Chapter 32: Sect Grand Tournament

Luo Yao was pinned down by the Red Flame Tiger's aura, unable to move, as that mountain-like giant paw slammed down toward her; if it struck her body, she would undoubtedly be turned into minced meat.

"Xiao Yao!"

Seeing this from afar, Xiao Kui rushed over with all her might, spreading her arms to block in front of Luo Yao.

"Xiao Kui!"

Although Xiao Kui was a Puppet, Luo Yao treated her as a living person with feelings; how could she possibly remain calm watching Xiao Kui come to harm right before her eyes?

Boom!

A tremendous crash rang out; Luo Yao's eyes widened, and then she let out a sigh of relief.

She saw a man appear before the two of them, blocking the Red Flame Tiger's attack, and with a single punch, he actually blasted the Red Flame Tiger backward.

In the early Qi Refining stages, the gap between each realm is actually not large, but in the late Qi Refining stages, meaning above Qi Refining Eighth Layer, the difference between each layer is huge.

Afterwards, countless vines burst from the ground, tightly wrapping around the Red Flame Tiger and pinning it to the earth.

Moreover, with his Qi Refining Tenth Layer cultivation, his probability of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage in the future is high; he must be a disciple of some Elder.

Luo Yao had no concept of the peak of Qi Refining, but seeing the man's attack now, she understood, and felt even more anticipation for what came next.

"It's nothing; thank you, Shimei."

Han Qing is a good person; his only flaw is that he talks too much.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground trembled under the impact of the Treasure Seal, and the situation became one-sided.

Luo Yao shook her head. "My strength is too weak; I probably won't even pass the elimination round."

Whether the Red Flame Tiger was driven back by someone's strike or for some other reason, upon seeing the man appear, it grew even more furious; it roared and spat a sea of fire from its mouth, causing the temperature around them to spike instantly.

Seeing the danger pass, Luo Yao immediately sighed in relief, then looked at the man, utterly astonished.

Every year, the sect holds a grand tournament; the top two winners can obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill.

The man collected the Red Flame Tiger's corpse, approached Luo Yao, and wore a warm smile on his face; one could not tell at all that he had previously been violent enough to smash the Red Flame Tiger to death.

Judging by his attire, the man was a disciple of the Xuanyuan Sect, and moreover, an Inner Sect Disciple.

After all, the Xuanyuan Sect could not abandon the newly discovered Spirit Stone Mine, and the Ziguang Sect could not sit idly by while the Xuanyuan Sect obtained the Spirit Stone Mine and thus strengthened its power.

Luo Yao was somewhat shocked in her heart by the man's strength; this Red Flame Tiger possessed strength comparable to the peak of Qi Refining, yet it was easily dealt with by the man; even if this Red Flame Tiger was originally injured, it was not something that could be handled so easily.

"So it is Shimei Luo!"

The man obviously recognized Luo Yao; he let out an exclamation of surprise but showed no other reaction, revealing no sycophancy or other expression.

"Isn't Shimei Han a disciple of the Second Elder? Shouldn't he not need to compete with others for the Foundation Establishment Pill?"

Therefore, the Ziguang Sect sent people to attack the Spirit Stone Mine, hoping to seize it, but failed.

The Qi Refining Stage has a total of ten layers; after the tenth layer comes the peak of Qi Refining, and breaking through leads to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Even if they weren't distributed to them, just picking up whatever was left could make some low-level disciples rich.

"Hiss!"

As the two walked along, they heard the disciples of the Xuanyuan Sect in a state of great excitement; upon asking, they learned that the Ziguang Sect had discovered the Xuanyuan Sect's discovery of the Spirit Stone Mine.

Luo Yao was not interested in this, but after thinking it over, she did not return to her Cave Abode; instead, she hurried toward the Market.

This was a rare opportunity to witness the combat of a cultivator near the peak of Qi Refining.

"With Shimei Kui's strength, even if she cannot compete for the top spots, she can still secure a good ranking."

