Chapter 49 : The Arena Defender
Jiang Mo didn't doubt System's judgment, so she felt immense pressure from the continuous growth buff on her panel. Though her mind was fully occupied with grinding points to catch up her combat power as quickly as possible, during the sect competition period, not only did she lack opportunities to slip away from Senior Sister to grind points, but even if such an opportunity arose, she wouldn't know where to grind on Mount Tianyang.
The little white tiger slept heavily with worries all night, dreaming of scenes where she lost fur from anxiety. The next morning, when she opened her panel, she discovered she had gained 2 more levels, instantly feeling that her entire tiger self had gone awry.
System found this quite puzzling: "Level increases are good things. Host will have to level up sooner or later, and now you've saved so much pill-taking time. Is it really necessary to worry about this?"
Hearing this, Jiang Mo gave it a sidelong glance, offering no response.
However, regardless of Jiang Mo's inner conflict, she currently had no opportunity to sneak out to grind points on Mount Tianyang, nor did she know where points could be earned there. So despite her waning interest in the second day of the competition, she was still brought to Small Spirit Peak by Yun Qingyue. The Small Spirit Peak plaza remained as lively as the day before.
The only difference from yesterday was that although Small Spirit Peak plaza was initially bustling, the row of chairs on the high platform was completely empty—unlike yesterday when the Sect Leader and Peak Masters had all attended, today not a single one of those powerful figures had come.
Their absence had its benefits, however. The atmosphere at the arenas below was noticeably livelier, and true disciples like Yun Qingyue didn't have to stand on the high platform all day following their masters. Instead, they could move around to observe their fellow disciples' abilities. Those who preferred not to attend, instead using these final days for cultivation, would face no consequences.
When Yun Qingyue went out early this morning, she saw the windows and doors of the neighboring rooms tightly shut, clearly indicating that her junior brothers and sisters were determined to focus on cultivation rather than waste time at Small Spirit Peak today.
She wasn't surprised by this and had no intention of following their lead, so after a brief glance, she prepared to take the little white tiger out.
Just then, the door on the left opened with a "creak," and both person and tiger looked over. Under the gaze of four eyes, Zhong Heng's leg, just stepping out of the doorway, froze in mid-air before finally completing its step: "Senior Sister, so early? Are you going to Small Spirit Peak plaza? Perfect, let's go together."
As he spoke, he approached and greeted Jianbing. Though met with the latter's indifference, he wasn't bothered and continued to look at his Senior Sister with bright eyes, his good morning mood undiminished.
Yun Qingyue naturally had no reason to refuse, so the two mounted their flying swords and headed toward Small Spirit Peak.
Small Spirit Peak was just to the left of Mount Tianyang, extremely close—otherwise, it wouldn't have suffered collateral damage back then. As the two flew on their swords, they reached their destination in less than half a cup of tea's time.
With no one on the high platform, everyone was much more relaxed. Seeing the situation, Zhong Heng said: "Senior Sister, I plan to look around. Would you like to join me?"
Yun Qingyue had long noticed the little white tiger's dislike for her junior brother. Though she had never mentioned it, she had no intention of bringing them together. Just as she was about to nod in agreement to separate, a voice suddenly interjected from the side: "Junior Sister Yun, I didn't expect to meet you here. And this is...?"
The speaker, dressed in blue, was You Yi from Tiandao Sect, whom they had met briefly before. He was now looking at Zhong Heng inquiringly.
For some reason, as soon as Zhong Heng saw You Yi, he instinctively became vigilant. Originally cheerful and sociable by nature, having returned from years of training just in time for the sect competition, he had planned to watch some old friends compete. However, with You Yi's arrival, he decided to stay, casually cupping his hands in greeting: "I am Zhong Heng, disciple of Mount Mingxia."
You Yi seemed to recognize him as well, returning the greeting: "Ah, Junior Brother Zhong, I've long heard your name." He then introduced himself: "I am You Yi of Tiandao Sect. Being new here, might I request to accompany you both?"
Upon hearing this, Yun Qingyue and Zhong Heng exchanged glances. Seeing the cold look in her crystalline eyes, Zhong Heng knew his Senior Sister did not wish to accompany him.
Zhong Heng himself wasn't keen on having You Yi follow them, but now that the latter had made the request, he could only find a way to separate from his Senior Sister. With a smile, he stepped forward and, acting like old friends, put his arm around You Yi's shoulders, saying: "Ah, so it's Senior Brother You from Tiandao Sect! I've long admired you. You're our guest from afar—come, come, come, let's go watch everyone compete together."
As he spoke, Zhong Heng was already pushing You Yi away without giving him a chance to object. When You Yi tried to turn back and say something, Zhong Heng interrupted him before he could speak, quickly moving him away.
Small Spirit Peak plaza was still packed with people, no fewer than yesterday. The two quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Yun Qingyue indeed didn't want to deal with people from Tiandao Sect, and from the moment they met today, You Yi's gaze had suggested he had some ulterior motive. But as Zhong Heng had said, he was a guest from afar, and as a Xuanqing Sect disciple specifically designated by the Sect Leader to entertain guests, she couldn't really refuse. Now that Zhong Heng had taken him away, she felt somewhat relieved.
