.

Meanwhile, Zhou Wan led several inner sect junior brothers and sisters in fully preparing the written examination. Day and night, they searched through classics in the Profound Heaven Sect's Scripture Pavilion. Following the knowledge framework provided by Fourth Senior Sister, they carefully selected the most representative and valuable questions.

The Profound Heaven Sect's Scripture Pavilion appeared small, but every floor contained spatial formations, with another world within. Cultivation manuals and secrets of the cultivation world filled it in dazzling abundance, too numerous to count. With the authority of inner sect disciples, they could enter only the first four floors at most, but the knowledge contained in those four floors was already immensely rich—more than enough for setting examination questions.

The Scripture Pavilion was called "A Touch of Ink." When it was first built long ago, the sect leader of that era personally inscribed the name. Originally, it was a joke about how few cultivation manuals the pavilion held, with only the sect leader's own cultivation method inside, making the name rather fitting.

As the years flowed by, the Profound Heaven Sect continued to grow stronger, and the pavilion's collection increased day by day. It had long since become incomparable to what it had been in those days, yet the name remained in use to this day.

Throughout the valleys of the Profound Heaven Sect, the disciples used formations to construct enormous examination halls. Every seat was separated by formations, ensuring that examinees could not interfere with one another while allowing inner sect disciples to monitor the entire hall from all directions.

This task would originally have been best entrusted to Fifth Senior Brother Lin Huaixu, whose attainments in talismans and formations ran deep. Unfortunately, Fifth Senior Brother happened to be away from the sect on business, so after weighing their options, they could only entrust this heavy responsibility to Sixth Senior Sister Lin Mumu.

Although Lin Mumu was lively and impulsive by nature, her abilities were genuine, and she possessed a strong sense of responsibility. She could not guarantee that the results would be utterly foolproof, but she would at least do better than a passing grade, leaving no fault for others to find.

Feng Yue and Shen Yuxi, who were responsible for logistical support, led a group of inner sect disciples around to gather spirit plants and ores, preparing the various medicinal pills and materials needed for the coming competition.

The Profound Heaven Sect's storehouses mostly held heavenly treasures acquired by disciples during training expeditions, along with all kinds of materials taken from demon beasts and spirit beasts. There were piles upon piles of materials regularly shed by the spirit beasts of Beast Peak.

As for resources such as spirit ores and spirit plants, so long as they were species naturally found on the sect's mountains, the storehouses generally kept only small reserves for emergencies.

After all, allowing those spirit ores and plants to continue absorbing the spiritual qi of heaven and earth in their natural environment would improve both their medicinal efficacy and their quality. They could then be harvested as needed, ensuring the resources remained in the best possible condition.

—But this also meant that whenever a major sect event approached, the disciples had to prepare them in advance.

The top-ranking disciples in the competition would naturally receive rewards prepared by the sect, but the Profound Heaven Sect had a tradition—every disciple who successfully entered the inner sect received a congratulatory gift. The elders left the preparation of those gifts to the disciples themselves.

Not to mention that the competition would inevitably include sparring matches, and sparring inevitably brought the possibility of injury. Outer sect disciples in particular often did not know their own strength and found it difficult to control the proper degree in a match. It was all the more necessary to stockpile every medicinal pill that might be needed in advance.

There was also the bluestone needed to repair the Sword Trial Platform.

The Sword Trial Platform was built atop Spirit Sword Peak. Its sturdiness was such that not only could it withstand attacks from Foundation Establishment Realm disciples, but even the full-force assault of a Golden Core stage expert would not shake it. Still, in keeping with the principle that it was better to be prepared than sorry, there was no harm in finding some bluestone ahead of time.

The bluestone used to build the Sword Trial Platform was no ordinary thing. Legend had it that after the Twin-Life Tree was planted, the Profound Heaven Sect encountered a catastrophe that nearly wiped it out. At the time, the Twin-Life Tree, still only a sapling, was unfortunately buried beneath a torrent of rocks that had slid down the mountain. Later, the sect survived the crisis, and the Twin-Life Tree pushed aside the stubborn boulders weighing upon it, regaining its vitality.

Afterward, those mountain rocks that had covered the Twin-Life Tree had remained close to it for so long that, imperceptibly, they absorbed much of its dense spiritual qi and gradually became different from ordinary stones.

They became not only tougher, but even gradually acquired the ability to heal themselves. If sword marks were only lightly left upon them, then within a few days, those marks would vanish without a trace, as though they had never existed.

This was bluestone.

Whether the legend was true remained open to question, but some of the rocks nourished by the Twin-Life Tree's spiritual qi did indeed undergo a qualitative transformation. These special stones were carefully selected to construct the Profound Heaven Sect's major buildings, including the Sword Trial Platform and Clear Parasol Hall.

Bluestone could only be found where spiritual qi was especially dense. And places rich in spiritual qi nourished not only bluestone, but all kinds of spirit plants as well as demon beasts drawn in by the dense spiritual qi.

This was a genuine labor-intensive task. Not only did it require tremendous effort to search for the materials, but they also had to remain alert to dangers that might emerge at any moment.

Besides that, Little Junior Sister was assigned to their team as well.

Little Junior Sister had originally hoped to act together with Shen Yuxi. Ye Jingxuan considered that the work assigned to everyone else was intricate and complicated; even the tiniest error could tug one hair and move the whole body, throwing all the preparations into chaos.

And looking at Little Junior Sister's fiery, reckless temperament, if she joined them, one careless moment might turn everything into a complete mess.

In the end, he could only nod helplessly and agree to her request. Thus, Shen Yuxi and Feng Yue had no choice but to bring along this overly lively "little rascal."

On the other side, Chu Shihan focused on researching the methods the Demonic Cultivator might employ, while Wen Jian, the medical cultivator, and Song Zhiyi gathered materials to make all kinds of antidote pills and magical artifacts capable of restraining demonic qi, intending to distribute them to the competing disciples and inner sect disciples responsible for security.

At last, through everyone's concerted efforts, the day of the Outer Sect Grand Competition arrived as scheduled.

Nine Domains Encyclopedia:

○ Scripture Pavilion—"A Touch of Ink"

Located halfway up Misty Spirit Peak, it held the largest collection of books in the Heavenly Domain.

Servant disciples had permission to enter only the first floor; outer sect disciples, the first two floors; inner sect disciples, the first three floors; inner sect disciples with masters, the first four floors; and personal disciples, the first five floors. Only elders could enter the sixth floor, while the seventh required the sect leader's approval.