The Taiyin Water Origin Flying Boat soared in pursuit of the setting sun. The golden-red glow of twilight spread across the clouds and mountain ranges, a spectacle of grandeur, albeit a tad monotonous. Had Yu Ci not known that their destination was soon to be reached, he would have assumed that the flying boat would continue on its journey to the ends of the sky.
The flying boat that Yu Ci was aboard was an enormous magical instrument of flight. Its shape was similar to the large boats found in rivers and lakes, measuring around ten zhang in length and about four zhang in width. It had two masts and even unfurled sails. However, there was always a layer of transparent membrane surrounding the boat, shielding it from the high-altitude winds. At this moment, more than twenty people gathered on the boat's foredeck, making up half of the forty people from the Lichen Sect attending the Sword Garden.
The Sword Garden was a place where the Lichen Sect could be considered the host, and the arrangement of disciples was always done leisurely. The Morality, Discipline, Theory, and Empirical departments each had ten spots, represented by the Sword Fete Cards. However, apart from the Empirical Department, which contested for the cards through sword duels, the other departments assigned spots based on daily performance, bringing forth the best of the best.
Yu Ci had been on the boat for five days, but he had spent most of his time refining the Golden Green Palace Cord and rarely left his room. As such, many people did not recognize him. He now leaned against the wooden railing of the boat, listening to Li You explain, "The one on the left is Xiao Lu from the Discipline Department. He's in the same department as Sister Meng. His temperament... well, it's better if I don't say. Just remember to keep your distance when you see him."
Upon hearing this, Yu Ci looked over to see Xiao Lu, a slender man with a narrow, long face. He was not particularly handsome, but his demeanor was solemn and he rarely smiled. His eyes were stern, resembling iron, demanding respect and defying belittlement. He truly embodied the spirit of the Discipline Department. At this moment, he sat with his eyes slightly closed, lost in his own thoughts. The cultivators around him unconsciously lowered their voices, showing their reverence.
"Is he even more aloof than Sister Meng?" Yu Ci asked, referring to the twenty-day "prison ordeal" he had suffered before leaving the Sect. Unable to repay his book debts in time, he was taken to the Reflection Cliff to face the wall, as per the Sect's discipline. It was Meng Wei who had escorted him to the cliff. Yu Ci had always seen the caring and respectable side of Sister Meng, almost forgetting the power she had to make even someone as flamboyant as Li You tremble. Now, he would never forget it again.
Upon hearing this, Li You cackled with glee. Even though he and Yu Ci had grown close, he still felt a twinge of jealousy seeing the usually stern-faced Sister Meng show such care towards Yu Ci. At this moment, he made no attempt to hide his schadenfreude.
Sharing another few jests, he pointed at a man and said:
"Look, that's Senior Brother Xifeng from the Morality Department. His common name is Hua, his Taoist name Xifeng. Among the fourth generation of disciples at the Sect's Mountain Gate, he is the eldest, with nearly two centuries of cultivation, yet he's still at the Advanced Stage of Golden Elixir Cultivation."
"Oh?" Yu Ci was taken aback. At first, it sounded like Li You was suggesting that Senior Brother Xifeng was of average talent. But upon closer reflection, there seemed to be a deeper implication.
"In terms of cultivation, Senior Brother Xifeng may not rank among the top ten of the fourth generation disciples, yet he is widely recognized as the most diligent within the Sect's Mountain Gate!"
Li You's words were filled with praise, clearly expressing deep admiration: "Senior Brother Xifeng's cultivation is the epitome of steadiness, taking each step with care. Throughout his two hundred years of cultivation, he's had multiple opportunities to enter the Vacuum Walking Realm, yet he suppressed them all, focusing instead on strengthening his foundation. Thus, his Taiqing Golden Liquid Golden Elixir has been tempered a thousand times, flawless, with divine power brewing within. Once he breaks through, he will astound everyone. Truly, it's as if a dragon and tiger are meeting, and the winds and clouds are gathering... Ah, he's coming over."
Yu Ci was surprised to see Li You praise someone so highly. Looking up, he indeed saw a figure approaching. This Senior Brother was dressed in simple, clean Taoist attire. He was robust, with a broad nose and wide mouth, his eyes narrow and long. At first glance, his appearance seemed plain, but upon closer inspection, there was an air of ferocity about him. Upon further scrutiny, one could see a calmness within his fierceness, setting him apart from the ordinary, truly extraordinary.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"Are you Junior Brother Yu?" Hua Xifeng initiated the greeting, but his face was not deliberately friendly, it seemed more like he was getting straight to the point.
"I've heard of Senior Brother Xifeng." Yu Ci followed Li You's example in addressing and saluting him.
Hua Xifeng nodded, his gaze briefly sweeping over Yu Ci: "I heard that Junior Brother Yu practices the Primordial Root Qi Method created by Elder Jie Liang."
Yu Ci was rather puzzled, unsure of the Senior Brother's intention, but he nodded in confirmation anyway.
