At the sixth level of Qi Refinement, how could she have hidden herself from a great cultivator of the Condensation Realm? Just now, during their battle, both had been utterly focused, leaving no room to spare attention for anything else. Now that Qiu Jianying had slain Chi Song, she was turning her attention to the bystander.
Not taking any chances, Zhao Chun stepped out from her hiding place and cupped her hands in greeting. "Zhao Chun, an inner disciple of the Lingzhen Sect, greets Elder Qiu!"
Qiu Jianying lowered her eyes, a flicker of complexity passing through them. "It is actually you." Her hand rested on her sword hilt, a hint of killing intent rising.
"Congratulations to Elder Qiu on obtaining the treasure and adding strength to the sect."
"You are quite clever." Her hand paused, yet she did not move it from the hilt. She said indifferently, "You are under Elder Li's tutelage, so you likely know of his breakthrough to the late stage of the Condensation Realm. This 'strength' added to the sect is likely not intended for my benefit..."
Zhao Chun's eyes flashed slightly. She immediately realized there was a subtle conflict between Qiu Jianying and Li Shu. She weighed her words carefully. "Since ancient times, when cultivators vie for treasures, the capable shall possess them. Having slain this man, Elder Qiu will surely break through to the late stage in a short time. Furthermore, as the treasure was obtained by the Elder's own hand, she naturally holds the right of distribution. This is the truth: strength is supreme."
Qiu Jianying's hand slid down from the hilt to her waist, her tone carrying deep meaning. "Elder Li certainly has a sensible and silver-tongued disciple like you."
Zhao Chun breathed a slight sigh of relief, knowing she had passed this hurdle. Then she heard the elder ask, "Why are you here? This place is far from the sect, sparsely populated, and devoid of spiritual objects or demonic beasts. It is not a place for training."
"This matter begins with the ruins of the Wind-Flame Sect..." Zhao Chun recounted her exploration of the ruins with Meng Han and the mountain collapse. She mentioned only that she had been swept into a small realm and rescued by Qi Yunrong of the Changhui Sect, and had accidentally landed here upon returning to the Hengyun World. As for the strange murals within the sinkhole, she kept her lips sealed.
Qiu Jianying was aware of the recent collapse of the Wind-Flame Sect ruins and the many cultivators who had perished within. As for the fact that the mountain body contained a connection to a small realm, she was completely unaware. After listening to Zhao Chun, she frowned. "Now that the ruins are destroyed, many claims are difficult to verify. Based on your account, it may indeed be a long-lost small world as Qi Yunrong suggested, but since its spiritual energy is exhausted, there is no need to retrieve it."
In a land devoid of spiritual energy, it is difficult to nurture those with spiritual roots; thus, it would be of little use to the Hengyun World.
"Since I have obtained the treasure, I must return to the sect quickly. If you have no other business, I shall give you a ride." The Purple Luo Jade Branch had caused great upheaval in the Southern Region, with many late-stage Condensation Realm cultivators watching like tigers. Even after dealing with Chi Song's corpse, Qiu Jianying still faced the risk of being detected. The priority was to return to the sect; with the presence of the Xuan-stage cultivator Tu Sheng Daoist, other petty thieves would not dare to offend them.
Zhao Chun replied, "Thank you, Elder." Suddenly, she felt her body grow light as she floated upward, slowly entering the sleeve of Qiu Jianying. It was dark all around, and the ground felt as soft as walking on clouds. This must be the secret technique, *Universe Within a Sleeve*; it was truly miraculous.
After taking her into her sleeve, Qiu Jianying's eyes flickered. She let out a cold laugh and flew toward the sect.
***
Lingzhen Sect, Wangchuan Pavilion.
Zheng Chengqing sat quietly in the hall, his expression somber, his fists clenched tightly on his thighs.
A disciple pushed the door open and whispered, "Du Fanzhi has announced an inner disciple competition to be held in three months. He sent an invitation specifically for Senior Brother, saying you must attend..." He presented the finely sealed letter with both hands, his own voice tinged with anger.
