Eternal Sacred King Chapter 121 to 125

 Chapter 121: Foundation Establishment Elixir

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After the Weapon Peak face-off, many disciples of the five peaks were still talking about it. A number of Weapon Peak disciples were even prepared to celebrate and it was extremely lively.

Su Zimo did not participate and returned to his cave abode straight.

Obtaining number one of Weapon Peak was entirely within his expectations.

The only unexpected gain was the powerful Mystic Gold Silk Armor in his storage bag.

By the time he returned to the cave abode, it was already past noon.

“I want to be in seclusion. Guard outside the entrance and not let anyone in.”

Su Zimo said to the spirit tiger before assuming a lotus position on the stone bed and retrieving spirit stones from his storage bag.

Tomorrow was Talisman Peak’s face-off and he had no intention of spectating. Instead, he wanted to focus on his cultivation and attain a breakthrough as quickly as possible.

Level 9 Qi Condensation was much tougher than Su Zimo had imagined.

But of course, the biggest reason for that was because he had wasted too much time on Array Peak in the past six months.

In the final two months, he had spent most of his time on practicing his sword wielding skills and the sword formation; he did not have much time to actually raise his cultivation realm.

There was a perfect-grade Spirit Gathering Elixir within his storage bag.

He was almost done absorbing more than two thousand inferior-grade spirit stones. If he still could not achieve a breakthrough to Level 9 Qi Condensation, he would consume that Spirit Gathering Elixir.

The next morning.

Xue Yi and other Weapon Peak disciples arrived at Su Zimo’s cave abode early in the morning to invite him along to spectate at Talisman Peak.

Even though it was less than five days, the five peaks face-off was the biggest event of the year in the sect. Almost none of the trial disciples would continue to cultivate immensely in these five days.

Even if they did not know anything about talismans, it was interesting to join the crowd too.

But of course, more importantly, the person known as the number one beauty of the five peaks, Leng Rou, would be taking part in this year’s Talisman Peak face-off. In fact, there was a high chance she could get number one of Talisman Peak.

Many disciples wanted to go and catch a glimpse of the beauty’s aura.

However, Xue Yi and the others were prevented from entering by the spirit tiger. They tried to explain things to the spirit tiger but to no avail and finally, they could only leave.

Before long, little fatty arrived too.

However, he had to leave as well against the snarling growls of the spirit tiger.

Su Zimo was completely oblivious to everything happening outside. He was immersed in cultivation till the third day of the five peaks face-off.

Third day, Elixir Peak face-off!

This was Su Zimo’s second round of challenge against Feng Haoyu.

Everyone knew that Feng Haoyu had lost the first round on Weapon Peak’s face-off. Today’s challenge would definitely be more intense than ever!

Su Zimo pushed his door open and walked out of his cave abode.

Even after a day and night with the spirit stones in his storage bag emptied out, he was still at the peak of Level 8 Qi Condensation.

Su Zimo was in no hurry.

He still had time. After the Elixir Peak face-off, he would continue to cultivate and attempt for a breakthrough by consuming the Spirit Gathering Elixir!

Early in the morning, many disciples had gathered on Elixir Peak.

An endless stream of disciples arrived continuously in midair, their clothes fluttering gracefully in the skies.

The moment Su Zimo arrived on Elixir Peak, he was held back by little fatty.

“Bro, why didn’t you come yesterday?”

“Who won first place?” Su Zimo avoided answering by asking another question.

“Of course it’s Sister Leng Rou!”

Little fatty snickered. “That Li Liang from Talisman Peak is no match for Sister Leng Rou! He was completely crushed. It was so exciting. Bro, you didn’t get to witness Sister Leng Rou creating talismans. That’s what I call beautiful!”

“What nonsense is that?”

Just then, a fair hand appeared behind little fatty’s head and rapped on it lightly.

Although the person who spoke sounded cold, it didn’t seem like there was any ill intentions.

Su Zimo turned his glance and met with a pair of icy eyes.

A ravishing girl emitted an aura that prevented people from approaching her. Standing behind little fatty was Leng Rou, disciple of Spirit Peak.

Unexpectedly, Leng Rou actually nodded when she met with Su Zimo’s eyes.

Slightly stunned, Su Zimo smiled and nodded in return.

Even though the both of them joined the sect at the same time, this was the first time he was having such an interaction with her.

Only, Su Zimo was slightly surprised. Given Leng Rou’s personality, she would usually ignore even if people greeted her.

Now, even though she did not say anything, her action was still rather surprising.

Actually, after Su Zimo won first place in the Weapon Peak face-off, a number of disciples from the five peaks already had a changed impression of him.

Or rather, they wanted to befriend him.

No cultivator would not want to be friends with a Weapon Refinement Master.

