Off-Arena Tactics

When Xu Changxing arrived, dawn was just breaking.

He had thought he was quite early.

Yet when he reached the venue, he found more than twenty Core Formation elders already seated on the raised platform.

Quite a few were unfamiliar faces who had not appeared yesterday.

It's only a Sect Grand Competition for Foundation Establishment Realm disciples. Why has it drawn so many Core Formation elders?

Are they really that bored?

While Xu Changxing was grumbling inwardly, more than a dozen elders had already turned their gazes toward him.

Some even commented as they sized him up.

Although he was too far away to hear what those Core Formation elders were saying, being watched by more than a dozen of them at once still put considerable pressure on Xu Changxing.

He could only bow toward the distant platform, then find an inconspicuous spot to sit cross-legged and pretend to regulate his breathing.

His actions, however, did nothing to lessen the attention he received.

As time passed, more and more Core Formation elders arrived on the platform.

Almost every one of them swept a glance over Xu Changxing upon arriving.

This left Xu Changxing rather speechless.

Fortunately, his ordeal did not last too long.

Once daylight fully broke, the day's drawing of lots began as expected.

To Xu Changxing's slight surprise, the person drawing the lots was still Elder Pei of the Nascent Soul Realm.

The result, however, was anything but surprising.

After receiving the two jade pendants, the host on the platform read out Ye Hong's and Xu Changxing's names without a hint of surprise.

The appearance of those two names immediately excited the spectating elders.

He could even clearly see someone already opening a betting pool.

This is hardly the stuff of immortal cultivation!

Looking at the Core Formation elders on the platform, Xu Changxing felt thoroughly bewildered.

Just as he was momentarily lost in thought, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly sounded behind him:

"Do you think these Core Formation elders are far too mercenary?"

Xu Changxing turned and discovered that the speaker was none other than his opponent for the day, Ye Hong. His eyebrows rose slightly.

He suddenly recalled the information about Ye Hong recorded in yesterday's Message Jade Pendant.

Ye Hong was adept at wielding magic treasures and using off-arena tactics to unsettle his opponents.

Is he here to use those off-arena tactics against me?

Xu Changxing frowned slightly and did not respond.

Ye Hong, however, acted as though they were old friends, answering his own question:

"Our Setting Sun Sect certainly has no shortage of seniors devoted to cultivating the Dao, but a life of ascetic cultivation really isn't much fun.

"Immortality is elusive these days. Even if you devote your whole life to ascetic cultivation, you still end up as nothing more than a mound of yellow earth.

"So some cultivators have changed their thinking and decided that enjoying a few carefree centuries isn't bad either.

"Our Setting Sun Sect's Inner Sect alone covers a million mu, while the Outer Sect encompasses countless businesses.

"Every kind of business needs large numbers of Core Formation elders to manage it.

"That's precisely why the sect leader hasn't interfered with these elders' choices.

"But these Core Formation elders alone are nowhere near enough to uphold our Setting Sun Sect.

"So there are still quite a few people in the sect who have rejected a life of pleasure and continue seeking the path to immortality.

"And those people are divided into two schools.

"One adheres to ancient-method immortal cultivation, emphasizing tranquility and nonaction. Most of them are Talisman Cultivators.

"The other advances through endless trials and tempering. Most of those are Sword Cultivators."

At this point, Xu Changxing said thoughtfully, "My Eldest Senior Brother, Li Changge, must belong to the latter school, then?"

Ye Hong nodded. "Li Changge is one of the most renowned figures in that lineage.

"That dimwit Han Mingguan was influenced by your Eldest Senior Brother. He goes looking for people to fight every so often.

"I never expected you to teach him a lesson yesterday. That was rather interesting."

Xu Changxing shook his head. "Han Mingguan and I only had a match. I wouldn't call it teaching him a lesson."

Ye Hong smiled. "See it however you like.

"I'm not telling you all this to sow discord between your Flying Stream Peak and Cloud Pointing Peak, either.

"I merely want you to understand that most of those Core Formation elders on the platform have already reached the end of their immortal cultivation paths.

"They cannot represent the Setting Sun Sect.

"Only people like you and me are the Setting Sun Sect's future.

"Don't disappoint me today."

With that, Ye Hong turned and walked toward the competition grounds.

At that very moment, the Core Formation elder in the arena loudly announced the start of the first match.

Watching Ye Hong's supremely confident retreating figure, Xu Changxing could only marvel at how boundlessly pretentious he was.

I wondered what his off-arena tactics were. Turns out it's just psychological warfare.

This guy looks impossibly suave, but he's actually a crafty bastard...

Sword Cultivators placed the greatest importance on their sword heart. Any disturbance in their mental state would inevitably affect the power of their flying swords.

Ye Hong had deliberately timed his remarks to coincide with the start of the match. Not even a ghost would believe he had no ulterior motive.

If an ordinary young disciple suddenly heard such inside information about the sect, even if he did not lose his composure, his thoughts would probably be disturbed.

But Xu Changxing had lived two lives and experienced life and death several times firsthand in simulations.

Something like this was nowhere near enough to unsettle him. Instead, it stirred in him the conviction that he would win.

The best way to deal with someone who loved playing tricks was to crush him fair and square.

Let's see whether you can still act so high and mighty after you fall to my sword!

Hum!

As though sensing Xu Changxing's intent, the Greenwood Sword suddenly let out a clear sword chime.

The corners of Xu Changxing's mouth lifted slightly. "I'll be counting on you in a moment!"

After that quiet murmur, he strode toward the arena.

By now, everyone's attention was focused on the two of them.

Some of the elders who had just placed their bets even had eyes gleaming with excitement.

Watching the two enter the arena one after the other, they could not resist commenting:

"Did I see that right? Was Ye Hong chatting with Xu Changxing just now?

"Did they already know each other?"

Someone chuckled. "You haven't paid much attention to Ye Hong before, have you?"

"What do you mean?"

"This is precisely the approach Ye Hong excels at.

"Whenever he encounters an opponent he considers worthy of attention, he goes over to chat before the match begins, unsettling their state of mind.

"Tsk, tsk. This trick works every time.

"Several people fell for it in last year's competition."

"Hiss... That's hardly an honorable tactic."

"Heh, who cares whether it's honorable? As long as it works.

"Besides, this is a kind of training too. When you fight someone out in the world, can you really bring your mental state to perfection every single time?

"Those Demonic Cultivators spew every filthy insult imaginable.

"If you can't even withstand a tactic like this, wouldn't you just bare your neck for the slaughter when you encounter a Demonic Path Cultivator?"

Listening to the elders beside him, Liu Chenyu could not help frowning slightly.

He had noticed that his Third Disciple had actually stood there in a daze just now.

That was not a good sign.

He could not help muttering, "Didn't I already give him all the information on Ye Hong? How did he still get affected?"