Qi Wei Takes the Stage

"It's a footwork technique!"

Someone spotted the inner workings of the technique and called out in a loud voice.

The other newly joined disciples shook with surprise at the words. Looking back at Yang Lingshu's elegant, flowing form on the platform, their gazes filled with a few more measures of admiration.

Their elders often taught them that biting off more than one could chew was a fool's errand. These young disciples, who were the same age as Yang Lingshu, usually dedicated themselves to a single path with absolute precision; trying to master anything more would exceed their capacity and even delay their core cultivation.

Yet this Senior Brother Yang Lingshu had not neglected his cultivation base, his core mantra, or his offensive techniques, and he had still managed to master such an exquisite movement technique!

The disciples of Heavenwalk Peak truly lived up to their reputation!

Watching from his seat, Yang Lingrui's lips curved into a slight smile.

Previously, he had passed down the Mayfly Phantom Body Art to the cultivators of the Yang Family, but only Yang Lingshu had barely reached the novice stage. The others could only grasp a few superficial tricks.

Now, bolstered by that soul-flame inheritance, although Yang Lingshu could not yet manifest a true phantom clone, he had already masterfully commanded the first stage of the Mayfly Steps.

With this, Yang Lingrui knew the outcome of the match was already sealed.

On the Dao Discussion Platform, Zheng Han spent a long time hacking at empty air. Driven to humiliation and rage, he unleashed a massive, sweeping technique that burst with violent golden light.

Unfortunately, Yang Lingshu simply executed an elegant side-glide, sliding smoothly out of the attack's reach.

Though the rushing torrent from his earlier water art had failed to hit Zheng Han directly, it had left a thin film of water across the surface of the Dao Discussion Platform. With his feet treading upon the moisture, Yang Lingshu's use of the footwork technique truly took on the agile, spirited grace of a mayfly skimming the water.

Following that failed strike, Zheng Han's aura began to waver, turning unstable.

"Fellow Daoist, given the current state of affairs, is there any need to continue?"

Yang Lingshu stood with an air of complete calm, forming a stark contrast to Zheng Han, who glared with wide, bloodshot eyes while panting heavily.

"Do not gloat too early! Victory and defeat have yet to be decided!" Zheng Han barked in a low voice, spinning on his heel to charge forward once more.

Seeing this, Yang Lingshu shook his head slightly and ceased holding back.

He raised two fingers vertically before him, pinched a hand seal, and softly commanded, "Take root."

Pfft!

"Cough... Gah!"

Zheng Han violently spat a mouthful of fresh blood, his charging momentum collapsing instantly as he crashed face-first onto the ground.

Sharp, agonizing pain flared from every corner of his body, making him realize with sudden dread that when he had shattered that wooden shield earlier, the falling debris had actually been laced with tiny sprouts from Yang Lingshu's wood arts!

These minute sprouts, disguised as mere wood shavings, had clung to his robes. Activated by Yang Lingshu's spiritual power at this exact moment, they had pierced directly into his flesh and blood.

"Ugh... Urgh!"

He struggled desperately to push himself back up, but no matter how he thrashed, the sprouts only burrowed deeper and deeper into his muscles.

In the end, the supervising cultivator from the Moon-Grasping Sect stepped forward to interrupt his movements.

If Zheng Han kept writhing, Yang Lingshu's wood-art sprouts would penetrate vital areas like his heart and his Qi Mansion.

"In this match, Yang Lingshu of the Myriad Transformations Sect wins!"

"Well fought!"

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant!"

"Senior Brother Yang's calculations are flawless and his footwork is superb! He is an exemplar for us new disciples!"

A flawless victory instantly lifted the spirits of the young cultivators on the Zhuhu side, their cheers and applause rising like waves.

Yang Lingshu chose to remain on the platform to fight the next round.

He did not even need to regulate his breathing or recover his strength; that brief bout with Zheng Han was, at most, a warm-up.

Having lost two matches consecutively, the representatives of the Four Sects felt a heavy blow to their dignity.

They had originally come to challenge the mountain to reclaim their face, but they had instead become the perfect backdrop for their opponents to display their might.

"He Kai, go up. We must take this round!"

The Moon-Grasping Sect Elder spoke with a darkened expression, singling out a disciple from those standing behind him.

"Yes."

Clad in a long, blue-green robe, the disciple named He Kai accepted the order and leaped down onto the field.

"He Kai, a direct disciple of the Moon-Grasping Sect, at the fifth layer of Qi Gathering, accepts the challenge."

