Chapter 108: Northern Territory Youth Competition, Become Famous
Time flies, and half a year has passed since the Bingpo Xuan Palace incident.
Over the past six months, the Xuanyun Sect has undergone a silent yet profound purge. Under the iron-fisted rule of the Discipline Hall, Zhan Kuangfeng's former arrogance has vanished. Numerous disciples who were too closely associated with Situ Kuang have been dismissed or marginalized, and the remaining disciples have become more cautious. With True Man Lieyang in seclusion, Zhan Kuangfeng's influence has plummeted, and the sect's morale has been revitalized.
Meanwhile, Yundan Peak's status soared. Lay Buddhist Muyun was rewarded for his meritorious service, significantly increasing his influence within the sect. As a core disciple, Yeli enjoyed the sect's most elite resources. She rarely ventured out, spending most of her time in seclusion in her cave. On the one hand, she thoroughly digested the gains of the Ice Soul Mysterious Palace, consolidated her cultivation to the peak of the middle stage of the Spiritual Residence Realm, and gradually integrated the essence of the "Ice Emperor Sealing Heaven Art" into her own system. On the other hand, through Lin Feng, she remotely directed the steady development of "Youge."
Seizing the opportunity presented by Zhan Kuangfeng's downfall, Youge secretly recruited numerous talented and talented disciples who had been frustrated by factional strife. Their size more than doubled, and their intelligence network gradually penetrated even more corners of the sect, even beginning to expand beyond its boundaries. Ye Li understood the importance of intelligence; it was crucial for her future battle against the Shadow Demon and uncovering the truth behind her parents' disappearance.
Thanks to the resources generously provided by the Bishui Pavilion and the nourishing spiritual fluids Ye Li continued to send her, Qin Yixuan's injuries finally stabilized. Her damaged essence slowly recovered, nourished by the complete version of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Water Scripture and a strand of divine essence. Her cultivation returned to the middle stage of the Spiritual Residence Realm, though still far from its peak. Over the past six months, she'd occasionally visited Ye Li's cave, where they'd sip tea and discuss philosophy, or sit in meditation and observe the clouds. Their relationship, in this ordinary and ordinary way, grew increasingly harmonious and natural. Though the hazy feelings between them remained unspoken, they were already tacitly understood.
During this relatively peaceful period, the Northern Territory Youth Competition, a grand event held once every ten years in the Northern Territory cultivation world, is about to kick off in Tianshu City.
The Northern Territory Youth Competition is the ultimate stage for all young cultivators under the age of thirty in the Northern Territory to showcase their prowess and compete for glory. Led by the Northern Territory Alliance, it's hosted by the top sects in rotation. This year's rotating host is the Tiangong Sect, which enjoys a strong relationship with the Xuanyun Sect. The outcome of the competition not only impacts individual reputation but also directly influences the sect's resource allocation and influence in the Northern Territory over the next ten years.
The entire Xuanyun Sect attached great importance to this event. After numerous rounds of selection and the unanimous decision of the Sect Master and Elders, a team of five core disciples was selected. The team leader was naturally Xuan Tianzi, the foremost figure of the younger generation. The other four were: Ye Li from Yundan Peak, Leng Ning from Tianjian Peak, Shi Po, a newly emerged prodigy from Lieyang Peak (formerly Zhan Kuang Peak, renamed after its restructuring) (this individual, unrelated to Situ Kuang's lineage, possessed a strong character), and a true disciple from Yuheng Peak, skilled in formations.
The Bishui Pavilion's team is led by Qin Yixiuan. Although her injuries have not fully recovered, she is still the Bishui Pavilion's biggest trump card due to her reputation and strength.
On this day, the Xuanyun Sect's participating team, led by their leader Xuan Chengzi, Lay Buddhist Muyun, and several other elders, boarded a giant flying boat and headed for Tianshu City. The atmosphere aboard the boat was both solemn and exciting.
