The night sky outside the cave was cold and clear, its moonlight torn to shreds by the lingering purple-gold radiance. Qin Yu walked slowly toward a boulder fully thirty feet tall. Cracks covered its surface, as though it had weathered the wind and rain of ages, yet it still stood firm.
"I'll use you to test my new strength."
He gripped his battle spear in both hands. Spiritual Qi surged thunderously through his body, and the purple-gold mass of light in his dantian churned like a blazing sun. The next instant, purple-gold spirit flames abruptly ignited along the spear, its tip dazzling, as though it could pierce heaven and earth!
Boom-!
With a low shout, Qin Yu swung his spear. Purple-gold spear light shot forth, becoming a river of light a thousand feet long that tore through the night to the roar of thunder. The air instantly burned into layers of ripples, and space itself seemed to be sliced open, revealing a long, narrow purple-gold fissure!
As the spear light swept past, the ground shook and broken stones flew. The thirty-foot boulder had no chance to withstand it and was blasted to pieces! The roar reverberated for miles, and stone fragments became streaks of light filling the sky, like countless falling stars.
When the dust dispersed, all that remained was a bottomless trench. Its walls were smooth as mirrors, bearing the scorch marks of Spiritual Qi, as though carved by the heavenly might of a divine weapon.
Qin Yu put away his battle spear, his chest heaving and a fierce light burning in his eyes.
"That strike... was at least ten times more powerful than anything I could do before!"
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly in satisfaction. His major accomplishment of the Qi Condensation Realm and the tempering of the purple-gold immortal herb had truly given him the confidence to hold his ground in the grand tournament.
He turned and left, making his way back through the night as he silently told himself:
With this strength in battle, I need fear no outer disciple... At the tournament in three days, I will astonish everyone with a single feat!
Returning to Cloud-Leveling Hall, he pushed open his door and slowly entered his room. Moonlight spilled through the window lattice onto his quiet figure. At last, Qin Yu set his thoughts aside and calmly regulated his breathing, preparing for the approaching storm.
Three days passed in a flash.
The morning sky was still veiled in pale golden dawn light, but Cloud-Leveling Hall's plaza was already boiling with voices. Bells and drums sounded together, spirit mist rose, and over a thousand disciples gathered in orderly ranks, their vast collective presence soaring into the clouds.
Across the plaza, the outer disciples wore blue, while the inner disciples wore purple robes. They stood on opposite sides like two surging rivers. Fluctuations of spiritual power from their dantians intertwined and gathered into a heaven-shaking presence, as though about to tear apart the canopy of the sky.
"Boom-!"
As the grand elder stepped forward, spiritual light gathered in the air into an enormous cloud-patterned formation, bathing the entire plaza in brilliant splendor.
"Disciples of Cloud-Leveling Hall, heed my command!" The grand elder's voice rolled like thunder, shaking heaven and earth. "The White Frost Ancient City tournament concerns our sect's honor and your futures! Outer disciples must fight bravely and never retreat! Inner disciples must swear to contend for the highest ranks. You must not disgrace the might of Cloud-Leveling Hall!"
"Yes!"
Thousands upon thousands of disciples roared together, their voices surging into the nine heavens and setting the mountains echoing endlessly. At that moment, all of Cloud-Leveling Hall seemed to become an awakening colossal beast, its presence gathering into a rainbow of light that pierced the sky.
Among the outer disciples, Qin Yu and Yang Zheng stood shoulder to shoulder, fierce light shining in their eyes and the same blazing fighting spirit burning in their hearts.
This time, I'll make every sect remember the name Qin Yu, Qin Yu silently vowed.
"This time, I must put on a good showing!" Yang Zheng clenched his fists, his gaze resolute.
Across the plaza, vows rose one after another:
"We will not disgrace our sect!"
"Cloud-Leveling Hall will triumph!"
"May our glory endure forever!"
