Chapter 128: The Divine Abilities of Mount Sanqing, The So-Called Fairness

Gu An, Ye Lan, and Wu Jue were leisurely drinking wine, eating fruit, and enjoying the battles of the Gold List Tournament. For the first few days, none of them were scheduled to compete, so they were simply spectators.

By this point, Ye Lan and Wu Jue had grown familiar with each other, and Wu Jue no longer felt so awkward.

Finally, on the fifth day, it was Wu Jue's turn to participate.

As Wu Jue left, Ye Lan curiously asked, "Senior Brother, whose disciple is he? He doesn't seem ordinary."

Being well-traveled and knowledgeable, Ye Lan could sense that Wu Jue was special.

After multiple breakthroughs in comprehension, Wu Jue's aura had transformed. Even though his appearance and attire were unremarkable, he exuded an unforgettable presence.

"His master is dead, and he's been an orphan since childhood. I've been his only friend. For the past five years, I deliberately avoided visiting him, which is why he was so angry," Gu An replied.

Hearing this, Ye Lan felt sympathy for Wu Jue, though she couldn't help but smile at the situation.

She sighed softly, "Senior Brother, you really are..."

"What am I?"

"Nothing."

Ye Lan turned her gaze to the large projection in the sky, and Gu An followed her gaze.

Two figures were dueling within the projection: one was a young Taoist dressed in a green robe, while the other was a warrior clad in armor, wielding a long spear.

Gu An could immediately tell that these two were much stronger than the previous contestants.

The green-robed Taoist appeared to be at the Divine Transformation Realm, while the armored warrior was in the Void Crossing Realm.

Both under five hundred years old, they were undoubtedly top-tier geniuses.

Above the Core Formation Realm, cultivation wasn't something that could be achieved merely by throwing resources at it.

Gu An had expected an intense battle, but the green-robed Taoist only made a quick hand seal, summoning a massive "Dao" character glowing with green light. The character, over a hundred meters wide, flew like a mountain toward the armored warrior, instantly sending him flying with a mouthful of blood, knocking him out of the fight.

Though the armored warrior had his cultivation suppressed to the Divine Transformation Realm, to be defeated so quickly was still surprising to Gu An.

With his keen eye, Gu An could tell that the Taoist's Dao Seal had reached the level of a divine ability.

Defeating an opponent in one move caused the entire city to erupt in shock!

"The winner is Xuanmiao Zhenren of Mount Sanqing from the Shen Tang Dynasty."

The voice of an elder echoed from the projection, ensuring that everyone remembered the name of the green-robed Taoist.

Ye Lan sighed, "Mount Sanqing is truly formidable. I encountered them before in the Nine Nether Path. Mount Sanqing is the top sect of the Shen Tang Dynasty. They don't have many disciples, but every one of them is exceptionally strong. It's said that they once produced an immortal, though who knows if it's true."

Gu An silently noted the name of this sect. The Dao Seal of Xuanmiao Zhenren was indeed powerful, proving the depth of Mount Sanqing's heritage.

An hour later.

It was finally Wu Jue's turn to compete.

Since battles at the Foundation Establishment Realm were usually less flashy, many people weren't expecting much.

However, the moment Wu Jue threw his first punch, the explosive force of it immediately caught the attention of everyone in the city.

His punch was like a blazing sun, and the force of the punch alone made it difficult for his opponent to defend.

Every punch Wu Jue threw was filled with immense power, displaying an overwhelming might.

After eight punches, his opponent was forced to their knees, coughing up blood uncontrollably.

"The winner is Wu Jue from Tai Xuan Sect of the Tai Cang Dynasty."

The city buzzed with conversation, and Wu Jue's name quickly became a hot topic.

Ye Lan was stunned. She had known Wu Jue wasn't ordinary but didn't expect him to be so formidable.

Gu An smiled, knowing that Wu Jue's legendary rise was just beginning.

The Sunset Fist was a relatively ordinary technique, but Wu Jue had honed it to perfection, even pushing it toward further advancement.

It seemed that his breakthroughs in comprehension had also deepened his understanding of martial techniques!

...

That afternoon.

In the Third Medicine Valley.

Gu An was meeting with Lü Baitian in a pavilion. It had been a few months since they last met, and Lü Baitian was in high spirits, smiling brightly.

He opened his right hand, revealing a pearl in his palm. "This is the Thousand Shadows Pearl, a top-grade magical artifact. Over the next few days, you should refine it, and then use it during the competition at the end of the month."

Gu An took the Thousand Shadows Pearl with a chuckle and asked, "You actually want me to keep advancing?"

Several cultivators had already won their matches in the Gold List Tournament by using magical artifacts. According to the rules, each contestant was allowed to bring one magical artifact or formation set to maintain fairness. Whether they were sword cultivators, blade cultivators, or formation experts, each could use an artifact. Banning them would actually be unfair to such cultivators.

Even with the one-artifact rule, there had already been instances where cultivators won purely by relying on their artifacts, sparking plenty of debate in the city.

Lü Baitian laughed, "I've already arranged your opponents and battle times. There's still time. I don't expect you to become famous, but if you can make it into the top five hundred, that would be quite the accomplishment."

With the best geniuses of the Nine Dynasties gathered, being in the top five hundred meant being among the elites.

Gu An had intended to participate just for fun, but now Lü Baitian was getting serious about it.

"Master, fairness, fairness—don't forget those words," Gu An reminded, feeling a bit exasperated.

Lü Baitian was never one to play by the rules.

But then again, he had always been like that, even with his cultivation methods, which were far from orthodox.

Lü Baitian shrugged indifferently. "What's unfair about it? All those disciples from prestigious families rely on their family's resources. I'm just giving you a magical artifact. They have elders helping them too. Arranging your opponents just gives you a bit of luck, but in the end, the victory still depends on your strength."