Ye Li stood at the side of the boat, gazing at the mountains, rivers, and land whizzing by below, her heart calm. Her goal for this competition was clear: to hone herself, validate the fruits of six months of arduous cultivation, and simultaneously, to achieve as much honor as possible for the sect. She didn't particularly value her ranking, but if anyone stood in her way, she wouldn't mind letting them become a stepping stone to her fame. Her gaze strayed towards the other, magnificent flying boat, belonging to the Bishui Pavilion, traveling alongside it. It seemed as if she could penetrate the wall and see that cold figure.
"Junior Sister Ye, this competition is packed with strong opponents, so you need to be careful." Xuan Tianzi's voice echoed from the side. He remained calm and reserved, but his gaze towards Ye Li held a hint of equal recognition. Six months ago, in the battle at Bingpo Xuan Palace, Ye Li's performance had completely impressed him.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Xuan, for the reminder. I will do my best." Ye Li nodded slightly.
Leng Ning also came over, still looking cold, and only nodded to Ye Li as a greeting. After many incidents, her attitude towards Ye Li had long since changed from disdain to an awkward recognition.
A few days later, the flying boat arrived at Tianshu City. This massive city, run by the Tiangong Sect for thousands of years, resembled a giant steel beast crawling upon the earth. Its towering walls, engraved with countless runes, shimmered with spiritual light. The city was bustling with traffic and bustling with cultivators. Young talents from the major sects, families, and independent cultivator forces of the Northern Territory gathered here, and the air was filled with a tense and fierce atmosphere of competition.
The competition took place at Lundao Peak, in the heart of Tianshu City. The peak had been flattened to create dozens of massive arenas, surrounded by spectator stands capable of accommodating hundreds of thousands of spectators. On the opening day, the crowds roared, flags fluttered, and the event was unprecedented in its grandeur.
The competition adopts a combination of elimination and round-robin format. In the preliminary round, hundreds of contestants compete head-to-head, creating an extremely fierce competition.
Ye Li's debut attracted countless attention. After all, her story of "injuring a Yuandan Realm Shadow Demon with a mid-stage Spiritual Mansion Realm" had already spread throughout the Northern Territory (although the details were blurred by the sect), and many people wanted to witness the strength of this new talent from the Xuanyun Sect.
Her opponent was a physical cultivator from the Vajra Temple in the Western Regions. His cultivation was also in the middle stage of the Spiritual Mansion Realm. His bronze muscles were like cast iron, emitting a majestic energy of blood and qi.
"Yeli from the Xuanyun Sect? Humph, you are just relying on the treasures! Look, I, the Buddha, will use my magical power of Vajra to subdue demons to break your evil magic!" The voice of the physical cultivator was like a bell, obviously not taking the rumors seriously. He took the lead in attacking, punching out with a golden light, like an angry Vajra descending to the world!
Ye Li's face remained calm, and she didn't even use the Mysterious Ice Sword. Just as the golden fist force was about to reach her body, she simply raised her right index finger, and a flash of extremely cold starlight shone from her fingertip.
"Frost Condensation."
A faint voice rang out, and the astonishingly powerful golden fist, along with the body cultivator behind it, instantly slowed down, and a thin layer of frost covered their bodies! Although this stagnation only lasted for less than a breath, it was enough for a master duel!
Ye Li's figure flashed by like a ghost, and her finger gently tapped the physical cultivator's chest. A sealing force penetrated his body, instantly sealing off most of his spiritual power.
The physical cultivator froze in place, his face full of disbelief and horror. He discovered that the physical strength and spiritual power that he was so proud of were blocked by the other party so easily!
"Thank you." Ye Li retracted his finger, turned around and walked off the stage.
The whole audience was silent for a moment, and then burst into earth-shaking exclamations!
"One finger! Just one finger and he defeated a Vajra Temple cultivator of the same level?!"
"What kind of magical power is that? It can actually freeze and slow down the opponent in an instant?"
"What a terrifying control! Xuanyun Sect's Ye Li is truly worthy of his reputation!"
The first battle was a victory, and Ye Li declared her strength to everyone with an almost overwhelming attitude.
