Chapter 128

If Ye Qiao really wanted to break through, it would only count as a forced breakthrough. Like Ye Qinghan, but even more extreme, she was going to break through three stages in a short period of time.

In this situation, her foundation could easily become unstable. If the secret realm wasn’t forcing her hand, she wouldn’t have planned to break through.

“A Nascent Soul stage beast isn’t enough for her to stabilize her foundation?” Ming Xuan stroked his chin. “If not, find a few sword cultivators for her to spar with.”

“You can find someone at a similar stage.”

“What are you talking about?” Mu Chongxi lifted his chin. “Which of us here isn’t at a higher stage than the little sister?”

“Hey, Yun Que.” Ming Xuan clicked his tongue. “She’s higher than Ye Qiao, but her foundation is weak, making her suitable for the breakthrough.”

Zhou Xingyun said, “Should I grab her?”

“Let’s go.”

The four of them conferred and then swaggered towards the other sects, knowing the secret realm wasn’t targeting them.

Great secret realms had many opportunities, but honestly, since Ye Qiao joined, their trips to the secret realm had either ended in chaos or mutual troublemaking, leaving them little time to seek out opportunities.

“What are they fighting over?”

“Tsk.” Ming Xuan shaded his eyes with his hand and looked. “It seems to be a spiritual weapon.”

The difference between a spiritual weapon and a magical weapon is that a magical weapon can be forged, while spiritual weapons are mostly relics from secret realms, high-grade and very rare.

Mu Chongxi wanted to join the fray, “What kind of spiritual weapon? So many people are fighting over it?”

The others were clueless, but Xue Yu scrutinized the emerging spiritual weapon, frowning slightly. He calmly said, “It’s the Red Lotus Cauldron.”

“Ninth on the spiritual weapon ranking.”

A pill furnace.

Instantly, the group’s interest waned. Xue Yu didn’t need it, but…

Xue Yu looked up, “We could help Ye Qiao get it.”

She’s poor, has nothing. A binding demon rope was given to her by Duan Hengdao, and the spirit bow was picked up and later given to Miao Miao.

“Is it that high? Can we reach it with sword flight?”

“There are invisible steps in mid-air,” Xue Yu said. “You have to step on them; you can’t reach it with sword flight.”

These invisible steps are difficult to see and feel, making it easy to fall. Moreover, the mid-air position is quite intriguing.

The secret realm intentionally gathered so many people together just to target Ye Qiao, preventing anyone from helping her?

“You guys stall a bit longer.” Ye Qiao’s words before she left were still fresh in his mind. “I’ll blow up this idiot’s house later.”

The Red Lotus Cauldron floated at the highest point, with all the personal disciples needing a pill furnace gathered around.

Xue Yu didn’t understand, “Why does Yun Que want this?”

She’s not a pill cultivator.

“Who cares.” Mu Chongxi cracked his knuckles. “I’ll go snatch it.”

He crouched and jumped up, landing on the invisible steps. The area wasn’t large and it was easy to fall.

Yun Que was closest to the Red Lotus Cauldron, leaping past several people to stand at the top. Mu Chongxi caught up quickly and didn’t take her seriously. With his speed and training, Yun Que didn’t have time to react before seeing someone from Changming Sect already climbing up.

She bit her lip, looking pitiful, “Why does a sword cultivator like you want to compete with me?”

Mu Chongxi replied bluntly, “Why does a talisman cultivator like you need a pill furnace?”

His straightforward question left Yun Que momentarily speechless. Seeing Mu Chongxi about to catch up, she decisively took out the Xuan Sword from her storage bag. With a quick incantation, she slashed at him with the sword. The sword’s light flashed, leaving a bloody wound on Mu Chongxi’s arm. His pupils narrowed, and he met Yun Que’s cold gaze as she knocked him off the ladder with a single strike.

Zhou Xingyun reached out and caught him, preventing him from hitting the ground face-first. Looking up at Yun Que’s sword swing, he muttered, “Sword cultivator.”

—She knows how to use a sword?

This revelation caused a stir.

“She’s a sword cultivator?”

“Wow, just like Ye Qiao?”

Back then, Ye Qiao had hidden her identity as a talisman cultivator, catching everyone off guard in the second round.

Now a version 2.0 of Ye Qiao appeared, but this time they were less shocked and more contemplative.

“So, they all kept a trump card hidden.”

“I always thought the personal disciples of the five sects weren’t simple, but I didn’t expect the trump card of Yueqing Sect to be Yun Que.”

Her previous performance had been poor, earning disdain from many, even disappointing the elders who supported her.

But this move in the fifth round surprised everyone.

Mu Chongxi, having been unprepared, was knocked down by a single sword strike. Clutching his injured arm, he grimaced as he returned, “She can use a sword.”

Xue Yu tossed him some medicine, “Take this for clotting. Be careful of her; she’s not normal.”

Mu Chongxi mumbled a response, “I was careless.”

By now, many personal disciples had gathered, including those from the Bishui Sect and the Wenjian Sect. Bishui Sect had the weakest combat power and usually stood no chance in such fights, but they were the wealthiest.

