Chapter 134 The Sword Cultivator Finals: The Masks Are Lifted, Song Le Is Still Song Yin...
During this time, Qiu Shan would visit Nie Zhengchu whenever he had free time. With Nie Zhengchu's guidance, Yuwen Li felt that his disciple's strength would definitely improve to a higher level.
Only Qiu Shan knows the true extent of the training effect.
"Senior, what you taught me seems to be somewhat different from what the sect teaches?" Qiu Shan changed his sword practice method according to Nie Zhengchu's instructions.
It's not just somewhat different, it's completely different.
I heard that Nie Zhengchu was specially assigned by the ascended seniors of the Qingxuan Sect, and that he had received guidance from various ascended seniors of the Qingxuan Sect in the Upper Realm. If he had truly received guidance from the ascended seniors of the Qingxuan Sect, his swordsmanship should have shown traces of the Qingxuan Sect's swordsmanship, but his swordsmanship did not.
Based solely on Nie Zhengchu's swordsmanship, Qiu Shan began to doubt Nie Zhengchu.
Is he really from the upper realm?
Nie Zhengchu: "The sword techniques of the Immortal Realm are so exquisite. If your master hadn't begged me, you wouldn't have had the chance to learn from me. If you don't want to learn, you can go back. That way, I can have more free time to do my own things."
Qiu Shan apologized: "I'm sorry, senior. I shouldn't have said so much. I'll continue practicing my sword."
Nie Zhengchu turned around and listened to the sound of Qiu Shan's sword cutting through the air, and a sense of vigilance rose in his heart.
Training is over for today, and he can no longer teach Qiu Shan. He has become suspicious. If they discover that the swordsmanship he knows is different from that of the Qingxuan Sect, they might suspect his identity.
Caught a glimpse of Qiu Shan practicing his sword, Nie Zhengchu weighed whether or not to sacrifice this pawn.
Yuwen Li only had one disciple, Qiu Shan. If Yuwen Li found out that he had killed Qiu Shan, he would definitely seek revenge by any means necessary. Tsk, the master-disciple relationship in the cultivation world is really troublesome. It's just a disciple dying, so what? He can just take on some new disciples later.
So, they didn't kill Qiu Shan?
No, no, no. It's better to be safe than sorry. He's all alone in the cultivation world, and without the support of his own world, his situation is actually very dangerous. So he wants to nip any danger in the bud.
Qiu Shan must die, but not by his own hand.
Perhaps the final round of the Xuan Tian Tournament for sword cultivators would be a good opportunity. These are all geniuses selected through numerous trials, so it's normal for Qiu Shan to die unexpectedly at their hands.
Nie Zhengchu: "Qiu Shan, the finals for the sword cultivator group are almost here, right?"
Qiu Shan: "Replying to senior, the final is the day after tomorrow."
Nie Zhengchu said in a kind tone, "Do your best in the final. Your master and I are both looking forward to you winning first place."
Qiu Shan lowered his head and looked down, not wanting the other person to see his expression. "Yes."
...
The rest area of the Immortal Cloud Sect.
"The sect has sent word that they want to discuss the Nine Heavens Secret Realm slots you have," Qi Zibo said bluntly.
Song Yin's smile vanished instantly. "Who suggested this? And who has their eye on the spots we have?"
Shi Heming: "Elder Qi, our Xianxiao Sect originally had five spots. The spots for the Xuantian Assembly were earned by ourselves. There is no reason to work hard only to benefit others."
Qi Zibo: "I knew you wouldn't offer any spots, so I directly rejected your offer on your behalf."
Song Yin stood up and fawned over her, picking up the teacup. "Master, have some tea. You truly are my master. In my eyes, you are the best master."
Qi Zibo took the teacup and laughed, "You sycophant."
"After you refused, the sect must have said something else. Since they brought up the issue of quotas, there must be other things waiting for us." Shi Heming thought about many things in a short time. If they could refuse to hand over the quotas so easily, there must be other requirements later.
Qi Zibo: "You guessed right. Now you all know that there are many inheritances in the Nine Heavens Secret Realm. The sect leader wants you to enter the Nine Heavens Secret Realm to find more inheritances for the Immortal Firmament Sect. For a sect, the more inheritances, the better."
