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

The cheers from the Foundation Establishment group's final battle had barely subsided when the Wanfa Immortal Sect's deacons had already rearranged the arena, set up the award table, and announced the official start of the prize distribution. According to the sect competition's tradition, the Foundation Establishment group, being the most prestigious category, had its prizes personally awarded by the organizer, Sect Master Ren Xiaoyao. At this moment, Ren Xiaoyao, dressed in a purple-gold dragon-patterned robe, slowly walked onto the arena. However, his usually dignified face lacked any trace of the host's arrogance; instead, it was so gloomy it seemed to drip water, and a subtle, oppressive aura surrounded him.

Zhang Bufan, Xie Ding, and Yue Ling'er stood side by side, calmly facing Ren Xiaoyao. The gazes of cultivators from various sects below were all focused on them, some with envy, some with curiosity, and others with a subtle air of anticipation—everyone could see Ren Xiaoyao's displeasure and vaguely guessed the reason. The disciples of the Immortal Sword Sect crowded around the edge of the arena; Liu Yan'er's eyes were full of anticipation, and Yue Buwei also wore a smile, quietly awaiting the glory and rewards his sect would reap.

Ren Xiaoyao stood before the table, his gaze sweeping over the three lustrous, round Core Formation pills, then glancing at the triumphant Zhang Bufan and his two companions beside him. His heart ached as if crushed by a heavy object. These three pills were originally intended for his three half-step Core Formation disciples by the Wanfa Immortal Sect. The sect had spent years traversing various secret realms of the Pangu World to gather three main ingredients: a thousand-year-old Purple River Flower, a Spirit-Condensing Grass, and a Marrow-Cleansing Lotus. These were combined with more than ten auxiliary ingredients that were over five hundred years old, and the sect had only managed to refine them over three months. Each of these three pills was incredibly precious.

The decision to use Core Formation Pills as the prize for the Foundation Establishment group champion was a well-thought-out decision by the Wanfa Sect's leadership: firstly, it would demonstrate Kunlun's generosity as the host and greatly enhance the sect's prestige in the cultivation world; secondly, it would motivate their disciples with a substantial reward; and thirdly, the change in the team competition rules would allow the three core disciples to sweep all the prizes, making it both reasonable and respectable. However, no one expected that Zhang Bufan, this "monster," would emerge out of nowhere, not only breaking the Wanfa Sect's monopoly but also thwarting all their carefully planned schemes, ultimately benefiting the Immortal Sword Sect.

Suppressing the overwhelming regret and heartache in his heart, Ren Xiaoyao picked up the first Core Formation Pill and handed it to Zhang Bufan, his tone icy cold and devoid of warmth: "Young friend Zhang, impressive skill." Zhang Bufan bowed slightly as he accepted it. The moment his fingertips touched the pill, he could feel the rich spiritual energy within. He smiled and nodded: "Thank you, Sect Master Ren. It's all thanks to luck and the sect's cultivation." This nonchalant attitude only added to Ren Xiaoyao's frustration.

Ren Xiaoyao then handed the other two Core Formation Pills to Xie Ding and Yue Ling'er, and finally picked up a jade slip engraved with an array—containing the complete formula for the Core Formation Pill—and solemnly handed it to Zhang Bufan. "This is the Core Formation Pill formula, belonging to the champion team." As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from below the stage. Disciples from various sects looked on with envy, and many elders secretly clicked their tongues in amazement. Such a generous reward, even in a first-rate sect, would be enough to make core disciples fight tooth and nail for it.

Only the high-ranking members and disciples of the Myriad Laws Sect had ashen faces, the atmosphere extremely oppressive. Ren Haoyu—the core disciple with the fire-attribute heavenly spiritual root—clenched his fists so tightly his nails almost dug into his flesh, his eyes filled with resentment and bitterness. He was originally the designated holder of this Core Formation Pill; if it hadn't been changed to a team competition, and if he hadn't encountered Zhang Bufan, he would have already secured the championship with his individual combat strength, and breaking through to the Core Formation stage would be just around the corner. The elders of the Myriad Laws Immortal Sect also frowned, their gazes towards Ren Haoyu filled with regret, but no one dared to say a word.

