Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 808 Eyes flashing with swords and spears, hearts burning with hatred and enmity (Part 1)

Zhang Junxue was indeed unable to achieve victory. After struggling for more than forty rounds, she was defeated by the swordsman from the north and left the stage in dejection.

Pei Ye was still surprised when he picked her up. Her swordsmanship had indeed made a qualitative leap. Although Hong Zhu hadn't taught her any swordsmanship, she was still using the "Layered Waves" technique. However, the way she exerted her power and her understanding of the sword were completely different. Despite only being at the seventh level of cultivation, the power she could unleash was significantly greater than that of an eighth-level cultivator.

“I really didn’t expect you to be seven years old. Yesterday I was wondering how you could come to fight in the Feather Scale Trial so quickly.” The two sat on the rooftop bathed in the setting sun, looking at the bustling crowds of the Sixteen Arena in the distance. One of them had already finished his battle, while the other hadn’t even started yet.

Pei Ye turned to look at her: "You didn't use any harmful methods, did you?"

"Senior Dao Gui gave me a lot of pills and treasures. He said the Five Life Pills are really useless now." Zhang Junxue ate a sesame seed cake and mumbled, "...Maybe they're a little harmful to my body, sometimes they hurt. But nothing serious."

“Of course, taking a large amount in a short period of time will cause harm.” Pei Ye frowned, peeled off the oil paper from the pancake in his hand, and took a bite. “Besides, you don’t have time to solidify your cultivation level.”

Zhang Junxue shook her head and swallowed: "Senior Daogui said that my best path is to quickly enter the Xuanmen sect. She said, 'Stop worrying about your idea of ​​using a knife to defeat a sword. You're slow-witted and old. If you want to write a good knife technique in your lifetime, you should waste less time in the Pulse Realm.'"

“I think so too,” Zhang Junxue said in a muffled voice. “Even if I practice my sword skills diligently in the Pulse Realm, I will never be able to beat those swordsmen… My talent isn’t that high, and my foundation is too weak.”

Back in Bowang, Pei Ye would never have allowed her to say such discouraging things. However, although only half a year has passed, the two of them seem to have grown up quite a bit. Pei Ye knows the ways of the sword in the world, so he knows that she is telling the truth.

“That’s true, she has a high level of insight and her judgment is very accurate.” Pei Ye smiled while biting into a pancake. “But she’s very straightforward. Luckily, Jun Xue, you have a good temper.”

"I... Pei Ye, do you think you'd dare talk back to Senior Dao Gui? She's the most skilled swordsman in the world, isn't she?" Zhang Junxue turned her head curiously, then thought for a moment, "Could it be... could it be that you dare talk back to Master Ming Jian now?"

Pei Ye pondered for a long time, and could only think of what he had said to Miss Ming last night: "If you don't understand, then speak less." But he couldn't tell Jun Xue the inside story. He smiled and ate the pancake: "Sword Master Ming doesn't say I'm stupid, he only praises me for being smart."

Zhang Junxue nodded seriously: "Pei Ye, you are indeed very smart and talented."

“Senior Dao Gui is willing to keep you by his side because Jun Xue, you also possess rare and precious qualities,” Pei Ye said. “Don’t underestimate yourself… don’t belittle yourself.”

Zhang Jun finished his snow cake even faster than Pei Ye, and smiled shyly: "I'm just a bit more capable of enduring hardship... I'm truly grateful to Senior Dao Gui for taking me in. I've had a very happy time learning swordsmanship from him."

"Is it?"

“Hmm. I never knew there were so many things to say about knives. It’s like you can improve every day, but you can never improve completely in your whole life… And after I became more powerful, when I helped people, people would call me… call me…” Zhang Junxue lowered her head.

"What did I call you?"

Call me Lady Zhang.

It was a rather ordinary title, but the woman was clearly pleased by it, and a blush rose to her cheeks.

"I imagine they addressed you with great respect," Pei Ye said with a smile.

"Yes. It's just that... I sometimes can't understand the Shu dialect." Zhang Junxue said shyly in a muffled voice, "When I become more powerful in the future, I also want to be like the disciples of Bailu Palace, traveling the world and upholding justice."

"Junxue, you've become so amazing so quickly." Pei Ye said, eating a pancake.

"Then, what about you?" Zhang Junxue turned to look at him.

"Ok?"

"I've finished the Feather Scale Trial. You, can you get first place this time?"

Pei Ye was stunned. Even with Miss Ming, he had never received such an expectation: "Huh?"

Zhang Junxue's dark eyes looked at him expectantly from beneath her hair.

“How can I get first place?” Pei Ye laughed, finishing the last two bites of the pancake. “Didn’t you see the ranking list? How old is Yun Lang [Tianmu]? No one has ever been able to beat him. Everyone is vying for second place.”

"Oh...so you're aiming for second place too?"

"..." Pei Ye paused, looking at the woman, "I can't compete for second place either. I can't beat Luwei, and if the others go all out, I can't beat them either. The Fu Ranking ranked me seventh, which is quite high... Jun Xue, why do you overestimate me like that?"

