Volume 7, Chapter 402 – Second Round Draw (Part 1)

The next three matches proceeded, but they were nothing more than fledglings pecking at each other, offering little of interest.

That evening, back at the inn, the senior sisters chattered like a flock of lively larks, still exhilarated from their dazzling performances on the stage earlier that day. For cultivators of ordinary talent, such moments of glory were rare, true highlights of their lives.

“Senior Sisters and Brothers, you all truly displayed divine might today! And, well… you’ve also done us a ‘great favor’. Satisfied now?”

Qi Huang smirked, her tone teasing.

“We owe it all to the Blue Scale Stone swords you gave us, Junior Sister. Otherwise, it would’ve been a bitter struggle.”

Ruan Lingyu, ever the smooth talker, responded gracefully.

“Indeed. In terms of pure cultivation, the gap between us and them wasn’t that large. After all, they were from lower-ranked county-level sects.”

Yun Fei analyzed coolly.

“Hehe, those poor fools. After this Evergreen Conference, their rankings are bound to drop even further, especially since I wrecked all their weapons and magical treasures!”

Shen Yuan wore a mocking grin.

“Reporting! Miao Xiang didn’t cut anything!”

Miao Xiang hastily raised her small hand in clarification.

“Why so nervous? No one’s blaming you! It’s their own fault for refusing to surrender!”

Su Qingying rolled her beautiful eyes.

“You all seem to have had your fill of fun. In that case, from now on, who fights and how many participate will be up to my command.”

Qi Huang seized the opportunity to assert control.

“Fine by us! But… should we listen to you, or to your main body?”

Su Qingying shot a playful glance at Cheng Hongling.

“What do you think?”

Cheng Hongling stared expressionlessly at Qi Huang.

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“Uh… yours! Yours!”

Qi Huang immediately backed down, then glared fiercely at the emotionless Su Qingying.

A faint smile finally tugged at Cheng Hongling’s lips, her expression one of satisfaction.

Since the Honghua Sect had already competed on the first day, the remaining matches had nothing to do with them. All they had to do now was sit back and enjoy the show, treating it as a way to pass the time.

Over the next two days, the remaining forty or so sects took to the stage, including the Donglai Sect, Huxiao Sect, and Jinliu Sect. However, their opponents were all weak, making the matches nothing more than one-sided beatdowns, revealing little about their true capabilities.

The Huxiao Sect, still nursing a grudge against the Chongyue Sect for ruining their plans, struck with particular brutality. Their two external Immortal Seed recruits were both at the Incarnation Realm’s fourth layer, supplemented by a first-layer Incarnation Realm disciple from their own sect. Together, they pummeled Chongyue’s ten Immortal Seeds until they were groveling on the ground, begging for mercy.

Humiliated and injured, the Chongyue Sect could only slink away in disgrace.

With the first round concluded, only thirty of the original sixty sects remained. Still, many eliminated cultivators chose to stay and observe, so the Immortal Alliance’s branch remained as bustling as ever.

After a day’s rest, the second round of lots commenced.

This time, the Honghua Sect drew number twenty-three, pitting them against number twenty-four. Wang Zong and the male disciples did some quick reconnaissance and discovered that their opponent was yet another minor sect, one without a single cultivator even at the Unity Realm. They had barely scraped through the first round by the skin of their teeth in a match between fellow weaklings.

“Our luck is insane! We keep drawing these tiny sects!”

“Hehe, another chance to bully some weaklings!”

“Don’t laugh! Three days without a fight, and my hands are itching. This time, I’m chopping to my heart’s content!”

The senior sisters cheered excitedly.

But Qi Huang was far from pleased. She hadn’t come to the Evergreen Conference to watch others perform. This old man kept drawing weak opponents, denying her any chance to shine. What kind of nonsense was this?

“Sect Leader Qin, with luck like yours, it’s a shame you’re not running a gambling den!”

Qi Huang remarked sarcastically.

“Oh? I think so too. Maybe after retirement, I’ll open one in the county capital.”

Qin Quan responded with feigned seriousness.

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“Retirement? Why wait? You’re not exactly young anymore.”

Qi Huang flashed a mischievous grin.

“I’d love to! But you youngsters still lack experience. I’ll have to toil a few more years for your sake.”

Qin Quan shamelessly played the elder’s card.

‘Tch. What a shameless old coot. More like you haven’t scraped together enough retirement funds yet.’

