Inside the grand hall, the higher-ups of the 【Dao Gate】 looked at Chu Yinyin, utterly satisfied with her performance.
This was exactly the effect they wanted!
Situ Cheng and the others immediately showed expressions of astonishment, even tinged with disbelief and a hint of suspicion.
"Two sword cultivators at the First Realm comprehended Sword Intent?" Situ Cheng frowned and spoke.
"What, you don’t believe it?" Chu Yinyin slightly raised her chin.
She took two steps toward Situ Cheng and continued, "Then what if I told you that neither of them has even reached the Great Perfection of the First Realm, and one of them is only at the Fourth Heaven of the First Realm?"
Those words completely shattered the understanding of Situ Cheng and the others.
Fourth Heaven of the First Realm?
Wouldn't that mean just stepping into the world of cultivation?
How could someone like that possibly possess such comprehension of the Sword Dao!Could it be that someone was truly born with such knowledge, inherently understanding the sword from birth?
"Could it be that their talent is poor, but their comprehension is extremely high? Though only at the Fourth Heaven, it might be because their cultivation progress is slow, and they’ve actually been studying the Sword Dao in depth for a long time?" Situ Cheng could only think of this possibility.
Chu Yinyin was about to say more, planning to scare them to death with the words 【Sword Heart Clarity】, but was interrupted by Jiang Zhi.
"The Eastern Continent Grand Competition has already begun. The truth will be revealed then," the Little Martial Uncle of the 【Dao Gate】 spoke up.
That temperament of his—loving to act mysterious—was surfacing again.
Of course, even if he hadn’t interrupted, Xiang Yan and the others would have stepped in.
The Sect Master even sent a voice transmission to Chu Yinyin:
"Little Junior Sister, the 【Origin Spirit Realm】 is both a challenge and an opportunity."
"After all, it concerns the key item for advancing to the Ninth Realm: the 【Xuanhuang Origin Fragment】."
"We of the Four Great Sects are partners, but also competitors."
"They surely have hidden cards yet to be revealed. Don’t go blurting out everything about Chu Huaixu."
"The Eastern Continent Grand Competition has only just begun."
Chu Yinyin had originally felt suffocated with words stuck in her throat, but now, she quieted down immediately.
Even with her childish temperament, she understood the importance of the 【Xuanhuang Origin Fragment】.
For cultivators, starting from the Second Realm, they required some Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to aid in their cultivation techniques in order to break through.
Different techniques required different materials.
But the Ninth Realm was a special case.
The 【Xuanhuang Origin Fragment】 was essential for breaking into the Ninth Realm, because it contained a wisp of Heavenly Dao power.
And this item existed only within the 【Origin Spirit Realm】.
To the Four Great Sects, without the 【Xuanhuang Origin Fragment】, it was impossible to produce new powerhouses of the Ninth Realm.
It was too important!
Jiang Zhi looked at Situ Cheng and the others, signaling Xiang Yan to share some of the details with them.
Xiang Yan cleared his throat and said,
"We, the Four Great Sects of the Eastern Continent, are closely connected. There's something very important that I believe I must tell you."
"Oh? Please speak, Sect Master Xiang," Teng Lingyi said.
The Sect Master of the 【Dao Gate】 looked at them and said,
"Previously, my Seventh Junior Sister, Shen Man, by a stroke of fortune, obtained one of the nine inheritances of the Dao Ancestor."
"She saw a maxim left behind by the Dao Ancestor there."
"It said that every millennium, the danger level of the 【Origin Spirit Realm】 would drastically increase, and the suppression of the Heavenly Dao would weaken by around fifty percent, while the rejection force from the Heavenly Dao would be reduced."
Those words shocked everyone present.
"What!" Mei Chuxue couldn’t help but exclaim.
"Doesn’t that mean that disciples entering would basically be sent to their deaths, with nearly no chance of survival!" Her alluring peach blossom eyes widened further.
That Heaven’s Chosen of the Spring and Autumn Mountain, Kui Muquan, was indeed exceptional.
But if the danger level of the first layer of this round’s 【Origin Spirit Realm】 was truly as described by the Dao Ancestor, then he would surely die!
Situ Cheng and Teng Lingyi exchanged glances, their expressions turning noticeably grim.
"If that’s truly the case, then it would be impossible for any First Realm cultivator to survive," Situ Cheng said.
In fact, the cultivation powerhouses of the 【Dao Gate】 had thought the same initially.
Over the past thousand years, there had never been such cultivators.
"Could it be that the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth can no longer be stopped?" Teng Lingyi couldn’t help but speak.
Originally, the plan was to select the strongest First Realm cultivator this year to enter the first layer.
Then next year, pick the strongest Third Realm cultivator for the second layer.
And the year after, the Fifth Realm cultivator would enter the third layer.
As for the fourth layer—needless to say—the candidate was certainly Shen Man!
There were only so many cultivators above the Seventh Realm in the Xuanhuang Realm, and everyone was familiar with each other.
Shen Man, with her Seventh Realm cultivation, was one of the 【Four Great Divine Swords】. Her terrifying combat strength was evident.
