In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

The Qingyun Sect was assigned to a secluded courtyard in the western part of the city, a quiet and peaceful environment suitable for preparing for battle.

After checking in, Elder Lu gathered everyone together: "The conference will officially begin tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM). Get some rest tonight and conserve your energy."

Everyone returned to their rooms.

Su Han sat quietly in his room, trying to regulate his breathing, but his mind was unsettled. He thought of his senior sister's words, the Tower of Inquiry, and the unknown enemy.
As night deepened, he suddenly felt a premonition and opened the window.

The moonlight, like water, bathed the courtyard. On the opposite rooftop, a dark shadow flashed by.

Su Han's eyes narrowed, and he silently followed.

The dark figure moved with incredible speed, leaping between rooftops before finally landing in a secluded alley. Su Han followed closely behind, only to find the alley deserted.

"Lost them?" He frowned slightly.

"Junior Brother Su has such keen senses." A voice came from behind.

Su Han suddenly turned around and saw a person standing at the alley entrance—clothed in brocade and with an arrogant face, it was Luo Tianyu.

"It's you?" Su Han looked at him warily.

Luo Tianyu smiled, but the smile seemed a little forced: "Don't be nervous, I'm not here to cause trouble."

He took a few steps closer and lowered his voice: "I've found out something about the person who impersonated your sect's swordsmanship to steal the Crimson Essence Fire Lotus."

Su Han's heart skipped a beat: "Who is it?"

“I can’t say.” Luo Tianyu shook his head. “The other party is too powerful; I can’t afford to offend them. But I can tell you one thing—that person has also come to Tianxing City, and their goal is to deal with you at the Hundred Sects Conference, or rather, to deal with the Qingyun Sect.”

"Why are you telling me all this?" Su Han asked.

Luo Tianyu was silent for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "After losing to you that day, I thought a lot. The path of cultivation shouldn't be just about being competitive. Your sword strike showed me another realm of swordsmanship. I don't want to see such a swordsmanship genius destroyed by insidious means."

He paused, then said, "Furthermore, my master also said that although the thief's swordsmanship imitated the 'Nine Swords of Tianya,' it exuded an evil aura, which was completely different from your upright and dignified sword intent. The Ziyang Sect will not pursue this matter any further."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

"Wait," Su Han called out to him, "Do you know what methods they might use?"

Luo Tianyu turned around, a complex look flashing in his eyes: "The Hundred Sects Conference is a matter of life and death. You'd better take care of yourself."

A dark shadow flashed and disappeared into the night.

Su Han stood there, silent for a long time.

The sword technique was sinister. Its origins were too powerful; the target was him and the Qingyun Sect.
These clues, when pieced together, point to a terrifying possibility.

He took a deep breath and turned back. Whoever his opponent was, he would defeat them with his sword.

The next day, outside Tianxing City, at the foot of Xingyun Mountain.

Tens of thousands of cultivators gathered here, creating a bustling atmosphere. Disciples from various sects stood in their respective sections, each eager to begin their training.

In the area where the Qingyun Sect members were, Elder Lu was giving his final instructions: "Ascending the Heavenly Ladder is not restricted by any means, but you must not intentionally kill anyone. If you encounter danger, you can crush the jade token to teleport down the mountain, but that also means you have to forfeit your participation."

He looked at Su Han and the other two: "You are the hope of our sect. You must reach the top of the mountain."

"The disciple understands."

At precisely the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), a loud voice resounded through the sky:
"The Hundred Sects Conference begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, tens of thousands of cultivators surged toward the mountain path like a tidal wave.

Starfall Mountain is three thousand feet high, with winding mountain paths. Every hundred feet there is a platform with restrictions, increasing the pressure. The higher you go, the stronger the restrictions become, posing a severe test to your star power, physical body, and willpower.

Su Han and the other two walked side by side, initially with ease, and quickly left a large number of cultivators behind.

At three hundred feet, the pressure suddenly increased, as if carrying a huge boulder. Many disciples with weaker cultivation levels noticeably slowed down.

