Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Sparring
Divine Mansion Sect, Sect Leader Hall.
"I am Fa Zhen Taoist of the Longevity Palace. Greetings to all from the Divine Mansion Sect."
A middle-aged Daoist with an ethereal, sage-like bearing stood gracefully in the center of the hall, holding a duster.
This was the Vice Palace Master of Longevity Palace, Fa Zhen Taoist, and he was the one leading the delegation for this martial exchange.
The founding ancestor of Longevity Palace was once a General, but in his later years, he grew fond of the ways of the Daoist Sects. He eventually became a Daoist, taking the name Master Longevity and building a Daoist Temple on an ordinary small mountain outside Ling Province, which he named Longevity Palace.
This Master Longevity had a peculiar temperament. Despite becoming a Daoist, he never traveled south to pay homage at the sacred Daoist sites, nor did he show any intention of interacting with other Daoist Sects. He simply closed his doors and focused on his own enlightenment.
The descendants of Longevity Palace were much the same. As a result, although its members all called themselves Daoists, they were not recognized by the greater Daoist Sects of the world.
Besides Fa Zhen Taoist, three others from Longevity Palace had come this time.
One was an Elder of Longevity Palace, and two were True Disciples.
Judging by their auras, their strength was clearly formidable.
Ge Zhen stared at the four people in the main hall, his eyes narrowed slightly.
’Longevity Palace truly lives up to its name as a major sect of Ling Province. To casually send four Entering Martial Artists at once... it almost makes Entering Martial Artists seem as common as cabbage.’
The others present were also shaken.
Longevity Palace had clearly come with ill intentions.
"So, it is Daoist Fa Zhen. Please forgive our poor reception."
Ge Zhen chuckled and cupped his fists at Fa Zhen Taoist.
He was the most senior member of the Divine Mansion Sect present. With Murong Tian absent, it was his duty to receive the guests.
Although Murong Jiujiang could serve as the Sect Leader Dai within the sect, it would be inappropriate for him to lead the reception for the Longevity Palace members. He was of a lower generation.
Not only would it be a breach of etiquette, but it would also cause the Divine Mansion Sect to lose face.
Fa Zhen Taoist glanced at Ge Zhen. He and this Supreme Elder of the Divine Mansion Sect were considered peers, but the gap in their strength was immense.
Ge Zhen had failed to break through to the Sensing Grandmaster realm. While he hadn’t dropped in level, it was impossible for him to advance any further in this lifetime.
Fa Zhen Taoist, on the other hand, had broken through to the Sensing Grandmaster realm five years ago, making him an expert on the same level as Sect Leader Murong Tian.
Ge Zhen looked at the rejuvenated Fa Zhen Taoist, his heart filled with complex emotions.
’Ten years ago, I met him once. Back then, he was stuck at the Entering the Realm just like me. I never expected that the next time we met, he would already be a Sensing Grandmaster.’
Even in a major provincial sect like Longevity Palace, Sensing Grandmasters were few and far between. Including the Longevity Palace Master, there were only three in total.
It was rumored that the Longevity Palace Master was only a hair’s breadth away from breaking through to the Mingxin realm.
Sensing Powerhouses had a lifespan of two hundred years, so the Longevity Palace Master still had plenty of time to achieve his breakthrough.
However, in martial arts, being off by a hair’s breadth could be like facing an insurmountable chasm. One could never be certain.
’As for a Mingxin Powerhouse... a small province like Ling Province could never produce such a true dragon.’
If Ling Province had a Mingxin Grandmaster, the Divine Mansion Sect would have no reason to resist, because any resistance would be futile.
Fa Zhen Taoist said, "Brother Ge, Longevity Palace and the Divine Mansion Sect are both major sects in Ling Province. We should interact more. These two are outstanding disciples of my Longevity Palace’s current generation. How about a friendly match or two?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the Divine Mansion Sect members turned grim.
’The main event is finally starting.’
The real reason Longevity Palace had come was for an "exchange" between the younger generation of disciples.
Ge Zhen replied, "I was thinking the same thing."
According to the rules of the Xuan Yang Martial World, when someone came to your door for a match, you had no reason to refuse. You could lose, but you couldn’t cower.