Of course, Yun Qingyue habitually maintained her cool demeanor, not expressing these emotions. Only after the two were completely out of sight did she look down at the little white tiger and say: "Let's go. Let's look around and see how many talented individuals emerge from this competition."
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The second day's competition remained an elimination round, but unlike yesterday's hundred-person free-for-all, today featured arena defense matches.
The dozens of arenas raised yesterday remained in place. Those who believed they had the ability could ascend the arena. The first to mount would defend it, and others could challenge them until the defender was knocked off.
This wasn't a gauntlet match targeting any specific individual, because the victor would take the defender's position and continue defending. Regardless of how many times disciples challenged, those who successfully defended three rounds would be recorded as having passed the second round of trials—some people, to conserve strength or avoid revealing their trump cards too early, would voluntarily descend after defending three rounds. Others, however, refused to leave even after three rounds, enduring challenge after challenge until they were too wounded to continue and had to descend to heal.
These two approaches represented different paths. The former involved steady advancement with eyes set on a top ten position. The latter took a more unconventional route, hoping to catch the eye of elders who occasionally came to watch the competition, possibly offering a shortcut to success.
The competition occurred once every ten years, always following this pattern. This was Yun Qingyue's third time watching, and she was well accustomed to it.
The little white tiger, however, was quite interested. Yesterday's hundred-person elimination had been too chaotic to follow, but today's one-on-one arena battles finally allowed her to witness cultivators' techniques—though these were merely Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment disciples who certainly couldn't move mountains or seas, they could demonstrate minor abilities like spell casting and object manipulation. For an inexperienced tiger, even these were fascinating to watch.
Yun Qingyue carried the little white tiger around the plaza, eventually stopping at the arena with the largest crowd. This was at the little white tiger's urging, as she patted Senior Sister's arm and pointed—if you're watching a spectacle, naturally you go where the action is most intense.
As the person and tiger approached, they overheard someone nearby saying: "The defender on the platform is Chu Yang from Mount Mingxia. I heard he joined the sect with pre-existing skills, having been here less than a year. But his cultivation is truly formidable—this is already the fifth round, and he hasn't come down. He must be trying to make a name for himself. Perhaps some elder will notice and take him as a disciple, which would truly be a meteoric rise."
Oh, so he was from their Mount Mingxia. Too bad he was an Outer Sect disciple they probably hadn't met. Still, someone defending through five rounds was the first they'd encountered in their tour, no wonder so many people were watching.
The little white tiger grew interested, straightening up in Yun Qingyue's arms to peer at the arena.
The arena stood about a meter high. Though surrounded by an impenetrable crowd, one could still glimpse the situation. Even those in the back who couldn't see clearly could always fly on their swords to watch from mid-air if they wished.
Of course, the situation around this arena hadn't yet reached that point. The little white tiger, standing upright, could see the scene perfectly.
On the arena, two people were battling. One wielded a long sword, each swing producing imposing sword energy. Seeing this, the other raised his hand and threw out a bell-shaped magical device. A golden light immediately enveloped him, providing thorough protection. Then the latter began his counterattack—he was neither a sword cultivator nor a spell cultivator but produced a row of talismans hovering before him, which flew toward his opponent at his command...
Chu Yang from Mount Mingxia was a sword cultivator and had defended the arena for five rounds. Though not severely wounded, his clothing showed signs of damage at the edges. His luck wasn't great this time, as he faced a talisman cultivator with unusually abundant resources who had already thrown over a hundred talismans at him in the blink of an eye.
The attacks had evolved from direct assault to precise talisman formations—most people would have been blasted into a disheveled state by now. But Chu Yang clearly had real skills, facing this situation calmly and methodically breaking through each attack with his sword energy.
Just as the spectacle was becoming exciting, the little white tiger suddenly heard Yun Qingyue make a soft "hmm" sound.
She immediately turned her head curiously, only to see Senior Sister's brow furrow slightly before relaxing. Yun Qingyue merely shook her head and said: "It's nothing."
The little white tiger hesitated momentarily. Just as she was about to turn back to watch the arena battle, she heard the person beside them speak again: "Look at how effortlessly he's handling this—Chu Yang is going to win again. How many rounds do you think he can defend?"
The people around, apparently this person's fellow disciples, joined in, with one responding: "I bet he can win at least two more rounds."
Once someone mentioned betting, the surrounding crowd seemed to catch gambling fever, quickly placing bets on the outcome. One offered a few spirit stones, another two bottles of pills, and yet others wagered spirit herbs or spirit fruits, quickly accumulating a small pile of miscellaneous items. The value wasn't particularly high—just small stakes for entertainment.
As the betting continued, those around were all drawn in. Someone turned to recruit fellow disciples standing further back, only to come face to face with Yun Qingyue's cold, aloof expression.
They weren't disciples of Mount Mingxia, but everyone recognized the senior disciples from each peak. The person's expression immediately froze: "Senior Sister... Yun..."