The Fei Household Tournament

"Elder Zong, this..." Fei Nanying truly had no intention of putting Sect Leader Kang Da in a difficult position. He genuinely wanted to protect his increasingly pleasing nephew-in-law.

"It's alright, a son-in-law is half a son too." The white-haired old woman chimed in, even using such vulgar slang to make a fool of Kang Dabao.

The old man in purple robes smiled faintly and said, "Ha, the old lady is right. It's not a good idea for the young men to always stay at home and work in isolation. They're like frogs in a well, with no idea what heroes the world has to offer."

My lads, don't worry. I didn't come empty-handed this time. Even Ancestor Ye Shui gave me this instruction before I left. You absolutely mustn't hold back this time, or you'll definitely regret it."

Golden Core cultivator had already spoken, Fei Nanying had no reason to refuse. He looked at Kang Dabao with a hint of regret, thinking to himself, "This kid's first time trying to be a pioneer, and he's already run into this mess."

Seeing the eager expressions on the faces of the Fei Household True Cultivator in the hall, Fei Nanying that this hurdle with Sect Leader Kang Da would not be easy to overcome.

The Fei Lineage members of the She Mountain Hall, having been far from their ancestral home, longed for the prosperity of Ying Prefecture. Today, they were delighted to have the presence of their clan elder, who had also promised generous rewards.

Even if one doesn't win first place after a fierce battle, it would still be a great thing to leave an impression on the elders.

Under such circumstances, who wouldn't want to give it their all?

"There's no way to hide now!" Kang Dabao immediately realized that this was why he always preferred to stay hidden in the crowd. Being too conspicuous or too prominent would only attract unnecessary trouble.

Under Fei Shuhe's surprised gaze, Sect Leader Kang Da stepped forward, gently squeezed her soft, boneless hands to offer some comfort, and respectfully replied, "I am deeply grateful for Elder's kindness; it is indeed my wish, and I dare not ask for more."

"Haha, your son-in-law is quite the bachelor!" The purple-robed elder remained unmoved, only chuckling in praise. "In that case, let's begin."

"Reporting to Elder, this junior has another matter to discuss." Before the purple-robed elder could finish speaking, Kang Dabao interrupted, saying:

"I am Kang Dabao, born in the 387th year of the Qianfeng reign. I have been cultivating in a muddled way until today, and I can be described as utterly useless. What's more, my knowledge is also shallow, and I can't even recognize a few Daoist scriptures."

Some time ago, I still harbored a glimmer of hope, yet I still ventured into a dangerous secret realm. This was undoubtedly an act of arrogance. My skills are insufficient; I even lost my prized Spirit Artifact in the formation and suffered some injuries, which have not yet healed.

I hope Elder Zong will not misunderstand. I am not saying these things now to find excuses for our defeat later, but rather to avoid tarnishing the reputation of all the outstanding members of the Fei Household.

After all, if, after the minor competition, some busybody insists on calling the victory "unfair," it would be rather unseemly. Therefore,

The Sect Leader Kang Da paused here, and after subtly glancing at the purple-robed elder's expression, the kind-hearted man finally spoke with relief:

"Therefore, I humbly request Elder Zong to postpone the battle to another day. Please do not let the humble and ignorant youth of this junior ruin this long-awaited grand event for the Fei Household's talents."

"Elder Zong, this lad may be a bit cunning, but there's some truth to what he said. Could we postpone the small competition within the hall for a while, perhaps until one month?"

While offering his advice, Fei Nanying inwardly applauded Kang Dabao's words. The latter was indeed tactful; he was making excuses, yet his reasoning was sound; he was belittling himself, yet he didn't make others look down on him.

The purple-robed elder looked slightly surprised. He first stopped the white-haired old woman who was about to say something, and his gaze toward Sect Leader Kang Da became even more serious.

After hearing Fei Nanying's words, he shook his head slightly and said, "I'm afraid I can't stay that long. There's no time like the present, so it's difficult to change things now."

"However, what this son-in-law of the Kang Household said is not without reason. You are injured and do not have a suitable Spirit Artifact. If the Fei Household's sons win, it will be an unfair victory."

After saying this, a flash of light appeared at the old man's fingertips, and an exquisite and elegant cyan jade bottle suddenly appeared in his hand. He then handed the jade bottle to Kang Dabao, who was somewhat surprised.