Wenjian Sect and Bishui Sect had been cooperating since entering the secret realm.

Upon seeing the Red Lotus Cauldron, Si Miaoyan immediately promised, “Help us get the Red Lotus Cauldron, and Bishui Sect will provide you with free pills in the future.”

The sword cultivators, typically poor and unable to afford pills, couldn’t resist the offer of free resources. Chu Xingzhi drew his sword without hesitation, “Let’s go.”

The other sword cultivators were also not to be trifled with. They quickly became blurry figures, swiftly ascending the ladder. Yun Que gritted her teeth and threw talismans without looking back.

She had plenty of talismans, and throwing them in handfuls made it impossible for the sword cultivators to touch her.

“Heavens,” Zhou Xingyun murmured, impressed by the speed of the other sword cultivators.

Mu Chongxi slapped him frantically, “Stop saying ‘heavens’ and get up there, senior brother!”

Didn’t you see it was about to be taken?

Yun Que climbed swiftly, reaching the top of the ladder. Her eyes brightened as she stretched out her hand to touch the Red Lotus Cauldron, but in the next moment, it vanished.

She was stunned.

Below, Duan Hengdao leisurely took a box from his storage bag and, with a wave of his hand, the Red Lotus Cauldron flew towards him.

Yun Que watched in disbelief as the cauldron slipped away. She hurriedly shouted, “Give it to me!”

Duan Hengdao didn’t look back as he ran off, “No way, not giving it.”

Yun Que flew after him to snatch it, and they started fighting on the ladder.

Zhou Xingyun, urged on, also climbed up. With Qin Huai and Ye Qinghan out of the game, he was invincible in the secret realm, easily reaching the top and encountering Yun Que on the same ladder.

As the two met, Ming Xuan shouted, “Hurry, hurry.”

“Kick her!” Ming Xuan urged, “Senior brother!”

Mu Chongxi echoed, “We have no manners; we got here first. Kick her off quickly.”

Zhou Xingyun calmly looked at Yun Que, who felt a moment of panic under his emotionless gaze, “Senior brother Zhou, you…”

In the next second, Zhou Xingyun unceremoniously kicked her off.

The high-level cultivators quickly climbed to the top. With Qin Huai and Ye Qinghan out, the remaining sword cultivators couldn’t stop Zhou Xingyun.

Duan Hengdao, not wanting Yun Que to get the cauldron, saw Zhou Xingyun approaching. Knowing he couldn’t keep the spiritual weapon, he still wanted to resist. Hugging the Red Lotus Cauldron, he pleaded, “Wait!”

“Let me ask you a question.” He tried to sow discord, “You only have one pill furnace, who will get it?”

There were two alchemists, after all.

“Give it to Ye Qiao.” Xue Yu stroked his chin, speaking calmly, “Her pills are ugly; maybe a higher-grade cauldron can improve that.” Though he doubted the appearance of Ye Qiao’s pills had much to do with the cauldron.

“You don’t want it?” Liu Yun was surprised. He admitted Ye Qiao was talented, but Xue Yu was also excellent in alchemy. Why should Ye Qiao get what they all worked for?

Xue Yu raised an eyebrow, “I’m a Xue.”

“If I fail, I can still inherit the Xue family, and you don’t understand,” he said slowly, “She’s our village’s only hope.”

“To sum it up, she’s a prodigy.”

The others nodded in agreement.

A prodigy, indeed.

Liu Yun sighed, “You guys are crazy.”

“…”

Outside, Song Hansheng sneered, “Tsk…”

So only your Changming Sect is united, huh?

“Brother Song Hansheng! We’ll always support you!” A muscular man outside shouted, starting to cheer.

Song Hansheng’s cold smirk froze in shock.

Duan Hengdao, unwilling to give up the cauldron, hesitated as Zhou Xingyun approached. Suddenly, a blue phoenix dove down, crashing into him.

The cauldron, not yet contracted, was small. The Qingluan bird easily bit it, intending to toss it to Yun Que.

“Qingluan,” Yun Que’s eyes lit up, “Hurry, bring it here.”

Zhou Xingyun furrowed his brows, drew his sword, and chased after them. The Qingluan bird let out a long, piercing cry that made everyone instinctively cover their ears.

…It hurt so much.

In a flash, the Qingluan bird soared away, creating a wide gap.

“Don’t let her get it!”

But from such a distance, it was impossible to stop her.

“You all are so lively.”

Really.

Even from afar, Ye Qiao could hear the commotion.

She quickly grabbed the sleeping KFC, swinging it steadily. As the king of all birds, the phoenix exuded an overwhelming pressure. Bloodline suppression was extremely severe in the cultivation world. When the two birds collided, the Qingluan instinctively crouched on the ground.

Yun Que, unwilling to give up, gritted her teeth and exerted more force, “Come here.”

The master-servant contract only restricted the spiritual beast itself. It cried out, but the mental attack only affected Ye Qiao and Yun Que.

KFC, being her contracted beast, was immune to mental suppression.

