Chapter 127: Ambush

Li Sibai was immensely excited to hear about the Inner Sect Grand Tournament. Such an opportunity was rare, and he quickly asked Kang Wei when it would begin.

Seeing his enthusiasm, Kang Wei felt a pang of regret. He had intended to offer some cautionary advice, but it seemed as though his words had only fueled the fire. If these two were to clash in the tournament, there was no telling what kind of chaos might ensue. However, he could hardly withhold the information; this was a major event known to almost everyone in the Inner Sect. If he didn't tell him, Li Sibai could simply ask someone else. It was better to be forthcoming and earn a favor in return.

With this in mind, Kang Wei replied, "The Inner Sect Grand Tournament is scheduled to take place in three months."

Li Sibai nodded, his heart filled with joy, though his face remained as calm as a tranquil well. Three months was enough time to prepare, and he might even be able to push for the third level of the Qinxin Realm. Ever since he began practicing the Hunyuan Technique in the bamboo forest and learned the Yuan Arts from his master, he had gained a deep understanding of how to manipulate and channel his vital energy. Thanks to this energy, his cultivation progress had been remarkably efficient. While it might take others a year or more to advance from the second to the third level of the Qinxin Realm, Li Sibai was confident he could attempt a breakthrough within three months.

If he could reach the third level, his combat prowess would be comparable to someone at the fifth level. With that strength, he believed he would have a genuine chance in the tournament. Facing Guo Jian or securing a spot in the top twenty to train at Chonghai Island—these had become his primary goals for the near future.

After settling these thoughts, Li Sibai thanked Kang Wei and bid farewell to the others. Seeing him leave, Xiahou Lu also took his leave. The others, burdened by duties they still had to attend to, could only watch them go with envy. Li Sibai and Xiahou Lu walked toward the Diyun Pavilion, with the chubby Tai Cheng following behind. They chatted about interesting anecdotes regarding cultivation outside the sect, and Li Sibai listened with rapt attention.

They soon arrived at the Diyun Pavilion. The grounds were vast; the buildings at the front were detached villas reserved for elders and those of high status, while the living quarters for Inner Sect disciples like Li Sibai were located further back, arranged in a courtyard-style complex where everyone shared rooms. As an exchange student from the Qingyu Academy, Xiahou Lu was also assigned to one of the detached villas. He invited Li Sibai to come up for a visit, but Li Sibai declined, feeling it was too late, and chose to head to his own quarters instead. Although he did not walk this path often, he knew the general direction from the front villas to the disciples' courtyard.

The night was deep and quiet. The path was deserted, and cold gusts of wind swept across the dark ground; a timid person might not have dared to walk there at all.

Caiyao poked her head out from Li Sibai's robes. "Brother, where is this? Why is it so dark?"

Li Sibai explained their current location. Caiyao nodded and said, "I think I’ve been here before. There’s a forest ahead; I came here to look for food once."

At that very moment, from the depths of the woods, several pairs of eyes were fixed intently upon him. The person watching him was none other than Zhang Qiang, who had made a fool of himself at the Friendly Sparring match a few days prior.

Zhang Qiang had been miserable lately. Because of the match between Li Sibai and Zhao Kang, both he and Zhao Kang had become the laughingstock of the Inner Sect. Many disciples who had lost money betting on the outcome blamed Zhang Qiang for instigating the match, and their collective resentment was now directed at him. Meanwhile, he was also facing intense pressure from Guo Jian. Upon hearing what had happened, Guo Jian had been furious, deeply dissatisfied with how the situation had been handled. The original plan had been to intimidate Li Sibai, but instead, their own man had been defeated, bringing shame upon the entire Inner Sect. Although the public didn't yet know Guo Jian was the mastermind, he felt he couldn't let Li Sibai remain so smug. He ordered Zhang Qiang to find a way to humble Li Sibai as soon as possible to restore their reputation.

Caught between the hostility of the others and the wrath of his superior, Zhang Qiang was filled with a bitterness that disrupted his cultivation. He felt he had to follow Guo Jian's orders and vent his frustration, or he would never be able to hold his head up in the Inner Sect again. Thus, he devised a plan, having his men track Li Sibai's movements for the past few days.

"Stop babbling and get ready! Today, I’ll avenge Brother Zhao Kang!" Zhang Qiang scanned the area, and upon confirming there were no unwanted eyes, he nodded in satisfaction. He waved his hand, and two disciples behind him carried over a massive iron cage. Inside the cage lay a large hound with purple fur, across which flickers of lightning were faintly visible.

"Brother Zhang, this is a top-quality Lightning Hound, caught just a few days ago. It took seven or eight men to subdue it," a bearded man said with a grin.

Zhang Qiang glanced at it and asked in a low voice, "Is it obedient? Don't let it attack us when we let it out."

The man replied, "It's obedient. I've been feeding it for days, and we've reached a sort of understanding. It does whatever I tell it to."

Zhang Qiang nodded in satisfaction and gestured to the group. "Excellent. Once you kill this Li Sibai, I'll give each of you ten spirit stones. However, if anyone lets a single word of this leak out, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Although Li Sibai had sensed he was being followed, he hadn't thought much of it. He believed he was safe within the Inner Sect and that no one would dare resort to such underhanded tactics to ambush him—even the duel with Zhao Kang had been an open, honorable challenge.

Kang Wei, seeing that Li Sibai now understood the basics, continued, "Chonghai Island is the site of another cultivation sect, though it is quite secluded and few know of it. Our Xuantian Sword Sect shares some history with them, which is why we are granted twenty spots each year to train there. It is said that due to its unique geographical environment, their cultivation methods are very different from ours. Those who have been there say one can achieve massive improvements in a short time, which is why the competition for the Inner Sect Grand Tournament is so fierce every year."

Li Sibai nodded thoughtfully. He had heard of the tournament before, but only vaguely, and he had been unaware of such a reward. It seemed this was a true opportunity. Excited, he quickly asked, "When does this Inner Sect Grand Tournament begin?"