"This is a Third-Tier Lower-Grade Hundred Herbs Spirit-Nurturing Pill. You should be able to refine it in two hours. At that time, your injuries will be fully recovered."

"The Hundred Herbs Spirit-Nurturing Pill? This is a healing pill commonly used by Golden Core cultivators! It can not only completely heal this kid's injuries, but the remaining two-thirds of its medicinal power could probably save him three to five years of hard work in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage!" The white-haired old woman was shocked and angry, and she was very puzzled by the purple-robed old man's actions.

Even the Sect Leader Kang Da hadn't expected this elder of the Fei Household to be so generous.

It should be understood that the higher the grade of the elixir, the harder it is to find. For example, First Tier injury medicine used by Qi Refining Qi Refinement can be found everywhere in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty; but it is not the case for Golden Core cultivators. Third Tier elixir is already considered rare in the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty.

They either had to obediently wait to be ripped off by a large trading company like Myriad Treasures Trading Company, or they had to try their luck at high-end auctions.

As for the wonderful thing of befriending a Third Tier Alchemist and obtaining a stable purchasing channel, ordinary Golden Core cultivators wouldn't even dare to dream of it.

Therefore, even for cultivators at the Golden Core stage, these Third Tier pills are quite precious. Moreover, the Hundred Herbs Spirit-Nurturing Pill that the purple-robed elder took out is rare even among Third Tier healing pills due to its balanced and gentle nature.

Giving such a precious elixir to Kang Dabao, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, for healing is indeed a bit extravagant. However, the purple-robed elder showed no reluctance, only urging Kang Dabao to hurry back.

"I can heal your injuries, but I have no way to deal with this Spirit Artifact. However, that's just how things are in this world, and even Heaven can't always accommodate you. Come back in two hours, don't delay things."

Without waiting for Kang Dabao, he immediately raised his wine cup again, shouting, "Don't stop drinking! Don't stop drinking! Only those who can drink strong liquor and subdue dragons and tigers are true sons of the Fei Household!"

Under the piercing gaze of the white-haired old woman, which seemed almost tangible, Kang Dabao reassured Fei Shuhe in her eyes, before anxiously asking one of Fei Nanying's attendants for a quiet room.

"Third Tier pill, indeed different." Sect Leader Kang Da first examined the pill carefully. As soon as he brought the ink-black pill close to his nose, he was overwhelmed by the abundant spiritual power and felt dizzy.

"Tsk, I'm really reluctant to swallow it. If only I could store this pill in the sect's treasury as a superior spiritual item to protect the lives of my Double Brightness disciples."

After muttering to himself for a while, Kang Dabao realized how absurd it all seemed.

This is fortuitous opportunity that countless people dream of but could never have! Just now, when the purple-robed elder was administering the pills, even the Fei Household disciples in the hall were extremely jealous of him. He really is used to worrying himself sick; he actually wanted to give away this wonderful opportunity?!

With a "gulp," the pill entered the mouth and, along with the golden elixir, went into the stomach of Sect Leader Kang Da. The outermost layer of the pill first dissolved, and the medicinal power circulated as pure energy, seeping into the acupoints.

Before long, Kang Dabao felt his meridians were flowing smoothly, and the chronic illnesses and injuries he had suffered were visibly improving. Even some minor wounds in his meridians from years of misdirected Qi circulation were being restored to their original state with the help of the pure Qi.

Time passed slowly, until the Hundred Herbs Spirit-Nurturing Pill had shrunk to two-thirds of its original size. Only then did Sect Leader Kang Da had been meditating with his eyes closed for a long time, open them.

"Phew, this feeling is truly wonderful, almost as good as the Mystic Union Method of Primordial Oneness."

Sect Leader Kang Da felt an unprecedented sense of comfort in his body, an experience he hadn't felt in many years. "Let the battle continue, who cares? Just taking this pill is enough."

After getting approval, Kang Dabao abandoned his usual cautious demeanor and strode confidently into the lively Fei Household banquet.

As soon as he appeared, he pulled out one by one the Fei Household True Cultivator who seemed to be immersed in the banquet.

