TIC Chapter 25: For Whom The Moonlight Was Unsheathed

Unexpected things sometimes happen in this world.

For example, Mu Hong had just finished exerting pressure, but in the blink of an eye, Lin Fuqing and Fang Zhiyuan were given the opportunity to target Mu Qingxue and Fang Chiqi respectively.

For example, it happened to happen on the same day and night.

As soon as the news came out, it caused an uproar.

When the golden sun set in the west and the colorful clouds returned to the mountains, the two pavilions in the Golden Osmanthus Palace were crowded with people.

Whether to visit the West Pavilion or the South Pavilion suddenly became a very difficult decision.

In the South Pavilion, the current proud daughter of heaven, the Phoenix Fairy Mu Qingxue of the Mu family, would compete against Taoist Xuyun’s chief disciple, the brilliant and talented young immortal Lin Fuqing.

In the West Pavilion, Fang Chiqi, the young and rising prince of the Vermillion Qilin Fang family, would face off against Fang Zhiyuan, the second disciple of Xuyun and the Star of Calamity who was expelled from the Fang family.

No matter which battle it was, it was sure to be a battle worth watching, the kind that was rare in hundreds of years.

In the inn, the Xuyun’s disciples were also very conflicted.

Well, which one should they go to?

Fang Zhiyuan was sitting on the ground wiping his long knife. He glimpsed the distress of several people and lazily opened his thin lips, “Okay, stop pretending. Don’t you all want to accompany shige?”

Ye Huaguo puffed up her cheeks. “No-no way! Anyway, I have to go with Second Fang Shixiong! The-the G-Golden Osmanthus Palace is too much. How can they let shixiong fight two battles in a row!”

Xun Mingsi sighed, “Second Fang Shixiong, I am also worried about you like this.”

Song Youdu nodded expressionlessly…

Fang Zhiyuan frowned: “?”

What was going on with them?

Why were they all looking at him with such weird gazes?

“Second Shixiong.” Xun Mingsi hesitated for a moment, then said, “Do you really… insist on using this knife?”

Fang Zhiyuan took a piece of white cloth from his side and wrapped the blade with it. He said simply, “I know what I’m doing.”

“Mingsi, don’t try to persuade him. He does know what he’s doing.”

Lin Fuqing’s voice was relaxed. He leaned over to blow out the candle, and was the first to push the door open and walk out. “All of you should go to the West Pavilion. Help me keep an eye on your second shixiong and don’t let him go too crazy.”

After saying that, he was the first to walk out of the inn. He only took a few steps when he felt a heavy weight on his shoulder.

He glanced back and saw Fang Zhiyuan’s knife handle pressed against his shoulder. “Shige, don’t forget, three times the limit.”

Lin Fuqing felt helpless. “I know, I know.”

………

Golden Osmanthus Palace, West Pavilion.

The lights were as bright as day and the place was crowded with people.

Fang Chiqi, the prince of the Vermillion Qilin Fang family, crossed his arms across his chest, with a proud look on his face. He was surrounded by a group of Fang family disciples.

Beside him, Fang Zhilong’s resentment for having his sword refined by Song Youdu did not subside but instead grew. He said sinisterly, “Brother, you should leave Fang Zhiyuan with some hidden injuries that ordinary doctors cannot heal! When that time comes, those guys from the mountains named Xuyun will kneel on the ground and beg for mercy.”

Fang Chiqi pinched his fingers and said, “Don’t worry, you will soon have reasons to calm down.”

Fang Zhilong’s face showed joy.

From afar, they could see the disciples of Xuyun Sect walking through the crowd, with Fang Zhiyuan in the lead.

Fang Chiqi’s face was gloomy.

In fact, he was not as relaxed as he had appeared.

Ever since the golden osmanthus revealed his opponent, his father, family elders, and even the supreme elder who had protected the Vermillion Qilin family for hundreds of years…all of them had been sending him messages through various channels, telling him: you must directly fight when you get on the field, and win quickly, and trample Fang Zhiyuan hard into the mud.

You must not waste any more words before the fight begins, and you must not let Fang Zhiyuan say “certain words” in front of so many spectators.

Not even two quarters of an hour ago, Fang Tinghai, the Patriarch of the Fang family, had put his hands on his shoulders and solemnly instructed:

“Qi’er, listen carefully. In terms of cultivation, you broke through the Golden Core realm two years ago, and your spiritual energy is far superior to his. In terms of resources, the elixirs and immortal tools given to you by your family are definitely not worse than anyone else’s. In terms of martial arts techniques, although Taoist Xuyun is a great man in the Tribulation Crossing stage, he is a sword cultivator, and all his skills were passed on to Lin Fuqing. Fang Zhiyuan insisted on practicing swordsmanship, and he is a rebellious person who never respects his teacher. You can imagine what his fate will be.”

