Famous Scenes Are Meant to Be Replicated

Today's situation was something Wu Ming had long anticipated.

Did he really think that just because he was good at reciting the Human Emperor Scroll, he could win a priceless dharma sword? And right under everyone's noses, snatch it from a noble scion's grasp?

Such a civilized, virtuous, and gentle immortal realm only existed in immigration ads that promised to make the Nine Provinces great again!

As the head of Wu Prefecture's noble houses, the Liu family had lost both a dharma sword and a Protector Elder—there was no way they would let this slide.

In fact, the Lius had waited a full month before coming to the mountain. Their patience had already exceeded Wu Ming's expectations.

As for their rhetoric, it was utterly unremarkable. If you wanted to seize something by force while maintaining a righteous front, the excuses were always the same: opportunism, unworthy of the position, hiding laundry detergent...

If there was one thing in this whole affair that truly surprised Wu Ming, it was his master, Gu Bai.

He had known from the very beginning.

He had known that the Taiyi Dharma Sword was tied to something critical, a fateful opportunity far too heavy for any ordinary rogue cultivator to touch.

He had known that their "chance encounter" would inevitably draw the ire of the Liu family and even the entire Wu Prefecture's cultivation clans—endless trouble.

Yet he had never hesitated, never backed down.

A man who was usually listless, brimming with negativity, and insisted on avoiding worldly strife... but the moment it involved his own disciple, he transformed in an instant—sharp-tongued, aggressive, fighting for everything without regard for consequence.

No wonder Senior Sister was so devoted to this poor, remote sect.

The Gujian Sect Leader was truly a little old man who made it hard not to feel for him.

So, at this point, Master Gu Bai had done more than enough. Now it was time for him, the beneficiary of it all, to step forward.

"Everyone, how about you let me say a few words?"

Then, without waiting for anyone to object, Wu Ming stretched his arm, flipped his wrist, and pointed the sword's tip straight at the three uninvited guests.

In an instant, the phrase "swords drawn and bows bent" became literal. Naturally, the focus of everyone's attention shifted away from Zheng Lingxi.

Wu Ming struck first with a cold laugh: "This Taiyi Dharma Sword was won by my own skill back then. If you want it, you'll have to win it back with your own skill. Only by proving beyond doubt that I'm not the best person to wield it can you justify yourselves to your superiors. Am I right, Sister Zhang, the hired muscle?"

Zhang Miao, called out by name, was startled and quickly shook her head, stammering, "No, no, I'm not here to..."

Before she could finish, Liu Yi turned and glared at her, making her shrink back in fear, daring not to say another word.

Liu Li then said, "...Fine. Since you insist on refusing a toast, don't blame us for discarding courtesy and goodwill. Junior Brother, bring out the Prefecture Edict and the Command Flag."

Liu Yi's face twisted into a sneer as he pulled a scroll bound with golden threads from his sleeve and handed it to Liu Li.

Liu Li composed himself, unrolled the white silk, and read aloud: "Hereby decreed: There is a Desolate Man of Feng Prefecture, Wu Ming, who entered the immortal path by paying homage to the Gujian. His mind is cunning, his conduct vile. Before the Dinghuang Prefecture, he set a deceitful scheme to steal a dharma sword. He obtained it not through diligent cultivation, but indulged in wanton excess, causing his Dao path to stagnate. How could the heavy responsibility of an Immortal Mansion be entrusted to such a one?"

"Now, after deliberation by the Supervision Court, we nominate Zhang Miao of Wu Prefecture's Dao Seed, whose Spirit Root is of superior grade and whose Dao heart is pure, as worthy of this sword. According to Immortal Mansion regulations, the seizure of the dharma sword shall be decided by fair combat using the Four Symbols Technique, with the Shangqing Hengxiao Flag erected to determine victory. May the Three Pure Ones bless this decree. All of Wu Prefecture shall act in accordance!"

With that, Liu Li rolled up the scroll. Beside him, Liu Yi reverently produced an Apricot Yellow Banner and planted it on the ground.

The small banner unfurled without wind, and in an instant, an irresistible ripple spread outward. Everyone present felt as if they were being watched by a pair of lofty eyes, inside and out, every move laid bare.

At this point, Liu Li was already confident of victory and sneered, "True Person Gu Bai, after all your scheming, did you ever foresee this step?"

Gu Bai said, "That you could produce such a twisted Prefecture Edict that turns black into white is indeed beyond my expectations... So rampant and overbearing, going against the current, disregarding the Celestial Master's intent—the Liu family is likely at its peak and due for a fall."

Liu Li's face darkened: "Still sharp-tongued at death's door! The Hengxiao Flag is already raised. It's too late for you to beg for mercy, yet you still dare to be arrogant! Once the victor is decided, your theft of the dharma sword will be seen as obstructing the Immortal Mansion's expansion efforts—a crime for which death is too light a punishment!"

Liu Yi added with a sinister grin, "And you'll have to explain Senior Brother Liu Xi's death clearly as well!"

The sneer had barely faded when a dull thud sounded. Wu Ming stepped forward with Root Stance, striding calmly toward the Apricot Yellow Banner. He swung the dharma sword, pointing its Golden Glow Sword Light straight at the two Liu elders.

