The grey monkey saw the person standing before it staring straight at him, eyes carrying a most peculiar look. Enraged, it let out a screech and swiped its claws forward. The man was caught completely off guard — his face nearly got raked open. Fortunately his reflexes were quick enough; he wrenched his head sharply back and, in the narrowest of margins, managed to dodge it just in time.
Zhang Fan was startled. He quickly called out to stop Ash, then turned to look at the man. The man was clearly badly shaken — one hand pressed against his face, muttering over and over, "That was close, that was close."
A twinge of guilt stirred in Zhang Fan's heart. *Senior Brother, I'm sorry.*
Unexpectedly, the man seemed unbothered. He smiled faintly, waved his hand, and said, "It's nothing—I was careless for a moment and forgot that the 'Three-Eyed Spirit Ape' has a volatile temper and tends to injure people."
Zhang Fan froze. "A Dull-Eyed Spirit Ape?"
That person was startled? Did you not know this monkey is a Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey?"
Zhang Fan was utterly bewildered. "What on earth is an Eye Spirit Monkey?"
The man's eyes went wide. He looked Zhang Fan up and down before scoffing, "You don't even know what an Eye Spirit Ape is — so how could you possibly have raised one?"
Zhang Fan said, "I ran into it once while chopping bamboo in the grove. It pelted me with pine cones a few times, and then it just followed me home."
The young Qingyu disciple across the way looked as though his jaw was about to hit the floor, muttering under his breath: "Threw a few pine cones and it just followed him back... threw a few pine cones and it just followed him back..."
Zhang Fan found his behavior peculiar and shook his head, turning to leave. Before he had taken more than a few steps, however, the man actually followed after him, spreading a broad smile across his face as he murmured, "Fellow brother — senior or junior, whichever you may be — I—"
Zhang Fan, finding himself addressed as "Senior Brother" for the very first time in his life—and by someone who appeared to be at least twenty years of age—quickly said, "I hardly deserve the title. Whatever it is, go ahead and say it."
That person paused, then broke into a wide grin. "Junior Brother is truly approachable, isn't he! Allow me to introduce myself first — my humble surname is Zeng, courtesy name Shu. And Junior Brother, your name is—"
Zhang Fan said: "I am Zhang Fan, a disciple of Big Bamboo Peak. Senior Brother Zeng Shushu, you, uh… 'Uncle'?"
The man was taken aback, then flushed slightly and let out an embarrassed laugh. "I'm not trying to take advantage of you on purpose — my 'Shushu' is written with the character for *book*, not *uncle*. Blame my father for that. My mother had originally wanted to name me Yingxiong — now there's a grand name, 'Zeng Yingxiong'! But my father, seeing how much I loved to read, had a moment of whimsy and named me Shushu instead. It's been a laughingstock my whole life, truly."
Zhang Fan couldn't help but laugh. It occurred to him that this person's name carried much the same meaning as his Sixth Senior Brother's — the worry that had been weighing on his heart was somewhat dispelled by this unexpected interruption, and he found himself warming to the man a little. "Senior Brother Zeng, you really love reading, don't you?"
"Yes, I needn't be modest about that—no one on Fenghui Peak, from top to bottom, has read more books than I have. Most of what I read, though, tends toward strange tales and curious accounts, stories of gods and monsters, which used to drive my father half mad with anger. But back to the matter at hand—do you truly not know that this monkey is a 'Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey'?"
Zhang Fan shook his head. "To think—I just assumed it was an ordinary monkey."
At that moment, as if it had understood his words, the monkey Hui crouching on his shoulder suddenly let out a shrill "eek eek" and gave Zhang Fan's hair a sharp yank, making Zhang Fan cry out in pain, "Ow, you wretched monkey!"
Zeng Shu: "Indeed clever."
Zhang Fan winced through the pain. "This damned monkey loves nothing more than hitting people, and you're calling it clever?"
"Do not be deceived by its unassuming appearance — by this spiritual nature alone, it is a rare and remarkable creature. Look between its eyes, upon its forehead — do you see a vertical mark there?"
Zhang Fan turned to look carefully, and sure enough, beneath the gray fur there was a faint vertical mark of a slightly lighter color — one that would be completely invisible unless examined closely. He couldn't help saying to Zeng, "You can even spot something like this — impressive, truly impressive!"
