Three Sects Martial Arts Competition

As soon as Xuanbao returned to his cultivation cave in Kunlun Mountain, he saw his two attendant boys, Kong Xuan and Dapeng, already waiting eagerly at the entrance. Upon seeing Xuanbao, the two young men's eyes lit up, and they quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Master, you're finally back!"

Kong Xuan, being more composed, though also beaming with joy, first bowed according to custom. Da Peng, being more impulsive, couldn't help but keep glancing at Xuan Bao, practically ready to pounce and grab his arm, bombarding him with questions.

Xuanbao looked at them, a warmth spreading through his heart. So many years had passed; Kong Xuan had grown into a composed young man, his future brilliance already evident in his features. Dapeng had also grown considerably taller, but his agility and quickness remained unchanged. Their auras were much stronger than when he left, their foundations more solid, clearly indicating they hadn't wasted their time on Kunlun Mountain.

Originally, taking them in as servants was just a joke, but after spending so much time together, even a dog can develop feelings...

"Hmm, it seems you haven't slacked off all these years in the mountains." Xuanbao nodded, extending a hand to help you up. "Get up. While I was away, did anyone cause you any trouble?"

Dapeng stood up first, grinning, "How could that be! With three grandmasters overseeing things, and with your reputation, Master, everyone on Kunlun Mountain treats us with utmost respect!" He paused, a hint of pride in his voice, "Besides, my brother and I are quite skilled now, and we're not afraid of ordinary disciples."

Kong Xuan added from the side, "Master, rest assured, we have kept your teachings in mind and devoted ourselves to cultivation. We have never had any disputes with anyone. When Grandmaster Taiqing, Grandmaster Yuqing, and Grandmaster Shangqing occasionally give lectures, we have all gone to listen and benefited greatly."

Xuanbao was quite pleased to hear this. Kong Xuan and Dapeng both had extraordinary backgrounds, and it was truly rare for them to possess such a temperament. He glanced at the two of them and noticed that the five-colored light within Kong Xuan's body was becoming increasingly condensed and harmonious, showing signs of completely merging with his own Dao foundation. With a slight thought, he said, "Kong Xuan, come in with me. Let me see how your supernatural abilities have progressed."

Xuanbao then looked at the eagerly waiting Dapeng and said with a smile, "You come in too."

Once inside the cave, Xuanbao sat cross-legged on the cloud bed and had Kong Xuan demonstrate the Five Elements Divine Powers he had cultivated over the years.

Kong Xuan agreed, took a deep breath, and stood in the hall. A faint five-colored light first appeared around him, then flowed rapidly, gradually brightening as blue, yellow, red, white, and black divine lights appeared one after another, like five ribbons encircling his body. At first, there was a slight sluggishness, but after circulating for several cycles, the five-colored divine lights flowed freely, mutually generating and restraining each other, endlessly cycling, faintly revealing a Daoist aura that could sweep away all things and destroy everything.

Looking at the five-colored divine light, he nodded inwardly. It truly lived up to its reputation as the great supernatural power of Kong Xuan, who was considered the number one person below the sage in later generations. Its power was indeed extraordinary.

Kong Xuan's five-colored divine light is his innate supernatural power, rooted in the primordial five elements, possessing boundless power. However, he had only recently taken human form and his cultivation was still shallow. In the past, when he used this supernatural power, he was somewhat powerless, and the radiance was slightly mixed. Now, it seems that, nourished by the Daoist energy of Kunlun Mountain and enlightened by the teachings of the sages, his foundation has become increasingly solid, and his control over his own supernatural power has deepened considerably. He has already begun to glimpse the true mystery of this supernatural power.

After Kong Xuan finished his demonstration, his breathing became slightly unsteady. Xuan Bao then said, "Not bad, your foundation is already somewhat established, and the Five Elements Cycle is beginning to take shape. However, the application of this divine light still lacks a bit of completeness and fluency."

Xuanbao pondered for a moment. After all, Kong Xuan was his disciple, and it was time to bestow some spiritual treasures upon him for self-defense. However, the most suitable spiritual treasures for Kong Xuan were the Five Elements Magic Treasures, such as the Five Elements Beads and the Five Elements Flags. However, those would be of great use to him.

However, there are not many other Five Elements Spiritual Treasures. After thinking it over, Xuanbao decided to use the "Acquired Mid-Grade Spiritual Treasure Five Elements Bead" that he had used for practice a long time ago. This was also a spiritual treasure that he had made by imitating the Five Elements Bead. However, it was just right for Kong Xuan, who was now in the late stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal.

