Chapter 98 The Grand Competition 1 The spirit fire is good, it's mine.
The Jade Cloud Sect's Grand Competition is a contest between disciples of the same cultivation level. Lower-level disciples can challenge higher-level disciples, but higher-level disciples cannot actively challenge those with lower cultivation levels. However, Jiang Yun and Xu Xing are both in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, which happens to meet the rule.
The challenger cannot refuse; they must either accept the challenge or concede defeat.
"Xu Xing from Frost Peak? That disciple with five spiritual roots?"
“I know her. She has already reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Such a level of cultivation is extremely difficult for someone with five spiritual roots.”
"She's the only disciple in the inner sect with five spiritual roots! I really envy her for being chosen by Peak Master Li Shuang."
"..."
A cultivator's heightened senses allowed Xu Xing to clearly hear the whispers of the surrounding disciples. She couldn't refuse this challenge, but it just so happened to be the Extreme Fire Peak...
In the past, the disciples of Jihuo Peak had caused trouble for the shop, and now they had specifically named her to challenge her. It was hard for her not to suspect that there was some kind of scheme involved.
"Sword Master Li Shuang is the number one sword cultivator in this world. I have long admired her. To become her disciple, I must have extraordinary abilities. Please give me a chance to learn from her."
Jiang Yun's clear voice resounded across the high platform, while Xu Xing's delay in going upstairs had already drawn everyone's attention.
"Is the peak master of Frost Peak actually a Sword Master? I've never heard of her before."
"That senior has always been low-key. A few years ago, I didn't even know that there was a Frost Peak in the inner sect!"
"Why hasn't she accepted the challenge yet? Surely she's not afraid?"
Shen Du glanced coldly at the female cultivator on the platform and immediately noticed that her fire spirit was extremely abundant, unlike what a mid-Foundation Establishment disciple could possess. Moreover, the power of her Red Lotus Karmic Fire was so great that even a Golden Core cultivator would have to treat it with caution.
For many years, my junior sister has devoted herself to the art of alchemy and weapon crafting, and is not skilled in combat. If...
Jin Chu, sitting alone in a corner of the high platform, frowned, sensing that something was amiss.
The arena for this competition has been set up with restrictions. Apart from commonly used weapons, other external items such as pills and magical artifacts cannot be used during the competition, unless those magical artifacts were personally crafted by the disciples who entered the arena.
Shen Du looked at Xu Xing, pursed his lips slightly, but did not speak to dissuade him. He knew his junior sister's temperament; although she disliked fighting, she would never back down. The other party deliberately brought up their master to provoke her, and for the sake of their master's reputation, his junior sister would accept the challenge.
"This disciple of Extreme Fire Peak has concealed her cultivation level using a secret technique. She is definitely not just at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Do not engage her."
Jin Chu's voice suddenly rang in Xu Xing's mind.
Xu Xing's expression shifted slightly, but he said nothing. He simply smiled reassuringly at his senior brother, who looked worried, before stepping down from his seat and walking toward the arena.
Jiang Yun looked at Xu Xing coldly. He wouldn't even ride his sword onto the platform. How dare he look down on her like that?
Jiang Yun's gaze met someone's on the high platform. She lowered her eyes, and the crimson lotus flame in her hand burned even brighter.
"Walking so slowly, is she trying to provoke us?"
"But everyone's looking at her! I think she looks kind of cool? Maybe I should try stepping into the ring next time."
To be fair, Xu's walking speed was not slow, but compared with the other disciples who mostly flew up, his serious step-by-step ascent stood out.
The disciples whispered among themselves, and Xu Xing became the focus of everyone's attention. She seemed calm and composed, but in reality, she was secretly suffering.
If she had known this would happen, she would have learned sword flying properly from her senior brother back then. Because she often slacked off since she could fly with Yin Xue and Qing, she is now still unsteady and clumsy when flying on a sword. If she were to actually fly on a sword now, she would probably embarrass her master.
"Now even a Foundation Establishment junior dares to look down on Extreme Fire Peak?" Kan Yuanyi glanced at the man beside her. "He's just like that rude girl named Wen Yao."
Zhu Xingyou smiled slightly, his handsome face seemingly bathed in a soft glow. He knelt at Kan Yuanyi's feet, looked up, and gently advised, "Don't get angry over irrelevant people."
Seeing his flawless face, Kan Yuanyi felt much better, but the thought that there was a wild girl in the inner sect who not only looked three parts like him, but was even related by blood, made her furious.
If it weren't for...
