An hour later, the battle for the top five began.
At this point, only eight contestants remained on the battlefield. Two more had competed for the remaining top ten spots after the last round's eliminations and had secured their ranks after a confirmation match.
Now, the eight who remained would be competing for their final rankings within the top eight.
"Chen Jinshu of Medicine King Peak vs. Feng Lingchuan of Longxiang Peak!" The referee had now been replaced by a Golden Core elder.
This was because the strength of the top eight contestants was anything but ordinary—if any disciple accidentally went too far, it would be a loss for Xuanming Sect.
Chen Jinshu walked up to the arena with a calm expression.
Having already secured a place in the top ten and a spot in the Moon-Washing Pool, her goal was achieved. This match was now just an opportunity to hone her combat skills, and the pressure had lessened significantly.
"Senior Brother Feng, go easy on me!"
"Of course," Feng Lingchuan responded with a faint smile. He lifted the sword strapped to his back and casually brought it to his front.
Chen Jinshu didn't immediately draw her signature Lüqi Zither but instead chose her Azure Frost Sword—she wanted to use this match to refine her swordsmanship with Feng Lingchuan. Though the sword wasn't her main focus, relying solely on the zither could be disadvantageous in a critical moment. The few casual sword moves she executed with the Azure Frost Sword surprised Feng Lingchuan.
"Junior Sister, aren't you a zither cultivator?"
"Zither cultivators can't use swords?"
"If you're ready, let's begin!" As soon as the referee spoke, Chen Jinshu used Rainbow Step and vanished from her spot. She turned into a streak of light that surged toward Feng Lingchuan, the arc of her movement forming a crescent moon midair. The flash of her sword didn't form sword aura—but instead, a blossoming red plum bud.
"Watch my sword, Senior Brother!"
The voice came a beat after the sword. The blooming red plum transformed into scattered petals, which burst into sword energy flying forward.
When Chen Jinshu had first used the Three Forms of Falling Plum Blossoms in battle, she found that though it was a relatively simple technique, the sword energy it produced was anything but weak. It reached the level of complexity through simplicity, each movement like the distillation of countless sword styles.
Clang! Clang!
Feng Lingchuan remained expressionless, his dark robe swirling as he easily blocked her attack, creating a cascade of emerald sparks in midair.
His sword technique summoned pine needles in the air, carrying the unique aura of Wind-Pine Sword Qi.
He easily parried her strikes.
As someone who specialized in swordsmanship, Feng Lingchuan could see the flaws in her sword moves almost immediately. But he said nothing—he knew Chen Jinshu was using him to train, so he went along with it to help her refine her skills. However, after a few casual parries, he saw the crescent moon above transform into a plum blossom's core, and thousands of petals fell like a rain of blades.
Chen Jinshu's footwork reached its peak as she unleashed the third form of her sword art: Withered Plum Reflecting the Moon. This move created visual disarray, the sword's afterimages like shattered red petals.
Feng Lingchuan raised his brows and smiled slightly, now showing a hint of seriousness as he turned his sword into a defensive shield.
"Well done!"
Clang! Clang!
His white sword swung, the brilliance of his strikes rising like a Milky Way pouring down.
"Be careful, Junior Sister!"
Thousands of pine needles formed an Eight-Trigram Sword Formation and descended with force, instantly shattering the red plum sword shadows.
Seeing this, Chen Jinshu spun midair and dropped her Azure Frost Sword. The Lüqi Zither appeared in her hands. She landed softly, toes touching down as her hair ribbon fluttered in the wind. The moment she turned, her fingers plucked the zither strings—releasing a melodic yet killing-intent-laden sound.
Ding ding… clang clang…
Charge!
Trumpet blasts and soldiers' war cries burst forth from the music.
The sound transformed into a spectral army charging at Feng Lingchuan. Echoing horns and fluttering flags filled the air, the grand momentum stirring the hearts of all watching cultivators.
Feng Lingchuan's heart quaked as a wave of fear surged up, an emotion that shouldn't have existed. Realizing the danger, he quickly activated his divine sea's spiritual technique and sealed off his hearing.
With the zither music silenced, he soared into the air, slashing down a radiant curtain of sword shadows—stars falling from the heavens toward Chen Jinshu. She wasn't surprised. Not all peak Qi Refining cultivators had weaker spiritual awareness than her.
This time, Feng Lingchuan had prepared and escaped the illusion summoned by her music.
Boom!
His surging sword energy shattered her phantom army.
"I concede," Chen Jinshu said calmly, holding her Lüqi Zither as the wind blew her black robes and hair.
"Thank you for the match, Junior Sister." Feng Lingchuan sheathed his sword with a smile and cupped his hands respectfully.
"Victory goes to Feng Lingchuan of Longxiang Peak!"
…
In the center elder seats, several elders looked reluctant to let the match end—they had been deeply impressed by the dazzling duel.
"Feng Lingchuan truly lives up to his title as Outer Sect Senior Brother," said Long Xuzi, Feng Lingchuan's master, with pride on his face.
"Elder Meng's disciple is also quite exceptional! That invigorating war melody would be devastating on the battlefield."
"My disciple's piece is indeed impressive, though she's only just begun to learn it," sighed Shui Huanmeng. She was more disappointed than pleased.
If Chen Jinshu had mastered the Melody of a Hundred Armies, she might have shaken Feng Lingchuan's spirit completely. But she had only recently started practicing it. Still, her performance today already made Shui Huanmeng quite proud.
Another hour passed.
By now, it was a quarter past the You hour (5:15 PM), and the sky was still bright.
The sun in the west had sunk halfway below the mountain, with another half-hour before sunset. The Xuanming Sect's Outer Sect Grand Competition finally concluded, and the final top ten rankings were determined.
Feng Lingchuan took first place, while Chen Jinshu, performing just as well, became the second disciple from Medicine King Peak to enter the top five, ranked fifth.
Another finalist in the top five was Du Yi, Outer Sect Senior Brother from Medicine King Peak, who had also shown considerable strength throughout the competition.
In the center of the viewing area, the Sect Master rose into the air and descended onto the center of the arena.
"The Outer Sect Grand Competition has concluded! After discussions among the elders of each peak, due to your excellent performances, all disciples who made the top fifty will receive rewards! Those ranked 11th and below should go to their respective affairs halls to collect them."
"Now, we will distribute rewards to the top ten of the competition!"
"First place, Feng Lingchuan: Three Foundation Establishment Pills, four Tier-2 spiritual weapons, and one Tier-1 spirit treasure from the first floor of the Treasure Pavilion!"
As soon as Feng Lingchuan's reward was announced, the disciples below erupted in awe. This was even more generous than the previous tournament.
Last time, the first place only received three Tier-2 spiritual weapons—and no spirit treasure at all.
"Silence! Next—second place!"
…
"Fifth place, Chen Jinshu: Two Foundation Establishment Pills, two Tier-2 spiritual weapons, two Tier-1 spiritual weapons, and one Tier-1 spirit treasure from the first floor of the Treasure Pavilion!"
Hearing this, Chen Jinshu's eyes sparkled as she eagerly accepted the storage bag handed to her by the Sect Master.