Song Yin: "It's a pretense that you want our quotas; your real intention is to find a successor for the sect. Sect Master, you're really something, playing these petty tricks on us. You could have just said it directly."
Qi Zibo: "I guess it's because your spots don't belong to the sect, but to you personally, so the sect leader can't directly give you orders. You should know that there are only five spots in the sect, and whoever gets them has to accept the task of finding the inheritance."
Song Yin said to Shi Heming, "I agree, what about you?" Since it's a search, there are two possibilities: finding it or not finding it.
The choice to seek help or not is entirely in your own hands.
Shi Heming also realized the key point and readily agreed: "Okay."
Qi Zibo said to Song Yin, "Next is a personal matter. Seeing how well you're doing in the sword cultivator group, you might even get another spot. What do you plan to do with the extra spot?"
Without hesitation, Song Yin said, "Give it to my senior brother. Didn't he and I both want five spots in the sect? If he doesn't get five spots, I'll give him the extra ones. If he does get them, I'll sell the extra ones to the sect leader at a high price."
Hehe, selling it to the sect leader allows me to extort money—no, I mean, make a fortune.
She had already prepared her explanation: the spots in the secret realm were rare, and more importantly, the endless rewards came with having a spot, so as for the price, those who know, know.
Qi Zibo: "It's good that you have a plan. Be careful in the upcoming matches. They are all elites from various sects, so it will be quite difficult."
Song Yin: "Don't worry, Master, I understand. Anyway, I already have a spot, so it doesn't matter whether I get this one in the sword cultivator group or not."
The various groups of the Xuan Tian Tournament were coming to an end one after another, and Song Yin went to watch Xia Xining's final match.
Xia Xining fought her way into the finals, which impressed many weapon cultivators.
Amidst the tension, Xia Xining faced off against a disciple of the Yuancang Sect. This disciple was also an experienced player, not a first-time participant in the Xuan Tian Tournament. Just when everyone thought Xia Xining would lose, her desperate counterattack allowed her to narrowly win first place in the weapon crafting group.
For a time, the Immortal Cloud Sect was unparalleled in its prowess. They had secured first place in the alchemy, talisman, and weapon crafting groups, and three disciples in the sword crafting group were still not eliminated; perhaps one of them would emerge as the champion.
The three who were not eliminated were Song Yin, Han Wuyue, and Ling Zixian.
Later, when only the sword cultivator group's matches were left, everyone gathered at the sword cultivator group's arena to watch the games.
The previously mentioned duel between disciples of the same sect has finally come to pass. Han Wuyue drew Ling Zixian, meaning one of them will inevitably be eliminated in their duel. One is a direct disciple of the inner sect's Lingpo Peak, and the other is a direct disciple of the main peak's sect leader. The duel between the two direct disciples of the two peaks has divided many Xianxiao Sect disciples who came to watch the match into two camps, one supporting Lingpo Peak and the other supporting the main peak.
Both were at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and their duel directly impacted the reputation of their respective peaks, making the battle extremely fierce. In the end, Han Wuyue, who cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness, emerged victorious and advanced to the finals.
"The final round of the sword cultivator group is always the most exciting part of every Xuan Tian Tournament. The duel between genius sword cultivators is not to be missed!"
"That's right. For the finals of the sword cultivator group, I specially bought several recording stones to try to record every exciting match."
"The Immortal Cloud Sect is extraordinary this year. In the six-to-three competition, if Han Wuyue and Ling Zixian hadn't been drawn as opponents, the final three might have all been Immortal Cloud Sect disciples."
"When did the sword cultivators of the Immortal Firmament Sect become so powerful?"
"The sword cultivators of the Immortal Firmament Sect have always been very powerful, right? The two peak masters of the outer sect are sword cultivators, and the two peak masters of the inner sect are sword cultivators. There are four sword cultivation lineages alone. Which of these lineages, which can stand alone as a peak, is not a top-tier lineage?"
"Stop arguing, everyone! Look, Qiu Shan and the others have made their appearance!"
"The Seven-Colored Masked Queen is amazing! She made it all the way to the finals. Does anyone know which sect she studied under at the Immortal Cloud Sect?"