Kan Yuanyi glanced at Jing Yu and Wen Yao, who looked worried, and snorted softly before falling silent.
Amidst the intense attention of the crowd, Xu Xing walked step by step onto the stage. She drew her Snow Sword and nodded to Jiang Yun.
Jiang Yun, who had been waiting impatiently, revealed a "gentle" smile, but there was no smile in her eyes. "Thank you for accepting the challenge, Fellow Daoist Xu. It is my honor to compete with an inner disciple of Li Shuang Peak."
Before Xu Xing could respond, she raised her hand and sent several streaks of fire straight toward Xu Xing's face. The two stopped their feigned pleasantries and started fighting immediately.
Xu Xing wasn't a sword cultivator, but he had learned a few sword techniques from his senior brother. However, he was a bit clumsy in dealing with the situation, and his moves were somewhat chaotic...
Her swordsmanship, with its sudden thrusts and jabs, attracted the attention of many, especially sword cultivators.
"Is she a sword cultivator? Hmm, her swordsmanship seems quite rusty..."
"It's definitely not a sword cultivator! What kind of nonsense is this?"
Although Xu Xing's swordsmanship was not proficient, with the support of his spiritual power, he was able to fight Jiang Yun to a standstill. The two exchanged blows and were deadlocked for a time.
As the crowd watched, they even began to praise Xu Xing.
"Although both are in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, Senior Sister Jiang has a single spiritual root, while Junior Sister Xu has five spiritual roots. If you ask me, Junior Sister Xu is still better."
"That's not quite right. The outcome is still uncertain, but I feel like they're playing so weakly that I'm almost falling asleep watching them."
Jiang Yun wasn't there to let Xu Xing show off. After cautiously testing him a few times at first, she realized that he was clearly a good-for-nothing, and his swordsmanship was so poor that people would laugh at him!
She narrowed her eyes slightly, her aura surged, and a red lotus bloomed behind her. Countless crimson petals swept over the sky, and Xu Xing was unable to dodge in time. A few petals landed on her, even burning several holes in her magic robe, which was fully upgraded with defensive power.
The spectacular display of the Red Lotus Karmic Fire drew gasps of amazement from the crowd. The situation suddenly changed, and Xu Xing was soon unable to withstand the onslaught, gradually retreating to the edge of the arena.
Xu Xing's right hand, which was holding the sword, trembled slightly. She coughed twice, barely extinguishing the flames on her sleeve, and without saying a word, she raised her sword and attacked Jiang Yun again.
But Jiang Yun had already lost patience. It was absurd that her master would ask her to take action against such a weak and useless person with such low cultivation.
"Bang--"
With a casual wave of her hand, Jiang Yun's right hand transformed into a giant fiery hand, slamming Xu Xing heavily onto the arena.
"slowly!"
Wen Yao suddenly stood up, but was pulled back by her senior sister. "A Yao, unless she admits defeat, no one else can interfere with the competition. Calm down. With so many people watching, Jiang Jun won't kill you."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Jiang Yun would indeed not kill Xu Xing, but no one knew that the blazing flames had already quietly entered Xu Xing's meridians, invaded her internal organs, and were burning her body.
Xu Xing's spiritual energy was rapidly draining away as the red lotus burned her; if this continued, she would surely be seriously injured.
"I have admired Sword Master Li Shuang for many years, but I never expected that the swordsmanship of her personally taught disciple would be so mediocre." Jiang Yun's eyes showed disappointment. "Could it be that Fellow Daoist Xu is worried about hurting me and is unwilling to go all out?"
Shen Du stared intently at the stage, his gaze icy. Something was wrong. His junior sister wouldn't do something like this. What was she planning to do?
"Give up."
With a sneer, Jiang Yun looked at Xu Xing with disdain. Her arms were engulfed in flames as she slowly approached her, pinching her chin. "After all... there are differences in quality even among those in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage."
"Since she refuses to use the magic weapon, then cripple her. With your master here, you will be fine."
Upon receiving Kan Yuanyi's telepathic message again, Jiang Yun's expression hardened. She glanced at the stage without leaving a trace before quietly looking away.
Looking at Xu Xing again, her previously contemptuous gaze now held a hint of pity. She couldn't disobey her master's orders, so she had no choice but to use drastic measures.
Under Jiang Yun's offensive, Xu Xing was forced to retreat steadily and was already exhausted.
"The disciples of Extreme Fire Peak are indeed very strong!"
"Five spiritual roots are still not enough. No wonder the Immortal Academy has never accepted disciples with five spiritual roots. The gap is too big."
