The inn’s courtyard gate creaked open as Xu Zhuoli stepped through. His very presence seemed to freeze the air. The disciples flanking the entrance dropped to their knees like dominoes, their voices trembling in unison: “Sect Leader” Xu Zhuoli’s cold gaze swept over them with the kind of authority that didn’t need anger to be terrifying. “Where is the young master?” Inside the main room, Xu Zehua was slumped against the wall, his face still pale as parchment. The commotion outside made him snarl, “Who dares disturb my rest—” His words died in his throat as a familiar figure stepped into view. The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. “F-Father?” Xu Zehua scrambled to his feet, cold sweat beading on his forehead. “What brings you here?” “What brings me here?” Xu Zhuoli’s laugh was sharp as a blade. “Should I have waited for you and these wastes to get yourselves killed in Luanyang City before coming to collect your corpses?” A disciple behind him bowed deeply, placing a recording stone in Xu Zhuoli’s palm. The room fell silent except for the crickets outside, their carefree chirping a stark contrast to the disciples’ racing hearts. The Luanyang Palace’s recording stone was worth every spirit stone—crystal clear from every angle. Li Wuhe’s final expression, Xu Zehua’s panicked retreat after declaring himself worthless, it was all recorded in excruciating detail. Fear crept up from the depths of Xu Zehua’s heart again. Not quite the same terror he’d felt facing that silver-haired woman—after all, Xu Zhuoli was his father and wouldn’t actually kill him. But that woman from Lingshan Sect… she would have ended him without a second thought. “Father.” Xu Zehua stepped forward, his voice pleading, “I didn’t just watch Elder Li die! The Luanyang Palace people were too cunning—they set a trap!” Xu Zhuoli’s cold chuckle made Xu Zehua swallow his remaining words. “You are my son. I know you better than anyone in this world. Save your self-deception for yourself, not for my ears.” He placed a hand on Xu Zehua’s chest, his fingers moving slightly. The recording stone instantly crumbled to dust in his palm. “Elder Li is dead. My debt with Luanyang Palace grows deeper, and I’ll settle it with them and Lingshan Sect in due time.” His frown deepened as he studied his son’s pallid face. “But what’s wrong with you?” Xu Zehua’s head dropped to his chest, speechless. Xu Zhuoli turned to the disciple behind his son. The man fidgeted before reluctantly admitting, “Junior Brother drank with Lianshan Sect’s Xue Bushui until midnight. The wine was Immortal’s Rest’s Spirit Song Special Brew. Junior Brother didn’t properly refine the alcohol’s effects, and the next day when he saw Luanyang Palace selling recording stones in the plaza, his spirit qi became unstable from anger……” Xu Zhuoli stared at him in disbelief. He took a deep breath, glaring at his incompetent son. Part of him wanted to slap sense into the boy, but with the tournament starting soon, he couldn’t afford to send him into battle with a bruised face—more embarrassment for Crimson Thunder Sword Sect. Suppressing his rage, Xu Zhuoli growled, “I’ll settle accounts with you later. If you don’t make it through this tournament, don’t bother returning to Crimson Thunder Sword Sect!” ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel⚑fire.net “Yes!” Xu Zehua’s spine straightened as he answered. At least the matter with Li Wuhe seemed to be swept aside. He licked his lips and ventured, “Father, Luanyang Palace has damaged our sect’s reputation, and that Xi Lingren from Lingshan Sect killed our elder. I won’t let them off easy! It’s a pity that Xi Lingren skipped the first round, otherwise……” Malice flashed in his eyes. Xu Zhuoli’s smile was anything but pleasant. “She’s mid-Nascent Soul stage. Even if you could face her in the tournament, do you think you could actually kill her?” Xu Zehua clenched his fists, knowing his father was right. Frustrated, he snapped, “Fine, I can’t handle Xi Lingren, but what about Seraphine Velka? Her cultivation is two minor stages below mine! She’d better pray she doesn’t face me, or else—” Xu Zhuoli raised an eyebrow and gestured for everyone else to leave. Once the door closed, he sighed deeply. “If you weren’t my only son, I wouldn’t have brought you here at all.” He retrieved a pale golden pearl from his storage ring. “This is Crimson Thunder Sword Sect’s secret treasure, the South Sea Flood