Flower-Appreciation Gathering (10)

"Well, it wasn't impossible to understand. After all, mundane weapons were of little use to cultivators with solid cultivation. As for magical artifacts, not even the Profound Heaven Sect was wealthy enough to give everyone one, much less those nouveau riche sects tucked away in some godforsaken corner.

"If your cultivation was inferior and you didn't even have a protective magical artifact, getting beaten was only natural," Shen Yuxi said with a sigh.

Hearing Shen Yuxi's analysis, the fellow disciples all nodded, deeply agreeing.

In the cultivation world, resources had never been distributed equally. Gaps in strength were often revealed in such subtle details.

The Heavenly Sword Sect's resources were far inferior to the Azure Rock Sect's. If they still could not measure up, they could only look for the reasons within themselves.

Yet just as everyone accepted Shen Yuxi's view, he suddenly changed tack and added, "After all, not everyone is Seventh Junior Brother."

Lin Huaixu immediately felt as though cats were clawing at his heart. His instincts told him this was major gossip. Usually, Seventh Junior Brother Ye Jingxuan kept an exceptionally low profile; within the sect, he was like a drop in the ocean, utterly inconspicuous.

If Shen Yuxi had not mentioned it by accident, no one would have believed that this Seventh Junior Brother, who normally neither showed the mountains nor revealed the waters, had quietly struck it rich and possessed a spirit artifact.

But he could not rashly speak up and arouse Shen Yuxi's suspicions. He could only force down his curiosity and watch this secret sit right before his eyes while remaining unable to see the whole picture. The feeling was agonizing beyond words.

True Person Yu Qing was also rather surprised.

He did know that Ye Jingxuan possessed a spirit artifact. Although the artifact concealed itself exceedingly well in ordinary times, the spiritual power fluctuations it emitted during battle could not be disguised. Naturally, this could not escape the notice of True Person Yu Qing, who was in the Spirit Division stage.

Among the Profound Heaven Sect's direct disciples of this generation, there were no late bloomers. The vast majority had displayed outstanding talent from an early age and were thus accepted by elders as disciples and carefully nurtured.

Ye Jingxuan was different. He came from a remote region, and his dual spiritual roots were truly nothing remarkable amid the abundance of talent at the Profound Heaven Sect. When he had first entered the sect, he had performed rather impressively as well, but he was far from being like Shen Yuxi back then—unforgettable at first sight, astonishing as a celestial being.

When Ye Jingxuan first entered the sect, he joined the outer sect. During the Outer Sect Grand Competition, he stood out through his own strength and began to make a name for himself. He then cultivated diligently in the inner sect for four years, until, by a twist of fate, Yu Xiao True Person, the Fourth Elder, happened to return to the sect and took a liking to him. Only then was he accepted as a direct disciple.

Ye Jingxuan had already possessed that wooden sword when he became a direct disciple. No one truly knew where he had obtained it.

Within the Nine Domains, artifacts were divided into eight ranks: mundane weapons, magical artifacts, treasure artifacts, spirit artifacts, magical treasures, spiritual treasures, immortal artifacts, and divine artifacts. In the present Nine Domains, no immortal or divine artifact had appeared for thousands of years.

Even a sect with deep foundations and vast scale like the Profound Heaven Sect could not ensure that every elder possessed a spiritual treasure. This showed just how rare they were.

Under normal circumstances, magical artifacts were what disciples could mostly come into contact with.

Take Chu Shihan, for example. In his early years, he had fortuitously acquired a mystical stone within a secret realm. When forging his natal sword, he used the stone's enhancement to allow his natal sword, One-Inch Heart, to grow along with his cultivation.

Now, Chu Shihan had entered the Nascent Soul Realm, and his natal sword, One-Inch Heart, had accordingly grown into a high-grade treasure artifact.

But such opportunities could only be encountered, never sought. The few disciples who had already entered the Golden Core stage could still only rely on magical artifacts they had painstakingly nurtured into top-grade quality.

