"May I ask, are the fellow cultivators aboard from Myriad Cloud Sect?"
Before the two cloud ships had drawn close, hearty laughter came from Sea Gazing Sect's side.
"Sea Gazing Sect disciple Bu Linhai has come to guide our fellow cultivators of Myriad Cloud Sect!"
On their side, Li Ping'an looked at Gu Qingcheng beside him and detected a trace of nervousness in this sword cultivator, who otherwise seemed so worldly and experienced.
Gu Qingcheng took a few steps back, grabbed Li Ping'an's sleeve, and sent him a message. "What should I say back?"
Li Ping'an frowned at him.
Wasn't this guy usually quite the chatterbox?
Why couldn't he come up with anything at a critical moment?
Li Ping'an muttered through voice transmission, "Volume represents the sect's honor, vigor represents the sect's bearing. There's an eighty-percent chance they're looking for trouble. We need to overwhelm them with our presence first."
"Wahahaha! Excellent!"
Gu Qingcheng suddenly planted his hands on his hips and burst into laughter. Several disciples around him shuddered and glared fiercely at the sword cultivator who had abruptly gone mad.
The sword cultivator roared:
"These are the disciples of Myriad Cloud Sect, escorted by immortals of our sect, here at the Eastern Sea to participate in the six-sect disciple trial!"
Li Ping'an calmly stepped aside. Ignoring Gu Qingcheng's pleading glance, he carefully studied the finely stitched cloud-and-mist embroidery along Junior Sister Mu's skirt hem.
"Hahaha!"
On the cloud ship opposite them, Bu Linhai, the Sea Gazing Sect disciple sent to receive them, gave a few dry laughs. Remembering the elders' instructions, he called out brightly:
"The island below is where the disciples have gathered!
"The other four sects arrived three or four hours ago. Our Myriad Cloud Sect friends have come a little late. I suppose it was because Myriad Cloud Sect had such a long journey, not because you deliberately neglected the occasion, surely!"
The expressions of Myriad Cloud Sect's immortals changed.
Hearing that, Li Ping'an shook his head inwardly.
This Sea Gazing Sect really was petty.
If they wanted to embarrass Myriad Cloud Sect, they could have simply come at them directly. Even if they had arranged for a few disciples to force a sparring match, Li Ping'an would at least have thought this one of the ten great immortal sects had some measure of stature.
Who would have thought Sea Gazing Sect would tamper with the stated time?
How could the Myriad Cloud Sect immortals have deliberately arrived late?
They had traveled leisurely all the way precisely so they would arrive neither too early nor too late.
—Arriving too early would damage their own bearing, while arriving too late would disrespect the other sects.
Gu Qingcheng reacted quickly and immediately exclaimed in surprise. "Is that so? Could it be that we miscalculated the time?"
"Hahaha! That must be it! Please!"
Bu Linhai laughed several times, soared into the air, and the dozen or so Sea Gazing Sect disciples behind him rose with their hands behind their backs.
No one knew what magical treasure they had used, but a stretch of emerald-blue Immortal Light appeared beneath their feet. Riding its swelling, rolling waves, they descended from the cloud ship through the air. It was quite a magnificent sight.
The Myriad Cloud Sect disciples had made no preparations for anything like this. They looked at one another, and several immediately prepared to bring out flashy magical treasures to compete with them.
Li Ping'an, hiding behind Mu Ningning, suddenly spoke.
"Disciples, observe proper etiquette. Let the elders proceed first."
The six Outer Sect elders nodded with smiles, and the disciples all cupped their hands and invited them forward.
Elder Yan Sheng lightly tapped the jade-green smoking pipe in his hand, and a white cloud lifted everyone aboard the ship, slowly descending toward the immortal island in the sea.
An immortal took the cloud ship to a nearby location to wait for the Myriad Cloud Sect members and disciples to return.
Li Ping'an tugged at Mu Ningning's sleeve.
Mu Ningning quickly asked, "Senior Brother, what is it?"
"Look over there."
