Zhu Xian: The way of heaven collapses, and I only have one sword!

Chapter 31 An eye-catching competition!
At the start of the competition, Chen Qiye, who had a bye in the first round, headed straight for the largest of the eight arenas, the "Qian" arena. Looking around, he saw a sea of ​​Qingyun Sect disciples crowding the arena, making it impossible to move. There were at least four or five hundred people.

As Chen Qiye approached, he heard only a clamor of chatter, the sounds of Qingyun disciples excitedly discussing their plans. Seeing him approach, everyone made way for him. Their gazes were filled with awe and curiosity: awe because of his status as a direct disciple of Daoxuan Zhenren; curiosity because they wanted to see what kind of strength he would demonstrate in this Seven Clans Martial Arts Competition.

Arriving at the inner circle of the circular platform, I saw only seven or eight people seated closest to the ring. Among them were Daoxuan Zhenren, the head of the Qingyun Sect; Cangsong Daoren, the head of Longshou Peak; and Master Shuiyue, the head of Xiaozhu Peak. The others were mostly renowned elders from various lineages. Behind them, a dense crowd of Qingyun disciples stood. The most conspicuous were the group of beautiful Xiaozhu Peak disciples, standing behind Master Shuiyue. Closest to her was Lu Xueqi. At this moment, she remained as cold as ice, yet her beauty was unparalleled, drawing countless glances.

Lu Xueqi seemed to sense something and raised her eyes slightly to look at Chen Qiye. Compared to when they first met, Chen Qiye was now more calm and reserved, and the determination in his eyes was even deeper. When their eyes met, there seemed to be a subtle fluctuation in the air.

Lu Xueqi was slightly startled, instantly remembering the bet between them. A faint blush crept onto her pretty face. She quickly looked away, feigning indifference as she returned her gaze to the arena. The scene of her bet with Chen Qiye involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

At this moment, the originally noisy crowd suddenly quieted down. Under the gaze of everyone, Lu Xueqi took a step forward and bowed to Master Shuiyue who was sitting on the chair. Master Shuiyue responded calmly, nodded, and said, "Go."

Lu Xueqi responded, appearing on the stage in a flash. The mountain breeze blew, her white clothes fluttering, her complexion whiter than snow, a beauty so pure and beautiful that it was hard to describe. One couldn't help but feel pity for her, but also a sense of awe.

A moment later, the audience erupted in thunderous applause, so loud that it made Chen Qiye's ears ring. If it weren't for his pride, he would have nearly burst out cursing. Master Shuiyue, sitting in the audience, had a smile on his usually stoic face.

Not long after, a young disciple slowly walked onto the stage from one side. He had thick eyebrows and large eyes, and looked ordinary. As soon as he stepped onto the stage, he said to Lu Xueqi, "Junior Sister Lu, I am Fang Chao, a disciple of Longshou Peak. I am honored to have the opportunity to spar with you today. It is truly a great honor."

"Huh!" A chorus of contempt suddenly rang out from the audience.

Lu Xueqi's face was expressionless, and she responded in a cold tone, "Senior Brother Fang is polite. I am Lu Xueqi, the seventh-generation disciple of Xiaozhu Peak, and I would like to ask for advice from Senior Brother Fang today."

Fang Chao's face was all smiles, and he was still chattering away. But the disciples in the audience were not calm at all, especially Chen Qiye, who almost rushed onto the stage to kick him.

"Boom-"

The bells and tripods finally rang out, signaling the start of the competition. Lu Xueqi's face turned cold, and she looked directly at Fang Chao. Her icy glare sent a chill through Fang Chao's body. Although Lu Xueqi's expression remained impassive, he dared not joke around any longer. With a flick of his right hand, a silver-white immortal sword materialized.

A chill suddenly filled the air. Looking at Lu Xueqi again, she remained expressionless as she watched Fang Chao's Luck Condensed Ice, showing no intention of attacking. Behind her, she carried a divine sword in a sky-blue scabbard. It was the Nine Heavens Divine Weapon—Tianya.

