143: The inner disciple competition begins

After the two left, in the meditation room, Yang Kai sat cross-legged, contemplating the priorities for the coming time.

First, Divine Sense. Heavenly Foundation Establishment allowed his Divine Sense to far exceed those of the same rank. Now, he could clearly perceive every movement within a radius of five hundred miles. Having cultivated the Great Sun Blazing Sun Divine Record to the second layer, his Sea of Consciousness was incredibly refined, and various Divine Sense techniques were far superior to before, but he still needed to practice them to master them proficiently.

Second, Physical Body. With the cleansing power of the Heaven and Earth from his Heavenly Foundation Establishment, the strength of Yang Kai's Physical Body had increased once again. Moreover, many acupoints within his body had opened, causing his strength to surge. He needed to settle his mind and polish this power to fully control it.

Third, Mana. Unlike the Spiritual Qi of ordinary Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage, Yang Kai's mana was a special gold and silver energy formed from the Fusion of immortal and demonic energies. It was not only more powerful but also circulated faster. With the instruction from Flowing Cloud Zhenren, he had already mastered the Flowing Cloud Swordplay to perfection without needing further practice, but he had no shortcuts for the many Spells in the Ascension Heart Sutra and could only rely on his own diligent training.

"There really is much to be done. After this period of seclusion, my strength should increase significantly once again." Full of confidence, Yang Kai began his seclusion.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. When Yang Kai opened his eyes again, a sharp glint flashed through them. His aura was more refined than before, yet it carried an unfathomable sense of weight—he had thoroughly mastered all the advantages brought by his Heavenly Foundation Establishment. His Divine Sense, Physical Body, and mana had merged into one, truly reaching the Peak combat power of his current state. Even when facing a true Core Formation stage Cultivator, he had full confidence in his ability to fight.

On the very day Yang Kai ended his seclusion, a bell chime spread throughout Qingyun Peak. Immediately after, the communication jade slip on the Peak lit up, carrying the voice of Real Person Zi Langya: "Tomorrow at the hour of the dragon, the Qingyun Peak Inner Sect Disciple ranking competition officially begins. All Inner Sect Disciples must gather at the Martial Arts Arena; no absences are permitted!"

Yang Kai picked up the communication jade slip, a smile curling the corners of his mouth. After half a month of seclusion, he could hardly wait to test his strength, and the Inner Sect competition was the perfect stage. He could imagine that tomorrow, on the Martial Arts Arena, there would inevitably be a fierce battle, and he would be the most dazzling presence in this struggle.

Just as the sky was beginning to brighten, voices could be heard from the various Martial Arts Arenas across Qingyun Peak. The central Martial Arts Arena on the main Peak was the most magnificent, built from thousand-year black iron mixed with green jade stone. The three-zhang-high pillars were carved with an image of the Flowing Cloud Sect's Ancestral Master, Immortal Liuyun, wielding a sword. The edge of the platform was inlaid with a circle of glowing white moonstones, emitting a soft halo even in the early morning. On the eighteen secondary Peaks surrounding the main Peak, hundreds of small and medium-sized Martial Arts Arenas were also heavily guarded. Each arena was surrounded by a "Spiritual Qi Seal Formation," with the core of the Formation guarded by enforcement Disciples to ensure fairness in the competition.

On the viewing platform, Real Person Zi Langya was dressed in a purple robe embroidered with Qingyun patterns. Beside him stood three white-haired Elders of the Peak. His gaze swept over the jostling crowd of Disciples below, and his clear, resonant voice, amplified by Spiritual Qi, spread throughout the entire venue, even reaching the Martial Arts Arenas on the eighteen secondary Peaks clearly:

"Fellow Qingyun Peak Inner Sect Disciples, today is the date for the monthly Inner Sect competition." Real Person Zi Langya's voice carried a natural authority, and the previously noisy Martial Arts Arena instantly fell silent. "Stepping into the Inner Sect means you must shoulder more responsibilities—not only for your own Cultivation but also to bring glory to Qingyun Peak and the Flowing Cloud Sect. The rules for this competition have been adjusted compared to the past. Everyone must listen carefully, lest you miss an Opportunity due to misunderstanding the rules."

