The Inner Sect Competition
Early morning and the mountains were shrouded in swirling clouds and mist. The Inner Sect Competition was set to begin today.
The competition was held on Juejian Peak, a place typically used by Inner Sect Disciples for sparring or informal sword discussions. Spectator seats were plentiful, and the duels on the platform were projected onto a grand screen for other Disciples to observe and learn from.
Luo Qingyu woke up exceptionally early. Knowing Jiang Huai was participating in the Inner Sect Competition, she had specifically chosen a black dress. Jiang Huai had previously taught her how to style her hair into two pointy cat ears. Luo Qingyu meticulously groomed herself for the entire morning, her bright eyes shining with radiance.
Her Master, Chu Xianning, wore only a white Daoist robe, her jet-black hair tied with a simple white ribbon. She looked serene and elegant, her cheeks still holding a hint of frost. The three of them set off for Juejian Peak together and settled into vacant seats.
The draw for the Inner Sect Competition was personally overseen by the Sect Master. Jiang Huai’s lot placed him further down the order. He sat beside Luo Qingyu, quietly observing the Disciples sparring below.
Luo Qingyu wasn’t particularly interested in their duels. Her sword technique talent was exceptionally high, and watching these Disciples felt akin to children playing games. She lazily leaned against Jiang Huai’s shoulder, like a cat basking in the sun.
As for Jiang Huai, his presence here inevitably drew many gazes. The news of his participation in the Inner Sect Competition had long been spread, as had the news of the annulled engagement. Yet, Luo Qingyu was by his side now, acting gentle and obedient.
Jiang Huai found himself nodding off in the spectator seats. Most of the Heavenly Profound Sect’s sword cultivators practiced the Heaven Profound Thirteen Swords. This technique allowed for numerous variations based on individual practitioners, branching into many different paths—fast sword, fine sword, soft sword, heavy sword, each with its own distinct methods. The Heaven Profound Thirteen Swords could be considered the foundation of the Heavenly Profound Sect. The extent to which one could comprehend from the Sword Manual depended on individual悟性 (comprehension), but generally, they appeared quite similar.
Jiang Huai had also practiced the Heaven Profound Thirteen Swords for a time. However, it was only for a period. Later, he followed his Master and learned her Silver Ray technique for a while.
Jiang Huai took some marinated and dried peanuts from his Storage Ring and began peeling them for Luo Qingyu. He ate one, and she ate one. Occasionally, when his fingertips brushed against Luo Qingyu’s delicate pink lips after he’d eaten a peanut, she would playfully nip him, her tender tongue lightly brushing against his fingertip, sending a smooth, soft sensation.
It was only when Jiang Huai saw Wen Wanwan take the stage that he showed a bit more interest. He straightened up slightly and looked intently at the projection screen. However, he noticed Wen Wanwan on the screen seemed to be scanning the spectator seats, searching for someone. When Jiang Huai lowered his head, his gaze met Wen Wanwan’s eyes, which seemed to hold a hint of lingering resentment.
Jiang Huai subtly averted his gaze, silently peeling another peanut and feeding it to Luo Qingyu. Luo Qingyu also seemed to notice Wen Wanwan’s gaze. She looked at the beautiful woman on the stage and quietly held Jiang Huai’s arm tighter.
…
In the previous Inner Sect Competition, Wen Wanwan ranked six hundred and first. The rankings in the Inner Sect Competition were not always precise, serving more as a rough estimate. However, a rank of six hundred and one was quite precarious, given that there were only six hundred and eighty-two Inner Sect Disciples in total. Wen Wanwan seemed to have very bad luck, as her draw pitted her against a female cultivator ranked fourteenth among the Inner Sect Disciples.
The female cultivator wore no sword or sabre. Instead, a slender jade flute was used as a hairpin at the back of her head. She removed the flute, and her jet-black hair cascaded down, partially obscuring her fair complexion. This female cultivator was a Music Cultivator.
