The Grand Qingzhou Festival officially commenced, and its most eye-catching highlight was the tournament for the younger generation.
Every year, the tournament saw the emergence of young cultivators with extraordinary potential, leaving those obscure cultivators who had frittered away their lives feeling thoroughly inferior and sighing to the heavens.
Time had proven the potential of these young prodigies. Barring those who died prematurely from unexpected mishaps, most went on to achieve fame and success, becoming sect masters or establishing schools of their own.
It was not just the Qingzhou yamen that attached great importance to these young cultivators; many sects and factions also mingled among the crowd, hoping to scout and recruit talent.
Perhaps due to the impending Golden Age, the young cultivators participating in the tournament over recent years were increasingly remarkable, continuously breaking previous records.
"Look over there! Isn't that Li Shaoyang from the Wind Calming Sect? I heard he's already reached Qi Refinement Great Perfection! When he traveled down the mountain for his worldly experiences, bandits blocked his path. Brandishing a great spear, he pierced right through all three ninth-layer Qi Refinement bandits in a single thrust!"
"What? Qi Refinement Great Perfection at such a young age? That's a realm high enough to place in the top eight!"
A cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refinement could attempt Foundation Establishment. To maximize their odds of success, they would meticulously polish this realm—which was what outsiders called Qi Refinement Great Perfection.
Most cultivators gathered here to watch were merely in the Qi Refinement stage, making Qi Refinement Great Perfection their ultimate goal.
The Five Great Immortal Sects held no such concept. They had zero interest in dividing Qi Refinement into layers at all; whether one was at the first layer or Qi Refinement Great Perfection, there was no real difference to them.
"Look at that exceptionally beautiful female cultivator beside him too. Her name is Qiao Hongye, from the first-rank Sleeveless Sect. She's also at Qi Refinement Great Perfection, with Wood-Fire dual spiritual roots! The Sleeveless Sect held an internal sect tournament with several Qi Refinement Great Perfection disciples participating, and Qiao Hongye took first place!"
"In past years, Qi Refinement Great Perfection would easily land someone in the top eight, but this year it's hard to say. Word on the street is that several Foundation Establishment cultivators are participating!"
"Foundation Establishment under eighteen?! And there are several of them?!"
A companion said mysteriously, "Have you heard of Gu Qisheng from Changhong Palace? Born in a yin year, yin month, and yin hour, possessing the Mystic Yin Physique. He suffered a great tribulation at birth and would have died prematurely if not for the palace master of Changhong Palace rescuing him."
"A Mystic Yin Physique incurs the envy of the heavens, bringing a major tribulation right at birth. Overcome it, and one's cultivation proceeds smoothly; fail to overcome it, and one perishes along the way."
"Someone saw Gu Qisheng arrive yesterday. He's already at early Foundation Establishment."
***
"Hello, we're here to register for the tournament."
A yamen runner was registering names not far away, his booth quiet and deserted.
Usually, participants registered well in advance, but a small handful also showed up on a whim to compete.
The yamen runner glanced at the two young men who wore genial smiles. Unable to discern their cultivation realms, he did not dwell on it; carrying artifacts to conceal one's cultivation was commonplace when traveling abroad.
Pointing to a boulder beside him, he said, "This is the lowest grade of black iron stone. Only a cultivator in late Qi Refinement can shatter it. Break the stone."
To the two of them, the black iron stone was no different from tofu. With a light palm strike, the rock shattered into pieces.
"Looks like Foundation Establishment. This year truly holds crouching tigers and hidden dragons."
"This is an age ring stone. Place your hand on it and channel your spiritual energy."
On the other side of the yamen runner lay a block of stone resembling a tree trunk, etched with ring after ring. It was specifically used in the cultivation world to test a person's age.
The two placed their hands on it and channeled spiritual energy. The rings lit up one after another, finally stopping at the seventeenth circle.
"Under eighteen years old. You are eligible to compete."
