novelraw Chapter 116 : Elimination Round
Chapter 116 : Elimination Round
Chu Sang observed his hesitant demeanor and felt anxious on his behalf. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
As she turned to leave, the young man's cool, slightly deep voice came from behind, "A few days ago, when Lou Qing and the others returned from Fan Pan Village, I had just broken through to the middle stage of Nascent Soul. I wanted to share this good news with Master first, but unexpectedly I saw..."
He had witnessed Lou Qing entering Elder Chang Yu's side hall.
It's worth noting that Lou Qing is currently second only to him in sword cultivation among their peers in Tianyan Sect and is also the Sect Leader's prized disciple. She usually doesn't come to Lingxun Peak, so why would she visit Elder Chang Yu alone?
Even more peculiar was that he clearly sensed an odd fluctuation in spiritual energy at that time. Lou Qing's state was also very unusual. She knelt with her head bowed, taking something out of her storage bag and handing it to Chang Yu, who immediately destroyed it.
Mo Qingchen only witnessed this scene before Chang Yu noticed his arrival.
Chang Yu's face still bore his usual warm yet slightly distant smile. He briefly inquired about Mo Qingchen's cultivation progress during these months of seclusion, expressed satisfaction, and then told him to leave and prepare for the sect competition.
Mo Qingchen still felt something was amiss at the time. Glancing at Lou Qing, whose state seemed off, he asked an additional question, "Master, why has Junior Sister Lou Qing come to our peak today?"
"I encountered some obscure and difficult issues in the way of the sword, so I came to Lingxun Peak. The Fifth Elder is instructing and enlightening me," Lou Qing said with a smile as she approached, her demeanor returning to normal, appearing as if nothing was wrong.
But Mo Qingchen still felt something was off.
However, he had just overheard the conversation between Chu Sang and Lou Qing, and that strange feeling he had suppressed rose again.
He shared this matter with Chu Sang alone.
Chu Sang hadn't expected to hear such explosive news. From these few words, she could basically deduce the course of events—
Lou Qing did intend to hand over the recording stone to the Tianyan Sect Leader as Chu Sang had requested, but somehow Chang Yu discovered this along the way. Chang Yu naturally tried every means to prevent it, destroying the recording stone and erasing Lou Qing's memory.
Chu Sang even speculated that if Mo Qingchen hadn't happened to arrive at that moment, Chang Yu might have secretly eliminated Lou Qing for Qin Xixue's sake. After all, as a highly respected elder of the sect, it would be all too easy for him to dispose of the body and cover it up. He could make up any excuse with just a flick of his finger.
The ability to forcibly erase a cultivator's memory is undoubtedly a forbidden technique in the cultivation world.
Lou Qing must have been under Chang Yu's soul control at the time.
Extracting spirit roots, erasing memories, soul manipulation.
Chu Sang began to question her former superior's true identity.
This was practically on par with an evil cultivator.
Was the male protagonist in the original story always this explosive?
In comparison, Mo Qingchen, the main love interest, seemed the most normal so far. At the very least, apart from protecting Qin Xixue and Tianyan Sect's interests, he hadn't done anything too outrageous.
However, perhaps due to her constant disruption of the plot, this main love interest currently appeared to pay little attention to Qin Xixue. Instead, he was persistently pursuing her, a mere cannon fodder character who had already been expelled from the sect.
He hesitated before speaking, "I still can't understand why you left Tianyan Sect. If you're truly innocent, you can tell me. I will definitely help clear your name."
Chu Sang looked at the main love interest's somewhat out-of-character behavior and couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. "...You haven't given up on me, have you?"
She hadn't forgotten that in the original story, it was Mo Qingchen who ultimately ran her through with a sword. She spoke in a light tone, "What's the point of staying in Tianyan Sect? A group of people who want to kill me—should I just lie down and let them do as they please?"
Mo Qingchen frowned and said in a deep voice, "Who wants to kill you?"
Chu Sang: "..."
She forced a faint smile, "For example, you."
"Given our childhood friendship, how could I possibly kill you?" Mo Qingchen was even more perplexed, feeling she was deliberately making things difficult for him.
Chu Sang's headache intensified. She hated persistent pursuit the most, especially when the female protagonist's unwanted suitors came to pester her. "Stop, stop, stop. I think I need to formally remind you that I've already left Tianyan Sect. My relationships with everyone in Tianyan Sect have been completely severed. You should also give up any thoughts of bringing me back to switch sides."
"As for those things I did to help you when we were children, if you really want to thank me, then give me something tangible. I welcome spirit stones, pills, magical treasures—the more the better. The only thing I don't like is empty words."
Mo Qingchen actually started rummaging through his storage bag.