Zheng Chengqing glanced at him, but his expression changed as he smiled faintly. "Why be angry? This is not the first time."
He released his grip, lightly stroking the table, and said calmly, "Ever since Elder Li broke through to the late stage of the Condensation Realm and took charge of the Hundred Sects Assembly, he has been recruiting disciples and hosting endless banquets. This competition is undoubtedly being held under the guise of his status as a mentor. We shall go and see what new tricks they are playing this time."
As Li Shu's personal disciple, Du Fanzhi's actions were a reflection of Li Shu's intentions.
To recruit talents, form factions, and continuously encroach upon the influence of the other elders in the sect. Wu Yunzhang and Ge Xingchao were only at the early stage of the Condensation Realm and were beneath his notice. Previously, Qiu Jianying had been able to contend with them, but she had now been suppressed by him. At this critical juncture, the Sect Leader, Tu Sheng Daoist, had entered seclusion and was ignoring all affairs. If not for this, Li Shu would not dare to be so arrogant.
Zheng Chengqing was feeling extremely frustrated when he suddenly sensed a wave of pressure sweeping across the sky. Overjoyed, he rushed out and smiled, "Senior Sister is back!"
Qiu Jianying landed gracefully and waved her sleeve to release Zhao Chun.
"This..." Zheng Chengqing recognized her and knew she was under Li Shu's tutelage, leaving him full of suspicion.
"I encountered her on the way and gave her a ride," Qiu Jianying said indifferently, her emotions impossible to read.
Zhao Chun realized the tension between the two sides and felt quite awkward. After taking her leave tactfully, she returned to her own quarters.
After she left, Zheng Chengqing stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Senior Sister, was it successful?"
Qiu Jianying nodded and walked into the hall with a brisk, confident stride, clearly in high spirits.
After the news of the Purple Luo Jade Branch broke in the Southern Region, Qiu Jianying had set out to find it, driven by the desire to seize the treasure. Li Shu, unwilling to be left behind, had also been searching externally. Now that the treasure was in their hands, its benefits were infinite. The stagnation in Zheng Chengqing's heart from recent days dissipated significantly.
Once inside the hall, he informed her of the competition Du Fanzhi had organized. She replied, "Let him do as he pleases. Once my current seclusion ends, all matters will be resolved." Having fought Chi Song to his limit and obtained an exotic treasure, she was fully prepared; the bottleneck that had long troubled her had also loosened. She had decided to enter seclusion to break through to the late stage of the Condensation Realm.
Zheng Chengqing's mind raced as he understood her meaning, feeling an immediate sense of relief as the clouds of worry vanished.
The struggle between the two sides reached a peak with Du Fanzhi's competition.
Zhao Chun learned of some of this and sighed inwardly, yet a new piece of news gave her the feeling that heaven was aiding her.
The Hundred Sects Assembly was a martial competition for cultivators of the Foundation Establishment and Condensation Realms, as decreed by the Lingzhen Sect. Each inner disciple elder could bring five late-stage Qi Refinement disciples to observe. However, since Li Shu was presiding over this session, there was a change: through Du Fanzhi, a competition was set where twenty slots would be awarded to the best performers regardless of status. Only those in the top twenty could attend the Hundred Sects Assembly, even if they were only at the late stage of Qi Refinement.
By limiting the competitors to inner Qi Refinement disciples, it was certain that the participants would be those under the elders' tutelage. Among the four elders, only Qiu Jianying had no disciples under her. It was obvious who this move was intended to disadvantage.
Amidst the shifting winds, the disciples felt a storm approaching. However, after several days passed without any reaction, Zheng Chengqing had to step forward and announce that Elder Qiu was in seclusion and that he would also attend the competition personally.
Zhao Chun did not care about the various discussions within the inner sect. Her priority was to heal her injuries and master the *Fire-Forged Furnace Technique*. With that secret technique and her mastered *Swift Sword Technique*, even against a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, she would be able to fight!