Chapter 27: Martial Arts Tournament of the Six Academies

In the early morning, as the first golden light rose from the east, the entire Mount Taixuan was enveloped in a layer of rosy glow. Countless birds in the mountains chirped joyfully, welcoming a new day, and their melodious songs seemed to praise all the beauty in the world.

Early on, everyone from the Easy Garden woke up, each with high spirits, gathering solemnly in the cave of Master Xuan Yu. Regarding the upcoming competition, everyone understood that it was a crucial matter. So, everyone was very serious, not daring to take it lightly.

Master Xuan Yu's gaze swept over the four disciples one by one, finally stopping at the figures of Lu Yun and Lin Yunfeng. Master Xuan Yu softly said, "Last night, after unanimous discussions among the heads of the six academies, all participating sects and disciples must gather in front of the Heavenly Mystery Cave at the beginning of the Chen hour. At the third quarter of the Chen hour, the opening ceremony of the Six Academies Martial Arts Tournament will be held. At that time, all heads of academies will be present on the main stage. The heads of the six academies will announce the rules of the martial arts competition together, and the official competition will begin at the end of the Chen hour. The opponents for all participants have already been decided."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yunfeng eagerly asked, "Senior Brother, who are our opponents today? What are their characteristics? Can you provide some insights?" Lin Yunfeng appeared very concerned. On the other hand, Lu Yun just looked at everyone with a calm smile, and his face revealed nothing about what he might be thinking.

Master Xuan Yu spoke softly, "This time, looking at the situation of the participating disciples from the six academies, all of them are outstanding disciples with profound cultivation. Based on analysis, this Six Academies Martial Arts Tournament is expected to be the grandest since its inception. The number of outstanding disciples this time may exceed the total of the past two or even three sessions. Therefore, the results for Easy Garden in this tournament are unpredictable. From what I know, Swordless Dust from Heaven's Sword Academy has reached an astonishing level of cultivation, almost surpassing the most outstanding head of Heaven's Sword Academy from five hundred years ago, Swordmaster Tianjian. It is said that he is only twenty-six years old and has already reached the mid-tier of 'Immortality.' His cultivation depth is not inferior to the heads of the six academies, making him a legend in the cultivation world. Along with Honin from the Bodhi Academy, Wu Wang from the Dao Garden, Bi Tian from the Confucian Garden, and Cang Yue from the Phoenix Academy, for Easy Garden to secure a place among these many experts, you four must work hard."

Master Xuan Yu paused for a moment and continued, "As for your opponents today, Yunfeng will face a disciple from Heaven's Sword Academy named Mu Hua, the most outstanding disciple of the Tianfeng Cave. According to information I heard from Senior Brother Haoyun at Dao Garden, Heaven's Sword Academy has six outstanding disciples this time, each representing a cave. Among them, Swordless Dust from Tianxuan Cave ranks first, Zhan Yu from Tianjian Cave ranks second, and Leng Jiahao from Tianpeng Cave ranks third. As for Lu Yun, his opponent is Li Ming from the Confucian Garden, a relatively weaker disciple in the Confucian Garden. So, Lu Yun is fortunate, and this challenge should be relatively easy. However, Yunfeng's match might pose some difficulties. Be careful when the time comes. Well, let's go now. We'll find out what's going on when we get there."

After leaving the cave, Master Xuan Yu led the six people to the Heavenly Mystery Cave, and it didn't take long to arrive. Lu Yun carefully observed the surroundings, and it was quite lively. Many disciples from the Sword Academy were shuttling around the spacious venue, busy with various tasks. Looking around, Lu Yun found that the positions of the six academies were very obvious, dividing the entire square into six sectors, each with tables and chairs for resting.

As there were a large number of people here, and the four from Easy Garden were also here for the first time, except for the six disciples from the Confucian Garden who recognized them, they did not know anyone from the other academies. After arriving at the designated place for Easy Garden, Master Xuan Yu said, "Later, I will go to the main stage to take my seat. You guys can rest here, and I will come down when the competition starts. As for those you don't know from the other academies, you can ask Senior Brother Ziyang; he will inform you." With that, Master Xuan Yu left.

Lin Yunfeng, as soon as Master Xuan Yu left, eagerly said, "I didn't expect so many people here. Look at them, all full of spirit. I believe this competition will be very exciting. It's really worth coming here."

Li Hongfei, looking at the people around, asked softly, "Senior Uncle, who are the seniors of the six academies here? Can you introduce them to us so we won't be unfamiliar with them later?"