“Not to mention… that beast’s dantian has a fatal flaw! After the previous battle with Xia Tinglan, there’s no way he could beat you.”

Fang Chiqi’s heart grew colder. “Father, I understand.”

Fang Tinghai’s brows were covered with dark clouds. “You will definitely win this battle. The important thing is how to win, you know? That evil beast has been extremely arrogant since he was young. If he loses to you in an embarrassing manner, he will definitely not be able to bring himself to complain in front of everyone.”

“No matter what, we can’t let him talk about what happened in the past!!”

Fang Chiqi was nervous.

He was well aware of some things that could not be exposed.

It was true that Fang Zhiyuan was destined to be a calamity star, but if the inhumane things that the Fang family had done to him were dug up…

Not to mention others, Immortal Sovereign Lu Kuifu, with his upright character, would certainly not tolerate them.

As the time approached, the cheers from the audience became louder and louder.

“Prince Fang!”

“Prince Fang!—“

On one side was a noble, handsome and talented young man from a noble family, and on the other side was an evil seed that had been expelled from a noble family for many years and had a bad reputation. It goes without saying which side the audience would lean towards.

Not to mention that Fang Chiqi’s cultivation level was already higher than Fang Zhiyuan’s. Many people who came to watch this competition were actually looking forward to seeing how the eldest son of the Vermillion Qilin family would slap the face of that inferior but arrogant evil star.

Fang Chiqi stepped on the ground, and his body rose several feet into the air and landed gracefully on the competition stage.

He was wearing a bright red brocade robe. The Nine Fire Vermillion Qilin totem on his chest was glowing brightly, which immediately caused cheers from the audience. Intermixed with those cheers were the fanitical screams of some female cultivators.

Opposite the competition stage, a young man in a black robe sat on the ground as if no one was around, holding a long knife wrapped in white cloth in his hand.

Fang Zhiyuan lowered his dark eyes and slowly unraveled the white cloth. Thinking that it was this knife that frightened his fellow disciples, he couldn’t help but want to laugh for some unknown reason.

He didn’t say anything, nor did he look anyone in the eye. He just tilted his head slightly, letting a ray of moonlight fall on the cold and pale side of his face.

A few strands of black hair hung at the corners of his eyes, making him look wild and evil for no reason.

The arbiter shouted, “It’s time! The battle begins—“

As the arbiter was speaking, Fang Chiqi stretched out his hands and slowly bent his fingers.

The air gradually became hotter, and a long sword slowly emerged from under the prince’s fingers, glowing red like a flame in the night.

The audience exclaimed, “Prince Vermillion Qilin has drawn his sword!”

Fang Zhiyuan finally stood up. The white cloth around his long knife loosened completely and the wind blew it to the ground.

An incredibly broken and dirty iron knife was revealed. It was covered with dried blood and mud, and showing rust everywhere.

The scabbard alone had dozens of damages and scratches, making one doubt whether the blade inside could even be pulled out intact.

The audience didn’t understand what was going on and was stunned.

Some people couldn’t help but burst out laughing:

“Hey, what is that piece of junk?”

“Can that still be called a knife? Or is it just a rusty iron stick?”

“This, this, is Fang Zhiyuan crazy?… Could it be that he knows he can’t win and is using this to show weakness and beg for mercy?”

Ye Huaguo was worried and asked Third Xun in a low voice, “Third Shixiong, is this… is this really okay?”

Xun Mingsi closed his eyes and then opened them again. “It’s okay. I initially didn’t believe Second Fang Shixiong’s statement. But since even da shixiong said it…then he must really know what he’s doing.”

In stark contrast to the spectators below, Fang Chiqi’s face suddenly lost all color and turned hideous. “You… you exiled bastard! How dare you take out this knife!?”

At the same time, the faces of countless Fang family’s disciples also changed.

How could they not see that, although the iron knife was rusted and rotten beyond recognition, it was clearly the standard long knife used by the Fang family guards!

Back then, the child Fang Zhiyuan had escaped from the Fang family covered in blood, carrying such a knife, on a night when a powerful qi monster attacked.

Fang Chiqi suddenly felt a chill in his heart, as if he saw a vengeful ghost crawling out of the abyss.

