Chapter 126: A Rooster Crows and the World Turns White (A five-thousand-word chapter; thank you all for your monthly ticket support)

"The first-place winner of the second round, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan."

His name echoed once more across the city and tower, drawing cheers from the crowd; it had been a long time since anyone had cultivated two swords simultaneously.

"The third round."

The voice of the Master of Huanzhu Tower sounded again; he paused, and within the city and tower, countless flying sword cultivators stirred with anticipation.

"For the flying sword arena, those who cultivate flying sword arts may enter; those who wish to enter must first draw their swords."

Hearing this, the crowd was puzzled; instead of ascending a platform or entering a mirror, they were to draw their swords directly?

"All swordsmen shall leap to the ground, then launch their swords upward; the thirty-six whose swords fly the highest shall be admitted."

The crowd was momentarily stunned, then suddenly understood.

Indeed, even the magical sword competition had thousands of participants; the flying sword event would undoubtedly have even more. If rankings were determined by actual combat, the fighting would drag on for years.

The essence of the flying sword is to take an enemy's head from a thousand li away; flying high and flying far are the simplest and most direct methods of selecting the best. However, flying high is harder than flying far; one who can fly a hundred li in distance may struggle to rise even one li in height. With the entire city watching, flying high would yield results much faster.

Swordsmen stationed in pavilions and towers leaped down one after another; even those sitting on walls or steps jumped to the ground now, unwilling to risk any advantage that might later be dismissed as unfair when judging altitude.

From Huanzhu Tower, thousands upon thousands of people leaped down from all sides of the high building like rain, a truly magnificent sight.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan, who had been standing at the highest point, also leaped down, landing directly at the entrance of the Haishi Restaurant.

Now everyone in the city knew Cheng Cheng Xinzhan; the crowds around the Haishi Restaurant gathered immediately, and the master and servant upstairs naturally noticed as well.

Qingyu thought to herself, "This Daoist Cheng is quite decent; after winning first place in the second round and leaving the Sword Immortal arena, he landed right at the restaurant's entrance, which will surely bring the establishment considerable fame. Tonight's wine was not served in vain."

Xiao Xiao Shiyiniang could not think of such things; she hurriedly rose and descended the stairs, standing right at the doorway, gazing out.

Qingyu, being sharp and perceptive, noticed that Cheng Cheng Xinzhan stood at the entrance without entering; she immediately guessed his intent, quickly retrieved a chair from the cave stone, and placed it behind him. He offered a word of thanks and sat down; the wooden chair, made of some unknown material, emitted a faint fragrance that cleared the mind and brightened the eyes.

The maid returned to her mistress's side, produced another identical chair, and helped her sit; at this moment, Xiao Xiao Shiyiniang could not have been more satisfied with Qingyu.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan removed a gourd from behind his waist, uncorked its mouth, and a beam of crimson sword light shot out.

"Taodu" hovered beside him.

The crowd erupted in applause; Xiao Xiao Shiyiniang, like everyone else, clapped her hands; indeed, he intended to compete in the third round!

"Swords rise!"

The voice of the Master of Huanzhu Tower rang out.

Instantly, spiritual light blazed; over ten thousand flying swords soared up from the city, like meteors rising from the earth, like waterfalls flowing upward, like startled birds fleeing the forest.

Tens of thousands of flying swords ascended into the third layer of heaven; their trailing tails stretched a hundred zhang long, gleaming under the moonlight like spears and like a forest of lances.

Some flying swords dazzled with brilliant colors, their trails multicolored, chasing clouds and pursuing the moon, like rainbows and like iridescent nebulae.

Everyone stared mesmerized at this spectacle; the entire city fell silent, save for the crackling of fireworks, yet the fireworks could only add to the festive joy, unable to draw even a single glance away.

In this age, how many people do not cultivate flying swords? Even those not focused on the Sword Dao carry one or two; at this moment, everyone wielding a sword contributed to this magnificent view, though it was merely decorative. A thousand zhang was a major threshold; more than half failed to fly beyond it.

Once past the thousand-zhang mark, the spectators could only gaze at the faintly visible trailing tails in the distance.

