Immortality starts from the liver proficiency

Chapter 291 Where there are people, there are rivers and lakes

With a flick of his sleeve, a black iron command arrow was driven into the ground. "Three days later, the 'Thirty-Six Linked Arena' will begin. If Xu Yunfan can fight eighteen consecutive matches undefeated on Xuanxiao Peak, he will be considered half-peak approved. What do you say?"

As soon as this statement came out, the whole audience was in an uproar.

Even Cui Yu's pupils shrank suddenly. The Thirty-Six Linked Arena was a trial that the Dao Sect had not held for decades. The defender had to face the true disciples of each peak in a gauntlet battle, and the final challenge was personally attended by the head disciple!

Bi Yuan turned his head to look at Li Zhi, a half-smile on his face.

"However, if that's the case, shouldn't we add a prize? Junior Brother Li, your Dragon-Tiger Golden Pill should be ready soon, right? If Yunfan wins, how about we give him this pill as a prize?"

Li Zhi was clearly taken aback by Bi Yuan's bombshell revelation, and his expression shifted between anger and uncertainty.

But with the die already cast, he could only say firmly, "If he loses..."

“Then we won’t go into the Burial Sword Abyss.” Bi Yuan’s tone was as calm as if he were talking about the weather, but Xu Yunfan could clearly see a trace of blood at the tip of his whisk.

At this point, Bi Yuan turned his head, his gaze sharp as lightning, and stared directly at Li Zhi.

"What else does Junior Brother Li want? Shall I pass on the true skills of Qingwei Mountain to you?"

Li Zhi smirked, inwardly shouting, "Who wants your true skills? Do you think Dragon Tiger Peak has no one?! Of course, I'll expel you from the sect and take him as my disciple!!"

"……it is good!"

Li Zhi took a deep breath and agreed.

This is hardly a bet.
This is clearly forcing Li Zhi to stake the precious pill!
Bi Yuan turned to Xu Yunfan and asked, "Yunfan, are you willing?"

After a pause, Bi Yuan said gently, "If you are unwilling to do this and find it troublesome, you don't need to worry too much. Just focus on practicing martial arts."

Li Zhi's expression stiffened slightly; he truly hadn't expected Bi Yuan to say something like that.

Meeting Bi Yuan's gaze, Xu Yunfan took a deep breath and suddenly took half a step forward: "This disciple is willing to accept the challenge."

His voice was neither humble nor arrogant, but his back was taut like a fully drawn bow.

Bi Yuan couldn't help but smile and nodded slightly. Although he had heard a lot about Xu Yunfan, he could only know his true skills once he stepped onto the stage.

Xu Yunfan caught a glimpse of Li Zhi's subtle swordplay in his sleeve and knew that this battle was no longer a simple contest of qualifications.

Those forces lurking in the shadows are waiting to see this "abandoned disciple of Tiangong Cave" splatter blood on the training ground!

"Good! You've got guts!"

Suddenly, a burly man with a thick beard appeared from behind the red-faced old man; he was an elder from Zhulong Peak.

He grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "For the first match, I, 'Little Thunder Sound' Wu Zhen, will play with you. I've heard you're quite skilled with your hammer?"

These words were clearly aimed at Xu Yunfan's Crimson Fire Dragon-Swallowing Mace.

Bi Yuan suddenly swept his whisk horizontally, creating an invisible barrier of energy that separated everyone: "That's enough for today."

He gave Xu Yunfan a deep look and then whispered, "Cangming will take you to the Weapon Tomb to pick out a suitable weapon."

As he turned to leave, the hem of his Taoist robe swept past Li Zhi's side, leaving seven deep sword marks, each an inch or more, on the ground.

Li Zhi's pupils contracted slightly.

That old codger seems to have made further progress in his cultivation.

This sect leader actually used his robe as a sword, silently demonstrating his power, and plowed out a sword mark!
As Xu Yunfan followed Cui Yu out of the main hall, he heard the gray-robed elder Cui Yu sigh softly: "Li Zhi has secretly colluded with at least twelve peaks... Boy, do you know why the sect leader would rather hold a tournament than compromise?" Seeing Xu Yunfan shake his head, he pointed to the distant, misty Burial Sword Abyss: "Beneath that lies the 'calamity' accumulated by the Dao Sect over three thousand years. Some people fear that if you become the sect leader, the other peaks will have no chance of rising to prominence. Back then, when Li Zhi and Bi Yuan fought for the position of sect leader, it almost caused a catastrophe."

