A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 197 Fight
The group from Liuyun Sect walked straight through the crowd without looking to either side. The cloud patterns on their purple robes swirled in the morning light, carrying an invisible pressure that seemed to freeze the lively atmosphere wherever they went.

But they paid no attention to the registration desk and went straight inside.

Luo San subconsciously straightened his back and gripped the registration pen in his hand. He had spent most of his life in the Northern Spirit Region and had never seen such a powerful cultivator. The faint smile on the leader's face revealed a sense of alienation as someone who was "not of our kind".

Damn it, aren't the cultivators of the Northern Spiritual Domain human?

Wang Kui calmly stepped forward, blocking the arena from the crowd, and quietly gathered spiritual energy in his palm. He couldn't figure out the background of these guests from Zhongzhou, so he could only protect the arena for now.

The middle-aged man at the head of the group glanced at the four arenas, finally settling on the city tower. A faint smile appeared on his lips. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "The Five Elements Sect of the Northern Spirit Domain has recently gained fame. My Flowing Cloud Sect has come to witness the occasion."

After he finished speaking, his disciple stepped forward, holding a brocade box. The moment the lid was opened, a wisp of smoke, like flowing clouds, drifted out and condensed into the two characters "Flowing Clouds" in mid-air.

The middle-aged man said calmly, "This is 'Central Plains Flowing Cloud Sand,' which can nurture spiritual artifacts. Consider it a small token of our sect's appreciation."

After he finished speaking, a disciple behind him took out a set of fragrant wooden table and chairs from the storage talisman and set out tea.

The middle-aged man sat down and looked at the ring as if no one else was around.

On the city tower, Li Weizhou was refilling Tian Ru's tea when he saw this and smiled, saying, "The people of Zhongzhou don't understand what manners and etiquette are at all."

Tian Ru said, "Aren't you going to greet them? Although the Flowing Cloud Sect isn't the top sect in Central State, it's not a small, insignificant sect either. Besides, they've come all this way..."

Li Weizhou put down the teapot, his gaze falling on the arena. He smiled faintly and said, "Those who come from afar are not necessarily guests. Master's wife, look at their attitude. Do they ever take the Northern Spirit Domain seriously? They probably came today because they heard that Situ has mastered half of the Thunder Sword Manual. It's alright, let's see."

When the sun was high in the sky, the arena battle officially began. The Liuyun Sect members sat in their own viewing seats, watching calmly, as if the fight before them was just children playing.

As expected, the person they were paying attention to was Situ Qingyue on the west-facing arena.

Her opponent was a Western Region red-robed merchant. The merchant wielded a black iron scimitar that created a sky full of sword shadows. The wind from the swords swirled with yellow sand, weaving a giant net on the arena that even partially blocked out the sunlight.

The red-robed man shouted, and the endless sword shadows suddenly transformed into twelve curved blades, slashing straight at Situ Qingyue.

In the audience, a young disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect scoffed, "Those barbarians from the Western Regions love to pull these fancy stunts. If our sect's disciples did that, the elders of the Transmission Hall would severely reprimand them..."

Before the words were finished, a golden lightning bolt suddenly lit up the arena.

Situ Qingyue slashed her thunder sword diagonally, and the golden thunder seal characters "Heavenly Meteor" suddenly exploded. Silver lightning poured down like a waterfall, shattering all twelve sword shadows simultaneously. The red-robed man's scimitar was shaken out of his hand and flew into the edge of the arena, its blade humming, the Western Region runes on it already dimmed.

"what……"

The middle-aged man from the Liuyun Sect paused, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He said, "It does indeed have some resemblance to the Thunder Yang Clan's Thunder Technique, but it's clearer and more powerful."

He was surprised to find that the lightning magic of the person on the stage was actually purer and more refined than that of the Tingyang clan.

This is an extraordinary matter...

The disciple beside him whispered, "Uncle-Master, if the Tingyang Clan finds out, they'll probably come and snatch her away, right? This female cultivator is also quite beautiful..."

