Chen Yu and Liu Shizi, two disciples of the sect, were considering taking Wu Li with them to ask the Elders if he could still cultivate even if he didn't take a spot. If he could, his talent might help him advance to the inner sect, and they will get contribution points for recommending him.

Contrary to Wu Yang's belief, most cultivators in the sect were motivated by benefits. If they could get free sect contribution points, they would take the opportunity.

Chen Yu and Liu Shizi were ordinary outer disciples and didn't have high positions in the sect. The standards of the Extreme Jade Sword Sect were very high, so they had little chance of entering the inner court.

"Shall we start the tournament, elders?" asked Liu Shizi with a composed demeanor. "Our Junior Brother has arrived. We hope that the new disciples will prove to be promising."

Just then, the Third Elder, Wu Tie, pulled out a white jade and transmitted a message through it. "Let the tournament begin."

Soon, a stunning woman stepped into the arena, donning a revealing red robe that showed off her ample curves. Her smile could captivate even the most steadfast cultivators, and her pearly white teeth gleamed in the light.

Her striking features alone made her a top-tier beauty who could easily rival those of a whole nation. Her alluring poise accentuated her hourglass figure with every graceful movement.

A seductive goddess! She was none other than Li Xuefeng. Her name was known far and wide throughout the dynasty as a talented and beautiful young woman. Though not as gifted as some of the other youths, she had achieved the early stage of the Foundation Building Realm at just fifteen years old, and now at nineteen, had reached the middle stage.

It appeared that the Wu Clan was eager to impress the two disciples by selecting Li Xuefeng as the host of today's tournament.

"Hello everyone! Today we're going to watch the Wu Clan's most talented youths compete in the tournament. I'm so excited!" Li Xuefeng announced.

"And hey, if you haven't placed your bets already, it's too late now!" She grinned, already feeling the excitement building up.

One of the spectators, who was clearly smitten with her, asked, "Hey Beauty Li, who do you think will win? Can you tell us?"

Another onlooker chimed in, "Yeah, come on, tell us who you're rooting for!"

Li Xuefeng laughed and said, "Sorry, my betting preferences are a secret." She didn't want to show any favoritism and risk damaging her reputation.

Meanwhile, in the Jade Room...

Liu Shizi was dazzled by Fairy Li's curves and cleavage. He said with a cheeky grin, "Li Xuefeng! What a clever name. But how come I can see two Xuefengs? Are you trying to confuse me?"

[A/N: Xuefeng roughly translates to "snowy peak" according to MDBG. Basically it's a compliment to her bosom.]

Chen Yu gave an eye roll and exclaimed, "You disgusting pervert! What are you muttering about now? It's fortunate that no one can overhear us, or I'd have to take drastic measures."

"Haha! Senior Brother Liu, you have a way with words!" Wu Yang was thoroughly entertained by Liu Shizi's amusing praise.

Liu Shizi beamed with a smile in response.

Back in the arena, Fairy Li resumed her announcement. "The first round starts now! We will have nine fights in total. The first fight will be between Wu Mucai and Wu Bailian," she declared.

As the crowd cheered, Wu Mucai, a burly youth of seventeen who had just condensed his ninth pillar, stepped onto the stage. He was up against Wu Bailian, who had condensed twelve pillars and was far ahead in cultivation. Despite the odds stacked against him, Wu Mucai looked determined to give it his best shot.

Both contestants faced each other, ready to start the fight. Suddenly, Wu Bailian spoke up in a timid tone, "I hope Brother Mucai won't be too harsh on me!"

Wu Mucai raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What? You're the one who's built twelve pillars, and you want me to go easy on you?" he exclaimed, trying to hide his confusion.

As the crowd cheered on, a random nobody from the sidelines shouted out, "Yep, yep! If you hurt my fairy, I won't forgive you!"

Wu Mucai's jaw clenched as he remembered the nobody's face. "Hmph! You're just a random nobody and you dare to threaten me? I'll cut your legs off after this tournament and we'll see how arrogant you are then," he muttered under his breath, secretly seething with anger.

Both contestants drew their swords from their sheaths and the battle began.

Wu Bailian was quick to take the offensive, employing her signature Lightning Cloud Steps to close in on Wu Mucai. But the young man's instincts were sharp, and he sensed the danger. He leaped back, using his own Dazzling Light Footwork to evade her attack.

The Dazzling Light Footwork was a middle-grade Black technique that Wu Yang had also cultivated, but it paled in comparison to the sheer elegance and power of the Lightning Cloud Steps.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Undeterred, Wu Bailian pressed on, her lithe frame darting forward in a series of lightning-fast movements. Wu Mucai struggled to keep up, his breaths coming in short gasps as he parried her blows with increasing difficulty.

Wu Bailian continued to advance, taking small, measured steps to bait Wu Mucai into using the Dazzling Light Footwork, which consumed more Qi than her own technique. Wu Mucai, however, was no fool. He held his ground, waiting for an opening that would allow him to strike back.

But after five intense minutes of combat, Wu Bailian emerged victorious. She stood triumphant over her opponent, as the crowd erupted in cheers.

As the tournament progressed, the battles only grew more intense and captivating, each one showcasing the Wu Clan's various techniques and skills.

After an hour had passed, it was finally Wu Li's turn to prove himself. He was up against Wu Gao, a middle stage Foundation Building cultivator with six condensed pillars. But this fight was more than just a battle between two disciples. Wu Gao was part of Wu Kang's faction, so defeating him would be an indirect victory against Wu Kang.

