Chapter 59

Off the dueling stage, Li Mengze hurried over to support her senior sister as soon as she descended. Only when she reached her did she realize just how arduous this victory had been; her senior sister’s entire body was trembling, a clear sign of severe exhaustion and depletion of spiritual energy.

This made Li Mengze worry whether her senior sister would be able to compete normally tomorrow. The individual duels for the Golden Core stage lasted ten days, with each person typically fighting twice a day. If her senior sister didn’t recover well, it would certainly affect her performance in the afternoon.

Fortunately, after taking a Spirit Gathering Pill and a Relaxation Pill, her complexion improved considerably. With some cultivation tonight, there should be no problem.

Ba Yicheng, as the eldest brother of Hidden Sword Peak and its future pillar, was under immense pressure to achieve a high ranking in the competition to uphold the peak’s reputation. Luckily, though he liked to joke around, his strength was formidable. He hadn’t encountered any particularly troublesome opponents, and after several rounds, was ranked near the top.

Li Mengze had set her expectations for herself reasonably—not too high nor too low. As many would enter the secret realm this time, especially in the Golden Core stage where competition was not fierce, she thought passing would suffice. Yet, luck cannot be resisted when it comes; after ten days, she ranked sixteenth among Golden Core cultivators. The three from Hidden Sword Peak all held fairly prominent positions; the eldest brother’s strength was undisputed, though he broke his perfect win streak in the last match against a peak-stage demonic cultivator, still placing fifth in the Top Hundred. Her senior sister struggled through every bout and ranked thirty-first. Even so, they were satisfied, as aside from her senior sister, everyone else’s results matched their expectations.

Li Mengze didn’t encounter the so-called “White Lotus,” but she kept a casual eye on her. Though the White Lotus wasn’t powerful, her luck was extraordinary—either meeting chivalrous male cultivators who went easy on her or facing genuinely weak opponents. She advanced rapidly, and, being shrewd, never fought forcefully against strong adversaries, instead yielding and conserving energy for the next round. With these tactics, the White Lotus managed to break into the top hundred, holding a respectable position around fiftieth.

After the Golden Core stage came the Nascent Soul duels, which were far more captivating. There were fewer participants, but the tournament stretched longer, with each person fighting once a day for twenty-five rounds. It was a valuable learning opportunity for lower-level disciples, so nearly every sect sent disciples to watch. It was said that in the previous tournament, someone even achieved enlightenment during a match, making the audience even larger.

Li Mengze wouldn’t miss it, mostly because of Wei Qingtong. Were it not for him, her personality might’ve kept her from attending except as a formality.

Only five or six Kunlun cultivators participated in the Nascent Soul stage, similar across other sects, as they didn’t wish to expose their elite Nascent Soul cultivators. Only those who had advanced within the last century and hadn’t competed previously were sent, preserving the sect’s strength. Although entering the secret realm was important, the major sects had their own ways to keep some advantages. The secret realm was essentially theirs, and extra participants could be added outside the dueling crowd. No one would be so meticulous as to search thoroughly; after entering once, the fortune was spent, and few would enter again. By the Nascent Soul stage, most had a clear sense of what choices benefited them most, having had a chance to commune with the heavens, which guided their future path.

In the Nascent Soul battles, every participant was formidable. They skipped the preliminary melee and went straight to the second round, as Nascent Soul cultivators were few; only half were sect representatives, the rest were independent cultivators. Combined, there were just fifty or sixty, with this year’s numbers at a record low of fifty. There was no need to further reduce the pool. Nascent Soul cultivators, being high-level, had their dignity; forcing them to stand on stage and kick each other around for a reward would be unacceptable. Thus, they proceeded directly to the second round.

The Nascent Soul cultivators were indeed the elite of the cultivation world. None were easy to face, and though everyone had a chance to duel, usually those from the same sect who had prior experience would yield if the strength gap was large, preserving their abilities.

Take Wei Qingtong for example: he was undoubtedly the number one among Kunlun’s new generation of Nascent Soul cultivators in the past century. Though young, it made no difference.

After twenty-five duels, whether at Golden Core or Nascent Soul stage, Li Mengze realized that in single combat, the righteous path was generally weaker than the demonic cultivators, aside from a handful of spectacular exceptions. The average level of the righteous fighters lagged behind that of the demonic side.

From the rankings, the strength of the demonic cultivators was clearly formidable.