Everyone witnessed little fatty obtaining an inferior-grade spirit weapon previously. Even though they said nothing, all of them were extremely envious.

“Come, let me introduce you!”

Little fatty’s beady eyes revolved around Su Zimo and Leng Rou as he giggled. “This is number one of Talisman Peak, Sister Leng Rou. This is my bro, number one of Weapon Peak, Su Zimo.”

Su Zimo and Leng Rou exchanged glances.

Leng Rou avoided his gaze and Su Zimo merely smiled with an indifferent expression.

Blinking, little fatty continued, “Don’t just stand there! Both of you have your own strengths and you should hang out more in the future!”

When he mentioned ‘hang out’, little fatty winked at Su Zimo and sounded odd.

Su Zimo was alright about it. However, Leng Rou seemed to have thought of something as a blush appeared across her cheeks; compared to her snow-white skin, it was extremely obvious.

“More nonsense! You’re asking for a beating!”

Leng Rou chided lightly and knocked little fatty on the head.

Little fatty merely continued giggling.

Right then, Su Zimo felt an intense enmity as he looked over instinctively.

Not far away, Feng Haoyu arrived on his flying sword with a group of Spirit Peak disciples.

Upon seeing that Su Zimo and Leng Rou were standing closely together, rage flashed through the eyes of many Spirit Peak disciples.

Even though Feng Haoyu’s expression was cold and aloof as usual, his hands behind his back were curled into fists.

“Bro, other than Feng Haoyu, there’s a Elixir Peak disciple called Huo Xiuyuan who is also a strong competitor for you in this face-off. You must not underestimate him.”

Little fatty said, “He was the number one of Elixir Peak last year. He’s probably even stronger for this year’s face-off.”

Su Zimo nodded.

Compared to Weapon Peak, there were slightly more disciples taking part in the Elixir Peak face-off at around 200 odd.

All of them gathered in the Elixir Refinement Hall and waited patiently.

Refinement of elixirs was unlike that of weapons.

During the Weapon Peak face-off, the disciples could choose the type of weapon they wanted to refine.

However, for the Elixir Peak face-off, the peak master would decide on a specific elixir for the disciples to refine where they would be judged based on the final quality.

Therefore, many disciples would always try to guess which elixir would be refined during the face-off.

If they guessed it right and focused their practice on that specific elixir, their chances of winning the face-off would be much greater.

Before long, the five peak masters arrived.

When the time approached, the brown haired youth stood up and declared, “The elixir to be refined for this face-off is...”

At that, the brown haired youth paused for a moment as all disciples within the hall listened intently with bated breath.

The brown haired youth then continued slowly, “Is... the Foundation Establishment Elixir!”

The moment he said that, the crowd fell into an uproar.

The Foundation Establishment Elixir was one of the most difficult to refine among Grade 1 elixirs.

In the past, there was an instance of the Foundation Establishment Elixir being tested during a face-off as well. However, all participating disciples at that time failed to refine the pill and as such, it turned out to be the dramatic outcome of having no number one for that face-off.

After that, in order to prevent such a situation from happening again, there had been no more requests for Foundation Establishment Elixirs.

To think that this year’s Elixir Peak face-off would ask for the Foundation Establishment Elixir once more!

Chapter 122: Perfect Five Patterns

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Many disciples in the hall frowned upon hearing Foundation Establishment Elixir.

Everyone had guessed wrongly.

Within the five peaks, few disciples would attempt to refine the Foundation Establishment Elixir.

It required more than ten types of ingredients and the refinement process was overly complex. Usually, only Intermediate Elixir Refinement Masters would have more confidence to try it.

Out of the 200 odd disciples, Su Zimo, Feng Haoyu and the previous year’s number one, Huo Xiuyuan, were the only ones who were still calm.

During that period of time, some cultivators had already started placing plates of spirit herbs at the front of the hall.

The brown haired youth said in a deep voice, “Everyone’s only allowed to take a single set, nothing more.”

Only a single set of spirit herbs – that was another increase in difficulty!

Since the Foundation Establishment Elixir required more than ten types of spirit herbs, a mistake in extraction for any one of them would result in a wrong ratio for the recipe and a failure to refine the pills!

“Peak master, this is too difficult!”

“That’s right! What if we were to make a mistake while extracting out of nervousness? Wouldn’t that mean we won’t have a chance anymore?”

Many disciples could not help but start to grumble.

The brown haired youth replied coldly, “The ingredients required for the Foundation Establishment Elixir are still considered common and our sect has them planted all around. But, do you know that some elixirs require spirit herbs that are extremely rare? For those, you only get one shot! If you fail your refinement, you can’t blame anyone else but your own lack of skills!”

Everyone was silent.

Feng Haoyu laughed softly as he had already returned from choosing a stalk of each spirit herb, preparing himself for the Foundation Establishment Elixir.

