The fifteenth of August, the bright moon rises.
At the Kaiyang Peak, at the Seven Star Platform.
The Seven Star Platform is a platform spanning five zhang (approximately 10 meters) in length and width, made of rough and heavy black stone.
At this moment, the area around the stone platform was already filled with Daoist priests, a dense crowd of two to three thousand.
Yang Tie Ying stood at the very front with Yan Baoying, no more than three zhang away from the stone platform.
This was Yan Baoying's first time here. She examined the stone platform with curiosity and asked in a low voice, "Why are there no signs of battle on the Seven Star Platform?"
Logically speaking, a fighting arena where martial arts are frequently held should leave various marks.
The black stone platform in front of them was no more than three feet high, with a smooth and flat surface that looked like a mirror under the moonlight.
As Fourth Rank martial artist, Yan Baoying felt this was highly illogical.
" The Seven Star Platform is said to have been built with meteorites from outer space. The stone platform is as smooth as jade and as hard as iron, and it will slowly recover after being damaged."
Yang Tie Ying had also heard Su Wuyi mention the Seven Star Platform, and now he was putting his newfound knowledge to good use.
He knew this person was his master's friend, and since his master had given him instructions, he became even more enthusiastic. "So amazing?" Liang Fangfang exclaimed in amazement.
Liang Fangfang was not tall, with a round, chubby face and a plump body without a waist.
She wasn't bad-looking; in fact, she was rather cute because of her chubby figure. However, she was short and round, and she was wearing a pink sleeveless vest with a light mauve gauze blouse underneath, and a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) on her lower body.
While her attire was quite exquisite and luxurious, Liang Fangfang's round and plump figure made her look rather conspicuous.
Yang Tie Ying focused on cultivating Daoism. Although he knew there was a difference between men and women, he didn't care much about it.
He actually found Liang Fangfang's round and chubby figure quite amusing.
He patiently explained, "While it's called a meteorite, you can think of it as some kind of wood; it absorbs spiritual energy and grows naturally..."
Liang Fangfang suddenly understood, nodded repeatedly, and praised, "The Daoist priest is truly amazing; he knows everything."
Yang Tie Ying was a little embarrassed by the praise; he coughed lightly but didn't say anything.
Yan Baoying found it somewhat amusing; her disciple Zhou Wuji was quite naive. She asked, "Where is the True Person?"
Yang Tie Ying shook her head. "The time isn't up yet."
As they were talking, Yang Tie Ying saw Su Wuyi approaching with a group of people. The one leading them was a middle-aged female Daoist priest whom he didn't recognize, but he recognized the five-pronged crown on her head and knew she must be Third Rank True Person. He didn't dare to approach her and bowed respectfully to Su Wuyi from a distance.
Su Wuyi smiled at Yang Tie Ying but didn't say anything.
With the Tianxuan Hall, the True Person Zhimiao, right beside her, she, though a direct disciple of the Palace Master, still held the Palace Master in considerable awe.
The True Person Zhimiao was extremely beautiful, with a serene temperament. He wore a bright yellow Daoist robe, held a whisk in his hand, and walked with his robes fluttering as if his feet were not touching the ground.
Many of the Daoist priests had seen this Tianxuan Hall before, and seeing him personally watching the battle, the noise of the crowd immediately subsided.
The True Person Zhimiao glanced at the tall and robust Yang Tie Ying, then softly asked Su Wuyi beside her, "Who is that?"
Su Wuyi hurriedly replied, "He is Zhou Wuji's disciple, his Daoist name Shangbing."
True Person Zhimiao couldn't help but chuckle. This Daoist title was quite interesting; it certainly suited Zhou Wuji's assertive style.
Her gaze swept across the crowd, and she saw many familiar faces.
Zheng Wukong Tianshu Shu, Wang Wuying Tianji, Fang Wuli Tianquan, Shui Wushang Kai Kaiyang, Ye Wugong Army-Breaking, and all the True Disciple Candidate of each lineage were present.
This is perfectly normal. Zhou Wuji has been in this institute for half a year now, and he has never made a public appearance.
Everyone says Zhou Wuji defeated Zhou Yichun, but few people witnessed that battle. This time, the duel with the Yuheng Lineage is even more so, Seven Star Consecutive Battles of battles.
Regardless of victory or defeat, this battle will showcase Zhou Wuji's true abilities.
The competition for the True Disciple Candidate is fierce, so we definitely need to assess Zhou Wuji's true strength before deciding on our next move.
Not only these True Disciple Candidate, True Person Zhimiao saw Elder Tianquan, Quan Zhiguang, and other elders from various lineages.
Clearly, everyone was very interested in Zhou Wuji and wanted to see what kind of talents the Yuheng Lineage had cultivated over the years.
True Person Zhimiao was observing, he saw the crowd part automatically to Wang Zhishou of the Heavenly Authority Hall.
Wang Zhishou was not tall, his sparse gray hair was barely tied into a Daoist bun, held up casually with a wooden hairpin, and his gray Daoist robe was full of wrinkles.
