Chapter 43
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Chapter 43: Title
"This so-called Elder Wuwei – could she be Xia from Four Hundred Years Ago…" Mo Ye interjected, fanning flames.
"This Immortal Sect Conference addresses Thirteen Ghost Domains’ disturbances." Ye Xiao cut in coldly. "Do you wish to repeat history? Even after Four Hundred Years, Sanqing Realm’s stance remains unchanged."
Several attendees stiffened. After Qinghu Region’s tragedy, thirty-six sects led by Liujin Pavilion and Qingyun City had demanded Xia Wuwei’s surrender from then-sect leader Fu Qing at Sanqing Realm’s foot.
Fu Qing had blocked their path with drawn sword, declaring: "To take her, you must pass this blade first."
She’d been the Nine Realms’ only Great Ascension stage cultivator besides Kunlun’s lord. United, the thirty-six sects’ leaders couldn’t breach Sanqing Realm’s defenses.
The humiliation lingered like stormclouds, undispelled even after four centuries.
Xuanchen – who’d been carried home wounded from that confrontation, bedridden for years – clenched his knee-resting fist. Smiling thinly, he addressed the host’s seat: "Why hasn’t Master Fu Qing appeared during our visit?"
Though Fu Qing had single-handedly held off the alliance, she’d vanished from public view afterward, delegating all affairs to Ye Xiao before eventually passing leadership to her.
Many speculated whether Fu Qing had succumbed to battle injuries… or death itself.
Though rumors proliferated, Sanqing Realm never responded.
Ye Xiao’s gaze flicked toward him. "My Master entered seclusion long ago. Does City Lord Xuanchen request audience?"
Sipping tea, Xuanchen replied: "Naturally I’d pay respects to our senior. If she remains secluded, I shan’t disturb her."
As they spoke, the arena contest concluded. A Qingyun City disciple limped offstage after bowing.
"Sanqing Realm’s Suiyin prevails!"
Suiyin exchanged knowing smiles with Lu Ciyou below before returning to her seat.
She glanced back, scanning Sanqing disciples’ ranks.
After three fruitless sweeps, she turned forward, disappointed.
They truly hadn’t come.
Time for the next match.
"Taiyi Sect’s Feng Yi versus…"
"Skip formalities."
A figure leapt onto the platform, cutting off the announcer. His gaze swept participating disciples before locking onto Suiyin.
"Drawing cards was too slow. I’ll stand right here. Come at me one by one or all together."
"You!" He locked eyes with Suiyin. "First."
The arena buzzed with unrest.
"This breaks the rules!"
"Exactly! Such insolence!"
Disciples turned toward the elevated seats, awaiting responses from their sect leaders.
"Leader Mo, is this your disciple?" Ye Xiao asked pointedly.
"Indeed." Mo Ye appeared unbothered, chuckling as he reminisced, "Your Sanqing Realm junior sister showed greater audacity years ago. Fu Qing let her run wild."
The unspoken challenge hung clear: Your sect permits rule-breaking, yet mine cannot?
Ye Xiao clenched his jaw, mentally adding another grievance against Xia Shi.
When no authority intervened, disciples understood the leaders silently permitted this arrogance.
"I’ll take you on!"
Lu Ciyou gripped her Soaring Dragon spear and sprang onto the platform.
Feng Yi’s blade remained sheathed as he released a surge of sword energy – brutal and overwhelming, rippling through the air itself.
Lu Ciyou barely raised her spear in time, the impact driving her backward.
Her heel teetered over the platform’s edge. The young lady glanced down, heart pounding.
This strike carried spectacle over substance, all bark and no bite.
"Next strike won’t miss." Feng Yi stared straight ahead, denying her even a sidelong glance.
Lu Ciyou snorted, planting her spear. Flames erupted behind her as dragon-shaped energy coiled up the shaft.
"You won’t evade this thrust."
Scorching waves radiated outward, fire tracing crimson arcs through the air.
Observing the fiery dragon reflected in his opponent’s eyes, Feng Yi finally reacted.
"Liujin Pavilion’s Three Cloud-Piercing Thrusts? You’re not ready."
He raised his palm. A gale-force wind reversed the flames’ trajectory effortlessly.
Another single strike.
Lu Ciyou staggered from her own attack’s backlash, chest throbbing. She tightened her grip on the silver gun, determined to charge again.
Before she could move, cyclonic winds pinned her mid-air. Realization struck – he meant to humiliate her through defeat without drawing blood.
Showing off!
Grandstanding!
The young lady gnashed her teeth. Nobody had ever dared humiliate her publicly.
Trapped in the vortex, legs immobilized, she faced plummeting before the crowd. Desperate, Lu Ciyou channeled spiritual power through her meridians to shatter the imprisoning winds.
But by doing so, she would suffer spiritual power backlash.
As this thought emerged, a sudden stream of water and wind tugged from the side. The young lady froze mid-motion, then found herself enveloped in familiar fragrance with an arm around her waist.
"A Li…?"
Lu Ciyou turned, her fleeting surprise vanishing instantly.
Before landing, she shoved the person away, both stumbling back.
"Meddler!"
"Our senior sister saved you!" protested a Sanqing Realm disciple. "Where’s your gratitude?"
Lu Ciyou scoffed. "Saved? I needed no help to stand steady."
