Chapter 58

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In truth, it was not only Li Mengze who watched that particular group; all the Golden Core cultivators in the stands paid close attention to any competitor who showed promise. Don’t be fooled by their current lower cultivation level—at any moment, you might find yourself calling them senior brother or sister. Observing one’s future adversaries was certainly advantageous.

On the Kunlun stands, aside from Li Mengze, there were a few other Golden Core cultivators, but most belonged to the guest clans, standing beside the sparse seats occupied by elders or peak masters from various summits, each scrutinizing the field for overlooked talents among the younger generation.

Such tournaments were genuinely beneficial to watch every now and then, but staring at them too long could become tedious. Regardless of the dazzling bouts, fireballs and ice arrows flying in every direction, the novelty wore thin.

After watching for a while, Li Mengze spoke briefly with her senior sister before leaving to visit other stands. Although one could use spiritual sense to observe, it was discouraged in such settings; after all, one never knew whose presence might inadvertently be swept by one’s spiritual sense, sparking needless conflict in which one would be the offending party.

Each stand below was surrounded by crowds—some purely for amusement, others friends and family cheering on their loved ones. Most were Foundation Establishment cultivators, with only a handful of Golden Core cultivators, usually those who, like Li Mengze, found the upper stands dull.

There were fifteen stands in total; from above, she could clearly see the first eight, while the remaining seven were further away.

During the following period, Li Mengze simply made a round of all the stands before returning to Sword-Hidden Peak. This was only the first round, and everyone was keeping their true strength in reserve. As long as one could make it to the end without revealing their trump cards, it was considered a victory.

After the Foundation Establishment phase came the Golden Core melee. Although Li Mengze herself did not participate, Wei Qingtong still dragged her along to watch the matches.

Compared to herself, those around her seemed even more invested—not merely watching, but Wei Qingtong pointed out several Golden Core rogue cultivators who warranted special attention.

It appeared he was even more diligent in preparation than Li Mengze.

Li Mengze’s ambitions were not high; she knew her own capabilities. If it were a matter of risking her life, she was confident in victory. But in a tournament, she merely hoped to place within the top thirty or fifty—enough to avoid embarrassment.

This was also the view held by Wei Qingtong and Li Yunzan. It was not that Li Mengze lacked ambition or that others doubted her; rather, as the youngest disciple of her peak, no one expected her to excel. In our words, as long as she passed muster, it was enough.

Frankly, it was a matter of not seeking advancement. With no expectations placed upon her, she had no aspirations; when she did not need to stand out, she could simply stay in the background.

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The Golden Core melee was far more engaging than the Foundation Establishment phase, and much more interesting. Even in a sect like Kunlun, Golden Core cultivators were respected, not to mention those from smaller sects; thus, everyone maintained their dignity, and unless someone acted first, silence prevailed.

On one stand, fifty Golden Core cultivators gathered, eyeing each other, none willing to make the first move. It was only after the supervising elder reminded them that if all remained on the stand past the allotted time, it would be considered forfeiture, that they finally began.

Among those Wei Qingtong highlighted, one stood on this particular stand: a disciple of the Cloud Mist Sect named You Ke, late-stage Golden Core. He was said to be a match for Wei Qingtong, but had not advanced in over a century. After his master vanished during a sect expedition, he had become a dispensable figure within Cloud Mist. Even so, Wei Qingtong believed that You Ke, despite his stagnant progress, possessed solid foundations with no signs of restlessness, and might surprise everyone. If confronted in the tournament, Wei Qingtong advised against stubborn resistance. When Wei Qingtong first entered the Golden Core stage, he had once fought You Ke, winning only because he was a battle cultivator among sword cultivators. Li Mengze was different; this fellow was a classic pill cultivator, strong but untested against true battle maniacs. In Wei Qingtong's view, that was precisely what You Ke was.

Li Mengze took a careful look, memorizing him for future caution should she ever face him.

Apart from a few Kunlun female cultivators, most of those Wei Qingtong mentioned were men. Li Mengze observed their fighting styles, estimating her chances should she meet them, and after forming a general impression, paused at one stand where she spotted a familiar face: Miss White Lotus.

The books said this young lady had already entered Kunlun during the century tournament, but Li Mengze had not seen her then, assuming she belonged to a world outside her own life, and thus paid no attention. Yet here she was, resurfacing at this critical moment.