"All I know is that Han Wuyue is a direct disciple of Lingpo Peak, an inner disciple of the Immortal Firmament Sect. The Seven-Colored Mask King is too mysterious. I asked the people in the Immortal Firmament Sect and they didn't know anything about him."
The audience is most curious about two things: the final ranking of the three and the lineage of the Seven-Colored Mask King.
The three took to the stage, and the audience cheered continuously.
Han Wuyue said to Song Yin, "We finally have a chance to fight."
"Sister, do you still remember what happened back then?" Song Yin's lips twitched, hidden behind the red mask.
The first of the three matches was between Han Wuyue and Qiu Shan.
The two entered the passage, and Song Yin looked at the water mirror from the outside.
Qiu Shan's swordsmanship, like her own, carried a strong killing intent. Song Yin was worried that Qiu Shan would inject his vital energy into Han Wuyue during the match, so she kept a close eye on Qiu Shan's movements.
Even after the entire match ended, Song Yin found it very strange that Qiu Shan hadn't used his full power against Han Wuyue.
"Qiu Shansheng, a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Qingxuan Sect of Zhongzhou!"
The duel between the two ended with Qiu Shan emerging victorious, prompting the Qingxuan Sect disciples in the audience to shout wildly.
"Qingxuan Sect! Qingxuan Sect! Qingxuan Sect!"
"Qiushan! Qiushan! Qiushan!"
"So what if two people from the Immortal Firmament Sect made it to the finals? The first place will definitely go to our Azure Profound Sect!"
"With Qiu Shan here, our Qingxuan Sect will not lose!"
"Qiu Shan! Qingxuan Sect!"
After Han Wuyue came out, Song Yin immediately sent her the pills.
Song Yin: "You have two incense sticks' worth of time to adjust your breathing before the start of the second match. The pills will help you recover to your peak condition, so hurry up and adjust your breathing."
Han Wuyue accepted the pill and joked, "The second match is between you and me, so why are you still so eager to get me back to my peak condition?"
"Eat your pills!" Song Yin raised an eyebrow, surprised that Han Wuyue had such a lively side, making her seem more human. She probably got too caught up in the fight and forgot to maintain her persona afterward.
While Han Wuyue was adjusting her breathing, she was reviewing the battle. She had prepared herself for Qiu Shan to kill her when she lost the match, but Qiu Shan did not kill her. Moreover, Qiu Shan did not show any killing intent throughout the battle, which was very strange.
Han Wuyue: "Qiu Shan..."
Song Yin: "Hmm? What happened to Qiu Shan?"
Han Wuyue composed herself and said, "It's nothing. Maybe I'm overthinking it."
Song Yin's actions have undoubtedly sparked more discussion.
"The disciples of the Immortal Cloud Sect have a good relationship. Song Le actually took the initiative to give Han Wuyue a recovery pill."
"Tch, who knows if there's anything else added to the pills."
"You have a truly dark heart," Xia Xining couldn't help but retort. "Can't those two be friends?"
"Ah! You're Xia Xining, the number one weapon cultivator?! Senior Xia, do you take on disciples?"
Xia Xining said expressionlessly, "I won't accept it."
On the other side of Qiushan, Yuwen Li led him to a less crowded place, set up a barrier, and then asked him.
"You didn't infuse Han Wuyue with vital energy?"
Qiu Shan: "Reporting to Master, the vital energy has been injected. It was just rather subtle, happening in an instant."
Yuwen Li nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad, don't disappoint me and Senior Nie."
Qiu Shan hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "This disciple understands."
After Yuwen Li walked away, Qiu Shan turned the ring on his hand, and both strands of vital energy were still inside. Because he hadn't listened to his master, he felt extremely guilty and uneasy, and he almost gave himself away when he lied to his master earlier.
Qiu Shan turned around and said, "I'm sorry, Master, Nie Zhengchu is really suspicious. I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you for now."
The time it takes for two incense sticks to burn quickly came to an end, and Song Yin and Han Wuyue entered the passage.
The two exchanged blows after entering. Qiu Shan walked to a spot where he could see the water mirror, quietly waiting for the duel to end while also adjusting his breathing.
