The first-years had heard about the achievements of both Zhi Yin and Cao Yun but they had never even seen them in person. A handful of disciples had joined the Heavenly Swallow Faction but Zhao Fei and Zhao Lin had been responsible of the recruitment. Liu Ang also got a very good reputation. He was now the first ranked within the second-years. During the entrance examination, he had displayed a powerful 'Dance of the Jingwei Talons' to all the new disciples.
Although they had never seen them, they had heard all the stories from their senior brothers. Liu Ang had been especially vocal about his senior brother. Right now, Liu Ang was going into the Ancient Ruins. Since the crisis, the Palace of Supreme Wisdom had been slowly repaired. Apparently, the presence of Chief Elder Suxian's Soul Embryo had greatly helped. However, it had been forced to stay closed for some time. As such, the current third-years had had to wait for several weeks before being able to go in. Many were displeased but they fully understood the situation. After all, they had all lived through the crisis. Hopefully, they would still be able to get a lot of benefits within.
In the end, Liu Ang was almost sad when he finally got to enter the Palace of Supreme Wisdom. He would miss the fight between Faction Leader Zhi and Cao Yun. There was no doubt in his mind that this was going to be the greatest fight of the younger generation. He wasn't sure whether he would be able to witness such an event ever again. On the other hand, the Ancient Ruins were a great opportunity that he would only get once in a lifetime. Although he didn't know much about it now, he had seen the effects on his senior brothers.
After the third-years were finally sent into the Palace of Supreme Wisdom, the ranking duels started. Like always, they were spread on a few days with the fights between the youngest disciples first. As Zhi Yin was a fifth-year, her duels would be fought at the end. In fact, her duel with Cao Yun was scheduled on an entire day. No one was sure how long it would take but everyone wanted to see it to the end. Chief Elder Baishen, although she was still a bit troubled by what had happened, had insisted upon it. She was ready to let the fight last several days if necessary. As such, they had made sure to put this fight at the very end of the ranking duels.
This was Zhi Yin's last year in the outer Wubei Sect. For now, no one knew what she intended to do after that. Zhi Yin was completely unknown outside of the Wubei Sect. Several families and influential authorities of the Hongchen Kingdom had searched her past. She came from a tiny city that had recently been destroyed by the demonic beast stampede. But even before that, it had not produced a single significant cultivator in the past. Many people were thus convinced that Zhi Yin would stay in the Wubei Sect and become an inner disciple. However, to this day, she had still not given an answer to the elders and even chief elders who had asked her. In theory, she could make her choice at the very last moment. After all, considering her talent, the Wubei Sect would not refuse. But it was strange that she had not agreed yet. Maybe she had other plans, but which ones?
-
The fights were not bad, especially among the fourth-years and fifth-years. But it all felt small. Anticipation had built up within the crowd. The rumors about Cao Yun being a coward during the crisis had thankfully been crushed by his past exploits and by rumors about a secret mission he had done during said crisis. Of course this was the truth but whoever had spread the rumors didn't know that to be true. Sect Leader Xuan, the chief elders and everyone who knew about Cao Yun's real involvement had stayed perfectly silent about it, despite the unsavory rumors they had heard. After all, this fight would end them all.
There was one girl though who had not liked it at all, Ling Hui. And even now as she was waiting for the appearance of her idol, she heard things she didn't like.
"I heard that this Chen Guo tucked tail and ran away in front of danger. He might be strong but a duel in which his life is not at risk is nothing compared to the real deal. No matter how much you train, if you crumble when you stare at death, you're not fit to be called a martial artist or a cultivator."
"Shh. You should know Spirit Master Xiao and Chief Elder Baishen are fond of him!"
"My point precisely! They pander him. He got too many good things for him and that made him weak. The most important thing is the Dao Heart, no matter how powerful you are. If an inner demon is formed because you're weak minded, all the strength or knowledge or influence in the world won't save you."
"And what would you know about Dao Heart?!"
Ling Hui could not contain herself any longer.
"Our Heavenly Swallow Faction has no weak minded cultivator! Fairy Zhi chose Chen Guo herself! An insult on him is an insult on her and on all the Heavenly Swallow Faction! But if you're so brazen then you won't mind telling it to his face, right?!"
At first, the man was ready to retort violently. But then he saw the emblem on her chest. Ling Hui was wearing proudly the colors of the Heavenly Swallow Faction with the number five written on it. On the other hand, the man who had spoken was just a Mortal who had entered the Wubei Sect two months ago. Some scars on his forearms and a small wound on his face showed that he was probably a soldier.
When he looked at Ling Hui's eyes, all of his bravado dissipated.
"Now be a good boy, watch the fight and imagine what Chen Guo and Fairy Zhi could do to you if you insult them again. But please, don't wet yourself..."
As she said her last line, the man turned back and saw two disciples walking on the platform. They were obviously Zhi Yin and Cao Yun.
Each one was wearing a handmade robe. Chief Elder Baishen had made sure that they were both wearing very sturdy robes. They were as resistant as Heaven-ranked armors. However, they had kept the colors of the Wubei Sect on them, as well as their emblem of the Heavenly Swallow Faction. That being said, their robes had been tailored to their own martial arts. Cao Yun had the colors of the Azure Dragon while Zhi Yin's robe evoked the Kun Peng.
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As soon as they got on the platform, they bowed and saluted each other.
"Fairy Zhi, thank you for taking me in your Heavenly Swallow Faction. This has been an honor to join you."
"No need to thank me, Brother Chen. You've repaid me plenty already. Without you my Heavenly Swallow Faction would have disappeared while I was in the Ancient Ruins. Moreover, your presence and the presence of your brothers and sister has helped develop the name of our faction. Thanks to you, it will live on a long time after I've left the Wubei Sect."
