If I stay in the Hehuan Sect, I'll live off the pampered daughters of the Heavenly Pride Sect.

The cheers on the sword-fighting platform came in waves, and even the outer disciples who usually only dared to watch from afar on the outskirts of the main peak began to shout until their voices were hoarse.

"If Lu Qingheng can win, why can't I?"

"In the past, when the Holy Son and Holy Daughter were on top of him, who would dare to think of such things?"

"Things are different now. The positions are vacant, and the elders are all watching."

"As long as I'm remembered by a certain peak master today, I won't have to compete for those spirit stone shard missions anymore."

"I heard that core members of the inner sect can receive high-grade pills every month."

"Don't just think about pills; becoming an apprentice of an elder is the real way to change your fate."

Holding the dossier, Mo Chengyue felt a chill run down his spine as he listened.

Xie Buci leaned back in his chair, turning his folding fan halfway around in his palm.

"Third brother, your expression doesn't look like you're watching a competition, it looks like you're looking at an accountant's deficit."

Mo Chengyue said, "A deficit in the accounting department can be audited, but this kind of deficit requires someone to cover it up."

Lin Wanqing leaned closer, her eyes still gleaming with the light of Lu Qingheng's victory.

"Senior Brother Mo, don't make it sound so scary. Isn't it a good thing that everyone has a chance to rise up?"

Mo Chengyue glanced at her.

"Opportunities are certainly a good thing, but the question is who is giving them these opportunities, and why are they only being given them now?"

Qin Wanzhuang sat upright, her black robe sleeves neatly pressed down, and her eyes held a scrutinizing gaze.

"explain."

Mo Chengyue said, "Second Senior Sister, you've been increasingly fond of making me make mistakes lately."

Qin Wanzhuang said, "Enough with the nonsense."

Xie Buci laughed and said, "Third brother, since junior sister has spoken, no one will believe you if you pretend to be an ordinary person now."

Wenren Ji held his sword and looked at the battle platform.

I want to hear it.

Mo Chengyue sighed.

"These rising stars in the stands are indeed playing beautifully, but behind their beauty lies the fact that each peak is short of players."

Su Qingying turned her face to the side, her black hair held down by a jade hairpin, her plain white dress reflecting the cool silhouette of the stage lights.

"After the ruins, there are core faults in each peak."

Mo Chengyue said, "That's right. The original order of succession has been broken. The elders' direct disciples are gone, the facade of the peak has collapsed, but the resource pool has not grown."

Yu Jianhuan rested her chin on her fingertips, her rose-purple skirt spread out beneath her seat, and her beauty mark shone brightly in the sunlight.

"So now when they look at disciples, they're not looking at the people themselves, they're picking out materials that can patch up the holes."

Jin Qiaoqiao's phoenix eyes were half-closed, and her black hair shimmered with iridescent light. Her tone carried the coldness honed in the royal court of the demon race.

"The same applies to the demon race. The more heirs die, the more likely the remaining young beasts are to be pushed forward by their elders to bite people."

Lin Wanqing pursed her lips as she listened.

"But they won, they deserve to be nurtured."

Mo Chengyue said, "There are many kinds of cultivation."

Lin Wanqing asked, "For example?"

Mo Chengyue said, "One way is to give you a path and let you walk it slowly."

Mo Chengyue said, "Another option is to push you to the front and make you take the fall for everyone else."

Xie Buci stopped joking and glanced with his peach blossom eyes towards the high platform.

"Third Brother's words are unpleasant to hear, but they are in accordance with the rules of the Demonic Sect."

Qin Wanzhuang said, "The strong shall rise, and the weak shall yield."

Mo Chengyue said, "There's one more thing: the wounded are healed, the dead are replaced."

Wenren Ji whispered, "This is bad."

Mo Chengyue looked at him.

"What's wrong, junior brother?"

Wenren Ji said, "The knife isn't even finished yet, and you're already trying to cut through tough bones."

Su Qingying frowned slightly as she looked at the two disciples who had just appeared on the stage.

"Several people are having unstable breathing, not because they have poor foundations, but because they were recently forcibly pushed across the border."

Yu Jianhuan's smile faded.

"No wonder so many people are playing so aggressively today, as if losing a game would mean being kicked back into the mud."

Jin Qiaoqiao said, "They're not afraid of losing, they're afraid of never having a second chance to be seen."

Lin Wanqing hugged the booklet tightly.

"But didn't the sect already say that even the loser would receive a reward?"