Spiritual Qi and fighting spirit intertwined and soared into the clouds, becoming a pillar of light that reached straight into the heavens. The white clouds overhead scattered under the force, revealing an endless expanse of blue.
The grand elder swept his sleeve, and the cloud-patterned formation abruptly unfolded into a magnificent white jade spirit ship, hundreds of feet long, spanning the air and radiating boundless pressure.
"All disciples, board!"
In an instant, the disciples became streaks of light and surged onto the spirit ship together. Their momentum arched like a rainbow, vast and mighty, like an undefeated divine army setting out for the grand tournament in White Frost Ancient City.
Driven by its spiritual formations, the white jade spirit ship slowly rose into the air. A tremendous roar resounded through heaven and earth, and the ground shook as though thousands of troops and horses were charging. Radiance gushed from beneath the ship like an enormous silver dragon soaring straight into the nine heavens.
"Boom-!"
The spirit ship cut through the sky amid churning clouds and howling winds. Its enormous hull could accommodate over a thousand disciples. Jade paved its deck, formation patterns flowed across it, and a protective barrier enclosed its exterior, turning the furious winds into a gentle breeze.
The ship reached an altitude of a hundred thousand feet. Below lay unbroken mountain ranges, rivers winding like silver chains, and a rolling sea of clouds, as though they were traveling between heaven and earth. In the distance, rosy light illuminated the land and flocks of spirit birds wheeled through the air. Every magnificent sight lay before their eyes.
The disciples stood on deck with burning gazes, their discussions rising one after another.
"I heard that besides our Cloud-Leveling Hall, the White Cloud Sect-the foremost sect on the Great Yan Continent-and the equally renowned Thousand Autumns Hall and Luofu Hall will all send their very best outer and inner disciples!"
"Li Feng, the White Cloud Sect's chief outer disciple, reached major accomplishment of the Qi Condensation Realm three months ago. Rumor has it he's only half a step from the Yuan Transformation Realm! If we encounter him in the tournament, I'm afraid... he'll be difficult to handle."
"The Thousand Autumns Hall's disciples are even more uncanny and unpredictable. They supposedly specialize in secret soul-path arts that can interfere with divine sense. They're extremely difficult to fight."
"Every Luofu Hall disciple is domineering and vicious. Their inner disciple Leng Jue, in particular, once killed a demonic beast at the middle stage of the Yuan Transformation Realm with a single sword strike. His methods are terrifying."
As the disciples talked, their hearts surged. Fear flickered in some eyes, while others brimmed with fighting spirit.
Qin Yu stood at the edge of the deck, gazing at the distant sea of clouds. His hand slowly closed around his battle spear, his gaze utterly steady.
"The White Cloud Sect, the Thousand Autumns Hall, the Luofu Hall... I'll have to face these three great sects one by one eventually."
He silently resolved that this tournament would be no ordinary contest, but his first step toward truly establishing himself on the Great Yan Continent.
"Cloud-Leveling Hall must not lose!"
As the spirit ship sped onward, the sky gradually opened up. The outline of an ancient, magnificent city became visible in the distance, like a colossal beast that had emerged from antiquity and lay silently between heaven and earth. It was the site of the tournament-White Frost Ancient City.
As the white jade spirit ship broke through the final layer of clouds, the world suddenly opened before them. An ancient city of indescribable immensity stretched silently between heaven and earth.
It was White Frost Ancient City.
The entire ancient city towered over a snow-covered plateau. Its thousand-foot walls were built entirely from ancient boulders and ice crystals, radiating the weight of ages. Ancient runes inscribed upon the walls flickered with dim light. Every line seemed to span the river of time, emanating an inviolable majesty.
The city gates were as broad as an abyss, wide enough for thousand-foot beasts to enter side by side. Above the lintel, a horizontal plaque bore large characters in ancient seal script: White Frost. The strokes were powerful and vigorous, sword intent sweeping through them; before their meaning even registered, they already shook the mind.
