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After a few rounds of drinks, Yue Changzi and Ling Yizi took their leave first. Yun Jiuzi, not avoiding the Spirit Stone, said to Li Hong, "I need to talk to you privately."
The Spirit Stone immediately recognized the situation and excused itself. Yun Jiuzi pulled Li Hong into the woods behind the building and asked directly, "What happened? How did you end up with that kind of Fake Dan?"
Li Hong was overjoyed; he had already figured it out, which saved him the trouble of explaining. He described the situation and said, "I was just about to ask for your advice."
Yun Jiuzi frowned slightly. "I don't know what happened either. However, since the Six Spirit Salty Ritual mentioned that such a possibility exists, you don't need to worry too much. But there's one thing you must remember: I estimate that when you reach Golden Core, your Heart Demon Barrier will be ten times more formidable than others. It will be a terrifying hurdle."
"That's not a problem," Li Hong replied confidently. "I already triggered the Heart Demon Barrier during my foundation establishment; I have some experience with it. You know this; you helped me back then."
"That's different. The Heart Demon Barrier that appears during the formal Golden Core stage is definitely much more powerful than the one that accidentally appeared during foundation establishment. You must not be careless." He pondered for a moment and continued, "The trouble is that you're already in the Late Stage of Heart Refinement, and you could trigger the Heart Demon Barrier at any time when forming your Golden Core. What if it happens right when you're about to participate in the newcomer competition? How about this: I'll speak to Ling Xuzi for you and suggest that you skip this competition."
Yun Jiuzi's heartfelt concern moved Li Hong greatly, but he shook his head and said, "It can't be that coincidental. Besides, Emei Sect has already called for revenge from last time. If I don't go, won't they look down on me? I've long been displeased with those Emei Sect disciples; I won't miss such a great opportunity to dampen their spirits."
Hearing the name Emei Sect stirred something in Yun Jiuzi's heart as he recalled some distant events. After thinking it over, he nodded in agreement. "Alright, but you must remember my words: if you notice any signs of the Heart Demon Barrier being triggered, find a safe place to enter seclusion immediately, no matter where you are. Take this." He handed over a small jade bottle.
Li Hong opened it and saw three golden Elixirs spinning at the bottom of the bottle. The Gongxin Pill! It was the best aid for forming a Golden Core.
After putting it into his Cosmic Bag, Li Hong noticed a large piece of Supreme Celestial Stone next to the jade bottle and casually pulled it out to hand to Yun Jiuzi. With curiosity, he asked, "I found this where I was in seclusion; it's because of this that my cultivation has rapidly improved. The Cosmic Bag calls it 'Supreme Celestial Stone.' What exactly is it?"
Yun Jiuzi closed his eyes to examine it carefully and after a while opened them again, saying, "I suspect it's related to the Ancient Immortal Mansion. You must keep it safe and not show it to others easily. Its origins are likely significant."
Upon hearing this, Li Hong suddenly slapped his forehead as he remembered. "Right! You mentioned before that Middle-Earth's Nine Great Caves were opened by Ancient Divine Beings; perhaps this is something they left behind! This time it's fortunate for me."
He thought for a moment and then asked, "Does the Supreme Celestial Stone help you?"
Yun Jiuzi shook his head. Li Hong sighed with regret.
Yun Jiuzi smiled, his eyes brightening, making him look much younger all of a sudden. Li Hong suddenly remembered that it was said the Nascent Soul Stage could reshape one's appearance, and Yun Jiuzi's looks must have changed; he certainly did not look like this before. Otherwise, how could he have been childhood friends with the beautiful Sister Jiu? It wasn't that he was ugly, but Li Hong had a gut feeling that he used to be a refined young gentleman in the world.
Yun Jiuzi had no idea that Li Hong was actually studying his appearance. He glanced at the sky and said, "It's getting late. You should rest well; I’ll take my leave first."
A beam of yellow light rose straight up, and Yun Jiuzi surprisingly showed no fear of the Restrictions in this place. This level of cultivation once again impressed Li Hong.
