Chapter 25: Gathering of the Six Academies

As night fell, the disciples from the Heavenly Sword Academy brought a sumptuous dinner. At the same time, Liu Xinghun personally escorted Xuan Yu True Person and the other two away. Soon, only the four participating disciples from Easy Garden remained in the cave.

Looking at the dinner that was brought in, Lin Yunfeng smiled, "It seems that the Heavenly Sword Academy is wealthier than our Easy Garden. These dishes look much better than what we have. Good is good, but I wonder if it suits our taste. We come from a humble place, and overly exquisite food might not be to our liking. What do you think, Yun?"

Liu Yun smiled faintly, understanding that Lin Yunfeng was intentionally mocking the Heavenly Sword Academy. He looked at the other two, and seeing no reaction, he said, "You love talking nonsense. Let's eat. If someone hears, they might think we're not satisfied with the food. Tonight, rest well. Tomorrow, let's explore the surroundings and learn more about the strengths of the other academies. It might help us in tomorrow's competition. Now, don't say anything more, just eat."

A quiet night passed, and when Xuan Yu True Person and the others returned, it was already deep into the night. Xuan Yu revealed nothing about the night's activities, and Purple Yang True Person glanced at Liu Yun and the others hesitantly but ultimately remained silent.

Early the next morning, Xuan Yu True Person went alone to the Heavenly Abyss Cave. Following a suggestion from Purple Yang True Person, Liu Yun asked for permission to explore the surroundings. Purple Yang True Person, after looking at Venerable Jingyue, nodded slightly and said, "Alright, go and have a look. But don't cause trouble. Everyone here is from the Six Academies, so be careful not to create any problems. The Sect Master might not take it lightly."

Liu Yun smiled, "Rest assured, Master. We're just going for a casual stroll, explore the area, and perhaps meet participants from the other five academies. It might help us in tomorrow's competition." After that, he left with Lin Yunfeng, who had gestured for them to leave.

Watching the four figures, Purple Yang True Person sighed softly, "This competition seems challenging for Easy Garden to break into the top ranks. I never expected such outstanding talents from all six academies this time. It surpasses our expectations."

Venerable Jingyue spoke solemnly, "It's destined. There's no use in saying more. We can only hope that at least one of them can make it to the top six. The Heavenly Sword Academy unexpectedly produced six outstanding talents in this tournament. We've seen Jian Wuchen already, and his cultivation is beyond our reach. As for Motoichi from the Bodhi Academy, his depth of cultivation is also unfathomable. Considering this, Easy Garden's situation this time doesn't look optimistic."

Purple Yang True Person sighed softly, shaking his head in silence.

Leaving the Heavenly Fire Cave, Lin Yunfeng smiled, "This strange cave is quite hot, no wonder it's called the Heavenly Fire Cave. It's uncomfortable to stay inside. No wonder Senior Brother was upset. I feel a burning sensation too. Senior Brother, Senior Sister, where should we go now? We're not familiar with this place. It's best to find someone to guide us."

Liu Yun smiled, "You've said it, why ask everyone? Let's find someone to guide us and explore around. This place has six caves, and we can visit each one. Maybe we'll encounter participants from the other academies." Li Hongfei gave Liu Yun a glance, nodded slightly, and didn't say anything. Liu Yun responded with a nod.

Zhang Aoxue looked at the large open space in front of the cave. Numerous disciples of the Heavenly Sword Academy were clearing the area, preparing for tomorrow's competition. Tables and chairs were placed around the arena for the elders and disciples of each academy to sit and watch. As cultivators who could stand in the air, there was no need for elaborate platforms; they could directly compete in mid-air, which was both convenient and practical.

When Lin Yunfeng returned, he brought along a young disciple from the Heavenly Sword Academy named Xiao Zhang, who was very handsome. After exchanging names, Xiao Zhang led them out. Along the way, he said, "The Heavenly Sword Academy has a total of six caves, each several miles apart. It takes time to walk from one to another. We can't fly freely here, but we can use light skills to move around. Let's go to the Heavenly Wind Cave first. Just follow me." With that, his figure flashed, moving like a startled swan, disappearing in an instant about a hundred yards away. His incredible speed surprised everyone. They couldn't believe that even an ordinary disciple of the Heavenly Sword Academy displayed such remarkable skill.