At this moment, the image within the Moon-Reflecting Mirror changed again, displaying the foremost group of flying swords.

Against the backdrop of the bright moon, the mirror scene projected by the Master of Huanzhu Tower clearly reflected forty or fifty flying swords.

On a certain rooftop, Bearded Immortal Li Yuanhua lay on the tiles drinking wine; beneath the eaves stood five people in a row, precisely the five high disciples of Shushan.

Their flying swords were naturally visible in the mirror scene, but at the same time, they also noticed another familiar flying sword appearing within the mirror.

The other four turned to look at Li Li Yingqiong; indeed, that sword was of the style from the Qin and Han dynasties, its blade crimson, curved like a willow leaf; under the moonlight, even the ancient seal script on the blade was clearly visible: the two characters "Taodu."

That sword flew very high, ranking among the top few, level with theirs.

Li Li Yingqiong's face showed no expression, but her eyes overflowed with murderous intent; the moment her thought moved, the mirror displayed it: a pure silver-white flying sword, also soaring at the highest altitude, suddenly changed its trajectory, turning to slash at "Taodu."

The crowd was greatly shocked; that flying sword was slender, possessing a blade but no hilt, seemingly without form or substance, as if condensed from a mass of silver radiance.

Everyone knew this was Li Yingqiong's sword, the flying sword bestowed anew by her master's wife after Li Yingqiong lost "Taodu" and returned to the mountain; forged from a single block of Great White Geng Metal, in terms of sharpness alone it surpassed "Taodu"; it was called,

"Great White Gripping Sharpness."

"Taodu," focused solely on ascending, had indeed not expected the sword beside it to attack suddenly; "Great White Gripping Sharpness" moved extremely fast, striking "Taodu" horizontally, sending the latter spinning dozens of zhang away, allowing the swords behind to instantly overtake it.

However, after knocking "Taodu" away, "Great White Gripping Sharpness" did not seize the opportunity to ascend; instead, it turned and attacked "Taodu" once more.

Everyone witnessed this sudden turn of events; for a moment they were bewildered; this was a competition for entry, not a sword duel!

But soon, those with quick wits realized: these people's flying swords were incomparably sharp, rare weapons and precious treasures, but their masters' own mental strength was insufficient; speaking only of high flight, they might not even surpass ordinary flying swords.

But now someone had offered a strategy, and acted upon it.

Wasn't it sufficient to knock other flying swords down before one's own strength was exhausted?

As long as only thirty-six flying swords, or even fewer, remained in this sky, then even those flying lower could gain entry!

Li Li Yingqiong did not mean this, but others interpreted it so.

Thus, other flying swords began striking horizontally left and right; some swords were knocked away, colliding with other flying swords.

In an instant, the flying swords, each soaring high, suddenly became a chaotic mess; the sound of clanging filled the air, and countless flying swords fell.

At this moment, in stark contrast to the initial scene of ten thousand swords flying together, they fell like rain, plummeted like stars, and perished like birds.

As the flying swords plummeted toward the city, causing waves of startled cries, the Master of Huanzhu Tower intervened; all flying swords that could not halt their falling momentum were lifted by a gentle force, slowly lowered into the city, and retrieved by their respective masters.

The Master of Huanzhu Tower's expression was not pleasant, yet he did not intervene to stop all this; after all, before the command to draw swords, he had never stated that sword duels could not be used to compete for ranking.

Li Li Yingqiong had not expected her actions to cause such a huge disturbance, but she did not dwell on it; at this moment, her only thought was to knock down "Taodu" and vent the pent-up resentment in her heart.

Meanwhile, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan, sitting on the chair, straightened his body; he too was completely bewildered; who was this?

Did he look so much like a soft persimmon?

He manipulated his flying sword and immediately flew up to meet it.

Seeing "Taodu" not dodge but counterattack, Li Li Yingqiong's fighting spirit surged even higher; "Great White Gripping Sharpness" transformed into a streak of white light, almost unbearable to look at directly.

"Taodu" naturally refused to show weakness; golden solar Bing Fire ignited along its blade as it charged straight upward.

