This time, the drawing of lots determined the four directions: east, west, south, and north.
Cheng Xinzhan drew the south, while a man in white drew the north.
As the mirror scenes merged, the two exchanged greetings.
"Cheng Xinzhan from Mount Sanqing. Greetings, fellow Daoist."
"Yu Qingsi from Mount Tianzhu. Greetings, fellow Daoist."
Mount Tianzhu? Cheng Xinzhan had heard of it before when he was searching for earth veins at Mount Huang.
Zhou Qingyun had mentioned that it was the most famous secluded cultivation site south of the Yangtze River, where the immortal Zuo Ci had once built a hut.
Yu Qingsi had a humble and gentle demeanor, with a friendly face.
The sword in his hand was a long, frost-covered blade with a white cord wrapped around its hilt.
The sword's aura was icy and sharp, quite different from its owner's temperament.
"Fellow Daoist, please."
Yu Qingsi was a Qi-nurturing swordsman.
With a single strike, he unleashed a crescent-shaped frost sword aura.
The sword aura swept through the air, freezing the moisture in its path into ice beads that fell to the ground.
Seeing the frost aura coming, Cheng Xinzhan thought of how earth overcomes water and responded with a thick, earthy sword aura.
However, as the two auras neared each other, the earthy sword aura was instantly frozen and shattered by the frost aura.
The frost sword aura was swift, narrowly missing Cheng Xinzhan.
The cold wind brushed past him, frosting his sleeves.
Cheng Xinzhan realized his mistake.
This man wasn't cultivating water techniques; he was using water techniques to cultivate the path of the Great Yin.
He tried water and wood techniques, but both were broken by the frost sword aura, confirming his thoughts.
He then used the sharpness of metal to face the enemy, feeling the difference between using metal to see Yin and using water to see Yin.
At this moment, the metal and water elements were just the surface; the true contest was in the path of the Great Yin.
He quickly understood the difference.
Using metal to see Yin meant using Yin energy to enhance the metal's indestructibility and sharpness, focusing on the metal rather than the Yin.
Yu Qingsi, however, used water to see Yin, taking it a step further.
He was refining the essence of the Great Yin through the cold and transformative nature of water, focusing on the Yin rather than the water.
Yu Qingsi's sword aura carried the essence of the Great Yin, its extreme coldness overwhelming the five elements.
Cheng Xinzhan tried earth, water, wood, and metal, but all were broken.
Yu Qingsi's sword aura also followed the path of Yin transformation, changing like water—sometimes as vapor, sometimes as liquid, and sometimes as solid ice.
His sword aura was unpredictable, sometimes vast like a river, making it impossible to face directly; sometimes as fine as frost, making it hard to defend against; and sometimes as overwhelming as snow, leaving no room to escape.
This was the first time everyone had seen Daoist Cheng in such a sorry state.
Cheng Xinzhan finally realized that Yin and Yang were everywhere, not just in spells but also in sword techniques.
He dodged and parried, struggling to hold on until he could no longer sense any other Great Yin intent.
He felt a bit regretful.
What about the vitality of water, its softness, its nourishing qualities, even its boiling nature? What would they look like when traced back to the Great Yin? How would they manifest in sword techniques?
Had this person not comprehended these aspects?
Covered in frost, Cheng Xinzhan confirmed that Yu Qingsi had no hidden moves left.
Then, with a backhanded strike, he unleashed a blazing Yang fire sword aura.
The intense Yang fire aura, accompanied by a bright white light, filled the mirror's view, making it impossible to see where the sword aura was hidden.
Or rather, the white light was the sword aura.
Since Yu Qingsi could use water to see Yin and wield a sword, Cheng Xinzhan, understanding Yang through Yin, could naturally use fire to manifest Yang and control the "High Truth."
Yu Qingsi knew Cheng Xinzhan was holding back, at least not using thunder and fire techniques.
But he never expected Cheng Xinzhan's fire technique to be Yang fire.
His frost sword aura melted upon encountering Cheng Xinzhan's Yang fire aura.
His sword aura, like rain or snow, was hard to evade, but Cheng Xinzhan's sword aura, transformed into Yang fire light, illuminated all directions, leaving no room to escape.
"I lose," Yu Qingsi said.
Cheng Xinzhan sheathed his sword.
The white light in the mirror disappeared, and the onlookers could see the scene again.
They were puzzled—Daoist Cheng had been on the defensive the whole time, so why had Yu Qingsi suddenly surrendered?
"Brother Shanshou, did you have such sword talent in your teens?" Qian Boya asked on the Huanzhu Tower.
Li Shanshou shook his head, "In my teens, I wouldn't dare say I was more refined than him, but in terms of breadth, I was far inferior."
Qian Boya sighed in admiration, "Each generation has its talents, leading the way for centuries. The next hundred years seem destined to be extraordinary."
Li Shanshou smiled, "Exactly. It's because of young people like him that this world is so vibrant."
Finally, the two mirrors merged, and the thirty-six cave heavens became one scene.