"Do not look at it. I once read in *Records of Divine Demons: The Beast Compendium* that the Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey is a creature of extraordinary spiritual nature. In its youth it appears no different from an ordinary monkey, but upon reaching adulthood, the third spiritual eye on its brow opens wide, and its spiritual awareness grows immensely. Not only can it command the Immortal Arts of the Five Elements, it can also see things a thousand li away — indeed, the 'Thousand-Mile Eye' spoken of in the ancient texts refers to none other than this Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey."
Zhang Fan lifted the monkey Hui down and held it up before him, studying it carefully. For a moment he could hardly believe that the same monkey he had lived with for two years could have such illustrious origins. Yet no matter how long he looked, it was unmistakably an ordinary, slightly chubby monkey — and a heavy one at that, its weight substantial in his hands. It seemed that after just one night on Tong Peak, it had put on a few more jin.
The monkey Hui found it strange — why was everyone staring at him today without letting up? He broke into a string of shrill cries, "eek eek eek eek," thoroughly vexed. Zhang Fan pulled a face at him, then casually tossed him onto Dahuan's back. Dahuan gave a startled leap and sprang aside, only letting out a breath of relief once he recognized it was Hui. Hui waved his arms and stomped his feet in Zhang Fan's direction, as if staging a protest, screeching several more times before finally giving up. He leaned against Dahuan, and a moment later his attention was stolen away by the lice nestled in Dahuan's fur.
Zeng Shushu cast an envious glance at Ash, then turned back to Zhang Fan and said, "Junior Brother Zhang, are you also here at Tong Peak to take part in the Seven Peaks Martial Competition?"
Zhang Fan nodded. "What about you, Senior Brother?"
"True enough. Yesterday's draw gave me number thirty-three—I wonder what number you pulled. Let's hope it isn't too much of a coincidence, and that we aren't each other's opponents for today."
Zhang Fan also broke into a smile. "It's number one."
"So that is the disciple from Big Bamboo Peak yesterday?"
Zhang Fan's face flushed red, and he gave a nod.
"What great luck." He made a quick mental calculation, then said, "We won't get to meet until the final decisive battle—the difficulty is clearly immense."
Zhang Fan laughed. "With my level of Cultivation—first round, heh—second round, I'd be eliminated right off the bat. How could I dare entertain such wild ideas?"
"I only fear I won't even make it past the first round."
The two exchanged a glance and burst out laughing. They chatted a while longer, until Song Daren's voice rang out from somewhere in the distance: "Fan, dinner's ready."
Zhang Fan called back from a distance, said a few words to Zeng Shushu, then ran over. Behind him, Dahuang followed with Hui on his back. When they reached Song Daren, the two walked forward together, and Song Daren said: "Who were you talking to over there just now?"
Zhang Fan said, "I just made the acquaintance of a senior brother from Fenghui Peak. I heard his name is Zeng Shushu."
Song Daren seemed startled. "Shushu?"
Zhang Fan asked in surprise, "What's wrong, Senior Brother?"
Song Daren turned to glance back in the direction they had come from. The person was the sole son of Zeng Shuchang — Martial Uncle Zeng of Fenghui Peak. He was said to be extraordinarily gifted, with vast learning and an exceptional memory, and his cultivation ran exceedingly deep. He was one of the top favorites in this competition.
Zhang Fan was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.
※※※
After breakfast, the disciples of Qingyun Sect all made their way to Cloud Sea Plaza. At a single glance, an endless sea of people stretched before the eye — shoulder to shoulder, heel to heel, the crowd alive with energy, a testament to the thriving prosperity of Qingyun Sect.
During the brief interval while everyone was eating, eight great stages had already been erected across the vast plaza — each built from logs as thick as a man's waist, spaced more than a dozen zhang apart, arranged according to the Eight Trigrams. By now, the area beneath the stages was packed front and back with surging crowds. Beneath the largest stage at the center, a towering red notice board had been raised, several people's heights tall, its golden characters — each as wide as a bowl — listing the lot numbers and names of every disciple entered in the competition. Zhang Fan's name stood conspicuously at the very top, while the column for his opponent remained blank.
