Atop Jueshui Platform--
After the sword light and the seal platform had clashed for a long time, locked in a stalemate, their power finally ran out, and both were hurled away!
"You actually blocked it? How could you possibly have blocked it?" Zhuanshui Pingqiu asked in disbelief, as if he had just witnessed something utterly impossible.
"Again!"
Ju Hua didn't answer. He formed a hand seal, and the nine flying swords that had just been thrown away gathered once more. The sword formation, brimming with Sword Intent, took shape again.
But before Ju Hua could do anything more, Zhuanshui Pingqiu abruptly put away his seal platform and swiftly flew off Jueshui Platform.
"Junior clansman Ju Hua truly lives up to his reputation. I concede this spar to you. When we set out on the campaign, you should take command!" Zhuanshui Pingqiu's voice carried from afar. Soon, his figure disappeared completely beyond the horizon.
"Why did Immortal Pingqiu fly away?"
"Didn't you hear? Immortal Pingqiu conceded of his own accord. Immortal Ju Hua won!"
"But they only exchanged one move, and seemed evenly matched, didn't they?"
"How would I know? Maybe that's just how immortals fight."
"Still, Immortal Ju Hua is incredible! He's only been cultivating for three hundred years, yet he's already stronger than Immortal Pingqiu, who's cultivated for a hundred thousand years!"
"What good is being so incredible if he hasn't survived the tribulation?"
"What? What did you say?"
"N-nothing! This junior misspoke. I meant to say, it's a pity Immortal Ju Hua didn't survive the tribulation. Otherwise, our Zhuanshui Clan would have another powerful Celestial Immortal."
"That's more like it. If you dare say something like that again, watch your hide!"
"Yes, yes!"
The battle had begun with thunderous intensity, only to end for no apparent reason. The Zhuanshui Clan disciples gathered near Jueshui Platform to watch couldn't help discussing it. Those at a higher level could vaguely sense what had happened, while those at lower levels could only guess.
At the scene, the only ones who could fully understand what had happened were probably the two guest Loose Immortals presiding over the formation atop the platform, and Zhuanshui Qing, the Zhuanshui Clan's patriarch.
"Zhuanshui Pingqiu is a wily one. Once he saw things going against him, he'd rather swallow his pride and concede than keep fighting!" the old-man-looking Loose Immortal remarked.
"I would have conceded too," the other Loose Immortal said calmly.
"To go head-to-head with Zhuanshui Pingqiu, who's comprehended the Dao of Hill and Mountain, and not lose ground in the slightest—Zhuanshui Juhua's strength would make him an absolute powerhouse even among top Loose Immortals! If they fought somewhere else, three or five Zhuanshui Pingqius wouldn't be a match for him! And the most frightening thing is, he's only just become a Loose Immortal!"
"Zhuanshui Juhua has a good chance of becoming a million-year Loose Immortal on par with a Celestial Immortal, and he might reach that level before long," the old-man-looking Loose Immortal said with a smile.
"Zhuanshui Pingqiu probably thought that by the time Zhuanshui Juhua grew strong enough to threaten him, he'd already have died beneath the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations or gone off to reincarnate. But now, I fear it won't be long before Zhuanshui Juhua can crush him!"
"Indeed. Better to concede than fight to the death and make an enemy of him! They're clansmen, after all. As long as Zhuanshui Juhua isn't too petty, this little grudge won't amount to anything," the other Loose Immortal said with a sigh.
"Zhuanshui Pingqiu is wily, but Zhuanshui Juhua is a true genius. The Sword Intent in his sword formation was so intense—it was a Domain of the Great Dao of the Sword! The Dao of the Sword is a way of slaughter. To comprehend it to this degree... Zhuanshui Juhua, you're remarkable!"
"Indeed, remarkable!" The old-man-looking Loose Immortal nodded, then said with a curious expression, "But I suspect he only comprehended all this after failing his tribulation. Otherwise, his chances of surviving it should have been quite good."
"He must have had tremendous potential to begin with, and the tribulation's trials let him make tremendous strides," the other Loose Immortal said regretfully.
"It's a pity Zhuanshui Juhua was too impatient. He dared to undergo the tribulation after only three hundred years of cultivation! If he'd waited a few thousand years and properly drawn out his potential, perhaps he really would have become a Celestial Immortal!"
"A pity indeed, what a pity!" The old-man-looking Loose Immortal nodded repeatedly, then suddenly said, "I'm going to make the acquaintance of Zhuanshui Juhua. What about you?"
"I'll come too!"
The other Loose Immortal nodded without hesitation.
Zhuanshui Pingqiu's sudden surrender and concession left Ju Hua stunned for a moment. But he wasn't a fool. At first, he hadn't caught on because his mind was elsewhere. Once he thought it over, he naturally understood what Zhuanshui Pingqiu meant.
Cultivating the Dao isn't just about seeking immortality! Without strength, there's no way to live forever in carefree freedom! That thought crossed Ju Hua's mind. Just then, Zhuanshui Qing flew over.
"Junior clansman, your battle truly opened my eyes!" Zhuanshui Qing laughed. "The Dao of the Sword is a way of slaughter, and you've fused several entirely different Daos into it. Your strength is probably already greater than mine!"
"You flatter me, Patriarch!" Zhuanshui Juhua replied modestly, saying no more.
His strength was still a very long way from his goal. It wasn't anything to be proud of! Besides, his strength had come too easily. He still didn't quite feel grounded.
"I, Zhuanshui Qing, always speak plainly. Why be modest, junior clansman?" Zhuanshui Qing laughed. "There's still more than half a year before Emperor Xia's conscription deadline. What do you plan to do?"
"I plan to go into seclusion and cultivate for a while. Just let me know when the time comes, Patriarch," Zhuanshui Juhua said.
"Go ahead and cultivate without worry, junior clansman." Zhuanshui Qing smiled, then continued, "By the way, I'm hosting a banquet at Roushui Palace tonight. Do you have time?"
"A banquet?" Zhuanshui Juhua was slightly taken aback, but immediately cupped his fists. "Then I'll impose on you tonight, Patriarch!"
"Haha, good!" Zhuanshui Qing laughed. Just then, he noticed the two guest Loose Immortals flying toward them from nearby.
"These two are Daoist Donghe and Daoist Changjing. They're both on the roster for this campaign. As the commander, you should get to know them better," Zhuanshui Qing said with a smile. "I'll invite them to tonight's banquet too. What do you think?"
"Then I'll trouble you with that, Patriarch!" Ju Hua cupped his fists again in thanks.
P.S.: "Million-year Loose Immortal" sometimes refers to age and sometimes to strength. For example, if a Loose Immortal suddenly makes a breakthrough after a hundred thousand years and gains power comparable to an ordinary Celestial Immortal, that means he can keep resisting the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations and live for a million years. In that case, it's fair to call him a million-year Loose Immortal, but calling him a hundred-thousand-year Loose Immortal wouldn't be wrong either. That's basically what it means.
Also, I was in good form yesterday and wrote an extra chapter, so there'll only be three updates today!