People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 407, Xu Qing: Did you really hurt me? (Seeking monthly votes!)

"Now that everyone has arrived, please, Nephew Chishongzi, begin this year's Celestial Covenant."

Chisongzi nodded slightly and tossed the snow-clearing liquid in his hand.

Representing the orthodox Taoism, Xue Ji, enveloped by Chi Songzi's powerful true energy, flew straight towards the mountain peak behind the Tianzong disciples, accurately piercing the sword-sized gap that had existed on the mountain peak for many years.

Qi Lunzi and the others from the Human Sect bowed slightly to Bei Mingzi, then leaped up and sat down at the front of the Human Sect disciples.

Bei Mingzi, along with Xu Qing and the eight elders of the Heavenly Sect, sat down at the front of the Heavenly Sect disciples, while Chi Songzi went up to the Observation Platform and scanned the crowd below.

Upon seeing Chisongzi take the stage, the scholars and envoys from various countries who had been discussing the matter fell silent and turned their gazes toward him.

"Thank you to all the members of the Hundred Schools and various countries for coming to Mount Taiyi to witness the quinquennial celestial-human covenant between our Heavenly Sect and the Human Sect."

Chisongzi addressed the audience below the stage, explaining the origins and rules of the Covenant between Heaven and Man. Suddenly, Chisongzi's calm demeanor sharpened, and a powerful aura swept out in all directions with a gust of wind, causing his wide Taoist robe to billow.

"Once every five years, a covenant between heaven and man, I trouble you all to witness this sword-wielding ceremony!"

As soon as Chishongzi finished speaking, his figure disappeared from the stage.

Xu Qing's expression hardened, and he leaped onto the protruding stone peak of the Guanmiao Platform. Xiaoyaozi of the Human Sect also arrived at the stone peak opposite Xu Qing.

The two stared at each other, their gazes clashing in mid-air. Their auras poured out towards each other, and the resulting wind pressure caused their robes to flutter loudly.

An invisible clash began; the two men's hands, gripping their swords, trembled slightly—not from fear, but from excitement.

"It's starting, it's starting! The two have been at each other's throats as soon as they stepped on stage. It's true that young people have more drive."

"The two are evenly matched, it's just a matter of time before they win."

Just as the crowd below was buzzing with discussion, Xu Qing and Xiaoyaozi simultaneously drew their swords, tossing the scabbards down onto the ground.

"Junior brother, please forgive me!"

As soon as Xiaoyaozi finished speaking, he ran his fingers across the longsword, golden internal energy swirling around the blade. His gaze sharpened as he looked at Xu Qing, and he burst forward, closing in on Xu Qing.

Xu Qing watched as Xiaoyaozi launched his attack, and Cheng Ying stood in front of him to meet Xiaoyaozi's attack.

In the blink of an eye, the two figures appeared in the center of the Guanmiao Platform. Baihong and Chengying collided, the sound of metal and leather intertwining rang out, and sparks fell at the point of impact.

Xu Qing and Xiaoyaozi's eyes met, and their inner energy erupted, colliding with each other.

The collision of black and white true energy with golden true energy created a powerful wind pressure that swept in all directions, causing the spectators below to turn their heads to avoid it.

After a brief exchange of blows, Xu Qing prepared to seize the initiative, deflecting Bai Hong with a backhand stroke and then leaping up to slash down at Xiaoyaozi.

Seeing Xu Qing attack, Xiaoyaozi stepped back half a step and used his white rainbow to block the incoming Chengying.

Immediately afterward, Xu Qing used the Swallow Skimming Water move to slash at Xiaoyaozi's lower body. Xiaoyaozi leaped up, grabbed Bai Hong with his backhand, and slashed at Xu Qing's arm.

As expected of its name, Baihong was incredibly fast, leaving several afterimages in mid-air.

Xu Qing touched the ground with the tip of his sword, his figure spinning in mid-air to dodge Bai Hong, while at the same time, he slashed at Xiaoyaozi with Cheng Ying in his hand.

