Chapter 116
By the time the four preliminary rounds ended, Baek-Cheong’s name was already widely circulating throughout Jaundae.
It was because she had swept through four consecutive preliminary rounds without drawing her sword even once.
After the initial Group Preliminary Round, the One-on-One Preliminary Round was repeated three times, but even up to the final preliminary round, no one capable of blocking Baek-Cheong’s path had appeared.
The cultivators who stepped onto the Stone Platform were all knocked out one after another without even being able to put up a proper fight.
In the Qi Condensation Group alone, nearly a thousand prodigies competed with their skills, but only sixteen earned the right to set foot on the Stone Platform of Jaundae.
The ten victors who passed the final One-on-One Preliminary Round filled their spots early on, and the remaining six spots went to those with outstanding aptitude even if they had lost in the preliminaries.
A brief discussion took place where the Outer Sect Elders gathered to select the final six.
“This child may have lost, but their caliber is too precious to be excluded from the main tournament.”
“They just had bad luck, ending up matched against the Heavenly Talent of the Yeonha Baek Clan from the very first preliminary round.”
Coincidentally, three of the final six selected were those who had knelt before Baek-Cheong.
To cast them out of the main tournament simply because they lost to Baek-Cheong - who hadn’t swung her sword once - was unreasonable, as they were all Pillars of the Future worthy of aiming for a spot in the main tournament.
It had reached the point where the fact that they had fought Baek-Cheong and lost was considered a mark proving their aptitude.
Before long, the preliminaries for the Foundation Establishment Group also came to an end.
Just like the Qi Condensation Stage, sixteen were selected from the Foundation Establishment stage, filling all the spots for the main tournament.
.
.
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In the center of Jaundae, thirty-two people stepped up one by one onto a Stone Platform that had been raised even larger than usual.
On one side, the sixteen Qi Condensation cultivators took their places, and on the opposite side, the sixteen Foundation Establishment cultivators lined up.
Among them, there were quite a few whose auras were extraordinary, befitting Foundation Establishment cultivators.
One tall Rogue Cultivator made the stone beneath his feet tremble and hum just by stepping onto the Stone Platform, while a Foundation Establishment cultivator wearing the robe of the Biun Sect exuded an imposing might that heavily pressed down on the surroundings even with his eyes closed.
The disparity in their realms was completely different from that of the Qi Condensation cultivators, creating a sight that made anyone realize the weight of the main tournament.
However, the attention of the cultivators densely packing the Spectator Stands was drawn to an entirely different place.
A Young Dao Friend who was exceptionally small even among the sixteen Qi Condensation cultivators.
It was because the events that occurred in the preliminaries had been passed from mouth to mouth.
“I heard the Inheritor Disciple of the Pacheon Sword Saint took out her sword but never swung it even once.”
“They say she commanded seven Ice Dragons and poured out a barrage of techniques/spells without a single Hand Seal or Incantation.”
“To call her a Qi Condensation cultivator, her abilities far surpass that caliber.”
Eventually, someone lowered their voice as much as possible and added a remark.
“Shouldn’t we consider her at the Foundation Establishment level, having surpassed Qi Condensation?”
Even the Foundation Establishment cultivators lined up on the Stone Platform seemed to be stealing glances at Baek-Cheong out of the corners of their eyes.
Baek-Cheong herself, despite receiving all those gazes, stood perfectly still with her Attire politely adjusted.
“Well, it feels good.”
Outwardly, she modestly cast her gaze downward, but inwardly, she didn’t entirely dislike the pouring attention.
“Cheong-A…”
Meanwhile, from the Clan seats in the Spectator Stands, Baek Gyu looked down at his sister, his mind unable to settle.
He had told her so firmly that she must never get hurt, yet his sister instead overwhelmed the Pillars of the Future aiming for the main tournament without even drawing her sword.
While staying at the Sect after leaving the Main Family, all Baek Gyu had heard about his sister was a few lines in their parents' letters or sparse news.
He knew the circumstances of Cheong-Yi learning Pill Refining from Yak-seon and being taken in by the Pacheon Sword Saint, but he hadn’t realized that his sister’s aptitude would shine so brightly in a setting like this.
“Cheong-Yi, while this Older Brother was away from your side, you have come this far all on your own…”
Worry and pride tangled together, making it difficult for him to sort out his feelings.
Still, the fact that his sister was standing perfectly fine on the Stone Platform without any major injuries brought Baek Gyu a small sense of relief inwardly.
In contrast, Baek Mu-Yeong in the Seat next to him was looking at the Stone Platform with a relatively calm face.
He had predicted long ago that his Niece would at least make it to the main tournament.
Considering the Inscribed Pills, the Multi-layered Technique, and every other Talent his Niece had shown so far, it was an obvious result.
However, the one thing that weighed on his mind was the concern that his Niece might injure the Pillars of the Future in a setting prepared by the Biun Sect.
If she accidentally crippled a Scion of an external Clan or a Disciple of the Biun Sect, it could escalate into something that would damage the face of the Yeonha Baek Clan.