Now standing opposite Cheng Xinzhan was someone he found familiar.
It was a man from the Lushan Sword Sect, dressed in a blue robe, holding a sword in each hand.
The two exchanged greetings.
"Cheng Xinzhan from Mount Sanqing. Greetings, fellow Daoist."
"Lan Yuqing from Lushan. Greetings, fellow Daoist."
Lan Yuqing smiled, "Our sects are neighbors, and we often interact. Yet, I didn't know Mount Sanqing had produced someone like you."
Cheng Xinzhan replied modestly, "There are many talented individuals in our sect, like fish in a river. How could I stand out enough to be known by you?"
"You're too humble. Mount Sanqing is a major sect, but if everyone were like you, Yuzhang wouldn't have a second surname."
Lan Yuqing laughed heartily.
Hearing this, Cheng Xinzhan smiled and didn't continue to be modest.
"Fellow Daoist, please draw your sword," Lan Yuqing said.
Cheng Xinzhan nodded and started with a sharp metal sword aura to test the waters.
"Fellow Daoist, don't hold back against me," Lan Yuqing said, stepping forward with his swords, clearly intending to engage in close combat.
Facing the incoming sharp metal sword aura, Lan Yuqing crossed his swords, sending two intersecting sword auras in an "X" shape.
They clashed with Cheng Xinzhan's sharp metal aura, dispersing it with a single twist.
Cheng Xinzhan's eyes lit up.
So it could be done like this? It seemed more than just one plus one.
He no longer held back, unleashing the newly comprehended Yang fire sword aura.
The Yang fire sword aura was pervasive, with a wide attack range.
Facing this, Lan Yuqing seemed to have no counter.
This was a sword duel, not a spell demonstration, so defensive artifacts weren't appropriate.
Unable to dodge and unwilling to concede, Lan Yuqing sent out several sword auras to weaken the attack, then took the hit head-on.
His robe and face were marked with small cuts.
However, his "X"-shaped sword aura also reached Cheng Xinzhan, cutting like scissors or a tide.
Cheng Xinzhan swung his sword, causing rocks on the ground to rise and form an earthen dragon, charging at the oncoming "X"-shaped aura.
The earthen dragon was cut apart, so he summoned a wooden dragon.
Both dragons were shredded before the sword aura was finally exhausted.
By then, Lan Yuqing, enduring the Yang fire sword aura, had closed the distance to about ten feet from Cheng Xinzhan, continuously striking.
At first, Cheng Xinzhan didn't understand, but he soon realized.
At this distance, Lan Yuqing could firmly control his sword, preventing it from being shattered or taken.
At this distance, the sword aura could quickly become a threat after leaving the blade, giving Cheng Xinzhan little time to dodge.
At this distance, Lan Yuqing could control the amount of sword aura released with each strike.
Cheng Xinzhan understood and smiled.
These advantages were also his.
The close combat didn't last long before Lan Yuqing watched as Cheng Xinzhan, who had been struggling, gradually became more at ease.
He was using Lan Yuqing's own methods.
Cheng Xinzhan cycled through the five elements and wind-thunder sword auras, striking flexibly and quickly pushing Lan Yuqing into a disadvantage.
Lan Yuqing's expression turned serious, and he suddenly changed his technique.
With a vertical and horizontal slash, his two swords formed a cross-shaped sword aura.
Here it comes again.
Cheng Xinzhan observed carefully.
This move was similar to the previous "X"-shaped aura but had a different essence.
It resembled talisman techniques, but talismans weren't this simple.
Even the simplest talisman required a head, a deity's name, and a foot, along with an invocation.
Was it a formation?
Cheng Xinzhan pondered.
Formations and talismans were vastly different but had some overlap.
However, formations had a lower threshold.
These two intersecting sword auras seemed to form a simple formation.
This was an interesting approach, much simpler than drawing talismans with a sword.
Cheng Xinzhan didn't know how frustrated Lan Yuqing felt.
When Lan Yuqing heard about the Huanzhu Tower's sword duel, he was thrilled.
His self-created technique of forming formations with sword auras would gain fame under the spotlight!
But he never expected that in the first round, this Mount Sanqing disciple would face the Longhu Mountain disciple and display a technique of using a sword to draw talismans!
Everyone, including Lan Yuqing, was awestruck by the massive thunder talisman.
From that moment, he knew his sword formation technique would never gain attention.
Even if someone noticed, they might think he was copying others.
As expected, his sword formation technique only caught the interest of one person—his opponent, the one who used a sword to draw talismans.
Just like with Yu Qingsi, Cheng Xinzhan maintained a steady pace, only confirming that Lan Yuqing had no new tricks.
Suddenly, Cheng Xinzhan stepped on thunder and fire, crossing the ten-foot distance in two steps and placing his sword, "High Truth," at Lan Yuqing's neck.
The sword's aura pulsed as he said,
"Fellow Daoist, you came so close but forgot I also cultivate body swordsmanship."
Lan Yuqing was stunned.