Xiaoyaozi sheathed his sword and blocked Chengying, while Xu Qing landed steadily on the ground.

The two exchanged a glance and charged at each other again, brandishing their swords incessantly.

The sounds of sharp swords piercing the air and metal clashing echoed one after another. Both Xu Qing and Xiaoyaozi were extremely fast, leaving countless afterimages in mid-air as Cheng Ying and Bai Hong left behind.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged dozens of blows.

The crowd on the stage stared intently at the two fighters, afraid of missing even the slightest detail.

"Didn't Master Chisongzi say that Guanmiao Terrace was for two people to discuss the Dao? How come so far the two have only been sparring with swords?" a frivolous disciple of the Mo family asked in confusion.

"Robber Zhi, that's because you don't understand Taoism. Although it's about discussing the Tao, Taoism has always emphasized that skill is an extension of the Tao. Skill is used to highlight the Tao one cultivates, and then the Tao is used to judge the level of skill."

"The two of them started with swordplay, just testing each other. They've already exchanged fifty blows, and I estimate they'll start fighting soon."

Han Shen whispered an explanation to Dao Zhi beside him.

Dao Zhi nodded slightly, seemingly understanding what Han Shen said, but his eyes still held a hint of confusion, clearly finding the Daoist way of discussing the Dao incomprehensible.

Xiaoyaozi looked at Xu Qing's rapid offensive with a serious expression, and kept defending with the white rainbow in his hand.

The two had exchanged more than fifty blows, most of which he was on the defensive against Xu Qing's attacks.

It wasn't that Xu Qing's swordsmanship was superb, but rather that Cheng Ying's formless sword was truly difficult to defend against. In addition, Xu Qing's swordsmanship was often unpredictable, forcing people to use a great deal of mental energy to analyze Xu Qing's attack routes.

Xiaoyaozi realized he couldn't continue like this; if Xu Qing continued to take the initiative, he would inevitably lose in the end.

Seeing Xu Qing thrusting straight at him, Xiaoyaozi seized the opportunity. The moment Bai Hong blocked Cheng Ying, Xiaoyaozi used his wrist to deflect Cheng Ying and retreated, widening the distance between himself and Xu Qing.

Xu Qing did not pursue Xiaoyaozi, but instead sheathed his sword and looked at the other party.

The probing is over; now it's time for the two to truly clash.

"Is this Chengying? The sword is formless, and the moves are unpredictable. It truly lives up to its reputation," Xiaoyaozi said in a deep voice.

"Senior brother, you flatter me. The white rainbow pierced the sun, swift as purple lightning, making it impossible to defend against," Xu Qing replied politely.

Although he had been dominating Xiaoyaozi, he ultimately failed to injure him in the slightest. Even though Chengying's formless sword was difficult to defend against, Xiaoyaozi was a renowned figure with exceptional adaptability, leaving him with no way to strike.

After exchanging a few polite words, Xiaoyaozi no longer held back. His body was enveloped in golden true energy, Bai Hong was behind his back, and his right hand wrote golden characters in front of him.

"In the Northern Sea there is a fish, its name is Kun."

As more and more golden characters appeared around Xiaoyaozi, his aura continued to rise, and his true energy became sharper, like sword energy.

"A carefree stroll, after the snow has cleared."

Xu Qing naturally recognized Xiaoyaozi's move. This move took a long time to execute. If it were a private fight, he would have attacked directly. How could he have given Xiaoyaozi the chance to use Snow After Sunshine?

However, this was a discussion of the Dao, and he couldn't do that. "Since that's the case, let's use the clear sky after a snowfall to test my current swordsmanship."

Xu Qing's expression became calm, and his aura changed from sharp and aggressive to gentle and easygoing. The black and white Tai Chi diagram under his feet extended and spread towards Xiaoyaozi. Cheng Ying in his hand also assumed the starting stance of the Noble Void Eight Swords.

