Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

The inner courtyard's martial arts arena is shrouded in mist and haze, with a thin layer of spiritual dew condensing on the bluestone ground. A spiritual spring gurgles beside it, splashing up pearly water droplets, and bamboo shadows sway gently in the wind, letting in rays of the breaking dawn.

Hao Bailian was dressed in a moon-white outfit embroidered with cloud patterns, her long hair tied in a high ponytail with two soft strands hanging down her temples. She stood quietly in the courtyard, twirling and stepping, her figure graceful. She made a hand seal with her fingertips, and with a wave of her hand, she condensed strands of spiritual energy.

A boy of sixteen or seventeen, with his hair tied up in a jade crown, clear features, and sharp lips, dressed in the moon-white robes of the Hao clan's direct lineage with black trim, strode quickly into the courtyard. He was as tall and straight as a bamboo shoot, with a nimble posture, but his brows were tightly furrowed, his expression full of solemnity.

"Sister, sister..." Hao Chengle rushed to Hao Bailian's side, his voice slightly panting, his bright eyes filled with anxiety. He raised his hand to grab Hao Bailian's sleeve, but stopped mid-air, mindful of his elder sister's dignity.

Hao Bailian slowly dissipated the spiritual energy from her fingertips, her hands gently gathering at her sides. Seeing her younger brother's loss of composure, she raised her eyebrows slightly, her originally calm eyes showing a hint of surprise. Then, she withdrew her spiritual energy, her expression becoming solemn, and said in a deep voice, "What's the panic? Speak slowly."

"Last night, the outer sect cultivator who came to join the alliance was ambushed by evil cultivators in the suburbs!" Hao Chengle lowered his voice, each word urgent, his eyes growing increasingly solemn. "The cultivator was seriously injured but managed to escape with his life. Only a chilling, bone-chilling evil cultivator's spiritual energy remained at the scene."

Upon hearing this, Hao Bailian's gentle gaze suddenly turned sharp, her fingertips unconsciously clenched, and her knuckles turned slightly bluish-white. The scene from the day before flashed through her mind—Lin Yan fighting the demon alone, with his sharp skills and meticulous mind.

Hao Bailian made a flying hand seal, and a pale golden spiritual energy cloud boat condensed beneath her feet. She gracefully landed on it.

"Sister! Where are we going?" Before Hao Bailian could answer, Hao Chengle flashed and landed on the cloud boat.

The spirit boat flashed with light, avoiding the main roads frequented by cultivators in the city, and sped towards Qinglao Academy.

The first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone across the long street of Haodu. However, the city did not become more peaceful and comfortable with the arrival of daylight. Instead, a somber and oppressive atmosphere permeated the entire city.

On the first day of the alliance meeting, the streets and alleys remained clean and orderly. Hao Clan soldiers patrolled the streets, and the scenery was peaceful as usual. However, the cultivators and young masters from various families passing by exchanged glances, mostly with a sense of bewilderment and vigilance.

Inside Qinglao Courtyard, all was quiet and peaceful. Master Xuanyang had reinforced the Spirit Gathering Array early in the morning, making the spiritual energy within the courtyard increasingly rich and potent. Chen Dagang, Yun Xi, Yi Ashi, and the others focused on their cultivation, consolidating their own power, oblivious to the disturbances of the outside world.

Deep in the courtyard, Lin Yan sat cross-legged on a blue stone cushion, his eyes slightly closed, surrounded by a faint spiritual light.

"Haobai Lotus?"

Lin Yan spread his divine sense and clearly sensed that Hao Bailian and a young man were rapidly approaching Qinglao Academy.

Although he was at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, his spiritual consciousness was as refined as that of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

In just a few breaths, the two figures landed outside the courtyard. Hao Bailian lightly touched the ground with her toes, and the spiritual energy cloud boat transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into her body. The protective array inside the courtyard was jointly set up by Xuan Yang Zhenren and Hao Shi. A wisp of her direct lineage spiritual energy overflowed from her fingertips, and the array wall flashed with spiritual light, silently cracking open a crack. The two calmly stepped into the courtyard.