The four exchanged glances, simultaneously gave a low shout, and swiftly vanished on the mountainside. Soon, they followed Xiao Zhang to the Heavenly Wind Cave. Here, many disciples were preparing the arena for tomorrow's competition.

Six figures caught the eyes of Lin Yun and the others at the entrance of the Heavenly Wind Cave. Lin Yunfeng's eyes lit up, and with a smile, he lightly landed in front of the six youths. Looking at these young people who were almost the same age as him, Lin Yunfeng smiled, "Hello, I'm Lin Yunfeng from Easy Garden. We came out for a casual stroll with our senior brothers and sisters, and unexpectedly, we met you here. It's a pleasure to meet fellow disciples. May I ask which academy you senior brothers are from?" In fact, he already knew, but he pretended not to.

One of the six from the Confucian Garden, a handsome young man in his mid-twenties dressed in white, smiled and said, "So, you're fellow disciples from Easy Garden. We are disciples of the Confucian Garden. Nice to meet you. I'm Bi Tian, and these are my senior brothers." After the introductions, both groups appeared quite friendly.

After the introductions, Liu Yun finally learned the names of the six disciples from Confucian Garden. Among them, three caught his attention—the handsome Bi Tian, Du Li in elegant green attire, and Gao Feng, who radiated a spirited aura. The other three were formidable, but compared to these three, they fell short.

Within Easy Garden, due to Li Hongfei's reserved nature and Zhang Aoxue's ethereal and distant demeanor, most matters were handled by Liu Yun and Lin Yunfeng. Liu Yun smiled and said, "Senior brothers, did you arrive yesterday? Why didn't you go out for a stroll? If you're willing, you can join us and explore the surroundings. What do you think?" He looked at them with a hint of curiosity.

Bi Tian glanced at the four of them, his gaze pausing on Zhang Aoxue. All six pairs of eyes revealed admiration for her. A handsome youth in his mid-twenties inquired with a smile, "Since Junior Brother Liu has this intention, how can we refuse? To avoid making the Sect Master worry, I'll leave my three junior brothers here. I'll accompany you, and Brother Du Li and Brother Gao

 Feng will also join. Is that acceptable?" After saying that, he whispered a few words to the other three. They nodded, and then Bi Tian caught up with Liu Yun. Soon, he and Du Li and Gao Feng walked side by side with them.

Lin Yunfeng led Du Li and Gao Feng, chatting and laughing all the way, appearing very pleased with each other. Zhang Aoxue floated ahead, her beautiful figure captivating every gaze. Li Hongfei walked silently at the back, looking somewhat lonely.

Bi Tian walked with Liu Yun and inquired softly, "I heard that your Senior Sister Zhang Aoxue is highly accomplished and as beautiful as a celestial maiden. Now that I've seen her, I realize the rumors are true. I believe she could only be compared to Phoenix Academy's Cang Yue. When Cang Yue arrives today, the two of them standing together will be like twin jade beauties, the two extraordinary flowers of the cultivation world. Junior Brother Liu, may I ask, does your Senior Sister Aoxue have someone in her heart?" After saying that, Bi Tian fixed his gaze on Liu Yun, as if afraid of receiving a false answer.

Liu Yun's face froze upon hearing the question. He looked at Bi Tian, then shifted his gaze to the enchanting figure. After a long while, Liu Yun spoke softly, "Brother Bi, your question has put me in a dilemma. Although Senior Sister and I are from the same Easy Garden, we rarely meet in ordinary times. We only see each other once or twice a year because everyone is busy cultivating. As for the matter you're asking about, I really don't know. If you're curious, you might want to find an opportunity to ask her yourself. I can't answer this question, and I apologize." After apologizing, he smiled and followed Zhang Aoxue, walking side by side. Bi Tian's face showed a momentary surprise, and his eyes revealed a hint of fervor. He turned around and caught up with them.

