Grandpa, times have changed.

Soon after, the group arrived at the selection competition venue.

Chi Jiuyu walked at the very front.

She had changed into a black outfit, with a small gold sword embroidered on the collar, and was carrying an antique-looking cyan-gold longsword.

His expression was very calm, and pure sword intent lingered around him, casting a shadow over the hearts of those cultivators who had come specifically for this purpose.

On the high platform, Lin Changsheng, Chang Xiao, and Yue Chongfeng stood together, observing the sword cultivators entering the selection competition venue.

As the favorites to win the Nascent Soul category in the previous Immortal Sect Grand Competition, all three are no longer eligible to participate in this year's competition due to their age exceeding the limit.

"This pond has nine fishermen..."

Yue Chongfeng's gaze followed Chi Jiuyu and her group closely, his delicate eyebrows slightly raised.

The current Chi Jiuyu's sword intent alone was enough to give Him a chill down His spine.

How long has it been!

Just as He was observing, Chi Jiuyu seemed to sense something and looked up in His direction.

The instant our eyes met!
Buzz~!

Yue Chongfeng felt as if a sword light, so pure and dazzling that it was beyond description, appeared before his eyes!
Even between my eyebrows, I felt a sharp, stabbing pain.

Ok? !

In the blink of an eye, all the strange phenomena disappeared. Looking down again, they saw that Chi Jiuyu had also withdrawn his gaze and was chatting with the person next to him.

After a long silence, Yue Chongfeng's expression grew increasingly solemn. "Very strong!"

Even from what he has just shown, He is not confident of defeating her.

"I saw it."

Chang Xiao's expression was also very serious.

In the previous Immortal Sect Competition, although Chi Jiuyu participated in the Nascent Soul group as an exception, his true strength was only in the middle to lower ranks among the participants at that time.

"She's at least on par with us now."

This refers not to them a few years ago, but to them now.

Where the hell did this monster come from?!

Even with the existence of the 'Ascension Mission,' her progress is just too fast!
They haven't slacked off in these five years!

"Old Lin, what do you think?"

Chang Xiao looked at Lin Changsheng, who was replying to messages.

Lin Changsheng didn't even look up: "That's normal."

"Ok?"

What does 'normal' mean?
“She’s a junior grandmaster, and she reached the Nascent Soul stage at only twenty-two years old.” After replying to the message, Lin Changsheng finally looked up. “Just take it easy.”

Chang Xiao: "..."

Does that sound like something you would say?!

Yue Chongfeng, however, seemed to have thought of something and stared intently at him:
"You didn't compete against Chi Jiuyu and then lose, did you?"

During the last Immortal Sect Competition, Lin Changsheng refused to admit defeat even when he was seriously injured, but now he is advising them to think more positively.
There is only one possibility—

He was defeated!
"..." Lin Changsheng paused, "How is this possible! I'm already in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm!"

That's right!

He has already passed the stage where the most outstanding talents of the Immortal Sect need to accumulate experience, and successfully advanced to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm three years ago.

But...

He did indeed have a match with Chi Jiuyu six months ago.

As fellow prodigies of the Sword Sect, I, at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, should have crushed my opponent at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!
The result was completely different from what I had imagined...

That battle was exceptionally difficult, especially that sword strike with its overwhelming red light, which almost allowed him to turn the tide!
Although they won in the end.

But since there was a difference in their levels of understanding, it was quite embarrassing to talk about, so he never mentioned it to outsiders.

Just now.

"Immortality!"

A soft, slightly seductive voice drifted from afar.

A beautiful and stunning figure fell from a great height.

She wore a purple bodycon dress adorned with tiny crystals, showcasing her beautiful, curvaceous figure.

Her long, slightly curly purple hair and jewel-like purple eyes seemed to hold shimmering water, with purple eyeshadow at the corners of her eyes.

Her red lips were glossy and moist, with a small mole at the corner of her mouth, exuding charm.

green.

The 'spirit' that Lin Changsheng brought back from the mission world when he was part of the second batch of ascended envoys.

She naturally took Lin Changsheng's arm and handed him a jade bottle.

"The pills you requested have been refined."

Perhaps because her essence is a 'spirit' that is a personification of the world's rules, she has a high talent for alchemy.

Now, not only do they not need Lin Changsheng's help, they can even support a portion of Lin Changsheng's cultivation resources.

"Old Chang and Old Yue are here too!" Qing greeted them familiarly.

"Ah."

Yue Chongfeng remained extremely calm.

He didn't have any ill feelings towards Qing, after all, Qing had helped him refine pills when he once asked to buy them.

"Good morning," Chang Xiao greeted.

