The battles in the Golden Core division were more typical compared to the Foundation Establishment group, though that only applied to the first half. Luo Qiheng was as conspicuous in the Golden Core division as he had been among the Foundation Establishment participants. After all, he was the only early-stage Golden Core cultivator. Most people were unaware of his "sibling" relationship with Zhang Yiyi, and their focus was sharpened after her precedent, as no one could guarantee that the Wang family's Golden Core group wouldn't produce another powerhouse like "Han Lin." In her case, her dominance had nothing to do with cultivation level but with her terrifyingly strong combat ability!

Luo Qiheng, however, remained calm, staying in the preparation area and watching as Wang family contestants went on stage one by one. Even halfway through, he showed no intention of entering, making his understated demeanor gradually fade from the crowd's over-attention. Eventually, when only ten competitors remained, Luo Qiheng finally took to the stage, breaking his low profile.

"Wang family, Han Qi," he announced his name with the four words required by convention. Luo Qiheng then reached out, and a silver sword appeared in his hand, its blade like a cold crescent moon. This Silver Hook Sword was a gift from his master upon achieving sword momentum; the sword's aura matched his energy perfectly and felt just right in his hand.

"Well, another sword cultivator!" Currently defending the stage was a Golden Core cultivator from the Sun family, Xiao Qiang, not a Sun family member but a guest elder. Xiao Qiang was at the peak of the Golden Core stage, skilled in both technique and strength, considered one of the Sun family's trump cards. The Sun family had suffered greatly in the Foundation Establishment battles, losing nearly all face and prestige. For the Golden Core round, they were determined to turn things around, even sending out Xiao Qiang.

Now, with four of the Wang family's five Golden Core contestants eliminated, Xiao Qiang thought he'd finally provoked the last one into action.

Luo Qiheng, however, had no intention of engaging in idle chatter with the Sun family's guest elder. He could tell the Sun family was baiting the Wang family to enter their so-called "trap." But it didn't matter; Luo Qiheng had his own goals, independent of others' schemes. Besides, this Xiao Qiang was one of the ten remaining contestants, which meant he had just enough opponents to fight to the end.

Luo Qiheng wasn't trying to outshine Zhang Yiyi; he simply didn't see a point in staying low-key, as that wouldn't change anything unless he intentionally conceded. Practitioners aim to follow their true selves, as did Zhang Yiyi and himself.

"Not even a word? Do you look down on me, Xiao—" Xiao Qiang had just begun his provocation when Luo Qiheng abruptly struck. The cold, cutting edge of the Silver Hook Sword unleashed a piercing sword energy, sweeping toward Xiao Qiang like a fierce storm.

Xiao Qiang's heart shuddered, overwhelmed by the sheer force, and he had no time for words, hastily grabbing his weapon and mustering all his strength to counter. Yet, his defense proved ineffective. The power of Luo Qiheng's sword far exceeded his expectations. In the clash of energies, Xiao Qiang's attack was utterly destroyed.

But it didn't end there. Even after shattering Xiao Qiang's attack, Luo Qiheng's sword continued with unstoppable force, sweeping toward him without pause.

As Luo Qiheng retracted his stance, everyone watched in shock as Xiao Qiang, once so confident, was forced off the stage with a single blow, not even given a chance to catch his breath.

The arena fell into a stunned silence, all eyes on the man on stage who had already sheathed his sword, his expression cold as frost. It was as if no one knew what to say.

Was the Wang family insane, bringing in such a powerful guest elder? Each one was fiercer than the last! At least in the Foundation Establishment round, their female sword cultivator had taken two moves to win; now, in the Golden Core round, this male guest elder had ended it in just one strike.

Early Golden Core against Golden Core peak—one strike to win. Another cultivator defying his level?

Even the Wang family members were wide-eyed with disbelief. None had ever seen Luo Qiheng in action, and though they'd assumed his combat strength would be comparable to Zhang Yiyi's, they hadn't imagined he'd be this monstrously strong. These two siblings truly were cut from the same cloth; their strength and style left no doubt about their bond. The Wang family had indeed stumbled upon a great treasure.

"My goodness, did the Wang family recruit all the dark horses and freakish talents this year?"

"Did I see that right? Just one strike to defeat Xiao Qiang? Are sword cultivators all this terrifying?"

"No way they're hiding their cultivation level, right?"

"Nonsense, you think the pre-match tests are for nothing?"

"True, this strength is nearly unmatched within the same rank!"

"Han Qi...also named Han, like that Han Lin from the Foundation Establishment group, and they're both sword cultivators. Could they be family?"

...

The crowd's murmurings grew, and before long, everyone had learned that Han Qi and Han Lin were indeed siblings, part of the same family. With this realization, the audience felt a strange sense of acceptance. No wonder they were both such monsters; truly, like father, like son.

Amidst all the chatter, Luo Qiheng remained silent, seemingly unaffected by the outside world, focused only on the battles ahead. He didn't disappoint those speculating whether he'd go for a ten-win streak, just like Zhang Yiyi, nor those who had begun betting on him to win.

In a series of ten matches, each ending with a single sword strike, Luo Qiheng forced every opponent off the stage with ease. The Wang family once again achieved the highest points in the Golden Core division, and with ten flawless victories, Luo Qiheng earned the nickname "Han Yijian" (One-Sword Han), which quickly spread. Under such a spotlight, Zhang Yiyi's earlier performance seemed less prominent by comparison. However, Luo Qiheng himself remained as indifferent as ever, his demeanor cool and unruffled.

