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

The first round of the sect competition, featuring numerous sects, lasted a full ten days before finally concluding. In the subsequent rounds, Zhang Bufan, Yue Ling'er, and Xie Ding fought side by side, honing their teamwork in each match, their tacit understanding growing ever more refined, and their tactical coordination becoming increasingly precise. From facing second-rate sects skilled in formations to maneuvering against first-rate forces with unpredictable techniques, the trio consistently fought steadily. With Zhang Bufan acting as a hidden "cheat code"—whenever the battle became tense, he would subtly reveal a portion of his strength, defusing crises and breaking through the opponent's defenses—the Immortal Sword Sect team remained unscathed throughout, advancing through the rounds to successfully reach the final.

When the finalists were announced, a stir swept through the entire Wanfa Square. The top three teams were the host Kunlun Wanfa Immortal Sect, the Tianshan Yaochi Immortal Sect (the sect from the second secret realm of Pangu), and the Huashan Immortal Sword Sect, considered the biggest dark horse. The cultivators from each sect were astonished; no one had expected the Immortal Sword Sect to break through all the way to the finals, especially since the team seemed to be centered around a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, which completely surprised everyone.

Elders from sects on friendly terms with the Immortal Sword Sect rushed forward to congratulate Yue Buwei, their words full of praise for taking in such a talented prodigy as Zhang Bufan. Those forces with only a neutral relationship with the Immortal Sword Sect, however, were mostly filled with envy, jealous of the sect's good fortune and wary of the strange combat power Zhang Bufan had displayed. Yue Buwei smiled broadly, returning their greetings one by one, his expectations for Zhang Bufan growing ever stronger—this unpolished gem had already shone with a brilliance far exceeding expectations.

The finals adopted a two-on-one format, with the top three determined through round-robin matches. The first match was between the Immortal Sword Sect and the Jade Pool Immortal Sect, a battle that attracted everyone's attention even before it began. The Jade Pool Immortal Sect, like the previously defeated Jade Maiden Sect, was a sect dominated by female cultivators, but they possessed vastly different foundations. As the second-ranked secret realm sect in the Pangu World, the Jade Pool Immortal Sect had an extremely long and ancient heritage. Legend has it that the Heavenly Mountain Secret Realm was created 50,000 years ago by a female cultivator at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage. That cultivator successfully ascended to the Immortal Realm within a thousand years of the secret realm's completion, leaving behind a profound legacy and a wealth of resources.

Compared to the Immortal Sword Sect, the Yaochi Immortal Sect's foundation is many times deeper. In the previous rounds of the competition, the Yaochi Immortal Sect team easily crushed their opponents. The seven battles combined took less than an hour. The three female cultivators, dressed in plain white dresses, were surrounded by spiritual light, and were aloof and ethereal. They had not suffered any injuries so far, and their robes were not even stained with a speck of dust.

The core of this team is Bai Qingyao, the current Holy Maiden of the Yaochi Immortal Sect. At twenty-five, she is universally acknowledged as the most beautiful woman of her generation in the Pangu cultivation world—her eyebrows are like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn waters, her white dress flutters without wind, and she is surrounded by a faint misty aura, exuding a cool and ethereal fairy-like aura that commands respect. Not only is her beauty unparalleled, but her talent is also extraordinary, possessing a water-attribute heavenly spiritual root. She has already reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, only half a step away from Core Formation. However, for the sake of this grand competition to win resources and honor for her sect, she deliberately suppressed her cultivation, postponing her Core Formation attempt. Now, she is at the half-step Core Formation stage, her combat power having already surpassed the limits of the Foundation Establishment period, making her virtually invincible among her peers.

Zhang Bufan and his two companions stood on the arena, gazing at the three elegant and powerful female cultivators from Yaochi opposite them. Especially feeling the faint pressure of a Core Formation cultivator emanating from Bai Qingyao, their hearts grew heavy. This was the strongest opponent they had encountered in this competition: a half-step Core Formation cultivator paired with two Foundation Establishment cultivators at the peak of their cultivation – a lineup practically invincible. The three exchanged glances and quickly decided on a strategy: abandoning a fierce attack and focusing on a conservative, maneuvering approach to deplete their opponents' spiritual energy and find an opening.

"The match begins!" the Wanfa Sect deacon announced loudly. Before his words had even finished, two Foundation Establishment Perfection female cultivators from the Yaochi Immortal Sect made their first move. Two azure ribbons appeared out of thin air, carrying a chilling spiritual power, directly targeting Xie Ding and Yue Ling'er. The ribbons were incredibly flexible, capable of both binding and attacking, their moves exquisitely refined. Bai Qingyao, on the other hand, did not move. With a mere wave of her hand, dozens of tiny ice needles condensed, hovering in mid-air, locking onto Zhang Bufan. Although she did not immediately launch an attack, they created an extremely strong deterrent.

Xie Ding immediately activated his mid-grade Xuan-rank flying sword, transforming it into two streaks of cold light to meet the ribbon. The sword energy collided with the water spiritual power, producing muffled sounds. Yue Ling'er used the Immortal Sword Sect's movement technique, her figure flickering as she set up multiple defensive arrays. At the same time, she summoned a jade talisman, which transformed into spiritual light that enveloped herself and Xie Ding, resisting the potential threat of the ice needles. Zhang Bufan held a low-grade Xuan-rank Xuan Iron Sword, his spiritual power circulating around him. His eyes were fixed on Bai Qingyao, not daring to be careless in the slightest, ready to deal with her thunderous attack at any time.