Just as Jiang Yun was about to completely crush Xu Xing's bones and cause her to suffer a crushing defeat in front of everyone, the Snowless Sword in Xu Xing's hand flashed with cold light, and frost was released. Ice and fire merged, and as the heat rose, the red lotus disappeared without a trace.
"To be clear, my swordsmanship was not taught by my master."
Xu Xing wiped the blood from his mouth and, despite the burning pain in his body, actually laughed. "I'm not a sword cultivator. If you want to learn Master's swordsmanship, you should go find my senior brother."
In an instant, everyone's gaze turned to the other disciple of Li Shuang Peak. Li Shuang Peak only had two disciples. If she wasn't taught by the Sword Master, then her clumsy swordsmanship must have come from the Shen Du Sect, the one who attracted the Nine Heavens Thunder.
Facing the undisguised gazes around him, Chen Du slightly curled his lips and even nodded gently, his expression calm and composed.
Yes, he taught me.
"However, my master taught me other techniques, so I'm here to exchange them with Fellow Daoist Jiang."
Jiang Yun was testing her background, but Xu Xing was also testing Jiang Yun. The other party had set up a stage, and their performance was excellent; she couldn't let them leave disappointed.
Let them see that not only is Master's swordsmanship superb, but the Five Elements Techniques he taught her are also extremely powerful!
The next moment, countless vines shot into the sky from the arena, and with a flash of green light, Xu Xing's figure disappeared.
Jiang Jun felt as if her feet were sinking into a quagmire. Looking down, she saw that the once smooth ground had suddenly become covered with thick mud, which had wrapped around her legs and made her sink deeper and deeper, leaving her unable to move for a moment.
"Are these modified Wood Release and Earth Trapping Techniques?"
"A trivial skill!"
Jiang Yun's gaze turned cold. The crimson lotus fire instantly burned the soil into flying flames. She accurately found the vine where Xu Xing was hiding. Just as she was about to make her move, a torrential downpour suddenly began, and at the same time, fine needles formed from flames were hidden among them. Thick fog rose up, and Xu Xing hid again.
The fire needles, concealing black flames, were of unknown origin and were no less powerful than her Red Lotus Karmic Fire. Due to her momentary underestimation of the enemy, a large area of Jiang Yun's clothes, despite her exceptional skill in controlling fire, was scorched.
"Is the inheritance of Frost Peak just about hiding and running? If you have the guts, you should face me head-on!" Always proud of her unique spiritual fire, Jiang Yun had never suffered such a loss at the hands of a Foundation Establishment disciple before. Her anger surged, and she shouted fiercely at the sky.
Xu Xing's voice came from all directions, "I have five spiritual roots, wouldn't it be better to ask Fellow Daoist Jiang to take a look at my five spiritual techniques?"
What a joke! Jiang Yun, a Golden Core cultivator, disguised himself as a Foundation Establishment cultivator to fight her without feeling embarrassed. What's wrong with her using the Five Elements Techniques taught by her master?
"She unleashed all five elements of spiritual power in such a short time. Is Xu Xing a cultivator of all five elements?!"
"I remember she was a disciple of the previous Immortal Dao Academy, she's only been a disciple for about ten years, right?"
Jin Chu chuckled lightly, realizing he had underestimated Xu Xing. No wonder Fu Shuang valued her so highly; she was not only excellent in alchemy and crafting, but also had impressive cultivation.
Even the Venerable Linghua, who was seated at the head of the table, spoke up, "This female disciple is named Xu Xing?"
Ning Wenbin immediately replied, "Yes, Sect Master."
Linghua nodded slightly, "Fushuang has good taste."
This was not a question he could answer. Ning Wenbin remained silent out of timidity, but his gaze swept over Kan Yuanyi, whose expression remained unchanged.
Although this peak master of Extreme Fire Peak is arrogant, unrestrained, and ruthless, he never does anything without certainty. His attack today is probably not so simple.
That disciple of Extreme Fire Peak named Jiang Yun was clearly...
Jiang Jun's eyes blazed with fury, but she calmed down. Since things had come to this, she had no choice but to use her trump card. She shouldn't have taken Xu Xing's life on the stage, but she couldn't care less now!
In an instant, crimson flames rose up, she closed her eyes, and her whole body transformed into a fire person, completely merging with the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, and the entire arena was submerged in a sea of fire!
"With such flames, is Jiang Yun really only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage?"
"Yeah, something's not right, is it?"