The second to do so was Huo Xiuyuan.

Right after, the disciples headed forth and chose their spirit herbs.

Before long, many of them returned to their original positions and took out their Elixir Furnaces to make preparations.

“Let the Elixir Peak face-off commence!” The brown haired youth waved his hand.

Spirit fires lit up within the hall.

Su Zimo had never refined a Foundation Establishment Elixir yet.

However, he was no stranger to the spirit herbs used.

They were all ingredients used for other elixirs as well.

He was in no hurry as he picked up a stalk of spirit herb before him and closed his eyes to recall.

As he went through his memories, he recalled the temperature required for the spirit herb as well as every single detail of the extraction process.

He only had a single chance. If he were to fail the extraction, he would fail the Elixir Peak face-off – he had no room for errors!

“Ah!”

Right then, a disciple beside him yelped as he watched a pile of ashes on his palm with a vexed expression.

He had failed his first spirit herb’s extraction.

Because the temperature he used was too high, the spirit herb instantly turned into ashes.

Sighing, that disciple put away his Elixir Furnace and left the hall.

Right after, two other disciples failed their extractions and left silently.

A few people had been eliminated just on the first spirit herb’s extraction.

In truth, it wasn’t because those disciples were bad at elixir refinement. However, because there was only a single chance and this was during Elixir Peak’s face-off, it was only natural for them to feel pressured and make mistakes.

Before long, most of the disciples had completed the extraction of their first spirit herb as they placed the essence into the Elixir Furnace.

They had naturally started their first extraction with a spirit herb they were most familiar with and hence the success.

“What’s Su Zimo doing? Has he fallen asleep?”

“I think he has no clue what he’s doing and he’s just pretending that he does.”

Upon seeing that Su Zimo had not started on his extraction for a long time, some sarcastic voices could be heard from the crowd.

It was only until the other disciples had started on their second spirit herb’s extraction that Su Zimo opened his eyes. Igniting his spirit fire, he placed the spirit herb above it and started extracting.

Before long, his extraction produced a tuft of powder which he placed in the Elixir Furnace. Picking up his second stalk of spirit herb, he closed his eyes and recalled once more.

After a long time, he opened his eyes again and began extracting his second stalk of spirit herb.

More disciples were eliminated at the second spirit herb’s extraction.

Compared to Feng Haoyu and Huo Xiuyuan, Su Zimo’s speed was extremely slow. However, he made no mistakes at all as every single essence he produced gave off a refreshing medicinal scent.

As time passed by, more and more disciples were eliminated.

By the time Su Zimo was done with extraction of his spirit herbs, there were only around 80 of the 200 odd people left.

Third step of elixir refinement, synthesis.

The proportion of spirit herb essences required must be exact; the slightest mistake would result in a refinement failure.

This step was a test of the Elixir Refinement Master’s attentiveness and conscientiousness.

After synthesis came the secondary extraction.

This time, the flame can be more intense.

This was the step where Su Zimo and Feng Haoyu’s Level 3 Spirit Fire would be of great use.

What was worth mentioning was that Huo Xiuyuan had also managed to cultivate a Level 2 Spirit Fire which was extremely rare.

Feng Haoyu was the first to be done with the fourth step followed swiftly by Huo Xiuyuan.

Because he had spent too much time on the first extraction, Su Zimo was one of the slowest among the many disciples.

Fifth step, formation!

This step would reveal the quality of the elixir and it would be obvious who was better!

Initially, Feng Haoyu and Huo Xiuyuan would take note of Su Zimo’s progress and situation from time to time. However, neither of them dared to be distracted on the step of formation.

It was absolutely silent outside of the hall as well.

Everyone held their breaths and watched intently at the two people condensing their elixirs.

Bang!

There was a crisp sound.

One of the disciples had failed his formation and the elixir exploded. Dejected, he left the Elixir Refinement Hall in indignance.

Right after, more crisp sounds echoed out of the hall.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Another couple of disciples failed their elixir formation and the number of people in the hall decreased.

“Form!”

One of the disciples cursed softly.

“Haha, I did it!”

That disciple burst out in laughter. Right as he was about to collect his elixir and check on its quality, black smoke puffed out of the holes in his Elixir Furnace, giving off a nasty stench.

The brown haired youth shook his head.

For a black smoke as such to be released, it meant that the Foundation Establishment Elixir was no different from a poisoned elixir.

“Form!”

Right then, Huo Xiuyuan hollered softly.

Immediately, a white smoke wafted out of the Elixir Furnace with a faint fragrance.

“Retrieve!”

A pill flew out of the Elixir Furnace and a clear pattern could be seen on it.

“It’s an inferior-grade Foundation Establishment Elixir!”

