The atmosphere was tense and tense.

While they were talking just now, the others had no idea how many rounds they had fought. Now their eyes were fixed on this arena. The cold wind was blowing fiercely, and they could only hear the shallow breathing of the people around them.

Zhong Changyao's hand touched the hilt of the sword, and his gentle expression was swallowed up by solemnity. He thought, this woman is not simple.

Yun Xian nodded slightly, very seriously, she thought.

When will the fight start?

When she faced off against Zhong Changyao, her main purpose was not to show off or to discourage him, but to take the opportunity to test his strength.

The strength of the fifth level of the Golden Core Realm is excellent, but not outstanding. To be able to take the lead in the four-way war and also to bring along a demon saint, a thousand-year-old spirit beast, and several younger brothers is too difficult. Although it can be explained by the "protagonist halo", it cannot be completely illogical.

Before the two started fighting, a small group of people showed up. The sword cultivators who were practicing in seclusion heard that Senior Sister Xiaoyun was going to have a competition. Their Taoism hearts almost shook, and they all ran out to watch and cheer.

But it was also clear that they were probably mainly worried that Yun Xian would be too sad after losing. If Yun Xian was sad, the Sect Leader would be sad too. If the Sect Leader was sad, his Taoist partner would be unhappy, and the Sect Leader's sleeping on the floor might be extended for several more months.

On the high viewing platform, a group of elders stood beside Yun Lang, each with a different expression.

Qiao Lingshan had just won three matches, performing brilliantly, and stood by to watch. The Sixth Elder was secretly delighted, but upon seeing Yun Lang's solemn expression, he couldn't help but boast, "Ah, Lingshan, that kid just loves to show off. She practices day and night, and I can't stop her. I wonder if Xiaoxian..."

"Don't put too much pressure on your children. Just go with the flow and be spontaneous." Yun Lang waved his sleeves with a carefree air, his demeanor as a sage. "As the head of the sect, I naturally hope that our disciples become as strong as possible. But as a father, I just want her to be happy."

The Sixth Elder's face turned red after hearing what he said, and he began to reflect on himself in shame.

You're right! I've always been too harsh on my daughter, never considering her feelings. Now I'm comparing her with others. I'm really judging others by my own standards...

No matter how noisy the outside world is, Yun Xian's ears are always busy.

At Jiang Xingyao's command, she rushed forward without hesitation in an instant, her speed so fast that it was imperceptible to the human eye. Zhong Changyao only felt a gust of wind passing before his eyes, and suddenly started, drawing his sword to block it.

But it just passed by.

Yun Xian didn't want to beat him up right away. She was comparing the marks in the dialogue book that left a deep impression on her mind one by one.

There is a pale red lotus behind the earlobe.

There are rustic wooden beads on the wrist.

The mysterious lines on my lower abdomen... Uh, I can't see them without taking off my clothes, so forget it. But this is so out of place, isn't it?? So weird!

Yun Xian looked around him, and the last bit of doubt in his heart finally disappeared.

Zhong Changyao attacked with his sword, and Yun Xian quickly blocked it. When their swords touched, each of them felt the powerful force of the other's sword.

Have some skills!

A Jindan stage cultivator who had just recovered from a serious injury, and a ninth-level foundation-building cultivator who had a ton of stone tied to his body, actually fought back and forth in a very professional manner. The whistling sound of their swords silenced the audience who had not paid much attention at first.

Even Senior Sister Xiaoyun is in this state, what right do they have to not work hard?

Qiao Lingshan was so anxious that she twisted her thighs wildly and almost shouted, "Attack his lower body! Attack his lower body! Sweeping kick! Monkey stealing peaches! That's right, hurry up!!"

The sword rustled, clanging loudly. In the stalemate, Yun Xian's eyes turned, and the sword wind swept towards the wooden bead on Zhong Changyao's wrist. It was not a critical position, but Zhong Changyao felt as if he was on fire. His heart was in turmoil and he took a step back.

In a fast-paced fight, a single flaw could end the battle. Yun Xian raised the blade with one hand, then switched to the hilt just before striking down. The thick, blunt log struck Zhong Changyao's right arm, sending him screaming in pain as the sword suddenly slipped from his hand, clanging to the ground.

"It's over." In the silence, Jiang Xingyao said lazily, "Yun Xian wins."

Everyone: “…”

No way.

Ninth level of foundation building, and he won? He really won? This isn't an illusion, is it?

The Sixth Elder was stunned and almost swallowed his own beard. He turned his head abruptly to look at the leader of the Qingfeng Mingyue faction.

Yun Lang looked at him for a moment, beaming with joy: "Ah, this... I haven't even taught her, how did she learn it? She must have secretly worked hard on it. Xian'er has been like this since she was a child. Alas, there's really nothing I can do about her."

Sixth Elder: “?”

Hey!! Are you interested!!!

