Soul-Snatching Technique

The crowd looked at Fang Hanyu on the arena, shock flashing in their eyes.

This person looked to be only around fifteen years old, yet he was actually able to defeat a late Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. Was there any justice left in the world?

I am already in my twenties and only at the early Foundation Establishment Realm. Comparing oneself to others is truly infuriating.

However, voices of doubt soon arose.

One disciple said, If you ask me, he just relied on the power of his weapon! Let him try with an ordinary iron sword. He would be lucky to survive three moves from Senior Brother Liu!

Although these words were harsh, they made many people nod in secret agreement.

In their eyes, Fang Hanyu's victory was mainly due to the enhancement of his weapon. If his sword had not severed his opponent's longsword in one strike, who knew what the outcome would have been.

No one was willing to believe that a fifteen-year-old youth could crush a late Foundation Establishment cultivator with his own true abilities.

Only the few Peak Masters on the high platform could see things clearly.

Ye Guying's gaze fell on the hand Fang Hanyu used to hold his sword.

What severed the profound iron sword was not the weapon, but sword intent. Did you see how steady his hand was when he sheathed his sword? That is a manifestation of controlling power to the absolute extreme.

Xuanyangzi stroked his beard and chuckled, casting a glance at Gu Changge.

This second disciple not only hid his capabilities deeply, but even when he revealed his edge, he carried a ruthless, unassuming sharpness.

The protagonist being discussed merely walked off the arena calmly, as if the victory just now had nothing to do with him.

Just as the crowd was in heated discussion, a crisp sword chime rang out from another arena on the side.

Shen Jinghong's soft sword retracted into its sheath like a spirit snake. Opposite her, a mid Foundation Establishment Realm disciple clutched his bleeding shoulder and surrendered with a pale face.

This scene caused the disciples in the spectator stands to boil over with excitement once again.

Junior Sister Shen is incredible! That was a senior brother at the mid Foundation Establishment Realm, and he could not even last twenty moves!

After all, she has the Heaven-grade aptitude of the Jinghong Sword Body. It is not surprising that she can challenge those above her level!

As expected of the genius of Azure Cloud Peak, the Sect Master's personal disciple...

As round after round of matches concluded, the list of advancing participants gradually became clear.

Seeded contestants like Li Xuanfeng, Shi Jingxian, and Mu Chenyu all passed smoothly.

Meanwhile, many of the disciples who were originally placed with high hopes had already suffered defeat, causing the various Peak Masters to sigh secretly.

Soon, the final list of the thirty-two victors was confirmed.

The two newly admitted disciples of Purple Bamboo Peak from this year, along with Shen Jinghong of Azure Cloud Peak, were among them, becoming the focus of the entire audience.

Some sighed in admiration that Gu Changge, a Peak Master with only Core Formation Realm cultivation, had taken in two such excellent disciples.

Others thought more deeply about it. That seemingly lazy Peak Master who could teach such genius disciples was likely not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

At this moment, no one dared to underestimate that cloud-shrouded Purple Bamboo Peak anymore.

Just as everyone was focused on the arenas, Gu Changge suddenly paused, his brows furrowing slightly.

Two faint ripples of spiritual energy had just transmitted from the southeast corner of the martial arts field, only to be firmly locked onto by his divine sense.

Those were messages transmitted using special encryption techniques that ordinary cultivators could not detect at all.

This is a bit earlier than expected.

A cold, sharp smirk curled at the corner of his mouth. His divine sense, like a fine net, instantly decrypted the contents of the messages.

One was sent to the Wanfa Pavilion, detailing the combat specifics of Xiao Ruobai, Fang Hanyu, and Shen Jinghong, specifically emphasizing that all three had joined the sect this year.

The other was also directed to the Wanfa Pavilion, clearly recording the situation of today's grand competition.

Gu Changge lifted his eyes to look at the spectator seating, only to see Xuanyangzi holding a Mind-Testing Spirit Jade, pretending to patrol as he approached the disciples one by one.

Whenever the jade's surface glowed with a gray light, he would quietly memorize the person's appearance, moving as cautiously as if defusing a bomb.

Too slow.

Gu Changge gently shook his head.

Although that Mind-Testing Spirit Jade could detect those with malicious intentions, it required close contact, making its efficiency somewhat low.

A faint golden halo quietly surfaced between his brows as his Piercing Divine Eyes suddenly activated.

In an instant, the clamorous human voices seemed to be muted, and the auras of all the disciples had nowhere to hide from his eyes.