Inside the city, towering buildings and layered halls gleamed with golden splendor. Spiritual Qi surged like tides, and clouds churned above the city, transformed by formation patterns into multicolored rosy light, as though an immortal realm had descended to earth. Every roof tile shone with divine radiance, and every street was as broad as a river, spacious enough to hold a million people.
Countless spirit ships came cutting through the sky from every direction. Disciples of the White Cloud Sect, the Thousand Autumns Hall, Luofu Hall, and sects great and small across the Great Yan Continent gathered here with sky-piercing presences and fluttering robes, bearing countless gazes and honors. As the spirit ships descended, the heavens rumbled and light and shadow intertwined, turning the entire sky into a magnificent painting.
The plaza was already packed with disciples from various sects. Outer disciples surged like a tide, while the presences of inner disciples loomed like mountains. Tens of thousands gathered in the same city, their Spiritual Qi interweaving into a vast ocean that made heaven and earth tremble.
"So this is White Frost Ancient City..."
Qin Yu stood on the spirit ship's deck, his gaze burning, the shock in his heart beyond words. Even with his current cultivation, the ancient city's grandeur and imposing presence deeply awed him.
Yang Zheng's eyes widened even further, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Good heavens... now this is a true stage for the great age!"
Just then, the spirit ship slowly descended before the ancient city's plaza. The grand elder's robes fluttered as he raised a hand and swept it outward, sending a mighty voice straight into the nine heavens:
"The disciples of Cloud-Leveling Hall have arrived-!"
Rolling sound waves struck heaven and earth, intertwining with the voices of other sects. Above White Frost Ancient City, they seemed to gather into the resplendent sound of ten thousand dragons roaring together.
At this moment, the true grand sect tournament of the Great Yan Continent raised its curtain.
The white jade spirit ship landed in the plaza outside White Frost Ancient City, and Cloud-Leveling Hall's disciples filed out. By now, tens of thousands of cultivators had gathered in the plaza before the ancient city. They belonged to sects from every corner of the Great Yan Continent, their presences intertwining in a spectacle so grand that even heaven and earth nearly paled before it.
As far as the eye could see, the plaza resembled a vast ocean. Disciples stood grouped by sect, banners snapping and spiritual light soaring into the sky.
At the outermost edge stood the small and medium-sized sects, the most numerous of all. Though they had many disciples, their presences varied in strength, most hovering around the Mortal Fetus Realm and Spirit Awakening Realm. Even so, their gathered spiritual emanations surged like a tide, vast and imposing.
Farther inward stood the second-tier major sects, such as the Cloud Waves Gate, Gale Hall, and Mystic Crane Sect. Their disciples stood in orderly ranks, their presences condensed. Most had already entered the Qi Condensation Realm or Yuan Transformation Realm, and their formations were clearly several times stronger than those of the small and medium-sized sects.
At the very center of the plaza, five magnificent sect banners pierced the clouds, blazing with radiance. Their spiritual power fluctuations surged like a heavenly river. These belonged to the five super sects known to everyone across the Great Yan Continent:
The White Cloud Sect: White clouds curled around them, and Spiritual Qi spread like a sea. Every disciple's robes resembled flowing light and drifting clouds, and an immortal grace accompanied their every movement. Their contingent was the grandest and their disciples the most numerous, with several thousand outer disciples alone. Their presences moved in unison as though they were one person, unmistakable proof of their standing as the foremost sect on the Great Yan Continent.
The Thousand Autumns Hall: Their banner was pitch-black as ink, bearing the character for "autumn," cold and murderous. Their disciples wore stern expressions, their Spiritual Sense like icy blades. All cultivated secret soul-path arts, and merely standing there, they gave others the illusion that their minds were being probed.
Luofu Hall: Red banners fluttered, and spirit fire blazed. Their disciples' presences were fierce and domineering, their killing aura chilling. With sabers and swords in hand, they resembled an iron-blooded army, overbearing and incisive, their sharp edges fully exposed.
