TIC Chapter 21: Swords Meet and Compete For Splendor

When evening came, Lin Fuqing was in a great mood.

This was because Fang Zhiyuan had said that lanterns would be hung at night, and the lanterns in the Golden Osmanthus Palace were indeed beautiful. Golden autumn, golden moon, golden osmanthus, and golden lanterns were just right to reflect the sword.

Lin Fuqing’s competition was located in the South Pavillion, which was a little far from where Song Youdu was competing. Fang Zhiyuan was determined to go with his shige, so Lin Fuqing asked Third Xun and Fourth Ye to take the just-awakened Shen Xiaojian and accompany Song Youdu.

After dinner was over, Lin Fuqing turned as they were leaving and said, “Fifth Wu, if you can’t do it, it’s okay to just admit defeat. It’s not shameful to lose as a tool refining cultivator.”

Unlike Fourth Ye, who was capable of fighting but dared not fight, this guy Song Youdu…his fighting ability was really not good.

Although his spiritual root was above average, his comprehension was obsessively focused on refining tools and weapons. Even the spells he’d learned were related to tool refining, and he didn’t even know the most basic purification spell.

Song Youdu nodded woodenly. “Okay.”

—And the biggest problem was that he himself didn’t think there was anything wrong with his low combat power.

This time, in coming to Liuhua Continent, he seemed to have found some good ores from a merchant specializing in tool refinement, and so he was already very satisfied.

If he could meet a few talented weapon masters and see some outstanding immortal weapons during the battles, the trip would be worthwhile.

As for the ranking?

What ranking? Could it refine tools and weapons?

So, given his mentality, Lin Fuqing wasn’t really worried about him. Although Song Youdu was foolish, he wasn’t stupid and he knew exactly what he wanted and was capable of.

He pulled Fang Zhiyuan’s arm and said, “Let’s go.’

Nightfall.

A string of golden lanterns hung under the eaves, swaying gently in the wind and casting balls of light.

Ye Huoguo’s battle was on the ground, but Lin Fuqing’s battle was actually on top of the South Pavillion.

The chief disciple of Xuyun Sect, who had always lived in seclusion, came out for his first battle. All the inns and taverns outside the Golden Osmanthus Palace, and even the second and third floors of nearby brothels and music halls were packed with spectators.

Lin Fuqing’s opponent was Lu Chenyi, an independent cultivator who had become quite famous in recent years. And currently, he had a very ugly expression on his face.

“Heh…Xuyun’s Little Immortal Lord Lin, I have long heard of your great name.”

Lu Chenyi smiled perfunctorily and clasped his fists. “It seems that my luck isn’t very good. I have just reached the Great Perfection of Enlightenment, but Little Immortal Lord Lin has already reached the Golden Core Stage. I’m a country bumpkin without a master, so there’s no way I can compare!”

Lin Fuqing was standing on the stage, wearing a blue and white robe.

He said, “Thank you.”

Then he glanced at the sky, thinking about how to quickly win this fight so he could go and watch his shidi’s competition.

But surprisingly, the skinny independent cultivator named Lu Chenyi did not start fighting immediately. Instead, he suddenly sighed.

“Alas… we independent cultivators all come from remote and poor areas. We can’t afford to buy elixirs, set up formations, or even build caves. We have always been struggling in life and death. We’re good at actual combat skills but weak in spiritual cultivation. This makes me feel extremely helpless!”

Lin Fuqing narrowed his eyes. “……”

Lu Chenyi continued, “Oh, of course I dare not say that Lord Lin’s swordsmanship isn’t as good as mine. Of course, that’s not what I meant.”

Then, he licked his dry lips again. “It’s just… if the little immortal thinks highly of a poor independent cultivator like me, and is willing to give me a chance…”

He smiled and continued, “In this fight, we won’t use our spiritual energy, and will only use sword skills to decide the winner. How about that?”

Hearing him say this, the audience immediately booed.

Everyone cursed in their minds at the same time: What a shameless person, what a mean way of provoking others!

Especially disciples from sects and families, they were all indignant and glared at Lu Chenyi.

If both were at the same cultivation realm, there were indeed some independent practitioners who had been tempered through life and death, and so their moves were more vicious and deadlier when compared to those from the precious disciples of immortal sects. This was an acknowledged fact.

The problem was that the two people competing now had a huge difference in realm and spiritual energy!

As for Lin Fuqing, everyone knew that he grew up leisurely on an immortal, mountainous island. He was young, inexperienced, and gentle. If he gave up using his spiritual energy and competed in pure martial combat with this independent cultivator, who knew what kind of danger he could fall into!

Lin Fuqing was silent for a moment. Then he turned his gaze back to Lu Chenyi, his expression a little strange. “Are you…serious?”

Lu Chenyi remained indifferent.

