April. Cherry blossoms fell within the Yin Yang Sect.
This Grand Tournament, because Lu Li, this “Saintess,” had arrived while maintaining his male appearance and had a small conflict with Shen Zhaoxue, these incidents attracted too many disciples.
Normally, the tournament only involved outer and inner disciples.
Those miscellaneous service disciples with insufficient cultivation would settle their battles on regular days.
But now, these people who were usually not very active in the sect began to appear on the battle arena.
“First match, Ji Qingyuan wins!” The disciple in charge of announcements called out the name of a female cultivator covered in blood on the battle arena.
Opposite her was a woman collapsed on the ground, also gasping for breath.
“Battles are brutal.”
Lu Li watched the two female cultivators being helped up by others and leaving the arena.
“Miscellaneous service disciples have it harder than I imagined.”
“Yes. They don’t have a fallback like Senior Sister Shen or me. Once they reach a certain age, they can only leave the sect and retire to their hometowns. Or stay as servants in the sect until they grow old.”
Jiang Yuebai sighed.
“That’s why they fight with their lives on the line.”
“How helpless…”
Lu Li could only smile wryly at the sight.
‘Before I entered the immortal path, wasn’t it the same for me? I had to rack my brains for a single bowl of congee or a single strand of silk.’
“Second match: Lu Li versus Gu Wangshu.” As the announcing disciple spoke, everyone’s gaze turned to Lu Li and a female disciple who gracefully entered from the other side.
“It’s the ruthless Senior Sister Gu. She’s been in the sect for eight years and is at Qi Refining Ninth Layer.”
The other female disciples whispered.
“And she comes from a martial arts family, so she fights very fiercely.”
“I think Lu Li can’t win. He’s only been in the sect for a month.”
Amidst all kinds of comments, Lu Li did not step on his Light Gauze; instead, he used mundane Lightness Skill and leaped onto the battle arena.
This action caused many female disciples to look puzzled, and some even booed.
“Junior Brother Lu, can’t you even control a magical artifact?”
Gu Wangshu glanced at Lu Li. Her green robe fluttered without wind, and the Light Gauze beneath her feet came into her hand.
“You’re weaker than I imagined.”
“That’s not certain.”
Lu Li glanced at the referee, who was waving.
“How about looking at it from another angle? Senior Sister Gu, you’re so weak that I don’t need to use a magical artifact.”
“Sharp tongue and sharp teeth! Take this!” Gu Wangshu waved her delicate hand, and the Light Gauze shot straight at Lu Li’s face like a spirit snake.
“Senior Sister Gu, don’t be so hasty.”
Lu Li dodged to the side. “I have a request.”
“What? Open your mouth.”
“Huh?” Before Gu Wangshu could react, she felt a foreign object enter her mouth.
Lu Li swung his left hand, lightly tapping the hilt of his sword against her chin, causing her teeth to close.
“What did you feed me?!” Gu Wangshu was about to get angry, but she felt a cool sensation in her mouth, followed by a faint warmth flowing down her throat.
As the liquid flowed, the meridians in her body even became active.
“Just a Nourishing Qi Pill.” Lu Li looked at Gu Wangshu, who didn’t know whether to be angry or grateful. “Senior Sister, don’t worry.”
“But what are you doing?” Gu Wangshu chewed carefully and swept her Divine Sense over it multiple times, confirming it was the Nourishing Qi Pill she usually took.
“Part of the plan.” Lu Li looked at Gu Wangshu, who was chewing the pill, then raised his hand to the referee.
“Referee, she violated the rules!”
“Huh?” Gu Wangshu looked completely bewildered, while the referee suddenly understood and gave her a wry smile.
“Because Gu Wangshu consumed a medicinal pill, violating the Grand Tournament rules, Lu Li indeed wins.” The referee helplessly raised his hand. “Both of you, please leave the arena.”
“You… you…” Gu Wangshu’s face flushed red, but she kept chewing. Ordinary disciples could only receive three Nourishing Qi Pills per month.
Inner disciples got more, a full nine pills a month. But they were basically used to trade for important resources.
Who would just give them away like Lu Li?
However, although Lu Li’s action was unconventional and caused her to lose the match, from another perspective, she got a free pill.
So thinking of this, the words “despicable,” “shameless,” and “vulgar” that were about to spill out turned into a soft sentence.
“…Thank you, Junior Brother Lu. I lost.” Having received a favor, Gu Wangshu could only bow and jump off the battle arena.
The match that everyone had anticipated ended in such a farcical manner, causing many disciples outside the arena to clamor.
But when they thought about the Nourishing Qi Pill that they could only take a few times a month, whispers started among the crowd.
Some even hoped to face Lu Li in battle.
“Su Wanqiu, this Saintess you took in has quite a rogue character.” Another blue-robed Foundation Establishment beauty sitting in the front row coldly looked at Su Wanqiu, who was smiling wryly.
“He didn’t use the Yin Yang Sect’s techniques, but instead employed those low-down tricks from the martial world.”
