Chapter 16

“Junior Sister, you have to believe me, I really didn’t say it!”

Liuli held Junior Sister Little Feng’s hands, weeping pitifully.

She’d gone to Parasol Tree Mountain to find Feng Xiwu, only to discover Feng Xiwu wasn’t there. Unable to breach the small courtyard, Liuli had no choice but to go to the Disciples’ Court and beg Junior Sister Little Feng to put in a good word for her with Perfected One Feng.

“Senior Sister, don’t worry. I will truthfully relay everything to Perfected One Feng.”

“Junior Sister, you’re the best!”

After thanking Junior Sister Little Feng, Liuli trudged back to Peach Blossom Mountain dejectedly. Along the way, several people congratulated her. Just repeating the word “fake” had exhausted her so much her cheeks ached.

When she returned, Liang Tiantian didn’t understand her distress at all. Instead, she smiled and handed Liuli a pink sachet.

“What’s this?” Liuli opened it and found a white pearl inside, half the size of her fist, stuffing the sachet completely.

Liang Tiantian said, “This is a gift from Senior Brother Long.”

“From him? I don’t want it.” Liuli immediately pulled the sachet closed and shoved it back into Liang Tiantian’s hands.

Liang Tiantian smiled and stuffed it right back. “Senior Brother Long gave gifts to many people. I got one too. Senior Sister doesn’t need to be so overly cautious about avoiding suspicion. Besides, if Senior Sister doesn’t accept… Senior Brother Long will surely be heartbroken and personally come to make you take it.”

An image of Long Jingxing with red, tearful eyes and a dejected look flashed through Liuli’s mind. Immediately, goosebumps rippled along her arm. “Fine, fine, fine! I’ll take it!”

Since it was just a casual gift like the others got, she’d accept it.

Liuli casually tossed the sachet into a drawer. She cared more about something else. “Did your Senior Brother Long tell you what he gained from this trip?”

Liang Tiantian, the little girl, also had a good relationship with Long Jingxing. Earlier, when Liuli had rushed off to the Training Ground, she’d left these two behind. Long Jingxing had already left by the time Liuli returned. She wondered if he’d said anything to Liang Tiantian.

“Yes.” Without thinking much, Liang Tiantian spilled everything Long Jingxing had told her.

This time, Long Jingxing had traveled west and unexpectedly entered a Small Secret Realm. This secret realm, which had never seen sunlight, preserved many rare and precious treasures inside. Long Jingxing had reaped quite a harvest.

He also told Liang Tiantian, “Inside, there was a box of Poison-Avoiding Pearls—good stuff. I plan to give them to everyone.”

So he had that many Poison-Avoiding Pearls? Liuli rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

Still, Long Jingxing lived up to being the male protagonist. He found the Poison-Avoiding Pearls so smoothly. Good for him! True to her word, Liuli decided never to secretly curse Long Jingxing as a scumbag again. If she were to curse, she’d only curse that damn author!

After Liang Tiantian finished, she added with admiration, “Senior Brother Long just suddenly left this time, heading straight southwest without a word, and ended up encountering this secret realm. He truly is beloved by the Heavenly Dao.”

Liuli thought to herself: Long Jingxing was indeed a child of the Heavenly Dao, but this wasn’t his time to receive that favor.

This sudden long trip of Long Jingxing’s was entirely orchestrated by Liuli from behind the scenes.

Liuli had previously agonized over what to use to lure him southwest. Then, she thought from his perspective, considering the similarity between herself and Long Jingxing—both had mothers of unknown origin. So she’d written a small note: “If you wish to know about your mother, come southwest quickly. Seven hundred Li out, within the Red Sand River.” and sent it to Long Jingxing.

Of course, Liuli didn’t know the true identity of Long Jingxing’s mother. She’s simply used it as an excuse to lure Long Jingxing to the Water Sect’s territory.

The Red Sand River was the Water Sect’s secret location.