After chatting for a while, Luo Yao learned that the man was a disciple of the Second Elder and had come out to gather resources, improve his strength, and prepare for the sect's grand tournament.

Afterwards, that massive Treasure Seal, like an iron hammer, crazily smashed down upon the Red Flame Tiger's head.

Luo Yao suddenly understood; Foundation Establishment Pills are very precious, with a sect producing less than five per year; aside from offering two as tournament rewards, the other two serve as rewards for those who contributed to the sect that year, so even the Second Elder, even if he could obtain some, would not have many; a single one is simply not enough to share among his disciples.

Han Qing was speechless, then looked at Xiao Kui, who had remained silent and whose real name was unknown.

Therefore, the reason Luo Yao and the others saw everyone so excited was because they felt an opportunity had arrived.

Therefore, if one wants a Foundation Establishment Pill, one must rely on one's own efforts.

"My name is Luo Yao, and she is Xiao Kui!"

"So strong!"

If this pace of development continues, the conflict between the Xuanyuan Sect and the Ziguang Sect will intensify further, and it will absolutely possibly escalate into a great war between the two sects.

Luo Yao naturally had no reason to refuse; she and Xiao Kui went to a safe place, took a Pill to restore Spirit Power, and then carefully watched the front.

"The sect grand tournament is still one or two months away; Shimei Luo can also participate!"

"My name is Han Qing; I wonder how the two Shimei should be addressed!"

"Two Shimei, are you both alright?"

Han Qing did not seem to mind; instead, he sighed, "Master has more than one disciple; just those at my same realm number three..."

However, Luo Yao only took her leave after chatting about some information she wished to learn.

No matter who receives it, there will always be a situation where one cannot keep the bowl of water level.

Although it was presumptuous, Luo Yao could not help but ask.

"Qi Refining Tenth Layer!"

If it were Fang Qingyan, it would be fine; if it were anyone else, Luo Yao would have no mind to chat with him further.

Therefore, basically, those who sign up are those without background and lacking cultivation resources.

Moreover, the Ziguang Sect also wanted a share of the spoils; however, how could the Xuanyuan Sect possibly agree?

"Not interested!"

Facing a stranger, Xiao Kui naturally would not pay attention; even if she did, she would wear a cold expression, keeping people at a thousand li's distance.

Not long after, the Red Flame Tiger's roars turned into wails, and finally, all sound ceased.

The Red Flame Tiger let out a furious roar, flames erupting all over its body as it burned away the vines缠绕 on it, then tried to struggle to its feet, only to be smashed back into the ground by the treasure seal.

Han Qing chatted for a while longer, and Luo Yao found an excuse to leave.

The man turned his head to look over, revealing a warm, genial smile—the type that instantly inspires goodwill.

"Roar!"

To prevent another attack from the Ziguang Sect, the Xuanyuan Sect had no choice but to dispatch more personnel, even issuing a mission and letting disciples who were willing to go sign up.

Going to protect the Spirit Stone Mine not only earned points, but more importantly, as the saying goes, the pavilion closest to the water enjoys the moonlight first—surely they'd get a share when the Spirit Stone Mine was being excavated.

A massive treasure seal descended from the sky, crashing down like a mountain peak, slamming the Red Flame Tiger straight into the ground.

Yet the man showed no panic or fear, smiling at the two of them, Luo Yao and her companion, and saying, "Junior sisters, go rest somewhere safe first. I'll finish off this Beast."

In other words, the man had already reached the peak of Qi Refining.

Luo Yao and her companion helped each other up, and then Luo Yao spoke up in reply.

All in all, whether it was because the man was simply too strong, or because that was just how powerful one was above the tenth layer of Qi Refining, Luo Yao was nonetheless growing increasingly expectant about the future.

Neither side willing to back down, the only outcome would be bloodshed.

Therefore, Luo Yao planned to stockpile more resources before the great battle arrived, so that once the war broke out, the prices of all sorts of resources wouldn't skyrocket.

……

(End of this chapter)