I want to tread the heavens

The Heavenly Sword Sect's triennial outer sect competition has finally begun accepting registrations.

The morning the news spread, the entire outer gate was like a hornet's nest that had been stirred up; everyone was in an uproar. Ling Xiao was woken up by Fa Cai biting him; to be precise, Fa Cai dragged him off the bed by his trouser leg.

"Are you sick?" Ling Xiao rubbed the back of his head, which was sore from the fall.

Register! Shout "Get rich!" with your mind! Register for the outer sect competition! If you're late, you'll have to wait in line until tomorrow!

Ling Xiao jolted awake and sat up abruptly. So fast?

An Ling was already waiting in the courtyard. He had changed into a clean blue sword robe, with his long sword slung over his back, making him look like a sharp sword about to be drawn. Seeing Ling Xiao emerge from the house disheveled, he said expressionlessly, "Hurry up."

When the two men and the wolf arrived at the outer gate square, the scene before them made Ling Xiao gasp in shock.

Crowds of people.

It was truly a sea of ​​people. There were at least three to five thousand outer disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and at least half of them were crammed into the square. The registration area was set up next to the martial arts stage in the center of the square, with ten tables and a steward sitting behind each table, but the queues still stretched out like long, winding dragons.

Ling Xiao roughly estimated that each line had at least two or three hundred people. Assuming each person spends about half a cup of tea's time registering, they might not even get a turn until dark.

It was smugly wagging its tail, letting you sleep in late. Now you're dumbfounded, aren't you?

"Who said I slept in?" Ling Xiao said without changing his expression. "I was just conserving my energy."

An Ling had already quietly found a shorter queue and joined it. Ling Xiao quickly followed and stood behind him.

The queueing process was incredibly boring. Ling Xiao couldn't stay still, so he started looking around, sizing up his competitors.

The Outer Sect Grand Competition is different from the Small Competition. The Small Competition is only an internal competition within Qingyun Peak, with a small scale and opponents who are mostly acquaintances. However, the Outer Sect Grand Competition is a grand event for the entire outer sect of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and all outer sect disciples from the twelve peaks are eligible to participate, including many veteran experts who have been in seclusion for many years.

Ling Xiao saw a burly man nearly two meters tall walk through the crowd, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly. The man's muscles were bulging, and his skin was bronze; he was clearly a body cultivator.

Fa Cai used his mind to say that the guy's physical strength was probably even stronger than your Star Body Refinement.

Ling Xiao narrowed his eyes and examined him. He was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, and not just any ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. His vitality was so strong that it could be felt even from ten feet away.

The group moved forward slowly, and Ling Xiao noticed a young man dressed in a moon-white sword robe. The man had delicate features and a refined demeanor, and three swords hung at his waist, one long and two short, arranged in a triangular pattern.

"Sword formation," An Ling said in a low voice, "the Liu family."

"The Liu family?" Ling Xiao asked.

The Liu family of Qingzhou is famous for its sword formations. An Ling's explanation was as concise as ever: the three swords at that man's waist were the Liu family's Lesser Three Talents Sword Formation, which was both offensive and defensive, making it very difficult to deal with.

Ling Xiao secretly memorized the name.

The queue stretched until noon, the sun blazing down, making the square feel like a sauna. Fa Cai, tongue lolling out, lay in the shade at Ling Xiao's feet, looking utterly dejected.

Just as Ling Xiao was about to faint from the heat, a familiar voice came from behind him.

Hey, isn't this the Azure Cloud Twins?

Ling Xiao turned around and saw Zhao Hu walking over with several followers. Zhao Hu's cultivation had improved considerably since the last competition, reaching the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage. It seemed he hadn't been idle during this time.

"Senior Brother Zhao Hu," Ling Xiao greeted with a grin, "You're here to sign up too?"

"Nonsense," Zhao Hu snorted. "Of course I'll participate in the outer sect competition. But you, a mere Qi Refining Level 9 brat, dare to join the fun?"

Ling Xiao smiled slightly and released a trace of his mid-Foundation Establishment aura.

