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Chapter 286: A Meaningless Victory?

Old Man Sikong, who stood at the side, cast a glance at him and smiled without saying a word.

Although Wang Xuanling had maintained an upright posture with a stoic expression earlier, his lips had betrayed a slight tremble, and he had secretly clenched the ends of his clothes. It appeared as if he were softly chanting, "Jiang Yuebai will surely win."

Old Man Sikong had noticed all these signs.

Wang Xuanling has likely been far more nervous than Di Nufeng.

If he really lost the position of grand peak master to Di Nufeng, even the founding fathers of the Mount Shu Sect would feel ashamed of him.

To put it bluntly, if anything were to happen to Venerable Wen Yuan, wouldn't Di Nufeng become the sect leader of Mount Shu?

Such a scene was horrifying to even imagine!

"What do you mean you expected it? Regardless of how weak my disciple might seem, he still made it to the finals after defeating your disciple. How dare you continue boasting?" Di Nufeng immediately retorted.

"You..." Wang Xuanling felt a surge of rage coursing through him.

After the head disciple was issued the Human Authority Token, Venerable Wen Yuan flew back to the spectator stand, preparing to leave.

At that moment, someone from the audience suddenly stood up, leapt onto the center of the stage, and captured everyone's attention.

The individual, dressed in scholarly attire, with a broad, clean-shaven face and a calm demeanor, smiled as he landed on the stage. He called out loudly, "Venerable Wen Yuan, please stay. I have a question for you."

"Hmm?" Every member of the Mount Shu Sect immediately rose to their feet, their attention fixed on the individual who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

Venerable Wen Yuan raised his hand slightly, signaling for everyone to remain calm. From a distance, he inquired, "Who are you, and what do you wish to ask?"

"I am Lu Chengchou, a nobody," the scholar answered loudly. "As everyone knows, the head disciple of Mount Shu holds the Human Authority Token, the grand peak master holds the Earth Authority Token, and the sect leader holds the Heaven Authority Token. Venerable Wen Yuan, having led Mount Shu for many years, you must have the Heaven Authority Token in your possession, correct?"

Hearing this, everyone felt puzzled. Wasn't it natural for the sect leader of Mount Shu to hold the Heaven Authority Token? What was there to inquire about?

However, the faces of the most senior elders of the Mount Shu Sect, including the Alchemy Master, the Discipline Master, and Old Man Sikong, displayed a subtle change in expression.

Venerable Wen Yuan asked calmly, "Mr. Lu, why are you concerned about the tokens of the Mount Shu Sect?"

"Heh, don't play dumb," Lu Chengchou said, sneering coldly as he looked up. "Today, in front of all the immortality cultivators, I have just one question for you: if you don't have the Heaven Authority Token, how did you become the sect leader of the Mount Shu Sect?"

"What!"

The sudden question elicited gasps and murmurs from the crowd.

Having led the Mount Shu Sect for many years, Venerable Wen Yuan had earned the respect of everyone. His reputation extended far and wide across the vast world. Yet, today, a nobody dared to question him so boldly. It was no wonder that many considered this nobody remarkably brave.

After all, Venerable Wen Yuan was a powerful eighth-realm cultivator.

In a world where the Hallowed One had yet to emerge, eighth-realm cultivators stood at the pinnacle of cultivation. Despite his kind and amiable appearance, Venerable Wen Yuan possessed the power to shatter mountains and part seas with a mere wave of his hand!

How did you summon the courage to question him so boldly? People wondered.

But when faced with Lu Chengchou's questioning, Venerable Wen Yuan remained calm. He paused for a moment before responding, "Indeed, the Heaven Authority Token of Mount Shu was lost many years ago and has yet to be recovered. However, although I do not have the token, I have held the position of sect leader of Mount Shu for many years. If there are any concerns regarding this matter, they should be addressed by the disciples of Mount Shu Sect, not by you, Mr. Lu."

Hearing this, everyone found it reasonable.

After all, this was an internal matter of the Mount Shu Sect. The fact that Venerable Wen Yuan was taking the time to explain this demonstrated his good temperament. Moreover, having held the position of sect leader for many years, he no longer needed a token to validate his authority.

"Hmph, am I not a member of the Mount Shu Sect?" Lu Chengchou shook his head. "My family has upheld a cultivation legacy within the Mount Shu Sect for over a thousand years. Who in Mount Shu dares to argue that the Lu family is not part of the Mount Shu Sect!"

"The Lu family..."

Everyone exchanged glances, starting to whisper and inquire amongst themselves.

Di Nufeng nudged Old Man Sikong with her elbow and asked, "Is that true?"

"Haaa...

" Old Man Sikong sighed, "In the early years, the Lu family was indeed the foremost family in the Mount Shu Sect. Among their ancestors, two served as sect leaders, and a third nearly did as well."

"I see. If you're a descendant of the Lu family. In that case, you are welcome to stay on Mount Shu, and we can discuss any issues in detail," Venerable Wen Yuan responded kindly.

