Fame Spreads Far and Wide: The Tri-Sect Sword Trial (Part 1)

At one end of the square, dozens of figures stood prominently before the thousands of disciples.

The seven or eight cultivators at the very front all possessed Core Formation level cultivation or higher, their expressions calm and unhurried. The dozens of men and women behind them were all at Foundation Establishment stage or above.

They were the院主 (Heads) and Elders of the Hundred Ingenious Institute, along with numerous stewards responsible for various duties.

“Here they come!” someone with sharp eyes suddenly spotted something and shouted with excitement.

All the low-grade disciples immediately raised their heads to look.

In the distant sky, light flickered, followed by a large group of colorful dots flying closer and closer from afar.

“It’s the Ancient Sword Sect! They’re all flying with swords,” someone else yelled out.

At this, the crowd became even more restless. Many began pointing at the specks of light, their expressions varied.

“Silence! What kind of behavior is this? Do you want the other two sects to see the Hundred Ingenious Institute as a laughingstock?” A burly old man standing at the front of the crowd, his face darkening, suddenly spoke coldly.

His voice carried throughout the entire venue. The momentarily disrespectful disciples immediately shut their mouths, and the vast square fell silent in an instant.

Seeing this, the burly old man’s expression eased slightly with satisfaction.

The other Core Formation cultivators exchanged smiles, apparently accustomed to this scene.

It was at this moment that the cultivators from the Ancient Sword Sect flew directly over the square. Although not all of them were riding swords, only a few were not using blade-type magical tools.

“I didn’t expect Brother Fu and the others to come out personally to welcome us. I, Jiang, am truly honored!” A short, elderly man of about fifty or sixty, who was flying at the front of the Ancient Sword Sect group, laughed heartily as he was the first to land.

Beside him were a green-robed scholar and a young woman in white. The two smiled as they landed side-by-side, giving the impression of a loving, well-matched couple.

Following them, the rest of the Ancient Sword Sect disciples—who generally appeared quite young—also landed one after another, guiding their tools down.

“So it is Brother Jiang Yun leading this delegation. We naturally came out to welcome you, especially with the famous White Jade Twin Swords couple also paying us a visit.” The burly old man, his expression unchanged, cupped his hand in a salute to the three.

“Alright, let’s stop flattering each other. We wouldn’t want the juniors to laugh. It seems the people from the Falling Cloud Sect haven’t arrived yet. Their interest in this Sword Trial Assembly seems to be waning more and more. Could it be that finishing last several times in a row has made them lose confidence?” The cultivator surnamed Jiang seemed to have little regard for the Falling Cloud Sect and spoke with a tone of schadenfreude.

Hearing this, the old man surnamed Fu revealed a bitter smile.

Their Hundred Ingenious Institute was not like the Ancient Sword Sect; he could not easily agree with such words. If they were heard by the higher-ups of the Falling Cloud Sect, it would surely stir up a storm.

Just as the old man surnamed Fu was thinking of how to respond to this remark, a middle-aged man in a dark green robe standing behind him suddenly grinned and interjected:

“Brother Jiang, there’s no need to be so impatient! I’ve heard that the leader of the Falling Cloud Sect’s delegation is Fairy Song of the White Phoenix Peak. She is a great beauty rarely seen among our three sects. Unfortunately, in the past, this Fairy Song always kept a low profile, and very few of us from the other two sects have had the chance to see her. Today, we might finally get to satisfy that long-standing wish!”

“Are you talking about the White Phoenix Fairy, Brother Shi? I have heard of her legendary beauty for a long time. If she is indeed leading the delegation, waiting a little while longer would be no trouble at all.” Jiang Yun’s eyes showed interest as he nodded.

The male and female cultivators from the Ancient Sword Sect looked quite surprised upon hearing this. The green-robed scholar was particularly taken aback, and he said in a shocked voice:

“I have heard that this White Phoenix Fairy possesses a Heavenly Spiritual Root and successfully formed her core in less than a century. She can be considered a true cultivation prodigy, one seen only once in a thousand years in the cultivation world. For her to appear at this Sword Trial Assembly is truly unexpected.”