Seeing that Xu Qing and Xiaoyaozi had finally become serious, everyone on the stage focused their attention on Xu Qing, and even the members of Qi Lunzi and other sects turned their gaze to him.

Everyone was curious about the Daoist techniques that Xu Qing had comprehended after causing the extraordinary celestial phenomena yesterday. Now that Xu Qing was about to reveal them, no one dared to miss it.

"The 'First Clear Day After Snow' technique of the Human Sect is one of the profound sword techniques of Taoism. It embodies the idea that the world's affairs are both illusory and real, and that the Tao is boundless and the world is boundless, thus sweeping away the gloom. It is in line with the Human Sect's view of the world's illusions and the pursuit of the Tao through the refinement of the heart in the mortal world."

"But when Xiaoyaozi uses his skills..."

Bei Mingzi looked at Xiaoyaozi on the stage, a hint of regret in his eyes.

Seeing the Taiji diagram conjured by Xu Qing approaching him, Xiaoyaozi's expression darkened, and he wrote "Xiaoyao You" even faster.

The golden characters formed by Xiaoyao You surrounded Xiaoyao Zi, blocking the extending Taiji diagram. The two domains collided and struggled, marking the first clash between the paths cultivated by Xu Qing and Xiaoyao Zi.

As the last character of "逍遥游" fell, Xiaoyaozi's momentum reached its peak. The golden characters surrounding him shone brightly, and the white rainbow in his hand also assumed an offensive stance.

With a single move, "White Rainbow Piercing the Sun," Xiaoyaozi charged towards Xu Qing.

The moment Xiaoyaozi stepped into the Taiji diagram, he felt a strange force suppressing him.

Unlike the Taoist phenomenon of the world losing its color, this power was far more terrifying. He felt as if he had fallen into a quagmire, with an invisible force entangling him and trying to drag him into an invisible abyss.

The golden characters surrounding Xiaoyaozi swirled, blocking the influence of the Taiji diagram on him and allowing him to strike directly at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing, who had been waiting for a long time, saw Xiaoyaozi charging towards him. His tall figure instantly transformed into countless seagulls and flew towards Xiaoyaozi, while Xu Qing's figure disappeared from the Guanmiao Platform.

As a large number of seagulls charged towards him, Xiaoyaozi unleashed more than a dozen sword energies with the White Rainbow sword in his hand.

The sharp sword energy collided with the seagulls. The sword energy, enhanced by the Free and Unfettered Swordplay, was unstoppable and instantly cleaved all the seagulls in two.

However, before Xiaoyaozi could breathe a sigh of relief, the Taiji diagram beneath his feet began to rotate, and Xu Qing's voice reached his ears.

Do you think your sword energy has hurt me?

Upon hearing this, Xiaoyaozi focused intently on looking around. After not finding Xu Qing, his gaze finally settled on the seagull that had been cut in half.

Under the astonished gazes of Xiaoyaozi and everyone else, the seagull that had been cut in half in mid-air instantly grew back to its original shape, flapping its wings and continuing to rush towards Xiaoyaozi. Xu Qing's figure also appeared among the seagulls.

Xu Qing's figure was sometimes present, sometimes elusive, sometimes in front, sometimes behind, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, making him impossible to grasp.

Xiaoyaozi saw Xu Qing's figure mixed among the seagulls rushing towards him. Although he was surprised and wondering what had just happened, he continued to use the sword moves from "After the Snow Clears." His figure moved constantly among the seagulls, and the white rainbow carrying the golden sword light slashed at the flying seagulls.

Bai Hong's sword left countless afterimages in mid-air, and the golden sword energy transformed into a barrier, cutting any seagulls that approached Xiaoyaozi in half.

However, the seagulls instantly grew another half and continued to attack Xiaoyaozi's Free and Easy Wandering Technique. The seagulls transformed into sharp sword energy the moment they collided with Free and Easy Wandering Technique.

