The pressure of cultivation crushed his knees, forcing his body down as blood sprayed from his mouth. Gu Qinghe was completely powerless, yet anger burned fiercely in his heart toward the sect master.
"You locked my nephew's meridians. Now, I'll do the same to you," the old man said coldly.
He extended his hand and dragged Gu Qinghe into the air, pulling him right in front of him. Gu Qinghe was being strangled by pure cultivation pressure, unable to resist in his current state.
A beautiful young woman flew down from the envoy seating area and landed in the arena, right beside Gu Qinghe.
Her appearance immediately drew everyone's attention—disciples, guests, and even the Yin-Yang Sect Master himself.
"Everyone here clearly understands Han Xiao's condition, Sect Master Han Shen," she said calmly.
She wore white-and-blue robes, elegant and refined, with several accessories adorning her uniform. Her long black hair flowed freely, her features delicate, her skin pale.
Gu Qinghe glanced at her and immediately recognized the uniform.
"This is an internal matter of the Yin-Yang Sect, Elder Shang. Your Tianyun Sect has no authority here," Han Shen said.
"That may be so," Elder Shang replied. "But according to the martial law records of the Song Kingdom, matters involving demonic cultivation paths fall under the jurisdiction of the Sect Alliance."
She turned her gaze to Gu Qinghe. "If this were a Zen-path issue, I wouldn't interfere."
She's making my situation even worse.
Han Shen stared sharply at Elder Shang of the Tianyun Sect, then glanced at Gu Qinghe. Moments later, he released his grip.
Gu Qinghe fell and instinctively leapt backward, quickly taking out a pill to recover his strength.
"What do you want?" Han Shen asked coldly.
Elder Shang turned toward the other guests invited by the Yin-Yang Sect.
"Most of the guests present are members of the Song Kingdom Sect Alliance. I propose that Han Xiao be detained and interrogated."
"There's a strong possibility he consumed a demonic red pill or practiced demonic techniques. We need to find out where he got them—and who else is involved," Elder Shang said, looking back at Han Shen.
The old man fell silent.
What she said was completely correct. Nearly all the guests here were members of the Song Kingdom Sect Alliance.
Han Shen couldn't do much. The Yin-Yang Sect simply didn't hold the same status as major sects like Tianyun. His options were limited.
Whether he liked it or not, he had to hand Han Xiao over. Refusal would mean defying the Sect Alliance's authority.
"…Very well."
He pushed Han Xiao forward and ordered one of his elders to take him away for treatment. Before turning back, his eyes shot a sharp glare at Gu Qinghe.
All of this had happened because of him.
If Gu Qinghe had simply conceded earlier, Han Xiao would never have fallen under suspicion.
Han Shen returned to the arena, followed by Elder Shang.
"I hereby announce that Gu Qinghe advances to the final. He is officially promoted to Core Disciple."
Once again, there were no cheers—only silence, heavy with dissatisfaction.
But no one had a choice. Gu Qinghe's strength was far beyond theirs.
Han Shen then announced the second match: Li Xiaoman versus Yun Shangxing.
Li Xiaoman entered the arena. Yun Shangxing followed soon after. The match began shortly after.
Gu Qinghe kept his eyes on Li Xiaoman's battle. Unlike the quarterfinals, she was noticeably more cautious with her attacks.
They exchanged blows repeatedly, the fight far more engaging than before.
This time, neither side knew who held the advantage—unlike earlier, when most had favored Han Xiao simply because he was Han Shen's nephew.
With no clear favorite, the second semifinal became intense.
Half an hour passed. Both fighters were visibly exhausted. They had exchanged techniques, suffered injuries, and pushed themselves hard.
Still, neither was willing to give up. They were both aiming for Core Disciple status.
Gu Qinghe smiled faintly. "Han Xiao probably won't be able to fight after his meridians were sealed. Whoever loses here will still become a Core Disciple."
Li Xiaoman refused to give in. She began forming hand seals, activating the strongest offensive technique she had mastered.
A massive flame sword appeared within her red runes. With a forward-pointing gesture, she launched it straight at Yun Shangxing.
Yun Shangxing reacted quickly, activating a protective qi wall. However, cracks immediately spread across its surface under the flame sword's power.
The cracks widened—until the qi wall shattered completely.
BLAST!
An explosion erupted. Yun Shangxing took the full impact, his body sent flying out of the arena before he collapsed unconscious.
Li Xiaoman fell to the ground as well, utterly exhausted after realizing her qi had been almost completely drained.
A sect elder stepped forward and announced the result.
"Li Xiaoman wins the second semifinal and advances to the final. She is officially promoted to Core Disciple."
Joy was clearly visible on Li Xiaoman's exhausted face. She turned around, her eyes locking onto the opponent she had been waiting for.
"Gu Qinghe! I'll defeat you in the final."
The elder noticed the contestants' fatigue and granted them a two-hour rest. The final match and the battle for third place would be held that night.
Gu Qinghe was relieved. He couldn't continue fighting anyway—his qi had been heavily depleted in the battle against Han Xiao.
I need to cultivate and recover.
Li Xiaoman lowered her head and left the arena alone.
Gu Qinghe was about to move when a woman approached him.
"Senior Ya Fei?"
"Can you come with me for a moment, Gu Qinghe?" the cool-faced woman asked.
Gu Qinghe paused, then nodded. Ya Fei took off into the air, with Gu Qinghe following behind.
He had no idea where she was taking him, until the brightly lit Pill Refinement Hall appeared ahead.
A man stood at the entrance, smiling as he saw Gu Qinghe approach.
"Greetings, Elder Li."
"That was an excellent match, Gu Qinghe. You deserve your place in the final," Li Hao said.
"You flatter me too much, Elder Li."
Ya Fei stepped into the pill refinement hall, leaving Gu Qinghe alone with Elder Li.
"There's a reason I called you here, Gu Qinghe."
Elder Li stepped forward and lightly patted Gu Qinghe's shoulder.
"I want you… to concede to Li Xiaoman in the final."