C20 Battle Rules

Soul Capturing Sect, residence of the Seventh Elder.

"Just as I predicted, that young upstart Lee Qingyun thinks a few victories over our sect have made him invincible. He's clearly unaware of his own limits," chuckled the Seventh Elder.

"Indeed, Seventh Elder, your foresight is truly divine," Xiong Jianmu concurred.

Setting his teacup aside, the Seventh Elder rose to his feet and said with ease, "Winning over the Twin Rage Sect may not take much effort, but it does concern our sect's reputation in Deepmere. We must take this seriously."

"In that case, summon the top contenders from both the Outer and Inner Sect Competitions. And while you're at it, check if Luo Jingsheng is around."

"Understood."

...

At the Twin Rage Sect's back mountain.

Peaceful stood with a grave expression, gripping his axe as if bracing for a formidable foe.

"Thwack—"

With one clean stroke, he split a log neatly in two.

Lee Qingyun observed Peaceful's earnestness but failed to grasp the significance of such a seemingly simple task as chopping wood. He turned to Aoxue, who stood nearby, and inquired, "Is this Peaceful's special training?"

Aoxue gave Lee Qingyun a dismissive glance. "What do you know? This is the 'Cutting Sword Technique,' a practice that hones the precision of one's strength. It looks like a mere chopping exercise, but it's about finding the weakest point in the wood with each strike, cultivating an instinct to target an opponent's most vulnerable spot in combat."

"Oh—," Lee Qingyun drew out his response, "Can I learn it?"

Without sparing him a glance, Aoxue retorted, "Your talent is too meager, and you're too old."

Lee Qingyun fell silent.

Xun Liang, dragging a wild wolf behind him, returned from the mountain and dropped the beast before Lee Qingyun, offering a greeting.

Before Lee Qingyun could ask, Aoxue interjected, "Xun Liang's heart is too gentle. Your suggestion is sound—exposing him to more bloodshed will indeed help him improve."

Lee Qingyun, however, didn't respond and instead cautioned Xun Liang, "Next time, steer clear of the wolf den. It's too close to the deep mountains, and with demonic beasts lurking, you're not ready to venture there yet."

"Ah..." Xun Liang acknowledged, then added, "But I saw Uncle Liu taking Uncle San into the back mountain last time."

"That's ridiculous. Uncle Liu is too old to venture deep into Green Mountain."

"Ah, Master, I'll head back and deal with that wild wolf first."

"Go ahead."

Aoxue watched Xun Liang drag the wild wolf away and remarked, "Such a fine temperament in your disciple; it's truly rare."

"Chopping wood and cooking, those chores help refine his character even more."

"Peace has a talent that would stand out even among those elite families, right at the top."

"I wonder about your luck, to have taken on these two as your disciples."

Lee Qingyun sighed, "Everyone has their own destiny. Yours may lie in your origins and talents, while mine... perhaps it's just being handsome and fortunate..."

Aoxue let out a light scoff, "Tsk... Narcissist."

To her surprise, Lee Qingyun shifted the conversation, "Otherwise, how could I have encountered such endearing disciples and met such a beautiful girl?"

Aoxue blushed, "You... you're truly shameless. I'm done with you!"

"Hey, wait!" Lee Qingyun was baffled as Aoxue went from an aloof goddess to a bashful young lady in an instant.

Scratching his head, he mused, 'She's so peculiar. I was just thinking about Xiaoyu, realizing how crucial her help is to me. Without her, I couldn't even determine the stars' alignment.'

'Why the anger, though? I just can't figure it out...'

"The Great Elder seems upset, Master," Peace said cautiously, clutching the hefty axe and batting her large, dark eyes.

"What do you know about grown-up matters? The Great Elder isn't angry. I know exactly what's on her mind," Lee Qingyun retorted.

"Ah..." Peace drew out the word, clearly not convinced.

"What 'ah'? Keep chopping. We need two hundred logs split today!"

"Ah!"