By comparison, one could deeply appreciate just how rare it was for Ye Jingxuan to possess a spirit artifact while still in the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Fortunately, this spirit artifact was extremely adept at concealment. Unless he fought someone, it basically would not emit the unique pressure of a spirit artifact. Moreover, even if it gave off spiritual power fluctuations, those fluctuations were exceptionally faint. Without cultivation at Spirit Transformation or above, they were truly difficult to detect.

Otherwise, given Ye Jingxuan's origins and strength, he would likely have been killed and robbed of his treasure thousands of times already, guilty only of possessing jade.

If a child from a prominent family like Chu Shihan or Shen Yuxi possessed a spirit artifact, it would not be particularly strange.

But Ye Jingxuan was clearly nothing more than a villager from remote mountains. Carrying such a precious treasure naturally made people suspicious.

Still, True Person Yu Qing ultimately chose to trust his own disciple.

Ye Jingxuan had grown up in the Profound Heaven Sect since childhood. True Person Yu Qing had watched his conduct and character all along. He firmly believed that Ye Jingxuan would never do anything detrimental to the Profound Heaven Sect.

Moreover, Qingming, who knew the reason behind it all, treated Qing Hui no differently than before. True Person Yu Qing might harbor doubts over the origin of Ye Jingxuan's spirit artifact, but he trusted his own direct disciple completely.

After considering it all, True Person Yu Qing's worries gradually faded, and he finally set his mind at ease.

The scene did not freeze because of the thoughts running through the Profound Heaven Sect party's minds. Tan Yin knew there was no benefit in continuing to tangle with Wang Rong's group. Besides, it was inappropriate to stir up further trouble in Medicine King Valley. He did not wish to argue with them further and only wanted to settle the matter quickly and leave with his junior brothers.

But Wang Rong's group had set their hearts on refusing to let it go. They insisted on getting an explanation and had no intention of allowing them to leave.

Gu Yueyao's attempts at mediation proved fruitless. As both sides argued noisily, they quickly drew the attention of the other guests. People gathered around to watch, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Gu Yinchen had been speaking with several distinguished guests when he inadvertently noticed the conflict. His brows furrowed slightly, and a trace of displeasure flashed through his already intimidating gaze before he strode over.

His eyes swept over everyone one by one. Under that imposing gaze, the Azure Rock Sect disciples who had caused the trouble knew they were in the wrong. They lowered their heads somewhat guiltily, not daring to meet the Valley Master's eyes.

Wang Rong, however, kept his head high and chest out, his expression calm as he fearlessly faced the scrutiny of the master of the valley.

Seeing the Valley Master arrive in person, Tan Yin's heart tightened. He hurriedly stepped forward, respectfully cupped his hands, and apologized. "Valley Master, we are truly sorry. We acted rashly and disturbed this rare grand gathering. We beg the Valley Master's forgiveness."

Gu Yinchen looked at Tan Yin without reproaching him too severely, doing his best to keep his tone mild. "Young people are high-spirited and easily impulsive. Understandable, understandable."

He paused, then continued, "I see that both sides insist on their own account. As an outsider, it would not be appropriate for me to distinguish right from wrong. Since neither of you accepts the other, how about this? There will be a small exchange gathering later, where you may spar as you please. For now, calm yourselves and wait a while. How does that sound?"

Gu Yinchen's words were unhurried, yet they carried an irresistible authority, as though they possessed a magical force that slightly eased the restless atmosphere.

Once the Valley Master's words fell, the scene immediately quieted. No one said anything further. After all, everyone was a guest; no matter what, they could not deny the host face. Thus, they silently accepted the proposal.

Before turning to leave, Wang Rong did not forget to shoot Tan Yin a vicious glare. His eyes held complicated emotions—not simple anger, yet too fleeting to make out.

