[Celestial Phenomena Peak Yun Liu vs. Mist Concealment Peak Zhang Ziyou]
Ji Shiyu scratched her head.
It was true, and the opponent was not weak.
Zhang Ziyou was in the Foundation Establishment Upper Realm and, like Yun Liu, had been among the top sixty-four last year.
However, the Senior Disciple of Tianxiang Peak had abandoned the sword for alchemy and neglected his cultivation.
It was true that his Qi Sea had been repaired, but his cultivation level was a mystery, and he had not appeared in the Sword Dao Class for a long time.
As a Third-rank Heavenly Path Alchemist, his Divine Sense strength was beyond doubt, but the Yanding Sword Contest compared one’s mastery of the Five Peaks Sword Canon.
The Five Peaks Elders and the Inner Disciple circle were not very optimistic about this farce.
They believed Yun Liu was just there to make up the numbers and that he was likely unwilling to participate himself.
The two Silly Girls had rushed to Jueyun Peak to question the man himself.
They had bumped into each other as soon as they left, and knowing each other’s thoughts, they began a chase while Sword Riding.
Qin Xing shook her head with a bitter smile.
Beside her was a group of chattering Clear Mist Peak Junior Sisters who were already asking the Chief Steward how to focus on defeating their enemies.
Because the Grand Elder had dipped into his own pocket to announce extra rewards for outstanding disciples, this session of the Great Competition was of considerable scale.
Even before it began, it had attracted many fellow cultivators from the Heavenly Concord Alliance to visit the Sea of Clouds, and the hype was extremely high.
The number of participants this year was higher than usual.
Even some second-generation disciples, who usually disdained competing with their juniors, had signed up, making the competition quite fierce.
Qin Cha glanced at her first-round opponent and felt somewhat disappointed.
With her cultivation, she would likely have to wait several rounds before encountering a challenging fellow disciple.
Aside from a certain someone, the thing other Inner Disciples feared most was running into the Chief Disciple of any peak, which was equivalent to an early announcement of their elimination.
In this generation of young disciples, not a single one of the Five Peaks Grand Disciples was absent.
They represented the face of their Master’s Sect and would never show mercy.
Passing through the mist and seeing the iconic Mist Tower of the Shanhai Pavilion on the Fang Street meant they had reached the territory of Jueyun Peak.
The place Youyou had given Yun Liu was a paradise.
The Alchemy Room and Dao Arena had both been upgraded, and the herb garden was flourishing.
There was a hot spring villa for the winter and a summer resort for the heat.
Protected by a Spirit Gathering Great Array, the Spiritual Qi here was much more abundant than in the Inner Five Peaks.
Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran landed at the Mountain Gate.
From a distance, they saw Lin Shu guarding a patch of dense mist.
Upon seeing the heroic maidservant, the two knew they were in luck; the master was home.
Usually, there was often not a soul to be seen on the mountain.
Yun Liu’s whereabouts would be unknown, and he would have only one person accompanying him—one who insisted on following.
“If the Young Master loses even a single strand of hair, not only would Miss Xiao be utterly disappointed in me, but Lin Shu would have no face to continue living in this world. I might as well sever my own meridians now to repay the debt of saving my life.”
That was what Lin Shu had said at the time, her attitude resolute.
Yun Liu could not win the argument and had to agree.
See, that is called professionalism!
She loved whatever profession she was in.
As enchanting as Miss Lin was when she was a Flower Queen, her willingness to die in the line of duty as a Deadpool was just as intense.
Her professional ethics were admirable.
If the Miss Xiao had not forcibly taken her in, there was no doubt that the despairing Miss Lin would have gone straight back to find Madam Jing Rui to fight to the death and clear her humiliation.
Betrayal, abandonment, falling into the mundane world, and having her reputation ruined…
To her, the beliefs she had held for so long had been trampled and shattered.
There was nothing left worth lingering for.
Rather than living a dishonorable life, she would rather die on the battlefield.
She was barely holding onto life through the excuse of repaying her debt.
It was not until a few casual words from the White-robed Youth pulled Miss Lin out of the abyss that she found a goal to defend once more.
‘A warrior dies for the one who recognizes their worth.’
However, Yun Liu did more than just lose a strand of hair.
Vomiting blood and falling unconscious were common occurrences, nearly driving the guard insane.
