Chapter 140: The Opening of the Grand Conference, the Clash of Three Swords

Originally, Wang Sheng had intended to set a trap, letting Gao Shixing and Fei Lianzi have a brief sparring match during the opening ceremony of the Immortal Dao Conference to warm up the atmosphere. However, after one round of discussion, he ended up getting dragged into it by Gao Shixing and Fei Lianzi.

"The two of us dueling alone would be boring," Gao Shixing said. "Why not join us, Fei Yu?"

Fei Lianzi immediately followed up, "Exactly. Most of those attending now are young disciples. If just the two of us go up, there would not be much excitement. Fei Yu, you should join too."

Wang Sheng was about to refuse with his authority as the captain of the Referee Committee when the other Daoist masters voiced their support, saying it was a good idea.

One of the Daoist masters even made a particularly reasonable argument. "This Immortal Dao Conference is not only a grand event for the Daoist heritages of the sacred mountains. It is also an excellent opportunity for the younger disciples to broaden their horizons.

"Ten years ago, there were very few practitioners, and the number of second-generation sect members was quite small. After the resurgence of primal qi, life for every Daoist heritage improved, and the number of young disciples increased tremendously. They now constitute the majority of the cultivation world.

"However, many of the young disciples who have achieved some small success in cultivation have become arrogant and frivolous. Their Dao Hearts are unstable. This is the perfect opportunity to open their eyes and teach them that the younger generation can contend with the older generation. In this way, they wouldn't just see everyone around them stuck at the Spirit Convergence Realm and lose all motivation to improve."

Mou Yue kept winking at Wang Sheng in encouragement. Even Wang Sheng couldn't help but nod in agreement now.

"Very well, I will join as well. However, my cultivation is not as profound as yours, Daoist masters. I ask you both to show some mercy and not embarrass me too much."

Fei Lianzi laughed. "That may not necessarily be the case. The sword formation you comprehended before entering the Seventy-Two Swords is something I still cannot fully grasp even today. If the three of us were to fight with our swords, the outcome would truly be unpredictable."

Gao Shixing, on the other hand, frowned. "We will keep it light."

Fei Lianzi glanced over. "Of course."

Seeing that the two were about to lock horns again, Wang Sheng hurriedly changed the subject and shifted to discussing official matters. They moved on to the rules of the competition and the detailed structure of the matches.

After an entire afternoon of discussion, the eighteen referees formulated a total of ten competition rules, all of which aimed to be as fair and impartial as possible for every Daoist heritage and cultivation method.

The first rule was that all duels had to stop before causing serious harm. Accidental harm was permissible, but intentional ones would result in disqualification and investigation by the Special Investigation Unit. The second rule was that each duel would only last fifteen minutes. If no winner was declared by then, the match would be declared a draw.

Third, any behavior that insulted the opponent's sect or character was prohibited. Verbal abuse or mental attacks would result in disqualification. This would likely greatly weaken Shi Qianzhang's combat strength.

Fourth, any acts that insulted the nation were banned. Violators of this rule would mean immediate disqualification. Fifth, holding back intentionally, collusion, and cheating would lead to immediate disqualification as well.

The sixth rule...

The ten rules covered almost all conceivable situations, but the referees' flexibility and judgment on-site would still be critical.

Meanwhile, the tournament structure was finalized. It was estimated to last three days, with the preliminary matches being held on the first day. The main venue would initially be divided into eight smaller arenas, namely Qian, Zhen, Kan, Gen, Kun, Xun, Li, and Dui. Two referees would be assigned to each one.

To prevent disciples from the same major sect from meeting too early and causing premature internal conflicts, the eight arenas would conduct separate draws, and the participating disciples would be evenly distributed among the arenas. Unaffiliated practitioners and family-style Daoist heritages would be arranged similarly.

The preliminary matches would select one hundred and eight contestants to advance to the second day's ranking matches, which would adopt a points system and use four arenas. Each participant would compete in ten matches, earning two points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero for a loss. The sixteen combatants with the most points would enter the finals on the third day.

According to the Daoist masters' predictions, the top sixteen would mostly consist of second-generation sect members under the age of thirty-five. Young disciples who made it into the top fifty would already be considered outstanding.

After settling all this, the Referee Committee originally thought there would be no further issues. However, they had to revise the rules again on the eve of the Immortal Dao Conference because a considerable number of Buddhist cultivators had also come.

The Immortal Dao Conference was initially intended to be a Daoist event, unrelated to the Buddhist sects. However, considering the unity of the righteous path and the deep roots of the Buddhist sects, they had no choice but to add a new rule: respect each other's faiths.

Twenty-four hours before the Immortal Dao Conference's opening ceremony, Mount Sanqing bustled with cultivators. The grand event had attracted over seven thousand cultivators, most of whom came to watch, make connections, and forge friendships. Among them, the attendees from Daoist sacred mountains made up only an eighth of the total number; the sheer number of unaffiliated practitioners was astounding.

The Special Investigation Unit had already found traces of corrupt cultivators among the attendees, though the ones discovered so far were merely small fry. They caught a few at random to demonstrate that they were not specifically targeting corrupt cultivators.

The bait had been laid. Whether the crocodile had taken it remained to be seen.

What puzzled Wang Sheng was that the mistress, who had been orchestrating everything from behind the scenes, had yet to appear.

Around Mount Sanqing, aside from the armed policemen sealing off the area and the few hundred Special Warfare Unit members maintaining order, there was no sign of any large forces lying in wait.

