Devour

"Your master was defeated by the Yunlei Sword Technique that you secretly learned, and that's why he resigned from the position of hall master. How could I not know about the grudges and twists and turns inside? I'm just acting out a play with you, senior sister." There was a hint of sarcasm in Pan Yue's calm voice.

He stood tall on the stage, bowed solemnly and gracefully toward the spot where Wang Zhen had broken her sword, and said in a deep voice, "Farewell, Senior Sister Zhen!"

Cheng Bai Wuxin argued with Bei Tingjun, silently commenting: "Brother Pan is ruthless and shameless, and his methods are amazing. He is a talent that can become a hero."

Wang Mingsheng took the hourglass and announced the results: "In the second match, Pan Yue, the Southern World Traveler, won and advanced to the Holy Son Showdown!"

The disciples squatting outside the hall were extremely excited. They talked about the brief but intense battle just now and asked for their gambling money in a clamor.

"Wow haha……"

The winner smiled triumphantly, "That old woman who bought the Qin Green Tea was really worth it. She earned enough this round to buy a good sword!"

"Fuck it..."

After losing everything, he cried out in frustration, "Pan Yue is too treacherous. He actually has a series of tricks up his sleeve. His moves are too ruthless!"

Someone asked suspiciously, "In the last competition, the two sides were a generation apart, so the loser was fine. Why is it that the practitioners of the Thunder Sword Technique, which is so famous, always lose?"

At the same time, more people are questioning another question: "What kind of swordsmanship did Pan Yue use to defeat the Yunlei Swordsmanship?"

Inside the hall, two attendant disciples carried the dying Wang Zhen away.

Wang Hong's face was stern. He looked down at the victor on the stage and shouted, "Pan Yue, how did you get hit by the Jiyi Sword Scripture, which has been passed down through the Ji Yuquan Sword School? This is like treason. Where did you learn it from?"

Stealing martial arts from other sects is a big taboo in the martial arts world. Once discovered, if the offense is minor, the person will be spurned by the sect and fellow martial artists. In serious cases, the person may even have all his martial arts skills stripped away or even be sentenced to death.

The air instantly thickened like iron. The surrounding elders watched with cold eyes, ready to attack and capture Pan Yue at the command of the Sect Leader.

Pan Yue bowed to the lofty Wang Hong and replied calmly, "Reporting to the Holy Master, this disciple did not steal other sects' skills. Instead, I traveled through Nanli Mingzhou for many years, overcoming many hardships and dangers, and obtained the fragments of the last move of the Yunlei Sword Technique, 'Yellow Sea Wind and Thunder'!"

The sound echoing in the martial arts arena reached the ears of everyone in the Transmission Hall. The elders had different expressions, some surprised, some secretly delighted.

"What?" Wang Mingsheng, who was sitting in the teacher's seat, stood up suddenly. He immediately realized his mistake and sat down slowly again.

Wang Hong glanced at him indifferently, dismissing the question and continuing to question, "Finding our sect's secret manual and completing the remaining fragments is a great feat. Why haven't you handed in the manual? What does it have to do with the Ultimate Sword Manual?"

Pan Yue continued, "I was extremely surprised at the time. After further investigation, I discovered that the mystery was far more profound. I then traced the source and unexpectedly came across a Tianfu ruin. Not only did they hide some fragments of my Jingtao Sect, but they also housed secret manuals from several other sects. Most of the 'Extreme Sword Manual' was particularly well-preserved."

The elders exchanged glances with each other, unable to contain their surprise, and occasionally talked in low voices.

Wang Hong quickly pressed the issue, "Does that Tianfu have a clear history? For example, any names or clues left behind?"

Pan Yue glanced at Master Li, who was eating and drinking beside the table, and said slowly, "There is a plaque left there, with huge ancient characters on it. I copied it and sent it to Taowu Academy for translation. I learned that it is called 'Immortal Master Dao Leibu Tianfu'. Master is also aware of this."

"Oh..." Wang Hong's eyes rolled around after hearing this. He paused briefly at the three guests on his left and right, then immediately retracted his gaze and asked cautiously, "How many secret manuals and scriptures have you recovered in total?"

Pan Yue, with a humble expression, explained, "The Taowu Academy dispatched Mr. Xiong Er to help dismantle the remaining formations within the Tianfu ruins, allowing the disciples to enter and exit without difficulty. The secret manuals and scriptures were counted and distributed according to custom, with Mr. Xiong Er and the disciples splitting the profits 100% and 90%."

Master Li nodded slightly, agreeing, "That's true. Those fragments of scriptures were sorted out by Mr. Lan Da and Mr. Xiong Er, and they're all incomplete. At least they make the academy's collection more complete compared to before."

Wang Hong let out a long sigh, not knowing whether he was relieved or disappointed.

Wang Mingsheng still had a glimmer of hope, mumbling, "Pan Yue was able to bring back 90% of the scriptures... That's quite a harvest."

