Ding Yuan walked into the kitchen with a bamboo branch in his hand. As expected, he saw the old Taoist priest drinking the vegetable porridge cooked by Ah Niu leisurely. He did not even raise his head when he heard the sound of him entering the door.
Ding Yuan was in a good mood and did not care. He sat down opposite the old Taoist priest and waved the bamboo branch in front of him."I broke it."
The Immortal Danyan's eyes were fixed on the bowl of porridge. He blew carefully as if he was afraid of being scalded.
Ding Yuan thought that this old Taoist priest originally thought that he could make things difficult for me, but he didn't expect that I would break the bamboo branch because of his miscalculation. He couldn't hold his face anymore and simply pretended to be deaf and mute. Hmph, this was his forte. He didn't say anything else and scooped a bowl of porridge and started drinking it.
After finishing the last mouthful, the Immortal Danyan put down the bowl and asked slowly,""Is it really broken?"
"If it's not broken, do you think I bit it off with my teeth?" Ding Yuan blinked.”
The Immortal Danyan shook his head and said nothing. Seeing this, Ding Yuan couldn't help but feel angry."What's this old Taoist priest putting on airs for? Isn't he just unwilling to admit that he didn't stump me?”
Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind, and he vaguely guessed the Immortal Danyan's intention, so he snorted and said,"It broke itself."
"Break it yourself?"
Ding Yuan thought for a moment and said," It's really strange. I feel as if this bamboo branch has life and emotions as well. Moreover, it's connected to me as one. Just as I was about to give up and break it, it broke on its own.”
The Immortal Danyan's strangely ugly face revealed a faint smile as he said,""You finally understand. That bamboo branch has life and spirituality like humans. In fact, everything in the world was like this, why was it only human? If you don't know this, you are not worthy of learning the sword.”
"Old Taoist, have you finally been enlightened? You want to teach me your swordsmanship?" Ding Yuan asked happily.”
"Ding Yuan, do you know what day it is today?" asked the Immortal Danyan.”
Ding Yuan was stunned. He thought for a moment and said,"September 11th. What's wrong?"”
Ah Niu suddenly exclaimed,""So it's been three years since Little Brother Ding came to our Black Bamboo Pavilion. Time flies. I thought it was only a few months.”
Ding Yuan woke up and remembered that he had unknowingly stayed in the Black Bamboo Pavilion for three years. Time flew by, and now his height had long surpassed the thin and small Immortal Danyan, and was as tall as Ah Niu.
From this day on, Ding Yuan's daily homework changed. In the morning, he practiced swordsmanship with the Immortal Danyan and Ah Niu, practiced calligraphy in the morning, and read in the afternoon. At night, he immersed himself in swordsmanship for the first half of the night and continued to meditate and practice Qi for the second half of the night. He slept less and less, and he didn't feel tired at all. Instead, he was full of energy, and his eyes became more and more spirited.
Just like Ah Niu, Ding Yuan had also started practicing the "Thirty-six Azure Waves Forms". The old Taoist priest taught him a move almost every ten days. At this rate, it would take at least a year to learn it. However, Ding Yuan wasn't in a hurry this time, because every time he taught a move, the Immortal Danyan would demonstrate the similar moves of the sword techniques of the Heavenly and Righteous Dao and the Devil Dao, one by one, so that he could comprehend them. Sometimes, the old Taoist priest even explained in detail the possible moves that the opponent might use in actual combat, guiding Ding Yuan to find ways to break through the changes on his own.
Although the Immortal Dan Yan has always been silent and taciturn, the profound knowledge in his chest has only made Ding Yuan see the leopard in a narrow way today. The old Taoist priest was able to use every move effortlessly. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of each sword technique like the back of his hand. Ding Yuan seemed to be swimming in a vast sea of smoke every day, completely immersed in it. In private, he couldn't help but admire Immortal Danyan's vast knowledge and deep comprehension. "So this old Taoist doesn't only know some tricks. He does have some real talent in his stomach, but he doesn't want to show off."”
However, Ding Yuan still didn't have the slightest bit of respect and worship for his master as a disciple. Every time the Immortal Danyan taught him the sword style, he would always argue. Some asked questions such as " Why does this sword have to be half a second faster "," Why can't I lower my legs by an inch ", or sang the praises of other sword styles, saying weird things like " If someone were to attack me with this sword, my sword would be finished before it could even draw a circle ". The old Taoist priest was surprisingly patient. He answered them one by one in detail, but he did not ask Ding Yuan to force himself to do so. He only let him experience the pros and cons of each question.
This was why on the surface, Ding Yuan's progress was abnormally slow, while others only needed half a year to learn the entire beginner level sword technique. He had only comprehended ten moves in three months. However, while the others had merely "learned", Ding Yuan had "comprehended". How far apart were these two words?
Ji Xueyan would sneak to the Black Bamboo Pavilion to look for Ding Yuan every now and then, and the two of them were like glue as they toured the peaks of the Emerald Clouds Peak. Sometimes, Ji Xueyan and Ding Yuan would secretly spend half a day traveling thousands of miles to see the famous mountains and rivers of the Heavenly Land. They even went east to Jieshi to watch the sea.
That day, the two of them sat side by side on a reef. The waves under their feet splashed, and a round sunset slowly sank into the sea from the west. The bright red setting sun reflected Ji Xueyan's jade-white face. The sea breeze gently sent the fragrance of a virgin to her nose, blowing her waterfall-like hair in the twilight.
Ding Yuan looked into the distance and felt his heart open and full of pride. He smiled and said,"Xue 'er, one day I will bring you across this boundless sea to see what is at the end of the sea.”