Gu An toyed with the Thousand Shadows Pearl, a bit hesitant.

"If you make it into the top five hundred, I'll reward you with a sixth-tier spirit tree!" Lü Baitian added seriously.

Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately gripped the Thousand Shadows Pearl and said, "Well, in that case, I'll give it my all."

Lü Baitian stood up, grinning. "Good, go ahead and start refining the artifact. I've already refined the most difficult restrictions inside, so the rest should be no problem for you."

With that, he left the pavilion.

Gu An didn't see him off, instead, he stared at the Thousand Shadows Pearl in his hand, deep in thought.

...

The Gold List Tournament was set to last for several months, and since Gu An had responsibilities in the Medicine Valley, he didn't go to watch the matches every day. Meanwhile, Ye Lan and Wu Jue were preparing for their next rounds.

It wasn't until the end of the month that Gu An received notice of his next match. The Gold List invitation he had was linked to a magical artifact that served as a communication tool. Early that morning, the artifact transmitted a message, informing him to proceed to the competition site.

All the outer sect towns had teleportation arrays specifically for the Gold List Tournament, making it easy to travel.

After teleporting to the tournament grounds, Gu An patiently waited.

The venue was an expansive valley, divided into two sections: one for waiting and the other for dueling. The dueling area spanned several miles and was surrounded by mountains, isolated by powerful formations.

"Gu An, you're competing too? Aren't you afraid of getting beaten up?" A teasing voice came from behind.

Without turning around, Gu An knew it was Shen Zhen approaching.

"Just giving it a try," Gu An replied calmly.

Recently, the storyline in Tai Xuan Secrets had displeased him. The character based on him bullied a weak girl—although it was a misunderstanding, the character's behavior had been quite overbearing, souring his impression of Shen Zhen.

Shen Zhen seemed aware of this and didn't mind his attitude. Instead, she smiled and said, "If we end up facing each other, I won't hold back. But if you say something nice to me, I might just let you win."

"A man must have his pride. I won't let you mock me," Gu An scoffed.

Shen Zhen burst into laughter, playfully bumping his shoulder. "Don't be mad. That book is almost finished, and I'm getting tired of it too. Once the Gold List Tournament is over, I plan to go into seclusion for cultivation. You might not see me for decades."

Hearing this, Gu An's expression softened. "Did you gain some insight from your drawings?"

"That's right. I might just achieve enlightenment," Shen Zhen boasted with a grin.

She's really good at exaggerating! Gu An thought, as he and Shen Zhen continued to chat while waiting for his match.

Suddenly, a woman teleported into the valley, and her presence caught Gu An's attention.

It was the Ghost Mother of the Ephemeral Blossom!

Why had she come again?

Did she think Tai Xuan Sect was some sort of public park she could stroll in and out of?

Gu An silently pondered, but he didn't turn to look at the Ghost Mother.

Though the Ghost Mother had once tried to make him the leader of her sect, Gu An still felt uneasy around her.

And who wouldn't, after she had casually presented him with the corpse of a demonic emperor at the fifth level of the Mahayana Realm? If it weren't for his Lifespan Investigation ability, he wouldn't have realized that the corpse was still "alive."

She was too dangerous!

The Ghost Mother had taken on a new form, likely through possession.

She didn't glance at Gu An, possibly having forgotten him altogether.

An hour later, Shen Zhen won her match and was teleported out of the valley.

After waiting for another hour, it was finally Gu An's turn.

His opponent was weak, a Core Formation Realm cultivator. After being suppressed to the Foundation Establishment Realm, Gu An deliberately extended the fight for several dozen moves before using the Thousand Shadows Pearl to win.

For the spectators, the match was boring, and only a few people remembered Gu An's name.

And so the tournament progressed.

Summer gave way to autumn, and Gu An went through three matches, all close battles in which he narrowly won.

At this point, there were still over a thousand contestants left.

The Tai Xuan Sect didn't mind the tournament's length. During this time, the sect's income from spirit stones had multiplied, making it an incredibly profitable event.

After three months of battles, a handful of true geniuses had emerged. The brightest star was undoubtedly An Hao, who crushed every opponent, not even needing to use the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword. He relied solely on the spells he had learned in Tai Xuan Sect, overwhelming all opposition with sheer force.

Others, like Lü Xian, Xuanmiao Zhenren, and several dynastic geniuses, also garnered attention. Each of the Nine Dynasties had at least one rising star, and although Ji Xiaoya didn't participate, other members of the Ji Family performed exceptionally well.

The Gold List Tournament had become a sensation across the Nine Dynasties, drawing the attention of cultivators everywhere, further spreading Tai Xuan Sect's reputation across the land.

Within the Tai Cang Dynasty, other dynasties' sects also gained recognition, possibly explaining why so many sects were eager to participate in this event.

For Gu An, the tournament was just a form of entertainment. He wasn't concerned with his rank.

Initially, he found the event exciting, but as his interest waned, he refocused on cultivating his plants.

Then one day, a rumor began to spread ahead of schedule.

An Hao versus Li Ya!

Li Ya had also proven himself, showing that he was capable of ranking within the top one hundred. His early encounter with An Hao, the frontrunner for the top spot, naturally became the talk of the town.

Gu An was in the Third Medicine Valley when he heard a disciple flying overhead on a sword, shouting the news. Intrigued, he decided to head to the outer sect town to watch.

From every direction, disciples were flocking to the outer sect town, and Gu An couldn't help but marvel.

Lü Baitian had finally mastered the art of promotion!

Gu An was eager to see how it would unfold.

Who was stronger—Li Ya or An Hao?

Both of their lives resembled those of destiny's chosen protagonists, though their paths were quite different.