Not daring to hesitate any longer, he took a step forward. His figure became blurred and distorted for a moment, and then disappeared completely!

Fang Zhiyuan stood calmly holding the knife, his eyes downcast. The light flickered, and the moonlight fell on the dirty scabbard and on his long, well-defined hand.

Ninng…

The rusty iron knife made a slight sound, echoing the hint of murderous intent revealed by its owner.

In a flash, a red sword shadow appeared behind Fang Zhiyuan, slashing downward with terrifying force from above.

The spiritual energy surged like a giant dragon spewing flames, burning the sky.

Fang Chiqi’s eyes glinted and he grinned. “Little calamity star, you shouldn’t have come back!!”

Fang Zhiyuan raised his right hand that was holding the knife.

He just raised it, he didn’t even draw his sword.

In fact, there was nothing wrong with the onlookers’ ridicule.

His old knife had become so rusty that it could no longer be pulled out.

But this didn’t matter, because he hadn’t intended to draw his sword in the first place. He did it on purpose.

No matter how old, broken, or rusty this knife was…

In the end, it was also a knife, Fang Zhiyuan’s knife.

It helped him realize that the knife could be used to slay gods and demons for all the immortals and for the people, or to pluck flowers and brush snow for the one he loved.

What was a mere Fang Chiqi?

Was he qualified for him to draw his sword?

The next moment happened in a flash.

Clang!

The scabbard hit the blade, sending sparks flying!

……….

Golden Osmanthus Palace, inner hall.

The sound of footsteps came from afar through the palace gate.

Golden-robed monks stood on both sides and bowed deeply in greeting.

“Your Excellency, welcome back to the palace.”

“Your Excellency, welcome back to the palace.”

The first thing that emerged from the night was a large dark-gold robe. The blazing sun and osmanthus intertwined into a magnificent totem, like a gilded ancient mural.

The man in the long robe was a very burly man, more than nine feet tall, with broad shoulders and back. He had strong facial features, and a pair of tiger eyes that seemed to bring thunder and lightning when they swept over people, giving a sense of majesty even when not angered.

The smell of blood lingered on his body, along with the chill of a dead demon. It was obvious that he had just returned from a fierce battle, but this did not diminish the mighty aura on his body at all.

This temperament gave people a sense of security.

It seemed that as long as this person was here, the sky above the Immortal Realm would never collapse; even if it really did collapse one day, this person could push the sky back up.

Lu Kuifu stepped into the hall, tore off his robe with one hand and threw it aside. He said in a voice like a muffled bell in a mountain temple, “Prepare clean water, so that I can bathe.”

The disciples of the Golden Osmanthus Palace on both sides showed surprise.

Those who cultivate immortality do not touch the dust of the world. In the Immortal Realm, bathing was more of a formality, expressing the most solemn courtesy.

But what kind of thing or person would be worth their immortal leader bathing for?

No one dared to say anything, and the well-trained maidservants silently prepared the specially made clear immortal water. The monks of the Golden Osmanthus Palace all respected the sovereign, and whatever the sovereign did was unquestionably right.

The lights in the palace flickered, and people’s shadows moved back and forth in solemnity.

After one stick of incense, Immortal Sovereign Lu Kuifu finished bathing and changing his clothes.

He returned to his bedroom and knelt alone in front of a huge mirror, his face as gloomy as an ancient well.

If someone were present, they would be shocked by the solemnity and seriousness on the immortal leader’s face.

What on earth could make this most honorable man in the immortal realm, this unrivaled strong man who has cultivated to the point of transcending tribulation, show such an expression?

What kind of scene was reflected in that giant mirror?

Was it that a nine-fold thunder tribulation was about to befall Liuhua Continent, or was it that the demons in the far west were planning to invade the human world?

No, neither.

What was slowly reflected in the mirror was the scenery of the South Pavilion of the Golden Osmanthus Palace.

The golden osmanthus was fragrant and a full moon loomed in the sky.

There was a huge crowd of people beneath the competition stage, and it seemed that there were more people here than in the West Pavilion. At this time, exclamations came one after another from the crowd, and countless fanatical eyes were fixed on the stage.

The fight was fierce.

They both wore snow-white robes and carried snow-white swords.

The two swords clanged together and crossed each other, and sword energy surged out in all directions.

In the gap, Mu Qingxue’s jade-like face was reflected in Lin Fuqing’s Tuanan sword. She sneered and said, “Demon Lord Lin, in public, do you still dare to suppress me with your reborn soul?”