After that farce, the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere that had originally filled the Flower-Appreciation Gathering vanished like wisps of smoke without a trace. Everyone's interest in admiring flowers disappeared along with it.

The guests gathered in twos and threes as though by unspoken agreement, lowering their voices and whispering to each other about what had just happened.

Among them, those who thoroughly understood both sides felt that this so-called sparring match would most likely not truly erupt into a fierce clash.

After all, this was Medicine King Valley. Everyone would be more or less wary of something, and no one would lightly fight until the fish died and the net broke.

Others thought the Azure Rock Sect was simply overestimating itself. The reputation of sword cultivators had been deeply rooted in people's hearts since ancient times. Although most sword cultivators had limited wealth and could not compare with those extravagantly wealthy sects when it came to obtaining resources, no one had ever questioned their formidable combat power.

Among the many sword cultivation sects, the Heavenly Sword Sect was by no means weak. It was only classified as a third-rate sect because its scale was comparatively small.

The Azure Rock Sect, on the other hand, had the advantage in numbers. But if they truly faced the Heavenly Sword Sect head-on in a sparring match, the final victor was difficult to predict.

As everyone discussed in low voices, time quietly slipped away.

Gu Yinchen stepped onto the seat of honor and lightly clapped his hands. His resonant voice rang across the venue. "You have all come from afar, and such a gathering is rare. If we merely admire flowers, it would be a waste of this fine hour.

"Today, so many worthy talents have gathered here. In my view, why not make friends through martial arts? Let the younger generation exchange a few moves and add some vigor to this spring day. What do you all think?"

At an occasion like this, all matters were customarily decided by the host. Now that the Valley Master had made such arrangements, the guests naturally had no reason to object.

After all, guests followed the host's convenience. To rashly defy the host's wishes would be terribly discourteous, unjustifiable in both sentiment and reason.

As his words drifted down, the center of the venue had already been swiftly cleared.

One by one, the blue-stone floor tiles seemed to suddenly gain life and began to shift slowly.

Dark runes flickered in and out of sight between the cracks in the tiles. Then, a faint humming sounded all around as the entire stretch of ground seemed to be lifted by an invisible force, slowly rising from the earth. At the same time, the faint light of a barrier curled lightly around the elevated ground like fireflies.

That was not the end of it. The already formed arena split without warning into four sections in the shape of the character "field."

Following the Eight Trigrams positions secretly carved into the ground, these four sections of arena each slid smoothly and steadily apart by just the right distance. They finally came to a firm stop, forming four square, separate spaces for competition.

Gu Yinchen stroked his beard and smiled, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping toward Gu Yueyao below the stage. "These four arenas may be used for single combat or for teams of two to compete." He deliberately paused, tapping the armrest lightly with his fingertips. "Victory or defeat is unimportant. I only hope that you young friends may use this opportunity to form good ties and deepen your friendship."

This contest among the younger generation, which the Valley Master had long planned, seemed to be an exchange of skills between young cultivators, but in truth carried the meaning of a martial contest for marriage.

At first, perhaps some had yet to grasp the Valley Master's true intention. But now, seeing this carefully arranged spectacle, following the direction of his gaze, reflecting upon what he had just said, and recalling how he had specifically introduced his daughter before the Flower-Appreciation Gathering began, everyone suddenly saw daylight after the clouds parted and understood the general picture.

As a result, the atmosphere was not as tense as everyone had previously expected. After all, everyone knew perfectly well that this was both an opportunity for the Azure Rock Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect to settle their dispute and an excellent chance for young cultivators to display their strength and strive to win the beauty's heart.

Thus, the Azure Rock Sect and Heavenly Sword Sect focused on resolving their conflict, while everyone else turned their attention to their own matches without interfering with one another.

The Valley Master stood solemnly at the front of the venue, cleared his throat, and loudly announced, "For this exchange gathering, anyone who wishes to participate may sign up freely. Afterward, opponents will be matched by drawing lots. The matches will be one-on-one, and the winners will advance."

