Chapter 26: I Don’t Know Him

The grand competition within the Xiao family is held every thousand years, and disciples of all cultivation levels can participate, though the rewards vary greatly.
In the competition for disciples below the Golden Core stage, those who win are classified as core disciples, elite disciples, or ordinary disciples, and they receive different amounts of cultivation resources for the next thousand years.
In the competition for disciples at the Yuan Ying stage, they are ranked as special, excellent, or ordinary. Special-grade disciples can focus on cultivation, with the family providing ample resources; excellent-grade disciples are sent out to explore the cultivation world; ordinary-grade disciples must serve the family, responsible for tasks such as managing spirit mineral stores, pill stores, magic weapon stores, and exploration teams.
In the competition for disciples at the Outward Emergence stage, they are ranked as gold, silver, or bronze—these are the tiers for assassins sent by the Xiao family to carry out assassination missions on various planets. Gold-grade disciples go to large planets, silver-grade assassins to medium-sized planets, and bronze-grade disciples to small planets.
The competition for disciples at the Divided Mind stage is mainly a contest among the young masters, essentially a struggle for the right to inherit the family headship.
Near Xiao Zuzhan, there is an open valley divided into four areas, each used for the corresponding level of the family’s grand competition.
A spirit-blocking formation has been set up in this valley, ensuring that the spells cast by Xiao family disciples in their respective areas do not spread outward.
At this time, ten thousand disciples of all levels from the Xiao family arrived in the valley. They all took off from the air and landed in their designated areas.
After waiting for disciples of all levels to take their positions, the Xiao family’s high-ranking members arrived above the valley.
These included Family Head Xiao Hantian, and the elders in the later stages of the Fusion stage—Xiao Hanlin, Xiao Hansen, and Xiao Hanpo; those in the middle stages—Xiao Hain, Xiao Han Gong, and Xiao Hanlie; and those in the early stages—Xiao Han Yu, Xiao Han Lan, and Xiao Han Fen.
These were all the current strong disciples at the Fusion stage in the Xiao family. If not for the death of four elders in the middle stages of Fusion in the Demon Poison Star Region, and two more in the early stages while pursuing Qing Wugui, the number of elders in the Xiao family would have been even more impressive.
As for the strong disciples at the Tribulation stage, they would not appear, but they would still use their spiritual senses to monitor this area. If they discovered a talented disciple, they might promote them exceptionally, even granting them direct membership in the family.

Xiao Hantian, with a calm and composed expression, stood in front of all the elders and called out to the four areas in the valley, “All disciples of the Xiao family, our family has enjoyed a renowned reputation in the cultivation world for hundreds of thousands of years. What has enabled this? It is because our family has continuously produced many skilled and powerful individuals, ensuring the enduring strength of our family. Today, our family’s once-in-a-thousand-years clan competition is about to begin again. I hope that all disciples will give their all and showcase their full strength. Outstanding disciples will always be valued by our family. Well, I now declare that the clan competition shall begin immediately.”

At the clan leader’s announcement, the members of the Xiao family in the four areas immediately got busy.

In each area, the Xiao family had people stationed to observe the matches and record the outcomes. Upon hearing Xiao Hantian’s orders, they began to send the contestants into battle.

Xiao Chenlan, whom Qu Yi was determined to kill, was currently with his five brothers in the division area, preparing for a battle of elimination to determine the heir to the clan leader position.

……

Xiao Tianshi, in the guise of Qu Yi, did not participate in the clan competition, as he planned to inflict a painful memory on the Xiao family today.

Xiao Jicang and Xiao Jiling were both in the cave of the spirit mineral repository, while Qu Yi remained inside the Dimensional Sphere.

Inside the Dimensional Sphere, Qu Yi held five magic artifacts similar to the Xiao family’s command tokens—sets of array plates that he had personally crafted under the guidance of the Artifact God.

The entire headquarters of the Xiao family included not only Mount Xiaozu but also an area stretching tens of thousands of miles around it. The whole headquarters was protected by the Mountain Protection Array, known as the “Thousand Mountains Combined Annihilation Array.”

After scanning the headquarters with his spiritual consciousness, the Artifact God identified the core of this array as being in the magic artifact repository on Mount Xiaozu. He also discovered how to exploit this Mountain Protection Array, so he instructed Qu Yi to craft a set of array plates.