She was still wearing white brocade clothes, carrying the immortal longbow “Shooting the Moon” on her back, and a quiver tied around her waist.

The girl’s appearance still had a hint of childishness, but she was already incredibly beautiful. In her hand, she held a long sword that looked like ice, emitting bursts of coldness.

Under the stage, a group of blue-robed scholars from the Shisong Academy were watching the battle. One young student asked in amazement, “Is that sword in Fairy Mu’s hand Moonfrost, the ancestral immortal weapon of the Snow Phoenix Mu family?”

The one who answered was Yuan Ziyi. “That’s right. Legend has it that a remnant of the soul of the ancient mythical beast Snow Phoenix lives on in the sword, making it extremely powerful.”

The student sighed. “I didn’t expect that Fairy Mu is so young, but Mu Hong has already passed Moonfrost to her.

In the blink of an eye, the two swords exchanged nearly a hundred moves, creating strong winds that shook the golden osmanthus tree beside the South Pavillion.

Lin Fuqing bent his index finger and flicked his sword, whispering, “Even if I don’t use my soul power, you can’t beat me. Why bother doing this?”

With a clang, Tunan parried Moonfrost away.

Mu Qingxue gritted her teeth, her eyes burning. “There is no coward in the Snow Phoenix bloodline. I won’t surrender without a fight.”

She flipped backwards and landed on the railing of the pavilion. Suddenly, she sheathed her sword, drew the large bow behind her back, and shot three arrows in succession!

White feathered arrows pierced through the wind.

Lin Fuqing narrowed his eyes, and in an instant, his sword flipped three times, deflecting the three feathered arrows one after another.

“Strange,” Yuan Ziyi whispered in confusion. “Why hasn’t Lord Lin taken the initiative to attack?”

Someone nearby heard him talking to himself and immediately glared. “What are you talking about?! It’s obvious that he is being suppressed by Fairy Mu and only has the strength to defend himself.”

Yuan Ziyi was not good at arguing with others and just shook his head silently.

At this moment, he suddenly felt a little cold.

Frost!

The spectators looked up in surprise and pointed upwards.

It was clearly the golden autumn season, but frosty snowflakes were falling in the air.

The chill brought by the sword energy had condensed the water droplets in the air into snowflakes.

Mu Qingxue once again summoned the immortal sword Moonfrost. She tapped her feet and rose up into the air, her black hair fluttering as a cold wind swept past her side.

The Mu family disciples became excited.

“It’s ‘Distant Mountain Cold’! The opening move of the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing!”

Lin Fuqing turned and swung his sword to block. His white robe fluttered, each sword strike piercing through dozens of snowflakes, sword energy of those strikes instantly cutting the snowflakes into dozens of pieces.

Mu Qingxue’s sword momentum changed again. The tip of her sword slowly drew a half circle. The originally ethereal and distant artistic conception suddenly became heavy and solid, as if snow clouds were pressing down.

The second move of Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing, Clouds of Sorrow!

Lin Fuqing retreated quickly with his sword in hand, still defending without attacking.

When it came to the matter of Mu Qingxue, Fang Zhiyuan firmly told him not to think too much about it, but he couldn’t help but think about it.

In his previous life, he was separated from Fang Zhiyuan for many years. As a senior brother, he was unable to share the joys and sorrows, or the sufferings, of his shidi. He was unable to accompany and support his shidi at his most difficult or most desperate times.

Fang Zhiyuan’s grudges were his grudges and his favors were also his favors.

But when gratitude and hatred were intertwined, who could remain calm?

Lin Fuqing lowered his eyes and placed his fingers on Tunan’s hilt.

“How can one achieve both in this world…”

When he murmured, it sounded like a song, but his voice was so soft that no one could hear it.

Kindness.

Hatred.

The best of both worlds.

If he could prevent the tragedy of the immortal calamity in this life, he would retire to Taiqing Island with Zhiyuan as he had promised.

Not worrying about worldly affairs, forgetting the troubles of the past. It was fine if they had nothing to do with the Mu family’s father and daughter anymore.

But this competition was right in front of him and he couldn’t avoid it.

Lin Fuqing wanted to have the best of both worlds.

If he couldn’t even handle a competition, where could he seek a fulfilling life?

Mu Qingxue leaped up, her sword intent rapidly growing in strength. She swung her sword in the air, using the fifth move of the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing, Four Fields of Clear Solitude.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew, blowing down countless osmanthus flowers.

The golden osmanthus flowers shattered on the tip of the sword, and the tip of the sword pointed straight forward!

