Lady Cultivator

A month passed by in a flash.

In that one month, Mo Tiange was completely engrossed in cultivating and comprehending formations. Sometimes, she went to take a look at the situation outside.

Regarding the clash between An Clan and Huang Clan, both clans believed the deaths were carried out by the opposite clan. Their investigations progressed increasingly deeper until they finally found out about the illicit relationship. Both clans accused each other of having prompted the younger generation to seduce the other. Since the dispute couldn’t be solved, they could only fight it out. In the end, after much fighting, both clans suffered and their numbers kept declining. More than ten years later, the remaining cultivators from both clans fell one after another, thus their clans were removed from Mount Yunwu. This was, of course, a matter that would happen in the future.

As for now, Mo Tiange no longer cared what they were doing as long as they couldn’t track the matter to her. These two clans were in a dogfight from the beginning, and they were unwilling to let go of this opportunity to attack the opposite clan. Now, she had an even more important matter—Mount Yunwu’s Immortals Assembly had finally begun.

The number of cultivators on Mount Yunwu now was several times higher than normal. The first reason for this was naturally the presence of numerous cultivators who came to participate in the Immortals Assembly. The second reason was that most of the participants had friends or elders accompanying them.

Today, Mo Tiange got up at dawn. At the same time, Ye Jiang also suspended his recuperation and packed his belongings to go with her.

This was a tradition in the Immortals Assembly. Because deaths were allowed in the Immortals Assembly’s competitions, all the participants had their family or friends accompanying them. If the participants really ended up dead, the things they left behind could be retrieved by their family or friends. If they didn’t have anyone to do that, everything would be taken by the sects.

The two of them, uncle and niece, flew along the mountain road towards the peak where Yunwu Sect was located. Mo Tiange had to go with the gatekeeper to register her name and obtain an identity tablet before she could enter with Second Uncle.

When the young disciple acting as the gatekeeper noticed that Ye Jiang was a Foundation Building cultivator, he took a few more glances at him. It was naturally far easier for Foundation Building cultivators to enter cultivation group and to secure admission for their relatives or disciples. Thus, there were hardly any Foundation Building cultivators who came just to accompany participants in the Immortals Assembly.

However, after seeing that Ye Jiang was already old and obviously didn’t have long to live, the disciple finally shifted his gaze. No cultivation group would be willing to accept a Foundation Building cultivator who almost exhausted his lifespan but had no prospect of advancing to the next realm. Moreover, Foundation Building cultivators like that were usually unwilling to enter a cultivation group and be subjected to so many restrictions in the last parts of their lives. There was indeed nothing strange about this.

Today, the gates of Yunwu Sect looked rather like a Daoists temple in the secular world at its most crowded moment. The road was jam-packed with people. Based on Mo Tiange’s approximations, there were probably several thousands of people here. Even if she counted only those who would actually enter the ring, approximately half of those people, they still amounted to more than a thousand, while the sect would only accept less than a hundred people. Obviously, the competition would be extremely fierce.

They arrived in an enormous square right after they passed through Yunwu Sect’s gate. The square had a capacity of ten thousand people. A glorious hall covered with clouds and mist was behind the square. It actually had a very unworldly vibe to it.

At the moment, ten rings had been placed in the square. There were several Foundation Building cultivators guarding each ring and also some Aura Refining cultivators who were registering their names.

The rule about these rings was that those who entered the ring had to defeat ten people to pass the first round. The rule remained the same for the next rounds—they had to defeat several people until only less than a hundred people were left.

Second Uncle taught her that the beginning and the ending were when the worst fights happened. At the beginning of the competition, there would always be people eager to be qualified as soon as possible before the real experts entered the ring. At the end of the competition, there would be a lot of people who previously lost in other rings competing for their last chance with all their might. Most casualties took place in the fights at the end.

As a result, Mo Tiange decided to enter the ring when the competition had progressed halfway to avoid the desperate fighters that would most likely show up at the beginning and at the end of the competition. This way, things should be slightly easier for her and it would be less likely for her to encounter those desperate fighters.

When the sun finally rose, several Summoning Talismans flew out of the hall and fell directly on the guarding cultivators’ hands. Once they received the Summoning Talismans, each of them declared that the competition on their respective ring would begin.

Competitions would occur on each ring and everyone would have one chance on each ring. Because of that, many people went to a ring straightaway once the competition began; if they didn’t succeed in the first ring, they could choose another ring where the fighters were comparably weaker and fight again. However, this method rarely succeeded. Objects like spirit stones and talismans were exhaustible, and individual cultivators wouldn’t have enough of them to spend them like that. Even if they did have enough, it was impossible for them not to suffer any injuries at all. Thus, their successive fights would definitely be harder than their first fight.

Mo Tiange and Ye Jiang randomly chose a ring to watch and soon saw someone entering the ring. He was a ninth layer Aura Refining cultivator in his thirties with a robust build.

Because it was very difficult for cultivators to advance to the next realm after they were fifty years old, the Immortals Assembly set up a rule that only those below fifty were qualified to participate. Because of that, the majority of people present were either in their thirties or forties. Meanwhile, people like Mo Tiange who hadn’t yet reached twenty years old were a scarcity.

