His voice echoed across the plaza and lingered for a long time.
Countless gazes flew toward Violetstage Peak from all directions. The disciples of Violetstage Peak turned in unison to look at the scarlet figure seated inside the pavilion.
Li Lanxiu rested his chin on one hand and held a chess piece in the other. He lowered his head and studied the board with full concentration. The sleeve of his arm slipped down slightly, revealing a pale, slender wrist with clearly defined bones.
As his wrist turned with casual ease, a chess piece drifted down lightly onto the board. His movements were unhurried and graceful, quite pleasing to the eye.
It was as if he were entirely unaware of the shock and confusion in everyone’s hearts.
Young Master…he’s calling you, isn’t he? They thought.
Li Yanbi calmly picked up his tea. He took a sip as if nothing had happened and sent a voice transmission. “What’s going on between you and that boy?”
“He’s mine, that’s all.”
Li Lanxiu lifted his eyes. He belonged to him—his blade, his dog. He could be described with any of those terms.
Back in the great mirror, at Highmount Temple, after the lesson of the first round, several shixiong had already guessed the truth. Their expressions darkened one by one.
Lian-shixiong was the most furious. He had participated in the sect competition many times and had never been eliminated in the second round without even making it to the third.
The third round of the sect competition was the real test of individual strength—a one-on-one arena match. The first two rounds emphasized teamwork, but Chu Yue showed no interest in cooperating and focused only on clearing the round as fast as he could.
Lian-shixiong’s face turned ashen. He growled in a low voice. “What good is it for Chu-shidi to rush to the top like this. Why is he so obsessed with quick success?”
Yu-shixiong said with biting sarcasm. “Obviously it’s the Blueword Brush. I heard Elder Shen is using it as the reward for first place. Otherwise, would Chu-shidi be working this hard?”
Lian-shixiong paused in shock and murmured. “Elder Shen is actually offering the Blueword Brush…a treasure like that…”
Hope flickered in his eyes. The Blueword Brush was a top-grade sect artifact, a priceless treasure. Suddenly he spoke with impassioned resolve. “No. We can’t just admit defeat like this. What face would our masters have left?”
Liu-shixiong nodded and urged the others around him. “We’re all disciples of the same sect. Winning or losing doesn’t matter, but losing without even making a move—can you accept that?”
“We can’t!”
The disciples responded in unison.
Chuxuan smiled faintly and shook his head. “Chu-shidi belongs to my Xiao-Shidi. I won’t take part. If you want to test yourself against him, go ahead, but don’t forget how the steelwhite apes died.”
Yu-shixiong’s expression shifted. He turned to Jiang Jiusi and asked, “Jiang-shixiong, what about you?”
Jiang Jiusi suddenly looked confused. “What?”
“Jiang-shixiong, we’re thinking of sparring with Chu Yue for a few rounds. You in or not?” Yu-shixiong asked with a smile.
Jiang Jiusi frowned and considered it. “No. He’s close with Li-shidi. If I beat him, Li-shidi wouldn’t be happy.”
Besides, judging from Chu Yue’s strength in the first match, he didn’t believe he could win. Why risk more embarrassment just to save a little face?
Lian-shixiong and Yu-shixiong of course understood how formidable Chu Yue was. Each of them had their own calculations.
Yu-shixiong had it all figured out. The two trials happened almost back-to-back. After fighting the steelwhite ape and wiping out the tiger yao den, even someone with the Immaculate Spiritual Physique had to be drained of spiritual power and physically exhausted.
If they didn’t seize this moment to take back some momentum and save their masters' pride, when would they?
Lian Jianqing only wanted that Blueword Brush. If he could defeat Chu Yue, at the very least he’d leave a good impression with Elder Shen.
So the two hit it off and led a group of disciples to the teleportation point to face Chu Yue.
They didn’t wait long. A figure in black emerged from the lush forest.
Chu Yue walked as he loosened the bracers around his arms. The tiger yao’s claw marks ran deep, and he quickly wound a bandage around them. At the same time, his gaze swept over the group.
Lian-shixiong paused when he saw the wounds, hesitating to speak.
Yu-shixiong was secretly delighted. He asked with a smile, “Chu-shidi, did you get all the tiger yao’s inner cores?”
Chu Yue gave a slight nod. “Yes. Seven in total.”
Lian-shixiong kept his tone as calm as possible. “Chu-shidi, since you collected all the inner cores, that means the rest of us can’t advance to the third round. So—what do you suggest we do?”
“I meant no offense to anyone. I just wanted to win.” Chu Yue already understood their intention and reached for the hilt of the blade behind his waist.
“Chu-shidi, we’re not doubting your strength,” Yu-shixiong followed up. “It’s just that since we no longer have a chance to compete on the arena, we thought we might spar with you now. That way, at least we can give our masters a proper explanation.”
