My Portable Spirit Farm: Rise of the Humble Servant

Chapter 189: The First Foundation Establishment Battle

The first battle began quickly.

The cultivators holding tokens one and two ascended the stage.

What slightly surprised Chen Ping was that the second combatant, clad in the dark red robes of the Lieyun Sect, was merely at the Grand Perfection stage of Qi Condensation!

Years ago, the Lieyun Sect had been a powerhouse, even rumored to be slightly stronger than the Qingyun Sect during their minor border skirmishes. But as time flowed on, this once-formidable sect had declined to the point where they couldn’t even scrape together three Foundation Establishment cultivators under the age of thirty.

Their foundations were shallow, and they had clearly been left in the dust by the other seven sects.

If this trajectory continued, it wouldn’t be many years before the Lieyun Sect fell from the ranks of fourth-rate sects entirely, to be replaced by hungry upstarts waiting in the wings.

The cultivation world was like this.

It had always been extremely cruel.

If you couldn’t keep up, someone else would gladly step over your corpse to take your place.

Chen Ping withdrew his thoughts and pitied the Lieyun Sect disciple. His luck was atrocious; his opponent was one of the elites fielded by the Tianling Sect.

The Tianling disciple had a cold, stern face and a profound aura that marked him as a cultivator at the third layer of Foundation Establishment.

Such luck…

To be honest, in Chen Ping’s view, the decline of the Lieyun Sect was already a foregone conclusion. This mismatch was just one link in the chain of their elimination. It wasn’t just the disciple’s bad luck; the entire sect’s fortune had hit rock bottom.

The feeling was abstract, mysterious even, but undeniably real.

The battle held no suspense.

The Tianling Sect disciple didn’t even bother to summon a Dharma Artifact. He merely raised a hand, and a condensed, almost tangible cyan wind cone instantly formed. It tore through the air with a sharp, screaming whistle, shooting straight for his opponent.

The Lieyun disciple only had time to frantically raise a small shield before the wind cone slammed into him. He was blasted away, shield and all, vomiting blood wildly as he smashed into the protective barrier at the edge of the arena. He slid down the energy wall, unconscious before he hit the ground.

If the wind cone hadn’t slightly veered at the last moment to avoid his vitals, he would likely have died on the spot.

The entire process took less than a breath.

Silence reigned below the stage. The Tianling disciple simply withdrew his hand, his expression indifferent.

“The gap in strength is too great…”

Chen Ping thought silently. The insurmountable chasm between Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation was displayed in all its stark brutality in the very first match.

The second match was Bai Yue’s turn.

Her opponent was a first-layer Foundation Establishment disciple from the Thick Earth Sect.

The man had a sturdy build. The moment he stepped onto the stage, he summoned a massive, earthen-yellow shield to block his front. Simultaneously, his hands flew through Hand Seals, conjuring a solid layer of yellow light that encased his body.

Then, he cast another Art, forming a rock-like armor over his skin.

Clearly, he followed the path of extreme defense, intending to turtle up and exhaust his opponent’s True Qi before delivering a fatal counterattack.

It was an ugly way to win, but effective.

Chen Ping stroked his chin, thoughtful.

It was just a pity…

He had encountered Bai Yue.

The Bai Yue famous among the surrounding sects for her offensive lethality.

Even back in the Qi Condensation stage, she had comprehended Sword Intent, standing proudly above her peers. Now that she had reached Foundation Establishment, her understanding of that intent had deepened significantly.

The Qingyun Sect’s favored daughter stood with a cool, detached expression. With a clang, the longsword on her back unsheathed itself, landing gracefully in her hand.

The blade was pure white, emanating a bone-piercing chill.

“Profound Ice Sword Intent!”

Bai Yue shouted softly, swinging her sword.

There were no flashy moves. There was only a single, condensed streak of icy-blue sword light carrying a soul-freezing chill. It tore through the air, slashing fiercely against the Thick Earth disciple’s layered defenses.

Crack! Crack-crack!

The earthen-yellow light shield fluctuated violently, instantly spiderwebbing with fractures before shattering with a boom.

The sword light’s momentum remained undiminished. It cleaved into the rock armor, leaving a deep gash and releasing a burst of freezing air that stiffened the disciple’s movements.

The Thick Earth disciple’s face changed drastically. He hurriedly urged his large shield to intercept the next blow.

But Bai Yue’s offense was like a tidal wave. Sword lights crashed down continuously, each strike landing with surgical precision on weak points or previous scars.

The icy sword energy constantly eroded and froze the opponent’s defensive spiritual light.

He lasted less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea. His Middle Grade Tier 2 shield dimmed and was sent flying by a heavy strike. The rock armor on his body was covered in frosty cracks, teetering on the verge of collapse.

Seeing the next sword strike about to descend on his exposed body, the disciple shouted decisively.

“I concede!”

His voice carried fear and helplessness.

Bai Yue sheathed her sword and stood tall, her breathing steady. It looked as if she had merely swung her sword a few times in practice.

Her beautiful face and decisive victory instantly ignited the spectator stands.

“Excellent! Fairy Bai is formidable!”

“As expected of the Qingyun Sect’s sword cultivation genius!”

“This Profound Ice Sword Intent is truly fierce!”

Cheers and praises rose One After Another.

Bai Yue walked off the arena with an expressionless face, but Chen Ping keenly caught a flash of pride and satisfaction deep in her eyes.

On the highest, most ornate viewing platform directly in front of the arena, a young man sat dressed in luxurious brocade robes. His face bore a somewhat frivolous air as he watched Bai Yue’s departing figure with great interest, a playful smile curling the corners of his mouth.

He tilted his head and whispered something to an early-stage Violet Palace cultivator standing respectfully behind him, casually pointing a finger in Bai Yue’s direction.

The Violet Palace cultivator nodded expressionlessly and quietly withdrew from the platform.

This scene didn’t attract much attention from the crowd, but Chen Ping, who had been observing covertly all along, saw it clearly.

This was the perceptiveness Chen Ping had developed from years of cautious, Low-key survival.

His heart sank slightly. It seemed Bai Yue’s sharp edge had attracted the interest of certain troublesome individuals.

Beautiful women with icy personalities often aroused a desire for conquest in powerful men.

Chen Ping shook his head slightly and returned his focus to the arena.

The battles proceeded one after another.

There were no more Qi Condensation cultivators; all subsequent matches were contests between Foundation Establishment experts.

With cultivation levels similar, resources comparable, and techniques mostly on par, the battles became intense and deadlocked. Dharma Artifacts danced, Arts collided, and trump cards were frequently revealed.

The protective shield on the arena lit up time and again, absorbing the scattered shockwaves.

Exciting offensive and defensive exchanges drew gasps and cheers from the spectator stands.

Finally, the referee’s voice rang out.

“Qingyun Sect, Chen Ping, versus Huangfeng Valley, Zhang Zidong!”

Chen Ping took a deep breath, suppressing all distracting thoughts, and stepped onto the arena.

This was his first formal battle since stepping into the Foundation Establishment realm.

His opponent, Zhang Zidong, was a disciple of Huangfeng Valley at the first layer of Foundation Establishment. He had a lean build and sharp eyes.

“Please!”

Although Zhang Zidong didn’t know who Chen Ping was, he showed not the slightest underestimation. After cupping his fists, he attacked immediately.

His hands formed sword seals. Three gleaming Middle Grade Tier 2 flying swords instantly soared into the air, forming a triangular formation. With the screaming sound of tearing air, they shot straight at Chen Ping’s face, chest, and Dantian!

It was a probe, but also a vicious move to seize the initiative.