Ji Xueyan was mesmerized by the beautiful scenery in front of her. She smiled sweetly when she heard this and said,"I heard from my father that the sea is vast and boundless. Other than the immortals in the legends, no one has ever seen its end. However, there are countless immortal mountains in the depths of the sea. Those loose immortals with profound cultivation often like to linger here and stay in their immortal residences.”
"If that's the case, we can go overseas to find an uninhabited immortal mountain when we're old. Then, the two of us can spend the rest of our lives together on that mountain and grow old together." Give birth to a few more children for me and play wildly on the ground.”
At first, Ji Xueyan was fascinated by the story, but when she heard the last sentence, her cheeks could not help but turn red. She spat and said,"Who said I wanted to give you a child?”
Ding Yuan laughed and held Ji Xueyan's beautiful face."You dare to say that you don't want to have my child?”
Ji Xueyan was bashful in Ding Yuan's arms. After a long time, she lowered her head and said softly,"Bad thing, who said I didn't want to?”
As the new year passed, not only did Emerald Cloud Mountain not fall silent, it became even more lively. The Emerald Cloud Sword Gathering, which was held once every five years, would be held for six consecutive days starting from the 15th of the first month of this year. There were no less than a thousand disciples in the Emerald Cloud Sword Sect, but there were never more than 300 people who were allowed to fight on behalf of the sect. Most of them were disciples of the "Wu" and "Qing" generations.
Although everyone wanted to show off their skills in front of the crowd at the Sword Conference and not let down their years of hard work, there was always a strong opponent among the strong. If they were defeated, not only would they lose face, but it would also affect the reputation of their sect. Therefore, every disciple who was allowed to show up at the Sword Conference was carefully selected by the teachers of the branch and decided after careful consideration.
These disciples were either the cream of the crop among their peers or those with shallow cultivation but boundless prospects. They could generally represent the elites of a sect.
Ever since Perfected Qing Xia started the Emerald Cloud Sword Gathering 1200 years ago, there had been few breaks in the process. Up until now, there had been more than 200 sessions. Almost every sect master and branch master had made a name for themselves in the Sword Conference, and from then on, they were favored by their seniors and masters. When Perfected Qing Xia founded the Sword Association, his original intention was to promote mutual learning and encouragement among the disciples. However, the thousand-year-old inheritance made the Cuixia Sword Association more meaningful today.
Therefore, those who were participating in the sword gathering were excited, rubbing their fists and rubbing their palms, holding back their energy to show off their skills at the Emerald Cloud Sword Gathering. Those who weren't selected were unhappy, but they were also looking forward to the coming of the festival and seeing the performance of the elites of their sect.
According to past practice, the sword gathering that was held once every five years would be hosted by each branch of Emerald Cloud Sect. This year, it was Luo He's Flying Waterfall Temple's turn. The New Year had just passed, and the Flying Waterfall House had been busy preparing the venue and cleaning the courtyard. Now, they were just waiting for the Sword Conference to begin.
However, the Black Bamboo Pavilion was still as calm as ever. Almost no one mentioned the matter of the Emerald Cloud Sword Meet in a few days, as if it had nothing to do with these people. Ji Xueyan, on the other hand, had not shown up since the beginning of the year. Instead, she was cultivating in seclusion under the strict supervision of her parents and Ji Bietian, hoping to amaze the world with a single feat at the Sword Conference.
After not seeing Ji Xueyan for so many days, Ding Yuan could not help but feel a little bored. He simply devoted himself to studying the Billow Sword Technique and refined his Dark Gold Flying Centipede when he had nothing to do.
This afternoon, Ding Yuan hid in the bamboo forest and sat cross-legged. He held the three Dark Gold Flying Centipedes in his hands and refined them as usual. In less than an hour, he found that his Genuine Qi had wandered around the body of the Dark Gold Flying Centipede, but he could not absorb any more Devil Qi. He couldn't help but be stunned. He immediately urged the true qi in his body to increase its strength, but suddenly heard a " Pa!”The three demons were turned into dust in his hands.
"That's strange. Did I crush it with too much force?" Ding Yuan muttered.”What he didn't know was that after three years of refinement, the demonic Qi in the Mysterious Gold Flying Centipede's body had been drained by Ding Yuan day by day. All that was left was a useless skin bag that could no longer withstand the pressure of Ding Yuan's true Qi.
The next morning, after the three of them had breakfast, the Immortal Danyan said,""The Sword Conference is about to begin."
Ah Niu stopped what he was doing and asked the Immortal Danyan,""Master, should we go and take a look?”
"Even if we don't participate, we can just watch the show, right?" Ding Yuan snorted.”
In fact, Ding Yuan did not care about the performance of the others or whether the Sword Conference was lively. He was more concerned about Ji Xueyan's competition starting from this afternoon.
The Immortal Danyan ignored him and continued,""Ah Niu, I've signed you up."
"Really?" Ah Niu was stunned for a while before he reacted. He grinned and said,"Thank you, Master. I'll definitely perform well!”
The Immortal Danyan didn't seem to have much hope for Ah Niu either. He just nodded and said,"I'll do my best."
"Then Master, will Little Brother Ding participate?”Ah Niu looked at Ding Yuan and asked.
The Immortal Danyan shook his head. Ding Yuan knew that he wouldn't get a share, but he still couldn't help but feel angry. He thought to himself,'This old Taoist must know that the things he taught me are really not good. He's afraid that I'll make a fool of myself at the Sword Conference, so he didn't even give me a name.' I don't want to be like a cockfight and let others watch from below the stage.”