Lian-shixiong nodded in agreement. “Why not let us witness Chu-shidi’s brilliance firsthand?”
Chu Yue glanced toward the teleportation array—he was eager to return and didn’t want to waste a second more. He furrowed his brows and stepped back. “Very well. Let’s get this over with quickly.”
Yu-shixiong and Lian-shixiong exchanged a look. Yu-shixiong stepped forward first, quickly forming a series of hand seals. With a flick of his sleeve, six puppets flew out from within.
The puppets looked exactly like Yu-shixiong, all clad in white robes. Each held a different magical weapon—some swords, others blades—and one held a bundle of golden thread.
Yu-shixiong twirled his fingers, and the puppets swiftly took formation, circling around Chu Yue. The one holding the golden thread threw it outward. Each puppet grabbed one end, and the final strand landed in Yu-shixiong’s hand.
He and the puppets moved in perfect sync, stepping rapidly to shift positions. The golden threads wove a glimmering net of light around Chu Yue, trapping him dead center in a shimmering web.
The surrounding disciples were dazzled by the display. Lian-shixiong couldn’t help but murmur praise, “Yu-shixiong’s puppet array is truly exquisite.”
Elder Shen had once warned Chu Yue that Yu-shixiong was skilled in control techniques and should not be underestimated. Chu Yue had never seen a formation this intricate before. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the puppets warily, fingers tightening on his blade.
The golden threads gleamed brighter and brighter—the formation was complete.
Each of Yu-shixiong’s fingers was wound with a strand of thread, all directly tied to the puppets.
He offered a courteous smile. “Chu-shidi, please.”
Chu Yue was pressed for time. His blade flashed from its sheath like lightning.
A flash of cold light—
The puppets froze mid-step.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The puppets collapsed in unison, revealing their true forms—splintered wooden dolls. Their weapons and golden thread scattered across the ground, and the spiderweb array vanished.
He returned the blade to its sheath. The entire exchange had taken less than a second.
Looking at the broken mess on the ground, Chu Yue frowned even deeper.
It was hard to understand how something that wasted so much of his time could break so easily.
The golden thread slipped from Yu-shixiong’s fingers. He stared in stunned silence for a beat, then forced a stiff smile. “Truly, a hero in his youth! I’ll no longer be competing with Chu-shidi in this year’s sect trials.”
All around, silence fell. No one dared make a sound.
Lian-shixiong stepped forward with a helpless look. “Let me try, then. I ask Chu-shidi to go easy on me.”
“Please.” Chu Yue nodded as if it were nothing, though his fingers behind his back clenched tightly around his blade, suppressing the trembling of exhaustion.
Lian-shixiong unwrapped a cloth bundle from his back and solemnly drew out a simple, ancient-looking azure sword. He stroked the sheath fondly before drawing the blade—snow-bright light flared, and a chill swept out in all directions.
Chu Yue didn’t want to waste even a moment longer. He struck with a single, powerful blow.
Lian-shixiong twisted his sword to block the blade. In that brief moment of contact, he felt the force of an elite movement technique—like a tide swallowing mountains, fierce and heavy.
The flesh between his thumb and forefinger split open from the impact, blood seeping out in thin rivulets.
Lian-shixiong quickly retreated and sheathed his sword, conceding without argument. “Chu-shidi, your skill surpasses mine. I won’t fight you for the Blueword Brush.”
Chu Yue had no idea what Blueword Brush they were talking about. All he wanted was to leave. He gave a brief nod, then strode toward the teleportation array without delay.
On the floating island of Conundrum Sect, the elders and peak lords had varied expressions. Yu Yangshan’s puppet array being broken was within reason—he wasn’t one of the top disciples in the sect, merely adept in exotic techniques.
But Lian Jianqing was one of the two most outstanding disciples in the sect, on par with Jiang Jiusi. Everyone had expected him to last at least a few dozen exchanges—no one had imagined he’d concede after just one.
“Lian Jianqing surrendered just like that… No wonder Jiang Jiusi didn’t want to get involved. Is the Immaculate Spiritual Physique body really that strong?”
“The Immaculate Spiritual Physique is powerful, but I think Chu Yue must’ve also studied countless true-intent scrolls. The way it all stacks together is absurd. There isn’t a single disciple in our sect who can match him.”
“He’s only been cultivating for how long? Given time…I can’t even imagine who he’ll become.”
While the crowd was still discussing Chu Yue’s strength, Elder Shen suddenly stood up and drew a white jade ruyi from his storage ring.
The ruyi was about a foot long, white as snow, with a warm and delicate texture. On its surface was a lifelike carving of a man standing in the snow, taken from the story of “standing in the snow outside Master Cheng’s gate,” a parable of respect for one’s teacher.
At the sight of the jade ruyi, many faces changed.
Bai Ying recognized it immediately. Lord Meixue had personally carved it. There were only two in the entire sect—one in Bai Ying’s possession, and this one now in Elder Shen’s hands.
