The first round of seven battles began at the same time.
The other sects participating were all long-established powers. Everyone already had a clear sense of their strength. Who would win and who would lose was practically predetermined.
Among these seven battles, the one that drew the most attention was, without question, the clash between Wushuang Sect and Ziyun Sect.
Ordinarily, there should have been no suspense at all.
One side was a super sect that had held a steady position among the top three.
The other side was a sect barely two months old, cobbled together from Imperial cultivators and loose cultivators.
The outcome seemed obvious.
But.
Wushuang Sect had Yun Jin.
And Yun Jin had created far too many miracles for people to ignore. Even if they wanted to dismiss Wushuang Sect, they couldn't help but keep a closer eye. Besides, Yun Jin had shouted that bold slogan: invincible among peers.
Everyone was eager to see that slogan turned into a laughingstock. Mocking Yun Jin didn't come often. Naturally, no one wanted to miss the chance. So while only a handful watched the other arenas, the platform where Wushuang Sect faced Ziyun Sect was packed with an ocean of people, buzzing with noise and energy.
Bored disciples from other sects had even been persuaded to buy Ziyun Sect's little flags. Whether they belonged to Ziyun Sect or not, they all waved those flags, their voices and bodies alike cheering Ziyun Sect on.
It wasn't that they were desperate for Ziyun Sect to win—it was simply that they couldn't wait to see Wushuang Sect lose.
Sect Master Chen stroked his beard, smiling faintly.
See?
This was the strength of an old sect. Even before the battle began, supporters were everywhere.
This was strength.
This was influence.
Sect Master Chen deliberately cast a glance at Yun Jin.
Yun Jin instantly caught it, then leaned toward Sect Master Liu Hua of Xinghe Sect. "Sect Master Liu, Sect Master Chen seems to have something to say to me. You're sitting in between us, which isn't very courteous. Come, come, why don't we switch seats?"
Liu Hua glared at her.
What do you mean by saying he was "in between" them!
"You don't want to switch? Unless… something between you and Sect Master Chen…" Yun Jin widened her eyes in shock.
Without another word, Liu Hua stood up with a stony face and changed places.
Yun Jin was satisfied.
She leaned in close, speaking to Sect Master Chen as though they were old friends. "Lao Chen, victory and defeat are just part of battle. I see you're not young anymore. When you lose later, don't go fainting on us. At your age, you need broader hearts, wouldn't you say?"
Sect Master Chen sneered. "Those words—I return to you."
Yun Jin blinked innocently. "But that doesn't work. I'm still a child."
Sect Master Chen: "..."
He really wanted to tell Yun Jin to get lost, but he restrained himself. Once the battle began, he expected victory to be decided in just a single exchange. At that time, he would teach this Yun Jin the difference between heaven and earth.
On the stage, both sides were ready.
Sect Master Chen eyed Wushuang Sect's lineup and gave a cold laugh.
In group battles, beyond personal strength, synergy of spiritual roots and coordination of secret arts were critical.
Ziyun Sect's ten disciples had been training for this team battle for five years.
Not only were all ten at the peak of Foundation Establishment, but their attributes and techniques had been honed to mesh perfectly. They were a flawless lineup.
And Wushuang Sect?
Their disciples' strength varied wildly, their spiritual attributes a chaotic mix. Cooperation was nonexistent. If such a team could win, it would be nothing short of ridiculous.
"Begin!" The referee declared as both sides finished their preparations.
All eyes turned toward the platform.
Ziyun Sect's disciples moved swiftly, forming their battle formation as spiritual energy surged around them. Their opening salvo was about to land.
Wushuang Sect's disciples, by contrast, stood rooted to the spot like frightened statues, not moving an inch.
Sect Master Chen sneered toward Yun Jin. "Sect Master Yun, is this what you call invincible among peers?"
Yun Jin grinned. "Since we're invincible among peers, what's the harm in letting you strike three times first?"
The arrogance in those words was staggering.
Sect Master Chen's sneer deepened. Then they would not hold back. The rules of Sky City forbade killing. But on the platform, fists and blades had no eyes. While they couldn't outright kill Wushuang Sect's disciples, injuring them gravely—or crippling them for life—was perfectly acceptable.
Ziyun Sect's disciples shared the same thought. Not one of them intended to show mercy. The first wave of attacks shot straight at Wushuang Sect's unmoving ten.
Just as the strikes were about to hit, those ten suddenly reacted. In perfect unison, they raised their hands. A transparent barrier shimmered into existence before them.
The attacks slammed against the shield. The barrier trembled, but did not break.
Sect Master Chen's expression darkened.
Most of Wushuang Sect's disciples were only mid-Foundation Establishment. Few had even reached late-stage.
Ziyun Sect's disciples were all peak Foundation Establishment, bolstered by coordinated secret arts.
And yet a full-force strike failed to shatter the barrier they had conjured on the spot?
Even Ziyun Sect's ten disciples were startled, though they wasted no time. They pressed the assault relentlessly. Attack after attack hammered into the shield. Ripples flared across its surface, but the barrier held firm.
Sect Master Chen could no longer sit still. "Sect Master Yun," he demanded, "the rules of the platform forbid bringing any artifact aside from one's life-bound weapon. Did your disciples smuggle in defensive treasures?"
Wushuang Sect did have an ancient heritage. Producing a powerful defensive artifact wouldn't have been surprising.
Yun Jin instantly put on a furious face. "Accuse me all you like, but how dare you question Pavilion Master Lin?"
Sect Master Chen blinked. When had he questioned Lin Xiao?