As the two swords approached, each underwent transformations; "Great White Gripping Sharpness" suddenly dispersed into a mass of qi; this was the special nature of Great White Geng Metal, possessing both metal and qi states, changing at will, making it impossible to guard against.

"Taodu" struck empty air; "Great White Gripping Sharpness" reformed behind "Taodu," flipped around, and slashed at "Taodu" once more.

Having suffered repeated setbacks, "Taodu's" ferocious nature was aroused; the golden flames exploded outward with a "boom," expanding to turn the area within a hundred zhang centered on the sword body into a sea of fire, naturally engulfing "Great White Gripping Sharpness" as well.

On the ground, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan altered his sword seals; "Taodu" suddenly transformed into a ball of fire, merging into the sea of flames.

"Clang!"

"Great White Gripping Sharpness" was violently knocked aside, sparks flying in all directions.

"Great White Gripping Sharpness" attempted to flee; within the sea of fire, she could not see "Taodu's" true form, and under the solar Bing Fire, where fire overcomes metal, "Great White Gripping Sharpness" could not perform effectively.

However, how could "Taodu" easily let it escape? It followed closely behind.

At this moment, "Great White Gripping Sharpness" flew even higher; Li Li Yingqiong did not believe that Dongfang Wandao, who cultivated the Internal Elixir Dao, could surpass her, who cultivated the Primordial Spirit Dao, in terms of mental strength; up in the high skies, she would be at his mercy.

After suffering defeat last time, she also felt she had improved greatly.

A streak of white light and a streak of fiery light chased each other across the sky; other flying swords could not avoid them fast enough, nor would they seek trouble; the two flying swords quickly returned to the forefront, appearing once more in the Moon-Reflecting Mirror.

At this time, having reached an altitude of two thousand zhang, several other flying swords flew over to shield "Great White Gripping Sharpness" in their midst, while the fiercely burning "Taodu" attracted another flying sword.

A flying sword with an azure blade and a snow-white hilt danced around "Taodu"; upon sensing it, "Taodu" retracted its fiery light.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan's gaze condensed.

"Moon Soul"?

He then looked at the other flying swords shielding that sword which had launched the surprise attack; their auras seemed connected to "Taodu" and "Moon Soul," as if they were a set of flying swords.

He suddenly understood; he also knew the identity of the white sword's master.

On the other side, everyone turned their eyes toward Zhou Zhou Qingyun; why did "Moon Soul" not protect "Great White Gripping Sharpness," but instead draw close to "Taodu"?

Zhou Zhou Qingyun spoke somewhat incoherently, "No, it wasn't me; 'Moon Soul' went on its own."

She hurriedly changed her sword seals, attempting to control "Moon Soul" back. "Perhaps Senior Sister Zhou is covering for me!"

Li Li Yingqiong coldly uttered a sentence; taking advantage of the moment "Taodu" retracted its fiery light to resonate with "Moon Soul," she suddenly charged forward again with her sword, stabbing "Taodu."

"Taodu" was struck for the third time; since "Great White Gripping Sharpness" was no ordinary flying sword, this blow directly dimmed "Taodu's" spiritual light considerably, and a fine crack even appeared on the sword body.

The mental intent attached to the sword by its master was similarly damaged.

"Hum!"

A sharp, high-pitched sword cry rang out; "Taodu" was thoroughly enraged, and Cheng Cheng Xinzhan likewise flared with anger!

His hands formed sword seals in rapid succession, dancing into afterimages; the seals he used were precisely the secret methods recorded in the immortal scripture "Iron-Crutch Li's Sutra of Rapid Separation Fire Swords," gifted by Master Master Canxia.

"Taodu" transformed into fiery light, vanishing instantly from its original location.

Having ascended another thousand zhang, Li Li Yingqiong intended to duel again; after successfully striking "Taodu," she wished to press the advantage and gather strength for another attack, but she suddenly lost track of "Taodu."

The mental intent she had attached to her flying sword could not detect where "Taodu" was; she looked into the Moon-Reflecting Mirror, but saw nothing.

"Clang!"

