"Is that the reject from the Celestial Craft Cave? I heard Master Bi Sheng didn’t think much of him back then, so how did he get taken as the Sect Leader’s disciple the moment he arrived at the Taoist Sect?"

"You haven’t heard? Master Bi Sheng got a real earful from the Sect Leader."

"Shh! Didn’t you see the Profound Celestial Order hanging from his waist? It’s a Passage Talisman personally granted by the Sect Leader!"

One disciple said with a hint of schadenfreude, "Master Bi Sheng is really in for it! If he had just accepted him as a disciple back then, the Sect Leader wouldn’t have had to pay such a high price to keep him."

"Quiet down. Master Bi Sheng is notoriously petty. If word of this gets back to him, you’ll be the one in for a world of hurt."

Xu Yunfan’s ears twitched, taking in all their chatter. Hearing that Bi Sheng had been thoroughly scolded by the Sect Leader, he couldn’t help but let the corner of his mouth curl up.

’Serves you right, you blind old fool.’

He squinted toward the high platform where the Peak Leaders of the Twelve Peaks were seated. Li Zhi was stroking his Wooden Sword, his gaze fixed on Xu Yunfan with a hint of coldness. Meanwhile, Chu Cangming stood alone on the corner of the eaves, dressed in white robes, seeming to merge with the swirling snow. He held his longsword cradled in his arms, his eyes slightly closed as if conserving his energy.

DONG!

The ringing of the bronze bell shattered the frosty mist.

Cui Yu, the Peak Leader of the Punishment Hall, slapped his withered palm on the "Mountain-Suppressing Stone" above the arena, his voice like clashing metal. "The Thirty-Six Linked Rings will now begin!"

Cui Yu withdrew his gaunt hand from the Mountain-Suppressing Stone. As his sleeves billowed, his gaze swept first toward Bi Yuan in the center of the high platform.

The Sect Leader, dressed in a dark Daoist robe, had a gaze as deep and calm as an abyss. Meeting Cui Yu’s eyes, he gave a slight nod without a word.

These Thirty-Six Linked Rings had been set up for Xu Yunfan in the first place. It wouldn’t be appropriate for him to interfere, so it was best to simply be a spectator.

’Yunfan, oh Yunfan, let me see just how much you’ve been hiding.’

Although he knew how many types of Martial Arts Xu Yunfan had learned, it was still unclear which realm he had reached in them, and what level of mastery he had touched upon.

Setting up this tournament was, of course, part of Bi Yuan’s own assessment.

In the future, they would have to resist the Celestial Demons. If Xu Yunfan was too weak, he might just drag them down. In that case, he wouldn’t be worth cultivating.

’Two years to reach the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm...’

Bi Yuan sighed inwardly. He had already used the Taoist Sect’s connections to confirm this no less than ten times.

Such speed had only ever been seen among the ancient sages from two thousand years ago.

Having received the signal, Cui Yu turned to Xu Yunfan below the stage. His voice, though hoarse, pierced through the wind and snow. "Xu Yunfan, ascend the stage."

Xu Yunfan took a deep breath. Meeting the countless gazes converging on him, he spun the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace in his palm, its dark red patterns flowing like molten lava.

He tapped his toes, his figure soaring like a falcon, and landed steadily on the black stone slab in the center of the arena. His expression was calm as he merely glanced at the accumulated snow on the stage.

The snow had started falling three days ago and hadn’t stopped, now covering the arena on Profound Sky Peak three feet deep.

He channeled a bit of Powerful Qi through his feet, instantly pushing the surrounding snow aside and revealing a circular black platform around him.

The disciples from the Thirty-Six Peaks below the stage immediately broke into an uproar, their whispers spreading like a tide.

"He doesn’t even look that handsome. He’s a far cry from Senior Brother Chu. What makes him worthy of entering our Taoist Sect’s forbidden ground?"

"I heard he just entered the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm, and he already dares to take on the Thirty-Six Linked Rings? Every Daoist Child from the other peaks has been immersed in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm for years, and some from the top peaks have even begun Refining the Internal Organs. I really don’t know where he gets his nerve!"

"The Sword Burial Abyss hasn’t been opened in thirty years! Even the True Inheritors of each peak have to wait another ten years for a chance. Why should an exception be made for him?!"

The disciples below the stage chattered among themselves, their tones filled with indignation.