Zhao Hu's expression changed instantly. He stared wide-eyed at Ling Xiao, "Mid-Foundation Establishment? When did you break through?"

Just two days ago, Ling Xiao casually remarked that he was lucky.

Zhao Hu's expression was incredibly complex, first shock, then jealousy, and finally a complicated sense of apprehension. He still remembered the scene when Xiao Bi was brutally beaten by Ling Xiao last time. Back then, Ling Xiao was only at the ninth level of Qi Refining, yet he managed to utterly defeat him. Now that Ling Xiao was at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, the gap between them would only be greater.

His followers also sensed Ling Xiao's aura, and their faces turned pale. One of the thin disciples muttered softly, "Senior Brother Zhao, how did he reach the mid-Foundation Establishment stage so quickly? It's only been a short time since the last minor competition."

Zhao Hu didn't answer, his facial muscles twitching. He recalled how he had been cultivating desperately during this time, finally reaching the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, thinking he could get revenge in the competition. But his opponent had directly advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, not even giving him a chance to catch up.

He gritted his teeth, said nothing more, and slunk away with his followers to another group. His steps were much heavier as he left than when he came, and his back exuded a sense of frustration.

He used his mind to transmit his message, and look at his face—it looked like he'd swallowed a fly. And those followers behind him, they used to be so arrogant, now they're as cowardly as quails.

Don't get too cocky. Ling Xiao is unusually serious for once. Zhao Hu is nothing. The real opponent hasn't shown up yet. The twelve outer peaks are full of hidden talents. Zhao Hu, who is only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, can't even rank in the top 100 here.

He was telling the truth. The outer sect competition was far more prestigious than the smaller competitions, and Zhao Hu, at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, could only be considered mid-level. The real powerhouses were the veteran disciples at the late stage of Foundation Establishment or even the peak of Foundation Establishment. They had cultivated in the outer sect for five or even ten years, possessing deep foundations and shrewd methods, far beyond the reach of someone like Zhao Hu.

The line moved forward a bit more, and Ling Xiao finally saw the registration table. The deacon in charge of registration was a middle-aged man in his forties with a goatee, who was expressionlessly registering the information of each disciple.

When it was Ling Xiao's turn, the steward asked without looking up: name, mountain peak, cultivation level.

Ling Xiao, Qingyun Peak, mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

The steward looked up at him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Ling Xiao's name had been quite well-known in the outer sect recently; the title of "Twin Stars of Qingyun" wasn't given lightly. But he didn't say anything more, instead bowing his head to record the information on the jade slip, and then handing Ling Xiao a bronze token.

"This is your competition token," the steward said. "The competition will officially begin in three days. The specific matchups will be announced on the bulletin board in the square one day in advance. Please keep your token safe; lost tokens will not be replaced."

Ling Xiao took the token and examined it. The front of the token was engraved with the Heavenly Sword Sect's logo, and the back had his name and number, Bing number 76.

He was about to leave when his gaze inadvertently swept over the list in front of the deacon, and he suddenly stopped.

Next to his name on the roster, there was a tiny mark.

It was a six-pointed star pattern, drawn with some kind of dark red ink, only the size of a grain of rice, almost invisible unless you looked closely. But Ling Xiao recognized it at a glance; it was the emblem of the Starfall Clan.

He had seen the exact same pattern on his father's ancient sword.

"Sir," Ling Xiao pointed to the mark on the roster, "what does this mean?"

The butler glanced down, frowned, and asked, "What mark?"

"This is it," Ling Xiao pointed to the six-pointed star, dark red, drawn next to my name.

The deacon leaned closer to examine it, his expression shifting slightly. He reached out and touched the mark, leaving a dark red stain on his finger. He brought it to his nose and smelled it, then his expression turned even more grim.

"This isn't the ink we use," the deacon said in a deep voice. "The registration list has always been with me; it was still in my hands this morning. There's no way anyone could have tampered with it."

But the marker is indeed there.