"What? They are deploying a fifth-layer cultivator directly?"

"And he is at the peak of the fifth layer!"

"Heh, it seems the Northwest Four Sects are truly desperate to win."

The disciples below buzzed with frantic discussion.

No one expected that for the sake of a single victory, the Northwest Four Sects would throw out a direct disciple at the peak of the fifth layer of Qi Gathering.

They turned their eyes to Yang Lingshu. A full layer's gap in cultivation realm was not something that could be bridged purely by an agile footwork technique and clever calculations.

Furthermore, a disciple of that caliber had highly likely mastered the basics of the Spirit-Commanding Method, meaning his actual combat strength could well reach the standard of the sixth layer.

On the Dao Discussion Platform, Yang Lingshu looked at his new opponent, considered the situation for a brief moment, and chose to yield. He turned and walked back to his seat on the high platform.

The elders of both sects harbored no blame for his choice. The gap between their realms was plain to see; stubbornly forcing a fight just for the sake of pride would be the height of foolishness.

Once seated, Yang Lingshu exchanged a quick look with Xiao Yize, who nodded in quiet understanding.

'Heh, this Junior Brother really knows how to navigate social dynamics. The Myriad Transformations Sect has already won two rounds; it is only right to leave the spotlight for the disciples of Daoyuan Mountain now,' Xiao Yize thought to himself.

In truth, it was not that Yang Lingshu lacked the strength to fight this match. He had already grasped the Spirit-Commanding Method himself, and with the family's spirit pearl still held in reserve, the true victor would have been uncertain if he went all out.

However, doing so would mean exposing all his hidden moves, which was entirely unnecessary.

The cultivation level and footwork he had put on display were already more than enough to serve as the bait planted by the Wangchao within the Myriad Transformations Sect, sufficient to lure the rat out of its hole.

Over on the Daoyuan Mountain side, a blue-robed female cultivator had been raring to go after watching the previous two matches.

Seeing Yang Lingshu return to the stands, she immediately rose and said, "Senior Brother, let me handle this round."

Qiu Ran nodded slowly. "Do not lose."

"Understood!"

The blue-robed female cultivator acknowledged the command and walked to the edge of the high platform. Strands of lightning suddenly crackled around her form, and she instantly transformed into a blazing cluster of blue thunderfire, flickering across the distance in a few flashes before slamming down onto the Dao Discussion Platform.

"Qi Wei, direct disciple of the Daoyuan Mountain Headmaster! At the fifth layer of Qi Gathering, accepting the challenge!" Qi Wei declared, her voice clear and resonant.

"To shroud her entire body in lightning radiance... This child Qi Wei's innate talent in the thunder arts is truly formidable!"

Seeing this display, several elders from Daoyuan Mountain showed looks of immense satisfaction.

The observing factions from other territories were also deeply impressed by her entrance.

In the entire history of the Zhuhu region, no female cultivator had ever truly specialized in the orthodox thunder arts. This child from Daoyuan Mountain was well on her way to forging a brand-new path.

The orthodox inheritances of the thunder arts within the Zhuhu territory were split between only two places: Daoyuan Mountain and the Imperial Spirit Hall.

True orthodox thunder arts were typically categorized by the shifting colors of their lightning radiance, which indicated the depth of one's cultivation.

Qi Wei's current Blue Lightning represented the manifestation of the first stage. The pillars summoned by the Yang Family's Five Thunder Talismans belonged to this same category.

The next phase involved transitioning from blue to purple, achieving Purple Lightning. For instance, Qiu Ran had stepped into this second stage after successfully refining his Thunderfire True Intent.

The third stage was Red Lightning, represented by prominent figures like Hong Yao of the Imperial Spirit Hall and Lu Hefei, the Headmaster of Daoyuan Mountain.

The final stage-and by far the most difficult-was the Golden Profound Lightning!

Since the founding of the Zhuhu state, only Mu Lei, the Supreme Elder of Daoyuan Mountain, had barely managed to cultivate it, and he had done so at the cost of a massive portion of his lifespan. This sacrifice was the exact reason he could now only remain secluded within the Daoyuan Mountain cave heaven, quietly conserving his remaining vitality.

As things stood, Lu Hefei's talent had likely reached its absolute peak, leaving him with no hope of further breakthroughs, whereas Hong Yao still retained a chance to strive for the realm of Golden Profound Lightning.

As for Qi Wei and Qiu Ran, their raw talent gave them a glimmer of hope, but because they were still young and their cultivation realms were shallow, it was far too early to make a definitive judgment.

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