Chapter 40: I Saw an Immortal?

Noon the following day, the Outer Yard of Tian Sang Spiritual Palace was bustling with its annual excitement. Today, the champion of the "Wind and Cloud Battle" would be crowned.

Not only disciples and elders from the Outer Yard came to watch, but even some Inner Yard disciples, if they had free time, would come to observe. The crowd was buzzing with anticipation.

Some people had arrived early to secure good spots, and right in front of them were some of the Spiritual Palace's most renowned figures. To the left were the Elder of the Spiritual Affairs Pavilion, the Elder of the Spiritual Medicine Pavilion, and the Elder of the Spiritual Arms Pavilion. There were also some lesser-known figures, rarely seen and elusive, who seemed like elders but weren't officially designated as such.

To the right were individuals from the Top 100, Top 10, and even Top 5 of the Wind and Cloud Rankings. The very same formidable figures who had once dominated the arena with unparalleled might were now quietly seated below, calmly awaiting the start of the competition.

One female disciple, who had come the previous night to secure her spot, found herself seated with Chao Qingteng to her left and Zhou Tianshen to her right. She gazed between the two, cupping her face, and promptly fainted from happiness.

Those nearby stared wide-eyed with envy. "Wow, she fainted! Quick, take her for treatment. I'll hold her spot for her." "Oh my goodness, who are these people? Senior Brother Du, Senior Sister Ling… they're all in the Top Ten of the Wind and Cloud Rankings!"

"Look, isn't that… Su Qianqian from the Inner Yard?" "Where, where?"

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn by the exclamation. Su Qianqian, from the Inner Yard, was a legendary figure in Tian Sang Spiritual Palace. The strongest contemporary genius of the Su family in Tian Sang County, she broke through to the Innate realm at thirteen, achieved Innate Sword Intent at fourteen, wielded "Tomb-Named City Snow," the 21st most famous sword on the continent, and was a personal disciple of Xiao Qixiu from the Spiritual Law Pavilion.

Any one of these titles alone would likely astonish the world. Yet, such a formidable figure was sitting right before them! Dressed in a white martial suit, Su Qianqian had her snow-colored greatsword laid across her lap. Her small feet dangled, swinging back and forth from the seat, completely unperturbed by the spectacle around her. She looked around, but eventually pouted in disappointment, as she couldn't find the 'little beast big brother' she wanted to see.

"Too bad, I didn't see the Head Senior Sister from the Inner Yard. I heard she's very fond of Su Qianqian and is always by her side." "Yeah, Senior Sister Rao is my goddess! Not only is she incredibly beautiful and has an amazing figure, but her strength is also unmatched in the Inner Yard. What a pity I couldn't witness her grace with my own eyes, sigh!"

"Hey, I think I saw her. She came during the group stages…" "Oh, come on! How could Senior Sister Rao have time to stroll around the Outer Yard? You must have dreamed it!" "I really did see her!" "Tch!"

The audience gathered in small groups, watching the spectacle, constantly pointing out and whispering about the famous Inner Yard figures around them. For them, such a sight was rare in previous years. It was only due to the Outer Yard's surge this year, with four Innate breakthroughs and Xu Xiaoshou, that so many people from the Inner Yard came to watch.

"Holy crap, Zhang Xinxiong! One of the Inner Yard's Thirty-Three, a living legend!" "The Inner Yard's Thirty-Three? Oh my god, where is he?!"

Everyone eagerly looked around, following the direction the speaker was pointing, and indeed saw an imposing man not far away. Zhang Xinxiong was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a full beard that exuded extreme masculinity. He was very tall; even while seated, he was a head taller than ordinary people. His attire was extremely simple: a light-colored hemp robe with a cloak draped over it. Yet, even so, the sunlight revealed the astonishing contours of his muscles beneath his clothes.

"Oh my god, he's so handsome! He's a true man!" "I'm in love!"

This Inner Yard celebrity was not seated in the front row, but rather in the middle section. Beside him sat Liu Zhen, who had previously gravely injured Xu Xiaoshou. Liu Zhen was also a large man, but sitting next to Zhang Xinxiong, he inexplicably seemed delicate and dependent.