Despite being an Alchemist of high status, the restless Young Master Yun had run through every large and small monster nest in the Sea of Clouds, almost soloing all the level two bounties.
He had not only cleared all the maps where even a Huangmao would level up and fight monsters, but he had also practically made the Yunhai Sword Guards unemployed.
Afterward, he would even take the quest items to find the Kanban Girl to claim the rewards.
In the end, even Youyou could not stand it anymore.
She was so angry she chased the neglectful Young Pavilion Master to shave his scalp.
Where was the sense in a Boss harvesting his own company’s resources?
(°Д°) –
Meanwhile, the maidservant was on standby the whole time.
She was only allowed to watch from the sidelines and forbidden from helping unless her master’s life was threatened.
Those were the orders.
It was the same this time.
Miss Lin rubbed her brow, holding her Young Master’s sword as she stood guard nearby, looking worried.
She could see that the Young Master was practicing a peculiar technique, using Spiritual Medicine to stimulate his inner breath and shake his meridians.
However, the intensity had been increasing lately, as if he had self-destructive tendencies.
It was terrifying to behold.
Xiao Xinran was extremely polite and was still using her sense to transmit a message, but Ji Shiyu had already rushed up to say hello, not acting like an outsider at all.
“Beep-boop! Sister Lin, what are you doing? Where is Master?”
Lin Shu saw the two and smiled bitterly.
“This is the Four Ambush Great Array. Do not get close. The Young Master is inside… cultivating!”
Rather than cultivation, it was more like self-mutilation.
There were no enemies inside at all.
What kind of person would set up an array to trap themselves?
“What is that thing?”
Xiao Xinran and Ji Shiyu were full of questions.
If Qin Yao were here, she would likely be startled.
The Four Ambush Great Array was filled with ominous winds and was extremely perilous.
Even a Golden Core Cultivator who accidentally entered might not be able to escape.
What kind of cultivation required such a thing?
The two extended their Divine Sense, only to feel a wisp of Spirit Breath moving rapidly through the mist.
Their Divine Sense could not keep up with the speed at all.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Heavy, muffled sounds like the beating of drums echoed from within the mist.
Miss Lin remained rooted to the spot, motionless.
Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran were not as relaxed.
The mere vibrations coming from the array made them lose their footing.
They stared in shock.
When the mist finally dissipated, a disheveled figure walked out.
Yun Liu’s clothes were shredded and he was covered in blood.
The lacerations across his body were shocking to the eye.
“Young Master!”
Lin Shu was prepared, offering a medicine box and a Baoping.
Yun Liu took the Spiritual Medicine, and his complexion improved slightly.
However, he looked even weaker than their last meeting.
His Jade Manor Spirit Foundation was trembling as if he had been severely injured.
“What happened to you?”
“Is it serious… is it because your previous injuries haven’t healed yet?”
The two Silly Girls were terrified.
Xiao Xinran hurried forward to support him, while Ji Shiyu frantically tried to cover a bleeding wound.
“It’s nothing.”
Yun Liu looked surprised and glared at Miss Lin.
“Didn’t I say no one was allowed in?”
“Miss Xiao and Miss Ji shouldn’t be considered outsiders… right?”
Lin Shu defended herself in a small voice.
“Of course we aren’t!”
Yun Liu rolled his eyes.
Before he could speak, the Huangmao had already answered for him.
Who else would come uninvited?
He had feared these two troublemakers would make a big fuss!
“Huh?”
Ji Shiyu blinked and moved her small hand away.
The wound that had been bleeding profusely just a moment ago had already scabbed over.
‘Was the medicine that miraculous…?’
Clearly not.
Soon, the wounds all over Yun Liu’s body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
His skin became as translucent as jade, faintly shrouded in a layer of white frost and cold flames.
Only the bloodstains on his clothes remained.
The Sacred Fire does not die; the Heavenly Walk lasts forever.
The “lying flat” duo-set was starting to show results.
Within the same realm, he was practically an unkillable cockroach.
Such powerful self-healing abilities were something only the legendary Wood Extreme Spiritual Root could achieve.
Xiao Xinran was still marveling at it, but Miss Lin had long since grown accustomed to it, skillfully serving her master as he changed clothes.
Yun Liu wiped his face.
He looked pale and weak, as if he had returned to the past when he was heavily injured.
Of everyone involved in the trip to Yudu, was he the only one whose cultivation had regressed instead of progressed?