"Third Master, it looks like the Wang family is firmly set to claim first place this time," whispered a nearby cultivator seated next to Tang Jin. "Should we consider dealing with that pair of siblings in advance?"

The result of the Nascent Soul battles was almost irrelevant now. Even if both Wang family Nascent Soul fighters were defeated, their current points in the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core groups had already placed them far ahead. Their qualification ranking for the tournament finals was practically guaranteed. For the Tang family, if they didn't eliminate this pair of siblings now, their disciples would likely suffer in the final challenge tournament.

For over a hundred years, others had seen the Tang family as a sick cat on its last breath, with every family in the hundred-year medium-sized clan tournament eager to take a bite out of them. But the Tang family wouldn't let others get their way so easily.

"Deal with them? How do you plan to deal with them? Do you think these siblings or the Wang family are fools who wouldn't see through that?" Tang Jin sneered, casting a scornful look at the man. "Idiot!"

After today's fight, the siblings were not only treasured by the Wang family but also highly sought after by many other families, even several mid-sized clans expressing keen interest in them. To make a move on them now would be nothing but asking for trouble. Not only were these siblings tough to deal with, but the Wang family would protect them openly and covertly. There was no way they would allow anyone to easily harm the precious talents they'd found.

This level of strength attracts attention, whether one is high-profile or low-profile. Grudges and alliances between families and individuals will arise inevitably, needing no justification. The siblings likely understood this well from the start. If trouble was inevitable, they might as well be as high-profile as possible, clearly demonstrating their value to deter most would-be troublemakers and to ensure the Wang family appreciated their worth and provided strong protection.

If Tang Jin wasn't mistaken, the Wang family's upper ranks were already paying close attention to the siblings' safety. The fact that his subordinate even suggested "dealing with" them was proof he hadn't considered the bigger picture.

"You're right, Third Master. I hadn't thought it through," the man replied, breaking into a cold sweat and clearly deeply fearful of Tang Jin's rebuke.

"No matter. In the end, the Wang family has only these two as guest fighters," Tang Jin muttered, seemingly to himself. "Once the rankings tournament ends, it might be worth trying to recruit the siblings into the Tang family. They seem intriguing."

A hint of a meaningful smile crossed Tang Jin's face, making the previously chastised man shiver.

_____

The Nascent Soul matches originally scheduled for the next day were moved up due to the rapid progression of the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core rounds. Among Lanyu Small World's cultivators, Nascent Soul practitioners were considered high-level experts, making their duels highly anticipated. Watching these Nascent Soul battles up close was a rare opportunity for Zhang Yiyi, and each match left her thrilled and excited. Although the Nascent Souls of this world couldn't match the power of those in Huaren World, that didn't dampen her enthusiasm.

The Wang family's two Nascent Souls were guest fighters with decent strength, securing good results without embarrassing the family. They even reserved enough energy to face the upcoming challenge tournament. Although still a small family, the Wang family's numbers of mid-to-high-level cultivators rivaled those of mid-sized families, and they were well-prepared for this year's ranking tournament, radiating confidence.

The preliminary qualifying tournament essentially became the qualifying finals, with the Wang family, as expected, securing first place and moving on to the medium-sized family challenge tournament three days later. The Sun family took the second spot despite their low points in the previous two rounds, as the other three families failed to score significantly higher. With no "game-changer" black horses emerging in the final Nascent Soul round, the Sun family advanced in second place.

The challenge tournament would be held in the same place three days later, and the Wang family stayed in the city, conveniently lodging at one of their properties.

After a night's rest, Zhang Yiyi and Luo Qiheng were invited to the main hall of the large residence early the next morning, summoned by the family head to discuss some matters. When they arrived, they found the hall already full of people, seemingly discussing the upcoming tournament.

Given their status as recent guests and outsiders to the Wang family, Zhang Yiyi and Luo Qiheng typically wouldn't have been invited to such discussions. But after their remarkable performances, no one opposed the Wang family head's special attention toward them. In a world where true strength earns privileges, no one questioned this exception.

"Ah, there you are, Han siblings! Please, take a seat," greeted the Wang family head warmly, entirely without pretense and with affection as if toward family members. He was well-known for his humility, with several of the family's elders and guest cultivators among his closest friends—a skillful approach to leadership.

"Thank you for the seat, Family Head." Zhang Yiyi responded graciously, not expecting her taciturn "big brother" Luo Qiheng to bother with such formalities. She gave a respectful nod and led her quiet "big brother" to sit as directed, not rushing to ask why they'd been called.

The people in the hall were already familiar with the sibling pair, so no one was surprised by the dynamic where the sister spoke while the brother stayed silent.

"Now that everyone's here, let's continue our discussion. We need to decide which of the twenty mid-sized families the Wang family should challenge in the tournament," said the family head, reopening the earlier topic.

For the past few centuries, the Qinghe Tang family had steadily declined, and by all appearances, they were the weakest of the mid-sized clans. The Wang family had prepared with the Tang family as their primary target. However, given the significance of this decision, they needed a thorough discussion before making a final choice.