Li Ping'an raised his chin toward the west, deliberately letting his voice drift through the clouds.
Mu Ningning looked over. Several loose clouds, light as goose feathers, hung in the azure sky. Passing Qi cultivators occasionally disturbed them, adding a few wisps of fluff to either side.
Below, the vast blue sea stretched endlessly, and at the point where sea met sky, a sprawling cluster of tall buildings could vaguely be seen.
"How grand," Mu Ningning said softly. "Is that a market town over there?"
"According to the map, that should be Guanlan City, one of the largest market towns on the coast of the Eastern Sea and a major territory of Sea Gazing Sect."
Li Ping'an smiled.
"If you want to take a look around, once this trial assembly is over, we can ask the elders for leave."
"Mm!"
A little more joy appeared in Mu Ningning's Peach Blossom Eyes. She said gently, "Forget it if it would be too troublesome. Senior Brother, you prefer quiet to bustle. Others may not know it, but I certainly do."
Li Ping'an nodded with a soft smile and said nothing more.
Talking about this much was enough.
Their casual conversation gradually calmed the Dao hearts of several Myriad Cloud Sect disciples who had been somewhat nervous. When the disciples looked down at the island again, their gazes had become much steadier.
Elder Yan Sheng beside them, however, frowned deeply, caught in a slight dilemma.
Myriad Cloud Sect had not purchased any property in Guanlan City. This was Sea Gazing Sect's territory, so it would not be appropriate for them to extend their reach here.
Should they send someone to buy a small seaside courtyard now?
Under what pretext would they buy it? If the Outer Sect spent spirit stones on a courtyard for a pair of young disciples to live together, it might look like they were privately using sect resources.
As the clouds parted and the mist dispersed, the Myriad Cloud Sect group arrived at the gathering site for this trial.
The desolate island was covered by an enormous hexagonal cloud platform. Several hundred Qi cultivators from six sects had gathered there, each sect with its banner floating at the front.
Looking closely, Myriad Cloud Sect's seating area was indeed the only one left empty.
Elder Yan Sheng called out, "My apologies to all of you. We only received the Message Transmission Jade Talisman last night. We traveled through the night, yet still arrived somewhat late."
A Heavenly Immortal Realm elder from Sea Gazing Sect smiled. "Please take your seats, fellow cultivators. We discussed scripture and debated the Dao here last night, which had its own unique flavor."
Where there was a good cop, there was naturally a bad cop.
A True Immortal elder from the Eastern Sea's Refining Heaven Creation Sect called out:
"One sect with three Golden Immortals truly is extraordinary! You made us wait so long, and a single apology is supposed to settle it?"
Elder Yan Sheng was in no hurry. Smiling warmly, he watched his own disciples take their seats.
Among the disciples of Kuiyuan Sect, an old woman smiled.
"Myriad Cloud Sect's fellow cultivators likely received the news late.
"I imagine that Message Transmission Jade Talisman encountered some mishap along the way. A disciple trial like this is hardly a major matter. Our lifespans are long; why worry over losing a night's peace?"
An elder from Earth Splitting Mountain Moving Sect also spoke.
"Even so, why could you not send an immortal ahead to inform us?"
An elder from Sky Abyss Gate laughed. "With the time it would take to send an immortal flying here, why not simply come yourselves? It is only a small matter. Why be so calculating?"
The situation on the field had become very clear.
Sea Gazing Sect, Refining Heaven Creation Sect, and Earth Splitting Mountain Moving Sect formed one side. Myriad Cloud Sect, Kuiyuan Sect, and Sky Abyss Gate were closer to each other, the two camps clearly divided.
—Myriad Cloud Sect had agreed to attend the trial organized by Sea Gazing Sect partly because those two brother sects had also been invited.
Li Ping'an and Mu Ningning sat in a corner of the cloud platform, barely able to overlook the entire scene.
Mu Ningning tugged on Li Ping'an's sleeve and asked through voice transmission, "Senior Brother, they won't really start fighting, will they?"