Fang Chao raised his immortal sword, his body gleaming with silver-white light, and tried to suppress Lu Xueqi with his sword energy. But Lu Xueqi stood still, as if she didn't feel anything, her eyes fixed on Fang Chao like ice blades.

The audience in the audience dared not breathe, staring at the ring without blinking, looking forward to how the competition would develop next.

Just as Fang Chao was about to launch a fierce attack, Lu Xueqi made her move. Her movements were as fast as lightning, and the Tianya Sword behind her was instantly unsheathed, emitting a brilliant blue light that enveloped the entire arena.

Fang Chao felt a flash of blue light before his eyes, and a huge sense of oppression came over him. He subconsciously waved his magic sword to resist, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, in the astonished eyes of everyone, Fang Chao's immortal sword was actually cut in half by the Tianya Sword. The broken sword body fell to the ground with a "clang" and made a crisp sound.

The stage and the audience suddenly fell silent, and everyone held their breath. Everyone present knew what a long-cultivated immortal sword meant to a cultivator.

"Wow!" On the stage, Fang Chao spat out a mouthful of blood, covered his chest with his hands, his face showing pain. He could no longer hold on, and fell to the ground with a "thump" and fainted.

Several people from Longshou Peak immediately rushed onto the stage and helped Fang Chao up. Looking at the broken sword, their faces were filled with anger, and they looked at Lu Xueqi fiercely.

Below the stage, Taoist Cangsong frowned and looked at Master Shuiyue, saying in a cold tone, "Junior Sister Shuiyue, your disciple is truly cruel. He had already won, yet he still relied on his magical weapon to forcibly destroy someone else's immortal sword. What kind of thing is this?"

Master Shuiyue responded coldly, "Xueqi's cultivation is still shallow, and her Taoism is not enough to control a divine object like 'Tianya'. This is not a big deal."

When Taoist Cangsong heard this, his anger surged, and he was about to explode. Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulder. It was Taoist Daoxuan, who had stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder. Taoist Cangsong looked at him, then forced himself to suppress his anger and strode away.

Taoist Master Daoxuan looked at the tall figure of Taoist Cangsong, shook his head helplessly, smiled bitterly and sighed. He turned around and was about to speak when he found that Master Shuiyue had also left.

At this time, Lu Xueqi had already walked down from the stage and came to Shuiyue. Shuiyue looked at her, a smile appeared on her face, and nodded. Lu Xueqi did not say anything, just bowed slightly, and then followed Shuiyue away. When passing by Chen Qiye, Lu Xueqi whispered, "I haven't forgotten the bet."

Chen Qiye looked at Lu Xueqi's departing figure, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, a barely perceptible smile flashed in his eyes, and he whispered to himself, "I haven't forgotten either."

At the end of the first day's competition, five of the eight Dazhu Peak disciples emerged victorious, while three lost. Song Daren, Tian Ling'er, He Dazhi, Du Bishu, and Zhang Xiaofan all advanced to the next round. Five advances was a rare achievement in centuries, and Tian Buyi was overjoyed. However, everyone understood that Chen Qiye's support was indispensable to their success.

Time passed quickly. The next day, above the sea of ​​clouds, Qingyun Sect disciples gathered in the square as they had the day before, continuing to watch the once-a-decade Qingyun Sect Seven Sects Martial Competition. They stood beneath the red list from yesterday, only to see that half of the names on it had been removed.

Next to Chen Qiye's name, who had a bye in the first round, was his opponent. As expected, he was assigned to the "Qian" stage, where Lu Xueqi had been the day before.

The news that Chen Qiye was about to appear on stage intensified the atmosphere. The audience erupted in excitement, with everyone speculating about the stunning appearance that Daoxuan Zhenren's direct disciple would bring.

Besides Taoist Master Daoxuan, the other Six Sect Leaders had also arrived at the Qian Terrace early. Taoist Master Cangsong's expression remained stern, still resentful of Lu Xueqi's incident yesterday. He looked towards Chen Qiye with a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

Master Shuiyue, on the other hand, wore a calm expression, still followed by the group of female disciples from Xiaozhu Peak. Lu Xueqi stood among them, dressed in white, looking cool and elegant, her gaze unconsciously falling on Chen Qiye.

