Chapter 633: Three Sects Sword Trial (Part 1)

Volume Five: Renowned in All Directions

At one end of the plaza, in front of thousands of disciples, several dozen individuals stood out prominently. The seven or eight cultivators standing slightly ahead were all at the Core Formation stage or above, exuding an air of calm and composure. Behind them, dozens of men and women were at the Foundation Establishment stage or higher. These were the Pavilion Lords and Elders of Hundred Crafts Pavilion, along with numerous stewards responsible for various duties.

"They're here!" a sharp-eyed disciple suddenly exclaimed, having spotted something and growing unusually excited. Immediately, all the low-level cultivators looked up. Distant lights flickered in the sky, followed by a large cluster of multicolored streaks of light that rapidly approached from afar.

"It's the Ancient Sword Sect; they all fly on swords!" someone else shouted. Hearing this, the crowd grew even more agitated. Many pointed at the approaching lights, their expressions varied.

"Silence! What kind of behavior is this? Do you want the other two sects to mock our Hundred Crafts Pavilion?" a burly old man standing at the front of the crowd suddenly said in a cold, stern voice, his face darkening. His voice resonated throughout the plaza, and the overly excited disciples instantly fell silent. The vast plaza became quiet in an instant. Seeing this, the burly old man's expression softened slightly, showing satisfaction. The other Core Formation cultivators exchanged knowing glances and smiles, seemingly accustomed to such scenes.

At that moment, the cultivators from the Ancient Sword Sect flew over the plaza. While not all of them rode on swords, only a handful used other flying artifacts.

"I never expected Brother Fu and the others to personally come out and greet us; Jiang is truly flattered!" A short old man in his fifties or sixties, who was flying at the front of the Ancient Sword Sect contingent, laughed heartily before being the first to descend. Beside him, a scholar in a green robe and a young woman in white also descended, smiling and side-by-side; they appeared to be a perfect couple. At this point, the rest of the Ancient Sword Sect's younger-looking, low-level cultivators also landed, one by one, on their artifacts.

"Since Brother Jiang Yun is leading the team this time, it's only right that Fu and the others come out to greet you personally," the burly old man said with a slight bow to the three, his expression unchanged. "Moreover, the renowned White Jade Twin Swords couple has also graced us with their presence."

"Alright, let's not flatter each other; we don't want the juniors to laugh at us," the cultivator named Jiang said, seemingly disliking the Falling Cloud Sect and speaking with a hint of schadenfreude. "It seems the Falling Cloud Sect hasn't arrived yet. They seem to be losing interest in the Sword Trial Assembly. Could it be because they've consistently finished last, making them feel guilty?"

Hearing this, the old man named Fu gave a wry smile. Unlike the Ancient Sword Sect, Hundred Crafts Pavilion couldn't simply agree with such remarks. If word reached the high-ranking members of the Falling Cloud Sect, it would surely stir up trouble. Therefore, before the old man named Fu could formulate a reply, a middle-aged man in a jade-green robe behind him suddenly interjected with a grin:

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, there's no need to be so impatient! I've heard that this time, the Falling Cloud Sect's leader is Fairy Song of White Phoenix Peak—she's a rare beauty among our three sects. Unfortunately, Fairy Song has always kept a low profile, so few from our two sects have ever seen her. Now, we finally have the chance to fulfill that long-held wish!"

"Brother Shi must be talking about Fairy White Phoenix. She is rumored to be extraordinarily beautiful, and I've certainly heard of her for a long time. If she truly is leading the team, then waiting a little longer wouldn't be a problem," Jiang Yun said, nodding with an interested look in his eyes.

The male and female cultivators from the Ancient Sword Sect looked surprised upon hearing this. The green-robed scholar among them spoke with an astonished voice: "I heard that Fairy White Phoenix possesses a Heavenly Spirit Root. She managed to achieve Core Formation in less than a century, truly a cultivation genius seen only once in a thousand years in the cultivation world. It's quite unexpected to see her at this Sword Trial Assembly."