"Our Myriad Cloud Sect is filled with outstanding talents. Naturally, our senior brothers and sisters will step forward to handle this."
Li Ping'an placed a packet of snacks in Mu Ningning's slender hand and muttered through voice transmission.
"If I'm not mistaken, that disciple Bu Linhai will soon step forward to volunteer... Look, he's starting to move. Here he comes."
Mu Ningning blinked and looked down. Sure enough, she saw several disciples dressed in fine robes, led by Bu Linhai, walk to the center of the cloud platform and cup their hands toward the Sea Gazing Sect elders.
As Li Ping'an transmitted his words, Bu Linhai shouted below. The two sides were almost perfectly in sync.
Li Ping'an sent Mu Ningning a message.
"'This disciple has long heard that Myriad Cloud Sect's Cloud Taming Technique is incomparably exquisite. Today, with such a rare opportunity, I wish to spar with Myriad Cloud Sect's fellow cultivators, solely to seek instruction in the art of taming clouds, without any desire to compete for superiority.'"
What Bu Linhai actually said was:
"This disciple has long heard that Myriad Cloud Sect's immortal arts are exquisite, especially its cloud-taming methods. With the six-sect trial about to begin and before we depart to slay demons and eliminate evil, I wish to take this opportunity to test my skills against Myriad Cloud Sect's talented disciples. This disciple is merely delighted to encounter worthy prey and has no intention of provoking trouble. I ask the elders to grant permission!"
Li Ping'an shook his head. "See?"
Mu Ningning let out a snort of laughter. Feeling quite a few Immortal Senses gathering around them, she immediately pressed her lips together, blinked, and assumed a well-behaved expression.
Fortunately, she wore a veil, so no one could see how hard she was trying not to laugh.
The script continued.
A Sea Gazing Sect elder spoke up and rebuked Bu Linhai.
"Nonsense! Today, the six sects have gathered for such a grand occasion. How can we let a few disciples fool around? Step down! You will make the seniors of every sect laugh at you!"
Bu Linhai made a deep Daoist salute.
"I ask the elder to fulfill this disciple's wish! This disciple is not one who delights in violence and conflict. I merely wish to spar with Myriad Cloud Sect disciples and witness the ultimate art of taming clouds!"
Several Sea Gazing Sect elders showed displeasure.
The elders from Refining Heaven Creation Sect and Earth Splitting Mountain Moving Sect began playing along, one needling Myriad Cloud Sect while the other praised Sea Gazing Sect.
Li Ping'an and Mu Ningning each acquired a bag of self-roasted spirit melon seeds and noisily cracked them in the corner.
Just then, Gu Qingcheng lowered his head and hurried over to Li Ping'an.
At that moment, hundreds of Qi cultivators in the arena were watching Myriad Cloud Sect. Seeing Gu Qingcheng, the "disciple leader," walk toward a corner of the cloud platform and lean close to transmit words with a young disciple who looked unremarkable at first glance but quite handsome upon closer inspection, no one knew what they were discussing.
Soon, Gu Qingcheng nodded. Leaving the rear, he leaped to the center of the cloud platform in two strides, then turned and performed a Daoist salute to the Myriad Cloud Sect elders.
"Elders! This disciple is willing to fulfill the wish of Sea Gazing Sect's disciple!"
Elder Yan Sheng nodded. "Go. Do not injure anyone in the spar."
"Yes!"
Gu Qingcheng answered firmly and turned to face Bu Linhai.
A Sea Gazing Sect elder also said, "Linhai, since Elder Yan of Myriad Cloud Sect has agreed, go and receive some instruction. There is no need to care about victory or defeat in a spar, but since you have been so discourteous today, you will be punished with three years of secluded reflection after returning to the sect."
"Thank you, Elder, for granting permission!"
The corner of Bu Linhai's mouth twitched slightly.
That was not what they had said yesterday!
Yesterday, they had only told him to persist in making his request, while the elders would rebuke him a little. Why was he suddenly being made to reflect in seclusion for three years today...
