Chapter 446: Freeloading Fisher

To the extent that Little Martial Uncle Zu could handle it with ease...

Not very credible.

Although Little Martial Uncle Zu had always come and gone alone, and had no real interaction with him either, he had still heard things about her style of conduct.

He'd heard she was rather "flamboyant" or "out there"...

If it really were as she said, and the pursuers' strength was at a level she could handle with ease, then the so-called "shrinking circle" mechanism would lose its meaning.

She absolutely couldn't have said something that simple and straightforward.

Moreover, although that sword strike just now was only a probe, one could clearly sense that her follow-up strength was running out.

Obviously, she had suffered no light an injury.

His thoughts raced.

The sword-wielding youth's expression didn't change; within the translucent blade, stardust flowed, and a strange glint flashed through his eyes.

After about two or three seconds, he took a step back.

"Many thanks for the information, Little Martial Uncle Zu."

Having spoken, his sword-light transformed into a rainbow, and he turned and vanished directly into the horizon, drawing a long stream of stardust across the night sky.

Forget it, no certainty.

The situation was unclear at present, the pursuers' strength unknown, and stepping out of the safe zone carried enormous risk—he still couldn't be too impulsive.

Since he had no certainty, he might as well preserve his own condition first, then find another direction to leave the safe zone and probe the pursuers...

That's right!

Although he'd realized this round's "pursuers" were no simple matter, he still prepared to do exactly that.

As for why...

He was a sword cultivator, after all!

"Ran off just like that..." Chi Jiuyu muttered at the horizon.

Although it had been only a brief instant, the hostility that leaked out had still been keenly detected by her.

This kid actually wanted to eliminate her, Ancestor Jiuyu!

Not caring about fellow-sect sentiment in the slightest!

Once she became Sect Master, she would definitely strengthen the sect's conduct-building, so that every disciple would understand what unity meant...

While contemplating her grand Xiang Jianzong-building enterprise, she descended from the air.

Seeing her come down, Ye Zhiwei waved her hand and sent the alchemy furnace into a pit she'd dug nearby.

"That person just now was from the Xiang Jianzong—didn't you ever think about cooperating with him, and then eliminating me?"

She was from Jishi Valley, after all.

"Oh right!" Chi Jiuyu acted as if she'd only just realized, vexedly thumping her own hand. "Why didn't I think of that!"

"..."

Ye Zhiwei narrowed her eyes, looking at her with ill intent.

"Hehe!" Seeing her like that, Chi Jiuyu's vexed expression vanished without a trace. "You didn't really believe it, did you?"

"Just kidding, I wouldn't cooperate with him—Little Ye is far more trustworthy."

Hm?

"Why?"

He and you are fellow disciples of the Xiang Jianzong.

"I'm injured right now, so I can't beat him." Chi Jiuyu said very honestly. "If I cooperated with him to take care of you, who knows if he'd turn around and eliminate me?"

The rules changed this year—it's not like the ring battles or Secret Realm trials of the past few years.

There's more emphasis on the individual ability of the participants.

It's like they're selecting something...

She also didn't know how the next Xian Sect Grand Competition would be handled.

Ye Zhiwei was stunned for a moment, then forced out: "You really are honest."

"Of course, that's my outstanding virtue—you could learn a bit more from me."

"..."

This girl really was like a snake following the stick you hit it with—give her an inch and she opens a dyehouse.

Ye Zhiwei was caught between tears and laughter.

"I'll continue refining pills—there's still some time, I need to recover from my injuries as quickly as possible."

"Mm, mm!"

Chi Jiuyu took out a pill that Ye Zhiwei had just tossed her.

Strangely, despite being refined by true fire, the pill that had only just come out of the furnace retained not the slightest trace of warmth; held in the hand, it even felt cool and silky.

She tossed it casually into her mouth.

Crack!

With an extremely faint crisp sound, the pill's outer shell was bitten open, and a clear, sweet medicinal liquid flowed out from within.

It dissolved directly without even needing to be swallowed.

The medicinal power permeated her five viscera and six bowels, and her whole person felt a sort of light, floaty sensation.

"Oh ho! This pill's pretty tasty—Little Ye, your craftsmanship is really not bad."

She marveled while circulating her magic power to assist in refining the medicinal power.

"Even tastier than Little Xuanxuan's snack pills!"

My top-grade Stardust Pill, and you use it to compare with those trashy snack pills...

Forget it!

She wouldn't understand even if I told her.

"There are too many kinds of healing pills nowadays, and their effects are all about the same—so we can only focus on flavor."

The alchemy field has been continuously subdivided, becoming more cutthroat year after year.