As a major sect in Ling Province, the Divine Mansion Sect absolutely could not lose face.
The moment Ge Zhen finished speaking, a young Daoist beside Fa Zhen Taoist stepped forward. "Yan Dong of Longevity Palace. I ask for your guidance."
The young man was filled with arrogance, clearly looking down on the True Disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect.
Seeing this, the True Disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect standing in the hall all had cold expressions.
They were all the pride of Huanglong Prefecture. When had they ever been looked down upon like this?
However, the young Daoist did have the capital to be arrogant. He looked to be just over thirty, yet he had already broken through to the Entering the Realm.
Among the True Disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect, only five were qualified to face him.
Not long after the young Daoist stepped out, a man with the appearance of a scholar stepped out from among the True Disciples.
"Shangguan Jin of the Divine Mansion Sect, here to ask for your instruction."
Seeing someone step up to the challenge, the corners of the young Daoist’s mouth curved up slightly.
This young Daoist named Yan Dong had naturally thin lips, which made his smile look even more cruel.
Yan Dong let out a soft chuckle.
The duster in his hand suddenly swept forward, its speed frighteningly fast.
As the one who had broken through the earliest and was the most senior among the Divine Mansion Sect’s True Disciples, Shangguan Jin’s combat experience was naturally vast. He showed no signs of panic as his long sword met Yan Dong’s duster head-on.
In just a few breaths, the two had already exchanged more than ten moves.
Yan Dong’s expression turned cold. The fact that he hadn’t defeated his opponent after all this time made him feel like he was losing face.
’The Divine Mansion Sect might be famous in Ling Province, but in my eyes, it’s just a local power. How can it possibly compare to Longevity Palace, the leader of the entire province?’
His attacks became increasingly vicious. He was clearly getting serious now.
Shangguan Jin’s brow furrowed. He had to admit that this young Daoist from Longevity Palace was indeed very strong.
This time, they exchanged only five moves before Yan Dong found an opening in Shangguan Jin’s defense.
Suddenly, the duster in Yan Dong’s hand transformed into a long sword, which pierced straight through Shangguan Jin’s waist!
"You..."
The True Disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect were all furious when they saw this.
If Shangguan Jin had merely been defeated, they wouldn’t have been so enraged.
The match was clearly decided, and there was no need for Yan Dong to injure him at the end. Yet, Yan Dong had struck a fatal blow. If Shangguan Jin hadn’t reacted quickly enough, he would be a corpse right now.
The smile vanished from Ge Zhen’s face. "Take Martial-Nephew Shangguan away and tend to his wounds."
’Blades have no eyes. Injuries are common in spars.’ He couldn’t use this as a reason to lash out at the young Daoist.
Shangguan Jin clutched his abdomen with both hands, his face as pale as gold leaf.
He looked at Ge Zhen with a guilty expression. Losing the first match had already put the Divine Mansion Sect at a disadvantage against Longevity Palace.
Ge Zhen waved his hand. "It’s nothing."
The cruel smile reappeared on Yan Dong’s face. He scanned the True Disciples of the Divine Mansion Sect with a contemptuous gaze.
Of course, he wasn’t actually a fool. Longevity Palace hadn’t come for an ordinary spar. The more arrogant he acted, the more pleased Fa Zhen Taoist would be.
"Who’s next?"
Yan Dong’s long, thin, willow-leaf-like eyebrows raised as he looked down on the crowd.
The faces of the Divine Mansion Sect’s True Disciples in the hall fell. Shangguan Jin was already the strongest among them. If even he had been defeated, how could any of the others possibly fight the young man named Yan Dong?
Seeing that no one came forward after a long pause, Yan Dong sneered, "Is there no one left in the Divine Mansion Sect?"
Murong Jiujiang’s eyes turned cold.
As the current Sect Leader Dai, he was not standing with the True Disciples.
Bai Yuan was in a similar situation. He represented Wan Jun Peak, sitting in Dong Wanjun’s seat.
Seeing that no one was stepping up to fight, Murong Jiujiang took a deep breath, preparing to make a move himself.
