Chapter 483: Heavenly Court Sect Appears

As a sword spirit who achieved sentience, Mingtai’s swordsmanship talent was comparable to Luyang’s. In the early Core Formation stage competition, he was invincible, winning every match. Only the chosen talents from immortal sects, some of whom seemed to have deliberately crippled their cultivation to restart, could give him a tough fight.

Yet, even these prodigies were overcome by his exquisite swordsmanship. Despite his relatively low cultivation, he already displayed the hidden power of a single sword strike capable of breaking through all techniques.

The winner of the early Core Formation stage group: Mingtai.

Mingtai stood on the arena stage, his palms at chest level. He shyly waved his hand towards Elder Sikong. Under the sunlight, Mingtai’s figure shimmered, as if cast from gold.

"Seeing Mingtai is like seeing Luyang’s shadow," Meng Jingzhou sighed. His eyes were red-rimmed as he sadly reminisced about past glorious times. It was clear he shared a deep bond with Luyang.

"What a pity," he lamented, "Luyang was such a good person, why did he..."

Meng Jingzhou choked up, crying uncontrollably.

Baiming: "..."

He kindly asked, "Why don't you keep crying? I can take your place on stage."

The mid-Core Formation stage competition had already begun, and Meng Jingzhou was the first up.

Meng Jingzhou wiped away his tears, his expression resolute. "No need. Luyang can't participate, so I must carry on his will and press forward. I'm sure he, wherever he is, would want the same."

With that, Meng Jingzhou walked onto the arena stage, each step heavy, as if burdened by a profound mission.

In the spectator stands, Luyang wondered if he could abuse his authority to declare Meng Jingzhou, that grandson, an immediate loser.

"Inquiring Dao Sect, Meng Jingzhou."

"Charm Sect, Ye Mengyin."

Meng Jingzhou's opponent was Ye Mengyin, a true disciple of the Charm Sect, one of the super-grade sects. Ye Mengyin wore a clean, flowing long dress. Her skin was as clear as snow, her aura ethereal. To outsiders, she was a fairy adored by countless people.

Her charm cultivation was exceptional among her peers. A mere frown or smile could stir the deepest desires in men. Even women with insufficient willpower could be enchanted. Ye Mengyin's voice was alluringly delicate. When she introduced herself, her voice was so sweet it could melt one's bones.

"Senior Brother, please be gentle," she said coquettishly, "this humble one cannot withstand too much force."

Ye Mengyin looked at Meng Jingzhou with a pitiable expression, secretly employing her charm technique. In city and provincial level competitions, merely speaking a few such words would disorient her opponents, causing them to voluntarily surrender.

"Why don't you surrender now?" Meng Jingzhou chuckled as he looked at Ye Mengyin. "When I fight, I don't differentiate between men and women." He wouldn't show mercy whether he was fighting a man, a woman, or even Luyang.

Meng Jingzhou's gaze was clear, showing no signs of being enchanted. Ye Mengyin was astonished. Since her debut, she had never encountered a cultivator of the same realm who was completely unaffected by her charm technique. Even prodigies had to divert their attention to resist the charm technique. Unlike Meng Jingzhou, who was utterly unaffected.

As expected of someone from the Inquiring Dao Sect, he indeed possessed some true capability. Before the finals officially began, she had also wandered around the commercial street, participating in activities. She had also heard Meng Jingzhou's publicized remarks about "cultivators should be single, women are all just skin and bones." She had dismissed it, assuming Meng Jingzhou simply hadn't encountered her yet. Charm Sect cultivators had a history of enchanting temple monks and causing them to forsake their vows.

Ye Mengyin took out an ancient zither from her storage ring, gently strumming its strings. The zither's melody was smooth and soothing, like a gentle breeze, exceedingly tender. Even the cultivators below the stage listened spellbound. She was a rare sound cultivator. The zither's melody combined with her charm technique, coupled with her perfected first-grade Core Formation Pill, the "Desire Fire Burning Body Pill," meant that in the same realm, no one was her match!

Except for Luyang, Meng Jingzhou, Tao Yaoyao, Mang Gu, Lan Ting, Baiming, Yan Tianzhi...

"Six Forms of Heaven-Shaking!" Meng Jingzhou roared, his voice overpowering the zither's melody. He strode forward, his fists glowing golden, sparking fire as they cut through the air. With his two bachelor's Core Formation pills functioning, no charm technique had any effect. The only thing that threatened him was the zither's melody, which slowed his steps and hindered his movement. As a body cultivator, he was incredibly strong; even Luyang wouldn't dare to clash head-on with him. This level of control was but a drizzle to him, with negligible effect.

Ye Mengyin hadn't expected her proud techniques to have no effect on Meng Jingzhou. Before she could react, a fist the size of a sandbag smashed into her face. She fell to the ground with a thud; the sound alone suggested how much it hurt.

Meng Jingzhou won.

"Are you alright, sister?" Meng Jingzhou kindly helped Ye Mengyin up. During a match, they were fierce opponents; after it, they were fellow cultivators who helped each other.

Ye Mengyin gazed at Meng Jingzhou with affection. This was the first time she had encountered such a formidable male cultivator. All previous male cultivators she'd met had been subservient, afraid of her seeing through them. Only Meng Jingzhou showed no reaction to her.

"When I entered the Dao, I swore by my sect's name that I would marry whoever defeated me," she said.

"Oh, that's not good..." Meng Jingzhou smiled awkwardly. His romantic luck had arrived so suddenly.

Ye Mengyin gently shook her head. "There's nothing wrong with it. Our sect also has a rule: disciples are forbidden from marrying Inquiring Dao Sect disciples or anyone from the Meng family."

Meng Jingzhou: "..."

"Did my Meng family offend you? Why don't you go ask around in Imperial City? My Meng family's reputation is well-known, though not entirely positive, but it's certainly not on the same level as the Inquiring Dao Sect!"

"Forget it, no need to think so much. As long as I win, it's fine."

He achieved a good start. He joyfully walked off the stage, showing off to Baiming and the others.

"Did you see my fight just now? One punch, and she was down."

"Impressive, truly impressive. When I fight female cultivators, I always hesitate, afraid of hitting the wrong spot and being mistaken for a hooligan. It seems I need to learn from Senior Brother Meng." Baiming clapped, having learned a lot from Meng Jingzhou. He used to care too much about his reputation, which was truly unnecessary.

"Remarkable," Yan Tianzhi said concisely.

The matches continued, one after another. Baiming and Lan Ting successfully advanced. Their strength was clearly a cut above other cultivators in the same realm.

"It seems the ultimate winner of this group will be one of us four," Meng Jingzhou remarked.

"Don't jump to conclusions so easily," Baiming said, shaking his head and pointing to the cultivator currently on the stage. "As you've seen in the previous realm competitions, there are cultivators who can rival those from our immortal sects. The mid-Core Formation stage group is no different. Do you see that cultivator on the stage? He's a cultivator from our Cloud Province. He was very prominent in the Cloud Province competition, displaying exceptionally brilliant combat talent. His adaptability is strong, his foundation solid, with no weaknesses. Even his spiritual power, the most difficult to cultivate, hasn't lagged behind. His Core Formation pill should be a first-grade Devouring Core Formation Pill, capable of absorbing an opponent's spiritual energy during battle."

As the few of them whispered, a booming laugh echoed from above. Under everyone's gaze, a young man leaped down from the sky, landing on the arena stage, interrupting the match.

"How could such a lively event be complete without my Heavenly Court Sect?"

In the clouds, several figures still stood, all exuding terrifying auras.