Chapter 529: Moving the Sword, Stirring the Star Script

The hall was filled with smoke like brocade, candlelight brilliant and radiant.

At present, fourteen senior elders from the Eight Sects and Six Clans had all gathered here.

Various lights and auras flickered in and out, dazzling like the sun, auspicious clouds swirling, filling the entire room with radiance.

Feng Xiao, hearing this, frowned and turned to look; sure enough, the one who had spoken was his old rival, Elder Han Yi of Chiming.

Their gazes met—one cold and piercing, the other clearly delighted, his face brimming with smiles.

This scene made Song Feng, the Grand Fu Elder, who had been shaking his head over Liao Huidu’s plight, frown slightly.

He wiped the sorrow from his face, silently raising his guard, prepared to intervene if these two suddenly came to blows.

“Merely a temporary setback—what’s there to discuss? If we must count, it’s simply bad fortune on their part.”

Feng Xiao suppressed his inner anger slightly and snorted:

“Chen Hang is indeed a talent, but our Six Clans have Yin Wujie, Yu Huangshang, Lu Rong—among others.”

“Who wins and who loses, even if you’re as foolish as Han Yi, you ought to have some sense by now—why ignore the situation and merely boast with empty words!”

Upon hearing this, several senior elders from the Six Clans nodded slightly, showing agreement.

Seeing this, Han Yi would not let Feng Xiao gain the upper hand; his mind turned, and he retorted with another barb, prompting several senior elders from the Eight Sects to voice their support.

And as most of the True Persons in attendance grew animated by the debate,

Only Liu Fu, the senior elder of the Primordial Demon Sect, gazed upward.

As if deaf to it all, his fingers tapped idly on the table, his thoughts clearly elsewhere.

Chen Bai, who had just been struck by the Blood Atonement Needle, had not dared to linger a moment after escaping the Emperor’s Imperial Map—he left not a single word, immediately activating a secret treasure and vanishing into the void.

Such conduct clearly showed Chen Bai had taken Chen Hang’s words to heart and chose to flee first.

And for the Primordial Demon Sect’s true disciple to be struck by the Blood Atonement Needle through momentary carelessness, becoming the first—and perhaps only—death of this Dan Yuan Assembly…

Not only would this waste years of painstaking cultivation by the Primordial Demon Sect, but it would also deal a crushing blow to their honor!

Regardless of Chen Bai’s ultimate fate,

As the senior elder of the Primordial Demon Sect this time, Liu Fu had no direct involvement—but those within the sect with ulterior motives would surely seize this as an excuse to attack him.

Especially since Liu Fu had recently angered many within the sect while vying for control of the water-ming territories, even clashing with Tian Ze under Chen Yushu, leaving both sides deeply displeased.

Given this prior tension, Liu Fu’s attempt to extend his influence into those powerful sects of water-ming, and gradually seize control of the regional situation, would likely prove far harder than he imagined…

As Liu Fu pondered deeply, Feng Xiao and Han Yi’s argument grew even fiercer.

These two had long-standing grudges; now, with Song Feng of the Grand Fu Palace leading the way, several senior elders were urging them to calm down, fearing they might come to blows in the hall and disgrace themselves.

Though to the Celestial Cultivators, the Eight Sects and Six Clans were seen as united, sharing interests and standing together as one,

Since ancient times, when they received their imperial edict, these fourteen houses had governed Xudu Tian like an iron fortress, impervious to wind or rain.

No matter how much external forces schemed in secret or launched direct assaults, none could break this tacit understanding or establish themselves within Xudu Tian.

Yet even so, the fourteen houses were not entirely harmonious.

Even among the Eight Sects themselves, and among the Six Clans, there were frictions—let alone between the Xuan Sect and the Demon Sect.

Only because of the ancient “Tan Chi Assembly,” when each sect’s founding master personally swore blood oaths, did the fourteen houses repeatedly suppress internal dissent and unite as one before major crises.

In previous Dan Yuan Assemblies, such comparisons had occurred more than once—merely verbal disputes, never escalating into major turmoil.

Even past Dan Yuan True Persons, when their actions did not overly disrupt their grand plans, often favored targeting the other side to bolster their own faction’s prestige.

For instance, when Pei Zhi fought against Zuo Peng Zong and Peng Qian, her decision to spare Zuo Peng Zong

Was partly due to her need to conserve her strength against Chen Hang and Yin Ruohua, but her shared affiliation with Zuo Peng Zong as part of the Eight Sects also played a role.

But now, the senior elders clashing were Feng Xiao and Han Yi.

The enmity between Feng Xiao and Chiming was too deep to be explained in a few words.

