Chapter 82: The Rules of the Grand Tournament

Within a few days, the news had spread throughout the entire Beast Taming Sect.

The sound of forging iron, which had been silent for so long, once again echoed from Qi Mountain, a sound so powerful it seemed to resound through the Nine Heavens.

Some of the older disciples of the sect knew just how formidable the woman on that mountain was.

"Hey, have you heard?"

"Senior Xu has started forging again! I wonder who's lucky enough to get her to come out of seclusion."

"Tch, I heard it was for that newcomer, Lin Yun."

Lin Yun heard these idle chats with perfect clarity. It was the hottest news in the sect recently. For Xu Miaoyun, who hadn't forged anything in years, to start again was an unbelievable event for anyone.

Lin Yun could understand their shock. However, he was in no leisurely mood himself.

These past few days, with Xiao Bai in a deep slumber, Lin Yun had focused all his attention on cultivating his Primal Chaos Sword Embryo and his sword techniques. He could still practice these even though he was no longer in the Flowing Cloud Sect.

After the battle at Weiyang Mountain, Lin Yun craved power more than anyone. Zhou Damao had been right; what Lin Yun feared now was that his own cultivation was too slow. His enemies were growing stronger. How could he just sit and wait for death?

After reaching the Origin Sea Realm, Lin Yun felt his cultivation speed had slowed considerably.

"It seems I must break through to the third layer of the Primal Chaos Sword Embryo," he muttered to himself. "But cultivating this Sword Embryo is unlike any other technique."

At his current cultivation realm, if he wanted to achieve a breakthrough, there was only one path.

To prove one's Dao, one must first pass through the crucible of death.

It seemed all sword cultivators were this stubborn. But Lin Yun had no intention of giving up.

For several days, Lin Yun trained relentlessly in his residence. More than a month passed in the blink of an eye.

One day, Jiang Zhengqing had Zhou Damao summon him to the Great Hall. When he entered, Jiang Zhengqing was the only one there.

"Sect Master."

"You called for this disciple. Is there something you need?"

Jiang Zhengqing looked at him. "A few days ago, the whole sect was abuzz about the forging on Qi Mountain, yet you managed to keep your composure."

"With a great enemy before me, this disciple has no time to worry about other matters," Lin Yun said with a small smile. They were just a bunch of gossiping kids. His only goal right now was to march on the Flowing Cloud Sect and expose Gu Xiande's hypocritical nature to the world.

Jiang Zhengqing patted his shoulder. "I know, but this cannot be achieved overnight. You must not be hasty." He was worried Lin Yun might suffer a cultivation deviation from his obsessive training.

He then asked, "The Chongqing Bird… have you seen it again?"

The bird's acknowledgement of Lin Yun as its master had been a shock to everyone. But with the incident involving Wu Boyan, Jiang Zhengqing had focused most of his energy on purging the sect. It seemed his efforts were now bearing fruit, and he finally had the time to help Lin Yun with some of his problems.

"No," Lin Yun replied. "I haven't had any news of it since it acknowledged me in the Great Hall. But I can feel it… it's attached to my right hand." He clenched his fist. As the Sect-Guarding Spirit Beast, it surely had some special properties, but he didn't know what they were.

"The Chongqing Bird is one of the last Desolate Ancient Exotic Beasts remaining in our sect," Jiang Zhengqing explained. "It was passed down by the sect's ancestors generations ago for the sole purpose of protecting our legacy."

It was understandable that Lin Yun couldn't control it yet. Jiang Zhengqing then produced a manual. "This is our sect's core cultivation method. You can decide for yourself whether you wish to use it."

Lin Yun felt a headache coming on. The Chongqing Bird was a priceless treasure, but if he didn't know the art of beast taming, he would have no way to command its power. Yet, having cultivated the Primal Chaos Sword Embryo for so long, he knew it was a supreme technique for sword cultivators. If forced to choose, he couldn't bear to part with it. If he wanted to walk the path to becoming a supreme sword master, he absolutely could not abandon this technique.

What a pity… he could only learn one of the two. Otherwise, wouldn't he be invincible?

"Sect Master, this disciple would like to learn it, but… if I abandon my current technique, I would have to start my cultivation all over again. I don't know how long that would take. If you are willing, I will accept this manual and wait until my vengeance is complete before deciding whether to learn it."

Seeing Lin Yun's conflicted expression, Jiang Zhengqing was quite relaxed. The Chongqing Bird was not only powerful but also possessed extraordinary wisdom. Since it had chosen Lin Yun, there was surely a reason for it. He had no need to worry.

"You need not be so conflicted. Just follow your heart," he said. "I know that Junior Brother Li also had a copy of the manual, but the one I am giving you has been refined by generations of our sect's ancestors. It will only bring you great benefits."

"Many thanks, Sect Master." Lin Yun could genuinely feel Jiang Zhengqing's care, a stark contrast to the false benevolence of that old fox, Gu Xiande.

"The Grand Tournament of the Spirit Realm will begin in three months," Jiang Zhengqing said, his tone turning serious. "Before then, I must ask you one more time: are you certain you want to participate?"

To participate in the Grand Tournament, one's cultivation had to be at least at the Origin Fusion Realm. Each sect was limited in the number of Sky-Soaring Realm and Spirit Cauldron Realm disciples they could send. There were no limits on disciples below those two realms.

The Grand Tournament was, at its core, a ruthless contest between the four great sects. Adhering to the principle of survival of the fittest, you could do anything within the tournament grounds—even kill all the other disciples—without consequence. Of course, if an opponent surrendered and willingly offered up their treasures, no one would usually press for a killing blow. After all, the four sects had to interact with each other constantly, and no one wanted to make things too ugly.

Furthermore, the geomancy map of the tournament grounds was split into four parts, one for each sect. Under most circumstances, disciples would operate within the territory they were familiar with. Only the truly powerful would venture into other areas. After all, the danger in the tournament wasn't just from other cultivators, but also from the perilous environment and the exotic beasts native to it. It was a land of rich opportunities, but also of countless underhanded tricks.

"Sect Master, this disciple has already decided," Lin Yun said, his voice as firm as chopped nails and sliced iron. "I must go to this Grand Tournament."

Jiang Zhengqing nodded. "Generally, the disciples sent by the four sects who are above the Sky-Soaring Realm are limited to two each. Their task is to protect the other disciples within a certain range. Although you are in the Origin Sea Realm, I understand that with your strength, you have a chance against a Sky-Soaring Realm cultivator. In a way, we are exploiting a loophole."

He smiled, then his expression turned serious again. "However, I have recently received news that this year's Grand Tournament will likely be much more troublesome. The Flowing Cloud Sect has already prepared disciples to deal with us. And of course… their primary target will be you."