His battle with Han Wuyue had injured him, and he needed to recover his spiritual energy quickly due to excessive consumption.
The two fought a truly spectacular battle, and Qiu Shan kept his eyes glued to Shui Jing.
Sword flashes continued, each move precisely targeting weaknesses. The clash of swords produced a crisp sound that made one's ears ring. In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.
Han Wuyue's eyes grew brighter as she fought, "I knew it! Your swordsmanship is definitely not weaker than any sword cultivator in the sect!" Song Yin really hid it well. So many disciples in the sect only paid attention to her alchemy skills and never paid attention to her swordsmanship. Of course, it was also because Song Yin never showed off in front of outsiders.
The ordinary disciples of Wujian Peak: We know! We know! We've told others before, but nobody believed us!
Song Yin parried precisely, secretly thinking that she might as well not lose the match. "Spare me, your swordsmanship is just as good."
Han Wuyue changed her moves and attacked from the side, "That won't do. Show your full strength. If you're a sword cultivator, then have a fair and square fight!"
Just as Song Yin was about to say something infuriating, Han Wuyue interrupted her, "Don't say you're not a sword cultivator again!"
Song Yin felt embarrassed; how did she guess what she was going to say so quickly?
"Song Le, a sword cultivator, actually said he wasn't a sword cultivator?" The sword cultivators in the audience immediately felt indignant. "How can a sword cultivator deny his identity! Song Le's behavior is outrageous!"
"That's right, that's right. Sword cultivators are upright and honorable. What I'm most proud of when I go out is my identity as a sword cultivator!"
"Is it possible that she's telling the truth?" asked a timid ordinary disciple from Wujian Peak who had come to Tianyao Holy City to watch the match.
"Ha! Look at her exquisite swordsmanship, who would believe she's not a swordsman?"
The ordinary disciples of Wujian Peak shook their heads and sighed, looking like they were the only ones who were sober in a world of drunks. "Fine, whatever you say goes."
Qiu Shan couldn't bear to look away for even a moment.
In the final moments, the two charged head-on at each other, kicking up a large cloud of dust.
As the smoke cleared, everyone could see the scene clearly. Song Le's sword was pressed against Han Wuyue's neck, while Han Wuyue's sword lay two meters away, her hand that had been used to remove the sword still trembling slightly.
Han Wuyue let out a long sigh of relief and said frankly, "I lost."
The realm of man and sword as one truly lives up to its name.
Han Wuyue lost two matches in a row and ranked third. The remaining match is between Song Yin and Qiu Shan for first place.
After the same amount of time it takes to burn two incense sticks, Song Yin took the elixir and began meditating.
The disciples of the Immortal Firmament Sect in the audience were dumbfounded.
To the uninformed, Song Le, who appeared out of nowhere, defeated the top disciple of Lingpo Peak. To those in the know, a pill cultivator defeated a sword cultivator.
Either way, it's equally unbelievable.
"So who exactly is Song Le? Is she an inner disciple or an outer disciple? My goodness, this is terrifying! That's Han Wuyue!"
An ordinary disciple from Wujian Peak sighed, thinking to himself, "If you knew she was a direct disciple of Danque Peak, I wonder what you would think."
Qi Zibo smiled and said to Elder Ji, "I didn't expect my disciple to actually beat your disciple. You flatter me."
Elder Ji remained calm and did not react negatively to Qi Zibo's boastful words. He nodded slightly and said, "He is undoubtedly the number one among the younger generation of the Immortal Firmament Sect."
Qi Zibo's boastful mood subsided, and he clicked his tongue, "You're really boring."
Elder Ji: "If you're trying to make me feel envious, defensive, or angry, then I'm sorry, I don't have those emotions."
Qi Zibo said, “You are a human, not a god. You don’t need to be without desires.” He pointed at Elder Ji and said to the others, “You’ve definitely been driven mad by the ruthless path.”
Yuwen Li watched silently as the two elders of the Immortal Cloud Sect engaged in their subtle power struggle, smiling without uttering a word.
Soon the third and final match began.
Song Yin adjusted her red mask and stepped steadily into the passage.