Hua Xifeng's gaze then fell on the sword at Yu Ci's waist: "May I have a look at your sword?"
Yu Ci cast a glance at Li You, who was signalling for his agreement. With a smile, Yu Ci unsheathed his sword and handed it over. Hua Xifeng accepted it with a nod, silently drawing the blade halfway from the scabbard. He then ran his finger along the edge of the sword before returning it to its sheath and handing it back to Yu Ci.
Then, under Yu Ci's bewildered gaze, Hua Xifeng closed his eyes, seemingly to regulate his breath.
"What an eccentric senior brother!" Yu Ci turned to Li You, who seemed unfazed by Hua Xifeng's peculiar behavior. Li You explained, "Senior Brother Xifeng is collecting your aura. The Sword Garden is a complex environment. Among our sect's forty members, someone might get lost. Senior Brother Xifeng's ability to sense and respond to the world around him allows him to identify and track individuals based on their unique auras. Within a thousand-mile radius, he never misses."
"Such a remarkable skill?" Yu Ci couldn't help but marvel. By this time, Hua Xifeng had completed his aura collection task, with Yu Ci being the last person he needed. Hua Xifeng stayed to chat for a while, and Yu Ci found him to be a very steady individual. He was mostly quiet, letting Li You do most of the talking, but when he did speak, his words were always spot-on, displaying a knack for making incisive comments.
The sun had already sunk halfway below the horizon, and the Water Origin Flying Boat was making its final angle adjustments, gradually descending.
"Are we there yet?" Yu Ci asked.
"We still have a little way to go, but from here you can see part of the Sword Garden. Look, over there!" Li You stopped his idle chat with Hua Xifeng and pointed out the direction for Yu Ci. Following his finger, Yu Ci let out a soft "oh". He saw it, in the sunset-tinted view, above the rolling clouds, a patch of land with a different color.
It was a dull grey cloud, stubbornly retaining its original color under the sunset's glow. Looking closely, Yu Ci could see occasional large bubbles rolling on its surface, as if some force was churning below.
"That's the Sword Garden about to open. The sword aura within has torn the void, manifesting externally. Of course, accompanying it is a vast amount of deathly qi. It's very stifling. Except for a few, anyone in there would find it hard to maintain a good mood," Li You explained to Yu Ci in the tone of someone who had been there.
At this time, the cultivators who had been in the cabin came out one after another, making the front deck suddenly crowded. Yu Ci saw Zhang Yan yawning and walking over. There were many familiar faces, such as Li Hong and Wang Jiu from the Empirical Department. He also saw Senior Brother Zhao Fu, who had taken him to meet Old Master Zhu on Chessboard Peak that day.
Now he understood that the senior brother from the Theory Department was a standout among the fourth generation disciples. His standing was not far behind Zhou Yu from the Empirical Department or Hua Xifeng who was always at his side, and this was all due to his inherent modesty.
After a quick calculation, Yu Ci found that there were already fifteen Golden Elixir cultivators on the foredeck, including powerful individuals like Hua Xifeng, Xiao Lu, Zhao Fu, Li Hong, and Wang Jiu, all of whom were at the upper level of Golden Elixir cultivation. The rest were at least at the upper stage of Nature-Connecting, meaning that these individuals on the foredeck alone already surpassed the total combat power of Cliff City, ensuring its downfall without a doubt.
And these were just a small fraction of the fourth-generation disciples from the Sect's Mountain Gate. The strength of the Lichen Sect, a major sect that had survived numerous calamities, was truly formidable and terrifying.
However, compared to the thousands of Sword cultivators from all over the land gathered near the Sword Garden, these individuals seemed rather insignificant. Yu Ci had already seen several streaks of sword light darting back and forth through the gray clouds, occasionally plunging into them as if to sense the rushing Sword aura and death energy within, preparing for the upcoming grand event.
All of them were Golden Elixir cultivators.
"Seek more opportunities within the garden, and avoid unnecessary conflicts," Zhang Yan advised in a soft voice as he approached Yu Ci, "This time, there are especially many strong competitors from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks."
What he didn't say was that within the Sword Garden, apart from Golden Elixir cultivators, it was hard for others to make a significant impact.
Before Yu Ci could respond, everyone felt a slight lift. The Taiyin Water Origin Flying Boat had found its landing spot and was rapidly descending.
Layers of mist swept past their eyes, and the cultivators' vision alternated between darkness and light as they pierced through the cloud layer. The land below was obscured by mountains, and it should have been night already. However, the moment they broke through the clouds, their eyes were almost blinded by the brilliant lights below.
Across a hundred miles on the ground, hundreds of bonfires were blazing fiercely. Sword lights darted in the sky above, while below, people were swinging their swords for amusement, loudly arguing or laughing. The whistling of Sword Energy and the booming of Qi explosions filled the air, creating a bustling and noisy scene.
This was the Sword Garden.
...