Yuntai Grand Competition, Part One

The Cloud Platform Grand Competition, though now called that, has many elaborate rituals, rules, and regulations, with big shots placing bets in every round, making it so important that it determines the positions of the Nine Great Xuan Sects. But in reality, when the Inner Sect Nine Yin Mountain were fighting swords back then, there weren't so many fancy things to it.

According to Xuan Tian, it means that two people meet on a mountain road, hit it off, and neither is willing to give an inch. So you say, "Let's do it?" He says, "Let's do it!" Then they can start fighting.

However, these days everyone is a respectable person, and even murder has to be justified. Since we are all fellow practitioners of the Xuanmen sect, it is indeed inappropriate to compare our skills in public like before, where we could simply kill someone, steal the treasure, and dump the body in a ravine and be done with it.

Therefore, the current gimbal competition is roughly divided into three stages, the first stage being mountain climbing.

Climb Nine Yin Mountain.

All disciples participating in the competition, whether from the Nine Great Xuan Sects or unorthodox cultivators, must climb up from the foot of Nine Yin Mountain. Nine Yin Mountain has nine immortal peaks, each with a flat and orderly sword-fighting platform on its summit. The first person to ascend to the sword-fighting platform on each peak and remain undefeated for three rounds becomes the Peak Guardian Sword Master.

The Nine Great Xuan Sects are vying for the position of Sword Master of the Nine Peaks. Even if Emei and Penglai no longer compete, disciples still have to fight for it. It would be best to defend the position for three rounds and then humbly relinquish it, so as not to disgrace the sect.

The other participants won't hold back either. After all, Nine Yin Mountain is an extremely dangerous place, and the Yuntai Grand Competition only allows access via one mountain path. Only after this path is broken down into nine peaks to compete for. So many people are vying for this opportunity; it's like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge. Without risking their lives, they won't even have the chance to enter the competition. Once all nine peak sword masters are selected, the first round of the competition will be over. Those who haven't reached the top by then won't even have the chance to challenge for the title and will be eliminated.

Of course, if you have elixirs and magic weapons, you can rely on your sect's favor to ascend to the summit right away. But don't blame anyone for not reminding you that Nine Yin Mountain is not only the main mountain of the Sword Sect, but also the headquarters of the Xuanmen. The peak is filled with fierce winds, dense sword formations, and restrictions everywhere. If you are so powerful that you can break through these formations that intercept the big shots of the Demonic Sect, no one will be dissatisfied.

The second stage is to seize the peak.

The nine peak sword masters have been chosen, so let's begin the arena battles. It's a one-on-one sword duel, and challengers can choose any peak sword master to challenge. For the defending peak sword master, it's a series of challenges. Of course, according to the rules of sword duels, winning three times is considered a success. If there are fellow disciples present, they can voluntarily relinquish their sword master position. If they want to compete for more opportunities, they can continue to defend. In short, act according to your ability; if you can't hold on, you have to leave the arena.

Of course, for sects aspiring to one of the Nine Great Xuan Sects, the requirement is that their disciples ultimately hold onto the position of Sword Master.

The final stage is when the sword masters duel.

All sword masters and disciples who win three rounds of sword duels can sign up for this round. This time, it won't be one-on-one; it will be a free-for-all until only one person remains standing. The one who survives will be the winner of the grand competition and become the Cloud Platform Sword Master.

Of course, based on the general situation of previous Yuntai Grand Competitions, after all nine peak masters have been challenged and determined in the second stage, the strength level of this batch of Golden Core Realm disciples will be clear. Moreover, most of them have probably no energy left to fight so many rounds. Except for a very few top Dao Seed who may be dissatisfied and want to have one or two extra rounds to determine the winner, not many people will sign up for this decisive round.

At this moment, a mirage-like phantom appeared in the sky above the Peach Banquet site, broadcasting live the scene of Qin Jiu and other Golden Core disciples being teleported to the foot of Nine Yin Mountain to prepare for a long-distance mountain run.

Li Fan looked up at the scene in the sky and frowned.

The banquet was crowded and noisy, making it difficult to see clearly, but once the participating Outer Sect Disciple were taken out and laid out on the mountain path, the problem became obvious. There were far too many participants! There must have been five or six hundred!

And there are just too many Supreme Purity Daoists! Four or five out of ten are protected by Shangqing True Qi, it's all green as far as the eye can see! Where have all the Great Yi Dao gone?! Oh right, they can't get out of bed, damn it!

"The Shangqing Subduing Demon Skill truly lives up to its reputation as a supreme divine skill passed Supreme Purity from the highest Dao. The Shangqing Daoist energy is incredibly pure and profound; I'm afraid that few attacks from those below the Golden Core could even scratch it."