"Which one is Xu Xiaoshou, the one who killed Ah Chong?" Zhang Xinxiong asked.

"Let me see…" Liu Zhen replied respectfully, his gaze sweeping across the waiting areas before he shook his head. "He doesn't seem to be here yet."

"He's quite calm, isn't he? Saving his appearance for the finale…" Zhang Xinxiong let out a soft chuckle, his tone devoid of any discernible emotion, but those around him clearly sensed something was amiss.

"Ah Chong…" Could that name be uttered casually by just anyone?

"I heard Boss Wen knows someone from the Inner Yard. Could it be Zhang Xinxiong?" "It seems so. In that case, Xu Xiaoshou is doomed! He killed Wen Chong, after all!" "Oh my god, I think I'm seeing Xu Xiaoshou's demise…"

Just one sentence stirred up a commotion among the crowd. Everyone lowered their voices and began to discuss.

"You can't say that. Zhang Xinxiong is one of the Inner Yard's Thirty-Three. How could he possibly attack someone at the Eighth Stage of Spiritual Refining? Wouldn't that be beneath him?" "But even being targeted by him would be terrible!" "You're overthinking it. Even if Xu Xiaoshou wins the championship, it's debatable whether he can enter the Inner Yard with his current cultivation." "What's more, with Mu Zixi ahead of him and Senior Sister Mo behind him, it would be good enough if he just makes it into the top three." "But he has an Innate physique!" "So what if he has an Innate physique? Does that guarantee a future? Have you ever seen an Innate physique reach the Grandmaster level?"

Everyone fell silent. Above the Innate realm was the Grandmaster realm. While there was still a slim hope for cultivators of spiritual energy to reach such a realm, capable of establishing their own sects, as for physical bodies… it was simply too difficult! Not to mention seeing it, they hadn't even heard of it!

At the referee's stand. Xiao Qixiu drained the contents of his cup, then flew onto the arena, instantly drawing everyone's gaze.

"Time's up! The semifinals begin!" Spiritual energy activated the formation token, and a light screen shimmered, then froze, revealing two vivid red names suspended in the air.

"Xu Xiaoshou!" "Mu Zixi!"

With a roar, the audience instantly erupted. The semifinals would be a battle of Innate-level cultivators, precisely what everyone had been anticipating. Of the two, one had broken through to the Innate realm after only a year in the Spiritual Palace, her talent rivaling that of Inner Disciple Su Qianqian. The other, besides possessing an Innate physique, had soundly defeated Chao Qingteng yesterday, further proving his strength capable of directly challenging Innate cultivators.

The door to the waiting area opened, and Mu Zixi, dressed in light green, skipped towards the arena, seemingly without a care in the world regarding the upcoming battle. Every step she took radiated youthful energy, bringing joy to the onlookers. "As expected of Junior Sister Mu! Innate… so steady!"

Everyone then looked to the other side, to Xu Xiaoshou's waiting area. *Click!* The door opened. Two staff members, with resigned expressions, emerged and gestured with empty hands, indicating Xu Xiaoshou was not there.

The crowd: "???" "Why are these two guys here? Where's Xu Xiaoshou?" "Oh my god, he's gone missing again!" "At such a crucial moment, why does he always drop the ball? Can't he just be reliable in the semifinals?!" "Hey, you two, where did Xu Xiaoshou go?"

The two staff members looked utterly bewildered. *You're asking us? Who are we supposed to ask?* They had been waiting in the holding area all morning, but the contestant simply hadn't shown up. They had even sent people to Xu Xiaoshou's courtyard, but only found sword marks all over the ground and no sign of him. Where exactly had Xu Xiaoshou gone?

Xiao Qixiu's face darkened, and he felt the urge to yell again. Suddenly, the sword on his back vibrated, and he sharply turned his head, gazing towards the horizon.

Everyone in the audience also noticed, and they all looked up. A streak of sword light was seen approaching from afar, like an immortal sword descending. Upon it, a figure with flowing robes was clearly visible.

This ethereal aura, this otherworldly demeanor… Good heavens, had they seen an immortal?

No, wait… Everyone took a closer look, and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. Holy cow! Xu Xiaoshou???