Zhang Fan's face flushed red. He stole a glance at the senior brothers around him — the others all smiled without end, only Sixth Senior Brother Du Bishu kept grumbling to himself: "Unfair, so unfair, this is just—"
"Silence!" A sharp rebuke rang out from nearby. Startled, everyone turned to look—it was Tian Buyi and Su Ru, arriving together with Tian Linger. The disciples of Big Bamboo Peak immediately hurried forward to pay their respects. "Master! Mistress!"
Tian Buyi gave a nod and said nothing; it was Su Ru who spoke: "The competition is about to begin — you'd all better make us proud, understood?"
Everyone said in unison.
Su Ru turned to look at Zhang Fan, but Zhang Fan's gaze fell at once upon Tian Ling'er standing beside Shifu's wife. She seemed lovelier than usual today, radiant and full of spirit, her beautiful eyes brimming with smiles—one glance was enough to tell that she was in the best of moods.
Zhang Fan felt as though a needle had pricked his heart, and he couldn't help but lower his head.
"Fan," Su Ru noticed something odd in her disciple's expression and walked over to call out to him.
Zhang Fan quickly raised his head and responded, "Mother."
Su Ru glanced at him. "Nothing wrong, right?"
Zhang Fan hastily shook his head. "It's nothing, Shifu's wife."
Su Ru glanced at him once more. "Fan, you're quite lucky — today you have a bye. Even so, make sure you watch the matches between your senior brothers and sisters carefully. Opportunities like this are exceedingly rare and will do you a great deal of good. Understood?"
Zhang Fan nodded and said, "Mother."
Su Ru looked toward Tian Buyi. Tian Buyi gave a slight nod, then turned and walked down from the stage; the others followed behind him, gradually dissolving into the crowd.
A clear, resonant peal of the bell-cauldron rang out, echoing through the sea of clouds where wisps of white mist drifted without end. It stirred every soul present, and in an instant the plaza, which had been filled with clamor only moments before, fell utterly silent.
On the great central platform, the figures of True Person Daoxuan and Daoist Cangsong appeared. True Person Daoxuan stepped forward, swept his gaze across the countless disciples gathered below, and declared in a clear, resonant voice: "Let the competition begin."
…with that, he flicked his sleeve, and at once the resonant tones of bells and cauldrons rang out once more—*dong, dong, dong, dong*—reverberating through the heavens. The sound struck Zhang Fan's ears, and without warning he felt his blood surge with excitement. He stole a sidelong glance at Tian Ling'er beside him, only to find her face alight with a bright smile, wearing an expression equally eager to try.
At that glance, he could no longer tear his eyes away, and so he had not caught a word of what True Person Daoxuan was saying on the stage. Then Daoist Cangsong stepped forward and added a few more words, and finally a clear, resonant peal from the great bell-cauldron jolted him from his reverie—only then did he realize the contest had already begun.
Sixty-three competitors, eight arenas — the matches would naturally be divided into four rounds. In the first round of sixteen, only Tian Linger from Big Bamboo Peak was set to fight, and she had drawn the western arena, so the disciples of Big Bamboo Peak swarmed there en masse.
Tian Ling'er's opponent was a disciple of Chaoyang Peak by the name of Shen Dou. He had already leaped onto the arena stage in a single bound, cutting a dashingly graceful figure, and the crowd below erupted in cheers. Zhang Fan turned to look and saw nearly a hundred spectators gathered around the stage—the great majority of them disciples from the Chaoyang Peak line. Even Chaoyang Peak's seat elder, Zheng Liang, was watching from below, a faint smile on his face, his regard for Shen Dou plainly evident.
Tian Buyi and the others stepped down from the platform, and the Big Bamboo Peak disciples were immediately swallowed up among those of Morning Sun Peak—disciples dressed in Morning Sun Peak attire surrounded them on every side. Tian Buyi paid it no mind. He glanced toward Shang Zhengliang standing in the distance; Shang Zhengliang looked back at the same moment. Their gazes met, as if faint sparks had flickered between them—yet both merely offered a faint smile, as though nothing had passed at all.
By then, disciples had already brought chairs over for the two elders and senior figures such as Su Ru. Tian Buyi and Su Ru sat down, and Tian Ling'er stepped forward. "Mother, I'm going up."
Tian Buyi glanced at his daughter.
A look of tender affection spread across Su Ru's face, deeply heartfelt.
