...
A few days of cultivation passed in the blink of an eye.
Su Yueli opened her eyes from her meditation and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
The blood qi inside her body was more majestic than ever, but the legendary Twelfth Realm of the martial path still seemed to be separated from her by a thick, impenetrable fog.
Forget about a bottleneck to break through; even the direction to grope her way forward was somewhat blurry.
“Is this Twelfth Realm fast approaching, or has it only just begun?” Su Yueli muttered to herself.
As for the concept of condensing a Martial Soul, she was even more clueless.
There were no predecessors who had paved the way ahead on this path. She was creating a miracle out of nothing, and the difficulty was directly maxed out.
However, Su Yueli quickly came to terms with it.
She shook her head gently, gathering her chaotic thoughts back into her consciousness.
It was fine. She would take it slow...
For an immortal with infinite longevity, the one thing she did not lack was precisely time.
Meanwhile, the mundane Martial Arts Tournament in the Great Li Imperial City drew to a complete close amidst a chorus of gasps.
The one who ultimately claimed the title of champion was a mundane martial artist at the Fifth Realm mid stage.
But before the mortals could finish witnessing the excitement, the atmosphere of the entire Imperial City underwent a drastic change in just a single day.
The true chess players had entered the stage.
Looking up, escape lights of various colors streaked across the sky like a meteor shower. Hundreds and thousands of immortal flying vessels blotted out the sun, roaring as they flooded into the Imperial City.
Because such an immense amount of spiritual energy had gathered in a short period, the void within a hundred-mile radius felt incredibly tense, as if it would be torn apart by this terrifying pressure at any moment.
The once-in-a-century Immortal Sects Tournament had officially begun!
The mundane arenas in the central square, which originally belonged to the mortals, were reconstructed by the combined magical powers of several immortal cultivation sect elders.
Amidst a series of rumbling roars, a massive martial arena rose directly from the ground and hovered high in the sky like an airborne immortal island, radiating heart-palpitating fluctuations of magical power.
As a super giant within the borders of the Great Li Dynasty, the Blue Moon Sect's seats were arranged directly on the highest and most prominent platform.
At this moment, Su Yueli had also arrived at the viewing stands.
Hiding herself in the surging crowd, she looked up to size up the floating martial arena above, quietly pondering.
The format of this tournament seemed quite similar to the previous Martial Arts Tournament, generally consisting of defending and challenging the arena.
The only difference was probably that while mortals competed with physical blows and internal force, immortal cultivators used spells and divine abilities that could easily overturn rivers and seas.
But to her, none of that mattered. She was just a spectator.
As she was thinking, a sudden wave of sky-rocketing gasps swept through the arena.
In the direction of the Blue Moon Sect, Young Sect Master Shen Huai'an was proudly walking toward the preparation area.
Today, he had specially worn a set of spotless white robes, his hair bound with a white jade crown. His entire presence exuded an elite aura, perfectly fitting the look of a favored son of an immortal family.
Behind him, a cold-faced middle-aged man followed on his left and right.
They were two Ninth Realm experts specially arranged by the sect to escort him the entire way. The display of prestige was staggering.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Shen Huai'an wore a faint smile, his eyes filled with a pride that showed he was determined to win.
This time, he not only wanted to win, but he also wanted to claim the championship of this tournament, completely solidifying his title as the number one of the younger generation.
When the surrounding loose cultivators and disciples from minor sects saw this grand display, they immediately entered gossip mode, their chatter rising and falling.
“Tsk, tsk. Look at that grandeur. Ninth Realm experts as bodyguards. His starting line is literally everyone else's finish line.”
“That is the Young Sect Master of the Blue Moon Sect, Shen Huai'an! I heard he just emerged from seclusion not long ago, and his cultivation has improved yet again. He is extremely strong; perhaps he will be a dark horse this time.”
“Looking at this setup, the champion of this tournament will probably be none other than him.”