Take Mei Chuxue, for instance. Even with her early Eighth Realm cultivation, if that gaunt Daoist nun wanted to kill her, she would definitely turn and flee without hesitation.
Originally, for this round of the Origin Spirit Realm, the other three sects believed that their focus only needed to be on the fifth layer.
In truth, before seeing the Dao Ancestor’s words, the 【Dao Gate】 had thought the same.
To tackle the fifth layer of the 【Origin Spirit Realm】, Little Martial Uncle Jiang Zhi had even found a secret method to forcibly drop his cultivation and restart his training, nurturing the One Sword of Heaven and Earth!
But now, the situation was undoubtedly extremely tricky.
If the earlier layers couldn’t be defended, what was the point of discussing the fifth layer? They might as well welcome the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth directly! No need to go to the fifth layer at all!
Teng Lingyi, whose temperament was already gloomy, now looked even more clouded.
"Doesn’t this mean that the future of the Xuanhuang Realm must now be carried on the shoulders of a few juniors?"
Xiang Yan nodded and said,
"In fact, it might fall upon just one junior to carry it all alone!"
"Because with one year’s time, if the talent is sufficient, it’s entirely possible to rise from the First to the Third Realm," he said.
His meaning was clear: if there truly existed such a heaven-blessed genius, then both this year’s first layer and next year’s second layer of the Origin Spirit Realm could be entrusted to him!
Teng Lingyi found it all a bit far-fetched.
He couldn’t help but say,
"If the danger level inside is truly as increased as described by the Dao Ancestor, could someone like that really exist to guard both layers?"
He turned to glance at Chu Yinyin and said,
"Even if your Dao Gate has a Sword Dao genius who’s already comprehended Sword Intent, I fear the odds of success are still slim."
Teng Lingyi simply didn’t want to speak too harshly in someone else’s sect.
He knew in his heart—even with Sword Intent, the odds of surviving were only ten to twenty percent, which still basically meant a death sentence!
"Well, just wait and see!" Chu Yinyin said proudly.
Teng Lingyi wasn’t foolish. He could see that the people of the 【Dao Gate】 still held some confidence in their hearts.
The Little Martial Uncle seated in the upper seat, especially, wore a... ::.confident and calculating expression?
That made him feel that this visit to the Dao Gate to observe the Eastern Continent Grand Competition would likely be quite interesting.
Suddenly, he remembered that while he had finished his own introductions, the Dao Gate hadn’t yet revealed which two had comprehended Sword Intent.
So, he pressed for their names.
Chu Yinyin looked at Xiang Yan. Only after the Sect Master gave a slight nod did she begin acting smug again.
"One of them is Han Shuangjiang."
"And the other is my chosen future disciple—Chu Huaixu!"
"Once he enters the inner sect, he will become my disciple."
At those words, Situ Cheng, standing off to the side, couldn’t help but glance warily at the smug Chu Yinyin.
Always prideful, he couldn’t help but mutter inwardly:
"Become your disciple? Are you sure?"
"That kid’s doomed."
The five-day preliminary rounds passed quickly.
The Eastern Continent Grand Competition entered its second round.
As per tradition, it started with a lottery draw.
Chu Huaixu’s draw luck was clearly better than Little Xu and Big Ice Block.
In the first round, though they hadn’t faced the most high-profile seed candidates, their opponents weren’t nobodies either.
But Chu Huaixu was different—he faced a prodigy from a small sect.
Such individuals might already be top-tier geniuses in their small regions.
Compared to the powerhouses of the Four Great Sects, the difference was still immense.
That Lang Yue of the Falling Sunset Sect, after hearing Chu Huaixu’s words, truly did not leave the Dao Gate, choosing instead to remain here and continue watching the matches.
In truth, for the defeated, the Dao Gate only allowed three days of free stay here, still providing free lodging and meals.
But after three days, one had to pay out of pocket.
Yet since Lang Yue had lost so miserably and humiliatingly last time, after hearing Chu Huaixu’s words, he couldn’t help but want to see what he truly meant.
Thus, he decided to spend his own money.
"Just treat it as broadening my horizons and gaining some knowledge！" Lang Yue thought.
During this period, for any match involving those whose names were rising in fame, Lang Yue would go to watch.
But in his heart, the one he always paid most attention to was Chu Huaixu.
Today, Chu Huaixu was finally participating in another match. How could Lang Yue miss it?
"His opponent is from the Phantom Spirit Sect？"
"Although it is also a mid-sized sect of about the same scale as the Falling Sunset Sect, this person might be harder to deal with than me。"
The Phantom Spirit Sect, as its name implied, primarily cultivated illusion arts.
For low-realm cultivators, illusions were indeed rather tricky.
Many people regarded it as a heretical path.
The reason was simple—too many had suffered losses because of it.
Today, Chu Huaixu still came together with Han Shuangjiang. In the eyes of others, their relationship was often misunderstood.
But a handsome man and a beautiful woman standing side by side was always pleasing to the eyes, indeed appearing well-matched.
After the preliminary battle, both of their reputations had grown, especially Han Shuangjiang.