Senior Brother Ziyang looked around and said softly, "Pay attention. At the entrance of Tianxuan Cave on the left side, all of them are disciples of Heaven's Sword Academy. In the middle, the elderly man who looks about sixty, dressed in noble attire with a righteous face, is the most famous figure in the cultivation world, Swordmaster Li Changchun, the head of Heaven's Sword Academy. The person on his left whom you all know is the second master of Heaven's Sword Academy, Liu Xinghun. The person on his right is the head of Tianxuan Cave, Jun Buhui, the master of Swordless Dust, ranking third. Behind the three, the one among the eight disciples wearing white clothes is Swordless Dust."

After hearing this, Lu Yun, Lin Yunfeng, Zhang Aoxue, and Li Hongfei all looked at Swordless Dust. From a distance, he looked exceptionally talented, handsome and spirited. Dressed in white with his well-proportioned and robust body, he exuded a vigorous aura. His slightly raised eyes gave off a proud air. Lu Yun looked at him, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes—such formidable cultivation. At first glance, Lu Yun understood that he had encountered a strong opponent this time. Swordless Dust's cultivation was extremely deep, astonishing Lu Yun. Although he knew that he might not be weaker than him, he understood that his current cultivation was achieved after countless adventures. But Swordless Dust had reached such cultivation at a young age, which surprised Lu Yun. Did he also have similar experiences to Lu Yun?

At this moment, Lu Yun ignored something important—the most crucial point in the cultivation world: excellence in one field is better than mediocrity in many. For cultivators, it is nearly impossible to master one technique to perfection in a lifetime, let alone simultaneously cultivate several techniques with different attributes. Therefore, cultivating multiple techniques with different attributes is a taboo in the cultivation world. Lu Yun was the violator of this rule, simultaneously cultivating several techniques. He did not realize that Swordless Dust, with his extraordinary talent

, focused on one path. Hence, his speed in cultivation was much faster than Lu Yun, who cultivated several techniques simultaneously.

Senior Brother Ziyang glanced at the four disciples of Easy Garden and then pointed to the right side of Heaven's Sword Academy, saying, "Over there, you should be able to guess without me telling you. They are the experts from the Bodhi Academy. The large monk sitting in the middle with a string of prayer beads around his neck is the head of the Bodhi Academy, Master Fagu. Sitting next to him are his disciples, Masters Fajie and Benxing. Behind them, the young monk about thirty years old is the most outstanding disciple of the Bodhi Academy, Benyi. Next to Benyi is another well-known figure in the Bodhi Academy, ranking second, Jiejian."

The gazes of Lu Yun and the others followed Senior Brother Ziyang's explanation, gradually moving to different places.

Next, Senior Brother Ziyang introduced the heads of the Dao Garden, Qixuan Zhenren and Qingyi Zhenren, as well as the most outstanding disciples of the Dao Garden, Wuwang and Yunhua. Afterward, for the Confucian Garden, Senior Brother Haoyun and Bitian, among others, were already known, so there was no need to say more. Finally, when Senior Brother Ziyang shifted his gaze to the Phoenix Academy, the gazes of Lu Yun and the others all stopped at a particular figure.

Dressed in a light purple silk skirt, complementing a captivating figure, the woman exhibited a delicate beauty with a touch of boldness. On her indescribably beautiful jade-like face, a trace of tranquility appeared, radiating a temperament as cool as orchids and as elegant as an elf. Every movement exuded dazzling charm, deeply captivating everyone. Without the need for Senior Brother Ziyang's explanation, at this moment, Lu Yun, Aoxue, and the other three understood—this was the most outstanding disciple of the Phoenix Academy, a rare talent encountered once in hundreds of years—Cangyue.

Cangyue was currently gazing indifferently ahead, holding a beautifully crafted long sword in her left hand. She seemed like a celestial fairy descending into the mortal realm. That graceful smile, that indifferent self-confidence, everything about her was so moving and beautiful. Aoxue looked at her, and a strange brilliance appeared in her eyes. Lu Yun looked at Aoxue and only at this moment did he realize that there was another woman in the world who could rival Aoxue.

At this moment, Lin Yunfeng exclaimed, immediately attracting everyone's attention. He exclaimed, "I really didn't expect Phoenix Academy to have such a beauty. She's truly on par with our Senior Sister Aoxue. If the two of them stand together, they will undoubtedly be the two most stunning women in the cultivation world. Haha, that would surely gather all eyes. I really hope for such a day."

Lu Yun patted him on the head, scolding lightly, "You, always talking nonsense. Do you think this is a beauty pageant? She is the most outstanding disciple of the Phoenix Academy. Be careful, if she gets angry, you'll be in trouble. Don't come looking for me for help when that happens. I won't be able to help you." Hearing this, Lin Yunfeng made a face at Lu Yun.