Because of this, Feng Xiao had quietly marked down most of the Eight Sect disciples in his heart.

At this moment, seeing Song Feng of the Grand Fu Palace, who had been playing the peacemaker, now wear a look of weary frustration,

A young man in a russet robe and jade belt, with sharp brows and martial eyes, shook his head and refused to meddle in this matter.

He merely walked over to Xun Bing, the senior elder of Yucheng, nodded to him, raised a cup, and politely said:

“What spirit! What majesty! Yucheng is truly a lofty immortal sect—merely from its disciples, one can see its profound heritage!”

Xun Bing immediately recognized him as Lu Jie, senior elder of the Zhongyi Sword Sect.

During his travels through Zhengxu Tian, he had crossed paths with this man several times; they were not entirely strangers.

After exchanging polite words and pleasantries for a while,

Seeing Lu Jie’s tone subtly inquire about Yucheng’s Dao Zi, Xun Bing felt a touch of helplessness and grew slightly more serious.

In truth, since Chen Hang had slain Chen Yushu’s divine descent and formed a Grade-One Dan, Xun Bing—a former subordinate of Jun Yao—had encountered this exact situation more than once.

Xun Bing guessed that if not for the presence of Ji Fakai within the sect, causing the Zushi to hesitate,

The struggle over Xiyi Mountain would have been settled the moment Lu Shen’s severed heads were delivered to Xiao Ming Marsh.

Even if Zhuang Taichu, Zhang Shou, and the others were stronger, it would make no difference!

And Yucheng, as a great sect of Dongzhou and an ancient immortal lineage,

Every move it made was a focal point for countless eyes beyond its walls!

Its internal power shifts were not merely tied to its own disciples—they inevitably drew the attention of the other Eight Sects and Six Clans.

Though Xun Bing had limited contact with Lu Jie, he knew this man was no idle gossip—he was a true swordsman.

Yet even he was now asking about Yucheng’s Dao Zi…

Clearly, Chen Hang’s performance at this Dan Yuan Assembly truly deserved the title of extraordinary genius.

It had drawn the attention of countless cultivators toward the coming Dao struggle between Chen Hang and Ji Fakai!

“Brother Jun… you probably never imagined that the little cultivator from the southern lands could reach this point.”

Thinking of this, Xun Bing’s emotions were hard to articulate; his gaze lingered briefly on Chen Hang.

At this moment, within the Emperor’s Imperial Map, Chen Hang had arrived in a desolate mountain and marshland.

He casually carved out a simple cave on the cliff wall, suppressed his aura, and hurried to meditate and restore his strength.

Xun Bing recalled how, when Chen Hang was first brought to Xiao Ming Marsh by Hou Wen, had it not been for his protection, Chen Hang would have been instantly killed by the furious Master Wang, dying unnoticed.

Yet now, that little southern cultivator had become Yucheng’s true disciple, the first student of the Dao Jun Ancestor.

At this Dan Yuan Assembly, he had single-handedly subdued all rivals, drawing the gaze of countless True Persons across the Nine Provinces, achieving fame throughout the land!

As for Master Wang and the others who had once targeted Chen Hang,

Ever since Chen Hang formed his Grade-One Dan, they had all been exiled to remote lands or void realms—effectively banished, stripped of all influence.

Reflecting on it, this was truly the capricious flow of fate, the ever-changing path of the world.

Even with divination and fortune-telling, one could never fully fathom its transformations…

“Even if he didn’t win the Dan Yuan title, such a glorious record, combined with all his past deeds, is enough to win the favor of most of his sect brethren!”

A sudden thought flashed through Xun Bing’s mind:

“But I wonder—who won in the Yuqi Tian? Ji Fakai, Mu Changzhi of Xuan Feng, or Long Xiang Ao Yue?”

And at this moment,

After their exchange,

Seeing Xun Bing’s sincerity—that he truly could not predict the outcome of Yucheng’s Dao Zi struggle, and that even his former disciple’s confidant knew nothing—

Lu Jie, though slightly disappointed, did not press further.

After a few more casual words, Lu Jie bowed slightly and took his leave with a smile.

“Sixth Realm’s Art of Movement—what an exceptional swordsman… Yet if he possesses such talent, I’ve heard he’s close to Elder Qiao of Jingu Cave.

Why didn’t Elder Qiao bring him into Zhongyi to cultivate, instead of letting him enter Yucheng’s lower academy?”

Now back at his seat, Lu Jie did not accept the serving maid’s attentions; he took the wine flask from her hand and poured himself a drink.

Though his gaze rested on Feng Xiao and Han Yi in the hall, his mind drifted back to an incident before the Dan Yuan Assembly began.