Immediately, seven more people appeared within his divine sense.

With a thought, he thoroughly saw through every person's inner thoughts and past life experiences.

Gu Changge's gaze focused slightly. He took out a blank jade slip and recorded the appearances, auras, locations, and affiliated factions of the nine individuals one by one.

Two from Wanfa Pavilion, three from Burning Heaven Palace, one from Array Breaking Sect, and three others from the Heavenly Evolution Sect and Jade Pure Sect.

Senior Brother, come back. Here is the list of spies.

Gu Changge's voice directly rang out in Xuanyangzi's sea of consciousness.

He flicked his finger, and the jade slip turned into an imperceptible streak of light, weaving through the gaps in the crowd and landing precisely in Xuanyangzi's hand.

Gu Changge's Piercing Divine Eyes swept over those people again. Seeing that they were still methodically transmitting information, a cold, mocking arc formed at the corner of his mouth.

Little did they know that their transmissions had already been entirely intercepted by Gu Changge.

He would let these jumping clowns bounce around for a little while longer. Once the grand competition concluded, he would settle the score with all of them at once.

Xuanyangzi quickly returned to the viewing platform. As his divine sense swept over the jade slip, his expression instantly darkened.

What a Burning Heaven Palace, Wanfa Pavilion, and Array Breaking Sect! To think they planted so many eyes in my Qingxuan Sect!

He gripped the jade slip tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Especially the Array Breaking Sect, they actually dared to extend their hands into the Disciplinary Hall!

I really want to skin them alive right now, a bunch of ungrateful traitors.

Gu Changge said calmly, There is no rush. I have a secret art that can instantly control their minds and turn them into absolute loyalists. Do you want to learn it?

Or would you rather just dispose of them directly?

Really? You actually possess such a cultivation method?

Xuanyangzi instantly became excited, his voice transmission even trembling slightly.

Stay steady, these are just minor tricks, very simple.

Saying so, Gu Changge transmitted the Soul Seizing Art to Xuanyangzi, along with a massive amount of cultivation experience.

This allowed Xuanyangzi to quickly master the technique.

Xuanyangzi carefully sensed this technique, becoming more shocked the more he understood it.

Practicing this technique could greatly enhance one's own divine sense power.

Not only could it control the target and turn them into a loyal servant, but it could also pry into others' memories without them noticing.

It could even copy the target's cultivation methods and experiences.

As long as this was used well, it was not the slightest bit inferior to an Emperor-grade cultivation method.

Changge, oh Changge, just what kind of existence did Daoist Zizhu pick up and bring back.

Xuanyangzi secretly glanced at Gu Changge, sighing inwardly.

He tucked the jade slip into his sleeve, his eyes as cold as ice.

Wait until the grand competition is over, then we will let these rats taste the methods of the Qingxuan Sect.

After saying that, he reverted to his usual gentle appearance, as if his previous fury had never happened.

Only the tight purse of his lips betrayed his true emotions—this time, none of these hidden pests would be able to escape.

Gu Changge looked at the sternness hidden deep in his eyes and said no more.

Soon, the second round of matches began.

Shen Jinghong faced an early Core Formation Realm disciple from Zhenyue Peak.

Her Jinghong Sword Body flowed within the sword light, her sword moves agile and swift.

But as she fought, she suddenly remembered her master Xuanyangzi's instruction to stop at the second round. Her eyes shifted slightly, and she intentionally revealed a flaw.

Her opponent seized the opportunity to counterattack, and Shen Jinghong took advantage of the momentum to feign defeat, sheathing her sword and surrendering.

Although the spectators in the stands felt a twinge of regret, they also found the outcome entirely reasonable. After all, the opponent was already at the Core Formation realm. For Shen Jinghong to have fought to such a point had already far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu continued to advance steadily.

In the second round of the tournament, Xiao Ruobai was matched against an opponent at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment realm.

The opponent swung a heavy hammer with ferocious momentum, but Xiao Ruobai concealed ninety percent of his true strength, deliberately making it seem like an evenly matched back-and-forth battle.

The strikes of his long halberd were erratic, alternating between fast and slow, while his footwork occasionally leaked intentional openings. Beads of sweat even formed on his forehead, perfectly feigning the look of a man pushed to his limits by anxiety.

He played the part of someone barely holding on to absolute perfection.

It was only in the fifth exchange, capitalizing on the brief moment his opponent paused to catch his breath, that he executed a seemingly lucky strike. He knocked the opponent's weapon into the air and sent the man tumbling off the arena.

"He won?"