Bu Linhai felt increasingly frustrated. When he turned to look at Gu Qingcheng, he saw that this man was only at the third or fourth stage of the True Unity Realm. His Daoist robe was colorful and gaudy, and he did not look like an expert. Bu Linhai could not help feeling even more annoyed.
Today, he would show this Myriad Cloud Sect disciple what he was made of!
Bu Linhai performed a Daoist salute and gripped a white jade transverse flute in his right hand.
"Sea Gazing Sect Inner Sect Disciple Bu Linhai. Please instruct me, fellow cultivator."
Gu Qingcheng returned the salute. With a shake of his left sleeve, he dropped a pitch-black sword case. Immortal Light surged from above it, and three immortal swords sprang out several inches.
"Myriad Cloud Sect Inner Sect Disciple Gu Qingcheng! I would not dare claim to offer instruction, but I have long heard that Sea Gazing Sect's Water Control Art is unmatched in the Eastern Sea. Today, I may finally broaden my horizons!"
"Good!"
Bu Linhai gave a soft shout and suddenly flew upward, water-blue radiance blooming beneath his feet.
Gu Qingcheng shot into the air at the same moment. All three immortal swords left their sheaths together, their cries ringing through heaven and earth.
In that flash of lightning, Gu Qingcheng recalled the three reminders he had just received.
They were reminders from Senior Brother Ping'an.
"Brother Gu, do not drag out the fight."
"The Water Control Art can slightly affect Myriad Cloud Sect's Cloud Taming Technique. Strike directly at his vital points."
"Your sword-control technique combined with Cloudburst Pellets will have a remarkable effect. Remember to conceal the sound of the swords' cries."
Gu Qingcheng suddenly shouted, thrusting his left palm forward. Six black dots shot toward Bu Linhai.
Bu Linhai reacted swiftly. He lightly waved the jade flute in his hand, and several ripples spread from around him as the sounds of crashing waves echoed from all directions.
Bu Linhai was completely confident in winning this match. The primordial spirit in his Spirit Platform blazed brilliantly.
Next, he only needed to do this, then this, and then that, and that, to deal with this Myriad Cloud Sect disciple like so, and like that!
Suddenly!
Bang!
The six black pellets exploded at once, and six enormous white clouds erupted outward, completely swallowing Bu Linhai in an instant.
Above the island, a dense cloud hundreds of zhang wide sealed off spiritual senses from within and without.
Bu Linhai instinctively tried to dodge, but he had already missed his chance.
Gu Qingcheng placed his left hand behind his back, raised an eyebrow, and smiled faintly. The three immortal swords slipped into the clouds. Though their speed had dropped ninety percent below their maximum, they moved silently.
The next instant, several muffled groans came from within the dense cloud.
Flying swords harassed him while cloud and mist disoriented him. Bu Linhai seemed to have lost all sense of direction.
Gu Qingcheng lightly flicked the sword fingers of his right hand, then leisurely cupped his hands toward all directions and said calmly, "If this were a real fight, he would already be dead by my sword."
Then the immortal swords returned to their sheaths, and he drifted back to the cloud platform of the Myriad Cloud Sect disciples.
Within the dense cloud, Bu Linhai crashed back and forth like a headless fly.
The music and sounds of ocean waves that occasionally rang out sounded quite profound and imposing, but whenever disciples from the various sects glanced at Gu Qingcheng sitting leisurely at the edge of the arena, they felt...
It was rather ironic.
At the edge of the platform, Gu Qingcheng narrowed his eyes slightly and sighed inwardly.
Leaving your opponent on the arena after a match feels this good. My Dao heart is fulfilled, fulfilled indeed.
Finally, a Sea Gazing Sect immortal brushed his sleeve, and Bu Linhai's figure fell out of the dense cloud.
His Daoist robe had been cut open in more than a dozen long slashes, yet his inner garments had not suffered the slightest damage.
