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Chapter 262: Wanderers of the North and South

In fact, even the arrogant members of the Penglai Supreme Sect were unwilling to miss out on the chance to get a glimpse of the strength of these competitors.

Aside from the representatives of the other sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten who were invited since the beginning of the ceremony, there were many other cultivators who came on their own initiative later on. A big group of these cultivators were minor sects ranked below the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten.

Recently, older cultivators were seen accompanying younger cultivators, whose cultivation energy still felt fresh, as they wandered around Mount Shu, marveling at everything they saw.

There were some visitors who had visited before and they felt that the service on Mount Shu was much better this time. There were snacks and drinks being sold, making the viewing experience of the matches even better. There were specialties being sold.

This way, they could gift their friends and family some items when they head back.

Two important figures also visited Mount Shu today.

“Scholar Sun[1] and Elder Huang, please forgive me for not greeting you sooner.” The Weapons Master personally stepped out to meet them. With his gray beard, white robe, sturdy build, piercing blue-gold eyes, and hands of black meteor iron, he seemed almost like a deity.

"It's an honor to have one of the Four Guardian Elders welcome us personally," said the old man standing in front, cupping his hand and smiling. "We wouldn't dare complain."

On the left stood a man dressed in white robes with a jade belt, looking like a scholar. His hair was a mix of gray and white, neatly groomed. With a round belly, he was slightly overweight. As he smiled in a nonchalant manner, he gave off this air of laziness.

This person's surname was Sun and he was a renowned Confucian scholar.

On the right, a man in a simple yellow robe stood out with his ruddy complexion and head of black hair. His eyes appeared bright and alert as he walked, scanning the surroundings with a lively gaze.

This man, with the surname Huang, was an elder of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion.

If they were just a scholar and an elder, there would be no need for a guardian elder to personally welcome them. Recently, many distinguished guests from the sects of the Divine Nine and the Terrestrial Ten had visited and all of them were hosted by the Foreign Affairs Hall without any special treatment.

However, the influence of these two individuals was extraordinary.

The elderly man with the surname Sun was a preeminent Confucian scholar of his time. His name had been displayed in the Noblemen's Hall for many years, and he taught at the Ascending Dragon Academy. Although he consistently declined official positions offered by the imperial court, he remained vocal in his critiques of current affairs, often shocking the world with his writings.

He was the type of person that refused to take office but intended to give the world a piece of his mind.

Now, his students were everywhere. He had retired from the Ascending Dragon Academy and spent his days traveling the world.

As for the elderly man surnamed Huang, he had been the master of the Wind-Catching Hall in the Celestial Pivot Pavilion and had achieved remarkable success. The Seven Stars Gazette had always held significant influence among immortality cultivators. However, it was under his leadership that this publication gained widespread recognition across the nine provinces. Today, the Seven Stars Gazette was known by everyone, largely thanks to his substantial contributions.

The current master of the Wind-Catching Hall, Zhou Yijian, was his successor. Although Elder Huang was still an elder of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion, he no longer participated in the sect’s affairs and was instead traveling and enjoying the scenery.

Scholar Sun and Elder Huang had been close friends for years. For the past several years, they had traveled the world together, earning the nickname "Wanderers of the North and South."

Occasionally, they would write an article together, which would attract immense attention.

With such renowned figures visiting Mount Shu, they obviously didn't dare to show any negligence. Since the Weapons Master knew them well, he came personally to welcome them.

"Time flies. It's been thirty years since I last attended the Mount Shu Summit. It seems the Mount Shu Sect has only grown more prosperous," Scholar Sun remarked with a smile.

Elder Huang shook his head and replied, "I've always told you how lively the Mount Shu Summit is! It is different from the grand events of other immortal sects. I suggested we visit more often, but you always said no."

"Don't slander me," Scholar Sun quickly retorted. "Twenty years ago, I suggested we come here, but you were the one who insisted on following the tour with the South Melody Conservatory disciples."

"Wasn't it you who was in a hurry to find a fragment of an ancient book ten years ago?" Elder Huang retorted, glaring at him.

"Alright, alright, it's good that both of you are here this time," interjected the Weapons Master with a smile. "It just so happens that the main competition of the Mount Shu Summit is happening today, so you can both evaluate our newer generation of Mount Shu disciples." He waved his hand in a gesture of mediation, clearly used to their banter.

"The new generation of Mount Shu disciples is, of course, exceptional," Scholar Sun responded politely to the Weapons Master, smiling warmly. "We've heard a great deal about Jiang Yuebai and Xu Ziyang from this generation."

"Jiangjiang will surely win!" Elder Huang exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air as he heard Jiang Yuebai's name.

Scholar Sun discreetly rolled his eyes and subtly moved two steps away as he felt embarrassed to be associated with Elder Huang.

As they continued their conversation, the three made their way to the viewing platform and settled into their seats. Staring at the stage in front, the Weapons Master chuckled and said, "Aside from Jiang Yuebai and Xu Ziyang, there are a few other new disciples who has shown great potential. Take Mu Yueting and Chu Liang, who just stepped onto the stage—they both have shown remarkable promise. Why don’t you two guess who will win this match?"