Standing on the arena, Ren Xiaoyao listened to the cheers and praises from below, feeling as if each sound was a knife stabbing into his heart. Before the competition results were announced, the patriarchs of various sects had flocked to him, praising the Wanfa Sect for its generous prizes and extraordinary generosity. At that time, he had been smug and pleased with himself, but now, those flattering words had become the sharpest mockery. He was filled with remorse: first, he regretted offering such a precious treasure as the Core Formation Pill as a prize just to save face; second, he regretted changing the competition rules at the last minute. If the individual competition had been used, Ren Haoyu would have easily won the Core Formation Pill, instead of ending up with nothing.

What worries Ren Xiaoyao even more is that the Myriad Laws Sect will likely face severe losses from hosting this secret realm sect gathering. It's important to understand that this once-a-decade secret realm sect gathering is fiercely contested by top-tier sects for two main reasons: firstly, to showcase their sect's strength, cultivate connections, and solidify their prestige; and secondly, to acquire massive amounts of cultivation resources. As is customary, all participants must pay an entrance fee: one low-grade spirit stone for the Qi Refining stage, one mid-grade spirit stone for the Foundation Establishment stage, one high-grade spirit stone for the Core Formation stage, and one top-grade spirit stone for the Nascent Soul stage. To save money, many third-rate sects send only the minimum number of participants—one Nascent Soul stage elder leading a team of three Foundation Establishment disciples and three Qi Refining disciples, demonstrating the immense pressure the entrance fee places on lower-level sects.

In addition, the organizers will charge a 10% commission on all sold items during the subsequent auction, which is also a huge source of revenue. In previous years, the organizers have been able to net a large amount of spirit stones and spiritual items from these two sources, after deducting costs such as venue construction and spiritual energy maintenance, greatly enriching the sect's treasury. However, this time, the Wanfa Sect offered Core Formation Pills of excessively high value in order to maintain appearances, and they ultimately fell into the hands of outsiders. Furthermore, in order to build a high-standard arena, thousands of cultivators have gathered here for the past month, causing a huge depletion of the spiritual energy of the Kunlun Secret Realm. These losses cannot be compensated by the entrance fees and commissions.

After receiving their prizes, Zhang Bufan and his companions bowed slightly to Ren Xiaoyao before turning and walking off the stage. Zhang Bufan handed the Core Formation Pill to Liu Yan'er, smiling as he said, "Senior Sister Liu, here's a pill for you. Hope you break through to the Core Formation stage quickly!" Liu Yan'er took the pill, her eyes slightly red, and looked up at Zhang Bufan, her eyes filled with gratitude. Zhang Bufan smiled and nodded, "Senior Sister, take it with peace of mind. With the formula, we can refine more in the future."

Yue Buwei stepped forward, looking at the prizes in the hands of the three, his face full of satisfaction: "Good! Good! With these three Core Formation Pills and the pill formula, our Immortal Sword Sect will soon have a few more Core Formation cultivators!" He turned his head to look at the arena and saw Ren Xiaoyao still standing on the stage with a gloomy expression. He sighed inwardly, thinking that the Myriad Laws Sect had failed in its attempt to steal a chicken and had lost its rice instead. They would probably feel the pain for a long time.

Ren Xiaoyao forced himself to finish the award ceremony before hurriedly leaving and returning to the main hall of the Wanfa Sect. Inside, the elders were already waiting. Upon his arrival, they offered words of comfort, but their voices betrayed their deep worry. "Sect Master, it's too late for regrets now. The most urgent task is to find a way to make up for this loss," a white-haired elder said solemnly. Ren Xiaoyao sat in the main seat, rubbing his throbbing temples, his eyes filled with exhaustion and gravity. The Wanfa Sect was now devoid of its former vigor, replaced by a somber atmosphere and a sense of calculation.

Meanwhile, at the Immortal Sword Sect's headquarters, jubilation reigned. Disciples cheered and jumped for joy around Zhang Bufan and his companions, the air thick with happiness and hope. No one could have imagined that this seemingly ordinary sect competition would not only elevate the Immortal Sword Sect to prominence but also plunge the host sect, the Myriad Laws Sect, into an unprecedented predicament. The power structure of the Pangu cultivation world was also quietly undergoing a transformation.