Chapter 33: Famous After One Battle

The Spiritual Pools were created hundreds of years ago by the famous medicine cultivator, Immortal Tu Wang. It was said that in a paradise overflowing with spiritual energy, she plucked the first wisp of white cloud reflecting the dawn, threw countless rare flowers, exotic plants, and celestial treasures into a refinement furnace, and let them soak and burn for three hundred and sixty-five days. Using the clouds to hold the boiling water, she scattered them to form one spiritual pool after another.

Zora: "..."

Her mind went blank as if she were listening to a fairy tale.

For some reason, the meditating Qingding suddenly began telling her these stories. Perhaps the scenery had triggered a desire to chat; she narrated in a steady, level tone. As Zora listened, she felt she couldn't find the point; every word landed in an unexpected place.

Using clouds to hold boiling water—was that for real?

Immortal Tu Wang fell off a cliff but encountered a great opportunity, ascended all the way, and trampled her former enemies under her feet.

Immortal Tu Wang took in one hundred and eight men as handsome as Pan An, making her backyard a mess of drama all day, though it didn't really bother her.

Years later, Immortal Tu Wang suddenly grasped the Dao of Ascension. While marrying her one hundred and ninth concubine, she shouted, "I see! I finally see!"

Then, dressed in her red wedding robes, she ascended on the spot, leaving the one hundred and nine men staring at each other in bewilderment.

There were rumors that those one hundred and nine men were the founders of Floating Cloud Valley. Whenever this was mentioned, the people of Floating Cloud Valley would shout, "Rumors stop with the wise! The founder of Floating Cloud Valley was clearly the Lame Daoist!"

Then they would start fighting. Medicine cultivators naturally had low combat power, and other cultivators were afraid of accidentally killing them with a single blow. Being blacklisted by Floating Cloud Valley was no fun, so everyone held back, and the fights turned into petty hair-pulling matches.

Zora lacked the instinct to complain; she simply felt the stories were bizarre and couldn't understand the logic. And why were the Spiritual Pools associated with medicine cultivators on a bird-ship belonging to Drunken Man’s Bay...? Fortunately, Qingding soon finished and fell silent.

There were always faint sounds within the Spiritual Pools, but when one meditated, spiritual power would automatically block out the noise. When the mind is still, the surroundings are still.

Deep in the night, sensing that her cultivation progress was acceptable and that she needed to solidify her foundation rather than rush forward, Zora stood up. Her clothes were soaked, but the moment she stepped out of the pool area, the water evaporated instantly. She walked out completely dry. Yiling Ke was still soaking, so Zora left first.

Qingding happened to walk out with Zora. Her palms were full of thin callouses, as if harboring immense strength. She had no hair, but her features were dignified and upright, her eyes gentle, and a light smile on her lips—an ethereal aura that set her apart from commoners.

Just as Zora was about to turn a corner, a loud bang echoed in the corridor.

Bang!

The sound of someone striking the wooden floor.

"Say that again!" a cultivator dressed as a medicine cultivator shouted in rage.

"I... I... didn't I just hear it from others?" The other person, a sword cultivator, wasn't afraid of the medicine cultivator but was wary of accidentally hurting someone on the bird-ship, so he held back and retreated a few steps.

Several passing cultivators immediately stopped to watch, taking in the scene with great interest. They didn't know the reason for the fight yet, but a fight was always good to watch!

The medicine cultivator roared, "How dare you slander the first Valley Master of Floating Cloud Valley as a mere servant of Immortal Tu Wang!"

"It's written in books! I heard it from others too!"

At these words, the medicine cultivators in the crowd immediately scowled.

"Our Floating Cloud Valley saves the world and helps the poor! Why must we be provoked by villains like you spreading rumors!"

"Rumors stop with the wise!"

"Exactly! The first Valley Master of our Floating Cloud Valley was clearly—"

One of the onlookers and the central medicine cultivator spoke in unison.

"The Lame Immortal!"

"The One-Handed Immortal!"

Zora: "?"

Who was it exactly?

Unexpectedly, these medicine cultivators ignored the slight discrepancy and started fighting with absolute fury. The sword cultivators didn't dare draw their swords or apologize, so they ended up in a hair-pulling match with them.

"Ah," Qingding suddenly spoke, smiling warmly at Zora. "The servant they mentioned is also because of a widely circulated story."

