Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 576 The Flame of the True Phoenix, the Peerless Sword Embryo: True Martial!

Qi Yunfeng

Amidst surging clouds, a single peak stands out majestically.

At the summit, a magnificent plaza, forged from billions of kilograms of celestial gold, stands, the very embodiment of Fangcun Mountain's treasured "Fangcun Temple," its entire structure imbued with Daoist spirit.

Today, the final battle of the Star-Picking Competition begins.

[Six of the nine finalists have been determined. After several rounds of fierce competition, the six remaining will face off in the final round.]

[According to tradition, two more rounds should have been held to determine the top three, followed by a final competition to decide the champion. However, this year's tournament only determined the top three, without any further rankings.]

Therefore, today's three matches are the final battles.

[First match: "Xiao Qingfeng Qi Ling" vs. "Yaochi Peak Feng Qingge".]

[Second match: "Dragon Head Peak - Yuan Shujian" vs. "Five Colors Peak - Ziwei".]

[Final Match: "Fangcun Mountain's Senior Brother Sun Miao" versus "Danhe Peak's Xie Mosheng"]

Of the six, the first three were already well-known, while the latter three, Qi Ling, Xie Mosheng, and Ziwei, were originally unknown, but they all achieved a series of victories and emerged from nowhere, gaining great fame and shaking the peaks.

At this moment, disciples from various lineages arrived one after another and gathered at the summit of Qiyun Peak.

The plaza is divided into two levels: the upper level is for the elders of Fangcun Mountain and distinguished guests from the nine righteous sects who have come to observe the ceremony, as well as cultivators from the major dynasties within its jurisdiction and highly respected lay disciples; the lower level is for the young disciples attending this year's event.

Looking out, the two-tiered stands were packed with people, totaling 15,000, creating a solemn and grand atmosphere.

All are waiting here, anticipating this final battle.

As a colossal phantom descended, disciples from all branches, led by their elders, bowed in unison and proclaimed, "Welcome, Sect Master!"

[You are seated on Little Green Peak, your eyes gleaming with a subtle jade-like luster, yet you need not worry about revealing anything unusual. Since the "Emperor of Longevity" guided you in visualizing the Heavenly Court and replenishing your profound energy, your cultivation of the "Jade Emperor's Qi Observation Technique" has reached a new level.]

Even without activating their magic, their eyes now naturally possess the insight they had at the previous four levels.

Looking up, you see that there are as many as thirty cultivators on the viewing platform whose cultivation has reached the Golden Core stage of the Great Dao.

[Among them, the profound Daoist principles emanating from the auras of six individuals were entirely different from the cultivation methods of the Fangcun Mountain lineage, suggesting they were cultivators from the nine righteous sects who had come to observe the ceremony.]

Besides the sect leader, Nongmu, there was also an elder from Fangcun Mountain who had already survived the Twenty-Nine Heavenly Tribulations.

[Your gaze lingered on the sect leader for a moment longer. This time, he did not descend in his primordial spirit, but in his true form.]

As if sensing something, Nongmu suddenly looked up, glancing in your direction as if searching for something. You looked away.

[This sect leader of Fangcun Mountain is so powerful that he can detect you with just a glance?]

[However, he couldn't help but raise his estimate of the cultivation level of the Fangcun Mountain Sect Master, Nongmu, by several points.]

You averted your gaze, no longer paying attention to the commotion on the platform.

Not long after, the first competition officially began.

On the vast Immortal Gold Arena, two figures gracefully ascended.

One person, dressed in purple, was Qi Ling; the other, with fiery red hair and wielding a long sword, was Feng Qingge.

Both were strikingly beautiful, yet their temperaments were strikingly different.

Qi Ling is like a lotus flower in water, ethereal and otherworldly.

Feng Qingge, however, was like a snow lotus on a precipice, aloof and cold, naturally detached.

However, at this moment, they looked at each other, and there was admiration in their eyes. When they first entered the mountain gate, the two had fought, and although Qi Ling won, it was a pyrrhic victory.

Five years later, we meet again on this highly anticipated stage.

This battle was personally presided over by a Golden Core elder from the Punishment Hall.

[After both sides have exchanged greetings, the competition begins!]

Without hesitation, Feng Qingge drew his longsword. The disciples on the viewing platform were already familiar with his move—the "Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique."

This sword strike is always incredibly fierce; those with slightly inferior cultivation often suffer a crushing defeat under its power.

