Chapter 24: Sword to the Stage

Upon seeing the Daoist robe emitting golden light, Wang Sheng couldn't help but find the trip worthwhile. Until now, he had never been close enough to a genuine Daoist artifact or treasure to observe it in person. It had been rather frustrating for him.

Watching it in videos didn't count either.

The Golden Daoist Robe wasn't exactly a high-tier artifact. Though powerful, it required a large amount of true essence and spiritual consciousness to wield effectively. Those at the Spirit Convergence Realm would certainly find it taxing to activate.

Judging by Liu Yunzhi's pale face, it was clear that he couldn't sustain the robe's power for long. To make matters worse, Shi Qianzhang showed no signs of surprise. It was as if he had expected Liu Yunzhi to have such a card up his sleeve.

Sneering, he said, "

Hah,

your sect passed down such an artifact to you, a junior disciple at the Spirit Convergence Realm? Mount Mao is shameless."

Liu Yunzhi was about to retort when Shi Qianzhang casually reached into his back pocket and pulled out a crescent-shaped jade. He then clicked his tongue and drawled, "Then again, we're all the same. The old geezers of the Longhu Mountains aren't much better. Lucky me, they gave me this little trinket before we came here."

A few young Daoist priests in the crowd couldn't help but laugh out loud.

The Mount Mao disciples looked enraged, while the Longhu Mountains entourage appeared embarrassed. The elders seated in front of the hall just smiled faintly.

Caution filled Liu Yunzhi's expression as he focused intently on the jade in Shi Qianzhang's hand. His already pale, handsome face now looked almost otherworldly due to his unnatural paleness.

Having already revealed his ultimate move, he could no longer afford to lose the sparring match.

Liu Yunzhi raised his sword fingers to his forehead and then toward the sky. His golden robe billowed as strands of golden silk peeled off from the fabric, forming a golden wall that towered into the heavens.

"Highest Deities of the Five Regions! Shatter this illusion with your divinity!"

The golden strands soared over six meters high. With a downward press of Liu Yunzhi's hands, the strands folded in midair, glowing intensely as they stormed toward Shi Qianzhang.

The golden threads sharply and unrelentingly whistled through the air. The clashing sounds of strings being plucked accompanied them.

Shi Qianzhang crouched and launched himself backward, evading the onslaught. He then muttered an incomprehensible incantation under his breath.

A few golden threads missed their mark. With a series of resounding rings, they left deep holes in the ancient stone tiles of the arena—a testament to the artifact’s full power!

The golden threads continued their pursuit, growing faster with every pass. Each thread seemed capable of extending indefinitely.

In the limited space of the arena, Shi Qianzhang relied on two talismans tied to his thighs to enhance his movements, dodging and weaving around the attacks.

The Longhu disciples' faces turned grave, while one gray-haired elder with a bushy beard rose from his seat, watching the battle with visible concern.

Finally, after evading several waves of attacks, Shi Qianzhang grinned. The crescent jade in his hand glowed cyan and floated on its own. Simultaneously, he spread his arms wide, striking an exaggerated and flamboyant pose as if he were dancing in the wind.

The crescent jade affixed itself to his forehead, enveloping him in cyan light. His spiritual consciousness, originally at the peak of the Spirit Convergence Realm, suddenly surged. It stirred streams of primal qi, making mist rise around him!

At that moment, Shi Qianzhang appeared almost like an immortal descending to the world of mortals. Despite his smug grin and unremarkable looks, he exuded an inexplicable charisma.

"

Hahaha!

Pretty Boy Liu, you're going to lose again!" Shi Qianzhang shouted, his words echoing throughout the arena.

The artifact's function was to enhance the cultivator's spiritual consciousness. As he landed, dozens of golden threads closed in from all sides. However, for all their speed, they were still a beat too slow.

Liu Yunzhi's eyes had turned bloodshot. Unfortunately for him, his opponent—hailed as a talisman prodigy—was about to reveal his trump card. Shi Qianzhang planted his feet firmly and raised his left hand to his chest, facing upward. With his right hand, he formed a sword finger gesture above his palm. His eyes glowed cyan.