The middle-aged man neither agreed nor disagreed, but his gaze became more focused.

If someone can kill two powerful experts from the Sin Clan at the Spirit God Realm with a single sword strike, it will be difficult for the Tingyang Clan to do as they please.

After all these years, does Zhongzhou really not want to unify the Spirit Realm?
It's impossible.

If you can't beat someone in the Spirit God Realm, you can at least avoid them, let alone someone in the Immortal Spirit Realm.

After the experts from Zhongzhou leave, if someone launches a sneak attack, no sect can afford such a loss.

On the east side of the arena, Zhou Yueniang was facing off against Huang Ling, a female cultivator from the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.

The poisonous thorns that Huang Ling flung out were covered with glistening droplets of liquid. The droplets dissolved as soon as they hit the ground, etching small pits into the bluestone, clearly indicating that they were highly poisonous.

She chuckled, her venomous thorns coiling like snakes around Zhou Yueniang's wrist, saying, "Madam Zhou, would you like to try my 'Bone-Corroding Dew'?"

Zhou Yueniang's Xuanjin Sword flew out, meeting the poisonous thorn head-on.

Huang Ling was surprised, and the other onlookers were also astonished.

In fact, ordinary cultivators would not do this, because the poison used by cultivators in the spirit world can often pollute the spiritual energy, and if one is not careful, even magical treasures will be poisoned.

but……

Zhou Yueniang's Xuanjin Magic Sword was able to suppress Huang Ling's poisonous thorns so much that they couldn't lift their heads.

"Can the Golden Spirit counteract poison?"

A young disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect frowned and said, "I've never heard of such a thing before."

The middle-aged man said calmly, "It's because the Golden Spirit Essence is refined enough that it can suppress the poison. If you refine your own Spirit Essence to be pure enough, you can do the same."

His gaze swept over Feng Biwu and Qi Erniang, and he found that the two of them were in a similar situation.

One disciple muttered, "The Five Sacred Mountains True Monarch's two thousand years of refinement has all benefited these few mortals. What a waste."

The middle-aged man chuckled, but in the end, he remained focused on watching Situ Qingyue fight. After watching for a while, he said to a disciple behind him, "Li Xu, go and try it out. Don't hold back. See if you can force her to reveal her true abilities."

A young disciple with a calm expression clasped his hands in a salute and replied, "Yes."

A disciple standing nearby exclaimed in surprise, "Elder, she... she hasn't revealed her true strength yet?"

The middle-aged man didn't say anything, and the other disciples didn't dare to ask any further questions. They could only watch the arena quietly.

After exchanging words with the people in line behind him and obtaining their consent, Li Xu leaped onto the stage.

The hem of the robe swept across the bluestone, leaving a faint blue arc of light.

On the city wall, Li Weizhou saw this and scoffed.

When faced with a beautiful woman, this guy started acting all flirtatious...

Sure enough, Li Xu, without drawing his long sword, bowed to Situ Qingyue and said sincerely, "Li Xu of the Liuyun Sect wishes to ask Miss Situ for guidance on the Thunder Sword Technique."

Situ Qingyue gripped the Thunder Sword "Xiaoyao," the thunder seal on its spine gleaming coldly in the sunlight, and nodded slightly. She didn't utter a single word in response.

Li Xu then slowly drew his sword.

It was a long sword, pure white, its blade shimmering like flowing water in the morning light. When it was drawn from its sheath, it emitted a clear, melodious sword cry, like a mountain stream crashing against a blue stone.

Even more astonishingly, layers upon layers of cloud patterns appeared on the sword's blade, subtly resonating with the clouds in the sky and earth. As soon as it was drawn from its sheath, a pale blue mist rose up on the arena, enveloping it.

This is the starting move "Cloud Arise" of the "Nine Forms of Flowing Clouds". It is not only a sword move, but also sets up a cloud domain that can disrupt the perception of spiritual energy.

"This sword technique..."

A cultivator below the stage exclaimed in a low voice, "The sword light is hidden in the clouds, and even spiritual sense cannot detect its trajectory!"

