I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World-Chapter 263 - 230: (Revised) Labyrinth Ancient Jade Scroll
On the third day of the Wind and Cloud Meeting preliminaries, Jiang Yuebai used the same method as before, causing a commotion in the battlefield where the Fang Family disciples were present.
It was a pity that she didn’t encounter Fang Mingyi, and due to her rising fame, the Fang Family disciples were more prepared. She only managed to defeat five before Fang Mingli and Fang Mingxin arrived at the platform.
Jiang Yuebai exchanged a few moves with them and indeed found them somewhat formidable. Not wanting to expose too much of her trump cards, she swiftly retreated.
She then went to other platforms and won five matches, smoothly obtaining a Three-Sided Jade Token, which she exchanged for a Breaking Boundary Pearl.
The rules did not state that acquiring the Breaking Boundary Pearl disqualified one from further participating in the preliminary platform battles.
Thus, in the last two days, she appeared in various battlefields using her identity as Jiang Yuebai of the Heavenly Interence Sect.
On the fourth day, she won a few matches against elite disciples from the Fang Family, then lost to an unnamed disciple of the Kong Family, and subsequently challenged a martial monk at the Vajra Platform, losing within less than a hundred moves.
On the fifth day, she fiercely defeated several elite disciples from the Lu Family, then went to challenge the Liuyun Sect and lost, finally faced the unnamed disciple from the Kong Family, battling fiercely for an hour as the audience below grew sleepy, and barely managed to win.
Afterwards, she boldly ridiculed the disciples of the Kong Family for being inept and swaggered away triumphantly.
At this point, Jiang Yuebai’s widespread reputation was turned around by herself, from being extraordinarily talented to being utterly ordinary, from a rising star to nothing special.
For these two days, she used only the moves and magic artifacts listed in the ’Wind and Cloud Gathering Record’; no other trump cards were used.
Furthermore, there was already a bounty of five thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones placed on identifying her black-clad masked identity, with rumors spreading that she is this year’s dark horse among Loose Cultivators, favored to win the championship.
The fifth day of preliminaries concluded with the distribution of Breaking Boundary Pearls.
In the Foundation Establishment Stage, there were 121 sect members, 134 noble family members, and 110 loose cultivators.
In the Golden Core Stage, there were 30 sect members, 29 noble family members, and 22 loose cultivators.
After the preliminaries, there was a three-day break, and after the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th, the Secret Realm entrance would open in the center of Kongfang City early the next day.
Jiang Yuebai arranged to go with Yun Shang early to see the list, and those young generation disciples they knew were mostly selected.
However, according to cultivation proportion, the list mostly consisted of Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, accounting for seventy percent, and Peak Foundation Establishment for twenty percent. The young generation disciples’ cultivation mostly ranged from early to mid-Foundation Establishment, accounting for a mere ten percent.
"It’s really challenging to get a ranking in the Wind and Cloud Meeting," Jiang Yuebai sighed.
Yun Shang comforted, "Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. My aunt said, we are still young; this time is mainly to see the world and seek treasures in the labyrinth, leaving the rest to the older generation of seniors and elders."
Jiang Yuebai frowned, "Did your aunt really say that?"
Yun Shang nodded, "It’s not just my aunt, everyone thinks this way, including past Wind and Cloud Meetings; the young generation seeks treasures, while the older generation competes for ranking."
"What if I insist on competing for rankings?"
She had a wager with the Kong Family, and she must win the championship for herself and her master.
Yun Shang looked at Jiang Yuebai, then at the list, "Well... then I’ll help you compete."
"Once inside the Secret Realm Maze, it’ll be hard for us to even meet, how would you help me?"
Jiang Yuebai withdrew her gaze and turned away.
Yun Shang quickly followed, "It’s possible to meet; the Secret Realm Maze has two layers, the outer layer is a maze where you look for treasures and find the Transmission Array to the inner layer, which is like a hunting ground."
"Everyone will be transmitted together based on noble family, sect, and loose cultivators, fighting Guardian Beasts, seizing high ground, defending as a team to eliminate other teams, and finally determining rankings by dueling on platforms among the victorious teams."
Jiang Yuebai nodded, already familiar with the rules, knowing that the total battle rank of Foundation Establishment Stage at Wind and Cloud Meeting every year is either entirely dominated by noble family disciples or sect disciples, loose cultivators almost never win.
It was precisely why different ranking lists were established to give others a chance to appear on the list.
Before this session, the Noble Family Alliance had consecutively won three times, with Kong Family disciples consistently occupying the top three in the total battle rank.
Currently, Jiang Yuebai felt somewhat troubled; if she wants to win the championship, she must ensure that enough sect disciples can enter the inner layer hunting ground to first defeat the noble family and loose cultivator teams.
If the sect team doesn’t measure up, relying on her alone would make it hard to shake the entire noble family team.
Returning to Dengtong Lane with Yun Shang, Jiang Yuebai saw Xie Jingshan from afar, carrying a food box and speaking with Li Shenzhi.
Li Shenzhi noticed Jiang Yuebai first, nodded at Xie Jingshan, who then turned towards her.
