Chapter 477: The Finals Begin

The Imperial Advisor remained well-hidden; even as the finals commenced, the Senior Disciple Sister had yet to find him.

The prodigies had eaten and enjoyed themselves, resting for a full day, and were now in peak condition for the finals.

The atmosphere in the arena was electric, with elders from various sects enthusiastically cheering for their disciples, hoping they would achieve a high ranking.

Even a strong showing in the finals would be enough to boast about in the outside world.

The prodigies followed the instructions to draw lots, forming groups to determine their opponents.

Meng Jingzhou, Bai Ming, Yan Tianzhi, and Lan Ting, representing the Immortal Sect's Mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, gathered together.

"Who is your opponent?" Bai Ming asked, wanting to ensure none of them would face each other in the first round.

"My opponent is from the Imperial Qi Sect."

"Mine is from the Xuan Gate."

Relieved that none of them would encounter each other in the first round, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"I haven't seen anyone from Xuankong Temple," Meng Jingzhou remarked, scanning the crowd. "Didn't they say the Immortal Sect would send disciples from every cultivation stage?" There were a few monks, but none appeared to be from Xuankong Temple.

Bai Ming also frowned, being the most familiar with Xuankong Temple's affairs. "That's not right," he mused. "Shi Chan should meet the criteria and be eligible for the finals."

"Perhaps something came up and they couldn't make it?" Lan Ting suggested kindly.

"Possibly."

"I thought I'd encounter Lu Yang in this competition," Bai Ming said, shaking his head. He had lost to Lu Yang twice and hoped for a chance to redeem himself, only to find that Meng Jingzhou, not Lu Yang, was representing the Dao Inquiry Sect in the Mid-stage Golden Core category.

Yan Tianzhi also felt a touch of regret; he had never crossed paths with Lu Yang in a fight and was eager for a match.

Meng Jingzhou pursed his lips. "Don't worry, you'll definitely get to meet him. He's also participating in the finals."

Bai Ming was momentarily stunned. "He broke through to the Late-stage Golden Core?"

"Look at the judges' stands," Meng Jingzhou kindly prompted.

Bai Ming, Yan Tianzhi, and Lan Ting looked up.

The masters of the five great Immortal Sects were seated in the judges' stands. Lu Yang sat directly in the center, waving at the trio with a radiant smile.

Bai Ming: "What?!"

It felt like déjà vu.

Hadn't Lu Yang been in this very seat the last time he visited the Dao Inquiry Sect?

Meng Jingzhou sighed, vehemently denouncing Lu Yang's impropriety. "That scoundrel Lu Yang abuses his authority for personal gain, deceives his subordinates, and flatters his superiors! He's lawless! He made me fight while he sits on stage, enjoying himself. When I become the acting Sect Master, I'll definitely get my revenge!"

From the judges' stands, Lu Yang withdrew his gaze and looked curiously at Master Jiesha. "Master," he inquired, "did Xuankong Temple not send anyone?"

Master Jiesha remained silent, offering Lu Yang a knowing look that implied, *Figure it out yourself*.

Lu Yang understood, and in return, gave Master Jiesha a look that said, *You figure it out*.

Lu Yang didn't grasp Master Jiesha's meaning, and Master Jiesha, in turn, didn't grasp Lu Yang's.

At that moment, the final judge arrived, dressed in a bright yellow robe and sporting a friendly smile.

"Jiang Qun greets all seniors," the young man said, bowing to the five.

"First Prince, there's no need for such formality," Luo Hongxia said, clutching her treasure box. On her journey here, many had inquired about the box, worried something might happen to it.

Jiang Qun found it odd that Palace Master Luo was holding a treasure box, but considering it might be a personal secret, he didn't press the matter.

Since the competition was hosted by the imperial court, it was natural for them to send a representative.

Lu Yang recognized the newcomer as well: Jiang Qun, the First Prince of Great Xia, who had used the alias Xia Qun at the Qingzhou Grand Ceremony and served as the Qingzhou Governor's deputy.

"Sect Master Lu is truly young and accomplished," Jiang Qun said with a smile, speaking very cordially to Lu Yang.