Li Li Yingqiong felt the mental intent attached to her flying sword tremble; she knew her sword had been struck, but no matter how she turned her sword or probed with her mental intent, she could not find any trace of "Taodu."

=9+Book_Bar

Once, twice, thrice.

The crowd saw in the Moon-Reflecting Mirror how "Great White Gripping Sharpness" was chopped and slashed in mid-air, clanging loudly with sparks flying, yet no one could see what was attacking it.

"Did you see that?!"

Li Li Yingqiong shouted.

The other three exerted all their mental intent to search, but found nothing; there were faint flickers of fire in the air, but since they lit up everywhere simultaneously, no one could see where "Taodu" actually was.

It was the "Sutra of Separation Fire Swords."

Zhou Zhou Qingyun knew this, but she did not say it.

Watching "Great White Gripping Sharpness" like a fish helplessly caught in an undercurrent, the crowd also grew anxious.

At this moment, Little Zhuge Little Zhuge Jingrui changed his sword seals; his flying sword "Chi Su" suddenly emitted dazzling crimson light, turned its body, and actually transformed into a giant red-headed centipede.

The red-headed centipede let out a hiss, and suddenly hundreds of eyes split open upon its head!

The hazy red light illuminated all directions, darting back and forth like a shuttle to slash and pierce; when the "Taodu" of "Taibai Taibai Zhirui" was struck by this red light, its movements suddenly slowed as if trapped in a swamp, revealing its whereabouts to everyone.

Because "Taibai Taibai Zhirui" had been struck repeatedly, Li Li Yingqiong's thoughts attached to the sword were constantly frustrated, feeding back into her physical body until her pretty face had long turned pale.

Yu Yu Yingnan had been watching with deep worry; seeing the culprit finally reveal itself, she immediately changed her sword seal and commanded "Qingkou" to attack.

"Qingkou" transformed into a shadowy serpent; eager to save her friend, Yu Yu Yingnan drove it with full force. Since "Taodu" was restrained by "Chisu," it could not dodge in that flash of lightning, and the serpent shadow bit straight onto "Taodu."

"Ding!"

A cracking sound rang out as the tip of the "Taodu" sword snapped off!

Since "Taodu" was spiritually refined by Cheng Cheng Xinzhan, damage to the sword body caused him suffering as well; however, as his current form was made of bamboo, the injury to his thoughts did not feed back into a physical body, so he did not spit blood and his complexion remained unchanged, though the headache and dizziness were undeniably real.

Though fury raged within his heart, his face displayed no expression whatsoever.

"Since you all wish to play, then let us try!"

"Cock-a-doodle-doo—cock-a-doodle-doo—cock-a-doodle-doo—"

A rooster's crow echoed in the Third Heaven, startling everyone; what was this, did Peacock City raise chickens?

Soon after, they realized the sound originated from even higher up.

"Taodu" transformed into a white-feathered rooster with a red comb.

After the rooster crowed three times, the centipede and the serpent shadow began to tremble.

Little Zhuge Little Zhuge Jingrui and Yu Yu Yingnan found it increasingly difficult to maintain the spiritual forms of their flying swords.

After the rooster crowed three times, brightness appeared in the east.

Only then did everyone realize that after experiencing the sword-body ascension and the magic-sword arena battles, this exciting night had already passed!

Dawn had broken!

The golden light of the eastern sun showered down upon "Taodu," seeming to soothe the wounds upon the sword.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo—cock-a-doodle-doo—cock-a-doodle-doo—"

The rooster crowed three more times, and from the mouth of its divine form erupted fierce Bing Fire of the sun; the golden flames turned into rosy clouds, reflecting brilliantly with the golden sunlight.

Under such overwhelming power, "Chisu" and "Qingkou" could no longer maintain their insect forms and, emitting mournful cries, reverted to their sword shapes.

"Taodu" also voluntarily returned to its sword form, with Bing Fire burning along its blade, too brilliant to look at directly under the shining sun.

Cheng Cheng Xinzhan once again employed the *Rapid Sword Sutra*; bathed in the morning glow, "Taodu" moved even faster, and in the blink of an eye, it flew beside "Chisu" and, lacking its tip, slammed heavily into it.