Scholar Sun stroked his beard and observed for a while. He then contemplated for a bit before saying, "If we base our judgment solely on the qi they've revealed, assuming that neither is concealing their true power... this young girl is approaching the later stage of the Golden Core Realm. She's incredibly talented for her age, and her sword qi is very fierce. The young man is in the beginning stage of the Golden Core Realm, but his qi... Does he have an ultimate-tier Golden Core? That is very rare. No wonder you mentioned that he has great potential. An ultimate-tier Golden Core could indeed set him up as a key figure in Mount Shu in the future. But he is behind by a stage of cultivation and we don't know if his ultimate-tier Golden Core can compensate for the disparity in their cultivation levels."

"I bet on Mu Yueting to win," Elder Huang said without hesitation, flipping through a small booklet in his hands.

"How can you be so sure?" Scholar Sun asked.

"Ha, this is a notebook written by a disciple of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion a few days ago," Elder Huang said, waving the booklet. "Mu Yueting has shown comprehensive skills in her two fights so far, especially her impressive swordsmanship. As for Chu Liang, he relied on various enchanted tools to surprise his opponent in one fight and used cunning tactics in another. He hasn't shown any real strength."

Hearing this, Scholar Sun pondered for a while.

"And the most important point," Elder Huang continued, "is that Mu Yueting's teacher is Daoist Yan, while Chu Liang's teacher is Di Nufeng."

"In that case, I am also betting on the girl," Scholar Sun said without hesitation.

...

For the past two days, Chu Liang had been quite busy. He had signed up for many events and had to participate in one almost everyday.He also had to handle tasks for the undercover operation.

If there were scheduling conflicts, he could always discuss it with the sect. However, since he wasn't the designated participant in yesterday's Spirit-Pet Combat Tournament, it wouldn't matter if Liu Xiaoyu'er went in his place.

When Liu Xiaoyu'er returned, she seemed unhappy. When Chu Liang asked her about it, she revealed that she had met a tall, burly, kind man at the event who cried really loudly because the Golden-Furred Hou had bullied his spirit pet. He cried for a while and Liu Xiaoyu'er spent quite some time consoling him before she could make her way back.

Normally, it was already considered exceptional if there were fourth-realm spirit pets at the Mount Shu Summit. Those at the fifth realm of cultivation would be a strong contender for the championship. Prior to joining the Spirit-Pet Combat Tournament, the tall and burly guy likely never expected that there would be a sixth-realm beast participating in the tournament.

Although the Golden-Furred Hou had just reached the sixth realm of cultivation and had yet to consolidate the knowledge in this realm or master all of its innate divine abilities, it could still easily bully a spirit pet at the fourth realm.

Thankfully, there were no urgent demands for the undercover operation, allowing Chu Liang to return in time for the main competition today.

His opponent today was yet another powerful one.

From the round of sixteen to the quarterfinals, most of the competitors were at the Golden Core Realm, making it difficult to encounter a weak opponent. Nevertheless, Mu Yueting was among the stronger competitors.

If it weren't for Jiang Yuebai and Xu Ziyang, she would be a top-tier candidate for the head disciple position.

The opponents for each match were decided by a draw the day before. Chu Liang felt that his luck in the draws had been average and wondered if he should let Liu Xiaoyu'er draw for him next time.

Mu Yueting was dressed in a white sword outfit with a high collar that covered her neck, creating a sharp and pristine appearance. She had short hair cut to her ears, fair skin, single eyelids, and a tall, slender build. A four-chi-long, thin sword was strapped to her back.

She stood there, emanating an aura that unmistakably revealed her powerful qi at the middle stage of the Golden Core Realm.

Jiang Yuebai was powerful, but she relied on her Transcendent Spirit constitution, which allowed her to master divine techniques and skills easily. However, on the Azure Falling Peak, Mu Yueting was the one who resembled Daoist Yan the most. Mu Yueting focused purely on the art of the sword. She was two years older than Jiang Yuebai, and before Jiang Yuebai became well-known, Mu Yueting was thought to be the successor of Daoist Yan.

Chu Liang's aura indicated that he was at the beginning stage of the Golden Core Realm, which made him seem less powerful. However, having the ultimate-tier Golden Core would at least help narrow the gap between them.

To the spectators, it probably appeared as though both fighters were evenly matched. Although Chu Liang was slightly less powerful, he still had the ability to fight against Mu Yueting.

However, Jiang Yuebai saw things differently.

Standing beneath the stage, she watched Chu Liang intently, her thoughts swirling. It had been some time since she last evaluated his progress in cultivation, and considering his astonishingly rapid growth, she pondered what strides he might have made since then.

Would he have stopped or slowed down his progress during this time?

She should feel a stronger bond with her senior sister. Yet, for some reason, she found herself not wanting Chu Liang to lose.

This inexplicable feeling was difficult to describe, but a whispering voice in her mind seemed to be saying... Chu Liang definitely wouldn’t lose.

1. This is not Elder Sun from the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals. This is another surnamed Sun person who is a Confucian scholar that teaches at the Ascending Dragon Academy. ☜