“Exactly! Even though I am a woman myself, I am also very curious about this famous Fairy Song. It would be a wonderful thing to see her today!” The young woman in white, though of average appearance, possessed a voice that was round and pleasant to the ear.

“This…” The old man surnamed Fu smiled, about to say something, when he suddenly looked up at the sky and blurted out, “Eh! It seems the Falling Cloud Sect has arrived.”

Hearing this, everyone nearby immediately looked up. In the eastern direction, a large black dot was indeed drawing closer.

“Is that…?” The Jiang Yun from the Ancient Sword Sect’s expression flickered, as if he recognized what it was.

When it was a little closer, the others could finally see clearly: it was an enormous, monstrous bird, speeding towards them at an astonishing rate.

On the bird’s back were countless human figures, suggesting a large number of cultivators standing there.

“Hmph! The Falling Cloud Sect has nothing else to show off but this strange Azure Light Eagle. And this monster bird can only change its size. It’s only a Grade 5 demon beast!” The cultivator surnamed Shi looked at the giant bird, a hint of sourness in his voice.

The several Core Formation cultivators from the Hundred Ingenious Institute, including the old man surnamed Fu, acted as if they hadn’t heard him.

However, the young disciples present had clearly never seen such a large spirit beast before. Sounds of sharp intakes of breath rang out one after another. Everyone’s eyes were wide open, staring at the giant bird’s awe-inspiring form with looks of shock.

The bird’s flight speed was truly astonishing. After flapping its massive, green-light-emitting wings a few times, it had already arrived above the crowd in an instant.

The gigantic body of the large eagle, with its wings spread wide, cast a massive shadow over part of the square. At the same time, a fierce, foul wind swept past, causing some of the low-grade disciples who could not keep their balance in the gale to turn pale.

“Halt!” A man’s voice suddenly called out from the bird’s back. The giant eagle folded its wings and floated motionless in mid-air.

Only then did the many cultivators on the bird’s back begin to descend, using their magical tools.

“Eh, isn’t this Brother Duan of the Blazing Cloud Peak? What a rare guest!” The old man surnamed Fu recognized the red-robed old man leading the group at a glance, and his eyes lit up as he quickly went forward to greet him.

“Not at all! Since our parting in Yunzhou last time, I have also thought of Brother Fu often!” The red-robed old man gave a laugh and spoke with a smile, his gaze sweeping over the people behind Fu.

“Brother Duan is looking for Elder Changzheng, right? Unfortunately, Junior Brother Chang is away on business. However, he should be able to return towards the end of the assembly.” The old man surnamed Fu said nonchalantly.

“Is that so? Then it can’t be helped. Whether or not we can reminisce is a matter of karma. This is Junior Brother Yu, whom I don’t need to introduce; you all know him. But as for Junior Sister Song, I believe this is the first time everyone has met her. Allow me to introduce her.” The red-robed old man showed a trace of disappointment but quickly returned to his normal expression, pointing to the stunning woman in blue beside him and speaking with a smile.

“The esteemed name of the White Phoenix Fairy has been thundering in my ears these past few years, Brother Fu. Now that I have the chance to behold your elegance, it is truly well-deserved!” The old man surnamed Fu squinted slightly as he looked at the woman surnamed Song. After a flash of surprise and admiration in his eyes, he praised her.

“Senior Brother Fu flatters me. I am unworthy of the title ‘Fairy.’” The woman in blue revealed a gentle smile on her jade-like face and replied in a soft, tender voice. Her quiet and charming demeanor caused some of the nearby male low-grade cultivators to be deeply moved, their faces showing signs of infatuation.

While the high-grade cultivators were better at controlling themselves, their eyes also revealed a hint of fiery passion.

It was at this moment that the red-robed old man and his party noticed the people from the Ancient Sword Sect and went over to greet them as well.

Although the cultivator surnamed Jiang was somewhat lukewarm, he managed to return the greeting.

The young woman in white, on the other hand, held the woman in blue’s hand and chatted enthusiastically, as if they were sisters.

The woman in blue responded gracefully and generously throughout, her polite and courteous behavior leaving no room for fault.

