258: Chapter 258 The Grand Competition of Yunmiao Palace

While Leng Ningshuang, Xiao Jian, and the others were worrying, Su Mo had already quietly returned to the B-rank mine belonging to the Li Clan Immortal Family.

He had watched everything that happened at the entrance of the Secret Realm in its entirety through the perspective of his Incarnation.

He knew that because Zhang Ling and Li Yunyi lacked memories, their disguises would only be able to deceive others for a period of time at most before being exposed.

But, a period of time was enough!

Su Mo sat cross-legged in the Buddhist Kingdom Space, with mountains of immortal essence stones piled beside him.

These immortal essence stones were all plundered from the hands of those Second Generation Immortals, and they were more than enough for him to complete nine temperings.

What Su Mo needed to do was to complete the nine temperings and fully absorb and refine all the top-grade origin fruits before Zhang Ling and Li Yunyi were completely exposed.

As for those Ascension Cultivators in the A-rank mine, Su Mo didn't bother to care about them anymore.

With so many immortal essence stones, why bother mining!

...Three months passed in a flash.

Yunmiao Palace, Martial Arts Immortal Platform.

The Sect Grand Competition has always been held a bit earlier than the coming-of-age ceremonies of the Immortal Families. Today was the important moment for the internal selection of the new generation of Disciples' rankings within Yunmiao Palace.

The ten-thousand-foot Immortal Platform floated above a sea of clouds, surrounded by flowing rays of morning light. Countless Disciples and Elders gathered, creating a solemn and enthusiastic atmosphere.

Leng Ningshuang sat quietly in a corner of the Disciple viewing area, her aura having stabilized at the Early Stage of the True Immortal realm.

Her Revered Master had ultimately exhausted all resources to find ten High Grade origin fruits for her, helping her break through the Bottleneck in one go, condense her immortal body, and step into the True Immortal realm.

However, feeling the immortal essence within her body—which, although far more robust than an ordinary True Immortal at the Early Stage—Leng Ningshuang's cool eyes held little joy from her Breakthrough. Instead, a lingering haze of gloom had settled within them.

Not far from her, two beautiful and elegantly dressed female Cultivators were talking and laughing in low voices. Their eyes swept over Leng Ningshuang from time to time, filled with unconcealed scrutiny and a hint of schadenfreude.

Among them, the female Cultivator wearing a goose-yellow flowing immortal dress was named Liu Yiyi, a rival of Leng Ningshuang.

However, she had usually been suppressed by Leng Ningshuang in the past.

Now, having learned that Leng Ningshuang had only refined High Grade origin fruits, she couldn't help but want to come over and mock her.

She covered her lips and chuckled. Her voice wasn't loud, but it happened to reach Leng Ningshuang's ears clearly:

“Sister Lin, look at Senior Sister Leng. She is now a True Immortal as well. A Foundation built from ten High Grade origin fruits must be... quite solid, right?”

She deliberately emphasized the word “solid,” and the sarcasm within was self-evident.

The other woman, dressed in a deep purple palace gown, was even more beautiful than Liu Yiyi. Her features bore a natural arrogance; her name was Lin Waner.

Hearing this, the corners of her mouth curled into a reserved and superior arc as her gaze drifted lightly toward Leng Ningshuang.

“Sister Yiyi, you are mistaken,”

Lin Waner's voice was crisp, carrying a condescending pity:

“High Grade origin fruits are also rare. For Senior Sister Leng to use them to break through was not easy. It's just a pity... I heard that top-grade origin fruits appeared in the Secret Realm, yet Senior Sister Leng missed out on them.”

“Between High Grade and top-grade, it seems like a difference of one grade, but it is actually the difference between clouds and mud. It concerns the limit of one's future path.”

She paused, as if inadvertently revealing the red and blue dual-colored Dao charms on her body. This was the symbol of the Dao charms manifesting after she had refined two top-grade origin fruits.

“For instance, with the immortal Foundation I forged from these dual Water and Fire origin fruits, my perception of the Laws of heaven and earth, as well as the quality and recovery speed of my immortal essence—how can ordinary origin fruits compare? Senior Sister Leng, don't you think that's true?”

This Lin Waner came from the Lin Family, a major clan affiliated with Yunmiao Palace. Her Talent was already extraordinary, but in the past, she had always been overshadowed by Leng Ningshuang, leading to long-standing resentment in her heart.

Her Family had found one top-grade origin fruit for her.

The other top-grade origin fruit was a betrothal gift from His Highness the Eighteenth Prince of the Huangji Immortal Dynasty, who wished to take her as a secondary consort.

Now, with dual top-grade origin fruits in her possession, she felt that she and Leng Ningshuang were no longer from the same world.

Seizing this opportunity, she wanted to vent all her past frustrations.