But just as Murong Jiujiang was about to speak, Yan Dong’s gaze suddenly shifted to Ruan Xiuluan, who was seated to the side.
"Peak Master Ruan, I hear your swordsmanship is quite good. This junior would like to ask for a lesson or two."
As soon as he said this, the faces of everyone from the Divine Mansion Sect changed.
They never expected the young Daoist to challenge Ruan Xiuluan, who was already the Peak Master of Qianzhu Peak.
Ruan Xiuluan’s eyes narrowed, and a murderous aura erupted from her.
Although she was a woman, to have ascended to the position of Peak Master of Qianzhu Peak, her methods were in no way inferior to a man’s.
Ruan Xiuluan grabbed the long sword placed beside her and was about to rise to the challenge, but just as she was about to stand, Liu Donghai, the Peak Master of Taibai Peak, placed a hand on her wrist.
Liu Donghai slowly shook his head at Ruan Xiuluan.
Ruan Xiuluan’s status was completely different from Shangguan Jin’s. A loss between peers was just a loss; the Divine Mansion Sect could afford it.
But if Ruan Xiuluan, a Peak Master, also lost to that young Daoist, the Divine Mansion Sect would lose all of its face.
Liu Donghai’s gaze was sharp and experienced. He could see that the young Daoist had been deliberately hiding his true strength earlier, all for the sake of challenging Ruan Xiuluan.
A cold sneer formed on Yan Dong’s lips. "Peak Master Ruan, surely you’re not afraid?"
The four from Longevity Palace in the hall ignored Yan Dong’s aggressive behavior, watching coldly from the sidelines.
Murong Jiujiang could no longer remain seated.
As the number one True Disciple of the Divine Mansion Sect, he couldn’t tolerate a True Disciple from Longevity Palace being so brazen.
But just as Murong Jiujiang was about to accept the duel on Ruan Xiuluan’s behalf, Bai Yuan, who was sitting next to her, spoke slowly, "We don’t need Junior Martial Uncle Ruan to deal with you."
At these words, Yan Dong’s gaze instantly fell upon Bai Yuan.
"And who are you?"
"Bai Yuan of Wan Jun Peak."
Hearing the name "Bai Yuan," the three from Longevity Palace who had been indifferent until now all cast curious glances his way.
A Blood Refining Killing Strength. Even in Longevity Palace, this was an extremely rare feat.
They had heard he had recently broken through to the Entering the Realm, so his strength could not be underestimated.
"So, it’s you."
"Do you take me for a piece of trash like Thunderbolt Hand Xu Kang?"
The young Daoist sneered viciously.
Since he dared to challenge Ruan Xiuluan, it was naturally because he possessed the combat power to rival a Peak Master of the Divine Mansion Sect.
Bai Yuan said, "You look like trash to me."
"You’re courting death."
Yan Dong’s eyes became incomparably cold.
Bai Yuan grinned. "Don’t worry, I won’t kill you."
Hearing this, Yan Dong flew into a rage. The duster that had already transformed into a long sword shot forward, stabbing at the seated Bai Yuan.
But Bai Yuan showed no intention of leaving his chair.
He slapped the armrest with his right hand, and the long saber at his side flew from its sheath with a CLANG.
’After practicing the saber for a thousand years, I can see at least thirty openings in Yan Dong’s stance.’
Saber Art: River-Sunderer!
Under the shocked gazes of the crowd—
The young Daoist Yan Dong’s duster-sword was shattered by a single slash from Bai Yuan’s saber, and the terrifying force sent him flying out of the Sect Leader Hall.
One move!
No one present had expected Bai Yuan to defeat Yan Dong in a single move, all without even getting up from his seat.
The dark-skinned, middle-aged Daoist who had been standing silently beside Fa Zhen Taoist finally showed a look of interest.
He took a step forward. "Is that Peak Master Dong’s technique?"
Bai Yuan glanced at the dark-skinned Daoist. "It’s my technique."
The look of interest on the dark-skinned Daoist’s face deepened.
Bai Yuan’s eyes narrowed. This dark-skinned Daoist gave him the same feeling as an ancient, ferocious beast. ’He’s strong!’