He couldn't help but smile.

“...Because I believe you can get first place.” Zhang Junxue said in a muffled voice, hugging her knees. “You will be number one in the Golden Autumn Martial Arts Competition.”

"..."

"I'm not used to you getting a different ranking," she whispered again.

“The Feather Scale Trial is not easy to win,” Pei Ye said. “Everyone is not only fighting for themselves, but also for the glory of their master. They will bring out their best and worst skills, especially those in the top ten. They will do everything they can to make up for every difference in ranking. I don’t think I need to compete with others for this. I’m here to participate in the martial arts competition.”

"Oh." Zhang Junxue said in a muffled voice, then paused for a moment, "Then, then you don't want to become famous, Pei Ye?"

"..."

"..."

Zhang Junxue stared at him, and Pei Ye remained stunned for a long time until a gust of wind blew the oil paper out of his hand.

Pei Ye and Zhang Junxue parted ways as night fell. The woman was worried about Senior Dao Gui's condition, so she went to wait by the carriage in advance. Pei Ye stood quietly for a while, gazing at the sixteenth arena, then stroked the kitten on his shoulder and looked down at the blue carriage in the distance.

Ming Qitian has just won the championship and is still at the Winter Sword Platform. Yan Feiqing and Yang Zhenbing have returned to the Sword Cultivation Academy, while Jiang Yin'er has gone to the Divine Firmament Villa. Ying Suyu has arrived in the capital today, and we will probably meet him in the next two days.

Pei Ye didn't return to the Sword Cultivation Academy tonight. He walked to the carriage alone, lifted the curtain, and climbed in.

Xu Chuo remained seated at the table, wearing a turban and a blue robe, a pot of tea already brewed.

Pei Ye sat down opposite him, and the carriage moved steadily eastward.

“Ming Qitian was truly remarkable today,” Xu Chuo said. “That sword strike that turned the world white, apart from Yun Lang, I imagine there’s nowhere else to see it.”

“It’s the Taibai Sword Realm,” Pei Ye said. “It seems to be a creation of the Sword Lord, and indeed only Miss Ming knows it.”

No wonder, the beautiful flowers and jade trees have been shattered into scattered pieces.

“I just met a friend from Bowang named Zhang Junxue, who is now working with He Hongzhu,” Pei Ye said. “She told me at dusk that Yong Ji was testing the Feather Scales.”

“I know. He’s been under the watchful eyes of the Immortal Platform ever since he arrived at the Sixteenth Arena. We’ve been keeping an eye on him for the past three days, but we haven’t told you yet.” Xu Chuo looked at him. “He won all eight matches easily, but do you know what weapon he used to fight?”

"what?"

"sword."

"..."

“Yes, a sword.” Xu Chuo pointed to the weapon he had placed on the table. “It’s this kind of sword.”

"...He knows how to use a sword?"

“In the first round, he wasn’t very good at it.” Xu Chuo pushed a few sheets of paper over from the table. “But he improved very quickly.”

"What do you mean by 'rapid progress'?" Pei Ye felt for the first time that he had lost some of his understanding of language. "You mean he made progress in swordsmanship during those three days and eight matches? Do you mean the kind of real, qualitative leap in progress?"

“Yes,” Xu Chuo said. “He started to try swordsmanship later on. In the fourth match, he easily defeated some famous swordsmen. By the eighth match, he was playing very freely. Two swordsmen at the Fu Ranking level were no match for him. You recognize one of them, Qi Mengchen from the Shaolong Jade Sword Manual.”

"..." Pei Ye lowered his eyes, picked it up and flipped through it. It did indeed record Yong Ji's eight matches in great detail.

"The people of Xianrentai said that his eye for swordsmanship was extremely sharp, and a key characteristic was that he won all eight matches without using any sword techniques, but only by dismantling the sword."

At this moment, Pei Ye understood what the woman meant by "rapid progress." He flipped through the stack of papers, put them down, and said in a deep voice, "I'll go and see who he'll fight tomorrow."

"Who do you want him to fight?"

Do I want to?

"Hmm. The rankings for the new ducks will be finalized today, and the results and matchups will be announced tonight." Xu Chuo thought for a moment, "How about we rank him higher and then rank Gao Ge lower, so that he and Gao Ge can have a match? It just so happens that Gao Ge has just joined the Xiuwen Academy and wants to take care of some things."

"Alright."

"How do you want Gao Ge to draw his sword?"

"Just play normally. I've played against both of them before, and I can tell what's going on."

"Alright." Xu Chuo picked up his pen and wrote a small note. "There are many rounds of matches in the three days leading up to the Lin Trial... Is it alright to schedule this match for tomorrow? We'll go watch it together." Xu Chuo said.
"it is good."

Xu Chuo put down his pen, gently tapped the carriage wall, and a spirit bird flew in. The woman tied up the letter and sent it flying out the window.

"Are you going to Xichi or back to Xiuwen Academy?" "Back to Xiuwen Academy."