In the following matches, Ye Li advanced triumphantly. Whether it was the disciples of the Ten Thousand Poison Valley, skilled in strange poison techniques, the genius of the Lihuo Sect, who controlled blazing flames, or the descendants of the Heavenly Blade Sect, whose swordsmanship was unparalleled, no one could stop her. She combined the profoundness of the "Emperor's Scripture of the Dark World," the domineering power of the "Ice Emperor's Sealing Heaven Technique," the cunning secrets of the "Universe's Traceless Step," and the mystical abilities granted by the Samsara Mirror with increasing proficiency, often finding her opponent's weaknesses within a few moves and easily defeating them.
Her combat style was calm, efficient, sometimes unpredictable, sometimes domineering, leaving a deep impression on the audience. The name "Ice Phoenix" spread like wildfire, resounding throughout Tianshu City.
Xuan Tianzi, Leng Ning, and the others also performed well, defeating powerful opponents and advancing to deeper and deeper rounds. Over at the Bishui Pavilion, Qin Yixuan, despite her injuries still unhealed, leveraged the profound power of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Water Scripture and her deep understanding of the Way of Water to similarly secure a winning streak, showcasing the immense strength of the Bishui Pavilion Saint. However, anyone with a discerning eye could see that she didn't seem to be exerting her full strength, seemingly intentionally controlling her energy consumption.
After more than ten days of fierce competition, the final four were announced: Ye Li and Xuan Tianzi from Xuanyun Sect, Qin Yixiuan from Bishui Pavilion, and Liaochen, a young monk from the Western Region Buddhist Sect known as the "Little Buddha".
In the semi-finals, Ye Li faced Xuan Tianzi, and Qin Yixiuan faced Lechen.
Xuan Tianzi, worthy of being the leading figure of the Xuanyun Sect's younger generation, had reached the late Spiritual Mansion Realm. His swordsmanship was majestic and imbued with the righteous aura of the kingly way. In this battle, Ye Li finally felt the pressure. The two engaged in a fierce battle for hundreds of rounds, with swords flashing and spiritual energy surging, leaving the audience mesmerized. Ultimately, Ye Li, leveraging his superior combat awareness and the subtle predictive power granted by the Samsara Mirror, executed a modified sword technique that blended the artistic conceptions of "Star Silence" and "Ice Sealed," narrowly defeating Xuan Tianzi by half a stroke and advancing to the finals!
In the other semifinal, Qin Yixuan displayed remarkable resilience. Monk Liaochen's Buddhist abilities were unparalleled in power, particularly his "Vajra Subduing Demon Circle," which was immensely potent. Qin Yixuan didn't engage him head-on, but instead harnessed the ultimate softness and resilience of water. With seemingly gentle yet relentless streams of Xuanshui sword energy, she steadily eroded the opponent's attacks. Finally, seizing the moment when the opponent's mind faltered and his attack faltered, she skillfully pierced his defense with the "Xuanshui Transformation Dragon" move, securing victory.
The final list has been finalized.
Ye Li of Xuanyun Sect versus Qin Yixuan of Bishui Pavilion!
These two peerless heroes, who have long been famous in the Northern Territory and have a close relationship, unexpectedly met on the highest stage of the Northern Territory Youth Competition!
The news spread, and the entire Tianshu City was in an uproar! Everyone was eagerly awaiting this pinnacle showdown, destined to be recorded in the history of the Northern Territory!
Will Ye Li, the "Ice Phoenix" with a mysterious heritage and astonishing combat power, be the winner? Or will Qin Yixuan, the "Mysterious Woman" with a profound background and newly awakened divinity, be the one to defend the glory?
On the day of the finals, the arena surrounding the Lun Dao Peak Master was packed with people, impossible to get through. On the platform, the titans from all the major sects in the Northern Territory were also present, their eyes fixed on the two stunning figures on the stage.
Ye Li was dressed in black, with an upright posture and calm and deep eyes, like eternal ice.
Qin Yixuan's white clothes were whiter than snow, and her temperament was cool and elegant, but there was a hint of complex and inexplicable emotions in her eyes.
The two men stood facing each other, and before they started to fight, their invisible auras had already collided in the center of the ring, stirring up ripples of spiritual energy.
The entire audience's attention was focused on them. This final was not just a contest of strength, but also stirred the curiosity and anticipation of countless people.
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