Not long after, the group of eight people explored the remaining four caves. At this moment, Liu Yun asked Xiao Zhang, "If we want to go to the mountainside, can you guide us?"

Xiao Zhang hesitated and said, "I think it's better not to. Senior Brother Liu is receiving guests there, and it might not be appropriate for us to go. If you want to meet disciples from other academies, you can wait at the intersection. All the people coming up the mountain, regardless of which cave they are assigned to rest in, have to pass through there. I'll take you there." With that, he led the seven to the intersection.

Arriving at the intersection, Liu Yun and the others unexpectedly found Purple Yang True Person there, accompanied by the Confucian Garden's painting sword expert Xu Canghai. When the two groups met, they couldn't help but show a slight smile. After exchanging greetings, Purple Yang True Person smiled, "How did you all end up together? Couldn't endure the loneliness and happened to meet halfway?"

Liu Yun briefly explained the encounter, then asked, "Master, why are you here? Did Senior Brother Jingyue not come?"

Before Purple Yang could answer, Xu Canghai interjected, "Actually, I was bored, so I sought out your master for a chat here. Unexpectedly, you all arrived. As for Master Jingyue, she is currently having a meeting with the Phoenix Academy's Sect Master, Jade Unmatched."

Bi Tian spoke, "Master Uncle, how come people from the Phoenix Academy are also here? We visited every cave, but we didn't see them."

Xu Canghai chuckled, "They just arrived, perhaps you missed them. Now, only the Bodhi Academy and Taoist Garden haven't arrived yet. I believe they'll be here soon. At that time, we'll discuss tomorrow's competition. Now that you have some free time, explore the surroundings. It's a rare opportunity, and gaining more knowledge won't hurt."

Purple Yang True Person looked at Liu Yun and said softly, "Have a good chat, everyone. In the future, when you walk the path of cultivation, you can help each other against common enemies. In the cultivation world, everyone needs a few friends; otherwise, it's challenging to establish oneself. Remember that." The seven nodded slightly and left.

Purple Yang True Person watched the figure of Bi Tian and whispered, "This Bi Tian from your Confucian Garden is profoundly cultivated, truly extraordinary. It seems that this time, Easy Garden will have to prepare to take the fall again. We've been shouldering this burden for fifty years, and it's getting tiring. I don't want to bear it anymore."

Xu Canghai sighed lightly, "Purple Yang, we're old friends, and our two academies have the best relationship among the six. To be honest, who would be willing to take that last place? In the Six Academies, our two academies have always been carrying the burden of suspicion. Everyone understands that. The Heavenly Sword Academy dominates, and its position has never wavered for five hundred years. Even the Bodhi Academy can't contend with them. What can we do? This time, Easy Garden produced four outstanding disciples, which has never happened before. I'm happy for you all. But then, the Heavenly Sword Academy has six, how can we compare? Be more open-minded, don't take it too seriously. In my opinion, this time, your disciple, Liu Yun, might achieve remarkable results."

Purple Yang True Person shook his head, "The most powerful in Easy Garden are Li Hongfei and Zhang Aoxue. Although this disciple of mine is a genius, he has only been with Easy Garden for two years. Within these two years, he went from a youth who didn't know any spells to the point where he is now. I'm already very pleased. This time, to compete for his participation, I even had a dispute with Senior Brother Qianyuan, just because I wanted to see if my disciple from Yang Academy could bring glory to Easy Garden. Originally, I thought if he could make it to the top six, even if he ended up last, I would be happy. But now that I'm here, I realize that there are so many outstanding disciples from each academy that his chances seem slim. I'm afraid it's unlikely." After a sigh, he shook his head in silence.

Xu Canghai comforted, "Don't be disheartened. The competition hasn't started yet, who knows? Like you said, for him to cultivate to such a level in two years is unprecedented in the entire cultivation world. If he has the ability to cultivate such skills in two years, maybe this time, he can truly create a miracle. Don't think too much about it, encourage him and cheer for him. The surprise might be just around the corner." Purple Yang True Person looked at the sky, thinking about his words. Could that really be the case? It's probably impossible.

