Chapter 68

Chapter 68: The Slots Are Set, Benefits Keep Coming

Fang Cai Ran stood at the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Stage, only a step from the Foundation Establishment Stage. No top-grade magic tool could bridge that gap.

Qu Zhan Xing knew his own strength was flawed. He also knew Zhao Chun, at the sixth layer, was a far more glaring presence on the stage. Fang Cai Ran had looked at Zhao Chun, too, yet in the end she chose him. The unfairness of it left a sour taste in his mouth.

What he didn’t know was that Fang Cai Ran actually admired Zhao Chun. Zhao Chun’s Dao heart was tough, her ability exceptional—enough to earn a second glance even from Fang Cai Ran.

As for Qu Zhan Xing, Fang Cai Ran had her reasons.

First, her temper was fiery, and she could not stand someone whose ability did not match their position taking a seat for nothing.

Second, Gan Yuan—the one Qu Zhan Xing had just defeated—was her fellow disciple junior sister. They were not sworn sisters, but they shared real bonds.

Those two reasons together made her choice inevitable.

Their fight was lopsided from the start. Fang Cai Ran was a fire-element cultivator; in attributes alone, she suppressed Qu Zhan Xing. Before he could even raise his magic tool, she struck and drove him into the ground.

The outcome was never in doubt, and still the crowd cheered.

Qu Zhan Xing’s face burned red. He could not bear to remain. He rose at once, flicked his sleeve, and stormed away, throwing hateful glances back at the stage.

Fang Cai Ran snorted, unbothered, and took the position Qu Zhan Xing had held. It was the last seat—but no one dared underestimate her now.

Among the eliminated, several eighth-layer cultivators were full of fighting spirit and rushed onto the platform to challenge. Yet the ones holding seats were not easy opponents. Tricks and sharp tactics flew, and not a single challenger succeeded.

Because Zhao Chun had defeated Shen You Zhen, the eighth-layer cultivators did not dare choose her lightly. One body refiner studied her for a long time, then decided to challenge Shen You Zhen instead—only to be cut down swiftly and forced to retreat. At least he could console himself that he hadn’t rashly chosen Zhao Chun.

With Du Fan Zhi’s closing words, the tournament ended.

Many participants carried regrets, but the final outcome, decided after three rounds, left most people convinced.

Zhuang Kun, Zheng Chen Qing, Fang Cai Ran—these were the top powerhouses among the Qi Refining Stage disciples, and even the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators praised them without reservation.

Yet the one who drew the most attention was still Zhao Chun. Her cultivation was the lowest among the standouts, but she had shown everyone what it meant to be a born sword cultivator.

Afterward, Du Fan Zhi hosted a banquet for the twenty winners, along with the Foundation Establishment Stage disciples. Wine flowed, and conversation rose and fell in waves.

Du Fan Zhi treated Zhao Chun with unusual warmth. Between the lines, he made it clear that Master Li Shu was burdened with too many affairs to be disturbed, and that Zhao Chun would do better to spend time with the senior brothers and sisters under Li Shu’s door—to build familiarity and deepen ties.

Zhao Chun nodded and agreed, though she felt little in her heart. Du Fan Zhi valued her because she had revealed talent on the Body Sword Method path.

Under Li Shu, relationships tended to be cold. Du Fan Zhi did not care about the eliminated disciples at all. Even those who made the top twenty received only a few polite congratulations. The atmosphere among Li Shu’s disciples felt less like a family of fellow disciples and more like a gathering of people drawn together by benefit.

Seated beside Du Fan Zhi was a woman with phoenix-shaped eyes and a gentle air. She called Zhao Chun “Junior Sister Nineteen,” sounding every bit the senior sister.

Only later did Du Fan Zhi introduce her properly: she was Second Senior Sister Liu Xuan, the sect’s alchemy genius, a figure of tremendous standing.

After Zhao Chun greeted her, Liu Xuan produced a small white-jade bottle, no larger than a palm, and smiled.

“We haven’t met before, so I never gave you a proper greeting gift,” she said. “While watching your fights, I noticed your metal and fire qi both surged strongly. That can become an obstacle in cultivation. I’ve seen similar cases while traveling in the Southern Domain. This is a Lotus-Heart Qi-Regulating Pill. It should help ease the issue. Take it.”

Zhao Chun rarely drew on both kinds of qi at once. It had only happened in her fight with Shen You Zhen, when she released everything in a single burst. Yet Liu Xuan had caught the hidden problem in that one instant. Eyes like that were frightening.

The pill, however, was genuinely useful.

Zhao Chun thanked her and accepted it openly. Liu Xuan added that if Zhao Chun ever needed help with alchemy, she could come to her.

Zhao Chun felt grateful, and yet she kept a sliver of caution. She still did not understand why Liu Xuan was treating her so kindly.

Since a senior sister had offered a gift, Du Fan Zhi, as senior brother, could hardly remain empty-handed. He brought out a jade-green meditation cushion and handed it to Zhao Chun, explaining that it calmed the mind more effectively than common tools and could make daily cultivation twice as efficient.

In the span of a short conversation, Zhao Chun had accepted two gifts. The title of fellow disciple made it reasonable enough, but it was still a considerable gain.

Fang Cai Ran also came over to strike up a conversation. She was straightforward in temperament but sharp in mind, and the two of them spoke easily, quickly becoming friends.

When Meng Han arrived, Xu Feng was not with him. Meng Han sighed and shook his head. “His son caused trouble again. The other party has a powerful family backing them, with several Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, and they’re in the right besides. Brother Xu has to go handle it personally.”

Xu Kuang Rui, it seemed, still hadn’t learned restraint. This time he had finally kicked an iron plate, forcing Xu Feng to rush away before he could deal with anything else.

Meng Han looked Zhao Chun over and gave a wry smile. “Back when I saw light on your blade, I already suspected. Now you’ve stepped straight into the second realm.”

They exchanged a few more words before Meng Han gestured subtly toward a blue-robed young man nearby. “That one is Jiang Yun. He’s a battle addict. You’re both in the Sword Radiance Realm—I’d bet he’s already locked onto you.”

“In the Inner Sect, anyone with even a bit of achievement in the sword Dao gets targeted by him. He’ll keep coming to spar until he’s satisfied.”

“So he really is a battle addict,” Zhao Chun said, brows lifting. There was even a flicker of interest in her eyes.

For sword cultivators, real combat mattered most. Having someone of a similar Dao realm to exchange blades with was a rare blessing.

As if to prove Meng Han right, the banquet had barely ended before Zhao Chun felt a faint disturbance of wind at her side. She turned and shifted—

A sword flashed at her.

Jiang Yun had already stepped in to challenge.

He did not press her with cultivation. He used only sword skill to test her. Zhao Chun sensed no malice, and she lifted her blade to meet him without hesitation.

The sudden clash startled those nearby. When they recognized Jiang Yun and the newly risen sword talent Zhao Chun, they laughed. Some waved a hand and left, amused. Others stayed, eager to watch.

Jiang Yun had entered the second realm years ago; Zhao Chun had only just crossed into it. In technique, he was naturally more seasoned. Yet he understood how newly she had stepped onto this path, and he held back, not defeating her immediately.

Back and forth, their exchange grew intense and satisfying.

Zhao Chun’s gaze sharpened. As Jiang Yun moved, a gold-bronze sheen clung to his body—strikingly similar to the minor completion described in Fire-Forging Furnace Art. And the radiance around him was smooth and rounded, with a hint of returning to simplicity. He could not be far from full mastery.

A senior whose sword Dao and body refinement fit together so perfectly was an opportunity she could not waste. If she wished to advance, she had to seize it.