The old Daoist priest wasn't actually dirty, but he just looked somewhat slovenly.
Fortunately, he was very famous, and almost everyone in the department knew him, so no one dared to be rude to him.
"Fellow Daoist has arrived as well." When Wang Zhishou saw that True Person Zhimiao was also there, a smile appeared on his wrinkled, dry old face, and he took the initiative to approach True Person Zhimiao's side.
Surrounded by low-level Daoists, Wang Zhishou didn't want to mingle with his own disciples, but he could at least chat with True Person Zhimiao.
" Zhou Wuji is so bold, I must see for myself," said True Person Zhimiao a smile. Wang Zhishou nodded. "The last time it was this lively was because of Zhihua. Yuheng Zhou Zhiyi really knows how to stir things up, haha."
The old man had lost several front teeth, and when he smiled, his gap-toothed smile revealed his advanced age.
" Zhou Zhiyi has some merit."
True Person Zhimiao also looked down on Zhou Zhiyi, and spoke of him with a hint of sarcasm.
The main reason is that Zhou Zhiyi relies on his status as a Zhou Household to fight for power and profit within the sect. Among the seven lineages, Zhou Zhiyi is the most active in this struggle.
As a result, the Zhou Household finally produced Zhou Zhihua, who was promoted to the Third Rank at the age of thirty and had a promising future, but he was forced to leave by Zhou Zhiyi.
The falling out between Zhou Zhihua and the Zhou Household not only caused Zhou Zhiyi to lose face, but also made everyone in the hospital feel that Zhou Zhihua was impulsive and not capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities.
With Zhou Zhihua's talent and abilities, he could only drift along in the Jingyang Upper Court Courtyard, completely losing any possibility of taking over the Yuheng Lineage.
That incident was a lose-lose situation for both sides.
Zhou Zhihua lost his future, Zhou Zhiyi lost the genius in his family and his prestige.
It was a truly devastating event.
True Person Zhimiao, Wang Zhishou, and other cultivators from various lineages all felt that Zhou Zhiyi was outrageous and that Zhou Zhihua was a great pity. However, for the other six lineages, this was actually a good thing.
The same applies this time; Zhou Wuji's status as a candidate for the True Disciple Candidate poses a significant threat to all the lineages.
But Yuheng couldn't wait to jump out and make things difficult for Zhou Wuji.
Of course, this was not a coincidence, but rather involved Zhou Zhihua's old case.
The True Person Zhimiao and Wang Zhishou chatted idly, not bothering to hide it from their disciples.
Su Wuyi heard it clearly; she was still young and knew nothing about what happened more than ten years ago.
Hearing the two recount old stories, she was completely bewildered and couldn't understand them. She was curious but dared not speak, and could only listen intently.
"But who is Zhou Wuji? He dares to challenge the Seven Stars of the Yuheng Lineage Seven Star Consecutive Battles. Is it out of martial prowess or to vent his anger and seek revenge against Zhou Zhihua?" Wang Zhishou said.
The True Person Zhimiao calmly said, "Judging from Zhou Wuji's actions, he is a cunning and scheming person, and shouldn't be so naive. This move must have some ulterior motive..."
While the two True Person were chatting, Zhou Zhiyi and the Yuheng Lineage had already arrived.
Zhou Zhiyi led several hundred men and firmly occupied the central position Seven Star Platform.
The other Daoists were forced to retreat to the sides, but no one dared to say anything. Zhou Zhiyi also saw the two Palace Masters, Zhi Miao Wang Zhishou. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment but did not greet them.
Zhou Zhiyi knew these two were there to laugh at him, and he had no intention of paying them any attention.
Accompanying Zhou Zhiyi was Yuan Zhiheng, the Kaiyang Hall, along with several elders from his lineage.
It's not a big deal for ordinary cultivators to use the Seven Star Platform.
When Fourth Rank cultivators fight on the Seven Star Platform, they can easily injure the audience members below.
The Seven Star Platform formation must be activated to protect the cultivators below. On the other hand, it can also protect the cultivators engaged in combat at crucial moments.
This battle caused a sensation throughout the entire academy; it was no ordinary event. Yuan Zhiheng also had to be present in person to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.
At this moment, Zhou Wuji also arrived.
He wore a carefree turban tied in his hair, dressed in green robes and carrying a sword. Unseen clouds swirled beneath his feet as if he were riding the wind, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Zhou Zhiyi and the others.
Yuan Zhiheng gave Zhou Wuji a deep look, and Zhou Wuji smiled and bowed in greeting, "This humble Daoist greets True Person Zhiheng and True Person Zhiyi."
Zhou Zhiyi nodded in acknowledgment. Although he disliked this junior, he couldn't be impolite in front of so many people.
Yuan Zhiheng then said directly, "There are a few rules I want to clarify for the Seven Star Consecutive Battles tonight. First, when sparring with fellow disciples, we shall stop when we have made a point."
"Second, both sides used wooden swords to spar and test their skills."