Zora: "?"

She began telling the story as if no one else were around. Qingding’s voice was low, slow, and gentle. The story had well-placed twists and turns, making it captivating. Zora ignored the chaotic crowd and walked straight to her room, with Qingding naturally following her to finish the tale.

Zora entered her room, looked at Qingding outside the door, and said in a flat tone, "Goodbye."

Bang.

The door closed.

Qingding didn't mind at all. Carrying the satisfaction of having finished two stories, she smiled and turned back—her room was at the other end of the Spiritual Pools. The group of medicine and sword cultivators had already been separated by the bird-ship guards. Since no real weapons were used, they were let off with a light warning.

Qingding reached her room. Another Buddhist cultivator was in the room next to her, standing in the corridor and watching her with a sigh. "You used illusions to fool people again. I even went to see the owner of the bird-ship to discuss compensation, only to find out it was fake."

Qingding looked at him and smiled. "Hard work, Eldest Senior Brother. I didn't expect that after using illusions countless times in Zen Meditation Temple, Eldest Senior Brother still can't see through them."

"Stop mocking me. I know you didn't want to come to the Great Competition, but within the temple... you know, we're short-handed lately, so only you could come."

Qingding was silent for a moment, then said, "I know. Don't worry, Eldest Senior Brother, I will do my utmost."

The Eldest Senior Brother, Jin Zhi, smiled. "Rest well."

"You too, Eldest Senior Brother."

As Jin Zhi watched Qingding enter her room, another person passed by and saluted him: "Fellow Daoist Jin."

"Fellow Daoist Yi."

The two clearly knew each other and were on familiar terms. Yi Qiurong nodded and walked past him with a steady gait.

A day later, the bird-ship landed. Drunken Man’s Bay was located near the waves, resembling a waterside town south of the Yangtze River—gentle, poetic, and lush with greenery. The buildings were mostly low, artistic courtyard pavilions. A wide stone road cut across Drunken Man’s Bay, plunging straight into the seabed, as if one could follow the road into the turbulent ocean.

"Look, that’s where Drunken Man’s Bay—back when it was still called 'Sinners' Bay'—used to keep the most heinous criminals and unkillable demons." Yiling Ke pouted, gesturing for Zora to look toward the seabed.

They couldn't go down yet, so they stood in the open beak of the bird-ship, gazing at Drunken Man’s Bay. Vane stared fixedly at the sea surface where the stone road vanished. His ponytail fluttered wildly in the wind, his black robes shifted, and his obsidian eyes were lowered. The stray hairs at his temples and forehead were blown back, fully revealing his striking, sharp features. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

Down there was the Mirror Sea, where countless demon cultivators and wicked men were locked away. The December Sect also had a place for criminals, modeled after the Mirror Sea, called the Black Suspending Sea.

As Zora watched, she was suddenly slapped in the face by a ponytail. The wind had shifted, blowing Vane’s hair to the right, and the end of his ponytail brushed against her left cheek. She immediately grabbed his hair.

Vane felt the tug on his hair, and his thoughts were abruptly interrupted. He couldn't help but look at Zora. She hadn't gripped it tightly, but he instinctively leaned toward her, his hair forming an arch in the middle where she held the end.

"...Apologies." He easily distinguished her displeased mood.

The Demon Realm was divided into Northern and Southern territories. Just now, his mind had been filled with rumors of the Demon Realm and the mangled corpses of great demon cultivators. After the great war, some of those masters were still alive and imprisoned in the Mirror Sea, while others were dead, their corpses fought over and devoured by demon cultivators seeking to advance.

He also remembered why his parents had sold him by the pound—it wasn't for the price of pork, but because the butcher had lied, claiming he had pieces of a great master's corpse. They superstitious and firmly believed that eating a master's flesh could turn a mortal into a demon cultivator. They had rushed to hand over the small, thin boy, even smiling and asking if they should help cut him into small pieces to make him easier to eat.

Fortunately, that butcher said he liked to eat people raw and alive; otherwise, Vane wouldn't have had the chance to kill him and escape. But now those memories were forced to the back of his mind. His vision was occupied by the girl’s face, and his hair was still being held.

Zora frowned, thinking of something: "Do you know who the first Valley Master of Floating Cloud Valley was?"

