"So, in order to ensure that the seven great righteous sects maintain harmony while also fairly distributing the cultivation resources in Zhao Kingdom through proper competition, the annual Trial Tournament among the seven sects was established!" said Fairy Qinglian. "Only disciples who have reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining from each of the seven sects are eligible to participate in the Trial Tournament. Each sect sends ten disciples."
"To maintain fairness, the location of the Trial Tournament changes every year. Once the trial begins, the participating disciples carry identification tokens and compete within a designated area, aiming to seize the tokens of disciples from other sects. When the month-long trial ends, the sect rankings are determined based on the number of tokens each sect has obtained, and this ranking decides the allocation of Zhao Kingdom's cultivation resources for the following year."
"Therefore, this ranking directly affects how many cultivation resources our Xuantian Sect will receive annually."
Elder Zou added, "For outer disciples, the only way to obtain the sect's reward of the Foundation Establishment Pill is by successfully protecting their identification tokens in the Trial Tournament. As for the Xuantian Sect, securing a higher ranking allows the sect to obtain more resources, strengthening the entire sect! Of course, the disciples who capture more tokens will also receive more generous rewards."
"This is a battle for resources, but also a battle for rankings! Hence, during the Trial Tournament, killing disciples from other sects is not forbidden. For the participating disciples, it's a matter of life and death!"
After a pause, Elder Zou continued, "Now, do you understand why I said that our Lietian Peak Sword branch is superior? Among all the branches of the Xuantian Sect, only our Lietian Peak Sword branch has the strongest combat abilities! In the Trial Tournament, our disciples have the greatest chance of both surviving and seizing tokens."
"Furthermore, because there are fewer disciples in our Lietian Peak Sword branch, when you reach the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, your chances of being chosen to represent our branch in the Trial Tournament are much higher than in other branches with more disciples, such as the Qi, Pill, Talisman, or Tool branches."
"Take Luo Zhiyuan as an example."
Elder Zou pointed out, "He is one of the proud disciples of our Lietian Peak Sword branch! Only with the sword techniques of our Lietian Peak was he able to hold off the Golden Leopard King, a beast comparable in power to an early-stage Core Formation cultivator, for so long while only being at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. If the Foundation Establishment disciple leading you into the back mountain had been from any of the other four branches, you would all have been dead by now!"
Elder Zou's lengthy explanation was actually an attempt to pique Lin Li's interest so that when Lin Li reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, he would choose to join the Lietian Peak Sword branch.
After all, as an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, he had to maintain his dignity and couldn't directly ask Lin Li to become his disciple.
In Elder Zou's mind, the correct way was for Lin Li, after several decades of cultivation, to take the initiative to join the Lietian Peak Sword branch. Then, at that point, Elder Zou would graciously "accept" him as a disciple, making it seem like a reluctant favor, causing Lin Li to be deeply grateful... That was how a proper disciple should be taken in!
Now was the perfect time to plant the seed in Lin Li's mind about the invincibility of the Lietian Peak Sword branch.
However, Fairy Qinglian immediately countered him, "Nonsense!"
"Everyone knows that all of you from Lietian Peak Sword branch only care about your swords, and nothing else, like a bunch of stubborn fools!"
Fairy Qinglian said, "Don't believe him. The reason the Lietian Peak Sword branch has so few disciples is that they only focus on sword cultivation and abandon all other aspects of cultivation. Aside from sword techniques, they know nothing! Moreover, not everyone is suited to cultivate the sword. If you aren't compatible with sword cultivation but still join the Lietian Peak Sword branch, then it's likely you'll never succeed in reaching Foundation Establishment!"
"Our Qi branch is different. We accept a wide variety of talents and skills. No matter your aptitude, you can find a suitable cultivation method in our branch."
After speaking for so long and feeling that he was finally convincing Lin Li, Elder Zou was frustrated to see Fairy Qinglian's words undo all his efforts!
But, as a late-stage Core Formation elder of the Sword branch, Elder Zou couldn't lower his dignity to directly ask Lin Li to join Lietian Peak Sword branch... A dignified elder at the peak of Core Formation couldn't possibly beg a mere Qi Refining disciple like Lin Li!
In the end, Elder Zou could only sigh heavily, "Sigh! Junior Sister Qinglian, why must you do this?"
"Why should you care? I'm happy to do so, and what can you do about it?"
Fairy Qinglian laughed as she walked into the main hall of the Xuantian Sect, calling out loudly, "Senior Brother Sect Master! Are you here? Qinglian has come to see you!"
"..."
Meanwhile, Ye Fan, who had been turned into a sword and left to gather dust in the Xuantian Sect's warehouse for so long, was finally able to see the light of day again. He found everything around him both exciting and amusing!
Watching Fairy Qinglian and Elder Zou bicker today, Ye Fan couldn't help but smile and think, "This Elder Zou really is just like Fairy Qinglian said—his mind and eyes are completely focused on the sword and nothing else. He's truly a steel-hearted fool... Fairy Qinglian's affection for him is so obvious, yet he remains oblivious, thinking she dislikes him and is always trying to oppose him. It's truly laughable!"
"But perhaps this is for the best!"
Ye Fan thought with anticipation, "Only a sword-obsessed cultivator like the disciples of Lietian Peak Sword branch would make a worthy sword master!"
"I hope Lin Li quickly reaches the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, joins the Lietian Peak Sword branch, and secures one of the two coveted spots in the Trial Tournament, representing Xuantian Sect. That way, I can drink blood and evolve!"
"Once he succeeds in Foundation Establishment, the efficiency of absorbing blood and gaining evolution points from his kills should increase significantly as well!"
Just as Ye Fan was brimming with anticipation, an elderly voice rang out from within the main hall, "Hohoho... Junior Sister Qinglian, what wind has blown you here today?"
As the voice spoke, the candles on both sides of the hall ignited without any fire, illuminating the entire hall.
In the center of the hall sat an old man, dressed in a daoist robe and holding a fly whisk. His hair and beard were white, and he exuded an air of otherworldly wisdom and refinement, sitting cross-legged on a meditation cushion.
The Xuantian Sect resided atop one of the seven great spiritual veins of Zhao Kingdom!
And among the spiritual veins of the Xuantian Sect, Tongtian Peak had the richest spiritual energy!
Within Tongtian Peak, the central hall had the densest concentration of spiritual energy!
And at the very core of this spiritual vein, sat the elderly man, meditating in the center of the hall.
Cultivating at the heart of the spiritual vein, the spiritual energy was so abundant that one day of cultivation here was worth a hundred days elsewhere!
It was the best place for someone who had reached the Great Perfection of Core Formation to contemplate the path to Nascent Soul!
Ordinarily, without the guidance of a Core Formation elder, ordinary disciples could not even pass through the barriers of the main hall to disturb the Sect Master.