He was already 48 years old, and this was destined to be his last Golden Osmanthus Challenge.

After so many years of cultivating and struggling as an independent cultivator, he thought he would finally get the chance to soar into the sky. But who would have expected that his first battle would be against the innately gifted chief disciple of Xuyun Sect?

He didn’t care about face; he just wanted to win.

The more he wins, the higher his ranking, the more rewards he would gain from the Golden Osmanthus Palace, and the more likely he would be accepted as a disciple of an immortal sect.

But at this moment, a cold laugh came from the crowd.

Everyone looked over in surprise. Outside the eaves, under the moonlight, they saw Fang Zhiyuan sitting with one leg propped up on a suspended black sword. He was laughing coldly a few steps behind Lin Fuqing.

In fact, he didn’t mean to laugh, he just couldn’t help it.

This independent cultivator actually tried to compete with his shige in swordsmanship?

Lin Fuqing’s realm in his previous life was already halfway in Tribulation Crossing. Now that he was reborn, what limited his true strength was nothing else but his current cultivation level. But this independent cultivator actually thought that as long as he didn’t compete with Lin Fuqing using cultivation, he would have a chance of winning?

How could he not laugh at this fool?

However, everyone else didn’t know the reason, and so they thought that Fang Zhiyuan was gloating over someone else’s misfortune. They were shocked. Could it be that…the rumors that the two Xuyun disciples were secretly at odds really true?

Lu Chenyi didn’t know why Fang Zhiyuan was laughing, but he still felt as if he wasn’t convincing enough, and so he said, “Of course, I’m serious! Little Immortal Lord Lin learned from Daoist Master Xuyun, so he naturally wouldn’t be afraid of competing with others in swordsmanship, right?”

Unexpectedly, Lin Fuqing readily admitted. “I’m lazy in practicing, and my swordsmanship isn’t very good.”

Lu Chenyi smiled widely. “This is being too modest…”

“But it’s fortunate,” Lin Fuqing interrupted him calmly, his fingers brushing the hilt of his sword. “I don’t have to draw my sword in this fight with you.”

After saying that, Lin Fuqing threw Tunan behind him without even looking. The sword made a semicircular arc and fell accurately into Fang Zhiyuan’s hand.

The spectators were in an uproar.

Lu Chenyi’s face froze slightly, but he was secretly delighted in his heart, thinking that this method of provoking others was indeed effective on this arrogant genius.

He showed his sword and said without any shame. “Little Immortal, you are skilled and brave, I will use the sword…”

“You’re welcome to. I don’t need a sword.” The young man in white had a cold expression, with a smile on his lips. “I don’t need spiritual energy either.”

“Look, don’t blink.” He placed a slender index finger on his pink lips. “I’ll only do one thing.”

Before he finished speaking, Lin Fuqing disappeared instantly!

The wind suddenly rose!

The lanterns on the eaves trembled——

The tip of a snow-white shoe stepped on the oil-paper lantern, and the flame inside swayed slightly.

So fast!

Clearly no spiritual energy was used, yet how could he be so fast!?

Lu Chenyi’s nerves were tense. A white shadow flashed in front of his eyes, and only a series of afterimages remained.

His eyes rolled wildly. Where? Where?!

Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. Lu Chenyi held his sword horizontally in front of him, and as he turned around, his sight met a snow-colored sleeve.

—Found it!

The independent cultivator grinned arrogantly. He poured all of his spiritual energy into the tip of the sword and stabbed out with all his might!

It was agreed that both sides would not use their spiritual energy…

But how much was an “agreement” worth?

How could the delicate little flower blossoming under the protection of a fairyland understand the danger of the poisonous scorpion in the muddy forest?

The first rule of the Golden Osmanthus Challenge was that contestants and their sects and families were not allowed to seek vengeance for the outcome of a competition, even if it ended in death or life-threatening injuries. As long as he won this round, his future would be bright!

He was sure to win!

==============

In the middle pavilion.

Song Youdu stood on the field, completely stunned.

Before the battle, he was chewing a sweet-scented osmanthus and lotus root snack in his mouth, thinking about the half-finished mecha blueprint he was making, and didn’t even take a serious look at his opponent’s name.

It was because he had made plans long in advance. After entering the arena, he would just throw a few random moves. If he saw that it worked, he would continue fighting. If he saw that it didn’t work, he would just admit defeat.

But now, he looked silently at the young man in red brocade standing opposite him.

Although he was a “weapon refining maniac” who hid in his refining cave every day and didn’t have the common sense of an immortal cultivator, he still recognized the family crest of one immortal sect.

Nine Fire Vermillion Qilin.

The opponent standing opposite him was none other than Fang Zhilong, the legitimate son of the Vermillion Qilin Fang family and the younger brother of the family crowned heir, Fang Chiqi!

 

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