As far as she knows, many alchemists have taken up side jobs—or even switched careers entirely to become Star Refiners; with a foundation in alchemy, they find it easier to refine planetary components than others…

Sigh~

Alchemists used to be the top among the hundred arts of cultivation, but now they've declined.

Of course, no matter how fallen alchemists have become, they're still far better off than the Rune Carvers, who've become road trash.

"The Xuanxuan you're talking about—is she Lin Xuanxuan?"

Within Ji Shi Valley, Lin Xuanxuan is still somewhat well-known.

"Exactly! She adores me."

"Oh."

As they chatted while walking, they soon entered the underground space dug out by Chi Jiuyu.

After observing the surroundings, Ye Zhiwei set up her alchemy furnace and flicked her fingers, sending out a thread of green-and-red true fire to burn away the residual medicinal dregs clinging to the furnace's interior.

Normally, an alchemist of her level rarely left any dregs behind—but who could blame her after being interrupted just now…

Chi Jiuyu sat nearby, swallowing another pill and breathing in rhythm to heal her injuries.

"By the way, is alchemy hard?"

The voice echoed through the underground space.

Ye Zhiwei turned to look at her: "Not hard."

Not hard…

Chi Jiuyu fell into thought for a moment, mainly because she felt she ought to learn a skill too.

Though hanging around her uncle was fun, just doing that would make her a "freeloading fish"—she'd ultimately have to rely on herself…

Fine!

It was really spurred on by little Xuanxuan.

"If you want to learn, I can teach you some alchemy basics first."

The ancient, once-secret alchemy basics have long been published on the Spirit Net; they're no longer a secret.

There are even many explanatory videos.

Once, an alchemist became famous by explaining alchemy basics and switched careers entirely to become a Charm Cultivator.

For a while, many Charm Cultivators learned alchemy basics; a few with talent ended up switching from Charm Cultivation back to alchemy…

They even served as the spokesperson for Ji Shi Valley's new spirit plant seeds these past two years!

You can only say that in a big forest, any kind of bird shows up.

"Hmm… I'll give it a try."

…

…

Night passed quickly.

The next morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, the pale gray of dawn still lingering in the distant horizon.

Outside the safe zone, a burly man was carefully suppressing his blood qi, hiding behind a boulder.

He wore the familiar black uniform—it was Qiu Zheng of the Longxiang Qingtianzong!

At this moment, he gazed into the distance; his powerful vision clearly revealed the scene hundreds of meters away.

There stood a Daoist clad in black-and-white robes, facing an swordsman whose sword intent surged wildly, surrounded by eighty-one flying swords, standing atop a formation diagram.

"Am I finally getting lucky?" Qiu Zheng whispered.

Yesterday he'd been beaten senseless by the Ancestor, and when he woke up, it was already night.

But since he still had time, he made the same decision as Chi Jiuyu and Ye Zhiwei—

Stay outside to recover his injuries, so he wouldn't be picked off by others once he entered.

For that, he'd specifically chosen a remote spot…

Hey!

You won't believe it—he wasn't the one getting picked off; he might be the one doing the picking!

Wow!

It must be because he perfectly restrained himself yesterday, so the Ancestor blessed him!

Thank you, Ancestor!

【Name: Qiu Zheng】

【Age: 54】

【Realm: Soul Transformation Early Stage】

【Current System Loaded: Scale of Years】

【Current Points: 2】

【Current Rank: 1】

【Evaluation: Sigma Real Man】

Before this, he'd already eliminated two others by pure strength, though there were likely others tied with him.

But with this next point, he'd be decisively in first place!

That's the evaluation…

The Holy Emperor's Abyss seemed to have mentioned this term before, but he hadn't looked into it and didn't know what it meant.

He planned to look it up properly after returning.

【WARNING!】

【DETECTED: You are not within a safe zone. Proceed to a safe zone immediately.】

【TIP: You have already been attacked once. The intensity of the next attack will increase!】

【Attack countdown: 00:17:37】

Seventeen minutes is more than enough!

Soon, the two figures in the distance finally began to move.

The void rippled with visible wrinkles; a chilling sword intent spread outward, as if capable of freezing all things in the world.

Instantly, eighty-one flying swords converged into a mysterious formation, manifesting the devastation of a massive planet-destroying warship's main cannon—stars shattering into ruin.

"It's the Planet-Slaying Sword Array…"

emm…

That makes sense—he's a modern sword cultivator after all!

Just like the Long Xiang Qing Tian Sect also has cultivation arts like the 'Jump Engine Diamond Body'!

Yet, facing the ferocious Planet-Slaying Sword Array, Hong Zun merely raised a hand and lightly tapped the air before him.

The void before him rippled like water; within the expanding ripples, black and white intertwined and spun, gradually becoming sharply distinct.

The sword momentum surged, the sword intent chilling.

