Yin!
This sword strike was silent. Its speed was so great that it was barely perceptible to the naked eye. But the next moment, Chong Feng was flicked away by Mo Xian Peak Lord's finger. As a sword's hum resounded, Li Xuan's figure vanished completely.
"What a miraculous concealment technique." Mo Xian Peak Lord's eyes flashed with surprise, and a serious expression appeared on her face. Behind her, Chong Feng, once again silent, stabbed forward.
Ding!
Chong Feng's sword struck Mo Xian Peak Lord's chest, but besides a crisp 'ding' sound, it failed to penetrate even a fraction.
"Junior Brother, that's enough." Seeing Li Xuan's astonished gaze, Mo Xian Peak Lord smiled and spoke.
Li Xuan had no choice but to retract Chong Feng upon hearing this, though a hint of confusion remained in his eyes.
Mo Xian Peak Lord smiled at his reaction and said, "With your strength, dealing with existences at the Qian Kun Realm should not be a significant problem. As for me, my physical body has reached the Qian Shan Realm, and my cultivation realm far surpasses yours. Therefore, your current level is insufficient to break through my defenses."
"Of course, when you elevate your cultivation to the Qian Kun Realm, you should be able to accomplish it."
Li Xuan could only force a bitter smile. The Qian Kun Realm required even more Spirit Swords. To be precise, Li Xuan had absorbed all the Spirit Swords he had previously purchased to advance his cultivation to the early stage of the Shi Yuan Realm. He had even consumed three of the Immortal Swords gifted by the six Peak Lords.
"Everything can be taken slowly, no need to rush," Mo Xian Peak Lord advised.
Li Xuan nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Mo Xian Peak Lord and asked, "Senior Sister, since it's a round-robin battle, are there any casualties?"
Mo Xian Peak Lord pondered for a moment before replying, "In the past, although there were injuries, there have never been any deaths. After all, at the Shi Yuan Realm, all aspects of strength have significantly increased. Furthermore, with our respective team leaders present, they would intervene at the crucial moment to stop it."
Li Xuan nodded slightly. This meant that the disciples' competition among the Three Sects and One Palace was purely about victory and defeat. If it were a battle to the death, the outcome would be entirely different.
"There are still three days' journey to reach Dragon Cloud Mountain. Rest well and adjust your state," Mo Xian Peak Lord instructed after a few more words to Li Xuan. With a wave of her hand, she led Li Xuan back to his room.
Li Xuan nodded and bowed to Mo Xian Peak Lord before sitting down cross-legged. Seeing this, Mo Xian Peak Lord turned and left the room.
Time slipped away quietly, and three days passed in the blink of an eye. As the Cloud Ship docked, Li Xuan opened his eyes from his meditation. The next moment, he was on the deck. Yu Heng and the others also appeared.
"We've arrived. Let's disembark." Mo Xian Peak Lord appeared, and as soon as she spoke, everyone moved, shooting towards the mountain peak below.
"I didn't expect Peak Lord Mo Xian to be leading this time. It's a bit surprising to this old man." As Li Xuan and the others landed on the mountaintop, a voice echoed. Li Xuan looked up to see an old man in white robes approaching. Behind him followed ten young figures.
"This is Wang Ming, one of the Five Vice Palace Lords of the Flowing Bright Palace," Song Tao, standing beside Li Xuan, whispered to him.
"Palace Lord Wang Ming leading the team this time is indeed unexpected. It seems your Flowing Bright Palace is the first to arrive here," Mo Xian Peak Lord said indifferently.
Although the Three Sects and One Palace appeared harmonious on the surface, they were secretly in competition. Otherwise, the disciples' competition among them would be pointless. Thus, Mo Xian Peak Lord did not offer Wang Ming a particularly warm reception.
"I didn't expect my Profound Thunder Sect to be a step behind this time." Just then, several sounds of breaking through the air echoed, and amidst a clap of thunder, eleven figures appeared before Li Xuan's eyes.
"I believe my Spirit Refining Sect is the slowest," he finished speaking, and another flash of Xuan Guang appeared.
