CHAPTER 33: So Who’s Really the Fool Here?

Outside the Forest of Eternity.

Cultivators from various sects crouched atop trees, their eyes sweeping the surroundings as they swiftly transmitted real-time updates of the Four Regions Tournament across every corner of the cultivation world via transmission talismans—

“Right now, Su Feibai from the Northern Region has already successfully poisoned two spirit beasts. Looks like he’s leading the Northern Region cultivators to surround another lone spirit beast… Beautiful! The Ten Thousand Arts Sect’s Lightning Summoning Technique is terrifying beyond words!”

“Now let’s take a look at the Western Region—they’ve found a water source and are preparing to set up camp. The Buddhist cultivators from the Soundheart Monastery have activated a Buddha Light Barrier to guard against sneak attacks. The Spirit Herb Valley seems to have successfully harvested some sort of spiritual herb… This place is a resource goldmine!”

“As for the Southern Region, the young sect master Yu Yayi summoned his bonded spirit beast, the Snow-Treading Black Tiger, right from the start. See those white paws? That’s why it’s called ‘Snow-Treading.’ Looks like they’ve detected signs of a spirit beast and are heading that way… Huh?”

All the onlookers noticed one thing—scenery from the Eastern and Southern Region screens was starting to overlap.

No one had expected two regions to run into each other on the very first day!

The spectating cultivators immediately shifted their attention—mostly toward the Southern Region’s screen, of course.

Because the Southern Region was loaded.

Situated along the coast, the Southern Region boasted vast underwater resources, abundant minerals, and rich spiritual materials. Its border with the Forest of Eternity was also the smallest, so they didn’t need to worry as much about spirit beasts as the other three regions. All their sects were swimming in wealth.

Especially the Beast Taming Sect, known as the social butterflies of the cultivation world. They marketed their spirit beasts to every sect under the sun—even the Pill Cauldron Sect raised some spirit cranes sent from them. Although… Elder Ma had probably already stolen most of those.

As for the spirit beasts summoned by Beast Taming Sect disciples themselves, they were in a league of their own. Once inside the Forest of Eternity, they wouldn’t turn into corrupted beasts and were spiritually linked to their masters—essentially doubling their combat strength. Even without the talisman offensives of the last tournament, the Southern Region’s power wasn’t far off from the North’s.

Now the weakest Eastern Region had run straight into last year’s champion. Things were about to get interesting.

Perched high in the trees, the commentator was brimming with excitement. “Will the Eastern Region choose to face them head-on, or will they retreat while the Southern cultivators are still en route? Let’s take a look at the Eastern Region’s feed—right now, they’re—”

“Oh-ho? They’ve dropped flat! Is this a total surrender?!”

He yelled so loud that even the Elders seated up front could hear him.

The Southern Region’s Beast Taming Sect Elder smiled broadly, cupping his hands toward the Eastern Region Elders with a polite yet schadenfreude-laced tone. “Fellow Eastern cultivators, what unfortunate timing this year. Once the juniors come out, allow me to host them aboard our Heavenly Palace Cloud Vessel for a couple of days—as a gesture of goodwill and apology.”

The Heavenly Palace Cloud Vessel was the luxury cloudship that had been raided by rogue cultivators. But the Southern Region was so wealthy that even ten-plus thieves working together hadn’t managed to loot it clean.

Elder Ma had originally planned to crash the party for free food and drink, but after hearing that tone, he just let out a hollow chuckle, not even bothering to respond.

What, so you’re just assuming our entire Eastern Region is getting eliminated today? It’s one thing for me to badmouth our own juniors—but you throwing shade like that? Absolutely not.

Elder Xu let out a quiet sigh and said under his breath, “If the kids had chosen to retreat the moment they sensed movement, leaving a few to cover the rear, they could have saved most of the team.”

This was what everyone watching was thinking.

They couldn’t make sense of the Eastern Region’s tactical choices. Why lie flat in the grass at the first sign of other people? Even if it had been spirit beasts instead, lying in the grass wouldn’t help! Who’s making these decisions?

The others hadn’t been watching closely, so they didn’t know—but the Eastern Region Elders had been glued to the screen. Naturally, they knew who was in charge.

