His reply was a frosty sword light. Yun Qingrao's Ice Soul Sword traced an abstruse trajectory, actually freezing the Tiger 疾 Peak Lord's vital sword qi in mid-air.
The hall instantly fell silent, and only then did everyone realize that the rumored sword intent of “Ice Soul Illuminating Kyushu” had reached the realm of sword qi congealing into frost.
True Lord Yuan Feng frowned slightly, and with a raised hand, a surge of energy forced Qi Yuancheng back three steps.
His Xuanqing Daoist robe moved without wind, and he cupped his hands towards Yun Qingrao, saying, “Martial Brother Qi has indeed been negligent in disciplining his Disciple on a daily basis. He lost his composure just now due to excessive worry. I hope Immortal Maiden can understand.”
Yun Qingrao lightly flicked her wide sleeves, calmly accepting the courtesy of a Dongxuan Realm cultivator.
The silver tassels hanging from her jade hairpin swayed slightly, making her voice even colder: “The Beast Taming Sect's internal strife is actually going to bring disgrace upon Yixian Palace. Do you all think that a female cultivator as Chief of the Palace makes her soft and easily bullied?”
“Absolutely not!” True Lord Yuan Feng stated unequivocally.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Qin Heng subtly caressing the jade pendant at his waist, and suddenly remembered his Martial Brother's advice during their secret discussion three days ago: forming an alliance with Yixian Palace concerned the Sect's destiny for a hundred years.
Yun Qingrao's fingertips traced the sword marks on the table, and frost spread along the sandalwood grain: “Is Hu Ji Peak truly innocent? On the Sword Testing Platform that day, your Disciple repeatedly said, 'Yixian Palace is nothing but women.'”
“What does Immortal Maiden intend?” A sword intent subtly appeared in True Lord Yuan Feng's sleeve. How could he not know of Qi Yuancheng's secret actions? However, Hu Ji Peak guarded the Sword Mound Mystic Realm, so how could he act rashly without solid proof?
“It is rumored that your Sect discusses Dao through swordsmanship,” Yun Qingrao suddenly smiled, the ice crystals in her hair reflecting a cold light, “If I win, I'll borrow the Uncontending and Unfailing Technique for a look; if I lose, this matter will be dropped.”
Qin Heng suddenly coughed lightly: “This matter was originally due to my Ziyan Peak's oversight. Why not gift the sword art to Immortal Maiden for study? My Disciple, Qing Feng, has been practicing this method for three years and can certainly answer Immortal Maiden's questions.” After speaking, he shot a glance towards the corner.
Qing Feng, who was peeling pine nuts, trembled his hand and transmitted a secret message: “Master, you're tricking your Disciple! You said you'd only let me be a background character!” But then he saw Yun Qingrao's gaze sweep over, so he had to assume a serious demeanor and cup his hands in a bow.
True Lord Yuan Feng pondered for a moment, and the ancient broken stele in the Mystic Realm suddenly appeared in his sea of consciousness. “If I can exchange a damaged sword art for Yixian Palace's complete Seven-String Sword Manual, it wouldn't be impossible to bring Immortal Maiden into the Sword Mound, but…”
“The challenge must still be accepted,” Yun Qingrao's sword tassel rose without wind, and she stared at Qi Yuancheng with a cold smile, “I want to see what kind of swordsmanship can produce such a madman who insults my Master's Sect.”
Qi Yuancheng's face turned ashen, and the sword calluses on his palm felt faintly hot. Only now did he realize that he had become a discarded piece; if he won, he would offend the Chief, and if he lost, he would lose all face.
Watching that snowy figure step into the martial arts arena, his treasured sword, Chixiao Sword, let out a dragon's cry with a hint of hesitation.
Above the firmament, two figures confronted each other in mid-air. Qi Yuancheng stepped on the Chixiao Sword, transforming into a stream of light that broke through the air. The sword's edge in his hand spat out red light, and a scorching sword intent rose into the sky, the vast spiritual power dyeing half the sky crimson.
The white-robed Immortal Maiden's response, however, exuded the natural flow of Dao. Yun Qingrao stepped on lotus flowers, treading on air, and with a gentle flick of her bare hand, a five-stringed zither with a dragon's head manifested.
Faintly, a dragon soul could be seen winding around the pillar, accompanied by the gurgling of water, and soft energy transformed into an invisible chasm, preventing the sky-burning sword momentum from advancing an inch.
When the sea of clouds reflected nine layers of spiritual patterns, the viewing stands erupted in an uproar.
True Lord Yuan Qing suddenly asked, “How old is this female cultivator?” Third Elder Yuan showed a troubled expression: “A female cultivator's age is always a closely guarded secret. We only know it's between two cycles of sixty years and three hundred years.”