Liuli planned to take this matter to her grave. Facing Liang Tiantian, she could only smile and change the subject. “Tiantian, your cultivation is also quite good now. In this year’s Grand Tournament, you should be able to enter the Inner Sect. When that happens, do you plan to continue staying here with me, or go to your brother’s place?”

Liang Tiantian smiled. “Of course, I’ll stay here with Senior Sister.”

Cultivators didn’t place much weight on blood relations. Although Liang Tianguang also lived on Peach Blossom Mountain, it was far away—east versus west. Usually, they didn’t interact much. Liang Tiantian was actually far closer to Liuli than to him.

“Alright then.”

Happy that she was willing to stay, Liuli pulled Liang Tiantian along to go put in some “effort” towards cultivating.

…

Time flew by until June arrived.

This was the time for the Heavenly Martial Sect’s annual Grand Sect Tournament.

The tournament was divided into three tiers: Qi Condensation was one tier, Foundation Establishment stages 1 through 5 were a tier, and stages 6 through 10 formed another. As for disciples at Golden Core stage and above, they no longer needed to participate.

Beyond these three tiers, Outer and Inner Sect competitions were also separate. The higher one’s ranking, the more valuable the monthly allowance distributed by the sect in the following year. Outer Sect disciples who wished to enter the Inner Sect had to challenge an Inner Sect disciple. If they won, their statuses would swap.

The arenas were set up at the Training Ground. In just one short day, the arena and Spectator Seats were fully assembled.

The Outer Sect tournament took place first. Liuli stood below the stage cheering for Liang Tiantian. After a fierce series of battles, Liang Tiantian achieved a ranking of 17th in the Qi Condensation tier.

For her age and cultivation level, this was already a very good result.

Next up was the Inner Sect Tournament—the true highlight of the event each year.

The matches proceeded in order from lower to higher tiers. The Qi Condensation tier finished, then Foundation Establishment stages 1 through 5… Finally, it was time for Liuli’s tier: Foundation Establishment stages 6 through 10.

Opponents were decided by drawing lots, battling round by round until the victor was determined. Of course, this method could sometimes cause two strong individuals to face off early, resulting in one being eliminated with a ranking unworthy of their strength.

But luck was also a part of strength.

Aside from this, the Heavenly Martial Sect still maintained relative fairness and justice.

For instance, combatants were only allowed to bring three Talismans and one artifact onto the arena, and they could only be Yellow-grade or Profound-grade. Life-bound artifacts were excepted.

Talismans, artifacts, elixirs, cultivation methods… these shared the same grade classification as cultivation itself. They were divided into four major grades: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, with each grade further divided into high, mid, and low quality.

This rule was specifically designed to prevent situations where someone like Liuli, the Sect Leader’s daughter, could cheat by relying on superior artifacts.

After learning this rule, Liuli snorted coldly. “Do I look like the type who bullies others through underhanded means?!”

Having said that, Liuli reluctantly pushed her Earth-grade Great Sword, Earth-grade Five Thunder Spell, Earth-grade Water Spirit Needles… deep into the depths of her Storage Ring.

If she wasn’t allowed to use them, she wouldn’t! She definitely wasn’t going to be a bully! Hmph!

Finally, the day arrived for Liuli to step onto the stage. After drawing her lot, Liuli nervously took her place on the arena and instinctively glanced back at the audience seating.

She’s not here…

Xue Meiniang was in the stands, though. Hands clasped behind his back, he smiled at Liuli as if encouraging her to do her best.

Liuli clenched her fist and looked at her opponent: an unfamiliar junior sister.

Both sides exchanged a salute. This was Liuli’s first real fight… she was utterly inexperienced. Looking at the junior sister, she asked, “How about Junior Sister makes the first move?”

That junior sister looked delicate and gentle. If she didn’t move first, Liuli felt too embarrassed to strike.

“How about Senior Sister goes first instead.” The unfamiliar junior sister, seeing her opponent was the famous Xue Liuli, already felt panicked.

