Immortal Creation.

Chapter 709 A Battle to the Death?
The registration process is surprisingly simple.

Ning Zhuo wasn't surprised. He had proactively gathered intelligence on the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

The registration process is divided into many stages; this is only the first stage.

After a while, during the second phase of registration, the identity tokens will be replaced with stone tokens instead of the current wooden tokens. The information on the cultivators included will also be more comprehensive.

Wooden plaques, stone plaques, bronze plaques, iron plaques, silver plaques, gold plaques, and finally jade plaques. Each level of identity plaque represents the Myriad Manifestations Sect's affirmation of a cultivator's present and future.

As for how to successfully register and obtain a higher-level identity token, that depends on the performance of each cultivator in the Xingyun Trial.

After successfully registering, Ning Zhuo, Shen Xi, and Su Lingkou, each carrying their own wooden plaque, rode away on a cloud.

Shen Xi: "Brother Ning, where are you going right now?"

Ning Zhuo said, "Naturally, we should choose a martial arts training hall to experience the atmosphere first. After all, this is my first time at the Myriad Manifestations Sect."

Shen Xi stroked the jade pendant at his waist and smiled slightly: "It just so happens that I'm traveling the same way as Brother Ning!"

Seeing that Ning Zhuo was riding slowly on the cloud, Shen Xi directly invited, "Brother Ning, why don't you ride with me?"

There's nothing wrong with being clumsy.

Shen Xi then released a magical artifact in the shape of a car. It was not a mechanism, but rather bronze in color, with wheels that did not turn, forming a seamless whole.

However, after Su Ling activated it, the bronze flying chariot was very fast and agile, and soon arrived at the nearest martial arts hall.

The three observed from the car that the area around the hall was crowded and the atmosphere was lively.

Ning Zhuo remarked with feeling, "After the first phase of registration, everyone received an identity token, which allowed them to accumulate achievements by participating in the Xingyun Trial. That's why we have such a popular scene."

Su Ling, her face flushed with worry, asked, "With so many people, should we still go down?"

Shen Xi remained silent, only looking at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo then said, "Let's change to another branch."

The main gate of the Wanxiang Sect covers a vast area, with hundreds or even thousands of various halls.

The bronze flying chariot sped along and soon arrived at a martial arts training hall. Because it was not close to any registration point, there were far fewer people than at other martial arts training halls.

As soon as the bronze flying chariot landed and the three stepped into the plaza in front of the hall, a cultivator who came out spoke up: "Who do we have here? It's just that brat from the Shen family!"

Shen Xi is a genius of the Shen family, yet he was addressed with such contempt. The spokesperson, knowing Shen Xi's background, still maintained this attitude, clearly indicating ill intent.

Ning Zhuo remained calm and observed the cultivator who was speaking.

Although he appeared to be a young man, he had a full head of gray hair, sunken eyes like a skull, and wore a wide robe made of hundreds of python skins. His expression was arrogant, and his gaze was like a knife, as he was wantonly provoking others.

Beside the young, gray-haired cultivator stood a nine-foot-tall man with a tiger's body and a human head. He was burly, with bulging muscles all over his body, wings on his back, and his entire body covered in brownish-yellow tiger fur.

It turned out to be a fierce tiger demon cultivator.

Shen Xi's face darkened: "Skin Covered in Calamity?"

The Shen family of Jiugong Immortal City wields immense power and has several formidable enemies, one of which is the Pi family.

This family's cultivators primarily practice the demonic art "Seven Talisman Demon Skin Scripture," and are also known for their dual skills in talisman making and paper crafting. Not only is their influence vast, but they also have numerous vassals.

The young gray-haired cultivator before them, Pi Fujie, held a similar position in the Shen family as Shen Xi. However, due to his moderate talent and the fact that he had undergone a three-stage tribulation transformation, he received far more expectations and support than Shen Xi.

Pi Fujie looked at Ning Zhuo, Shen Xi, and Su Lingkou, narrowed his eyes, and said coldly, "Shen Xi, I've heard that the Shen family sent you to participate in the Flying Cloud Conference."

"Hmph, running into you now is just bad luck!"

Anyone who heard these words would know that there was a long-standing feud between the two families.

Shen Xi sneered: "What you said is exactly what I wanted to say. This is the martial arts training ground. Pi Fujie, I'll fight you to the bitter end. Let's go! Let's have a martial arts match, no matter if it means death!"

Within the Myriad Manifestations Sect, matters in the Martial Arts Hall are not subject to life or death.

When cultivators engage in martial arts practice, there are always instances of mishaps, and of course, there are also instances of people deliberately plotting against them.

The Myriad Mandala allows such occurrences in all cases.

There was no other way; there were simply too many people in the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

We must select the best candidates!
Once, an elder of the Myriad Manifestations Sect put it rather bluntly, the gist of which was: anyone killed in the martial arts arena was at least truly unlucky. It was only natural that such people didn't join the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

These words were so direct that they sparked a wave of public opinion. The elder was immediately demoted. Many years later, he returned to the sect and obtained a high-ranking position.