"..." He paused briefly and said, "I don't know. The stories circulating are too disorganized to be trusted."

He was very close to her as he leaned over. He could see the fine texture of her skin on her cheeks and nose, and even the tiny lines on her lips were clear. After a moment, Vane’s lashes flickered, and he pursed his lips, abruptly looking away. She didn't notice his awkwardness and let go of his hair.

The stone stairs of the bird-ship lowered.

After everyone was assigned a residence, they arrived at the site of the Great Competition. Drunken Man’s Bay was filled with formation masters, so arrays were everywhere. Within a short time, someone got lost and fell into a trap, screaming as they burst out.

The Immortals of the four major sects sat on the dais. The Sect Leader of Drunken Man’s Bay said a few words, concise and to the point, and quickly stepped down. The rest was explained by a disciple. First was the team battles, then the secret realm, and finally individual duels. The winners of each stage would receive countless rare materials and treasures.

"The first round of competition—starts now!"

Yiling Ke was wide awake: "So fast!"

Turi Qi rushed over: "Just in time."

Whether by good or bad luck, they were in the sixth group. Zora scanned the numbers: "Let's go."

Disciple: "Group Six—Floating Cloud Valley's 'Golden Core in One Shot' vs. December Sect's 'The Five-Person Group'!"

What an unremarkable team name,

the crowd thought.

"New disciples from the December Sect? Haven't seen them before."

"Four should be new, the other is the Sword Gate's head disciple; she comes every year."

Song Zhihuai, a veteran disciple who had never been to the competition, was gifted the title of "new disciple." As the leader, Zora took the center position and stepped forward. The five from Floating Cloud Valley also stepped forward. Both sides saluted.

The crowd looked at the team compositions. Although The Five-Person Group had some high-level members, overall, the Floating Cloud Valley team was slightly superior. For years, victories were decided by cultivation levels. There were upsets, but they were rare.

"Bad luck, knocked out in the first round."

"Even if their cultivation is a bit higher, it's only by a little. Are you that sure?"

"Duh. Sword cultivators have abundant spiritual power, but they consume it faster. As long as the medicine cultivators hold out for a while, they’ll definitely win."

They chatted and laughed, already waiting for the Five-Person Group's failure and the next match. Song Zhihuai was truly excited and naturally wanted to win, so he stared at his opponents. Before it even began, he radiated waves of killing intent and cold air, making the Floating Cloud Valley team flinch.

Zora looked up and realized one of the opponents was the person who had been arguing outside the Spiritual Pools.

Vane glanced at her: "What is it?"

Zora: "She’s the one who was arguing about the first Valley Master yesterday."

Yiling Ke: "Ah? Wasn't it Immortal Tu Wang’s groom? That's quite inspiring."

The five opponents happened to hear this. They immediately ignored the cold battle intent of that strange sword cultivator and glared in anger, startling Yiling Ke. Zora shook her head, paying no mind to their fury. She recalled the conversation but forgot who the person had mentioned, but since they hadn't refuted the other answer, then—

"It should be the Lame and One-Handed Immortal."

Yiling Ke: "...Even more inspiring!"

Turi Qi laughed. "Alright, don't forget our months of training. I believe in you all. Don't be nervous, especially Senior Brother Song." At this moment, Song Zhihuai was still in a state of excitement, which meant by the time he realized it, he had missed the chance to join the conversation, causing him to pull his lips tight in frustration.

The disciple's voice carried to every corner: "Blades and swords have no eyes, but I hope everyone shows restraint. Duel appropriately; just don't take lives. Now—the match begins!"

The match began. The crowd below grew rowdy, and the various Immortals under the eaves also set down their teacups to watch. The medicine cultivator, Huang Ying, twitched her lip at Zora’s words. That was indeed what she said yesterday, but—it was clearly the Lame Immortal! There was no missing hand!

"Don't worry. Although the December Sect’s attacks are powerful, the cultivation levels are right there. A gap is a gap. We will win."

"I know. It’s just their bad luck."

In the next instant, countless formations on the platform buzzed and flared with light—intricate and complex. One appeared only to be devoured by another, chasing each other endlessly. Yiling Ke stood at the very back of the team, while her opponent formation master, Lu Song, also stood at the edge of the platform. Their formations collided constantly, eyes locked, and formations flashed within their minds. Every corner of the platform had to be considered: material influence, area dimensions, teammate movements, even the direction of the wind—all became concrete data in their minds. Hundreds or even thousands of calculations were completed in an instant.