Ah Niu did not have as many thoughts as Ding Yuan. Seeing his master shake his head, he comforted Ding Yuan,"It's okay, Little Brother Ding. I didn't participate in the previous two sword conferences either. When your cultivation reaches the required level, Master will naturally register you.”
Ding Yuan wondered if he would still be here in another ten years. It seemed that he would not be able to participate in the Sword Association competition. However, he could at least see Ji Xueyan and Ah Niu's performance, so he said,"Old Taoist, I want to go and watch the show, okay?”
The Immortal Danyan didn't refuse this time. He simply nodded and said,""Alright!"
Thus, the three of them packed up, leaving Big Black to look after the house. They went out of the bamboo house and gathered again by the pond. The Immortal Danyan was still the same. His face always made people feel that he owed someone 300 taels of silver. Ah Niu, on the other hand, had changed into a brand new set of dark-colored clothes, and carried an ancient sword on his back. Although the immortal sword was still in its sheath, Dante could still vaguely feel the powerful aura it emitted.
Seeing this scene, Ding Yuan could not help but feel a little indignant. He also carried a sword on his back. It was a bamboo branch that he had taken from the Purple Bamboo Forest that day. Even the scabbard was sewn by Ji Xueyan from animal skin that day. Although she was careful and tried her best, the workmanship was too poor and the appearance was not very good.
Ding Yuan did not mind. He had specially carried it on his back for today's Sword Conference so that Ji Xueyan would be happy and know that her effort of pricking her fingers countless times had not been in vain. However, it was estimated that the bamboo sword that Ji Xueyan called "Snowfield" would not have any chance to show itself.
Ah Niu had already roughly mastered the art of sword control. He chanted a true incantation, and the heavy gold ancient sword emitted a simple and unadorned bronze light that leaped up, merging with Ah Niu's body and sword and soaring into the clouds.
Ding Yuan had not yet reached the realm of "micro-observation", so he could barely float, but he was not strong enough to travel thousands of miles like A Niu. The Immortal Danyan raised his immortal sword,"Vast Ocean", and leaped into the air with Ding Yuan in his right hand.
It took only a moment for the three of them to arrive at the Flying Waterfall House from the Purple Bamboo Pavilion. As soon as they arrived above the Flying Waterfall House on their flying swords, they saw streaks of sword light soaring into the sky. Some were green, some were red, some were blue, and some were green. It was like a seven-colored rainbow that set off the blue sky beautifully.
The Immortal Danyan and Ding Yuan put away their swords and landed in front of the main gate of the Flying Waterfall Temple. They bumped into Luo and his eldest son, Luo Kun, who were standing at the door to welcome their fellow disciples. He was dressed as a middle-aged scholar, and the smile on his face was quite similar to his father's. When he saw the Immortal Danyan leading Ah Niu and Ding Yuan, he hurriedly went forward and bowed,"Martial Nephew greets Third Martial Uncle.”
The Immortal Danyan held Luo Kun's hands and said lightly,""You're welcome!"
Luo Kun stood up with a smile." Sect Master Martial Uncle and all the Martial Uncles are resting in the main hall of the temple. My father is also accompanying them." Sect Master Shibo has passed down a message, inviting you and Junior Martial Brother Ding to come in and have tea.”
Ding Yuan was startled and thought, Why must these old men and women drag me into their meeting?”
Reverend Danyan slightly nods, and Luo Kun immediately calls his son Luo Jiao to accompany the three of them inside. When Ding Yuan heard Luo Kun introduce that the handsome and handsome youth in front of him was Luo Jiao, he could not help but recall Ji Xueyan's words and secretly sized him up.
Luo Jiao was tall and sturdy, with a tiger's head and a tiger's brain. His eyes shone with divine light, and he was dressed in blue. He was very respectful to the three of them, showing his excellent upbringing.
Although Flying Waterfall House was called a "house", it actually occupied no less than 500 mu of land. It was like another mountain villa on Zuowang Peak. It stood on top of a cliff, and behind it was a cliff that was hundreds of feet wide. A waterfall that was several feet wide flowed down from the cliff and gathered to form a blue pond.
Once they entered the main entrance, they saw a huge garden. Inside, flowers were blooming and competing with each other. The breeze sent out waves of fragrance. The disciples of the various branches were bustling with activity, looking for people they knew to chat with. Ah Niu was excited when he saw so many people. He kept looking around to greet people he knew.
The Immortal Danyan simply left him in the garden and led Ding Yuan straight to the main hall of the Qing Dynasty under the guidance of Luo Jiao. The Qingzheng Hall was one of the most magnificent buildings in the Flying Waterfall House. The main hall could accommodate more than a hundred people, and there were side halls, study rooms, and tea rooms on both sides.
Perhaps it was because Daoist Master Dan Yi and the other important figures of Emerald Cloud were present, but the security around the Hall of Purity was obviously strengthened. Sixteen second-generation disciples of the Flying Waterfall Temple stood in front of the main hall. Each of them was clear-headed and had a sword on their back. They were all dressed in blue clothes.
As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the hall, Ding Yuan saw Ji Xueyan and a few female disciples gathered in a pavilion, chatting and laughing. When she saw Ding Yuan, her pretty face revealed an unconcealable joy. However, there were too many irrelevant people around, so she could only secretly glance at Ding Yuan, who nodded slightly in response.
Although Ding Yuan only nodded slightly at her, Ji Xueyan's face was flushed red. She quickly turned her head and joked with the female disciples to cover it up. Fortunately, no one else would have thought of this.
The master and disciple walked into the hall. The decorations in the hall were simple and elegant. Many famous paintings and calligraphy were hung on the snow-white walls, showing the interest of the owner.
