Chapter 43: The Grand Tournament Officially Begins

After triple-checking, she confirmed that the badge was registered under her name. Although she was unwilling, Ji Yao still accepted the number plate. The inner disciple who handed it over seemed relieved to see her take it, quickly nodded, turned, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

No matter how carefully Ji Yao calculated, she never imagined that this number plate was Ling Ru’s handiwork. Before Ji Yao even descended the mountain, Ling Ru had exhausted every connection to have someone internally register her, all just to ensure Ji Yao entered the inner sect as soon as possible.

What else could she say? Ji Yao could only laugh and cry at once and accept her fate.

Ling Ru clearly overestimated her. Ji Yao was only at the ninth level of Qi Refining; if it were merely for the Foundation Pill, she might have fought for it, but as for the top hundred places, she hadn’t even considered it.

Since things had come to this, worrying was pointless. Now that her fate was sealed, she would give it her all. After all, Ji Yao had never feared a challenge. Being drilled daily by Situ Jing in her own space, she was confident she wouldn’t perform too poorly.

The sect’s grand competition used a lottery system for paired duels. The first half of participants drew number plates from the second half, and Ji Yao was among the latter group. By a quirk of fate, her number plate was three sixes.

The Qi Refining stage arena was set in the square before the Chaoyang Peak’s Sect Affairs Hall. Ten arenas, refined as array-disk treasures, were released by the elder presiding over the Qi Refining competition.

As soon as the treasures touched the ground, they expanded rapidly into circular arenas half a meter tall and six meters in diameter, lined up in a straight row at the center of the square.

Ten arenas, twelve hundred contestants—each arena would host sixty matches in the first round alone. Five hours were allotted per day, each match lasting no more than thirty minutes, so the first round would take six days.

Whether by fate or fortune, on the third day, Ji Yao’s number was drawn by a disciple at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

Standing on the arena, faced with the tearful, dark-faced lad, Ji Yao was at a loss.

The arena’s protective barrier rose. Both parties saluted. Ji Yao concealed one hand in her sleeve, ready to form seals, while the other gestured for her opponent to make the first move.

Though she made every effort to appear courteous, Ji Yao dared not be careless—Situ Jing had warned her that even a lion hunting a rabbit must use its full strength. She was prepared to unleash her skill instantly.

Unexpectedly, the opponent did not attack right away. Instead, he cast an Earth Shield spell, raising a wall of earth before him, then drew the standard-issued flying sword and prepared to strike.

Ji Yao was stunned. She even wondered if he’d ever sparred with anyone before. If he intended to attack with a flying sword, what was the point of erecting an earth wall? Whom was it hindering?

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Snark aside, since her opponent squandered his advantage, Ji Yao saw no reason to be polite.

A few Sharp Metal spells shattered the earth wall and forced the dark-faced lad into disarray, stumbling off the arena in a flurry of panic.

Thus, Ji Yao’s debut match in the grand competition ended in a dramatic victory—she had only cast a few Sharp Metal spells from start to finish.

Over the next three days, Ji Yao had no need to worry about being called; she roamed happily beneath the arenas. It seemed the contestants were self-aware or perhaps not giving their all.

In any case, the first round’s promotion matches offered little spectacle—mostly exchanges of swordplay, occasionally some spells tossed about. Six hundred contestants advanced without suspense.

After a day’s rest, these six hundred began the second round of promotion matches.

This time, numbers were reassigned, and Ji Yao was among the lottery-drawing group, numbered one hundred ten.

The second round would last three days. At the start of the second day, Ji Yao drew a fellow ninth-level Qi Refining disciple as her opponent.

This match proved easy. Ji Yao’s mastery of spellcasting surpassed her opponent; the interval between her spells was less than a breath, allowing her to use near-instant spells to disrupt her opponent’s attempts at forming seals.

Perhaps lacking skill with the sword, her opponent conceded without even drawing his flying sword. Ji Yao thus advanced easily, her Foundation Pill all but secured.

The second round did feature some outstanding flying sword wielders at the tenth level of Qi Refining, who exhausted even the consummate Qi Refining disciples with their prowess. What Ji Yao witnessed resembled the duels of martial arts masters.

Sword wielders engaged in close combat, their sword energy crossing paths with opponents, fierce and sharp. After a single set of sword techniques, their opponents, unable to withstand the assault, were forced to admit defeat.

At the end of the second round, three hundred contestants remained, who would rest for two days before the third round of lottery duels.

With the third round, Ji Yao returned to the group being drawn. This time, her opponent was not so easily handled: she faced one of the tenth-level Qi Refining disciples with impressive flying sword skills from the previous round.

Ji Yao knew that against such opponents, the key was not to let them close in. Once they did, the fight would devolve into a tangled melee, disrupting her spellcasting rhythm.

Upon stepping onto the arena, Ji Yao quietly activated her Lightfoot technique, ready at the first moment to use the Swift Swan Steps taught by Situ Jing—movement techniques derived from the grace of a startled swan and the agility of a swimming dragon.

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Channeling the Lightfoot technique’s spiritual power throughout her body, aiming for the state where movement followed intention and mind guided action, Ji Yao had not fully mastered this realm, but among Qi Refining disciples, it sufficed to keep her opponent at bay.

After all, the arts taught by Situ Jing were top-tier even in the celestial realm. Ordinary techniques held no interest for her, let alone deserved her instruction.

As soon as her opponent raised his hand, Ji Yao spun laterally, instantly casting an Earth Spike spell, targeting the exact spot where his foot was about to land, abruptly halting his advance.

She slid back a step, simultaneously casting a Sharp Metal spell aimed directly at his face. Having just been blocked, the opponent had barely regained his footing when a golden light flashed toward his eyes.

Forced, he could only sidestep and raise his sword to block, then hurriedly unleashed a burst of sword energy toward the direction the golden aura had come from, hoping to regain his footing in the exchange.

Little did he know, Ji Yao was no longer where she had started. Using the swiftness of the Swift Swan Steps, she avoided his sight, circled into his blind spot behind him, formed seals with both hands, and launched a massive fireball toward his back.

Startled, her opponent spun and retreated several steps, gathering strength to unleash a flurry of sword light, hoping to block the fireball and dampen its force.

He underestimated the fireball’s momentum. As the sword light met the fireball, their opposing forces exploded, both sides blasted backward.

Ji Yao quickly used Earth Shield to raise a wall, cushioning the blast’s impact, and accelerated with Lightfoot to leave the area.

Her opponent was not so lucky. Misjudging the fireball’s power, the explosion’s recoil launched him straight out of the arena.

Thankfully, the arena’s barrier absorbed the shock, dispersing its remnants against the light wall, preventing injury to the contestant now outside.

Once the adjudicator announced the result and lifted the barrier, Ji Yao clasped her hands and bowed to her opponent below the platform, earnestly saying, “Thank you for yielding, senior brother.”

He paused, then responded with an easy smile, stood, returned the salute, and left.