Senior Brother Ziyang spoke, "That person is Cangyue. She is the disciple of the head of the Phoenix Academy, Yu Wushuang. The beautiful woman in her thirties over there is the head of the Phoenix Academy. Behind her, the beautiful woman next to Cangyue is also quite famous, ranking second among the disciples of the Phoenix Academy, Xu Jie. Both Cangyue and Xu Jie are directly promoted high-level participants in the elimination round, so you must be careful when the time comes."

Lu Yun shifted his gaze to Yu Wushuang, and a hint of surprise also flashed in his eyes. Lu Yun felt that Yu Wushuang was exceptionally beautiful, with a mature charm that was particularly enticing. Truly worthy of being Yu Wushuang, unparalleled in the world. Lu Yun imagined that when she was young, she must have once been the trendsetter in the entire cultivation world.

After roughly introducing the situations of the other five academies, it was almost time. Senior Brother Ziyang instructed Lu Yun and the other three to stand in their positions while he and Master Jingyue sat together, their eyes fixed on the main stage.

At this time, the entire square gradually quieted down, and the heads of the six academies walked up to the main stage, each taking their seats in order. Li Changchun and Master Fagu of the Bodhi Academy sat in the center. On Li Changchun's left were Qixuan Zhenren of the Dao Garden and Yu Wushuang of the Phoenix Academy. On the right of Master Fagu sat Haoyun Jushi of the Confucian Garden and Master Xuan Yu of the Easy Garden.

After exchanging glances, the six heads nodded in agreement, and Li Changchun stood up. Li Changchun spoke, "Today is a great day for our cultivation world. Here, the heads of the six academies gather, and each academy's most outstanding talents have come here to showcase the achievements of our six academies over the past decade. Now, I, on behalf of Heaven's Sword Academy, welcome everyone. Here, I wish everyone the best, to bring out their best abilities, and contribute more to us and the common people, exterminating demons and protecting our homeland. Secondly, I represent the common wish of the six academies, hoping that everyone will try their best to follow the rules of the competition, uphold the principles of peace and friendship, compete at their best, and reveal their true selves.

For this competition, as in previous years, there will be simultaneous matches at six locations. There will be two sessions today, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Tomorrow, the same format will be followed. Finally, after determining the top six, the battle for ranking among the top six will be held right here. This time, to encourage everyone's initiative, whoever secures the first place will receive a special prize for this tournament—the Qiankun Bag."

With these words, a sudden exclamation echoed around, leaving almost everyone stunned. Even the five heads sitting there had a slight change in their expressions. Obviously, they hadn't expected that this time, Heaven's Sword Academy would actually offer such a precious treasure as a reward. While Heaven's Sword Academy had always presented valuable treasures in previous competitions, they were not as valuable as the Qiankun Bag mentioned this time.

Seeing the astonished expressions of the crowd below, Li Changchun smiled faintly, casting a glance at his own disciple Jian Wuchen, then sat down lightly. As he sat down, Master Fagu of the Bodhi Academy stood up. Looking at everyone, Master Fagu spoke, "On this occasion of the inter-academy martial arts competition, I would like to address a few important matters concerning the cultivation world. Firstly, a few months ago, anomalies from the demonic and ghostly realms emerged in the mortal world, causing harm and slaughtering living beings. Although numerous experts from the cultivation world intervened and alleviated the situation, the threat has not been completely eliminated. As the six major sects of the cultivation world, it is our duty to send people to eradicate those demonic creatures harming the people.

The second matter is that not long ago, our disciples inadvertently discovered the Tianlong Spiritual Vein, ranked third among the world's nine spiritual veins. Strangely, upon discovery, the entire Tianlong Spiritual Vein had already leaked its spiritual energy, leaving only some evil aura that was growing rapidly. To address this, three of our high-level experts sacrificed their lives to temporarily seal the demonic realm gateway.

The third matter involves a legendary weapon known as the Heaven-Demon Soul-Cleaving Blade, an extremely sinister and poisonous weapon. Legend has it that this weapon has drunk the blood of a hundred thousand living beings and is one of the three most wicked weapons in the world. Recently, news has circulated that this extremely sinister and poisonous weapon has appeared in the mortal realm. Therefore, I hope everyone remains vigilant to prevent any unforeseen circumstances. If discovered, please report immediately so that we can collectively deal with such evil entities. Well, time is running out, and I won't say more."

After finishing his words, Master Fagu sat down, casting a glance at the others.