"With the Fiend-Subduing Celestial Talisman in my grasp, the Six Incantation Arts are at my command!"

The cloth pouches attached to his limbs simultaneously opened. Four yellow talismans flew out first, transforming into four earthen walls that blocked the golden threads. Right after, three black talismans and seven red talismans emerged, their combined black-and-red glow streaking like bullets toward Liu Yunzhi.

Liu Yunzhi hastily recalled the golden threads, weaving them into a golden cocoon around himself just before the talismans could hit him.

With a deafening explosion, the earthen walls around Shi Qianzhang shattered.

Smiling eerily, the disciple of the Longhu Mountains flicked his hand slightly. The three black talismans detonated just outside the golden cocoon, splashing black-and-red liquid that resembled blood onto the golden threads and seeping into the golden cocoon.

Thick white smoke rose from the golden threads as the black blood talismans tainted the water-and-fire-resistant Golden Daoist Robe, rendering it temporarily ineffective.

Unable to hold themselves back, someone in the audience shouted, "What the hell? Black dog blood? Does that disciple of the Longhu Mountains have no shame?"

Before their words even faded, the outcome of the match had already been decided.

The seven red talismans pierced through the golden cocoon. Inside, crimson lines intertwined, riddling Liu Yunzhi's neck, the back of his hands, and his face with thin cuts.

If this had been a battle to the death, any of the red talismans would have easily sliced Liu Yunzhi's throat.

After leaving dozens of small wounds on Liu Yunzhi, the seven red talismans flew back and hovered around Shi Qianzhang, forming a ring behind him.

Shi Qianzhang stood with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a seasoned master.

Liu Yunzhi's expression turned somber. He continued channeling true essence into his robe, but bitter words soon echoed through the now-silent arena.

"I concede..."

The young Daoist priest from Mount Mao sighed dejectedly. He raised his head and glanced at the blue sky of the afternoon. His long hair, which had come loose, softly fell behind him. He then unexpectedly chuckled. With a hint of relief in his eyes, he cupped his hands and extended them toward Shi Qianzhang to show respect. Finally, he turned and walked away in silence.

The cultivators observing the battle whispered among themselves, refraining from cheering or making grand comments. After all, Shi Qianzhang and Liu Yunzhi had displayed skills far above the majority of the cultivators present that day.

Limited by his cultivation level, Liu Yunzhi barely managed to show a fraction of his Lightning-Summoning Talisman’s true power. Given time and advancement in his cultivation, he would undoubtedly become formidable.

Shi Qianzhang's abilities were even more diverse. The variety of talismans he employed testified to his reputation as a prodigy in talismanic arts.

In truth, there were no losers in that sparring match. After all, it was merely a friendly competition. Liu Yunzhi's techniques could have fallen short against Shi Qianzhang today, but that didn't mean he would remain inferior in the future.

The two had gained significant recognition from their battle. They had proven that their skills were genuine, not exaggerations. In front of the palace, many Daoists congratulated the elder cultivators from Mount Mao and the Longhu Mountains.

The senior members of the two sects remained cordial throughout. After all, at the end of the day, the Daoist sects shared a bond of unity. Their territories didn't overlap, and they had never competed for pilgrims in the past.

"How dull," Shi Qianzhang muttered with a smirk. He then adjusted the jade artifact on his forehead and gazed at Wang Sheng, who hadn't moved from his seat. "Activating this artifact isn't easy. Hey, you from Wudang Mountains—the guy who was showing off with a sword earlier—care for a sparring match?"

His brazen suggestion to use his artifact to intimidate others only further showcased his shamelessness.

All eyes immediately turned to Wang Sheng. However, quite a few were inevitably drawn to Mu Wanxuan, who seemed to be "forcefully" redirecting attention to herself.

Shi Qianzhang's target had always been Wang Sheng in the first place. Liu Yunzhi simply intercepted him, leading to a duel. Now that he had defeated him, his confidence was at its peak.

With a rare artifact at his disposal, Shi Qianzhang was certain of his victory.

