Chapter 125: Cultivation Tournament (1)
Chapter 125: Cultivation Tournament (1)
The cool night breeze swept across the mountaintop.
It was already well past nine o’clock.
The moon hung high overhead.
The old man and Yun Wanhe sat side by side on a massive boulder overlooking the city lights below.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
After such brutal training...
Even silence felt peaceful.
The old man uncorked a small flask.
He took a slow sip.
Then let out a satisfied sigh.
"Not bad."
Yun Wanhe smiled faintly.
"I haven’t felt a breakthrough this satisfying in a long time."
The old man chuckled.
"I told you. You needed more cultivation. Less chasing girls."
Yun Wanhe coughed awkwardly.
"Master."
"What?"
"I wasn’t chasing—"
The old man simply looked at him.
"..."
"..."
"Fine. I was chasing a little."
The old man laughed heartily.
"At least you’re honest for once."
For another moment...
The two simply watched the stars.
Then...
The old man’s expression became more serious.
"Oh. I almost forgot."
Yun Wanhe looked over.
"Hm?"
The old man stroked his beard.
"The tournament."
Yun Wanhe blinked.
"Tournament? Oh... that one."
The old man nodded.
"It’s tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"That’s right."
Yun Wanhe frowned.
"I have classes."
The old man shrugged.
"Then skip them."
"..."
"I also have work."
The old man looked completely unimpressed.
"That company will survive one day without freshly polished toilets."
"..."
Yun Wanhe suddenly felt personally attacked.
The old man continued as though nothing had happened.
"This tournament is more important."
He slowly stood.
Walking toward the cliff’s edge.
"Don’t forget... Every few years... My old friends and I host a private cultivation tournament."
His voice carried through the quiet mountains.
"As a reminder... It’s a friendly competition between our disciples. The younger generation spars... To determine who possesses the greatest talent."
He slowly raised one finger.
"Remember. The winner... Receives Qi Stones."
Yun Wanhe’s pupils contracted.
"Qi Stones... That’s right... You did say that to me."
The old man nodded.
"Real ones. Not the tiny fragments sold on the black market. I’m talking about properly refined cultivation stones. They’ve been accumulated over many years. For ordinary cultivators... They’re priceless."
Yun Wanhe slowly stood.
His breathing quickened.
Inside his mind...
Calculations immediately began.
’Qi Stones...’
’With my cultivation technique...’
’I could absorb them far more efficiently than anyone else.’
’They would save months...’
’Perhaps years...’
’Of cultivation.’
His eyes gradually lit up.
"I’ll win."
The old man smiled.
"I hope so. But don’t underestimate the others. My old friends have all accepted talented disciples. Some have been training since childhood. Some possess unusual physiques. Others inherited ancient techniques."
Yun Wanhe folded his arms.
"Master, you can trust me... I swear upon the heavens I won’t lose."
The old man sighed.
"There it is again."
"But..."
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"You’re probably right."
. . .
The Next Morning...
Long before sunrise...
The two set off once again.
Deep into the mountains.
Far beyond any hiking trails.
Far beyond where ordinary people would ever venture.
Eventually...
The dense forest opened into an enormous hidden valley.
Ancient stone platforms rested beneath towering cliffs.
Several traditional pavilions overlooked the arena.
Streams flowed peacefully through the valley.
The spiritual energy here...
Was noticeably denser than elsewhere.
Yun Wanhe immediately noticed.
"A Spirit Gathering Formation."
The old man nodded approvingly.
"Good eye. We’ve maintained it for decades."
As they approached...
Several elderly cultivators looked over.
"Hahaha! So you finally arrived!"
An old woman carrying a sword laughed warmly.
"I thought you’d gotten lazy!"
The old man snorted.
"Me? I brought a disciple."
Another elderly man with a white beard looked toward Yun Wanhe.
"Oh? So this is your new disciple?"
The old man proudly folded his arms.
"Naturally. How is he?"
The white-bearded elder examined Yun Wanhe.
"Excellent foundation. Sharp eyes. Interesting."
Another elder smiled.
"Looks like this year’s tournament might actually be entertaining."
Nearby...
Several young cultivators quietly watched.
Some wore traditional robes.
Others modern clothing.
But every single one radiated confidence.
Yun Wanhe smiled.
’Interesting. They’re all fairly talented. Unfortunately... They’ll merely become stepping stones.’
The tournament began shortly afterward.
The rules were simple.
Single elimination.
No killing.
Victory by surrender...
Ring out...
Or incapacitation.
The first match was called.
"Yun Wanhe."
"Versus."
"The Great Wall."
A muscular young man stepped onto the stone arena.
He cracked his knuckles confidently.
"I heard you’re the new disciple."
"Don’t worry. I’ll go easy—"
His sentence never finished.
Yun Wanhe disappeared.
"..."
The Great Wall’s eyes widened.
"Wha—"
A palm gently touched his chest.
Boom.
The impact launched him clean off the platform.
He landed several meters away.
"..."
"..."
"Winner. Yun Wanhe."
Silence.
One elder blinked.
"Well. That was quick."
The second round.
Three exchanges.
Victory.
Third round.
One exchange.
Victory.
Quarterfinals.
His opponent specialized in swordsmanship.
Dozens of brilliant sword arcs filled the arena.
Yun Wanhe calmly stepped through every strike.
Almost lazily.
One finger tapped the swordsman’s wrist.
The sword flew from his hand.
A kick followed.
Ring out.
Victory.
The spectators began whispering.
"He’s incredible.
I’ve never seen someone dominate like this."
"The old man’s disciple is terrifying."
Even the elders looked impressed.
The old man simply smiled into his tea.
"I told you."
Semifinals.
His opponent possessed a rare flame cultivation technique.
Fire exploded across the arena.
The heat distorted the air.
Yun Wanhe smiled.
"Interesting."
He dispersed every flame with pure Qi.
Then appeared behind his opponent.
One chop.
Victory.
The valley erupted into applause.
"He reached the finals without a single injury!"
"What monstrous talent!"
The old man couldn’t hide his pride.
"Hahaha!"
"Good!"
"Very good!"
Then...
A voice echoed across the arena.
"The final match."
"Yun Wanhe."
"...Versus."
The announcer paused.
Looking toward a figure wearing a plain gray cloak and a simple bamboo hat.
"Traveler."
Several elders exchanged puzzled glances.
"You brought an unaffiliated disciple?"
One elderly woman shrugged.
"This random guy was just wandering around in the mountains. I approved it. He looked pretty talented."
The cloaked figure slowly walked onto the arena.
His face remained completely hidden.
Yun Wanhe frowned.
"Who are you?"
The stranger simply smiled beneath the hat.
"Someone passing through."
Yun Wanhe narrowed his eyes.
’Strange. I can’t read his cultivation properly.’
The elder raised his hand.
"Begin."
The match...
Was about to start.
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(Author’s Note: IMPORTANT!)
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