Chapter 51

At dusk, the clouds resembled brocade, and the doors of the Three Purity Hall were wide open. The head of the Immortal Capital Sect, Xi Huzi, walked out with a slow, unsteady gait, his face still ashen and listless, with no trace of vitality in his eyes. Behind him followed two young Taoist priests, one holding a sword and the other a seal. Wei Shikai recognized the Taoist priest holding the sword; he was Deng Shouyi, the distant nephew of Deng Zhang from Xinyang Town.

Deng Shouyi, seeing Wei Shikai standing behind Xun Ye, was slightly taken aback, nodded at him, and then quickly收回目光，低头注视着手中的剑鞘。

Xun Ye slightly turned his body and lowered his voice to ask, "Do you know the sword bearer of the sect leader?"

"Yes, back in Laoyaling, it was Daoist Shouyi who gave me an iron ring, which allowed me the honor to join the Immortal Capital Sect."

Xun Ye was silent for a moment and said, "Deng Shouyi is not in the inner sect, but his cultivation is personally guided by the sect leader. He has always been on good terms with Junior Brother Yunhe. If you have the chance, seek his guidance more often."

"Understood. Master, who is the Taoist priest holding the seal?"

Xun Ye casually replied, "He is the seal bearer of the sect leader, Fu Baoyuan, who is closer to Deng Yuantong."

Wei Shikai was as clear as a mirror. Where there are people, there is a江湖, and this is no exception for those who cultivate the Dao. Clearly, Deng Shouyi and Qi Yunhe are on Xun Ye's side, while Fu Baoyuan is on Deng Yuantong's side. The disciples under the sect are engaged in intrigue, and it's unknown whether the sect leader is aware of it.

A bold idea floated into his mind. Perhaps Xi Huzi would pretend to be confused and let things play out to see who would stand out.

Xi Huzi stood still, accepting the birthday wishes from his disciples.

Cultivators do not follow the mundane formalities. The five direct disciples each bowed to the sect leader, presented a gift, and said a few auspicious words like "May the sun and moon shine brightly, and the pines and cranes live long," then offered a cup of wine. The inner sect disciples and the trial disciples did the same. From start to finish, Xi Huzi received five gifts, drank seven cups of wine, and heard over a dozen auspicious words and countless bows. However, Wei Shikai suddenly noticed that the ones pouring the wine were three large green wasps.

Seeing his concern about the three green wasps, Xun Ye casually explained, "Those are the sect leader's spirit insects, the Green Iron Wasps, which have already gained intelligence and protect the sect leader's cave. Originally, there were four, but the largest Green Iron Queen was destroyed, leaving only a remnant soul sealed in the Green Bee Sword."

The wine pot was made of bronze, as large as an adult's head, and the wine poured out was a dark red, with a spicy aroma. The Green Iron Wasps were over ten times larger than ordinary wasps, hovering in the air with their wings vibrating, their bodies covered in green and black stripes, their mandibles opening and closing frequently, and their tails equipped with short, thick stingers. Wei Shikai mused, "Using three wasps to pour wine, it seems a certain scorpion spirit did something similar, but the outcome was rather tragic..."

The wine was very strong, and swallowing it felt like swallowing a ball of fire.

Cultivators practice fasting and abstinence, so there was no elaborate banquet, let alone musicians, dancers, fireworks, or acrobatics. After bowing and drinking the birthday wine, Xi Huzi raised his eyes and nodded at his eldest disciple, Xun Ye, signaling him to begin. Xun Ye stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the Immortal Capital Sect disciples, and said, "Today is the sect leader's birthday, and it is the turn for the trial disciples to compete, showcasing their skills to celebrate the sect leader's birthday. Junior Sister Jinghe, who is the leading disciple under your guidance?"

Zhang Jinghe bowed and replied, "Respectfully, Hu Yong and Hu Bonan have already opened nine posterior acupoints, making the fastest progress."

Xun Ye nodded and turned to Lu Shizhong, "Junior Brother Shizhong, what about you?"

Lu Shizhong succinctly replied, "Xin Laoyao, with thirteen acupoints."

"Junior Brother Yunhe's lineage is temporarily under my care. Among his disciples, Wei Shikai has made the fastest progress, opening eight posterior acupoints. These three are the best among the trial disciples, each with their strengths, representing the Qi, Lu, and Zhang lineages in the competition to determine their rankings." Xun Ye waved his sleeve, and a bamboo tube appeared in his hand, containing three identical bamboo sticks.

"Junior Brother Shizhong, Junior Sister Jinghe, each of you draw a stick."

Lu Shizhong stepped forward and drew a long stick. Zhang Jinghe drew a short stick and secretly sighed in relief, thinking, "Thank goodness, not the worst one."

Xun Ye drew the last stick, which was also a short one. In this competition, Wei Shikai would face Hu Yong, and the winner would then face Xin Laoyao.

Wei Shikai and Hu Yong then came to the green stone ground and bowed to each other.

Hu Yong was a young man in his twenties, tall and handsome, with a scholarly air that was quite captivating. He held a long sword in his left hand, the scabbard wrapped tightly in cloth, with only the worn and old hilt exposed.

Zhang Jinghe was quite looking forward to this. Hu Yong came from an official family and had been well-read since childhood. The sword in his hand, the Zhanlu Sword, was a family heirloom, a divine weapon that could cut through iron like butter, said to be crafted by the greatest swordsmith in the world, Ouyezi. When infused with primordial energy, it could rival a flying sword, making it extremely powerful. However, the Zhanlu Sword, though excellent in quality, was vulnerable to heavy swords. When Xin Laoyao's blunt heavy sword was used, Hu Yong would have to admit defeat.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Hu Yong was quite pleased with himself. He drew a long sword from the scabbard, an ancient and simple design, with a blade two feet and nine inches long and two inches wide, its luster restrained, a divine object that was not easily revealed. Even Xi Huzi couldn't help but be impressed and pondered silently.

Sword seeds are easy to obtain, but flying swords are hard to find. Many people form sword seeds but struggle to find a flying sword that suits them.

"Honorable Senior Brother Wei, please!" Hu Yong, with the sword in hand, his spirit and energy transformed. He made a sword gesture with his left hand and flipped his right wrist, assuming a "Su Qin Back Sword" stance, his sleeves fluttering, exuding a remarkable presence.

Hu Yong looked so good that Wei Shikai could almost see the stars in the eyes of his fans and hear their frenzied screams. Beating him in front of everyone would certainly crush the hearts of many young girls, and he hoped that Qin Zhen was not among them—unconsciously, he glanced at Qin Zhen and saw her staring at him intently, which made him feel quite reassured.

Wei Shikai unstrapped the iron rod from his back and thought about negotiating with the other party, suggesting he simply drop the sword and admit defeat. But then he thought, Hu Bonan looked like a smooth-sailing young master who had never faced hardship and would likely take well-intentioned advice as mockery, getting angry and losing his temper. It was better to let the facts speak for themselves.

He didn't hesitate and stepped forward with the iron rod in hand.