The fact that she wielded a Supreme-grade Spiritual Artifact had already spread throughout the entire Outer Sect.
This Junior Sister could indeed be said to carry a priceless treasure!
After completing the registration, Chu Huaixu stepped onto the stage with ease.
His hands were still empty, giving the same old impression that his Black-Gold Robe itself was his Life-bound Spirit Artifact.
A body cultivator with only a Mid-grade Spiritual Artifact?
Even though he had easily defeated Lang Yue in seconds, no one would think Chu Huaixu was particularly strong. They would only nail Lang Yue onto the pillar of humiliation, laughing at how useless he had been.
Today, his opponent was Shen Miaoyun of the Phantom Spirit Sect, and she believed she was certain to win.
This woman, who primarily cultivated illusions, had never imagined that she would be so lucky as to encounter a body cultivator she could completely restrain!
It was well known that body cultivators had the fewest mystical methods. Their divine abilities and techniques were monotonous, limited only to a tough physique and the ability to take blows.
Compared to the dazzling means of other cultivators, body cultivators really seemed plain…
She believed the other party could never break her illusion realm.
And as far as she knew, body cultivators were all… full of vigorous blood and energy!
"These men, how could they withstand the temptations of a lust illusion？" Shen Miaoyun thought.
Today she had deliberately dressed lightly, yet her makeup leaned toward the delicate “frail beauty” type, which could also be considered a little trick outside the battlefield.
『This humble one is so fragile. Elder Brother, with your great strength, could you really bear to harm me?』
With illusions layered upon it, the effect would be even greater!
Yet the moment she laid eyes on Chu Huaixu, she herself was briefly dazed.
The elegant and extraordinary man before her completely overturned her shallow impression of body cultivators!
This was absolutely not the coarse and vulgar body cultivator of common imagination!
That Black-Gold Robe even lent Chu Huaixu a certain noble aura. He looked like a scion of an aristocratic clan.
From a certain perspective, was this not also a kind of lust illusion he cast upon her?
Moreover, as someone ranked second on the 【Must-Eat List of Play Companions】, Chu Huaixu had the utmost professional discipline. His eyes were always filled with performance; he had long trained a pair of eyes that could look at even a dog with deep affection.
When Shen Miaoyun’s gaze met his, her heartbeat quickened, as though she had already fallen under his spell!
Before the match officially began, Chu Huaixu smiled and cupped his hands politely toward her, and she almost lost herself watching.
After all, she was still just a young maiden in the throes of first love—it was only natural.
But as the number one of her realm in the Phantom Spirit Sect, once the duel started, she immediately steadied herself.
Her Life-bound Magical Treasure was the pair of Lucky Cloud Boots on her feet.
Illusions required time to be cast.
By constantly moving about with her body technique, she could create more false images, further confusing the enemy.
Chu Huaixu stood calmly on the stage, his eyes following the constantly shifting Shen Miaoyun, watching the many afterimages she left behind.
"Phantom Spirit Arts! Activate！" she shouted in her heart.
Chu Huaixu gazed at the lust illusion before him, at those surging, overwhelming waves, at those stacked and layered peaks,
and only found it laughable.
"It’s like wearing VR goggles, really quite… 《realistic》？"
But in truth, if one lost themselves in such an illusion, with so many spectators watching from around the stage, it would indeed be disgraceful, a direct social death!
It would be as if countless eyes were watching you transform into a rutting dog.
He couldn’t even be bothered to rouse the Black Small Sword within his Sea of Consciousness.
Such low-grade illusions hardly required his Heart Sword to cut through.
Among the spectators, Lang Yue thought for sure Chu Huaixu would fall victim to this woman’s art!
Yet soon he witnessed a scene all too familiar.
This body cultivator suddenly moved, so fast he was impossible to follow.
《Jiligulu Bagua Palm》!
【Eight Wastelands Wandering Dragon】!
With a sharp cry, the lightly dressed Shen Miaoyun was sent flying, coughing up a great mouthful of blood mid-air.
Lang Yue, watching this, was first utterly shocked, then strangely thrilled.
"She’s just like me！"
"She, just like me, couldn’t withstand even a single move, defeated by a body cultivator using mere martial arts！"
He didn’t even know why he was so agitated, but he couldn’t help being excited!
The endless sense of defeat and humiliation in his heart seemed to ease somewhat.
The spectators looked at each other, completely baffled.
"Weren’t illusions supposed to completely restrain body cultivators？"
"Who knows what illusion he just saw, but he wasn’t affected in the slightest。"
"What a brat, not the least bit tender toward beauty。"
"Hah! Do you not know who Junior Brother Chu’s Dao Companion is！"
"Another victory in just one move. I barely even caught it。"
Among so many spectators, aside from a handful of fools, no one truly thought Chu Huaixu only knew this one martial arts palm technique.
The reason he did not use other methods was perhaps, in his eyes, because even martial arts were already enough?
And indeed, the truth proved it… one palm was enough!
Thus arose in many people’s minds the thought: "When will he finally use techniques?"
"What kind of opponent will it take to force him to use techniques！"