The appearance of the formations was like a signal. Zora, at the very front, flashed forward to engage Huang Ying, a sword-using medicine cultivator. Their weapons met, the blades humming. Although Huang Ying’s cultivation was higher, she wasn't a sword cultivator after all; her hand went numb, and Zora’s blade-edge scraped her face, causing stinging pain. There was no killing intent, but it brought real, tangible danger.

Within a few breaths, they exchanged dozens of moves in a blur of blades. Huang Ying gradually found herself unable to keep up, while Zora’s expression remained unchanged. She kicked Huang Ying in the abdomen, followed by a spinning sword strike.

"Ugh...!" Huang Ying rolled clumsily to dodge, quickly throwing out medicinal powder to stop her approach.

Turi Qi was more experienced, let alone against medicine cultivators. Once her sword was drawn, the Five-Person Group felt their spiritual power being constantly replenished.

The crowd below discussed fervently.

"Is that a long spear? Never seen anyone use that."

"Me neither. It's used more in the mortal world."

The spear tip shimmered. Vane's every move was precise and full of killing intent, pressing forward relentlessly. His opponent soon broke out in a sweat on his brow, feeling a sense of being driven into a dead end. Song Zhihuai’s sword was as cold as his personality—crisp and stern—driving his opponent to collapse limply to the ground.

One round of simple probing ended, and the intense confrontation between the formations finally eased. Lu Song breathed a sigh of relief and began placing defensive blade-buffing formations on his teammates one by one.

It seems the opponent's formation master isn't that impressive.

Then came a new round of true team combat. Opponents shifted constantly. One moment Zora was facing Huang Ying; after kicking her away, she grabbed Vane's hand. He had his back to her, and with perfect rapport, he tilted his body slightly. In a flurry of robes, their positions swapped instantly, and her River Snow sword was blocked by a defensive formation.

Her expression was as usual; instead, she used her foot to kick. She was too fast; Lu Song’s formation couldn't keep up. The medicine cultivator Lin Tao’s sword was stomped firmly under her foot; his wrist was forced down, and his whole body tilted forward with the sword. Vane used his spear tip to flick away Huang Ying’s medicine bottle, which rolled off the platform. Since storage bags weren't allowed on stage, she let out a click of her tongue.

However, a long spear was completely different from a sword. Huang Ying had only just adapted to sword-against-sword when she was caught off guard by the spear. On the other side, Turi Qi was being pressed back by the opponent's formation, standing back-to-back with Song Zhihuai. Song Zhihuai was mostly protecting her.

A quarter of an hour later, the opponents continued to cycle. Except for the formation masters, the five had, on average, fought every single person on the opposing team. Initially, because the Floating Cloud Valley’s formation master seemed superior, Zora and the others had to constantly switch opponents and were at a disadvantage. But then, the spiritual power of the Floating Cloud Valley team began to run dry. Huang Ying grew anxious.

A war of attrition required abundant spiritual power, and the rate of replenishment in a short time was linked to cultivation. Right now, they couldn't sustain a continuous battle.

But clearly the December Sect people have lower overall cultivation, so how can they—!

Huang Ying watched Zora, who showed no sign of spiritual exhaustion, and gritted her teeth.

It's fine. Even so, we will win the war of attrition. After all, our cultivation is higher.

Under the eaves, the Floating Cloud Valley Immortal laughed. "This year, your Sword Gate head disciple has finally found a good position."

The December Sect Immortal, Shu Ning, nodded. "Exactly. If you ask me, Ruiqi should be paired with powerful teammates to exert her maximum influence."

"Wait—" An Immortal squinted.

On the platform, Huang Ying tried to use a feint to make Zora back off so she could take out her medicinal powder—this was the downside of being a medicine cultivator; under a storm of attacks, there wasn't even a chance to get medicine. To her surprise, when her sword lunged forward, the girl didn't dodge at all. She let the blade pierce her upper arm, making it a bloody mess in an instant. Huang Ying even felt the sensation of the meat being severed.

Huang Ying was shocked: "Wh—!?"

As if she felt no pain, Zora didn't hesitate to bring her sword down. Huang Ying scrambled to roll away. Zora’s eyes remained calm: "Time's up."