A flash of silver light.

………..

Bang!!

Blood splattered in the air above the West Pavilion.

The scabbard of the iron knife pierced through the golden osmanthus flowers and hit Fang Chiqi’s cheek mercilessly. Countless petals shattered by the knife’s energy were stained red by the gushing blood!

The Prince of Vermillion Qilin flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

The lanterns shook violently, causing swaying shadows. Fang Zhiyuan stepped hard on the pavilion railing, which immediately shattered under the force. He took advantage of the recoil to leap up, smashing the scabbard down again.

Fang Chiqi was still in the air and had not yet landed when he was hit on the head by this flying blow. There was a loud bang and his whole body smashed into the ground!

The powerful blow sent energy vibrating like rolling waves, and huge cracks appeared on the ground, causing dust and wood chips to scatter everywhere.

After a few breaths, the dust cleared, revealing Fang Chiqi slumped on the ground in a big 大 shape. Fang Zhiyuan pressed one knee against his neck and continued hitting him in the face with the scabbard of his long knife, without using spiritual energy.

Bang!

Bang!!

“Little calamity star.”

A deep and attractive young voice sounded in the West Pavilion, with a hint of anger in it.

“—Are you worthy of calling me this?”

The whole place was silent in fear.

It was so quiet that even the sounds of swallowing and teeth chattering could be heard clearly.

No one expected that this competition would turn out like this.

The spectators guessed that it would be one-sided, but they guessed wrong which side it would be.

Fang Chiqi had almost no power to fight back and was played around by Fang Zhiyuan with a broken iron knife.

Even the arbiter’s face had turned pale. Fang Chiqi was of high status and he could not allow anyone to die in the Golden Osmanthus Palace. At this moment, he did not know whether he should call a halt.

Fang Chiqi’s mouth and nose were bleeding profusely, and his face was as pale as a ghost, “Demon… You are a demon…”

Fang Zhiyuan held the iron knife in his hand, his eyes dark without a trace of light. He sneered and said, “Let me tell you, there are some things that I don’t really care about anymore.”

If Fang Chiqi had admitted defeat early on, he would definitely not even look at this nominal brother and would have gone straight to the West Pavilion to watch Mu Qingxue and his senior brother fight.

Bang!!

“Ah—” Fang Chiqi screamed as his nose broke under the iron knife and his face become covered in blood. “You, you…”

“You guys had to provoke me. You got in my way, and said things you shouldn’t have said to make me unhappy… so now I’ll take it back.”

“I heard that Master Fang has extremely high aptitude and his cultivation speed is more than ten times that of an ordinary person, hmm?”

Realizing what the person in front of him was going to do next, Fang Chiqi trembled all over. “No, no, you can’t–you can’t do this!! I give up, I give up—“

Fang Zhiyuan curled his lips. With one hand, he lifted Fang Chiqi by his collar and slammed him against the pillar.

“Ahhh!” Fang Chiqi’s eyes bulged out, and he kicked his feet in fear. “You lunatic! This is the Golden Osmanthus Challenge. I’ve already admitted defeat, you can’t touch me…”

The arbiter felt something was wrong and shouted, “Stop! The winner has been decided—”

Fang Zhiyuan turned a deaf ear to him. Turning his hand into a blade, he stabbed his fingers into Fang Chiqi’s lower abdomen!

“Ahhhh—!!!”

Instantly, Fang Chiqi’s eyes bulged upwards, and a terrible howl erupted from his throat! The severe pain made him twitch wildly, his throat gurgled, and blood continued to gush out.

Pop.

It sounded like a tendon or skin being stretched to the extreme and then finally snapping off.

Unexpectedly, Fang Zhiyuan’s expression was not manic nor bloodthirsty. He was very calm when he pulled his hand away.

Blood dripped from between his fingers.

There was something soft, soaked in dark red blood, with some flesh still attached, lying in his palm.

At this moment, the moonlight was gloomy.

An extremely frightened voice came from the spectators:

“What did he pull out?”

“That is…”

“That’s the inner core in the dantian!!”

In the crowd, some of the spoiled young men and women rolled their eyes and squatted on the ground to gag, “Ugh…!”

The Fang family’s guards and elders rushed to the stage like crazy.

“First Young Master!”

“Oh my god, how terrible…”

Fang Chiqi had already fainted with foam coming out of his mouth, his hands and feet still twitching unconsciously. The doctor came forward to take a look and shook his head with a pale face.

