Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Inside the Yuqing Hall, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

The air was filled with a mellow, aged scent, a blend of sandalwood, books, and a faint earthy aroma—calm, rich, and so involuntary that it made one hold their breath in concentration.

Sixty-four young disciples participating in the Seven Sects Martial Arts Tournament stood neatly in the center of the main hall, according to the order of their respective sects.

The nine people from Dazhu Peak stood together, with Jiang Xiaochuan sandwiched between Song Daren and Lin Jingyu. He tried his best to straighten his back, keeping his eyes down and pretending to be an emotionless clay sculpture.

But he could feel the gentle gaze from Xiaozhu Peak, the deep gaze from Luoxia Peak, the ardent gaze from Fenghui Peak, and the occasional curious glances from other disciples, which still followed him like a shadow.

Dao Xuan Zhenren sat upright in the main seat at the head of the table, his face serene and his gaze gentle.

He slowly glanced at the dozens of young faces standing upright before His Highness, and seeing that everyone had arrived, he turned away as if nothing had happened.

He spoke in a gentle and pleasant tone, his voice not loud, yet possessing a strange penetrating power that clearly reached everyone's ears, soothing some of the restlessness in the young people's hearts:

"Everyone's here, right? Okay, okay."

The disciples dared not be negligent, bowing in unison. Their voices echoed through the spacious hall, resounding: "Disciples pay respects to the Sect Leader!"

Dao Xuan Zhenren smiled slightly, waved his hand, indicating that everyone should dispense with formalities, and then slowly walked back to his seat. He glanced at Qi Hao, who was sitting below him and was now temporarily serving as the head of Dragon Head Peak, and nodded slightly.

Qi Hao understood, stood up, and walked to the front of the main hall. He was also dressed in a solemn headdress today, exuding a composed demeanor. His gaze swept over the disciples below the platform, and he spoke in a clear voice, which resonated throughout the hall, instantly drawing everyone's attention:

"Disciples!"

"You are all outstanding members of the younger generation of the Qingyun Sect, the hope and pillars of our sect's future!"

Qi Hao's voice was high-pitched and infectious, his eyes burning with intensity. "Our Qingyun lineage, founded by Ancestor Qingye, has a history of over two thousand years. Upholding the righteous path, slaying demons and monsters, we are truly the orthodox lineage of Taoism and the leader of the righteous path under heaven!"

Upon hearing this, all the disciples below the stage straightened their backs, their faces showing pride and solemnity. Even Jiang Xiaochuan was infected by this solemn atmosphere and temporarily put aside his chaotic thoughts.

Qi Hao paused, then continued, his tone becoming serious:

"However, as the ancients said, 'Diligence leads to mastery, while idleness leads to ruin!' They also said, 'Sailing against the current, if you don't advance, you'll fall back!' The path of cultivation is like climbing a towering peak; the slightest slackening may lead to a fall into the abyss! It is for this reason that our lineage's patriarchs, to warn future generations and guide the younger generation, have passed down this grand event, the 'Seven Lineages Martial Arts Tournament'! To date, it has been held for a full twentieth time!"

"The 20th?!"

A murmur of surprise and gasps rippled through the audience. A cycle of sixty years, twenty cycles would span a long twelve hundred years!

The weight and long history of this tradition made every young disciple present feel its profound significance, and they felt an infinite reverence for their predecessors, even their breathing became lighter.

Qi Hao nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with his disciples' reactions, and continued, "To this day, under the wise leadership of Sect Leader Dao Xuan, our Qingyun Sect is flourishing, far surpassing its predecessors! Among the younger generation, there are countless talents and outstanding individuals!"

"Therefore, after discussions between the Sect Leader and the heads of each branch, the number of participants in the Grand Trial has been increased to sixty-four! This is to avoid any regrets of overlooking outstanding talents, and to ensure that all promising individuals in our Qingyun Sect have the opportunity to showcase their abilities and hone their skills!"

He abruptly changed the subject, raising his arm and pointing to an open space on the right side of the hall: "This time, the number of participants has doubled, so the rules for drawing lots have also changed! Please take a look—"

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed and saw a square, about half a person's height, large red wooden box. The box was polished smooth, brightly colored and festive, and the lid was sealed tightly, with only a small hole at the top that could fit an arm.

"There are sixty-four wax pills in that mahogany box!" Qi Hao said loudly.

"Each wax pellet contained a slip of paper with a number from one to sixty-four written on it!"

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he said clearly:

"After the draw, the competition will proceed according to the drawn numbers! The rules are as follows: Number 1 will face Number 64, Number 2 will face Number 63, Number 3 will face Number 62, and so on! In the second round, the winner of the first round between Number 1 and Number 64 will face the winner of the second round between Number 63! This cycle will continue until the final battle to determine the champion! Do you all understand?"

