Chapter 253 Signing Up

"I'm alright now. Don't waste True Energy on me anymore," Xiao Chen said as he strenuously sat upright.

Li Muxue didn't reply. Luo Shangyan looked at him and said softly, "Get some rest in the next few days." She then walked out of the house.

"Rest well." With a gentle sigh, Li Muxue left as well.

Both of them wanted to see him stay safe without risking his life, but they knew this was asking for the impossible.

Xiao Chen sighed and resumed lying on the bed while quietly staring at the setting sun outside the window. When nighttime arrived, a Jade Qing Sect disciple delivered food to him. He didn't eat immediately. He had the disciple leave it on the table instead.

Before long, Zi Mo entered the house. His head-to-toe purple attire made him look like he was in high spirits. Catching sight of the untouched food on the table, he smiled. "What's wrong? Have your cultivation reached to the point where you no longer need mortal food?"

Xiao Chen shook his head with a smile. "Unfettered Senior, do you have business with me, to come here at this hour?" He was sure that Zi Mo came here to him for a reason, and each time, that reason wouldn't be anything good.

Grinning, Zi Mo walked over to him. He first inquired solicitously about Xiao Chen's well-being before asking, "How's your recent cultivation progress?"

Xiao Chen spread out his hands. "I'm truly broke this time."

Zi Mo scoffed, sending his beard rising with the movement. He jumped up and yelled, "Who do you mean, kiddo? Do I look like some mortal who'd be obsessed with wealth?"

Xiao Chen nodded. "Yeah."

"..."

Zi Mo was rendered speechless. He coughed and said, "Stinky brat. I didn't come here to borrow money from you. Besides, if not for that Tier Five Spirit Stone, do you think you'll be able to stay in such a nice courtyard? You'll just be staying in some crowded dorm."

"It was you who lost all the travel fund that Perfected Immortal Qing Chen gave us," Xiao Chen thought. "And you still dare to bring this up? No matter what, we can't allow this evil gambling culture to take root in immortality-cultivating sects." He asked, "Then what did you come here at such late hour for? Let me make this clear: I really don't have any money left."

Zi Mo was livid. "Enough! I have serious business here. No matter what, you must break into the top ten of the Immortal's Sword Assembly as the representative of the East Continent. Or I'll kill you. Get it?"

"Did you bet money on this?" Xiao Chen asked, immediately shattering Zi Mo's pretense.

Zi Mo's face reddened. He coughed and replied, "It's not like I'm not the only one who made the bet. Fengxi and Tai Yi also..."

"F*ck! How can seniors of the orthodox sects turn the Immortal's Sword Assembly into bets? This is ridiculous! How can you set an example..." Xiao Chen started protesting.

Zi Mo rolled his eyes. "It's free money. Besides, Qing Chen won't find out."

"For real though, how much money is at stake here?"

"Either way the payout is more than 10:1. The East Continent is an unpopular bet, after all. If anyone from our continent makes the top ten, I'll be winning more than a million! If we have two in the top ten? Hehe!"

Xiao Chen blinked. "That much?" He fished out a Tier Six Spirit Stone and handed it to Zi Mo. "Then help me make a bet as well."

"D*mn it, stinky brat! You said you're broke earlier!"

"Hehe. As you said, it's free money."

After putting away the Spirit Stone, Zi Mo coughed and said, "Let me tell you what you should take note of. The registration will start in three days, where you'll then enter the dangerous Forest of Illusory Moon for a seven-day qualification match. Every sect is only allowed to send ten disciples at most. You'll have to gather something called the Heart of Illusory Moon. Of course, you must make sure to protect the Hearts of Illusory Moon that you gathered and prevent other sects from stealing them."

"We can steal them? How many do we need to qualify?"

"Twenty. If you can't gather twenty of them, all of you will be qualified. The last assembly, our sect managed to gather more than twenty with great difficulty, but those b*stards from the Divine Mist Sect ended up stealing them all. How humiliating."

"Tsk, tsk. Humiliating, indeed," Xiao Chen teased.

"Stinky brat! What expression is that? Your Muxue and Senior Sister Luo are both in the Jade Qing Sect, remember?" Zi Mo exploded in anger.

Xiao Chen coughed. "Let's get back on track. What happens after the qualifying round? What will we do for the remaining two months?"

"You'll spend the next two months doing internal training. Whoever who passes the qualifying round can enter the Violet Illusory Realm and cultivate. The Violet Illusory Realm is an extraordinary place. Cultivating in the Earth Symbol Illusory Land for a day will reap you the same benefits as cultivating outside for ten days, and a month's worth of cultivation if you're in the Heaven Symbol Illusory Land."

Xiao Chen blinked. "There's such an impressive place like that?

