Chapter 069 The Day of the Grand Assembly Arrives

Since it was a powerful figure from the Celestial Pavilion who came to intervene and insisted that Huang Xiaoshan and Gu Lingyun participate in the selection tournament, Mu Tianhen naturally could no longer take action against the two. Though he was unwilling, he knew better than to act on impulse. For now, Mu Tianhen could only be considered the foremost strongman in Shunan City, but compared to the might of the Celestial Pavilion, he was insignificant—a single misstep could doom the entire Mu family.

Yet Mu Tianhen firmly believed that, even in the Celestial Pavilion, he would not lose to Huang Xiaoshan and her companion. Thus, he led his clan away to begin preparations for what was to come.

Having escaped the very edge of death, Huang Xiaoshan and Gu Lingyun’s hatred for Mu Tianhen deepened further. Both swore that once they reached the Celestial Pavilion, they would stop at nothing to annihilate Mu Tianhen and bring the Mu family to utter ruin.

In the days that followed, Mu Tianhen personally instructed his clan in martial techniques and cultivation, tailoring his guidance to each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. Even Mu Qianyuan received invaluable advice. Coupled with the aid of spirit pills, everyone’s cultivation advanced dramatically, and the family’s strength soared.

The clan’s reverence for Mu Tianhen only grew stronger. At the same time, the notion of cultivating demonic arts faded from his heart, replaced by the pursuit of divine mastery. Not only did his own family change their views, but so did the entire city. After all, Mu Tianhen had not wantonly slaughtered innocents. On the contrary, he cared deeply for the people of the city, enacting a series of measures for the benefit of all. Any who dared defy him were punished on the spot.

Gradually, Shunan City rid itself of bullies, thieves, and violence—peace and prosperity reigned. It reached a point where people could leave their doors unlocked at night, and lost items would not be picked up by passersby.

People also noticed that Mu Tianhen was unlike the leaders of great clans in the past: those who sought to curry favor were kept at a distance, while the honest and hardworking were granted new opportunities. Thus, malicious competition vanished, and everyone prospered. Fair opportunities were available to all, whether in trade, land allocation, or other affairs.

Unnoticed, three months passed swiftly, and the time for the Celestial Pavilion’s grand disciple selection, held once every five years, arrived.

On this day, Shunan City was more lively than ever. Everyone put aside their work and gathered on the vast, open grounds outside the city, eagerly anticipating the tournament.

Held only once every five years—and this being the most anticipated in history—no one would be foolish enough to miss it. After this cycle, Shunan City might leap from a fifth-tier small city to a third-tier major city, at least in terms of the number of entrants accepted by the Celestial Pavilion. Of course, to truly reach the scale of a third-tier city was another matter entirely, one that could take tens of thousands of years to achieve.

The grounds lay twenty li east of the city, ringed by mountains and nearly circular in shape. It was the traditional site for every Celestial Pavilion selection, and no one dared to claim it for themselves. The clearing, about a li in diameter, was one of the largest in the region and could accommodate a substantial crowd. However, after accounting for the central dueling arena and the pavilion’s exclusive platform, space seemed tight. Still, no one worried, as the surrounding mountains offered an even better vantage point.

From early morning, people arrived to claim their favorite spots. By sunrise, the area was packed; the hillsides teemed with spectators. Some perched on rocky outcrops, some nestled in the grass, others sat astride tree branches—each with their own preferred posture, lending the scene an air of casual festivity.

The candidates and their families assembled on the plain in two lines. The four great clans of old drew the most attention. The Dai family, having abstained from the prior two conflicts, boasted the largest numbers and occupied the greatest area. They were followed by the Mu family, led by Mu Tianhen—though they had suffered heavy losses that fateful night, they still numbered in the hundreds.

The Huang and Gu families, by contrast, were in dire straits, each represented by a lone participant, both contenders in the upcoming duels. From the outset, Huang Xiaoshan and Gu Lingyun fixed their gazes on Mu Tianhen, their eyes burning with murderous intent that never wavered. They swore to themselves that, when the duels began, they would kill every Mu family participant without mercy. As for Mu Tianhen himself, they would decide after gauging his strength. Even if they proved no match for him, there was no need to fear for their lives—the Celestial Pavilion forbade Mu Tianhen from striking them down.

After three months of seclusion and using up all their families’ resources, their own cultivation had soared, and they brimmed with confidence. Huang Xiaoshan, gifted with extraordinary perception and having transformed her grief into motivation, advanced at an astonishing rate. She now stood as a formidable cultivator at the sixth level of the Sky-Gazing Mirror stage, eager to destroy the Mu family even before reaching the Celestial Pavilion.

Gu Lingyun lagged slightly behind, at the fifth level of the same stage.

With such cultivation, they could look down upon all of Shunan City, save for a rare few. Dealing with the Mu family’s disciples would be trivial—so they thought. What they did not know was that, over these three months, the Mu family’s disciples had improved even more rapidly. Several had already broken through to the later stages of the Blood-Forging Realm. In particular, Mu Tianxiang, having benefited greatly from Mu Tianhen’s focused guidance, had advanced to the third level of the Sky-Gazing Mirror stage.

Originally, anyone who attained the Blood-Forging Realm qualified to participate in the Celestial Pavilion’s selection and, so long as they survived, would at least become a registered disciple. Yet Mu Tianhen did not allow those at the Blood-Forging Realm to register—he refused to let them risk their lives needlessly, believing there would be many opportunities ahead.

Mu Tianhen knew that once the duels began, Huang Xiaoshan and Gu Lingyun would target the Mu family’s disciples with lethal intent, and he could not intervene. In such matches, casualties were to be expected—none could be blamed but themselves.

Thus, only three members of the Mu family registered: Mu Tianhen, Mu Tianxue, and Mu Tianxiang.

When Huang Xiaoshan and Gu Lingyun learned that only these three had entered, they ground their teeth in frustration, their eyes aflame with fury, as if they wished to incinerate Mu Tianhen on the spot.

Suddenly—whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Barely half a cup of tea had passed since registration ended when several figures flew by and landed gracefully on the high platform—five in all, four men and one woman. Among them was the elder who had previously stopped Mu Tianhen from killing Huang Xiaoshan and Gu Lingyun. Today, he wore a crimson cloak and radiated an unspeakable authority. It was clear he was the arbiter of this year’s selection.

This also signaled that Huang Xiaoshan and Gu Lingyun would certainly become official disciples of the Celestial Pavilion.

With a sweep of his gaze, the elder declared in a sonorous voice, “Before the tournament begins, I have an announcement: from this day forth, the Mu family shall govern Shunan City, and Mu Tianhen may appoint a city lord.”

No one found this decision surprising; for the past three months, the Mu family had been in charge anyway. Seeing no one object, the elder continued, “Today is the Celestial Pavilion’s once-in-five-years selection tournament. I hope you will all give me a surprise!”

“Come, bring forth the list of registrants!”

As the elder’s words fell, a registrar chosen from among the lesser clans approached the platform, both hands respectfully presenting the list.