"Exactly! Even as a fellow woman, I'm extremely curious about this famous Fairy Song. If we get to see her today, it would certainly be a delight!" The young woman in white, though of ordinary appearance, had a smooth and pleasant voice that was extremely melodious to the ear.

"Well... oh! It seems the Falling Cloud Sect people are arriving," the old man named Fu said, glancing towards the sky and blurting it out just as he was about to say something with a smile. Hearing this, everyone nearby simultaneously looked up and saw a huge black dot gradually approaching from the east.

"What's that?" The Ancient Sword Sect cultivator named Jiang's expression shifted, as if he knew what it was. As it drew closer, everyone finally saw clearly: it was an unusually colossal monstrous bird, flying towards them at an astonishing speed. Silhouettes crowded its back, indicating numerous cultivators.

"Hmph! The Falling Cloud Sect only has this exotic Azure-Light Condor worth showing off, and that strange bird can merely change its size. It's just a fifth-grade demonic beast!" The cultivator named Jiang said, a hint of sourness in his voice as he looked at the large bird. The old man named Fu and the other Core Formation cultivators from Hundred Crafts Pavilion ignored the comment, pretending not to have heard it.

However, the young disciples present had clearly never seen such a massive spirit beast before. Gasps of astonishment erupted one after another. Everyone's eyes were wide with shock and awe as they stared at the giant bird's impressive form. The giant bird's flight speed was indeed astounding. After a few powerful flaps of its colossal, azure-glowing wings, it reached the sky above the plaza in an instant. The enormous body of the giant condor, with its wings fully spread, instantly cast a vast shadow, covering a portion of the plaza. Simultaneously, a strong, foul-smelling wind swept through, causing some low-level disciples to stumble and turn pale in the strong gusts.

"Stop!" a man's voice suddenly commanded from atop the giant bird. The colossal condor immediately folded its wings and floated motionless in mid-air. Only then did numerous cultivators on the bird's back descend, one by one, on their respective artifacts.

"Oh, isn't that Brother Duan of Fire Cloud Peak? What a rare guest!" The old man named Fu spotted the leading red-robed elder at a glance, his eyes lighting up as he quickly moved to greet him.

"Not at all! After our last parting in Yunzhou, I've thought of Brother Fu often!" the red-robed elder said with a chuckle and a smile, his gaze sweeping over the others behind his counterpart.

"Brother Duan is looking for Elder Changzheng, I presume? Unfortunately, Junior Brother Chang has gone out on some business. However, he should be able to return by the later stages of the assembly," the old man named Fu said casually.

"Oh, is that so? Well, it doesn't matter then! Whether we can reminisce is a matter of fate," the red-robed elder said, a hint of disappointment on his face before his expression returned to normal. He then pointed to the stunning blue-robed woman beside him and said with a smile, "This is Junior Brother Yu; I don't need to introduce him, as you all know him. But Junior Sister Song... I believe this is the first time any of you have seen her. Allow me to introduce her."

"Fairy White Phoenix's renowned name has echoed in my ears for years, Brother Fu," the old man named Fu said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the woman named Song. After a flash of admiration in his gaze, he praised her, "To finally behold your beauty, it truly lives up to its reputation!"

"Senior Brother Fu, you flatter me. I am unworthy of the title of 'Fairy'," the blue-robed woman replied softly, a gentle smile appearing on her flawless face. Her serene and charming demeanor made some of the nearby low-level male cultivators' hearts pound, and they gazed at her with a hint of infatuation. Although the high-level cultivators were more composed, a spark of fervent interest was evident in their eyes as well.

At this moment, the red-robed elder and his companions also noticed the Ancient Sword Sect members and went over to greet them. The cultivator named Jiang, though appearing indifferent, managed to give a couple of reluctant replies. The young woman in white, however, held the hand of the woman named Song and chatted incessantly with extreme enthusiasm, as if they were sisters. The blue-robed woman, meanwhile, responded with consistently gentle and graceful politeness, her refined behavior leaving no room for fault.

The subsequent arrangements were straightforward. After welcoming the two sects, Hundred Crafts Pavilion allocated two large residential areas for the Ancient Sword Sect and the Falling Cloud Sect, allowing them a full day of rest. The official competition would commence the following day.