At six hundred feet, the pressure increased several times over, and some disciples could no longer withstand it, crushing their jade tokens and retreating. "This restriction is indeed powerful." Ye Wuhen's forehead was covered in sweat. "It is said that above two thousand feet, the pressure is comparable to the pressure of the Star River Realm."

Su Han nodded; he could feel the circulation of stellar energy within his body beginning to stagnate. However, his physical body, having undergone numerous temperings, was far stronger than others of the same level and could still withstand the strain.

Keep climbing.

When the number of people reached 1,000 zhang, 1,500 zhang, and 2,000 zhang, there were less than 1,000 people left, each of whom was an elite from their respective sect.

And from here, the real competition begins.

"Get out of the way!" a shirtless, burly man roared, slapping a thin boy in front of him. Caught off guard, the boy was sent flying, spitting blood as he fell down the mountain path.

The burly man sneered and continued upwards.

Similar scenes are playing out everywhere. While intentional homicide is prohibited, accidental serious injury is a tacitly accepted rule. All one hundred seats are up for grabs.

Su Han and the other two exchanged glances, then moved closer together, forming a defensive triangle.

"Gentlemen, this road is blocked." Five people suddenly appeared ahead, blocking their way. The leader was a young man with a hooked nose, at the mid-stage of the Star Palace Realm, with golden flame patterns embroidered on his clothes.

"People from the Golden Flame Sect," Mu Qingxue whispered.

The Golden Flame Sect is a mid-level sect in the Eastern Region and has a long-standing feud with the Azure Cloud Sect.

"If you want to get through, you'll have to ask the swords in our hands," the hook-nosed youth grinned maliciously. "Or, leave some money for the journey."

This is blatant robbery. Stealing resources from others during a mountain climb is one of the rules tacitly approved by the organizers.

Ye Wuhen sneered: "Just you?"

He took a step forward, and the Azure Cloud Dharma Image appeared, striking down with a palm. The five people's expressions changed drastically, and they hurriedly joined forces to defend themselves.

boom!
A surge of air shook the five people back several steps, with the young man in the lead even bleeding from the corner of his mouth.

"Qingyun Dharma Image... Are you Ye Wuhen?" he asked in astonishment.

"You can still move aside now," Ye Wuhen said calmly.

The five men's expressions shifted, but they ultimately gritted their teeth and made way. They had intended to pick on the weak, but they hadn't expected to run into a brick wall.

Su Han and the other two continued upwards.

The higher you go, the fiercer the fighting becomes. Along the way, you can see disciples who have been injured and forced to retreat, as well as a few corpses—the unlucky ones who didn't have time to crush their jade tokens.

At 2,500 zhang, the pressure had become terrifying. Every step required the utmost effort, and the star power was being consumed like flowing water.

Su Han's bones creaked, and his clothes were soaked with sweat. But his eyes were firm, and he steadily climbed upwards, one step at a time.

Mu Qingxue's face was pale. She specialized in formations, and her physical body was relatively weak, already at its limit. Ye Wuhen wasn't in much better shape; his illusory Dharma form appeared and disappeared intermittently.

"You guys go first, I'll catch up slowly," Mu Qingxue said through gritted teeth.

"No," Su Han shook her head. "Together."

He reached out to support Mu Qingxue, channeling a stream of pure star energy into her body. Ye Wuhen also came to help, and the three of them supported each other as they continued climbing.

This scene was witnessed by many people. Some scoffed at their foolishness for talking about camaraderie at a time like this; others showed admiration.

Two thousand eight hundred zhang, two thousand nine hundred zhang
The mountaintop is in sight!

But at that moment, a figure appeared in front of them.

The man, dressed in a black robe, stood with his back to the camera, as if he had been waiting there for a long time. Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around.

It was an ordinary face, the kind you'd easily blend into a crowd. But the moment Su Han saw him, alarm bells went off in his head. (End of Chapter)