The highlight of the Ten Thousand Gates Martial Arts Tournament was in the third round, where two hundred cultivators draw lots to determine their opponents, all based on luck.

If the opponent was strong and one was brushed off in the first round, it was only due to bad luck. In other words, it was also because of insufficient strength. If one was powerful enough, they should not fear anything.

Mu Rongsa found Hua Che in the crowd and asked eagerly, "Where have you been all morning?"

Hua Che replied vaguely, "Just wandering outside."

After three days of screening in the first round among two hundred cultivators, Zhuang Tian's heart was trembling. When he learned that Lin Yan had also advanced, he was almost moved to tears.

When one hundred became fifty, Zhuang Tian had a nosebleed on the spot, his vision blurred, and he was carried to a side hall by disciples of Shangqing Sect, fanning and giving him medicine.

The disciples of Lingxiao Palace hadn't done much yet, but their Sect Master had already taken a break, leaving other immortal sects unsure of how to evaluate them.

The martial arts competition was not conducted one by one, but four groups competed simultaneously.

When the cultivators had no matches, they simply organized everyone to bet while watching the arena and cheering.

"Wuji Sword Sect, charge forward! Senior Brother is fearless and invincible, crush the Medicine-Eating Sect!!"

"Chi Yao Sect, go forward bravely, kill the enemies and achieve results, Little Junior Brother, work hard, knock down the Chickenless Sword Sect!!"

One word from one, saliva flying three feet, the disciples cheering below were fighting each other before the two on the stage even started their match.

The scene was chaotic, with dignified immortal cultivators looking just like market women with dishevelled hair, flushed faces, and white faces. Thanks to the timely arrival of the two Sect Masters, they were each punished with kneeling, calming down this battlefield full of gunpowder.

Soon it was Lin Yan's turn. He held a green-glowing long sword named Liu Xia (NT: Flowing Cloud), a gift from Zhuang Tian.

And Lin Yan's opponent happened to be a disciple under Elder Gan Yang Duan Tiange, with a long nose.

Lin Yan didn't feel much pressure, just as his master said, winning or losing wasn't important; the key was to gain experience.

But Lin Yan still wanted to give it his all. Even though he lost to Duan Tiange in swordsmanship, he didn't lose heart. Immediately, he used his own blood to draw a spell, summoning a spirit beast to assist him.

Finally catching a beast tamer, Mu Qinian was the first to get excited, "This kid is young, but his talent is not bad."

Xie Wanting said, "He actually summoned a Three-Tailed Spirit Fox. Although his cultivation is a bit lacking, it's already very good."

Chu Changfeng added, "Among the disciples of Lingxiao Palace in this generation, talents abound."

Duan Tiange was eager for quick success and instant benefits, so he was a bit harsher in his attacks. After knocking Lin Yan down several times, seeing that Lin Yan showed no signs of surrender, he became even more ruthless.

Wen Yuan watched anxiously, "Ninth Junior Brother, didn't Master say that your life is more important?"

Mu Rongsa was burning with anxiety, "If that guy surnamed Duan dares to do anything to our Little Yan, I'll make sure he spends the rest of his life unable to take care of himself!"

Hua Che pursed his lips and remained silent. Lin Yan had a gentle personality, but he was overly stubborn in some matters, determined to the point where people couldn't argue with him.

After being knocked down countless times by Duan Tiange, Lin Yan, with a swollen face and bruised nose, struggled to get up from the ground, panting and wiping the blood from the corner of his lips.

Duan Tiange looked down at him and sneered, "If it weren't for Hua Qingkong, I would have sent you to see the King of Hell long ago."

In the final round of the Ten Thousand Gates Martial Arts Tournament, there was a rule: before the match, a life-and-death contract must be made. If there was a fatality, the individual would bear the consequences themselves, and their sect, relatives, and friends couldn't seek revenge.

"Aren't you admitting defeat yet?" Duan Tiange's patience was wearing thin. "Do you think you can beat me?"

"No," Lin Yan coughed, "Elder Duan's cultivation is profound, and I am not worthy."

Duan Tiange, who held himself in high regard, was quite pleased, and his tone softened a bit. "Then why..."

"I just want to do my best. Although I am insignificant and inconspicuous in the sect, my master is very good to me, and my senior brothers are also very kind to me. I don't want to disappoint them. I also want to do something for the sect, to stand up for my master and senior brothers!" Lin Yan stood up straight, and a round object fell to the ground.

Lin Yan's eyes were bright, "Elder Duan can kick me off the stage if he wants, but it's impossible for me to surrender willingly."

As drops of blood fell onto the round object, a sudden cracking sound made everyone's eyes light up.

Lin Yan belatedly lowered his head to look, and the egg that he had carefully nurtured for a whole year suddenly cracked open!