The evening passed without incident. Early the next morning, the intensely competitive trials among the three sects began. The competition was divided into three groups. Each sect selected ten participants, who were then grouped with twenty disciples from the other two sects to form a single group. Within each group, participants competed in one-on-one matches to select the top four. Subsequently, these twelve disciples would draw lots for further combat to determine the final winner and the top ten overall.

As there weren't many disciples, the matches would naturally not be held simultaneously in multiple venues. Instead, they proceeded sequentially in a single arena. The order of appearance for the matches was determined by a lot drawing among the leading cultivators of the three sects, so there was nothing more to be said about it. As for the judges, cultivators from the third, uninvolved sect served in that role, ensuring a fair process.

When the numerous disciples of Hundred Crafts Pavilion had completely surrounded the competition arena, a bald, burly man from Hundred Crafts Pavilion stood silently in the center of the protective barrier and slowly announced: "First group, Han Li of the Falling Cloud Sect versus Yao Feng of the Ancient Sword Sect!"

As the burly man's voice faded, one disciple emerged from each of the Falling Cloud Sect and Ancient Sword Sect's queues. Upon clearly seeing the two opponents, the surrounding Hundred Crafts Pavilion disciples erupted in a wave of commotion and whispered conversations.

"Did I see that right? One is at the eleventh level of Qi Condensation, and the other is at the early Foundation Establishment stage."

"Their cultivation levels are simply too far apart!"

The disciple from the Ancient Sword Sect, who had two swords, one long and one short, strapped to his back, also looked at his opponent with surprise, followed by a fleeting look of disdain. For him, defeating an opponent with such a low cultivation level would be effortless. Meanwhile, his opponent, the ordinary-looking young man in a green combat suit, frowned deeply, appearing somewhat troubled and puzzled.

Outside the protective barrier, the Core Formation cultivators from the three sects naturally didn't mingle with the disciples but gathered separately in a small open area, chatting leisurely.

"Brother Duan, is the Falling Cloud Sect truly planning to give up on this Sword Trial Assembly?" Jiang Yun of the Ancient Sword Sect couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief the moment he saw the young man from the Falling Cloud Sect enter the arena. "How could a disciple at the eleventh level of Qi Condensation even pass your sect's selection? You're not just sending random people to make up the numbers, are you?"

"Oh! Eleventh level. Not bad! I recall this disciple was only at the tenth level of Qi Condensation when he passed the sect's selection. It's rare to see such rapid cultivation advancement," the red-robed elder replied calmly upon hearing the other's words.

"What? Tenth level during selection? Brother Duan, you must be joking," Jiang Yun of the Ancient Sword Sect said, a look of disbelief on his face. This time, the red-robed elder merely smiled without answering. Seeing this, Jiang Yun muttered to himself and stopped talking, instead focusing his attention on the situation in the arena.

"The match begins!" the bald, burly man finally announced in a deep voice from above.

Upon hearing this, the young man immediately shrugged his shoulders. Instantly, a red and a blue flying sword shot out from his back, hovering above his head. Simultaneously, a green light flashed in his hand, and a green protective barrier appeared around his body. The young man then swiftly formed hand seals, preparing to activate his flying swords to attack his opponent.

However, by the time he had skillfully completed this sequence, suddenly, fifty to sixty glowing red fireballs appeared before him. These fireballs, carrying scorching waves of heat, charged aggressively towards him.

"Ah!" Yao Feng was greatly startled, his face turning deathly pale with fright. However, true to his status as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was experienced in combat. In a moment of quick thinking, he instinctively abandoned activating his artifacts and immediately threw himself to the ground. The numerous fireballs swarmed past him, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

Nonetheless, this only fueled his anger. He flipped over, furious and alarmed, intending to jump up and give his opponent a taste of his own medicine, only to find a large, dark foot planted firmly on his forehead, stomping down mercilessly. Instantly, the Ancient Sword Sect's esteemed disciple blacked out, losing consciousness.