The second day of the tournament brought even fiercer competition.

  The preliminary rounds were complete. Only three hundred participants remained, and the matches were now held on fewer stages, allowing larger audiences to watch each fight.

  Shen Yue's first match of the day was against a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Crimson Blade Sect—a young woman named Hong Mei who specialized in sword techniques.

  The two women faced each other on Stage Three, both radiating powerful auras.

  "I've heard of you," Hong Mei said, her voice respectful. "They say you're a disciple of the Unfathomable Master. I look forward to testing my skills against someone taught by such a legend."

  Shen Yue bowed slightly. "You honor me. Let us have a good match."

  The referee signaled the start.

  Hong Mei immediately unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, each one containing profound blade intent. She was clearly a genius of her generation—her techniques were refined and deadly.

  But Shen Yue had spent months training under Master's guidance, sparring with disciples who were all advancing at heaven-defying rates. Hong Mei's attacks, while impressive, felt... slow.

  Shen Yue parried each strike effortlessly, her own Primordial Dao Sword humming with power. Then she countered.

  One strike. That's all it took.

  The sword move contained layers of Dao insights that Master had casually mentioned during training: "When you strike, don't just cut—understand what you're cutting and why."

  That simple advice had unlocked comprehension of the Dao of Separation for Shen Yue.

  Her sword strike seemed to separate Hong Mei from her own spiritual energy. For a brief moment, the Crimson Blade disciple couldn't access her cultivation at all.

  She stumbled backward in shock, and Shen Yue's sword stopped at her throat.

  "Winner: Shen Yue!"

  The crowd went wild. In the VIP section, sect masters were standing up to get a better look.

  "That technique..."

  "Impossible! She's comprehended Separation Dao?"

  "At her age?!"

  Hong Mei, recovering from the shock, bowed deeply to Shen Yue. "Your master must be truly extraordinary to teach such profound techniques. I am honored to have faced you."

  Zhou Yuan's match was against Kui Shan, the Beast Taming Sect prodigy.

  Kui Shan entered the stage with his three spirit beasts: a Storm Eagle at Nascent Soul realm, a Earth Bear at Core Formation peak, and a Lightning Serpent at Nascent Soul early stage.

  "Don't hold back," Kui Shan called out. "My beasts are resilient. Fight with your full strength!"

  Zhou Yuan nodded. "As you wish."

  The moment the match began, all three spirit beasts attacked simultaneously. It was a coordinated assault that had defeated dozens of opponents.

  Zhou Yuan stood still, his hand on his sword hilt.

  Then he drew.

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  Three Autumn Leaves Falling—a technique Master had once demonstrated while doing calligraphy. "See how each stroke is independent yet connected?" Master had said. "Sword techniques are the same."

  Three sword strikes, so fast they seemed to occur simultaneously. Each one perfectly calibrated to knock out one spirit beast without harming it.

  All three beasts collapsed, unconscious but uninjured.

  Kui Shan stared in disbelief. "How... how did you..."

  "Your beasts are strong," Zhou Yuan said sincerely. "But their movements were coordinated through your spiritual connection. I simply disrupted that connection."

  It was a lie. What Zhou Yuan had actually done was so advanced that even explaining it was difficult—he'd used sword intent to sever the temporary spiritual bonds between Kui Shan and his beasts, something that should require at least Tribulation Transcendence realm to accomplish.

  But Zhou Yuan himself didn't fully understand what he'd done. He'd simply copied a movement he'd seen Master make while pruning plants.

  "Winner: Zhou Yuan!"

  In the cheap seats, Lin Feng was cheering loudly.

  "Yes! Good job, Zhou Yuan! That's exactly how I showed you to handle multiple opponents!"

  The people around him smiled at his enthusiasm. It was clear this young man deeply cared about his disciples' success.

  What they didn't notice was that when Lin Feng cheered, the protective formations on the stage brightened slightly, as if reinforced by an invisible force.

  As the day progressed, it became clear that three contestants were in a league of their own:

  Shen Yue and Zhou Yuan from the Azure Sky Sect, and Feng Chen from the Heavenly Dao Sect.

  All three were winning their matches with overwhelming superiority.

  Feng Chen, watching Shen Yue's latest victory from the sidelines, frowned. "Who is this master who taught them? I've studied under Sect Master Tianlong himself, and yet..."

  His senior brother, a inner sect elder, placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let it disturb your heart. You are the Sect Master's personal disciple. Your foundation is solid. When you face them, show them the might of the Heavenly Dao Sect."

  Feng Chen nodded, his determination hardening. He would not lose to disciples from a minor sect, no matter how talented they seemed.

  That evening, Shen Yue and Zhou Yuan met privately in their quarters.

  "Did you sense it?" Shen Yue asked. "During our matches, there were moments when the spiritual energy felt... familiar."

  Zhou Yuan nodded slowly. "Like being back on Tranquil Peak. I think Master is here, watching us."

  "Should we try to find him?"

  "No," Zhou Yuan said firmly. "Master wanted to remain concealed. We should respect that. Instead, let's make sure we perform well enough to make him proud."

  Shen Yue smiled. "Agreed. Tomorrow, the real challenges begin. We'll likely face Feng Chen and the other top seeds."

  "Then we'll show them what it means to be taught by the Unfathomable Master of Tranquil Peak."

  In the VIP section's private lounge, Sect Master Tianlong was in a meeting with his advisors.

  "We need to find this Master Lin Feng," one elder insisted. "A cultivator of his level could be an invaluable ally—or a dangerous enemy."

  "We've searched everywhere," another replied. "Our best detection formations find nothing. Either he's not here, or his concealment is so advanced we cannot hope to pierce it."

  "He's here," Tianlong said with certainty. "I can feel it. Subtle disturbances in the spiritual energy. Fluctuations that coincide with his disciples' matches. He's watching them, somewhere in this arena."

  "What should we do, Sect Master?"

  Tianlong thought for a long moment. "Nothing. If a master of that caliber wishes to remain hidden, forcing the issue would only offend him. Instead, we'll show respect through our actions. Make sure the tournament is fair, the matches are honorable, and his disciples are treated well. That is the best way to earn his goodwill."

  Lin Feng, sitting in a small noodle shop outside the arena, slurped his dinner contentedly.

  "Tomorrow is the quarterfinals," he said to the shop owner, who'd started chatting with him after learning his disciples were competing. "I'm nervous but excited. They've made it so far already!"

  "Your disciples are legends in the making!" the shop owner exclaimed. "Everyone in the city is talking about them. People are betting they'll both reach the finals!"

  "Really?" Lin Feng felt a surge of pride. "They've worked so hard. I hope they continue to do well."

  He finished his noodles and paid, leaving a generous tip. The shop owner bowed gratefully.

  What the shop owner didn't realize was that the simple noodle soup Lin Feng had eaten had been transformed by his presence. The leftover broth, which the shop owner would normally discard, now contained enough spiritual energy to let a mortal cultivator reach Qi Refining realm just by consuming it.

  The shop owner's young grandson, who had been sick for months, would drink some of that broth the next morning and make a miraculous recovery. Doctors would be baffled. The shop owner would credit it to the "nice young customer with the kind eyes" who had visited.

  But Lin Feng, walking back to his inn under the starlight, knew nothing of this.

  He was simply a teacher, proud of his students, hoping they would continue to grow and learn from their experiences.

  The Unfathomable Master of Tranquil Peak remained, as always, completely unaware of his own profundity.

  And that, perhaps, was the most profound thing about him.