Coming to Seek the Truth

The moonlight was bright and pure as the two exchanged cups of wine, chatting idly about everything under the heavens.

A plate of peanuts gradually vanished as the bright moon shifted across the sky.

No farewells were spoken—they simply finished the wine they had brought. Daoist Yuyang stood, waved his hand, and Chu Xingchen nodded in acknowledgment, completing their parting.

Yet, even after Daoist Yuyang left, Chu Xingchen remained seated, gazing at the moon that seemed on the verge of setting.

His thoughts weren’t occupied with the upcoming individual battles. Instead, he realized it had been some time since he last saw his disciples.

He wondered how the branch sect’s construction was progressing, whether Li Yingling could handle the workload, if Little Baiqing missed him, or if Cui Hao had caused any trouble.

Li Xingtian, Lin Luoyu, Qinghe who dropped by to help, and that seemingly foolish green serpent—

He also pondered whether Ning Qianqian and Ning Kun had grown accustomed to life in the Central Continent.

As Chu Xingchen stared at the moon, he realized—unconsciously—that he now had reasons he couldn’t afford to lose.

The individual battles weren’t scheduled immediately after the team competition, leaving a few days for rest.

But aside from Chu Xingchen, everyone else seemed to be cramming at the last minute.

Daoist Yuyang had become completely unreachable, rumored to be training frantically, determined to defeat the so-called "marked prey"—Xu Jin.

Yet, someone else was even more relentless—Yanyun had voluntarily sought out Bai Xuanling for training.

Chu Xingchen had the privilege of witnessing Bai Xuanling’s training methods, which could only be described as hellish.

In summary: "This is a spiritual treasure, this is a divine technique, and ahead lies Bai Xuanling."

Fortunately, there was good news. Since the individual battles were only days away, Bai Xuanling refrained from leaving physical scars on Yanyun, opting instead for psychological torment.

At first, Bai Xuanling did the taunting himself, but soon found it unsatisfying and enlisted Chu Xingchen’s help.

Thus, within the sealed training grounds of the Tianyan Sect, Bai Xuanling wielded his spiritual sword, suppressing Yanyun with absolute dominance—leaving no room for resistance.

Chu Xingchen, meanwhile, cracked melon seeds on the sidelines, serving as the verbal provocateur: "Why aren’t you fighting back? Do you enjoy being beaten?"

Unsurprisingly, Yanyun’s frustration skyrocketed under Chu Xingchen’s mockery.

Though still overpowered by Bai Xuanling, he finally managed to counterattack occasionally.

Of course, mockery bred resentment.

Yanyun repeatedly challenged Chu Xingchen to spar, but each time, Chu Xingchen refused—claiming he had "a greater battle to fight."

Lv Xuan, meanwhile, stayed out of these affairs. For him, sparring was merely a negotiation tactic. He had his own agenda—after all, coming to the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect to fight wasn’t the goal, but a step toward it.

He needed to turn these advantages into leverage for his next move.

Yet, progress remained difficult. The Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect’s stance remained firm, as if the once-greatest immortal sect still clung to its former pride.

A sect that had once defied an entire continent, nearly shattered yet unyielding—how could it bow to mere words now?

Lv Xuan was admittedly frustrated, but he seemed to have found a new angle of approach.

Victory in the individual battles would also aid his cause.

After all, a sect must consider not just the present, but the future.

For the individual battles, cultivation levels were capped at the early-stage Nascent Soul realm—allowing enough flexibility to showcase each disciple’s mastery of divine techniques.

The rules were simple, for in the world of cultivation, strength was the ultimate law.

Originally, the first match was to be decided by draw, but Daoist Yuyang directly requested to face Xu Jin.

Faced with such a bold challenge, the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect couldn’t back down—even if they lost, they wouldn’t lose face. Thus, the first match was set: Daoist Yuyang versus Xu Jin.

On the day of the battle, though the Vast Heaven Palace and another major sect weren’t participating, their disciples stayed to observe the clashes between the elite disciples of other sects.

This was free intelligence—why not take it? Moreover, witnessing the techniques of these top-tier geniuses was invaluable for any aspiring cultivator.

Within the water-mirror arena, Daoist Yuyang and Xu Jin stood ready.

Daoist Yuyang’s expression was solemn, spiritual energy surging around him as his spiritual sword unsheathed itself.

His determination to win was absolute.

In contrast, Xu Jin appeared utterly composed.

Yanyun sat rigidly, his gaze fixed intently on the duel.

For core disciples of the eighteen immortal sects to spar like this was a rarity that might not recur for centuries.

Yet, Chu Xingchen was absent—uninterested in this much-anticipated showdown.

Instead, he stood in the grand hall of the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect’s council chamber.

Li Moze hadn’t gone to watch his disciple’s match against Daoist Yuyang. He already knew the outcome before it began.

Xu Jin had no reason—and no possibility—of losing.

A gap in strength couldn’t be bridged by a few days of desperate training.

His calm eyes settled on the anomaly standing before him—the Tianyan Sect’s Chu Xingchen, possibly the only "Karmic Nascent Soul" in existence.

Lv Xuan sat in the distance, eyes closed in contemplation, as if entrusting everything to Chu Xingchen.

Li Moze’s gaze flickered between them before he spoke, his tone indifferent:

"I agreed to host this tournament not to compromise, but to make one thing clear—the Mysterious Purity Heavenly Sect will never yield where it shouldn’t."

"Does the truth about Luo Yue truly matter to your Tianyan Sect?"

"I’ve shown my utmost sincerity. My sect has laid the groundwork, and yours has gained prestige. Push further, and we will concede nothing."

Chu Xingchen replied evenly, "Luo Yue’s matter may not matter to the Tianyan Sect. But does it not matter to yours?"

Li Moze met his gaze steadily before responding:

"Significance isn’t determined by what you think, but by what your opponent thinks."

A smile curved Chu Xingchen’s lips as he stepped forward, clasping his hands in salute.

"Since that’s the case—this humble one, Chu Xingchen, seeks to challenge Sect Master Li. Will you grant me the honor?"