Chapter 239 - 142: The Semifinals Begin

As Gu Yun stepped out of the Wanbao Treasures Pavilion,

PHEW!

What a relief.

Even the mundane air seemed to carry the sweet, intoxicating scent of Spirit Stones.

’Did that Fatty Jin really think I was a fool?’

’Trying to swindle me?’

’Hmph!’

’Not a chance!!’

He glanced again at the pile of Middle Grade Spirit Stones in his Storage Ring. They emanated a faint blue light, pulsing with pure energy, and a sense of deep satisfaction washed over him.

’Alchemy is a real moneymaker!’

Ingredients worth only a few hundred Middle Grade Spirit Stones had been refined into Elixirs, yielding a return several times over. He’d made an absolute killing, earning back his investment and then some!

As he walked,

Gu Yun’s steps felt much lighter.

Gu Yun strode out of the Inner Sect Marketplace.

The shouts of the Cultivators manning the surrounding stalls were incessant.

"Come one, come all! Take a look! Top Grade Magical Artifacts, fresh from the ruins!"

"Don’t miss out! A Thousand-year-old Ice Ganoderma, harvested in the Northern Celestial Dynasty!"

"Fellow Cultivator, please, wait a moment.

This Celestial Meteor I have here is the perfect material for forging a Spiritual Artifact!"

But Gu Yun only quickened his pace,

walking as if carried by the wind.

’A real man never looks back.’

He was afraid this bunch of silver-tongued, lying vendors would manage to swindle him.

Soon,

Gu Yun reached the gates of the Inner Sect Marketplace.

Then, his figure flickered, transforming into a streak of lightning as he shot across the sky.

...

「On Celestial Thunder Dao Peak」

Within a cave-dwelling rich with Spiritual Qi,

Gu Yun sat cross-legged on a cushion.

The mysterious and ancient Jade Pendant hung at his waist.

His mind was clear as Spiritual Qi gathered around him.

His gaze was as serene as still water.

He then began to circulate his Cultivation Technique.

One after another, Middle Grade Spirit Stones floated into the air, and their incredibly pure Spiritual Qi flowed into Gu Yun. As it moved through him in the Circulation of Heaven and Earth, the Spiritual Qi refined into True Yuan.

As he circulated his Cultivation Technique, arcs of thunder crackled around him. He resembled a coiled dragon in slumber—motionless, yet ready to strike with the force of a thunderclap.

The invisible power he exuded was terrifying.

「In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.」

DONG!!

The sound of a bell, so crisp it seemed to pierce straight to the soul, rang out.

The majestic chime shook the heavens, reverberating in all directions and covering the entirety of the Profound Celestial Sect, an area spanning hundreds of thousands of square kilometers!

Gu Yun’s eyes snapped open. They crackled like electricity, flashing with a brilliant, thunderous light as a terrifying aura instantly radiated from him.

BANG!

The terrifying power surged into the air, a torrential flood of energy that made the entire cave-dwelling tremble and shake violently.

"The semi-finals are about to begin."

The words had barely left his lips when

Gu Yun’s figure vanished from the cave-dwelling.

...

「Profound Celestial Sect」

On the Vast Square, an immense plaza stretching for several miles,

a noisy, clamorous sea of people surged, buzzing with excitement.

The crowd wasn’t just made up of the Sect’s Inner and Outer Sect Disciples.

It also included members of various other sects and family clans, large and small, from across the Eastern Profound Domain.

Every so often, streaks of light would cut across the sky as cultivators of the True Martial Realm descended into the square.

Gu Yun couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion as he took in the scene.

’Only a sect of this stature and renown could invite so many cultivators to witness its grand competition, held just once every fifty years. And that wasn’t even counting the many sects and clans who came uninvited, eager to watch the prodigies of the Eastern Profound Domain clash!’

Soon,

all those who had advanced to the semi-finals gathered on the square. There were only a hundred of them.

Each one emanated a powerful aura.

With the exception of a rare few who had made it this far on pure luck,

the vast majority of the Inner Sect Disciples were incredibly formidable.

Their strength was likely enough to defeat ninety-nine percent of the other cultivators on the Vast Square!

Before long, an Elder on the high platform announced the rules for the semi-finals.

The competition would use a point-based system. All participants were divided into ten groups of ten. Within each group, they would duel in pairs. Winners would receive one point, while losers would receive none.

The rankings would be determined by the total number of points.

The top-ranked disciple from each group,

would advance to the finals of the Inner Sect’s grand competition!

Soon,

after some quick arrangements, ten separate areas were designated for the groups.

Gu Yun was assigned to Group Nine, which consisted of ten people.

After glancing over his potential opponents,

Gu Yun found a spot to sit and quietly awaited his turn to fight.

"Group One: Number Three, Qin Guangzai, versus Number Four, Jing Yunhong!"

"Group Two: Number Five, Ai Guangchen, versus Number Eight, Zuo Yongnian!"

...

"Group Nine: Number Two, Zhou Yuan, versus Number Seven, Qi Yu."

Once the pairings were confirmed,

at the Deacon Referee’s command, the chosen disciples ascended their respective stages.

On the stage for Group Nine,

two figures stood facing each other.

One was dressed in a long black robe. He had an ordinary face, but his eyes were sharp. This was Zhou Yuan, ranked fifty-sixth on the Profound Celestial List.

The other wore a cyan Profound Robe. He was remarkably handsome, with eyes as deep as the starry sky. He exuded an invisible yet incredibly powerful pressure that struck fear into others.

This was Qi Yu, ranked forty-ninth on the Profound Celestial List.

Zhou Yuan stared at his opponent, his sharp gaze holding a hint of gravity.

Although both of them were at the True Martial Ninth Layer Middle Stage of cultivation, his opponent’s higher rank clearly indicated he was slightly stronger.

’But so what!’

’I’ve come this far.’

’I have no reason to lose!’

Zhou Yuan and Qi Yu faced each other from across the stage.

Their robes fluttered, though there was no wind.

A powerful pressure rose from them both.

The two terrifying currents of Powerful Qi collided in mid-air,

creating invisible, terrifying sparks.

No matter how loudly the crowd cheered, their shouts could not penetrate the intense focus of the two opponents on the stage.

"Match, begin!"

After confirming all was in order, the Deacon Referee gave the command, officially starting the match!

BANG!

The very instant the Deacon Referee’s words faded,