He shut the door tightly and returned to cultivation.
Li Xiaoman had indeed gotten her answer, but it did not satisfy her in the slightest.
Altering formation runes was no trivial matter. Something like that could only be done by cultivators who truly understood formations.
Gu Qinghe was merely a new disciple of the sect—it was impossible for him to have mastered techniques of that level.
But Gu Qinghe did not care.
The Talent Evaluation Tournament turned out to be far less frightening than he had imagined.
With his current cultivation, his strength already surpassed the majority of the participants. In the previous match, he had not even used his strongest techniques.
Ultimate techniques were only meant for critical moments.
There were still four matches left before he could claim victory in this tournament.
Among all the participants, only Li Xiaoman truly bothered him. And even then, it was not because of her actual strength, but because of the artifact she wielded.
Without that artifact, Gu Qinghe would not even need to be wary of her.
Time continued to pass.
Li Xiaoman used the rest period to train relentlessly. Meanwhile, Gu Qinghe remained secluded in his room, fully focused on cultivation.
There was no opportunity to break through to Perfect Foundation Establishment anytime soon. He simply reinforced his body and recovered his strength.
No sparring.
No breakthroughs.
Only cultivation… and rest.
***
The next day.
Gu Qinghe flew atop his sword, entered the Spring Region, and landed in the tournament arena.
He cast a brief glance around. The participants eliminated in the first round were gathered there, cheering loudly.
"Come on! Defeat those Winter Area people!"
"Avenge my loss! Make them suffer!"
"Li Xiaoman! You cowardly woman who relies on your father's artifact!"
Gu Qinghe heard all of it, but his expression remained calm. He did not take those shouts seriously.
Li Xiaoman, on the other hand, turned around with an angry expression.
"You weaklings who can only bark nonsense!" she snapped.
"What did you say?!"
The atmosphere began to heat up until an elder referee stepped forward. His presence immediately drew the attention of all the disciples.
"The second round of the Talent Trial Tournament will now begin."
"The bracket remains the same as before."
The drawing process was carried out again using the same participant numbers. Everyone watched carefully—except Gu Qinghe.
His gaze was fixed instead on the guest seats.
Gu Han.
The man sat there calmly. Gu Qinghe was startled. Yesterday, that seat had been empty.
What made him come here?
The drawing process finished without Gu Qinghe even noticing.
When he finally looked at the results board, he saw that his opponent was from the Spring Area—participant number twelve.
"The drawing is complete. First match, Han Yuzhong versus Yun Yun."
The participants stood outside the arena as the elder referee immediately started the match. Two disciples from the same region faced each other.
Gu Qinghe watched quietly. Not long after, Yun Yun emerged victorious and advanced to the next round.
Matches continued one after another. Gu Qinghe used the time to evaluate the strength of the remaining participants.
"Next, Gu Qinghe versus Xiao Yan!"
Gu Qinghe stepped into the arena. His match came earlier than Li Xiaoman's.
Standing across from him was a man in sect robes, his face filled with confidence.
The two exchanged formal salutes. The elder referee raised his hand.
The match began.
Xiao Yan immediately formed hand seals. A burst of heat exploded outward, taking the shape of a medium-sized fire dragon.
Cheers erupted from the Spring Area.
"Brother Xiao Yan is a fire element master! Ice can't possibly win against fire!"
"Gu Qinghe is finished!"
Xiao Yan smiled faintly and pointed at Gu Qinghe, "Qinghe, I'm a kind person. Kneel and bow three times, and I'll spare you."
Gu Qinghe let out a soft laugh. Threats like that sounded ridiculous to him.
He raised one hand to his chest, "I'm just curious… Can your fire dragon really hurt me?"
Xiao Yan snorted and swung his arm. The fire dragon shot forward, charging ferociously.
Gu Qinghe moved.
Golden light flashed. His body darted swiftly, evading attack after attack. His speed far exceeded the fire dragon's control.
Xiao Yan ground his teeth, "Just running and dodging? Are you that much of a coward?!"
Gu Qinghe remained silent, leaping from point to point. Flames brushed past him again and again, barely missing.
"HAHAHA!" Xiao Yan laughed loudly, "Just keep running! Is this all the Gu Clan can do? Pathetic!"
On the guest seats, Gu Han narrowed his eyes. His curiosity deepened.
From the beginning, Gu Qinghe had done nothing but evade—not a single counterattack.
When the fire dragon finally sealed off Gu Qinghe's escape routes, the young man extended his hand.
Active defensive technique.
His body was pushed far back, nearly falling out of the arena. Xiao Yan's confidence surged.
"The victory is mine!"
Gu Qinghe smiled faintly.
He raised his head, staring at the fire dragon charging toward him once more.
"Tetragram of the Eight Directions… activate."
Gu Han gasped.
Eight rune marks in the shape of a golden circle lit up across the arena floor.
"Tetragram of the Eight Directions?" he murmured in shock.
He was not the only one. Many envoys from other sects and clans were equally stunned.
Tetragram techniques were Taoist arts belonging to the Yin-Yang Sect—secret techniques at the early Core Formation level, mastered only by elders and selected disciples.
From the eight marks, Gu Qinghe's figure emerged in golden light. Shadows attacked Xiao Yan from every direction.
Xiao Yan summoned his fire dragon, trying to burn the shadows away.
It failed.
The flames touched nothing.
Relentless attacks left Xiao Yan injured and exhausted. His body collapsed, strength drained. His qi ran dry, and the fire dragon vanished.
When Xiao Yan was completely helpless, Gu Qinghe merged all eight marks. Golden energy condensed, transforming into a radiant spear.
"Gu Qinghe! What are you doing?!" the elder referee shouted.
With a short motion, the golden spear shot forward—aimed directly at Xiao Yan's life.
The tournament rules were clear. Killing was forbidden.
The elder referee moved at once, blocking the spear with all his strength.
The entire arena shuddered.
"Gu Qinghe!" a heavy voice echoed.
A wave of cultivation pressure crashed down on Gu Qinghe. He dropped to one knee, blood spraying from his mouth.
The Yin-Yang Sect Master stared at him coldly, "The match is over. Withdraw your attack."
This old man!
Gu Qinghe extended his hand and pulled the golden energy back. The spear vanished instantly. The pressure disappeared as well.
He steadied his breathing, his body feeling unbearably heavy, "This disciple apologizes for his recklessness."
The sect master narrowed his eyes, "Return and rest."
Seeing the situation stabilize, the elder referee immediately announced the result, "Gu Qinghe is the winner. He advances to the quarterfinals."
There was no applause.
No cheers.
That silence itself was proof of their displeasure at Gu Qinghe's victory.
Especially the gaze of the Yin-Yang Sect Master—cold, oppressive.
Only then did Gu Qinghe realize something.
Something was very wrong.