Chapter 58 First Test: "Acceptance"
Ning Yu and her master Qing Lin did not sleep all night. One guarded the entrance to the inn, while the other set up a barrier around the inn so that they would immediately detect if anyone came.
But as the night passed, no one returned to the inn.
Ning Yu, sporting dark circles under her eyes and a resentful expression, greeted the Kunlun disciples who were rising early in the morning. These people, all refreshed and energetic in preparation for today's preliminary test, only added to Ning Yu's annoyance. Fortunately, Qing Lin's cultivation was profound, so her complexion was still good.
The agreed departure time was approaching, but one person had not yet arrived.
"Where's that disciple from Zhenyang Peak? Why hasn't she come down yet?" one of the disciples complained.
Upon hearing this, Ning Yu frowned deeply and gripped her sword tighter. So it was her!
Ignoring what others thought, Ning Yu went straight to her room to find someone, her aggressive manner as she stormed upstairs was quite intimidating.
Seeing this, Lin Wuwang immediately caught up and grabbed him, thinking that he was still angry about the quota, and said kindly, "Junior Brother Ning, please wait here for a moment. Perhaps you have overslept. I will go and call Junior Sister Jiang out."
Just as Lin Wuwang was about to knock on the door, a female cultivator yawned and pushed it open, looking sleepy, with a piece of jade on her forehead.
It was the fishing lights on the river.
Upon seeing the two people at the door, she looked quite surprised, then realized what was happening and said with a hint of apology, "I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting."
Seeing that she had arrived, the others said nothing more.
Ning Yu's suspicious gaze remained fixed on Jiang Yuhuo, trying to find some flaw in her.
Jiang Yuhuo went downstairs, and Lin Wuwang followed beside her. The two went out together, and when they met Qing Lin, the master of Chongyuan Peak, at the door, Jiang Yuhuo even gave her a polite smile.
Everything was normal; she looked like a disciple who was a little late because she overslept.
Could it be that we really misunderstood her? Ning Yu frowned, lost in confusion once again.
Jiang Yuhuo and Lin Wuwang walked in the group, chatting casually with him. Ning Yu's gaze was like a thorn in her back, and she tried her best to appear natural.
While the master and apprentice were each holding their positions, Jiang Yuhuo returned from the temple and was also perched on a tree not far away, waiting for them. Qing Lin had set up a high-level barrier around the inn; any cultivator with slightly lower cultivation would likely not be able to see the barrier and would simply break through, only to be captured on the spot.
The master and disciple had indeed put a lot of thought into this siege, because their personal relationship could not be exposed in Kunlun.
Unfortunately, she could see the barrier.
Not only could she see it, but she also anticipated that when a disciple was about to leave, Qing Lin would have to dispel the barrier, otherwise the other Kunlun disciples would notice something amiss. The only thing she could use was the brief moment Qing Lin dispelled the barrier to seize the opportunity and immediately enter the inn. If she entered from the rooftop, she would have to climb the stairs, which would not only alert the people already gathered downstairs, but might also prevent her from making it in time for Ning Yu to rush upstairs to check her room.
Fortunately, she left herself a way out.
From the moment Qing Lin dispelled the barrier to the moment Jiang Yuhuo emerged from the room, only a short time had passed. Even if the two had some suspicions, they couldn't find a single clue about her.
Thanks to her habit of ventilating the room, she created a perfect time difference.
"Senior Brother Ning seems to still hold a grudge against me," Jiang Yuhuo said to the person next to her. She had a rare smile on her face, but in Lin Wuwang's eyes, the smile was full of helplessness.
Ning Yu's gaze was too direct, and it was hard for Lin Wuwang not to notice his strangeness. In addition, he had just stormed upstairs with a look that suggested he was about to kill someone. Lin Wuwang had already classified him as a dangerous person in his mind. "Junior Brother Ning is impulsive. Junior Sister, remember to stay away from him in the future. Even if you are highly skilled, it is never a good thing to get entangled with him."
Jiang Yuhuo found it amusing, thinking that this was not what you said yesterday, but he still nodded in agreement, saying, "Senior Brother Lin is right."
Lin Wuwang smiled gently and unconsciously moved a little behind Jiang Yuhuo to shield her from Ning Yu's gaze.