“Senior Brother Huo is amazing! He did it!”

Huo Xiuyuan heaved out a sigh of relief and looked towards Feng Haoyu subconsciously.

“Form!”

Right then, Feng Haoyu was also done with his elixir formation as a stronger fragrance was emitted from his side.

An elixir flew out and hovered in midair. Spinning around, there were two elixir patterns clearly etched on it!

A middle-grade elixir!

Huo Xiuyuan’s eyes dimmed as he let out a long sigh.

He believed that he was definitely not weaker than Feng Haoyu in terms of the first three steps.

However, for the fourth step, secondary extraction, his Level 2 Spirit Fire was no match for a Level 3 which was able to extract more thoroughly. That was the reason for the difference in quality of their pills.

Before long, the other disciples were done with their elixir formation as well.

Even though there were more than 20 others who had succeeded in elixir formation, their elixirs contained too many impurities and had no grade because of their poor qualities.

Right then, Su Zimo was completed with his elixir formation as well as a thick aroma spread across the place. The moment the disciples outside the hall caught a whiff of it, their bodies shuddered and they let out intoxicated expressions as the spirit qi in their bodies began to rumble!

If the fragrance alone possessed such an effect, what grade was the elixir created?

The brown haired youth’s nose quivered as he sniffed carefully. Instantly, his expression changed as he bolted upright.

With disbelief in his eyes, he murmured softly, “Could it be...”

Swash!

An elixir flew out of the Elixir Furnace and hovered in midair – there were five patterns etched on it!

It was a perfect Foundation Establishment Elixir!

Chapter 123: Mysterious Danger

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Looking at the Foundation Establishment Elixir that hovered in midair, it was pure silence both in and outside the hall.

Everyone held their breaths subconsciously as their eyes and minds were drawn in by that single elixir.

The five elixir patterns on the surface looked so profound and mystical. They were flawless, as though they were the most beautiful patterns in this world.

Five elixir patterns, a perfect Foundation Establishment Elixir!

Even Advanced Elixir Refinement Masters who could refine Grade 3 elixirs would not dare to guarantee that they could definitely produce a perfect Foundation Establishment Elixir.

Perfection meant that there were no flaws at all.

This proved that every step and every detail of an Elixir Refinement Master during the entire pill refinement process had reached perfection!

With such a Foundation Establishment Elixir, even Qi Refinement Warriors with a pseudo spirit root would have a chance to rise to Foundation Establishment realm!

At that moment, most of the disciples forgot about victory or defeat. They forgot that this was Elixir Peak’s face-off as they were all smitten by the elixir.

That was the case until Su Zimo put away the Foundation Establishment Elixir. Thousands of disciples let out a long sigh at the loss of that spectacular sight.

That sigh contained many complicated emotions.

Disappointment, jealousy, envy and respect.

“No doubt! He won without any doubt!”

“I thought that Elixir Peak’s face-off would be an even more intense challenge between Su Zimo and Feng Haoyu. To think that it would be this one-sided.”

The five peak masters nodded in approval as their eyes could not conceal their admiration for Su Zimo.

Elixir Peak’s number one! Number one of two peaks!

More importantly, this year’s number one of Elixir and Weapon Peak was much stronger than previous years.

For so many years, there had never been a number one of the Weapon Peak face-off who could successfully produce an inferior-grade spirit weapon.

For so many years, there had never been a number one of the Elixir Peak face-off who could create a perfect elixir even for elixirs with easier recipes.

Compared to the other sects, Ethereal Peak was much weaker in terms of elixir and weapon refinement.

In the immortal meet of the Great Zhou Dynasty held once every ten years, Ethereal Sect has never had anyone leave their names on the rankings of elixir and weapon refinement for the sect competition.

But this time, the five peak masters saw hope through Su Zimo.

Perhaps, he might be able to leave his mark on the ranking list for elixir and weapon refinement during the sect competition. That would bring them immense prestige!

Elixir Peak’s Huo Xiuyuan came before Su Zimo and laughed bitterly, cupping his fists. “Junior Brother Su, you’re really amazing. I’ve truly lost against you.”

“I was just lucky,” Su Zimo smiled.

At that moment, everyone’s gazes landed on Su Zimo.

A look of admiration flickered through Leng Rou’s eyes as well.

On the other side, Feng Haoyu was surprisingly calm despite his defeat as he lowered his head in deep thoughts.

At the same time, Su Zimo felt a mysterious sense of danger!

It was extremely faint but when he sensed for it carefully, he could not discover anything.

Su Zimo frowned.

It was an ominous feeling.

Ever since he entered the sect, he had been very comfortable. Even if Feng Haoyu was hostile to him, it did not bring him such a sense of danger.

Discreetly, Su Zimo swept his gaze past the five peak masters and did not notice anything unusual.