Liu Yiyi chimed in from the side:

“Sister Lin is blessed with great fortune and even has the favor of His Highness the Eighteenth Prince. Her future is limitless. How can someone with poor luck compare?”

Some Disciples nearby heard the conversation and cast their gazes over. Some felt sympathy, some were curious, but most were simply there to enjoy the spectacle.

In the past, Leng Ningshuang was like an iceberg snow lotus, unattainable and high above. Now, she seemed to have fallen from the clouds.

Leng Ningshuang sat motionless, as if she hadn't heard anything, though her knuckles gripping her jade ruler turned slightly white.

Those words were like fine needles, piercing the place in her heart where she felt the most unwilling.

She knew the gap between High Grade and top-grade better than anyone.

It wasn't just a gap in current strength, but a chasm in future potential.

If not for having no other choice, how could she have been willing to stop here?

Amidst the back-and-forth mockery of Lin Waner and Liu Yiyi, the thick voice of the presiding Elder rang out again from the stage, clearly reaching every corner of the Martial Arts Immortal Platform:

“Next round, Arena A-3: Leng Ningshuang versus Liu Yiyi!”

As the voice fell, an undisguised expression of excitement and triumph instantly blossomed on Liu Yiyi's face.

She shot a provocative look at Leng Ningshuang and giggled:

“What a coincidence, Sister Lin. It seems I'll go first to help you test just how ‘solid’ Senior Sister Leng’s Foundation really is.”

She shifted her body and landed lightly on the arena. A longsword shimmering with flowing light had already appeared in her hand. The tip of the sword pointed directly at Leng Ningshuang, who had not yet moved, as she sneered via voice transmission:

“Leng Ningshuang, I’ve long been sick of your always-superior, fake-cold act! Now that you don’t have a top-grade origin fruit, what right do you have to be arrogant? If you admit defeat now, perhaps I can let you lose gracefully. Otherwise... hmph!”

Leng Ningshuang slowly stood up, her face still calm and rippleless, as if those harsh words were merely a breeze passing her ears.

She walked toward the arena step by step with a steady pace. Only those familiar with her could tell from her overly straight back that she was not as calm as she appeared.

She stepped onto the arena and stood opposite Liu Yiyi.

“Make your move.”

Leng Ningshuang slightly raised her jade ruler, her voice cold and devoid of emotion.

“Courting humiliation!”

Liu Yiyi gave a delicate shout and wasted no more words.

She was well aware of the advantages brought by a top-grade origin fruit and was full of confidence.

The Geng-Gold immortal essence within her body erupted with full force. The thin sword in her hand let out a crisp hum and suddenly transformed into dozens of sharp, white-gold sword shadows, blanketing the area as they surged toward Leng Ningshuang.

“Golden Feather Sword Rain!”

Before the sword shadows even arrived, the matchless sharpness of the Sword Qi had already torn through the air, making a whistling sound. Shallow white marks were even carved into the floor of the arena.

Facing this swift and violent attack, Leng Ningshuang did not dare to be careless. She swung her jade ruler, and ice-blue immortal essence transformed into layers of ice crystal shields to block her front. Simultaneously, her figure drifted backward, attempting to neutralize the sword's momentum.

However—

Crack! Bang!

Before the sword shadows containing the Dao charms of a top-grade origin fruit, the ice crystal shields appeared incredibly fragile. They were shattered and pierced through after supporting for less than a breath.

One sword shadow was as fast as lightning, breaking through Leng Ningshuang's defense and instantly slashing across her left arm.

Blood instantly stained her white sleeves red as a deep wound that reached the bone appeared. The intense pain caused Leng Ningshuang to frown slightly, and her movements also faltered.

“Haha! Do you see? This is the gap!”

Seeing this, Liu Yiyi felt greatly reassured and exceptionally triumphant. Her offensive became even more fierce; the sword shadows were like maggots on a bone, tightly clinging to Leng Ningshuang and giving her no chance to breathe.

On the high platform, the beautiful woman in the palace gown gripped the armrest, her eyes full of heartache.

The Disciples watching below also shook their heads one after another. It seemed the outcome was decided. Liu Yiyi, who possessed a top-grade origin fruit, indeed crushed Leng Ningshuang, who had relied on High Grade origin fruits to break through.

Leng Ningshuang struggled to dodge and parry within the sword shadows. Several more wounds were added to her body, and her aura began to grow chaotic.

She could feel that Liu Yiyi's immortal essence was more condensed and sharp, and her recovery speed was faster. In a battle of attrition, she would undoubtedly lose.

Could it be... she really had to admit defeat here?

In front of everyone, to admit that she was inferior to her former rival?

A strong sense of unwillingness surged in her heart.

Just as she took an exceptionally sharp sword shadow head-on, her blood and Qi roiling from the shock and her throat feeling sweet as she almost spat out blood—

Something strange happened.