Let's Wrap This Up Quickly
After Baek Cheong stepped down from the stone platform, a strange atmosphere settled over the main bracket of the Qi Condensation division. The duels continued without pause, yet the heat in the spectator seats had somehow cooled off. There was only one name on everyone's lips.
“She didn’t even swing her sword, yet she summoned ten ice dragons.”
“And what about how she used spirit rain to grow them? Can this seriously be called the work of a Qi Condensation cultivator?”
“It feels embarrassing to even call her Qi Condensation. Wouldn’t it be more accurate to say she’s at Foundation Establishment level?”
On the stone platform, the next duel was in full swing. The promising talents who had drawn everyone’s expectations all the way to the main bracket were showing off the skills they had honed. However, after witnessing the spectacle Baek Cheong had displayed, every match looked dull by comparison. They would barely raise their defensive artifacts to block spells, then engage in tedious exchanges until their spiritual energy ran dry. It was the kind of scene that would have made people grip their seats in excitement just moments ago, yet now it all seemed sluggish.
The actual cause of the strange atmosphere, Baek Cheong herself, sat demurely in one corner of the spectator seats, quietly watching the platform.
They’re all so mediocre.
Outwardly she kept her gaze lowered politely, but inside she was starting to get restless. There were far too many eyes on her to browse the gallery, so she simply wished her next turn would come quickly.
Her next match finally arrived in the quarterfinals.
Let’s wrap this up quickly.
Baek Cheong walked to the center of the platform with an indifferent air. The cultivator who approached from the opposite side carried a rather solid presence for someone in Qi Condensation. She slowly gathered the spiritual energy inside her dantian. The energy she had spent against Seo Jua had already recovered.
Following the outer sect elder’s signal, she quickly cast her spell.
“Ice Dragon Shatter.”
With a short incantation, the surrounding air chilled rapidly. Mist rose, and three ice dragons sculpted from pure frost revealed themselves. The opposing cultivator flinched and hurriedly raised his defensive artifact. But the moment the three ice dragons charged simultaneously, his defense couldn’t withstand even a single one.
Crack.
His defensive barrier tore apart like paper, and the cultivator was sent tumbling off the platform. The spectators who had secretly hoped for a flashy duel couldn’t hide their disappointment.
“I expected more from a genius who crossed over from the Eastern Continent.”
“Couldn’t even handle one ice dragon.”
“It’s still just a first-rank commercial-grade spell, after all…”
Baek Cheong glanced at the fallen cultivator in the distance before recalling her ice dragons.
I went easy on him, though.
Even after reducing it to three, the result was the same. And just like that, Baek Cheong advanced to the semifinals without effort.
After several more matches, it was Baek Cheong’s turn again. The cultivator who walked out to face her this time felt different from the previous ones. On the surface, he looked like an ordinary man you might encounter anywhere. He was an inner sect disciple from another branch who had only reached the peak of Qi Condensation. He didn’t give off any particularly outstanding aura.
However, his attitude toward her was peculiar. Every opponent who had stepped onto the platform with her so far had fallen into one of two categories: they either trembled with fear, or they looked down on her for being so young and puffed up with arrogance. Yet the man before her was neither. He simply faced her with calm composure, showing neither fear nor contempt.
His complete lack of movement made Baek Cheong slightly suspicious.
Does this guy have something up his sleeve?
His serene demeanor suggested he must have something to rely on. Even if he looked ordinary, he might be hiding a trick or two. Letting her guard down could lead to trouble.
Safety first.
Baek Cheong immediately took out various items from her storage pouch and scattered them across the platform. First, five Five Elements Puppets appeared. Then, bundles of first-rank talismans engraved with all sorts of formations poured out. Finally, she raised a translucent Five Elements Barrier that enveloped her entire body.
Only then did the previously calm cultivator’s expression finally waver. The things his opponent had brought out far exceeded the capacity of a mere Qi Condensation practitioner.
She’s pulling out that much for a one-on-one duel in a spell tournament…?
