The Martial Arts Competition Ends

The news quickly spread throughout Kunlun Mountain, and the disciples of the three sects were immediately excited. The disciples of the Heavenly Sect were usually quiet and unassuming, but since it concerned the reputation of their lineage, they secretly encouraged themselves. The twelve Golden Immortals of the Earthly Sect, each believing themselves to have a deep foundation and long-lasting good fortune, had long wanted to compete with the disciples of the other two sects, but they were not as arrogant as in the original story. The Human Sect had the largest number of disciples, and although their abilities varied slightly, there were many with outstanding talent and unwavering character. In addition, the Tongtian Sect Master taught without discrimination and spread his teachings widely, so many disciples were also eager to show their skills in the competition.

For a time, the practice of cultivation on Kunlun Mountain became even more prevalent. Divine light and Daoist charm could often be seen in various caves, all in preparation for the competition a thousand years later.

Xuanbao oversaw the coordination, drafting the competition rules, arranging the venue, and dividing the area. The literary duel was held in the Daowen Square in front of the Sanqing Hall, while the martial duel took place in a huge martial arts arena specially built for performing magic on the northern slope of Kunlun Mountain. There, the arena was reinforced with restrictions, making it strong enough to withstand the aftershocks of a battle between Taiyi Golden Immortals.

Currently, the strongest disciple among the three sects is only at the peak of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.

He also specifically asked Bai Ze to explain the rules, emphasizing that when fellow disciples compete, harmony is paramount, and the competition should end when the point is reached. Furthermore, the use of insidious magical treasures or self-destructive supernatural abilities is strictly prohibited, and violators will be severely punished.

The primordial era is the least valuable time; a thousand years passes in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the bell of Kunlun Mountain rang nine times, its melodious and majestic sound resounding throughout the mountains.

The Dao Asking Square and the Martial Arts Arena at the northern foot of the mountain were already prepared. In the center of the square, three enormous auspicious clouds hung high, the very presence of the Three Pure Ones. However, the clouds swirled, obscuring the true faces of the saints, only their vast holy might was faintly visible, inspiring awe. Around the square and the martial arts arena, different areas were divided according to the three sects of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Hundreds of disciples of the Three Pure Ones gathered there, some sitting, some standing, their auras intertwined, creating a magnificent scene.

Xuanbao, dressed in a white Daoist robe, stood on the high platform between the two arenas, with Bai Ze and Xuandu beside him. His gaze swept over the dense crowd below, and he proclaimed loudly, "By the decree of our three masters, today we hold a competition among disciples of the three sects. Whether it be a literary contest to explore the Dao, or a martial arts demonstration, all are for verifying what we have learned and tempering our Daoist hearts. I hope all fellow disciples will strictly abide by the rules and display their strengths."

As Xuanbao finished speaking, Bai Ze stepped forward, his body enveloped in a clear, intelligent light. His voice, gentle yet clear, reached the ears of every disciple: "The first round of the literary contest is on the question of 'the existence or non-existence of the Dao.' Qingxu, disciple of the Heavenly Sect; Lingjiu, disciple of the Earthly Sect; and Yunji, disciple of the Human Sect, please enter."

The first three to appear were all at the Golden Immortal Realm, with the highest-ranking one being only at the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal Realm. Xuan Bao was unfamiliar with any of them, making them seem like extras. However, those who could now join the Sanqing Sect could be considered the elite among elites. If they were placed in the outside world, these three would all be top contenders, but under the current Sanqing Sect, they could only be at the bottom.

The three exchanged words, lotus blossoms blooming from their mouths, and auspicious clouds appearing above their heads. The pure and ethereal auspicious clouds were like the primordial mist; within the auspicious clouds surrounding the coffin, illusory images of mountains and rivers and the trajectories of stars appeared; the auspicious clouds surrounding the cloud-like altar manifested the myriad forms of sentient beings and the myriad aspects of cultivation. The Daoist energies collided with each other, stirring up layers of mysterious light ripples in the center of the square. The surrounding disciples were either deep in thought or suddenly enlightened, all gaining something from the experience.