Tian Ling'er glanced up at the stage, her face breaking into a smile, without the slightest trace of nervousness. "Just wait for my good news."
—turned around, smile still in place, left hand forming a hand seal as he beckoned: "Rise!"
As her words fell, a flash of rosy light shimmered — the amber crimson silk sash at her waist rose of its own accord, glided beneath her feet, and lifted Tian Ling'er's slender frame aloft. Wreathed in that ethereal glow, she soared toward the stage like a celestial maiden.
This display far surpassed Shen Dou's monkey-like scramble onto the stage, and with Tian Ling'er being as beautiful as a flower in full bloom, the disciples below—Chaoyang Peak's contingent included, most of them male—erupted into thunderous applause. Even those standing far off beneath the arena turned their heads to look.
Zhang Fan and the other disciples of Big Bamboo Peak stood gathered behind Tian Buyi and Su Ru. They heard Su Ru smile and say to Tian Buyi: "It seems Ling'er has made further progress in her cultivation."
Tian Buyi smiled faintly. Though he said nothing, his expression was one of evident pleasure.
By then, Tian Ling'er had already flown up onto the stage, halting roughly a zhang away from Shen Dou. She cupped her hands in salute and said, "I ask for Senior Brother Shen's guidance."
Shen Dou watched as Tian Ling'er drove her Artifact onto the stage, its waves of rosy radiance shimmering with immortal aura. He recognized it almost at once — this was surely the renowned Artifact "Amber Scarlet Silk," belonging to Elder Suru of Big Bamboo Peak, the very one his master had long warned him to be wary of. Daring not to show any carelessness, he cupped his fists in a returning salute and said, "Please go easy on me, Junior Sister Tian."
...he stepped back, his right hand forming a sword seal as he summoned forth a three-foot immortal sword wreathed in ashen-brown radiance, leveling it before him.
In the audience, Su Ru's brow furrowed slightly. She leaned toward Tian Buyi and murmured, "This sword and Ling'er's Amber Crimson Silk are alike—both are Earth-attribute Artifacts of the Five Elements. Now it all comes down to which of the two has the deeper cultivation."
Tian Buyi smiled faintly. "Among Yunmen's earth-attribute Artifacts, what could possibly surpass your Amber Crimson Silk? In my eyes, that immortal sword falls a hundred and eight thousand li short of your Amber Crimson Silk."
Su Ru let out a soft, contemptuous scoff. "Liar."
At that moment, the resonant toll of a bronze bell rang out from the stage, and the match between Tian Ling'er and Shen Dou officially began.
Tian Ling'er was clearly young and hot-blooded. The moment the bell fell silent, she thrust a finger forward, and in an instant a blaze of rosy light flickered swift as lightning; her amber crimson silk sash whipped up a fierce gust that stung the face raw as it hurtled toward Shen Dou.
Shen Dou had not expected Tian Ling'er to strike the moment she said she would. Watching Amber Scarlet Silk come rushing at him in the blink of an eye, he hastily retreated two steps, gave both hands a sharp shake, and the celestial sword before him blazed with brilliant radiance as it surged forward to meet the attack.
The rosy radiance and grayish-brown light clashed at the center of the stage. With a single crack, both Tian Ling'er and Shen Dou shuddered, yet steadied themselves at once—while the two Artifacts hung locked in a stalemate in midair.
Below the stage, Tian Buyi furrowed his brow, while Su Ru exclaimed in surprise, "Shen Dou's cultivation is no low matter." At the same time, the disciples of Chaoyang Peak in the audience erupted as one, crying out in unison: "Excellent!"
The shouts of these hundred-plus people were truly extraordinary, instantly drowning out the cheers of the Big Bamboo Peak disciples who had also been crying out in acclaim. The Sixth, Du Bi, grumbled: "So what if they're louder? It's not a contest of shouting."
At that moment on the stage, the two Artifacts remained locked in a stalemate for a while longer, neither gaining the upper hand, before both were simultaneously recalled. Shen Dou planted his feet in the Seven-Star Stance, his expression grave, lips moving in a low, continuous chant—then he let out a thunderous shout: "Go!"
His gray-brown immortal sword suddenly surged upward in midair, then, an instant later, came crashing down with lightning speed from directly above Tian Ling'er's head. Before the blade even reached the ground, her robes were already whipping wildly, fierce winds roaring up all around her.
