Chapter 170: Secret Maneuvers

The door of the Reception Hall closed, leaving only Su Yun and his five new subordinates inside.

The old woman was named Elder Meng, an Outer Sect Elder of Qingyun Palace at the Mahayana Initial Stage, who had sat in the Reception Hall for three hundred years, specifically responsible for receiving Cultivators ascending from the Lower Realm.

Outer Sect Deacon Liu Qingyao was at the Void Refining Late Stage and managed over two hundred Outer Sect Disciples.

The four female Cultivators at the Void Refining Middle Stage were her attendants, named Qingzhu, Qinglan, Qingju, and Qingmei, their names all carrying a faint fragrance of plants.

Su Yun sat down at the long table, his fingers tapping gently on the surface. "Where do the female Disciples of Qingyun Palace usually live?"

Elder Meng bowed and said, "Reporting to Master, the female Disciples of Qingyun Palace are divided into the Inner Sect and the Outer Sect.

Inner Sect Disciples live on Qingyun Peak, while Outer Sect Disciples live on Cuiping Peak.

The two Peaks are thirty miles apart, separated by a Formation; Inner Sect Disciples are not allowed to enter the Outer Sect at will, and Outer Sect Disciples are not permitted to enter the Inner Sect without authorization."

Su Yun asked how many female Disciples were in the Outer Sect, and Elder Meng said there were about eight thousand Outer Sect Disciples, with female Cultivators accounting for seventy percent, roughly five thousand six hundred.

The Inner Sect had about twenty-two thousand Disciples, with female Cultivators accounting for thirty percent, roughly six thousand six hundred.

Added together, that was twelve thousand two hundred, consistent with what Outer Sect Deacon Liu Qingyao had said earlier.

Su Yun nodded. "How many Outer Sect female Disciples can you gather?"

Elder Meng thought for a moment. "As an Outer Sect Elder, I am in charge of the Reception Hall and the distribution of Disciples.

If I do it under the guise of assigning tasks, I can gather about five hundred at once."

Su Yun shook his head. "Five hundred is too slow.

Is there a faster way?"

Outer Sect Deacon Liu Qingyao spoke up. "Master, the Outer Sect holds a grand competition every three months, and all Outer Sect Disciples participate.

The next competition is in seven days.

At that time, all five thousand six hundred female Disciples will gather at the Cuiping Peak martial arts arena, not a single one missing."

Su Yun's eyes lit up. "Will the Outer Sect Elders be present during the competition?"

Elder Meng said, "Yes.

There are five Outer Sect Elders in total, and I am one of them.

The other four are two at the Soul Transformation Peak Stage and two at the Void Refining Early Stage.

They will all be present on the day of the competition, responsible for maintaining order and judging the outcomes."

Su Yun asked if those four Elders were male or female.

Elder Meng said they were all female.

The Outer Sect Elders of Qingyun Palace were all female Cultivators; only the Inner Sect Elders included both men and women.

Su Yun nodded and said they would wait for the competition.

Seven days later, Cuiping Peak.

The martial arts arena was built on the summit, covering several hundred zhang, with the ground paved with cyan Spirit Stone bricks, and the surface engraved with protective Formations.

The arena was surrounded by tiered stands that could accommodate ten thousand people.

The stands were already filled with female Disciples, all dressed in uniform cyan robes, looking like a cyan ocean from a distance.

The chattering voices blended together like sparrows in spring.

Elder Meng sat on the main platform, with the two Soul Transformation Peak Stage Elders sitting on her left and the two Void Refining Early Stage Elders sitting on her right.

None of the four Elders were young; the youngest looked to be in her forties, with a stern expression and sharp eyes.

When they saw Su Yun following Elder Meng onto the main platform, they frowned simultaneously.

One of the Void Refining Early Stage Elders spoke up. "Elder Meng, who is this?"

Elder Meng said indifferently, "My newly accepted Disciple, Su Yun.

He ascended from the Lower Realm, is at the Void Refining Late Stage, and has good talent.

I brought him to see the competition and broaden his horizons."

The four Elders stared at Su Yun for a few moments, then said nothing more.

A cultivation base at the Void Refining Late Stage was not the top in the Qingyun Palace Outer Sect, but it was still considered an expert level.

They withdrew their gazes and looked toward the martial arts arena.

The competition began.

Two Outer Sect female Disciples walked onto the arena, one at the Peak Golden Core Stage and one at the Early Nascent Soul Stage.

They bowed to each other and then engaged.

Sword light flickered, Spells flew, and they traded blows back and forth.

The female Disciples in the stands cheered and rooted for them, the sounds rising in waves.

Su Yun did not watch the duel.

His gaze swept across the stands, over the five thousand six hundred female Disciples.

Some were laughing, some were shouting, some were whispering, and some were closing their eyes to rest.