Wang Sheng did not inquire into the detailed plans. He only had to focus on his own responsibilities. At the same time, he had his senior sister prepare Spiritless, which could come in handy after the tournament.

As preparations were made all over the place, the countdown to the Immortal Dao Conference entered its final ten hours. Wang Sheng and the referees had received their custom Daoist robes, shoulder badges, armbands, and pure-gold commemorative badges.

Ahem, these are not that important.

It was obvious that Gao Shixing and Fei Lianzi were brimming with fighting spirit, seemingly determined to prove their Dao of the Sword before all the cultivators of the world. Wang Shen could only shake his head in silence.

At six in the morning, the venue fully opened. All eight entrances began checking tickets at the same time. Those who had received invitations were allowed to enter first and occupy some of the better viewing spots, with the Daoist elders and the high-level Daoist masters naturally invited onto the main stage.

Those without invitations had to wait a little longer. Still, after about an hour, they too began entering the venue. They naturally sat farther back, but the elevation was higher. Since most cultivators had good eyesight, their view wasn't hindered.

Several officers from the Special Warfare Unit, who were there to observe, and a few core members of the Special Investigation Unit joined the others on the front platform. Dressed in formal uniforms, they sat quietly in the corners, making sure not to draw unnecessary attention.

A total of twenty-eight Daoist sects and Daoist heritages from the sacred mountains had sent representatives. More than forty Daoist elders and over thirty Daoist masters at the Illusory Core Realm were on the main platform, the majority of whom were from the sacred mountains. Meanwhile, the experts from the Buddhist sects were seated at the side of the platform, with a greater focus on observing the proceedings.

Seeing such a gathering of experts, there was a real concern whether the Yin-Yang Cult would still dare attempt to seize the celestial tablet by force.

At seven in the morning, a helicopter flew in from afar, carrying an iron chest suspended underneath. It immediately drew all eyes toward it.

The iron chest was placed behind the main platform, guarded by over ten fully armed members of the Special Investigation Unit. Two elderly scholars from the research institute, who had arrived with the helicopter, accompanied them.

One of the six tablets had arrived. The news spread, and the cultivators at the venue grew restless. The celestial tablet from the moon; the Supreme Immortal Sutra; and, as the rumors had it, the secrets behind the resurgence of primal qi were in the box too.

However, only the top eight contenders of the Immortal Dao Conference would be qualified to comprehend the celestial tablet.

Once the iron chest was secured, the equipment throughout the venue was fully activated, and the sound of musical instruments drifted through the air. Cultivators who had passed the preregistration were notified to collect their contestant numbers.

The opening ceremony was rescheduled to 9:00 AM. By 8:50 AM, the final groups of cultivators had entered the venue.

The first to walk into the arena was Qing Yanzi. Donning a deep-blue Daoist robe, the middle-aged scholar walked on clouds like an immortal descending to the mortal world.

His mid-stage Golden Core Realm cultivation suppressed the entire venue, making it fall into pin-drop silence.

Qing Yanzi extended a Daoist salute toward the four directions and said a few formal phrases. Translated into plain speech, he said things like "the weather is fine today," "I am very happy that everyone could come," and "I hope the righteous path flourishes and everyone's cultivation continues to improve, so we may explore the deeper paths of immortality together."

Afterward, he remarked, "Today, a few seniors will also help preside over this tournament. Let us welcome them."

Standing in midair, Qing Yanzi extended a Daoist salute to the side.

Another surge of Golden Core Realm cultivation pressure swept across the sky. A white-haired elderly man and a gentle smile stepped forward, riding on a yellow talisman paper.

The Grand Celestial Master of the Longhu Celestial Master Sect had come up on stage!

Two waves of Golden Core Realm cultivation pressure then appeared from another side. Two white-haired elders appeared, each on a flying sword.

The sect master of the Shu Sword Sect, Daoist Master Qing Long!

The former sect master of the Wudang Mountains, Yuan Pu Zhenren!

The four Golden Core Realm cultivators exchanged courtesies in midair. They then each said a few words before taking their seats.

As the organizer of the tournament, Qing Yanzi sat in the most prominent position, giving off a strong impression of a martial alliance leader.

Next, a middle-aged female Daoist in an ancient-style dress slowly ascended the stage. She was broadcast simultaneously on the six large screens inside and outside the venue.

She was the host invited by the Special Investigation Unit, chosen for her solid hosting skills. Her task was simple: introduce the only performance before the main event.

More than two hundred Special Warfare Unit members charged into the field carrying fifty large drums. They performed a few minutes of powerful percussion, creating a grand and awe-inspiring atmosphere. Afterward, the performers withdrew like flowing water, leaving the fifty drums neatly in place.

As the cultivators began wondering if there would be more performances, a round-faced Daoist flew to the stage on his sword and landed lightly atop one of the large drums. Two flying swords circled slowly around him.

Once he was standing firmly, another thin and dark Daoist master leaped up from a corner. He twisted several times in midair before landing on the other corner of the drum formation.

Now it's my turn...

Wang Sheng, who had been waiting for this moment, breathed out lightly. He held his nameless longsword in his right hand. With his left hand, he formed a sword finger and lightly slid it across the air. His immortal-grade flying sword shot forward like an arrow.

Right after, he leaped forward. Lightly tapping on the flying sword with the tip of his foot, he soared another dozen meters through the air before landing steadily on the third corner of the drum formation.

The three stood in formation, their gazes meeting. Three sharp sword cries rang out, and three waves of sword intent seemingly pierced through the heavens.