Gathering Storms

With such gems already setting the standard, everyone's understanding of what a genius could achieve had risen considerably. That was why Li Mu dared to reveal his cultivation.

The effect was striking. As soon as the assessment ended, Li Mu was welcomed into the small group and became one of its core members.

That was how the adult world worked. As long as you had something to offer, people would gravitate toward you. Li Mu was more than happy to let it happen.

A hero needed three helpers; it was hard to make it in the martial world as a lone wolf.

Just look at the original story. Yue Buqun had both skill and political acumen, yet he had no peers among his fellow disciples. To preserve his sect's legacy, he had no choice but to take extreme measures.

If he'd had a group of fellow disciples with decent cultivation to back him up, then with Yue Buqun's political acumen, he might have been holding his own against Mount Song Sect within the Five Mountains Alliance long ago.

The fellow disciples around him might not be very strong yet, but they had plenty of potential. With the right training, perhaps in three to five years, Mount Hua Sect could add two or three more first-rate experts.

Of course, that was only in theory. In reality, things could never go that smoothly. It wasn't just that breaking through cultivation bottlenecks was difficult; one also had to consider the martial world's conflicts.

When you roamed the martial world, sooner or later you'd get cut. An injury could strike at any time and damage your martial arts foundation. With bad luck, you might even end up dead.

There was no way around it. As the vanguard against the Demonic Cult, the Five Mountains Sword Sects had always suffered high casualties among their disciples.

More often than not, a single battle between the orthodox and demonic factions ended in tragedy, with half a sect's disciples dead or wounded.

But everything had its pros and cons. It was precisely because Mount Hua Sect so often clashed with the Demonic Cult that it produced one talent after another.

Experts were forged through battle. The terror of facing death was real, but so were the great opportunities it brought.

Similar demonstrations were taking place in the other courtyards. Aside from Feng Qingyang, who had yet to take on any disciples, every elder's residence was bustling.

This tournament was not only a way to establish their prestige in the martial world; it was also a chance for each branch to show its strength. When a disciple made a name for himself in the tournament, his master shared in the glory. The Sword and Qi Factions were especially eager to outshine each other.

If not for the later bloodshed between the Sword and Qi Factions, then judging by the past few months, anyone might have mistaken their rivalry for "healthy" competition.

"Commanding Guanzhong, overlooking the Yellow River to the north, backed by the Qinling Mountains to the south, gazing west toward Chang'an, and facing the Central Plains to the east."

A tavern by the northern city gate in Huayin was packed with old drinkers from the area. They raised their cups, traded banter, and laughed and shouted without end.

Before long, a group of Taoist priests passed by the door. More than a hundred of them, young and old, wore tall hats and flowing robes. They went straight out of the city gate and headed toward Mount Hua.

"Heh! The Double Ninth Festival is almost here, and the Taoists are still heading up the mountain. Could they be going to seek an immortal's blessing?" A tipsy drinker laughed and called out.

"Shame you weren't here the day before yesterday, lad. You'd have had quite a sight. A whole group of beautiful nuns came into town, and they went up Mount Hua yesterday..."

The middle-aged drinker at the next table looked full of regret, as if lamenting that he hadn't gotten another chance to see those beautiful nuns.

"Hmph! You're asking for trouble..."

A rebuke came from behind the counter not far away. The white-haired tavernkeeper, Old Li, wore a cold expression, as if he wasn't afraid of offending his customers in the slightest.

"Do you think you're worthy of disrespecting those bodhisattvas? They're all people of the martial world. Are you tired of living?"

The middle-aged drinker asked, "Uncle Li, they're just a bunch of nuns. This is Huayin. Would any martial artists really dare cause trouble here...?"

"You know nothing, boy. Didn't you see them heading to Mount Hua? At this time of year, they're most likely from the Northern Peak's Mount Heng Sect, here for the Five Mountains Alliance gathering!"

Old Li scolded the ignorant junior harshly, but a trace of fear flickered in his eyes, as if something terrible had stirred in his memory.

"You're right to set me straight, Uncle Li. Your nephew was out of line!" The middle-aged drinker paled with fear when he heard they were from one of the Five Mountains Sword Sects.

Living at the foot of Mount Hua, he might never have learned martial arts, but he'd seen plenty of martial artists. He'd also heard countless tales of the martial world, where people could draw their swords and kill over a disagreement. If he angered one of them...

As they spoke, another group passed by. The leaders wore blue robes and carried long swords, followed by eighty or a hundred brawny men in close-fitting outfits, with swords and sabers strapped to their backs. They headed straight for Mount Hua.

As the various sects arrived, Mount Hua grew lively. Unlike the fierce infighting among the Five Mountains in Smiling Proud Wanderer, relations between the sects were still fairly good at this point.

After all, Mount Hua Sect had no plans to merge the sects. They had no conflict over core interests, and they shared a common enemy in the Demonic Cult.

With the Five Mountains gathered, Li Mu accompanied his master, Zhou Qingyun, in welcoming many visiting friends. He also got to see many of the great figures from Smiling Proud Wanderer.

But for now, those people, like Li Mu, were all talented young men following their elders around, still brimming with youthful innocence.

"How do you feel?" Zhou Qingyun asked with a smile.

Li Mu was taken aback. To be honest, he didn't feel much of anything. People of the martial world were still just people. Whenever they met, they exchanged a flurry of polite flattery—nothing but empty words.

That was what he thought, but he wasn't so tactless as to say it out loud. Zhou Qingyun had so many disciples, yet he'd brought Li Mu along to meet the guests. That alone showed his approval.

What seemed like an ordinary meeting was really a chance to build connections, which might come in handy someday. It was also a way of paving the road ahead.

Of course, the most important reason was his strength. If he weren't good enough to show off, he'd never have been brought along to make an appearance.

After a moment's thought, Li Mu put on a solemn expression and said, "None of them are simple."

"Zuo Lengchan of Mount Song Sect. There's a trace of coldness in everything he says and does. He must have mastered a yin-type inner technique, and he's already broken through to the first-rate level. Among his peers, only a handful could likely match him.

"Mo Da of Mount Heng has an otherworldly aura about him. He must have broken through to the first-rate level some time ago. He hides his sword in his music, so he must be deeply fond of it. Unfortunately, Mount Heng Sect has no top-tier musical technique. Otherwise, Mo Da would likely be one of the leading figures of this generation among our Five Mountains Sword Sects.

"Mount Tai..."

In truth, what Li Mu really wanted to comment on was Zuo Jigao, the leader of Mount Song Sect; Zhou Changlong, the leader of Mount Heng; Yuxuzi, the leader of Mount Tai; and Abbess Lingqing, the leader of Mount Heng Sect. They were the leading figures of the Five Mountains Sword Sects. Unfortunately, given his position, he couldn't discuss his elders, so he had to talk about the younger generation instead.

Zhou Qingyun nodded. "Mm, your eye for these things is decent. But there's no need to worry too much. They may be strong now, but the other four sects have limited legacies, so their growth will inevitably be held back later on.

"Zuo Jigao, Zhou Changlong, Yuxuzi... Every one of them was a prominent figure in their day, yet they all ended up stuck at the peak of the first-rate level, unable to break through.

"They've spent these past years trying to find ways to make up for it, but..."

The words reached Zhou Qingyun's lips, then he swallowed them back. Perhaps those men had been held back by gaps in their inherited teachings. Mount Hua Sect's legacy in that regard was complete, yet he himself was still stuck at the peak of the first-rate level, unable to advance another inch.