Fang Chiqi…had become a waste…

The eldest son of the Fang family, a figure in the spotlight in line to inherit the patriarchy of the Fang family, had his inner core torn out by the evil scion who was expelled from the family. What’s more, this happened during the Golden Osmanthus Challenge, which should have instead made him famous and cemented his noble status.

The inner core, that was the foundation of a practitioner’s cultivation…

Fang Zhiyuan walked down from the competition stage.

The crowd below silently made way, leaving a gap around him.

The only other people left in the gap were Third Xun, Fourth Ye, and Fifth Song.

Someone recognized the three disciples of Xuyun who came to watch the fight, and they fearfully moved away.

The night seemed to become sticky and heavy, and a faint smell of blood wafted over.

The three of them were silent for a long time.

Xun Mingsi suddenly smiled gently and sighed. “I feel relieved.”

Ye Huaguo patted her chest and chuckled. “I, I feel relieved too.”

Song Youdu nodded in agreement. “No more worry.”

Xun Mingsi said, “In the past few days, second shixiong had been so well behaved. He no longer fought with da shixiong, nor did he cause trouble. He even had no reaction when the Fang family was right in front of him. To be honest, I was really worried.”

Song Youdu said, “This is what second shixiong should be like.”

After saying this, they hurried forward and surrounded Fang Zhiyuan in the middle.

As for the rest, they ignored it.

………….

At this moment, snow was falling in the South Pavilion.

Mu Qingxue had used all of her Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing, but Lin Fuqing was still standing intact.

Although the battle was still in a stalemate, no one dared to say anymore that Mu Qingxue had the upper hand.

The competition stage was filled with cold white mist, carrying broken snow and frost. Mu Qingxue clasped her hands together and breathed slightly.

Suddenly, a sword flashed, and Lin Fuqing appeared in a blue-white robe. As his long sword parted the wind and snow, he said, “It’s my turn now.”

He held Tunan horizontally, and the temperature around him rapidly plunged.

Although he did not move, the sword intent around him exponentially increased.

In the silence, wind and snow rose in answer.

Lines of frost sped along the stage and spread at their feet.

A thin layer of ice quickly covered the roots of the huge osmanthus tree next to the West Pavillion, the frost reflecting the bright moonlight.

Mu Qinxue blocked the sword strike, and her pupils contracted as realization dawned.

Her face turned paler than her sword. She murmured blankly, “This is impossible…”

“This…this…this…”

Offstage, a disciple of the Mu family exclaimed, “This is Distant Mountain Cold from the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing!”

Yuan Ziyi murmured in astonishment, “It really is the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing. How could it be the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing? How could Lord Lin use the ancestral swordsmanship of the Mu family?!”

Mu Hong’s expression had become extremely ugly.

He sat in a high seat, listening to the increasingly loud discussions of the Mu family disciples and the cultivators from other sects around him, and clenched his fingers little by little.

“Master,” an elder whispered anxiously.

“…Lin Fuqing.” Mu Hong’s eyes became more profound and he took a deep breath. “Indeed, he really is worthy of being the immortal genius that Taoist Xuyun dotes on in his heart.”

He clenched his fist too tightly and a ring broke with a snap.

There were always some people in the world who could fly thousands of miles in the time it took others to take a step; and yet others would need an hour to learn one thing, but these people could learn three things in a quarter of an hour. [Note: This passage and the next few were the omniscient narrator speaking, not Mu Hong]

Ordinary people looked up to these people and called them geniuses.

But there were still differences between geniuses.

Mu Qingxue was a genius. She started drawing qi at the age of four and building her foundation at the age of six. Now, at the age of only eighteen, she had already formed a golden core and had cultivated the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing to the level that could induce frost and snow.

Lin Fuqing was also a genius, although he had long denied that he was a genius. In his previous life, before he died, he had said to Mu Hong, “I am dull and have no great ambitions. I only like to raise fishes, grow flowers and take care of children.”

However, he only needed to look at the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing once, and with the addition of some vague memories from the past, he was able to use them exactly as they were, and even better than Mu Qingxue.

—The Demon Lord Lin Fuqing was such a genius.

Having reached this level, in fact, few people still called this kind of genius a genius.

People preferred to call him brilliant among geniuses, a monster, or a freak… In short, not a human being.

“Pay attention, Fairy Mu.”

Lin Fuqing brushed Tunan with his fingers, bringing forth an even colder snow. He calmly said, “I’ll teach you how to use the sword.”

With the turn of his wrist, sword energy swept out, creating Clouds of Sorrow.

Humiliation filled Mu Qingxue’s heart.