Yet Tian Linger showed no panic whatsoever, not the slightest intention of retreating. Her left hand seized the Amber Crimson Silk that had flown back before her, and with a single upward pull toward the crown of her head, rosy light billowed out like gauze—the Amber Crimson Silk instantly expanded to several times its original width, weaving a barrier of luminous rosy light above her. No sooner had it formed than, beneath Shen Dou's grave and solemn expression, the immortal sword struck down upon that radiant curtain with a resounding cry once more; the crimson rosy light shuddered violently—yet remained wholly unscathed.
Only then did Su Ru let out a breath of relief, whispering to Tian Buyi: "This child Ling'er — so presumptuous."
Tian Buyi let out a humph and shook his head.
Shen Dou's gray-brown immortal sword struck without effect and bent upward, yet Tian Ling'er did not pause for even a heartbeat. A flash of rosy light blazed from her Amber Crimson Silk, and in an instant it had grown tenfold in length. With a sharp cry, she watched as the Amber Crimson Silk shed its natural softness entirely, transforming into something like a great elongated staff—rigid and straight, suspended horizontal in the air, one end gripped firmly in her hand.
The audience below erupted in an uproar, gasps of amazement ringing out without end.
Tian Ling'er didn't hesitate for a moment. With a swing of her right hand, the massive staff formed from amber crimson silk sliced through the air with a sharp crack and came crashing down squarely upon Shen Dou's head.
Shen Dou's brows drew together in a deep furrow, his expression solemn. In that brief instant, his immortal sword had already flown back into his hand. He was seen clenching his jaw, gripping the sword tight in his right hand while his left arm bent and extended forward—just as the massive club was about to crash down upon his head. The crowd below the stage held their breath as one. Then came a thunderous boom: the flat wooden platform before him cracked apart in an instant, and five or six enormous boulders burst up through the stage, planting themselves squarely between him and the blow.
Below the stage, Tian Buyi and Su Ru both felt their expressions shift slightly. In contrast, Zheng Liang, the Peak Elder of Chaoyang Peak, nodded repeatedly in approval.
A thunderous boom rang out as the massive staff, blazing with rosy light, slammed heavily into the boulder. In an instant, dust erupted and billowed across the entire platform. Tian Ling'er felt a violent shudder tear through her body — the opponent's "Rock-Mastery Technique" was utterly impenetrable, and the entire length of the Amber Crimson Silk was flung rebounding back.
The dust had yet to settle, yet Shen Dou's complexion had only gone slightly pale. Without pausing for so much as a breath, a fierce roar tore from his throat; his body swept lightly up onto a massive boulder. He gripped the sword hilt with both hands, and the grey-brown celestial sword blazed with brilliant light—plunging into the impossibly hard rock in a single stroke, cleaving through it as though splitting bamboo.
*Crack! Crack! Crack!* Several deep, raspy splitting sounds rang out. Tian Linger's expression shifted—she felt the ground beneath her feet trembling without cease. Then, all at once, a series of tremendous blasts erupted. The wooden planks where she stood shattered apart entirely, and amid the thunderous roar, countless massive, razor-sharp rocks burst forth from the earth, riddling the very spot she had occupied until not a single inch of it remained whole.
Zhang Fan below cried out involuntarily, but immediately clamped his mouth shut. He could see that Tian Buyi and his wife's expressions had also turned grave, while Su Ru's face carried a distinct tension. In stark contrast, the disciples of Chaoyang Peak erupted in loud cheers, their applause thunderous.
"Senior Brother Shen, well done!"
"Truly impressive!"
"Victory is certain!"
Shouts rose and fell without cease, and the stage was swallowed by billowing dust that made it all but impossible to see. Yet Shen Dou, standing high atop the great boulder, showed not the slightest sign of ease—his eyes wide open, scanning the surroundings with careful vigilance. Sure enough, a moment later, amid the churning dust above the boulder ahead, a rosy radiance suddenly flashed and, in an instant, blazed into full brilliance: Tian Ling'er burst forth like a crimson phoenix, her amber-and-vermilion silk ribbons streaming with rosy light, spinning without pause, whirling in swift arcs around her.
