At that moment, the teleportation portal at the secret exit flickered once again.
Another three-person team was transported out.
As soon as the leading disciple landed, his eyes landed on Elder Hu Shi standing by the light pillar.
His eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost, his mouth hanging open as a strange rattling sound escaped his throat.
He was unable to utter a single word—they were another team that had been scammed by Lu Qiancha.
The second disciple was even more incoherent. He pointed a trembling finger at Elder Hu Shi. “Elder, you… you… how… why is there another you outside?!”
The third disciple had the smallest amount of courage and the most violent reaction. He leaped a great distance away with a yelp, reflexively forming a hand seal to draw his sword.
“What monster dares to take the form of Elder Hu? Watch me slay this demon!” As he spoke, his cold, glinting Flying Sword was on the verge of flying out.
“Impudence!” The real Elder Hu Shi’s beard bristled with rage. His majestic shout rang out like a clap of thunder, instantly jolting the disciple.
The Flying Sword clattered to the ground, and the disciple shrunk his neck in fear.
“Hmph. Consider this a lesson to remember after being tricked.” Elder Hu Shi, having been mistaken for an imposter, suppressed his fury with a darkened face.
***
Inside the Secret Realm, five minutes before the exit closed.
Lu Qiancha had already removed his disguise, returning to his appearance as a gentle and elegant Senior Brother. He sat leisurely on a green rock with ten point plates lined up in front of him.
Lingguang flickered at his fingertips as he scanned the plates one by one.
“Zaohua Peak… 5,866 points.”
“Shijian Peak… 3,954 points.”
“Tianyan Peak… 1,200 even.”
He counted them off in a low voice, his tone calm as if he were merely counting a pile of ordinary stones.
“Five teams, ten people…” Lu Qiancha stopped his movements, his lips curling into a satisfied arc. “Totaling… 11,362 points.”
He lightly stroked his chin with his slender fingers, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
11,300… this number was more than enough to break the record for the highest score in the history of the Tianyuan Sect’s Nine Peaks Grand Tournament.
“Senior Brother,” Gantang, who had been waiting by his side, finally couldn’t help but lean in and ask in a small voice, her eyes full of anticipation and nervousness, “How is it? How was the harvest?” Her heart pounded as she looked at the pile of point plates.
Lu Qiancha stood up and brushed off non-existent dust from his sleeves. His face still held that gentle, breezily calm smile, but a trace of irrepressible craftiness was hidden deep within his eyes.
“The harvest was bountiful.” He was brief and concise. Then, he tilted his chin toward the exit light pillar, which was beginning to flicker.
His voice carried a relaxed laugh. “Let’s go, Junior Sister. It’s time to hand over our spoils.”
The moment the figures of Lu Qiancha and Gantang stepped out of the Secret Realm, Elder Hu Shi’s voice, which betrayed neither joy nor anger, rang out.
“Since all participating disciples have arrived, the final point tally will begin immediately.”
As soon as he finished speaking, almost every gaze on the square—eyes filled with anger, resentment, and bitterness—focused sharply on Lu Qiancha and Gantang like physical arrows.
Even through his disguise, Lu Qiancha felt a chill at his heart from this hostile collective gaze. His back felt cold, and he subconsciously tensed his tail and ears.
“Hand your point plates over to me.” Elder Hu Shi reached out expressionlessly, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.
The crowd looked at each other, their exchanged glances a complex mix of resentment and helplessness.
In the end, only Lu Qiancha braved the countless gazes that seemed ready to pierce through him. He walked forward silently and placed the point plate carrying his heavy spoils into Elder Hu Shi’s palm.
This action was like throwing a handful of salt into a boiling pot of oil. The malice and fury in the surrounding disciples’ eyes flared up, nearly condensing into a physical substance.
Elder Hu Shi scanned the plate with his Xian Consciousness. Without even lifting his eyelids, his voice spread clearly across the field. “Tianquan Peak team, total points: 11,542.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the silent crowd with their varying expressions, before calmly announcing: “According to this, the Tianquan Peak team takes the position of Champion for this Nine Peaks Grand Tournament.”
“The scores of the other teams are zero. Subsequent rankings will be decided through the arena placement battles.”
“I refuse to accept this!!!”
A roar full of resentment erupted like an explosion! A Shijian Peak disciple with bloodshot eyes stepped out from the crowd, his voice trembling with agitation. “Elder, this is unjust! I request a rematch!”
This shout was like lighting a powder keg. It instantly ignited the pent-up fury on the square.