His aura was completely different when he fought against Han Wuyue; it underwent a dramatic change.
Qiu Shan clenched his fist to sense the spiritual energy within his body. He had not fully recovered, but he had other plans, and Song Le was an indispensable part of them.
It's really laughable. Just a few days ago, I was telling my master that Song Le had to be eliminated, but today I need her help.
"I know who you are?"
Song Yin, ready to respond at any moment: ?
Dude, what are you talking about?
Qiu Shan transmitted his voice: "You have the vital energy I injected into your body."
No? What are you saying?!
Song Yin's pupils dilated in shock. Had Qiu Shan lost his mind?
Qiu Shan continued to transmit his voice: "You are Song Yin."
Song Yin transmitted her voice: "My name is Song Le."
Qiu Shan transmitted his voice: "I know you are Song Yin. Just because others can't tell doesn't mean I can't."
Song Yin transmitted her voice: "What exactly do you want to say? Just one word, are you going to fight or not?" Qiu Shan seems to have something wrong with his head. What does he want by deliberately saying these things?
Qiu Shan's sudden words completely disrupted the rhythm of the Song tone.
"Take this!" Qiu Shan's reply was his own sword.
Song Yin nimbly dodged the attack, simultaneously thrusting her Qingyang Sword at Qiu Shan. Qiu Shan performed a somersault, avoiding Song Yin's strike.
Different types of spiritual energy collided along the sword, causing the two people's robes to flutter. Song Yin focused her sword energy on one point and unleashed a sword strike that seemed to swallow mountains and rivers.
Qiu Shan rotated his wrist, raised his sword to parry, and his feet slid backward uncontrollably.
If they continued, Song Yin's attack would break through their defenses. Qiu Shan immediately turned to the side to avoid Song Yin's unstoppable attack.
The next second, the sound of the giant object collapsing rang out.
"boom--"
The mountain behind them was cleaved in two by Song Yin's sword, as if a passage had been carved out.
"Grandmaster, Song Le's sword strike was too powerful! I've never seen her use it before! Could it be that she was holding back all along?!"
"From now on, we'll clear the way and find sword cultivators."
"Don't go to the sword cultivator for everything!"
Qiu Shan felt a wave of fear wash over him. He had never seen Song Yin use this move before, and it wasn't even part of the Immortal Cloud Sect's inherited sword techniques.
Qiu Shan: "Who is your master and who taught you your swordsmanship?"
Song Yin didn't give him a chance to talk nonsense, and launched another round of attacks on Qiu Shan, saying, "I learned from myself."
He created his own sword technique, which is exactly what he learned from himself.
"Huh?" Qiu Shan was stunned for a moment before unleashing his strongest sword strike.
Song Yin was knocked away, and the trees behind her blocked her retreat.
Qiu Shan transmitted his voice: "I have no intention of being your enemy, but rather I have something to discuss with you. I don't know why the Yuan Qi in your body hasn't manifested; perhaps you have a way to suppress it. But Yuan Qi is extremely harmful; many disciples of your Xianxiao Sect have had their Yuan Qi stolen by us."
Song Yin gripped the Qingyang Sword tightly and transmitted her voice: "Get to the point."
Qiu Shan transmitted his voice: "If you have a way to counter this, I would like to ask you to teach it to other people who have been ambushed by Yuan Qi."
Song Yin transmitted her voice: "Your attitude has changed too much. Many contestants have died by your sword. I don't believe you."
Qiu Shan was speechless for a moment, and a sense of powerlessness swept over him.
The people he had killed before became evidence that Song Yin did not trust him, but since Nie Zhengchu was not from the Immortal Realm, he had no reason to do his best to help the Qingxuan Sect.
Qiu Shan realized that Nie Zhengchu was likely planning something bigger.
He dared not imagine what the future of the cultivation world would be like if the future pillars of each sect were truly severed. However, his master trusted Nie Zhengchu completely, so his words would be of no use.
It's all his fault for not discovering Nie Zhengchu's flaws sooner. If only he had been more careful, if only the entire sect had been more careful.