The Tide Capital Sect: Blue-green banners snapped in the wind. Their disciples stood like dragons, their presences surging like tides, sometimes slow and sometimes swift, as though they could control the rhythm of heaven and earth. They cultivated an ancient tidal cultivation technique, and a distinctive undulating momentum ran through their ranks.
The Jun Heaven Sect: An enormous golden banner blazed in the air with boundless radiance. Spiritual patterns flowed over the armor covering their disciples' bodies, and their presences were steady and weighty. The Jun Heaven Sect's disciples resembled walls of bronze and iron, their presences condensed like a heavenly river, as though they embodied the order of the Heavenly Dao.
As the disciples of these five great sects stood in the plaza's center, those from the other sects involuntarily retreated half a step, awe and oppression rising in their hearts.
"So that's... the White Cloud Sect..."
Qin Yu looked from afar, his gaze burning and his heart pounding. Even from hundreds of feet away, he could still sense the faintly discernible, vast presence of the White Cloud Sect's disciples, like a mountain range barring the way before him, impossible to ignore.
Beside him, Yang Zheng could not help swallowing. His voice was low but filled with shock. "They truly deserve to be the foremost sect on the Great Yan Continent... Just the presence of their outer disciples makes me feel I can hardly look at them directly."
Nangong Heyao's expression was grave, his gaze cold and stern. "Cloud-Leveling Hall may fall short of the five super sects, but if we retreat even half a step today, others will look down on us. We must give everything we have and fight to display Cloud-Leveling Hall's might!"
Across the plaza, the fighting spirit and pride of the various sects' disciples converged. Killing intent permeated heaven and earth, like the eve of a great war yet to begin.
Above the whole of White Frost Ancient City, clouds churned and the heavens shook. Spiritual Qi was stirred by this gathered will into the furious tides of a raging sea, pressing down so heavily that even breathing became difficult.
Such was the grand spectacle before the Great Yan Continent's sect tournament!
Led by the grand elder, Cloud-Leveling Hall's disciples entered the central area of White Frost Ancient City's plaza. Blue-clad outer disciples and purple-robed inner disciples stood in orderly formation, their presences gathering into a keen edge.
Their arrival, however, immediately drew the attention of the surrounding sect disciples.
"Heh, those are Cloud-Leveling Hall's disciples, aren't they?"
A red-robed Luofu Hall disciple sneered, his voice loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "During the last battle in the Shadow Forest, they couldn't even touch the fringes of our outer ranks. Now they actually dare come to White Frost Ancient City to join the bustle."
"Hmph, Cloud-Leveling Hall may have plenty of people, but most of their outer disciples are in the Mortal Fetus Realm or Spirit Awakening Realm. There are barely any in the Qi Condensation Realm. If they encounter our Thousand Autumns Hall's true soul disciples, they'll probably be on their knees within three moves."
The Thousand Autumns Hall disciple's eyes were cold and sinister, his voice hoarse, as though carrying some power that invaded divine sense and made the hearts of those listening tighten.
Not far away, a group of White Cloud Sect outer disciples were also discussing them indifferently:
"Cloud-Leveling Hall... They count as a sect in the Eastern Region, but on a stage like this tournament, they're nothing more than a backdrop."
"Exactly. A few minor figures among their disciples have had their moments in the spotlight, like that fellow called Qin Yu, but whether he can truly stand until the end depends on whether he survives."
"Ha ha, well said."
A White Cloud Sect disciple stood with his hands behind his back, looking down upon them. His softly spoken words were already filled with boundless contempt.
Hearing these remarks, Cloud-Leveling Hall's disciples' expressions shifted slightly. The hot-blooded among them could not help clenching their fists, fury burning in their eyes.
Yang Zheng gritted his teeth and said quietly to Qin Yu, "Brother Yu, these bastards are too arrogant! They're treating our Cloud-Leveling Hall like a soft persimmon!"