"Understood!" the disciples responded in unison, their voices echoing through the hall. Many were already nervously rubbing their hands or silently praying, hoping to draw a good lot and avoid encountering those notorious and ruthless characters in the first round.

Jiang Xiaochuan subconsciously licked his dry lips, silently calculating his potential opponents.

With the Snow River Sword in hand and the Jade Purity Realm at level five, I shouldn't be eliminated in the first round, right?

I hope I'm not that unlucky.

At this moment, from the elders' seat, a white-bearded elder in charge of this matter stood up, walked to the mahogany box, and signaled that the drawing of lots could begin. Qi Hao then said:

"Alright, now that the rules for the draw are clear, disciples, please step forward one by one to draw a wax pill, and then come to me and state your name according to your assigned number. The results will be posted on a red list shortly, and you will then know who your opponents are."

He paused, stepped aside, faced Dao Xuan Zhenren, and bowed, saying, "Now, please give your instructions, Sect Leader."

The disciples, who had been slightly agitated and whispering because of the upcoming lottery, immediately quieted down and held their breath when they heard that the sect leader was going to speak.

Dao Xuan Zhenren slowly rose from his seat, walked calmly to the front of the crowd, and once again gently swept his gaze over the young, energetic faces before speaking:

"Gentlemen, you are all the elite of the younger generation in my Qingyun Sect. Your talents and abilities are outstanding. In the future, you will become the heads and elders of the various branches of the Qingyun Sect, and even the sect leader myself."

He smiled slightly, his tone encouraging.

"It is highly likely that the best among you will take on these roles."

A slight tremor ran through the Qingyun disciples, many of their faces showing longing, excitement, and even a touch of fervor. To become the head of a lineage, or even the sect leader, was the glory and goal that countless disciples dreamed of!

Dao Xuan Zhenren smiled kindly and continued, "Of course, if you want to reach this level and sit in the positions of the chief elders behind me, you will need to work even harder, cultivate diligently without ceasing, and temper your character."

"Yes!" the crowd responded in unison, their voices even louder and more powerful than before.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood in the crowd, listening to these familiar, encouraging (pie-in-the-sky) words, but he felt nothing, and even felt like yawning.

The sect leader's promise is really enticing, but unfortunately he has no ambition and just wants to coast along (crossed out)... no, I mean, cultivate peacefully.

He secretly glanced at his fellow disciples around him. Song Daren, He Dazhi and others all had solemn expressions on their faces, while Lin Jingyu's eyes were burning, clearly inspired.

Ah, young people are just so energetic.

Dao Xuan Zhenren stroked his long beard, nodded, his expression turning solemn, and said earnestly:

"Our Qingyun Sect, since its founding by our patriarch Qingyunzi, has always been a reputable and righteous sect, and now it is the leader of the righteous path in the cultivation world. Today, the righteous path flourishes, evil spirits retreat, and people enjoy peace. However, the remnants of the demonic path are treacherous and vicious, their hearts still burning. In recent years, they seem to be stirring again. At this time, it is even more necessary for us, the righteous ones, to uphold the Way and eliminate evil, and to remain steadfast in our resolve. As long as we ourselves are as firm as a rock, then evil spirits will have no opportunity to exploit us!"

The disciples were deeply moved and shouted in unison, "We will heed the sect leader's teachings! We will slay demons and uphold justice!"

The sound reverberated throughout the hall, carrying immense power. Jiang Xiaochuan opened his mouth as well, but inwardly he was thinking: The demonic path is indeed wicked, but he's never actually seen what they're like. He's heard that the Ghost King Sect has a beautiful girl named Biyao… Stop, stop! What are you thinking!

Dao Xuan Zhenren nodded and smiled, clearly satisfied with his disciples' reactions. He then changed the subject, saying, "Good, good. There is another matter I would like to announce to everyone: In order to encourage the disciples of Qingyun Sect to strive for the Dao and be diligent in their cultivation, after discussing with the senior elders, we have decided that starting from this Seven Sects Martial Arts Tournament, after each of the Seven Sects Martial Arts Tournament trials, we will give the final winner a small reward."

"award?!"

"ah!!"

A stir immediately broke out among the Qingyun disciples, and many people's eyes lit up instantly! The rewards for the Seven Peaks Martial Arts Tournament! They must be extraordinary!

Dao Xuan Zhenren looked at the excited young faces below the stage, his smile deepened, and he said slowly, "This time, the prize is a rare treasure that has been passed down in my Qingyun Sect for a long time - the 'Six Harmonies Mirror'."