The sword light, like moonlight pouring down, pierced the air with the speed of thunder.

A ball of spiritual fire danced in Qi Ling's hand, as nimbly and unpredictably as a flea on a drumhead, while his entire body was engulfed in blazing flames.

The moment the sword light struck the flames, it was as if it had hit a thick copper wall, producing a muffled thud. As the sword's momentum dissipated, crimson and black flames spread from Qi Ling's body, like wildfire spreading across the land, instantly engulfing the entire arena.

[This flame is a unique fire technique that Qi Ling used before. Once it touches the body, it is difficult to stop with magic power and cannot be extinguished with water.]

Even more terrifying is that if someone carrying flames is then struck by Qi Ling's magic, the damage they suffer will increase exponentially.

Feng Qingge's figure vanished in an instant; only the scabbard trembled slightly, and the longsword returned to its place.

The next moment, he appeared behind Qi Ling like a ghost.

The sword light flashed again, like thunder piercing the sky, shooting straight out.

A clear, melodious phoenix cry suddenly echoed throughout the arena.

Flames surged beneath Qi Ling's feet as a gigantic fire phoenix lifted him into the sky, unleashing a torrential downpour of fiery arrows from its wings.

At the same time, Qi Ling's hand seals changed, and the flames that had been spreading on the arena suddenly rose up, transforming into countless fiery cages that sealed off all escape routes.

[Feng Qingge had no way to avoid it, but at the critical moment, her body shimmered with a crystalline light, making her appear as if sculpted from crystal, flawless and translucent, like a piece of naturally formed jade.]

"Great Flowing Light Technique!"

This is the highest secret technique of swordsmanship. The user can instantly vanish into nothingness, disappearing into the void. Though it lasts only a moment, it is enough.

In that split second, Feng Qingge's longsword was drawn once more.

"Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique!"

[The onlookers witnessed a breathtaking sword light suddenly burst forth, like a celestial river cascading down from the heavens, streaking across the sky like a comet striking the moon, scattering a shower of stars.]

The sword light descended from the sky, finally crashing into the arena floor with a deafening roar.

Everyone looked astonished; in the previous matches, their opponents had all fallen to this single sword strike.

[By using the "Great Flowing Light Technique" to make himself appear ethereal, he unleashes the "Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique" in an instant when he is untouchable; this move is utterly unavoidable.]

Surprisingly, the presiding elder did not intervene.

The sword light slashed down, shattering the fire phoenix, but Qi Ling remained completely unharmed.

Red flames erupted around her, her figure appearing and disappearing like a phantom before gradually solidifying.

【"This is……?"】

[Nie Qingzhu and the others had already recognized that this was Xiao Qingfeng's secret martial art—"Returning Fire."]

This method is quite similar to the "Great Flowing Light Technique" of Yaohua Peak, both allowing one to instantly vanish into the void to evade attacks.

[By turning the fire back on itself, it transforms itself into flames, existing in a state of nothingness.]

This was clearly a method Qi Ling had never used before.

The flames on the arena gradually died down. Neither of them continued their attack; their previous exchange was merely a test of each other's strength.

Unbeknownst to them, their cultivation levels began to rise in tandem, progressing from the early stage of the Heavenly Gate Realm to the middle stage, and their momentum showed no signs of stopping, ultimately reaching the pinnacle of the Heavenly Gate Realm.

The disciples of Xiaoqing Peak were all shocked; they had never expected that Senior Sister Qi Ling had been hiding her true strength all along.

[A look of surprise flashed in Lü Qingyu's eyes, not to mention Haojie, Kosen, and the others.]

They never imagined that the gap between themselves and Qi Ling had widened so considerably.

Feng Qingge's slender fingers gripped the sword hilt once more, but her aura was completely different from before.

An invisible aura emanated from him, seemingly locking onto Qi Ling.

The disciples of Yaohua Peak immediately recognized this as one of the ultimate techniques of the "Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique"—the "Decisive Sword Technique." Once drawn in by the energy of this technique, the next sword drawing attack becomes unavoidable, leaving only the direct confrontation; hence the name "Decisive Sword."

The arena's area is ultimately limited. In an open area, one could use aerial techniques to create distance and neutralize this attack.

However, once one crosses the ring's boundaries, they will be declared the loser.

Qi Ling showed no fear; flames surged around her, and fiery red flame patterns gradually appeared between her brows.

