No rest until death.
Those four words carried the weight of blood and battle.
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Ruan Jun's lips.
No rest until death?
He liked the sound of that.
"Now then, let the drawing begin," Zhao Wuji said, glancing at Lin Ya. "If your disciple fails to arrive before the matches begin, it will be counted as a loss. Her score will be zero."
Lin Ya remained calm. "Thank you for your concern, Sect Master."
The peaks had submitted their elite disciple lists early. Now, under the watchful eyes of the entire sect, the tournament that would determine the rankings officially began.
There were 53 participants. One would receive a bye in the first round. That person would be considered lucky and would advance directly. In the cultivation world, strength was important, but so was fortune. To receive a bye was also considered part of one's luck.
No one objected to this seemingly unfair rule. In truth, everyone hoped to be the one favored by fate.
The participants stepped forward one after another to draw lots. Lot 1 would face Lot 53, Lot 2 would face Lot 52, and so on. The final unpaired number, Lot 27, would be the bye.
Once all the lots had been taken, only one remained.
That last lot belonged to Yun Jin.
No one rushed to look at it yet. First, everyone checked their own.
Ruan Jun glanced at his calmly.
He had drawn Lot 1.
A fine number.
He had no doubt he would take first place in this tournament. His eyes immediately turned toward Yue Zhao. Aside from Yun Jin, he wanted to challenge Yue Zhao the most. He needed Yue Zhao to see how much stronger he had become.
Unfortunately, Yue Zhao had drawn Lot 33. They would not meet in the early rounds. None of the disciples from Tianjian Peak would be facing Ruan Jun at the start. Among Zhao Wuji's disciples, only Zhou Li would be fighting someone from Tianjian Peak: Si Wanning.
Si Wanning looked at Zhou Li with a hint of anticipation. Her swordsmanship had improved significantly. Zhou Li was a strong opponent and the perfect test of her current level.
Ruan Jun turned to Zhou Li. "Third junior brother, this concerns our master's honor. This time, you must win. No excuses."
Si Wanning was not someone to be taken lightly. Zhou Li was nervous but could only nod in agreement.
He and his brother were already not favored by their master. If he lost this match and cost Zhao Wuji points, things would only become worse for them.
He had to win.
Once all matches were confirmed, the crowd realized something strange.
Every participant had an opponent.
Then who had drawn the bye?
"Oh no, did I arrive late?" A cheerful voice rang out.
Yun Jin strolled in at her own pace.
Her face bore a bright smile, completely free of fear or anxiety. She looked utterly composed.
Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes, instinctively checking her cultivation.
His expression shifted slightly.
How long had it been?
Yun Jin was already at the mid-Golden Core stage. Her spiritual power surged, full and unrestrained. She seemed only a step away from the late-Golden Core stage. Among elite disciples, this level of cultivation was impressive but not shocking.
However—
Yun Jin had only joined the sect three months ago. Other new disciples were still struggling at the Qi Refining stage. She had already stepped onto the path of Golden Core. Could a five-element root truly achieve this?
Even a natural spiritual root shouldn't be this outrageous.
Zhao Wuji steadied his expression.
So what if she had reached mid-Golden Core?
Ruan Jun was already at peak Nascent Soul.
The gap between their realms was massive. How could Yun Jin possibly win?
"Is this Ruan Jun's opponent?" Li Heng asked with interest. "Just a Golden Core stage cultivator? And you're this worried?"
Zhao Wuji replied, "Uncle Master, when I invited you, she was still at the Foundation Establishment stage."
Li Heng frowned and glanced at Zhao Wuji.
Zhao Wuji paused before saying, "She began cultivating only three months ago."
Mid-Golden Core in three months?
Li Heng's eyes narrowed sharply. "Impossible."
Zhao Wuji didn't want to admit it either, but he still said, "It's true. Three months ago, she was a mortal. I have no idea how her cultivation rose so quickly."
Even if she had consumed some rare and miraculous treasure, how did her spiritual consciousness keep up?
Could a single treasure raise both cultivation and soul realm?
What kind of artifact would that require?
Li Heng grew serious. His gaze toward Yun Jin now held genuine interest.
Yun Jin had finally appeared.
Despite only being a Golden Core disciple, the crowd instinctively made way for her.
She walked easily through the crowd to the lot box.
Smiling, she reached in and pulled out the last remaining lot.
After a glance, she raised a brow. "Senior brothers and sisters, please excuse me. Looks like I drew the bye for this round."
Ruan Jun smiled at her. "No matter. Perhaps we will meet in the next round."
Yun Jin blinked in surprise. "Senior Brother Ruan, are you really in such a rush to die?"
Ruan Jun's smile faded. "That line should come from me!"
Yun Jin shook her finger at him. "Senior Brother Ruan, we cultivators shouldn't just exchange words. Let's settle things with real action—on the arena."
Ruan Jun: "???"
Wasn't she the one who started it?
He gritted his teeth. "Enjoy these last moments of your life."
Yun Jin nodded seriously. "Thank you for the blessing, Senior Brother."
Ruan Jun: "???"
Was that even a blessing?
He turned away, refusing to engage with her any further.
With the lots drawn, the results were clear.
Yun Jin had indeed drawn the bye. For now, no one would get to see her true strength.
Though disappointed, the crowd turned their attention back to the matches.
"Lot 1 vs Lot 53. Lot 2 vs Lot 52. Lot 3 vs Lot 51. Step forward," Zhao Wuji announced coldly.
The first three matches of the tournament began.
Ruan Jun stepped onto the arena slowly. He ignored his opponent completely and locked eyes with Yun Jin, then made a slicing gesture across his throat.
Yun Jin smiled at him.
With a flourish, she conjured a stall beside her and swiftly arranged tea and snacks on it.
"Watching matches makes you thirsty! Free tea for everyone!"
"Boredom gnawing at you? Want to keep your mouth busy? One bag of sunflower seeds for just a single low-grade spirit stone!"
"Handmade pastries. Once you try them, you'll never forget the taste."
A voice-recording stone activated, broadcasting her cheerful sales pitch across the plaza.
Ruan Jun: "..."
Zhao Wuji: "..."
Zhao Wuji shot a furious look at Lin Ya. "The disciple tournament is a critical event! Does your disciple take the sect's affairs seriously at all?"