Therefore, he turned sideways and glanced at the crowd outside the hall but to no avail.

The sense of danger earlier on seemed to be a hallucination.

Right then, the brown haired youth declared, “The outcome of the Elixir Peak’s face-off is clear. I believe everyone has seen it. The victor is Su Zimo, disciple of Weapon Peak!”

Outside the hall, little fatty, Xue Yi and other Weapon Peak disciples cheered loudly.

Right then, every single Weapon Peak disciple beamed with pride.

The disheveled old man sat where he was laughing non-stop as well.

“Su Zimo, follow me to the Elixir Chamber to choose an elixir of your picking.”

Su Zimo nodded. Under the envious gaze of many disciples, he left the Elixir Refinement Hall and headed to the Elixir Chamber with the brown haired youth.

Even though the disciples outside the hall gradually dispersed, they were still discussing the outcome.

Losing two rounds in a row, Feng Haoyu left the Elixir Refinement Hall expressionlessly.

“Senior Brother Feng, there’s no need to take the outcome to heart. In any case, you can still teach that guy a lesson after the Spirit Peak face-off!”

A Spirit Peak disciple remarked consolingly.

Feng Haoyu smiled calmly. “Elixir and weapon refinement are merely supplementary skills at the end of the day. I hadn’t spent much effort on them to begin with. If I lost, so be it. That doesn’t matter to me.”

“You’re right, Senior Brother Feng.”

“That’s right. In the cultivation world, it doesn’t matter how amazing you are at elixir and weapon refinement. If you meet with danger, you will still die all the same. Only true strength is what matters.”

Many Spirit Peak disciples responded in unison.

After leaving Elixir Peak, Feng Haoyu suddenly said, “You guys can head back first. I’ll spend some time alone.”

Thinking that it was because Feng Haoyu was in a bad mood, the many disciples did not say anything else and left one after another.

Once everyone left, Feng Haoyu turned around slowly and glared towards the Elixir Chamber. His calm gaze suddenly changed, emitting a chilling aura!

...

On the other side, there were still some disciples lingering on Elixir Peak discussing things.

“Feng Haoyu had lost completely for both challenges.”

“That’s right. He boasted that he wanted to get number one of three peaks before the five peaks face-off. Now, I guess only Spirit Peak’s left for him.”

“I heard that Su Zimo had not intended to take part in the Elixir Peak face-off to begin with. Feng Haoyu was the one who provoked him into doing so.”

A disciple at the side shook his head. “In my opinion, this may not be a good thing for Su Zimo.”

“What do you mean?” Someone asked.

“That’s right. He’s number one for two peaks! The rewards aside, the honor itself is immense! Everyone will know of Su Zimo’s name in the sect from now on!”

That person scoffed coldly, “Don’t forget, he still has a fight with Feng Haoyu after the five peaks face-off!”

Upon saying that, everyone suddenly realized.

Feng Haoyu was at Perfected Qi Condensation while Su Zimo was only at Level 8 – both of them were not on the same level!

That person continued, “Su Zimo’s two consecutive victories must have already angered Feng Haoyu. In their final fight, Su Zimo is mostly going to be crippled or dead!”

As everyone was discussing, Su Zimo came forth from the Elixir Chamber.

This time, he had chosen a perfect Spirit Gathering Elixir.

Coupled with the existing perfect Spirit Gathering Elixir in his storage bag, he was confident that he would be able to reach Level 9 Qi Condensation within the next two days!

Just as Su Zimo was about to leave, the brown haired youth held him back and asked, “How confident are you for your last fight against Feng Haoyu?”

“Not confident,” Su Zimo shook his head.

“I’ve got a suggestion,” The brown haired youth said, “Now that you’re number one of two peaks, there’s no need for you to fight against Feng Haoyu. Even if you admit defeat, it’s nothing much. After all, there’s no long-lasting hatred within the same sect.”

Su Zimo did not reply to the question and merely nodded. “Yes, I will consider it again.”

“Alright, you can go back now,” The brown haired youth nodded.

Chapter 124: Array Peak Face-off

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Su Zimo had not left far from Elixir Peak on his flying sword when he caught sight of a person who seemed to have been waiting for him for a long time.

“Su Zimo, I didn’t think much of you at first. But, I have to admit that the surprises you’ve given me weren’t too small,” Feng Haoyu said with a fake smile.

Su Zimo paused for a moment and ignored him, wanting to leave on his flying sword.

Feng Haoyu continued, “Oh yes, there’s something I need to remind you about.”

“Oh?” Su Zimo remarked softly without turning back.

“From now on, you’d better keep your distance from Leng Rou. Or else...” Even though Feng Haoyu did not continue, there was a chilling coldness in his tone.

Suddenly, Su Zimo laughed.