"So, you acknowledge that I am part of the Mount Shu Sect?" Lu Chengchou sneered again, "Then, take a look at this."

With that, he raised a white jade token high, infusing it with foundational qi until it glowed brightly. The token felt like an antique, with the character of Heaven[1] faintly visible on it. Its shape and style closely resembled the token just given to Jiang Yuebai.

"The Heaven Authority Token?"

Recalling his earlier words, everyone instantly recognized what it was.

Lu Chengchou enunciated each word clearly: "I am part of the Mount Shu Sect, I stand on Mount Shu, and I hold the Heaven Authority Token. Who dares to command me?"

...

"The Violet and Azure Twin Swords reside here. If you walk to the very end of this cave, you will see them," the Weapons Master instructed, standing outside a cave on Sword Sheath Peak. "When the time comes, the swords will choose their own masters. Those selected will become their sword masters. For those not chosen, please don't be disheartened. Ultimately, this depends on fate."

"Yes!" the four disciples responded in unison.

The cavern ahead was spacious, and they ventured inside together. The lingering remnants of potent sword qi indicated that the Violet and Azure Twin Swords often passed through this area.

Without the elders' permission, ordinary disciples wouldn't dare to enter. Otherwise, they risked having their limbs severed when the Violet and Azure Twin Swords flashed by.

As they ventured deeper into the cave, they suddenly came upon a raised platform with two jade pedestals. Each pedestal bore intricate inscriptions that radiated sword qi, indicating they were the sword beds prepared by Mount Shu for the Violet and Azure Twin Swords.

However, at that moment, the Violet and Azure Twin Swords were not on the jade pedestals, and the cave was empty.

"They're not here?" Ling Ao asked.

"The twin swords love their freedom. They might have gone out for some fun," Jiang Yuebai replied.

Chu Liang frowned. For some reason, he sensed that things might not be so simple.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard a rushing wind behind him. A violet streak of lightning hurtled toward him, immediately followed by an azure dragon-like flash. Two beams of sword light flew straight toward Chu Liang's face!

The intense and sharp sword qi made Chu Liang's scalp tingle, and he instinctively leaped backward. However, the sword light was too fast; it had already surpassed him in an instant.

As he retreated, he collided with a cold, icy blade behind him. The azure sword swiftly followed, and the violet and azure beams of light began to circle around him.

An ethereal voice echoed in the cavern, carrying a distinct Sichuan accent.

"I chose him, so find someone else," a deep male voice declared.

"I chose him too. Why don't you pick someone else?" a clear female voice responded.

According to legend, the Violet Draconic Sword was the male sword spirit and the Azure Ophidian Sword was the female sword spirit. This meant that the male-sounding voice was the spirit of the Violet Draconic Sword and the female-sounding voice was the spirit of the Azure Ophidian Sword.

"I have to choose a guy. It's not like there are no girls for you to choose," the male sword spirit said.

"Who said a female sword spirit has to choose a girl? You can have your eyes on other women, but I can't find another man? It's not like I've never done that before," the female sword spirit retorted angrily.

"Don't do this out of spite. This is a serious matter," the male sword spirit responded.

"I don't fucking care! I am choosing him!" the female sword spirit said angrily.

The two beams of sword light continued to circle around Chu Liang, refusing to leave. They argued back and forth, causing Chu Liang to feel quite perplexed.

What's going on here? Are we witnessing a lover's quarrel? This is why they say colleagues shouldn't fall in love. Look at how much it's affecting important matters...

The remaining three disciples looked at each other, feeling awkward.

The Violet and Azure Twin Swords were both fighting to have Chu Liang as their swordmaster, ignoring everyone else, which made the others feel quite embarrassed.

Jiang Yuebai blinked as she stared at the scene. As the head disciple and a girl, everyone thought she would definitely get a sword.

But the current situation showed that... her victory might be meaningless?

"I have told you many times that I was discussing serious matters with Baize. Even though she's a girl, she is a celestial beast. I am a sword... It's not possible for us to do anything," the male sword spirit said helplessly.

"Why must you discuss serious matters behind my back? Just tell me," the female sword spirit persisted.

Chu Liang thought to himself, This is bad. Everyone at Mount Shu was hoping for the dual sword combination, but if this fight can't be resolved clearly, the twin swords might end up getting a divorce first.

The male sword spirit sighed and said, "Alright, alright! You leave me no choice. Let me explain to you."

The female sword spirit said, "I won't listen! I won't listen! Explain to another woman!"

The male sword spirit was completely baffled.

Chu Liang, Xu Ziyang, and Ling Ao were all equally confused.

Jiang Yuebai couldn't help but interject, "You need to watch your attitude. She shouldn't have to force you to explain. You should take the initiative to explain to her."

The female sword spirit chimed in, "Exactly."

1. This is written as 天 ☜