"..." Chu Sang's lips twitched. She took a deep breath, her expression turning cold, "You can understand human speech, right?"
The young man stopped his actions. He looked up at her, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. After a long moment, he finally spoke, "I will investigate that matter, and also... Master."
"You're right, you're no longer a Tianyan Sect disciple. So in the upcoming competition, we will be enemies," he said. "I won't show you any mercy."
Chu Sang smiled, "Coincidentally, I don't need any."
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A month later, the sect competition officially began. The seating area could truly be described as a sea of people.
Chu Sang and Tantai Ming, two inexperienced kids, were encountering such a grand occasion for the first time. They couldn't help but marvel inwardly, trying their best not to stand out.
For the sake of fairness, the first elimination round for each category was different. The sword cultivators and miscellaneous cultivators had the largest number of participants and were the most valued category by various factions. Their trial location was arranged on a mountain peak shrouded in spiritual mist and clouds. The scene below the cliff was invisible, as if the clouds were supporting the ground, giving it a celestial appearance.
The elders of the Eight Great Sects hovered in the air, each in their formation. They planted their swords in the ground and formed hand seals.
Two dragons, one black and one white, emerged from the earth, roaring as they soared into the sky. The Eight Trigrams of Yin and Yang appeared in the world.
As the formation activated, nearly ten thousand disciples were simultaneously transported to the trial checkpoint, a secret realm specially opened by the Eight Great Sects for this purpose.
Chu Sang and her group navigated the secret realm with ease, neither falling to their deaths upon arrival nor getting separated.
Mu Chihuai had gone to the pill refiner category, while Su Chen'an had gone to the tool refiner category. The remaining members of their group, with their diverse cultivation methods, were all thrown into this trial secret realm together. They were Chu Sang, Tantai Ming, Big Senior Sister, Second Senior Sister, and Fourth Senior Sister.
Tantai Ming, as the only boy in the team, voluntarily took on the glorious responsibility of scouting ahead. After he had led the four of them into five traps, encountered six man-eating flowers, and suffered seven beast attacks,
Chu Sang patted his shoulder earnestly, "Seventh Senior Brother, you've worked hard. You can step down now. Let me take on this arduous task."
If Chu Sang had maxed out her luck stat, then Tantai Ming must have maxed out his misfortune stat.
The five of them had been traveling hard for three days without finding a single secret realm key. The bracelets issued by the immortal sects could display the rankings.
The five of them were ranked right next to each other, all showing a string of big zeros, propping up the very bottom.
It was embarrassing, utterly embarrassing.
The first round of assessment was to find enough secret realm keys within the secret realm.
The secret realm keys were scattered throughout the secret realm. The Eight Great Immortal Sects did not provide map scrolls; everything depended on their own search.
Besides strength, luck also played a significant role.
Of course, if one truly had no luck, they could rely on strength alone—that meant robbing others of their map scrolls.
The sects tacitly approved of such occurrences.
In the world of cultivation, strength reigned supreme. If one encountered injustice, they could use their sword to reason.
Although these five upright individuals would certainly not engage in such underhanded actions, it didn't prevent others from coming to provoke them.
Chu Sang tilted her head, dodging a sound attack. Her voice was calm, "I hate it most when people sneak attack me."
Usually, she was the one doing the sneak attacking.
The attackers were familiar faces—the group of Eight Immortal Maidens from the Phantom Sound Sect. The humiliation of having their tokens taken by Chu Sang and her group last time was still fresh in their minds. They hadn't expected to get a chance for revenge today!
"Sound cultivators?"
At the mention of this topic, Second Senior Sister was no longer drowsy.
Tang Yanling turned to face the group of hostile sound cultivators. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as her slender hands plucked the zither strings. Pale blue spiritual energy swiftly enveloped the strings. In the next moment, celestial music accompanied by countless falling leaves and flying flowers slashed through the air like blades. The sound shattered across the land, not only neutralizing Wei Chi Mu's attack but also carrying enough residual force to continue the offensive.
The sound cultivator disciples hurriedly deployed their formations to defend, all shocked that someone's attainments surpassed theirs.
Chu Sang had initially thought that given their proud and arrogant nature, they would surely fly into a rage at being humiliated. However, the development of events seemed... not quite what she had expected.
"So beautiful..."
Please forgive Chu Sang for not wanting to use the phrase "drooling with desire" to describe these proud and beautiful Eight Immortal Maidens, but Wei Chi Mu's expression truly had no other more fitting description.
The moment she saw Tang Yanling, her eyes literally lit up, like a dog seeing a bone. What kind of top-tier sect was this on the opposite side? How could they produce such an exquisite sound cultivator beauty?
It would be such a waste if she didn't join their Phantom Sound Sect.
Chu Sang noticed the other party's urge to poach and couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. "Hey, control your drooling."
