Chapter 17
"Qinghui, you went away and not only failed to restore your Inner Core, but your cultivation has also fallen this far. What will you do at tomorrow's Immortal Sects Grand Tournament? You'll only bring shame on the sect if you go. Should we send someone in your place?" Ye Rufeng seized the opportunity, hoping Ye Qingchuan would recognize the difficulty and withdraw.
[What business is it of yours whether he's improved? You're an old man throwing your seniority around, picking a fight with your own martial nephew. What kind of skill is that?]
[Whatever happens, he's not giving his place to your bandit disciple Ye Qingyun.]
[Go home, wash up, and get some sleep already.] Ye Zhenzhen puffed out her cheeks, her face full of indignation.
"Martial Uncle, thank you for your guidance. Your cultivation is so high that juniors like us can only watch you disappear into the distance. There's no need to replace me. I'll do my utmost at the Immortal Sects Grand Tournament and fight for the sect's honor," Ye Qinghui replied with measured courtesy.
Weak Water: Don't let my name fool you. I'm the strongest of all waters.
Held every five years, the Immortal Sects Grand Tournament was a grand event in the Cultivation World. Organized by the Immortal Sects Alliance, it drew mostly disciples from the Five Great Sects, the Southern Gate and Northern Sect, and Aristocratic Clans, along with a number of Rogue Cultivators.
The tournament was set on Jade Pool Island, an island steeped in holiday charm. Its scenery was enchanting, its vegetation lush. Tall, straight palms grew everywhere, while tropical flowers competed to outshine one another.
Winter had already arrived. Cultivators often had Robes to protect them and did not fear the cold, but Jade Pool Island's mild weather, birdsong, and fragrant flowers still soothed both body and mind.
Immortal Venerable Shen oversaw the Immortal Sects Alliance's daily affairs, so naturally he had chosen the venue too. He called it a better setting for the competitors, but in truth, he had his own interests at heart. Jade Pool Island was a resort island owned by the Kongtong School, where food and lodging cost a fortune. He hoped both to bring the island an immediate windfall and to raise its profile for future profit.
Competitors had to meet two conditions: they had to be at least fifteen years old, and their cultivation had to be above Golden Core but below Spirit Transformation. Every entrant also had to pay a registration fee of 2,000 Superior Spirit Stones. More than five hundred people had signed up, putting the tournament's registration revenue alone at over a million Superior Spirit Stones.
Every sizable sect arrived by Flying Boat. Yet the Cloudsky Sect, one of the Five Great Sects, came with Sect Leader Ye Ruheng leading several dozen members on Azure Luans. It looked shabby by comparison and drew mockery from the Heavenly Secret Palace and other sects.
"One of the mighty Five Great Sects, and you can't even afford a Flying Boat. What a disgrace," sneered Jiang Buqun, Sect Leader of the Heavenly Secret Palace. For years, he had wanted to push the Cloudsky Sect out of the Five Great Sects and take its place.
Immortal Venerable Shen came over to welcome them with a broad smile, all while adding fuel to the fire. "The Alliance is reimbursing the Spirit Stones used to power Flying Boats for this tournament. Sect Leader Ye, you came all this way on Azure Luans instead. Such a tiring journey, and you can't even claim the expense. What a pity."
"But," Immortal Venerable Shen went on, pointing to a Flying Boat moored south of Jade Pool Island, "this luxury Dragonfish Flying Boat is the tournament's grand prize. It can travel by sea, land, or air. The organizing committee paid Spirit Treasure Pavilion a full 500,000 Superior Spirit Stones for it. Whoever takes first place will win it. Sect Leader Ye, your people should give it their all. If your eldest disciple Ye Qinghui is fortunate enough to become champion, you can ride a Flying Boat home."
He knew Ye Qinghui had lost his Inner Core and had almost no chance of winning. He had said it deliberately to needle Ye Ruheng.
As ever, Ye Ruheng was graceful and carried himself with the air of an immortal. The provocation did not anger him. He took his time studying the Flying Boat, then said calmly, "It certainly is magnificent. That dragonfish looks extraordinary. May Immortal Venerable Shen's kind words come true, and may we be fortunate enough to ride it home."
[Daddy, I like that Flying Boat. It's going to be ours.] Ye Zhenzhen's eyes shone as she stared at it. She had recently begun teething, and whenever she smiled, a tiny new canine showed, making her look especially adorable.
Hearing her, Xie Jingshu and Ye Ruheng both looked at her fondly.
But Immortal Venerable Shen caught sight of the string of Heaven-and-Earth Pearls around her neck, and his heart gave a pang. They had once been his treasure, only for Ye Zhenzhen to snatch them away at her full-month celebration. Every time he remembered it, the loss still rankled.
At this tournament, he would have his revenge. He would strip a layer of skin from the Cloudsky Sect.
"Immortal Venerable Shen." Ye Rufeng stepped forward with Ye Qingyun. "My disciple Ye Qingyun hadn't reached Golden Core in time to register. Recently, however, he suddenly grasped the true meaning of cultivation, and his progress has been swift as a thousand miles in a day. He's now at Golden Core Late Stage. Could you make an exception and let him register here?"
"Well..." Immortal Venerable Shen had certainly not forgotten that it was Ye Rufeng who had summoned him to the Cloudsky Sect for the Seven-Colored Heaven-Mending Stone on the day of Ye Zhenzhen's full-month celebration. He had failed to get the divine artifact and lost a Superior Beast-Binding Rope, 100,000 Superior Spirit Stones, and a string of Heaven-and-Earth Pearls besides. He still needed Ye Rufeng to watch Ye Ruheng for him, but he was not willing to agree so easily. "The competitor list was finalized long ago. Adding someone now might be unfair. However..."
"However what?"
"If you're willing to pay 50,000 Superior Spirit Stones, I can make an exception and add your disciple. I doubt anyone would object."
"Fifty thousand Superior Spirit Stones!" Ye Rufeng's face changed. That was twenty-five times the registration fee—an outrageous demand! But the winner would receive a Flying Boat worth 500,000, and the top ten would all receive various spiritual artifacts. It was a gamble worth taking. After all, one good wager could turn a motorcycle into a bicycle.
Biting the bullet, he rummaged through his Heaven-and-Earth Bag alongside Ye Qingyun and his other disciples. Between them, they finally scraped together 40,000 Superior Spirit Stones. They were still 10,000 short.
"No problem." Immortal Venerable Shen took the Spirit Stones at once. "We can put the remaining 10,000 on the Cloudsky Sect's account. You can pay it back later."
Hearing that the debt would go on the sect's account, Ye Rufeng regretted emptying his own pockets. But it was too late now. He could only swallow the loss. With a trace of bitterness in his smile, he nodded. "Thank you, Immortal Venerable Shen."