When Chen Shuangbai returned to True Person Mei's side, the owners of the hundreds of pairs of eyes in the stands belatedly gasped in shock.
Everyone at the Jade Spring Sect clenched their fists and shouted, "Senior Brother Chen is mighty!"
On the other hand, the Spirit Taming Valley... seemed to be still immersed in a nightmare, unable to wake up for a long time.
For once, the True Person Guizhen stood up, his eyes fixed intently on Chen Shuangbai. At this moment, the old man's somewhat cloudy eyes turned a dark, eerie black, transforming from round pupils into vertical ones, filled with a demonic aura.
Frost and snow gradually fell, hovering around Chen Shuangbai, fluttering and reflecting in the vertical pupils of True Person Guizhen.
The old True Person only felt that everything in his vision was white, and he couldn't see anything clearly. Then he felt a stinging pain, so he gave up looking at Chen Shuangbai.
True Person Mei's voice rang out at the opportune moment, still quite languid, but it made the Golden Core cultivators sense a deadly aura.
"Old True Person, this is the True Disciple of our sect; do not do anything that is beneath our dignity."
True Person Yuchen clicked his tongue inwardly, muttering to himself, "Has he changed his ways? Shouldn't he be calling me 'old fellow'?"
True Person Tong from Azure Wave Cave quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying with a smile, "Don't let this ruin the harmony. I was just impressed by the True Disciple of your sect's True Person, so I instinctively wanted to see who he was."
The Three Sects of Ning Country were already in a state of compromise, and the situation was very fragile. They could not afford to offend Jade Spring Sect, the leader of the righteous path in the Jing Kingdom.
True Person Guizhen also realized what was happening, and with a thick face, he apologized before turning his gaze to his True Disciple. He saw Mo Li walking up in a daze, the sword wound on his chest not actually fatal, and not even a hint of coldness.
But the more this happened, the colder he felt inside.
He gazed at Chen Shuangbai, feeling the man's figure growing ever taller in his mind.
Just one sword strike!
If that sword strike had been a fraction more powerful...
Mo Li's pride shattered at this moment, leaving only fragments scattered on the ground.
This battle of magic consists of three rounds, and True Person Xu has already won two of them, so the outcome is essentially decided.
But we still have to go through this stage again.
Therefore.
Both Blazing Sun Mountain and Profound Firmament Sect sent a direct disciple in the Early Foundation Establishment Realm to the arena for a battle.
As Chen Shuangbai had predicted, Zhao Shiyong indeed appeared from the Profound Firmament Sect.
This direct descendant of Xuanxiao, who possessed a chivalrous spirit, had now successfully Foundation Establishment. His fire magic was even more astonishing. The cauldron-shaped Spirit Artifact in his hand flew out, spewing out streams of bright red spiritual fire, completely outshining the direct descendant of Blazing Sun Mountain who specialized in fire magic.
Thus, this extraordinary battle of wits came to an end.
The smile on True Person Xu's face never disappeared from beginning to end.
He stood up, first bowing respectfully to True Person Mei and True Person Yuchen, and said sincerely, "Many thanks to you two fellow Daoists for your help, which has finally given me, a mere rogue Rogue Cultivator, the opportunity to establish my own sect!"
True Person Mei waved his hand, True Person Yuchen said, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist."
However, True Person Xu did not become complacent. After thanking the two sects for their assistance, he bowed to the three True Person from Ning Country and said in a gentle tone:
"Many thanks to the three factions of Spirit Taming, Blazing Sun, and Azure Wave for their kindness. Now that I have established my base on Great Arrival Island, I will certainly shoulder my responsibilities and ensure that the rivers and lakes of my Ning Country will never again be disturbed by sea monsters!"
Ning Country is adjacent to the Spirit Gauze Sea. Around the summer solstice every year, many ferocious sea beasts swim upstream, causing considerable trouble for the people along the coast. The three sects also send many disciples to guard against them every year, which is a laborious task.
Hearing True Person Xu say this, the expressions on the faces of the three Golden Core cultivators improved somewhat.
True Person Tong that neither Old True Person Guizhen nor True Person Wang spoke, Master Tong had no choice but to step in and smooth things over, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, you're too kind. When you establish your sect in the future, please let us know so that the four of you can visit each other more often."
"Definitely! Definitely!"
True Person Wang of Blazing Sun Mountain suppressed his displeasure, forced a smile, and said in a deep voice, "I only hope that your sect will not forget what I said today in the future."
True Person Guizhen gave Chen Shuangbai a deep look; his vertical pupils had returned to normal.
He regained his previous kind and gentle demeanor, a signature smile on his face, though the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"It's a bet, but you should let me know in advance if you're opening a sect, so I can prepare and send a generous gift."
"That's unacceptable..."
True Person Xu spoke sincerely and humbly, giving the three factions a way out.
True Person Yuchen timely intervened, changing the subject to some local customs and interesting anecdotes about cultivation in Ning Country. The atmosphere eased again, and at least on the surface, everything was harmonious once more.
Establishing a sect or school is often a very complicated matter.
Now that Great Arrival Island belongs to True Person Xu, it will probably be another year or two before the day he establishes his own sect...
But for those at the Golden Core stage, one or two years is merely a blink of an eye.
The Great Arrival Island extends dozens of miles out into the sea before you reach it.
It was a huge island floating in the sea, which looked like a giant turtle emerging from the water from a distance. It had many steep and rugged peaks, as well as waterfalls. It was full of spiritual energy and was obviously a spiritual island.
Looking into the distance, Chen Shuangbai saw that there were already many mortals and cultivators on the island, building various palaces and pavilions together. It was clear that True Person Xu had been preparing for this for a long time.
Behind them, on the sea and in the sky, many cultivators were piloting sea ships and flying boats, transporting various spiritual materials to the island. Various spiritual lights shuttled between Great Arrival Island and the surrounding islands, and craftsmen were building the prototype of palaces and pavilions.
Among them, Chen Shuangbai spotted Zhang Xian, who was leading the group.
The Zhang, to which he belonged, had finally achieved their goal. In order to completely bind themselves to True Person Xu, they had put up all their wealth to ensure that all the palaces and pavilions on the Great Arrival Island were properly built and in good condition, so that True Person Xu would be pleased.
On Great Arrival Island, a palace had already been built on the Spirit Vein. True Person Xu invited True Person Mei and True Person Yuchen into the palace to discuss important matters.
Those who Foundation Establishment or Qi Refining stayed outside, either watching the bustling scene or finding a place to cultivate.
The next three days.
To thank the two sects for their help, True Person Xu instructed the Zhang to prepare a grand banquet.
The banquet was held in a temporary pavilion on the island. Although it was somewhat simple, the Zhang had capable people who knew how to handle things, and the banquet was just as well-organized as the Hundred Flavors Pavilion in the Jade Spring Sect.
The banquet featured a variety of spiritual fruits and fine wines, all treasures from the Ning Country Region and the Zhang. Even the disciples of the Jade Spring Sect and Profound Firmament Sect, who were used to the wealth of their sects, found it quite novel and enjoyed the feast immensely.