In the afternoon, True Person Xuan Yu returned to the Heavenly Fire Cave. Looking at everyone, True Person Xuan Yu said, "At this point, all the members of the six academies have gathered. Today, the Sect Master of the Phoenix Academy, Jade Unmatched, the Sect Master of the Bodhi Academy, Master Law Fruit, and the Sect Master of the Taoist Garden, True Person Seven Profound, have all arrived here. This time, except for our Easy Garden with only four participants, the other five academies have six participants each. This results in two vacancies among the thirty-six participants, and these vacancies will be filled by disciples from the Heavenly Sword Academy.

In the afternoon, the Sect Masters of our six academies discussed together. For this competition, we will follow the usual format, implementing an elimination system. Each academy can designate two disciples to directly enter the next round, while the rest must compete against each other to determine the winners and advance to the next round. The martial arts competition is temporarily set for four rounds, subject to developments at the time. In the first round, excluding the two designated disciples from each academy, the remaining twenty-four disciples will engage in one-on-one elimination matches. After the first round, twelve disciples will be eliminated.

The victorious twelve disciples will then be mixed with the twelve designated disciples from each academy for one-on-one elimination matches. To ensure that the strength of each academy is not compromised, disciples from the same academy will not face each other in this round. After the second round, each academy will have only twelve disciples remaining. These twelve will engage in cross-academy matches, and the final six survivors will be the top six of this academy competition.

Finally, there will be a ranking battle among the top six. This time, there won't be any distinction between disciples from the same academy. The matchups will be drawn randomly, and whoever is selected will face each other. This step is crucial in the competition because it determines the ranking of each academy. The one who achieves the first place in each competition will be the leader of the six academies for the next ten years. So, everyone's goal is set on that. Over the years, except for the Bodhi Academy winning three times, all other first places have been claimed by the Heavenly Sword Academy.

You might wonder why the Heavenly Sword Academy wins the first place every time. Do they produce outstanding talents every ten years? There is a reason behind this. The rules of the six academies' competition state that each participant can compete for five consecutive sessions but not more than five times. This means that, within a century, the Heavenly Sword Academy has produced at least one outstanding disciple. That's why they have been leading all this time.

I came back this time to discuss which two disciples from our Easy Garden should directly enter the next round. The strength of the other five academies this time is beyond imagination, so we must be careful. As for you four, only two can directly enter the next round, and the other two will have to compete in an additional match. So, I'd like to hear everyone's opinion." After speaking, he looked at the six individuals, and his gaze swept over True Person Purple Yang and Master Jingyue's faces.

Seeing the expression in the eyes of the Sect Master Senior Brother, True Person Purple Yang understood that now is not the time to insist forcefully. For the honor of Easy Garden, this matter must be handled carefully without being impulsive. Slightly helpless, True Person Purple Yang said, "I have no objections to designating which two disciples will directly enter the next round. I will follow Senior Brother's arrangements." Master Jingyue just nodded, not saying anything. Perhaps she also understood that it was not appropriate to say anything at this moment.

True Person Xuan Yu sighed lightly and said, "Since that's the case, then Yun Feng and Lu Yun, the two of you will have to work a bit harder to participate in the competition. Aoxue and Hongfei, take a temporary rest and perform well in the next round. If you have any objections, feel free to speak up."

True Person Purple Yang sighed lightly, looked at Lu Yun, and said softly, "Good luck. I hope both of you pass smoothly and bring glory to our Easy Garden. Remember to rest well tonight, and tomorrow you must strive. We all wish you the best." After speaking, he seemed to be avoiding something and quickly left the cave.

Lu Yun looked at the back of the Master, sighed lightly, and whispered to himself, "Rest assured, you will be proud of me." Turning around to look at everyone, Aoxue's eyes showed a hint of encouragement, and Hongfei softly uttered the words "good luck." Holding Yun Feng's hand, Lu Yun suddenly smiled confidently, looking at everyone and loudly said, "Everything will be known tomorrow."

Yes, everything will be known tomorrow, won't it?