The other five of the six immortals had arrived. Daoist Dan Yi sat in the middle, accompanied by Dan Nu and Luo He. Ji Bietian sat beside Dan Nu and was whispering something to Nun Dan Chen.
Reverend Danyan brought Ding Yuan to greet everyone. It was fine for others, but when it came to Nun Danchen, the old Daoist nun stared at Ding Yuan with a cold gaze. Ding Yuan could only stand there, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze. Ding Yuan was muttering in his heart when a warning sign suddenly appeared in his heart. Nun Danchen swept her horsetail whisk and knocked it against his chest without even saying goodbye.
Ding Yuan was shocked. He knew that the old nun's cultivation was too profound to take the attack head-on. He was about to dodge with Flower and Willow, but a thought flashed through his mind."Not good! It was fine if it was others, but how could Ji Bietian not see through the Flower Wrapping Willow movement technique? Wouldn't that implicate Xue 'er?”
Nun Danchen's attack was so swift that it did not allow him to be so depressed. It was already too late to dodge, and he was struck in the chest. Ding Yuan only felt a gentle force surge over, and his body involuntarily fell backward. The strange thing was that his chest did not hurt much. He only felt a little numb.
Fortunately, he had managed to send a stream of zhenqi from his dantian straight to his waist and abdomen. His body bent and bounced in the air before landing ten feet away. That was why he did not make a fool of himself in public.
"What are you doing, old Daoist nun?" Ding Yuan shouted angrily.”
The Immortal Danyan pressed his shoulder and said in a deep voice,""Don't misunderstand. She's testing you.”
Nun Danchen's face was as cold as ice as she coldly glanced at Ding Yuan without saying a word. Ding Yuan snorted and looked up at her.
"Junior Martial Brother Dan Yan, please take a seat," Dao Master Dan Yi said gently.”
The Immortal Danyan sat down beside Luo He. Ding Yuan knew that there was no place for him here. In fact, there were only six chairs in the hall. Therefore, he stood behind the old Taoist priest and glared at Nun Danchen. The old Daoist nun clearly saw it, but she ignored it.
After the little boy left the Qing Zheng Hall with tea and plain food for the Immortal Dan Yan, he raised his broom-like eyebrows lightly and took the lead in making trouble."Third Senior Brother, the cultivation of your last disciple is really amazing.”
Anyone could tell that this sentence was the opposite of the truth, hiding a hidden edge. The Immortal Danyan, however, lowered his head and sipped his tea as if he hadn't heard anything.
Luo He could smell the gunpowder in it and frowned slightly.""Little Junior Sister, it's only been three years.”
Ji Bietian shook his head." Fourth Senior Brother's words are biased. Do you know how many three-years we have?" If this continues, I'm afraid that when the time comes…" He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew that he was going to say something along the lines of " I'll definitely lose to Su Zhen, and no one will be able to explain myself."
Immortal Danu looked at Dan Yan and asked,""Third Junior Brother, why aren't you saying anything?”
The Immortal Danyan's head was still lowered, but he said in an unusually clear voice,""He can do it!"
"Alright?" "This is probably Third Senior Brother's own wishful thinking, right?" Ji Bietian chuckled. This Martial Nephew Ding has a sixty-year-cycle worth of pure zhenqi, and he has also undergone the marrow cleansing and transformation of the six of us. However, after three years, he might not even be able to defeat a third-or fourth-generation disciple who has been in the sect for more than ten years. Everyone had witnessed this just now, and it was not something that could be denied just by saying the word "capable".”
Ding Yuan listened to his uncle-masters criticize the old Taoist priest from the side. He seemed to feel that his progress was slow and was quite dissatisfied. However, he was a little puzzled as to why these irrelevant old men and women were so concerned about an ordinary disciple like him. Just because he ate some bullsh * t Golden Core and received some Six Harmonies Rejuvenation Technique? Although he was sometimes dissatisfied with the old Taoist priest's strange "making things difficult" for him, he was angry when he saw these people's creditor-like faces. He did not care about seniority and said loudly,"What did the old Taoist do wrong? Why are you criticizing him like this? What does my cultivation have to do with you? Your disciples might not be better than me!”
"Bastard, you have no right to speak here!" Nun Danchen shouted in a low voice.”
Ding Yuan glared at her coldly and was about to retort when the Immortal Danyan turned around and said in a deep voice,""Mo Bian!"
Daoist Dan Yi waved his horsetail whisk and chanted," Heavenly Venerate Immeasurable…" His voice was not loud, but it was like the morning bell and evening drum. It was gentle and calm, and it shook everyone's hearts.
Daoist Dan Yi looked at Ding Yuan kindly and said,"Martial Nephew Ding, don't misunderstand. No one wants to criticize you and Junior Brother Dan Yan. Everyone is just concerned about your cultivation progress and has a lot of expectations for you.”
Ding Yuan snorted and said,""There's no need. I'm just a piece of rotten wood. I'm afraid I can't bear the expectations of all the martial uncles.”
Priestess Danchen didn't expect that this brat would still remember what she said three years ago. Today, he actually brought up the old matter and mocked her. A cold light flashed in her eyes, but in the end, she didn't speak. Instead, she sneered.
"What is rotten wood and what is a good steed?" Daoist Danyi couldn't help but laugh. How can a horse of a thousand miles be determined by a hundred feet?”
The Immortal Danyan raised his head for the first time and took a deep look at the Head of the Sect, only to see that the Immortal Danyi was smiling as well. His eyes were filled with wisdom and insight into the world.