Tian Ling'er's expression turned solemn, her almond-shaped eyes flashing with a soul-piercing, icy gleam. Both hands locked into a hand seal, then swung downward with tremendous force. The amber crimson ribbon came to a sudden halt, then drove straight into the earth like a venomous snake, boring its way through the solid rock below.
Shen Dou's expression shifted drastically. Without a second thought, he shot backward in an instant—and just in time. The amber crimson silk, which had coiled like a venomous snake only moments before, now erupted from beneath the earth like a scarlet dragon, savage and unstoppable. The very spot where he had stood a heartbeat ago exploded in a storm of sand and shattered stone, a great crater torn open in its wake. The sheer ferocity of the force sent a chill through the bones of all who witnessed it.
At that moment, Tian Ling'er hung suspended in midair, both hands shaped into the Orchid Seal and crossed over her chest, her voice ringing out sharp and clear: "Spirit Bind!"
The amber vermilion silk paused in midair, then snapped with a sharp crack. In an instant, rosy radiance blazed forth and the ribbon swelled as if fed by the wind — growing countless times over in mere moments, vast enough to blot out the sun. It streaked and darted: now coiling through open air, now plunging into the earth only to burst up through the ground on the opposite side. With Shen Dou at the center, countless crimson ribbons wound round and round until he was sealed utterly within their circle.
The people of Big Bamboo Peak couldn't help but exchange glances. Two years ago, during the contest between Tian Ling'er and Lin Jingyu, she had already employed this extraordinary technique, "Divine Binding." Today its power seemed even greater, sealing off everything above and below — one could only wonder how this Shen Dou compared to Lin Jingyu of that time.
As Tian Ling'er's incantations rang out in succession, the Amber Crimson Silk transformed entirely into a massive red sphere that pressed relentlessly inward. Within those constricting gaps, beneath the rosy radiance, a dull grayish-brown glow could still be faintly glimpsed — proof that Shen Dou was still fighting back with all his might. Yet though those countless ribbons of crimson silk slowed under the resistance, they pressed inward all the same, unstoppable.
A hush fell over the crowd below. The disciples of Chaoyang Peak fell silent one by one, their eyes fixed with tense anticipation on the enormous red sphere looming above the stage. Everyone knew what fate awaited anyone who could not hold on beneath the crushing pressure of this immortal Artifact.
The Red Silk had now contracted to six chi across, its rosy radiance blazing and flickering as it fully suppressed the gray-brown glow, with faint creaking sounds of strain emanating at intervals. By this point no one could make out Shen Dou's silhouette at all. Tian Ling'er still hovered in midair, a faint flush upon her cheeks, the orchid hand seals held between her left and right hands trembling ever so slightly.
After a moment, the amber crimson silk pressed slowly inward another foot. Everyone held their breath, nerves stretched to the breaking point—and then, without warning, a strange cry rang out. Shen Dou came surging through like a charging tiger, sword in hand, slashing his way out through the fabric. Yet the moment he emerged, his face was drained of all color, white as ash.
The disciples of Chaoyang Peak below erupted in thunderous cheers, yet the seated Shang Zhengliang closed his eyes with a quiet sigh, while on the other side, the couple Tian Buyi and his wife exchanged a smile.
Indeed, this was Shen Dou's last desperate struggle. Tian Ling'er pivoted in midair, pointed with her right hand, and the Amber Crimson Silk shot forward like a needle driven into bone, relentlessly pursuing him and striking for his back. At that moment, Shen Dou seemed to find even turning around an extreme effort—he stirred, but failed to dodge, and the Amber Crimson Silk caught him lightly across the back, sending his entire body hurtling forward off the stage with a crash.
The disciples of Chaoyang Peak below had cheered themselves halfway through when they suddenly went silent, as if struck dumb. Shang Zhengliang rose to his feet, shook his head, and barked at the disciples beside him: "Why haven't you gone to help Senior Brother Shen up yet?"
Only then did the disciples of Chaoyang Peak come to their senses, rushing up one after another to help Shen Dou to his feet. At that moment, Tian Ling'er put away her Artifact, descended from the stage, and said to Shen Dou with a bright smile: "Thank you for your mercy, Senior Brother Shen."
Shen Dou glanced at her and gave a wry smile. "Junior Sister Tian is truly gifted — my admiration, my admiration." With that, he had those beside him help him to the side.
