Mortal: Starting with the Falling Cloud Sect, I proved my Dao through gacha pulls.

At the foot of the main peak of Luoyun Sect, on a magnificent circular plaza.

The square was already surrounded by thousands of Luoyun Sect disciples dressed in various costumes. They whispered among themselves, and the atmosphere was extremely lively.

These are all ordinary disciples who had no chance to participate in the sword-testing tournament in person, but they came here today to watch the ceremony and cheer on their opponents.

In the center of the plaza, dozens of figures stood silently, waiting. At the forefront were the elders of each peak, their demeanor composed and steady. Behind them stood the elite disciples participating in the Sword Trial Tournament.

Su Mu stood among the group of figures behind him. He had already secretly surveyed his surroundings. Of the thirty people from the Luoyun Sect participating in the Sword Trial Tournament, only three were Qi Refining Realm cultivators, and the rest were Foundation Establishment Realm disciples.

Among these Foundation Establishment disciples, apart from Su Mu and Song Yu, the rest were all at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. As a result, the two of them naturally stood out in the crowd.

An elderly man with a sallow complexion looked at Su Mu with a hint of surprise and uncertainty from the moment Su Mu stepped into the square.

At this moment, he could no longer suppress his doubts. He frowned slightly and asked Duan Gu directly:

"Elder Duan, is this the young man you mentioned earlier, the one who will be the last one standing guard for your Fire Cloud Peak this time? I remember him clearly, this disciple has only recently joined the sect and is still very inexperienced."

At this point, the sallow-faced old man suddenly turned his gaze to Su Mu, his face still showing a hint of disbelief.

"But his cultivation has progressed so rapidly, it's truly unbelievable! Could there be some hidden reason behind this meteoric rise?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other Core Formation elders also turned to look, their curiosity piqued.

"Haha! My disciple's comprehension is far beyond that of ordinary people, and he also possesses his own fortuitous opportunities. His background is impeccable, and his foundation is flawlessly solid. The strange looks you all have are simply because you're jealous that I've taken on such a fine disciple!"

Duan Gu laughed loudly, stepped in front of Su Mu, and directly blocked everyone's probing gazes. The smugness on his face was almost overflowing.

"This time, my Falling Cloud Sect's Sword Trial Tournament might just depend on my little disciple to prove himself! You old ghosts, stop asking questions and just watch!"

Duan Gu casually waved his hand, silencing all the questions from the crowd. He then turned around, nodded slightly to Su Mu, his eyes full of affirmation and expectation.

Su Mu, on the contrary, felt calm and unperturbed. It would be strange if these elders had no doubts at all, given his rapid advancement in cultivation.

Fortunately, his master was there to support him. When he truly showed his talent at the Sword Trial Tournament, the sect would not only stop investigating the origins of his opportunity, but would also regard him as a once-in-a-millennium genius and protect him carefully.

About half an incense stick later, a streak of crimson light suddenly streaked across the distant horizon at an astonishing speed, landing in the center of the square in an instant.

Su Mu stared intently and realized that it was a huge, round flying magic artifact, but its appearance was quite strange, looking like an upside-down pot lid.

The magical artifact slowly landed, and a group of cultivators dressed in crimson robes walked out and stood before the Luo Yun Sect members. Judging from the patterns on their robes, they were from the Bai Qiao Yuan, one of the three sects of Yunmeng, renowned for its magical artifacts.

"Haha, thank you for waiting so long, Brother Duan. We are truly flattered by this grand occasion."

The one who spoke was the gaunt, withered old man among the two Core Formation cultivators leading the Hundred Crafts Academy. Standing beside him was a middle-aged cultivator, bald and carrying a strangely shaped black mechanical box.

"I never expected Brother Shi to lead the team himself this time. It's been quite a while since we last met!"

Duan Gu laughed loudly, then turned his gaze to another bald Core Formation cultivator from the Hundred Crafts Academy.

"Is this Fellow Daoist Fu from your sect?"

Duan Gu paused slightly, his gaze probing, already harboring a vague guess in his heart.

"Fellow Daoist Duan, I have long admired your name. I am Fu Tiancheng. I have heard of your unparalleled skill in both alchemy and weapon crafting, and your renowned reputation. To meet you today is truly a worthwhile trip!"

The bald cultivator chuckled, his expression seemingly enthusiastic, but his eyes held a shrewd and deep glint, flashing with an almost imperceptible calculation.

"Fellow Daoist Fu, you flatter me. I have long admired your name. Today is a good day for me to introduce you to the elders of my sect." Duan Gu waved his hand gently, his tone humble and measured.

While everyone exchanged pleasantries, Su Mu mingled in the crowd, subtly glancing at Fu Tiancheng while secretly plotting something.

Unexpectedly, they bumped into one of the members of the "Turn to Ashes" group here. Fu Tiancheng and the Fu family of Yuanwu Kingdom are of the same lineage, and the Fu family is also involved in an old karmic connection with Han Li.

Fu Tianhua, Fu Tiancheng, and Fu Tianhui, the three members of the "Turn to Ashes" group, will later encounter Han Li, triggering a full-reduction elimination game for the entire clan.

It's unclear when he colluded with the Mulan people and became a spy planted on the grasslands. These three factions of Yunmeng are truly as flawed as a sieve.

Before Su Mu could finish his thoughts, a magnificent sword light suddenly rushed towards him from afar!

The sword light settled, transforming into a colossal flying sword artifact that seemed to reach the heavens, upon which stood a group of ancient sword sect cultivators.

Almost every disciple of the Ancient Sword Sect carried a sword, and they all descended from the sky on their swords, causing the disciples of the Falling Cloud Sect in the square to gasp in amazement.

"I didn't expect to be the last one to arrive. I apologize for keeping you all waiting."

Among the cultivators of the Ancient Sword Sect, a short old man in his fifties or sixties was the first to land. He bowed to the crowd and let out a hearty laugh.

Landing alongside him was a blue-robed cultivator carrying a heavy sword. This man possessed a unique aura, combining the unrestrained spirit of a chivalrous knight-errant with the refined and otherworldly elegance of a cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, you flatter me. This grand gathering is a perfect opportunity for us to catch up. Moreover, I never expected Fellow Daoist Bai to be here in person. A hundred years ago, you were the champion of the previous Sword Trial Tournament, and now you have already advanced to the mid-stage of Core Formation. It truly makes us feel ashamed."

The old man surnamed Shi from Baiqiaoyuan stepped forward, his tone filled with reminiscence and emotion.

"Alright, fellow Daoists, please take your seats first. We can catch up later after the competition begins."

Duan Gu stepped forward, interrupting the pleasantries of the crowd, and gestured for the two sect elders to enter the high platform pavilion floating above the square, while the remaining disciples remained waiting on the square.

As soon as the elders of each sect took their seats, a huge arena suddenly rose up in the center of the square.

Duan Gu's figure flickered, transforming into a streak of light as he landed on the stage. He spoke loudly, announcing the rules of the Sword Testing Tournament.

The competition was divided into three groups. Each faction selected ten disciples, who were then combined with twenty disciples from the other two factions to form a group.

Within each group, players compete against each other in pairs, with only the top four out of thirty advancing. The final twelve winners from the three groups then draw lots to compete in rounds, with the top ten and the champion determined by the number of wins.

After the rules were announced, the three groups of cultivators stepped forward to draw lots to determine their order of appearance.

After the draw was completed, a pseudo-Core Formation Realm manager from the Luoyun Sect immediately stood to one side of the arena, his face solemn, and loudly announced the list of the first round of duels.

"The first group: Su Mu of Luoyun Sect versus Song Zhong of Baiqiao Academy!"