Gu Qinghe returned to his seat outside the arena with calm, unhurried steps.
There were no cheers, but the outcome of the match was already beyond dispute. His victory in the quarterfinals officially placed his name among the semifinalists.
At the same time, the status of Inner Disciple fell into his hands.
Yet in Gu Qinghe's heart, this victory meant nothing.
Inner Disciple was only the starting point. To learn the method to cure the Ice Meridian Curse embedded deep within his body, there was only one absolute requirement—he had to reach the rank of Core Disciple.
Without that, the gates to the sect's core archives would remain firmly closed to him.
The next match began soon after.
Li Xiaoman stepped onto the arena, facing an elite disciple from the Spring Region.
The adjudicating elder had barely announced the start when Li Xiaoman moved first—without hesitation and without unnecessary words.
Her attacks were swift and aggressive, clearly showing the results of her recent intense training.
Gu Qinghe watched quietly. The day before, he and Li Xiaoman had sparred together.
Objectively speaking, Gu Qinghe knew that if they had met in the quarterfinals, he would have had a high chance of defeating her.
However, he had deliberately restrained his own ambition.
His goal was not to win quickly, but to reach the highest position while expending as few trump cards as possible.
Now, Li Xiaoman's progress was obvious.
The flow of qi she released was stable and efficient. There was no waste.
Every technique had a clear purpose and struck its target with sharp precision.
Her movements no longer relied on bursts of raw power, but on control and rhythm.
This change did not escape the notice of the other disciples.
Gu Qinghe recalled the only request he had made to Li Xiaoman before the match—reduce her reliance on her father's artifacts.
As the daughter of a sect elder, Li Xiaoman had long been labeled as a disciple who hid behind high-grade artifacts.
That mark of cowardice clung to her, no matter how great her talent was.
If she wanted true recognition, there was only one path—fight with her own strength.
And now, she was proving it.
The battle lasted twenty-five minutes.
Not short, but not drawn out either.
In the end, the Spring Region disciple was pushed out of the arena by Li Xiaoman's final attack—clean, decisive, and flawless.
"The winner of the third match is Li Xiaoman," the adjudicating elder announced. "She advances to the semifinals and is officially granted Inner Disciple status."
Gu Qinghe glanced toward the Spring Region stands.
Displeasure was written clearly on the faces of the disciples there. Two representatives from the Winter Region had entered the semifinals.
This situation was clearly beyond their expectations.
"How did it come to this…?"
"If one of them becomes the champion, the Spring Region's reputation will be ruined."
Anxious whispers spread through the crowd.
The quarterfinals officially came to an end. The adjudicating elder granted the four semifinalists two hours of rest to recover their strength and stabilize their condition.
Gu Qinghe and Li Xiaoman stood, exchanged brief bows, and left the arena. The two of them flew toward the Winter Region.
Along the way, sharp gazes followed them.
Suppressed anger, jealousy, and malicious intent mixed together—but no one dared to act recklessly.
Everyone knew that Gu Qinghe and Li Xiaoman were stronger than them. Attacking now would only lead to death.
Standing atop his flying sword, Gu Qinghe occasionally glanced back.
With his Aura Eyes, he detected no presence behind them.
No one was following.
They arrived at the snowy hill in the Winter Region, where Yin energy gathered densely.
Li Xiaoman took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
Her body felt lighter than before. Yesterday's training had made a significant difference—especially the qi efficiency technique Gu Qinghe had taught her.
With it, she could use more techniques without worrying about exhausting herself mid-battle.
"Thank you, Qinghe," she said sincerely.
Gu Qinghe sat cross-legged on a large rock. "The semifinals will begin soon. Recover your strength."
Li Xiaoman smiled faintly and sat cross-legged across from him.
Not long after, Gu Qinghe felt a powerful wave of qi flowing around him.
When he opened his eyes, he saw that Li Xiaoman had entered deep cultivation.
At a glance, the scene almost resembled dual cultivation, but Gu Qinghe quickly steadied his thoughts.
He formed hand seals for Silent Yin Extraction.
The extreme Yin energy of the region was drawn in and refined into pure qi.
At the same time, Gu Qinghe continued absorbing ambient natural qi. The process doubled his recovery efficiency and increased his chances of breaking through.
In less than an hour, Gu Qinghe's strength had fully recovered. His dantian sea was once again filled.
When he opened his eyes, Li Xiaoman was still meditating, allowing natural qi to flow gently through her meridians.
The semifinals were the key.
If he won, Core Disciple status would automatically be his. But Gu Qinghe did not let his guard down.
Every semifinalist was a threat—including Li Xiaoman herself. If he lost, the only remaining hope would be the match for third place.
Gu Qinghe's gaze sharpened.
A foreign aura was detected approaching from the cliff ahead of the snowy hill.
Moments later, five cultivators from the Spring Region appeared in the air.
They had deliberately entered the extreme Yin territory of the Winter Region.
"Did you come here to kill us?" Gu Qinghe asked flatly.
One of them pointed at him, his expression grim. "If you want to live, Gu Qinghe, withdraw from the tournament."
Gu Qinghe smiled coldly. "I reached the semifinals with my own strength. Who are you to give me orders?"
"We are Inner Disciples of the Technique and Legacy Hall!"
"And?" Gu Qinghe replied casually.
"We'll kill you if you keep resisting!"
Gu Qinghe closed his eyes. His right hand rose to waist height.
A blue Soul-Piercing Needle appeared, formed from the primordial soul power of Yun Tian sealed within him.
With his current cultivation, the technique was only effective up to Early Core Formation. But that was more than enough.
"Come," he said softly.
One cultivator charged forward with his sword drawn.
The Soul-Piercing Needle shot out.
There was no physical wound. But the cultivator's soul shattered instantly.
His body fell lifelessly as his soul tore free.
Everyone's eyes widened.
"A soul attack?! Impossible!"
Gu Qinghe extended his hand, pulling the golden-colored soul toward him and clenching it tightly.
Golden light pierced into the soul's forehead as red runes spread, locking it in place and preventing it from returning to its body.
I'll refine it.
The remaining four cultivators trembled in fear.
Gu Qinghe gave them no chance.
Four Soul-Piercing Needles shot out almost simultaneously.
They tried to flee, but the speed of a soul attack far exceeded their abilities.
Four more souls were torn free.
Gu Qinghe bound them all with soul-binding runes and stored them inside his bag of holding.
Five Foundation Establishment souls.
Enough for a breakthrough.
But the next moment, Gu Qinghe dropped to one knee. Fresh blood sprayed from his mouth.
Overusing soul attacks had shaken his primordial soul.
"I can only recover once I reach Soul Formation…" he murmured quietly.
He took a deep breath.
"Until then… this technique must be used carefully."