Shang Zhengliang walked over, letting his gaze linger on Tian Linger a moment longer than necessary, then turned to the approaching couple, Tian Buyi and his wife: "Fellow Daoist Tian, young as your niece may be, to already possess such innate talent on the path of cultivation—truly enviable."
Tian Buyi's face betrayed a look of smug satisfaction, yet he laughed and said, "You flatter me, you flatter me."
Su Ru also laughed. "Senior Brother Shang has no shortage of talented disciples under his tutelage. I'm sure there are even more formidable masters who have yet to make their appearance."
Shang Zhengliang merely smiled and let the matter pass. Tian Buyi asked nothing more and turned to walk back. By then Tian Linger had returned to where the people of Big Bamboo Peak were gathered, and was instantly surrounded by the crowd. Every one of the disciples wore a face full of delight, wishing they could drown her in praise; Tian Linger herself beamed with joy, and Zhang Fan was happier still. When Tian Buyi and his wife made their way back, Tian Linger threw herself to Su Ru's side at once, seized her arm, and laughed: "Well? Pretty impressive, wasn't I!"
Su Ru shot her a sideways glance, but ended up laughing anyway. "Ugh, you're really something."
Tian Buyi's face was wreathed in smiles as well. After all, his daughter had made a fine opening showing, bringing great glory to himself; before his fellow sect members he could hold his head up high with pride. He reached out and patted his daughter on the head in clear commendation. Then he turned to the other disciples and said: "Next it will be your turns. With Ling'er setting an example ahead of you, you can see that the disciples of the other lineages are not necessarily beyond your reach. When the time comes, you must all do your best."
"Yes!" they answered in unison.
Zhang Fan joined in with the crowd's cheers, shouting especially loud. Seeing that everyone else had gone off to prepare—Da Zhu Peak had three disciples set to compete in the next eight bouts—Tian Buyi and Su Ru split up to watch different matches. As Su Ru left, she noticed Zhang Fan still standing in place and reminded him to "watch the fights carefully" before heading off. Zhang Fan thought for a moment, then decided to find Tian Ling'er so they could cheer together for their senior brother at one of the stages. He scanned the crowd, and all of a sudden, just ahead in the throng of people, he saw Tian Ling'er walking quickly forward—and there in front of her, graceful as jade, stood Qi Hao, smiling as he watched her approach.
Zhang Fan's heart immediately sank.
Tian Ling'er walked up to Qi Hao, smiling brightly as she exchanged a few words with him. Qi Hao broke into a wide grin at once, leaning in to whisper into her ear without pause, and Tian Ling'er laughed just as freely in return—both of them radiating sheer delight. After sharing a good laugh, the two set off side by side, as though they had picked out a fighting stage to go watch a match.
Zhang Fan stood rooted to the spot, lost in a daze. In that haze, all he felt was a great wave of sorrow and disappointment surging into his chest — every last drop of boiling ardor within him going cold, chilling him all the way to the bottom of his heart.
Note 1: *Records of Gods and Demons: A Compendium of Spirit Beasts* — Three-Eyed Spirit Monkey: Born of Mount Sumeru in the Western Lands, this creature is cunning yet mischievous by nature. Upon surpassing a thousand years of age, it opens its spiritual third eye, gaining sight that stretches a thousand li and the power to command vegetation, earth, and stone. It serves as a guardian protector under the Ancient Buddha Dīpaṃkara.
Note 2: *Records of Gods and Demons*: An ancient tome of extraordinary repute, chronicling terrestrial anomalies, rare and precious treasures, exotic birds and beasts, demons and divine entities. It is said to have been authored by the ancient sage Xiao Ding. The original work comprised ten volumes; most have since been lost to the ages, with only four surviving to the present day.
*Further Note:* Xiao Ding the man appears in no official histories. The unofficial record *Shanhe Ji*, jottings by Jiufeng Shanren of the wilderness chronicles, states: the ancient one surnamed Xiao — dates of birth and death unknown. Gifted with intelligence from his earliest years, he forgot nothing that passed before his eyes. He once traveled the realm in its entirety, seeking out every storied mountain and ancient marsh, and thereupon composed the ten volumes of *Shenmo Zhiyi* — magnificent and strange, the most extraordinary book under heaven. Much of it has since been lost. What a pity!