"Profound Thunder Sect, Tian Ye."
"Spirit Refining Sect, Hong Yang."
Under Song Tao's quiet introductions, Li Xuan gained a general understanding of the leaders from the Spirit Refining Sect and the Spirit Refining Sect. These two individuals held positions and status roughly equivalent to Mo Xian Peak Lord, being high-ranking officials within their respective sects.
As the teams from all Three Sects and One Palace arrived, it was eerily quiet, with no one initiating conversation. Li Xuan was puzzled and looked towards Song Tao and Yu Heng.
"Junior Brother, the most important figures haven't arrived yet," Song Tao whispered.
"Isn't this a competition among the disciples of the Three Sects and One Palace? Why are there still others?" Li Xuan asked with confusion.
Song Tao chuckled bitterly and explained, "Although our Three Sects and One Palace are top forces on the Star Cloud Continent, there is the Star Cloud Hall above us. And for the disciples' competition among our four factions, a witness and host are naturally required."
Li Xuan's eyes lit up with realization. "Could it be that a powerful expert from the Star Cloud Hall is also coming?"
Song Tao made a shushing gesture and then looked towards the teams of the other three sects. Li Xuan followed his gaze. Since a Star Cloud Hall expert had yet to arrive, this was the perfect time to assess the strength of the other three teams.
After observing the three teams, Li Xuan's expression became somewhat moved. It was no wonder the Three Sects and One Palace had stood tall on the Star Cloud Continent for tens of thousands of years; the strength of their disciples alone was not to be underestimated.
Flowing Bright Palace: among the ten, one had reached the intermediate Qian Kun Realm, six had reached the early Qian Kun Realm. The remaining three were at the peak of the Shi Yuan Realm.
Profound Thunder Sect: among the ten, there was also one disciple at the intermediate Qian Kun Realm. Of the remaining nine, two were at the peak of the Shi Yuan Realm, and the other seven were all at the early Qian Kun Realm.
Spirit Refining Sect was even more formidable. Among the ten, besides the disciple at the intermediate Qian Kun Realm, the other nine were all at the early Qian Kun Realm.
In contrast, the Body Sect, although all members except Li Xuan were at the early Qian Kun Realm, lacked a leading figure in the intermediate Qian Kun Realm. And Li Xuan had only recently broken through to the Shi Yuan Realm, clearly making him inconspicuous among the crowd.
Li Xuan withdrew his gaze and touched his nose. He had actually become a burden to the Body Sect.
However, Li Xuan was not discouraged. Even against an expert at the early Qian Kun Realm, he was confident he could fight. Sometimes, fighting above one's level was the true mark of a prodigy.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a sound of breaking through the air echoed. The next instant, a middle-aged man in a purple-black robe slowly appeared before their eyes.
"I didn't expect the Three-Star Lord himself to come this time. It has greatly surprised us." With the arrival of the newcomer, Mo Xian Peak Lord and the other three team leaders' expressions shifted slightly. Li Xuan, hearing this, immediately understood the newcomer's extraordinary status.
"The Star Cloud Hall is divided into the Star Hall and the Cloud Hall, and both halls have five Hall Lords and Star Lords. Their status is denoted by numbers one to five. The one who has arrived this time is the Three-Star Lord of the Star Hall," Song Tao explained in a low voice before Li Xuan could ask.
Li Xuan was somewhat shocked. Such a figure was as elusive as a dragon appearing only at the head and not the tail. He never imagined that the disciples' competition among the Three Sects and One Palace would warrant such immense attention.
"I apologize for being late, causing all of you to wait," the Three-Star Lord nodded slightly. He then glanced at the teams of the Three Sects and One Palace and nodded again. "The level of the disciples this time is considerably higher than before. Alright, let's begin the draw."
With a wave of his hand, the Three-Star Lord summoned four glowing orbs that floated in mid-air. Mo Xian Peak Lord and the other four leaders waved their hands, and one orb descended into each of their hands.
Mo Xian Peak Lord lowered her head to look at the orb, then turned to Tian Ye, saying, "Body Sect, first round opponent: Profound Thunder Sect."