However, for Xuanbao, who is only at the Golden Immortal level, these discussions on Dao are simpler than 1+1 and have little appeal. As for supernatural powers, Xuanbao has never deliberately studied them. Once he controls the laws, he can directly unleash great supernatural powers with a wave of his hand. Those supernatural powers are only prepared for those who have not mastered the laws.

But he still watched intently, after all, this concerned the cultivation of the Dao hearts of the disciples of the three sects. The literary contests passed one after another, and the most amazing ones were Duobao, Guangchengzi, Yuding, and Yunxiao. They had all reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, and some of them had even comprehended the laws ahead of time. Some of the supernatural powers they had mastered were quite powerful. As for why Yuding and Yu Yunxiao's realms could catch up with Duobao and Guangchengzi, it was naturally because they had a master who knew how to refine pills.

The intellectual contest is nearing its end, and the physical contest is about to begin.

As soon as Xuanbao finished speaking, the twelve dragon-carved stone pillars at the edge of the martial arts arena on the northern slope simultaneously lit up with runes. A layer of glazed light curtain rose from the edge of the square, enveloping the entire arena. The space inside seemed to be stretched and expanded. It appeared to be no more than a hundred feet square, but in reality, it contained a universe within it, spanning thousands of miles. The phantoms of mountains, rivers, wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning flowed and floated within it—this was the "Myriad Phenomena Dust Array" personally set up by the Primordial Celestial Venerable, both to isolate the aftershocks of the battle and to test the disciples' understanding and application of the laws of heaven and earth.

"In the first match, Jin Ling of the Human Sect will face off against Yu Ding Zhenren of the Heavenly Sect."

As soon as Xuanbao finished speaking, two figures gracefully landed in the martial arts arena on the northern slope from different directions.

In the direction of the Human Sect, the Golden Spirit Mother, dressed in a pale yellow Daoist robe, possessed a beautiful face and a serene expression. In her hand, she held a jade ruyi scepter with dragon and tiger motifs, its auspicious light faintly emanating from it. In the Heavenly Sect region, the Jade Cauldron True Man, dressed in a gray robe with white hair, had a gaunt face. He carried an ancient, simple pine-patterned longsword on his back, his aura restrained, yet his eyes gleamed with a sharp, lightning-like light.

The two stood a hundred feet apart, bowed slightly, and said nothing more.

"please."

"please."

The moment the ceremony ended, Master Yuding remained motionless, but the ancient pine-patterned sword on his back rang out with a clear "clang," flying out of its sheath and transforming into a faint, pale blue streak of light. Seemingly slow, yet incredibly fast, it pierced straight towards Jinling's face. This sword strike was elusive and unpredictable, its intent pure and refined to the extreme. It pierced the air silently, yet caused a slight stinging sensation in the spiritual senses of the surrounding disciples watching the battle.

The disciples of the Heavenly Sect nodded inwardly. Uncle Yu Ding's "Shadowless Sword" had reached a state of perfection, its sharpness concealed invisibly, making it extremely difficult to defend against.

The Golden Spirit Mother neither dodged nor evaded, until the sword light was three feet in front of her, at which point she gently raised the Dragon and Tiger Jade Ruyi in her hand. The dragon and tiger eyes on the Ruyi's head lit up at the same time, and a deep dragon roar accompanied by a mountain-shaking tiger's howl suddenly rang out. The sound waves were so solid that they spread out in circles of pale golden ripples in front of her.

The pale blue sword light disappeared into the ripples, as if sinking into an invisible swamp, its speed suddenly slowing down, revealing the true form of the ancient sword. Jin Ling twisted her wrist, and the jade ruyi struck the side of the sword with perfect precision.

"clang--!"

The clear, resonant sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the arena. The Pine Pattern Ancient Sword was deflected by the immense force and flew back. Master Yu Ding flicked his fingers, causing the ancient sword to tremble slightly and hover before him, revealing a barely perceptible crack on its blade.

His brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed. The Heavenly Sect's Daoist methods emphasize striking first after the opponent has moved, using skill to overcome force. However, Jin Ling's seemingly casual strike contained the profound and powerful force unique to the Human Sect's Daoist methods. Furthermore, the Dragon-Tiger Jade Ruyi was a primordial spiritual treasure personally bestowed by the Tongtian Sect Master, possessing the ability to suppress and break spells.

Master Yu Ding stopped probing, formed hand seals, and uttered a low shout: "Activate the formation!"

The ancient pine-patterned sword flickered, one giving rise to two, two to four, and so on, endlessly transforming. In an instant, the sky above the martial arts arena was filled with tens of thousands of pale blue sword shadows, their sword energy chilling and interconnected, forming a profound sword formation. As the sword formation rotated, countless sword energies poured down like a torrential rain, each one targeting Jin Ling's vital points and subtly sealing off all her escape routes.

"The Myriad Swords Slaying Immortals Formation!" a disciple of the Earth Sect exclaimed in a low voice, "Senior Uncle Yu Ding has actually combined swordsmanship and formations to this extent!"

Faced with the rain of swords, the Golden Spirit Mother finally moved. She lightly touched the ground with her feet, advancing instead of retreating, her figure like a butterfly flitting among flowers, weaving through the impenetrable gaps in the sword energy. Her Dragon-Tiger Jade Ruyi wielded in her hand, striking left and right. Each collision with the sword energy exploded into bursts of brilliant flames, producing a dense, clanging sound like raindrops pattering on banana leaves. Seemingly perilous, she always narrowly avoided fatal attacks at the last second. The golden light emanating from the jade ruyi grew increasingly intense, gradually forming a solid protective barrier around her.

Suddenly, she let out a clear shout, and the jade ruyi flew out of her hand, hovering above her head. The phantom images of dragons and tigers swelled, transforming into a ten-zhang-long shape, circling and roaring. Jin Ling rapidly formed hand seals, her magical power surging forth and flowing into the ruyi.

"The Four Symbols Pagoda, appear!"

With her command, the Dragon-Tiger Jade Ruyi shone brightly, and an ancient, square pagoda phantom appeared from the top of the ruyi. The pagoda was divided into four colors, corresponding to earth, water, fire, and wind. Although the pagoda was only a phantom, as soon as it appeared, a vast and mighty power that suppressed the four poles and stabilized earth, water, fire, and wind spread out.

The endless sword energy pouring down was instantly stunted and dissipated by the power emanating from the tower's shadow! Even the ever-operating sword formation experienced a momentary slowdown.

Master Yu Ding's expression changed slightly as he sensed that his connection with the sword formation was being interfered with and weakened by a brute force.

In that split second, the Golden Spirit Mother transformed into a streak of light, ignoring the remaining sword energy cutting through her Daoist robes, and passed through the gaps in the sword formation, instantly closing to within a hundred paces of Jade Cauldron True Man. She pointed her fingers like a sword, and a point of dazzling golden light condensed at her fingertips, faintly possessing the sharpness of creation itself, directly aimed at Jade Cauldron's brow!

This finger strike contained the celestial light of Shangqing and a certain extremely condensed essence of breaking the law, which was the "Shangqing Sword Intent" personally passed down by the Tongtian Sect Master!

Caught off guard, Master Yuding had no choice but to quickly circulate his profound energy, and an ancient Daoist pattern appeared between his brows to withstand the finger strike.

"puff!"

With a muffled thud, Jade Cauldron Immortal's body trembled violently. He groaned, staggered back three steps, his face paled, and even the auspicious clouds above his head swayed. The sword formation that filled the sky collapsed instantly because his mind was disturbed. The Pine Pattern Ancient Sword cried out and flew back into his hand, its light dimmed considerably.