“Right! A rematch! This isn’t fair!”
“Exactly! How can points be stolen like that?!”
“We ask the Elder to investigate! Such behavior goes against the spirit of the Grand Competition!”
The sounds of agreement and protest rose one after another. In an instant, the crowd was incensed.
Amidst the clamor, only one person stood still like a pine tree—Shangguan Yunzhu.
She did not join the condemnation; she simply stood at the edge of the crowd, her cold eyes fixated thoughtfully on Lu Qiancha’s back. A trace of elusive light flickered deep within her gaze.
“Silence!”
A cold and majestic shout suddenly suppressed all the noise.
Elder Xuanmo’s face was covered in frost as her jade-like finger pointed precisely at the Shijian Peak disciple who had first started the commotion. “You, step forward and speak.”
Being called out, the Shijian Peak disciple did not back down. Instead, he straightened his back and took a step forward.
His face was full of humiliation and indignation as he shouted with a stiff neck, “I refuse to accept this and demand a rematch!”
“Oh?” Elder Xuanmo’s eyebrows rose slightly, her voice betraying no emotion. “Why do you refuse? Speak.”
“Reporting to the Elder!” The Shijian Peak disciple’s chest heaved violently. His voice was loud, each word ringing with conviction.
“I believe Tianquan Peak committed a serious violation. They impersonated a presiding Elder to swindle the points we worked so hard to obtain.”
“This is fraud. The results of the Grand Competition are absolutely invalid. The only way to show justice is a rematch!”
“Then tell me,” Elder Xuanmo’s colleague, Elder Xuanpiao, spoke coldly. His majestic gaze pierced the disciple like an icicle. “Which specific rule or clause did the Tianquan Peak disciples violate?”
“This…” The Shijian Peak disciple was choked up by the question, but he immediately found a reason. “They impersonated a presiding Elder to cheat us of our points! This is unfair!”
“Heh.” A nearly heartless sneer curled the corner of Elder Xuanpiao’s mouth. His voice suddenly rose, sounding like the strike of a gavel.
“Where is the rule? I would like to ask you, is there an article explicitly recorded in the rulebook of this Grand Competition that states ‘impersonating a presiding Elder is prohibited’?”
“Or is there a clause stating ‘it is prohibited for others to surrender their point plates voluntarily or involuntarily’?!”
“I…” The Shijian Peak disciple was instantly speechless. His face turned bright red and his lips trembled, yet he could not utter a single word in rebuttal.
“Moreover!” Elder Xuanpiao’s voice became even more majestic, carrying a biting coldness. “What was the original intention of the Nine Peaks Grand Tournament?”
“It was to let you experience the cruelty and treachery of the Immortal World within this small Secret Realm. Deception and the difficulty of distinguishing truth from lies are common occurrences.”
“You entered the Secret Realm but failed to see through a disguise; this is because your skills are inferior and your mental cultivation is insufficient. This is your fundamental failure.”
His gaze was like lightning as it swept over the indignant disciples, his tone carrying a heavy disappointment.
“After a defeat, you do not reflect on your own faults or think of diligent cultivation to improve your Eye Technique of Void-Piercing and Truth-Revealing for a future comeback.”
“Instead, you bark here like madmen, accusing a fellow disciple of unfairness and trying to use the clamor of a crowd to coerce the Elders into overturning a settled result? With such a temperament, how can you be worthy of the Great Dao?!”
Elder Xuanpiao’s voice was like a great bronze bell, shaking the square into a dead silence. Finally, his gaze landed on the Shijian Peak disciple, and he let out a deep sigh.
“Forget it. Considering this is your first time tasting such a setback and you are full of youthful vigor, I do not wish to be overly harsh. Withdraw and reflect on your actions behind closed doors.”
“I hope that through this matter, you can understand gain and loss, and know when to advance or retreat. Only then will this defeat not be in vain.”
“I…” The Shijian Peak disciple’s entire body shook violently. Every word from Elder Xuanpiao was like a red-hot iron, searing itself onto his dao heart.
That harsh yet undeniable rebuke completely shattered the small amount of indignant resentment in his heart, leaving only boundless shame and self-reflection.
He felt as though his face were burning, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. He had lost even the courage to lift his head and look at those around him.
Elder Xuanpiao’s words… every word pierced his heart, yet… every word made sense.
The fault lay in his own incompetence and failure to see through the disguise. After losing, he did not think of improving himself, but instead harbored resentment…
‘Am I… am I truly this pathetic?!’
Boundless regret submerged him like a rising tide.