Music Cultivators were few at the Heavenly Profound Sect, and this school of practice was on the verge of extinction. Music Cultivators primarily focused on the Soul, so their cultivation level was not as crucial. They mainly used spiritual energy combined with musical rhythms to unleash Daoist magic, requiring exceptionally high Soul talent. Holding the jade flute to her delicate pink lips, spiritual energy intertwined with music transformed into swords, swirling around her.
Wen Wanwan held her sword, standing tall and straight, her sleeves fluttering in the wind. In the time it took Jiang Huai to peel six peanuts, Wen Wanwan was defeated. Sword Qi had previously swirled around her, an attack she couldn’t evade. It had been deliberately dissipated, leaving her no choice but to concede and leave the Sword Discussion Platform.
Jiang Huai continued to eat peanuts. After eating peanuts for nearly three to four hours, he saw Wen Wanwan take the stage again. This time, Wen Wanwan faced a Saber Cultivator ranked in the three hundreds within the Sect.
Jiang Huai thought Wen Wanwan’s sword technique talent was decent; she simply spent too little time practicing swordsmanship. This was because she had to complete many Sect missions each month to earn Spirit Stones, so she could search for life-extending medicinal materials for her younger sister. If the missions were dangerous and could hone her sword intent, it would be acceptable. However, she dared not undertake such missions. It wasn’t out of fear of pain, but because if anything were to happen to her, there would no longer be anyone to care for her sister.
This time, in the time it took Jiang Huai to peel eighteen peanuts, Wen Wanwan was defeated once more. She had tried her best, to the extent that her clothes bore a sword gash. Fresh blood flowed down her white attire, staining her shoulders and back a vibrant crimson. Her opponent lightly apologized, but she shook her head, saying it was fine, and slowly walked off the stage, her eyes dimmed slightly. Her cultivation level could rank within the top ten among Outer Sect Disciples, but in the Inner Sect, it was somewhat lacking. However, if she were to return to the Outer Sect, she would lose access to the Inner Sect Disciples’ cultivation resources, so she could only grit her teeth and persevere. Jiang Huai pondered for a moment, then took out a porcelain white jade bottle and handed it to Luo Qingyu, patting her head. “Go give her this Healing Medicine.”
“Okay,” Luo Qingyu obediently got up and descended from the spectator seats. She jogged over to Wen Wanwan’s side and handed her the porcelain bottle. As she did, her eyes surveyed the woman before her. Perhaps beautiful women always had a habit of comparing themselves to other beautiful women. Luo Qingyu stared at her for a good while before softly saying, “Jiang Huai Gege asked me to give you this Healing Medicine.”
Wen Wanwan froze for a moment, then looked at Luo Qingyu before her and softly said, “Thank you.” She accepted the porcelain bottle. Luo Qingyu then hopped back to Jiang Huai’s side, resuming their watch of the Inner Sect Competition.
After another hour of waiting, it was Jiang Huai’s turn to lean against Luo Qingyu and fall asleep. She smelled fragrant and had a soft body, making it easy to get drowsy. He yawned and finally heard his name being called from the stage. His opponent, however, was Wen Wanwan.
Jiang Huai blinked in surprise and scratched his head, asking Luo Qingyu, “Did I hear that right?”
“Yes, it’s Wen Wanwan.”
“Help me transmit a message to the Elder with your spiritual energy, telling them I forfeit this match.”
Luo Qingyu obediently agreed. Then, her soft voice echoed throughout the entire Sword Discussion arena, “Jiang Huai Gege says he forfeits this match.”
The Disciples below the stage exchanged strange looks. Wen Wanwan was already among the lowest-ranked cultivators in the Inner Sect, and she had sustained a minor injury earlier. Jiang Huai, who was supposed to be participating in the Inner Sect Competition, was forfeiting in the very first round. What was his intention? Everyone was puzzled and began to whisper amongst themselves. Soon, the Elder began the next round of draws.
