The remaining disciples on the water mirror were all of considerable strength and renowned reputation. Qi Yu and the others watched and analyzed the battle, and time passed quickly.

Meanwhile, the results of the one-on-one matches in the Foundation Establishment stage have all been released. Meteor stopped at fifth place, which is already an excellent result.

Not long after her previous battle, Wen Ru was chosen to compete against a swordsman from the Yunyang Sect. Due to a small mistake, she lost and ranked eighth in the Golden Core stage martial arts competition.

Apart from the martial arts competition, all four categories of competitions for the Golden Core stage have ended, leaving only a few people.

Qi Yu waited for a while longer, but strangely, the selection rules seemed to be avoiding her, and she was not selected in several rounds.

Another hour passed, and the number of cultivators remaining in the Golden Core stage martial arts arena dwindled until only one person remained—Chu Mo, a Golden Core Grand Perfection cultivator from the Yunyang Sect.

As Chu Mo's battle was about to end, the people in the martial arts hall began to whisper among themselves.

"Now, are only Yu Shengyan from the Flying Star Sect and Chu Mo from the Cloud Sun Sect left?"

"Goodness, it really is!"

"I'm really looking forward to the duel between the personal disciples of the two sect leaders."

"Hey, who do you think will win between them?"

"I think... it should be Chu Mo. After all, Chu Mo is already famous and his cultivation is more profound. He is at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage and has a Thunder Spirit Root, which is extremely powerful. Yu Shengyan is only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core stage, right? And she seems to have... five spiritual roots?"

"No, you've ever seen such a powerful five-elemental root?"

"But I heard from my friends in the Flying Star Sect that when she was tested for spiritual roots at the recruitment ceremony, she was indeed found to have five spiritual roots. Not only her, but also her incredibly strong follower, Meteor, was only a five-spiritual-root."

"Hiss... I have something I'm not sure if I should say... I think she looks a bit like..."

"What are you stammering for? Speak up!"

"Cough, don't talk nonsense. I've only heard about it. It was a few hundred years ago. It seems that the Flying Star Sect produced a person with five spiritual roots. His cultivation speed was incredible. Even a person with a single spiritual root and excellent aptitude couldn't be as fast as him. But later, it seems that he was surrounded and killed because he offended the former sect leader of the Cloud Sun Sect."

"...You know what, I think I've heard of him too, that guy's name is something like... Xiuzi?"

"Bamboo Xiuzi?"

"Shh... Keep your voice down, Immortal Venerable Lieyang has opened his eyes, so let's not talk about it."

On the viewing platform, the Cloud Sun Sect Master, Immortal Venerable Lieyang, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and his gaze fell emotionlessly on the girl in the gold-sprinkled white robe sitting at the small table for five.

On the water mirror, Chu Mo sheathed his sword, bowed slightly to his opponent with polite manners, and said, "Excuse me."

A moment later, Chu Mo stepped out of the secret realm, his expression calm and composed, his body spotless, as if he had just gone to have some tea.

When Venerable Yangxi saw him come out, he said to the crowd with emotion, "My dear friends, as the competition has progressed to this point, I have witnessed many of the future pillars of the cultivation world, and I am deeply moved."

"Now that the final contestants have been chosen, let's wait and see who will emerge victorious!"

With a flick of his sleeve, a line of freehand cursive script appeared on the large water mirror.

[Martial Arts Battle: Yu Shengyan, a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator from the Flying Star Sect, versus Chu Mo, a Great Perfection Golden Core cultivator from the Cloud Sun Sect.]

The final battle to determine the champion of the Golden Core stage martial arts competition will soon be decided between these two.

Qi Yu stood up and glanced at Chu Mo in the distance.

Chu Mo nodded slightly to her, looking every bit the gentleman.

Qi Yu turned around, ready to enter the secret realm to begin the competition.

"What?!"

A low, familiar yet slightly surprised voice came from not far away.

She turned her head to look at the Flying Star Sect elders in the spectator stands.

Venerable Canglang frowned and whispered to the other elders, his face showing a solemnity she had never seen before.

Xu Canglang is always calm no matter what happens. What could have happened to make him show such an expression?

Could something have happened to the Flying Star Sect?

Qi Yu wanted to inquire further, but Chu Mo had already accepted the challenge and entered the secret realm, so she had no choice but to suppress the matter.

The jade pendant emitted a burst of white light, leading her into the secret realm.

Perhaps to show the grandeur of this final battle, she did not see this secret realm in the previous competitions.

The environment here is somewhat dim, resembling a cave.

Qi Yu drew his sword with one hand and conjured a fireball with the other, illuminating the surroundings.

The place was empty and deserted, except for a faint light coming from what appeared to be an exit not far away.

Qi Yu frowned and asked, "Fellow Daoist Chu?"

There was no response for a long time.

Qi Yu gripped the Xuan Yu sword in his hand, pondered for a moment, and walked step by step toward the cave exit.

I had only taken two steps when a soft female voice suddenly came from behind me.

"Lord Outsider."

Qi Yu was startled, his hair stood on end, and he quickly turned around to look.

A slender and graceful woman, dressed in a pure white dress, stood at the deepest part of the cave.

A guqin floated in the air in front of her. Although the owner of the guqin did not reach out to play it, the strings were plucked and strummed silently.

She wore a veil, her eyes lowered, and her hands rested in front of her. Her movements were distinct yet gentle, inexplicably reminiscent of an exquisite marionette in a cabinet.

Qi Yu propped the fireball up with his right hand, silently watching the newcomer, his mind racing as he pondered the meaning of the words "outsider."

The woman opposite is undoubtedly Fenxin, the female protagonist of "Burning Heart Calamity," whom Fenxin now refers to as an "outsider"...

Could it be...

Qi Yu's expression shifted unpredictably, while Fen Xin, who stood still, received no response but remained unperturbed.

Through the thin veil, Qi Yu could vaguely see her beautifully shaped lips slightly curved upwards. Then, she slowly raised her eyes, revealing a pair of—

Eyes that were eerily red and ominous.

Has the Burning Heart fallen into demonic possession?!

Qi Yu's eyes widened instantly, "You...!"

Fenxin raised her hand, removed her veil, and looked at Qi Yu with her eyes crinkled.

"I wonder what purpose the outsider has come to this world, and I also wonder how much the outsider knows about Burning Heart."

"But the world may no longer be the one that adults imagine."

"Perhaps, but what kind of world it is doesn't really affect me." After a moment of surprise, Qi Yu quickly regained her composure and said calmly, "So, what about Chu Mo? I'm still waiting to defeat him and collect your Yunyang Sect's reward."

Fenxin seemed surprised by Qi Yu's reaction. After a moment of astonishment, she suddenly smiled. "Outsiders always manage to surprise me. As for Chu Mo..."

Her fingers danced, and fine, almost invisible threads flew from her fingertips.

The next instant, a tall figure appeared out of thin air in front of her.

The male protagonist of this world, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, has fine threads spreading from various parts of his body, and is being controlled by a gently smiling woman, his life hanging in the balance.

Fenxin reached out her slender hand and gently stroked Chu Mo's handsome face, whispering softly as if with endless longing.

"It's here..."