She was unwilling. She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to believe it. With the addition of her previous life, she had practiced the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing for over a hundred years. How could she be inferior to Lin Fuqing, an outsider?

She raised her sword and swept up ice and snow, using the same move Clouds of Sorrow to meet the attack.

The moment the two swords collided, Mu Qingxue did not encounter any resistance at all.

Her heart sank.

That majestic Clouds of Sorrow…was it fake?

In a flash, Tunan slanted up from the gap under her ribs, almost instantly changing from the second move Clouds of Sorrow to the sixth move Frost Flowers Exchange.

The sword blade brought out a cool ray of cold light, and the surging spiritual energy sent Mu Qingxue flying!

In mid-air, she spit out a mouthful of blood, which instantly solidified into red frost.

Holding Tunan in his backhand, Lin Fuqing leaped to catch up. His white robe fluttered in the moonlight, and the light was reflected on the sword blade like a clear spring.

They both left the ground and landed on top of the osmanthus tree. Their sword energy swept through the air, exchanging more than ten times.

Mu Qingxue’s every move was thoroughly suppressed, and she fell one foot down.

The branches broke with a cracking sound, but Lin Fuqing was still hanging above her with his sword in hand. His expression was calm, and his sword strikes were as fast as rain!

“How, how is it possible…?”

The spectators were shocked and speechless.

After a long while, someone murmured, “I am not dreaming.”

“The Snow Phoenix…is completely powerless to fight back…”

A terrible silence permeated among the Mu family disciples.

They looked at each other, their faces pale.

Was this really the young lady they admired day and night? Was this really the unattainable Snow Phoenix who was like an iceberg snow lotus?

If it really was a phoenix, why was it… in such a mess?

Mu Qingxue finally fell from the tree canopy, but managed to remain afloat a few feet from the ground. She gritted her teeth and drew her sword with all her might. But Lin Fuqing calmly met her move.

Their moves coincided with each other.

Both were the last moves of Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing.

Snow Cleared at World’s End met Snow Cleared at World’s End!

Boom—

The giant golden osmanthus tree exploded with a loud bang!

The moment osmanthus petals scattered into the sky, they were instantly frozen.

Thousands of osmanthus petals were coated in ice and snow, swept upward by the strong wind caused by the explosion of sword energy. Under the round moon, they flashed dazzling golden and silver light.

The scene was so beautiful that it seemed out of this world, leaving everyone stunned.

This battle was destined to go down in history.

“Cough……!”

Mu Qingxue fell down and knelt on one knee, spurting out another mouthful of blood.

With a look of pain on her face, she stared at Lin Fuqing. She attempted to stand but fell back down weakly.

Zheng.

The sound Tunan made was clear and cold.

Lin Fuqing slowly lowered his eyelashes and sheathed his sword.

The wind and snow gradually dissipated, and the sky cleared up.

From no snow to falling snow, to heavy snow, and finally to clear skies. This was the true meaning of the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing.

The arbiter shouted, “The winner has been determined! Xuyun Sect’s Lin Fuqing wins.”

Lin Fuqing exhaled lightly. He raised his head, and the snow particles hanging on his eyelashes melted away.

At this moment, his mood was like the clouds had cleared, finally revealing a bright and shining moon that gave off a clear and weightless feeling.

Mu Qingxue was still half-kneeling on the ground, her eyes unfocused and her face ashen. She looked like she had lost her soul.

Lin Fuqing held his sword and bowed. “Fairy Mu, I appreciate you giving way.”

He turned around amidst a sea of ​​shocked and complicated looks, and thought to himself: This fight was pretty brutal.

After this battle, the prestige of the Mu family would surely plummet, the disciples’ faith would collapse, and Mu Qingxue’s reputation as a genius phoenix likely won’t be as easy to maintain as in the past.

This girl had probably never suffered such a blow and such humiliation in her two lifetimes.

But Lin Fuqing knew very well in his heart that Mu Qingxue did not lose because of the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing.

That was bullshit.

She had been practicing it for over a hundred years, and he had only seen it once or twice. He wasn’t a real monster, so how could he compare?

Mu Qingxue lost because of the sword.

In other words, she lost in swordsmanship.

There was a saying that no matter how many changes there were, they still remained essentially the same. There were thousands of sword techniques in the world, just like countless small streams, which would eventually flow into the ocean called the sword path.

Lin Fuqing’s understanding of the way of the sword was profound enough to completely suppress Mu Qingxue.