At this moment, Qiu Shan thought of the peak that was currently the most ostracized in the sect. That elder had never trusted Nie Zhengchu and had advised others to be vigilant, but no one listened. Everyone was blinded by the people from the upper realm.
Nie Zhengchu hid among the audience, his arms crossed over his chest, his fingertips rhythmically tapping his arms.
Five, four, three, two, one.
In the water mirror, Qiu Shan swayed, clutched his chest, and collapsed to one knee, exhausted.
"What happened? How did Qiu Shan collapse?"
"Could it be that Song Le's sword strike just now injured him?"
"What should I do? I'm so nervous! Is Qiu Shan going to lose? My palms are sweating!"
Yuwen Li clenched his fist, watching the situation with tension.
Song Yin would not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and thrust the Qingyang Sword toward Qiu Shan's heart.
"Pfft, cough cough..." Qiu Shan coughed up a mouthful of blood, which stained his entire chin.
Is he going to die? Could it be that something is wrong with his body too? But he hasn't told his master, Nie Zhengchu, anything yet.
Qiu Shan placed his hopes on Song Yin, weakly transmitting his voice: "Tell...tell my master that Nie Zhengchu is not from the Upper Realm. I have no strength to resist now, I'm about to die, I can only beg...beg you!"
Song Yin wouldn't let him go, and he had no chance to leave a last message for his master. The only one he could ask for help from was his opponent in the final.
He regretted it; he regretted not telling his master sooner instead of hiding it.
In the instant his body experienced an unexpected incident, Qiu Shan immediately thought of vital energy; perhaps Nie Zhengchu had already implanted vital energy within him.
Unfortunately, he had not yet figured out Nie Zhengchu's true purpose...
Song Yin's expression was blank, and her mind was in complete chaos.
wrong!
No, no!
Qiu Shan's reaction was too strange. Her fighting power today was completely different from usual. She was able to kill him without even using her full strength.
And then there was Han Wuyue's reaction earlier. She clearly wanted to talk about Qiu Shan, but in the end she didn't. Perhaps she also noticed Qiu Shan's strangeness during their duel!
Nie Zhengchu, he said Nie Zhengchu is not from the upper realm, why is he so sure?
Everything is shrouded in mystery, and Qiu Shan really can't die now.
Song Yin was caught in a dilemma, but she hesitated for only two or three seconds before gritting her teeth and taking out a healing pill, which she then swallowed into his mouth. She used the vital wood-attribute spiritual energy to protect his heart meridian. At the same time, she took the sword from his hand and sealed several acupoints, rendering him unable to fight back even if he survived.
Qiu Shan realized that Song Yin was saving him. With a flick of his finger, he used his limited spiritual energy to remove the red mask from the person in front of him.
A familiar face, a familiar red mole between the eyebrows.
"You really are Song Yin."
Song Yin froze, drew her Qingyang sword, ignoring the bloody holes in Qiu Shan's body, "I kindly saved you, and you actually lifted my mask?"
Things happened so fast that the audience outside fell silent the moment the mask was removed.
When they saw the real faces behind the masks, many people rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
"I...I...I can't believe my eyes, right? Isn't that Song Yin? I watched the whole Danxiu group finals and I remember her face clearly."
"Brother, I'm totally confused too!"
The disciples of Wujian Peak: Thank you, that feels good. Now the fellow disciples of Xianxiao Sect should believe what they said.
"No, she is Song Yin!"
"That's not right! Isn't Song Yin a pill cultivator?!"
"Help! My mind is a complete mess! Why do Song Le and Song Yin look exactly alike?!"
"Stop dwelling on that, the question is whether Qiu Shan lost or not!"
"I'm so conflicted! Isn't Song Yin a pill refiner?! Who exactly is that person in the water mirror?!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Qi Zibo pointed at himself: "The elders are fighting amongst themselves? Huh? Me? Me and Elder Ji? Is Zun Du or a fake Zun Du?" [Question mark]
Elder Ji exuded a faint sense of human-machine interaction; there was no doubt that his emotions were truly very stable, as if Kapibal had come to life.
Unsuspecting viewers: Stop pretending to be Song Yin! You're Song Yin's master! Tell us quickly, is Song Le really Song Yin?! [Crying]
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[Empty bowl]
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