This reveals the true attitude of the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

This attitude and code of conduct are accepted by the real high-level officials or large forces, because they all know the pain points of the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

It would be extremely difficult to completely eliminate this situation.

The Wanxiang Sect is too large to manage; the management costs are far too high, and there are even more hidden dangers.

If the heir of the Myriad Manifestations Sect wishes to manage this phenomenon, he must grant the martial arts referees the authority. This power is immense; it concerns matters of life and death—how could it not be powerful?
Therefore, it will inevitably lead to corruption, and it will be massive corruption.

Corruption is inevitable.

This would greatly damage the reputation of the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

Even if the judgment is fair, the party who lost a loved one will resent the Myriad Manifestations Sect and believe that its judgment is unjust. As a result, the Myriad Manifestations Sect will experience numerous conflicts and accumulate countless karmic burdens and consequences.

It would be better not to get involved, so that the conflict would be limited to the two sides in the martial arts competition, while the Myriad Manifestations Sect would remain aloof and uninvolved.

Shen Xi was very tough and immediately adopted a stance of fighting to the death, which caused Pi Fujie's momentum to falter.

Pi Fujie thought to himself, "How can you, Shen Xi, compare to me?"

"We are of equal status in the Shen and Pi families, and we are often compared to each other. We are both regarded as the face of the Foundation Establishment stage and the hope for the future. But I have talent, and you do not. Can you compare with my future?"

Is this a life-or-death battle? Pi Fujie felt he was at a huge disadvantage.

Why did he do this?
I can't find a reason.

He could have cultivated to the later stages, allowing his talent to demonstrate its value and achieving a significant leap in strength before settling scores with Shen Xi!

Therefore, Pi Fujie did not want to agree to a death match, but he was unwilling to give up the opportunity to compete.

This contest is not just about one's own thoughts, but also about the grudges between the two families.

The hatred between the Shen family and the Pi family runs too deep; they are mortal enemies!

Shen Xi and Pi Fujie are the representatives of their respective families, and both take their rivalry very seriously. This is not only a struggle between the two of them, but also a conflict between the Shen and Pi families, imbued with strong political implications.

Every competition, whether successful or not, has a huge impact on Shen Xi and Pi Fujie, because they both have substantial support from their respective families!

Pi Fujie didn't want to fight Shen Xi to the death, but he absolutely couldn't just retreat like this.

If he retreats, it means he has voluntarily surrendered out of fear. The Pi family will suffer a great loss of face, and since they originated from the demonic path, Pi Fujie will surely face family retribution.

Seeing that Pi Fujie did not answer, a sharp glint flashed in the depths of Shen Xi and Ning Zhuo's eyes. Both were astute and immediately discerned Pi Fujie's thoughts. A smile appeared on Shen Xi's lips, which quickly faded. He pressed his advantage, "Pi Fujie, are you afraid? What, you don't dare to have a life-or-death duel with me?"

Su Lingkou was extremely worried and couldn't help but quietly tug at Shen Xi's sleeve.

She was worried that if Pi Fujie actually accepted the martial arts challenge, her cousin's life would be in danger.

"My cousin is so brave!"

"He forgot that he is a woman of noble birth with a bright future ahead of him, so why should he engage in a life-or-death struggle right from the start?"

Pi Fujie snorted coldly: "Such a shallow provocation, humph! I am no fool, and I bear a heavy responsibility this time, representing my clan to join the Myriad Manifestations Sect. Shen Xi, just wait! We will inevitably have a life-or-death battle, but let's leave that for the future."

This statement alone is certainly not convincing. But Pi Fujie already had a plan, and he set his sights on Ning Zhuo.

"These are the cultivators you recruited this time?" Pi Fujie mistakenly assumed the relationship between Shen Xi and Ning Zhuo.

"Hehe, this man is quite handsome. Shen Xi, do you have a taste for this kind of person?" Pi Fujie attempted to smear Shen Xi's reputation and shift the blame.

He was not good at dealing with Shen Xi's challenge, but Ning Zhuo, who was beside Shen Xi, was dressed simply and did not have a strong magical aura, so he seemed easier to bully.

Pi Fujie knew about Su Lingkou. If it came to dealing with Shen Xi's cousin, would Shen Xi let it go so easily?

However, the unfamiliar cultivator beside Shen Xi was not mentioned in the intelligence, so he should be an outsider.

Pi Fujie's plan was to bully this outsider, thereby withdrawing from the struggle and fulfilling his duty to his family.

He made a mistake.

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhuo raised an eyebrow and revealed a smile, emanating a chilling killing intent.

He squinted, looking Pi Fujie up and down, and said slowly, "Interesting. A Foundation Establishment cultivator actually dares to speak to me like that. Heh, it's been a long time since anyone has done that."

Pi Fujie was secretly startled, and a question arose in his mind: "Who is this person, and why is he so arrogant?"

"His magical power... is clearly that of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Upon hearing Ning Zhuo's response, Shen Xi was secretly surprised by the latter's firmness, but also secretly pleased. This was the scene he had hoped to see.

