Chapter 1364: Emotions

The Human World

Qingyang Temple.

Qin Sang strolled leisurely, taking his time.

Today was the day of the outer sect disciples' grand competition.

Bai Hanqiu was presiding over the competition. She and her Dao companion were a devoted couple, deeply in love, considered an enviable immortal pair within Qingyang Temple.

The arena was set up on the bank of a large river, located on the outer sect's highest peak. From the summit, one could glimpse the inner sect's scenery, a sight meant to inspire the outer sect disciples.

Cheers occasionally erupted from the mountaintop. This was the final match of the competition, which would determine the ultimate victor. Outer sect disciples crowded around the arena, cheering on both sides. Even some male inner sect disciples came out to watch the excitement.

On the arena, on one side was a young man in yellow robes, whose appearance and demeanor could only be described as ordinary. On the other side was a beautiful young woman, her white robes fluttering. The young woman's skin was as white as snow, and her aura was cool and aloof. She held a spirit sword, its blade gleaming as if forged from profound ice, as cold and stunning as she was.

The appreciation for beauty is universal. Evidently, most people were there to see the young woman; their cheers drowned out the roaring waters of the great river. A few companions, out of loyalty, tried to encourage the young man, but their voices were so faint they couldn't even hear themselves, so they simply switched sides.

"Go, Senior Sister Lu!""Take him down!""I bet this kid can withstand five moves from Junior Sister Lu.""Three moves at most..."

The light barrier surrounding the arena could not block out sounds. The young man was engulfed by the waves of sound, standing alone and helpless. He clutched a pitch-black fire poker, looking rather pathetic and at a loss.

The young woman, however, showed no trace of conceit. Her crimson lips parted slightly, "Junior Brother Zhang, I didn't expect my final opponent to be you. Please enlighten me with your guidance!"

The young man, however, seemed absent-minded, his gaze vacant. He seemed to have been stunned by the grand spectacle surrounding the arena.

The young woman frowned.

At that moment, the outer sect deacon's voice announced the start of the match. Clever as she was, the young woman noticed the peculiar look in her opponent's eyes. Yet, her resolve was firm; she wouldn't be swayed and would give her all, no matter who her opponent was!

With a gesture of her right hand, the spirit sword detached from her palm and flew into the air. Sword energy vibrated, and the young woman's robes fluttered, leaving those outside the arena spellbound. Cheers reverberated throughout the outer sect.

In contrast, the young man seemed to awaken from a dream, hastily raising the pitch-black fire poker in his hand. Predictably, this drew a burst of laughter. It was hard to imagine who would forge such an ugly magical artifact, yet the young man had relied on this very artifact to overcome all challenges and stand in the final arena.

'Zheng!'

The spirit sword mercilessly struck down, transforming into a blue sword light. Provoked by the sword light, the fire poker also burst forth with a brilliant green glow, soaring skyward in an instant. The green and blue lights converged, colliding violently. For a moment, thunderous roars erupted, blurring the figures of both combatants. The intertwining green and blue lights swept outwards, causing the light barrier to vibrate repeatedly.

Spectators pressed close to the arena's light barrier gasped in alarm, instinctively leaning back. Seeing the light barrier remain as sturdy as ever, they finally exhaled, looking at the two combatants in the arena with astonishment. They hadn't expected such power from their initial exchange.

The young woman was also taken aback. The fire poker opposite her not only contended with her spirit sword but also subtly exerted a strange suction force, causing her spiritual energy to become unstable, even showing signs of boiling. Yet, the young man's cultivation realm was clearly a level below hers. This battle could not be lost!

The young woman gritted her silver teeth, no longer hesitating. She immediately activated a secret art she had recently mastered.

"Divine Sword Command Thunder Art!"

Accompanied by her delicate cry, the spirit sword let out a long hum. With a flash of blue light, it suddenly transformed into a pillar of light, striking down from the air towards the young man with astonishing might!