Golden Spirit Mother was also not in good shape. She forced her way through the sword formation, and her Taoist robe was torn in several places. Her aura fluctuated slightly. She recalled the Dragon-Tiger Jade Ruyi, held it in her hand, and looked at the jade cauldron.

Master Yu Ding steadied himself, took a deep breath to suppress his churning blood and qi, and his face showed a complex expression, a mixture of amazement and a hint of dejection. He sheathed his sword, cupped his hands, and said, "Junior Sister Jin Ling's Taoist arts are profound, and her spiritual treasures are wondrous. I admire you. I have lost."

Golden Spirit Mother returned the greeting: "Senior Brother Yu Ding, you are too kind. Your sword formation is superb, and I, Golden Spirit, am also fortunate to have achieved this."

On the high platform, Xuanbao nodded slightly. In this contest, Jinling won because of his powerful Dao body, abundant magical power, and the effectiveness of his magical treasure. At crucial moments, he used brute force to overcome skill, which, while arguably a form of cheating, was also a demonstration of his strength. Yuding Zhenren lost because he was a little slow to react. The Heavenly Sect's Dao techniques were subtle, but against the Human Sect's direct, forceful attacks, sometimes it was difficult to fully utilize their strengths.

Above the three auspicious clouds, the cloud formations rippled slightly, as if whispering to each other, before returning to calm.

Xuanbao announced loudly: "In the first match, Jinling of the Human Sect wins!"

A buzz of discussion immediately arose around the training ground, with cheers erupting from the Human Sect disciples' area. While the Heaven Sect disciples were somewhat disappointed, they mostly praised Jade Cauldron True Person's exquisite swordsmanship. The Earth Sect disciples, on the other hand, had burning eyes, even more eager for the upcoming matches.

The grand competition among the three sects of Kunlun Mountain has begun with such a spectacular opening battle, undoubtedly putting everyone on the edge of their seats. Countless years of preparation have culminated in this one showdown, and this is only just the beginning.

As the sun rose and set, the competition lasted for over a hundred years. The most exciting match was between Duobao and Yunzhongzi. One had many spiritual treasures, and the other also had many spiritual treasures. However, most of Yunzhongzi's spiritual treasures were imitations, earning him the title of "master of imitations." In the end, he narrowly lost. But the scene was truly dazzling for the disciples of the three sects, with hundreds of spiritual treasures attacking each other, which was quite impressive.

Ultimately, considering both literary and martial skills, the Heavenly Sect, with its solid foundation and transcendent mindset, held a slight advantage; the Human Sect, with its large number of disciples and numerous prodigies, followed closely behind; while the Earthly Sect disciples were individually strong, their teamwork and adaptability were slightly inferior, placing them in third place. However, the differences between the three sects were negligible.

Moreover, the strength of the Heavenly Sect is generally higher than that of the other two sects. There's no way around it; the Heavenly Sect has a constant supply of pills, so their cultivation levels are naturally higher. However, they are slightly inferior in terms of combat skills.

As the final bell rang, Xuanbao stepped onto the stage once more and announced the results in a clear voice. A gentle, approving tone emanated from within the three auspicious clouds.

Lao Tzu's voice was calm: "Good."

The Primordial Celestial Venerable calmly replied, "Agreed."

The Grand Master of Heaven laughed loudly, "Excellent!"

Xuanbao faced the crowd and concluded, "This competition was not about winning or losing, but about understanding the Dao and realizing one's true nature. All of you fellow disciples have demonstrated the spirit of our three sects. I hope that in the future we will work together with one heart and one mind to explore the Great Dao."

Regardless of victory or defeat, all the disciples of the three sects gained some insights and bowed in agreement. After this experience, the subtle barriers between the three sects seemed to have diminished considerably, and a sense of shared identity as members of the Xuanmen (mystical sect) quietly began to grow in everyone's hearts.

The Kunlun Mountain Millennium Grand Competition has come to a successful conclusion. But the story of the Three Pure Ones and the shadow of that great calamity has only just begun.

(This chapter serves as a transition)