Before Yu Ci could react, Hong Qianqiu felt he had overreacted. He scratched his messy hair, let out a dry laugh, and addressed the grey-bearded Daoist, "What are you still doing here after losing? Take a break and come back in ten days!"
The Daoist knew he had narrowly escaped death. He quickly withdrew his hand, but something felt wrong. He touched his beard and found that the beard he had grown for many years had split into two, falling in a cascade. As someone who also specialized in the Sword Way, he knew that the Sword Energy emitted by Yu Ci was so refined and subtle that it could sever his beard without breaking the connection, only snapping when an external force was applied.
The greatest virtue of the Empirical Department was its pragmatism. The Daoist knew that although their Cultivation Levels were similar, both at the Nature-Connecting Upper Stage, and he might even be more seasoned, he was at a disadvantage against such superior swordsmanship. Even in a fight to the death, the odds were against him. He gave Yu Ci a deep look, sighed, and without saying another word, he saluted with his sword and headed down the peak.
Meanwhile, outside the mountain wall in the void, Hong Qianqiu had also regained his strength. He found the situation quite amusing and felt there was no need for reprimands. He scanned the surroundings and turned to Yu Ci with a grin, "Now that you have the Sword Fete Card, you should head down the mountain. Remember, since you have the Token, anyone on this side of the mountain can try to snatch it. If you lose, needless to say, the Token will be theirs. But if you are caught off guard and someone steals it, it's the same. So, this Token must not be put into the Storage Ring or lost. Only when you reach the foot of the mountain with it, can you truly claim it as yours."
Yu Ci responded with an "Oh", looking around. The mountain haze obscured the surroundings, but he inferred from the previous scene that the density of Cultivators here was high. Moreover, although he had won the brief confrontation cleanly, he had to admit that the Old Daoist's swordsmanship and Cultivation Level were profound. His 'Pupil Technique' at the start of the fight was unexpectedly potent. He merely lost due to a slight misjudgment in seizing the opportunity for victory. If all the people on Touching Sky Peak were of this caliber, his journey down the mountain would undoubtedly be challenging.
Of course, Yu Ci did not feel fearful. On the contrary, he was somewhat eager to try. However, before that, there was something he didn't understand. He raised the wooden card in his hand and asked Hong Qianqiu, "What is this Sword Fete Card?"
"Eh? You don't know?" Hong Qianqiu looked surprised.
Yu Ci shook his head obediently.
Hong Qianqiu's eyes widened in disbelief, "You don't even know what a Sword Fete Card is, and you're here to join the fun?"
Yu Ci looked innocent, "Senior Brother Li You was just about to explain it to me, but you interrupted him, Senior Brother Hong."
Hong Qianqiu opened and closed his mouth, a torrent of words lodged in his throat. In the end, he swallowed them all down with a gulp, leaving an innocent look on his face. "Well, without any cards in hand, let's not discuss this. Wait until you descend the mountain, clutching your token tightly, then we can speak."
"Alright," Yu Ci agreed readily.
Whether it was Sky Rift Valley or Sheer Cliff City, he was always dealing with characters whose strength far surpassed his own. His mind was constantly spinning with strategies for defeating the strong with the weak or surviving by the skin of his teeth. One wrong step could lead to irreversible disaster. It had been a long time since he had encountered a group of opponents of this "moderate difficulty"!
Put simply, he was itching for a fight!
***********
The Mountain Gate of the Lichen Sect towered above the endless void, yet it still experienced the rise and fall of the sun and moon, the shift between light and darkness. The changing light made no difference to Hong Qianqiu. But as a bright moon broke through the clouds, only one thought filled his mind:
I've really tied myself up in knots here!
At this moment, Yu Ci's Xi Guang Sword lost its metallic form, almost grazing the scalp of his opponent as it swung past, causing a lock of hair to fall. From afar, Hong Qianqiu was nearly tearing his own disheveled hair out.
Then, he heard Li You chuckling. "Old Hong, how's it going?"
Hong Qianqiu grumbled something incoherent, even he didn't catch what he said. Then he cursed through gritted teeth, "This kid, does he know anything other than risking his life fighting?"
"Junior Brother Yu's swordsmanship is unconventional, but the effects are undeniable," Li You responded cheerfully, sounding in high spirits. But when Hong Qianqiu turned to look at him, he saw that Li You was covered in dust, his clothes torn in several places. The skin that was exposed bore occasional traces of blood, and a thin layer of frost had formed on his hair, not melting even in the heat of June or July.
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Seeing him in such a sorry state, Hong Qianqiu felt a moment of satisfaction. But when he considered the time, he found it strange. It didn't make sense that he could last so long. After pondering for a moment, he finally understood and clicked his tongue, "Wang Jiu didn't use the Great Wilderness Sword Technique? You got lucky!"
Li You wasn't the least bit annoyed, because what Hong Qianqiu said was the truth. He nodded, "Senior Brother Jiu's Abyss Ice Pure Snow Sword alone was enough to give me a hard time, why would he need to use his trump card?"