Zhao Xinyu also frowned slightly, sweeping a cold gaze over their surroundings. "If I meet them in the ring, I won't hold back."
Nangong Heyao was far more composed. He snorted coldly, his lowered voice ringing like clashing metal. "Ignore their words. The tournament ring is where the real contest takes place. When the time comes, if I get the chance, I'll shatter their arrogance myself."
Qin Yu remained calm, his eyes as deep as a sea of stars. He glanced around indifferently, his voice cold and clear. "If they want to laugh, let them. We'll meet in the ring shortly. I'll make them swallow today's mockery themselves."
Hearing this, the nearby Cloud-Leveling Hall disciples' eyes immediately brightened. The anger in their chests became towering fighting spirit, faintly beginning to contend with the momentum of the other sects' disciples.
The entire plaza, originally a solemn and imposing gathering place, now quietly filled with an invisible scent of gunpowder. Spiritual Qi trembled in the air, as though conflict might erupt at any moment.
Just as swords were drawn and bows were bent within the plaza, a pressure as vast as the ocean abruptly descended from the sky!
Boom-!
Space shook, and the entire plaza instantly fell into deathly silence. Every disciple's breath caught, their hearts seemingly gripped by an invisible giant hand, unable to move.
"Enough. Quiet, everyone."
The voice was deep and solemn, yet carried an irresistible heavenly might. An old man in black-and-gold robes slowly stepped out of thin air. His hair and beard were white, his gaze like lightning, and every movement carried boundless spiritual radiance. His presence lay across them like a great mountain, steady and unshakable. He was at-greater completion of the Soul Foundation Realm!
"White Frost Ancient City's steward-Venerable White Frost!"
Countless disciples around them exclaimed together, then bowed their heads in salute, their voices thundering. "Our respects to Venerable White Frost!"
Venerable White Frost swept his lightning-like gaze across the gathering, making every sect's disciples tremble inwardly. Those who had mocked and secretly provoked others immediately fell silent and lowered their heads, even slowing their breathing.
Immediately afterward, a grand elder in blue-green robes appeared on the raised platform. His presence was less weighty than Venerable White Frost's, but carried an infinitely profound quality. Spiritual light surrounded him, revealing his terrifying cultivation at the middle stage of the Mystic Understanding Realm.
"Cloud-Leveling Hall's grand elder..."
Many sect disciples murmured, a trace of gravity flashing through their eyes. Someone in the Mystic Understanding Realm could sweep aside the overwhelming majority of sect disciples.
With the two top experts appearing one after another, the unrest and rivalry across the plaza were instantly suppressed. Only solemnity and dignity remained in the air.
Venerable White Frost looked around and slowly spoke, his voice rolling like thunder and shaking the heavens:
"The sects gathered in White Frost Ancient City are all future pillars of the Great Yan Continent. Today's tournament concerns not only your personal honor and disgrace, but your sects' prestige as well! I care nothing for your private grudges, but there will be no further disputes outside the ring. Otherwise, you will be punished for an offense against the sects!"
At these words, countless disciples answered quietly, "We respectfully obey your decree, Venerable!"
Cloud-Leveling Hall's grand elder then rose and swept his sleeve. Spiritual Qi became a vast blue-green light, illuminating the entire plaza:
"All sects, take your seats in order and assume your positions. Venerable White Frost will shortly preside over the drawing of lots to determine the order of the matches."
Rumble-
Around the plaza, magnificent stone steps and seats that had already been prepared appeared, each inscribed with ancient formation patterns that flickered with spiritual light. The five super sects were assigned the highest seats in the center, with the White Cloud Sect foremost, its imposing presence unrivaled. The Thousand Autumns Hall, Luofu Hall, the Tide Capital Sect, and the Jun Heaven Sect stood to either side, towering like the Five Sacred Mountains.
