Chapter 164 - 163: Opening Warm-up Match

Chapter 164: Chapter 163: Opening Warm-up Match

Gu Qingyin had a youthful face, so to appear more dignified and imposing—more like a judge—she had deliberately worn a black silk Tang suit.

Aside from the gold trim, it was completely unadorned—understated, luxurious, and staid, exactly what Gu Qingyin wanted.

The morning air was still chilly. Gu Qingyin stiffened the moment she stepped outside, fighting the urge to turn around and dive back into her warm bed.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Qingyin resolutely shut the door. She decided to head to the dining hall for a bowl of hot soup to warm up.

Along the way, Gu Qingyin encountered many people. Most were Daoists and monks, but there were also some casually dressed men and women who looked like tourists, probably spectators who had bought tickets to watch the competition.

After a bowl of vermicelli soup, a fried dough stick, and a tea egg, Gu Qingyin patted her warm belly and headed toward the competition grounds, completely satisfied.

"The judges are due in three minutes." Huo Yunjing appeared out of nowhere to remind her. "At your current pace, you’re guaranteed to be late."

Gu Qingyin tsked and slowly raised a hand.

Huo Yunjing got the signal instantly. Ignoring her hand, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, leaped into the air, and shot forward like the wind.

Moments later, they arrived. Huo Yunjing set her down and announced, "Two minutes left."

Gu Qingyin grunted in acknowledgment, smoothing her wind-tousled hair as she surveyed the grounds.

The competition grounds were on the back of the mountain. The area was huge and likely used for daily training. It must have been an empty field before, because the arena platform looked brand new. It was surrounded by circular wooden bleachers, eight rows high.

’These bleachers... they must have built them themselves out of spare lumber. The craftsmanship is so crude, there are splinters everywhere. I wonder if I’m going to get one in the butt sitting on this.’

Right on time, Liu Ergou stepped onto the platform holding a large wooden megaphone. It was engraved with amplifying runes that made his voice ring out, clear and natural, ensuring everyone in every corner could hear him perfectly.

He began with a series of official remarks: a general welcome, an introduction of the two hosting parties, and finally, a special thank you to the Mystic Association.

After finishing the opening remarks, Liu Ergou paused for two seconds and began to introduce the judges.

The crowd applauded enthusiastically for the first four judges. All of them were renowned titans of the Mystical World, figures many young Heavenly Masters aspired to emulate.

But when he got to the fifth judge... Gu Qingyin?

Most of the audience exchanged bewildered glances. Who was Gu Qingyin? What right did she have to be a judge?

Liu Ergou cleared his throat and raised his volume slightly. "Gu Qingyin, one of the most talented Heavenly Masters in the Mystical World! At the tender age of eighteen, she successfully passed the examination for Advanced Heavenly Master, making her the youngest Advanced Heavenly Master in history!"

An uproar swept through the crowd at his words.

An eighteen-year-old Advanced Heavenly Master? Could someone that incredible really exist?

"I’m twenty-six, and I just passed the Basic certification last year."

"Tell me about it. Eighteen... I hadn’t even completed my apprenticeship."

"If she’s so amazing, how come no one’s ever heard of her?"

...

Once their shock subsided, the audience couldn’t help but feel a rising tide of doubt. It only grew worse when Gu Qingyin came into view. She was just too young!

Gu Qingyin couldn’t care less what anyone else thought. She just beamed, gave the audience a little wave, and started toward the stage to take her seat.

’The judges get leather chairs. They look so comfy.’

"If she can be a judge, then why can’t we?" A deep, even voice suddenly cut in.

The surrounding crowd fell instantly silent. They exchanged glances, all wondering the same thing: who was this guy, bold enough to ask that out loud? Wasn’t this a direct slap in the face to Wudang Mountain and Longhua Temple?

Liu Ergou didn’t know how to respond. He planned to pretend he hadn’t heard and was about to continue the program when the megaphone was snatched from his hand.

The next moment, Gu Qingyin’s voice, laced with amusement, boomed across the entire venue. "Hey, you, the one who just spoke! You dare come out here and say that to my face? Let’s see if I don’t flatten you on this very platform."

Liu Ergou nearly fainted. ’This is a competition between Wudang Mountain and Longhua Temple!’ he thought desperately. ’It might not be some huge, grand affair, but it’s still a serious event!’

’How can Gu Qingyin be so wild! She has no composure at all!’

But Gu Qingyin wasn’t done. "If I can’t," she added, "you can have my seat on the judge’s panel."

The man in the crowd hadn’t intended to say more—he had just spoken out impulsively in a fit of indignation. But when he heard he could become a judge if he won, he found he couldn’t resist.

"Just like that? You think you can make that call?"

Gu Qingyin’s eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, locked onto her prey. "I can. Do you dare come up here?"

Liu Ergou was sweating bullets. He knew he couldn’t talk Gu Qingyin down—if he pushed her, he’d probably get beaten up for his trouble. His eyes scanned the crowd for help, and his desperate gaze landed on Lin Jiran.

Liu Ergou’s eyes lit up just as Lin Jiran’s voice sounded in his ear, "Let them fight. Qingyin needs to display a level of power that will convince everyone present. Otherwise, the contestants will challenge her scores later. Better to resolve this now, once and for all."

Liu Ergou understood. He took the megaphone back from Gu Qingyin. "To our friend in the audience, the organizing committee has agreed to your request. If Gu Qingyin loses this battle, you will take her place as judge."

The words had barely left his mouth when a figure shot up from the crowd and landed on the platform.

All eyes turned to the newcomer, and a wave of astonished murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"It’s Wu Ma Yan!" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Wu Ma Yan is definitely qualified to be a judge."

"The most talented Heavenly Master in the history of the Witch Ma Family. I heard he’s only in his early forties and is already a Special-level Heavenly Master."

"This is going to be a great show!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, their excitement mounting. Everyone was eager to see this fight.

Although Wu Ma Yan was over forty, he looked quite young. More remarkably, he possessed a youthful vitality, an air of intense drive.

"Everyone here is a witness. The winner becomes the judge."

Gu Qingyin waved dismissively at Liu Ergou, shooing him off the stage. He was getting in the way of her fight.

"Think of it as a warm-up act," Gu Qingyin said, extending a hand in a gesture of courtesy. "You first."

Wu Ma Yan sneered. He didn’t stand on ceremony, simply raising a hand and flinging a talisman at her.

It moved so fast that Gu Qingyin couldn’t make out the type of talisman, but that didn’t stop her from judging it by the fluctuations in energy.

The air grew imperceptibly warmer. With sharp senses, Gu Qingyin flicked out a Water Dragon Talisman, sending it straight to intercept.

Then, just as the talismans were about to collide, she activated hers.

On the platform, a water dragon and a Fire Phoenix materialized almost simultaneously, crashing into each other in the blink of an eye.

In an instant, the entire platform was shrouded in a thick, white mist.

The audience below couldn’t see a thing and grew anxious, able to hear only the sound of various talismans exploding.

From the judges’ seats, the Mystic Association’s Elder Zhang waved a hand, and the mist on the platform abruptly dispersed.

The once-smooth platform was now pitted and cratered. Of the two combatants, Gu Qingyin looked completely untouched, while Wu Ma Yan appeared somewhat disheveled.

One glance at his face was enough to see it. His once-handsome features were now bruised and discolored, like a painter’s palette.

Gu Qingyin raised an eyebrow in a smirk, beckoning him with a crooked finger. "Let’s continue."