Chapter 239: Junior Sister Will Share Her Men With Me
Chapter 239: Chapter 158: Junior Sister Will Share Her Men With Me
And with that, the first round of the competition came to a close.
“And so it is.” Li Qingcao’s clear voice once again rang out across the Sword Testing Platform. He smiled calmly, turned to the other twenty-three stone pillars, and clasped his fist in a salute. “Congratulations, fellow Daoists, on distinguishing yourselves from the rest.
The twenty-four spots were now decided.
In the crowd, many people only now let out a long sigh of relief, their tense bodies finally relaxing.
Making it into the top twenty-four meant, at the very least, they would receive the twenty-fourth place prize—an Enlightenment Fruit. For many cultivators, this was already a dream come true.
This was especially true for the Defenders who had secured the last few spots. Recalling the relentless, almost cruel, series of back-to-back battles, they were still shaken. The web of their hands seemed to ache phantomly, and their Spiritual Power was nearly depleted. They desperately needed this precious chance to catch their breath.
With a low RUMBLE, the twenty-four massive pillars—the focus of countless gazes and fierce battles—slowly descended back into the ground.
The wide Sword Testing Platform became flat once more, with only faint traces of the intense fights shimmering in and out of sight under the moonlight.
Li Qingcao’s gaze swept over the somewhat exhausted crowd, and he spoke at the opportune moment. “You have all worked hard, fellow Daoists. Please take tonight to rest well and recover your strength. At dawn tomorrow, we shall begin the second round of the competition.”
He paused, raised a token identical to the ones they held, and added.
“With this token, you may enter the cave abodes my Qingcao Sword Sect has prepared for you to rest. Inside, you will find Elixirs for healing and restoring energy. Please, feel free to take what you need. Don’t be polite.”
As soon as he said this, many of the cultivators showed looks of gratitude.
After a series of brutal fights, their reserves were severely depleted. Without some aid, it would be difficult to recover to their peak condition by morning just by meditating. The Qingcao Sword Sect had considered even these minor details, showing none of the arrogance typical of a Major Sect.
No wonder rumors in the Cultivation Realm claimed the Qingcao Sword Sect was the Major Immortal Sect that treated low-level cultivators the best.
Qiu Yuehan, holding her token, stood beside Bai Lu and Nan Xun. “Well then, let’s go rest for the night.”
The last person who dared to challenge her had been Bu Lingfeng. It only took one extra sword strike, and Bu Lingfeng was sent tumbling off the platform.
Thus, neither Qiu Yuehan nor Bai Lu were seriously injured.
Nan Xun’s strength was slightly weaker; they had a few scrapes but would be able to recover to peak condition in one night.
The Daoist Sect had sent three people this time, and two had entered the top twenty-four. This showed the strength of the Daoist Sect’s current generation.
“Hmph!” Xue Nichang snorted coldly as she walked past Qiu Yuehan. That woman had suddenly rushed the stage in the last three breaths to snatch a spot.
Qiu Yuehan couldn’t be bothered to look at her.
She had only intended to make an example of someone to deter others from bothering her.
She didn’t care what became of Xue Nichang.
Bai Lu glanced at Xue Nichang. “She’s no Xue Yanluo.”
Indeed. Anyone with the fortitude to cripple their own cultivation and start over was a ruthless person. Not to mention, Xue Yanluo was so vicious that she had used people born with Cursed Blood to suppress the backlash, fighting poison with poison.
This Xue Nichang still lacked experience.
Qiu Yuehan didn’t reply, instead walking toward her designated cave abode.
The cave abodes the Qingcao Sword Sect had prepared for the second-round cultivators were not far from the Sword Testing Platform. They were quiet retreats carved individually into the mountainside, designed for convenience and tranquility.
The moment she stepped inside, a wave of pure Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi washed over her, shutting out the last vestiges of the outside world’s clamor.
The furnishings within the cave abode were extremely simple, even possessing the distinct, clean-cut austerity of a Sword Cultivator.
Against one wall was a bluestone bed topped with a clean Spirit Grass Mat, which emitted a faint, calming herbal fragrance.
On the other side was a black Meditation Platform as smooth as a mirror and of a moderate height. Faint Daoist patterns were visible on its surface, clearly meant to help cultivators sink into their minds faster, guide their Circulations, and regulate their Inner Breath.
In the center stood a stout, rustic stone table. A few Jade Bottles sat on its surface, and inside the centermost bottle was a precious Elixir glowing with a faint light. One could smell the fragrant aroma of the pill even through the jade.
It was a Revival Pill from the Walking Pill Sect.
Qiu Yuehan had originally planned to just familiarize herself with the path and then go out to check on the Qingshi Sect’s situation. She always felt there was something suspicious about them.
But just as she entered the cave’s mouth, a powerful wave of drowsiness washed over her.
She had indeed developed a habit of sleeping thanks to Lu Changyuan, but that was a habit she could take or leave. She shouldn’t be feeling this sleepy.
‘Something is influencing me?!’
Qiu Yuehan narrowed her eyes. She suddenly thought of Hua Litaohua… ‘The Dream Demon’s Dream-Entering Technique?’
She simply stopped resisting, even letting go of her Supreme Pure Spirit Forget Immortal Technique.
‘I’d like to see just what this Dream Demon is trying to do.’
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When she opened her eyes again, she saw herself practicing the sword.
Halfway up a mountain at Miao Yu Palace, a White Skirt Fairy with hair like a black waterfall was practicing her swordplay under the moon. Her sword forms flowed without end as she practiced the third sword of Miao Yu Palace—Fish Swimming in River Dew.
‘Not bad.’
Qiu Yuehan critiqued her other self.
‘It’s just… wearing a white skirt feels a bit out of place… It’s not like I’m pretending to be my junior sister right now.’
The identity of the other Qiu Yuehan was obvious—it was the Dream Demon.
At that moment, the Dream Demon saw Qiu Yuehan and exclaimed in shock, “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like me?!”
‘A pretty good act,’ Qiu Yuehan thought.
A person forcibly pulled into a dream by a Dream Demon would already have their thoughts in chaos. Suddenly seeing a perfect double of themselves, they would naturally start to doubt their own identity. If the Dream Demon then wove a lie, the person would forget who they were and never wake up again.
Unfortunately for the demon, Qiu Yuehan was perfectly lucid.
Qiu Yuehan found it rather amusing. “You break into my dream and then ask who I am? Are you trying to make me lose myself in this dreamscape so you can control my body… or perhaps what you’re really after is Possession?”