Having said that, his gaze slowly settled upon the Azure Rock Sect disciples below as he continued, "As for the Azure Rock Sect and Heavenly Sword Sect, you may naturally participate as well. However, I must specifically remind you that matching opponents through lots depends entirely on luck. There is no guarantee that your two sides will meet in the competition.

"If your luck is poor and you do not encounter one another during the matches, then you can only wait until the Flower-Appreciation Gathering ends to discuss how to handle this matter privately."

His voice rose and fell unpredictably, yet it instead gave off something akin to a threat, making people afraid to harbor any thought of resistance.

Hearing the Valley Master's words, everyone from the Azure Rock Sect and Heavenly Sword Sect was stirred.

Tan Yin and Wang Rong instinctively exchanged a glance, and a trace of complicated, indescribable emotion flashed through both their eyes. This might be a good chance to settle their conflict openly and fairly. Yet luck was ever-changing and impossible to grasp.

Meanwhile, the experienced and well-informed elders present had already heard the implication beneath the Valley Master's words and could not help gently shaking their heads to themselves.

Young people were still inexperienced in the ways of the world. How could the Valley Master so easily allow them to run wild in his own valley? He claimed it depended on luck, but the one handling the drawing of lots was the Valley Master himself. Would it not be easy for him to pull strings if he wished?

The other young cultivators below the stage, however, had already been fired up by the news of the martial contest for marriage. Some cultivators who had long admired Gu Yueyao had excitement gleaming in their eyes and were eager to try their hands.

If they could stand out in this contest, they would not only win the beauty's heart but also make a name for themselves before the many sects. It could truly be said to kill two birds with one stone.

Of course, some cultivators had little interest in this. But out of respect for the Valley Master, they still had to give him some face. They planned to go onstage, symbolically exchange a few moves, then cleverly find an excuse to concede and withdraw.

However, for those who rarely had the opportunity to spar with disciples from other sects, this was also an excellent chance.

The cultivators either looked confident or slightly nervous, but without exception, all carried anticipation in their hearts.

True Person Yu Qing turned to his disciples and asked, "Which of you wants to go onstage and try your hand?"

Yet as if they had arranged it beforehand, everyone pretended to be absorbed in admiring flowers or leisurely drinking wine. Their eyes deliberately avoided True Person Yu Qing's, making their meaning abundantly clear: no one wanted to get involved in this troublesome matter.

Beside Chu Shihan, Lin Huaixu eagerly urged him, "Senior Brother, this is a good opportunity! Look at Miss Gu Yueyao—whether in appearance or temperament, she is outstanding. Why don't we give it a try too?"

As he spoke, he even winked at Chu Shihan. Chu Shihan gave him an indifferent glance, his lips moving slightly, yet he ultimately did not answer. His expression remained as calm as still water.

"Fifth Junior Brother, I'm already sick of saying you're my superhero. What an amazing assist!" Shen Yuxi fanned the flames from the side.

But how could Chu Shihan so easily be roused to hot-blooded excitement by their few words? Like a steady mountain, he sat there quietly, utterly immovable.

"Senior Brother, you really won't go? It would be good to establish the sect's prestige too, wouldn't it?"

"Junior Brother is so enthusiastic that I am greatly comforted. How about Senior Brother signs you up instead?"

Seeing this, Lin Huaixu felt helpless. He knew it was all because Second Senior Brother Shen Yuxi had previously leaked that Senior Brother would act foolishly during the competition yet ultimately win.

Senior Brother was probably still bothered by that possible "future," which was why he had simply decided not to participate.

Of everyone, Shen Yuxi was the most confused by this. "??? Why isn't Senior Brother moving? If he just sits there, a wife won't fall into his arms!"

He had no idea that it was precisely because he had spoiled things in advance that this situation had arisen.

Hearing him say that, Chu Shihan grew even angrier and refused to compete even if beaten to death.