As an early Integration stage cultivator, his cultivation level was second to last among the six; naturally, he wanted to be friendly with the one who ranked last.

If Lu Yang left, he would become the lowest-ranked.

Furthermore, Emperor Xia had specifically instructed him before his departure to cultivate good relations with the Dao Inquiry Sect, especially with Lu Yang.

The specific mention of Lu Yang clearly indicated the Emperor's high regard for him.

"I... I have made significant contributions, so it's only right for me to be an acting Sect Master," Lu Yang stated nonchalantly, leaving Jiang Qun momentarily speechless, unsure how to respond.

*How could Sect Master Lu be so lacking in humility?*

"Sect Master Lu, you've worked hard," Jiang Qun finally managed to utter after a long pause.

Of course, Sect Master Lu wasn't being humble; after all, it was currently Sect Master Huang Doudou inhabiting the body.

The true Sect Master Lu, however, was sealed away in his mental space, unable to call for help from heaven or earth, enduring a truly miserable and tragic fate that would make anyone rejoice to witness.

"The Qi Cultivation stage competition should be starting soon."

While other cultivation stages were divided into early, middle, and late phases, the Qi Cultivation stage had only one undifferentiated group.

This was mainly because there was no need for further subdivision; the primary goal of this competition was to identify ancient cultivators who had scattered their previous cultivation to restart.

Ancient cultivators would not linger at Qi Cultivation levels seven or eight; they had no need to waste much time at this stage. At the very least, they would be at the Grand Completion of Qi Cultivation, and it was even highly probable they wouldn't be in the Qi Cultivation stage at all.

Those who reached the finals were uniformly at the Grand Completion of Qi Cultivation, just a thought away from the Foundation Establishment stage.

While there had been a few instances in city and provincial competitions where ninth-level Qi Cultivators managed to defeat Grand Completion Qi Cultivators, these ninth-level cultivators were quickly eliminated in subsequent rounds.

The Grand Completion Qi Cultivators they faced were not ordinary; they were exceptionally powerful for their stage, rarely encountering a match at their own level.

"It's a pity there are no Qi Refinement Masters nowadays," the Immortal Fairy remarked with a hint of regret. "Otherwise, I could show you a Qi Cultivator defeating Golden Core or even Nascent Soul stage cultivators."

"Qi Refinement Masters?" Lu Yang had never heard of such a concept.

"Qi Refinement Masters followed a cultivation system created by the earliest practitioners," the Immortal Fairy explained. "By continuously cultivating a single breath within their abdomen, they could endlessly improve themselves. Theoretically, it was even possible to achieve immortality through Qi Refinement."

"If Qi Refinement Masters were so powerful, why did they disappear?"

"While powerful, Qi Refinement Masters faced too many limitations," the Immortal Fairy replied. "Only a minuscule fraction of people could cultivate it; you might not find a single person who met the cultivation standards among millions. Since this was during the nascent stage of developing cultivation systems, the Qi Refinement Master system was quickly abandoned. The current Qi Cultivation stage actually evolved from it."

"Conversely, because Qi Refinement Masters were incredibly rare, once someone became one, their cultivation speed was extraordinarily fast."

A Dao Inquiry Sect disciple sent a voice transmission to the Immortal Fairy, informing her that the official announcement for the start of the finals had been made.

"Qi Cultivation matches are so boring; they're nowhere near as interesting as Foundation Establishment ones," Yang Ding secretly yawned, trying not to be seen.

On the arena stage, two Qi Cultivation prodigies stepped forward.

"Junior Brother, please, you first."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony."

His opponent laughed heartily, then flicked his sword and lunged.

A knowing glint flashed in the other's eyes as his aura suddenly surged, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage!

*Let's see how you'll fight me now!*

His opponent smiled, then thrust his sword forward. Simultaneously, his aura also surged, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage!

*Let's see how you'll fight me now!*

Yang Ding's wish was granted; the Qi Cultivation match had transformed into a Foundation Establishment one.

The second update will be around eleven o'clock.