For Xuanbao, who has already mastered the laws of artifacts, crafting a mid-grade acquired spiritual treasure is an extremely simple matter; anyone can do it.

Kong Xuan accepted the Acquired Spiritual Treasure Five Elements Pearl with both hands. He felt its smooth texture and sensed its profound mysteries. Filled with gratitude, he bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for bestowing this treasure upon me, Master!"

Dapeng, watching from the side, couldn't resist asking, "Master, my brother got the benefits, but what about me?"

Xuanbao chuckled. "You little rascal." He had long ago prepared an opportunity for Dapeng, a wisp of innate Xunfeng essence extracted from the essence of the Nine Heavens Gangfeng, refined and purified by him. It was perfectly suited to Dapeng's talent for extreme speed and wind control. Combined with his own Yin and Yang energies, it could release the Yin-Yang Undying Spiritual Light, which was quite terrifying in power. However, in the original story, this silly boy actually refined the Yin and Yang energies into a gourd-shaped spiritual treasure, which was truly a waste of resources. Fortunately, Xuanbao reminded him this time, preventing him from doing something he would regret.

"You'll get your share." Xuanbao pointed his finger, and an invisible yet incredibly agile azure energy entered the roc's brow. "This is the essence of the Xun wind. Refine it carefully, and it may help your innate abilities reach new heights. In the future, you can roam freely across the nine heavens and ten earths with a flap of your wings."

Dapeng felt a cool and refreshing energy spread from between his eyebrows into his limbs and bones, resonating faintly with his own origin. It was as if the laws of wind had become much clearer before his eyes. He was overjoyed and bowed in thanks, just like Kong Xuan.

A thousand years passed peacefully like this.

On this day, Xuanbao was meditating in his cave when he suddenly felt a slight stirring in his mind. He heard his master Tongtian's voice in his ear: "Xuanbao, come to the Sanqing Hall."

Xuanbao didn't dare to delay. He got up, straightened his robes, and headed towards the Sanqing Hall.

Upon entering the hall, he found all three Pure Ones present. Laozi was meditating with his eyes closed, Yuanshi Tianzun had a solemn expression, while Tongtian Jiaozhu wore a smile. Seeing him enter, he said, "Xuanbao, you've been back for some time now. The number of disciples in the mountains is gradually increasing, and the Heavenly, Earthly, and Human sects have separated. As a result, the disciples rarely spar with each other to test their progress. We have discussed holding a competition among the disciples of the three sects, firstly to test their cultivation, and secondly to allow them to learn from each other and understand each other's strengths and weaknesses."

Xuanbao's heart skipped a beat; they had indeed come. He remained outwardly calm and respectfully asked, "May I ask the three masters, what are the rules of this competition? This disciple will then make the necessary arrangements."

Yuanshi said, "The competition is divided into two parts: a literary contest and a martial contest. The literary contest will test our understanding of the Dao and our insights into supernatural powers, and we will set the questions. The martial contest will be held at the Kunlun Martial Arts Arena, where a ring will be set up. Disciples from each sect will compete based on their skills, stopping when they are about to be defeated, and no one should be allowed to injure their lives."

Laozi opened his eyes and said calmly, "Xuanbao, as the chief disciple of the Three Pure Ones, you will preside over this competition, with Bai Ze assisting you. Strive for fairness and let them know that in a sparring match among fellow disciples, victory is certainly welcome, but defeat is also acceptable; the important thing is to verify one's path in the Dao."

Tongtian laughed and said, "That's exactly right. I trust you to handle things. Go and make the arrangements; the time will be set a thousand years from now."

Xuanbao accepted the order and began preparations for the competition. He first summoned Bai Ze to discuss the specific details. The two finalized the rules and procedures of the competition, and then arranged for personnel to be responsible for recording and judging.

The news spread, and Kunlun Mountain was abuzz with excitement. Disciples from all sects were eager to show off their skills in the competition. Kong Xuan and Dapeng were also incredibly excited. However, it was made clear that Xuanbao, the eldest disciple, was not allowed to participate in this three-sect competition. There was no way around it; for Xuanbao, who was now at the peak of the mid-stage of the Hunyuan Golden Immortal realm, to participate would be like a father beating his son—there would be no suspense whatsoever. Therefore, Xuanbao was directly ordered not to participate.