Haitang said, "When Palace Master Chongzhen was alive, we were just a neutral sect. It was the same when the Palace Master killed people indiscriminately in his youth; people only said that Chongzhen had raised a wicked son. The real starting point for us to become a 'cult' was from the moment the Palace Master's martial arts shocked the world. Young Palace Master, it would actually be a good thing if you were not strong enough in the future, so that Chonghuo Palace could shed the label of 'cult'."
Mu Yuandao said, "Actually, looking at the entire Hongling Temple, only Man Feiyue is quite skilled. She was defeated by Yuan Shuangshuang just the day before yesterday and came in ninth. The other disciples' martial arts are not up to par. You can win quickly against these people, but in terms of victory or defeat, it will probably be a tough fight."
Liuli said, "I heard from others that among those who fought Man Feiyue down there, only Shangguan Tou truly defeated her. I don't know if it's true or not."
Mu Yuandao said, "That's true. Shangguan Tou has the help of a master and has long since developed a body that is immune to all poisons."
Liuli laughed: "Where in this world are there so many masters?"
"I guess it's the second master of Moonrise Valley."
“Nonsense! I heard that the Second Valley Master of Yue Shang Valley stays in the valley all day and never comes out, eating and drinking for free. Everyone in the valley wants to get rid of him, but Shangguan Tou keeps supporting him…” Liu Li suddenly clapped her hands. “That’s right. I was wondering why Shangguan Zhaojun has become more and more mysterious over the years. It turns out she’s preparing to transcend and ascend to immortality.”
At this moment, the person behind him called out again:
"Hey, hey, what are you guys whispering about?"
Chong Xuezhi was listening intently, but the noise annoyed her, so she stood up and said, "Shut up!"
The men burst into laughter when they saw Xuezhi. Each of them had garish tattoos on their face and body, making them look even more out of place.
Just then, a woman's voice rang out: "What are you laughing at?"
"This middle-aged woman actually told us to 'shut up,' hahahaha..."
Auntie?
Xuezhi stared at them blankly.
The next moment, she finally realized that she really was an old lady.
Amidst a group of demonic men, a little girl suddenly emerged. She was only about chest-high to the person next to her, appearing to be around eleven or twelve years old. Her skin wasn't the rosy white of other children; instead, it had a slightly bluish tinge. As for her lips, they were entirely blue. She didn't look frightening, but rather quite strange.
Xuezhi whispered, "Don't tell me this is Manyeyue."
Mu Yuan said, "It is indeed her."
Xuezhi swallowed hard, unsure of what to do. Man Feiyue, however, walked over with unparalleled grace and affectionately touched Xuezhi's hand: "This must be the young master of Chonghuo Palace?"
Xuezhi looked at her bluish skin and subconsciously withdrew her hand.
Man Feiyue looked slightly embarrassed, but quickly smiled again: "My disciple has always spoken so rudely, please forgive him."
Author's Note: 4 chapters on July 21st
10 11 12
10
She looked like a child, but spoke like a kind aunt. It was a strange feeling.
At this moment, the crowd suddenly began to murmur.
Everyone looked up and saw that one of the fighters who had been competing on the stage had disappeared, and another had fallen to the ground. The one who had initially had the upper hand was now lying on the stage, his face covered in multicolored blisters, and he was dead.
Many people couldn't help but gag after seeing it.
Chong Xuezhi was so disgusted that her face contorted in disgust.
The person who died on the stage wasn't a big shot, but a disciple of Mount Hua. Xuantian Hongling Temple has now taken on a huge responsibility. For sixty consecutive years, there hasn't been a case of premeditated murder at the Heroes' Gathering. As the chief organizer of this year's Heroes' Gathering, Abbot Shiyan of Shaolin Temple has already gone on stage to examine the body and begin investigating the matter.
When Xuezhi turned around again, she found that Man Feiyue and that group of demon men had disappeared.
Feng Cheng, the head of Huashan Sect, has led the remaining disciples out to fight their way out. Abbot Shi Yan announced that Xuan Tian Hong Ling Temple will be disqualified from participating in the competition for the next fifteen years.
The atmosphere at the conference became quite tense, but it continued.