These words caused a slight change in the expressions of the Beast Taming Sect members. Even if calculated at three hundred years old, such a cultivation speed was enough to overwhelm the contemporary Heavenly Talents.
“Our Sect's sword canon emphasizes enlightenment through life and death, and our cultivation speed is unparalleled among the five factions,” True Lord Yuan Feng whispered, wiping his vital sword, “But if Yixian Palace's Dao methods can truly…” His voice was cut off by a dragon-like sword roar, and the red and white spiritual lights in the sky had already collided with a crash.
Suddenly, purple qi came from the east, and Dao Lord Zisu arrived on a cloud: “Why do you all belittle yourselves?”
His gaze swept over Qing Feng in the crowd, “My Chief Disciple, Xu Yanwu, formed his Core in twenty years, and condensed his Nascent Soul in sixty years…”
These words struck like a thunderclap, and only then did everyone realize that the lazy Senior Brother who was drunk all day was actually a rare sword Dao genius in a hundred years.
In the sea of clouds, the zither and sword clashed more intensely.
Qi Yuancheng's sword momentum was like a raging wildfire, but Yun Qingrao remained calm, plucking the strings, always dissolving the red light with a water dragon's roar whenever it approached.
The intertwining auras of two Spirit Transformation peak cultivators actually outlined a Yin-Yang twin fish Dao diagram in the sky.
“Clang!”
The moment her jade fingers plucked the nine-heavens ice strings, a magnificent phenomenon was reflected in the pupils of the spectators.
As Yun Qingrao lightly waved her bare hand, the twelve-layered celestial jade zither rippled with spiritual energy in waves. Within a radius of ten zhang, plants actually grew wildly, defying time, and thin mist condensed into tangible musical notes, swirling in the air.
“Could this be the 'Grand Void Introduction'?” An Elder exclaimed in surprise, and the teacup in his hand shattered in response.
The cultivators present were startled to find that the circulation of true essence within their bodies resonated with the zither music, and as their sea of qi surged, a profound sense of unity between heaven and man arose. Several Disciples with insufficient self-control had already closed their eyes and sat cross-legged, with faint spiritual lights of enlightenment appearing around them.
Cold sweat seeped from Qi Yuancheng's temples; he knew the terror of this melody better than anyone else.
All life and breath were governed by primordial qi, but at this moment, he was horrified to discover that the surrounding laws of heaven and earth were being restructured by the zither music. The wind and thunder qi, which he had previously commanded as easily as an arm, now seemed like threads in a mischievous child's hands, manipulated at will.
“Zheng!”
The explosive roar of the Chixiao Sword being unsheathed tore through the musical barrier. This Spirit Transformation grand powerful being ultimately chose to strike first.
Everyone saw a crimson sword light shoot into the sky, and a withered half-section of a primordial fire bamboo phantom emerged from his heavenly spirit, the scorching heat melting the bluestones on the ground into a glazed state.
Wherever the sword intent passed, space cracked inch by inch like a mirror.
“It's Hu Ji Peak's Sect-protecting ultimate technique, 'Nine Calamities of Burning Heaven'!” A direct Disciple exclaimed, his voice trembling with excitement.
The instant the sword aura and zither waves collided, the spectators simultaneously heard the sound of metal and stone shattering, and those with weaker cultivation immediately bled from their mouths and noses.
Qing Feng quietly retreated into the shadow of a stone pillar, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the sword pellet in his sleeve. He knew better than anyone that Qi Yuancheng's “Sea Severing Style,” though seemingly fierce, actually contained thirty-six hidden follow-up variations.
If Yun Qingrao hadn't sealed off three zhang of space with her music, invisible sword qi would likely have already attacked the vulnerable points in the crowd.
“I underestimated this old scoundrel,” Qing Feng narrowed his eyes, gazing at the gradually forming sonic domain barrier in the center of the battlefield, a subtle arc curving his lips.
When the crimson sword shadow cleaved through the sound barrier for the seventh time, he keenly noticed the azure spiritual patterns appearing on Yun Qingrao's left fingertips—this was the precursor to the activation of the Luo River Immortal Palace's secret transmission, “Ode to the Vast Ocean.”
Although the Beast Taming Sect was a place of refuge, it was like a glass cover isolating all phenomena.
Yun Qingrao's sudden appearance allowed Qing Feng to glimpse the Spirit Transformation realm beyond swordsmanship for the first time.
That five-stringed ancient zither, subtly resonating with ancient charm, its power actually surpassed that of ordinary earth-grade magical artifacts. It is said that when the first Zither Saint Fuxi created the five-stringed instrument, the laws of heaven and earth were rewritten for it. Now, with seven strings being the norm, this ancient sound is even more precious.
When Qi Yuancheng unleashed that dawn-breaking sword light, a ripple finally appeared on Yun Qingrao's jade-like face.