********
Three days later, eighteen participating disciples gathered again at Nine Li Peak Great Hall.
Li Hong blended into the crowd, seemingly listening to Ling Xuzi and the various Elder Brothers giving a series of lectures, but in reality, he was tuning them out while probing the cultivation levels of the disciples.
After eight months apart, it was evident that all the disciples had at least advanced one stage in their cultivation, each looking spirited and vibrant. Chu Xi stood out among them. Her cultivation had reached the Initial Stage of Caution, and she had grown a few inches taller, her appearance also slightly different from before.
Previously always wearing her hair in a bun with her long black hair cascading down her back, she now styled it into two braids forming double buns, with a crystal-clear butterfly Fire Jade Hairpin inserted behind each ear. The mid-grade magical artifact Silver Moon Robe she wore fluttered without wind, accentuating her slender waist and flawless white skin, making her truly stunning and captivating.
Chu Xi had come of age.
Li Hong thought carefully; Chu Xi's birthday was in spring, on February 18th, which had already passed during his seclusion. No wonder she had come of age. He realized he had neglected to congratulate Chu Xi.
After some thought, he took out a small box containing Supreme Fire Jade Essence from his Cosmic Bag and tucked it into his sleeve, deciding to find an opportunity later to present this Fire Jade Essence to Chu Xi as a congratulatory gift for her coming of age.
Unknowingly, he had been staring at Chu Xi for too long. She was seated in the front row and was not only outstanding herself but also the only female disciple among this group of participants. The male disciples behind her were all distracted and occasionally sneaked glances at her. However, none were as bold as Li Hong to openly gaze at her without turning away.
Ling Xiangzi noticed it, and the Spirit Stone also took notice. The Elder Brothers all discovered that Li Hong was staring at Chu Xi, and they exchanged glances, their expressions strange.
Ling Xiangzi coughed in annoyance, glaring fiercely at Li Hong.
Li Hong was taken aback, realizing he had been staring at Chu Xi for too long. However, he remained calm; what was the big deal? He and Chu Xi were friends after all.
This interruption made it impossible for Ling Xuzi to continue his lecture. He cleared his throat and said loudly, "It's decided. Chu Hong, you will have the first match against Chu Huai."
"Ah?" Li Hong's mouth opened in surprise; he hadn't even registered Ling Xuzi's words.
The Spirit Stone quickly added, "Old Six, why are you dazed? Hurry up and prepare! Your Sect Leader Uncle made it very clear that we are starting practical training now, beginning with you and Chu Huai!" He then shot a meaningful smile at Chu Xi.
Li Hong quickly responded affirmatively.
********
The Heaven and Earth Platform stood tall on the mountain peak, with the vast White Jade Plaza below reflecting human figures. The mountain was steep, and the wind howled fiercely, causing everyone's clothes to flutter.
Li Hong stood opposite Chu Huai, sparks flying in their eyes.
"Begin!"
With a flash of iridescence, Li Hong leaped onto Lingyi. With his right hand at his waist, he drew out the Dragon Tail Whip, unleashing a torrent of golden light toward Chu Huai standing on the plaza.
Chu Huai remained still, a white light swirling around him; that was his Flying Sword—Flowing Spring. As a Superior Spirit Artifact that could be upgraded and was aligned with the water element, it was an excellent treasure.
When the Dragon Tail Whip lashed towards him, Chu Huai formed a sword gesture with his hand and pointed into the void, spinning rapidly like a windmill. A series of light clinks echoed as the Flowing Spring and the tip of the Dragon Tail Whip collided thousands of times in an instant. Each strike was not too forceful, just enough to deflect the tip of the Dragon Tail Whip.
Oh? This kid has some skill. Li Hong became interested.
Disciples below the Golden Core Stage often could not practice the Wind Control Technique, so they frequently used Flying Swords as a means of transportation. Even when engaging in combat, many preferred to stand on their Flying Swords like Li Hong and use other magical tools, sometimes employing Spirit Talismans as well. Using two Flying Swords simultaneously required more mental focus and spiritual energy, making it difficult to maneuver gracefully; moreover, acquiring multiple high-quality Flying Swords was not easy. Thus, most did not consider it.