Qi Huang inwardly scoffed, deciding it wasn’t worth engaging further.

She glanced around and noticed that the atmosphere during this second draw was far calmer than the first. After witnessing Lü Er’s infamy, no one dared inquire about his lot number. A stark contrast to the previous frenzy.

And then, Lü Er himself spoke up again.

“Well, well! Did the sun rise from the west today? How come no one’s asking about my number?”

Lü Er deliberately raised his voice, dripping with mockery.

“Should I volunteer the information?”

He pretended to consider it, then unabashedly revealed his token: “Look! Number five again! Isn’t that just miraculous?”

The cultivators exchanged glances, thinking, ‘Miraculous my ass. Why should we care what number you got, you lunatic?’

“Alright, since I’ve been so generous, and since you all wanted to ‘teach me a lesson’ last time but failed… well, here’s your chance! Number six! I’m still number five! Find number six, and you can have your shot!”

Lü Er monologued with brazen arrogance, yet no one dared retort.

Qi Huang also remained silent, not out of fear, but because she wanted to save the most arrogant for last, letting him stew in his own dread.

That said, she wouldn’t let him hog the spotlight forever.

“Which sect do you hate the most?”

Qi Huang suddenly turned to Cheng Hongling.

“What do you mean?”

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Cheng Hongling frowned slightly.

“See that? The Jinliu Sect. Six years ago, during your first Evergreen Conference, their top Immortal Seed eliminated you. Not only that, he mocked Huangtian County as a ‘rat’s nest that could never produce a phoenix’ and called you a ‘vase’. That very guy is right over there.”

Qi Huang pointed at the Jinliu Sect first, then shifted to the Haizhi Sect.

“And that Haizhi Sect? Three years ago, they ganged up on you to force your elimination!”

“And then there’s the Huxiao Sect, the worst of them all. Those bastards colluded with Immortal Alliance Steward Cai to target us repeatedly!”

Finally, she gestured toward the Huxiao Sect.

“You don’t need to remind me! I remember every single debt. And I’ll collect them all, with interest.”

Cheng Hongling’s eyes burned with determination.

“But have you considered this? The people who wronged you aren’t getting any younger. Take that Jinliu Sect’s top Immortal Seed, for example. He definitely won’t qualify for the next Evergreen Conference. If another sect eliminates him before you get the chance, you’ll never settle that score.”

Qi Huang’s words made Cheng Hongling’s frown deepen. She hadn’t considered that possibility. After a brief silence, she asked, “So? What exactly are you suggesting?”

“Swap tokens. It’s not like they’re the only ones who can do it! That’s why I asked which sect you hate most.”

Qi Huang laid out her scheme.

“Junior Sister, are you out of your mind? Getting weak opponents is a blessing, and you want to take on the tough ones instead?”

Ruan Lingyu interjected.

“Sorry, but in my eyes, every sect in this plaza is weak.”

Qi Huang shrugged.

Ruan Lingyu fell silent. She knew it was the truth.

“Then let’s start with the Huxiao Sect. I’ll show them that rules are meant to be broken.”

Cheng Hongling took a deep breath. She was a woman of pride, never one to hide in her shell.

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“And then?”

Qi Huang pressed.

“The Jinliu Sect next. Finally, the Haizhi Sect.”

Cheng Hongling gritted her teeth.

“Then we’ll do the opposite. We’ll fight the Haizhi Sect first.”

Qi Huang immediately decided.

“Are you insane? Why must you contradict me at every turn?”

Cheng Hongling snapped, her delicate frame trembling with irritation.

“She is insane. Certifiably so.”

Su Qingying chimed in helpfully.

“That’s ‘mentally ill’, not ‘insane’, okay?”

Qi Huang argued before explaining to her main body, “The more you hate a sect, the longer you should make them wait. That way, they suffer longer. Don’t you agree?”

Cheng Hongling paused, then slowly nodded in realization.

“I think Junior Sister Qi Huang has a point. For scum like the Huxiao and Jinliu Sects, eliminating them right away is too merciful. They should at least endure some psychological torment first.”

Yun Fei added her input.

“Fine. We’ll start with the Haizhi Sect.”

Cheng Hongling relented, agreeing to the plan.

“Good!”

Qi Huang smiled in satisfaction, then turned to Wang Zong. “Wang shixiong, do me a favor and find out what number the Haizhi Sect drew. This time, I’ll show them that quantity can’t make up for a lack of quality.”