Chapter 105 – Outer Sect Tournament
"Junior Brother Gu Mo, do you think there's any way to reclaim the sect's external holdings?" Hearing Gu Mo's question, Yuan Niya couldn't help but voice the troubles weighing on her heart.
Gu Mo had heard whispers about the sect's assets being encroached upon, but in the cultivation world, the strong dictated the rules. With Qinglu Sect in decline, such developments were almost inevitable.
Once the sect produced a new Nascent Soul cultivator, everything would naturally fall back into place. If not, then they would have no choice but to withdraw and defend the mountain gates.
As long as the Grade-4 spiritual ground remained, there was still hope for Qinglu Sect to produce a Nascent Soul cultivator. Only if they lost this spiritual foundation would the sect fall from a Grade-4 Nascent Soul power to a mere Foundation Establishment sect.
"The spiritual ground…"
All of a sudden, Gu Mo seemed to grasp He Shaogang and Qian Qiyi's true objective. The sect's greatest treasure wasn't some rare herb or artifact—it was this Grade-4 spiritual ground.
Only sects with such a foundation could be considered true Nascent Soul powers. Even if Qinglu Sect currently had no Nascent Soul cultivators, the presence of this spiritual ground still allowed it to retain its status.
"Senior Sister, think of it this way—how much food can a small stomach handle? Right now, Qinglu Sect has a small appetite, so it can only eat a little. Rather than worry about this, it's better to focus on increasing your strength. Once you reach the Nascent Soul stage, others will come offering their resources and treasures to you." Gu Mo offered comforting words.
"You're starting to sound just like Master," Yuan Niya grumbled, clearly unimpressed.
"Well, how about this—why don't we challenge another sect to a core disciple competition, with each side wagering resource sites? That way, we could win back what was taken—or even more." Gu Mo had no shortage of ideas, but all of them required strength to back them up.
But looking at the current core disciples of Qinglu Sect, aside from Yuan Niya and He Shaogang, there was hardly anyone worth mentioning. And with He Shaogang being a spy, Yuan Niya was essentially the only reliable one left.
"Junior Brother, once you become an inner sect disciple, challenge the core disciples! With your strength, there's no doubt you could earn a core disciple spot. Then we'll go knock some heads and take back those resource points from the other sects!" Yuan Niya's eyes shone as she looked at Gu Mo.
She knew full well how powerful Gu Mo was—he was someone who could defeat Foundation Establishment cultivators across realms. Even He Shaogang had only managed to kill one with the help of a protector. If Gu Mo became a core disciple, he'd very likely surpass He Shaogang and become the new Senior Brother of the sect.
Yuan Niya's words made Gu Mo seriously consider the idea. Rather than sit around waiting for He Shaogang's next move, it might be better to go on the offensive and knock him off his pedestal. Then it would be He Shaogang who had to tread carefully around him.
"We'll talk about it once I become an inner sect disciple." Gu Mo smiled faintly. He sensed that He Shaogang wasn't as simple as he seemed. The fact that he could evade the sect's many layers of scrutiny without leaving a trace spoke volumes about the formidable power behind him.
Since she couldn't sway Gu Mo, Yuan Niya turned her gaze to Chu Feifei. "Feifei, have you thought about rejoining the sect?"
Gu Mo was powerful, but Chu Feifei wasn't far behind. As her unique physique continued to be refined, her talent had nearly reached the level of those with top-grade spiritual roots. With that kind of aptitude, becoming an inner sect disciple would be a breeze.
As for her identity, she hadn't even signed a follower contract with Yuan Niya, and even if she had, Yuan Niya could nullify it with a single word. That meant Chu Feifei could rejoin Qinglu Sect anytime.
"I think things are fine the way they are now."
Chu Feifei shook her head. Once, she had longed to become an outer or inner sect disciple, but now she felt that her current situation suited her just fine.
She was already enjoying inner sect treatment—though not from the sect itself, but from Elder Zhuo of the Discipline Hall, Yuan Niya's master. In the future, her gratitude would lie with Elder Zhuo or Yuan Niya.
And, of course, with Gu Mo.