Xie Jingshan handed over the food box to Jiang Yuebai with a grin, "For you, I put poison in it today, make sure you eat it clean."
Jiang Yuebai lifted the lid of the food box, finding it full of pastries and delicacies from Jinshui Building. Ever since her public defeat to Xie Jingshan, he had been bringing food every day.
"What’s this?"
Jiang Yuebai took out a yellowed, ancient-looking pentagonal Jade Plate from the food box, feeling familiar with the ancient Jade Scroll, as if it was the same Jade Scroll of Wuwei Mountain Man recording the Five Elements Returning to Truth Skill.
Yun Shang came closer to look; Xie Jingshan quickly held Jiang Yuebai’s hand down, whispered to them, "My grandfather spent a fortune buying this; inside is part of the maze map. I made copies for everyone, this one’s the original; keep it for yourself."
Xie Jingshan swiftly gave Yun Shang a brand new Jade Scroll with the same maze map as the ancient Jade Scroll.
Yun Shang shyly smiled, pocketing the Jade Scroll.
Jiang Yuebai closed the food box, "I truly envy you. If I had a family as wealthy as yours, I wouldn’t need to risk life and limb, living on the edge in Immortal Cultivation!"
Xie Jingshan forced a smile, "My grandfather says the same, but I still feel my Immortal Cultivation path is too smooth, making me uneasy!"
"Living in fortune without knowing it!"
Jiang Yuebai cursed inwardly, Yun Shang nodded in agreement.
"Ahem!" Li Shenzhi beckoned from afar, "Yuebai, my niece, come over here; I have something for you too."
Jiang Yuebai handed the food box to Yun Shang and walked over to Li Shenzhi.
He handed Jiang Yuebai a Jade Scroll discreetly, "I heard about your wager with the Kong Family. Although your chances of winning the championship seem quite slim, we can’t just give up without a fight."
"Last time you helped my master, as his disciple, I have to help you this once. Inside is my tactical secret manual. Your Foundation Establishment Stage’s inner layer hunting ground has three major terrains, one randomly appears. If you happen to end up in the one I visited last time..."
Li Shenzhi raised his eyebrows, hinting with a glance at the Jade Scroll.
"I must go, still have to teach the junior disciple, the rascal talks incessantly, unlike the obedient and sensible junior sister at all~"
Li Shenzhi disappeared in a flash, Jiang Yuebai held the Jade Scroll, recalling how Li Shenzhi, despite not yet reaching Mid-Stage Golden Core, could overpower Late-Stage Golden Core Wuh Yang, taking second on Heavenly Interence Sect’s Golden Core battle rank, surely with extraordinary skill.
"My mother still wants to instruct me in swordsmanship, so I should head back; we’ll meet in three days."
Xie Jingshan bid farewell, Yun Shang returned the food box to Jiang Yuebai.
"I should return early to study this maze map, let’s work hard together, Little Bai."
Jiang Yuebai carried the food box back to the courtyard, Lu Nanzhi still wasn’t around.
She placed the food box on the stone table in the courtyard, rummaging in her Storage Bracelet until she finally found the ancient Jade Scroll from Wuwei Mountain Man, which indeed looked very similar to the one Xie Jingshan gave her.
Jiang Yuebai probed her Divine Sense into the Jade Scroll from Xie Jingshan, the familiar maze instantly appeared in her Sea of Consciousness, requiring exploration using Divine Sense.
"This maze has similarities with the one in the Five Flavors Jade Scroll... could it be that Wuwei Mountain Man also participated in the Wind and Cloud Meeting? Yet there’s no mention in her miscellany."
Jiang Yuebai pondered, realizing that if her ’Yuebai’s Diary’ were to circulate, crucial parts would surely be omitted.
"Possibly the Five Elements Returning to Truth Skill was obtained by Wuwei Mountain Man here; it’s rumored that there’s a legacy of the Three Races of Human, Demon, and Devil in the maze."
Jiang Yuebai took out paper and pen, drawing out the entire maze from the two Jade Scrolls, hoping that comparing them might reveal some patterns in the maze’s transformations.
＊
At this time, under the dark night and fierce winds, in the woods outside the city.
Lu Nanzhi shouted, unleashing a sword strike likened to stormy seas, overwhelming and earth-shattering.
As the wave passed by, earth and trees froze inch by inch, instantly turning the surroundings into a world of ice and snow, chilling to the bone.
Sweat trickled down Lu Nanzhi’s temple, she gasped heavily, her sword-wielding hand shaking from thousands of strikes.
"Your killing intent is still insufficient."
A middle-aged woman clad in fox fur walked over, her hair elegantly tied, exuding noble grace. Her aura blended seamlessly with the surroundings, so much so that Lu Nanzhi didn’t notice how long she had stood behind her.
"Have you thought it through?" The woman asked.
Lu Nanzhi tightened her grip on the long sword, her mind filled with countless cherished moments and laughter, but ultimately, her eyes settled on those who regarded her like a mere commodity.
"I’ve made up my mind!"
Resolute without the slightest hesitation.
The woman chuckled softly, naturally captivating.
"Very well, then follow me; let’s overturn the heavens!"
