Lu Fuyue withdrew her foot and looked up at him indifferently, "Junior Uncle, please have some self-respect."

Although she wasn't particularly fastidious about cleanliness, she still didn't want to have too much contact with Yan Nanfei's hands, given how many people he had touched.

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged cultivator standing behind Yan Nanfei's face changed, but he forcibly suppressed it due to Lu Fuyue's status and cultivation level.

Yan Nanfei raised an eyebrow, not at all surprised; this was exactly the style of hers.

Unbeknownst to her, ever since she went into seclusion, when he was cultivating the Path of Amorousness, he found it difficult to enter the state of mind no matter what kind of woman he was with. As soon as he closed his eyes, all he could see was her face.

At this moment, the large group of Yan family members standing behind them were all stunned.

Is this still their young master?

As the start of the cultivation competition drew ever closer, until only the last incense stick remained, Elder Jianqing stepped forward from the high platform.

His gaze swept over the crowd below the stage, then he used his spiritual energy to fill the air above the arena, speaking each word clearly, "This cultivation competition consists of five rounds. All cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage are exempt from the first round and will directly enter the second round with a bye."

“Cultivators above the Nascent Soul stage can now draw lots to determine their opponents for tomorrow.”

"Now, I hereby declare the Great Cultivation Competition officially open. All cultivators above the Golden Core stage and below the Nascent Soul stage, please come up to the stage to compete as soon as possible."

...

Upon hearing the rules of the competition, Lu Fuyue, Jiang Yin, and Yan Nanfei exchanged glances, all seeing seriousness in each other's eyes.

Before they came here, Lu Zhengming had said that he would not make any demands on the results of this competition. As long as they did not go too far, anything was fine. They did not need to be too outstanding, nor too ordinary.

But they had just received his instructions again: they must go all out. This competition was different from the past; things had changed, and the matter was of great importance. They should try their best to win the top three.

However, among the three of them, only Lu Fuyue and Yan Nanfei are most likely to enter the finals.

As soon as Elder Jianqing spoke, the crowd below the stage began to whisper among themselves, "What's going on? Have you noticed that the rules for this cultivation competition seem different from previous ones?"

"Not only have the rules changed, but the atmosphere is also different."

"Yes, even the Pear Blossom Fairy, who rarely appears in public, has come. Something big is definitely going to happen."

The old monk sitting next to Lu Zhengming smiled and twirled the prayer beads in his hand. "Sect Master Lu, is that your daughter down below the stage? Looking at her cultivation level, this old monk is quite envious."

"Doesn't the master also have an exceptionally talented disciple? Why haven't I seen him here?" Lu Zhengming smiled but didn't answer, changing the subject.

The abbot of Wanfo Temple smiled even more, his wrinkles deepening as he twirled the prayer beads in his hand and said, "Xuanming is in seclusion; it wouldn't be right to disturb him."

"Is that so? I have heard that my nephew Xuanming is a reincarnation of a great Buddhist master. It seems that your Wanfo Temple will soon have another expert."

The sect leader of the Li Huo Sect, sitting between the two, seemed oblivious to everything. He poured two cups of tea and handed them to the two men, smiling, "This tea is quite special. Would you two like to try some?"

...

Lu Fuyue and the other two stepped forward to draw lots. Coincidentally, she drew Ke Qin from the Li Huo Sect in the first round, who was the crimson-clad boy from earlier.

Jiang Yin and Yan Nanfei each drew a Nascent Soul cultivator and a Sword Sect member, respectively.

Jiang Yin put away the slip of paper she had drawn and looked at Lu Fuyue, giving her a warning, "Junior Sister Lu, you need to be careful this time. Ke Qin's cultivation level should be no worse than yours, and he may have already reached the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm."

No matter how much discord exists among the members of the Tianxuan Sect, they have always always stood united against external threats.

Lu Fuyue lowered her eyes and nodded slightly, "Thank you, Senior Sister Jiang."

Jiang Yin was taken aback, then smiled faintly, "Actually, I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have been able to see Ali."

The first round of the cultivation competition quickly came to an end, and the next round was about to begin.

Although Tianxuan Sect disciples Xiao Ming and Su Chen suffered some injuries, they successfully advanced to the next round of the competition, standing out among the Golden Core cultivators.

The next day.

When Lu Fuyue and her group arrived, most of the sect members had already gathered.

Just as she was about to step onto the stage, a tall and imposing figure blocked her way. "Fu Yun, the eldest disciple of the Sword Sect, thanks Fairy Lu for the gift of the pill."

Lu Fuyue paused, looked up, and saw a male cultivator in blue robes with an ethereal appearance bowing to her.

Fu Yun added, "If Fairy Lu needs anything in the future, as long as it doesn't cross our bottom line, our Sword Sect will definitely do everything in our power to help her."

Lu Fuyue withdrew her gaze and looked towards the arena, where a crimson-clad youth was now standing. Her eyes darkened slightly as she spoke calmly, "Are you the senior brother that Song Zhou mentioned?"

Fu Yun nodded slightly. "I heard my junior brother mention that during his time in the Netherworld City, he was able to return alive thanks to Fairy Lu's help."

Lu Fuyue pursed her lips slightly, then leaped towards the arena with her toes touching the ground. "No need. Saving him was a transaction in itself."

She hadn't yet figured out the truth behind the map Song Zhou had given her when the Sword Sect people showed up.

A moment later, on the arena.

On the altar, the last incense stick burned out, and the competition officially began!

Ke Qin watched as the female cultivator in white leaped into the air and landed on the arena like a feather.

A hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. Holding the heavy sword in his hand, he spoke lightly, "I am Ke Qin, a disciple of the Li Huo Sect. I humbly request guidance from Fairy Lu."

Having said that, he threw the crimson heavy sword in his hand into the air, and it instantly transformed into dozens of sword energies that resembled rainbows piercing the sun, rushing towards Lu Fuyue's face.

Instantly, the surrounding air became thin, and even the disciples watching from below the stage felt their auras churn under the sharp sword winds, with some even turning pale.

Ke Qin of the Li Huo Sect is indeed remarkable. To be able to stand at the very front, one's cultivation must have at least faintly touched the threshold of the Golden Core stage. Yet, just standing below the stage, one can feel this terrifying sword energy.

They couldn't help but feel a chill for the white-clad female cultivator on the stage, after all, Ke Qin didn't seem like the type to show mercy to women.

As soon as Lu Fuyue stepped onto the stage, she was approached by countless sword energies. Her eyes darkened, and she raised her hand to summon the Weak Water Zither. With a casual press of her fingers on the strings, the water mist in the air condensed into ice, transforming into three thousand transparent ice swords that rushed towards the sharp sword energies.

The next second, the icy sword and the sword energy mixed with terrifying fire elemental energy collided with each other with a loud bang.

...