"Name?"
"Lu Yang."
"Sect?"
"Dao Seeking Sect."
"Huh?" The yamen runner snapped his head up, scrutinizing Lu Yang as if he had seen a ghost.
Lu Yang asked curiously, "Is there a problem?"
The yamen runner recalled what the provincial governor had said: encourage tournament participation; the more who compete, the better. Do not fear participants with illustrious backgrounds—the only fear is that those with illustrious backgrounds refuse to participate.
With two disciples from the Dao Seeking Sect entering the tournament, the provincial governor would surely be overjoyed.
"No, nothing. You may participate in the tournament. And you? What's your name?"
"Meng Jingzhou, also from the Dao Seeking Sect."
"Here are your numbers. In fifteen minutes, lots will be drawn to arrange the match bracket. Be prepared."
"No problem!"
***
"Strange. The first match of the tournament is about to begin, so why haven't we seen Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou yet?" Lan Ting sat upright on the judging panel, feeling puzzled.
"Perhaps they ran into an unexpected delay on the road," Bai Ming guessed. This was common enough; he always ran into unexpected situations whenever he traveled down the mountain for worldly experience.
"Wait," Yan Tianzhi said, as sparing with words as ever.
Lan Ting had only just met Yan Tianzhi and was not familiar with him yet. Bai Ming had told her that Yan Tianzhi spoke very little by nature, so expecting commentary from him was practically out of the question.
Lan Ting felt helpless. It seemed the heavy responsibility of providing commentary would fall squarely on her shoulders.
The spectators below noticed the three figures on the judging panel and began whispering among themselves.
"Who are those three? They look so young. Can they really serve as judges?"
"Especially that young lady. Pretty as she is—and I've never seen anyone quite so gorgeous—she doesn't look like she has much combat experience at all."
"Shows what you know! Those three are disciples of the immortal sects, supreme talents favored by heaven! I heard all three are the most outstanding among their peers back in their sects!"
"More than that! Someone in my family serves in the prefectural yamen, and he said all three are at the Golden Core stage!"
"Golden Core stage?!"
"Now you see how terrifying the gap in talent is!"
The highest-ranking participants in the tournament were merely at Foundation Establishment; having Golden Core cultivators commentate on Foundation Establishment matches was more than sufficient.
Lan Ting skimmed through the profile of the cultivator competing in the first match and announced in a gentle tone, "Competing in the first match is Feng He, a true disciple from the first-rank Seven Emotions Sect. Not long ago, without relying on a Foundation Establishment Pill, Feng He broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage in one go purely on the foundation he laid during Qi Refinement. He is currently an early Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"The Seven Emotions Sect expresses its comprehension of the seven emotions and six desires through the Dao of music. Feng He has inherited the true teachings of the Seven Emotions Sect and is remarkably skilled in music. A single rendition of his piece 'Parting Joy' can make birds halt in their tracks and flower buds burst into bloom!"
"Feng He is also one of the seeded contestants in this tournament. Let us look forward to his performance!"
A confident smile curved Feng He's lips. With his early Foundation Establishment cultivation, he was certain to shine brilliantly in this tournament.
Venturing through the martial world depended on two things: strength and reputation.
This tournament was the starting point from which he would achieve renown!
"Feng He's opponent is a cultivator who registered at the last minute. His opponent is... Lu Yang, from the Dao Seeking Sect?!"
Halfway through her sentence, Lan Ting nearly lost her composure.
Setting down the documents in her hand, she looked toward the arena. Catching sight of that familiar figure, her expression turned thoroughly bizarre.
She turned to look at Bai Ming beside her, only to find he wore the exact same expression.
Seeing Lan Ting and Bai Ming on the judging panel above the arena, Lu Yang first raised a hand in greeting, then scratched the back of his head in bewilderment.
*What's going on here?*
*Weren't we supposed to participate in the tournament? Why are you two sitting on the judging panel?*
Chapter 353