Cui Yu turned a deaf ear to the clamor. He raised a gaunt finger and pointed to the ancient bronze bell hanging at the edge of the arena, his voice as raspy as scraping metal. "Daoist Children of the Thirty-Six Peaks, any who are unconvinced may ring the bell and issue a challenge. One victory will count as the approval of one peak. If no one comes forward, it will be considered a forfeiture."

As soon as his voice fell, on the high platform, Vice Sect Leader Shen Wuya, who had been standing silently beside Bi Yuan, suddenly spoke. His voice was as cold as frost. "Since you all care so much about the qualification for the Sword Burial Abyss, then I shall add a prize..."

He flicked his sleeve, and an ancient Jade Order appeared in his palm. The two words "Sword Burial" were carved upon it, faintly emitting a grim Sword Qi.

"Whoever is the last one standing on this stage, I will bestow this qualification for the Sword Burial Abyss upon them."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Daoist Children from the various peaks, who had been relatively calm, instantly erupted!

"A qualification for the Sword Burial Abyss?!"

"Vice Sect Leader Shen is actually willing to offer it?!"

An uproar swept through the crowd below, and countless fervent gazes locked onto the Jade Order.

Bi Yuan’s eyes shifted. He glanced sideways at Shen Wuya, a trace of deep meaning flashing in his eyes.

Shen Wuya looked back with a faint, unreadable smile. His tone was leisurely. "Sect Leader Bi, adding a little prize won’t hurt, will it?"

Bi Yuan was silent for a moment, then the corner of his lips suddenly curled into a meaningful smile. He then announced loudly, "Yunfan, if you win this, the qualification the Vice Sect Leader is granting you will allow you to choose two Divine Weapons!"

Hearing this, Xu Yunfan’s mouth hooked into a slight smile. He cupped his hands in a salute toward Shen Wuya from afar and said in a clear voice, "Many thanks for the Vice Sect Leader’s generous gift!"

Shen Wuya’s gaze was profound. He gave a faint smile and said no more.

Below the stage, the fighting spirit in the eyes of the Daoist Children flared. What was originally a tournament to test Xu Yunfan’s depth had now become a battle for the right to enter the Sword Burial Abyss. Who would be willing to be left behind? Sect Leader Bi could make his promise, but it was still anyone’s guess who would actually win.

Before the echoes of their words could fade, a cold sneer suddenly rang out from the northwest corner.

"Zhao Wujiu of Fish Peak! I ask for Junior Brother Xu’s guidance!"

He lifted his hand, and a pebble shot from the tip of his toe, striking the ancient bronze bell. Amidst the melodious ringing, a dark figure shot out like a venomous snake, his twin daggers’ eerie blue glint tearing through the wind and snow.

Before his body even arrived, the wind from his daggers already carried a bone-chilling cold, aimed straight for Xu Yunfan’s throat.

Xu Yunfan was already prepared. He brought the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace up to block across his chest. The mace and daggers collided, erupting in a shower of sparks.

Zhao Wujiu used the force of the impact to flip over, sneering, "I heard Junior Brother Xu is quite skilled with his Hammer Technique? Why aren’t you using it?"

"Who told you that? What I’m skilled with is a mace."

’He’s at least a Grandmaster-level expert at the Minor Achievement of Bone Marrow Cleansing. To think the Taoist Sect’s Thirty-Six Peaks can produce thirty-six Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmasters just from their Daoist Children alone.’

’When did they become so common?’

Xu Yunfan’s eyes darkened. His Pure Yang Qi Skill suddenly activated, and the three strands of Pure Yang True Qi it had generated surged through his body. He then infused one strand of True Qi from his palm into the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace.

In an instant, the red patterns on the mace flared brightly, as if a fire dragon had awakened.

The black stone beneath Xu Yunfan’s feet rang with the clash of metal. His body erupted like a savage dragon, his muscles bulging and knotting as the Red Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace, wreathed in a scorching Gang Wind, chopped down fiercely.

He pushed the move, Eight Desolates Collapsing Mountains, to its absolute limit. Before the mace even landed, the violent pressure had already pulverized the snow within a three-foot radius into fine dust. The force of the mace was like a meteor crashing to earth, compressing the air into visible ripples.

Zhao Wujiu’s pupils shrank. The moment he crossed his daggers to block, the eerie blue, venomous glint was forcefully extinguished by the mace’s golden-red glow.

The Black Gold-infused stone slab beneath his feet, specially made by the Taoist Sect, caved in half an inch with a deafening crack.