Xie Buci said, "Junior Sister Lin, rewards can appease people and also silence their mouths."

Lin Wanqing was taken aback.

Mo Chengyue flipped to the back of the file, his fingertips lingering on a few lines of origin.

"Look at this, Jiang Yuan of Bai Sang Peak. Before entering the inner sect, he worked as a servant in the herb garden for ten years and cultivated wood-type magic. The file says that he was only summoned by the peak master half a month ago."

Lin Wanqing asked, "He won again today?"

Mo Chengyue said, "Two matches."

Lin Wanqing said, "That's great."

Mo Chengyue said, "If I were the peak master of Bai Sang Peak, I would let him continue to win until everyone knows that Bai Sang Peak has a worthy successor."

Qin Wanzhuang asked, "What if he can't hold on?"

Mo Chengyue said, "Then say it's an honorable defeat."

Xie Buci lightly tapped his palm with the rib of his fan.

"These four words are very useful; they sound respectable, but in reality, no one has to take responsibility."

The jade tablet on the stage lit up again, and a disciple in green robes leaped onto the battle platform.

Someone shouted loudly.

"Jiang Yuan of Bai Sang Peak!"

"He's on it again!"

"His rattan armor technique was very solid in the first two matches. If he wins this match as well, he'll have a good chance of being nominated."

"The one opposite us is a fast-moving cultivator from Tianlan Peak; his agility is ferocious."

"Go for it, Senior Brother Jiang!"

Lin Wanqing looked at Mo Chengyue, her eyes filled with worry.

"Senior Brother Mo, that's him."

Mo Chengyue said, "Yes, Bai Sangfeng needs to make him famous."

Yu Jianhuan asked, "Do you think he will win?"

Mo Chengyue said, "It's hard to say."

Su Qingying said, "His aura has become unstable."

Wenren Ji said, "Be slow."

Jin Qiaoqiao said, "Eyes that are too bright make one's mind confused."

Xie Buci smiled.

"If Jiang Yuanruo heard what you all said, he would probably want to go home and grow medicinal herbs on the spot."

On the battle platform, Jiang Yuan bowed to his opponent, the cuffs of his blue robe still bearing the marks of years of labor in the medicinal fields.

The Tianlan Peak disciple opposite him held a silver spear, the butt of which touched the ground, and his whole being exuded a sharp and aggressive aura.

The disciple from Tianlan Peak said, "Junior Brother Jiang, I heard you've won two matches in a row, so I won't hold back too much."

Jiang Yuandao said, "Please enlighten me, Senior Brother."

The disciple from Tianlan Peak said, "If you can't hold on, you should admit defeat sooner rather than later."

Jiang Yuandao said, "I can't lose."

The disciples of Tianlan Peak frowned.

"On the dueling platform, no one is immune to defeat."

Jiang Yuan did not answer again. He formed a hand seal, and blue vine shadows emerged from the edge of the array patterns on the ground, weaving into layers of wooden shields in front of him.

Lin Wanqing said, "He's very cautious."

Mo Chengyue said, "Thickness does not equate to stability."

Qin Wanzhuang said, "It's too heavy."

Su Qingying said, "The spiritual energy is suppressed on the outer layer, and the connection inside is insufficient."

Wenren Ji said, "The gun can penetrate it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the silver spear flashed with a cold light and pierced through the side of the wooden shield.

Jiang Yuan immediately urged the vines to wrap around the spear shaft, but the Tianlan Peak disciple twisted his wrist, the spear tip pried open the vine knot, and with his foot half a foot away, the spear shadows repeatedly struck the point where the wooden shield met.

"So fast!"

"Senior Brother Jiang, block the way!"

"Isn't Bai Sang Peak's protective technique the most durable?"

"This gunsmith is too good at finding openings."

Jiang Yuan was forced to retreat three steps. Protective patterns lit up on the array beneath his feet. Sweat beaded on his forehead, but his expression grew increasingly tense.

On the high platform, the peak master of Bai Sang Peak sat on the edge of the cloud seat, still wearing a gentle smile on his face.

Lin Wanqing whispered, "His peak master doesn't seem worried."

Mo Chengyue said, "He's not worried about Jiang Yuan getting hurt."

Lin Wanqing asked, "Then what are you worried about?"

Mo Chengyue said, "I'm worried that Jiang Yuan's defeat won't be respectable enough."

Xie Buci clicked his tongue lightly.

"That's a harsh statement, but it makes sense."