"For the first round, Liu Ge vs Hao Ye! Proceed to the first platform!"
The referee announced, signaling the competitors to come up to the platform. There was cheering in the air, excitement could be heard throughout the arena—coupled with the calm weather, the occasion was no less than perfect.
The arena is composed of four platforms, each with a single referee. There were spectator stands in each cardinal direction, each filled with outer sect disciples—although some had watched from the perimeter of the platforms.
"There's getting less fresh blood every year... this is pitiful." An outer sect disciple commented.
"It can't be helped, with the country forming a new legion to fight the neighboring Tiān Fēng Dynasty, everyone has gone off to the imperial capital city to try their luck."
"Stupid! It's because our rival sect Purple Flame Peak has been oppressing us—that's why people are afraid of coming here and joining!" A person exclaimed.
Multiple arguments brew in the crowd, as various information spread across the audience—they did not really pay attention to the fighting.
This tournament was not just for recruiting new disciples after all, as many various outer sect disciples have come to participate in the Outer Sect Rankings to improve their standing within the outer sect.
"This brother, I see that you are not from here, who are you fighting against in the first round...?" A rather polite young man asked.
"...?"
Ling Yan could not help but wonder who this person was, or why he had decided to approach him. Along with the young man were two people who Ling Yan surmised as bodyguards, it seems this person was a 'young master'.
"You're mistaken brother, I am not here to participate."
That's right, Ling Yan had no interest in participating in the tournament nor was he interested in becoming a disciple. What was the point of joining the sect when he would soon be leaving?
"You're not... participating?" A look of shock and disbelief came from the young master.
The young master couldn't understand why a cultivator would climb ten thousand steps without participating in the outer sect tournament. Nonetheless, he politely excused himself, as he seemed to be recruiting new disciples for his faction.
"It's surprising—that went oddly unproblematic." Ling Yan commented.
Ling Yan had developed a sense of stigma from the so-called 'young masters' through reading cultivation novels and hadn't expected this outcome. He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief and disappointment at the same time—as his expectations were crushed.
"That was the elder from last time..."
In the VIP stands of the arena, the seven sect elders sat, each with their own mountain peak in which they train their disciples—one of which Ling Yan had seen before in the Cultivation Pagoda. These people were already in the Core Formation Realm, two major realms from Ling Yan.
"I wonder, if I were a normal cultivator—I'd probably be under one of these elders and would have to cultivate diligently working on limited resources."
The outer sect disciples of various mountain peaks didn't have their own abode for cultivation and relied on the Cultivation Pagoda in the town center, which served all the mountain peaks. While Ling Yan found it odd, it did save resources, particularly for a third-grade sect.
[Kill Jade Crest Sect's Elder Li Yue, Requires 30 Psionic Stars]
"Only 30...?"
Ling Yan was shocked; if it only took 30 Psionic Stars to kill an expert in the Core Formation Realm, the shopkeeper from before must have been on a higher realm than these elders. He did not expect that the value of Psionic Stars was quite high.
Trying out various things, Ling Yan had a sinister idea in mind.
"Although I'm at the Qi Refining Realm (4th Layer), I'm still running out of resources and the amount of medicinal pills that I have bought recently has started to dry up."
After arriving at the sect, Ling Yan diligently continued his cultivation. He decided to spend 5 of his Psionic Stars on Cultivation Speed, doubling his efficiency compared to the previous 50%. Additionally, he spent another 4 Psionic Stars to purify his Qi, making it twice as potent. This would allow him to defeat two opponents of the same realm simultaneously.
"There were only a few left after converting my Psionic Stars to Spirit stones... Why didn't I think of this sooner?" Ling Yan could only sigh.
The conversion for a single Psionic Star was one thousand low-grade spirit stones. As he needed it for his cultivation, he could only reluctantly spend them away. However, reaching the 4th Qi Refining Realm, he had completely run out of resources—and just as he was about to give up and work diligently for it...
[Steal Li Yue's Spatial Ring, Requires 3 Psionic Stars]
That's right, this was Ling Yan's master plan—to rob someone. Accordingly, Elder Li Yue was one of the most promising cultivators in the Jade Crest Sect and was personally favored by the sect leader—being the youngest elder. This meant that she had probably the most cultivation resources, or so Ling Yan deduced.
"I'm disappearing anyways, might as well reap the benefits."
He had planned to do it at night, as it seems to be the safest option. And although Ling Yan had felt bad that he had to resort to this, he also knew that in this world, without strength or power, one can only be left behind and potentially die.
"Someday, If I have the chance, I will repay this offense that I have inflicted on you." Ling Yan bowed at the elder from afar, proceeding to leave the arena.
If Ling Yan were given the chance to return to Jade Crest Sect in the future, he had sworn to himeself that he would at least compensate her for stealing. For him, he would not be so heartless as to become a shameless thief—even if stealing was already shameless.
"It would be unthinkable for me to have done this back in my world—but it has to be done." Ling Yan said resolutely.
And so, as the day fell on the horizon, a man walked the desolate streets of the town. While cheerful praises could be heard of the battle between outer sect disciples from where Ling Yan was, he had not come to join the spectacle. He had something much more important to do, after all.
That is, to survive and realize his dream.