161: The outer sect competition and "legal" infiltration

The Qingxuan Sect Outer Sect Grand Competition, a grand event held once every decade, captured the attention of countless Outer Sect Disciples and even some factions within the Inner Sect.

For the vast majority of Outer Sect Disciples, this was the best Opportunity to leap over the Dragon Gate. If one could stand out in the competition, not only would they receive generous rewards, but they would also have the hope of being noticed by an Inner Sect Elder, taken in as a Disciple, and ascending to the heavens in a single bound.

For Wen Youyi and his "Wall Breaker Alliance," this competition was a once-in-a-lifetime, excellent Opportunity to "legally" approach Falling Star Lake!

"According to Sect tradition, the top ten of the Outer Sect Grand Competition, in addition to the standard rewards, will receive an Opportunity to enter a 'Sect Secret Realm' to Cultivate and gain insights." Wang Wu recounted the intelligence he had gathered, "And for this session, the 'Sect Secret Realm' happens to be Falling Star Lake!"

"As expected!" Wen Youyi lightly clenched his fist. "This is truly like someone offering a pillow right when I'm feeling sleepy!"

Senior Brother Zhang analyzed, "Although Falling Star Lake is regarded as the private property of Elder Black Sha's faction, it nominally still belongs to the Sect. Each time it opens, it requires joint supervision by the Discipline Hall and at least two Elders from non-Black Sha factions; the Disciples under Black Sha cannot completely cover the sky with one hand. This is indeed the best time for us to infiltrate."

"Hehe, perfect! I've been wanting to meet those bastards under Black Sha for a long time!" Zhao Iron Pillar excitedly waved his new heavy sword, "This time, I'm going to beat the crap out of them!"

Wen Youyi, however, shook his head and revealed an inscrutable smile. "Iron Pillar, our main goal this time isn't to fight, but to 'raid the base.' Fighting is just a means, and furthermore, we cannot fight openly."

He detailed his plan:

First, they needed to reasonably and legally obtain the qualification to enter Falling Star Lake. That is to say, Wen Youyi, Zhao Iron Pillar, Wang Wu, and even Senior Brother Zhang (if possible), all needed to achieve a good enough ranking in the Outer Sect Grand Competition to squeeze into the top ten!

Second, after entering Falling Star Lake, they must openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang. On the surface, they must act like other Disciples, honestly "Cultivating" and gaining insights, and even perform with extra dedication to numb the observers. Secretly, they must utilize the convenience of the "Star Network" and "Mind Net" to find the specific location where the star core fragment might exist, and find a suitable spot to set up the second sub-node—the "Falling Star Lake Node."

Finally, they would capitalize on the situation and create chaos. If conditions allowed, when finding the star core fragment or setting up the node, they could cleverly manufacture some "accidents," such as triggering small-scale energy disturbances, or framing the Disciples under Black Sha, leaving them unable to voice their grievances, or even causing internal conflict among them.

"The key to this plan lies in," Wen Youyi summarized, "everything we do must be hidden within the 'rules.' We must use the rules, not challenge them. We will be the most rule-abiding Disciples until... we get what we want."

Everyone's eyes lit up as they listened. This set of operations was practically playing with the Sect's rules in an ingenious way!

"But, Youyi," Wang Wu raised a concern, "The Outer Sect is full of hidden talents; there are many in the Late Stage of Qi Refining, and there might even be those at the Qi Refining Great Perfection. For us to all squeeze into the top ten is quite difficult."

Among them, Wen Youyi, relying on various Opportunities and the aid of the star core, had reached the Peak of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer and could break through to the Seventh Layer at any time. Zhao Iron Pillar had thick skin and tough flesh, with fierce combat power that did not lose to an ordinary Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator. Wang Wu and Senior Brother Li were slightly weaker but still had Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivation. Senior Brother Zhang leaned more towards technology, and actual combat was not his strong suit.

"Rest assured, I have long been prepared." Wen Youyi smiled confidently. "Our advantage has never been pure cultivation."

He looked at Senior Brother Zhang, "Old Zhang, how is the upgrade of our 'equipment' coming along?"

Senior Brother Zhang adjusted his glasses, a proud expression unique to a tech geek appearing on his face. "The second-generation 'personal node' has integrated enhanced versions of 'Spirit Disturbance' and concealment functions, sufficient to cope with routine detection during the competition. In addition, combining ancient knowledge and existing Materials, I have tailor-made some... 'gadgets' for everyone."

He took out a few items:

For Wen Youyi, it was a pair of seemingly ordinary thin silk gloves, but the fingertips were embedded with tiny runes capable of finely guiding and distorting spiritual power. "'Thousand Mechanisms Hand' will allow your control over spiritual power to be more precise; setting up Formations and casting Spells will be a step faster than others, and it can even simulate the spiritual power fluctuations of a higher Realm to bluff people."

For Zhao Iron Pillar, it was a pair of dark, spike-covered bracers. "'Mountain Shaking Bracers'; once activated, they can significantly enhance your strength and defense for a short time. Combined with your heavy sword, splitting mountains and cracking rocks will be a breeze. Note, they consume a lot of energy, so don't use them lightly."

For Wang Wu, it was a pair of lightweight boots and an inner armor. "'Wind-Walking Boots' increase speed and evasion, and 'Spirit Rhinoceros Armor' can warn of and deflect some Spell attacks; it's top-tier for saving your life."

He even prepared a wide robe for himself, Senior Brother Zhang, who was not good at fighting. It was inscribed with various defensive and concealment Formations, focusing primarily on "playing it safe."

"Additionally," Wen Youyi added, "The competition is not just a simple arena match; there are also team collaboration, Secret Realm exploration, and other segments. When it comes to team coordination and 'crooked paths'... *ahem*, I mean tactical innovation, our Mutual Aid Society claims second place, and no one in the Outer Sect dares to claim first!"

Hearing this, everyone's confidence greatly increased. That's right, they were a team, a team with organization, technology, and imagination!

"Good! Then it's settled!" Wen Youyi stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Target, top ten of the Outer Sect Grand Competition! Let's go into this pool of water and stir things up properly!"

Just as everyone was rubbing their palms and preparing to throw themselves into the torrent of the competition, the star core fragment in Wen Youyi's embrace suddenly transmitted a faint, yet familiar, "Star Language" fluctuation.

[Junior Brother Wen... be careful... Five Elements Courtyard... and Black Sha... might... join hands... to target... you...]

It was Yun Zhi!

She had actually risked sending a warning!

Wen Youyi felt a jolt in his heart, but his face remained calm. He quietly responded through "Star Language": [Received, thank you, Senior Sister. You take care as well.]

It seemed that this competition was destined not to be peaceful. Not only did they have to "raid the base," but they also had to constantly guard against cold arrows from the shadows.

However, that makes it more interesting, doesn't it?

A smile of anticipation curled the corners of Wen Youyi's mouth.

(End of chapter)