Chu Huai's steady approach of commanding his Flying Sword from solid ground while Li Hong darted around was indeed a good strategy. The observing Elders nodded in agreement, even Ling Xiangzi, who usually disliked Chu Huai, had to admit that this tactic was effective.
In this way, Chu Huai actually had the advantage; after all, commanding a Flying Sword from solid ground consumed much less spiritual energy than Li Hong's constant movement.
On the semi-transparent White Jade Plaza, amidst a sea of golden light, a White Shadow darted back and forth with rapid clinks like Flowing Spring. Li Hong rode Lingyi faster and faster, circling around Chu Huai while wielding the Dragon Tail Whip, striking in all directions and unleashing countless Dragon Shadows. The sounds of dragon roars and tiger howls rippled through the air.
While others feared excessive consumption of spiritual energy, Li Hong was unbothered. He sneered inwardly; you want to take it easy? Let's see how long you can keep that up! The Dragon Tail Whip became increasingly swift, filling the air with golden whip shadows. If Chu Huai let his guard down for even a moment, the serpent-like tip of the whip would penetrate through the Flowing Spring defense circle.
However, Chu Huai was no fool; he concentrated fully and did not dare to be careless. His body spun like a top on the spot, executing various sword gestures with precision.
At this point, even Li Hong had to secretly praise him; this kid had both talent and intelligence in abundance.
The situation reached a stalemate; Li Hong's Dragon Tail Whip could not penetrate Chu Huai's Flowing Spring defense circle. Yet Chu Huai also did not dare to let Flowing Spring stray too far from himself, lest he repeat Zhu Xue, the Fairy's mistake with the Emei Four Swords.
Though it appeared that they were engaged in an intense battle, in reality, it was merely one move being exchanged repeatedly. The watching disciples found it quite dull; some began to murmur, "What is this? At this rate, they won't determine a winner for a hundred years. Whoever runs out of spiritual energy first loses. It's not exciting at all!"
"Exactly! It's not fun at all. That Chu Hong—why doesn't he land and fight Chu Huai with sword techniques?" someone couldn't help but shout out loud, thinking they were reminding Li Hong.
Li Hong heard this and paused for a moment. Sword techniques? What does that mean? Is there a special way to use Flying Swords? I don't know how...
Li Hong looked at Spirit Stone.
Spirit Stone's old face showed guilt. When Li Hong had just learned sword control, Spirit Stone had gone out to battle the Demon Sect, leaving Li Hong with only a copy of "The Complete Guide to Intermediate Spirit Talisman Techniques of the Nine Departures Sect." He thought that this time would be enough for Li Hong to master the Flying Sword. After returning to the mountain, knowing he should teach the sword technique, but with so many complicated matters within the sect, and with Li Hong being summoned for training and going missing, the result was…
Li Hong saw Spirit Stone's expression and suddenly understood; there was indeed a sword technique, yet his master hadn't even mentioned it to him. How unkind…
With so many thoughts in mind, Li Hong unconsciously slowed down his Dragon Tail Whip. Suddenly, a white light rushed towards his face. Li Hong controlled Lingyi and quickly dodged to the side, causing the previously orderly whip shadows of the Dragon Tail Whip to scatter. The white light swiftly returned, and Li Hong dodged again.
Before he could grasp what was happening, he heard Chu Huai's clear voice say, "Thank you, Junior Brother, for your kindness!" After speaking, he sheathed his sword and stepped aside with a smile on his face.
This smile held different meanings in the eyes of different people; some praised Chu Huai's demeanor, others thought it was making a big deal out of nothing, while some felt indignant.
Li Hong stood in the center, confused; he had no injuries on him at all. What did he mean by saying he lost?
At that moment, Chu Huai slowly brought his hand from behind his back to his chest, holding a small piece of white cloth. Li Hong's heart stirred as he turned to look at the hem of his Fire Rat Robe; sure enough, there was a small piece missing from there.
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