Chapter 124: The Martial Arts Tournament

As the sound of the bell resonated from the summit down to the base of the mountain, all the registered disciples on Qingyang Peak emerged from their quarters, their gazes fixed upward toward the peak.

In that direction, a faint phantom of a massive bell could be seen suspended above the clouds. As the chime echoed, ripples of energy emanated from its apex, enveloping the entire sky over Qingyang Peak.

"The Qingyang Bell tolls; the martial tournament begins!" Yang Ze stared intently at the phantom of the bell. It was the treasured artifact of Qingyang Peak, rarely seen at any other time, appearing only when the annual martial tournament was about to commence.

When the Qingyang Bell sounds, it signifies that the annual martial tournament on Qingyang Peak has begun.

As the echoes of the bell still lingered in everyone's minds, Yang Ze leapt forward, surging out and heading straight for the peak. He was not alone; the entire District D, and indeed all ten districts of registered disciples, were rushing out at this moment, all heading in the same direction.

Yang Ze had been on Qingyang Peak for three months, but he had never witnessed such a spectacular sight. The surroundings were packed with people, all jostling together as they rushed forward; the registered disciple quarters were completely congested.

Seeing the sea of people around him, Yang Ze stepped lightly, his agile figure weaving and dodging between the other disciples, moving forward at great speed. He was not the only one doing this. Yang Ze scanned his surroundings and noticed that every disciple with a higher level of cultivation was also rushing forward at top speed. This was something only they could achieve, and it was the only way to distinguish themselves from the others and prove their strength. Whoever reached the venue first would, on the surface at least, be one step ahead.

With the agile footwork of the Great Whirlwind Piercing Step, no one could touch Yang Ze. They could only see a shadow flickering past them, rushing toward the distance. In no time at all, Yang Ze had joined the first wave of disciples, becoming one of the first to depart from District D.

As the massive crowd of registered disciples poured out, the paths up Qingyang Peak, which were usually restricted by formations to prevent unauthorized passage, were all opened up to allow everyone to rush to the top.

Yang Ze surged ahead, his feet touching the ground as he launched himself onto the stone steps leading up the mountain. With every step, he used the momentum to propel himself even further before landing again. He was not using his full strength, so he did not reach the very front, maintaining a position that was not too far behind. In this regard, Yang Ze was not aiming to be the first; he felt that being among the leading pack was sufficient.

The long ascent took quite a while, even for someone with Yang Ze’s cultivation at the Ninth Stage of True Essence. Their destination was not the very summit, but a large platform specially carved out on the mountainside. The tournament arenas were set up on this expansive plateau.

Falling in behind a few others, Yang Ze followed closely until he finally saw the massive platform appear ahead. It looked as if a huge chunk of the mountain had been carved away. The platform was abrupt, yet its surface area was immense—only a space this large could accommodate so many people.

On this platform, many deacons were already present. Beyond the deacons, there was another group of people dressed in azure robes, both men and women. The aura radiating from these individuals was formidable, and some among them possessed a presence that did not lose out to the deacons at all.

Seeing them from afar, Yang Ze recognized their status: they were disciples from the Outer Court of the Misty Martial Academy. Although their status was significantly higher than that of registered disciples, they also required contribution points and had to complete various tasks. For them, the annual Qingyang Peak tournament was an unmissable event. Such a large-scale gathering required manpower, and for the outer disciples, it was a prime opportunity to earn contribution points, so many were present to assist.

Looking at the outer disciples, many of the registered disciples wore expressions of envy. For them, the status of an outer disciple was already an unreachable peak. Yang Ze, however, remained unmoved. Most of the top-tier registered disciples around him also maintained composed expressions; with their strength, being promoted to the Outer Court was not a problem.

As people landed on the platform, Yang Ze followed suit. He was stunned by the sight before him. A rough scan revealed numerous arenas scattered across the platform; it was impossible to count them at a glance. Around the arenas, tiers of seats had been constructed, capable of holding hundreds of thousands of people with ease.

