Chapter 188 - 111: Sect Grand Competition and Profound Yellow’s Changes

Chapter 188: Chapter 111: Sect Grand Competition and Profound Yellow’s Changes

Today were the finals for the Refining Technique Disciples, where the champion would be decided from the top eight. The format was a single-elimination bracket: quarterfinals, semifinals, and then the final match. There were no separate rankings for the quarterfinalists or semifinalists. Sun Suzhen was implying that he expected Zhou Jun to reach the final match, and perhaps even win it all.

Xuzhuang said, "Oh? Senior Brother, you think that highly of Zhou Jun?"

Sun Suzhen replied, "The young man’s innate talent is superb. I’ve also looked at the *Five Elements Origin Combination Art* he cultivates, and it’s quite profound. The intricacies of its water-aspect techniques are not much inferior to my own *Myriad Rivers Return to the Source Technique*."

’So Zhou Jun really was the one who submitted the *Five Elements Origin Combination Art* to the sect,’ Xuzhuang thought, nodding. Sun Suzhen continued, "I had originally intended to take him as my disciple. However, before I had a chance to test him, he went on a journey and returned having perfected the Refining Technique stage. There wouldn’t be much to teach a disciple like that, so I abandoned the idea."

Xuzhuang asked, "I only just came out of seclusion yesterday. I knew today was the Refining Technique Disciples’ tournament, but I don’t know who the participants are."

Sun Suzhen gave him an odd look. "Junior Brother, your disciple, Li the Kid, is one of the favorites in this tournament. How could you, his own master, not know that?"

Xuzhuang was at a loss for words. "To be honest with you, Senior Brother, up until yesterday, I didn’t even know our sect had started holding a grand event like a ’Sect-wide Tournament’."

"You truly are single-minded in your pursuit of the Nascent Soul realm, Junior Brother." Sun Suzhen shook his head. "I imagine you’re unaware, but the situation on the Divine Continent has changed. The Demon Sect is on the verge of reappearing. The territories of our three major sects are still relatively safe, but many Demon Sect disciples have begun to move about in the territories of the six other schools, provoking numerous battles."

"Although we don’t expect Demon Sect disciples would dare to brazenly invade our Tai Su Territory, it’s inevitable that our own disciples will clash with them when they venture out. Therefore, after a deliberation, the Three Hall Elders decided to offer a large number of Magical Artifacts, Daoist Scriptures, and Spiritual Objects as rewards for a sect-wide tournament. The goal is to hone and develop the disciples’ combat prowess."

"I see." Xuzhuang frowned and mused, "If the Demon Sect truly re-emerges, I fear the Divine Continent will once again be ravaged by evil, and the land will be plunged into misery and despair."

"You’re absolutely right, Junior Brother," Sun Suzhen said with a nod. "However, perhaps out of deference to our orthodox Xuan Sects, the Demon Sect disciples who have appeared this time are acting with considerable restraint. They haven’t dared to commit mass slaughter to advance their cultivation. Instead, they only engage in duels with Xuan Sect disciples to contend for opportunities. Because of this, the six schools also seem to be observing some unwritten rules, and haven’t dispatched their High-Achieving Cultivators to eradicate the demonic influence."

"A leopard can’t change its spots." Zhe Junyang shook his head. "The other day, while visiting an old friend, I saw that some of those Demon Sect disciples were carrying Magical Artifacts like the Nine-Child Yin Embryo and the Resentful Spirit Banner. Even if they haven’t been running rampant across the Divine Continent... to prepare for clashes with our Xuan Sect disciples, I’m sure they’ve done plenty of killing and refining of their techniques somewhere."

Sun Suzhen sneered. "All four great Demon Sects have Primordial Spirit experts among their ranks. If they want to slaughter people to refine their techniques, they don’t necessarily have to do it in the Profound Yellow Realm..."

The group fell silent for a moment. Then Xuzhuang asked, "Four great Demon Sects? According to our sect’s records, the Divine Continent was once plagued by eight great Demon Sects. With the rise of the Xuan Sects, the demonic influence was purged, two of them were destroyed, and one left the Profound Yellow Realm. That should still leave five great Demon Sects, shouldn’t it?"

Sun Suzhen took a sip of tea, his mood seeming to lighten, and smiled. "There’s something else you don’t know, Junior Brother. This is why I always say that even though a Daoist can lose all track of time in the mountains, it’s still important to interact with the outside world when you’re not cultivating."

Xuzhuang wasn’t offended. He simply cupped his fist in his palm and said with a smile, "Then I must ask for my Senior Brother’s wisdom."

Sun Suzhen said slowly, "Thirty years ago, the Taixuan Profound True Monarch traveled far to the Western Continent with his Meteor Dojo. There, outside Jianxia Mountain, he used his Supreme Divine Techniques to raise a new landmass thousands of miles wide. He reshaped the heavens, realigned the terrestrial energies, and established hundreds of Immortal Mountains and countless Spirit Veins. He named this new land the West Su Continent!"

Xuzhuang was slightly taken aback. He had known for a long time that the Taixuan Sect had such intentions, but he never expected the Taixuan Profound True Monarch to act with such astonishing speed and power. ’And to name the new land after himself, using Taixuan... It’s a truly grand undertaking, an ambition that could swallow mountains and rivers.’

’But what does this have to do with the four great Demon Sects?’

Before Xuzhuang could ask, Sun Suzhen said, "Junior Brother, surely you remember the Yinji Sect."

"Not long after the Taixuan Profound True Monarch raised the West Su Continent, the Yinji Sect officially moved in, established its headquarters, and became the first of the Demon Sects to re-emerge!"