Dragon Pearl. It’s water-attributed. Integrate it with your natal weapon—the elemental synergy will help you claim victory.” Xu Zehua’s eyes lit up as he eagerly accepted the pearl. “Father, why didn’t you give this to me earlier? With such a treasure, I’ll be unstoppable!” “Hmph.” Xu Zhuoli’s cold laugh said everything. “We’ll see about your performance.” The moment Xu Zhuoli set foot in Luanyang City that night, word reached Seraphine’s ears. The hidden tensions between the two sects had been dragged kicking and screaming into the open after that death match, and when the bone-testing ceremony came around without any sign of him, Seraphine played dumb. She wanted to see what exactly this old fox was plotting. The bone-testing flew by in a blur, and now the Grand Competition was about to begin. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, yesterday’s full moon had given way to today’s blazing sun, casting its light over banners that fluttered across the mountainside like a sea of colorful wings. The arena stages were packed with humanity, their enthusiasm burning hotter than the sun itself. I solemnly took my seat at the viewing platform beside the Golden Core stage, then proceeded to pull out my supplies from my storage ring: a stack of sunflower seeds, a pile of pastries, half a watermelon, and a pot of iced tea. Seraphine stood behind Echo, glanced down at her spread, and made a soft “tsk” sound. For some reason, hands seemed to twitch. I looked around in alarm. There was killing intent in the air! My gaze swept the surroundings until it locked with a cold-faced man who radiated the aura of someone used to being in charge. Xu Zehua stood at his side. The pieces clicked into place. Xu Zhuoli studied Echo with a deeply furrowed brow, thinking to himself: This person doesn’t have a single trace of spiritual energy. Is this really how she fooled Li Wuhe? Just as he was mulling this over, he noticed Seraphine—dressed in red and standing behind Echo—place her palm on Echo’s shoulder and fix him with an icy stare. “Hah.” Xu Zhuoli’s voice was low and dismissive. “Overestimating yourself!” If he wanted to make a move against Xi Lingren, could one early Golden Core cultivator like Seraphine really protect her? Xu Zehua was also glaring at Seraphine. His heart burned with righteous fury and ambition, and he wanted nothing more than to call her out for a direct confrontation. In the midst of the dark tide, Lanzhi from the Insight Academy Palace descended onto the highest peak. As the supervisor of the Eastern Continent Grand Competition, she’d been stationed at the plaza for seven days straight, personally observing every sect’s disciples pass through the bone-testing ceremony. Very responsible of her. Today’s competition would receive the same diligent attention. After reiterating the rules, she hung a blank scroll painting at the mountain’s peak. The packed arena crowds tilted their heads up to watch her, instinctively holding their breath as they saw Lanzhi toss out nine Blue Jade Beads—the same ones used during bone-testing. The Blue Jade Beads glowed brightly, fusing together into a light that outshone the sun. I grabbed Seraphine’s sleeve and draped it over my head, using the fabric to shield my eyes as I looked up. Both of them craned their necks upward together. The Blue Jade Beads instantly transformed into a cyan-colored panel—I felt a little thrill of recognition! It felt so familiar! The panel divided into three sections for Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul stages, with names appearing that read: “XX Sect’s XX versus XX Sect’s XX.” Lanzhi’s voice cut through the suddenly boiling arena: “The Eastern Continent Grand Competition begins!” “Seraphine, I can see you up there,” I said. “You’re facing off against Cui Zhenchuan from Hongshan Sect.” Seraphine was a little disappointed. She reached up to touch her vermillion hairpin, gave a lazy hum of acknowledgment, and rubbed Echo’s hair with her palm. From the corner of her eye, she glanced toward the Crimson Thunder Sword Sect’s direction. Xu Zehua was matched against someone else entirely—both of them seemed displeased that they’d missed the chance to settle their score. Shortly after the matchup list appeared, the order of battles for each stage was announced. I glanced at it and clapped my hands. “Smart system!” Spiritual energy really is the number one productive force in the cultivation