He and Leng Rou were merely acquaintances. However, Feng Haoyu’s threatening tone disgusted him.

Su Zimo asked indifferently, “Or else, what?”

“Or else, you will die!”

Since there was no one else around them, Feng Haoyu had no qualms and did not conceal his killing intent.

With his back facing Feng Haoyu, Su Zimo’s gaze narrowed.

He had indeed sensed Feng Haoyu’s killing intent at that very instant!

Su Zimo’s expression remained unchanged as he laughed. “Ethereal Peak forbids internal killing of disciples. You are no exception to that rule, Feng Haoyu.”

“Fufu, it’s fine.”

Feng Haoyu replied coolly, “As long as you’re in the sect, I’ll play with you till you die!”

Su Zimo turned around slowly and looked at Feng Haoyu silently. He said expressionlessly, “Do you believe that I’ll kill you right now?”

For some reason, Feng Haoyu felt a chill run down his spine as Su Zimo stared at him.

That feeling was as though he was being targeted by a ferocious ancient demon beast that could tear him apart at any moment!

Frowning, Feng Haoyu dispelled the weird sensation within him.

After all, Su Zimo was only at Level 8 Qi Condensation and was no threat to him.

When he saw that Feng Haoyu did not reply, Su Zimo turned around to leave and before long, he disappeared from the former’s vision.

When Su Zimo returned to his cave abode, he stopped in his tracks. His eyes flickered as he pondered deeply.

He gradually noticed that something was amiss.

Previously, Feng Haoyu was indeed extremely hostile towards him.

However, after the Weapon and Elixir Peak face-offs, that hostility had gradually transformed into killing intent!

Even though it seemed normal, there was something ridiculous about it.

There was no deep hatred between fellow disciples. Even if there was competition, there was no need for Feng Haoyu to want to kill him.

Earlier, Feng Haoyu asked him to keep his distance from Leng Rou.

Right after that, he revealed his killing intent. Although it seemed logical, it felt like he was trying to hide something.

If neither Leng Rou nor the two face-offs were the reason for Feng Haoyu to want to kill him, what was?

Was Feng Haoyu hiding something?

Or perhaps, was he worrying too much? Was Feng Haoyu merely a narrow-minded person who was blunt?

Su Zimo shook his head.

He had a feeling that Feng Haoyu was not that simple.

After pondering for a while more without any clues, Su Zimo entered his cultivate and continued with his seclusion cultivation.

The Array Peak face-off was tomorrow.

The location of the face-off was at the Ten Formations Pagoda where the challenge would be on who could clear the most levels the fastest.

Su Zimo had no intention of taking part in it.

First, he did not have much time and he had to focus on raising his cultivation.

Second, even though clearing the Ten Formations Pagoda would not expend too much spirit qi, it would take a toll on his mental health and energy. It would take him more than two days to recover from it.

He had to do his best to prepare for the battle against Feng Haoyu two days later!

...

On the other side, Feng Haoyu had just returned to his cave abode when a hoarse voice suddenly sounded in his ears. It was hard to tell if it was a male or female.

“Feng Haoyu, you said too much to that lad!”

The voice sounded deep and sinister, making one’s hair stand on end.

Feng Haoyu spun around suddenly but there was no trace of anyone.

“You don’t have to doubt me. If I’m here to look for you, I naturally know of your identity. I’m just in time to remind you to be careful and not expose yourself. Also, don’t forget about your mission!”

The voice sounded once more erratically.

Feng Haoyu was finally relieved upon hearing that. Letting out a long breath of air, he laughed. “You’re worrying too much, senior. I intentionally requested for him to keep his distance from Leng Rou. That Su Zimo must definitely think that she is the reason for my killing intent.”

“Don’t underestimate anyone!”

“Understood,” Feng Haoyu nodded his head obediently.

“That Su Zimo is a hidden danger. We cannot keep him alive!”

Feng Haoyu lowered his head and replied in a low voice, “Don’t worry, senior. Leave it to me.”

“Senior, may I know who you are in Ethereal Peak?” After pausing for a moment, Feng Haoyu asked.

“That’s not for you to know now. If need be, I will tell you.”

“Yes.”

After a moment, that voice no longer sounded and Feng Haoyu knew that the other party had left.

Arranging his attire, he looked around before entering his cave abode.

...

Fourth day, Array Peak face-off.

Each year, there were not many disciples spectating Array Peak’s face-off.

After all, the challenge was to clear the Ten Formations Pagoda. Prior to this, there was already a record on the Ten Formations Stele and everyone already knew who the number one would be.

But it was different this year.

Just three months ago, a mysterious challenger had appeared and destroyed every single record in the Ten Formations Stele’s history.

“Cleared Level 10, 7 days 18 hours!”