She slowly rose into the air, her arms wrapped around herself, and a gigantic fire phoenix appeared out of thin air, enveloping her entirely.

The outline of a fiery phoenix gradually solidified, radiating a suffocating heat that distorted the air with ripples.

Qi Ling's voice rang out from within the flames: "This fire shall burn rivers and lakes, and descend upon the True Realm."

As soon as the words were spoken, wisps of golden flame fell like feathers, each containing terrifying energy.

The elders on the viewing platform recognized it as the "True Flame of the Fiery Phoenix," a divine fire second only to the legendary True Flame of the Sun, the True Flame of Samadhi, and the Flame of the Vermilion Bird.

[It's even a level higher than Senior Brother Huoyunfeng summoning the complete "Nine Luminaries Divine Flame".]

Feng Qingge's expression remained calm, her long red hair, reaching her waist, moved slightly without any wind.

With a clear shout, her sword intent surged, and the extremely compressed sword light condensed into a single line, suddenly bursting forth from the scabbard like a taut silver thread, shooting swiftly through the air.

A deafening roar erupted from the arena.

The presiding elder had already made his move, flashing between the two and then announcing the result of the contest in a loud voice:

"Qi Lingsheng!"

Qi Ling, clad in purple, danced gracefully in the aftershocks, her gaze fixed on the girl opposite her who was sheathing her sword.

Feng Qingge remained expressionless, silently exchanging glances with Qi Ling for a moment, then nodded slightly before turning and walking off the stage.

[The Xiaoqingfeng camp erupted in cheers—no one had expected that Senior Sister Qi Ling would actually make it into the top three of the competition.]

Meanwhile, Yaohua Peak remained completely silent.

Elder Tian Ru, who was present today, could hardly hide her resentment. Qi Ling was Nie Qingzhu's disciple, but Feng Qingge was her personal student.

Doesn't today's defeat mean she's lost to Nie Qingzhu once again?

On the second level of the viewing platform, the peak masters and elders of Fangcun Mountain exchanged glances, their eyes revealing profound meaning.

[Xiao Qingfeng wins...]

All eyes turned to the sect leader, Nongmu, in the center, where he wore a satisfied smile: "This year's Star Picking Gathering is much better than the last one."

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of agreement erupted from all around.

"It is entirely thanks to the sect leader's effective governance that the disciples have been able to make such diligent progress."

[The farmer simply nodded slightly and continued watching the arena.]

The second match will be between "Dragon Head Peak - Yuan Shujian" and "Five Colors Peak - Ziwei".

As soon as the two stepped onto the stage, the audience erupted in cheers far more enthusiastic than before.

As the senior disciple of Dragon Head Peak, Yuan Shujian had already earned a distinguished reputation over the years.

[While Ziwei of Five-Colored Peak is a rising star who has emerged from this year's competition, she has become the most popular person in the entire event.]

Unlike Qi Ling and other female cultivators who were either aloof or heroic, Zi Wei was slender and delicate with exquisite and gentle features, especially her arched eyebrows and eyes, which evoked feelings of tenderness and affection.

[Even more astonishing is that she has won nine consecutive matches with overwhelming dominance.]

The stark contrast between her delicate appearance and formidable strength made her the most eye-catching person at this year's Star Picking Competition without any doubt.

[Ziwei wore an elegant palace dress, her jet-black hair tied into a flying fairy bun with a blue ribbon, and she carried an ancient-looking longsword on her back, which looked extremely heavy.]

She slightly raised her bright eyes, a hint of timidity in them, and softly said, "Senior Brother Yuan."

Yuan Shujian returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Junior Sister Ziwei."

Upon hearing this, Ziwei quickly bowed again in return.

[It was truly unexpected that Ziwei from Five-Colored Peak could stand on the final stage. Unlike Qi Ling, who, despite not being well-known within the sect, was already the senior sister of Little Green Peak, Ziwei had always been perceived as a junior sister with ordinary cultivation and a shy personality within Five-Colored Peak.]

However, since stepping onto the stage to compete, she has become a completely different person.

The presiding elder announced: "The competition begins."

Ziwei's slender hand had already grasped the hilt of her sword behind her back. The disciples on the viewing platform held their breath—they had already witnessed it before; Ziwei with a sword was a completely different person.