"You two are infuriating," Yuan Niya huffed. One had extraordinary combat strength, the other peerless talent, yet both preferred to keep a low profile. Either of them could qualify as a core disciple, and if both Gu Mo and Chu Feifei were to join, the strength of this generation of core disciples would instantly jump a level—no longer the weakest in the sect's history.
Still, everyone had the right to choose their own path. Yuan Niya only said her piece—if Gu Mo and Chu Feifei didn't want to, she wouldn't press the matter. Besides, cultivating and growing stronger together like this felt pretty good too.
Once their training was over, Yuan Niya took Chu Feifei and left Gu Mo's hut. Now that she was a core disciple, Yuan Niya's schedule had become packed.
But it was all training-related—refining her Heartfire Technique, actual combat drills, spell practice, and more. If she had extra time, she would start assisting with some sect affairs as well, since core disciples were already considered part of the sect's decision-making tier.
As time passed, the long-anticipated outer sect tournament finally began.
This time, no registration was needed—any outer sect disciple with their identity token could participate. There were no restrictions on age or cultivation realm, though all outer sect disciples were in the Qi Refining stage anyway. Once a disciple reached Foundation Establishment, they could become a sect steward and receive inner sect benefits.
Many Qi Refining Peak disciples—especially those nearing the end of their lifespans—placed great importance on this tournament. They had been stuck at the bottleneck for years. Without a breakthrough, this would be the end of their cultivation path.
This tournament was a rare opportunity. With their cultivation, they had a good chance of making it into the top ten and becoming inner sect disciples.
Among the benefits of inner sect status was access to Foundation Establishment Pills. For those stuck at the peak of Qi Refining, this was a potential turning point—a chance to defy fate.
While the pills didn't guarantee a breakthrough, they greatly increased the odds. A successful advancement wouldn't just boost power but extend one's lifespan by centuries.
Qinglu Sect's Martial Arena Peak.
This was the sect's dedicated location for disciple sparring and competitions. Today, it would host the outer sect tournament.
When Gu Mo arrived at the peak, the place was already packed. Nearly every outer sect disciple had come. After all, who could resist the chance to become an inner sect disciple? Even those with slim hopes were willing to give it a shot.
Opportunities like this didn't come often. If one didn't even try, it could leave a shadow on their heart for life.
At the summit of Martial Arena Peak—
Sect Leader Gao Yunrui looked down at the sea of outer sect disciples and couldn't help feeling a mix of emotions. Compared to the inner sect, the outer sect's talent had dropped off sharply. The recent core disciple trials had made things worse—many promising outer sect disciples had been chosen as assistants and ended up ambushed by unknown forces.
The overall quality of the outer sect had declined significantly. In the past, outer sect disciples had to reach Foundation Establishment before enjoying inner sect treatment. Just one tournament wouldn't have been enough.
There was a clear distinction between receiving inner sect resources and actually being an inner sect disciple. Only the latter were eligible to become core disciples.
It was only because Qinglu Sect was going through difficult times that Gao Yunrui had opened this path of advancement for outer sect disciples.
"Disciple, you will preside over this outer sect tournament." Gao Yunrui turned to He Shaogang at his side. Now recognized as the sect's Senior Brother, He Shaogang was being groomed to eventually take over as sect leader.
"Yes, Master," He Shaogang replied respectfully.
He Shaogang flickered a few times and appeared in the middle of the grand plaza. His eyes swept across the crowd, quickly landing on Gu Mo.
For this Outer Sect Tournament, He Shaogang had prepared quite a few "gifts" for Gu Mo—he was determined to ensure that Gu Mo wouldn't even have a corpse left to bury.
"Fellow junior brothers and sisters, the Outer Sect Tournament officially begins now. Prepare yourselves for the first round of screening." He Shaogang amplified his voice with spiritual power, making it echo across the square.
There were quite a few outer sect disciples participating this time, and going through them one by one would be too time-consuming. Therefore, a preliminary screening was conducted before the formal matches.
The method of screening was as direct as it was brutal. As soon as He Shaogang finished speaking, a powerful wave of Golden Core pressure descended from the peak above. For cultivators still in the Qi Refining stage, this pressure was utterly overwhelming. In the blink of an eye, more than half of the disciples collapsed under the crushing force.