Chu Yue had stolen the spotlight, and Bai Ying had been quietly displeased. But upon seeing the jade ruyi, he couldn’t hold back a laugh. Sitting up straighter, he waited to watch everyone else’s jaws hit the floor.
Elder Shen wasn’t in a rush. He also retrieved the Blueword Brush. Holding the jade ruyi in one hand and the brush in the other, he stepped onto a massive white cloud.
The Cloudwater Hall stewards filed out behind him, each bearing trays of spirit herbs, pills, brocade garments, and precious jades. There were several dozen of them, forming two long rows that followed behind Elder Shen.
The entire procession stepped upon white clouds and descended to the square like a host of immortals.
The peak lords of the twelve peaks arrived at the Dao-Questioning Plaza with their disciples in tow. The vast plaza was packed—every inner and outer sect disciple had gathered here.
This was a moment of boundless glory, with focused attention from all. Everyone in the sect knew exactly what the jade ruyi signified: if one accepted it, they would become the personal disciple of Lord Meixue, equal in status to Bai Ying.
The disciples remained silent, thousands of eyes locked on Elder Shen’s hands. At this moment, envy was too mild a word. Winning the Azurerain Trial was enviable. Possessing the Immaculate Spiritual Physique was enviable.
But to win first place in the sect-wide tournament and be chosen as the sect master’s personal disciple—what they had left was nothing but reverent awe. The awe of watching a future legend rise before their eyes, knowing all they could do was look up to him.
The teleportation array in the Dao-Questioning Plaza lit up, and a tall, upright figure stepped out.
Elder Shen faced the crowd and stood solemnly. He asked in a loud, clear voice, “Chu Yue is the champion of this Conundrum Sect tournament. Does anyone have any objections?”
Not a single voice spoke up.
Elder Shen immediately announced, “The champion of the Conundrum Sect tournament—Chu Yue!”
Chu Yue paused slightly and instinctively looked toward the Violetstage Peak disciples. Li Lanxiu stood beside Li Yanbi and gave him a nod.
Chu Yue calmed his mind and stepped forward. “Present.”
Elder Shen raised the Blueword Brush and jade ruyi in his hands. His voice boomed like a bell. “Our Conundrum Sect is one of the four great Dao sects in the world, standing firm for centuries, producing countless heroes and paragons, rightfully a Daoist sect of unmatched prestige.”
“Though you joined our sect not long ago, you slew the jiao lord alone in the Azurerain realm and brought honor to our sect’s name!”
“In this tournament, you fought the steelwhite apes and destroyed the tiger yao clan. Truly a genius bestowed by the heavens.”
“The Blueword Brush in my left hand is my most treasured possession.”
Elder Shen turned and spoke with grave formality. “I now bestow this treasure upon this peerless genius of our sect. Let us all join in congratulating him and wishing him smooth travels on the Dao path and a brilliant future!”
Thousands of voices rose in unison, surging like a tide, hearts united. “May this peerless genius of our sect shine for a thousand autumns and may his glory endure forever!”
“May this peerless genius of our sect shine for a thousand autumns and may his glory endure forever!”
The vast echoes rippled through the plaza, layer upon layer, endlessly resonating, spreading outward like the tolling of a great bell.
All eyes turned toward him. All glory converged at this moment.
Chu Yue remained calm. He had once been the crown prince of a nation and had seen countless grand occasions. He was long accustomed to honor and humiliation alike. He quietly gazed at one figure in the crowd.
Li Lanxiu's eyes curved slightly as if he were smiling at him. Warmth overflowed from the depths of his dark pupils.
The corners of Chu Yue’s lips lifted. He turned and took the Blueword Brush from Elder Shen with both hands. “Thank you, Elder.”
Elder Shen raised the jade ruyi in his other hand and was just about to speak when the person before him suddenly vanished without a trace.
“…”
Chu Yue strode through the crowd. The disciples didn’t know what he was about to do, but they instinctively stepped aside, all curious to see what this favored child of heaven would do next.
He stopped in front of Li Lanxiu and dropped to one knee in a swift, clean motion. He raised the Blueword Brush with both hands, lifted his gaze with reverence and sincerity and said in a clear voice, “Young Master, Chu Yue has not failed your mission.”
Li Lanxiu casually took the Blueword Brush and twirled it once in his hand. He reached out and patted the top of Chu Yue’s head in praise.
Chu Yue leaned back to dodge and frowned slightly. He spoke in a low voice. “I’m covered in blood. Don’t dirty your hands.”
Li Lanxiu burst into soft laughter. He bent down and carefully wiped the blood off Chu Yue’s face with a handkerchief. “You did very well.”
Chu Yue stared into the eyes so close to his own. The hand brushing his cheek was so gentle. He curved his lips into a smile and let out a satisfied, quiet laugh.
This was the reward he had longed for.
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