Lee Qingyun affectionately tousled Peace's hair and gently encouraged, "Practice hard. In a few days, you'll help your master take care of those Soul Capturing Sect troublemakers."

"Right!" Aoxue pumped her tiny fist with enthusiasm. "Aoxue is super strong now! I'll make sure to avenge Master with a vengeance!"

"Aoxue, that's my good girl."

Lee Qingyun held back a thought he couldn't quite express: It's really because I'm not strong enough that I need you, my disciples, to step in...

If I had achieved Nascent Infant status, the Soul Capturing Sect wouldn't dare to be so bold, nor would they dare to set their sights on Deepmere!

...

At the Soul Capturing Sect's Fragrant Tea House, the courtyard was a haven of elegance, brimming with lush flowers and greenery. A quaint bluestone path meandered through it, and standing there was a girl in a blue dress. Her beauty rivaled Aoxue's, yet she exuded an aura of purity all her own. She was currently knitting her brows in concern as she faced the person before her.

Xiong Jianmu had often heard tales of the Soul Capturing Sect's most gifted disciple, Ye Xiaoyu, and her stunning beauty, but he had never laid eyes on her until today. Now, understanding the true meaning of 'breathtaking,' he found himself fixating on the flora flanking the path, too intimidated to meet Ye Xiaoyu's gaze directly.

"So, you're telling me that the Seventh Elder and the Twin Rage Sect have arranged a contest in Deepmere City five days from now, and I'm expected to compete?" she asked.

"Exactly," Xiong Jianmu confirmed. "Senior Sister Ye, as this year's Inner Sect champion, you were personally selected by the Seventh Elder to participate."

"Moreover, with your cultivation at the twelfth level's Great Perfection, victory in the competition is assured."

"Return and inform the Seventh Elder that I will not attend," Ye Xiaoyu stated, turning her back.

"Convey that Xiaoyu is focused on laying a solid foundation for advancement to the Upper Sect and has already dedicated two years to mastering the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement. I refuse to be sidetracked by these events."

"Besides, Lee Qingyun and I are peers. It would be laughable to face off against his disciple in the competition."

Xiong Jianmu quickly agreed, "Absolutely, Senior Sister. I will faithfully relay your message."

"Thank you. No need to see me out."

"I wouldn't presume to."

Xiong Jianmu returned to the Seventh Elder's residence and relayed Ye Xiaoyu's message verbatim.

The Seventh Elder pondered for a moment and said, "It's to be expected that Ye Xiaoyu would hold back. You should seek out Zhang Pengtian."

"You're right, Seventh Elder. I've already reached out to Zhang Pengtian, and he has agreed to participate," Xiong Jianmu confirmed.

"Furthermore, Zhang Yuan, the top contender of the outer sect competition, has given his consent. Martial Uncle Luo Jingsheng is also on board, though he did stipulate that you must fulfill his condition from last time."

The Seventh Elder replied, "I figured he'd use this chance to press for a favor. Tell him that rewards come with victory; should he lose, he'll walk away empty-handed."

"Understood," Xiong Jianmu responded. "With this, we've matched the participant numbers from both sects according to the decade-old rules. One outer sect disciple with a cultivation level not exceeding the tenth Qi Refinement level, one inner sect disciple capped at the Foundation Establishment stage, and one elder with a cultivation level up to the Golden Core stage."

"Well done," the Seventh Elder remarked, casting a brief glance at Xiong Jianmu, who appeared eager for recognition. "You've shown commendable initiative. After the competition between the sects concludes, join me in my pill workshop; I'm in need of extra hands."

"Thank you so much, Seventh Elder!" exclaimed an elated Xiong Jianmu.

"With the Seventh Elder orchestrating the competition, claiming victory over Twin Rage will be effortless! I'll head to the Pill Room now to get acquainted with the operations there, so I can collaborate effectively with the other Senior Brothers."

...

Before we knew it, only one day remained until the Small Competition between the two sects.