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Chapter 41: The Grand Competition of the Xianjian Sect
Upon hearing Xiao Jun's question, Lian Yun suddenly recalled a saying from Meng Yixuan and smiled, "It's the person, not the instrument."
The implication was that the Realm Master would look at the person rather than the qin or any other Artifact.
Xiao Jun nodded in understanding, while Yao Yun'er put away her frown and lightly laughed, "Master, you are not beyond saving."
Yao Yun'er's master should be Elder Mei. Lian Yun felt a mix of gratitude and embarrassment, managing a forced smile.
Yao Yun'er then chuckled softly again, "Today is the annual competition day for the Sect disciples. The Sect Leader sent me to ask Young Master Bai—White Patron—if you would like to come and watch?"
"Miss Yao, please just call me Bai Yun! We are peers after all."
"Alright! In that case, I will call you Brother Yun. Hehe, Young Master Bai and Miss Yao sound too formal. You can call me Yooner, how does that sound?"
Lian Yun nodded, "Then please lead the way, Yooner!"
"Hehe, Brother Yun, please follow me. Oh, by the way, the Sect Leader has not announced your status as a Patron yet; I hope you don't mind."
"How could I!" Lian Yun replied with some delight.
He understood that the Xianjian Sect's intention was to grant such a young man the title of Honorary Patron. This would make outsiders think that the Honorary Patrons of the Xianjian Sect were not valuable and would also make existing regular and honorary guests feel uncomfortable.
Moreover, Lian Yun felt that with his current strength, obtaining the title of Honorary Patron from the Xianjian Sect would inevitably attract some gossip. Therefore, this was a mutually beneficial situation; Lian Yun had no reason to mind.
"The Sect Leader knows you won't mind, Brother Yun, but I still wanted to inform you to avoid any slip-ups."
Lian Yun smiled lightly.
Under the somewhat surprised gaze of Yao Yun'er, Lian Yun, Xiao Jun, and Yao Yun'er soared into the air together.
Before long, they saw a Sword Mountain that appeared to be cut in half. The entire Sword Mountain was bustling with activity, though there were about a hundred arenas, each measuring ten meters in length and width, leaving plenty of open space overall.
At the highest viewing platform sat Qiu ChujI along with a group of white-haired elders. There were Sect elders present, likely including some resident guest elders as well.
Below them were some relatively younger middle-aged elders or important managers of the Sect. Further down was a row of young men, likely core disciples similar to Yao Yun'er. Below them were mid-level managers, and at the bottom were some elite disciples.
The arrival of Lian Yun and his companions surprised many, causing several to rise from their seats. The main source of their astonishment was Xiao Jun's unexpected presence, which led to jealous glances directed at Lian Yun from core disciples and even some elders.
Although there was no resentment in the air, Lian Yun couldn't help but feel a bit helpless. It was one thing to be a 'disaster' for beautiful women; what could this 'disaster' caused by handsome men mean?
However, on the surface, Lian Yun still cupped his hands in greeting.
"Since Jun has also arrived, Bai Yun You might as well stand beside me!" Qiu ChujI said with a broad smile from his lofty position.
Lian Yun did not refuse; he bowed respectfully to both the elders and important managers before flying to Qiu ChujI's side. He then deeply bowed to Elder Mei on the other side.
Elder Mei nodded appreciatively but did not speak.
Qiu ChujI then remarked, "In our Sect's grand competition today, we will only judge swordsmanship regardless of realm. The reward for today's competition will be the gift of the Sect's treasured sword, Feihong. Feel free to comment on a few matches later."
"Please spare me, Master Qiu."
Although Lian Yun had only just arrived, he was already aware that there were several highly skilled swordsmen among the participants in the arena. While others might have some confidence in their swordsmanship, Lian Yun felt he truly did not have the qualifications to comment on such matters.
However, Qiu ChujI's intention was not for Lian Yun to critique anyone; he merely wanted to make it known that the Flying Phoenix Sword was a gift from Lian Yun to the Xianjian Sect. This also represented Lian Yun's ability to observe various sword techniques within the Sword Pavilion.
The Xianjian Sect was quite generous towards its disciples, allowing those with lesser realms to still have opportunities for victory despite their lower levels of cultivation. This approach served two purposes: it allowed talented disciples to gain recognition from elders and be accepted as closed-door students, while also reminding those with higher realms not to become complacent, as they could easily be surpassed by others.
Thus, there were over five thousand participants in the grand competition. Although there were a hundred arenas with two hundred fighters battling simultaneously, the elimination rounds took considerable time.
However, there was another unique aspect to the Xianjian Sect's competitions. Instead of following a set schedule for battles, they aimed to save time. When one fighter lost and another won in an arena, they would immediately leave the stage, allowing another pair of contestants to step up and duel.
The victors could challenge others for a second round of combat, and this continued in succession.
As a result, the atmosphere across the hundred arenas became somewhat chaotic. For instance, if two evenly matched opponents were still engaged in their first match, some fighters might already be competing in their third or fourth rounds. Consequently, the level of skill displayed varied greatly from arena to arena.
For Lian Yun, however, every match was thrilling; he wished he could summon three clones and have eight eyes watching all at once.
Observing the sword techniques used by these competitors would benefit his own understanding of various sword forms. Many techniques that Lian Yun had previously been unable to comprehend suddenly became clear when he saw them executed by others.
How could Lian Yun let such a rare opportunity slip away?
Yet just as he was fully engrossed in watching, he heard someone nearby cough several times. Annoyed, Lian Yun turned around only to find Elder Mei glaring at him with an unfriendly expression.
Lian Yun felt a sudden wave of shame wash over him as he lowered his head. He then bent slightly and began to observe each Arena carefully. Even if he could multitask, he found it impossible to watch two Arenas at once.
After two or three hours, one hundred Arenas reached a certain equilibrium, with the swordsmanship displayed on each Arena achieving a relative balance.
Then, the one hundred Arenas began to disappear ten by ten, leaving the remaining Arenas growing larger and larger.
When there were only ten Arenas left, only twenty contestants remained, marking the moment when the top ten would be decided. At this time, the contestants took their places, including Xiao Chengzhong, whose previous battle Lian Yun had watched closely.
At that moment, Yao Yun'er suddenly asked, "Brother Yun, I heard you encountered Xiao Chengzhong on your way here. You seemed to have high hopes for him. Do you think he can win this time?"
"No."
"Not possible?" Yao Yun'er was somewhat surprised and continued, "I think Xiao Chengzhong's swordplay is quite impressive; at least it's better than his current opponent Yu Chengfeng. Why do you believe Xiao Chengzhong can't win?"
Lian Yun shook his head slightly and remained silent.
However, Xiao Jun chimed in, "He may be skilled, but he's not suited for this situation."
(End of Chapter)
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