Wang Sheng, who was seated on a long bench, seemed lost in thought. He wasn't overthinking the situation but merely recalling his master's advice to keep a low profile. Hence, he couldn’t help but wonder if he should decline the challenge.

At least I remembered Master's advice

, Wang Sheng thought. However, a counterargument crossed his mind.

In life, acting recklessly a few times was inevitable. Backing down without a fight might not affect his mindset much, but it certainly wouldn't do him any good. Worse, he would earn a reputation for being timid and cowardly.

Steeling his resolve, Wang Sheng nodded expressionlessly. In front of the eager gazes of the crowd, he stood and walked over to Zhou Yinglong.

"Senior Brother, may I borrow your sword again?"

Zhou Yinglong immediately presented the longsword with both hands. Nearby, two Daoist masters from Wudang watched Wang Sheng with concern. They wanted to say something, but they held themselves back.

Many cultivators couldn't help but find the situation hilarious. One had a rare and powerful artifact provided by his sect. The other had to borrow a longsword from his fellow disciple just to participate in the duel. How little did the Wudang Mountains value their sword cultivator, who had just amazed the entire crowd?

"I want to take this opportunity to test my limits. If I can't match the top disciple of the Longhu Mountains, I could bring disgrace to the Wudang Mountains," Wang Sheng remarked.

"You should prioritize your safety, Martial Nephew. Reputation means nothing compared to your life," one of Wudang's Daoist masters advised.

"That’s right. Don't be too competitive, Martial Nephew. Cultivation focuses on tranquility and clarity," the other added.

The two Daoist masters clearly believed that Wang Sheng didn't stand a chance against Shi Qianzhang and were worried that he would get hurt. After all, the power of talismanic arts had already been vividly demonstrated. Even in the hands of a Spirit Convergence Realm cultivator, talismans could be deadly.

Although Wang Sheng's sword art was exceptional, his cultivation level was limited. Without sword energy or sword radiance, how could he hope to counter a foe capable of deploying talismans from tens of meters away?

Mu Wanxuan came up to Wang Sheng and gently tugged on the sleeve of his Daoist robe.

Wang Sheng blinked at her. Though she wanted to advise her junior brother, she found herself unable to speak, making her visibly anxious.

"Don't worry, Senior Sister. I'll be fine," Wang Sheng softly said to comfort her.

The scene made the elder Daoist masters, spirited young Daoist priests, and radiant female Daoists all seemingly share one thought.

Someone chuckled lightly. "Those two could very well be a perfect couple. Truly enviable."

Wang Sheng glanced at them. Although most Daoist sects didn't forbid marriage, such matters shouldn’t be openly discussed. Besides, his relationship with his senior sister was entirely pure. One was devoted to the Great Dao, harboring no such thoughts; while the other was too focused on cultivation to understand such matters.

Wang Sheng chose not to refute the comment. Trying to explain himself would only make things worse.

The pure would remain pure. He had his principles; one had to establish oneself on the Great Dao before considering matters of romance.

Gripping the sheathed longsword, Wang Sheng walked to the center of the Moonlit Terrace. He stopped about sixteen meters away from Shi Qianzhang and cupped his hands politely.

The disciple from the Longhu Mountains raised an eyebrow, seemingly plotting something. With a sly grin, he greeted, "Shi Qianzhang, Daoist name Qianzhang. Disciple of the Longhu Mountains' Righteous Celestial Sect."

"Wang Sheng, Daoist name Fei Yu. Disciple of Qing Yanzi from the Wudang Mountains," Wang Sheng replied courteously, making sure to mention his master's name.

The crowd showed no reaction, a clear sign that they hadn’t heard of Qing Yanzi.

Before Wang Sheng could assume a stance, Shi Qianzhang grinned mischievously and rubbed his hands together. "Hey, Buddy, are you and your senior sister... you know, together? Can you give me her number? Wait, how about we make a bet? If you lose, you give me her contact info. Deal?"

Wang Sheng's mouth twitched.

This guy...

One would have to try really hard to be so punchable.

"Let's talk after the fight," he replied.