Cultivation Is Money-Grabbing C29

Chapter 29: The Declaration of War – Haven’t You Seen a Beast Before?

The next day, the entire Hanlai Peak was abuzz with news that two new disciples had publicly provoked Senior Sister Luo and Senior Brother Zuo at the dueling arena.

No one on Hanlai Peak was unfamiliar with Senior Sister Luo and Senior Brother Zuo. Luo Qianxue was the disciple of the peak master, and Zuo Jue’s master was equally formidable.

They were both the default second-seats for the next sect tournament. At most, they would compete internally, but no outsider had any place challenging them.

Luo Qianxue was proud and couldn’t tolerate being disrespected by someone weaker than her. Zuo Jue, though more reserved, wasn’t one to be trifled with either.

Yet they had been mocked as “inferior” by a mere new disciple. No sword cultivator could swallow that insult.

Everyone on Hanlai Peak was curious about who this new disciple was. So, whenever they had free time, they all gathered around the new disciples’ class to get a look at this person.

At the dueling grounds behind Yinian Hall, Xin Wanbai led a group of disciples through sword techniques from a manual.

Outside the dueling ground, disciples clutching their sword manuals stood stiffly, their expressions serious. It wasn’t that they were focusing intently—it was that the dozens of eyes staring at them from the surrounding crowd made their scalps tingle.

“…”

Hiding in the corners, a group of senior brothers and sisters locked their gazes onto the new disciples, either looking furious or enjoying the spectacle. None of them seemed friendly.

Xin Wanbai, being a Elder, was used to these situations.

After all, this was Hanlai Peak, a place filled with sword cultivators. Conflicts were inevitable, and for them, a fight was the solution to everything. If one fight didn’t settle it, then they’d just fight a few more times.

Scanning the tense new disciples, Xin Wanbai asked playfully, “Who brought all this trouble upon us?”

The disciples collectively fell silent and quietly stepped back, revealing Lian Mu and Guan Shize. “…”

The two of them stood motionless, making them stand out even more.

Xin Wanbai: “…”

Why was she not surprised in the slightest?

Lian Mu spoke first. “Senior, this is a misunderstanding. We didn’t provoke anyone. We were just talking about something else that day.”

She deliberately raised her voice so the senior brothers and sisters outside could hear.

Damn bad luck. Lian Mu never expected that an offhand comment could snowball into such a massive misunderstanding.

Xin Wanbai said, “Your explanation won’t help now. Your Senior Sister Luo has already posted a declaration of war at the mountain gate.”

When she came back today, she’d been curious to see who had made Luo Qianxue personally issue a war challenge. She hadn’t expected that, upon asking around, it would turn out to be Lian Mu.

This disciple… never took anything seriously, but when it came to causing trouble, she sure had a knack for picking the right people.

A declaration of war had been issued—there was no taking it back now.

Xin Wanbai patted her shoulder. “Your Senior Sister was considerate. To avoid interfering with your entrance re-evaluation, she scheduled your duel right after it. Do your best and don’t disappoint her kindness.”

Lian Mu: “…Senior Sister is quite thoughtful.”

The other disciples couldn’t hold back their laughter. Everyone knew that Luo Qianxue did this to give her opponent more time to prepare. Defeating a fully prepared opponent would only make her victory more impressive.

Xin Wanbai teased, “Don’t laugh at her. She’s sharper than any of you. While you’re still preparing for the entrance re-evaluation, she’s already secured a spot as a top-tier sword cultivator in the sect tournament.”

The surrounding senior brothers and sisters: “?!”

Lian Mu: “…Respected elder, you’re overthinking this.”

If she said any more, the gazes from the senior brothers and sisters would probably pierce her like arrows.

Xin Wanbai: “Alright, that’s enough joking. The entrance re-evaluation is in two days. I expect all of you to give it your best and aim for the top rankings. Even if you can’t secure a spot in the top ten apprenticeship seats, at the very least, you should fight for the chance to stay.”

“Respected Elder, how will the entrance re-evaluation be conducted?” a disciple asked.

Xin Wanbai explained, “It will be divided into three rounds. There are exactly three hundred sword cultivator newcomers. In the first round, all of you will draw lots for duels, and one hundred and fifty will remain. In the second round, the remaining contestants will draw lots again, with seventy-five winners advancing. The final round will be a solo battle against magical beasts in an illusionary realm.”

“In the third round, the top ten who kill the magical beast first will enter the top ten apprenticeship seats and receive one-on-one instruction from a Elder. The remaining disciples will be ranked accordingly and assigned to teams led by several seniors.”

The top ten apprenticeship seats!

The disciples’ hearts stirred—who wouldn’t want special treatment, especially the chance to receive personal guidance from a Elder?

Lian Mu raised her hand and asked, “What are the benefits of getting into the top ten apprenticeship seats?”

Xin Wanbai: “?”

“What kind of benefits are you expecting?”

Lian Mu: “Other than having a senior mentor, are there any tangible rewards, like spirit stones or spiritual artifacts?”

Xin Wanbai: “…No, the one-on-one guidance of a senior is the best reward.”

Guan Shize: “…”

As expected of Lian Mu—her concerns were always different from everyone else’s.

“I’ll leave this class to you. The entrance re-evaluation is coming up, and there’s not much more I can teach you. In the end, it’s up to you.”

After saying that, Xin Wanbai was afraid Lian Mu would ask something even weirder, so she turned and left immediately.