Yun Jin pressed on. "Before the match, every disciple was thoroughly inspected to ensure they carried no forbidden items. That inspection was conducted by Qingxiao Pavilion's disciples. If you say my disciples smuggled artifacts, aren't you really saying Pavilion Master Lin showed favoritism? Pavilion Master Lin has indeed treated me kindly, but he is a man of fairness. How could he ever pervert justice?"
She turned to Lin Xiao. "Pavilion Master Lin, this Chen Li slanders you and seeks to tarnish your reputation. I request a duel with him!"
Chen Li: "???"
What duel nonsense was this!
Even Lin Xiao looked weary of her antics. "Enough. No more squabbling. No one can bring artifacts onto the stage. Wushuang Sect's ten are using a defensive secret art."
"A secret art?"
Sect Master Chen's face shifted.
For a defensive secret art to withstand such a ferocious assault—what kind of technique was this?
And these disciples, considered castoffs and failures by other sects—how could they have obtained such a technique? How had they mastered it to this level in just two months?
"If I'm not mistaken," Lin Xiao continued evenly, "this is Wushuang Sect's Earth-grade secret art: Hun Yuan. Immovable as a mountain, seamless as nature itself. Its defense is formidable, though its offense is pitiful. Once their barrier is broken, they will have no means of resistance."
His tone was casual, but in truth he was pointing out their weakness.
His voice was pitched just right for the disciples on stage to hear.
Yun Jin made no move to stop him.
Her smile only grew brighter.
Break the barrier, and the fight would be over.
But the premise was simple.
You had to break it first.
===
So, a little random ramble from me ( ･ω･)ﾉﾞ
I rarely go searching for new novels to read ever since I started posting on Webnovel. If you haven't noticed yet, my favorite tags are NoCP first, then FemaleMC. Those two are my "core" tags, so whenever I go hunting for something new, I always start with those. After that, I'll look at "sub tags" or other tags that pair well with them, like #Infrastructure, #Historical, #Xianxia, #Rebirth, #Game, #Counterattack, #Transmigration, #System, #Apocalypse, #QT (quick transmigration), #BehindTheScenes, and #Entertainment. Basically, all those are genres I love, as long as they're built around a NoCP + FemaleMC setting.
It's already been 157 days since I uploaded my very first translation, I Became a Fairy and Lived Forever in the Fairy World, up to my latest project, The Cube Queen's Apocalypse Feast. And in all that time, I honestly haven't gone looking for new novels—I've just been focused on translating nonstop, from the moment I wake up at morning/noon until I crash at morning. I haven't had a job this whole time (◞‸◟;), so honestly, your donations on my Ko-fi and Patreon are my main source of income. That's also why I can pour all my time into translating. This is what my schedule has been like: I usually sleep around 4 am and wake up at 6 or 7. If I have something to do in the morning, I just sleep for those few hours. If I have no activities or my sleep quality was good, I go back to sleep and don't truly wake up until 2 pm in the afternoon.
Out of my ongoing projects, 3 are the ones that need the most attention: Troublemaker's Guide to Immortality and The Cube Queen's Apocalypse Feast both already have more than 200 chapters queued up in drafts, while True Heir of Chaos: From Villainess to Empress has around 100 (because I've been rushing to finish Mom's Apocalypse Survival Log and Reborn as the Fallen Idol, I Leaned Into the Chaos!). And for the 2 projects that are serialized, I've also stocked up plenty of draft chapters for those like what I said yesterday.
So, since I've been feeling a little "free," I wandered over to xxsypro, which is usually where I search for novels rather than other sites. The reason? The filters there are actually useful! You can pick "state" (all, serial, completed), "property" (all, free, paid), and even "renew" (last update within 3 days, 7 days, 15 days, or a month). There's also word count filters (like within 200k, 200k–300k, 300k–500k, 500k–1m, 1m–2m, or more than 2m), plus sorting options like "Comprehensive Popularity," "Best Seller," and "Most Favorites."
You can even narrow it down by "type" (Ancient Romance, Modern Romance, Fantasy Romance, Sci-fi, Fairy Tale, Short Stories, Game Competition, etc.), and "labels" (Popular Tags, Profession, Identity, Character, Background, Plot, School, Style). For example, under "Popular Tags" you'll see things like System Flow, Farming, Strong Women, NoCP, Game Alien World, Quick Wear, etc. Basically, the filters are complete, easy to understand, and—most importantly—actually clickable (unlike some sites that write categories/tags but don't let you click them… so annoying).
Anyway, since I was already there, of course my first stop was the NoCP section, and wow, there were tons of new novels with really interesting intros. And now I'm kinda tempted to add another serialized novel project to translate. Don't worry, if I do pick one up, it'll definitely be something with a smaller chapter count or word count. I'm not crazy enough to throw myself at a monster-length novel right now with the way things are (¬_¬;)
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And guess what… I just came back from browsing the NoCP section, and my eyes were literally sparkling ☆:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:☆. I found 13 new novels with less than 200 chapters and 7 more that already have over 200 chapters. The intros were so good, my soul got hooked instantly.
Not to mention if I start diving into other sections like Female Supporting Role, Strong Women, Cultivation, Infrastructure, Playing Pig and Eating Tiger, Empress, Boss, Game Otherworldly, Apocalypse, Counterattack, Heroine, Super A, Rebirth, Entertainment, and Vest… that's basically heaven on earth for me (≧◡≦).
Of course, sometimes "NoCP" isn't listed under the tags. Instead, you'll see it written in the description/intro like "无CP", or sometimes not mentioned at all, which means you have to either catch the hints in the intro or rely on your NoCP radar being strong enough (lol).
Anyway—decision, decision, decision. (Important things must be said three times!) (╯✧▽✧)╯