"What! Junior Sister Lu has already learned the Divine Sword Command Thunder Art!""Truly a genius!"

Everyone exclaimed in surprise. The pillar of light was like a bolt of thunder, its momentum shocking, as if it could cleave mountains. Of course, this wasn't true heavenly lightning, nor was it the 'sword qi thunder sound' technique. It was a cherished sword art of Qingyang Temple. For a young woman of her cultivation realm to master this sword art, she could indeed be called a sword Dao genius.

Outside the arena, Bai Hanqiu looked at the young woman with a look of approval. Beside her, a deacon watched the young man somewhat nervously, his gaze subtly hinting at a degree of expectation.

Before the young man, there was no other barrier apart from his fire poker. His face contorted, blood streaming from his seven orifices. He gripped the fire poker, at the tip of which was a circular crystal, faintly showing a hint of crimson. He boldly charged towards the pillar of light.

'Boom!'

A thunderous roar. The arena shook violently. The blue and green lights were almost indistinguishable. Everyone fell silent, watching the arena with tense expressions.

'Rumble...'

Suddenly, the blue light dimmed and flew back. The young woman's face was pale, her aura weak, and her spiritual energy almost depleted. She barely managed to stabilize herself. The young man, however, spat blood and fell out of the arena like a broken rag doll.

"Junior Sister Lu won!"

After a brief silence, everyone cheered excitedly. The young woman, however, stood there silently, gazing at the young man, lost in thought.

"What a disappointment!" The deacon was heartbroken and indignant, naturally seeing that the young man had flinched at the last moment.

Bai Hanqiu's perception, however, was not bad. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly spotted an ethereal figure outside the crowd, who gave her a slight nod. Thinking she'd imagined it, she quickly focused her gaze for a closer look. Whispering a few words to the deacon, Bai Hanqiu disregarded the disciples' gazes, transformed into a streak of light, and flew into the inner sect. Seeing Qin Sang strolling through the mountains, she dutifully followed behind him. "Disciple greets Master," she said. "Did Master also watch the disciples' competition just now?"

"The youthful years are full of spirit and vigor," Qin Sang chuckled. "Your master is merely reminiscing about the past through this." In truth, he had encountered too many difficulties at the start of his cultivation and never had the opportunity to participate in a sect competition. Even after he later entered Shaohua Mountain, he avoided such events whenever possible.

Relieved that Qin Sang didn't blame her, Bai Hanqiu sought to make conversation. "That male disciple, I don't know where he got his fortuitous encounter from, but the magical artifact in his hand might have some origins. Senior Brother Tan said it has the potential to advance into a magic treasure in the future..."

"It's a blood-refined evil artifact, but there's no need to worry about it," Qin Sang nodded indifferently. "Artifacts have no good or evil; it all depends on the wielder's character." Qin Sang nodded uncaringly, knowing what Bai Hanqiu was concerned about. He had been in seclusion for so many years, and Bai Hanqiu's cultivation hadn't progressed much. It seemed she had already given up on the Dao path. This was Bai Hanqiu's own choice, and Qin Sang would not interfere.

Changing his tone, Qin Sang asked, "Has the Han family moved out of Great Sui?"

Bai Hanqiu nodded repeatedly and reported to Qin Sang. Great Sui was the birthplace of Qingyang Temple's rise. Jiang Xue, being sensible, ordered Han Family Stronghold to relocate, ceding Great Sui and a large surrounding territory to Qingyang Temple. Tan Yien knew Great Sui's significance to Qin Sang, so he sent deacons to guard it, proclaiming Mount Chaoming a sacred land.

Bai Hanqiu became the contemporary head of the Bai family. The Bai family immediately transformed into a cultivation family. However, the Qin family remained the imperial clan of Great Sui, enjoying immense prestige and wealth. Unfortunately, no descendants with cultivation talent had appeared. Should any future generations possess spiritual roots, they would immediately be brought into Qingyang Temple to cultivate.