The disciples dispersed, each finding a sparring partner to prepare for the entrance re-evaluation.

Guan Shize held his sword technique scroll, eyes full of anticipation. “The third round is actually a battle against magical beasts! I heard we’ll be fighting eighth-rank magical beasts—I’ve never even seen one before!”

Lian Mu paused. “You’ve never seen a magical beast?”

Guan Shize: “Of course not. We’ve only just entered the sect—barely anyone has encountered a magical beast. I heard that among the previous teams, only one or two people had ever seen one, and none had actually fought one.”

“…”

“What’s wrong?” Seeing her silence, Guan Shize thought she was worried and reassured her, “Don’t worry. Eighth-rank magical beasts are strong, but in the illusionary realm, we’ll have protective spirit jade tokens. Nothing will go wrong.”

Lian Mu remained silent for a moment. She didn’t want to reveal that she sneaked out every night, so she just went along with his words. “An eighth-rank magical beast… Sounds powerful.”

Guan Shize sympathized. “I probably don’t stand a chance at the top ten apprenticeship seats. I have no experience—if I run into a magical beast, I might panic.”

As he spoke, he snuck a glance at Lian Mu.

To be honest, in his mind, Lian Mu had already secured one of the top ten seats.

She clearly hadn’t fought magical beasts either, yet for some reason, he felt that she was different from everyone else. After all, she was always given “special attention” by Senior Murong. She should be much calmer in difficult situations.

“Which Elder do you plan to apprentice under?” Guan Shize lowered his voice and asked.

Lian Mu looked confused. “When did I ever say I wanted to take a master?”

Guan Shize: “?”

“You’ll definitely make it into the top ten,” Guan Shize said with certainty.

Lian Mu waved him off. “I don’t want to take a master. Joining a team is fine.”

“One-on-one guidance from a Elder” already sounded like a hassle. It would probably mean restrictions on her freedom. How was she supposed to sneak out and make money then?

Xin Wanbai had just said there were no extra rewards. If she took a master, she’d get nothing in return but would have to sacrifice time and energy. She might as well just attend team lessons.

Lian Mu actually liked her current life. She had full independence to do her own thing. If she took a master, she’d definitely be watched closely.

Guan Shize was momentarily stunned. “But… it’s direct instruction from a Elder.”

“So what?” Lian Mu patted his shoulder. “For us sword cultivators, getting stronger is easy—just fight more and take more hits. Strength will come naturally.”

She didn’t even bother to look at the sword technique scroll in her hand—she planned to use it as a pillow.

Seeing his dazed expression, Lian Mu asked, “Do you really want to get into the top ten apprenticeship seats?”

Guan Shize wasn’t sure why she suddenly asked that, but he answered honestly, “Yes.”

“Draw your sword.” Lian Mu casually picked one from the rack. “Let’s spar a few rounds.”

Guan Shize was caught off guard. “What?”

Lian Mu: “Didn’t you say before that you wanted to spar with me? I’m free now.”

Guan Shize finally processed her words and immediately responded, “Alright!”

The two of them chose an open training ground and stood on opposite sides.

Guan Shize raised his sword and gestured. “Fellow cultivator, please teach me.”

Lian Mu didn’t waste words. The moment he finished speaking, she moved—rushing straight at him.

The match started instantly. Lian Mu took the offensive, completely dominating the battle. Within a few moves, Guan Shize was forced onto the defensive.

As he struggled to fend off her attacks, he was shocked—how had Lian Mu improved so much?

When she sparred with Senior Murong before, he could tell she was under pressure. He had thought that if he fought her, their skill levels wouldn’t be too different.

But in just ten days, she was a completely different person.

“…”

Guan Shize was struggling, while Lian Mu seemed utterly at ease, barely even trying.

Compared to the other new disciples, Guan Shize was considered talented, but in front of Lian Mu, he was nothing.

Maybe it was because she had sparred with Murong Yi too often. Or maybe it was because she took on magical beast bounty missions at Zhaixing Tower every night. The opponents she faced were far stronger than Guan Shize, so naturally, she overwhelmed him in every aspect.

With one final strike, Lian Mu ended the match—Guan Shize was completely defeated.

She didn’t even sheath her sword, just pulled him up. “Next round, you attack first.”

They reset their stances and resumed sparring.

Many senior disciples had lingered nearby and were now watching them.

“Strange, this new disciple seems pretty good.”

“I just asked a junior sister—her name is Lian Mu. Apparently, when she first arrived, she even talked back to Elder Xin.”

A senior brother was surprised. “That bold?”

“I also heard she skips classes a lot and always gets caught by Elder Murong.” A senior sister added, “Even Elder Murong can’t do anything about her—she’s too shameless.”

“No wonder she dared to challenge Senior Luo. Anyone else wouldn’t have the guts. But her moves are too unpolished. She can handle that junior brother, but against Senior Luo, she’d be completely crushed.”

“She’s using a practice sword—does she not have her own?”

“No idea. Someone from her team said she always borrows swords from the training hall and never reveals her own.”

“That’s unlikely. She seems skilled and talks big—her background is probably decent. Maybe she’s just hiding her true weapon.”

“Tsk, I’m definitely watching the entrance re-evaluation. I want to see how strong this Lian Mu really is!”

Others were equally curious, secretly looking forward to the match after the entrance re-evaluation—when Senior Luo would fight Lian Mu.

Of course, they all knew a newcomer had no chance against Senior Luo.

They just wanted to watch the fight. Maybe they’d even learn something from it.