That row of words was still at the first row of the Ten Formations Stele. It was eye-catching but its name was completely blank.

Out of curiosity, everyone wanted to know the identity of that mysterious challenger.

To many disciples, they felt that the reason why that person had kept his identity hidden was because he wanted to shock everyone during the Array Peak face-off.

As such, many trial disciples had already gathered on Array Peak early in the morning because they wanted to see his true identity.

The five peak masters had arrived early on as well. Seated in a row, they conversed idly.

“Xuan Yi, you’re still unwilling to tell us even now?” Wen Xuan laughed and asked.

The brown haired youth urged as well, “That’s right. Since we’re going to find out today, we’ll at least be prepared if you tell us beforehand!”

Xuan Yi’s gaze swept through the crowd but he did not see Su Zimo. After pondering for a while, he shook his head. “Forget it, you guys can see for yourself.”

Since Su Zimo did not choose to announce it, Xuan Yi had no intention to reveal it either.

Zhong Wen of Array Peak came before the Ten Formations Stele and looked at the first row of words with a complicated expression.

“Are you finally going to show yourself today?”

He murmured softly, “Let me see who you are so that I can accept my defeat thoroughly.”

Before long, the Array Peak face-off began.

Doves of disciples challenging the Ten Formations Pagoda entered it together.

Everyone outside was waiting for that one person to walk to the Ten Formations Stele and tap his sect badge.

As long as that person appeared, there would be no need to take part in the Array Peak face-off and he would also be the true number one of Array Peak!

At that moment, Su Zimo was in seclusion within his cave abode, attempting to reach Level 9 Qi Condensation...

Chapter 125: Number One of Spirit Peak

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Time passed by gradually and in the blink of an eye, a day had passed.

The lights of the Ten Formations Pagoda’s formation patterns shone repeatedly through the day.

The first row on the Ten Formations Stele still had a blank column where the name was supposed to be.

By the time the last person was sent out of the Ten Formations Pagoda, there were still no changes on the Ten Formations Stele.

Not to mention the many trial disciples gathered before Array Peak, even the four peak masters looked to be slightly disappointed.

“Just who is that person? Why is he not here?”

“Could that person truly think nothing of fame at all?”

The disciples were at the peak of their curiosity towards the mysterious challenger such that they were getting anxious about it.

Xuan Yi stood up and declared, “The face-off is over. The victor is Zhong Wen, disciple of Array Peak.”

Sparse cheers rang out through the crowd.

Everyone knew that the reason why Zhong Wen could obtain the number one position was because the mysterious challenger had not appeared.

At that moment, Zhong Wen looked at the Ten Formations Stele and smiled bitterly too.

His title as number one of Array Peak this year was probably the least convincing.

The five peak masters were the first to leave.

In midair, Wen Xuan was still disgruntled and asked, “Xuan Yi, stop leaving us hanging. Just who is it?”

Xuan Yi smiled and did not reply. After pondering for a while, he asked, “After the five peaks face-off, where are you guys intending to set the location for the fight between Su Zimo and Feng Haoyu.”

“The location doesn’t matter since the outcome will not change,” Wen Xuan replied indifferently.

Xuan Yi shook his head. “This match is the focus of everyone’s attention. In fact, the hype might not even be less than the five peaks face-off itself. We had better take it more seriously.”

“Su Zimo is forbidden from entering Spirit Peak so we can’t use the spirit arena there. Since Su Zimo is a disciple of Weapon Peak, it wouldn’t be appropriate to hold it there either. That leaves us with the spirit arenas of Talisman, Array and Elixir Peak,” The brown haired youth said.

Xuan Yi suddenly said, “Let’s hold it at Array Peak then.”

“Alright,” Wen Xuan nodded.

The other peak masters did not have any objections and so the matter was settled.

...

Each year, Spirit Peak’s face-off was always placed on the last day. It was also the most valued event of the sect and all the cultivators.

Be it array formations, talismans, weapons or elixir refinement, their ultimate goal was to raise the fighting strength of a cultivator.

The cultivation world was a place where it was survival of the fittest and the strongest reigned supreme!

The degree of cruelty was even more brutal than the jungle mountains where fierce beasts were rampant. This was also the reason why Die Yue had Su Zimo survive in Cang Lang Mountain Range for a year.

Now, Su Zimo had barely just stepped foot into the cultivation world and had yet to truly explore it and experience the threats within.

Fifth day, Spirit Peak face-off.

Almost all disciples of the five peaks were present. Many inner sect disciples who were in seclusion and even some elders turned up as well.

The rules of the face-off were simple. Sect disciples would head up to draw lots for one on one fights. Finally, the eventual winner of the brackets is the number one of Spirit Peak!