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Ding Yuan walked into the kitchen with a bamboo branch in his hand. As expected, he saw the old Taoist priest drinking the vegetable porridge cooked by Ah Niu leisurely. He did not even raise his head when he heard the sound of him entering the door.
Ding Yuan was in a good mood and did not care. He sat down opposite the old Taoist priest and waved the bamboo branch in front of him."I broke it."
The Immortal Danyan's eyes were fixed on the bowl of porridge. He blew carefully as if he was afraid of being scalded.
Ding Yuan thought that this old Taoist priest originally thought that he could make things difficult for me, but he didn't expect that I would break the bamboo branch because of his miscalculation. He couldn't hold his face anymore and simply pretended to be deaf and mute. Hmph, this was his forte. He didn't say anything else and scooped a bowl of porridge and started drinking it.
After finishing the last mouthful, the Immortal Danyan put down the bowl and asked slowly,""Is it really broken?"
"If it's not broken, do you think I bit it off with my teeth?" Ding Yuan blinked.”
The Immortal Danyan shook his head and said nothing. Seeing this, Ding Yuan couldn't help but feel angry."What's this old Taoist priest putting on airs for? Isn't he just unwilling to admit that he didn't stump me?”
Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind, and he vaguely guessed the Immortal Danyan's intention, so he snorted and said,"It broke itself."
"Break it yourself?"
Ding Yuan thought for a moment and said," It's really strange. I feel as if this bamboo branch has life and emotions as well. Moreover, it's connected to me as one. Just as I was about to give up and break it, it broke on its own.”
The Immortal Danyan's strangely ugly face revealed a faint smile as he said,""You finally understand. That bamboo branch has life and spirituality like humans. In fact, everything in the world was like this, why was it only human? If you don't know this, you are not worthy of learning the sword.”
"Old Taoist, have you finally been enlightened? You want to teach me your swordsmanship?" Ding Yuan asked happily.”
"Ding Yuan, do you know what day it is today?" asked the Immortal Danyan.”
Ding Yuan was stunned. He thought for a moment and said,"September 11th. What's wrong?"”
Ah Niu suddenly exclaimed,""So it's been three years since Little Brother Ding came to our Black Bamboo Pavilion. Time flies. I thought it was only a few months.”
Ding Yuan woke up and remembered that he had unknowingly stayed in the Black Bamboo Pavilion for three years. Time flew by, and now his height had long surpassed the thin and small Immortal Danyan, and was as tall as Ah Niu.
From this day on, Ding Yuan's daily homework changed. In the morning, he practiced swordsmanship with the Immortal Danyan and Ah Niu, practiced calligraphy in the morning, and read in the afternoon. At night, he immersed himself in swordsmanship for the first half of the night and continued to meditate and practice Qi for the second half of the night. He slept less and less, and he didn't feel tired at all. Instead, he was full of energy, and his eyes became more and more spirited.
Just like Ah Niu, Ding Yuan had also started practicing the "Thirty-six Azure Waves Forms". The old Taoist priest taught him a move almost every ten days. At this rate, it would take at least a year to learn it. However, Ding Yuan wasn't in a hurry this time, because every time he taught a move, the Immortal Danyan would demonstrate the similar moves of the sword techniques of the Heavenly and Righteous Dao and the Devil Dao, one by one, so that he could comprehend them. Sometimes, the old Taoist priest even explained in detail the possible moves that the opponent might use in actual combat, guiding Ding Yuan to find ways to break through the changes on his own.
Although the Immortal Dan Yan has always been silent and taciturn, the profound knowledge in his chest has only made Ding Yuan see the leopard in a narrow way today. The old Taoist priest was able to use every move effortlessly. He knew the strengths and weaknesses of each sword technique like the back of his hand. Ding Yuan seemed to be swimming in a vast sea of smoke every day, completely immersed in it. In private, he couldn't help but admire Immortal Danyan's vast knowledge and deep comprehension. "So this old Taoist doesn't only know some tricks. He does have some real talent in his stomach, but he doesn't want to show off."”
However, Ding Yuan still didn't have the slightest bit of respect and worship for his master as a disciple. Every time the Immortal Danyan taught him the sword style, he would always argue. Some asked questions such as " Why does this sword have to be half a second faster "," Why can't I lower my legs by an inch ", or sang the praises of other sword styles, saying weird things like " If someone were to attack me with this sword, my sword would be finished before it could even draw a circle ". The old Taoist priest was surprisingly patient. He answered them one by one in detail, but he did not ask Ding Yuan to force himself to do so. He only let him experience the pros and cons of each question.
This was why on the surface, Ding Yuan's progress was abnormally slow, while others only needed half a year to learn the entire beginner level sword technique. He had only comprehended ten moves in three months. However, while the others had merely "learned", Ding Yuan had "comprehended". How far apart were these two words?
Ji Xueyan would sneak to the Black Bamboo Pavilion to look for Ding Yuan every now and then, and the two of them were like glue as they toured the peaks of the Emerald Clouds Peak. Sometimes, Ji Xueyan and Ding Yuan would secretly spend half a day traveling thousands of miles to see the famous mountains and rivers of the Heavenly Land. They even went east to Jieshi to watch the sea.
That day, the two of them sat side by side on a reef. The waves under their feet splashed, and a round sunset slowly sank into the sea from the west. The bright red setting sun reflected Ji Xueyan's jade-white face. The sea breeze gently sent the fragrance of a virgin to her nose, blowing her waterfall-like hair in the twilight.
Ding Yuan looked into the distance and felt his heart open and full of pride. He smiled and said,"Xue 'er, one day I will bring you across this boundless sea to see what is at the end of the sea.”