Hao Bailian, holding the still anxious Hao Chengle's hand, strode quickly towards the depths of the courtyard, where she immediately spotted Lin Yan on the prayer mat. Lin Yan had already risen, his posture upright, his brows and eyes calm, gazing indifferently at the two of them.

"Sis, who is he?"

Hao Chengle opened his eyes wide and looked Lin Yan up and down, his eyes full of unfamiliarity and doubt, his gaze carrying the scrutiny and aloofness that comes with being a scion of a noble family.

Hao Bailian raised her hand and gently pressed it down, signaling her younger brother to restrain his expression and not to say anything more. Then she took half a step forward, cupped her hands slightly to Lin Yan, and said with a solemn and dignified expression: "Fellow Daoist Lin Yan, I hope you will not take offense at our visit with my brother."

As she finished speaking, she turned to the side and solemnly instructed Hao Chengle: "Chengle, this is Lin Yan, the cultivator who single-handedly defeated the demon the other day. I've come here today to discuss the matter of the evil cultivators in the suburbs with him."

"My name is Hao Chengle. I have met Brother Lin Yan." Hao Chengle was shocked. He could hardly believe that the young man in front of him had such abilities.

Lin Yan calmly swept his gaze over the two of them, nodded slightly to Hao Bailian, and then looked indifferently at Hao Chengle: "No need for formalities."

He then looked directly at Hao Bailian and said frankly, "Miss Hao, you must have come in a hurry because of the evil cultivators in the suburbs. Please speak your mind."

"You already knew?"

The undercurrents among the various forces in Haodu have become increasingly turbulent due to this sudden upheaval involving evil cultivators.

At the Hao family's villa, the battle cry from the training grounds was deafening.

Hao Jingchuan wielded a long saber, its blade flashing fiercely and domineeringly. Each move was devastating, as he practiced the Hao family's ancestral martial arts. His fighting spirit soared to the heavens, drawing the attention of the clan's members. His cultivation had already reached the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage, making him a top expert among the younger generation of the Eastern Barbarians. He was determined to win the championship in this competition.

Hao Lie was also diligently cultivating on the side. He was kind and honest, and although his strength was not as good as Hao Jingchuan's, he still worked hard and diligently, hoping to win more opportunities in the secret realm for his family.

Only Hao Lei, hiding in a corner of the courtyard, stared intently at Qinglao Courtyard with a sinister gaze, filled with resentment and hatred, unable to rest day and night.

"Lin Yan, I will never let you compete in peace!" Hao Lei muttered through gritted teeth. Knowing he couldn't act openly, he secretly plotted a scheme. He summoned his confidant, whispered a few instructions, and handed him a bag of spirit stones: "Go, keep causing trouble for Lin Yan, just don't kill him."

The trusted confidant bowed and withdrew, quietly disappearing into the shadows.

Hao Lei watched his retreating figure, a sinister smirk playing on his lips. He was certain that Lin Yan and his group would find it difficult to remain uninvolved.

Before long, Hao Lingjun strode into the hall and reported to Hao Qingyue: "Patriarch, Wang Jingxing of the Wang Clan has arrived with generous gifts and has established an alliance with our Hao Clan. During the competition, our Hao Clan will protect the Wang Clan's disciples, and after the secret realm opens, they will share 30% of the spiritual materials with us. In addition, Danxia Valley, Qingmu Sect, and a number of other minor sects have already formed an alliance and are secretly training, intending to join forces against our Hao Clan."

Hao Qingyue scoffed disdainfully, "A bunch of rabble dares to challenge my Hao Clan? Jingchuan, just focus on preparing for the battle and securing the championship. If these sects dare to act recklessly in the arena, we'll beat them into submission!"

"Father, rest assured, I understand," Hao Jingchuan replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute, his eyes filled with arrogant confidence.

Inside the Wang family's Wangzhu Garden in Langya, there was an even more lively and bustling atmosphere.

