The Next Day
Qing Li woke up and left his residence.
As he walked through the sect, the disciples greeted him respectfully. Soon, Su Rou approached him, calling out:
"Good morning, Young Master."
She began following him toward the battle arena.
When they arrived, all the disciples had gathered—some to watch, others to fight. The atmosphere was lively, filled with whispers about who would win the Inner Disciple Competition.
Then, the elders and the masters of the Seven Peaks appeared.
Silence fell instantly.
An old man with a long beard stepped forward—it was the Grand Elder. Behind him stood the other elders, including Qing Li's grandfather, Qing Bai.
He spoke:
"The one who wins first place will receive a Nascent Spirit Pill, which will greatly aid in breaking into the Nascent Soul Realm.
Second place will receive a Spiritual-rank sword.
Third place will have the right to choose an Earth-rank technique.
The top three will become inner disciples of the sect.
As for the rest… better luck next time."
He stepped back.
(System): Mission assigned.
Display your strength in the competition. Crush all your opponents and demonstrate the might of a true villain.
Reward: Spiritual combat technique
Penalty: None
The disciples began shouting excitedly.
"I heard first place gets a Nascent Spirit Pill!"
Another disciple said bitterly,
"That opportunity isn't for people like us… it's for Li Zhao, Zhang Chen… and Qing Li."
There stood:
A large, muscular man holding a heavy club—Li Zhao
A calm man resting his hand on his sword—Zhang Chen
And a cold, handsome young man with an unreadable expression—Qing Li
The elder stepped forward again and announced the start of the competition.
After half an hour of fighting, the weaker disciples were eliminated.
The competition reached its midpoint.
"Li Zhao!"
He stepped onto the stage and called out his opponent.
The elder declared the match began.
Li Zhao smirked.
"I'll give you three moves. You're weaker than me anyway."
The opponent burned with anger but couldn't refute it.
He attacked with his sword.
Li Zhao easily blocked it with his club.
The second attack failed as well.
On the third strike, the opponent managed to tear part of Li Zhao's robe.
Li Zhao's expression darkened.
He swung his club—
The opponent was sent flying off the stage, coughing blood.
He was quickly taken away for treatment.
"The winner—Li Zhao!"
Li Zhao returned arrogantly, glaring at the crowd.
Next match.
"Zhang Chen!"
He stepped onto the stage.
His opponent was a body-refinement cultivator.
The match began.
The opponent attacked first.
Zhang Chen dodged, drew his sword, and used an Earth-rank technique—
Flame Sword Technique.
The opponent tried to evade—but failed.
His arm was severed.
He screamed in agony as he was thrown off the stage.
"The winner—Zhang Chen!"
The matches continued until only four remained:
Qing Li, Zhang Chen, Li Zhao, and another disciple.
"Qing Li vs Yi Chen!"
Qing Li stepped onto the stage.
Yi Chen followed—but immediately bowed.
"Senior Brother Qing… I surrender. I know your strength. I cannot compete."
The crowd erupted in dissatisfaction.
"What a coward!"
"He must've been bribed!"
Qing Li said nothing and stepped down.
"The winner—Qing Li!"
Next:
"Li Zhao vs Zhang Chen!"
Both stepped onto the stage.
The elder declared the match started.
Li Zhao sneered,
"You weakling… surrender, or I'll break your limbs."
Zhang Chen ignored him.
Li Zhao grew furious.
"You dare ignore me?! I'll humiliate you!"
He attacked.
Zhang Chen instantly drew his sword and used the Flame Sword Technique.
Li Zhao retreated, but his arm was injured.
Still, he charged again—
Using his Earth-rank technique:
Rock-Shattering Hammer.
Zhang Chen tried to counter—but was slightly slower.
The attack hit him.
He was blasted backward, the ground cracking beneath him.
His left arm trembled—his bones likely fractured.
Blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Still, he stood up and attacked again.
The two exchanged blows.
Finally, Zhang Chen landed a strike to Li Zhao's chest.
Li Zhao dropped to one knee, coughing blood.
Zhang Chen placed his sword at his neck.
"Surrender."
Li Zhao gritted his teeth—then yielded.
"The winner—Zhang Chen!"
After two hours of rest and recovery…
Final match:
"Qing Li vs Zhang Chen!"
Qing Li stepped down from the stands.
The crowd whispered:
"He'll lose to Zhang Chen."
"We haven't even seen Qing Li's true strength."
Both stepped onto the stage.
Zhang Chen greeted him.
Qing Li returned the gesture.
"Begin!"
Qing Li stood still.
Zhang Chen advanced.
"Is he scared?" the crowd whispered.
Zhang Chen launched multiple precise strikes.
Qing Li put on his gauntlets and blocked them effortlessly—
Then released his aura.
The elders were shocked.
Peak Spiritual Energy Gathering!
Zhang Chen's expression changed.
He hadn't expected this.
Still, he attacked with everything he had.
Qing Li blocked easily.
Then—
He used an Earth-rank technique from the Qing family:
Mountain and River Strike.
Zhang Chen raised his sword to defend—
It shattered instantly.
He was sent flying off the stage, coughing blood.
"The winner… Qing Li!"
He was awarded the Nascent Spirit Pill and an Inner Disciple token.
"You may choose any peak."
Qing Li chose:
Sword Peak.
He ignored the others:
Alchemy Peak
Body Refinement Peak
Spirit Peak
Treasure Peak
Justice Peak
Ice Peak (female-only)
Li Zhao chose Body Refinement Peak.
Zhang Chen chose Justice Peak.
After the competition ended, Su Rou came to congratulate Qing Li.
At that moment, his grandfather noticed her.
He examined her physique—
The elders immediately gathered, shocked.
"A special constitution!"
They began competing over her.
Then the Ice Peak Mistress arrived.
"She is suited for my peak. Step aside."
She turned to Su Rou.
"Will you become my disciple?"
Su Rou looked at Qing Li.
He nodded.
"Yes, Master."
She knelt.
The Ice Peak Mistress took her away.
(System): Mission complete.
Reward: Demonic Flame Fist Technique
Description: Burns the enemy's body with flames that cannot be extinguished except by spiritual water.
A flood of knowledge entered Qing Li's mind.
He returned to his residence, activated the formations, and began cultivating the technique.
Meanwhile… in the mountains near the Seven Peaks Sect
A massive surge of energy shot into the sky.
The elders and Sect Master Bai Zhou—at the Spirit Transformation Realm—felt it.
They rushed to the source.
A Sixth-Rank Formation blocked the area.
They couldn't break it.
After half an hour, other righteous and demonic sects arrived.
Still, no one could break it.
They summoned a formation master from the Imperial Family—a Fifth-Rank expert.
He examined it.
"This cannot be broken. It's likely an inheritance from a Void Refinement cultivator. It will open on its own in five days."
"But—no one above 30 years old can enter."
The elders were shocked.
But they had no choice.
They began summoning their geniuses.
Sacred Flower City
Chu Feng saw the energy surge.
"This is my chance!"
His aura radiated—he had reached the Spiritual Energy Gathering Realm after refining many pills.
He had already broken through Internal Energy Gathering.
With his sword on his back
He headed toward the Seven Peaks Sect.