Ji Xueyan was mesmerized by the beautiful scenery in front of her. She smiled sweetly when she heard this and said,"I heard from my father that the sea is vast and boundless. Other than the immortals in the legends, no one has ever seen its end. However, there are countless immortal mountains in the depths of the sea. Those loose immortals with profound cultivation often like to linger here and stay in their immortal residences.”
"If that's the case, we can go overseas to find an uninhabited immortal mountain when we're old. Then, the two of us can spend the rest of our lives together on that mountain and grow old together." Give birth to a few more children for me and play wildly on the ground.”
At first, Ji Xueyan was fascinated by the story, but when she heard the last sentence, her cheeks could not help but turn red. She spat and said,"Who said I wanted to give you a child?”
Ding Yuan laughed and held Ji Xueyan's beautiful face."You dare to say that you don't want to have my child?”
Ji Xueyan was bashful in Ding Yuan's arms. After a long time, she lowered her head and said softly,"Bad thing, who said I didn't want to?”
As the new year passed, not only did Emerald Cloud Mountain not fall silent, it became even more lively. The Emerald Cloud Sword Gathering, which was held once every five years, would be held for six consecutive days starting from the 15th of the first month of this year. There were no less than a thousand disciples in the Emerald Cloud Sword Sect, but there were never more than 300 people who were allowed to fight on behalf of the sect. Most of them were disciples of the "Wu" and "Qing" generations.
Although everyone wanted to show off their skills in front of the crowd at the Sword Conference and not let down their years of hard work, there was always a strong opponent among the strong. If they were defeated, not only would they lose face, but it would also affect the reputation of their sect. Therefore, every disciple who was allowed to show up at the Sword Conference was carefully selected by the teachers of the branch and decided after careful consideration.
These disciples were either the cream of the crop among their peers or those with shallow cultivation but boundless prospects. They could generally represent the elites of a sect.
Ever since Perfected Qing Xia started the Emerald Cloud Sword Gathering 1200 years ago, there had been few breaks in the process. Up until now, there had been more than 200 sessions. Almost every sect master and branch master had made a name for themselves in the Sword Conference, and from then on, they were favored by their seniors and masters. When Perfected Qing Xia founded the Sword Association, his original intention was to promote mutual learning and encouragement among the disciples. However, the thousand-year-old inheritance made the Cuixia Sword Association more meaningful today.
Therefore, those who were participating in the sword gathering were excited, rubbing their fists and rubbing their palms, holding back their energy to show off their skills at the Emerald Cloud Sword Gathering. Those who weren't selected were unhappy, but they were also looking forward to the coming of the festival and seeing the performance of the elites of their sect.
According to past practice, the sword gathering that was held once every five years would be hosted by each branch of Emerald Cloud Sect. This year, it was Luo He's Flying Waterfall Temple's turn. The New Year had just passed, and the Flying Waterfall House had been busy preparing the venue and cleaning the courtyard. Now, they were just waiting for the Sword Conference to begin.
However, the Black Bamboo Pavilion was still as calm as ever. Almost no one mentioned the matter of the Emerald Cloud Sword Meet in a few days, as if it had nothing to do with these people. Ji Xueyan, on the other hand, had not shown up since the beginning of the year. Instead, she was cultivating in seclusion under the strict supervision of her parents and Ji Bietian, hoping to amaze the world with a single feat at the Sword Conference.
After not seeing Ji Xueyan for so many days, Ding Yuan could not help but feel a little bored. He simply devoted himself to studying the Billow Sword Technique and refined his Dark Gold Flying Centipede when he had nothing to do.
This afternoon, Ding Yuan hid in the bamboo forest and sat cross-legged. He held the three Dark Gold Flying Centipedes in his hands and refined them as usual. In less than an hour, he found that his Genuine Qi had wandered around the body of the Dark Gold Flying Centipede, but he could not absorb any more Devil Qi. He couldn't help but be stunned. He immediately urged the true qi in his body to increase its strength, but suddenly heard a " Pa!”The three demons were turned into dust in his hands.
"That's strange. Did I crush it with too much force?" Ding Yuan muttered.”What he didn't know was that after three years of refinement, the demonic Qi in the Mysterious Gold Flying Centipede's body had been drained by Ding Yuan day by day. All that was left was a useless skin bag that could no longer withstand the pressure of Ding Yuan's true Qi.
The next morning, after the three of them had breakfast, the Immortal Danyan said,""The Sword Conference is about to begin."
Ah Niu stopped what he was doing and asked the Immortal Danyan,""Master, should we go and take a look?”
"Even if we don't participate, we can just watch the show, right?" Ding Yuan snorted.”
In fact, Ding Yuan did not care about the performance of the others or whether the Sword Conference was lively. He was more concerned about Ji Xueyan's competition starting from this afternoon.
The Immortal Danyan ignored him and continued,""Ah Niu, I've signed you up."
"Really?" Ah Niu was stunned for a while before he reacted. He grinned and said,"Thank you, Master. I'll definitely perform well!”
The Immortal Danyan didn't seem to have much hope for Ah Niu either. He just nodded and said,"I'll do my best."
"Then Master, will Little Brother Ding participate?”Ah Niu looked at Ding Yuan and asked.
The Immortal Danyan shook his head. Ding Yuan knew that he wouldn't get a share, but he still couldn't help but feel angry. He thought to himself,'This old Taoist must know that the things he taught me are really not good. He's afraid that I'll make a fool of myself at the Sword Conference, so he didn't even give me a name.' I don't want to be like a cockfight and let others watch from below the stage.”