Zhong Changyao covered his right arm and lowered his eyes, feeling the various ambiguous looks cast at him. The group of people had embarrassed expressions as if they had lost face, and they sighed at each other.

How could he be defeated by a ninth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator? I couldn't even imagine it.

They had thought that Zhong Changyao was so ambitious and would achieve great things in the future, but they didn't expect that he would lose confidence as soon as he left the house.

Zhong Changyao gritted his teeth.

This Yun Xian... I should have known something was wrong the moment I saw her appear!

"I admit defeat." When he raised his eyes, his usual calm demeanor returned. Rubbing his hands, he smiled and said, "Miss Yun is truly amazing. She's worthy of being the Sect Leader's daughter. She must have been influenced a lot since she was a child. Zhong Changyao is ashamed of himself."

"No rush, there's still a fifth place." Why did he start secretly saying that her identity was extraordinary after losing? She had been helped since she was a child. Yun Xian helped Zhong Changyao up and said calmly: "I believe you can do it."

Zhong Changyao laughed dryly: "Thank you... Thank you Miss Yun."

Yun Xian curled his lips and said, "Yeah, you're welcome."

We are just getting started now.

This man is so petty!

As expected, Zhong Changyao secured his position in the top five and would enter the final realm of swords and knives in a few days.

Although the result is the same, the process is very different. He should have easily won the first place and defeated other disciples to slap the face of Jiange, but now he is at the bottom of the list, and several of his younger brothers who are not of high quality are not as familiar with him.

Seeing that Yun Xian was about to take real action, the head of the sect, Yun Lang, finally could not sit still anymore. He chose an auspicious day and summoned people into the main hall.

Yun Xian flew to the door on his sword, ignoring the angry roar of the Sixth Elder. As soon as he entered, he heard his parents talking.

Yun Lang didn't intend to stop him, but he couldn't help but feel nervous. Sitting on the floor, he said to Xiao Wu worriedly, "What if Xian'er really goes? He's never left the mountain in his life. He's kind-hearted and naive. If he really goes to the war, he'll probably be bullied."

Xiao Wu said, "It's okay."

"What do you mean, okay?" Yun Lang saw his Taoist companion's expression and said unhappily, "They say a mother worries about a woman traveling thousands of miles. Why aren't you worried?"

"...Of course I'm worried." Xiao Wu actually felt that his daughter was quite like him. It was good enough that she didn't bully others, so how could she be bullied? But Yun Lang definitely didn't believe it, so he said perfunctorily, "Isn't our eldest disciple supervising the war? Please ask him to look after her. You should be relieved."

Su Chi was almost distracted. If there was a life-threatening situation, it would be no problem for him to protect his junior sister.

Yun Lang felt a little relieved, but not much, and began to sigh again: "My kind daughter..."

The kindhearted Yun Xian walked in and called out, "Mother, Father."

Xiao Wu pulled her over and touched her face: "So cool, did you just come here on horseback?"

Yun Xian: “…” Miscalculated!

Xiao Wu: "The Sixth Elder is old, and he's been having a divorce with his Taoist partner recently, and he's in a bad mood. Please stop teasing him."

Yun Xian: "Okay."

Although they were reluctant to let Yun Xian go, their daughter had grown up, had grown up, and had her own ideas. As parents, they could only silently support her from behind. So they asked her to come here tonight, just in case, to catch up on the current situation in the outside world.

In fact, Yun Xian had already learned about it roughly from the storybook, but Mu Qing brought some new information when he came last time.

Of the four realms, the North is the most powerful, followed by the South, then the West, and finally the East.

Each realm has its own powerful sect headquarters. In the Northern Realm, the Sword Sect and the Body Tempering Sect maintain a delicate balance. Because both are highly aggressive, a fight would only result in mutual destruction, so for the time being, they remain at peace and united in their external defenses. In the Southern Realm, the skilled medical practitioners have amassed vast wealth, and thanks to convenient sea trade, they are now drenched in gold and filthy rich, commanding countless powerful men. A single carrier pigeon can summon a host of troops. The Western Realm is vast and sparsely populated, making it the ideal location for Buddhist garrisons, where a temple is found every ten steps. The remaining Eastern Realm is in dire straits...

Jiange was already a barely respectable sect. It was even worse before, almost forgotten about. The sudden appearance of Senior Brother Su Chi finally brought some relief, but Su Chi alone couldn't do much, and his elusive nature made his presence felt. Another large sect was Qinfang. Their zither music could either incite a frenzy or soothe agitation, and the entire sect was devoted solely to support.

But the disciples of the Qinfang were too relaxed. After all, when two armies faced off in a major war, any force exceeding ten would inevitably include a Qin cultivator. It was considered an unbreakable iron rice bowl. Even if both sides had Qin cultivators, their gains would cancel each other out, meaning neither side had any. But if the other side had one and you didn't, wouldn't that be a huge loss?

