Daoist Competition

After the Defective Moon Sword Ball circled within the grand hall a few times, it scattered specks of radiant starlight and, with a crisp command, returned to Liu Yan Yi’s side.

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She extended a slender finger, and the sword ball transformed into an orb of cool moonlit brilliance, hovering motionlessly three feet beside her.

Then, she gracefully bowed towards Qi Mengjiao, offering thanks, before straightening up and saying solemnly, "These past days, I’ve greatly benefited from Senior Sister Qi’s guidance. I am truly indebted."

With the flick of an eye, eighteen days had passed, leaving only two days until the Mingcang Sect’s Xuan Guang Realm disciple competition at the mountain gate.

During this time, Liu Yan Yi had persistently sought advice from Qi Mengjiao. This woman, who had cultivated under Yun Tian’s sect a century ago, far surpassed her both in knowledge and cultivation. Her counsel these days had brought Liu Yan Yi remarkable progress.

Qi Mengjiao sat steadily on her meditation cushion and regarded Liu Yan Yi with an appreciative gaze. Her beautiful eyes glimmered with approval as she remarked, "For you to have trained the Flying Sword Skill to this level with only the True Origin Sword Scripture is no small feat. To have such an outstanding disciple must bring great comfort to Junior Master Zhang. Within the same generation in our sect, you are likely without equal. Any formidable rival would only appear once your cultivation rises to an even higher realm."

At this, Liu Yan Yi grew keen with interest. Sitting on her own cushion, she faced Qi Mengjiao and inquired, "Senior Sister, I know little about this—please enlighten me. Who within the Mingcang Sect is most renowned for their mastery of swordsmanship?"

Qi Mengjiao furrowed her brows slightly, pondering for a moment before responding, "In terms of the finest swordsmanship within our sect, Luo Qichen, Master Luo, takes the lead. However, he has been in seclusion for nearly two centuries and hasn’t appeared in a long time—I’ve never had the chance to see him myself."

"Second would be Xun Yihe, Master Xun. Rumor has it his Sword Dao cultivation rivals that of Master Luo. Besides these two, there’s the one referred to as ’Sword Immortal,’ Luo Yuanhua. He is Master Luo’s son and a disciple of Cave Heaven True Master Han Zaiyang. Despite that title, it’s largely honorary. Luo Yuanhua is exceptionally passionate about Flying Sword techniques, and his natural talent is unparalleled. He has even visited the Shaoqing Sect multiple times to seek instruction in swordsmanship. If Junior Master Zhang were to make an appearance during the competition, it’s almost certain Luo Yuanhua would challenge him."

Upon hearing this, unease crept into Liu Yan Yi’s heart, and she thought secretly, "I never imagined that my mentor would face such formidable opponents. I wonder whether he’ll be able to manage."

Though she was Zhang Yan’s disciple, they had never sparred, and his teachings were limited to verbal advice. Thus, she knew very little about her mentor’s actual strength, and it wasn’t surprising that such concerns lingered in her mind.

Qi Mengjiao, seemingly recalling something, continued, "There’s another individual whose swordsmanship is exceedingly refined. He is called Zhao Guangwu, and he shares familial ties with Luo Yuanhua, being his brother-in-law. Zhao Guangwu received multiple teachings from Master Luo, but his reputation within the sect remains understated. This is largely due to his composed personality, the overshadowing brilliance of his brother-in-law, and his prolonged absence in recent years. Still, my master has warned: never underestimate him. Doing so could lead to grave consequences."

Liu Yan Yi nodded thoughtfully and, as a dutiful disciple, resolved to relay this information to her mentor as precautionary advice.

After some contemplation, she curiously asked, "Speaking of Luo Yuanhua seeking guidance at the Shaoqing Sect, I recall my mentor mentioning that among all sects, the Shaoqing Sect is renowned for having the most exceptional swordsmanship. Senior Sister Qi, given your years of cultivation, how does my current swordsmanship compare to the disciples of the Shaoqing Sect within our generation?"

Qi Mengjiao appeared to mull over this before answering slowly, "My master once competed with several Shaoqing Sect disciples back in the day. To speak solely of swordsmanship, I fear you still lag far behind them."

Liu Yan Yi couldn’t hide her surprise. Though she acknowledged the short time she had spent practicing swordsmanship and admitted she might fall short compared to Shaoqing Sect disciples of her generation, she hadn’t expected Qi Mengjiao to use the words "lag far behind."

Qi Mengjiao chuckled and stepped forward to place a comforting hand on Liu Yan Yi’s shoulder, reassuring her, "Junior Sister, there’s no need to be disheartened. Though the Shaoqing Sect has only about a thousand members—making it the smallest among the Ten Great Sects of Xuanmen—their disciples are uniformly skilled in sword techniques. Just the Splitting Light Separation Method alone is grasped by every true disciple of the Shaoqing Sect, meaning any one of them cannot be underestimated."

The Ten Great Sects of Xuanmen—the term "Great" doesn’t refer to their size but to their legacy and power.

The Shaoqing Sect steadfastly holds its position as the foremost of the Xuanmen sects because its disciples possess unparalleled strength, and none dare challenge their sharpness.