Sure enough, the moment she drew that ancient longsword, its cold, sharp light illuminating her brows, her gentle timidity vanished instantly, replaced by a chilling glint.

[With a swift movement, Ziwei appeared beside Yuan Shujian, unleashing a horizontal slash that cut through the air like flowing water.]

The exquisite pagoda that Yuan Shujian had instantly summoned was actually cleaved in two by this sword strike, its precious light suddenly dimming.

[The longsword in Ziwei's hand emitted a clear hum, its momentum suddenly accelerating, the tip of the sword lightly flicking upwards.]

In an instant, sword shadows blurred into a continuous stream of cold light, and a series of crisp clanging sounds rang out from the small tower, like a sudden downpour hitting the eaves.

[Your eyesight is excellent; you noticed that on the hilt of the longsword in the palace-dress girl's hand, two ancient seal characters are clearly engraved—"Zhenwu."]

[I had heard the disciples of Xiaoqing Peak mention this Ziwei before, and you even saw a record of the sword she wields in a Daoist canon.]

This is no ordinary magical artifact, but rather a "sword embryo".

This sword embryo, named "Zhenwu," was personally buried by the master swordsmith "Heavenly Sword Elder" seventeen hundred years ago. This "burying of the sword" was no ordinary act—the Heavenly Sword Elder laid down forty-nine layers of restrictions in various extremely dangerous locations, including windy, foresty, fiery, and mountainous areas, collectively known as the "sword embryo."

[The sword embryo is not unique; "Zhenwu" is only one of nine.]

[According to the old man Yitianjian's vision, after being tempered over a thousand years, these nine famous swords would be comparable to the ancient "divine forbidden treasures," becoming something akin to the supreme treasures of various sects, like the "Crescent Moon Treasure Mirror" of Fangcun Mountain.]

The Old Man of Heavenly Sword was obsessed with sword forging throughout his life, and is still revered as the greatest swordsmith in a thousand years, yet even he could not fathom the human heart.

After the passing of the Heavenly Sword Elder, his disciples disregarded his will and immediately began excavating the nine famous swords from various perilous locations.

[These are the nine sword embryos we have today. The "True Martial" sword in Ziwei's hands, while not comparable to a divine forbidden magic weapon, is still a top-grade first-class magic weapon, which is regrettable.]

These "sword embryos," though not yet fully formed, already possess extraordinary spirituality.

[Divine swords possess spirits and will naturally choose their masters. The nine sword embryos, through generations of owners, all possessed "sword spirit bodies," a physique of extreme rarity. Even among cultivators, such a physique is extremely rare, occurring in only one in ten thousand. How much more so among mortals, those with cultivation spiritual roots are already one in ten thousand.]

[The reason why Ziwei can control "True Martial Arts" is because she possesses such an unparalleled physique.]

[The crape myrtle was once virtually unknown on Five-Colored Peak, likely due to deliberate concealment within the peak.]

Otherwise, how could a girl bearing the embryo of an unparalleled sword remain so unknown?

This "True Martial" sword embryo possesses a unique characteristic: it can "break through magical treasures"—any magical treasure struck by it will gradually lose its spiritual light and its divine power. The magical treasure in Yuan Shujian's possession was damaged precisely because of this.

[Since Ziwei possesses the body of a sword spirit, she cannot be judged by ordinary standards.]

The battle on the arena took a different turn, which was typical of Ziwei's style. She closed in on her opponent at lightning speed, then unleashed a fierce sword technique that even cultivators would find difficult to parry, engaging in close-quarters combat.

In previous matches, even when their opponents were well-prepared, neither magic arrays, magical artifacts, nor spells could withstand the longsword in the girl's hand.

She can always overcome all obstacles with a single sword strike, winning with seemingly simple yet incredibly precise moves.

[Yuan Shujian was in the same predicament; Ziwei had already gotten close, and even using the Yang Dragon Finger, he couldn't escape.]

The sword stance of the girl in the palace dress was exceptionally beautiful. Each move, flowing with the light of the sword, seemed exquisitely precise, executed with effortless grace and complete freedom, entirely unconstrained by any set pattern, as if the sword and her mind were in perfect harmony.

There were no flashy sword techniques; even his magical power seemed to circulate within him, unseen.

[The sword, in its later stages, resembled a bolt of lightning, rolling and swirling, like mercury spilling onto the ground, a shower of blossoms!]

The disciples were captivated by what they saw.

(End of this chapter)