182: Far West

Above the high platform, amidst the clouds.

Elder Ding of Hundred Skill House revealed a barely perceptible hint of triumph on his withered face.

He stroked his goatee and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Brother Fire Dragon, it seems Hundred Skill House will once again take the lead in this Competition.”

“Look at that girl from Falling Cloud Sect; she’s already at the end of her rope, holding on purely by a thread of Qi.”

Upon hearing this, Fire Dragon Child chuckled, his youthful face full of mockery.

“Old Ding, I think you’re getting old and your eyes aren’t what they used to be.”

“Look closely again. Has that girl’s offensive weakened in the slightest?”

Elder Ding frowned and swept his Divine Sense across the arena once more.

Just as Fire Dragon Child said, although Song Yu’s face was growing paler, with every sword strike she made, the azure sword light remained sharp, its power showing no signs of weakening.

This defied logic.

Fire Dragon Child no longer paid him any mind, turning instead to Lin Feng, who stood calmly beside him, and smiled meaningfully.

“Fellow Daoist Lin, this Disciple of your Falling Cloud Sect is truly a promising talent.”

“She acted so realistically, she almost fooled even an old guy like me.”

Lin Feng merely smiled faintly upon hearing this.

“Brother Fire Dragon possesses a Wisdom Eye.”

“She had a fortunate Breakthrough a few days ago, so I gave her a Qi Concealment Talisman to hide some of her Aura and temper her Heart-Nature.”

At these words, Elder Ding’s expression instantly turned somewhat unsightly.

Qi Concealment Talisman?

Didn’t that mean the Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation that Song Yu was currently displaying was not her true strength at all!

On the arena, the last Late Stage Foundation Establishment Disciple from Hundred Skill House leaped up.

Seeing Song Yu drenched in sweat and with an unstable Aura, he felt reassured and decided to finish the fight quickly.

“Junior Sister, you’ve fought several matches in a row. You should just concede to avoid depleting your Spiritual Qi and damaging your Foundation!”

While he spoke politely, his actions were decisive. A thick, earthy yellow shield protected his front, and at the same time, he conjured a large Seal Magical Artifact, smashing it down towards Song Yu.

Song Yu lifted her eyelids, a sharp glint flashing in her clear, cold eyes.

Since Elder Lin was watching, there was no need to continue the act.

The Spiritual Qi within her body surged forth without reservation, and a powerful Aura, far exceeding what she had shown before, erupted with a roar.

“What?!”

The Hundred Skill House Disciple’s face changed dramatically.

The azure Flying Sword in Song Yu’s hand burst forth with dazzling light, no longer nimble and elusive as before, but transforming into an incredibly solid azure sword Qi, carrying the might to cut through everything, meeting the large Seal.

Boom!

A deafening sound.

The seemingly indestructible Seal Magical Artifact was actually sent flying by a single sword strike, its Spiritual Light dimming.

Immediately after, the azure sword light did not stop, flashing away in an instant.

“I concede!”

The Disciple was so terrified his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, only managing to shout three words before a cold sword edge stopped just before his glabella.

Song Yu stood with her sword sheathed, surveying the audience below, her voice clear and resonant.

“Who else?”

Among the Hundred Skill House Disciples’ seats, there was a deathly silence.

“This Three Sects Competition, Falling Cloud Sect wins!”

The officiating Elder loudly announced the result.

The Disciples of Falling Cloud Sect immediately erupted in cheers like a mountain roaring and a sea surging, every face brimming with excitement and pride.

Above the high platform, Elder Ding’s face was so grim it looked like it could drip water.

In contrast, Fire Dragon Child was all smiles, cupping his hands towards Lin Feng.

“Haha! Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Lin! Falling Cloud Sect has truly achieved a great victory this time!”

Lin Feng knew that this Fire Dragon Child didn’t care about the gains or losses of these resources at all.

In the original work, Ancient Sword Sect had a supremely talented woman who was about to enter seclusion to attempt to Break Through to Nascent Soul. If she succeeded, Ancient Sword Sect’s strength would be far beyond what it was now.

He did not expose him, merely nodding slightly towards Fire Dragon Child and Elder Ding.

“You flatter me.”

