He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

As the drumbeats subsided, the elder in charge of coordinating the selections stepped forward, holding an ornate jade box, and announced in a clear voice: "The Foundation Establishment group competition will adopt a draw-based combat system, with each pair facing off in pairs. The loser will be eliminated, and the winner will advance to the next round of the draw. Since the number of participants in the Foundation Establishment group is an odd number of eighty-seven, and Yue Ling'er, a disciple born with a Wood Spiritual Root and a Heavenly Spiritual Root, has already reached the Perfect Foundation Establishment realm, she is specially permitted to directly advance to the second round without participating in the first round of the draw."

Upon hearing this, none of the disciples below objected. Yue Ling'er's talent and cultivation were already unparalleled in the Foundation Establishment group; her speed of leaping several levels in a year had already astonished the entire sect. Everyone knew that she didn't need to undergo the first round of trials, a privilege she truly deserved. Yue Ling'er nodded slightly in thanks and retreated to the rest area, her gaze fixed on Zhang Bufan and Ye Qingxue, encouraging them.

The remaining eighty-six Foundation Establishment disciples stepped forward one by one to draw lots. The jade box contained wooden plaques engraved with numbers; those who drew the same number would be opponents. Zhang Bufan stepped forward, his fingertips brushing against the plaques, and casually drew one engraved with the number "seventeen." A short while later, a cultivator in a blue robe with an aged face stepped forward and bowed to Zhang Bufan, saying, "Core disciple Zhao Gang greets Junior Brother Zhang."

Zhang Bufan's gaze narrowed slightly as he subtly sensed the other's aura. Zhao Gang was sixty-four years old, stuck at the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment Perfection for thirteen years. His dantian was a full meter in diameter, and his spiritual energy was thick and refined, exuding the calm aura of someone who had long held a high position. He was a core disciple with extremely deep seniority within the sect, his "Rending Wind Sword Technique" was unparalleled, and he had guided lower-grade disciples in their cultivation many times, earning him considerable prestige among the core disciples. At this moment, Zhao Gang looked at Zhang Bufan with a hint of friendliness in his eyes, but also concealed a barely perceptible disdain—although this junior brother was personally taught by the patriarch and possessed extraordinary alchemy skills, his cultivation was ultimately only at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Zhang Bufan, having painstakingly cultivated to the peak of Foundation Establishment for thirteen years, might not necessarily lose.

"Zhang Bufan greets Senior Brother Zhao." Zhang Bufan returned the greeting with a cupped hand, already having made his plans. He only wanted to test his own strength this time and did not want to reveal the secret of his five-meter-diameter dantian too early, nor did he want to attract too much attention by winning by overwhelming him. He immediately decided to restrain his strength and only use 30% of his spiritual power in the battle.

At the elder referee's command, the four Foundation Establishment arenas simultaneously opened for battle. Sword energy crisscrossed, spiritual power surged, and cheers and the clash of weapons instantly resounded throughout the square. Zhao Gang was the first to attack. In a flash, his flying sword transformed into a sharp blue light, accompanied by a whistling wind, and aimed straight at Zhang Bufan's face. It was the killing move of the Rending Wind Sword Technique, "Wind Sweeps Away the Clouds." The sword's momentum was swift, and the angle was tricky, fully demonstrating the foundation of thirteen years of arduous training.

Zhang Bufan remained calm, his feet barely moving as he gracefully dodged the attack, his body as light as a willow catkin in the wind. Simultaneously, his flying sword was drawn, pale blue spiritual energy swirling around its blade. He calmly countered with the "Flowing Cloud Sword Technique" left behind by Xuanqing Daoist. The Flowing Cloud Sword Technique's moves were fluid yet subtly profound; seemingly casual, it always managed to deflect Zhao Gang's fierce attacks at the last possible moment. The two exchanged blows, their flying swords clashing, producing a series of metallic clangs. Sword energy rippled through the arena's protective barriers, creating a lively and exciting scene.

The disciples below watched intently, discussing amongst themselves. "Senior Brother Zhao's Rending Wind Sword Technique is still so domineering, every strike carries the sound of air being cleaved!" "Junior Brother Zhang is too amazing, a late Foundation Establishment cultivator can actually hold his own against Senior Brother Zhao for so long, his swordsmanship is unbelievably exquisite!" Everyone thought the two were evenly matched, only the five Supreme Elders on the referee's platform showed surprise in their eyes. Their cultivation was profound, and they could clearly sense that Zhang Bufan's spiritual energy fluctuations remained stable, obviously not using his full strength. Moreover, their mental power was exceptionally sharp, always able to predict Zhao Gang's sword path, and calmly deflect his moves, which was far beyond the reach of ordinary late Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Before long, the other three arenas had already determined their winners and losers. The victors stood tall and proud, while the losers left the stage with slight disappointment. Only the battle between Zhang Bufan and Zhao Gang continued. The two had exchanged more than a hundred blows. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhao Gang's forehead, and his breathing gradually became somewhat disordered. Although the swordplay in his hand was still sharp, it was not as swift as it had been at the beginning. The more he fought, the more alarmed he became. His junior brother seemed calm, but in fact, he controlled the rhythm of the battle. Every move he made was easily neutralized by his opponent, as if all his attacks were hitting cotton.