Looking at the corpse being dragged away wrapped in cloth, Liuli clicked her tongue and said, "I really didn't expect that kid to be so bad at martial arts. But when he really put his mind to it, he was quite ruthless."
Zhu Sha said, "How many people who follow Man Feiyue aren't like this?"
Xuezhi said, "Man Feiyue is just a little girl, how could she..."
"She's not a little girl. She's just been practicing poison techniques since she was a child. When she was twelve, she ingested some strange poison, and her body stopped growing. Man Feiyue is particularly concerned about her skin and figure, and longs to become a charming eighteen or nineteen-year-old woman. So she tries even harder to find an antidote. But even though her body was cured, she was already past puberty. Not only could she not grow taller, but her skin color also turned into what you see. In her Hongling Temple, all the disciples are men, and the servants are all girls, all younger than her. Anyone who grows taller than her or has bigger breasts than her will be poisoned to death by her."
Liuli said, "People like that are really hard to find."
"In short, Young Master, you must be careful of her. This woman looks gentle, but she is actually very scary."
Chong Xuezhi wasn't listening at all. Her gaze remained fixed on Lingjian Manor and Xueyan Sect. Feng Zi seemed frightened by the corpse, clinging to Lin Xuanfeng's arm and acting coquettishly, causing the elders and fellow disciples around her to comfort her. Actually, Xuezhi was already used to her like this, but seeing Lin Xuanfeng, who was like a father to her, comforting her while stroking her head, Xuezhi suddenly felt particularly sad.
Zhu Sha waved her hand in front of Xue Zhi: "Young Palace Master?"
Xuezhi picked up the sword and suddenly jumped onto the stage.
The stage remained empty for a while. As soon as she appeared, hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to her.
"Chong Xuezhi of Chonghuo Palace!" Chong Xuezhi cupped her hands in greeting to the surroundings, then turned to Lin Fengzi, "Please invite Instructor Lin Fengzi to come up on stage and give me your guidance!"
Feng Zi looked on with a slight surprise.
Many new disciples of Lingjian Manor are asking who that spirited young woman in brocade robes on the stage is.
Seeing her impatiently stomp her feet, Xia Qingmei couldn't help but say, "This girl has a really strong personality. Feng Zi, you'd better be careful."
Feng Zi pursed her lips, took the whip, and slowly walked onto the arena, bowing to Xue Zhi: "Sister."
Chong Xuezhi stood ramrod straight, pointing her sword at the ground. The atmosphere instantly became tense and on the verge of conflict.
There were still large gambling dens next to the venue, but no one was betting this time. The two women were both newcomers, and both were around ten years old. It was unclear why they harbored such deep resentment towards each other.
"Is there even a need to guess? Of course it's because of a man." An older man stroked his beard with a knowing look. "Just by looking at that young palace master with her exceptionally beautiful face but fierce expression, you can tell that her man was stolen by that gentle Feng Zi. There's no such thing as deep-seated hatred between women."
Upon hearing this explanation, everyone suddenly understood. They all imitated him, nervously touching their chins.
But who is this man?
The crowd began searching the venue for promising young talents. To no avail.
A fight has already broken out on the stage.
Xuezhi has a particularly strong sense of collective honor, and when she fights with someone, she usually uses the Hunyue Sword.
The "Chaotic Moon Sword Technique" and the "Nine Luminous Shadows" inner cultivation method have become a signature combination for every disciple of Chonghuo Palace. Mastering even half of them makes one a first-rate expert in the martial world. However, these two manuals are easy to learn but difficult to master. In the past fifty years, only seven people have mastered the Chaotic Moon Sword Technique to its highest level (ninth grade): the two previous palace masters, Elder Yuwen, Cheqi, Haitang, Shuijing, and Muyuan. Of these, only Cheqi, Haitang, and Muyuan are still alive and able to use them. Furthermore, in recent years, only two people have mastered both manuals to their highest level: Chonglian and Muyuan.