The Artifact God named this set of array plates the “Enemy and Friend Indistinguishable Array Plates,” which could disrupt the entire “Thousand Mountains Combined Annihilation Array.” Once this Mountain Protection Array was activated, the people of the Xiao family would realize that it could not target enemies as desired but would instead bombard everything indiscriminately.

“Artifact God, then let’s head to the magic artifact repository now. We’ll set up these array plates first, then go to that valley and cause a havoc,” Qu Yi said with joy, excited about the events to come.

“Let’s go. At this time, everyone in the Xiao family is focused on the clan competition, making them most careless,” said the God of Tools with a smile. Then, Qu Yi emerged from the Dimensional Ball and approached Xiao Jicang and Xiao Jiling, saying, “Both of you, let’s go to the Magic Artifact Repository. It’s the clan competition now; let’s go talk to Xiao Jiru who is in charge of it.” Hearing this, Xiao Jicang and Xiao Jiling were shocked. Qu Yi had not been in sight for over a year, and now he suddenly suggested going to the Magic Artifact Repository. Could it be that he also wanted to take control of Xiao Jiru and plunder the Xiao family’s magic artifacts? “Alright!” With no other choice, the two agreed. Being controlled by one’s soul meant such lack of freedom. Soon, the three of them flew to the top of Xiao Zushan and arrived at the entrance of a thousand-meter-long cave, where there was a stone tablet inscribed with the words “Magic Artifact Repository.” “Haha, Xiao Jicang, Xiao Jiling, Xiao Tianshi, what brings you three here? It’s the clan competition today—why don’t you go watch?” Xiao Jiru appeared refined and seemed gentle by nature. Xiao Jicang and Xiao Jiling didn’t respond, but Qu Yi suddenly moved, going behind Xiao Jiru and slapping him, knocking him unconscious. Then, Xiao Jicang and Xiao Jiling, holding the unconscious Xiao Jiru, followed Qu Yi into the cave of the Magic Artifact Repository. The spirit awareness of the God of Tools already knew where the core of the mountain protection formation was, so Qu Yi flew straight to that cave, took the token from Xiao Jiru’s hand, and opened the cave. Inside, there was only a round jade emitting a dreamy blue light, with a human-height blue rhombus crystal at its center—this was the hub of the “Thousand Mountains Combined Annihilation Formation.” By controlling this hub, one could activate the thousand formation nodes hidden throughout the Xiao family’s headquarters, covering the entire area and unleashing spiritual energy to cast various attack spells, targeting wherever desired. Depending on the controller’s cultivation level, it could even defeat cultivators in the later stages of the Tribulation phase. As soon as Qu Yi entered the cave, he took out the “No Distinction Between Friend and Enemy” formation disc and buried five such discs evenly around the round jade, disguising any changes so that nothing seemed out of place. After finishing all this, Qu Yi smiled and said, “Xiao family, today is your turn to suffer.” Hearing this, Xiao Jicang and Xiao Jiling beside him grew extremely anxious.

Qu Yi looked at the three members of the Xiao family before him and said calmly, “I’ll spare your lives. Come with me into the Dimension Ball.” Without waiting for a response, Qu Yi took Xiao Jicang, Xiao Jiling, and Xiao Jiru into the Dimension Ball, then came out alone, quickly flying away from the magic artifact repository. He headed to the valley where the Xiao family’s disciples held their grand competition, looking cheerful as if he were going to watch it.

…

Shan Meng, a strong practitioner in the early stages of the Tribulation Phase from the Taiyuan Sect, had been searching for Qu Yi, who had taken on the identity of Xiao Tianshi, for a year at the Xiao family’s headquarters, but he couldn’t find him. Unable to figure out why, Shan Meng had no choice but to remain hidden within the Xiao family, waiting for an opportunity.

This time, with the Xiao family’s grand competition, Shan Meng believed he would surely find Xiao Tianshi, that is, Qu Yi. So, he arrived early at the Yuan Ying area to watch the competitions among the disciples at that stage. His spiritual sense scanned the entire area constantly, searching for Qu Yi’s presence.

Of course, Shan Meng was extremely disappointed—Qu Yi hadn’t come to watch the competition at all.

Just as he was about to leave, his eyes lit up suddenly because he finally spotted Qu Yi flying through the air toward the Yuan Ying area. He thought to himself that his perseverance had paid off, as he had finally waited for Qu Yi.