The elderly man in purple robes held the highest rank, and no one dared to speak before him. He stopped Kang Dabao, who was about to offer polite thanks, and called out loudly to Fei Nanying, "Good, good, Kang Household son-in-law, why are you so late? Nanying, bring another vat of fresh wine, make it spicy, just to add some flavor to this little contest."

"Alright, my lads, let's see you show your skills!" The purple-robed elder then tossed out an extremely ornate bamboo divination tube. Immediately afterward, a wisp of spiritual light emerged from the tip of his sword finger, scattering the purple jade bamboo sticks inside the tube and randomly landing them in the hands of each of the cultivators participating in the competition.

"Tsk," Kang Dabao's little trick of revealing his age had no effect, which was exactly what he expected. The purple-robed elder had sharp eyes and wouldn't care about the former's little trick.

"Thirty-four, not bad luck." Sect Leader Kang Da muttered his number to himself, pinching the fine purple jade bamboo Higher Vehicle in his hand, thinking to himself that he would secretly pocket it later.

After all, if he could bring it back to the Chongming Small Pavilion, he could at least forge a top-grade magic Law Artifact to fill the shelf.

As soon as the number slips were issued, one of the attendants accompanying the purple-robed elder, a handsome young man with a single horn on his head, activated the array plate and set up four massive arenas on a low hill next to the long table banquet.

"The same rules apply: no external items exceeding the Second Tier may be used. Items crafted by oneself, after being inspected by the judges, are an exception." The purple-robed elder didn't elaborate, only giving a brief instruction before urging the cultivators participating in the competition to step onto the arena.

His words made no mention of any warnings against using desperate measures or harming others, and it's unclear whether this was due to confidence in his own strength or simply because the Fei Household's competitions have always been as genuine and intense as real gold and raging fire.

"Station C." Kang Dabao found his seat, looked up, and felt a sense of foreboding. Sitting in the head judge's seat was the white-haired old woman who held a deep prejudice against him.

The old woman remained composed, standing with her eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to everything, waiting for the young disciple to approach.

There was nothing Kang Dabao could do about bad luck. He had no choice but to look around and count the Fei Household cultivators in the small competition. There were only thirty-two of them.

This means that apart from Fei Nanying and the white-haired old woman, who were chosen by the purple-robed elder to be the referees, there were more than ten other Fei Household who did not participate.

"Young master, you may not know, but the Fei Household's competition only selects cultivators above the Foundation Establishment and under 150 years old to participate," Fei Shuhe explained quietly, noticing Kang Dabao's question.

"Young master, look over there." Nanny Sun pointed to a middle-aged man in a yellow robe on the Jia-character arena and said in a deep voice:

"That gentleman is called Fei Nanhu. He is Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator and practices the Vast-Tier Superior-Grade Cultivation Method, 'Blazing Flame River-Burning Art.' His fire magic is extremely fierce. He possesses a top-grade Spirit Artifact, the Fire Venerable Seal, which he once used to force back Foundation Establishment Peak cultivator."

In his early years, he enlisted in the army in Liangxi Circuit Haitang Prefecture Circuit and served for half a century, during which time he killed thirty-nine Second Tier Demon Beast and countless First Tier Demon Beast. He then spent ten years studying in the Two Rivers Circuit, and his strength should have improved considerably since then.

Nanny Sun was indeed well-versed in the Fei Household's inner workings; even Fei Shuhe, a member of the Fei Household, couldn't match her in this regard. Sect Leader Kang Da turned his gaze to Fei Nanhu, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Truly a formidable opponent."

Fei Nanhu's opponent was a young cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. Just by looking at the latter's unstable foundation, Kang Dabao could tell that he was probably no match for Fei Nanhu, a ruthless character.

As Sect Leader Kang Da had predicted, the young cultivator, after calling out "Uncle" with a troubled expression, was defeated by the illusory image of Fei Nanhu Fire Dragon in less than ten breaths.

This was only because Fei Nanhu was mindful of the presence of Elder Zong today, thus giving the younger generation ample face.

However, if today's competition had not been organized by the important figure in purple robes, this young cultivator might not have even had the courage to fight him, and would have jumped off the stage on his own.

Of the eight in this round, apart from Fei Nanhu, only one mid-stage cultivator wielding a black jade ring knife was somewhat worthy of Sect Leader Kang Da's attention; the rest were all insignificant.

