Although Yu Ci had been increasingly adept at the Manipulation of Divine Consciousness in recent days, capturing the movements of a Golden Elixir cultivator remained extraordinarily challenging. The moment a burst of energy stirred, a similar impact had already occurred miles away. It was only then that Yu Ci saw a circle of intense radiance, continuously expanding, scattering the clouds, and hurtling toward the Touching Sky Peak.
Touching Sky Peak was adorned with a unique Seal, its rocks as hard as iron, able to withstand the powerful impact of cultivators' confrontations. It was one of the few places within the Mountain Gate of the Lichen Sect designated for "sparring". Unless the situation got out of hand, it generally wouldn't violate the Sect's Discipline.
Feeling a warmth beside him, Yu Ci had already entered the control area of a man surnamed Hong. He was unsure what Magical Instrument the man was using; its aura was dark and deep, yet it did not hinder his vision from the inside out. Standing within it, the clouds below seemed to solidify as if he was standing on solid ground.
Yu Ci subtly dispelled the Godspeed Talisman he had formed, smiled at the man surnamed Hong, only to see him smacking his lips, staring at the interwoven sword aura in the distance. He shook his head and also turned to look.
Truth be told, it was the first time Yu Ci had seen Li You in action. From his distant position, Li You's sword light was always adorned with a crimson edge. The sword light danced around like a spinning ring, leaping like fire, never stingy with its changes, making its trajectory hard to predict.
In contrast, his opponent's sword light was much dimmer, most of the time barely visible. However, when it swayed, layers of icy aura spread out, condensing the surrounding air. When it touched the Touching Sky Peak, it quickly covered the landing spot with a layer of frost.
"Wang Jiu..."
Yu Ci turned this name over in his mind, then nodded silently: "So, the 'Great Wilderness Northern Sword' has arrived. In that case, isn't this man beside me 'Dark Golden Fire Eye' Hong Qianqiu? Well, now I've met several formidable figures among the fourth-generation disciples of the Empirical Department."
By now, Yu Ci was no longer as clueless as when he first arrived at the Sect's Mountain Gate. Over the past half a month, through conversations with Li You, Taoist Li, and some newly acquainted fellow disciples, he had gained a general understanding of the Sect's Mountain Gate.
Zhou Yu, Li Hong, Wang Jiu, Hong Qianqiu - these were the brightest stars among the thousands of fourth-generation disciples in the Empirical Department. All four had achieved Golden Elixir before the age of forty, their talents unparalleled for a time. However, they were not comparable to newcomers like Li You who had just started Mechanism of the Cauldron. Not to mention Zhou Yu, who had already reached the Vacuum Walking Realm, even the lowest-ranked Hong Qianqiu had been Forming the Golden Elixir for nearly thirty years and had now formed the Jade Liquid Golden Elixir. As for Wang Jiu and Li Hong, their Cultivation Level was only higher, never lower...
Thus, how could Li You possibly stand a chance against Wang Jiu? Yet, he remained in high spirits.
Beside him, Hong Qianqiu laughed heartily, "Li You is just stubborn. I dare to bet that when he encounters Wang Jiu, he'll only last a quarter of an hour. His token will certainly be taken away... Wang Jiu is only targeting him because he has been too unruly these days!"
As he spoke, he clapped Yu Ci on the shoulder, "Let's go. We already know what the outcome will be. There's nothing worth watching. You're Yu Ci, right? The one who is close with Sister Meng?"
Yu Ci responded with a bitter smile. Hong Qianqiu grinned, "I've heard about you from Master Li. Let's consider ourselves acquainted now. By the way, didn't Li You want me to arrange a show? On the grounds of our Countless Method Sanctuary, if we're talking about a show, it has to be at Touching Sky Peak. How about it, Senior Brother, shall I arrange one?"
Hong Qianqiu was a straightforward person. He said they should go, and they went. His flying instrument was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, they were nearing Touching Sky Peak. From afar, Touching Sky Peak stood tall and majestic, like a sword. Upon closer inspection, its four sides were sheer cliffs. Looking up, one could barely see the top of the peak, surrounded by floating clouds. The changing reference points made it seem as though the mountain was about to topple over, causing one's heart to race.
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On these sheer cliffs, hundreds of figures were leaping and bounding, stirring up gusts of wind, their swords and weapons dazzling. Seeing the bustling scene at the top of the peak, Yu Ci naturally understood what the so-called "show" meant. He was not afraid, but before that, he had a question, "Senior Brother Hong, that Sword Fete Card..."
Just as he was speaking, a violent explosion erupted from a nearby mountainside, drowning out the rest of his words. Hong Qianqiu only heard the words "Sword Fete Card", turned around, raised his eyebrows, and laughed, "Good fellow, you're ambitious. You want to include the 'Sword Fete Card' in the show, right? Alright, just wait..."