Faced with the doubts of these cultivators, an elder from the Thousand Machines Academy calmly took out a disc and shone it on the stage, which quickly revealed the cultivation levels of the two people on the stage, which were undoubtedly at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
“There are always exceptionally talented disciples, so you need not worry.”
"Enough!"
Jiang Yun was filled with disgust and even regretted agreeing to do this for her master. She had been focused on cultivation, but now she had to fight so badly with a Foundation Establishment disciple in front of everyone, which made her lose all face.
"It's time to end this farce."
Walking slowly through the sea of fire left him nowhere to hide. Jiang Yun sneered, opened his arms, and endless flames swept over the sky!
This was clearly a full-force attack from a Golden Core cultivator! With an icy expression, Shen Du stood up, his Xuan Yue Sword already drawn. Just then, the stage suddenly became empty.
"Whoosh—"
As if witnessing something unbelievable, Jiang Jun's eyes widened suddenly, forgetting even to breathe. Her prized flame, the Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame that could even burn a Golden Core cultivator to ashes, had vanished so easily...
It was completely sucked clean.
Xu Xing shook the Fire-Gathering Bottle and smiled, "I forgot to mention, I really like Fellow Daoist Jiang's spiritual fire."
She could even absorb Rong Jun's blazing flames, so absorbing this Red Lotus Karmic Fire would naturally be no problem for her.
"She actually used a magic weapon?! This violates the competition rules!" A disciple of Extreme Fire Peak stood up and pointed at Xu Xing.
Li Hong, a fifth-level weapon-refining master from the Weapon Refining Academy, glanced at the disciple and said in an unquestionable tone, "The restrictions on the stage were not triggered, and she did not violate the rules."
He personally crafted this restriction; it couldn't possibly be wrong! There's only one possibility...
"She crafted that magical artifact herself."
Seeing that his junior sister always had so many strange magical artifacts, Chen Du's eyes lit up with a smile.
Yu Guang noticed that the peak master of Jihuo Peak suddenly got up and left her seat. Looking at the interested expression on her face, Shen Du realized something in a flash. Something was wrong!
Their real goal wasn't to defeat Xu Xing, but to make her reveal her identity as a weapon refiner in public!
But why? Ordinary disciples might not know, but these inner sect peak masters definitely already knew that Xu Xing was the actual manager of that shop. Why would Kan Yuanyi still instruct his disciples to stage this scene today?
The joy he had just felt vanished instantly. Shen Du frowned. What exactly did Ji Huofeng want to do?
"So Xu Xing is also a weapon refiner? A weapon capable of taking away a spirit fire of this level must be at least a third-tier magic weapon, right?"
"Third tier? You look down on Extreme Fire Peak? That requires at least a fourth tier magic weapon!"
"Wait! Do you remember Master Xu, the one behind the 'Everything Sells' shop?"
Xu Xing, who was in a good mood after acquiring the spiritual fire, naturally heard these whispers. He knew that his identity would be exposed one day, but he didn't expect it to happen under these circumstances.
Since she's already here, she might as well make the best of it. Now that everyone knows she can craft artifacts, she can take this opportunity to introduce her newly crafted artifact, the Spirit Machine, which can connect to the Spirit Network.
Seeing Jiang Yun looking distraught, Xu Xing helped her off the stage as payment for the spirit fire he had given her, and sincerely thanked her, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, thank you for the spirit fire. I will make good use of it."
"..."
Jiang Jun stared at her in a daze, seemingly deeply shocked, even the faint sparks on her body had completely disappeared.
Xu Xing clicked his tongue inwardly. The fire-gathering bottle she used this time was newly refined and engraved with spirit-absorbing runes. Now it seemed to be working very well.
However, it seems he absorbed too much; it will be difficult for this Fellow Daoist Jiang to cultivate a new Red Lotus Karmic Fire in the future.
Never mind, next time she comes to the shop to buy the magical artifacts I made from the red lotus, I'll give her a 1% discount.
The conscientious shopkeeper, Xu Xing, thought so.
-----------------------
Author's Note: [Mini-Theater]
It is said that the inner sect cultivator Shen Du possesses unparalleled swordsmanship, and the newly initiated disciples yearn for him and intend to become his disciples.
The audience at that grand competition repeatedly tried to dissuade him: "Oh dear! That Chen Du is no good! He's good at swordsmanship himself, but he can't teach others. Look at what he's done to his junior sister! Even monsters would shake their heads at his swordsmanship!"
Upon hearing about this, Shen Du returned (with a serious expression): Junior sister, it seems I'll have to teach you [hand in hand] from now on.
Xu Xing (Huh?): But I'm not a sword cultivator...
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