Ah Niu did not have as many thoughts as Ding Yuan. Seeing his master shake his head, he comforted Ding Yuan,"It's okay, Little Brother Ding. I didn't participate in the previous two sword conferences either. When your cultivation reaches the required level, Master will naturally register you.”
Ding Yuan wondered if he would still be here in another ten years. It seemed that he would not be able to participate in the Sword Association competition. However, he could at least see Ji Xueyan and Ah Niu's performance, so he said,"Old Taoist, I want to go and watch the show, okay?”
The Immortal Danyan didn't refuse this time. He simply nodded and said,""Alright!"
Thus, the three of them packed up, leaving Big Black to look after the house. They went out of the bamboo house and gathered again by the pond. The Immortal Danyan was still the same. His face always made people feel that he owed someone 300 taels of silver. Ah Niu, on the other hand, had changed into a brand new set of dark-colored clothes, and carried an ancient sword on his back. Although the immortal sword was still in its sheath, Dante could still vaguely feel the powerful aura it emitted.
Seeing this scene, Ding Yuan could not help but feel a little indignant. He also carried a sword on his back. It was a bamboo branch that he had taken from the Purple Bamboo Forest that day. Even the scabbard was sewn by Ji Xueyan from animal skin that day. Although she was careful and tried her best, the workmanship was too poor and the appearance was not very good.
Ding Yuan did not mind. He had specially carried it on his back for today's Sword Conference so that Ji Xueyan would be happy and know that her effort of pricking her fingers countless times had not been in vain. However, it was estimated that the bamboo sword that Ji Xueyan called "Snowfield" would not have any chance to show itself.
Ah Niu had already roughly mastered the art of sword control. He chanted a true incantation, and the heavy gold ancient sword emitted a simple and unadorned bronze light that leaped up, merging with Ah Niu's body and sword and soaring into the clouds.
Ding Yuan had not yet reached the realm of "micro-observation", so he could barely float, but he was not strong enough to travel thousands of miles like A Niu. The Immortal Danyan raised his immortal sword,"Vast Ocean", and leaped into the air with Ding Yuan in his right hand.
It took only a moment for the three of them to arrive at the Flying Waterfall House from the Purple Bamboo Pavilion. As soon as they arrived above the Flying Waterfall House on their flying swords, they saw streaks of sword light soaring into the sky. Some were green, some were red, some were blue, and some were green. It was like a seven-colored rainbow that set off the blue sky beautifully.
The Immortal Danyan and Ding Yuan put away their swords and landed in front of the main gate of the Flying Waterfall Temple. They bumped into Luo and his eldest son, Luo Kun, who were standing at the door to welcome their fellow disciples. He was dressed as a middle-aged scholar, and the smile on his face was quite similar to his father's. When he saw the Immortal Danyan leading Ah Niu and Ding Yuan, he hurriedly went forward and bowed,"Martial Nephew greets Third Martial Uncle.”
The Immortal Danyan held Luo Kun's hands and said lightly,""You're welcome!"
Luo Kun stood up with a smile." Sect Master Martial Uncle and all the Martial Uncles are resting in the main hall of the temple. My father is also accompanying them." Sect Master Shibo has passed down a message, inviting you and Junior Martial Brother Ding to come in and have tea.”
Ding Yuan was startled and thought, Why must these old men and women drag me into their meeting?”
Reverend Danyan slightly nods, and Luo Kun immediately calls his son Luo Jiao to accompany the three of them inside. When Ding Yuan heard Luo Kun introduce that the handsome and handsome youth in front of him was Luo Jiao, he could not help but recall Ji Xueyan's words and secretly sized him up.
Luo Jiao was tall and sturdy, with a tiger's head and a tiger's brain. His eyes shone with divine light, and he was dressed in blue. He was very respectful to the three of them, showing his excellent upbringing.
Although Flying Waterfall House was called a "house", it actually occupied no less than 500 mu of land. It was like another mountain villa on Zuowang Peak. It stood on top of a cliff, and behind it was a cliff that was hundreds of feet wide. A waterfall that was several feet wide flowed down from the cliff and gathered to form a blue pond.
Once they entered the main entrance, they saw a huge garden. Inside, flowers were blooming and competing with each other. The breeze sent out waves of fragrance. The disciples of the various branches were bustling with activity, looking for people they knew to chat with. Ah Niu was excited when he saw so many people. He kept looking around to greet people he knew.
The Immortal Danyan simply left him in the garden and led Ding Yuan straight to the main hall of the Qing Dynasty under the guidance of Luo Jiao. The Qingzheng Hall was one of the most magnificent buildings in the Flying Waterfall House. The main hall could accommodate more than a hundred people, and there were side halls, study rooms, and tea rooms on both sides.
Perhaps it was because Daoist Master Dan Yi and the other important figures of Emerald Cloud were present, but the security around the Hall of Purity was obviously strengthened. Sixteen second-generation disciples of the Flying Waterfall Temple stood in front of the main hall. Each of them was clear-headed and had a sword on their back. They were all dressed in blue clothes.
As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the hall, Ding Yuan saw Ji Xueyan and a few female disciples gathered in a pavilion, chatting and laughing. When she saw Ding Yuan, her pretty face revealed an unconcealable joy. However, there were too many irrelevant people around, so she could only secretly glance at Ding Yuan, who nodded slightly in response.
Although Ding Yuan only nodded slightly at her, Ji Xueyan's face was flushed red. She quickly turned her head and joked with the female disciples to cover it up. Fortunately, no one else would have thought of this.
The master and disciple walked into the hall. The decorations in the hall were simple and elegant. Many famous paintings and calligraphy were hung on the snow-white walls, showing the interest of the owner.
