vstars Chapter 19: Round 1 of the Grand Competition
Chapter 19: Round 1 of the Grand Competition
As the first round of disciples took to the stage, the clamor of the martial arts arena receded like the tide, leaving only the soft echoes of spiritual energy colliding on the stage, slowly reverberating in the air.
Shen Moqi squeezed to the edge of the crowd, found a spot with a wide view but not too conspicuous, and stood there. Her gaze swept over the eight arenas where the battles were taking place at the same time for a moment before finally settling on the one closest to her.
On the stage stood two disciples at the sixth level of Qi Refining, one wielding a saber and the other a sword. The saber's light was enveloped in blazing fire, while the sword's shadow gleamed with a chilling golden light. As their moves clashed, ripples of spiritual energy spread outwards, and each collision caused the stage to tremble slightly. Shen Moqi watched intently, holding his breath, secretly alarmed—at this level of combat, with his second-level Qi Refining cultivation, he feared he wouldn't even be able to withstand the aftershocks.
He shifted his gaze slightly to the side arena. Two disciples at the seventh level of Qi Refining were exchanging spells, water dragons and fire dragons locked in a fierce battle in mid-air, their roars deafening, and waves of steam and heat sweeping outwards. The surrounding disciples instinctively retreated, only to see the referee raise his hand and erect a pale blue spiritual energy barrier, completely isolating all impacts.
This scene truly showed Shen Moqi the combat power of high-level cultivators in Qi Refining, which was far beyond what someone like him, a novice on the path of cultivation, could compare to.
"Junior Brother Shen, so you've been here."
Chen Ping's voice came from beside him. He squeezed through the crowd and walked to Shen Moqi's side, his brows furrowed with the tension of someone about to compete.
"Senior Brother Chen, aren't you going to participate in the competition?" Shen Moqi asked, glancing sideways.
Chen Ping laughed and said, "It's right here on this stage, but my draw is far back, so it's not my turn yet. I'll take this opportunity to observe other players' playing styles so I can have a better understanding of their strategies."
Shen Moqi slightly stepped aside to make room for him. As the two were talking, the water dragon technique on the adjacent arena concluded—the water dragon crushed the fire dragon, and the deacon loudly announced the verdict. Seeing this, Chen Ping couldn't help but chuckle softly, "Utterly foolish."
Shen Moqi looked puzzled: "What makes you say that, Senior Brother?"
"Water overcomes fire, which is a natural law of the universe. The two of them are of similar cultivation levels, yet he insists on using fire-based magic to fight head-on. Isn't he just courting death?" Chen Ping said in a very low voice. "If he had abandoned magic and fought close combat earlier, he might have had a chance of winning."
Shen Moqi thought about it carefully and found it quite reasonable.
At this moment, a new opponent appeared on the stage. The tall, thin disciple wielding a sword stood facing the short, stocky disciple wielding an axe; both were at the seventh level of Qi Refining cultivation.
"The one wielding the sword is Zhao Heng, and the one holding the axe is Qian Hu. These two fought last year, and Zhao Heng narrowly won by half a move," Chen Ping said in a low voice. "Zhao Heng's swordsmanship is agile, and he is good at using softness to overcome hardness; Qian Hu has immense strength and relies on earth-type spiritual energy to launch strong attacks, but he lacks endurance."
At the start of the contest, Qian Hu unleashed his full spiritual energy, wielding his double axes with impenetrable force. Earthy-yellow spiritual energy coated the axe blades, each strike carrying the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, his attacks incredibly fierce. Zhao Heng, however, did not engage him head-on. His figure moved elusively, dodging and weaving, his longsword used only for parrying and restraining. Seemingly at a disadvantage, he consistently kept Qian Hu's attacks at least three feet away.
Shen Moqi watched intently for several rounds, then couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Why is he only defending and not attacking? Won't he suffer a loss if he continues like this?"
"The two are at similar cultivation levels and have similar spiritual energy, but offense consumes more spiritual energy than defense." Chen Ping lowered his voice. "Zhao Heng is gambling that Qian Hu won't be able to break through his defense before his spiritual energy is exhausted."
Shen Moqi observed intently. Sure enough, after a dozen or so rounds, the spiritual energy in both of their weapons weakened, and their speed slowed down, but Qian Hu's condition declined more noticeably. After a few more moves, Qian Hu's attacks gradually slowed, his breathing became heavy and disordered, and his spiritual energy circulation became sluggish. Zhao Heng seized this fleeting opening, and his longsword suddenly burst forth with a dazzling golden light, unleashing three consecutive thrusts that forced Qian Hu to retreat repeatedly, finally losing his footing and falling off the stage.
"Zhao Hengsheng!"
Shen Moqi was shocked. This competition did not involve any earth-shattering clashes of magic; the outcome was decided solely by tactics and patience, giving him a completely new understanding of cultivation battles.
"Did you understand?" Chen Ping asked with a smile.
"The strong may not win, but the wise will survive," Shen Moqi replied in a deep voice.
---
Before long, the competition on the fourth stage attracted everyone's attention.