Even though Feng Haoyu had lost consecutively in the Weapon and Elixir Peak face-offs, he was still the one who received the most cheers during the Spirit Peak face-off.

At the same time, all five peak masters thought the most highly of him too.

In the process of competing with his opponents, Feng Haoyu had indeed displayed the strength expected of him.

He won consecutively from the start to the end and no one posed much of a challenge to him.

Many disciples had heard that he was already cultivating one of the three major secret skills of the sect – Ethereal Sword – and wanted to catch a glimpse of its glory during Spirit Peak’s face-off.

However, Feng Haoyu did not use it at all.

Other than Feng Haoyu, Leng Rou’s performance was rather shocking too.

Even though she did not possess an inferior-grade spirit weapon, she had a firm foundation in sword wielding. Coupled with her talisman usage, she defeated many strong opponents of Spirit Peak.

Leng Rou’s flying sword carried a chilling aura. If one was careless and made contact with the sword, they would be covered in a layer of frost, reducing their mobility.

Of course, little fatty was still the one who surprised everyone the most.

He was only at Level 9 Qi Condensation and did not have much of an advantage in sword kinesis.

However, with the help of the inferior-grade gigantic axe given to him by Su Zimo and his powerful body tempering technique, he had managed to close the gap and obtain victory against quite a number of Perfected Qi Refinement Warriors.

The final battle was still between Feng Haoyu and Leng Rou.

Even though Leng Rou deployed a myriad of different talismans, Feng Haoyu was still stronger in terms of sword kinesis.

With the aid of his wind spirit qi, Feng Haoyu’s flying sword was more agile and graceful than anyone else. It was quite an eye-opener.

Before sunset, Spirit Peak’s face-off was over.

As expected, Feng Haoyu was number one of Spirit Peak!

Leng Rou was number two.

Little fatty actually obtained third place.

The prize for the number one of Spirit Peak was also the most generous. Not only was Feng Haoyu awarded with many spirit stones and contribution points, he could also choose an elixir from the Elixir Chamber, an inferior-grade spirit weapon from the Spirit Weapon Chamber and a Grade 1 talisman from the Talisman Chamber.

“Hehe, seems like someone will be crushed by Senior Brother Feng tomorrow.”

“That’s right. Even people like Leng Rou and Senior Brother Li who are at Perfected Qi Condensation lost to Senior Brother Feng. There’s no way Su Zimo is a match with his Level 8 Qi Condensation.”

After the Spirit Peak face-off, no one had confidence in Su Zimo.

“That Feng Haoyu had managed to obtain the number one of Spirit Peak with much ease. He did not even use his full strength,” The brown haired youth chuckled.

Wen Xuan could not contain his smugness as he nodded. “I’m never wrong in my judgment. If that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t have pleaded with the sect master personally to let him learn our sect’s secret skill in advance.”

“To be fair, someone like Feng Haoyu with a wind spirit root is truly the best candidate to cultivate Ethereal Sword,” The cold-faced lady nodded.

Wen Xuan laughed. “Before this battle, I already told Haoyu that if he were to win his fellow seniors and juniors using the secret skill, he would have lost even if he got number one since no one would be convinced of his victory.”

“Not bad, Haoyu had not let me down.”

The disheveled old man remained silent and looked slightly worried.

The stronger Feng Haoyu was, the worse Su Zimo was going to be defeated tomorrow.

As his beloved disciple, he could not bear to see Su Zimo suffer such a blow.

“Wen Xuan, give me some face. Why don’t you tell Feng Haoyu to forget about the battle tomorrow?” The disheveled old man suddenly said after much hesitation.

Given his status, the fact that he was saying something like that to plead for mercy for a disciple was extremely rare.

Xuan Yi, the brown haired youth and cold-faced lady remained silent.

It was inappropriate for them to interfere in something like this.

Wen Xuan remained silent for a moment before replying, “The arrow is already on the bow and has to be shot. I can’t do anything about this matter.”

“But...”

Right as the disheveled old man was about to continue, Wen Xuan frowned and cut him off, “Su Zimo won Haoyu twice in a row but Haoyu’s not even allowed to win one? Your disciple is dear to you but mine isn’t dear to me?”

With that, Wen Xuan turned to leave and left the four of them alone.

Slightly awkward, the disheveled old man sighed.

The brown haired youth coughed gently. “Don’t blame him. Wen Xuan had poured too much effort into Feng Haoyu. Even though he did not say anything, he’s definitely feeling upset about Feng Haoyu’s two consecutive losses. It’s only normal.”

Xuan Yi patted the disheveled old man’s shoulder and comforted him. “It’s alright. It’s good to let Su Zimo suffer some setbacks too. His future achievements might not be any weaker than Feng Haoyu’s.”

“The road ahead... is still long,” Xuan Yi’s eyes flickered mysteriously as he said that.