Jiang Yuhuo was unaware of Lin Wuwang's subtle actions; she didn't even notice that he had changed his address for her from "Jiang Shimei" to "Shimei" (Junior Sister).
The competition arena of Tianque was set up in a valley at the foot of the mountain. The majestic main peak stood in front of it, facing a magnificent white hall. The host and the grandmasters of several major sects stood in front of the hall, watching the participants of this year's competition.
Disciples from various sects gathered, with Kunlun favoring black and Tianque white. The other three major families, the Li, Ji, and Gongye clans, wore a variety of colors, their attire inconsistent. Most of the participants were young, but the immortals' lifespans had been greatly extended through cultivation; most of them, though appearing young, were likely over a hundred years old. The entire competition arena was a vibrant mix of black and white, vibrant colors, creating a lively scene.
Upon entering Tianque Mountain, Jiang Yuhuo immediately felt the surrounding temperature drop, which instantly invigorated her, sweeping away some of the fatigue from the previous night's frantic activity. When one's energy and spirit are high, luck tends to improve, and she quickly drew a group that was almost a guaranteed win. The other three in her group were all disciples of aristocratic families, while she was the only Kunlun disciple. If Kunlun and Tianque disciples were considered to be on the same level, then the three major aristocratic families were a level below—a tacit consensus within the immortal sects. Drawing a disciple from an aristocratic family was tantamount to securing a spot in the second round.
Lin Wuwang wasn't as lucky as her. He drew a group with two members from Tianque and two from Kunlun. In the first match, he would face someone from Tianque. Even if someone from Kunlun won the second match, he would still have to fight against his fellow disciple. No matter who won, one Kunlun disciple would be lost.
The results of the draw were presented in the main hall. After the host, the Left Protector of Tianque Mountain, reviewed them, they were passed around to the representatives of each sect. After several people gave their approval, the competition officially began.
The large drum beside the arena was struck heavily, the sound deafening.
At the beat of the drum, Jiang Yuhuo bowed to his opponent, sword in hand. As the drumbeat subsided, Jiang Yuhuo twirled his sword, and the iron sword was instantly infused with spiritual power, emitting a radiant glow. The silver light sword transformed into a bolt of lightning, piercing towards his opponent's face.
The opponent was a refined young man who used a fan as a weapon. With a wave of his fan, the spiritual energy shooting out from it was like flying blades that attacked Jiang Yuhuo.
Jiang Yuhu wielded his lightsaber, spinning it like a wheel. The flying blades were shattered in the churning motion. Before the elegant young man could even unleash a second strike, the sword that had pierced the blade array was instantly placed against his shoulder.
Jiang Yuhuo sheathed his sword and bowed again, saying, "I am honored by your humility."
Before the young master from the noble family could even see how she had crossed over, the drums on the sidelines began to sound, accompanied by the judge's singing.
"Fishing lights on the Kunlun Mountains and the river, a magnificent sight."
Jiang Yuhuo stood on the sidelines for a while, waiting for the results of the other two disciples' matches. The two were evenly matched and fighting hard, but the quality of the match was low. Jiang Yuhuo watched for a while, then, finding it uninteresting, looked up at the clear blue sky. The terrain around Tianque was very high, making one feel closer to the heavens. The weather was sunny today, with only a few scattered white clouds in the sky, making the sunlight particularly dazzling.
Jiang Yuhuo covered his forehead with his hand, squinted, and looked at the highest peak of Tianque Mountain in the distance, where a white tower was built on the mountainside.
On the White Pagoda, someone is standing on the outer corridor of the upper floor.
Jiang Yuhuo stood outside the competition arena at the foot of the White Pagoda.
The people on the tower look down.
The people below the tower looked up.
Their eyes seemed to meet for a fleeting moment, but being so far apart, neither recognized the other.
"Fishing lights on the Kunlun Mountains, it's your turn," the judge called out to her.
Jiang Yuhuo responded and was about to go over. Her view was only interrupted for a moment, but when Jiang Yuhuo looked up again, the person on the white pagoda was gone.
When it was her turn for the second round, it was another fast-paced battle, with less than half an incense stick's time between the rise and fall of the drums.
Jiang Yuhuo bowed again, sword in hand, "You are too kind."
Fast, too fast.
