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The Wuhua Sword Trial was held at the Grand Arena, with only Outer Sect Disciples allowed to watch. Despite this, the Arena was still packed with people.
When Xunuo arrived at the announcement board, he was dismayed to find his name missing. Frustrated, he hurried down to the Arena and shouted a few complaints. The onlooking disciples noticed the unusual expression on this Wuhua Sect member's face and quickly made way for him.
Approaching the front of the Arena, Xunuo inquired about the situation. The attending disciple promptly replied, "Reporting to you, Shishu, you and Uncle Yu from the Divine Blade Hall have already qualified, so there is no need for you to compete. These matches are only for the remaining eight spots, which is why Master Lu's name is not on the list."
Upon hearing this, Xunuo stroked his chin and chuckled, "I suppose I acted a bit rashly."
With that, he said no more and turned to leave the Training Ground.
Before long, the day of departure arrived. It was only a few days prior that Xunuo learned that this time, the entire Seven Star Sword Hall would be traveling together.
Tian Feiyu led seven of his direct disciples along with Liu Yunfei, accompanied by over thirty third-generation disciples from the Seven Star Sword Hall.
Gao Weiji, along with three vice hall masters from various halls, brought nine other participants for the upcoming Three Factions Sword Debate, where young disciples would compete against each other.
They also selected dozens of skilled fighters from each hall to accompany them as guards. This group of nearly a hundred people set off towards the venue of this year's Three Factions Sword Debate, the Nanyue Sword Sect.
The Nanyue Sect had received word of their arrival long ago. Several leaders gathered to discuss, their expressions grim.
In recent years, the Nanyue Sect had lost many skilled fighters, many of whom had ties to Lu Zaisheng of the Wuhua Sect. With the impending arrival of the Wuhua Sect, fear and anxiety gripped the hearts of those at Nanyue Sect. While they believed their individual combat strength surpassed that of the Wuhua Sect, they never underestimated the power of the Seven Star Sword Formation. The Nanyue Sect had suffered greatly under this formation in the past, making them uneasy about facing an entire contingent from the Wuhua Sect.
Debate ensued over whether to allow the Wuhua Sect entry into their mountain gates. Two opposing viewpoints emerged, leading to heated discussions that nearly escalated into conflict.
One viewpoint expressed concern that the Wuhua Sect might suddenly attack and set up the Seven Star Sword Formation within their gates. The current generation at Nanyue Sect had never witnessed its power firsthand, but their predecessors had. Tales passed down through generations spoke of its ability to defeat gods and buddhas alike. This faction firmly opposed allowing entry to the Wuhua Sect, suggesting instead that this year's sword debate be held outside at Shuanglong Villa, which also belonged to the Nanyue Sect, serving a similar purpose as the Wuhua Guildhall.
This perspective was supported by three hall masters and two guardians from the sect.
The opposing viewpoint argued that since its inception, the Three Factions Sword Debate had always been held within one of the three sects. Moving it outside now would be seen as a sign of weakness towards the Wuhua Sect. Even if they ultimately won this debate and gained recognition as a sword faction, it would come at a significant cost to their reputation, making it difficult for them to hold their heads high in front of others.
This view was championed by Tuoba Buer, the leader of the Nanyue Sect, along with three other hall masters, including Wei Cangqiong, hall master of the Nanyue Sword Hall. The Nanyue Sword Hall held considerable prestige within their sect, comparable to that of Seven Star Sword Hall in Wuhua Sect . Besides Elder Gu, who had perished under the Xunuo, only two others were recognized as part of Nanyue 's three sword masters: Tuoba Buer and Wei Cangqiong . Thus, this perspective gradually gained traction among them.
The other party was equally resolute. Seeing that the sect leader had a tendency to act unilaterally, they nominated a Guardian to go to the forbidden area of the Nanyue Sect and summon an elder who was in seclusion there to make a decision.
This elder was two generations above Tuoba Buer and others. He was a figure whom everyone in the Nanyue Sect would refer to as Ancestor, and he was one of the last remaining masters of that generation.
Upon hearing both sides of the argument, this old monster immediately rejected the idea: the Seven Star Sword Formation of Wuhua Sect must not be brought up the mountain.
Tuoba Buer, feeling helpless, leaned in and whispered, "The Seven Star Sword Formation of Wuhua Sect is no longer as formidable as it once was. Once it is activated, it won't last more than an hour."
The Ancestor of Nanyue Sect listened and gave Tuoba Buer a meaningful glance, realizing that this junior had done considerable research on the matter.
After pondering for a moment, the Ancestor lightly shook his head and said, "How many people from Nanyue Sect attacked Wuhua Mountain back then?"