Under everyone's gaze, Chen Qiye flashed and instantly appeared on the competition stage. But the next second, everyone was shocked to see that Chen Qiye was holding not a divine sword, but an ordinary wooden sword. The blade was polished to a smooth finish, but in this competition arena filled with the cold gleam of divine swords, it looked completely out of place.

Looking at his opponent, Zhao Yufeng from Chaoyang Peak, he held a Chixiao sword that emitted a blazing light. The sword body was flowing with lively flames, forming a sharp contrast with the wooden sword in Chen Qiye's hand.

Zhao Yufeng saw Chen Qiye's unusual appearance, and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and he said with a hint of sarcasm: "Brother Chen, do you think I'm unworthy of you using the immortal sword, so you use a wooden sword to humiliate me?"

"If I use the magic sword, I'm afraid it will undermine my opponent's self-confidence. Besides, someone might die." Chen Qiye said with a smile.

Zhao Yufeng's disdain grew even more pronounced after hearing what Chen Qiye said. He sneered, "Hmph, how shameless! Then let me see what this wooden sword of yours can do."

"Dong—" the sound of bells and tripods from the competition rang out immediately.

Zhao Yufeng launched the attack first, wielding the Chixiao Sword fiercely. A surge of flaming sword energy, like a roaring fire dragon, swept along with a surging heat wave, rushed towards Chen Qiye. Wherever it passed, the air seemed to be ignited, emitting a sizzling sound.

Yet Chen Qiye remained calm and composed. He gently raised the wooden sword in his hand and thrust it forward seemingly casually. There was no earth-shattering momentum or dazzling special effects, but the moment the wooden sword thrust out, an invisible yet powerful force suddenly erupted.

This force was like an invisible storm, which instantly crushed the flaming sword energy released by Zhao Yufeng. The blazing flames were like fragile bubbles in front of this force, and disappeared without a trace in a "puff".

Immediately afterwards, this force rushed towards Zhao Yufeng unhindered. Zhao Yufeng only felt an irresistible force coming towards him. Before he could react, his whole body flew backwards uncontrollably like a kite with a broken string, and fell heavily on the edge of the ring, raising a cloud of dust.

Zhao Yufeng struggled to stand, but felt as if every bone in his body had fallen apart. The pain was unbearable, and a trace of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth. The audience was silent at first, and then burst into exclamations and discussions.

"This... How is this possible? A wooden sword actually has this much power!"

"Who is Senior Brother Chen? His strength is too terrifying!"

Taoist Cangsong's previously stern face also revealed a hint of surprise, and the scrutiny in his eyes intensified. Master Shuiyue's expression remained calm, and he only nodded slightly, as if he was not surprised by Chen Qiye's performance. Lu Xueqi looked at Chen Qiye on the stage, a complex expression flashing in her eyes, a mixture of surprise and a subtle admiration.

Chen Qiye stood on the stage, his expression calm, the wooden sword in his hand gleaming with a simple light in the sunlight. He glanced at Zhao Yufeng, who lay on the ground, and sighed softly. "You're quite good, but it's a pity you met me. As long as I have a sword in hand, I'm unbeatable in my realm."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire audience erupted in an uproar. The awe in everyone's eyes as they looked at Chen Qiye had turned to deep shock and panic. The Six Meridians' leaders in the audience each had their own thoughts.

Chen Qiye paid no attention to the crowd's reactions. With a flick of his wrist, he tucked the wooden sword into his arms, then, in a flash, he slowly walked off the stage. As he passed Lu Xueqi, he tilted his head slightly, their eyes meeting, and they both tacitly recalled the bet.

By the end of the day, only sixteen remained in the Qingyun Sect's "Seven Clans Martial Competition." To many's surprise, the usually inconspicuous Dazhu Peak had three of them, far exceeding previous competitions. Regardless of the specific circumstances, Tian Buyi presented himself with a radiant smile, beaming throughout the day. The disciples observed this and discussed the matter privately.

(End of this chapter)