She brushed off her waist where Yan Li had touched.
"Disgusting!"
"You–!" The Sanqing disciple shot up angrily.
Yan Li shook her head with a calming glance.
The junior disciple sat back down, seething silently.
"You!" Feng Yi pointed at Suiyin from the platform. "Up here!"
As Suiyin hesitated, Lu Ciyou’s voice carried: "Yan! You’ll let him challenge her?"
Yan Li ascended the platform, bowing to Feng Yi.
"Sanqing Realm disciple Yan Li seeks guidance."
Ye Xiao’s eyes narrowed, his white teacup cracking faintly.
His carefully nurtured cabbage was being stolen.
"Why sit here?" Suiyin stared at Lu Ciyou beside her.
The Sanqing-hating young lady had joined their disciples publicly.
"None of your business!" Lu Ciyou snapped.
"Don’t go if he calls you again."
"Why?"
Lu Ciyou leaned closer, whispering fiercely: "He’s no Taiyi Sect disciple. I saw him in Lingyang Secret Realm."
"He defeated Jiang Xinian and me with one sword-stroke, then climbed Linglong Pavilion’s sixty floors. Could some unknown Life-Death barrier disciple do that?"
"I think he’s Taiyi’s Fengyue Sword Immortal – Feng Ziyin."
Though called sword immortal, he wasn’t divine – just a Great Ascension stage title.
Suiyin gaped. A centuries-old sword immortal masquerading as junior to bully youths?
Absurd! The shamelessness!
The seed of doubt wasn’t just sown between those two – the spectators in the viewing stands also wore varied expressions.
"Leader Mo, explain yourself?" Ye Xiao’s eyes turned frosty.
Mo Ye chuckled lightly, feigning ignorance, "Sect Leader Ye’s words confuse me."
Ye Xiao snorted. "Those disciples’ cultivation levels surpass the barrier between life and death."
Mo Ye sipped his tea before replying, "Does Sanqing Realm hold monopoly on geniuses?"
The others present showed no inclination to interfere.
Feng Yi’s intentions were transparent. Four Hundred Years Ago, though both were sword technique prodigies, he’d constantly been outshone by Xia Wuwei. Their rivalry flared at every meeting – he wouldn’t miss this golden opportunity.
Forcing Suiyin onstage clearly aimed to provoke Xia Wuwei’s appearance.
Liujin Pavilion and Qingyun City shared this agenda. Should Feng Yi succeed in drawing out Xia Wuwei during the grand competition, both Xuanchen and Lu Nanlin would gladly watch.
Thus Jiang Feng and the others stayed silent, none willing to expose Mo Ye and Feng Yi.
Ye Xiao’s face darkened as his teacup clinked sharply against the table.
"The leading sects’ conference seems secondary to your schemes."
Xuanchen finally interjected, "The conference hasn’t commenced. We’ll address the Thirteen Ghost Domains disturbance later."
Ye Xiao scoffed. While his disciple refilled his tea, he covertly tapped his jade token, sending Shen Huaiwen a message:
"Secure the quiet room. Guard her!"
Receiving the transmission, Shen Huaiwen immediately abandoned her tasks and sped towards the quiet room.
"Zhishu, mind the medicine. Deliver it to Scripture Hall in one hour."
"Understood."
Wen Zhishu fanned the medicinal brew, watching a streak of light vanish across the sky.
She stared at the simmering pot for several heartbeats.
Then rose and walked toward the main peak.
When Shen Huaiwen reached the quiet room, it stood vacant.
Meanwhile at the competition grounds, Feng Yi knocked Yan Li off the platform without unsheathing his sword.
Subsequent challengers fell to single strikes.
Growing bored, Feng Yi suddenly yanked Suiyin onto the stage through telekinesis.
As she stumbled forward, an unknown hand thrust a sword into her grasp.
"Use this."
Before she could identify her benefactor, sword energy blasted toward her face. She instinctively drew the blade.
The Long Sword shimmered silver-cold. Gripping its hilt, Suiyin felt ethereal unity with the weapon – as if the sword had become her own limb.
She was the blade!
The Frost-Snow Long Sword erupted in blinding radiance. Suiyin’s gaze hardened as her strike cleaved the incoming energy in twain.
“Good!” Feng Yi looked at the sword in her hand, his expression finally shifting as anticipation flickered in his gaze.
Though the sword body bore a disguise, he recognized Xia Wuwei’s Heartless Sword.
“So you’re truly her disciple.”
Suiyin raised her blade toward him. “Let’s begin.”
Wind stirred without cause across the platform, whipping snow around Suiyin until the air shimmered with white, the wind and snow taking shape.
Below the stage,
Lu Ciyou gaped at the suddenly appeared figure. “Weren’t you supposed to stay in Qingshou?”
Her eyes widened as realization struck. “You’re no rogue cultivator! You’re from the Sanqing Realm!”
Xia Shi: “…”
Without arguing, she nodded.
“Yes.”
“After you left, Suiyin nearly got swallowed by a dragon while searching for some rotten fruit in the Valley of Subdued Dragons. She thinks you’re her friend. Explain everything properly later.” Lu Ciyou jabbed a finger at her, muttering, “Don’t mess this up.”
Xia Shi: “…”
The young lady clicked her tongue. “Well?”
Xia Shi: “…Understood.”