Su Ling smiled slightly, and in an instant, she felt much more pleasing to Ning Zhuo.

She suddenly remembered that Ning Zhuo's previous success in dealing with Yu Heye and Lin Jinglong had made her and her cousin constantly wonder about Ning Zhuo's background: "Isn't now a good opportunity to test him?"

She immediately added fuel to the fire for Ning Zhuo, saying, "I think it's because Young Master Pi Fujie sees that Fellow Daoist Ning's cultivation is low and wants to pick on an easy target."

She was telling the truth, but Shen Xi's expression immediately changed, and he thought to himself, "Oh no, Ning Zhuo is such a person, how could he not see through his cousin's thoughts?"

Shen Xi quickly tried to salvage the situation, saying, "Brother Ning, I, Pi, am blind. Why bother arguing with this blind man? Besides, this is an old feud between my Shen family and the Pi family. The Pi family are members of the demonic path; many years ago, they slaughtered innocent people and collected their souls for cultivation..."

Pi Fujie couldn't stand it any longer and interrupted directly: "Nonsense! My Pi family is a righteous sect, and the laws of the Flying Cloud Kingdom have been promulgated to vindicate our clan! Although this is the Myriad Manifestations Sect, it is also the Flying Cloud Kingdom. How can we allow a nobody like you to distort the truth and slander the righteous path?"

Shen Xi sneered.

Ning Zhuo's gaze was cold.

He was aware of the matters concerning the Shen and Pi families.

During the banquet that hosted Lin Jinglong, he inquired about the Shen family and realized that Shen Xi was right.

Before the Pi family was founded, they were a group of demonic cultivators, extremely vicious and wicked.

They roamed around committing crimes, slaughtering living beings to extract their souls, and using these souls as the main material to inscribe talismans on their skin to enhance their own strength.

During this process, the demonic cultivator gang incurred the wrath of the Shen family. They repeatedly attacked villages within the Shen family's territory, prompting the Shen family to conduct a thorough investigation and send people to hunt down the culprits.

As the two sides switched roles, with gains and losses, the contradictions between them deepened.

The Pi family's enemies are not only the Shen family, but they have the deepest grudge against the Shen family.

The Shen family began to form alliances and counter-alliances. After a long and fierce war, the Pi family realized their own predicament and spent a huge amount of money to "persuade" the Feiyun Kingdom government to recognize them and clear their name as a righteous family.

However, because of this, the Pi family can no longer carry out their old practices of slaughter.

If they want to obtain souls, the only option for now is to set up a gate to hell and hunt them down from the underworld.

Ning Zhuo's tough stance was also intentional.

Pi Fujie immediately became more restrained, his gaze fixed on Ning Zhuo: "May I ask your esteemed name and background?"

Ning Zhuo sneered, tilting his head slightly: "You are not worthy to ask. Come, the training ground is right here. I've taken this life-or-death battle on behalf of Brother Shen. Are you afraid of Brother Shen, but are you afraid of a nobody like me?"

"What kind of nobody dares to speak to me like that?" Pi Fujie was so angry he wanted to roll his eyes.

"Why is it that everyone keeps talking about life-or-death martial arts battles?"

"Are you still from prominent families? Don't you know that a wise man avoids dangerous situations? What's the point of all this shouting for war and bloodshed?"

"Shouldn't these kinds of fighting and killing be done by thugs and subordinates?"

Although Pi Fujie did not know Ning Zhuo's background, he knew from Shen Xi's attitude of treating Ning Zhuo as an equal that Ning Zhuo was no easy person.

Pi Fujie was even less willing to fight.

"Fighting him is far less desirable than fighting Shen Xi."

"At least, I know Shen Xi quite well. But this person is completely unpredictable right now."

Thinking of this, Pi Fujie gritted his teeth in anger.

"Damn it, you should at least dress nicely."

Ning Zhuo's attire was understated, unlike the glamorous appearances of Shen Xi and Su Lingkou. Even Pi Fujie, with his hundred python skin, was a magical artifact-level garment, quite luxurious for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"What, you don't dare? You don't even dare to accept a challenge from a mere mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator like me?" Ning Zhuo sneered.

Since Pi Fujie has just revealed a weakness, we should relentlessly pursue him.

Pi Fujie suppressed his anger and once again clasped his hands in greeting, asking, "May I ask your esteemed name and who you are?"

Ning Zhuo took out the Five Elements Mechanism Fan, unfolded it, and gently fanned himself: "You're so curious? That's fine."

"Let's have a life-or-death duel. I'll tell you the answer before I kill you."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure you die knowing the truth."

Ning Zhuo, of course, would not reveal his identity or origins. The Ning family had fled from the Northern Wind Kingdom and were currently establishing themselves in the Southern Bean Kingdom with the help of the Zhu family.

The Ning family's overall strength is far inferior to that of the Pi family.

Therefore, the Ning family's identity is not something to be proud of.

Ning Zhuo once again displayed a tough stance. Mainly, he genuinely didn't take Pi Fujie seriously.

(End of this chapter)