Chapter 1366: Exposure

Wuxia Xianxia

Qingyang Daoist Temple.

Qin Sang strolled leisurely, unhurried and at ease.

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

Bai Hanqiu was presiding over the competition. She and her Daoist partner shared a profound affection, likened to a pair of birds soaring together, and were considered an enviable immortal couple within Qingyang Daoist Temple.

The arena was situated on the bank of a great river, atop the outer section's highest peak. From the summit, one could glimpse the inner sect's scenery, which served as an inspiration for the outer disciples.

Cheers occasionally erupted from the mountaintop. This was the final match of the grand competition, which would determine the ultimate victor.

Outer disciples surrounded the arena, cheering for both competitors. Even some male inner disciples came out to watch the spectacle.

In the arena.

One contestant was a yellow-clad youth, whose appearance and demeanor could only be described as ordinary.

The other was a beautiful maiden in flowing white robes. The maiden had snow-white skin and a cool, aloof demeanor. She held a spirit sword, its blade gleaming like profound ice, as cold and striking as herself.

Everyone appreciates beauty. Evidently, most people were there to watch the maiden; their cheers drowned out the surging river's roar. A few companions, out of loyalty, tried to encourage the youth, but their voices were so faint they couldn't even hear themselves, so they promptly switched allegiances.

“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 did not block out sounds.

The youth, submerged in waves of sound, stood alone and helpless, clutching a black fire poker. He seemed rather pathetic.

The maiden, 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!”

The youth, however, appeared distracted, his eyes vacant. He seemed to have been stunned by the grand spectacle surrounding the arena.

The maiden frowned.

At that moment, the voice of an outer sect steward announced the start.

Intelligent as she was, the maiden noticed something was amiss with her opponent’s gaze. 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 soared into the air. As sword energy surged, the maiden's robes fluttered, captivating the onlookers outside the arena. Cheers echoed throughout the outer sect.

In contrast, the youth, as if waking from a dream, hastily raised the black fire poker in his hand. Unsurprisingly, this drew a round of laughter.

It was hard to imagine who would forge such an unsightly magical artifact, yet the youth had relied on it to overcome all obstacles and reach the final arena.

Shing!

The spirit sword mercilessly struck down, transforming into a streak of blue sword light. Provoked by the sword light, the fire poker also burst forth with brilliant green light, instantly soaring skyward.

The green and blue lights converged, colliding fiercely. Immediately, thunderous roars erupted, blurring the figures of both contestants. The intertwined blue and green lights swept outwards from the arena, causing the light barrier to vibrate repeatedly.

Spectators pressed against the arena's light barrier gasped in alarm, instinctively recoiling. Only after seeing the light barrier remain as firm as before did they breathe a sigh of relief, their faces filled with astonishment as they watched the two battling in the arena, surprised by such power displayed in just their first exchange.

The maiden was also startled; not only could the opposing fire poker contend with her spirit sword, but it subtly emitted a strange suction force, causing her internal spiritual energy to become unstable, even showing signs of boiling.

Evidently, the youth's cultivation realm was still a level below hers. Failure was not an option in this fight!

The maiden gritted her teeth, no longer hesitating, and immediately activated a secret technique she had recently mastered.

“Divine Sword, Control Thunder Art!”

Accompanied by her clear 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 mid-air at the youth with astonishing power!

“What?! Junior Sister Lu has already learned the Divine Sword Thunder Control Art!”“As expected of a genius!”

The crowd exclaimed in shock. The pillar of light was like a bolt of lightning, its aura world-shaking, as if it could cleave a mountain.

Of course, this wasn't the power of true heavenly thunder, nor was it the Sword Qi Thunder Resonance technique, but rather a treasured sword art of Qingyang Daoist Temple. For the maiden to master this art at her current cultivation realm was a testament to her genius in swordsmanship.

Outside the arena, Bai Hanqiu looked at the maiden with approval, while a steward beside her watched the youth somewhat nervously, his gaze subtly tinged with anticipation.

In front of the youth, there was no other barrier apart from his fire poker. His face contorted, blood trickling from his orifices. He clutched the fire poker, which had a round crystal at its black tip, faintly shimmering with a hint of blood-red, and bravely 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, leaving the maiden pale-faced, her breathing faint, her spiritual energy nearly depleted. She barely managed to steady herself.

The youth, however, spat out fresh blood and fell out of the arena like a broken rag doll.

“Junior Sister Lu wins!”

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in excited cheers. The maiden, however, stood silent and motionless, staring blankly at the youth.

“How disappointing!”

The steward was heartbroken and furious; he could clearly see that the youth had faltered at the last moment. Bai Hanqiu's discernment, however, was keen.

Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly spotted an ethereal figure outside the crowd, who gave her a slight nod. Thinking she might be mistaken, she quickly focused her gaze. Whispering a few instructions to the steward, Bai Hanqiu disregarded the disciples' gazes and transformed into a streak of light, flying into the inner sect. Seeing Qin Sang strolling through the mountains, she dutifully followed behind him, “Disciple greets Master. Did Master also watch the disciples’ competition just now?”

“Youthful spirits, full of vigor,” Qin Sang chuckled. “I'm merely reminiscing about the past.” In truth, when he first began cultivating, he encountered too many setbacks and never had the opportunity to participate in a sect's grand competition. Even after he later entered Shaohua Mountain, he avoided such matters whenever possible.

Seeing that Qin Sang wasn't blaming her, Bai Hanqiu felt relieved. Searching for something to say, she offered, “That male disciple, I wonder where he got his fortuitous encounter from? His magical artifact might be quite extraordinary. Senior Brother Tan said it has the potential to advance into a spiritual treasure in the future…”

“It’s a blood-refined evil artifact, but there's no need to worry about it,” Qin Sang said, nodding indifferently. “Artifacts have no inherent good or evil; it all depends on the wielder's character.” He knew what Bai Hanqiu was concerned about. He had been in secluded cultivation for so many years, and Bai Hanqiu's cultivation hadn't progressed much. It seemed she had given up on her path of cultivation. 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 began reporting to Qin Sang. Great Sui was where Qingyang Daoist Temple rose to prominence. Jiang Xue, being astute, ordered Han Family Stronghold to relocate, ceding Great Sui and a large surrounding territory to Qingyang Daoist Temple.

Tan Yien knew the significance of Great Sui to Qin Sang, so she dispatched stewards to oversee it and designated Mount Chaoling as a sacred land. Bai Hanqiu became the current head of the Bai family. The Bai family, in one leap, transformed into a cultivation clan.

However, the Qin family remained the imperial family of Great Sui, enjoying immense prosperity and glory. Unfortunately, no descendants with cultivation talent had emerged. Should any offspring with spiritual roots appear, they would immediately be brought into Qingyang Daoist Temple for cultivation.