"Indeed, indeed. I heard that this method was originally a secret manual that was only passed on to those who were not candidates for sect leader. It seems that the Supreme Purity has also come to its senses and is following the will of Heaven to popularize and promote their secret method. Their magnanimity is truly admirable."

Li Fan turned his head and looked at the two old men who had handed over the social task to the young people and were now relaxing outside the crowd.

A creature with a large head, thick neck, long torso, short legs, goldfish eyes, and a thick beard floats in the air like a balloon, its hands behind its back.

He had triangular eyes, slanted eyebrows, a rat-like face, sparse beard, a hunched back, and his legs were buried in the ground.

These two oddly-looking, unassuming men are the Two Elders of Songshan, Qingyan Baishu.

These aren't really Daoist names or titles; the one with the big head is called Xia Baishu, and the one with the triangular eyes is called Ji Qingyan. As mentioned before, neither of them are proper ordained Daoist priests; they're more like wandering cultivators who entered the Tao halfway through their lives.

Compared to those otherworldly immortals and Daoists, these two old men still retained a strong sense of independent cultivation. They were consistently very low-key and humble in their actions, and their usual way of speaking was that they had found the Great Yi Heavenly Book on the road and that the thirty-six peaks of Mount Song were gifts from fellow Daoists. They also said that their aptitude was inferior and they could not be compared with the three elders of Emei or the founder of the Sword Sect, who possessed astonishingly talented Daoist Dao Seed.

Indeed, the era in which these two dominated the world was far too long ago, and most of their glorious deeds were overshadowed by the geniuses of the Emei and Sword Sects of the same period. People today have hardly heard of them. They have always kept a low profile, and suddenly, the brilliant and outstanding Dao Ancestors either ascended to heaven or passed away, leaving only these two.

However, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure, so Xuan Tian's evaluation of these two people still has some reference value.

One is a beast, the other a bastard.

Well, there's no intention to insult you. It's just that if Xuan Tian calls you trash, then you must be trash in his eyes. Similarly, there must be a reason why someone would call someone a beast. So if this kind of evaluation isn't directed at the strength of the two elders of Songshan, then it's probably directed at their character.

Based on this personality profile, Li Fan, though dissatisfied, still forced a smile and bowed.

"This humble disciple, Qingyue, has been deeply grateful for the guidance of the two immortal lords, but has yet to express my gratitude in person."

Xia Baishu laughed heartily, "You're too kind, you're too kind. Guiding the younger generation to improve is also part of the joy of cultivation."

Ji Qingyan smiled and said, "Don't worry, young friend. Qin is just to our liking. We don't need him to compete for the title of Cloud Platform Sword Master."

Li Fan chuckled, "In the end, it's all because my unworthy disciple injured many of your sect's disciples that I, as his master, failed to discipline him strictly. Here are some Nine Revolutions Mysterious Purple Gold Pill as an apology on his behalf. I hope you two elders will forgive him this time."

The two elders from Mount Song looked at each other, then chuckled for a while.

Xia Baishu waved his hand, "Fellow Daoist, you're too kind. It's just a junior sparring and playing around. There's no need for forgiveness. Hey, old ghost, what are you doing?"

Ji Qingyan had already taken the Golden Core Gourd and put it in his sleeve. "He won't feel at ease if you don't accept it. He'll think we're scheming against his disciple."

Li Fan smiled and said, "My unworthy disciple is unlucky and has a hard life. Please tell me if you need anything, and I will take care of it for him."

Ji Qingyan shrugged, "Look at this, look at this. It must have been that bastard Manifestation who instigated it."

Xia Baishu smiled, his hands behind his back, "As for fate, opinions vary. You might see some people as having a difficult life and an uncertain future, but I think that's what makes them a top-tier destiny for spiritual cultivation."

If everything goes smoothly, where will you get so much experience and opportunities? The more trials you overcome, the greater your future achievements will be. Always protecting your apprentices and preventing them from seeing blood is not the way of a teacher.

Li Fan was silent for a moment, "But it seems that this isn't how disciples are trained and instructed at Mount Gui."

Ji Qingyan suddenly let out a strange laugh, his voice sounding like a jackal's. "Of course, we have to teach according to aptitude. Do those pretty faces even deserve to receive the real teachings?"

Li Fan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly heard a gasp from behind him.

He turned his head and saw that the Yuntai Grand Competition was starting. Qin Jiu took a step across the starting line and immediately began to fight.