Elder Kuang was a bit puzzled. “Wasn’t Jiang Yuan supposed to be leading? Why hasn’t he said anything and let Little Fish girl do whatever she wants?”

Elder Xu didn’t know about the bet and couldn’t explain it. He just gripped his sword tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand from the strain.

If this turns into a total wipeout on day one… the Eastern Region might as well stop attending future tournaments.

Over in the Northern Region’s corner, their cultivators finally seized the opportunity to throw shade—indirect and sarcastic enough to avoid provoking Baili Kongshan, who hadn’t left yet, but still loud enough for the Eastern Region Elders to hear.

Elder Xu and Elder Kuang both looked grim and started rolling up their sleeves, ready to throw hands then and there.

Seeing tensions spike, Elder Ma hurriedly stepped in to calm nerves. “Actually, there’s no need to worry.”

When the others looked over, he continued bluffing, “Our sect really does have a trump card. Just keep watching.”

Inside the Forest of Eternity, the atmosphere was even more tense than outside.

A spirit tiger, pitch-black all over, slowly emerged from the thicket. Its enormous white paw crushed a bush beneath it to pulp. Its damp nose twitched slightly before it let out a deep, muffled growl.

“Stop.” Riding the black tiger, Yu Yayi raised his hand to signal the others to halt. “Snow-Treading smells blood—there’s been a fight up ahead.”

That meant someone or something was definitely ahead.

More than ten spirit beasts came to an immediate stop within the forest. The cultivators of the Beast Taming Sect and Returning Spring Gate sitting atop them all retrieved and swapped out their gear from their mustard seed pouches.

Rich people never have just one set of equipment. Although one set of offensive gear had been confiscated earlier outside, they’d planned for this. Inside their pouches, they had a full set of purely defensive treasures!

Their outer robes were high-grade magical gear. So were the pants, boots—even their belts!

The shimmering glow of so many high-grade treasures was blinding, nearly causing the Eastern Region’s poor disciples lying in the grass to lose control of their spiritual energy and fail their concealment technique.

Kuang Langsheng, both sour and worried, silently mouthed to Yu Youyou: “What do we do? They’re getting closer!”

The Southern Region cultivators, now fully equipped, were already advancing toward them atop their spirit beasts. The distance between the two sides was rapidly shrinking—Yu Youyou could already smell the scent of the spirit beasts.

Now’s the time!

She raised her hand and pointed forward, giving the command: “Throw the thunder!”

Justice from above!

Countless spiked balls, like dense dark-gray hailstones, hurtled across the wild grass under the force of spiritual energy, raining down upon the Southern Region cultivators on the other side!

Yu Yayi had just opened his mouth to warn the teammates behind him when a sharp pain suddenly exploded at the top of his head, nearly knocking him off the back of his spirit beast, Treading Snow. He reached up to remove the object, only to find the moment the spiked ball touched flesh, it latched on parasitically—he had to tear out a bloodied chunk of hair just to rip it off.

What the hell!

Every single Southern Region cultivator cursed inwardly. After putting on their high-grade defensive artifacts, they figured they could conserve spiritual power by skipping protective auras—who would’ve thought something so bizarre would rain down from the sky and hit their heads?

None of them had any kind of head protection. Nearly everyone took a hit, and the unlucky ones who’d looked up at the noise had their faces full of spikes.

Worse yet were the spirit beasts beneath them.

The beasts had no defensive artifacts at all. Most of the spiked balls ended up stabbing into their hides. In pain, they thrashed and tried to bolt, only to step onto the “thunder” laid on the ground.

Shrieks and roars from the spirit beasts rang out in succession, rising to a deafening crescendo. There was even a hint of the herd going out of control.

Yu Yayi, sensing the dire situation, quickly patted the head of the black tiger beneath him. “Treading Snow!”

Treading Snow had also taken some hits, but it seemed to feel no pain. It turned and let out a resounding roar toward the rest of the beasts, instantly calming the rampaging herd and restoring order.

A gust of wind blew over the head-high wild grasses, rustling them in waves.