The three Nascent Soul old monsters departed, leaving the subsequent resource allocation matters to the managers of the three Sects to discuss.

…

Upon returning to the Sect, the entire Falling Cloud Sect was immersed in joy.

All Disciples who participated in the Competition, regardless of victory or defeat, received a generous reward.

It was rumored that these rewards were personally bestowed by the mysterious Grand Elder, and the Disciples were even more grateful, their Cultivation enthusiasm soaring to unprecedented heights.

White Phoenix Peak, inside Song Yu’s Immortal Cave.

She dismissed all fellow Disciples who came to congratulate her and carefully took out the Storage Pouch that Mo Fengwu had given her.

As her Divine Sense probed inside, her breathing instantly hitched.

Inside the Storage Pouch, two jade bottles lay quietly.

One jade bottle had a slip of paper attached, with three elegant small characters: “Dustfall Pill.”

Beside the other jade bottle, there was also a slip of paper, which read: “Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng Pill, to assist your Core Formation.”

Song Yu held the two jade bottles, her hands trembling slightly.

The Dustfall Pill could purify Spiritual Root and refine Magical Power, making it a Spirit Medicine coveted by Core Formation Cultivators.

And the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng Pill was an invaluable treasure rumored to greatly increase the chances of Core Formation!

Elder Lin… he truly hopes I can achieve Core Formation soon and become the Peak Master!

A tremendous sense of happiness and motivation filled her heart.

She pressed the jade bottles tightly to her chest, an unprecedented flame igniting in her eyes.

I must not fail Elder’s expectations!

I must become a Nascent Soul Cultivator and stand proudly by his side!

In the original work, Song Yu, who would have barely achieved Core Formation at over a hundred years old, had her fate quietly changed at this moment.

…

At the same time, in the extreme west.

Above a desolate Gobi Desert, Lin Feng’s plant Clone was flying unhurriedly.

On his back, he carried an ordinary-looking azure bamboo tube.

“Divine Lord.” Lin Feng spoke with some helplessness, “If I were to build you an Immortal Cave using Soul-Nourishing Wood, would you be willing to come out of this bamboo tube for some fresh air?”

From within the bamboo tube came an old and weak voice, filled with deep suspicion.

“Kid, don’t try to deceive this old man!”

“How precious is Soul-Nourishing Wood? Even a small piece is hard to find. You want to build an Immortal Cave? A fool’s dream!”

“If it weren’t for your little tricks, being able to find this old man’s hiding place, I wouldn’t bother going to some Falling Cloud Sect in the Southern Heaven with you…”

Before he finished speaking, Lin Feng casually pulled out a few head-sized, dark wood blocks emitting a warm Aura from his Storage Pouch and directly threw them into the bamboo tube behind him.

Inside the bamboo tube, the old voice abruptly ceased.

After a long while, it resumed, but this time, it was filled with an uncontrollable shock and tremor.

“This… this is all Soul-Nourishing Wood!”

“You… who exactly are you?!”

Lin Feng’s lips curved into an arc, and he continued, “Divine Lord, how old is this Soul-Nourishing Wood of mine?”

“Kid, stop playing games! What exactly do you want to do?!” The old voice sounded somewhat anxious.

“I want to invite Senior to serve as the Grand Elder in my Falling Cloud Sect.”

Lin Feng said calmly.

“This old man is currently only a Soul Body.”

“What if… I still have a way to reshape a Physical Body for Senior?”

Inside the bamboo tube, complete silence fell.

After a long time, the old voice spoke again, but this time, it was filled with indescribable complex emotions.

“Reshaping a Physical Body…”

“Kid, if you can truly do that, what is a mere position as a Grand Elder?”

“It’s just… I see that you have extraordinary talent and should focus on your own Dao. Do not become like this old man, obsessed with Puppets and external objects, ultimately ending up with a broken Dao path and your Divine Soul trapped in this Human Realm, alas…”

A long sigh, expressing endless regret and vicissitudes.

Lin Feng listened to the words of Great Yan Divine Lord behind him, his expression calm, but his eyes grew deeper.

He knew that this former top Puppet master in the Human Realm was already tempted.

He said no more, his figure transforming into an azure rainbow, speeding towards Falling Cloud Sect in the Southern Heaven.