Proofreader & Editor: Lotas
On the stage, Lu Yang and below it, Meng Jingzhou, both fell into deep thought.
The eldest senior sister had mentioned that it was the Qingzhou officials who invited disciples of the Seek Tao Sect to participate in the grand ceremony. The criteria were cultivators under eighteen years of age. The two of them wanted to interact with the younger generation and signed up for the competition. Their reasoning was flawless, without a single fault to pick.
But why were Lanting, Bai Ming, and an unfamiliar person sitting on the platform?
Were they all over eighteen years old?
The crowd below the stage gasped when they heard Lu Yang was from the Seek Tao Sect.
Who would have thought that even people from the five great immortal sects would join this event? This was unheard of before.
"But who is Lu Yang? Have you heard of him?" The people were confused. The Seek Tao Sect had a renowned reputation, but few recognized Lu Yang.
"Never heard of him. I only know his opponent, Feng He."
"Me too. I've heard that Feng He entered the path through music, drawing Qi into his body, stepping onto the immortal path. After Foundation Establishment, he acquired an incomplete ancient zither at an auction, which seemed to belong to a powerful being. Robbers in the Divine Transformation phase coveted it, wanting to snatch it. But Feng He, using the might of the ancient zither, captured both the early Foundation Establishment and the two late Qi Refining robbers."
Lu Yang's name wasn't as well-known as the popular seeded contestants.
The experiences of the popular seeds were amplified by their sects, building fame for their disciples, promoting their deeds of descending the mountain to rid the people of bandits, evil spirits, and demons, or being the top contender in the sect's grand competition, unmatched in their realm. If not that, then they had a tragic background, orphaned and facing a life of hardship, overcoming countless obstacles in their cultivation journey… In short, they were promoted in any way that made them stand out.
Then there were Lanting, Bai Ming, Yan Tianzhi, and others, whose deeds of eliminating evil while on sect missions were numerous. Local gentry, town mayors, and county magistrates treated them with the utmost respect, fearing they might exercise the law enforcement rights of their immortal sects. Their actions were well-known among the common folk, even more so than the popular seeds.
In contrast, Lu Yang, during his Foundation Establishment phase, infiltrated the Immortal Sect, killed the part-time county magistrate who was the leader of the Yanjiang Gang, and later trapped the vice-leader of the Immortal Sect to death at the Seek Tao Sect, eventually bringing down the Immortal Sect, which had a history of fourteen thousand years.
In the Golden Elixir phase, he pretended to be an ancient genius, formed the Heavenly Court Sect, deceived the Jiuyou Sect into temporarily abandoning their murderous intentions, and started a barbecue shop.
These matters were kept secret, and even if they were told, no one would believe them.
"Fellow Daoist from the Seek Tao Sect, come and fight!" Feng He was brimming with confidence, revealing a hearty smile as he took out an ancient zither with intact appearance from his storage ring, which shimmered in the sunlight due to the golden strings.
His master had it appraised; the ancient zither was a relic of a Divine Transformation cultivator, seventy percent restored. Although it couldn't unleash its full power like in the hands of a Divine Transformation cultivator, even a sliver of power from such a high-level magical instrument was enough to be unmatched at the same stage.
Feng He indeed had reason to be proud. Lu Yang had over a dozen junior brothers and sisters, all from the same cohort and under eighteen.
They had also just reached Foundation Establishment, with the fastest among them possibly at mid-stage.
Feng He's talent for cultivation was evident.
Of course, Lu Yang's junior siblings were raised in a free-range manner, while Feng He was carefully nurtured by his sect, so they weren't entirely comparable.
Facing a peer with such overflowing confidence, Lu Yang took no chances and used an Invincible Pill.
Soon, the Invincible Pill provided the result.
"Just hit casually."
Clang—
The ancient zither's bell-like tones tinkled melodiously, sounding like dragons and tigers, as the golden light began to tremble. It launched a powerful sonic wave sweeping towards Lu Yang. In an instant, the zither's music, like a white snake, traced a precise arc in the air. The sonic wave carried scorching breath and force, brimming with murderous intent.
Feng He made the first move, pouring his mana into the ancient zither, seizing the initiative in battle.
Whether Lu Yang chose to withstand this attack or dodge it, Feng He had already calculated his next move.
Battle is all about strategy!
"Sonic manifestation! He's mastered this technique just after Foundation Establishment?" An experienced cultivator exclaimed. Many who studied music spent ten or twenty years mastering this technique, yet Feng He, a junior, had already grasped it.
"It's said that Feng He used this method to defeat an established early Foundation Establishment robber!"
"Back then, the zither was still incomplete. Now that it's repaired, its power can only be stronger!"
"He's playing his trump card right from the start!"
"Can Seek Tao Sect's Lu Yang withstand this move?"
Facing the sonic manifestation, Lu Yang didn't slack off and went all out. With a fierce downward swipe of his right hand, he dispersed the murderous sonic wave.
He stepped forward, extended his index finger, and unleashed an invisible sword qi. Feng He couldn't react in time, and the magical instrument protected its owner, positioning itself in front of Feng He.
The sword qi was sharp and heavy, striking the zither and sending shockwaves through Feng He's organs. Feng He, clutching the zither, tumbled out of the ring.
The cultivators below the stage first fell silent, then erupted into a buzzing discussion that made one's scalp tingle.
"Did you see that move just now? Was that sword qi? It's my first time seeing sword qi!"
"With a single slap, he dispersed the sonic wave, and with one move, he defeated Feng He. This Lu Yang is strong!"
"What realm is he really in?!"
Lanting on the judges' panel remained silent for a long time.
When she received the state governor's commission, she thought it was a simple matter, just a minor scuffle among Foundation Establishment cultivators, and pointing out strengths and weaknesses wouldn't be difficult.
But this scene was beyond her expectations.
How could she praise Lu Yang for defeating the seeded contestant Feng He with his Golden Elixir stage cultivation?
She couldn't say it.
Should she praise Feng He's sonic attack, showcasing his musical talent and promising future?
But the seemingly formidable sonic wave was extinguished by Lu Yang with a slap.
She turned to look at Bai Ming and Yan Tianzhi. Bai Ming was silent, as if temporarily blinded and unable to see the situation on the stage. Yan Tianzhi opened his mouth and slowly uttered one word, "Good."
Good? Good for what? Was he praising Lu Yang's sword qi for being exquisitely executed, not harming Feng He while knocking him out of the ring, with perfectly controlled power?
As Lanting pondered, she heard Yan Tianzhi utter three more words: "…shameless."
Lanting: "…"
It seemed she couldn't count on these two.
She took a deep breath and scraped together a comment: "The sonic attack by contestant Feng He just now was certainly unexpected, worthy of the title of a musical genius. Other seeded contestants, even if they could block it, would be severely drained and left fatigued."
"Unfortunately, contestant Feng He met contestant Lu Yang. Lu Yang is a sword cultivator, devoted to the sword path, single-minded in his pursuit of the ultimate sword technique. His invisible sword qi embodies the universe, a testament to his profound swordsmanship!"
"Of course, that's not the key factor for Lu Yang's victory. The most crucial point is, Lu Yang is at the Golden Elixir stage."