Seeing that the other arena battles were over, Zhang Bufan didn't delay any longer and secretly increased his spiritual power to forty percent. His pale blue spiritual energy suddenly surged, his flying sword's speed increased dramatically, and the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique's moves abruptly changed, creating a multitude of sword shadows that swept towards Zhao Gang like a tidal wave. Zhao Gang was startled and hurriedly swung his sword to defend, but he only felt a powerful force travel along the blade, his arm went numb, and the flying sword nearly slipped from his grasp. Before he could regain his footing, Zhang Bufan's flying sword was already an inch from his neck, the sword energy subdued, yet carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

"Senior Brother Zhao, you've conceded." Zhang Bufan sheathed his sword, his tone calm. Zhao Gang stood there blankly for a moment before shaking his head with a wry smile: "Junior Brother's strength far surpasses that of his peers. I, Zhao, am completely convinced of my defeat." With that, he turned and walked off the stage.

The battle was over, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Everyone was stunned. Zhang Bufan, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, had defeated Zhao Gang, a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, with complete composure throughout. This combat prowess was even more extraordinary than his alchemy talent. The five Supreme Elders exchanged glances, all seeing shock and admiration in each other's eyes. If they had known that Zhang Bufan had only used 30% of his spiritual power throughout the entire battle, only increasing it to 40% at the end to win, they would probably have stood up in astonishment.

On the other side, Ye Qingxue's first battle had also ended. Her opponent was a core disciple who had recently broken through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. Although the opponent's cultivation was more stable than hers, he couldn't overcome her innate advantages. Ye Qingxue's dantian and meridians, nourished by the silver fish and immortal peaches of the Xuanqing Secret Realm for a long time, were far wider than those of her peers, and her total spiritual power was nearly 30% greater than her opponent's. In addition, with the blessing of the Xuan-grade top-quality flying sword "Frost Condensation" given to her by Zhang Bufan, her swordplay was incomparably fierce under the impetus of her metal-attribute spiritual power. After exchanging dozens of rounds, Ye Qingxue defeated her opponent and successfully advanced to the second round by relying on her advantage in spiritual power endurance and the sharpness of her top-quality flying sword.

The second round of the competition began, and Yue Ling'er finally made her appearance. Her opponent was a disciple of a Supreme Elder who had been stuck at the peak of Foundation Establishment for many years. Before her opponent could launch an attack, Yue Ling'er activated the spiritual energy of her Wood Spirit Root. Her "Azure Edge" flying sword transformed into a streak of emerald light, and her move "Withered Tree Rejuvenates" appeared gentle but contained immense spiritual power. It directly knocked her opponent's flying sword away and then struck a pressure point on his shoulder. She crushed her opponent with a single move, demonstrating the terrifying power of her Heavenly Spirit Root.

Zhang Bufan continued to conceal his true strength, facing a Foundation Establishment peak cultivator in the second round. He maintained a slow pace, engaging his opponent in a back-and-forth exchange for dozens of rounds. His flashy moves were always carefully executed, drawing cheers from the disciples below. Only after ascertaining his opponent's limits did he feign an opening and easily defeat him to advance. Ye Qingxue, relying on her consistent performance and the advantage of her magical artifact, proceeded cautiously and successfully passed the second round.

The subsequent rounds of competition became increasingly intense, with the remaining disciples all being top experts in the Foundation Establishment group. Every battle was absolutely spectacular. Yue Ling'er swept through the competition with unstoppable momentum, her moves crisp and clean, defeating her opponents in just one or two moves. She entered the finals without any suspense and ultimately won first place in the Foundation Establishment group with an absolute advantage.

Second place went to Xie Ding, who was over fifty years old. Also at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, his "Thunderclap Sword Technique" possessed explosive power. He fought his way through the competition, only losing to Yue Ling'er in the finals, demonstrating formidable strength. Third place went to Liu Yan'er, who, despite being forty-four years old, looked no more than twenty. She was stunningly beautiful, with a touch of aloofness in her eyes, and was one of the "Twin Beauties" of the Immortal Sword Sect, on par with Yue Ling'er. Liu Yan'er's cultivation had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, and she excelled at the agile and graceful "Falling Petals Sword Technique." She had suitors throughout the sect, from elders to core disciples, but she rejected them all, citing her focus on cultivation. Her victory in third place with her exquisite swordsmanship captivated the audience.

Zhang Bufan deliberately slowed down his pace in the semi-finals, ultimately losing to Xie Ding and securing fourth place. He neither revealed his true strength nor failed to secure a spot in the accompanying party—a perfect strategy. Ye Qingxue, on the other hand, relied on a bit of luck, coupled with the blessing of the Frost Condensation Sword, to narrowly defeat her opponent in the final round, barely managing to secure fifth place and earning the qualification to travel to the Kunlun Secret Realm.

Meanwhile, the Qi Refining group competition had also concluded, with the top five disciples all emerging as exceptionally talented individuals. With this, the list of disciples accompanying the Immortal Sword Sect to the Kunlun Secret Realm was finalized: five from the Foundation Establishment group, five from the Qi Refining group, plus Ancestor Yue Buwei, and the two Grand Elders, Zhou Heming and Elder Liu. The group was ready to depart. The disciples dispersed, seizing the final four days to hone their cultivation and prepare their belongings, eagerly anticipating this once-in-a-decade grand event in the secret realm. On Qinglan Peak, Zhang Bufan and his two companions also began organizing supplies, making thorough preparations for their upcoming journey to Kunlun.