Situ Qingyue remained unmoved. She pointed her Thunder Sword diagonally at the ground and gently pressed her fingertip against the spine of the sword. The "Awakening of Insects" thunder seal suddenly lit up. Silver lightning traveled along the blade and exploded into three lightning patterns at her feet. The lightning patterns intertwined into a net, blocking the surging clouds three feet away. The lightning at the mesh of the net crackled and popped, even scorching the clouds with faint marks.

With a light touch of her toes, she shot forward like an arrow, her thunder sword, carrying golden light, piercing straight for Li Xu's heart. The sword wind was filled with fragments of lightning and fire, and wherever it passed, a clear crack was torn open in the cloud domain.

Li Xu's eyes narrowed slightly. With a flick of his wrist, the white sword suddenly transformed into a horizontal arc, its spine precisely striking the side of the thunder sword. The instant the two swords collided, he used the momentum of the thunder sword to spin and dodge. The white sword drew a crescent moon behind him, and the mist in the cloud domain suddenly surged, flooding towards Situ Qingyue's retreat like a tide.

This "Tidal Surge" technique conceals a deadly move. The clouds are filled with countless tiny ice shards. It is his unique skill that combines the clouds with his own water elemental root. Touching it will cause frostbite or puncture.

"What a quick change of tactics!"

On the city wall, Tian Ru said softly, "The swordsmanship of the Central Plains sects is indeed exquisite."

Instead of retreating, Situ Qingyue advanced, her Thunder Sword suddenly slashing vertically, golden lightning cascading down like a waterfall, forcefully splitting a gap in the surging clouds. Using this gap, she closed in on Li Xu, her wrist twisting sharply, the tip of the Thunder Sword suddenly dropping, the lightning patterns on the spine of the sword lighting up the words "Thunder Descends".

This was a newly mastered killing move of hers. The angle at which the sword tip fell was extremely tricky, avoiding Li Xu's sword edge and aiming straight for his wrist holding the sword. The lightning and fire in the sword wind had already scorched Li Xu's sleeves slightly.

Li Xu was clearly caught off guard by her fierce and cunning swordplay, and hurriedly withdrew his sword to defend. But Lei Jian was even faster; the tip of the sword grazed his knuckles, and a string of tiny sparks of lightning instantly shot onto the back of his hand.

"Hey!"

The skin on the back of his hand instantly turned black, his spiritual energy circulation became sluggish, and the trajectory of the white sword was also slightly disrupted.

Situ Qingyue's combat experience was extremely rich, giving Li Xu no chance to catch his breath. The Thunder Sword advanced again, and the words "Thunder Swamp" lit up on the spine of the sword. The silver lightning suddenly transformed into countless fine needles, weaving a lightning net. This time, however, it was not to trap the enemy, but to block all angles of Li Xu's sword strike with the lightning needles. The lightning patterns at the ends of the needles hummed, actually drawing in the surrounding clouds, which became the "barbs" of the lightning needles.

Li Xu's expression changed slightly. He suddenly spun around, his white sword dancing around him in a ball of light, the cloud shadows enveloping him like a cocoon. The lightning rods struck the cloud cocoon, producing a dense "clanging" sound, but the force was neutralized by the layers of cloud energy.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, he suddenly let out a low shout, and the cloud patterns on the sword instantly surged forth. He roared to the sky: "Nine Forms of Flowing Clouds: Breaking Stone!"

This sword strike no longer pursued agility; all the clouds in front of the sword were compressed into a thin line, as if a long whip had sprouted from the sword. The seemingly gentle sword force contained a sharp power that could pierce through refined steel. Even the air was pierced with a sharp explosion, and the bluestone ground of the arena was pressed into fine cracks by the sword force.

Even with Situ Qingyue's keen eyesight, she felt a chill run down her spine; the power of this sword strike was truly terrifying!
A fierce fighting spirit ignited in her eyes, and she suddenly gripped the Thunder Sword horizontally, golden lightning condensing into a half-foot-long bolt of lightning on the blade.