The Inner Sect competition continued for the entire day until sunset. There was one last match to be fought today, and Jiang Huai, with his head resting on Luo Qingyu’s lap, had fallen asleep. Luo Qingyu was obediently keeping her legs together, allowing Jiang Huai, who sat beside her, to rest on her lap. Her fair, tender hands covered his face, shielding him from the light. It wasn’t until the stage announcer called Jiang Huai’s name that Luo Qingyu gently shook his body. Jiang Huai woke up and heard her say, “Jiang Huai Gege, it’s your turn to go on stage.”
Jiang Huai sat up abruptly and stretched lazily under everyone’s gaze, letting out a yawn before walking onto the stage. His opponent also slowly walked onto the stage. Upon seeing his opponent, Jiang Huai was slightly taken aback.
“You are…” Jiang Huai felt the disciple opposite him looked familiar, as if he had some impression, but he suffered from mild prosopagnosia and couldn’t recall immediately. Yet, he was certain he knew him. The opposing disciple wore a black robe and appeared to be a little younger than Jiang Huai. The black robe was covered in numerous sword wounds, a portion of the chest area was scorched, and there was a bloodstain on his face, making him look quite disheveled.
“Senior Brother Jiang Huai…” the opposing disciple said slowly, his voice tinged with guilt. “I… have failed your expectations.” Jiang Huai blinked in surprise. He seemed to remember who this was. “Are you Zhao Shi Yi?”
“Yes.” Zhao Shi Yi nodded bitterly.
“How did you get yourself into this state?” Jiang Huai asked, confused.
“I lost the first two matches…” Zhao Shi Yi’s voice grew increasingly ashamed. As he spoke, he began to cough, spitting out a large amount of blood. Jiang Huai quickly took out a bottle of Healing Pills and walked over to him. “Take a Healing Pill first.” Zhao Shi Yi instinctively tried to shake his head in refusal, but Jiang Huai firmly said, “Listen.”
Zhao Shi Yi obediently accepted the pill. Jiang Huai frowned slightly. The Inner Sect Competition was primarily about the duels. Although swords and sabers had no eyes, most Disciples had a sense of propriety. Just sparring shouldn’t leave Zhao Shi Yi as battered as he was. Jiang Huai could see at a glance that many of his injuries were not just from sparring.
“Have the people from Medicine Refining Mountain troubled you again?” Jiang Huai inquired.
Zhao Shi Yi shook his head. “No… I just encountered someone from Medicine Refining Mountain during my last duel. I was outmatched.”
“Medicine Refining Mountain again…” Jiang Huai’s gaze flickered as he looked at the other’s face, a sense of helplessness washing over him. He recognized the Zhao Shi Yi before him because he had stood up for him in the past. Zhao Shi Yi was among the first batch of cultivators to be promoted from the Outer Sect to the Inner Sect after Jiang Huai proposed reforms to the Sect Master. He practiced diligently, almost to the point of practicing sword techniques day and night without rest, cherishing this opportunity to become an Inner Sect Disciple.
However, Inner Sect Disciples already had their own cliques, and most looked down upon those from the Outer Sect with no background. He practiced quietly, holding no grudges against these Inner Sect Disciples. One time, during a Sect mission to gather Spirit Medicine, he was grouped with several Disciples from Medicine Refining Mountain. Together, they defeated a Demonic Beast at the Late Stage Foundation Establishment. He contributed the most and sustained the most severe injuries. Yet, upon returning to the Sect, the consensus of the remaining four Disciples was that he had only hindered them and contributed almost nothing. Therefore, the reward he received was only a meager portion. He was indignant and complained to the Law Enforcement Hall, but he had no evidence. After being expelled from the Law Enforcement Hall, he cursed the Medicine Refining Mountain Disciples who had undertaken the mission with him outside the hall.
Internal conflict was forbidden within the Sect. The Medicine Refining Mountain Disciples outwardly dismissed it with a smile, but from that day onward, Disciples from Medicine Refining Mountain began visiting his residence daily, seeking him out for sword duels. He could have refused, but the insults from the Medicine Refining Mountain Disciples were too harsh. He chose to accept the duel, and under notarization, two of his ribs were broken.