world. “Seraphine, I’ll be cheering for you from down here the entire time.” I said. Seraphine ruffled Echo’s hair again, her fingers threading through the strands. Her red sleeve, embroidered with golden patterns, swept across her silver hair and fell in front of Echo’s eyes. Echo reached out and squeezed Seraphine’s fingers. Broadcasting internally: Host affection +1 Seraphine looked down at Echo in surprise, smiled, and said, “Once I take the stage, you should sit across from me with all your snacks. That’ll encourage me more than any cheering ever could—I’ll be unstoppable, invincible in every battle.” I thought to myself: No wonder the Main System once organized human-style sports competitions. Back then, I assumed it was just using athletics as an excuse to sell snacks, but it turns out they really do help boost everyone’s combat power! Humans are truly intelligent beings who apply their wisdom to every aspect of life. As a system governed by data and logic, I still have so much to learn. Feeling deeply moved by this revelation, I grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and obediently followed Seraphine to the competition stage. Among the cultivators registered for the Eastern Continent Grand Competition, Foundation Establishment practitioners were the most numerous, Nascent Soul the fewest, and there wasn’t a single Soul Transformation cultivator. The number of stages was allocated accordingly, but the spectator distribution was exactly the opposite. The moment Seraphine stepped onto the platform, the viewing area fell silent for a heartbeat, then erupted in thunderous cheers. The Luanyang Palace disciples in their vermillion robes looked ready to tear down the phoenix banners from the mountaintop just to wave them around. I stood at the very front, where no one dared block my view. Clutching my sunflower seeds and gazing up at her, I was suddenly reminded of my first meeting with Seraphine. Back then, she’d worn golden hairpins and a phoenix crown, her eyes holding flames, radiating brilliant pride. But she’d been wrapped in solitude, as if nothing in the world deserved her attention. A full year had passed since then. That lofty bearing remained, that radiance unchanged, yet I felt Seraphine had become even more beautiful. I desperately wanted to scan her image and add it to my Seraphine Portrait Collection. But I was no longer the same little system as before. I learned to furrow my brow like a human, let out a serious sigh, though my eyes remained fixed on Seraphine. I’d just have to wait until we got back to paint her portrait. When Hongshan Sect’s Cui Zhenchuan took the stage and heard the earth-shaking cheers—definitely not for him—he laughed heartily and cupped his hands toward Seraphine. “Years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Palace Lord in a secret realm. Your bearing left such a deep impression that even now, seeing you again, your elegance has only grown more captivating. Please show mercy, Palace Lord—don’t let me lose too miserably.” His words carried a playful tone, but as a prodigy himself, he had his own pride. Seraphine smiled faintly and played along with his joke: “Of course. I has been in quite a good mood lately, especially toward sects with ‘shan’ in their names—I find them particularly endearing.” Lianshan Sect doesn’t count, since they’re about to disappear from the Eastern Continent anyway. Having said that, she drew out her natal weapon. The long whip hit the ground as blazing flames instantly ignited half the stage, licking at the hem of her robes and reflecting off the golden-red phoenix feather ornament at her brow. Seraphine’s lips curved into a smile, brilliant as a blooming flower. She raised her hand toward her opponent, whose expression had shifted from playful to serious, and said with easy confidence: “Someone’s waiting for me. Fellow Daoist, please make your move.” Down below, I gripped my sunflower seeds and pumped my fist. A brilliant idea struck me, and I quickly released a stream of spiritual light. A silver-white phoenix soared into the sky, circled the arena once, then materialized as a glowing projection above the stage— [Warmly Congratulating Seraphine on Securing the Eastern Continent Grand Competition Golden Core Championship in Advance!] Want to see exactly how she stunned everyone (and how I totally predicted it)? Peek 20 chapters ahead on Pxtreon➡️LoveisLove520. Trust me, it’s worth it. 😉