In this strike, Cheng Cheng Xinzhan held nothing back, and "Taodu" unleashed its fury to the fullest.

"Ding!"

One side of the "Chisu" sword body was instantly covered in cracks.

Little Zhuge Little Zhuge Jingrui spat a mouthful of fresh blood as "Chisu" fell from the sky.

"Taodu" did not linger nor pursue, but turned instead to chase "Qingkou."

"Qingkou" hurriedly fled, but how could it possibly be faster than "Taodu"? Rising above "Qingkou," and driven with Cheng Cheng Xinzhan's full effort, "Taodu" chopped downward onto the body of the "Qingkou" sword.

"Clang!"

"Qingkou" snapped in two and plummeted.

Yu Yu Yingnan likewise spat a mouthful of blood.

At this moment, "Taodu" turned its attention toward "Taibai Taibai Zhirui."

Having witnessed the fall of both "Chisu" and "Qingkou," "Xuansha," which had remained motionless until now, finally moved, positioning itself in front of "Taibai Taibai Zhirui" to protect it.

On the ground, Li Yuanhua looked toward Zhou Zhou Qingyun; he had no intention of investigating whether Zhou Zhou Qingyun knew this Cheng Cheng Xinzhan from Mount Sanqing, but now that all four disciples of Mount Mount Emei were confronting that young man, Zhou Zhou Qingyun had to declare her stance.

He would absolutely not allow Zhou Zhou Qingyun to harbor any wavering thoughts at this moment, nor would he permit any disciple of Mount Mount Emei to harbor divided loyalties.

Zhou Zhou Qingyun sensed Li Yuanhua's gaze, her heart filled with bitterness.

Since the first day she met Cheng Cheng Xinzhan, driven by the grudge of her stolen sword, she had known that one day she would stand opposite him, yet she never expected that day to arrive so quickly and so suddenly.

From the moment Li Li Yingqiong drew her sword, she had been thinking continuously, and by now, she understood clearly: she admired him. When they first met amidst the misty rain of Mount Huangshan, listening to him recite poetry and describe the scenery, she had already developed feelings of admiration; after spending a few days together, she appreciated his speech and conduct even more.

Later, she and her master, True Person Master Canxia, witnessed the Horned Qilin ascend, saw the mountain range of "Horned Qilin Gazing at the Moon" gradually restore its vitality, and watched the lake beneath the Horned Qilin's bowed head gradually fill with water.

She knew he had succeeded; someone as meticulous as he was certain to succeed.

She had once hoped to meet him again.

She saw that Cheng Cheng Xinzhan on the magic-sword field was extremely happy, even forgetting to hide his feelings in front of Li Yingqiong.

Watching Cheng Cheng Xinzhan on the magic-sword field, she felt happy for him, yet a trace of unease also arose in her heart.

It was not until she saw "Taodu" amidst the flying swords over Mancheng that she became truly afraid.

Then, without any warning, Li Yingqiong made her move.

But now she had figured it out: to him, she was merely a passerby, while to her, he was a man who had suddenly burst into her heart; the palpitations were temporary, and perhaps as time passed, her heart would slowly harden, and the palpitations would naturally vanish.

Yet Mount Huangshan was her home, and Mount Mount Emei was her sect; their kindness was as deep as the sea, making the slight palpitations in her heart truly insignificant by comparison.

She formed a thought.

"Yuepo" moved to protect the front of "Taibai Taibai Zhirui," aligning itself alongside "Xuansha."

Either do not act, or if you act, do it to the best of your ability.

With its tip aimed at the approaching "Taodu," "Yuepo" charged forward.

Zhou Zhou Qingyun changed the sword seals in her hands, employing precisely:

The *Iron-Crutch Li Speaks on the Soft and Gentle Water Sword Sutra*.

The momentum of monthly votes has been too fierce these past few days; the support from fellow readers has been immense, and I have written with great joy; here is a five-thousand-character large chapter, thank you all for your support!

Continuing to ask for monthly votes and recommendations, everyone is welcome to comment and leave messages!

(End of Chapter)