Yet it was effortlessly swallowed by the spinning Yin-Yang fish.

Finally, the Yin-Yang fish merely trembled slightly, and the countless flying swords lost all propulsion, falling straight to the ground.

The sword cultivator controlling the array also collapsed backward.

That's it?!

Amazing.

Master Hong Zun is incredible!

Qiu Zheng marveled at his ancestor's prowess, yet remained motionless, waiting for them to leave before moving in to claim the easy points.

At that moment, Hong Zun suddenly turned his head and looked directly toward his location.

Qiu Zheng's heart tightened!

No way—hasn't the time run out yet?

As his tension mounted, Hong Zun's figure gradually faded, finally vanishing completely.

"Scared the hell out of me!"

Letting out a long breath, Qiu Zheng scrambled out from behind the rock.

He tapped his foot, his body streaking into afterimages as he dashed toward the unconscious sword cultivator!

Not wanting to waste time, he moved at full speed, instantly avoiding the scattered flying swords and arriving near the unconscious sword cultivator.

Looking down, he saw short, clean-cut hair, delicate and beautiful features, and finely arched eyebrows slightly furrowed.

His tightly pressed lips and pale complexion were dusted with dirt; he lay still, radiating a fragile, heartrending gentleness.

Qiu Zheng scanned his body, his gaze finally settling on his right hand.

More precisely, on the black ring on that hand.

Found it!

He raised his hand and summoned—the standard-issue storage ring issued for the competition was removed.

He probed with his spiritual sense!

"Damn! He's broke!"

Sword cultivators are always like this!

Qiu Zheng cursed under his breath, but still transferred the spiritual items inside into his own storage ring, then tossed the now-empty ring back.

Even a mosquito's leg is meat!

He glanced around.

Forget it—no need to collect the flying swords.

He tapped his foot and leapt upward, fingers clenching as he gathered his blood qi.

Boom!

A crimson fist imprint, like a falling meteor, crashed down; the earth sank inward, searing blood qi sweeping across, melting mud, stones, and debris into molten lava.

【Name: Qiu Zheng】

【Age: 54】

【Realm: Soul Transformation Early Stage】

【Current System Loaded: Scale of Ages】

【Current Points: 3】

【Current Ranking: 1】

【Evaluation: Sigma Real Man】

"Hahaha! Awesome!"

Amid roaring laughter, a streak of red light shot toward the safe zone.

…

…

Soon after Qiu Zheng left.

Two figures appeared: one was Hong Zun, who had just acted; the other, with white beard and white hair, an immortal aura, clad in a green Daoist robe, was Dan Zu.

"That youngling just now seemed to be a descendant of Lin's boy," Dan Zu said, watching Qiu Zheng depart.

"Mm, indeed he is."

"A pity—his overall strength is solid, but he's just unlucky."

That youngling's overall strength is no weaker than the one from Longxiang Qingtianzong; he's among the top-tier combatants of this trial.

He's one of the top contenders for the championship.

Yet he was eliminated so early, so senselessly.

"You can't say that—he may have been eliminated early, but he already got what he came for."

That youngling from the Xiang Jianzong, whose main cultivation is the Grand Void Sword Scripture, also supplemented it with the Seven Emotions Sword Scripture created by Lin's boy.

But he didn't follow the conventional path of refining the seven emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, aversion, and desire—into swords.

Instead, he forged a new path, refining the thought of survival and resistance—"When heaven collapses before you, all things shatter, yet with only the sword in hand, you seek a single thread of life"—into his sword.

Through this, he transformed from a sword cultivator who specialized in sword arrays into one who refines his life-sword.

Previously, he had tried seeking out the world's Return-to-Void cultivators, but the pressure they offered wasn't enough…

"These younglings today are all striving to forge their own paths," Hong Zun sighed.

"Heh, in this regard, no sect's younglings seem to do better than those of Taishang Daozong."

The Gou Dao sect!

They're famous throughout the entire Xuan Realm!

"…"

That old bastard—why bring up the one thing that's most annoying!

Dan Zu continued: "Still, even with unexpected eliminations, the overall level of the Xiang Jianzong's younglings remains quite high…"

Those of the same caliber as the one just now—ranked among the top tier even among all participants of this Cixian Sect competition—are six from the Xiang Jianzong!

Five from Taishang Daozong, five from Long Xiang Qing Tian Sect.

As for the other Xian Sects, each has only one or two.

"If the old rules still applied, the top spot would again go to your three sects."

In all these editions, Jishi Valley has only hosted the Xian Sect Competition twice!

"Talking about this is meaningless—this competition doesn't consider overall rankings anyway, and the hosting format has already changed; it'll soon be Jishi Valley's turn."

Future Xian Sect Competitions will be held in rotation. (End of chapter)