Chapter 226 - 225: The Internal Selection and Rising Stars (1)

Chapter 226: Chapter 225: The Internal Selection and Rising Stars (1)

When Li Jain returned to the West Courtyard, the afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows across the grounds. His seven sons were already gathered inside the stone pavilion, their faces flushed and bodies glistening with sweat from their afternoon training.

The moment they saw their father step through the wooden gate, their lively chatter ceased abruptly; and seven pairs of bright, expectant eyes turned in unison toward him.

"Father! What was the outcome of the meeting?" Li Zhang was the first to rush forward, his voice brimming with irrepressible excitement: "Have the clan elders finalized the selection rules for the Grand Tournament?"

Li Jain walked slowly to the stone table and sat down with composure. He poured himself a cup of warm tea, took a leisurely sip, and then looked at his sons with a gentle, reassuring smile: "The matter of the Grand Tournament is settled. The clan has decided to hold internal qualifiers next month to select twenty representatives from the fourth-generation disciples."

"Twenty spots!" Li Yuhan gasped, his eyes widening: "There are over a hundred young disciples in the clan; the competition is bound to be fierce!"

"Indeed," Li Jian continued calmly: "However, before the final showdown begins, forty candidates will be selected to receive additional cultivation resources over the coming month. To secure one of these forty candidate spots, one must meet one of the following criteria: be one of the five core ’Spirit Sea Realm’ disciples, or possess a cultivation level of at least the third stage of the Physical Body Realm."

At these words, the courtyard erupted in cheers. Li Yuhan, Li Cheng, Li Zhang, Li Jingsheng, and Li Jingxuan shouted in unison, slapping their palms together in celebration. Thanks to their rapid progress over the past three months, every one of them had easily surpassed the third stage of the Physical Body Realm!

"That’s fantastic! We all qualify!" Li Jingxuan grinned broadly, brandishing his dark-iron spear and executing a dazzling flourish. Yet, amidst this festive atmosphere, a heavy silence and a sense of desolation hung over the shadows beneath the plum tree.

Li Juanxin kept his head bowed, his frail hands clutching the lapels of his robe so tightly that his knuckles turned white; a bitter, heavy lump seemed lodged in his throat. While his brothers made rapid strides in their cultivation, his own progress remained sluggish due to his weak constitution, he was still stuck at the first stage of the Body Refining Realm.

He was the only one in the West Courtyard who had failed to meet the minimum requirement.

Li Jain keenly noticed his youngest son’s bowed head and slightly trembling shoulders. He walked over to the plum tree and gently placed his warm palm atop Li Juanxin’s head.

He said softly, his voice filled with both tenderness and confidence: "Juanxin, there is still a full month before the selection begins. If you are willing to endure the hardship, one month is enough for you to achieve a breakthrough."

Li Juanxin looked up, his pale face reflecting a mixture of hesitation and determination: "Father... can I really reach the third stage in just four weeks?"

"As long as you have the resolve, I will guide you every step of the way." Li Jian smiled gently.

"You can do it, Xinxin," his brothers chimed in with words of encouragement.

From that day on, Li Juanxin began a grueling regimen of training that pushed him beyond his limits. While his brothers sparred and practiced their techniques, he spent the hours from dawn till dusk, even under the scorching sun, repeatedly practicing basic breathing exercises to temper his meridians.

His brothers made it through this stage with the help of medicinal baths, whereas Juan Xin was unable to undergo them due to his unique constitution.

Even when his muscles burned with agonizing pain from the intense exertion, he gritted his teeth and refused to rest for even a moment. Li Jian personally prepared gentle, vitality-rich spiritual meals for him, nourishment designed to strengthen his frail body without damaging his delicate meridians.

Sweat mingled with arduous effort as time swiftly slipped away. By the end of the third week, during a late-night meditation session, a surge of warm, vibrant spiritual energy suddenly erupted from deep within Li Juanxin’s dantian.

The blockages in his primary meridians shattered like glass! A soft radiance enveloped his entire body, and his skin took on a healthy, rosy glow.

He had broken through consecutively, leaping straight from the First Stage to the Third Stage of the Physical Body Realm!

As he hurried to share the news with his family, his brothers crowded around him and enveloped him in a massive group hug, their cheers of pride echoing through the west courtyard.

...

The day finally arrived for the announcement of the family’s preliminary selection list. The fourth-generation disciples of the Li clan gathered at the central martial arts plaza, surrounded by fluttering banners as the elders looked on. When the official list, containing the names of the forty successful candidates, was posted, a stir immediately rippled through the crowd.

All seven sons of Li Jain’s branch had made the list!

"Look! Uncle Li Jain’s sons have all been selected!" a young disciple from the second branch whispered, his eyes filled with envy.

"Even the youngest, Li Juanxin, managed to break through to the Third Realm just before the deadline? How is that possible?" another chimed in, shaking his head.