Xu Yunfan followed Cui Yu out of the main hall and was immediately met by Chu Cangming standing with his hands behind his back on the stone steps outside the hall. His black Taoist robe fluttered in the wind, and a sword intent seemed to flow between his brows.
When the two came out, he smiled slightly. He first greeted Li Zhi respectfully and then addressed him as "Uncle-Master." His gaze lingered on Xu Yunfan for a moment before he said indifferently, "Junior Brother, you have just entered the Dao Sect. Master has ordered me to take you to the Weapon Tomb to select a suitable weapon."

Cui Yu gave Chu Cangming a meaningful look, then patted Xu Yunfan's shoulder lightly with his withered hand: "Go on, the matter of Burial Sword Abyss... will be resolved in three days. Take good care of yourself these next few days."

Having said that, he stepped into the air and disappeared from their sight in an instant.

Xu Yunfan withdrew his gaze and asked with some curiosity, "Senior Brother Chu, it seems that Senior Uncle Cui doesn't like you very much?"

Chu Cangming's eye twitched slightly. Was this something a person with normal intelligence could say?

Xu Yunfan knew he was being silly, but he did it on purpose. After practicing the Linzi Technique for so long and reaching a minor level of mastery, his senses were extremely sharp.

The senior brother Chu in front of him may appear to be a cold and aloof swordsman, but in reality, he harbors considerable malice towards him.

"With so many people in the sect, there will always be some who like you and some who don't."

Chu Cangming responded casually and then gestured for Xu Yunfan to follow.

The mountain path winds its way down, the bluestone steps covered with a thin layer of frost, making a soft, crisp sound when stepped on.

Xu Yunfan followed Chu Cangming down Qingwei Mountain, and after passing through the misty mountainside, a solitary peak suddenly appeared before them, piercing the sky like a sword. It was none other than the famous "Bingtang Sword Peak" of the Daoist sect.

The cave entrance at the bottom of the peak is half-hidden by vines, and the four ancient seal characters "兵戈止息" (meaning "the end of war") are carved on the rock wall, but the characters have been weathered and are now blurred.

At the foot of the peak, two disciples of the Military Hall, dressed in black martial attire, stood with their swords clasped in silver thread, their sleeves embroidered with crossed sword patterns.

Seeing Chu Cangming and Xu Yunfan approach, the disciple on the left took a step forward, his sword sheath clanging against the rock wall: "This is a sacred place, please show your sword token."

Chu Cangming pulled a bronze token from his sleeve, the two characters "Qingwei" on the front gleaming with a faint blue light.

The disciple ran his fingertip across the token to confirm its authenticity, and then he and his companion stepped back half a step at the same time, their sword sheaths scraping two sparks off the bluestone: "Please."

The vines parted silently, revealing a deep, dark passageway.

As Xu Yunfan took a step, he caught a glimpse of half a sentence carved below the four characters "兵戈止息" (meaning "the war has ceased") on the rock face.

"...Only calamity endures."

The cave was bitterly cold, and the water droplets seeping from the stone walls condensed into frost as they fell to the ground. Footsteps echoed in the narrow tunnel, as if countless people were following them in the dark.

The so-called "Soldier's Tomb" is actually a giant cave embedded in the mountainside.

The dome is over a hundred feet high and is inlaid with hundreds of luminous pearls, illuminating the cave as brightly as day.

Countless stone niches were carved into the four walls, displaying knives, spears, halberds, axes, hooks, and even strange weapons such as chain blades and bone whips, all gleaming with a cold, menacing light.

"The military tomb contains 36,000 artifacts, all of which were obtained from the conquests of the Daoist sect throughout the ages."

Chu Cangming's fingertips brushed over a crimson spear, and a small flame immediately ignited on the spear. "Two hundred years ago, the Xuanzhen Sect's treasure, the 'Wildfire Spear,' was destroyed by the previous sect leader with a single sword strike and became a spoil of war here. The Xuanzhen Sect has asked for it back many times, but we have not given it to them."

He spoke calmly and casually, but Xu Yunfan could naturally understand how thrilling it was.

Two hundred years ago, the great war between major sects was sparked by Dugu Jiu, the Sword Pavilion's so-called "Heavenly Sword".

(More will be available later!)

(End of this chapter)