To accomplish this, Wu Li had a plan. He had recently achieved the Profound Success stage in a supreme Yellow Grade sword technique that he had been cultivating for days: the Flowing Water Sword Style. Achieving Profound Success in a technique, especially a supreme Yellow Grade one, was a significant accomplishment.

"This is the last match of this round! Let's hope that this match is also interesting as the former matches as well!" Fairy Li exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She was a true battle fanatic, and there was nothing she enjoyed more than watching two skilled cultivators face off against each other.

As the two competitors stepped onto the arena, the crowd roared with anticipation.

Wu Gao sneered and mocked Wu Li, making fun of his lower cultivation level. "You're just at the early stage of the Foundation Building Realm, and you still dare to face me? Jump off the stage before I will injure you!"

Wu Li just shrugged off his opponent's words and replied, "Well, I won't be courteous anymore. I hope you defend well when I use my full strength."

Wu Gao laughed arrogantly and continued to taunt Wu Li. "Don't get ahead of yourself. Even if you use everything you've got, you can't defeat me! You better surrender now and apologize to Wu Kang for offending him."

Wu Li shook his head, feeling disgusted by Wu Gao's arrogance. He knew he had to confront him and settle their enmity.

"Wu Gao, please be careful!" Wu Li shouted, pretending to care about his opponent's well-being.

Ignoring Wu Li's warning, Wu Gao stood still, arrogance still apparent on his face. Suddenly, the pitch-black sword flashed and mercilessly sliced Wu Gao in half, causing him to scream in agony as he fell to the ground, lifeless.

Wu Li's strike was too fast for Wu Gao to react, and the agony of his death was evident on his face as he fell to the ground, lifeless.

The stunned audience watched as the Primordial Abyss Sword executed its deadly work, using the Flowing Water Sword Style to insta-kill Wu Gao, who was too overconfident in his ability to dodge the attack.

"I never intended to kill Wu Gao, but I did warn him that I would use my full strength. Unfortunately, he ignored my words," explained Wu Li, excusing himself.

The crowd gasped in shock as they witnessed the gruesome scene, and Fairy Li covered her mouth in horror. Wu Gao lay lifeless on the ground, his fate sealed in an instant.

"Unbelievable! How can someone in the early stage of Foundation Building be that powerful?" exclaimed a random cultivator from the arena, in disbelief.

The whispers spread like wildfire among the crowd. "Did Wu Li really lose his cultivation base? The Second Elder confirmed it herself," questioned one person.

"Maybe he regained his cultivation and kept it hidden all along," speculated another.

The confusion continued to mount. "But why would he do that? It doesn't make any sense," questioned yet another.

As the dust settled, the audience remained baffled by the outcome of the fight.

The five people in the Jade Room were shocked.

"A technique cultivated to the Profound Success is impressive! That means that Wu Li almost achieved the level where his insights on the technique are almost the same as the creator's!"

Chen Yu said, "Fellow Daoists, do you think this Wu Li is hiding his cultivation base or is he just at the early stage of Foundation Building?"

"I'm afraid I cannot explain it either!" The First Elder admitted, his confusion mirroring that of everyone.

While leapfrogging in the Foundation Building stages was possible, it was extremely rare, especially when it came to jumping from the early to middle stage. Even with mastery of the Flowing Water Sword Style, one could at most only leapfrog two pillars. Wu Li's overwhelming victory, however, was not solely due to his technique.

As Wu Li walked off the arena, he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Wu Li, why did you have to kill Wu Gao?" Wu Kang's tone was filled with anger and disbelief.

Wu Li turned around, facing Wu Kang. "It wasn't my intention to do so. As someone in the early stage of the Foundation Building Realm, I had to use all my strength to avoid losing. I didn't expect Wu Gao to be so foolish and not dodge my attack," he replied calmly, although he knew that Wu Kang wouldn't believe him.

Wu Kang gritted his teeth. "You could have shown mercy, couldn't you?" he said, his eyes flashing with anger.

Wu Li shook his head. "It's not my fault that he didn't dodge my attack. Besides, I even warned him," he replied, trying to reason with Wu Kang.

But Wu Kang was not convinced. "I will make sure that you pay for what you've done," he said coldly, before turning around and leaving the arena.

Fairy Li's voice was filled with grief as she said, "Wu Gao's death is truly tragic. He was such a talented individual." Her tone conveyed a sense of sorrow and empathy for the fallen cultivator.

She let out a sigh before adding, "Unfortunately, accidents can happen even to the best of us."

Suddenly, her voice took on a more joyful tone as she said, "But let us not dwell on the past. The next round is scheduled for tomorrow morning, and we already have the matchups set."

"Because the next round has nine competitors, someone has to automatically pass the stage. By luck, Wu Kang, passed the second round! I guess it's not really a problem, since he's the crowd-favorite for winning the tournament,"

Li Xuefeng then announced the upcoming matches for the following day, "First up will be Wu Bailian and Wu Fei, the second match will be...and finally, in the last match, we have Wu Li against Wu Jian!"

Wu Jian was Wu Kang's most formidable subordinate, boasting an impressive eleven pillars in his Foundation Building cultivation.

When night came in the Jin Dynasty, Wu Li was still working hard to get stronger. He sat in his room and touched the ring on his finger. It was the only thing that got him into this situation, but it also allowed him to cultivate again.

This ring was really greedy and took away all his cultivation, stopping him from getting better!

No matter how hard he tried to improve, this cursed ring kept holding him back. He only just found out why.

But he also knew that this ring could help him reach new heights in cultivation because it had an amazing old man inside it!