Pan Yue ruthlessly extinguished his fantasy and said calmly, "I will only receive 10%. Fortunately, you are allowed to make your own choice. After careful consideration, I have decided to keep the remaining five volumes: 'Yunlei Sword Technique,' 'Jiyi Sword Sutra,' 'Guixu Sword Technique,' 'Lingxi Sword Technique,' and 'Mianmian Changchun Gong.'"

Wang Hong then burst into laughter and praised him, "Pan Yue has made a great contribution. Where are the five scriptures now?"

Pan Yue said sternly, "After returning to Jing'ao Island, I rushed to attend the internal competition without having the opportunity to meet with the headmaster and report in detail. I brought the scriptures with me and had intended to present them later."

Wang Hong nodded and said, "Okay, very good... Let's put it this way. If you fail to capture the Holy Son in the decisive battle, the position of the Northern Branch Master has been vacant for a long time, and we are in urgent need of an outstanding talent. Come see me after the meeting."

Pan Yue received the promise, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise slightly. He bowed and thanked again and again, saying: "Disciple will obey the command of the Holy Lord."

"What a double standard! Obtaining the secret manual of a larger sect is considered a merit, but causing chaos in one's own inheritance is considered a traitor." Cheng Bai witnessed this farce and secretly complained about it. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed.

"Brother Pan went from being a problematic figure who stole his own martial arts to a hero who saved the tradition. If he hadn't delved into the Ultimate Sword Manual for some time, how could he have mastered it so easily? Furthermore, he didn't practice the final move of the known Falling Thunder Sword Technique, intent on using another sect's unique techniques to achieve a surprise victory at the crucial moment. Wang Hong simply chose to ignore it."

Cheng Bai pondered this carefully, and then asked Master Li with his spiritual sense, "Do the unique skills and techniques passed down by Jingtao Sect actually all originate from the Immortal Master Dao?"

Master Li replied secretly, "It's not just the Jingtao Sect! Many sects, big and small, across the Five Continents share a common origin and inheritance with the three great sects: the Immortal Master Dao, the World Honored Sect, and the Feitian Sect. Therefore, everyone knows this tacitly."

Cheng Bai pondered, "The various sects take it for granted that they possess the classics of the Three Religions, but they strictly forbid traitors from stealing other sects' skills. The Taowu Academy is truly a hub, playing a vital role in the continuation of civilization."

Master Li explained in detail, "The Immortal Master Way, the World Honored One's Teaching, and the Non-Heavenly Teaching encompass a vast range of areas, far beyond what is visible on the five continents and four seas. The first two, in particular, have spread their teachings throughout the entire Cloud Realm, even to the various Star Realms and Saint Realms."

Cheng Bai suddenly realized, "A sect that has spread far and wide like this is a true great sect!"

Master Li added, "Furthermore, certain guilds stand out and possess immense influence. For example, among the Five Guilds, the Alchemy Guild, the Ranger Guild, and the Immortal Guild are actually offshoots that spread from the Imperial Star to the Outer Realms and took root in the Five Continents. Due to fierce competition, smaller guilds were often swallowed up. The Slaughter Guild is relatively the weakest."

Cheng Bai looked solemn and said, "I will teach you."

After the intermission, Wang Mingsheng announced in a voice as resonant as a bell, "The third match will be between Pan Zhonghan, the elder of the Guardian Hall at Zhanjian Peak, and Pan Yue, the World Traveler of the South."

"These two candidates for the Holy Son are the highlights of this internal competition." After Cheng Bai said this, he stretched his ears and listened to the heated debates of many disciples outside the hall.

"Based on their respective performances, Elder Pan's victory in three moves is worth 1.5 to 1. Southlander Pan Yue's victory in five moves is worth 3 to 1."

"Who are you going to bet on?"

"Pan Zhonghan is a man of profound Taoism and high rank. I'm betting on him to win. Twenty taels!"

"Pan Yue is experienced and his methods are unexpected. I'm optimistic about him and I'm betting thirty taels!"

"We only accept platinum, not gold. Don't bring any spirit stones worth less than Feiying Stone!"

Bei Tingjun, who was standing beside him, also noticed the bustle outside the hall and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, do you want to play too? I'm betting one thousand taels of black gold on Elder Pan Zhonghan to win."

Cheng Bai didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Wang Hong and, taking advantage of his drunkenness, suggested, "Just watching makes me itch. Lord Wang, would you like to offer some prizes to spice up the fight?"

Wang Hong responded readily, "Since the White Emperor Sect Leader is so interested, it's fine to accompany him. I'm also optimistic that Elder Pan Zhonghan will win."

Cheng Bai suddenly understood: "Elder Pan will be the Holy Son, and Brother Pan will be the Altar Master. The two losers are discarded. Their paths have already been decided."