His feelings were very complicated.

It's not that I envy Lin Changsheng for having such a beautiful woman by his side.

After all, so-called 'beauty' was, in his view, merely an unstable factor in his steady cultivation.

But if this 'beauty' not only obedient but also able to make money through alchemy...

……

……

Higher up in the stands, amidst the clouds.

Several figures gathered together, observing everyone at the selection competition and occasionally offering their comments.

"Incredible! Truly incredible!" Xiao Yu, dressed in a blue Taoist robe, exclaimed. "Especially those top performers in the arena, they're far more skilled than we were back then."

These individuals were none other than the top Void Returning cultivators from various immortal sects.

They also anticipated that many people would attend the Sword Sect selection competition, so they made a special trip to the Sword Sect to check things out.

“Indeed.” Lin Xingyue nodded. “Especially Chi Jiuyu, she has made great progress. If nothing unexpected happens, she should be the first in the Nascent Soul group in this Immortal Sect Competition.”

Even with the existence of the 'Ascension Mission', her progress was still somewhat exaggerated.

“Brother Kongming is in a real panic right now,” a handsome man dressed in a blue, wide-sleeved robe suddenly said.

But it was Gao Wuwang.

"Someone's dream of becoming sect leader is about to be shattered," Chen Xuanqing added casually.

Zhou Kongming's face darkened.

When did I ever say I wanted to be the sect leader?
These bastards can't say anything decent!

"The sect leader of the Immortal Sect does not focus on combat strength; in comparison, 'strategic thinking' is more important."

Heng Piao, who had been transformed into a ball, stood beside Zhou Kongming, earnestly defending his master.

“In this respect, I think the Lord is better than Chi Jiuyu.”

After all, our lord is a sword cultivator who practices sword formations!

"..."

Zhou Kongming was even more speechless.

What does it mean to not focus on combat strength?
I'm a fully-fledged Void Returner, while my junior grandmaster is at most a Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stages. In terms of combat power, I far surpass her!
"You mean, during the Sword Sect Master election, Chi Jiuyu's cultivation level will surpass Brother Kongming's?" Gao Wuwang asked with a smile. "...Of course not!" Heng hurriedly retorted, "I just noticed that you've misunderstood the focus of the requirements for becoming the Immortal Sect Master, so I was just reminding you."

After saying that, he glanced at Zhou Kongming.

Zhou Kongming remained silent, continuing to observe the situation at the selection competition.

He had a mission today, which involved helping his disciples maintain order at the scene, and he was too lazy to argue with these bastards.

……

……

A corner of the auditorium.

"These tickets are too expensive. It's better to watch the live stream on Lingwang."

An unremarkable young man sat down in a seat towards the back.

He was wearing a loose white short-sleeved shirt and gray trousers. He had an ordinary appearance and was the kind of person who would not attract any attention in a crowd.

Gu Wangjun.

In five years, under Leng Rou's guidance, he not only built the 'Heavenly Foundation of Dao' and cultivated the Seven-Turn Golden Core, but also joined the Supreme Dao Sect through the 'Special Recruitment of Immortal Sects' and became a member of the 'Talisman Sword' lineage.

"How stingy! A live stream on the Lingwang website can't compare to the direct experience of being there in person."

Leng Rou, who had been floating in mid-air, sat down in the seat next to him.

That's right.

She was still in a remnant soul state.

However, it has recovered somewhat, and its soul is much more solid than it was five years ago.

Moreover, even though it's a remnant soul, it still costs money to watch the Immortal Sect Grand Competition selection tournament.

"And with your good luck, you might even meet the Sword Ancestor again," Leng Rou said wistfully.

Last time, I obtained a piece of blood jade that can be called a treasure from the Sword Ancestor.

He used the blood jade to nourish himself and recovered very quickly!
If she hadn't gained new insights during this process and deliberately slowed down her progress, she would have recovered her physical form long ago!

"When I successfully achieve Dao, won't you have a powerful backer to rely on?"

clinging to someone's coattails...

Gu Wangjun glanced at her, his gaze unconsciously falling on her legs.

"Does it look good?"

Leng Rou's direct question caused Gu Wangjun to blush and awkwardly look away.

"Tsk tsk! Recently, [Jingyue] launched a new product... you know what I mean." Leng Rou teased, "Anyway, you're not short of money since you've learned the 'Nine Blends True Chapter,' so buying one to solve your needs is a good idea."

"...That's enough!"

"Alright, then just watch the game in peace." Leng Rou suddenly became serious again, her tone indifferent. "Take a good look at the gap between you and the top geniuses of the Immortal Sect. It will benefit your future cultivation."

"..."