"On the flip side, if I win, this Prefecture Edict of yours becomes worthless nonsense. Everyone involved in drafting it can be deemed corrupt and contemptuous of the Three Pure Ones! At that point, I wonder how many heads you lot have—enough to be chopped off?"

At these words, Liu Li and Liu Yi were both startled, then exchanged glances and burst into wild laughter.

"Hahaha, if you win?!"

"These country Desolate People really are ignorant wretches, not knowing death is upon them!"

"Gu Bai, you're unworthy of being a Nascent Soul! You've taken on a disciple for so long and can't even teach him basic common sense!?"

After several rounds of mockery, Liu Li finally reined in his laughter and looked Wu Ming up and down. "You don't actually think that winning by accident before the Dinghuang Prefecture means you have real skill or a bright future, do you? Your initial performance on the Human Emperor Scroll might reflect some talent, but the most important talent for a cultivator is birth! Born into a noble family, with wealth, companions, methods, and land all at hand, you can turn a bit of talent into tenfold results. But you're nothing but a lowborn Desolate Man. Even if you have some eccentric ability, it can only shine for a moment—it won't last!"

He paused, the light in his eyes slowly shifting as if trying to see through Wu Ming completely.

After a moment, Liu Li laughed in spite of himself: "...Fifth-grade bone structure, eighth-grade Spirit Root. With such potential, you still dare to be arrogant!? It seems that momentary victory on the Human Emperor Scroll has truly gone to your heads! Fine, let this ignorant brat die knowing the truth!"

With that, Liu Li turned to look at Zhang Miao, only to find her staring blankly at Wu Ming, a slight smile curling at the corners of her mouth, as if lost in some pleasant fantasy...

"Zhang Miao!?"

Liu Yi's sharp shout snapped the girl back to reality. Faced with the elder's fierce expression, she hurriedly whispered an apology, then stepped forward a few paces, entering the light of the Apricot Yellow Flag.

Then, somewhat shyly, she nodded in greeting to Wu Ming.

"Hello, I'm Zhang Miao. I saw you back then before the Dinghuang Prefecture!"

Wu Ming asked with great curiosity, "Actually, I thought it would be Third Young Master Liu Qi who came, since he was the direct victim. You're a Zhang family girl—why are you being pushed into this by the Lius?"

Zhang Miao said apologetically, "Third Young Master refused to come and oppose you no matter what. When pressed, he'd rather let his cultivation go awry and lie in bed recovering. As for me, I was third in the rankings back then... And the Zhang family has been needing favors from the Lius lately. I'm also engaged to Third Young Master. Now that Madam Rong of the Liu family has ordered it, I really can't refuse... I'm sorry."

"So you're a future wife?! My respects!" Wu Ming was astonished, then nodded. "Alright, since you're not here willingly, let's just have a friendly spar. No enmity."

Zhang Miao beamed, "Really?! That's great! Before I came, Third Young Master kept telling me from his sickbed: 'You can spar, but don't make an enemy of him. Those two clan uncles are reckless and may drag the family down, but don't let it drag you and me down too...'"

"Zhang Miao!" Liu Yi was practically furious. "What nonsense are you spouting!?"

Zhang Miao defended herself, "I'm sorry, but these words were also what Third Young Master instructed me to make clear to Wu Ming before the duel. Even if you punish me for it, it's better than making a great enemy for us..."

"...Third Young Master has truly lost his mind!" Liu Yi was so furious he abandoned all decorum. "What is there about this Desolate brat that he values so highly?!"

Beside him, Liu Li shook his head regretfully. "Though Third Young Master is exceptionally gifted, he is by nature idle and unrestrained, never willing to contend for fame or power. He always finds some absurd excuse to shirk responsibility. If not for the matriarch's strict orders, he wouldn't even have wanted to attend that grand gathering before Dinghuang Prefecture."

Zhang Miao added, "But, but looking at the results, it was precisely because he attended that gathering that Wu Ming snatched his sword, nearly making him a laughingstock in the county city..."

"Shut your mouth!" Liu Li also grew angry. "Mind your place!"

Zhang Miao quickly shrank back and fell silent.

Liu Li snorted coldly. "Enough idle talk. Time to begin the real matter. According to the Immortal Mansion Heavenly Record, the Four Symbols of Dharma Combat are divided into [Human Dao], [Physique], [Mana], and [Practical Skill]. Let us start with Human Dao, so this ignorant Desolate can broaden his horizons... Zhang Miao!"

Called upon again, Zhang Miao could only smile bitterly at Wu Ming. "Then, then I'll make a fool of myself."

The next moment, a faint radiance emerged above the tall, slender girl's head.

It was the clear and pure light of Human Dao, the manifestation of the formless Human Dao Seal in the mortal world.

It was also, aside from the Mingren Jade, the most direct and powerful proof of accomplishment.

For those with a certain level of cultivation, judging another's Human Dao Scroll attainment was almost instinctive, without needing the other party to manifest their Human Dao Seal.