Indeed, when had he forgotten that Cheng Xinzhan was a body swordsman?
But, after seeing this man's five performances in the sword arena, who wouldn't momentarily forget he was also a body swordsman?
Only he was foolish enough to get this close.
He smiled bitterly, "I lose."
He disappeared from the mirror.
Now, only one person remained in the mirror, watched by an entire city and tower.
At the Haishi Tavern, Xiao Shiniang watched the thirty-six mirrors merge into one, her cheeks flushed as if she had been drinking, her eyes sparkling.
"Whew—"
The woman, who had been holding her breath in tension, finally exhaled, like a drowning person surfacing.
"Qingyu! Qingyu!"
She called out loudly.
"Here! Qingyu is here, mistress."
Qingyu was startled; she was right beside her.
"Send out the most expensive wine in the tavern to celebrate Daoist Cheng's victory!"
Xiao Shiniang breathed rapidly, her chest heaving.
She hadn't dared to hope that Daoist Cheng would take first place.
But Qingyu was calmer than her mistress.
She said,
"Mistress, the third round hasn't started yet. If we send out the most expensive wine now and Daoist Cheng wins again, we won't have anything left to celebrate with!"
Xiao Shiniang widened her eyes,
"You dare to think that far ahead!"
"Pfft—"
The woman suddenly laughed, "True, what if?"
"Then what wine should we send?"
Qingyu, being the efficient maid, answered immediately, "Mistress, the 'Plucking the Osmanthus in the Moon Palace' at three hundred and ninety taels per jar would be perfect and fitting."
"Good, make it so."
Throughout this conversation, Xiao Shiniang's gaze never left the mirror.
In another tavern in Peacock City, a private room held a large table piled high with empty plates.
There was no wine, no beauties, only various meats, all finished.
The room had only one person, a gaunt man with a sunken stomach.
He frowned, watching the person in the mirror, mimicking the incantations used in the sword duel, especially the last word,
"Fall!"
"Shake!"
"Rise!"
As he chanted, his eyes suddenly widened, and he slammed the table, standing up abruptly,
"No!"
"It's him!"
Li Shanshou beckoned, and Cheng Xinzhan flew out of the mirror.
The cave heaven scene in the mirror dissipated, leaving only the moonlight.
Li Shanshou looked at the young man standing beside him again, unable to hide his smile,
"You are excellent!"
The Sword Immortal waved towards the horizon, and the "Yangming Yuntang Gang" that had been floating in the void drew everyone's attention as it came to the top of the Huanzhu Tower.
The Sword Immortal took out a lead bottle, placed the "Yangming Yuntang Gang" inside, and handed it to the young man.
The young man bowed in thanks, "Thank you, Senior."
He then took the lead bottle.
He couldn't believe it.
The rare and precious spiritual gang and true煞, he had just obtained them?
"About your sword techniques,"
The Sword Immortal patted the young man's shoulder, "I truly have nothing to teach you. As long as you walk steadily, you will naturally reach my level, perhaps even surpass it."
Qian Boya glanced at his friend.
He had never heard him praise a junior so highly.
Cheng Xinzhan modestly declined.
"But let me say one thing,"
The Sword Immortal said jokingly, "If my eyes aren't mistaken, you specialize in the five elements, perhaps even wind, thunder, and Yin-Yang. Your sword's material is far superior to your body sword. But since you've chosen to specialize in the five elements and wind-thunder, there's no need to stick to one sword. It limits your talent. Even if you use one sword for each element, with Mount Sanqing's resources, you could manage. Such a good seed shouldn't be so restrained."
Cheng Xinzhan nodded with a smile.
He could feel it too.
Using "High Truth" for thunder techniques was natural, but for the five elements, it was slightly lacking.
But no matter, there was plenty of time.
The Peacock City Lord's gaze towards Cheng Xinzhan suddenly changed, flickering with an inexplicable light.
He handed the young man a token, saying,
"Young friend, this is the City Lord's token. If there's anything Peacock City can help with in the future, you can come to the City Lord's residence directly with this token."
Cheng Xinzhan was surprised but didn't move.
"Consider it a gesture of goodwill,"
The City Lord pushed the token forward.
Though a loose immortal, he was still an immortal.
Faced with such a gesture, Cheng Xinzhan dared not refuse and accepted it with repeated thanks.
"There's one more round. Will you participate?"
The Huanzhu Tower Lord asked with a smile.
The young man nodded, also smiling, "Yes."
1. Honestly, writing about the sword arena is quite challenging.
These past few days, it's been giving me a headache.
I wanted to use this multi-round sword duel to show why Yun Qi is so extraordinary.
It's because he learns by analogy, because his mind is unclouded, because he understands at a glance, because he succeeds with a single thought.
He constantly absorbs others' strengths to grow.
In summary, it's as the chapter title says: Understanding Yang Through Yin.
This is the manifestation of his genius and the reason for it.
2. It's the end of the month.
Please vote and recommend.
Comments and messages are welcome!
(End of Chapter)