“How is that low-down? Lu Li didn’t hurt anyone, nor did he break the rules.” Su Wanqiu sighed lightly, then retorted.
“Both of you are our Foundation Establishment Stewards. I think that a different kind of Saintess like Lu Li can bring fresh blood to our Yin Yang Sect.” As the two stared at each other, another smiling woman in a blue dress joined them.
“Let’s continue watching.”
“Cheng Suwen, it’s not your disciple who lost, so of course you can continue watching.”
“But Senior Sister Murong Shuang, your disciple got a free Nourishing Qi Pill.” Cheng Suwen covered her face with a smile.
“Look, our ‘Saintess’ has started distributing pills generously again.”
“It’s only this month. After this, another rule will be added to the battle arena.” Murong Shuang’s face was truly as white as frost as she watched Lu Li snap his fingers, and then a disciple happily bowed and jumped off the arena.
According to the rules of the Yin Yang Sect, disciples of each Foundation Establishment Steward fought against each other during the Grand Tournament.
So with this move, Lu Li eliminated four or five of his own fellow disciples.
“And I see your disciple has a lot of small tricks. I’m afraid that after a month in the sect, he hasn’t even reached Qi Refining Layer 1.” Murong Shuang flicked her sleeve, closed her eyes, and began to sit cross-legged in meditation.
“Let’s wait until these petty games are over.”
“Then my disciple won’t disappoint you.” Hearing this, Su Wanqiu instead showed a trace of a smile.
She didn’t believe in Lu Li’s martial arts techniques, but she absolutely believed in his cultivation.
He had reached Qi Refining Eighth Layer in just three days, let alone a month.
“It can’t be that his current cultivation… I’d have to call him senior brother… Impossible, I haven’t sensed the unique True Yuan of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.” Su Wanqiu shook her head, also sitting cross-legged to meditate.
The two closed their eyes and meditated.
Cheng Suwen, who had been mediating, also smiled and returned to her seat, watching the matches together with the other Foundation Establishment Stewards.
The battle arena was divided into different areas according to different situations.
So at the same time, up to thirty people could compete simultaneously.
When Lu Li adopted such an unconventional method, he also left the arena at the fastest speed.
Coupled with his extremely generous behavior, it actually caused the other senior and junior sisters who didn’t know much about Lu Li to bow slightly and make way for him.
Although Lu Li was now a man and hadn’t used much of the Yin Yang Sect’s techniques, the Nourishing Qi Pills fed into their mouths were real.
Having such a “Saintess,” it was never a loss no matter what. Some even started thinking about how to meet Lu Li again in next month’s Grand Tournament.
After eight matches, the Grand Tournament for the three hundred disciples basically ended. Some fought fiercely, while others faced their opponents easily.
“Sigh, Qi Refining Seventh Layer can’t hold out too long.” Qing Luo sat on the high platform with a bitter face, gazing at Shen Zhaoxue and Jiang Yuebai, who were fighting with palms, fists, gauze, and swords.
Both of them were at Qi Refinement Layer 12.
Among the Qi Refining Stage disciples of the Yin Yang Sect, their martial arts experience was exceptionally rich.
Before a move could grow stale, a new move would suddenly change, followed by several sword techniques, either yin-soft or yang-hard.
“Can you win, Lu Li?” Qing Luo looked at Shen Zhaoxue, who was now wildly waving her Light Gauze while tossing her long sword and forming hand seals with her right hand.
“Normally, cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage start practicing magic techniques after a few months of cultivation.”
“Magic techniques…” Lu Li looked at Shen Zhaoxue, whose fingertips were emanating faint cold air.
Then a beam of moonlight flew and grazed past Jiang Yuebai’s neck.
Strands of black hair fell, mixed with some crimson blood.
“Senior Sister Shen truly deserves to be the number one under Foundation Establishment.” Jiang Yuebai pointed her right hand in the air, and several spiritual lights shattered the moonbeams flying toward her. “To be able to master magic techniques to such a degree.”
“You’re not bad either. It’s just that your Dao heart is unstable. Let’s see if you can take this move this month!” Shen Zhaoxue leaped into the air, her fingertips dancing, and several more moonbeams flew, sealing off all directions around Jiang Yuebai.
“Ice Moonlight!”
“Starlight Dance!”
Jiang Yuebai could no longer hide her true abilities.
With a soft shout, she used her Light Gauze to protect her body, touched the ground with one foot, and pointed with both hands repeatedly.
Though the starlight condensed, the moonlight was powerful.
After several collisions, the Light Gauze covering Jiang Yuebai was in danger and finally dispersed.
A beam of moonlight shot straight at her abdomen, then turned into a strong force, sending Jiang Yuebai flying into the air before she landed on a rockery.
“Ugh…” Jiang Yuebai spat a trace of blood from her mouth, and the referee immediately raised both hands to announce the end of the match.
“Winner, Shen Zhaoxue!”