Upon arriving at the territory of Zizai Gate, the local customs finally improved, and Ouyang Feng and his two companions breathed a sigh of relief.
Having received prior notice, Abbot Wuya of the Zizai Sect was already waiting at the door to greet him: "Great Hero Ouyang, your arrival is an honor to us. I have failed to welcome you properly."
"Abbot Wuya is too kind."
"Please come in, Master Ouyang. Sect Master Shan of the Divine Sun Sect arrived yesterday."
Ouyang Feng and the others followed behind, unable to resist looking around with curiosity.
The Zizai Sect is not entirely composed of monks; it also includes some lay disciples who have not shaved their heads. Furthermore, not all monks and lay disciples practice martial arts; the sect is divided into scholar monks and martial monks.
Compared to the martial arts practitioners they had encountered along the way, the masters of Zizaimen had clear and upright eyes, and all looked kind and benevolent. No wonder the martial arts tournament was held here.
“Young benefactors, please follow this monk to rest.”
More than fifty people came to Linghe Valley, and it was impossible for them all to go with the guests. Just accommodating them would require several courtyards.
Ouyang Wan had already started calculating how much food the Zizai Sect would consume during this martial arts tournament alone, and how long the monks would have to keep busy. Although they weren't eating and drinking for free, just entertaining them would require a lot of effort.
"Although the monks were very polite, most of them didn't seem to be looking forward to the martial arts tournament."
"It's very simple. The masters love peace and quiet. Didn't Master's wife say before that Master Wuya doesn't like to get involved in the conflicts of the martial world? I guess the masters of Zizai Sect are all similar to Master Wuya in temperament. This time, everyone said that the masters of Zizai Sect are the most fair and insisted on holding the event here. I guess they had no choice."
"What a disaster!" Yin Shihuai sighed softly, leaning against the door frame with his sword in his arms. "In the end, it's probably just my master, the sect leader of Shenyang Sect, the master of Wuxiang Manor, and the other sects from the Four Directions Sect. They're all hot-blooded and have their own ulterior motives. It would be a miracle if they could come together to deal with the cult."
"Junior brother, this is the Freedom Sect, don't let anyone hear us."
"Okay, I won't say anything more."
The three of them put their luggage away. Because there were many people from the Zaimen Sect these past few days, including some major sects and some smaller forces, they stayed in the courtyard to avoid causing trouble for the masters. When they got bored, they practiced their swordsmanship with each other.
“Brother Ouyang, your disciple is truly diligent. He started practicing swordsmanship as soon as he arrived. Unlike my son, who won’t move unless called.” Ouyang Zhen and Shan Jiangchuan walked in while Ouyang Feng and Yin Shihuai were sparring.
"No, I think Zhengguang is also a leading figure among the younger generation."
"Then why don't we let the two of them have a competition?" Shan Jiangchuan suddenly said.
As soon as he finished speaking, Ouyang Feng met Shan Zhengguang's eager gaze.
Ouyang Zhen laughed and said, "Your son is a few years older than my eldest disciple, so you'd better go easy on him later."
"No, it's just a friendly spar, so naturally we won't hurt each other."
The two agreed to fight, and Ouyang Feng was naturally not afraid. He had always competed with the disciples in the valley and only occasionally received personal guidance from Uncle Shangguan. He also wanted to try out the techniques of other sects.
"Then let's go to the training ground, lest we damage the masters' things here."
"That suits me perfectly. The martial arts tournament is about to begin, so let them warm up the atmosphere."
The excitement quickly spread throughout the Zizai Sect. Even before the training began, the training ground was surrounded by crowds of people, with many masters maintaining order.
"I'm not too late, am I?" Just as Ouyang Feng and Shan Zhengguang were about to make their move, Zhuge Chun, the owner of Wuxiang Manor, arrived with his son Zhuge Zhi.
"Brother Zhuge, it's not too late. It's a good time to give these two juniors some pointers."
"Not at all, I'd like you to give my Zhi'er some pointers later."
Zhuge Zhi looked a few years older than Ouyang Feng, and about the same age as Shan Zhengguang, the young sect leader of Shenyang Sect.
Ouyang Wan frowned and said, "Isn't the youngest senior brother at a disadvantage?"
"Don't worry." Yin Shihuai was not flustered at all. "We should trust our eldest brother. Our master's wife said that in terms of talent, comprehension, and diligence, few people in this world can compare to our eldest brother."
Ouyang Wan nodded: "What you said makes sense. It's a good opportunity for us to see the strength of the younger generation of disciples from each sect."
Although young, Ouyang Feng had already grown into a dashing and debonair figure. He lightly tapped the stone steps twice and then leaped onto the martial arts stage. He then casually twirled his sword, drawing cheers from the audience.
"Senior Brother Shan, please give me your guidance."
As the young sect leader of the Shenyang Sect, Shan Zhengguang was naturally not intimidated: "Junior Brother Ouyang, please."
The Shenyang Sect also uses swords, but unlike the agile and varied Linghe Sword Technique of Linghe Valley, the Shenyang Sword Technique appears more fierce. Moreover, they are skilled in using heavy swords, and each strike carries powerful internal force.
"Good!" Everyone cheered for the Divine Sun Sword Technique, feeling that Shan Zhengguang truly deserved to be the young sect master of the Divine Sun Sect.
Ouyang Zhen nodded at Shan Jiangchuan, "You're even more capable than you were back then."
Dan Jiangchuan's smile grew wider: "To receive your praise, all these years of hard work in martial arts training have been worth it. Your eldest disciple is no less impressive; his Linghe Lightness Skill is graceful and agile, truly remarkable."
Indeed, even now, Ouyang Feng is still avoiding the fight and hasn't confronted it directly. This made Ouyang Zhen frown, thinking that he had really been corrupted by Song Xia. However, with so many people present, he couldn't say it directly.
He had no choice but to shift the blame: "I've been in seclusion for the past few years, and it's all been their master's wife who's been teaching me."
Just as he finished speaking, Ouyang Feng's figure finally changed, and he also began to fight head-on with sword moves. This move caught Shan Zhengguang off guard.
"Bravo!" The cheers from the audience grew louder and louder, as they cheered for Ouyang Feng.
Dan Jiangchuan's expression suddenly became more serious, while Ouyang Zhen relaxed his expression slightly.
Ouyang Wan and Yin Shihuai whispered to each other, "We knew they would underestimate Senior Brother at first, little did they know that he was actually observing Shan Zhengguang's moves!"
Yin Shihuai responded, "Shan Zhengguang's moves look fierce, but they also expose many weaknesses. Senior Brother is about to win."
"Let them look down on us. Do you think Linghe Valley is easy to bully?"
Yin Shihuai thought to himself, he had just glanced at his master's expression, and it was clear that his master was not only dissatisfied with outsiders, but also with his eldest brother!
"Look, Shan Zhengguang can't hold on anymore. You know, even Uncle Shangguan was a little overwhelmed by Senior Brother's sword moves."
At this moment, the stage was filled with the light of swords. Ouyang Feng's movements were so fast that they were almost invisible. Then, with a soft cry, Shan Zhengguang's heavy sword was knocked to the ground.
Ouyang Feng smiled slightly, his youthful chivalry already evident: "Senior Brother Shan, you flatter me."
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