"The Six Harmonies Mirror?"

"What is it?"

Most of the younger disciples from other branches seemed unaware of this item, their faces showing confusion as they whispered among themselves. However, disciples like Song Daren and Wen Min, who had been disciples for a longer time and had broader experience, had their expressions change drastically, their faces showing rare excitement, longing, and even a hint of disbelief.

Lin Jingyu and the others noticed the unusual behavior of their senior brother and some of the older disciples around them, and leaned closer to ask in a low voice, "Senior brother, what is the Six Harmonies Mirror? Is it very powerful?"

Song Daren took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement, and said in a low voice, "The Six Harmony Mirror is a magic weapon passed down by our sect's tenth generation patriarch, Master Wufangzi. I have never seen its specific appearance, but I have heard my master mention it before. It is one of our sect's rare treasures, with immense power and a unique feature. It is said that as long as the user's spiritual power is strong enough, the Six Harmony Mirror can reflect all attacks, thus making the user invincible."

"Reflect all attacks?" Wu Dayi's eyes widened.

"Invincible?!" Zheng Dali gasped.

Everyone gaped, and Du Bishu murmured, "Then...then wouldn't that make us invincible?"

Jiang Xiaochuan muttered to himself: Reflect all attacks? That sounds a bit buggy, according to the law of conservation of energy... oops, this is a cultivation world, not a science one. But is it really that amazing? He was a little skeptical.

Song Daren shrugged and said, "Anyway, I only know what he's like and how powerful he is from hearsay. But since Master said so, he can't be wrong. This time..."

He stole a glance at Dao Xuan Zhenren and the other chief disciples on the high platform, their expressions calm and composed. Lowering his voice, he said with a hint of astonishment, "It seems the sect leader and master have really gone all out this time!"

The expressions on everyone's faces became somewhat strange, and most of them couldn't help but reveal a burning light in their eyes, secretly swallowing their saliva.

Faced with such rare treasures, even a cultivator, whose mind is clearer than that of an ordinary person, would inevitably be moved and feel a strong urge to compete for them.

Who wouldn't want to own such a magical protective treasure?

Dao Xuan Zhenren paused for a moment, smiling as he watched the young disciples discuss among themselves, a look of expectation flashing in his eyes.

After a while, he raised his hand and pressed down lightly. Once the hall was quiet again, he said, "Alright, that's roughly it. Now, you will all come forward one by one to draw lots, and then you can go back to rest and conserve your energy. Tomorrow morning, the Seven Sects Martial Arts Competition will officially begin."

The Qingyun disciples bowed in unison, their voices booming, "Yes, Sect Leader!"

Dao Xuan Zhenren nodded and said gently, "You may go."

The disciples bowed again, and then, with excitement, nervousness, and anticipation, they walked in an orderly fashion to the large red wooden box and drew the wax pill that would determine their fate.

Jiang Xiaochuan followed Dazhufeng's group and slowly moved forward.

The lottery process was quick. Everyone reached into the box, took out a wax pellet, and then went to the side to register their name and number. Jiang Xiaochuan touched a wax pellet that was slightly warm to the touch. He squeezed the pellet open and found a small slip of paper inside with a number written on it—twenty-seven.

Number 27. His opponent will be number 38. Who will it be?

He went through the possible candidates in his mind, but couldn't come up with a solution.

Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore. I'll find out tomorrow.

After drawing lots and registering, the disciples began to file out of the solemn and dignified Yuqing Hall.

Stepping out of the palace gates and back into the sun-drenched, bustling Yunhai Square, Jiang Xiaochuan finally felt the heavy weight in his chest, the oppressive feeling of countless gazes and solemn atmosphere, dissipate somewhat, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

It's finally over.

He felt utterly exhausted, more tired than if he had practiced swordsmanship all day, and even felt a bit sleepy.

This whole morning has been filled with social upheavals, being strangled, being reprimanded, and drawing lots. The amount of information is overwhelming, and my CPU is overheating.

The group from Dazhu Peak gathered together, and Song Daren was quietly explaining some important points, such as the venue layout and time of tomorrow's competition, as well as the accommodation arrangements for tonight.

With so many people flocking to Tongtian Peak at once, accommodation is naturally in short supply.

Just then, a pale white hem caught his eye. Lu Xueqi had appeared again, standing before Jiang Xiaochuan, her cool eyes fixed on him. Her voice was calm and even, yet her words instantly silenced the surroundings:

"Senior Brother Jiang, the accommodations on Tongtian Peak are crowded. My place has four people per room, but I'm rather thin, so there's still room for me. Why don't you come stay at my place tonight?"