Yu Yayi looked down at the ground now covered in spiked balls, then stared coldly at the deceptively quiet thicket ahead. In a low voice, he said, “There are people lying in ambush. Fellow cultivators of the Rejuvenation Sect, it’s time to act.”

The Rejuvenation Sect was most skilled in the art of needles—perfect for this kind of situation.

Five medical cultivators, protected in the very center of the group, stepped forward, silver gleams flashing between their fingers.

With spiritual power as their fuel, these silver needles shot out toward the grass thicket with even greater speed and density than the spiked balls from earlier!

However, instead of screams of pain, what followed were countless crisp metallic clangs.

Several massive shields unfolded at once, forming an impenetrable wall of defense!

The moment Yu Yayi laid eyes on those golden giant shields, he immediately recognized the group’s origin.

His face was full of disbelief. “The Eastern Region?”

He had expected an ambush from the Northern or Western Regions—never in a thousand years would he have guessed it was the perennially last-ranked Eastern Region!

But the reality before him forced him to reconsider this faction he had never paid attention to.

The Rejuvenation Sect’s attack was completely countered by the shield cultivators’ preparation, and the Beast Taming Sect’s main strength—their spirit beasts—now dared not move forward, wary of how many more spiked balls lay hidden in the grass.

Yu Yayi couldn’t believe it—on the very first day, they were already being forced into a deadlock.

With both sides now at a standoff, he let out a long breath and locked eyes with the opposing force.

“Impressive tactics, fellow cultivators of the Eastern Region. As expected from the direct disciple and son of the Undying Sword God,” Yu Yayi praised loudly in the direction of the shield wall. He naturally assumed the one giving commands was the strongest—Jiang Yuan or Yu Changan.

“May I ask who among you is in command? Would you be willing to step forward and talk? Rest assured, we of the Southern Region would never stoop to ambushes.”

The wind rustled by, but no one stepped out. All that greeted him was that same wall of shields.

Yu Yayi frowned, growing displeased. “Could it be that the cultivators of the Eastern Region are truly so cowardly?”

Yu Youyou: “…I’m already standing.”

But these shield cultivators’ shields were just too damn big! Even on tiptoe, she couldn’t see over them!

With no one stepping forward from the Eastern Region’s side, the air grew tense.

Yu Yayi’s smile gradually faded. He looked toward the short wall of massive shields and sneered slightly, “So this is the famed pride of the sword cultivators? The ones who dared to proclaim ‘my fate is mine and not Heaven’s’? Turns out you’re just a bunch of cowards.”

Hearing that cliché, over-the-top line, Yu Youyou couldn’t help recalling Elder Ma’s earlier evaluation—and immediately felt secondhand embarrassment on the sword cultivators’ behalf.

But the sword cultivators, on the other hand, seemed to have been deeply stirred. Their breathing grew ragged, eyes turning slightly red, as though they were on the verge of drawing their swords and charging forth.

Especially Jiang Yuan, whose brain had long been muddled by his master’s influence.

Yu Youyou kicked him. “What are you so agitated for? I’ll go!”

Only—she still wasn’t taller than the shields.

In the end, she was forced to stride boldly out from behind the shield wall.

Bold might be a stretch—behind her, the sword cultivators had already gathered their sword energy, ready to shield her the moment anything happened. After all, true alchemists never risked their lives recklessly.

Yu Yayi saw a rustle in the grass and, growing impatient, was about to speak when a head popped out.

Yes, just a head.

Earlier, in order to hide properly, they’d picked the tallest, densest patch of grass—now it meant that only her head was visible. Everything below the neck was completely obscured.

Yu Youyou, thoroughly exasperated, raised her voice: “I’m out. May I ask how Fellow Daoist Yu would like to talk?”

Yu Yayi frowned at the small face peeking through the wild grass. She looked fragile, like a delicate little white flower, with wide, innocent eyes, and appeared very young.

How utterly shameless of the Eastern Region—to be so cowardly as to push out a Qi Refining stage little girl to negotiate!

But the Rejuvenation Sect cultivators behind him did not retract their silver needles. In the Four Region Grand Tournament, everyone was an opponent—there was no room for mercy.

The moment the other side revealed even the slightest opening, those needles would fly straight at the little girl’s face!