Yet his Niece had taken out her sword but never swung it, and none of those who fell had suffered severe injuries.
“She has even learned how to control her strength.”
A faint smile formed naturally on Baek Mu-Yeong’s lips.
When she first left the Main Family, she was a young Niece who was completely unpredictable.
Seeing her now that she knew how to conduct herself according to the situation filled him with immense pride.
“She has grown a lot.”
Moreover, advancing to the main tournament in such a setting without using a single sword would undoubtedly elevate the prestige of the Yeonha Baek Clan even further in the near future.
* * *
Before long, an Outer Sect Elder stepped forward from one side of the Stone Platform.
“We shall now open the main tournament you have been waiting for. The Qi Condensation Group will compete first, so please step to the center of the Stone Platform, those whose names are called.”
The main tournament, like the previous One-on-One Preliminary Round, was also a setting where cultivators faced each other to test their skills.
As the Outer Sect Elder lightly tapped the jade token in his hand, the participation tokens of the Qi Condensation cultivators lit up one by one, determining the order.
And for some reason, the participation token that emitted a bright light first was once again the one in Baek-Cheong’s hand.
“Me again?”
Baek-Cheong looked down at her participation token with a sour feeling.
She had consistently been the first in the preliminaries, and now she had ended up taking the very first spot in the main tournament as well.
“This damn participation token always calls me first.”
Grumbling inwardly, she walked to the center of the Stone Platform.
Then, a Qi Condensation cultivator slowly walked out from the opposite side.
It was Seo Ju-A, dressed in a dark brown robe with golden jade bracelets dangling from her wrists.
“U-uh, why of all people…”
Meanwhile, Seo Ju-A inwardly swallowed her despair as she looked at the Young Dao Friend standing opposite her.
To think that the very first opponent she would face would be Baek-Cheong.
Having clearly watched the spectacle Baek-Cheong put on during the preliminaries from afar, she knew better than anyone what kind of opponent she was.
She had managed to avoid Baek-Cheong while praying to safely reach the main tournament, only to end up facing her as her first opponent in the main tournament.
‘…This Lady couldn’t hope for sheer luck forever.’
But on the other hand, she also felt that what was bound to come had finally arrived.
In the first place, it was This Lady who had issued the challenge to compete and see who was superior.
Seo Ju-A subtly steadied her trembling legs and raised her head stiffly.
She adjusted the collar of her robe, proudly puffed out her chest to the fullest, and steadied her unwavering voice.
“Dao Friend Baek-Cheong! It seems the time has finally come for This Lady to show Dao Friend Baek-Cheong what she is made of!”
Her articulate voice was brimming with the confidence befitting a Scion of the Hosan Seo Clan.
Outwardly, she was so confident that not a single trace of intimidation could be found.
‘…That’s a one-year difference?’
Meanwhile, Baek-Cheong quietly stared from the opposite side at Seo Ju-A, who was puffing out her chest as if to show off.
The peer Dao Friend who kept saying This Lady, This Lady, was only one year older than her.
Yet, for some reason, what she was displaying was so massive that it was completely unbelievable for a mere one-year difference.
“Is her Dantian attached to her chest?”
At some point, neither her height nor her body showed any signs of growing further.
Whenever she stood in front of the mirror, she felt sour because she looked exactly the same this year as she did last year.
Still, she had been trying hard to comfort herself all this time, telling herself that such trivial physical development was no big deal for a cultivator.
However, of all things, a developmental monster who was only one year older was puffing out her chest right in front of her eyes as if to show off.
‘She’s doing that on purpose, right?’
As she quietly faced her, something inexplicable surged up from within her.
Without realizing it, her hand reached inside her Storage Platform, and before she knew it, she was gripping the Ilseong Sword, which had a silver border wrapped around its deep indigo scabbard.
Her hand had gripped the scabbard first, to the point where even she was startled by it.
Just as strength subtly tensed in the hand gripping the scabbard, Baek-Cheong barely managed to catch her senses.
If she drew the Ilseong Sword like this, the Sword Intent of the Falling Star Style would naturally imbue it, and it would be obvious that the developmental monster’s life would be in danger regardless of what her Protective Aura was.
‘I shouldn’t…’
No matter how monstrous her development was, she couldn’t just cut a person down because of it.
‘Because I can’t kill her.’
Baek-Cheong gathered every ounce of patience she could muster within her small chest and subtly took her hand off the scabbard.
She stored the Ilseong Sword back inside the Storage Platform and took a long breath to steady herself.
Even during that time, Seo Ju-A, completely unaware, was triumphantly facing Baek-Cheong in the exact same posture that accentuated her chest.
However, seeing Dao Friend Baek-Cheong suddenly harden her expression, she flinched inwardly but also felt secretly smug.
“It seems she can finally no longer look down on This Lady!”
In her own mind, she thought Baek-Cheong had finally become wary of her.
She couldn’t have dreamed of the true intentions behind why Baek-Cheong had gripped and then released her scabbard.
However, she had only put away her sword; Baek-Cheong had no intention of going easy on her from the very beginning.
The faint smile on Baek-Cheong’s lips deepened even further.