They wore cyan robes, their long hair cascading over their shoulders, their faces beautiful, and their ages ranging from teenagers to several hundred years old.

Five thousand six hundred people, five thousand six hundred faces, five thousand six hundred auras.

Su Yun took a deep breath and stood up.

Elder Meng glanced at him but said nothing.

The four Elders were watching the duel and did not notice him.

Su Yun walked off the main platform and merged into the crowd in the stands.

He walked to the first row and sat down next to an Early Nascent Soul Stage female Disciple.

The female Disciple was focused on the arena and did not look at him.

Su Yun raised his hand and tapped her on the back of her neck with one finger.

A flash of golden light vanished, sinking into her brow.

The female Disciple's body stiffened, a trace of confusion flashed in her eyes, and then she continued to watch the duel, as if nothing had happened.

[Enslavement Successful] [Ding! Congratulations to the Host for receiving the feedback of spiritual power from the enslaved; cultivation base stabilized.]

Su Yun stood up and walked to the second row.

A Peak Golden Core Stage female Disciple was laughing and talking with her companion.

Su Yun walked behind her and lightly brushed the back of her neck with his finger.

A flash of golden light appeared; she yawned and continued to talk and laugh with her companion.

Su Yun continued walking.

Third row, fourth row, fifth row.

He moved like a gust of wind, weaving through the crowd in the stands, tapping his finger lightly as he passed each female Disciple.

The golden light flickered constantly, covered by the cheers in the stands and the sounds of the duel, and no one noticed.

An hour later, he had finished half the stands and enslaved two thousand eight hundred female Disciples.

Within his Dantian, the feedback of spiritual power surged in like a tide, and his cultivation base pushed forward significantly from the Void Refining Late Stage, getting closer and closer to the Lianxu Peak Stage.

He returned to the main platform and sat down beside Elder Meng.

The four Elders were still watching the duel and noticed nothing unusual.

The competition lasted all day.

From dawn until dusk, the duels on the arena continued one after another, and the cheers in the stands came in waves.

Su Yun used the intervals between duels to subdue the remaining female Disciples in batches.

Whenever a duel began and the attention in the stands was drawn to the arena, he would get up and move.

Whenever a duel ended and the cheers were deafening, he would walk another section.

By the time the competition ended at dusk, all five thousand six hundred Outer Sect female Disciples had been subdued.

Su Yun stood on the main platform, watching those female Disciples leave the arena one after another, returning to their respective residences.

Their expressions were the same as when they arrived, chatting and laughing, some still discussing the day's competition.

But deep in their eyes, there was a hint of imperceptible obedience.

No one knew what had happened, not even those four Elders.

Su Yun turned to look at Elder Meng.

"When can the Inner Sect female Disciples be gathered?"

Elder Meng thought for a moment.

"Inner Sect Disciples do not participate in the Outer Sect competition; they usually Cultivate on Qingyun Peak and rarely come out.

But the first day of next month is the annual Sect Celebration of Qingyun Palace, and at that time, all Disciples from both the Inner and Outer Sects will gather at the main Peak to participate in the Ancestor Worship Ceremony.

All six thousand six hundred Inner Sect female Disciples will be there, not one missing."

Su Yun asked if the Inner Sect Elders would be present at the celebration.

Elder Meng said yes, there were twelve Inner Sect Elders, eight of whom were female Cultivators and four were male Cultivators.

Their cultivation bases ranged from the Lianxu Peak Stage to the Mahayana Initial Stage.

The Grand Elder was the Palace Master of Qingyun Palace, at the Mahayana Initial Peak Stage, and she was female.

Su Yun nodded.

"On the day of the celebration, you help me lure those male Elders away."

Elder Meng asked how to lure them away.

Su Yun said to just find some reason, such as something happening in the Outer Sect that required them to handle it.

Elder Meng nodded in agreement.

Su Yun walked off the main platform, left Cuiping Peak, and returned to the Reception Hall.

He sat down in the hall and closed his eyes to regulate his breath.

Within his Dantian, the feedback of spiritual power from the five thousand six hundred newly enslaved Disciples continued to surge in endlessly.

His cultivation base had been pushed from the Void Refining Late Stage to the Late Peak Stage, only a thin barrier away from the Lianxu Peak Stage.

If he enslaved another thousand, he would be able to Breakthrough.

He opened his eyes and looked in the direction of Qingyun Peak.

That mountain was very high, its summit shrouded in clouds and mist, where the flying eaves and upturned corners of several palaces could be vaguely seen.

Six thousand six hundred Inner Sect female Disciples lived there, along with eight female Elders and one female Palace Master.

In less than a month, they would all be his people.

Su Yun stood up and walked out of the Reception Hall.

The night wind blew over, carrying the fresh fragrance of flowers and plants.

He took a deep breath, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

The story of the Immortal Realm had just begun.