Bu Linhai glared furiously at Gu Qingcheng. Just as he was about to shout, he felt a chill behind his rear, his Dao heart trembled, and he instinctively pulled out a robe to cover the suddenly exposed skin at his lower back.
A Sea Gazing Sect elder said coldly, "Step down at once!"
Red-faced and embarrassed, Bu Linhai quickly retreated to the edge of the arena.
On Myriad Cloud Sect's side, the disciples all smiled. Each held several black Cloudburst Pellets, waiting for their chance to enter the arena and make a name for themselves.
The disciples unconsciously turned to look at Li Ping'an in the corner, their eyes carrying a little more respect.
Senior Brother Ping'an's little trinkets were far too miraculous.
Li Ping'an was sharing a bag of dried spirit herbs with his Junior Sister Mu when a voice transmission slipped into his ear, carrying surprise and confusion.
"Could you be the Son of Dazhi?"
Li Ping'an had no idea what was going on. With an immortal transmitting his voice like this, he truly had no way to tell where the person was.
He did not respond. The voice transmission seemed to have gone to ask someone else, and Li Ping'an caught sight of Elder Yan Sheng lightly nodding over there.
Immediately after, a Message Transmission Jade Talisman appeared on the Kuiyuan Sect's side, breaking through the clouds as it flew toward the western sky.
The Sea Gazing Sect had specially arranged a disciple sparring segment, but Li Ping'an easily dealt with it using a few magic artifacts. The Myriad Cloud Sect disciples stole the limelight, while the Sea Gazing Sect disciples made fools of themselves, leaving the Sea Gazing Sect elders' faces as dark as the bottom of a pot.
This sort of disciple sparring had only ever been an appetizer.
At this moment, the elder glanced at the disciples below, transmitted a few reminders about the upcoming training, then raised his hand in invitation and declared loudly:
"This disciple training was originally arranged because demonic creatures have become rampant in the sea..."
That transition was a little stiff.
Li Ping'an chuckled to himself and carefully considered the situations that might arise afterward.
It would be nothing more than the Sea Gazing Sect disciples making things difficult for their own side.
Although Li Ping'an did not think he held much weight in the Myriad Cloud Sect, and his sense of collective honor was not particularly strong,
for the sake of ensuring his side could pass safely later on—and so his old father would not lose too much face after they returned to the sect—Li Ping'an still decided to do something.
Li Ping'an transmitted his voice to call Gu Qingcheng over. Once the deputy team leader approached, he slipped a magic artifact storage pouch into Gu Qingcheng's hands.
Gu Qingcheng sent a voice transmission, his throat bobbing. "Brother Li, what is this?"
"Cloudburst Pills, specially made. They can explode underwater."
Li Ping'an replied:
"They've been mixed with ordinary Three Absolute Soul Scattering Powder. When the cloud mist blooms, Qi cultivators below the immortal realm will react sluggishly at best and fall unconscious outright at worst. Please use them sparingly. None of the immortals at Medicine Dust Peak are willing to refine bewildering or poisonous pills. This is also a drug my father spent considerable effort acquiring."
Gu Qingcheng's Adam's apple trembled as he transmitted, "Li... Senior Brother Ping'an, is this appropriate?"
"They're for slaying demons," Li Ping'an said with a blink. "If other disciples get caught in it because they were too close to the demons, that has nothing to do with us."
"Ah, right."
Gu Qingcheng grinned. There was now a faint trace of admiration in the way he looked at Li Ping'an.
This Senior Brother Ping'an always came up with all sorts of tricks, and there was an inexplicable sense of reassurance in both his words and actions.
Above the cloud platform, the Sea Gazing Sect elder announced the rules for this disciple trial, passionately spoke of the importance of slaying demons and protecting the mortal world, and declared the boundaries of the trial grounds.
An immortal outside the cloud platform struck an immortal gong.
Clang—
The elders of the six immortal sects each cast their spells. Six white clouds, each three mu in size, slowly rose into the air, carrying the disciples toward those already crumbling ancient ruins.
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