Before Yu Ci could explain, Hong Qianqiu steered his magical instrument towards another cliff wall. Even from a distance, he shouted, "Here comes another one with a token, don't be polite!"
Yu Ci was taken aback. A strong force pushed him from behind, and he was sent flying towards the cliff.
He reacted quickly, noticing that the towering cliff in front of him resembled Sky Rift Valley. He turned around in time, touched the smooth cliff twice, and slid down several meters, finally dissipating the momentum. But before he could steady himself, he heard a whistling sound above him. He quickly dodged, and a figure slid past his shoulder, accompanied by a continuous stream of curses.
As the figure fell, a small shadow flew towards Yu Ci. With quick reflexes, he caught it.
"What's this?"
After looking at it for a few moments, Yu Ci realized that he was holding a small wooden plaque. It was yellowed and roughly crafted. The front was inscribed with the Chinese character for "sacrifice" in thick ink, and the back was painted with red patterns.
Looking at the token, Yu Ci had a thought, and heard Hong Qianqiu's laughter from behind, "Junior Brother, you're quite lucky. You got this Sword Fete Card without any effort!"
This was the Sword Fete Card? The one that Li You and Wang Jiu were fighting over?
Before Yu Ci could make sense of the situation, a sudden warmth enveloped his head, a sensation akin to being targeted by someone's aura.
Looking up, he saw a figure gazing down at him from ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) above. The man was dressed like a Taoist priest, his hair and beard gray with age, yet his face was as smooth and rosy as a child's, giving him an air of an immortal. Their gazes met, and suddenly, the Taoist's eyes emitted two dazzling blue rays, akin to electric fire.
Yu Ci, blinded momentarily, instantly recognized the danger. Relying on his instincts, he unsheathed his Xi Guang Sword silently, while his Sword Energy roared like an offensive strike. However, in a blink of an eye, it transformed into a misty shadow, scattering and gathering simultaneously, as if being blown by the mountain wind, and in an instant, it reached ten zhang away.
A split second later, the Taoist descended with his sword, the sword light condensed into a thread, carving a deep mark on the mountain wall.
"Huh?"
The Taoist's voice betrayed his surprise. At the same time, a resounding voice of Hong Qianqiu rang out, "The Sword Fete Card must not be kept in the Storage Ring. If it is stored inside, it is considered a loss!"
Yu Ci was about to put the wooden card into the Storage Ring when he heard this. Cursing softly, he slipped it into his robe instead. Before he could fully understand the situation, the Taoist launched another attack. Swiftly, Yu Ci moved again, transforming into an elusive mist in the mountains. Despite the Taoist's fierce sword light, he was unable to touch him.
"Tsk, he's using mist transformation, how unsatisfying!" Hong Qianqiu, watching the fight on the mountain wall, seemed somewhat disappointed.
The Empirical Department usually adheres to the principle of "validating the Dao with strength", emphasizing the intensity and depth of Cultivation Level. Correspondingly, those who practice swordsmanship in the department often use rainbow transformations, like Xie Yan, a typical example. Given Hong Qianqiu's personality, he naturally preferred the awe-inspiring, mountain-destroying sword style and had little interest in the "soft" Foggy Sword Divine.
"The young fellow should go to the Morality Department or Theory Department, a bunch of pretentious people! A real man should be able to use a sword that makes one's blood boil... huh?"
While grumbling, a sudden flash of sword aura caught his eye. The clear trajectory almost made Hong Qianqiu bite his own tongue.
"Good swordsmanship, ah, damn!"
Without thinking, Hong Qianqiu's thick fingers pointed in the void, "thump, thump" two sounds echoed, and the mountain wall, harder than fine iron, exploded into two holes. The shockwave passed between the two men, breaking their sword momentum with its formidable force.
Yu Ci's chest clothing was ripped, and the Sword Fete Card slipped down. He flicked it up with his toes, caught it, and then landed steadily on the cliff wall. Two zhang away, the gray-bearded Taoist stared blankly, unconsciously reaching for his neck, which had been grazed. A fraction more, and it would have hit the carotid artery. The chilling Sword Energy had already sealed his throat. If not for Hong Qianqiu's timely intervention, his throat would probably have been a mess.
"That was a good sword... damn it!"
Hong Qianqiu's words were cut off by a curse, and he wiped a bead of cold sweat from his brow. The situation had been extremely dangerous; the intersecting Sword Energy was vicious and fierce. If not for his mastery of True Sha in recent years, his hasty intervention might have caused more harm than good.
After the false alarm, he couldn't help but open his signature coal-like eyes wide and scolded Yu Ci:
"It's just a friendly competition among fellow disciples, why are you trying to kill each other as soon as you meet?"
...