Fortunately, the pressure vanished as quickly as it came, dissipating into nothingness. A moment later, those who had collapsed began to stir, their faces pale with fear and humiliation.
Even without being told, those disciples left the dueling arena of their own accord. Before long, only a little over forty people remained.
"Still having over forty left isn't too bad," a Golden Core elder at the summit nodded slightly.
Though the sect didn't want to waste too much time on this tournament, that didn't mean it wasn't important. The presence of Sect Master Gao Yunrui and the various peak lords was proof enough of how seriously the sect regarded this event.
Beyond awarding ten inner sect spots, this tournament was also a way for the sect to gauge the true strength of its outer sect disciples. The same would apply to the upcoming Servant Disciple Tournament.
In the past, Qinglu Sect had been quite well-off. A bit of loss here or there in its resources wasn't worth fussing over. But those days were gone—the sect had fallen on hard times and was now taking stock of everything it still had, even scraps and leftover change.
"There are a few who still seem to have some potential," another Golden Core elder commented. The performance of those below had been clearly seen through the powerful spiritual senses of the Golden Core cultivators.
"If any of you see someone promising, feel free to take them as disciples and cultivate them well," Gao Yunrui said to the Golden Core elders beside him.
"We'll have to watch a bit longer."
"Yes, yes, no rush."
The moment Gao Yunrui finished speaking, the elders all laughed and played along. Even among inner sect disciples, not all were worthy of entering their eyes—outer sect disciples even less so.
No matter how exceptional an outer sect disciple was, could they truly surpass those of the inner sect? The sect's selection system had been refined over millennia; the chance of someone slipping through the cracks was minuscule.
Hearing this, Gao Yunrui could only shake his head with a helpless smile. He looked down at the forty-something disciples remaining, hoping to spot some promising seedlings.
But as his spiritual sense swept over them, what he mostly saw were old or middle-aged faces. Though their strength was decent—late-stage Qi Refining or even peak Qi Refining—their potential had nearly run dry.
Thankfully, among the group were still a few young faces. One in particular caught Gao Yunrui's eye—he remembered this one. The boy's talent in the path of spiritual botany was exceptional, to the point that even Senior Brother Qi had promised to take him as a personal disciple if he reached Foundation Establishment.
"Hm? What's this…?"
As Gao Yunrui's spiritual sense passed over Gu Mo, he immediately noticed something strange. On the surface, Gu Mo appeared to be at the second level of Qi Refining, but hidden beneath that was a concealed cultivation of the sixth level.
The last time he'd seen the boy, he'd only been at the fourth level. To reach the sixth level in just a few short years—with inferior spiritual roots no less—was a feat not even inner sect disciples could easily match.
Then Gao Yunrui recalled the bottle of pills he'd given Gu Mo the last time they met. That had been a stroke of fortune—one the boy clearly hadn't squandered.
In the plaza below, Gu Mo subtly felt the faint spiritual probing. He knew it had to be from the sect master and the Golden Core elders above.
The news that the sect master and peak lords would attend the tournament had spread long ago. The earlier Golden Core pressure had confirmed their presence.
The other disciples couldn't detect the spiritual probing, lacking the ability to form spiritual awareness. Gu Mo, however, could faintly sense it—that was only because the Golden Core elders hadn't bothered to suppress their spiritual fluctuations. If they had, even Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't have noticed a thing.
Sensing the inspection from above, Gu Mo made no overt moves. He simply activated his newly mastered Aura Concealment Technique.
At the perfected level, the Aura Concealment Technique was capable of fooling even Golden Core cultivators. Still, Gu Mo didn't fully hide his cultivation.
Instead, he let it appear as if he were at the second level of Qi Refining, and if someone looked deeper, they would "discover" he was actually at the sixth level.
But Gu Mo's true cultivation was already at the seventh level.
This was a new ability granted by his perfected Aura Concealment Technique—not just masking his cultivation, but layering it like nesting dolls. What others believed they had uncovered was only what Gu Mo wanted them to see.
They thought they had pierced through his disguise… never realizing it was merely another layer of illusion.
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