However, she did not take the hit head-on. Instead, she used the "Thunderclap Step" recorded in the "Thunder Sword Manual" and moved around to Li Xu's side like a ghost.

Each step of this footwork brought forth tiny bursts of lightning, perfectly avoiding the sharpness of the "Stone-Breaking" sword technique.

Just as Li Xu's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen, Situ Qingyue suddenly shouted: "Qingyue Slash!"

The spiritual mist from Cangshui Peak and the spiritual smoke from Xuanjin Peak surged in simultaneously, condensing into a cold, clear moon behind her. Golden lightning threads were wrapped in the moonlight, and it struck Li Xu's side as if splitting the heavens and earth.

This sword strike combined the ferocity of thunder magic with the clarity of sword intent. Its speed surpassed that of "Thunder Descent" by three points. It was a killing move that was used immediately after "Thunder Descent" forced the opponent back!
Li Xu's pupils contracted sharply. He hadn't expected Situ Qingyue to unleash two ultimate techniques in such a short time. In a hasty attempt to defend, he felt an overwhelming force surge as his white sword clashed with the lightning sword. The moonlight tore through the clouds, the lightning threads shattered the sword's momentum, and the white sword was even jolted out of his hand, flying off and landing with a clang on the edge of the arena, its cloud patterns shattering inch by inch.

Situ Qingyue's thunder sword was already following him like a shadow, its tip pressed three inches from his chest, the lightning flickering and making the cloud patterns on his green robe tremble slightly.

"you……"

Li Xu's hand gripping the sword trembled, not from fear, but from shock. He had never imagined that the Northern Spirit Domain possessed such exquisite thunder sword techniques, whose power rivaled that of the Tingyang Clan, and whose agility allowed it to break through his Liuyun Sect's "Cloud Shadow." Moreover, it could unleash two deadly moves, "Thunder Descent" and "Clear Moon Slash," in quick succession when Li Xu used "Stone Breaker"!
As Situ Qingyue sheathed her sword, the lightning dissipated, and the lightning seal on the sword's spine slowly disappeared. She then said softly, "Thank you for your kind offer."

After a moment of deathly silence, the audience suddenly erupted in thunderous cheers.

Even the red-robed traveler from the Western Regions slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "This sword! It's a hundred times more powerful than the fancy swords from the Central Plains!"

He had just overheard those bastards from the Flowing Cloud Sect talking behind his back...

These words indeed drew angry glares from the disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect, but what was there to be afraid of? This wasn't the Central Plains.

Li Xu looked at his charred knuckles, then at the Thunder Sword in Situ Qingyue's hand, and nodded, saying, "I admire you."

After saying that, he turned and stepped off the stage.

In the audience, a middle-aged man from the Flowing Cloud Sect put down his teacup and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. Sunlight filtered through the cloud patterns on his purple robe, casting shimmering spots of light on the table, as if he were weighing something.

His gaze rose upwards, meeting that of the young figure atop the city wall.

To his surprise, the young man's eyes were full of amusement, as if he were expecting something...

He chuckled, perhaps laughing at the people of this desolate and harsh land for being so arrogant, ignorant, and fearless.

However, he didn't take it to heart; he couldn't really bully the weak and make himself a laughingstock.

He then got up and left with his men.

One of the disciples muttered to himself: "Be arrogant, be arrogant all you want. Someone will come and deal with you frogs in a well in the future."

As the group from Liuyun Sect left, the hem of their robes swept across the bluestone of the mountain gate, stirring up a light blue breeze, but without causing any further ripples.

Those rogue cultivators who had initially been intimidated by their imposing presence now stood tall, watching their departing figures, and couldn't help but smile.
What about the Central Plains' major sales?
They lost their edge on the Five Elements Sect's arena.

Some of the older members, familiar with the history of the Five Elements Sect, began to loudly recount to others how powerful the Five Sacred Mountains True Lords were back then, never taking the people of the Central Plains seriously...

However, when a disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect turned around, the old man quickly shut his mouth and disappeared among the rogue cultivators...

……

(End of this chapter)