To be honest, Li Mengze bore no real grudge against her, except that her mother had tried to seduce her father, both mother and daughter scheming to enter the family.

Their efforts had failed, so it did not warrant mention. However, this Miss White Lotus possessed a trait common to all female leads: a delicate nature and petty mind. She kept both Li Mengze and her mother in her thoughts, never forgetting, always wishing to trample Li Mengze beneath her feet to show Li Yunran how much better she was than the daughter of Li Mengze’s mother.

Still, in fairness, as a rogue cultivator, she kept pace with Li Mengze and was quite outstanding.

Li Mengze observed her briefly and judged that, though White Lotus had advanced rapidly, her foundation was unstable. Li Mengze felt confident she could defeat her easily and thus did not regard her as a significant threat. Though she bore the protagonist’s aura, years of experience told Li Mengze its effects were limited and mostly applied to men.

With her mind made up, Li Mengze began studying the elite disciples of each sect. After all, encounters with rogue cultivators were much rarer than with sect elites. Rogue cultivators led hard lives, constantly seeking resources for cultivation, so their combat skills were high. As long as Li Mengze could hold her own against them, it was not shameful. But if she lost to another sect’s elite, the disgrace would not be hers alone—Kunlun would lose face as well.

Her lack of concern for others did not mean they ignored her. Among so many Golden Core cultivators, a Kunlun elite accompanied by a glowing figure—a Nascent Soul stage cultivator—would naturally attract attention, White Lotus included.

When they first met, both were mere infants with no clear impression of each other, but Li Mengze’s reputation had spread far and wide. Not only was she a Golden Core cultivator in her twenties, she also had a future Dao companion who was a Nascent Soul stage sword cultivator, making her a typical darling of the cultivation world.

Her identity was not broadcast everywhere, but whenever she appeared, people took notice; nothing about her was a secret.

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White Lotus’s persistence owed less to her strength than to her fragile appearance and nearly perfect beauty. Standing there, even women were reluctant to attack her.

Female cultivators feared that defeating her would be seen as jealousy of her looks, while male cultivators felt such a lovely woman deserved leniency and chivalry. Moreover, her position was off to the side, so she remained unscathed.

Golden Core elite disciples were not rare, but few remained after the second round. It would be unthinkable to leave three or five hundred; otherwise, the matches would never end. After various eliminations, by the second stage, Li Mengze only needed to compete in fifteen matches. Wei Qingtong had even fewer, given his status.

Wei Qingtong also participated, which reminded Li Mengze of the heroine’s attendant. According to the plot, Wei Qingtong would be defeated by Attendant A during the tournament, damaging his mindset, and subsequently pursue demon cultivation.

But Li Mengze deemed this impossible. Wei Qingtong’s temperament was exceptionally resilient; a minor setback could never crush him. Moreover, though Attendant A had inherited some sword cultivation techniques, it was only a fraction. Compared to Wei Qingtong’s vast legacy, it was negligible. Li Mengze believed Attendant A had no chance of defeating him again.

The Golden Core melee lasted three days, with only two hundred advancing in the end—a small number, making entry into the secret realm half and half. Li Mengze only observed the first day; she did not attend the second or third.

The centennial tournament had few rules: only spiritual beasts were permitted as auxiliary means; all other aids were forbidden. Formations were allowed—if someone could set one up between attacks, the sect would not only permit it but praise it, since combat moves happened in an instant, and it required profound mastery of formations, which most lacked.

Li Mengze’s first match was drawn for the afternoon of the first day in the Golden Core phase, against an obscure rogue cultivator.

Sometimes, reputation truly mattered. At the very least, her opponent’s combat ability matched his reputation. Without much effort, he was defeated, and she won her first match with ease.

Her easy victory did not mean others fared similarly. Her senior sister was unlucky, meeting her nemesis in the first round—a Cloud Mist Sect elite, late-stage Golden Core, with an arrogant demeanor. It was said he was a direct disciple of a Nascent Soul cultivator from Cloud Mist. Their first childhood meeting ended with one biting the other to tears. Since then, as they grew older, though they no longer bit, their escalating strength meant their encounters were now physical. Now, with such a perfect opportunity to discipline each other without sect punishment, both went all out, neither willing to let the other pass easily. In the end, her senior sister won by a narrow margin, kicking her rival off the stage, but was left exhausted, for her opponent was no mere decorative pillow.

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