Tuoba Buer quickly replied, "Seven people from Nanyue Sect went, but only one returned alive to the mountain gate."
The Ancestor continued to ask, "What were the cultivations of these seven?"
Tuoba Buer responded, "Naturally, they were the elites of our Nanyue Sect."
The Ancestor's expression darkened as he said, "They were more than just elites. Among those seven who attacked Wuhua Sect, five had mastered the unparalleled sword technique known as One Sword, Seven Flowers. The other two had also touched upon the threshold of supreme swordsmanship. Although this battle did not annihilate our Nanyue Sect, it severely wounded our vitality and made it difficult for us to return to our former glory."
Hearing this, Tuoba Buer and the others all changed their expressions. Although they knew their sect had suffered losses at Wuhua Mountain, they had not realized how devastating it truly was.
The Ancestor looked around at everyone and added, "It is not that I do not wish to avenge our past grievances; it is simply that this Seven Star Sword Formation is too ruthless. If you have a way to break this formation, you may bring it up the mountain and eliminate it swiftly. However, if you lack a strategy to counter it, do not bring disaster upon yourselves and jeopardize the foundation of Nanyue Sword Sect. The matter of face is minor; preserving our foundation is paramount."
Seeing the serious expressions on everyone's faces, he understood that they were all deeply shaken. He continued, "Your disputes are for the good of Nanyue Sect; I am well aware of that. However, Wuhua Sect has a solid foundation and deep roots that cannot be easily toppled overnight. This thousand-year-old sect relies on the Seven Star Sword Formation; without absolute confidence, do not lightly provoke its edge."
"Actually, these matters should no longer involve my old bones. However, since they concern the rise and fall of Nanyue Sect, I felt compelled to remind you. The specific decisions should still be made by you all. I have reached an age where I count my days; I truly lack the strength to interfere in these matters anymore. Take care of yourselves and do not let this old man die far from home."
With that, the Ancestor of Nanyue Sect stood up and looked at Tuoba Buer before saying, "You have done well; you are more cunning than we are."
He then waved his sleeve and left.
Once the Ancestor departed, the more than ten individuals found places to sit down but kept their heads lowered in silence, each lost in thought. Clearly, they had yet to recover from the shock they had just experienced.
In truth, upon hearing what the Ancestor said, everyone understood that this matter was unfeasible. Currently, even strong figures like Tuoba Buer and Wei Cangqiong had only reached the threshold of supreme swordsmanship and could barely execute half of One Sword Six Flowers' techniques.
Although the Seven Star Sword Formation of the Wuhua Sect was not what it used to be, both sides had experienced decline. In comparison, the Wuhua Sect's Seven Star Sword Formation seemed inadequate against the backdrop of their own people.
The group sat in silence for a moment. Tuoba Buer finally spoke up, "Since the Ancestor has spoken, we should follow his wishes. The Three Factions Sword Debate will be held at Shuanglong Villa. However, we need to come up with an excuse to explain this to the other two sects."
A Hall Master stood up and said, "There’s no need for concern, Sect Leader. In two years, it will be the anniversary of our sect's founding. We can simply say that the mountain gate is undergoing reconstruction and several buildings are being renovated, making it impossible to hold the Three Factions Sword Debate here."
Tuoba Buer looked around at everyone and saw no objections. He proceeded to make arrangements.
The Pool Water Sect, being closer to Nanyue Sect, arrived first at the foot of Nanyue Mountain and was typically assigned accommodations at Shuanglong Villa.
Generally speaking, Shuanglong Villa served merely as a staging area. Here, they would rest briefly and offload their burdens while leaving behind any idle personnel. Those participating in the competition and their accompanying observers would head up the mountain to familiarize themselves with the venue. It was also more convenient for disciples from the three sects to interact on the mountain.
However, once the Pool Water Sect settled in, they noticed some unusual changes compared to previous visits. First, an Arena had been constructed at Shuanglong Villa, and secondly, everyone was assigned individual rooms for lodging.
Leading the Pool Water Sect was a Hall Master named Gu Yuze. Sensing something amiss, he immediately inquired with the manager of Nanyue Sect about what was going on. To his surprise, this brought forth one elder and two Hall Masters from Nanyue Sect, startling Gu Yuze. Such a reception for visitors was usually akin to a common inn among various sects. Typically, only a few Manager Disciples would oversee things. Even during significant events like the Three Factions Sword Debate, they would send over a disciple of some standing just to greet guests.
Important figures were still expected to ascend the mountain for proper reception by the elders at the sect's entrance.
Nanyue Sect's actions this time were highly irregular. Gu Yuze began to worry that there might be some hidden agenda behind it.
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