A disciple at the sixth level of Qi Refining held a stack of yellow talismans, while the disciple opposite him, wielding a knife, had a solemn, even ugly, expression.
The disciples watching from below the stage were buzzing with discussion. "Who is this? With so many talismans, how can anyone else possibly win?" "You don't even know him? He's Xiao Wuwei from the Xiao family, the only son of the Xiao family." "This competition is so unfair. There's no point in cultivating anymore. Even if I cultivate, I still can't beat someone with spirit stones."
"Shut up, all of you!" the referee shouted from the platform. "Know that financial resources are also a part of strength!"
Without even looking at the disciples' reactions below the stage, he turned to Xiao Wuwei and the disciple with the knife on the stage: "The competition begins."
Xiao Wuwei flicked his wrist, and a fireball talisman flew out first, the exploding flames heading straight for his opponent's face. The disciple wielding the knife dodged in a sorry state, but ice cone talismans and wind blade talismans followed one after another, a dense barrage of spells attacking relentlessly, giving him no chance to breathe. The seemingly randomly scattered talismans were actually forcing the opponent to move, sealing off his escape space.
Finally, a blade of wind grazed his opponent's cheek, shaving off a few strands of hair. The disciple with the knife turned pale, knowing that he would be seriously injured if he continued to fight, and immediately bowed and admitted defeat.
Seeing Shen Moqi's surprised expression, Chen Ping couldn't help but chuckle: "Those are talismans. Each talisman is inscribed with a corresponding spell. To use them, you only need to activate your spiritual power, which greatly conserves your spiritual power during battle. And the biggest advantage is that even if you don't have the corresponding spiritual root attribute, you can still activate spells of that attribute. However, they are difficult to refine and quite expensive."
Immediately afterward, gasps of surprise erupted from the side arena. A disciple wielded a short sword that gleamed with a chilling blue light. The ice-elemental spiritual energy flowing through the blade was not only incredibly sharp but also capable of slowing down the opponent's spiritual energy circulation. In just a few rounds, the opponent's iron rod was severed, and the outcome was decided instantly.
Seeing Shen Moqi's puzzled expression again, Chen Ping continued to explain, "Although both of them are using magical artifacts, the short sword is a high-grade magical artifact, while the iron rod is only a low-grade one. The two artifacts are not on the same level in terms of material or spiritual energy capacity, so the difference in quality is obvious."
Shen Moqi immediately understood: "Thank you for clearing up my confusion, Senior Brother!"
---
After a long wait, it was finally Chen Ping's turn to step onto the stage. He took a deep breath and walked towards stage number seven, while Shen Moqi stared intently at the arena.
Chen Ping's opponent was a Qi Refining Level 6 cultivator who wielded an iron rod imbued with earth-elemental spiritual power, exuding a menacing aura.
The match began, and the opponent took the initiative, sweeping his iron rod across. Chen Ping dodged to the side, and at the same time, a fireball burst from his palm, striking directly at the opponent's abdomen.
The opponent cast an earthen shield over his abdomen with his left hand. The fireball collided with the earthen shield, shattering with a loud "bang" and sending sparks flying. The opponent blocked the fireball's attack, but was also forced back a step by the immense force.
Just as Chen Ping was about to press his advantage, his opponent swiftly thrust his iron rod upwards, forcing Chen Ping to lean back and dodge. Chen Ping then unleashed a fireball from each hand, striking his opponent's forehead and chest. The opponent was forced to withdraw his iron rod, holding it upright in front of him to desperately block. As before, although he blocked the fireball attack, he was once again forced to retreat; however, this time the force of the two fireballs colliding simultaneously was greater, causing his body to lean back and exposing an opening in his feet, leaving him no time to return his iron rod to defend.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chen Ping launched another fireball, which hit the opponent's right foot squarely. The opponent groaned and landed on one foot.
In the ensuing exchange, the opponent's movement was restricted due to a right foot injury. Chen Ping, relying on his superior cultivation and rich combat experience, firmly controlled the situation. Two fireballs surrounded him from above and below, accurately striking his opponent's right arm, causing him to drop his weapon and fall from the stage in defeat.
"Chen Pingsheng!"
Shen Moqi quickly stepped forward and sincerely exclaimed, "Senior brother's tactics were brilliant; you won beautifully!"
Chen Ping wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead and laughed, "It was just good luck, nothing special."
"Senior brother is too modest," Shen Moqi said with a straight face, mimicking the tone of the referee earlier. "You should know that luck is also a part of strength." This made Chen Ping burst into laughter.
---
The first round of the competition lasted for three full days. Shen Moqi arrived at the martial arts arena before dawn every day and didn't leave until all the matches were over, observing every single one. He witnessed the carnage of eighth-level Qi Refining cultivators blasting craters into the arena during their duels, the astonishing feats of sixth-level Qi Refining cultivators defeating stronger opponents, and the lessons learned from those who over-rely on talismans and magical artifacts and exhausted their spiritual energy to lose. Every match became nourishment for his growth.
On the evening of the third day, Chen Ping found Shen Moqi with a joyful expression. Shen Moqi also looked delighted and bowed to Chen Ping, saying, "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on successfully advancing to the second round."
