Chapter 10, Cui Qinghe

However, it must be said that his robust true energy exudes a hidden sharpness, ranking among the top among the foundation-building cultivators that Qingwei has encountered, making it impossible for him not to take it seriously

The natural exchange of pleasantries is indeed somewhat tedious and uninteresting

The arrival of Qingwei did not come as a surprise to several families, as the Li family had not made any deliberate attempts to conceal it, and there was no need for them to put on a facade of astonishment

In response, Qingwei casually smiled and said, "Old Master Meng, you flatter me. It is rather the younger generation that should seek your guidance more."

"Let the Meng family boy speak after the conclusion; let us begin as soon as possible," Elder Su suddenly interjected, interrupting Meng Lie, and gestured for Cui Qinghe to proceed.

After sensing Qingwei's gaze, Cui Qinghe smiled and nodded. Qingwei, feeling no embarrassment at all, thought that getting to know one's opponent before a competition was not an excessive action. Thus, she also graciously smiled back at the other party.

Cui Qinghe wore a long robe of light purple, and his appearance seemed considerably younger than that of the other clan leaders, looking to be no more than around 40 years old. His demeanor was gentle, showing no signs of arrogance despite his superior cultivation compared to others

In this regard, Song Zijie also expressed understanding, as the Chihuo Yuancopper Mine is indeed a lucrative asset for the six major families. Now that there is hope, Li Ji cannot help but feel a sense of pride.

I apologize for keeping you all waiting for a long time

With his cultivation at the initial stage of the Clear Micro realm, it is naturally impossible for him to discern the foundational cultivation of others at a glance, let alone confirm whether Cui Qinghe has indeed forged a seventh-grade foundation as rumored

However, regarding the upcoming competition, Qingwei felt a sense of anticipation, as she had not encountered many opponents of similar strength to Cui Qinghe within the sect.

However, for the words spoken by those whose cultivation is inferior to his own, Old Master Meng simply chose to ignore them

In this regard, Qingwei cannot deny it; such intrigues among family members are certainly to be handled by Li Ji, while Qingwei only needs to extend a helping hand at the appropriate moment

This must be the talented Daoist Qingwei from the Immortal Sect. I shall take the opportunity to learn from you in due course

Upon hearing this, Cui Qinghe smiled and said, "Since that is the case, the competition can begin. Aside from Xiao's family voluntarily withdrawing, the Zhang, Song, Li, and Meng families will each send three participants to compete. The ultimate victor will then spar with me, and we will determine the mining rights for the Chi Huo Yuan Copper Mine for the next ten years."

As the crowd continued to converse, Meng Lie occasionally exhibited some behavior of relying on his seniority, which the heads of the several families had long since become accustomed to and did not take too seriously. However, there were also some of Meng Lie's contemporaries present who could not help but murmur a few words.

Soon, under the leadership of Meng Lie, the group took their seats in their designated places. Qing Wei also noticed a middle-aged man dressed as an inner disciple of the Gui Zhen Sect behind him, who he had some impression of; he should be called Meng Zi Yi

Before the person had even set foot, Qingwei already heard a voice, old yet resolute, proclaiming loudly

A seemingly plain sword hung at his waist, but Qingwei, who had long received intelligence from Li Ji, knew that this was the Zihua Sword, the sharpest spiritual weapon of the Cui family, aside from the clan's protective spiritual artifact, the Yin-Yang Twin Swords

However, Qingli and Qinghe, having only recently established their Dao foundations, though they are at the eighth rank, their accumulation is still insufficient. In terms of cultivation, they are likely not as profound as Cui Qinghe.

The venue for each competition is also located within this market, and regarding why it is not held directly in Xianyong City, Qingwei believes it is merely a matter of formalism

I scoff, Li Laosan, you shameless one, how dare you ask me, who has barely forged a fifth-grade Dao foundation, to show mercy to a subordinate with a superior Dao foundation

At this moment, on the high platform outside the arena, the Cui family, Zhang family, and Xiao family had already arrived first. Upon seeing the Li and Song families arriving simultaneously, they all stood up to greet them, not neglecting any courtesies.

The two parties chatted while on the move, creating a remarkably harmonious atmosphere, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Luoxia Mountain

As for the experience in magical duels, although Qingwei has long resided in the deep mountains, it is not as if he has none.

After observing for a while, Zhang's Daoist practitioner had a rough understanding of the level of skill, but the head of the Cui family, Cui Qinghe, could indeed be described as having an extraordinary demeanor and profound cultivation

The Inner Sect of the Return to Truth School holds a small competition every three years and a large competition every five years, in order to refine oneself in purity, and I have not missed a single one.

Thus, it can be considered a somewhat valuable experience. Although it cannot be compared to the experiences of life-and-death struggles, isn't it true that the competition among these six families is merely a matter of touching upon the surface?

After calmly receiving the greetings from everyone, Elder Su from the inner sect exchanged a few words with Qingwei in a very friendly manner, then nodded towards Meng Ziyi and went to the main seat to rest his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Song Zijie could not help but curse and swear, instantly tarnishing his refined image. If he had broken through after many years, it could still be considered somewhat acceptable, but having only established his foundation in just over three years, even if he exerted all his strength, he would likely not be a match for Qingwei.

Therefore, Li Ji naturally took over Song Zijie's words and jokingly said: "Elder brother, you must show some mercy later, the eighth brother has just made a breakthrough, and I fear his strength is limited"

Many true disciples are often elusive, like a dragon that is seen only in part. Among them, Qingwei is relatively familiar with a senior sister she got to know while completing tasks earlier, who is also the ninth true disciple of this generation of the Guizhen Sect—Qingyue, whose strength has already reached the level of internal scenery

The decennial competition of the six families at Luoxia Mountain has long become an important event in the realm of this immortal city

The Song family has been merely a bystander several times, and their mindset has long been stable. However, compared to several other families, the fact that the mining rights have fallen into the hands of the Li family is actually the best outcome.

Among the many disciples of the inner sect, there are indeed several who have remained at the Dao Foundation stage for many years; it is likely that Cui Qinghe can still surpass them by a margin.

The Zhang family has historically had some friction with the Li and Song families, and Qingwei had long been aware of this. Therefore, Qingwei was not surprised that his promotion to true transmission could cause some discomfort for the Zhang family

After all, the two families have been in-laws for several generations. If the Li family takes over the mining rights, they will certainly leave some benefits for the Song family.

Listening to Song Zijie, Li Ji was not angry at all, and with a face full of pride, he said: "In that case, our Li family will not be polite; this time, there is finally some hope for the competition"

Over the years, a market for cultivators has formed outside the Falling Sunset Mountain, jointly operated by the six prominent families

Not long after the Meng family arrived, everyone saw a streak of light flying across the sky, prompting them to rise and welcome it. It was the witness for this competition, an inner sect elder from the Return to Truth Sect. Although he appeared to be moving leisurely, it was evident that he was keeping to a schedule.

He understood clearly in his heart that this was Meng Lie, the head of the Meng family. Indeed, as Li Ji had said, one may lose people but not lose the formation, and the momentum was quite strong.

Everyone was waiting for the arrival of the Meng family while engaged in conversation. Fortunately, it did not take long before they saw a group of people arriving at the high platform on a magical artifact in the distance

During the discussion, Meng Lie's attention quickly shifted to Qing Wei