This was not a competition between two Golden Core sword cultivators; this was a competition between a Tribulation Crossing sword cultivator and a Nascent Soul sword cultivator, each of whom had borrowed a Golden Core shell to fight.

Therefore, Mu Qingxue was doomed to fail. Not to mention using the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing, she couldn’t win even if she used the Seventy Swords of Snowy Clearing.

As for him, let alone learning the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing, even if he learned the 25 basic sword techniques from Shen Xiaojiang, he would still be able to win.

Lin Fuqing was walking down the stage when he caught a glimpse of Mu Hong surrounded by his disciples, his eyes as cold as iron.

He gave a faint smile in return.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mu Qingxue being helped away. The girl was listless, still shivering and coughing up blood.

Lin Fuqing thought to himself: As for this snow phoenix…

She was a genius after all.

He had pointed out almost all her weaknesses in practicing the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing. Once she came to her senses, she would definitely benefit a lot from it.

If his calculations were correct, she would have an epiphany within three days and a breakthrough within half a month.

If she could also polish her arrogant nature, her achievements in this life would definitely be far beyond that of her previous life.

This competition was a two-pronged approach, allowing him to repay a favor, while also taking revenge at the same time.

The crowd on both sides shivered and made way for his passage. Lin Fuqing released the hilt of his sword and suddenly fixed his eyes.

“……”

Raising his hand, he saw that his slender fingers were covered with frost.

He had never practiced the internal skills of the Mu family. Therefore, forcibly using the Seven Swords of Snowy Clearing would naturally result in backlash to some extent.

His heart sank, and he clenched his fingers. The frost on his fingertips instantly shattered into snow foam invisible to the naked eye and dissipated into the air.

—It was a small price to pay, that was all.

Suddenly hearing a commotion ahead, he raised his head and a few familiar figures gradually became clear: they were his fellow junior brothers and sisters.

It turned out that the battle in the West Pavillion was already over.

Fang Zhiyuan was the first to reach him. A sharp murderous aura still lingered between his brows, and the moonlight fell on his black shirt.

Lin Fuqing laughed. “Oh, I was a step behind you, so I lost.”

He knew that Zhiyuan would grab his hand as usual, so he quietly stimulated his stiff and cold fingers with spiritual power.

Sure enough, Fang Zhiyuan stopped beside him and grabbed his wrist. He whispered, “Fang Chiqi is now a waste.”

Although he had used a spell to wash the blood off his body prior to coming here, he still held on to his senior brother with his left hand, which was not stained with blood.

Lin Fuqing saw Third Xun, Fourth Ye, and Fifth Song following behind him. Then he saw a large group of people with fearful eyes behind them, and he immediately understood everything.

Although the rules of the Golden Osmanthus Challenge prohibited taking revenge, it was rare for the two of them to offend both the Fang and the Mu families at the same time. It was unknown how difficult their days ahead would become.

Thinking this, he became absent-minded.

Fang Zhiyuan didn’t leave either, but just stood beside him, watching him.

Xun Mingsi and the other two didn’t move either. They stood a little distance away, watching the both of them.

When Lin Fuqing finally came to his senses, he realized that the spectators had mostly dispersed, but his fellow disciples were still standing there.

“…….”

“Let’s go, let’s all go.” Lin Fuqing pulled Fang Zhiyuan’s sleeve toward the exit of the Golden Osmanthus Palace. “Let’s go back to the inn and sleep.”

Of course, he thought to himself, sleep was out of the question.

Just now, he remembered something important.

He couldn’t help but feel frustrated with himself that he’d nearly forgotten such a deeply important matter, and also annoyed that Fang Zhiyuan didn’t remind him.

At this moment, Fang Zhiyuan called him, “Shige,” and he raised his eyes and there was a hint of sharpness in his gaze.

Fang Zhiyuan was slightly surprised. “What’s wrong?”

The gate of the Golden Osmanthus Palace was already in sight, its magnificent carvings submerged in the night. Xun Mingzi and the others that were trailing behind also came forward. “Da Shixiong, what’s wrong?”

Lin Fuqing said, “You guys go back first. Return to the inn and sleep well.”

Xun Mingsi frowned, “What about you?”

He pulled Fang Zhiyuan to his side and said, “I’m going to accompany your Second Fang Shixiong somewhere.”

Xun Mingsi asked, “Where?”

“To the residence of the Vermillion Qilin Fang family.”

————————————

Translation Notes:
Dantian = a dantian is an “elixir field” where the person’s qi/spiritual energy is concentrated. It tends to rest in the lower abdomen.

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