The deacon glanced at the crowded people around him, then lowered his voice and said to Ling Xiao, "I will investigate this matter. You go back first, and don't make a fuss."

Ling Xiao nodded and turned to leave the registration area. But his heart was in turmoil.

The Starfall Clan's emblem appeared on the registration list for the Heavenly Sword Sect's outer sect competition, right next to his name. What did this mean? Someone was watching him, and that person knew about his Starfall bloodline.

An Ling noticed his unusual behavior. What's wrong?

Ling Xiao recounted what had just happened. After listening, An Ling frowned and remained silent for a while before saying, "There are people in the Heavenly Sword Sect who know your background."

Moreover, the person was able to tamper with the roster right under the butler's nose. Ling Xiao said that this person must either be very powerful or have a special identity.

Fa Cai, unusually, didn't crack any jokes and said seriously in his mind, "Boss, could it be the person who delivered the letter to you?"

Ling Xiao also considered this possibility. The mysterious person who left the anonymous letter at his courtyard gate knew about his Starfall bloodline, knew his mother's whereabouts, and now had drawn the Starfall clan's emblem on his registration list. Who exactly was this person? Friend or foe?

He gripped the competition token tightly in his hand.

Whoever it is, now that they've come knocking, there's no escaping them. Instead of anxiously guessing their identity, it's better to focus on the upcoming outer sect competition. Once you enter the inner sect and obtain the qualification to go to Meteor City, all the mysteries will be revealed.

The two people and the wolf left the square and headed towards Qingyun Peak. As they passed the notice board, Ling Xiao stopped and glanced at it.

The bulletin board displayed the detailed rules and rewards for the Outer Sect Competition. The rewards were indeed enviable: the top twenty would directly qualify for the Inner Sect, the top ten could choose which mountain to enter, the top five would receive a spirit weapon, the top three would receive an additional Foundation Establishment Pill, and the first place winner would even get a chance to enter the Heavenly Sword Secret Realm for cultivation.

An Ling's gaze lingered on the four characters "Heavenly Sword Secret Realm" for a moment. It was the Heavenly Sword Sect's sacred cultivation ground, where it was said that one day of cultivation was equivalent to one month outside.

Ling Xiao licked his lips. "We'll have to fight for that first place spot."

An Ling glanced at him without saying a word, but her eyes were full of determination.

Fa Cai poured cold water on the situation, saying, "You two are only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, and you want to compete with someone at the peak of Foundation Establishment for first place? Wake up, it's not even dark yet."

"You still have to have dreams," Ling Xiao patted Fa Cai's head. "What if they come true?"

He rolled his eyes at the thought of getting rich. Is that a dream? That's just wishful thinking.

Back at Qingyun Peak, Ling Xiao tossed his competition token onto the table and began planning his next move. The competition officially began in three days, and he needed to use those three days to get himself into peak condition. His improved version of the Star Thunder Finger Sword technique still needed further refinement, and he also needed to solidify his Swimming Fish Step and Starry Body Refinement techniques once more.

Most importantly, he needed to understand the situation of his opponents in this competition. The twelve outer sect peaks alone had at least twenty or thirty experts at the late Foundation Establishment stage or above, not to mention the monsters who were in seclusion year-round. If he didn't understand his opponents' strength and characteristics beforehand, he could easily suffer losses when he encountered them on the arena.

Ling Xiao decided to go to the market tomorrow to gather some information.

An Ling nodded in agreement.

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up. "The market? Is there anything good to eat?"

Ling Xiao looked at it speechlessly. "We're going to gather intelligence, not to go sightseeing."

Gathering intelligence while casually grabbing a bite to eat—it doesn't conflict with anything, and he can confidently justify making a fortune.

Ling Xiao was too lazy to reason with it and turned to look out the window. Night had fallen, and seven bright stars still shone brightly above the northern mountains. His ancient sword leaned quietly against the corner of the wall, the patterns on its scabbard faintly visible in the starlight.

Three days later, the outer sect competition will begin.

Three months later, in the ancient city of Meteorite.

He is getting closer and closer to the truth.