The inner sect disciple from another branch swallowed his bewilderment. Still, since he already knew who his opponent was, he didn’t lose his composure. Instead, he firmly raised his defensive artifact, drew up his spiritual energy to the limit, and prepared himself thoroughly.
Baek Cheong observed him with a sidelong glance—flustered yet still vigilant.
Guess he’s not an easy opponent after all.
Her suspicion that he would be quite troublesome only grew stronger.
Soon, the outer sect elder’s voice rang out from outside the platform.
“Qi Condensation quarterfinals! Begin the duel!”
The moment the signal dropped, Baek Cheong scattered the entire bundle of talismans she held in her hand. Dozens of sheets absorbed spiritual energy at once and activated. Flames erupted from explosive talismans, and all sorts of other talismans detonated simultaneously, completely engulfing the platform.
Boom boom boom boom!
Before the opponent could even count them, the barrage of talismans left him no time to react. The defensive spell he had hastily raised was crushed under the firepower of dozens of talismans.
“Ugh…!”
With a short groan, the cultivator was sent flying helplessly off the platform.
Thick smoke slowly cleared from the stone platform. Baek Cheong looked toward the fallen man. She had definitely thought he was hiding a move, yet he had collapsed without showing anything at all.
Huh?
Baek Cheong tilted her head slightly.
I could’ve sworn he had something…
The fallen cultivator showed no sign of getting up.
Was it just my imagination?
Feeling a bit awkward, Baek Cheong quickly dispelled the Five Elements Barrier she had raised. She then gathered the five Five Elements Puppets she hadn’t even used and neatly put them back into her storage pouch.
The spectators outside the platform were once again left speechless.
“She detonated dozens of talismans all at once…?”
“Not only does a Qi Condensation cultivator use talismans in bundles, she even brings out puppets.”
“…It ended the moment it started.”
The outer sect elder barely managed to strike his jade plaque.
“Winner, Baek Cheong of the Yeonha Baek Family!”
Meanwhile, quite a few cultivators had gathered near the honored seats reserved for the Yeonha Baek Family in the spectator area. It was because Baek Cheong had repeatedly taken out Five Elements Puppets and bundles of talismans on the platform. Among them were many who had taken a keen interest in the puppets she controlled.
“Lord Baek, about the puppets that the young lady of the Yeonha Baek Family used earlier—does the Baek Merchant Group also deal in such puppets?”
When the questions poured in, Baek Muyeong put on a warm, friendly smile as if he had been waiting for them.
“Haha, you’ve asked at just the right time. Our merchant group does handle puppets from time to time. If you’re interested, please stop by the Baek Pavilion in Yeonha Seong.”
At the skilled merchant’s smooth response, the cultivators showed clear interest. Then one of them carefully brought up another question.
“However, the puppets the young lady used seemed rather special. May I ask how much something like that would cost?”
The smile on Baek Muyeong’s lips grew even deeper.
“Ah, you mean the five puppets my niece uses? Those are first-rank supreme-grade puppets, completely different from the ones we sell. They were crafted with great care by a skilled puppet master, so sturdy that ordinary artifacts can’t even scratch them.”
When Baek Muyeong casually mentioned the price per unit, the face of the cultivator who had asked froze solid.
“Y-you’re saying it costs that many high-grade spirit stones…?!”
It was an amount that even a Golden Core cultivator might only touch once in a lifetime. Moreover, because Baek Cheong had displayed such overwhelming talent, many cultivators weren’t truly interested in the puppets—they were simply trying to build connections with the Yeonha Baek Family.
“Lord Baek, if the opportunity arises, I would like to pay my respects separately.”
“As it happens, our family is in need of some spiritual medicines…”
Baek Muyeong handled the cultivators with masterful skill while inwardly swallowing a pleased laugh. The more his niece showed off her abilities on the platform, the more the merchant group’s finances swelled.
At this rate, it won’t be long before the Baek Pavilion’s inventory runs dry.