His tone when referring to Wang Jiu was not as disrespectful as when they were face to face. Hong Qianqiu was used to this change. He knew that this kid was just stubborn on the surface, but in reality, he had a deep respect for Wang Jiu's mastery of the Sword Way. As he laughed, his fiery eyes scanned Li You and noticed something amiss:
"Tch, Wang Jiu really has no qualms, huh? He took your token just like that?"
"If his skill surpasses mine, what can I do?"
Li You dropped a philosophical comment, then grinned, "Losing the token isn't a big deal, you can always snatch it back. I mean, how about stealing it from someone else in a fight?"
"I knew you'd come up with such an idea!"
Hong Qianqiu scratched his disheveled hair, laughed and scolded, then turned to look at Yu Ci, who was calmly descending from the cliff, "Ah You, no beating around the bush between us brothers, what's the idea behind bringing this kid here?"
"What, Junior Brother Yu's swordsmanship doesn't catch your Dharma Eye?" Li You glanced at him sideways.
"Heh, Foggy Sword Divine..."
He stopped mid-sentence, seeing Li You's meaningful expression, he felt a bit awkward and unconsciously changed his tune, "Foggy Sword Divine is not bad either, at least the kid wields it swiftly and efficiently, it has a certain flair."
Alright, he admitted, Yu Ci's swordsmanship was not the kind that stirred his blood and made it boil with excitement. On the contrary, Yu Ci's swordsmanship was as cold as ice, yet it wasn't like Wang Jiu's melancholic and heroic style of frost and snow in the vast desert, but a bone-chilling cold that penetrated straight into one's marrow.
From the moment Yu Ci swung his first sword, Hong Qianqiu watched from beginning to end, witnessing five fierce battles. Judging purely by time, Yu Ci won each battle cleanly and decisively, but upon closer examination, one could see that each of his victories was achieved by a hair's breadth - not a hair's breadth between victory and defeat, but between life and death!
That is to say, with each victory, Yu Ci would roll on the line of life and death with his opponent. Every time was like this, every sword strike was like this. Even for someone as brave and combative as Hong Qianqiu, who was accustomed to the orthodox Taoist way of combat, such a scene was unprecedented.
Li You called Yu Ci a "wild card," but it was more than just "wild." It was ruthless, poisonous, spicy, and absurd!
But as he watched, Hong Qianqiu found this to be a series of unparalleled thrills. What he had previously considered insignificant levels of combat, due to this unique swordsmanship, were constantly gripping, and he found himself breaking out in a cold sweat without realizing it!
The more he reflected, the more Hong Qianqiu felt that his earlier comments were too mild. He slapped his palm and exclaimed, "How did he come up with this kind of swordplay? He's damn talented, gutsy, and audacious!"
Li You laughed upon hearing this, his gaze drifting towards the mountain wall, momentarily lost in thought. This was his first time witnessing Yu Ci wielding a sword in such a manner. The hearsay and rumors of the past paled in comparison to the vivid reality before him.
After some careful consideration, Li You felt that the plan he had hastily concocted before needed some revisions, "Hey, Old Hong, don't you think Junior Brother Yu's style is not quite suitable here?"
He didn't have to elaborate, as Hong Qianqiu immediately nodded in agreement, "There's no one at this level who could possibly provide him with any guidance. If this continues, it would either be a waste of time or lead to trouble."
As he said this, he suddenly paused, casting a sideways glance, "Little Li, what are you scheming now?"
Li You blinked, "Come closer and listen!"
************
The deep night brought tranquility to Touching Sky Peak. The clouds that spanned hundreds of miles had dispersed, revealing a clear, moonlit sky free of dust. The interplay of light and shadow painted the mountain scenery in a different light. At this moment, the peak of Touching Sky Peak was serene and peaceful. In a relatively wind-sheltered spot, Yu Ci and two others sat together, with several wine pots scattered around them, engaged in casual conversation.
Hong Qianqiu had just finished a pot of wine, casually throwing it off the peak. He laughed heartily, "Junior Brother Yu did well today. By obtaining the Token from Touching Sky Peak, it's like you've made your mark. You won't have to worry about being lonely in the future! Ah, now that you have this Sword Fete Card, let me tell you about its uses. Little Li, feel free to add anything!"
Li You muttered something under his breath, clearly dissatisfied with the nickname, but how could he argue with a half-drunk Hong Qianqiu?
"As for this Sword Fete Card, it's related to the Sword Garden. Ah, the Sword Garden is a place that you swordsmen yearn for, but to put it bluntly, it's just a graveyard! It's just a bit large, with an east-west diameter of over seven thousand miles, and even longer from north to south, exceeding ten thousand miles. It's nestled within our Broken Realm Mountain Range, occupying quite a large area."
"As for the origins of the Sword Garden, it dates back to three calamities ago, or eighteen thousand years ago. That was an era when sword cultivation was rampant. Eight thousand sword cultivators, starting from the East Sea, traced up the Cang River, crossed the Coulds Mountain, pierced through the Broken Realm Mountain, spanned the Sky Rift Valley, and marched west to conquer the Boundless Buddha Kingdom. They intended to make the entire Cultivation World submit under their overwhelming sword aura. What ambition!"
...