"Third, if the empowered Big Dipper Heavenly Gang Divine Incantation is broken, it signifies failure. Do not attempt to salvage the situation." Yuan Zhiheng looked at Zhou Zhiyi and Zhou Wuji: "Do you two have any objections to these rules?"
"It's entirely up to the Palace Master's arrangements." Zhou Wuji naturally had no objections.
When fellow disciples spar, they should never be allowed to use real swords; that would be far too dangerous.
Zhou Zhiyi nodded. "That's exactly right."
As the three were talking, many experts from the Yuheng Lineage were sizing up Zhou Wuji.
Standing in front were all highly skilled sword cultivators. Even without deliberately activating their Sword Intent, their powerful Divine Sense naturally converged on Zhou Wuji.
Divine Sense is formless, yet it is an extremely real power.
Zhou Wuji seemed oblivious to the Divine Sense of the numerous cultivators. He glanced around and spotted a female cultivator in an apricot-yellow Daoist robe in the crowd.
This female cultivator possessed an exceptionally beautiful appearance, with bright, dark eyes that were calm and serene, and an air of tranquility about her.
She stood there with her sword, yet seemed to be resting on her own couch, exuding gentleness, tranquility, naturalness, and clarity. Zhou Wuji had seen many beauties, but if he were to speak of pure and elegant beauty, this woman would be the most outstanding. Despite being a sword cultivator, she possessed none of the sharpness one might expect; instead, she appeared gentle and serene—a truly unique quality.
Without anyone saying it, Zhou Wuji knew that this person must be Ye Wuque. This female cultivator really did have a certain air of perfection.
Based on his profound intuition about Sword Intent, Zhou Wuji immediately judged that Ye Wuque was the strongest sword cultivator among the many Fourth Rank, a formidable opponent.
Zhou Wuji, on the contrary, felt a surge of excitement. He enjoyed competing against masters, as that made victory all the more exciting!
Ye Wuque also noticed Zhou Wuji's gaze. Their eyes met, and Ye Wuque lowered his eyes slightly in acknowledgment, his attitude gentle, even carrying a hint of tenderness...
Runes on the Seven Star Platform shone brightly, and a faint, radiant wall of light appeared on all four sides.
Zhou Wuji randomly chose a four-foot wooden sword and entered the Seven Star Platform first.
Yuheng also dispatched its first sword cultivator, a 21-year-old young sword cultivator named Zhou Shangying, who was also the most outstanding cultivator of the Shang generation and had just advanced to the Fourth Rank.
At this age, Fourth Rank can already be considered a genius.
Zhou Shangying was quite handsome, of medium height, and dressed in a black Daoist robe. He held a wooden sword and greeted Zhou Wuji politely.
The audience was somewhat surprised to see that Yuheng had sent a junior to perform first. Zhou Shangying was also quite famous, and with the encouragement of cultivators from the Yuheng Lineage, the event was quite impressive.
Please.
Both were clad in azure robes, each holding a sword and bowing respectfully. Zhou Shangying, being the junior, did not stand on ceremony and immediately drew his sword and charged forward.
Zhou Shangying specializes in the Tianji Sword and has mastered the Xuan Yin and Xuan Yang sword techniques to a high degree.
The wooden sword flashed with varying degrees of strength and flexibility, and his Movement Method were incredibly agile, unpredictable in both speed and slowness.
Zhou Wuji merely parried with a wooden sword, appearing rather casual.
Most of the spectators were knowledgeable, and seeing Zhou Shangying's superb Swordsmanship, some even cheered and praised him.
Zhou Shangying unleashed three moves in quick succession, but didn't find Zhou Wuji particularly formidable. His fourth move immediately transformed into Spark Sets the Plains Ablaze.
This sword strike may seem effortless, but it contains powerful Tianji Profound Yang Sword Qi. A single spark can explode into a raging in an instant, making it a deadly move in the Tianji Profound Yang Sword.
As their wooden swords clashed, just as the Heavenly Tianji Profound Yang Sword Qi on Zhou Shangying's wooden sword was about to erupt, he shook his hand and the wooden sword flew out of his hand and into the sky.
Before Zhou Shangying could react, Zhou Wuji's sword had already struck his chest. The seven stars on the azure light robe shattered simultaneously, and the robe crumbled into countless streams of light.
The many Yuheng Sword cultivators below the stage who had been cheering and shouting encouragement suddenly fell silent.
Ninety-nine percent of those present were also completely bewildered, not understanding how Zhou Shangying had been defeated. The many experts from the Yuheng Lineage, however, wore solemn expressions; although they had been somewhat prepared, Zhou Wuji's Swordsmanship had still exceeded their expectations...
A strange light flashed in Ye Wuque's calm and collected eyes. It was not surprising that Zhou Wuji defeated Zhou Shangying, but this sword strike had taken Zhou Shangying so easily that it could be said that he had not exerted any effort at all.
A Fourth Rank swordsman was toyed with like a three-year-old child under this sword, demonstrating the vast difference in skill between them...
Heavenly Authority Hall Wang Zhishou clapped his hands in admiration, exclaiming, " Sword Lord Xiaoxiang, your reputation is well-deserved!"