With the losers eliminated, the next round of eight Fei Household cultivators quickly entered the arena.

In this round, Nanny Sun also gave her comments on several cultivators, but after looking at them, Kang Dabao did not find any of them to have the same outstanding performance as Fei Nanhu.

In his eyes, these scions of wealthy families, apart from having more dazzling robes and Spirit Artifact, were far inferior to the ruthless and vicious cultivators of the Shannan Circuit in terms of their methods.

"There are two mid-stage cultivators in this round, but their skills are not even as good as Fire Dragon Daoist's," Sect Leader Kang Da thought to himself, realizing that he had overestimated these people from the capital.

That makes sense. Even though they are all members of the Fei Household, not everyone can be as exceptionally talented as Fei Nanying. There are always more mediocre people in this world, but those who are born better can indeed stand higher than ordinary people.

These cultivators' duels always happened in the blink of an eye, and in the blink of an eye, half of the Fei Household cultivators who participated in the minor competition had already left the arena.

At the Fang Yi beginning of this third round, Nanny Sun pointed out a noteworthy figure to Sect Leader Kang Da: "The gentleman in the blue robe at Jiazi Terrace is called Fei Nanfeng. He is Miss's uncle, the fifth in his family, and currently serves as the Registrar of the Prefectural Governor's Office. He is highly regarded by Zhu Tong Prefectural Governor Zhu."

"So this is the infamous Fifth Master Fei?" Kang Dabao sighed inwardly. He had visited the Fei Household quite a few times over the years, but he had never spent a single moment with this uncle-in-law. The latter's attitude towards his nephew-in-law was therefore self-evident.

Fei Nanfeng was not weak; he was also a late-stage cultivator. Although his foundation did not seem as solid as Fei Nanhu's, he still had enough power, with a top-grade Spirit Artifact- level Qilin-patterned inkstone, to easily defeat his first-round opponent, a very burly mid-stage cultivator.

"He's quite capable, probably a bit stronger than Wu Cangyun." Kang Dabao felt a little relieved, thinking to himself that if he were to run into this uncle-in-law later, he would have to be careful and give Fei Shuhe and his Boyue Sima Fei some face.

Fei Nanfeng stepped off the arena with a hint of smugness, and Nanny Sun then pointed out a purple-bearded cultivator in the arena to Kang Dabao.

"Young Master, please look. That is Young Master Fei Enhua. He is the only Ice Leaf Dao Foundation cultivator in our She Mountain Hall in the past sixty years, besides Miss Wanqing. He practices the Zhou Grade Middle-Grade Cultivation Method, 'Jade Liquid Bright Gold Art,' and is skilled in wielding both water and fire swords."

Fei Enhua, Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator, was handsome but fought with extreme brutality. He wielded his water and fire swords wildly, causing the female cultivator opposite him, also Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator, to cry out in pain.

However, although the latter was Azure Leaf Dao Foundation cultivator and had only mastered a Hong Grade Cultivation Method, he was clearly not an easy opponent.

With the help of a Hong Grade body-refining technique he had also cultivated, he withstood the initial fierce attack and was able to fight the latter to a standstill for a time.

Although Fei Enhua's Cultivation Method were high, he still fought very hard. Several times he was even close to being knocked off the stage by the female cultivator with the long spear who found an opening.

In the end Fei Enhua only managed to win by a narrow margin because his Cultivation Method technique was of a much higher grade than his peer's.

Kang Dabao noticed that the purple-robed elder, who had been observing the entire situation, frowned, and he could also see that Fei Nanying, who had just finished presiding over a round of matches, looked the same.

"Fei Enhua's dual swords of water and fire, combining yin and yang, have some ingenuity and are worth reading. However, he is probably too arrogant, having only read the 'Jade Liquid Bright Gold Art' and then choosing a Cultivation Method that is completely incompatible with him."

Without grasping its true meaning, his cultivation will likely be extremely arduous. If he were more grounded and mastered a Hong Grade Cultivation Method, he would probably have already surpassed that spear-wielding female cultivator.

Kang Dabao didn't think that this only Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment among the Fei Household opponents was anything worth his attention.

Although both were at the Ice Leaf Foundation Establishment, and even though his Third's cultivation was far inferior to Fei Enhua's, Sect Leader Kang Da was still confident that Jiang Qing could easily defeat him.