Yun Que quickly tried to snatch the Red Lotus Cauldron, but Ye Qiao stood up to confront her. She needed time to break through forcefully. Ye Qinghan had prepared for several days, but she had only been sitting for a few hours before the fight broke out.

The Red Lotus Cauldron was still below, and neither of them had it yet.

Yun Que’s eyes turned cold, intending to break her sword. However, her staff, of unknown material, remained undamaged by the sword strike.

She pursed her lips, her voice softening as she moved closer with a smile, “During the competition, Senior Sister Ye Qiao, you won’t use your domain-wielding imp, will you?”

Ye Qiao replied, “No.”

As Yun Que approached, Ye Qiao activated the third form of the Qingfeng Technique, creating a white arc with her sword. The Qingfeng Technique exploded at close range. Yun Que’s artifact activated in time, but she still ended up embedded in the ground.

Ye Qiao, lacking manners, stomped towards her face, “Domain or not, it doesn’t stop me from cutting you down.”

She didn’t hold back at all. Yun Que’s face changed slightly, and she blocked with a Vajra Talisman.

Mu Chongxi urgently shouted, “Ye Qiao, she can use a sword.”

Just as he finished his warning, Yun Que slashed with her sword. Yueqing Sect’s sword techniques were both offensive and defensive. If it had been Ye Qiao’s first encounter, she might have been struck, but she had recently experienced Yueqing Sect’s sword techniques in an illusion, giving her some insight. She used the Qingfeng Step to dodge.

Barely avoiding the strike, Ye Qiao turned her head, “Dual cultivation of sword and talisman?”

Her eyes lit up.

Among the many personal disciples present, some were stronger than her, while others were alchemists or artifact refiners. The only one with a weak Golden Core stage was Yun Que, a talisman cultivator whom Ye Qiao hadn’t considered using for a breakthrough.

But she had hidden this ability.

Ye Qiao was invigorated, suppressing a smile and almost gesturing for Yun Que to come and fight her.

Yun Que gripped her Xuan Sword, seeing Ye Qiao’s frantic dodging, and felt more confident, “Perfect timing.”

She also needed an opportunity to prove herself completely.

Although Yueqing Sect focused on talismans, it didn’t lack sword cultivators. However, they were not prominent among the talisman cultivators. Their sword techniques were both offensive and defensive, continuing Yueqing Sect’s traditional path.

Yun Que had been waiting for this day for a long time. Because of the incident in the fourth round of the secret realm, Yun Hen had insisted on confining her, but she had discovered a legacy in the forbidden area, containing many strange seals.

The swordsmanship legacy included the sword techniques of Yueqing Sect’s founder.

“Two dual cultivators of sword and talisman,” exclaimed the elder of Chengfeng Sect, standing up, “This generation of disciples is extraordinary.”

“Can Ye Qiao win?” Qin Fanfan looked at Duan Yu.

He was the teacher of this student.

Duan Yu answered honestly, “She can’t win.”

The difference in their realms was evident.

In the arena, Ye Qiao was forced to keep dodging with the Qingfeng Step. Yun Que’s sword techniques were tricky, and as she approached, she said unceremoniously, “Is three cultivation paths impressive?” She smiled lightly, “You’re nothing special.”

Ye Qiao couldn’t pinpoint her position. They both formed formations simultaneously, but Ye Qiao was slightly faster.

Her formation combined the speed of Changming Sect and the power of Yueqing Sect, making Yun Que’s face stiffen, clearly struggling.

A confrontation between two dual cultivators of sword and talisman hadn’t occurred in the cultivation world for a century.

“Heavens. Yueqing Sect also had a hidden card this year.”

“No wonder she has a Xuan Sword in her storage bag.”

“No wonder Yun Hen was reluctant to punish her. A genius on par with Ye Qiao, who would be willing?”

“But our Qiao is triple cultivated; Yun Que can’t compare.”

“Stop boasting about Qiao. If you compare them seriously, Yun Que’s spiritual roots are higher.”

“Ye Qiao has improved, almost unrecognizable from the beginning,” commented an elder of Wenjian Sect, watching the arena closely. “But if this continues, Ye Qiao will lose.”

Yun Que was two realms higher.

Unless she could break through, she’d only be suppressed throughout the fight.

Ye Qiao also felt the pressure. She only had an advantage in formation formations, otherwise, she was being suppressed. She couldn’t help but admire the protagonist’s luck. Even without one legacy, there was another. Was Heaven determined to make her dual cultivate?

As they fought, the personal disciples affected by the mental attack quickly got up, aiming for the Red Lotus Cauldron.

In the end, Zhou Xingyun reached it first, picking up the cauldron from the ground.

“They’re fighting.”

Duan Hengdao asked, “Aren’t you going to help?” The situation was clearly one-sided.

Mu Chongxi replied, “Don’t you trust your good brothers? We have a bond deeper than life.”

Worrying wouldn’t help. At this point, Xue Yu brought out some seeds, “You can eat these. Anyway, Chengfeng Sect won’t get second place. Third is fine; don’t struggle. Join us in slacking off.”

Duan Hengdao: “…”