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle. The Yaochi Immortal Sect's water-attribute techniques were exquisite, combining offense and defense. The ribbons and ice needles worked in perfect harmony, enveloping the entire arena in the pressure of water elemental power. The three members of the Immortal Sword Sect held their ground, with Xie Ding providing ranged support, Yue Ling'er covering the defense, and Zhang Bufan directing from the center. Occasionally, they would strike to break through any stray ice needles and ribbons. With their skillful teamwork and Zhang Bufan's ultimate combat strength, they managed to hold their own against the enemy.

Time ticked by, and the fierce battle lasted for over an hour. Spiritual energy surged on the arena, with water mist and sword energy intertwining, making it difficult to determine a clear winner. However, the Immortal Sword Sect's disadvantage gradually became apparent. Although Xie Ding and Yue Ling'er had already reached the peak of Foundation Establishment, they were ultimately no match for the profound foundation and exquisite techniques of the Yaochi female cultivator. Their spiritual energy was being consumed far faster than expected, their auras gradually became disordered, and their moves began to show flaws.

After another ten or so rounds, Xie Ding's flying sword was entangled by a ribbon. The backlash of his spiritual energy caused him to cough up blood, and he staggered backward, unable to continue fighting. Yue Ling'er was also struck by several ice needles, shattering her defensive shield and exhausting her spiritual energy. She staggered out of the battle circle. In the blink of an eye, only Zhang Bufan remained on the arena, facing Bai Qingyao and two female cultivators from Yaochi.

A commotion erupted below the arena. The hearts of the Immortal Sword Sect disciples leaped into their throats. Liu Yan'er clenched her fists, her face filled with worry; Yue Buwei, on the other hand, remained composed despite his solemn expression, knowing that Zhang Bufan still had trump cards up his sleeve. Bai Qingyao waved for her two junior sisters, who had exhausted their spiritual energy, to step back. Her cool gaze fell on Zhang Bufan, her tone tinged with surprise: "You're quite impressive. Late Foundation Establishment stage, yet you've managed to hold out for so long."

Zhang Bufan took a deep breath; there was no need to hold back at this moment. He raised his hand and stored the Xuan Tie sword in his storage ring. With a flick of his finger, the storage ring flashed, and a pure white flying sword, gleaming with a chilling light, quietly appeared—it was a top-grade Xuan-rank silver flying sword he had selected from Xuanqing Daoist's collection. This sword contained rich metallic spiritual power, was incomparably sharp, and far surpassed ordinary Xuan-rank magic weapons.

The moment Zhang Bufan grasped the Silver Essence Flying Sword, his spiritual power surged, flowing through his wide meridians and into the sword, causing it to emit clear ringing sounds. Even so, facing Bai Qingyao's half-step Core Formation battle strength, he could only barely parry. Bai Qingyao moved, her body enveloped in a surge of water mist that transformed into a gigantic ice sword, carrying a world-destroying force as it slashed directly at Zhang Bufan.

Zhang Bufan dared not take the blow head-on, and quickly dodged using his movement technique. At the same time, he activated his Silver Essence Flying Sword, unleashing several sharp sword energies that collided with the ice sword. "Clang!" The sound of metal clashing was deafening, and a shockwave of spiritual energy swept across the entire area. Zhang Bufan was shaken and forced to retreat repeatedly, his hands and feet going numb. Bai Qingyao, on the other hand, stood firmly in place, her expression unchanged.

For the next half hour, Zhang Bufan, relying on his extraordinary dantian capacity and boundless spiritual power, stubbornly held his own against Bai Qingyao. The silver spirit flying sword danced in his hands with impenetrable precision, barely managing to block Bai Qingyao's relentless attacks.

Bai Qingyao's astonishment deepened. She had been attacking with the strength of a half-step Core Formation cultivator for half an hour, consuming a huge amount of spiritual energy. Yet Zhang Bufan, who was clearly only at the late Foundation Establishment stage, seemed to have inexhaustible spiritual energy, never running out, and was able to block her attacks time and time again. "Just how big is your dantian?" Bai Qingyao couldn't help but ask, her tone full of disbelief.

Zhang Bufan didn't respond, but gritted his teeth and continued to channel his spiritual energy. He knew that Bai Qingyao's spiritual energy was also nearing its limit; whoever could hold out until the end would be the winner. After another ten or so rounds, the power of Bai Qingyao's ice sword gradually weakened, and the mist around her thinned out a bit, clearly indicating that she had exhausted her spiritual energy and could no longer maintain her half-step Core Formation state.

Zhang Bufan seized the opportunity, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He poured all his remaining spiritual energy into the Silver Essence Flying Sword, transforming it into a dazzling sword light that shot straight towards Bai Qingyao. Bai Qingyao tried to resist, but she was already powerless. She could only watch helplessly as the sword light approached. The flying sword stopped three inches in front of Bai Qingyao's brow. Bai Qingyao staggered back several steps, her spiritual energy completely exhausted. She helplessly lowered her arms, admitting defeat.

"Immortal Sword Sect wins!" The voice of the Wanfa Sect deacon echoed across the square.

A roar of cheers erupted from the disciples of the Immortal Sword Sect below the arena. Liu Yan'er, Xie Ding, and others wept with joy. Yue Buwei wore a gratified smile, his eyes filled with approval. Zhang Bufan sheathed his silver spirit flying sword, staggering slightly as his spiritual energy was nearly exhausted, yet he still straightened his back, looked at Bai Qingyao, and nodded slightly. Bai Qingyao looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her cool eyes, then turned and silently walked off the arena with her two junior sisters.