This was why, when Wu Ming first consulted the Human Dao Scroll before Dinghuang Prefecture, his progress was practically broadcast live.

But since they were now dueling with the Four Symbols, the results naturally had to be displayed to the utmost. As Zhang Miao's Human Dao manifested, the Apricot Yellow Banner standing on the ground gently fluttered its surface, as if waiting to pronounce the verdict.

At the same time, Wu Ming widened his eyes, counting the halos above Zhang Miao's head one by one.

"...Nine, ten, eleven! Impressive."

Zhang Miao blushed. "I used some expedient methods. My true strength is barely at the tenth level."

Wu Ming said, "That's still no small feat. Even in the Sanqing Immortal Sect, unless one is an elite inner disciple, an ordinary cultivator would find it hard to cultivate a ten-layer Human Dao Seal after just the first month of training. And after ten layers, the difficulty doubles. Even with expedient methods, this eleven-layer Human Dao Seal has enough substance. Hmm, worthy of being a senior enforcer certified by the Liu Family."

Zhang Miao was flustered by the praise and hurriedly said, "Third Young Master said that although this duel was never our intention and the outcome is certain defeat, if I performed too poorly, you would surely look down on me. So for this past month, I've been working hard..."

"Zhang Miao!" Liu Yi roared. "From now on, keep your mouth shut!"

Zhang Miao could only cast an apologetic and helpless glance at Wu Ming.

On the other side, Liu Li sneered, not even looking at Wu Ming, and said to Gu Bai.

"True Person, the duel's outcome is already clear, confirming what I said before: the most important talent in the world is one's birth. That brat may have far surpassed Zhang Miao in his first consultation, but in this past month, did he have a Spirit Vein Spring to breathe from? Did he have elixirs to wash his marrow, Talisman Enlightenment? Even in comprehending the Human Dao Scroll, he likely had to rely on self-study and self-enlightenment, without a master chanting scriptures to aid him!"

Gu Bai heard this and could not help but nod slightly, letting out an ashamed sigh.

Liu Li continued, "Comprehending the Human Dao Scroll depends on both one's nature and insight, but even more on cultivation! Without solid, real cultivation as support, no matter how gifted a prodigy, it's useless! A month ago, Zhang Miao was only at the fourth layer, two layers behind. But after a month of cultivation in the Liu Family, she broke through seven barriers, a world-class achievement! That Desolate brat, however, is only at the ninth layer, unable to break the Thousand Character Bottleneck... This result might be considered excellent for a loose cultivator, but to wield a sword with it is a pipe dream!"

Liu Yi said impatiently, "Senior Brother, why waste words with them!? The Shangqing Hengxiao Flag has been planted; victory or defeat will be decided by the treasure... Huh?!"

As he spoke, they saw the small Apricot Yellow Banner. Though its surface unfurled without wind, it only stopped squarely between Zhang Miao and Wu Ming, leaning neither way... as if the outcome was still undecided.

Eleven layers against nine, the result was obvious. Why couldn't the treasure banner render a verdict?

"Heh." Gu Bai let out a helpless, soft laugh. "Ming'er, since it's your idea, you explain it."

"Alright." Wu Ming cupped his hands in acknowledgment, then looked at the curious Zhang Miao and said, "When I first consulted the Human Dao Scroll before Dinghuang Prefecture, I was actually considering one thing: is the number of layers of the Human Dao Seal something that must be made public?"

"Huh?" Zhang Miao was stunned by the question. "The Heavenly Book says: 'The immortal laws are clear, the Human Dao is bright.' A cultivator's attainment in the Human Dao Scroll is their foundation, naturally public... right?"

As she spoke, the girl suddenly realized something. She looked at Wu Ming, then at the seemingly hesitant Apricot Yellow Banner, and an incredulous light shone in her eyes.

"Could it be that you..."

Wu Ming said, "The Human Dao Seal is indeed a cultivator's foundation, and the core of Qiongzhou's class domestication. It's absolutely impossible to fake more as less. But conversely, faking less as more isn't so absolute. After I broke through the tenth layer, I gradually grasped the trick, and now I can do it with ease..."

Hearing this, even the hot-tempered Liu Yi sensed something was wrong. Liu Li questioned incredulously, "Deliberately hiding the Human Dao Seal? Why would you do something so treasonous?!"

"If I didn't hide it, would you have confidently planted your flag in front of me?"

As he spoke, a radiance of Human Dao manifestation bloomed above Wu Ming's head as well.

With the light igniting, the Shangqing Hengxiao Flag, which had been hesitating in neutrality, finally began to lean... as if a gentle breeze was blowing, pushing the banner surface little by little toward Wu Ming's direction.

Liu Li's face was already twitching. "...What nonsense is this? Zhang Miao is a clan scion who forcibly charged to eleven layers with Spirit Gathering Pills!"

Wu Ming said calmly, "Before you stands the first-clear expert of the fifteen-layer Human Dao Seal."

The next moment, a brilliant light blazed forth, and the command flag toppled.

Based on a reader group survey, starting tomorrow, the update time will be unified to 4 AM, with two chapters released together.

Also, please throw me some votes. Thank you, everyone!