Suddenly, billowing yellow silk emerged from beneath the sleeves of his yellow robe, rolling out piece by piece and covering Qin Jiu's entire body and face, instantly turning him into a mummy with only his eyes showing. But it wasn't some magical artifact or celestial silk; it was true energy! It was the powerful, almost tangible, Great Songyang Xuanhuang True Energy!

The two elders of Mount Song, aside from offering guidance on Qi cultivation, wouldn't have let Qin Jiu pass the tribulation empty-handed. At this moment, they took out a peach wood magic sword. Although it wasn't a famous treasure, it was covered in cinnabar talismans, clearly a high-quality Magic Treasure. As Qin Jiu raised his right hand, the Xuanhuang Qi of Mount Xuanhuang surged back, coiling around the sword like Coiled Dragon. Instantly, the wooden sword shone with a golden light like the rising sun, its brilliance dazzling, as if he were holding a golden light in his hand!

Then the golden light twisted and turned, flashing brightly, and dazzling Dao power burst forth from the mountain path leading directly to the nine peaks, causing the Xuanmen disciples behind to involuntarily stop in their tracks.

Those who were quick enough didn't even have time to react, their eyes dazzled by the Sword Light. Qin Jiu had already stepped to the side and thrust to the right, piercing through the lung of a Supreme Purity disciple who was rushing past him, preparing to sprint up the mountain to seize the peak!

The Shangqing Subduing Demon True Qi was as fragile as paper, easily pierced and penetrated by the Xuanhuang Sword Qi. At the same time, the sword force still had some strength left, and the whirlwind seemed to explode from the sword wound, carrying the blood and flesh shattered by the sword force. With a bang, a blood arrow shot out, cutting through the wind! Large gusts of bright red blood splattered directly onto the rock walls and pine trees on both sides of the Nine Yin Mountain path!

Supreme Purity Daozi was truly surprised that someone would make a move at the foot of the mountain, and even more surprised that his protective true energy would be broken in one move. Fortunately, he had already put half Golden Core pill under his tongue to boost his energy, and he was hanging on by a thread. He endured the pain, gritted his teeth, and rolled down the mountain path with his head in his hands.

"Senior brother!" "You bastard--! From Mount Song!!"

Two Supreme Purity disciples roared and leaped forward. One drew his Hengshan Sword on the spot, while the other's palm crackled with lightning. They attacked Qin Jiu from both sides.

Qin Jiu did not flee, but turned to face the enemy, switching his sword to his left hand to parry and his right hand to counter with his palm!

They clashed with a single palm strike! The Xuanhuang Qi in Qin Jiu's hand burned fiercely like a bright yellow flame! With a single gust of palm wind, he shattered the thunder in his palm! The force of his palm strike caused the Shangqing disciple's protective true qi to scatter and flutter like a candle in the wind. His arm snapped on the spot, and his momentum was broken by the palm strike, which blasted straight at his center. Fortunately, Qin Jiu had pulled back half of his hand, preventing it from shattering through his chest and lungs, but the overflowing palm wind still shattered half of his shoulder! He flew out like a kite with a broken string, only to be caught by his fellow disciples.

Meanwhile, a sword flashed in the opposite direction! Qin Jiu's left hand, wielding a peach wood magic sword, also unleashed a counter-attack, the Xuanhuang Qi sword attached to its blade slicing through the Hengshan famous sword like grass and trees! The Shangqing disciple didn't even have time to utter a second scream before the Sword Light swept from his forelimbs to his face! He was about to be sliced to pieces by the sword wind and <Against Fate>!

Qin Jiu spared him in return, lowering his sword and slicing it through his trachea, creating a gaping, bloody gash in his abdomen! Although the bleeding was profuse, he didn't sever him completely on the spot!

The light was dazzling; in the blink of an eye, it had instantly cut three Shangqing Dao disciples half to death! The Xuanmen disciples scattered in a flurry, staring up at the boy who stood with his sword across the mountain path, blocking the way, a deathly silence falling over them.

"... How come our Great Songyang Divine Skill is so powerful?"

"That doesn't make sense. Is the Supreme Purity version of the Demon-Subduing True Qi a weakened version? It's so fragile!"

The two elders from Mount Song looked at each other, then turned to look at Li Fan, Li Fan was looking at his fingers.

Why? As the master, is it illegal for him to directly copy the weakness of the Shangqing Subduing Demon True Qi's pulse point and the method to break it to his disciple? If he had known that Qin Jiu would be involved in this mess, at least he wouldn't have given away all the Tai Sha Flying Swords. He would have at least left him enough for a sword box for self-defense!