Zi Mo looked smug. "Of course. I've entered the place once when I was young. Even now, I still relish the memories of it..." His face took on a yearning expression. "The Violet Illusory Realm is divided into three lands of fantasy: heaven, earth, human. Every fantasy land is divided into three ranks: upper, middle, lower. The better you perform in the qualifying match, the better land of fantasy you'll be able to enter. The reason why so many enter the Immortal's Sword Assembly isn't to make the top ten but to enter the Violet Illusory Land and cultivate."

After that lengthy explanation, Xiao Chen finally understood a little of what was going on. The qualifying match was a survival of the fittest. Rather than painstakingly gather the Hearts of Illusory Moon, whatever they were, he might as well snatch them away from the weaker sects.

He became certain that he must treat the Immortal's Sword Assembly with utmost seriousness. With this, he would also be able to learn just where he stood strength-wise in this Cultivation Era.

"I got it, Unfettered Senior. Rest assured that I'll do my best."

Zi Mo grinned. "That sets my heart at ease. Don't worry about Yu Yifeng's safety and focus on making the top ten. If you can make the top three, the league will give you a mysterious prize, you know."

"..."

Three days passed in a blur. By now, Xiao Chen was fully recovered and even benefitted from this disaster. His cultivation had increased by a level, meaning he was now in Lv 7 Core Forming Realm.

Today, the registration would be open. It was a beautiful day, with bright weather and moderate winds. The rich spirit energy in the Jade Terrace Mountain meant that the greenery remained lush even in the advent of winter. Cultivators crowded the public square, and all of them here to sign up for the assembly.

Seated on a platform located east of the square were five ethereal-looking old men. They were the Elders representing their respective continents. The representative of the East Continent was Perfected Immortal Qing Chen, the representative of the South Continent was Perfected Immortal Tai Yi of the Order of the Countless Blade, the representative of the North Continent was Perfected Immortal Zhong Li of the Yin-Yang Sect, the representative of the West Continent was Senior Xingxiu of the White Mist Academy, and the representative of the Middle Continent was Perfected Immortal Feng Lan of the Divine Mist Sect.

Staring at the thick crowd below, some nodded while twirling their beard while others smiled without commenting. Perfected Immortal Tai Yi looked at his seat neighbor, Perfected Immortal Qing Chen and smiled. "Qing Chen, the disciples participating in the Immortal's Sword Assembly this time are all fairly talented. They're not just a little stronger compared to the last batch. I remember being a Core Forming Realm cultivator back then would have been impressive enough. But look, most were in mid-stage Core Forming Realm and above."

"The world is changing. Back in our times, an Lv 9 Qi Refining Realm cultivator was considered formidable. I remember you won first place as an Lv 2 Foundation Building Realm cultivator back then."

Qing Chen returned his smile. He didn't look away from the faraway Xiao Chen and Yu Yifeng as he spoke. Tai Yi chuckled. He followed Qing Chen's line of sight and smiled. "Yifeng has an incredible aptitude. Qing Chen, I envy you for having a disciple like him."

Qing Chen shook his head, sighing. "Yifeng has a decent aptitude and his character is rare among mortals too. Unfortunately, he has unresolved karma from an ill-fated relationship in his previous life and is bound to suffer restrictions in this life. It'll be difficult for him to achieve the Way..." He heaved a deep sigh toward the tail of his sentence.

Smoothening his beard, Tai Yi smiled and replied, "I'd say that Xiao Chen next to Yu Yifeng is the one who has truly unresolved karma from his past life. Otherwise, why wouldn't you, with your incredible magic power of Divine Eyes, be able to tell his destiny...?"

Suddenly, Perfected Immortal Feng Lan sneered. He turned to his seat neighbor, Zhong Li, and said, "Younger Brother, look at the crowd this time. Who do you think has the biggest hope of winning?"

Zhong Li smoothed his beard with his fingers. With a smile, he said, "Older Brother, your sect has so many talented disciples. In the last assembly, your people dominated the top ten rankings. The way I see it, your Divine Mist Sect will surely come out victorious again."

Overjoyed, Feng Lan laughed heartily. "You're too modest, Zhong Li. I reckon your sect's disciple, Woe-tainted Frost, will surely enter the top three."

The two of them went back and forth, echoing each other. Evidently, Feng Lan was unhappy with Qing Chen and Tai Yi discussing abstruse ideas like karma from previous lives and thus mocked Jade Qing Sect for failing to even pass the qualifying match and the Order of the Countless Blades for barely making the tenth place.

With their profound Bodhicitta, Qing Chen and Tai Yi merely exchanged glances and smiles after hearing Feng Lan's sarcasm. They said nothing, ignoring him.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chen was walking with Yu Yifeng. Just as he was lamenting that he was facing tough competitors this time, he suddenly stopped. He had just spotted an "acquaintance".