Listening to the surrounding discussions, Su Yueli felt no ripples in her heart. In fact, she found it a bit amusing.
People in the cultivation world were still people; when it came to gossiping, they were no different from the old men and women of the mundane world.
Right at that moment, another massive wave of magical power fluctuated from the horizon.
“Look! The people from the Cangyun Sect have also arrived!” someone in the crowd shouted.
A massive green flying vessel slowly descended, and a large number of disciples dressed in Cangyun Sect attire filed down.
The topic of conversation around them shifted instantly. People began frantically discussing which formidable figures the Cangyun Sect had brought this time, who had comprehended what sword intent, and who was a once-in-a-century genius.
Upon hearing the words “Cangyun Sect,” Su Yueli's fingers hidden inside her sleeves twitched slightly, and her brow furrowed.
Her enemies had arrived.
But the Great Li Imperial City was so vast, and the various forces were highly complex. For a moment, she could not find that unforgettable face in the crowd.
If she were to forcibly sweep the area with her martial sense, she might easily alert the high-level figures and startle her prey.
Su Yueli narrowed her eyes, countless thoughts flashing through her mind. Since she couldn't find him, she would actively gather information.
Taking a deep breath, a perfectly measured look of curiosity and admiration quickly appeared on her face as she naturally leaned into a group of loose cultivators nearby who were frantically discussing the event.
“Fellow Daoists, hearing you speak, the Cangyun Sect truly has a gathering of experts this time.”
Su Yueli used the tone of an inexperienced loose cultivator, offering a very cooperative exclamation of admiration.
Seeing that she was a delicate-looking and humble fellow cultivator, the vanity of those loose cultivators was instantly immensely satisfied.
Patting their chests, they said, “Of course! The Cangyun Sect is a major sect after all; their foundation runs deep!”
Seeing this, Su Yueli unobtrusively guided the conversation toward her true target.
Pretending to have suddenly remembered something, she lowered her voice and asked, “By the way, when I was traveling outside before, I heard that Jiang Ran, the personal disciple of the Cangyun Sect's Grand Elder, is an extraordinary, top-tier genius. I wonder if he came this time?”
Hearing the name “Jiang Ran,” one of the loose cultivators immediately wore an expression that said, “Friend, you're quite well-informed,” and then raised his hand to point toward a direction in the Cangyun Sect's preparation area.
“Ha, you asked at just the right time. Look over there. That youth wearing the blue-and-white Daoist robe with a green longsword hanging from his waist is the Grand Elder's precious darling, Jiang Ran!”
Su Yueli looked in the direction he pointed.
“Young people nowadays are truly incredible.”
The loose cultivator clicked his tongue, his tone filled with envy and jealousy. “I heard he is already at the Fifth Realm early stage. He is only one step away from breaking through to the mid stage. In this younger generation, aside from the Young Sect Master of the Blue Moon Sect, there are really not many who can steadily suppress him.”
Su Yueli's gaze locked onto the youth.
Jiang Ran...
The moment she saw that face, the blood qi inside Su Yueli's body seemed to burn hot for a split second, but she instantly and forcefully suppressed it with her powerful state of mind.
On the surface, she remained that admiring spectator, but deep in her heart, it was already ice-cold.
Fifth Realm early stage?
Very well. In the eyes of ordinary cultivators, this might be an unattainable genius immortal master. But in the eyes of an immortal like her, who was about to touch—or perhaps was already standing on the edge of—the Twelfth Realm of the martial path...
He was merely a dish that had just been washed and was waiting to be served.
With her strength, a Fifth Realm cultivator was not impossible to kill.
If she struck fast enough and had an opportunity for a sneak attack, she could completely obliterate him with a single punch.
After all, no one would expect a martial artist to go head-to-head with a cultivator. This identity naturally made it easy for cultivators to let their guard down.
It was also her greatest shield.
However, the true struggle and reckoning had only just begun at this very moment.
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