Dressed in a gorgeous gown, Wang Shiya moved among various independent cultivators and disciples of minor sects, smiling gently as she held a secret contract and continuously negotiated the trading of secret realm slots.

Top-grade spirit stones, high-level pills, rare spiritual materials… the Wang family's generosity was immense, attracting countless destitute cultivators. Many signed contracts, promising to relinquish their secret realm slots to the Wang family after the competition.

Wang Jingxing meticulously registered the list and distributed deposits, everything proceeding smoothly. In his view, there was no need for a fierce competition; financial resources alone were enough to secure the opportunity to visit the Shaohao site.

"Patriarch, seventeen rogue cultivators and six sect disciples have already signed contracts with us, which is enough to secure the expected quota," Wang Jingxing reported to Wang Jizhou, his tone smug.

Wang Jizhou nodded in satisfaction, sipping his tea and chuckling, "Excellent, this is the way of the Wang family. If we lack strength, we make up for it with resources. The opportunity of Shao Hao will ultimately belong to the Wang family. We should continue to win them over, the more the better."

Inside the Ingenious Academy, Mo Shu was engrossed in the mechanical parts, meticulously adjusting the protective mechanisms and barrier-breaking artifacts for the participating disciples. Every component was finely polished and repeatedly checked to ensure absolute perfection. Meanwhile, Mo Qiaoxin, adorned with exquisite mechanical ornaments, visited friendly sects, simply gifting them protective items without engaging in alliances or disputes.

Looking at his orderly clansmen, Mo Shouchuan felt at ease. The Mo family never got involved in power struggles and schemes; their top-notch mechanical skills alone were enough to establish themselves in the Grand Competition and win the ancient craftsmanship inheritance from the secret realm.

Danxia Valley, Qingmu Sect, and other sects quickly formed an alliance, gathering at a villa on the outskirts of the city to discuss joint tactics for the competition, supporting each other to counter the two powerful figures, Hao and Wang, and fighting with all their might to compete for the qualification to enter the secret realm and strengthen their sects.

Each faction harbors its own ulterior motives, engaging in wooing, scheming, trading, and lying in wait. The vast capital of Haodu is like a perilous game of chess, where everyone is both a player and a pawn.

In the afternoon, a murderous intent began to emerge in the streets and alleys.

Several rogue cultivators affiliated with the Wang family were attacked without provocation and were seriously injured. A core disciple of Danxia Valley was ambushed on his way back. Although he managed to escape, he was seriously injured and unable to recover, thus missing the grand competition.

In an instant, the people of Haodu were filled with fear and unease, and everyone felt insecure.

Hao Cang realized the situation was spiraling out of control and immediately ordered more soldiers to patrol the entire city, strictly prohibiting pre-match private duels, with violators to be disqualified and expelled from the city. However, while the open fighting subsided, covert schemes and traps continued to emerge.

As evening fell, Qinglaoyuan finally encountered trouble.

As Lin Yan was meditating, he suddenly noticed a subtle disturbance in the spiritual energy within the courtyard. A colorless and odorless, alluring fragrance quietly seeped into the barrier along with the gentle breeze, completely undetectable to those with weaker spiritual senses.

This incense will not harm people's lives, but it can disrupt spiritual energy, weaken the mind, and completely disrupt a cultivator's cultivation state. It is precisely the insidious method that Hao Lei secretly arranged.

Lin Yan's eyes turned cold, and he instantly saw through the trick. Without making a sound, he activated his innate pill fire to protect his body, and a faint warm spiritual light emanated from his body, refining all the intoxicating fragrance that had invaded his body. At the same time, he released a hidden spiritual force, quietly breaking the intoxicating fragrance array outside the courtyard.

"act recklessly."

Without needing to investigate, he had already guessed who was behind it all.

Lin Yan silently reinforced the courtyard's protective barrier, unwilling to cause unnecessary trouble, and decided to settle all grudges and entanglements on the competition field.