The first day of the tournament dawned bright and clear.
Lin Feng arrived early, finding a seat in the general admission section—far from the VIP platforms where sect leaders and elders sat. He'd bought some snacks from a street vendor and settled in to watch, excited to see how his disciples would perform.
[Tournament Arc Initiated!]
[Host's disciples will now compete!]
[Reminder: Disciples' performance reflects Host's teaching ability]
[Current Seclusion Points: 189,930]
The preliminary rounds were brutal. With three thousand participants, most matches lasted only minutes. Cultivators who had seemed powerful in their home sects were quickly eliminated by prodigies from larger organizations.
Shen Yue's first match was on Stage Seven.
Her opponent was a Core Formation peak cultivator from the Iron Mountain Sect—a young man with bulging muscles and a massive warhammer.
"A woman?" he sneered as they faced each other. "I'll try not to hurt you too badly."
Shen Yue didn't respond. Master had taught her that words were meaningless before a fight—only results mattered.
The referee signaled the start.
The Iron Mountain disciple charged forward, his warhammer glowing with earth-element energy. The ground shook with each step. It was an intimidating display of raw power.
Shen Yue waited until he was almost upon her, then moved.
To the audience, she simply vanished and reappeared behind her opponent. To those with higher cultivation, they could see she'd used a movement technique of extraordinary refinement—each step containing insights into spatial principles.
She tapped him lightly on the shoulder.
The Iron Mountain disciple froze, his spiritual energy circulation completely disrupted. He collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
"Match over! Winner: Shen Yue of Azure Sky Sect!"
The crowd erupted in surprised murmurs. The match had lasted less than ten seconds.
In the VIP section, sect leaders leaned forward with interest.
"Did you see that movement technique?"
"She's Soul Formation realm! At her age!"
"Which sect did you say she's from? Azure Sky? That's not one of the supreme sects."
The Sect Master of Azure Sky sat with a carefully neutral expression, but inside he was beaming with pride. Senior Lin Feng's teachings are already making waves.
Zhou Yuan's first match was equally impressive.
His opponent was a Nascent Soul cultivator specializing in fire techniques. The young man summoned a phoenix-shaped flame attack that would have incinerated most opponents.
Zhou Yuan drew his sword—the Primordial Dao Weapon that Master had casually given him—and performed a single, perfect cut.
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The flame phoenix split in half and dissipated harmlessly. The sword strike continued, stopping just an inch from his opponent's throat.
"I surrender!" the fire cultivator shouted immediately, his face pale.
He could feel it—that sword could have killed him easily. The gap between them wasn't just in cultivation, but in technique, understanding, and weapon quality.
"Winner: Zhou Yuan of Azure Sky Sect!"
More murmurs from the crowd. Two disciples from a minor sect, both displaying abilities far beyond their apparent age and cultivation?
In the cheap seats, Lin Feng clapped enthusiastically.
"Well done!" he said to no one in particular. "They've been training hard. I'm glad to see it paying off."
The people sitting near him glanced over briefly, then returned their attention to the matches. The concealment formation on Lin Feng's robes made him seem like just another excited spectator.
What they didn't notice was that whenever Lin Feng showed particularly strong emotion—excitement, worry, pride—the ambient spiritual energy in the arena fluctuated slightly. Formations had to automatically adjust. Cultivators near him felt inexplicably energized.
In the VIP section, Sect Master Tianlong frowned. "Elder Chen, are our formations malfunctioning? I sense unusual energy patterns."
"I've checked three times, Sect Master. The formations are fine. But there are... disturbances. As if space itself is rippling slightly."
"The hidden master," Tianlong murmured. "He must be here, watching. Continue monitoring, but do not investigate directly."
As the day progressed, both Shen Yue and Zhou Yuan continued to dominate their matches. By evening, they'd each won five preliminary rounds, advancing to the main bracket.
But they weren't the only standouts.
A young master from the Heavenly Dao Sect itself—named Feng Chen—was destroying opponents with contemptuous ease. He was at Soul Formation peak and wielded a supreme-grade sword artifact.
"He's the Sect Master's personal disciple," spectators whispered. "They say he'll definitely reach the finals."
Another prodigy, a cold-eyed woman named Xue Lian from the Frozen Moon Sect, was using ice techniques of terrifying power. She'd frozen three opponents solid without breaking a sweat.
And then there was Kui Shan, a massive young man from the Beast Taming Sect who fought alongside three spirit beasts simultaneously.
"The competition is fierce," Shen Yue said to Zhou Yuan during a break. "That Feng Chen... his foundation is incredibly solid."
"We'll do our best," Zhou Yuan replied calmly. "Just as Master taught us—focus on our own path, not on comparing ourselves to others."
That evening, in a luxurious restaurant near the arena, the top sect leaders gathered for a private dinner.
Sect Master Tianlong raised his cup. "To a successful first day! The quality of participants this year is extraordinary."
The others raised their cups in agreement.
"Tianlong," the Sect Master of the Frozen Moon Sect said, "my disciple Xue Lian is performing well, but I must admit—these two from the Azure Sky Sect are impressive. Especially the girl, Shen Yue. Soul Formation at age twenty-four? That's unheard of."
All eyes turned to the Azure Sky Sect Master.
He coughed modestly. "Shen Yue and Zhou Yuan are... special cases. They study under a senior expert who lives on our territory."
"The Unfathomable Master of Tranquil Peak," Elder Tian added. "I mentioned him in my report, Sect Master."
Tianlong's expression grew serious. "Tell us more about this master. Is he the one whose arrival shook our sect's formations?"
The Azure Sky Sect Master hesitated, then nodded. "Possibly. Senior Lin Feng's methods are... unconventional. He lives in complete seclusion, cultivating on an abandoned peak. But his knowledge is profound beyond measure."
"Lin Feng," Tianlong repeated, committing the name to memory. "And he's here watching his disciples?"
"I believe so, though he insisted on traveling separately and remaining concealed."
"Then we must ensure this tournament is worthy of his observation," Tianlong declared. "Double-check all formations. I want no mistakes, no accidents. If this master is as powerful as we suspect, earning his respect—or at least avoiding his displeasure—is crucial."
Lin Feng, meanwhile, had found a small inn near the arena. The innkeeper was happy to rent him a modest room for a reasonable price.
"You're here for the tournament?" the innkeeper asked.
"Yes, watching my disciples compete."
"Ah! Which sect are they from?"
"Azure Sky Sect," Lin Feng said proudly. "Shen Yue and Zhou Yuan. They both won all their matches today."
The innkeeper's eyes widened. "Those two?! Everyone's talking about them! People are saying they might reach the finals! Your disciples are amazing!"
Lin Feng smiled. "They work hard. I'm proud of them."
He didn't mention that their success was largely due to the artifacts he'd given them, the techniques he'd taught them, and the training environment on Tranquil Peak. To him, those were just basic tools and normal teaching.
As he settled into bed, Lin Feng felt content. Tomorrow would bring tougher matches, but he was confident his disciples would continue to do well.
What he didn't know was that by the end of the tournament, the entire cultivation world would be talking about the mysterious master who had produced two of the most terrifying young cultivators anyone had seen in centuries.
