Hunting Festival

Upon arriving at the Law Enforcement Hall, Baili Tianming brought Dong Lin to his own cultivation room.

"Junior Brother Dong, why did you decide to take the path of Body Tempering? Cultivating both immortality and martial arts is not impossible,

but the effort and resources this path consumes are both exceedingly staggering."

Baili Tianming was puzzled by Dong Lin's sudden decision to begin Body Tempering.

"After the battle with the Earth-Element Armored Beast in the Dawnsource Secret Realm last time, I realized that my physical body's shortcomings were rather obvious,

so I wanted to learn some Body Tempering techniques to strengthen my physical defenses and make preparations for the Hunting Tournament the day after tomorrow.

I'll have to trouble you, Senior Brother."

"Hahaha, what are you saying?

Come on. For the next two days, I'll teach you some combat techniques.

First, let me see how solid your foundation is. Attack me with your fists."

Baili Tianming said confidently, his hands clasped behind his back.

Dong Lin strode forward. "Senior Brother, be careful!"

A fierce Tiger Claw Strike shot toward Baili Tianming, swift as lightning.

Yet in Baili Tianming's eyes, it seemed to be riddled with openings, whether in the timing of the punch or the technique used to exert force.

Baili Tianming merely turned his body slightly, redirecting Dong Lin's punch. Then, with a light shove at Dong Lin's side, he sent Dong Lin flying.

Dong Lin had not expected such an imposing, muscle-bound man as Baili Tianming to possess such agile footwork.

"Junior Brother, you truly are lacking when it comes to close-quarters combat.

When to throw a punch and how to exert force more effectively—I'll guide you through specialized training."

Over the next two days, Dong Lin and Baili Tianming sweated it out in this private cultivation room.

After two days of high-intensity training, Dong Lin finally developed some basic muscle memory,

and he could now handle some of Baili Tianming's straightforward punches with ease.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. This is a small token of my gratitude."

Dong Lin took a tin of spirit tea from his robe. It was the tin his father from his previous life had left behind in the cultivation room.

Dong Lin had consumed it many times by now, and its effects had greatly diminished. He might as well use it to thank Baili Tianming for his careful instruction these past two days.

"This is first-rank supreme-grade Purpleleaf Spirit Tea. Junior Brother, you've put thought into this."

Baili Tianming accepted the tea leaves, took two sniffs, and said in delighted surprise:

"If Junior Brother ever wants someone to spar with, come find me anytime.

This gift is far too precious. It just so happens that a junior sister I know has recently been looking for this kind of spirit tea but couldn't find any. By a fortunate twist of fate, I got it from you, Junior Brother.

I've been asking around for her everywhere these past few days, but this spirit tea is not common within the sect. None of the people I know had any."

"A junior sister? Who might this junior sister be, Senior Brother?"

Dong Lin asked gossipingly. Since arriving here,

he had not heard any gossip for a long time. Now that he had the chance, Dong Lin hurried closer to ask.

"Oh, Junior Brother Dong, she's just a junior sister I'm fairly close with."

Baili Tianming scratched his head and chuckled foolishly.

"Alright, go back and pack up for departure. Brother Chen gathered us in advance yesterday.

Brother Dong, you performed so brilliantly last time, and you've improved so much this time. You'll definitely give the other team members a little shock.

Our squad already has a terrifying crushing advantage among Qi Refining Realm cultivators. There aren't many inner sect prodigies who can threaten us,

so I believe we'll definitely follow Brother Chen and sweep the top five this time."

Seeing Baili Tianming change the subject, Dong Lin did not press further.

"It really is rare to see couples within the sect."

Dong Lin thought it over carefully. The cultivators in the sect seemed not to be particularly interested in romance.

When I get the chance, I must pry it out of Senior Brother Baili's mouth. Martial artists really do have more feelings than immortal cultivators.

Dong Lin thought idly.

After returning to Thunderwave Hall, Dong Lin made some simple preparations.

Dong Lin already vaguely sensed the bottleneck within the Qi Refining Stage. It would only take a few days to break through.

However, the tournament was tomorrow, so he would likely have to begin after the competition was over.

"What terrible timing."

Early the next morning, the vast majority of disciples gathered at a temporary festival venue erected beside the entrances to the two secret realms.

The sect had begun preparing for this festival around a month in advance.

The venue had been established at the midpoint between the entrances to the Dawnsource Secret Realm and the Mystic Nether Secret Realm. The two entrances were more than forty li apart,

and placing the venue midway between them provided immense convenience for disciples heading to the secret realms for the competition and returning afterward to submit their results.

For this Hunting Festival, Sect Master Xuan Sheng did not personally preside over it. Instead, Great Elder Chou Qianqiu was placed fully in charge.

Of the entire Elder Hall, aside from Second Elder Guo Ming, who was in secluded cultivation, every other elder had come to the festival to oversee the proceedings.

This was a large-scale trial for Qi Refining Stage and Foundation Establishment Realm disciples. Most of the sect's Golden Core Realm cultivators had been mobilized. Some remained behind to guard the sect against unexpected circumstances, while the other Golden Core Realm deacons and disciples would patrol near the venue and within the secret realms to maintain order.

"This Hunting Tournament will be scored according to individual contributions, with the inner cores of exotic beasts serving as proof.

We will use a unified set of rules to assign points based on the quantity and quality of the inner cores you submit.

However, the tournament does not prohibit you from cooperating with or competing against one another.

But scores will be recorded individually. The sect will not be responsible for how spoils are divided after cooperation; your teams must discuss and settle that yourselves.

Let me emphasize this once more: in any sect trial, disciples are absolutely forbidden from slaughtering one another. If discovered, they will be killed without mercy."

On the stage, Great Elder Chou Qianqiu explained the various matters requiring attention for this tournament to the disciples in an orderly manner.

"This tournament will last thirty days in total. Disciples will enter the secret realms in batches according to a set order.

Because too many Qi Refining Stage disciples are participating in this tournament, they will be divided into three batches to enter the secret realms for hunting,

with each batch lasting ten days. Once the ten days are up, you must withdraw from the secret realms within one shichen.

If you exceed the time limit, your qualification to participate in this tournament will be revoked.

As there are fewer Foundation Establishment Realm disciples, they will not be divided into batches. They will all enter the secret realms within a set period according to their order.

Competition zones have been designated in both secret realms, each a square region five hundred li long and five hundred li wide.

The sect's high-ranking cultivators have used formations and other methods to place detection devices throughout these regions. Once a participating disciple leaves the designated area, their results will be deemed invalid.

Golden Core Realm great cultivators will patrol the skies above the competition zones at irregular intervals to prevent unusual dangerous incidents and cheating.

The Sect Jade Token will record information on the inner cores obtained, and we elders are also capable of identifying the information of each inner core.

If anyone brings pre-prepared inner cores and passes them off as hunting gains, the sect will punish them severely without leniency.

I believe all disciples are already aware of the rewards for this tournament.

The first prize for the Qi Refining Stage is one Heavenly Origin Pill and five hundred Contribution Points. The Foundation Establishment Realm reward is three Earth Treasury Pills and one thousand Sect Contribution Points.

For rewards by specific ranking, disciples may consult the reward details announced in their Sect Jade Tokens.

I now declare this Hunting Festival officially begun."