Not only were the Southern Region cultivators caught off guard—an uproar erupted outside the forest.

The reversal in this confrontation was simply too sudden. Just moments ago, when the Eastern Region launched their spikeball attack, the audience collectively gasped in shock.

Most didn’t even know what the spikeballs were until Elder Niu stepped forward to explain, and only then did the watching cultivators come to understand.

The commentators quickly spread word of this new tactic and even named it the “Eastern Region Spikeball Strategy.”

“We all thought the Eastern Region was about to be steamrolled, but who’d have expected them to pull off a move like this? Now both sides are at a stalemate.”

“But the difference in their defensive artifacts is still huge. If the sword cultivators try to take the offensive and fly out, they’ll be bombarded by Returning Spring Gate’s Needle Rain. Their best option is to retreat slowly under cover from the shield cultivators.”

A commentator perched on another tree disagreed. “But the Eastern Region might actually choose to press the attack. This is the first time in years they’ve taken the initiative in an ambush—maybe they’ll try to maximize their gains while the Southern Region’s spirit beasts are still injured.”

Under countless watchful eyes, the Eastern and Southern Regions entered a tense standoff.

That Yu Yayi stepped forward to negotiate was within expectations. But the one to emerge from the Eastern Region’s side turned out to be a completely harmless-looking young girl.

“What’s going on with the Eastern Region? Sending out a little kid at Qi Refining stage—could this be the legendary ‘injuring oneself to gain the enemy’s trust’ tactic?”

“Or maybe they’re surrendering and using a non-threatening representative to show their sincerity?”

…

The Northern Region, having just lost an elder, immediately jumped on the chance to mock them. “So this is what the mighty Yunhua Sword Sect is reduced to—facing danger and hiding behind a little pill cultivator who couldn’t hurt a chicken?”

Elder Xu: “…” He wasn’t sure what was going on with Jiang Yuan and the rest of those kids either. Somehow, the sword cultivators didn’t feel as impressive this year—all the attention was being stolen by those three from the Pill Cauldron Sect.

Elder Ma, however, nodded enthusiastically. “You’re absolutely right! That little girl is the lowest-ranked inner disciple in our Pill Cauldron Sect—simple-minded, easily tricked. We’ve got hundreds in the sect stronger than her. She’s just here to make up the numbers.”

Now that line sounded familiar!

Elder Xu immediately recalled the tragic events after the last tri-sect trial. And for some reason, the moment Elder Ma said that, his previously restless heart was suddenly put at ease—he even gained a mysterious sense of confidence.

So he nodded as well. “Yes, that girl is the weakest contestant the Eastern Region has ever sent to the Four Regions Tournament. The other twenty-three could all crush her a thousand times over. That’s why we sent her out to negotiate.”

Elder Ma cast Elder Xu a cryptic look. He really wanted to advise this fellow Daoist: if you don’t know how to bluff properly, maybe don’t try at all.

Just look at the other sects’ eyes of disdain—they clearly thought the Yunhua Sword Sect was bullying a helpless little pill cultivator girl!

Just look at that poor child—frail yet brave, daring to step forward even in the face of death!

A gleam flashed in Elder Mei of the Hehuan Sect’s eyes. “Such a resolute temperament, and such a lovable appearance. What a shame she didn’t join our Hehuan Sect.”

Even the Dustless Buddhist Son up in the heavens chanted a Buddhist verse, offering her an admiring blessing: “This maiden is a pure-hearted soul of great fearlessness.”

Inside the Forest of Eternity, Yu Youyou had no idea she had become the object of so many adoring and pitying gazes.

She was still locked in fierce battle—with the overgrown grass.

Yu Yayi restrained his emotions and cupped his hands. “May I ask your name, Fellow Daoist?”

Yu Youyou tiptoed and replied, “Pill Cauldron Sect, Yu Youyou.”

“So it’s Junior Sister Yu of the Pill Cauldron Sect…”

While speaking politely, Yu Yayi casually patted the black tiger’s neck.

The black tiger beneath him was highly intelligent. It let out a low snort through its nose, shifted its forelegs forward slightly, and began subtly swaying its rear and tail.

Yu Youyou recognized the posture immediately—it was a predator’s stance before a pounce.