The whole body was fiery red, only palm-sized... a bird?

Lin Yan was stunned, watching as the little bird clumsily flapped its wings and flew up, its movements quite awkward. By the time it landed on Lin Yan's shoulder, it was already panting heavily. Using its fluffy little head, it rubbed against Lin Yan's cheek, emitting a clear chirping sound.

Hua Che was greatly shocked: "This is..."

Chu Binghuan was also astonished: "The Chongming Bird!?" (NT: 重明鳥Rebirth Phoenix, the phoenix is a mythical bird associated with immortality and resurrection.)

Chu Changfeng and Xie Wanting both stood up in amazement, and Mu Qinian's eyeballs almost popped out.

Then, everyone saw Lin Yan being kicked and falling off the stage.

A disciple from Shangqing shouted loudly, "In the thirty-fifth match, Shangqing's disciple Duan Tiange wins!"

Everyone: "..."

Can you really expect the just-hatched Chongming Bird to be impressive?

Mu Qinian sat back in his chair and laughed, "In the next Ten Thousand Gates Martial Arts Tournament, that junior named Lin Yan... will be the real formidable one."

Lin Yan was completely immersed in the joy of "the offspring I carefully nurtured has finally been born", without feeling down at all because of losing in the tournament.

In Lin Yan's first battle, he was eliminated among the top hundred.

Although defeated, he left a deep impression on numerous senior figures from various immortal sects.

When it was Mu Rongsa's turn to take the stage, he attracted a lot of attention with his flamboyant attire, which seemed to have been randomly chosen: red and green with a touch of yellow, purple and blue with a hint of white. Standing on the stage, he looked like a peacock displaying its feathers.

Hua Che couldn't bear to look.

Mu Qinian also felt embarrassed and sneaked behind the crowd, pretending he didn't have such a son.

Mu Rongsa's opponent was a disciple from the Yeyou Mansion, who played the pipa extremely skillfully. Mu Rongsa dodged and weaved, his hair dishevelled and his clothes dirty. He didn't have the same flamboyance as when he first entered the stage. Fortunately, his strength was much better than his flashy clothes. Despite being a bit clumsy, he managed to display superb swordsmanship, making a partial comeback.

But the Yeyou Mansion disciple was not easy to deal with. After fighting for two hours, even though the Yeyou Mansion disciple wasn't a match for Mu Rongsa, Mu Rongsa‘s skills were sloppy, and he missed his attacks every time, which made Hua Che burn with anger and almost spit fire.

"Have you been beaten for nothing in the past six months? You don't pick where you should pick, and you don't strike where you should strike. Are those fancy sword moves that lack substance really impressive? Are they useful?"

After being scolded by "Master Hua," Mu Rongsa quieted down.

Hua Che gave him a knowing hit, "Don't forget, from now on, if you can't make it to the top three, you'll be in charge of washing all the dirty clothes in the sect!"

"Damn it!?" Mu Rongsa suddenly became spirited. For his dignity, for the eighteen years of pampering, he fought fiercely!!!

With this fight, he made it into the top ten.

With another effort, he made it into the top four.

There were a total of two groups: Mu Rongsa and Chu Binghuan, Hua Che and Lu Yao.

It must be said that the performance of Shangqing Immortal Sect in this Ten Thousand Gates Martial Arts Tournament was truly astonishing. The disciples under Master Lu Mingfeng and Elder Gan Yang were always unfortunate enough to draw Chu Binghuan, and one by one, they were defeated by him, suffering elimination. On the other hand, Lu Yao sailed smoothly through the competition and effortlessly entered the top five.

As Hua Che advanced to the top four, he encountered the senior disciple of the Yeyou Mansion, a disciple under the guidance of Xie Wanting. This person played the ancient seven-stringed zither skilfully, all taught personally by Xie Wanting, showcasing remarkable talent.

Hua Che also employed musical rhythm in the confrontation, playing the bamboo flute with a rhythm that was both fluctuating and melodious.

If there was no infusion of true energy, no overwhelming killing intent, then it would surely be a stunning audiovisual feast, captivating the audience.

One zither and one flute, they were indeed a perfect match throughout the ages.

Chu Changfeng praised, "Indeed, the disciples of the Yeyou Mansion are worthy, Master Xie's teachings are truly remarkable!"

Xie Wanting looked at Hua Che and smiled faintly, "In terms of musical attainments, that child is even more outstanding."

As the four cultivators confronted each other, everyone held their breath, finally reaching the climax.

"I didn't expect that three disciples from the Lingxiao Palace would make it to the top four."

"Who would have thought! This tournament has truly been thrilling."

"I've long seen the extraordinary talents of Hua Qingkong and Chu Tianyu. I thought they would at most make it to the top ten, but who would have expected them to reach the top four."

