Unfortunately, since my return, I hadn't caught up with the Mecha Battle tournament from the top 64 to the top 32. Turning on the television again, the battles for the top 32 were down to the last six, with contestants from other regions either spreading out or being eliminated. It was truly dull. I might as well spend my time aimlessly at the market.

At that moment, in the distance, a leisurely figure approached the foot of Immortal Mountain, their presence highly conspicuous. Alongside them, several elders from the Jade Clear Sect led the way with smiles, conversing about something unknown.

"Tianyin Sect."

Mingfei's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly... Her lips parted, and she gently uttered the three words "Tianyin Sect," knowing that there were still a few days before the elite disciple competition. She hadn't expected the Tianyin Sect to rush over so soon—they were quite confident indeed.

Before long, a procession had steadily made its way to Mingfei, the foremost being the Sect Master of Tianyin Sect, Qing Yin.

Rumors had it that this nearly fifty-year-old Sect Master was extremely adept in Daoist magic, known by the moniker "Heaven at Arm's Length." However, due to various reasons, Mingfei had never met him in person. To her surprise, he looked quite young, only a little over thirty. His poise as he walked carried an indescribable ease, a demeanor befitting those of high status, with decisiveness and informality, exuding a confident aura that would naturally command an involuntary respect.

Following half a step behind Qing Yin were his disciples, their gazes sharp. As they passed by, Qing Yin nodded slightly towards Mingfei, who was dressed in the attire of a law keeper, as a sign of courtesy.

"A distinguished guest graces us with their presence; forgive us for not meeting you from afar," Mingfei said with a smile.

"The Tianyin Sect came without invitation; Law Keeper, there's no need for pleasantries."

"Not at all."

They passed by each other in an instant, Mingfei's eyebrows gradually knitting together in discontent. No wonder the Sect Master had arrived without a greeting from Wu Tian—it was an unannounced visit.

As she finished speaking, she felt a gaze filled with hostility. Glancing over, she was surprised to see several young and beautiful female Taoist disciples...

Mingfei recognized one of them, a young woman named Ya Ru, who had fair brows and lovely eyes. Four years ago, she was an inner disciple of Tianyin Sect. To her astonishment, Ya Ru had now entered the core echelons of Tianyin Sect, becoming an important figure beside Qing Yin. Only one position behind the Sect Master, her current strength shouldn't be any less than Mingfei's—an expert almost on par with the Sect Master himself.

"Tsk tsk, Protector Mingfei is still so beautiful and captivating," Ya Ru's voice carried a light mockery that was just loud enough for Mingfei to hear.

Mingfei coldly sneered internally, pretending she hadn't heard, and lifted her face with a feigned expression of indifference. It would be beneath her dignity as a law keeper to bicker with Ya Ru, who, just four years ago, had been an inner disciple.

"Do not be rude."

"Yes."

Not long after, the crowd gradually dispersed... Mingfei inwardly scoffed, thinking how a young girl dared to mock her. If it weren't for her status, she would have been sorely tempted to put her in her place right then and there—but the visitors from Tianyin Sect clearly had ill intentions, and among those walking at the same level as Ya Ru were two other unfamiliar women, whose strengths likely matched Ya Ru's.

Considering that Mengdie recently gave up practicing the Wood Element of the Five Elements Technique to focus solely on the Water Element, and her limited mastery of Metal, Fire, Earth, along with other techniques, the upcoming challenge for the elite disciple competition seemed far from easy.

Mingfei was well aware of the current situation in Jade Clear Sect. Although there were other inner disciples with exceptional strengths, they still fell short when compared to Mengdie. Putting aside combat prowess, not even Wu Tian could keep up with Mengdie's agility.

Abandoning the advantage of speed and agility, Mengdie's movements would still be considered swift in the eyes of her peers, but they would no longer be elusive to the point of being uncatchable. It was rumored that Nangong Qi of the Nangong Family, who carried the direct lineage, could keep up with roughly sixty percent of Mengdie's speed—apart from Feng Yi and Wu Tian, she was the third person Mingfei knew who could match Mengdie's pace.

As is well known, only inner and outer disciples are entitled to compete for the title of elite disciple. Once someone in the Jade Clear Sect reaches the ranks of hall master, law keeper, or elder, they would no longer be considered disciples and, naturally, could not participate in the struggle for the title. If the three individuals I saw were not yet formally part of Tianyin Sect's core echelon, then they would still be eligible to compete for the title, thereby creating immense value for their sect.

Of course, only those who stand out in the competition for the elite disciple title would be considered for the ranks of hall master, elder, and even law keeper.

Under normal circumstances, considering Mengdie's talent and strength, she would have been well-suited to become a junior law keeper in Jade Clear Sect. However, nobody knows just what that girl has done—as she's been oscillating uncertainly between ranks, demoted to an inner disciple without even touching the positions of elder or hall master. Truly, a child of fickle fate.

----

In a small, dark room within Dragon Gate Space Station's Federation competition area, number 17, Feng Yi sat with his hands in a lotus position, habitually propping up his chin as he entered a contemplative state, pondering the upcoming battles. In this secluded room, he resembled a villain from a novel, brewing his dark schemes.

Feng Yi was genuinely at a loss for words about the tournament organizer's exasperating decisions, having inconveniently scheduled his battle for the very last match, grandiosely dubbed the finale. Yet, at this point, his physical condition had markedly declined, making it increasingly difficult to sustain additional combat.

From the looks of it, let alone top-tier combat, even the prospect of fighting Sky Shadow Jiu Ling did not promise high odds of victory. As the battles intensified and time progressed, his chances of winning were on an irreversible downward spiral, unless his opponent left him an opening to use Flame Dual Slash for a one-hit kill. But of course, that was unrealistic—after all, no one is a fool.

By now, the image of the Revenge Shadow Rider was firmly entrenched in people's hearts, and with the rise in influence came the caveat: he could die, he could disappear, but he could not afford to lose a battle.

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