She couldn’t compare to Xue Liuli’s talent. She had been stuck at the sixth stage of Foundation Establishment for two years, and she didn’t have a good father either. Her artifacts and Talismans definitely couldn’t match the opponent’s.

The more the junior sister thought, the more flustered she became. Looking up, she saw Xue Liuli staring intensely at her.

Why was her expression so stern? Why did it seem like she held great dissatisfaction towards her? Could it be… could it be that she had somehow unknowingly offended Xue Liuli?!

Liuli frowned: Oh man, first time on the arena, how do I fight? What move should I use first? What if I hurt her? That would be bad…

The two of them stood frozen in a stalemate.

In the stands, Immortal Rongshan stroked his small beard and said to Xue Meiniang, “What’s wrong with Liuli? I heard she lost her memory. Could it be she even forgot her spells?”

Xue Liuli was a Water Spiritual Root user he greatly favored. Immortal Rongshan had proposed taking Liuli as a disciple to Xue Meiniang more than once, but had always been politely refused. He’d never imagined this father-daughter pair had their sights set on Feng Xiwu instead.

It was impossible not to feel some resentment. Though he wouldn’t openly fall out over it, he was quite happy to make Xue Meiniang feel a bit uncomfortable.

“It does look like it. This child’s probably going to get beaten up,” Immortal Rongshan added.

Xue Meiniang gave a light chuckle and actually went along with Immortal Rongshan’s words, as soft as a ball of cotton, causing Immortal Rongshan to lose interest.

Just then, Liuli heard a voice urging her in her ear—it was Xue Meiniang using Secret Sound Transmission: “Hurry up, daughter! Are you trying to waste time? If you drag this out any longer, I’m telling Feng Xiwu!”

“Despicable!!!”

Tattling? Was this something a dignified Sect Leader should do?! Absolutely despicable!

Liuli cursed aloud, took a deep breath, and looked at the unfamiliar junior sister. “Since Junior Sister is being so polite, I’ll gratefully accept your offer. Junior Sister, you did bring a change of clothes, right?”

A change of clothes? Why ask that?

The unfamiliar junior sister nodded, somewhat confused.

“That’s good then.”

Liuli planted her feet in a horse stance, pushed both palms forward, and, unable to make up her mind, decided to just release a big move—a giant wave a full three meters high materialized out of nowhere.

The wave roared ferociously, sweeping her opponent off the arena and washing her dozens of meters away, leaving the entire Training Ground covered in a shallow layer of water!

That unfamiliar junior sister had long been immobilized by her own wild fanciful thoughts. Moreover, Liuli had started with an unexpected ultimate move. In her panic, the junior sister only managed to protect her body with a spell and couldn’t even think of counterattacking.

This first match, Liuli muddled through in a fog of confusion.

Looks like Xue Liuli, the female protagonist, had pretty decent luck too, huh.

Liuli retracted her hand and looked at the opponent washed into the distance, feeling gratified.

The slightly awkward thing was, it wasn’t just her opponent whose clothes got wet—other disciples watching below the stage were soaked too.

Liuli hurriedly controlled the water, drying everyone off. Getting caught in the crossfire when watching a match was common. Even Liuli, when watching Liang Tiantian’s match earlier, had the tip of her hair singed by a fire spell. No one among the spectators blamed her. Still, Liuli apologized profusely:

“Sorry, sorry! I was too nervous and accidentally lost control.”

The spectators below laughed generously. “Senior Sister Xue doesn’t need to apologize. This is nothing. We’re all used to it.”

But Liuli insisted, “No, mistakes require compensation! Please don’t be polite with me, everyone!”

“Then how does Senior Sister want to compensate us?”

Without looking back, Liuli pointed towards the seating area. “For everyone’s clothes that got soaked today, please don’t hesitate to seek reimbursement from our Sect Leader!”

Sitting in the stands, Xue Meiniang clicked his tongue. “Such an unfilial daughter! Just wait until I tell your Perfected One Feng.”