It was this sight that truly shocked Yang Ze. In his past life, even the largest stadiums could not compare to this. The powerful martial arts of this world had achieved engineering feats impossible in his previous life, and he could imagine that this was certainly not the most magnificent project in this world.

He realized that these arenas would be their battlefield, where hundreds of thousands of registered disciples would compete to determine their rankings. Thinking of this, Yang Ze could not help but feel a surge of excitement. After three months of bitter preparation, he was waiting for this moment to explode and make a name for himself.

He was doing this not just for himself, but for Ning Teng, the man who had brought him into the sect. Ning Teng had urged him to make him proud at this tournament, and Yang Ze had never forgotten. Without any connections in the Misty Martial Academy, he would be a fool not to rely on Ning Teng. Surviving here on his own would be no easy task.

...

Inside the main hall of the Qingyang Hall, Xie Yuan stood alone. As the elder in charge of the entire Qingyang Peak, he had emerged from seclusion to head to the tournament. Before he could take a step, a figure appeared at the entrance.

Seeing the man, a smile appeared on Xie Yuan’s cold face. "I heard Elder Ning had been in seclusion for over two months. I didn't expect to see you at the Qingyang Hall today. May I ask what brings you here?"

The person who arrived was none other than Ning Teng. As he appeared, Xie Yuan’s eyes flickered imperceptibly. As the highest-ranking elder on Qingyang Peak, he knew that Ning Teng had entered seclusion to breakthrough to the Sixth Grade Divine Palace Realm in order to secure the position of Chief Elder of the Outer Court.

Yet, only two months had passed, and Ning Teng had already emerged. Had he succeeded? Xie Yuan felt a chill. Studying Ning Teng closely, he realized that while the breakthrough hadn't been completed, the aura around him had changed significantly. That faint, elusive pressure proved that Ning Teng had at least touched the threshold of the Sixth Grade Divine Palace Realm.

"I heard today is the annual martial tournament of Qingyang Peak, so I came to take a look. What, is Elder Xie not welcoming me?" Ning Teng said calmly.

"How could that be? It is an honor for the registered disciples that Elder Ning is here to watch the tournament. Why don't we go together?" Xie Yuan said with a smile.

"No need. I have matters to attend to, so I won't accompany you. However, I am here to discuss something with you."

"Is it about Yang Ze?"

"It is indeed about Yang Ze."

"And what would you like to say regarding him?"

"If Yang Ze manages to become one of the top ten registered disciples, please give this to him. I am returning today to enter closed-door seclusion to strike at the Sixth Grade Divine Palace Realm; I won't be able to come out for quite some time." Ning Teng produced a palm-sized pouch and handed it to Xie Yuan.

Xie Yuan accepted the pouch without opening it. There was a seal on it, clearly placed by Ning Teng; if he tried to open it, Ning Teng would certainly sense it. "You have such confidence in Yang Ze? He has only been in the sect for three months." Xie Yuan put the pouch away, effectively agreeing.

"I have great confidence in my judgment. Yang Ze will not disappoint me," Ning Teng replied with conviction.

"Very well. Since you have such faith in a disciple who has only been here for three months, I shall add something as well. If Yang Ze truly manages to become one of the top ten, I will not only give him ten Bone-Tempering Pills, but I will also grant him access to the grotto-heaven beneath this Qingyang Hall for one month of cultivation!" Xie Yuan added.

Hearing this, Ning Teng looked at Xie Yuan with renewed interest. Bone-Tempering Pills were nothing special, but the grotto-heaven beneath the Qingyang Hall was a true treasure. Qingyang Peak was a spiritual mountain rich in heaven and earth energy, especially the Qingyang Hall, the residence of the peak-managing elder. The grotto-heaven there, designed for the peak elder’s own cultivation, possessed exceptional spiritual energy. If Yang Ze could cultivate there, his path to the Outer Court would be significantly shortened.

Seeing such a good opportunity, Ning Teng naturally accepted on Yang Ze’s behalf.