Xuezhi's Mixed Moon Sword Technique had reached the seventh level, and her Nine Luminaries Flame Shadow Technique was at the fifth level, already putting Feng Zi under considerable strain. Feng Zi's movements were swift, and her reactions were timely, but the Snow Swallow Sect was originally a sect that supported the Spirit Sword Manor. Their moves were steady and powerful, but compared to the fast and chaotic swordsmanship of the Heavy Fire Palace, they had little lethality. Lin Feng Zi dodged and weaved, looking quite disheveled.
The October sky is vast and expansive, yet exceptionally low. The sounds of clashing weapons seem to echo even through the clouds.
Finally, Xuezhi used her Crimson Flame Divine Skill to knock Lin Fengzi's long whip away.
When the whip flew out, the end of it left a long red mark on Lin Fengzi's neck.
Xuezhi opened her mouth wide and took a step forward, only to hear the abbot behind her announce: "Chong Xuezhi of Chonghuo Palace wins."
Lin Fengzi bowed to Chong Xuezhi again, covered her neck, and stepped off the stage without looking back.
Xuezhi suddenly felt a little regretful.
Just as she was about to step down from the stage, someone wielding a long, thin sword leaped onto the platform and bowed to her.
"Please enlighten me, Young Master of Chonghuo Palace."
Thus, the uncle who started the prophecy, along with many other neurotic people, discovered the truth:
It turns out that the lucky man was Xia Qingmei.
11
This time it was Xuezhi's turn to be surprised.
Having never fought anyone from Lingjian Manor, she wasn't sure about Xia Qingmei's skills, and hearing that he had performed exceptionally well in his previous competition only added to her nervousness. Chong Xuezhi's way of releasing tension was always to become even more ferocious.
With a whoosh, the sword in her hand seemed to slice through the air. Xue Zhi swiftly took two steps, flashing in front of Xia Qingmei in a split second, and immediately launched a fierce attack.
At first, Xia Qingmei was somewhat overwhelmed by Xue Zhi's frequent attacks, retreating and defending for several rounds. Quickly regaining his composure, Xia Qingmei still didn't launch a full-scale attack, but instead held his sword behind his back and clashed with her using two fingers of his right hand. At such close range, it seemed every time Xue Zhi's sword would pierce him, but Xia Qingmei always dodged at the last second.
Zhu Sha asked, "What is Xia Qingmei doing? Playing house?"
The giant clam, who rarely spoke, suddenly said, "Great Protector, please make your decision."
Mu Yuandao said, "I'll go."
Zhu Sha asked, "What are you talking about?"
Haitang said, "After defeating Xia Qingmei, retreat. Do not linger in the battle."
Mu Yuan said, "Okay."
Zhu Sha asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Young Master lost this match." Liuli pointed at Xia Qingmei. "The one surnamed Xia used the most disgusting move from Lingjian Manor, the Welcoming God Finger. This move can only be used to receive attacks, not to launch them. It's specifically designed for self-defense and probing the enemy's strength. It's especially effective against impulsive people, and can even defeat them in one move after a successful probing. But it's powerless against calm people who are much stronger in martial arts..."
Before Liuli could finish speaking, the weapons on the stage clashed twice, and Xuezhi's sword flew in a beautiful arc to the four guardians.
Shi Yan announced: "Xia Qingmei of Lingjian Manor wins."
The group looked at the sword together and fell silent.
Xuezhi, clutching her aching right hand, walked off the stage somewhat embarrassed.
Xia Qingmei was still standing on the stage, as if she had already anticipated that someone would continue to challenge her.
Mu Yuan took out a sword-wiping cloth, drew Xue Zhi's sword, and deftly wiped it on. Just as he was about to leap forward, a snow-white figure darted through the crowd with the speed of the wind, landing in the center of the large red arena:
"I would like to have a match with Young Master Xia."
Many people are skilled in light-footed martial arts, but this person's movement was even faster than his speech. Xuezhi hadn't even reached the steps yet.
It wasn't until long after he had stopped standing still that many people realized someone had gone up.
Haitang asked in a daze, "Tell me, between him and the Palace Master, who is faster?"
Liuli said, "Of course it's him."
Haitang said, "I was referring to Palace Mistress Lian."
Zhu Sha said, "Of course it's the Palace Master. Who can be faster than our Palace Master?"
Haitang asked, "Are you sure?"
"I don't know, don't ask. You know no one can compare to the Palace Master."