Right after the robust-build man handed over his identity tablet to the cultivator in charge of registering their names, he spoke loudly, “Is there any Fellow Daoist willing to come up and give me a lesson?” His voice resounded; the audience heard him very clearly.

The competition had just begun, yet there was already a ninth layer Aura Refining cultivator in the ring. One after another, every cultivator surrounding this particular ring sighed over their bad luck. The tenth layer was the highest layer in the Aura Refining realm; the competition had just begun, but there was already such a high-level person in the ring. How was it possible for the cultivators in the sixth and seventh layers of the Aura Refining realm to not feel helpless?

However, there were naturally some people who were unwilling to give up just like this. Sure enough, one person headed towards the ring. He handed over his identity tablet then entered the ring and greeted the robust-build man: “Brother, allow me to ask for your guidance.”

After the two of them exchanged pleasantries, both took out their respective spirit tool and begun to exchange blows.

Ye Jiang shook his head and said, “Let’s watch another ring.”

Mo Tiange had no objections. The fighting method of these two cultivators was too common. Even though her cultivation level was slightly lower than theirs, it would be very easy for her to win against them using the handy Green-Wood Sword and Green-Wood Art of hers.

The fight in the second ring was unexpectedly a battle of talismans between two people. Maybe the two had some sort of history because right now, they were wildly throwing talismans at each other as if the talismans didn’t cost anything. They were even wilder than she was when she killed that cultivator from An Clan.

Mo Tiange thought if she was to encounter this kind of opponent, she would indeed have no other options except to throw talismans wildly like her opponent did; after all, she wouldn’t be as fast if she used spirit tools and formations would consume too much spiritual aura. Thus, the one with more talismans would definitely win here.

The fights in other rings were all very ordinary. However, one ring managed to make Ye Jiang gasp.

Mo Tiange curiously asked, “What’s wrong, Second Uncle?”

Ye Jiang kept watching for a while before he finally shook his head and answered, “This person was very skillful in using his spiritual aura. He must either be someone with elders’ guidance or someone with a firm will.”

Mo Tiange shifted her gaze towards that ring. It was a competition between a middle-aged man about forty years old who was in the seventh layer of the Aura Refining realm, and a ninth layer Aura Refining youth in his early twenties. Although the middle-aged cultivator had a fan-shaped spirit tool in his hand, the youth only had a Defense Talisman which he stuck to his body. Nevertheless, the youth’s spells were quick and accurate, hence the middle-aged cultivator found himself in a tight situation.

Presumably, Second Uncle was talking about this youth.

Mo Tiange watched him for a long time but she still couldn’t see anything special about him. “Isn’t this person just good at spells?”

Ye Jiang smiled and shook his head. “The spells this person casts are very ordinary, but he’s very quick in moving his spiritual aura. Watch—when he strikes, he hardly makes any preparations, yet each spell appears almost in an instant. Ordinary Aura Refining cultivators take a long time to muster their spiritual aura before they can cast a spell; this is the reason why using talismans is far quicker than casting spells. However, take a look at him—his spell-casting isn’t really slower than using talismans. This is indeed the highest limit of what an Aura Refining cultivator can achieve.”

Mo Tiange watched the person closely. It was indeed as Second Uncle explained; this person was casting spells like he was throwing talismans, leaving his opponent no time to resist.

“Since he’s this skillful, he either has elders guiding him or has put painstaking effort into practicing moving his spiritual aura. Moreover, he must’ve also expended a lot of thought. Since he was willing to expend a lot of thought and time in such seemingly trivial matters like this, he’s obviously someone with a firm will.”

Mo Tiange was filled with admiration. She admired this person’s willpower, but she also admired Second Uncle’s deep insight. Only by watching how quick this youth cast his spells was Second Uncle able to deduce his nature.

After watching for a bit, uncle and niece finally chose another ring.

Ye Jiang said, “This one will do. Go up after this.”

Mo Tiange complied and focused on watching the fight in this ring.

It was very rare, but the two cultivators in this ring both had the appearance of youngsters—both looked like they were in their twenties. Furthermore, both of them were in the seventh layer of the Aura Refining realm.

One of them was controlling a flying sword while the other was holding a whip. However, in addition to the flying sword being a high-grade spirit tool, the youth holding it also had a rather pure spiritual aura. The youth holding the whip was gradually forced into a defensive position, but because his whip was only a mid-grade spirit tool, he didn’t dare to make contact with the sword and could only evade his attacks. In the end, that whip-holding youth helplessly admitted defeat.

Hearing the Foundation Building cultivator beside the ring announcing the result, the youth who was using the flying sword proudly cupped his hands towards the audience.

Ye Jiang said, “Go.”

Mo Tiange nodded and entered the ring. She greeted the Foundation Building cultivator beside the ring first then gave her identity tablet. When the Foundation Building cultivator confirmed that there wasn’t any problem, she finally cupped her hands towards that youth and said, “My name is Ye Xiaotian. I hope brother is willing to give me some instruction.”