Looking at the sky, all six heads stood up simultaneously, and they announced to everyone, "The Inter-Academy Martial Arts Competition of the Six Academies is now beginning. After an incense stick's worth of time, the competition will officially commence. All participants, make your way to the respective competition venues for the matches. The competition will be judged by experts from the six academies, with at least two high-level experts presiding over each venue." With that, the six heads individually left the main stage, returning to their respective areas.

Master Xuan Yu returned to the group and looked at the four disciples, saying softly, "In the morning, it's the match between Yun Feng and that Mu Hua. The venue is outside the Tianfeng Cave on the square. Now, let's get ready, and we'll head there slowly." With that, he led the group out of the Tianxuan Cave.

On the way, Lu Yun asked, "Senior Brother, why were people so excited when Senior Brother Li of Heaven's Sword Academy announced the Qiankun Bag as the prize? Does that bag have some special significance, or is everyone just surprised by its rarity?"

Master Xuan Yu looked at the four and said softly, "As the name suggests, the Qiankun Bag can contain everything in the universe. It's extremely convenient for storage. However, its most magical aspect is not just that. The most magical part lies in the fact that, since it can contain everything, as long as you know the corresponding technique, you can use it to subdue all enemies. Trap all enemies in the Qiankun Bag. It is a truly extraordinary artifact, and no one has known its whereabouts until now. Unexpectedly, it is in the hands of Heaven's Sword Academy."

Yun Feng exclaimed, "So powerful! If our Easy Garden wins the first place, won't that thing be ours? Hehe, that's great. I'll do my best, and who knows, maybe I can get my hands on it? Hehe." After speaking, he laughed foolishly, making everyone unable to help but smile.

Lu Yun scolded, "You really have a simple mind. If it were so easy, everyone else would be eating for free. Have you ever thought about whether Sword Dust of Heaven's Sword Academy is easy to deal with? The reason they are so generous might be just for show. In the end, Sword Dust will get the first place, and the item will still belong to Heaven's Sword Academy. You won't even be able to see it."

Master Xuan Yu whispered, "Lu Yun's words make sense. This time, Heaven's Sword Academy is presenting such a precious item to raise everyone's interest and showcase their strength. Perhaps, they already know the outcome, and it's likely that Sword Dust will take the first place. They are just putting on a show to make everyone look at Heaven's Sword Academy with admiration. Consider this."

Senior Brother Ziyang disagreed, "Senior Brother's words are underestimating the ambition of Heaven's Sword Academy too much. Are there really no disciples among the five academies who can compete with Sword Dust? Even if we, the Easy Garden, can't match them, but the Bodhi Academy's Benyi, the Dao Garden's Wu Wang, and the Phoenix Academy's Cangyue are not easy to deal with. The final result is still uncertain."

Master Xuan Yu sighed, "The three people you mentioned, I have seen them all. Their cultivation is indeed profound. But if compared with Sword Dust, I'm afraid the prospects are not optimistic. Well, let's not discuss these matters. The results will be known in a few days. Now, let's not aim for the first place. If one of our four disciples can enter the top six, it will be enough." At this moment, everyone fell silent, feeling a heavy burden in their hearts.

Lu Yun looked at the sky, contemplating his decisions for this competition. Whether to continue hiding his strength or reveal his true abilities to contend with Sword Dust – these were choices he had to make. Watching a white cloud slowly drift away in the sky, Lu Yun gently withdrew his gaze, his expression neutral. No one could guess what decision he had made in his heart.

From the Tianxuan Cave to the Tianfeng Cave, the distance was not far, just a few miles. For cultivators, this short distance was like taking a few steps. Arriving at the Tianfeng Cave, there were already many disciples from the Sword Academy gathered. It seemed that they were there to cheer for their fellow disciples. As Master Xuan Yu's group approached, almost all the young disciples' eyes focused on Zhang Aoxue, revealing admiring gazes.

From afar, Liu Xinghun warmly welcomed them. Upon meeting, he smiled and said, "Brother Xuan Yu is really punctual, not wasting any time. I didn't expect that we would meet just the day before yesterday, and today our disciples will be facing off. How fast!"

Master Xuan Yu smiled calmly, "Brother Liu's words are not accurate. No matter

 who we encounter this time, it's inevitable. This time it's our two academies, next time it might be a meeting of old friends. Either way, it's the same. Just be more open-minded. Time is short now; should we let them prepare for a while and start? Please." With that, he led the group toward the competition arena.

After True Jade True Person and his seven disciples sat down, Master Xuan Yu glanced at Lin Yunfeng and said, "Be careful; this opponent is not simple. Remember to be cautious. For now, go to the arena and familiarize yourself with the surroundings. Yun, accompany him and help him prepare. Remember, no matter the outcome, do your best."