If his older brother found out, he would surely scold him for dragging their niece into business schemes. Still, since it was for the sake of the family and the merchant group, he was more than willing to endure a few glares.
Baek Cheong, watching from afar, simply looked on with a lukewarm expression. Her uncle seemed genuinely delighted as he dealt with the cultivators.
Guess Uncle really is suited for this kind of thing.
Then Baek Cheong suddenly looked around the spectator seats. Her eldest brother, who had been sitting there just moments ago, was nowhere to be seen.
Where did Eldest Brother go?
She shifted her gaze and noticed that even the honored seats where the Biun Sect’s true disciples, including Jinwi, had been sitting were now empty. After thinking for a moment, Baek Cheong recalled what her eldest brother had told her. During the spell tournament, the true disciples each had their own separate duties.
Ah, right. He did say they all had tasks to handle.
Since her eldest brother was also a true disciple, he was probably helping with the sect’s affairs somewhere. She turned her head, thinking nothing more of it.
Before long, the allotted break ended. The outer sect elder stepped onto the platform and raised the jade plaque in his hand.
“We will now proceed with the final duel of the Qi Condensation division—the finals.”
Baek Cheong rose from her seat and walked to the center of the platform. The cultivator who emerged from the opposite side felt different from all the previous opponents except Seo Jua. Although he had reached the eighth star of Qi Condensation, the fact that he had made it to the finals meant his skills were quite solid. His aura alone made it clear he hadn’t reached the main bracket by luck.
Baek Cheong quietly observed her opponent and gathered spiritual energy in her dantian.
I wonder if he can last a little longer this time?
At the same time, the outer sect elder gave the signal. With a slight sense of anticipation, she recited the incantation.
“Ice Dragon Shatter.”
Within the rapidly chilling air, several ice dragons appeared and charged toward her opponent. The eighth-star Qi Condensation cultivator urgently deployed his defensive spell while also raising the defensive artifact in his hand.
Crack!
The first ice dragon to strike slammed violently against his barrier. Thanks to layering both spell and artifact, the opponent barely managed to withstand the first ice dragon. Up until now, no one except Seo Jua had endured even a single one.
Small exclamations rose from outside the platform.
“Oh! He blocked one!”
“As expected of a genius who reached the finals!”
But that was the limit of what he could endure. The second ice dragon twisted its body and flew straight at him. His spell and artifact had already loosened after blocking the first. The barrier ultimately failed to withstand the weight of the second ice dragon and shattered into pieces.
Crack!
“Ugh…!”
With a short groan, the cultivator tumbled and collapsed onto the platform. Even with both defensive spell and artifact, he couldn’t handle two ice dragons.
Baek Cheong dispersed the ice dragons she had summoned and recalled them.
Still, he managed to block one.
The outer sect elder stepped forward and raised the jade plaque high.
The finals had ended rather anticlimactically, but since it was what every cultivator had expected, there was no particular sense of disappointment.
“Qi Condensation division champion, Baek Cheong of the Yeonha Baek Family!”
As the elder’s shout echoed across Ja-undae, a murmur spread through the cultivators filling the spectator seats. It was because the direct disciple of the Pacheon Geomjon had reached the peak of the Qi Condensation division without ever drawing her sword.
On the other hand, Baek Cheong bowed politely before stepping down from the platform. Outwardly she looked modest, but inside she felt like humming a cheerful tune.
With this, the stealth technique is practically mine.
Simply reaching the main bracket had already secured her qualification to enter the Cloud Sea Secret Realm. On top of that, by taking first place, she could claim all the rewards given to the top contestants without missing a single one.
A secret realm full of opportunities, plus a generous reward. Just thinking about it made the corners of her mouth rise on their own.
This is basically free farming.
With her heart swelling with excitement, Baek Cheong looked toward her family’s seats. She wanted to show her eldest brother that she had taken first place. However, her eldest brother was still nowhere to be seen.
He had said he would watch over her the entire time.
…He still hasn’t come back.