Cloud-Leveling Hall and the other powerful sects were arranged in the next tier in order, while the small and medium-sized sects occupied the outer edges.
The disciples took their seats in succession, leaving a vast tournament ground hundreds of feet across in the plaza's center. Luminous formation patterns intertwined and Spiritual Qi churned; it was clearly an arena prepared in advance.
As the disciples of myriad sects settled into their seats, their presences intertwined into a vast ocean, pressing upon space until it hummed and trembled. Every gaze now focused on Venerable White Frost upon the raised platform.
The next instant, Venerable White Frost raised his hand and grasped at the air. An ancient lot-drawing spirit disc appeared from nothing. Its body was crystal-clear, inscribed with countless runes, flowing with spiritual light and radiating a vast presence.
"Tournament drawing-begin!"
The atmosphere in the plaza instantly reached its peak. Every sect's disciples watched with burning eyes and quickened breaths, awaiting the revelation of their fates.
Venerable White Frost lightly swept his sleeve, and the lot-drawing spirit disc suspended high overhead slowly began to turn. The entire disc was crystalline, its runes gleaming, as though rivers of stars flowed within it. It gave off a deep hum-, making every disciple's mind tremble.
Countless eyes stared fixedly at the spirit disc, their breathing quick. Every flicker of its runes would determine the fate of a sect's disciples.
The first banner to light up belonged to the Cloud Waves Gate.
Four outer disciples' figures appeared within the radiance. All were at initial entry into the Qi Condensation Realm, with one slightly more outstanding, faintly giving off the sense that he was approaching the middle stage. Seeing this, the Cloud Waves Gate's disciples felt both nervous and excited, offering quiet encouragement. "This is our chance! As long as we fight steadily and securely, we might still have a chance to win!"
Immediately afterward, the spirit disc turned again, and the second sect's banner appeared-the Gale Hall.
Boom! Four figures appeared, their presences distinctly fierce. All were at the middle stage of the Qi Condensation Realm, and one tall disciple had even faintly reached the verge of major accomplishment of the Qi Condensation Realm. Spiritual Qi howled around him like wind blades. The Gale Hall's disciples immediately erupted in cheers, their spirits high and their eyes filled with confidence.
"Ha ha, the Gale Hall's disciples truly are unstoppable!"
"They're certain to win this battle!"
Venerable White Frost's gaze remained indifferent. With only a slight lift of his hand, the spirit disc turned a third time.
Spiritual light flickered and runes surged like tides, finally settling on the Mystic Crane Sect's banner.
Whoosh-
Six figures appeared, their cultivation levels clearly distinguished. Four were at initial entry into the Qi Condensation Realm, and one was at the middle stage. The disciple leading them wore fluttering white robes. His presence was restrained, yet carried an edge that could not be ignored-he was unmistakably at major accomplishment of the Qi Condensation Realm!
The sight instantly sent an uproar through the plaza:
"The Mystic Crane Sect actually sent a disciple at major accomplishment?!"
"The Cloud Waves Gate is probably in trouble now..."
"Even the Gale Hall probably can't claim a certain victory against them."
The Cloud Waves Gate's disciples turned deathly pale. They had already been the weakest, and now their hearts weighed as heavily as mountains. The Gale Hall's disciples also grew solemn, no longer daring to underestimate the Mystic Crane Sect's reserves.
The Mystic Crane Sect's disciples, meanwhile, grew excited, proud light flashing in their eyes. The white-robed disciple at major accomplishment of the Qi Condensation Realm stood with his hands behind his back and spoke indifferently. "In this battle, the Mystic Crane Sect will take first place."
Venerable White Frost's expression was cold and stern, his voice rolling down. "For the first round of outer disciple battles, the Cloud Waves Gate, Gale Hall, and Mystic Crane Sect will take the field first. The remaining sects will wait."
Across the plaza, countless disciples erupted into an uproar. Fighting spirit and tension intertwined, making even the sky above White Frost Ancient City seem to tremble without end.