Thus, Shan Meng stayed in the Yuan Ying area, waiting for Qu Yi to leave before following him and capturing him. Once he had Qu Yi under control, he would look for an opportunity to leave the Xiao family’s headquarters.

At that moment, Qu Yi kept smiling as he approached Shan Meng from a distance, carefully watching the fight between two Xiao family disciples and cheering along with the crowd.

In truth, Qu Yi was overjoyed inside. The Weapon God had already told him that the strong practitioner from the Taiyuan Sect was right beside him, disguised as one of the Xiao family’s disciples, Xiao Tianchu.

Suddenly, the two disciples fighting in the arena decided the winner, and the crowd cheered loudly.

Qu Yi then flew into the arena, drew out his Golden Spear, and killed the newly victorious disciple in one strike. At the same time, he threw a hundred black bottles the size of water buckets at the surroundings of the Yuan Ying area.

Inside those hundred bottles was all the poisonous gas Qu Yi had collected during his time in the Poisonous Region. As soon as the bottles shattered, all the poisonous gas was released, covering the disciples at the Yuan Ying stage who were watching.

Amid the astonished looks of the Xiao family members, Qu Yi didn’t wait for them to react before shouting, “Xiao Tianchu, leave quickly! There are powerful cultivators at the middle stage of the Tribulation Phase in the Xiao family. It’s very dangerous for you to stay hidden here.” After saying that, Qu Yi suddenly vanished and headed toward Xiao Zuzhu Mountain.

“I… I don’t know him!” Shan Meng, who was disguised as Xiao Tianchu, realized that all the powerful cultivators at the Combined Phase in the Xiao family had locked eyes on him and started to panic. By now, Shan Meng knew full well that Qu Yi had already discovered him and was using this opportunity to have the Xiao family members deal with him. He was filled with regret.

In the Yuan Ying area, the poisonous aura spread, touching the disciples at the Yuan Ying Phase, leaving them no chance to resist as they were poisoned to death. Over two thousand disciples of the Xiao family at the Yuan Ying Phase were killed all at once, with only a few lucky ones managing to escape.

Chieftain Xiao Hantian, along with elders Xiao Hanlin, Xiao Hansen, Xiao Hanpo, Xiao Hanjin, Xiao Han Gong, Xiao Hanlie, Xiao Han Yu, Xiao Han Lan, and Xiao Han Fen—all focused their spiritual awareness on Xiao Tianchu, sending waves of pressure his way.

The deceased Xiao Tianchu was only at the middle stage of the Yuan Ying Phase and couldn’t withstand the pressure from those nine cultivators at the Combined Phase. But Shan Meng, who was disguised as Xiao Tianchu, wasn’t affected at all, which proved Qu Yi’s earlier words. This Xiao Tianchu was fake—he was a spy!

Suddenly, two people with weak auras appeared in the air. Their expressions were cold, and their eyes seemed deep enough to see through everything in the world. These two were the two ancestors of the Xiao family, Xiao Dubing and Xiao Duhuan. One was at the middle stage of the Tribulation Phase, while the other was at the early stage.

“Hantian, take the elders to catch that person who flew away. Leave him to us,” Xiao Dubing said calmly, his spiritual awareness still fixed on Shan Meng.

“Yes, ancestor!” Chieftain Xiao Hantian replied immediately before flying angrily toward Xiao Zuzhu Mountain to chase after Qu Yi.

Standing on the ground, Shan Meng really wanted to tear Qu Yi to pieces. How could this happen? Qu Yi had figured out his whereabouts and was even using him to fend off those two cultivators at the Tribulation Phase from the Xiao family.

“Two cultivators at the Tribulation Phase… Although I come from Taiyuan Gate, I can’t fight two at once. I might as well leave and find a safe place,” Shan Meng thought angrily.

Xiao Duhuan looked at Shan Meng and said coldly, “Fellow cultivator, why not reveal your true face at this moment?”

Shan Meng was truly stunned. With a faint smile, he restored his true appearance.

At this moment, in Xiao Zushan’s treasure vault, Qu Yi went straight to the cave that served as the hub of the mountain protection formation. He closed the stone door at the entrance and immediately pulled the Golden Qilin out of the Dimensional Sphere.
“Golden Qilin, pour all your vital energy into this rhombus crystal! I’m going to blow Xiao Family’s headquarters to pieces!” Qu Yi shouted cheerfully.
“Sure, master! Just watch me perform!” the Golden Qilin replied happily, swinging its thick arms before stepping onto the disc.