What followed was simple.

After the Hundred Ingenious Institute had received the two sects, they vacated two large areas of residential compounds for the Ancient Sword Sect and the Falling Cloud Sect, allowing them a day of good rest before the official competition began the next day.

That night was uneventful. The next morning, the fierce competition between the three sects began.

The competition was divided into three groups. Each sect selected ten disciples to form a group with the twenty disciples from the other two sects.

Within each group, matches were held in pairs, selecting only the top four. These twelve disciples would then draw lots to compete in magical combat, ultimately determining the final victor and the top ten rankings.

As there were not many disciples, the competition was not held in several venues simultaneously but took place in a single arena in sequential order.

The order of appearance for the matches was determined by a draw among the leading cultivators of the three sects, so there was nothing much to say about it.

As for the referees, cultivators from the sect not involved in the match were selected to officiate, which was quite fair.

In the end, after the many disciples of the Hundred Ingenious Institute had surrounded the arena, a bald, burly man from the Hundred Ingenious Institute, standing in the center of the protective barrier, calmly 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 fell, a disciple walked out from the ranks of the Falling Cloud Sect and the Ancient Sword Sect respectively.

Once the opposing sides were clearly seen, the surrounding disciples of the Hundred Ingenious Institute broke out into a commotion and whispered among themselves.

“Am I seeing this right? One is at the 11th layer of Qi Condensation, and the other is at the early Foundation Establishment stage.”

“The gap in their cultivation levels is simply too great!”

...

The Ancient Sword Sect disciple, who carried a short and a long sword on his back, also looked at his opponent with a stunned expression. A flash of contempt then passed over his face.

For him, defeating this opponent would practically take no effort at all.

His opponent—a young man in a green outfit, with ordinary features—also frowned, seemingly troubled and confused by the situation.

Outside the light barrier, the Core Formation cultivators of the three sects, not mixing with their disciples, had gathered in their own small, open space, chatting leisurely.

“Brother Duan, is the Falling Cloud Sect really planning to give up on this Sword Trial Assembly? How could a disciple at the 11th layer of Qi Condensation have passed the sect’s internal selection? Did you pick him just to make up the numbers?” The Jiang Yun from the Ancient Sword Sect couldn’t help but laugh as soon as he saw the young man from the Falling Cloud Sect step out.

“Oh! The 11th layer? That’s right! I remember this disciple was only at the 10th layer when he passed the sect’s internal selection. It’s rare for him to have advanced his cultivation so quickly.” The red-robed old man, hearing this, replied without changing his expression.

“What? He was at the 10th layer when he passed the selection? Brother Duan, you must be joking.” Upon hearing this, the Ancient Sword Sect’s Jiang Yun looked incredulous.

This time, the red-robed old man just smiled and did not answer.

Seeing this, Jiang Yun felt a bit uneasy. He stopped talking and began to focus on the situation in the arena.

“The match begins!” The bald burly man finally announced in a deep voice from mid-air.

As soon as he heard this, the young man, without any hesitation, shrugged his shoulders. Immediately, a red and a blue flying sword shot out from his back, floating above his head. At the same time, a green light flickered in his hand, and a green light shield materialized around his body.

Only then did the young man begin to rapidly form hand seals, preparing to drive his flying swords to attack the enemy.

But just as he finished this set of actions with practiced proficiency, over fifty or sixty blazing fireballs suddenly appeared before his eyes. These fireballs, carrying with them a wave of scorching heat, rushed towards him with overwhelming force.

“Ah!” This Yao Feng was greatly startled, his face turning pale with fright.

But he was, after all, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, rich in combat experience. Acting on instinct in this moment of crisis, he abandoned the idea of activating his magical tool and immediately threw himself to the ground. A multitude of fireballs surged over him.

This left him drenched in a cold sweat.

However, this also enraged him even more. Furious and alarmed, he flipped himself over, intending to leap back up and teach this opponent a lesson. But what his forehead met was a large, pitch-black foot, which stomped down on him without mercy.

This high disciple of the Ancient Sword Sect immediately saw black before his eyes and knew nothing more.