However, speaking of which, the Great Songyang Divine Skill, a legacy of the two elders of Mount Song, is indeed not weak. Li Fan has also replicated it. As a basic qigong of the Mount Song lineage, it can also be paired with a 'divine skill,' making it comparable to the Shangqing Subduing Demon Divine Skill. Naturally, he has also studied and deduced it carefully.

To be fair, Qin Jiu's ability to instantly kill the enemy is not only due to his ability to break through their defenses, but also because the Songyang Cultivation Method itself is a true transmission of the Xuanmen sect, making it extremely powerful. To put it in an extreme analogy, if this world were a cultivation game and all the data were compared in a table, then the Great Songyang Divine Technique would probably be the easiest to learn and the most cost-effective among the Xuanmen Cultivation Method, because its characteristic is that it has the highest cost-effectiveness in cultivation!

It's important to understand that the foundation of Xuanmen (mystical) Cultivation Method is Qi cultivation. The Sword Sect cultivates sword Qi, Emei cultivates Qiankun Qi, Supreme Purity cultivates Shangqing True Qi, and Penglai also has Lotus True Qi. These methods can be either offensive or defensive, extremely pure or infinitely varied, and the combinations of the nine Taiji Qi are virtually endless. However, these profound Qi Cultivation Method also have their own drawbacks, such as being too difficult, too slow, requiring specific materials, or being limited by one's cultivation level. They are not so easy to master.

Through this horizontal comparison, among all the Xuanmen sects, the one with the highest Qi refining efficiency, the lowest difficulty, and the fastest cultivation speed is the Great Songyang Divine Art.

It is probably true, as the two elders of Mount Song said, that their aptitude and comprehension are indeed inferior to those of the first-grade Dao seed. Dao Seed, the path of cultivation for independent cultivators is fraught with difficulties, and it is impossible for them to undergo decades or even centuries of peaceful seclusion like other Xuanmen sects to refine and hone their Dao foundation. Therefore, the Great Songyang Divine Art, which the two elders jointly deduced and improved upon with their lifelong learning, is, from the elders' perspective, the most suitable orthodox method for cultivation.

The universe was Xuanhuang and boundless, with the sun and moon waxing and waning, and the stars and constellations arrayed in their places. Cold came and heat went, autumn brought harvest and winter brought storage. Leap years completed the cycle, and the musical scales harmonized the seasons.

The essence of the Songyang Divine Skill is to observe the sun and moon with the spirit, follow the earth's form, and continuously generate life, regulating the yang with the nine qi. It refines the Taiji cycle, the nine spiritual Dao Breath, and the entire universe into Xuanhuang qi. Xuanhuang earth qi encompasses the entire universe, making it the easiest and fastest to cultivate, and all nine qi can be accumulated and refined, resulting in a deeper Dao Breath than other Cultivation Method.

If compared individually, it is more refined and sharp than Beichen Sword Qi, Qiankun Qi, and Shangqing Qi. Perhaps Xuanhuang Qi is no match for it, but it is not far behind. On the contrary, it can rely on the cultivator's late-mover advantage and the accumulation of incomparably profound Dao power to achieve overwhelming superiority in terms of scale and realm.

You think others are about to Divine Transformation with their Great Songyang Divine Skill, while your Qiankun Qi is still stuck at the Golden Core stage? How can you compare when you're a whole realm apart?

Of course, Li Fan wouldn't practice this move. After all, his cultivation speed with Moon Worship was already damn fast enough. He had long since mastered the Qiankun Qi, which was recognized as the slowest to progress in the Xuanmen sect, and the Beichen Sword Qi, which was the most difficult to cultivate. There was no need to lower the difficulty for himself, okay...

However, this last-minute scrambling tactic proved quite effective for Qin Jiu. Look at this kid, he's only been seriously cultivating immortality since leaving the fishing village a few days ago, and he's already single-handedly holding off the Supreme Purity Daoist at the Nine Yin Mountain, mercilessly slaughtering him. It's just ridiculous! Who on earth is facing this tribulation?!

"From Mount Song! What do you mean by that?!"

The disciples of Supreme Purity Sect drew their swords, their anger blazing, glaring at Qin Jiu, but none dared to step forward.

"First of all, I'm not from Mount Song. Secondly, I don't care about rankings."

Qin Jiu stood on the blood-stained mountain path and slashed the ground with the tip of his sword.

"The ones from Hengshan remain."

"This is outrageous!"

Before anyone could react, a clear, angry voice rang out from among the Supreme Purity disciples, and a beautiful figure leaped across the formation!

"Bai Shuangying from Hengshan has come to learn from you!"

Heavenly Pillar Star Shines with Radiant Sword Technique!