Like a command, Vane flicked his spear, suddenly unleashing power to drive the opponent back. Song Zhihuai and Turi Qi also pushed their opponents back more than a meter. At the same moment, Yiling Ke’s brow was drenched in sweat. She touched the ground with both hands. Instantly, countless hidden formations on the platform emerged one by one, like blooming flower buds.

Lu Song was shocked: "When did she set those!"

Up until a moment ago, he clearly had the upper hand!

Shu Ning smiled and nodded: "The Transposition Array."

An Immortal laughed: "Hahahaha! They were likely waiting for this exact moment. But that injured disciple is truly ruthless—ruthless to herself."

To not waste time, she could even suppress her instinct to avoid danger.

These disciples couldn't use "Shrinking Distance" yet. The Transposition Array could move people multiple times within a few breaths, though it required the formation master to mark the target locations beforehand.

"But this basic Transposition Array can only move one person."

Because the opponents had shifted constantly, Zora had already mapped out the opposing team. Whenever she faced an unfamiliar opponent, she would directly grab a teammate's wrist. Her teammates understood and swapped immediately. With the Transposition Array active, a formation appeared beneath Zora’s feet, and she vanished instantly.

At this moment, Turi Qi’s sword-play buffs were all poured into the girl. Vane and Song Zhihuai retreated, standing opposite each other to protect Yiling Ke and Turi Qi, forming an impassable fortress.

In a team, everyone should shine, but the accumulated power must have a focal point. The smaller that point, the greater the offensive power. Like a group, there must be a primary and secondary; everyone does their best, and then one person capable of the task delivers the fatal blow.

Ji Guangbai of Drunken Man’s Bay said with interest, "That one person must be skilled at finding everyone's weaknesses."

"They must be able to keep their heart still. Even amidst overwhelming attacks, they must maintain a calm, extremely cool state of mind, thinking about which details of the opponents haven't been understood yet."

"They must discard all stray thoughts. Even if teammates are in danger or they are injured themselves, they must be fully immersed, not distracted for even a second."

"...And, they must have extreme talent and comprehension. After all, finding a weakness requires the ability to exploit it. Switching opponents every breath means constantly adjusting one's attack. Unable to use two consecutive moves, one can only constantly switch between vastly different sword stances... it's difficult."

He stroked his long beard at the end, his face full of smiles.

Jin Chuyang, who had been silent for a long time, spoke: "This is a natural-born sword cultivator."

The River Snow sword hummed repeatedly, as if vibrating with excitement. The girl’s silhouette became a blur. At first glance, it looked like five identical Zoras had appeared on the platform. Every movement was different, every strike aimed straight at the opponent's flaw—smooth as flowing water, without a single wasted motion, carrying pure sword intent.

Without hesitation, without pause, the spiritual power constantly being channeled into her supported her. The girl's eyes remained as still as a deep well. It made people's teeth go cold, unable to muster a shred of resistance. Several people were almost beaten to the point where their wrists went soft, retreating step after step.

Although it was a continuous stream of attacks, there was one person close by who wanted to interrupt the formation master or Turi Qi, who was channeling spiritual power. He seized the chance to ambush, only to be blocked by the long spear. Before the man could react, the girl who had already knocked three people off the stage suddenly appeared before him. The sword-light was like a cold moon, and her amber eyes were like frosty stars.

This was simply... five stars aligned. It was a certain defeat!

His spiritual power was dry. In the blink of an eye, he was kicked off the platform, his expression blank. The teammates who had been kicked out also looked dazed. That struggle within a certain defeat, that powerless resistance, the confidence of a sure win being shattered—the dazed feeling of gradually walking into a trap was more shocking than any previous match.

Until the final formation master was also knocked off the stage, the Transposition Array vanished instantly. Yiling Ke was drenched in sweat and twitched her lip: "We won."

The area below was silent.

Paying no mind to the wretched state of their opponents or the shock of the crowd, Vane looked at the girl's arm in front of him. Zora retracted her sword; the clothing around her wound was soaked in blood.

As the light sound of the sword returning to its scabbard rang out, the crowd below suddenly erupted into cheers, wave after wave. Shu Ning smiled and sent a message to Zhou Shijin of the December Sect via a simple formation.

—

Don't worry.

—

Your disciple has probably become famous after one battle.