With such a stable job, even if the North Territory really attacks, they will just move the piano studio back intact. So not only are they not afraid, they are even practicing piano and rehearsing programs, preparing to go on tour to the South Territory.

In other words, Jiange is now truly the hope of the entire village.

Yun Lang finished speaking and sighed, "I knew the situation was bad, but I didn't know it had gotten this bad. Back then, the streets and alleys were filled with sword cultivators..."

People always strive for higher goals, so of course they go where it is more advantageous. Now, no matter how you look at it, it is in decline.

If you are weak, you will be bullied. Now everyone knows that the people from the East Realm are soft persimmons, so naturally they all want to take advantage of them.

Yun Xian listened carefully and said, "I understand."

Seeing her determined expression, without a trace of fear or retreat, Xiao Wu said with satisfaction, "She's worthy of being my daughter."

"Just do your best in the Sword Realm for the next few days. Whether you go or not, it won't hurt to know these things." Yun Lang pinched his brows, "I have to talk to the elders and take out all the defensive treasures in the warehouse and divide them up."

Xiao Wu also said solemnly: "Yes."

"There's more." When Yun Xian was about to go back, Yun Lang stopped her again. He looked off into the distance with some hesitation, and finally said, "That disciple named Zhong Changyao, I don't think he's right... He's a little strange. It's best to avoid interacting with him lately."

“…”

The direction Yun Lang was looking at was the residence that Jiange had arranged for the wandering cultivators at the foot of the mountain.

In the house in the far corner, there was a dim candlelight. Zhong Changyao's handsome face was hidden in the shadows, and his expression could not be seen.

A storybook with a bright red cover lay quietly flat on the wooden table.

Suddenly, although no one was coming, the pages of the book began to turn without wind. Zhong Changyao finally heard the movement and stood up to watch with a frown.

Ever since he picked up the script titled "Against Heaven: A Gentleman Is King" last month, he seemed to have opened up his Ren and Du meridians, and the previously vast path to immortality was clearly unfolding before his eyes.

He broke off the engagement, had family competitions, and won over the people's hearts. He did everything according to the plot in the storybook, and the results were exactly the same as in the storybook. Zhong Changyao was naturally ecstatic, but when he arrived at Jiange today, Yun Xian caught him off guard.

I must ask the "seniors" immediately...

Zhong Changyao endured the pain and slowly wrote on the blank space of the last few pages of the storybook:

[Senior Ke, you said you could answer my questions. Can you tell me what's going on with Yun Xian? She shouldn't have been involved in the selection.]

Could it be a new female character? But he really didn't like women like that.

The black and gray handwriting quickly responded:

[Sorry, even the customer service representative doesn't understand. Please mark "1" to transfer to manual mode.]

Zhong Changyao tutted his words irritably and began writing again:

"Senior Ke, your words are too harsh. You don't need to apologize to me. Could you please tell me what I should do next? Should I still follow the script?"

The other party's response came in an instant:

[Yes. As long as you are the first to attract the Sword Pavilion's spirit, the "Taiping Sword," within the "Sword Realm," and then use the "Spirit-Catching Pearl" to temporarily seal it within your left arm, you can gradually begin to refine it into your natal sword, wielding it with ease. Please remember that with your current cultivation level, it's difficult to contend with the lingering murderous sword intent within the Sword Realm. You must utilize the Taiping Sword's coercive power to suppress all sword intent in one fell swoop...]

Senior Ke always spoke in extraordinary detail, as if he was afraid that he would make some mistake. Zhong Changyao's smile returned to his face, and he even began to describe the scene where everyone was amazed by the power of his sword.

Um?

Zhong Changyao's smile froze, and he quickly picked up his pen:

[Senior Ke, have you forgotten? I told you that I wasn't first in this competition, but fifth, so I'm not eligible to be selected for the entrance.]

The Realm of Swords and Blades had five different entrances, all leading to the same exit. In the storybook, he had chosen the one on the far right, and happened to encounter the Taiping Sword Spirit, who was staying there in a daze. It had been easy for him to get what he wanted, but now...

The other party was silent for a while, and then some words appeared, but the tone changed:

[Based on the Taiping Sword's nature, it shouldn't be difficult for you to attract it.]

[Remember this: upon entering the realm of swords and knives, immediately unite your waist and horse, roll three times to the left, then three times to the right, and shout in your loudest voice, "Where is Xiao Taiping?" "Xiao Taiping is here!" Repeat five times, and the Taiping Sword may appear.]

Zhong Changyao: “…………”

He continued to write, trembling:

[Senior Ke, is it necessary to do this? ]

【Each one is indispensable.】

【Senior Ke...】

Never go against your future.

Zhong Changyao closed the storybook and looked up at the sky. The night sky at the top of the mountain was dark, with a few stars twinkling occasionally.

He inexplicably felt that he was about to lose something.