He raised his hand to signal, and an enforcement Disciple immediately stepped forward holding a scroll of animal hide, unfolding it to reveal the clear rules. Real Person Zi Langya pointed to the text and explained it point by point: "First, the competition adopts a 'Challenge System' lasting for three days. After three days, the rankings will be automatically locked, and no further challenges will be accepted. During this period, all Inner Sect Disciples may initiate a challenge. Those with lower rankings may challenge those with higher rankings, and the higher-ranked party may not refuse. The challenger has three opportunities to challenge; if they win, they take the opponent's ranking and retain their remaining challenge opportunities. If they lose, they consume one Opportunity; if they lose all three, they cannot challenge again that day. Higher-ranked Disciples may also challenge lower-ranked ones; if they win, their ranking remains unchanged but they consume one challenge Opportunity. If they lose, they swap rankings, also consuming one Opportunity."

The Disciples below nodded one after another, and many had already begun to calculate their targets for challenge in their minds. Real Person Zi Langya continued: "Second, to improve the efficiency of the competition, hundreds of Martial Arts Arenas on Qingyun Peak will be used simultaneously. Whether it is the central Martial Arts Arena or the secondary Peak arenas, as long as both challengers confirm, the battle can begin immediately. Each arena is equipped with two enforcement Disciples responsible for recording the results and maintaining order. If there is any violation involving injury, the enforcement Disciples have the right to directly terminate the match and report it to the Council of Elders."

"Third, the ranking update mechanism has been adjusted." Real Person Zi Langya's voice sounded again, carrying an unquestionable majesty. "Starting from the official commencement of the competition at the hour of the dragon, every hour, the Council of Elders will summarize the results of all arenas and update the rankings on the 'Azure Cloud Rankings' in the main Peak plaza, while simultaneously sending the ranking information to every Inner Sect Disciple via their communication jade slip."

A Disciple asked loudly: "Peak Master, if two people challenge the same Disciple at the same time, how should that be handled?"

Real Person Zi Langya looked at that Disciple and patiently answered: "The challenge from the one with the lower ranking will be accepted first. The challenger whose challenge was not accepted may choose a new target."

After the Disciples' questions subsided, Real Person Zi Langya changed the subject and looked at the top-ranked Disciples: "Fourth, regarding the competition for the top ten rankings. After the rankings are locked in three days, the top ten Disciples must undergo a special duel: first place versus tenth, second versus ninth, third versus eighth, fourth versus seventh, and fifth versus sixth. The winners of this round enter the 'Winners' Group,' and the losers enter the 'Losers' Group."

He paused and explained the subsequent process in detail: "The five Disciples in the Winners' Group must fight in pairs, and finally, they will be ranked according to the number of wins. If the number of wins is the same, their rankings will be determined by referring to their respective win-loss records against each other. The Losers' Group will do the same, and the top ten rankings will be finalized."

The Disciples below heard this, and their breathing became rapid. The Spiritual Qi concentration in the Flowing Cloud Secret Realm was five times that of the outside world and also contained thin traces of the power of the Heavenly Dao, which was crucial for Cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage to break through their Bottleneck. The top ten rankings were not only about personal honor but also directly affected Cultivation resources. Everyone was determined, vowing to achieve good results in this competition.

Real Person Zi Langya looked at the passionate Disciples below and announced loudly: "Now, I declare that the monthly Inner Sect competition of Qingyun Peak officially begins!"

As the word "begin" fell, the moonstones around the hundreds of Martial Arts Arenas lit up simultaneously. Light cyan Spiritual Qi curtains rose from the ground, and the humming sound of the Formations activating merged together, as if playing the prelude to battle.