"Junior Brother Shen, have you gained anything from watching the matches these past few days?"
Chen Ping was about to say a few polite words when he was interrupted by a clear and gentle voice.
The two turned around and saw Ji Yao walking slowly with two female disciples, her skirts swaying gently, exuding an elegant and refined air.
Ji Yao nodded to Chen Ping: "Congratulations on advancing, Senior Brother Chen." Chen Ping waved his hand and said a few polite words.
Ji Yao smiled and looked at Shen Moqi: "Junior brother, you haven't answered my question yet."
Shen Moqi then cupped her hands in greeting and said with a wry smile, "Senior Sister Ji, you flatter me. I have simply come to realize the vast difference between myself and others."
"You've only just entered the second level of Qi Refining, so there's no need to underestimate yourself." Ji Yao's eyes held a faint smile. "On the path of cultivation, steady progress is far more important than being impatient for advancement."
Shen Moqi's heart stirred, and she asked, "Senior Sister, your cultivation is profound, why didn't you participate in the competition?"
"I've participated twice, and my best result was only reaching the third round." Ji Yao said calmly, "Disciples of the Alchemy Hall are not good at fighting, and all disciples of the sect can directly become core disciples after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, so I don't bother competing for the inner disciple qualification, to avoid embarrassing myself."
Shen Moqi then understood why Ji Yao hadn't participated. He remembered that there was indeed such a rule in the sect's regulations: once a disciple has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, they become a core disciple and enjoy the benefits of a core disciple.
Why not just stop participating in competitions and cultivate diligently until you reach the Foundation Establishment stage? Why fight to the death with others just for the sake of an inner disciple's reputation?
Seeing Shen Moqi's thoughtful expression, Ji Yao knew he had misunderstood again, and had to say seriously, "You can't follow my example. The top three in the competition are rewarded with Foundation Establishment Pills. Without Foundation Establishment Pills, ordinary people can't establish their foundation. Our Alchemy Hall disciples have the opportunity to directly obtain Foundation Establishment Pills. Only our Alchemy Hall in the entire sect has this privilege—after all, the Foundation Establishment Pills are refined by our Alchemy Hall. Your Scripture Pavilion doesn't have this privilege."
Shen Moqi suddenly realized and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister."
"Junior brother, there's no need to be so polite." After a pause, Ji Yao continued, "Has Su Junmo caused you any trouble?"
Shen Moqi replied, "I haven't seen him since that day when he made those verbal threats. I only saw him competing on stage."
Ji Yao said earnestly and patiently, "It's good that he hasn't come looking for you. In the future, try to avoid him when you see him. If you really can't avoid him, don't confront him head-on. He's much stronger than you. He's made it to the second round of this competition, and you'll definitely suffer if you go head-to-head with him. You've probably figured out his personality by now. The more you confront him, the more motivated he becomes. If you avoid him, he won't bother to bully you."
Shen Moqi smiled wryly: "How could I dare to provoke him?"
"Junior brother, don't be upset or feel like I'm looking down on you," Ji Yao continued. "I'm only telling you this for your own good. Don't forget he has an even stronger older brother."
"Understood, Senior Sister." Shen Moqi felt helpless. She had never provoked this person, yet she had been dragged into the conflict for no reason, which was really frustrating.
Ji Yao smiled and said, "Alright, we're going over there. You two chat."
After saying that, she left with the two female disciples.
After they left, Shen Moqi looked at Chen Ping beside her: "Senior brother, do you know Su Junmo's older brother?"
Chen Ping pondered for a moment: "I don't know much. I only know that Su Junmo's elder brother is named Su Junli, and he is already a Foundation Establishment disciple. The two brothers are the sons of the head of the Su family, an affiliated family of the sect. I heard that the head of the Su family is already in the late Foundation Establishment stage."
Shen Moqi then asked, "Are there many disciples from cultivation families in the sect?"
Chen Ping smiled wryly: "Most of them are. The probability of a cultivator's offspring having spiritual roots is far greater than that of ordinary people. Less than one or two out of ten people like us, who come from humble backgrounds, are like us. I know you are not from a cultivation family either, which is why I wanted to befriend you. People from cultivation families generally look down on us."
The two exchanged a glance, gave each other a wry smile, and remained silent for a moment.
---
The setting sun bathed the bluestone ground of the martial arts arena in a golden-red hue. Of the 341 participants, only 24 ultimately advanced, a brutal elimination process that was truly chilling. Shen Moqi stood among the crowd, watching the spirited advancers, and then looking at her own cultivation at the second level of Qi Refining, yet she felt no sense of dejection.
The tactics, strategies, and understanding of combat in cultivation that he learned during these three days of watching the matches were far more valuable than any improvement in his cultivation level. Ji Yao's words echoed in his ears, and he slowly clenched his fists, a determined light burning in his eyes.
Cultivation skills can be honed slowly and diligently, but the mind and vision must be tempered immediately. In the second round of the competition, he will undoubtedly dedicate himself even more to understanding and laying a more solid foundation for his cultivation path. As for those unwarranted hostility and oppression, one day he will go further than them.