The spectators were still eager for more, wanting to see what other moves the two would make, but it ended in just two moves? Just two moves, and the match was over? What kind of overwhelming dominance was this?
All eyes were on the victorious woman in black. She deftly sheathed her sword, her figure tall and slender, but her face remained expressionless. Even after winning two matches, she showed no excitement or joy. Instead, she quickly left the arena for her group and went to another group to watch others compete.
"Hmph, it's just good luck." Ning Yu was also in the audience. Because of the draw system for the competition, he hadn't been able to fight Jiang Yuhuo, but after winning one match, he went around looking for Jiang Yuhuo's arena. He originally wanted to see her get beaten down, but those useless brats from aristocratic families had no skills at all, and were instead defeated by her in just a few sword strikes. He sneered at the spectators who were praising her, "Tomorrow won't be a day for her to win by luck."
Jiang Yuhuo was watching Lin Wuwang's match against the Tianque disciple. This was Lin Wuwang's second match. Lin Wuwang had won the first match against Tianque, but another Kunlun disciple had been eliminated. This Tianque disciple was clearly more difficult to deal with than the previous one.
In the arena, Lin Wuwang had been pushed to the edge by the Tianque disciple. The Tianque disciple's weapon was a short flute. The short flute was not as lethal as swords, but Lin Wuwang was suppressed by the opponent's spiritual power, and he could not use his sword moves in a continuous manner. He fought hesitantly during the battle.
Will they be eliminated in the first round again this time?
Lin Wuwang was filled with resentment. He had been eliminated in the first round last time, and five years later he still had the same result. He was truly ashamed to face his fellow disciples from Lingxiao Peak. Just as he was feeling disheartened, he suddenly saw Jiang Yuhuo in the crowd below the stage.
Jiang Yuhuo looked at him too, her clear black and white eyes showing no sympathy or pity. Her gaze was resolute, and she uttered four words. He couldn't hear them, but from her lip movements, he could tell that she said—"Across the four seas."
This is the sixth sword of the Kunlun Nine Swords, characterized by its overwhelming destructive power. When used at full strength, its sword energy possesses the power to swallow the sea, making it perfect for countering the spiritual power suppression of the Tianque disciples. Lin Wuwang was well aware of this, but his strength was insufficient to unleash "Across the Four Seas." In the few breaths pushed to the edge, countless thoughts flashed through Lin Wuwang's mind, and he finally decided to listen to Jiang Yuhuo.
Lin Wuwang channeled all his spiritual energy to pry open the opponent's suppression, finally finding an opening. This time, no matter how overwhelming the opponent's spiritual energy pressed down, he did not dodge, but focused on circulating his energy and concentrating his mind, waiting for the sword light to surge and soar into the sky.
The crowd below saw the black-clad cultivator ascend into the sky, his sword of light descending like lightning. The man and his sword plummeted like meteors towards the location of the white-robed immortal, carrying an unstoppable impact that sent the white-robed cultivator flying.
The battlefield changes in an instant. Lin Wuwang's attack was not the complete "Horizontal Strike Across the Four Seas", but it was enough to break the suppression of spiritual power. The opponent immediately showed signs of weakness. He pressed his advantage and knocked the opponent to the ground. Then, his sword swept across the battlefield, the tip pointing directly at the opponent's heart.
"Kunlun Mountain Forest is without fault, victory is assured." With the referee's shout, the outcome of the match was decided.
The spectators cheered and applauded, praising the truly spectacular comeback.
Lin Wuwang looked around for Jiang Yuhuo, but she had already turned to the other side of the arena. It seemed that she really just wanted to watch the match, rather than come to cheer him on.
Jiang Yuhuo watched four more battles involving Tianque disciples. Almost without exception, all the Tianque disciples possessed extraordinary spiritual power. Their killing moves might not be enough, but the spells they used with spiritual power were incredibly powerful. In fact, when experts clashed, they didn't even need weapons; victory was decided entirely by spells.
She knew she had weaknesses against them, and on her way back, she pondered how to compensate for them. She couldn't come up with a solution, but then the communication talisman on her body lit up.
Back at the inn, Jiang Yuhuo opened the communication talisman. It was from Wen Yizhan, and it read:
"How did the competition go, Junior Sister? I am about to head to the Heavenly Palace. I miss you, Junior Sister."
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