It was one thing for Second Senior Sister to attract male cultivators, but how come she was attracting female cultivators too?
Perhaps this was the charm of the Heavenly Water Spirit Root?
But when Second Senior Sister stood there, cold and aloof, holding her moon zither, with her slender and graceful figure, waist so slim it seemed one could encircle it with one hand, dressed in a white robe that made her appear as otherworldly as a celestial maiden, with autumn-like eyes both cold and gentle, that face veil not only didn't diminish her beauty in the slightest, but even aroused more mystery... it was indeed quite captivating to both men and women. whistle
Second Senior Sister was actually of the same type as the original female protagonist, but she lacked Qin Xixue's deliberate affectation and pretense. Her lonely, aloof, yet gentle and amiable temperament was entirely natural.
Wei Chi Mu tried her best to control her drooling. She raised her willow-like eyebrows and snorted coldly, "Regardless, we must avenge our previous defeat... However, if you're willing to obediently hand over the secret realm keys you've obtained to us, for the sake of your senior sister, I might be willing to spare your lives."
Chu Sang: "You're delusional if you think you can get a key from us."
Joke's on them, they didn't even have a single key themselves.
Wei Chi Mu's face darkened. "You don't know what's good for you."
These beauties all had fiery tempers and were quick to action.
The eight of them formed a formation: Ambush from Ten Sides.
The sound attack seemed soft and powerless, silent and imperceptible, but in an instant, it transformed into tens of thousands of sharp blades slashing through the air, catching one off guard.
Chu Sang hurriedly summoned her Golden Bell to block the attack. She activated her footwork technique, flashing to a hundred meters away. Turning her head, she saw that the large patch of forest where she had just been standing had been completely shattered as if hit by a devastating force, with leaves and dust flying everywhere.
She sighed inwardly; sound cultivators were not so easy to deal with after all.
During this period, not only had their cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, but the disciples of various major sects had also been working themselves to the bone, hoping to make a name for themselves in the sect competition.
Chu Sang also put away the smile on her face and became serious. She took a step back with her right foot, transforming into a beam of light that shot into the sky. Her cicada-wing long sword rang out as it left its sheath, its edge like ice and light, its aura like a rainbow. With one sword strike, she broke through the sound formation.
Wei Chi Mu's face changed dramatically as she tried to resist, but in the next second, the long sword turned into a pair of nunchucks, the upper stick hitting her on the head.
"Ah—You bastard!"
Wei Chi Mu was burning with rage. She had never been so humiliated before.
Si Ku Qiu raised her hand, and countless purple flower petals flew out with the wind, attacking Wei Chi Mu. The seemingly soft petals were as sharp as knives, directly cutting through her top-grade silk strings, making it impossible for her to play music anymore.
"Senior Sister!"
Seeing this, the other seven members of the Phantom Sound Sect hurried over to help, their faces extremely ugly.
These people from small sects were too troublesome.
The special ground-level sound formation that the sect elders had taught them was originally intended to be used as a trump card after the second round, but now they had no choice but to use it.
"You lot do have some skills, to force us to use our ground-level sound formation. Now, let's see what other tricks you have!"
The attack power of the ground-level sound formation was several times more fierce. It not only carried a high-level illusion that seemed real yet fake, but also had a weakening debuff. In an instant, everyone felt their bodies go limp, almost unable to hold their swords steady.
Si Ku Qiu pressed her lips together. She formed a hand seal, and a lotus flower emanating a faint, clear fire blossomed between her hands. The myriad purple flower petals circling her body transformed into crimson petals, disappearing into the ground.
A faint, flickering formation appeared under everyone's feet simultaneously.
The group, who had been exhausted just moments ago, suddenly felt as if they had been injected with chicken blood. They all started killing like crazy, even more fiercely than at the beginning.
Chu Sang suddenly understood Fourth Senior Sister's professional positioning—she was a support! She could add buffs and restore energy!
If Fifth Senior Sister and Sixth Senior Brother, those healer types, were here too, they would be an... no, not little... an invincible team!
Unfortunately, Fifth Senior Sister, a wood spirit, had taken human form and couldn't participate in the sect competition. When they managed to survive to the team competition, Sixth Senior Brother would be able to join them.
This team composition was perfect—support, healer, warrior, assassin, jungler, mage, marksman—they had it all. They could defeat gods if they blocked their path and slay Buddhas if they stood in their way.
Both sides were fighting so intensely that no one noticed the approaching danger.
"Whoosh~" Countless thorny vines silently emerged from the trees, soundlessly surrounding them.
Chu Sang only felt a pain in her finger, as if something had cut it. She looked down and realized it was the thorns on the vines. A few drops of blood fell onto the thorns and were instantly absorbed...