Wei Qingtong encountered several demonic cultivators during his matches. One, a tall and imposing figure reminiscent of Sylvester Stallone, almost proved too much for him. No one realized this opponent was not only a sword cultivator but also a body cultivator, mastering three disciplines. His attacks were fierce, matching the demonic temperament, making Wei Qingtong’s victory extremely hard won. If not for his own Heavenly Demon Physique, he would have had a seventy percent chance of losing.

The Centennial Tournament, jointly hosted by the major sects, was indeed lavish in its rewards. Beyond the journey into the secret realm, there were many tangible prizes.

For instance, the top three Golden Core cultivators would each receive a Nascent Soul Pill and a premium magical artifact, among other rewards.

Li Mengze’s reward was very practical: spirit stones, which suited her perfectly. Pills and magical artifacts were less appealing than spirit stones.

Wei Qingtong took first place in the Nascent Soul stage; aside from public rewards, Kunlun treated him generously, opening the Treasure Pavilion for his access.

Of course, these honors were much like a child’s prize. Every time Wei Qingtong competed on behalf of Kunlun, he always won such recognition.

Wei Qingtong was already a benchmark figure in the cultivation world. Everyone used him as a model, and winning first place in the Top Hundred this tournament made his reputation soar. Many sects extended olive branches, hoping to forge alliances with Kunlun and introduce their outstanding disciples to him.

Yet, even if these people ignored the dual cultivation pact between Li Mengze and Wei Qingtong, Kunlun would never agree: after all their hard work, how could others just swoop in to claim the rewards? Impossible.

Thus, they made a grand announcement, spreading word of the dual cultivation between the two, and directly sent out invitations for everyone to witness the ceremony.

It must be said, in every place, there are always those with wild fantasies or ambitions to transform their fate.

Of course, some might protest that many are already privileged in their own lives, but the desire to climb higher persists. Others seek partners worthy of themselves, regardless of whether that person is already spoken for, convinced that no one else could match them, believing only their union is meant to be, and so attempts at seduction abound.

Li Mengze experienced such an exasperating incident. Given her slow-reacting nature, she might not have noticed even if approached directly, but some people’s affection is subtle, gentle as rain falling silently. So, until the wall is actually breached, she might only then realize: oh, all those friendly gestures weren’t for friendship, but for stealing her husband.

Some, even as mistresses, are brazen about it, acting as though being a homewrecker is a source of pride, wanting the whole world to know of their “glorious” deed.

After the Centennial Tournament, preparations began for entering the secret realm jointly managed by three sects. This realm opens once every hundred years, its timing strictly fixed, allowing the beasts and spiritual plants inside ample time to recover—a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Entering a secret realm isn’t like going on holiday: you can’t just book a ticket and pack your bags. You must prepare pills and talismans, stock up on Fasting Pills—death is possible, but starvation is unacceptable. You must always be wary of lurking beasts and, most importantly, the ever-present unpredictability of human nature.

In the cultivation world, what’s most terrifying isn’t the monsters or unknown dangers, but the people around you.

When Li Mengze felt she had packed sufficiently, several delicate paper cranes fluttered outside her courtyard. Who knew how long they’d been there? When she opened the door, they rushed in, circling her twice, until one landed in her hand.

“Junior sister, what are you busy with? Someone’s trying to steal your man.” A short message, full of sly flattery.

Once the message was delivered, the crane burned itself up, and another landed—this one from her mother, asking her to visit after cultivation. Li Mengze pondered and could guess the reason.

She was puzzled, though: what was this supposed wall-stealing about? Was she about to be cuckolded? But thinking of Wei Qingtong’s character, she dismissed the possibility.

The third crane was unlike the others. Where theirs were folded from pale yellow or creamy talisman paper, this one was pitch black and exuded a sinister aura, reflecting the owner’s unhappiness. She could guess who was so unconventional.

Sure enough, the voice from the crane was curt, the only one to directly explain the wall-stealing affair, finally clarifying things for her.

Simply put, it was two sentences: “I like you, but you don’t like me. I believe my true love will win you over, but first, I must deal with that pesky seductress.” As for who that “seductress” was, it went without saying.

She shrugged, indifferent—after all, her husband was so outstanding, it was inevitable others would covet him.

She took out a paper crane, sending it with the message: “Don’t worry, I’ll protect your chastity.” Then headed off to Wei Qingtong’s place, imagining the reaction this message would provoke.