After Fei Enhua's hard-fought victory, it was finally the turn of the fourth round of junior cultivators, including Kang Dabao, to take the stage.

Kang Dabao first greeted the white-haired old woman who was the head referee, along with his opponent on the stage, and then exchanged greetings with a handsome, disheveled cultivator opposite him.

The cultivator, Sect Leader Kang Da, had been seriously mentioned by Nanny Sun from below the stage. His name was Fei Nanben, a late-stage cultivator whose abilities were not worth mentioning.

As the only outsider in this competition, Sect Leader Kang Da naturally attracted most of the attention from the audience.

After all, having witnessed the purple-robed elder's deliberate or unintentional provocation, none of these young Fei Household True Cultivator didn't want to personally defeat Kang Dabao on the arena.

Fei Nanben was also quite satisfied with his fortune. Although Kang Dabao had participated in many important events over the years, such as defeating False Core and Foundation Establishment, he had quite a reputation for stirring up trouble.

Fei Nanben scoffed at these rumors. What could a down-on-his-luck sect leader who was still struggling in the Middle Qi Refinement at the age of thirty possibly have, even if he had been fortunate enough to establish the Ice Leaf Dao Foundation thanks to the protection of his wife's family? He had only been at the Foundation Establishment for ten years.

He probably doesn't even possess a single Hong Grade Dao technique that has reached the rudimentary level! Heaven knows if the state court fabricated many things to frame him in order to promote this horse bone.

Even if he became a mid-stage cultivator in a short time by relying on the Tiger and Wolf Medicine, so what? It can't compare to the pure spiritual energy he obtained through diligent cultivation! He is a genuine late-stage cultivator, having already Foundation Establishment for over a hundred years!

"Perhaps even Elder Zong is watching me from behind!!" With this in mind, Fei Nanben disregarded his seniority and took the initiative to act.

With a whoosh, five menacing ice spikes were easily deflected by Kang Dabao using the Immortal Game Disc. "It seems his magic is just so-so."

Before Sect Leader Kang Da could even form a thought, Fei Nanben, wielding a horse-slaying saber, brought it down fiercely at him. Without moving, the Immortal Game Disc Plate blocked the entire attack.

"This Spirit Artifact is also mediocre." Having failed to sense the excitement and fear of the Immortal Game Disc this time as well, Kang Dabao made another definitive assessment.

"Arrogant brat!"

Two consecutive moves failed to harm Kang Dabao, instead allowing him to put on a show. Fei Nanben's plan for a quick defeat was completely thwarted, so he shouted sharply, a layer of golden light wrapped around the blade of his horse-slaying saber, and slashed down heavily.

"Even your swordsmanship is mediocre!" Sect Leader Kang Da raised an eyebrow, and the battered Immortal Game Disc was still held out, with a few fragments falling off as it was caught by the blade's edge.

This greatly excited Fei Nanben: "Being born poor is no good! I can't even afford to maintain the top-grade defensive magical Spirit Artifact that Lord Bo generously rewarded me with!"

"Press your advantage!" Fei Nanben was greatly encouraged and unleashed several sword strikes. After they were "barely" neutralized by the Immortal Game Disc, Fei Nanben, seeing the great power of his swordsmanship, even dared to approach Kang Dabao with his sword and desperately slash down.

"Fool!" The white-haired old woman sighed softly from the side, then closed her eyes.

"Heh," the purple-robed old man in the distance smirked slightly, shifting his gaze elsewhere.

With a clang, two beams of Golden Light shot out, instantly dislodging Fei Nanben's trusted horse-slaying sword from his hand. This high-quality Spirit Artifact spun twice in the air before plunging heavily into the diamond-studded stone slabs that formed the arena.

Its master wasn't unresponsive, but rather had no way to respond. At this moment, Fei Nanben's face was ashen, and a broad, thick hand was tightly binding his throat. The short, thick fingers seemed capable of easily tearing his throat out, rendering him unable to move.

The audience erupted in uproar.

"We lost!?"

"Uncle Nanben, why have you gone to such lengths?!"

The Sect Leader Kang Da, ignored the commotion and stared intently at the white-haired old woman. Her face remained expressionless; after a moment's contemplation, she finally spoke, "Kang Dabao has won."