"They get to eat those legendary spirit meals prepared personally by Uncle Li Jian every single day. If we could enjoy such delicacies, our cultivation speed would surely double, too!"

"Keep your voice down! Don’t let the elders hear," another disciple warned, though his own eyes gleamed with jealousy and longing as he stared at the seven brothers.

However, what truly filled the entire clan with awe, and even a touch of dread was the name at the very top of the list: Li Yujian.

Among the fourth-generation disciples, five prodigies had stepped into the Spirit Sea Realm. Yet, while the other four, including Li Xuefeng, were merely at the First Realm of the Spirit Sea stage, the thirteen-year-old Li Yujian had already reached the astonishing Fifth Level!

His presence was formidable. Dressed in a simple yet elegant blue robe, he stood quietly at the front of the plaza; the aura he exuded was as towering and immovable as a mountain. The surrounding disciples instinctively kept a respectful distance, and whenever they cast their gaze upon him, they felt an invisible, crushing weight pressing down on their chests.

Thanks to his monstrous cultivation talent, Li Yujian had automatically secured one of the twenty slots for the upcoming battles, exempting him from the subsequent arena competitions. The other four geniuses of the Spirit Sea Realm had also automatically secured their qualifications; this meant the remaining thirty-five candidates would engage in a fierce contest for the final fifteen coveted spots!

...

In the crisp morning air, the final selection tournament officially commenced on the vast martial arena. Standing in the center of the plaza were four massive, circular platforms constructed from sturdy iron-rock. High-ranking elders and the masters of the various branch lineages sat solemnly upon the elevated viewing platform.

Unlike ordinary sparring matches, this selection process was enforced by strict combat rules: participants were required to use real, razor-sharp weapons for their duels! Although the supervising elders strictly forbade lethal blows, the glint of cold steel and the sharp, surging energy permeating the air instantly charged the atmosphere with palpable tension.

"Ring No. 2, Match Three: Li Cheng versus Li Hong!" The referee’s resounding voice echoed across the arena.

A tall, burly youth from the Second Branch leaped onto the platform, gripping a heavy broadsword made of refined steel; the blade vibrated slightly, faintly radiating a potent surge of inner energy. This was Li Hong, ranked eighth stage Physical Body fighter whose grandfather had boasted about him during the elders’ council.

"Cousin Cheng," Li Hong grinned fiercely, resting the heavy broadsword horizontally across his shoulder: "I heard you fought to a draw with Cousin Xuefeng, but I’m not him, and today, we’re using real weapons. If my blade leaves a mark on you later, don’t blame me!"

Li Cheng remained composed, stepping onto the arena stage with calm assurance. He did not draw a weapon, choosing instead to face his opponent unarmed, his bare hands wreathed in faint, deep-blue electric arcs: "Cousin Hong, please show me the full extent of your swordsmanship."

Li Cheng’s main weapon was the bow and arrow, which was not suitable for close combat. So he chose to fight with his bare hands.

"Arrogant!" Li Hong roared and charged like a wild bull; his broadsword carved a violent, wind-whipping arc through the air, as if intending to cleave Li Cheng in two right then and there.

As the razor-sharp blade came crashing down, the onlookers gasped in alarm. Yet, Li Cheng’s gaze remained icy and steady; relying on extraordinary perception, he precisely tracked every minute tremor in Li Hong’s muscles and the trajectory of the blade. Just as the edge was about to strike his shoulder, Li Cheng shifted his body to the side, narrowly dodging the blow by a hair’s breadth.

Before Li Hong could steady his stance, Li Cheng’s right fist shot out with a thunderous boom. His "Heavenly Thunder Force" struck the side of the broadsword with pinpoint accuracy.

*Bang!*

A violent surge of electric current instantly coursed through the blade, numbing Li Hong’s arms. The heavy broadsword flew from his grasp and slammed hard against the stone floor with a jarring clang. Before Li Hong could even recover his wits, Li Cheng’s fingers, crackling with electricity, came to a halt just half an inch from his throat.

A brief silence fell over the second arena, followed immediately by thunderous applause erupting from the stands: "The winner: Li Cheng!" the referee announced, filled with admiration.

In the stands, the Grand Elder and the Head of the Li family both nodded slightly, their eyes brimming with approval. Meanwhile, on the adjacent arenas, Li Yuhan’s agile and swift folding-fan techniques and Li Jingxuan’s fierce, domineering "Nine-Dragon Flame Spear" had also easily defeated their respective opponents. Throughout the series of bouts, Li Jian’s sons demonstrated combat prowess and tactical acumen far surpassing their peers, earning repeated praise even from the clan’s most exacting elders.

As the scorching afternoon sun began to dip toward the west, the second round of competition began, offering those defeated in the first round a chance to fight again.

One reason they are doing this is that they cannot afford to lose someone like Li Hong from the final lineup.