The sounds of collisions continued incessantly. Xiaoyaozi looked at the seagulls around him, constantly waving the white rainbow in his hand, and beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead.

He couldn't understand why these seagulls could regenerate after being cut in half. It would be normal if it happened once or twice, but to be cut into two, four, eight, and so on, seemingly endlessly, was simply against common sense.

"What kind of swordsmanship is this? Could this be Xu Qing's Tai Chi Dao?"

Xiaoyaozi struggled to defend against the seagull's attack. He glanced at the Tai Chi diagram at his feet and a flash of insight struck him. He seemed to understand what Xu Qing's move was all about.

Taiji divides into Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang divide into Four Symbols.
But Xiaoyaozi had an even greater question in his mind. Although he understood the Dao contained in Xu Qing's move, how to break it was another problem.

Watching Xu Qing's figure constantly flashing among the seagulls, Xiaoyaozi's eyes narrowed. The way of the Human Sect is to refine the heart with the mortal world, first to taint the Dao heart, and then to seek clarity of the Dao heart. It is essentially about putting oneself in a life-or-death situation.

"kill!"

The sword, Xiaoyao You, burst forth with dazzling light, two golden characters encircling the white rainbow sword. Xiaoyaozi suddenly withdrew Xiaoyao You's defense and charged towards Xu Qing's figure among the seagulls.

Seeing Xiaoyaozi attacking him, Xu Qing instantly transformed the seagulls around him into sword energies that rushed towards Xiaoyaozi, while he thrust Chengying in his hand toward his opponent.

The golden characters surrounding Xiaoyaozi helped him block the sword energy transformed from the seagull, and he himself quickly charged towards Xu Qing.

Amidst a sea of ​​golden light and seagulls, Cheng Ying and Bai Hong clashed. Xu Qing and Xiao Yaozi did not engage in a contest of strength, but instead rapidly changed their sword techniques, dodging and constantly seeking opportunities to attack each other.

The crowd below watched the situation on stage with tension. Amidst the golden light and seagulls, they saw Xu Qing and Xiaoyaozi's figures flashing by. The two men's long swords changed their sword moves constantly, but they were all blocked by the other.

The two displayed exquisite swordsmanship, drawing gasps of amazement from the audience.

However, just when everyone thought the two would continue to fight for dozens of rounds without a clear winner, Xiaoyaozi suddenly sprang up, his sword moves changing, and a dazzling sword light burst forth from Baihong, the sharp white light attacking Xu Qing at an extremely tricky angle.

Seeing this, Xu Qing quickly dodged, but Bai Hong was extremely fast. Although Xu Qing was fast enough, Bai Hong still slashed across Xu Qing's chest and tore his clothes.

Xiaoyaozi changed his move again, striking Xu Qing with his sword and knocking him back.

Upon seeing Xu Qing injured, a glint of light flashed in Xiaoyaozi's eyes.

However, Xu Qing, who had been repelled, flipped once or twice in mid-air before regaining his footing and looking calmly at Xiaoyaozi.

"Do you think your white rainbow hurt me?" Xu Qing asked calmly.

A look of astonishment flashed in Xiaoyaozi's eyes, because Xu Qing's wounds had disappeared without him noticing, and even his clothes were completely intact, without any signs of injury.

"How could this happen? I clearly..."

Xiaoyaozi fell from mid-air, his pupils dilated, somewhat unable to believe what he was seeing.

The Tai Chi diagram beneath his feet was still rotating, but it had changed from clockwise to counterclockwise. What Xiaoyaozi didn't realize was that he was standing right in the black eye of the white part of the array.

Xu Qing stood in the black part of the Tai Chi diagram.

Bei Mingzi, Chi Songzi, Qi Lunzi, and the others stared in astonishment at the scene unfolding on the stage, their eyes filled with confusion and surprise.

They were baffled by what was happening on stage.

(End of this chapter)