The other five of the six immortals had arrived. Daoist Dan Yi sat in the middle, accompanied by Dan Nu and Luo He. Ji Bietian sat beside Dan Nu and was whispering something to Nun Dan Chen.
Reverend Danyan brought Ding Yuan to greet everyone. It was fine for others, but when it came to Nun Danchen, the old Daoist nun stared at Ding Yuan with a cold gaze. Ding Yuan could only stand there, feeling uncomfortable under her gaze. Ding Yuan was muttering in his heart when a warning sign suddenly appeared in his heart. Nun Danchen swept her horsetail whisk and knocked it against his chest without even saying goodbye.
Ding Yuan was shocked. He knew that the old nun's cultivation was too profound to take the attack head-on. He was about to dodge with Flower and Willow, but a thought flashed through his mind."Not good! It was fine if it was others, but how could Ji Bietian not see through the Flower Wrapping Willow movement technique? Wouldn't that implicate Xue 'er?”
Nun Danchen's attack was so swift that it did not allow him to be so depressed. It was already too late to dodge, and he was struck in the chest. Ding Yuan only felt a gentle force surge over, and his body involuntarily fell backward. The strange thing was that his chest did not hurt much. He only felt a little numb.
Fortunately, he had managed to send a stream of zhenqi from his dantian straight to his waist and abdomen. His body bent and bounced in the air before landing ten feet away. That was why he did not make a fool of himself in public.
"What are you doing, old Daoist nun?" Ding Yuan shouted angrily.”
The Immortal Danyan pressed his shoulder and said in a deep voice,""Don't misunderstand. She's testing you.”
Nun Danchen's face was as cold as ice as she coldly glanced at Ding Yuan without saying a word. Ding Yuan snorted and looked up at her.
"Junior Martial Brother Dan Yan, please take a seat," Dao Master Dan Yi said gently.”
The Immortal Danyan sat down beside Luo He. Ding Yuan knew that there was no place for him here. In fact, there were only six chairs in the hall. Therefore, he stood behind the old Taoist priest and glared at Nun Danchen. The old Daoist nun clearly saw it, but she ignored it.
After the little boy left the Qing Zheng Hall with tea and plain food for the Immortal Dan Yan, he raised his broom-like eyebrows lightly and took the lead in making trouble."Third Senior Brother, the cultivation of your last disciple is really amazing.”
Anyone could tell that this sentence was the opposite of the truth, hiding a hidden edge. The Immortal Danyan, however, lowered his head and sipped his tea as if he hadn't heard anything.
Luo He could smell the gunpowder in it and frowned slightly.""Little Junior Sister, it's only been three years.”
Ji Bietian shook his head." Fourth Senior Brother's words are biased. Do you know how many three-years we have?" If this continues, I'm afraid that when the time comes…" He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone knew that he was going to say something along the lines of " I'll definitely lose to Su Zhen, and no one will be able to explain myself."
Immortal Danu looked at Dan Yan and asked,""Third Junior Brother, why aren't you saying anything?”
The Immortal Danyan's head was still lowered, but he said in an unusually clear voice,""He can do it!"
"Alright?" "This is probably Third Senior Brother's own wishful thinking, right?" Ji Bietian chuckled. This Martial Nephew Ding has a sixty-year-cycle worth of pure zhenqi, and he has also undergone the marrow cleansing and transformation of the six of us. However, after three years, he might not even be able to defeat a third-or fourth-generation disciple who has been in the sect for more than ten years. Everyone had witnessed this just now, and it was not something that could be denied just by saying the word "capable".”
Ding Yuan listened to his uncle-masters criticize the old Taoist priest from the side. He seemed to feel that his progress was slow and was quite dissatisfied. However, he was a little puzzled as to why these irrelevant old men and women were so concerned about an ordinary disciple like him. Just because he ate some bullsh * t Golden Core and received some Six Harmonies Rejuvenation Technique? Although he was sometimes dissatisfied with the old Taoist priest's strange "making things difficult" for him, he was angry when he saw these people's creditor-like faces. He did not care about seniority and said loudly,"What did the old Taoist do wrong? Why are you criticizing him like this? What does my cultivation have to do with you? Your disciples might not be better than me!”
"Bastard, you have no right to speak here!" Nun Danchen shouted in a low voice.”
Ding Yuan glared at her coldly and was about to retort when the Immortal Danyan turned around and said in a deep voice,""Mo Bian!"
Daoist Dan Yi waved his horsetail whisk and chanted," Heavenly Venerate Immeasurable…" His voice was not loud, but it was like the morning bell and evening drum. It was gentle and calm, and it shook everyone's hearts.
Daoist Dan Yi looked at Ding Yuan kindly and said,"Martial Nephew Ding, don't misunderstand. No one wants to criticize you and Junior Brother Dan Yan. Everyone is just concerned about your cultivation progress and has a lot of expectations for you.”
Ding Yuan snorted and said,""There's no need. I'm just a piece of rotten wood. I'm afraid I can't bear the expectations of all the martial uncles.”
Priestess Danchen didn't expect that this brat would still remember what she said three years ago. Today, he actually brought up the old matter and mocked her. A cold light flashed in her eyes, but in the end, she didn't speak. Instead, she sneered.
"What is rotten wood and what is a good steed?" Daoist Danyi couldn't help but laugh. How can a horse of a thousand miles be determined by a hundred feet?”
The Immortal Danyan raised his head for the first time and took a deep look at the Head of the Sect, only to see that the Immortal Danyi was smiling as well. His eyes were filled with wisdom and insight into the world.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。