Junior sister took first place again

When the seven-colored rays of light tore through the sky, the star sand on the three thousand sword testing platforms trembled at the same time.

The Xuanling Sect's twelve-story ship broke through the clouds. The gilded chains wrapped around the ship were engraved with the "Shangqing Lingbao Sutra", and each scripture turned into a solid golden seal and flowed in the air.

Eighteen blue-eyed golden rocs escorted them on both sides, and the strong winds raised by their wings plowed hundreds of miles of gullies in the sea of clouds.

When they were about to arrive at the Xingchen Sect, these spirit beasts were released for decoration. No matter what was going on inside, the appearance of the first immortal residence in Zhongzhou was essential.

Countless cultivators in the city and the Star Sect showed longing in their eyes and made sounds of praise one after another, among which there were also many sounds of surprise.

Because the Xuanling Sect's flying boat was actually following the Dongzhou Ji family's Black Turtle Treasure Ship on its flank - on the hull of the ship, which was refined from the thousand-year-old black tortoise shell, the Ji family's unique red scale pattern glowed blood-red in the sunlight.

One of these two forces is a sect, and the other is a noble family. They are also located in different states. Anyone who sees that they seem to be coming together would find it a bit weird.

Inside the medicine pavilion, Yan Jiuyuan suddenly sat up, the Beidou bracelet on his wrist emitting a dazzling silver light. He squinted at the distant movement, then saw that Junior Sister Ning's name on the jade slip was still dimmed. He sighed and lay back down.

When Wen Xingzhou stepped down from the flying boat on the steps paved with golden seals, the tortoise shell in his arms suddenly became as hot as a branding iron - this was a sensing magic weapon he had refined from a strand of Ning Jiasheng's soul lamp.

He continued to talk with the elders who had received him from the Xingchen Sect without any expression, and only settled all the disciples he had brought with him half an hour later.

Wen Xingzhou was walking along the path back to his guesthouse when he suddenly heard, "Nephew, please follow me." Yunhua Immortal Venerable's voice echoed through the air, and two communication talismans wrapped in the Taiyin Star Soul hovered before him. "The Sect Master has deduced the opportunity for Nephew Ning to break the formation."

When Immortal Yunhua led Wen Xingzhou into the secret room, the Xingsha Compass before the Nanming Sect Master was displaying the hexagram of Water and Fire Not Yet in Harmony. The hexagram's words, shrouded in blood mist, read: "A little fox, wet with its tail, will not benefit you."

"Young friend Ning is trapped at the core of the formation." The Nanming Sect Master coughed up blood foam tinged with starlight, his fingertips tracing the line of the Tianchi on the compass. "Xu Gua Jiu San: Need in the mud, leading to the arrival of the enemy. One month later at midnight, nine stars will appear in a line in the sky of the Floating World. That will be her only chance to break the formation."

Wen Xingzhou's tortoise shell suddenly cracked, emitting crimson sword energy. He stared at the vaguely visible Kan position in the hexagram and asked, "Can I only support from the outside?"

"That's right." Immortal Yunhua unfolded the star map, revealing a magical pattern interwoven into a dragon trap above Fushi Jing'an City. "Xu Gua Nine-Five: [The text then abruptly shifts topics.] You need to set up the Liquan Formation by the Wei River, and when she breaks through it, use the Xuanling Sect's secret technique to guide her—but whether she can sever the three thousand demon chains within the formation depends entirely on herself."

When the last overtone of "Breaking Willows" faded away, the Liquan jade pendant in Wen Xingzhou's sleeve suddenly emitted a ripple-like green light.

He stopped and looked up, and saw Yan Jiuyuan sitting horizontally on the star rope. The silver bell of the Big Dipper hanging at the end of the jade flute tinkled in the night wind, which unexpectedly matched the rhythm of the seven stars of Capricornus.

"Fellow Daoist Yan's flute music is so clear and penetrating." Wen Xingzhou fluttered his wide sleeves, and three jade gongs floated beside him, spontaneously adjusting to the tune of the zhi. "I didn't get to hear it when I left Jiangning so hastily back then. Thinking about it now, it's such a pity."

Yan Jiuyuan tapped the Star Rope lightly with his toes, and the silver bell suddenly rang out in a long, clear voice: "When Senior Brother Wen took Junior Sister Ning to the night market, I played the entire "Qingxin Jue" to the syrup rabbit—"

He shook the jade flute, and the dark traces of sugar residue were clearly visible in the moonlight. "It's a pity that the Sword Immortal's first disciple only has eyes for the phoenix sugar painting that Junior Sister wants."

Wen Xingzhou laughed dumbly, his fingertips skimming the gongs as he played a half-song of "Crane Soaring to the Sky." As the sound waves spread, the bandage on Yan Jiuyuan's wrist suddenly revealed a blood-red star pattern—the very pattern at the core of the Zhoutian Xuanji Formation.

"What a wonderful piece of music! Cranes sing in the Nine Gaos!" Yan Jiuyuan clapped his hands and laughed. The jade flute suddenly changed the tune to a changing zheng tone. "But Senior Brother Wen, did you know that the third verse of 'Breaking Willows' is supposed to start with the yu tone and continue with the shang tune?"

He deliberately dragged out the ending tone for half a minute, and the star rope responded with ripples like water.

Wen Xingzhou's pupils shrank slightly. This slight deviation in the rhythm perfectly matched the demonic energy fluctuations recorded by the sundial on the observatory over the past few days.

The natal sword in his sleeve trembled slightly, and the green jade bell on the sword tassel suddenly exploded - the hexagram formed by the broken jade pointed to the southeast direction.

"Fellow Daoist Yan's skill in 'accidentally blowing the Gong Shang'..." Wen Xingzhou raised his hand to catch a piece of broken jade. The shards of jade condensed into a miniature version of the Locking Heaven Formation diagram in his palm. "It's similar to the lost 'Luan Po Transcription' from Xunfeng Pavilion."

Yan Jiuyuan flipped over and jumped off the Star Rope, the silver bells of the Big Dipper jingling on his waistband. "It can't be helped. Who made me copy the Complete Explanation of Star Arrays for Master the other day—"

He suddenly leaned forward and placed half a willow leaf soaked in star sand into Wen Xingzhou's palm. "Your foot got hit by the gilded inkstone from Tianshu Hall, and you can't even tune the rhythm correctly."

The willow leaves felt scorching hot to the touch, and between their veins swirled the distinctive crimson veins of Ning Jiasheng's natal sword. Wen Xingzhou peered intently and discovered that the ends of the veins were etched with the astrological code for "3:00 PM at Hai Hour."

The midnight bell rang out at that very moment. Yan Jiuyuan leaped backward onto the eaves, his jade flute tracing the path of the Big Dipper in the sky. "Brother Wen, if you're concerned about that jade bell, please give me three jars of Xunfeng Pavilion's newly brewed Bamboo Leaf Green tomorrow..."

As the echo faded into the clouds, Wen Xingzhou looked down and saw that the Broken Jade Hexagram had changed. The previously incomplete Locking Heaven Formation diagram now showed a glimmer of hope—the very same "Man and Sword Unity" opening move Ning Jiasheng would use in times of danger.