When Chen Hang had clashed palms with Yin Wujie, the old monks of Dafan Temple, recently emerged from seclusion and long detached from worldly affairs, had sensed Chen Hang’s sharp sword intent and mistaken him for a Zhongyi swordsman—they asked Lu Jie about his teacher.

Such a misidentification, even for Lu Jie’s temperament, had made him feel a pang of embarrassment.

Zhongyi, as the foremost sword sect of the Nine Provinces, had always held the top position in sword arts at past Dan Yuan Assemblies—no one could challenge it.

Yet now, a Chen Hang with the same Sixth Realm’s Art of Movement had emerged.

He had defeated Shen Xingcui and could match Zhou Fu Jia.

This matter…

“What a pity—if Chen Hang were my Zhongyi disciple, this Dan Yuan Assembly would have been a glorious triumph for our sword cultivators!”

Lu Jie shook his head, sighing inwardly:

“Master Minqiu has returned from Fa Sheng Tian—he must be watching this Dan Yuan Assembly.

Given his nature, he’s surely already scolding Elder Qiao, lamenting the wasted talent.”

And seven days passed swiftly.

During this time, another bronze fish appeared within the Emperor’s Imperial Map, sparking another struggle.

On this day, Lu Jie, who had been meditating in the hall, sensed something unusual.

He opened his eyes and saw several senior elders—Feng Xiao, Han Yi, Song Feng—staring his way, their eyes holding a faintly odd expression.

Lu Jie frowned, swept his spiritual sense upward, and quickly understood what had happened.

“Brother Zhou…”

Lu Jie, rarely at a loss, sighed inwardly.

At the same moment,

Within the Emperor’s Imperial Map.

Liao Huidu, barely recovered from his injuries, had just cast talismans to form an array, trapping a winged evil dragon within; no matter how the dragon thrashed and surged, it could not break free.

But before Liao Huidu could advance to extract the beast’s heart-core essence, a distant chorus of howls erupted, thundering with force that shattered the aura and scattered the light, as if a furious tide was approaching, swirling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into chaos.

Recalling that since entering the Emperor’s Imperial Map, he had encountered nothing but misfortune, Liao Huidu suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

He waved his hand to dismiss the talisman array, causing the confused beast to hesitate for a moment before desperately fleeing; then he summoned a jade disc the size of a human head, which emitted strands of radiant, mushroom-like light to shield his entire body.

Soon after, the booming sound seemed to shift sideways, drawing ever closer.

And a chilling, all-encompassing sword intent—seemingly meant to annihilate all life—made Liao Huidu’s spirit tighten in dread.

“So it really is Zhou Fu…”

Seeing the figure wielding a sword, moving freely through the dense clouds, Liao Huidu let out a sigh of relief.

…

…

The deafening sound shook the earth; swordlight flashed brilliantly.

With no way to evade, Lu Tingyun, already exhausted from prior combat, could no longer hold back after a direct clash with Zhou Fu’s flying sword—he spat out a mouthful of blood and was blasted hundreds of zhang away.

Had He Lizi not intervened in time to block the blow, Lu Tingyun would have suffered even greater injury.

But precisely because he had stepped in to help, He Lizi’s own pressure surged violently.

Under Zhou Fu’s torrential assault, he was forced into constant retreat; within moments, signs of defeat began to show, his face flushed crimson.

“Zhou Fu is fighting He Lizi and Brother Lu… and I just happened to stumble upon this scene?”

Liao Huidu truly did not know what expression to wear; he merely stood motionless, finding the situation oddly amusing.

Lu Tingyun, having caught his breath, shook his head.

After swallowing an elixir, he glanced toward Liao Huidu in the distance and quickly used a voice-transmission technique.

“Brother Liao, leave at once—if you delay any longer, you won’t escape.”

Seeing Liao Huidu’s face showed no reaction, Lu Tingyun hurriedly added, his voice weary:

“Don’t think that because you’re from one of the Eight Xuan Sects, Brother Zhou will hold back or spare you.”

I’ve seen this man fully fired up—he won’t even spare a fellow sect member. Right now, even a dog passing by might get two sword cuts from Brother Zhou!”

“It’s probably too late to say this now…”

He sensed a distant sword intent descending—though not yet unleashed—it made his skin ache and his vision blur, as if veiled by a hazy glow.

Liao Huidu let out a bitter laugh, gripping several talismans in his hand, and sighed to Lu Tingyun.

As he spoke, a thunderous explosion erupted in the distance—a blazing golden qi shot forth like a spear, instantly severing Mount Hua and pulverizing the sky-full of shattered rocks!

Amid the explosive airwaves, He Lizi’s figure tumbled like a kite with severed string, blood trickling from his nose and mouth.