Her words alarmed several elders. Was she saying that she was going to leave the sect after this fifth year of hers? She had spent so much effort on her faction. There was no reason for her to leave it behind. As an inner disciple, she couldn't be part of the Heavenly Swallow Faction, but she could create an extension of it and still keep close ties with the original one.
"Fairy Zhi, do you intend to leave?"
"I did intend to stay at first but things have changed recently and I might have to change my plans. No matter what happens, I will always remember what the Wubei Sect has done for me and what you have done for me as well."
In the audience, only Ling Hui was not surprised by this conversation. She had a rough idea of what Zhi Yin intended to do. And she was right, Cao Yun had helped them both a lot. They might be able to be ready sooner than anticipated. Then, they wouldn't have to stay in this place any longer. Still, both of them had to admit they had grown attached to it, and to the people in it, more than they had thought they would.
As many whispers were echoing throughout the plaza, Chief Elder Baishen rose in the air and spoke.
"Today, we will all witness a spectacular fight. Fairy Zhi Yin and Chen Guo are both extraordinary disciples of our Wubei Sect. As Chief Elder of the martial art pavilion, I will make sure that the fight is fair and that both disciple is not injured beyond what is reasonable. If at any moment the life of a fighter is in danger, that fighter will be deemed defeated. However, any attempt to willingly maim or kill will be met with harsh punishment. I know that reminding you of the rules is unnecessary because you will be honorable. Let the fight begin!"
-
From their spatial rings, Cao Yun and Zhi Yin took their weapons out.
Cao Yun had his new spear, 'Tainted Heavenly Pillar' while Zhi Yin took her sword out. This was a sword no one had seen before. In the Palace of Supreme Wisdom, she had obtained a weapon but this one was completely new. When he saw it, Ren Chao was immediately charmed. This weapon was a spiritual weapon, just like Sun Liao's 'Heavenly Mirror Longbow'. Sun Liao had of course refused Ren Chao's supplications to let him take it apart for studying how it had been made. But he had still agreed to show it to him on many occasions.
Ren Chao had become obsessed with the idea that he might be able to forge a spiritual weapon. In his mind, this was the only weapon that would be worthy of Cao Yun. And he had promised him to forge the best weapon he could. However, it required to be at least a Spirit Warrior. In fact, no one under Sage had ever been able to forge such a weapon. And even then, the failure rate was colossal. Besides, it was necessary to have a powerful mind and soul. Thus, Ren Chao had started to take 'Sealing the Seven Demons in the Nine Peaks' very seriously even though he had no real talent for it. He had a steel will though.
Zhi Yin's sword was called 'Shadow Over the World'. It was made of a very light blue metal that sometimes appeared white under the sun. Ren Chao had recognized the Divine Ice Steel. It was a metal that was extremely cold. In fact, it was said that it could barely be heated even by plunging it into a burning star. This might be exaggerated but this metal was one of the most difficult to work with because the temperature needed to melt it was absolutely insane. Ren Chao was not even sure if there was a single individual who could do it in the entire Hongchen Kingdom. It was necessary to either use array formations or several experts working together.
From the sword, there was indeed a terrifying cold spreading all around. It was not dangerous for life, but it felt as though no fire could exist around the Divine Ice Steel.
Now that they had their weapons in hands, their aura changed drastically. The public was not seeing two disciples anymore. They were looking at two ferocious beasts ready to fight each other. If it had not been a friendly fight, they would have felt a suffocating killing intent. But no one intended to kill their opponent today. It was the contrary, they wanted this fight to last as long as possible because they wanted to see what the other one had to offer. And they were both convinced they could be pushed further and further. This duel was a great opportunity for both of them to progress even more.
For several minutes none of them moved. Several of the first-years, second-years and even a few fourth-years became restless. On the other hand, all the Mortal Warriors were completely transfixed. The Mortals thought that there had to be something they were missing. When they looked at the chief elders, the Mortals could also see that they were engrossed in the fight.
Swallowing his pride, the man who had spoken ill of Cao Yun asked Ling Hui what was going on.
"Humph, ignoramus! They are both projecting their Wei Qi. You can't see it but they're already waging a war against each other. If you were to walk between them right now, your body would literally be ripped apart. There are intense currents of Qi all around. In other words, they are probing each other's defenses."
Indeed, on the platform, there was an invisible war taking place at the moment. Cao Yun and Zhi Yin had expanded their Wei Qi beyond their body. It was as though two large balls of energy, with them at the center, were trying to expand against one another. Cao Yun's Wei Qi was pushing against Zhi Yin's while hers was deforming and trying to invade his by any weakness possible. It was similar to two fighters walking around each other and sending feints to gauge their opponent.
From time to time, Zhi Yin or Cao Yun would increase the strength of their Wei Qi to see how the other would react. Thus, at the junction where their Wei Qi met, a mere mortal would have been killed straight away. Even an early or middle Mortal would probably be killed or least injured for life.
All of a sudden, they both retracted their Wei Qi. The real fight could begin!
Cao Yun's spear stabbed toward Zhi Yin. Hundreds of bloody spears appeared all around. They looked as though they had just been plunged into the breast of some demonic beast and were covered in its blood.
On the other side, Zhi Yin also stabbed with her sword. Appeared all around her 'Shadow Over the World' hundreds of other swords. Each one seemed to be covered in ice. In fact, the air around Zhi Yin seemed to be congealed during her attack. The disciples felt as though they would be reduced to statues of ice if they were just touched by this sword.
Chief Elder Baishen and many chief elders and elders were surprised.
"They've both mastered their Martial Aura. Chen Guo has progressed even further than I thought. He might be on his way to learn Spear Intent before he even turns twenty-five..."