I've known her for six years, but I really can't figure out this old driver.

Helpless, Gu Wangjun could only look towards the arena.

But a huge arena was located in the very center of the venue.

On the arena, entrances to secret realms, like vortexes, slowly rotated, shrouded in gray mist, clearly indicating that they were not yet open.

There's nothing we can do about it, since there are many disciples in the Sword Sect, and a large number of them are qualified to participate in the selection competition.

Ordinary venues are simply not enough, and the sight of a bunch of people crammed into one place to fight is not very pleasant, so we simply created a secret realm specifically for the selection competition.

This secret realm was opened up many years ago. After continuous reinforcement by the Sword Sect, its internal spatial structure is extremely stable, and even ordinary Dao Integration cultivators cannot break it.

However, what attracted his attention even more were the sword cultivators participating in the selection process at the edge of the arena.

Especially those in the Golden Core group.

Looking around, everyone's aura was thick and solid, with sword intent swirling around them, their sharpness awe-inspiring.

There are very few who are weaker than him!
There were some people who, despite being at the same level as him, gave him a feeling of unease, a chill in his heart, and a sense of danger as if his brow might be pierced at any moment.

"Is this the true strength of the immortal sect's prodigies?"

The thought that he had also signed up for the upcoming Supreme Dao Sect Immortal Sect Grand Competition selection tournament made Gu Wangjun feel somewhat uncertain.

Leng Rou glanced at him: "What, starting to worry?"

"...A little."

It would be a lie to say you are not worried.

After all, family members know their own situation best; this level of selection process...

Can I really pass?
“The important thing is participation.”

To say that he could pass the Immortal Sect Grand Competition selection is pure nonsense.

but……

"Given the current situation within the sect, you might actually be able to secure a spot."

Will I be able to secure a spot?

Gu Wangjun felt somewhat uncomfortable, but he also knew that Leng Rou was telling the truth.

……

……

In front of the Sword Ancestor's Hall.

Xu Xing's gaze fell on the selection competition venue in the distance, with two people standing on his left and right sides.

A fascinating question and...

Abyss felt extremely uncomfortable!
Yuan never expected to encounter Huo here.

He originally came just to report on his work with his fellow villagers, ask about the upcoming arrangements, and bring Xiao Yuanlin to watch the selection competition.

Upon arrival, I discovered that confusion was also present.

Honestly, the first thing he wanted to do when he saw someone was to turn around and leave!
"Not bad." Huo seemed to have seen something interesting. "I thought Xiao Fan's progress was already very fast, but I didn't expect that the junior who was valued by the same Daoist brother at the same time as him has not fallen behind in progress either."

This refers to Zhang Yunlu.

"I originally thought Xiao Fan had surpassed her, but now it seems they're about the same."

“She has sacrificed a lot, so it’s not surprising that she has achieved what she has today,” Xu Xing said.

No one among her generation of cultivators worked harder than her.

If Jiu Yu was in danger because of an accident, then she deliberately created the accident to put herself in danger!
According to Xiaoyunlu, she has fallen far behind, and if she still doesn't try her best, then she will be letting down everything she has achieved.

I don't know what she's thinking right now.

But in Xu Xing's view, the efforts she has made over the past few years have been more than enough to make up for everything she had achieved.

"I heard your apprentice recently had a competition?"

"That's true." Huo looked down the mountain. "Unfortunately, Xiao Fan is still far inferior to Yuan's disciples."

Facing Chen Yuanlin, Xiao Fan couldn't even withstand a single exchange.

"Let's not talk about that." Huo didn't dwell on the topic and instead asked, "How is Dongzhen, the ritual system expert we captured a few years ago, doing now?"

"He's still locked up in the dark prison, and he's behaving very well."

The 'supreme being' on the other side of the Chaos Sea seemed to have no intention of rescuing him, and the Void itself was quite honest.

Five years...

It is indeed insignificant to a true god comparable to the Cave God.

In recent years, she has been studying the genealogical true method "Nine Thunderclap Secret Ritual True Canon" in the Huilao prison, which integrates two systems.

"According to the rules agreed upon by the sect leader and the Dongzhen disciples, how to deal with her depends on the wishes of Yuan, the victim, but Yuan has forgiven her."

"Oh?" Huo looked at Yuan curiously.

Could it be that after experiencing the 'script' of the Taiyi Realm, he still harbors some meaningless 'kindness' in his heart?
“She poses no threat now, and keeping her around can, to some extent, guard against the ‘supreme being’ on the other side of the Chaos Sea, depending on her condition,” Yuan explained.

"Killing her would be pointless, except for venting my anger." (End of Chapter)