"After today, the position of the Lingxiao Palace in the cultivation world is bound to rise."

"Go send a message to the elders, prepare some gifts, and after the Wanmen Tournament ends, we'll be the first to visit the Lingxiao Palace."

Although Lu Yao's talent was not high, his diligence made up for it. He had been practicing martial arts day and night under his father's coercion since childhood, and he did have genuine skills. If his personality were a bit more assertive, he would be perfect.

There were still three matches left, so they proceeded one by one, allowing everyone to see clearly.

Chu Binghuan and Mu Rong sa stood below the stage, Wen Yuan led Zhuang Xia’er and others to cheer vigorously. The Lingxiao Palace was not to be outdone, shouting with great momentum.

Hua Che stood on the stage with a calm expression, giving no indication of what he was thinking.

Suddenly, Chu Binghuan below the stage said, "Don't hesitate."

Hua Qingkong was stunned. "Hesistate about what?"

At the same time, Lu Yao arrived. He smiled friendly. "Qingkong."

Lu Yao asked, "Do you want to use a sword? I heard you found a treasure sword in the Bright Moon Valley, which shares the same origin as my Lang Yue."

Hua Qingkong smiled and summoned the Purple Bamboo Flute from his soul. "I am a music cultivator. Why would I need a sword?"

"True." Lu Yao bowed and added, "Then please enlighten me."

Lang Yue unsheathed, its sword body pure and unmatched, as Lu Yao danced with it, stirring up a cold wind.

Hua Che remained unchanged, slowly raising the bamboo flute to his lips.

With the flow of the music, a crimson stream of light overflowed, directly meeting Lang Yue's blade, making it difficult for Lu Yao to advance.

Suddenly, the tune changed, and Lu Yao's mind shook violently, as if he had seen a terrifying scene. He staggered back, muttering to himself, "I'm sorry, Dad, I, I won't dare anymore..."

Hua Che's brows furrowed with a cold and stern expression. Instead of stopping, he intensified the flute's melody. Lu Yao knelt on the ground, crying uncontrollably.

The crowd looked at each other in astonishment as Lu Mingfeng suddenly stood up.

A fleeting, cold smirk appeared in Hua Che's eyes and then disappeared.

In his previous life, he hadn't been able to kill Lu Yao personally. Instead, he had been dragged down with Lu Yao. Now, he had the chance to repay his debt from his past life. After all, they had signed life-and-death contracts before the tournament. Even if Lu Yao died in Hua Cheg's hands, the Lingxiao Palace couldn't do much about it.

A murderous intent arose in Hua Che's heart as he subconsciously looked at the anxious Lu Mingfeng.

His biological son was about to die before his eyes. Would he react?

Chu Binghuan's heart trembled. "Hua Qingkong."

Although this could be considered a form of revenge, if Lu Mingfeng went crazy and disregarded everything, who knew what chaos he might cause?

After all, Lu Mingfeng's reputation was still intact, as was Lu Yao's identity. Even if Shang Qing Immortal Sect provoked this anger, what could Lingxiao Palace do?

Hua Che didn't want to cause trouble for Zhuang Tian and didn't want to put the Lingxiao Palace in a difficult position.

Forget it.

As Hua Che stopped playing the flute, Lu Yao also exerted all his strength to break through the musical barrier. He vomited blood in a sorry state and attacked Hua Che with his sword.

If Hua Che said no sword, then no sword it was. Gripping the ink-colored Purple Bamboo Flute tightly, he dodged Lu Yao's fatal blow and struck him on the shoulder with the flute. The crisp sound of bones cracking made everyone cringe. Without giving Lu Yao a chance to catch his breath, Hua Che quickly struck his hands, legs, waist, and finally aimed at his throat.

Lu Mingfeng exclaimed, "Yao'er!"

Everyone felt their scalps go numb.

Hua Qingkong twirled the bamboo flute skillfully, pressing it against Lu Yao's neck like a beating stick. "Do you surrender?"

Lu Yao was forced to the edge of the stage. If Hua Che gave him a gentle push, he would fall down. Realizing the vast difference in strength, continuing to fight would only make things worse.

Taking a breath, Lu Yao said, "I surrender."

A commotion erupted in the audience.

With this loss, that rising star of the Lingxiao Palace would either be first or second!!

Mu Rongsa's heart was in his throat.

—"Even if I practice the path of music, I can still beat those sword cultivators of the Lingxiao Palace to the ground. Believe it?"

"Countdown to the fourth match, Lingxiao Palace's Hua Che wins!"

Mu Rongsa shuddered.

Of course, the headmaster Zhuang Tian was unaware of all this. He was still in a coma in the side hall, completely immersed in the fact that one of his disciples had entered the top fifty, unable to extricate himself.

 

Translator: DarNan