"it is good."

……

On April 10th, the main competition for the Scale Trial began.

The sixteen arenas below were not removed; instead, new figures ascended them. Half of the officials in charge of documents and other duties at the Immortal Platform were removed, and some officials from the Ministry of War were replaced.

This year's Shenjing Martial Arts Examination coincides with the Feather and Scale Examination. Throughout the first half of April, the Feather and Scale Examinations and the Martial Arts Examination are held consecutively in front of the Imperial City. The hundreds of thousands of viewing guides printed over three days have already listed what competitions will be held at the Winter Sword Platform and the Sixteen Arenas each day, as well as the names of key figures and the schedule of the competitions.

The average strength of the Tang Dynasty's military examination candidates was far lower than that of the imperial examination candidates, but the quality of the finals was not much worse. People like Qin Shang came from the military examination system.

Moreover, the emperor and his officials would not sit on the Winter Sword Platform during the Feather and Scale Trials, but they would watch the year's Tang Dynasty martial arts talents together in a very grand manner.

The number of people taking the martial arts exam is much smaller than that taking the feather and scale exam. Therefore, the preliminary round of the martial arts exam will end before the main feather and scale exam ends, and sixteen people will be selected as the top six. Then, a final competition will be held to determine the champion.

Pei Ye glanced at the arenas for a while. If he hadn't participated in the Feather Scale Trial, he should be among them now... He withdrew his gaze and turned it back to the Winter Sword Arena.

Xu Chuo was still dressed as a scholar. The two of them stood together on the upper floor outside the Winter Sword Platform. The view from here was excellent, and they could see every cultivator who went up on the platform. The bustling crowd below was cheering and making noise, which was no less than the one at Mingqi Tianwang Jiuqiao yesterday.

Indeed, those who saw Ming and Wang's performance yesterday would probably find it hard to resist coming today, while those who heard about it would also be unable to resist coming today.

However, the cultivators who fought in the first two days of the Scale Trial were certainly not as good as those in the Feather Trial. After today, having seen no spectacular sights, they will naturally gradually disperse.

"Is he next?" Pei Ye asked.

"Ah."

The arrangements at the Immortal Platform were flawless. A few breaths after the match was decided, the figure who had been absent for half a month stepped onto the Winter Sword Platform.

Yong Ji looked much the same as before, dressed in a black martial arts outfit, his hair tied back in a ponytail with an iron ring. He walked up with a straight and sharp posture, carrying a halberd and a sword in each hand.

[Lu Banmian] Gao Ge walked up from the other side.

A tidal wave of cheers erupted from below the Winter Sword Platform. People didn't know why such a duel would be held on the first day of the Scale Trial, but it was certainly exciting, especially when they learned that the figure in black was Yong Ji, the heir apparent of the Prince of Yan.

The Crown Prince is going to take the martial arts exam; this is written on hundreds of thousands of viewing lists. Without any inside information, based solely on strength, this Crown Prince is the undisputed champion.

But the fact that the Crown Prince came to participate in the Feather Scale Trial in the martial arts world was unexpected.

The successor of the Prince of Yan in the North has a mysterious and unpredictable strength. When he was seen at the wedding banquet, many top experts felt a sense of danger, as if they were being pricked by needles. However, people thought that his path would not overlap much with that of the martial arts world.

So, starting three days ago, news of Yong Ji's appearance on the stage slowly spread among the sixteen arenas, until today, when this figure actually stepped onto the Feather Scale Arena.

No one knows what he's planning to do. Considering that the Feather Scale Trial can also lead to the Martial Arts Examination, perhaps he's just itching to try something.

It wasn't just the audience below the stage who were concerned; in fact, everyone's eyes were on this crown prince. Many people wouldn't have come today, but they were sitting here because of this event.

The Prince of Yan in the North has been far removed from the people for a long time, and everyone wants to see what this crown prince can do.

Tall and wielding a sword, this Northern Hero is the most popular rogue on this year's ranking list. Many of his deeds have already been passed down in the martial arts world. He entered the top twenty-two without any sect or background, and people have a clear understanding of his strength even in the legends.

Yang Zhenbing, the current generation's [Sword Demon] of Bailu Palace, was previously only ranked nineteenth.

People don't really expect him to defeat Yong Ji, but he will at least be the first formidable opponent the crown prince will encounter.

Gao Ge raised his hands and clasped his hands in greeting: "Greetings, Your Highness. It is an honor to meet you. Please."

Yong Ji thrust his halberd downwards, planting it on the broken stone, then released his grip and drew his sword.

“Come on, use your strongest sword,” he said.

The gift was received in the high pavilion, and the sword was drawn. "The Beautiful Sacrifice" appeared before the masses for the first time.

What an eerie and unpredictable sword light! With just one contact, Yong Ji's longsword was stuck to it. He was clearly surprised, raised an eyebrow, and tried to break free, but failed three times.

Pei Ye stared intently, knowing very well how Gao Ge's "Beautiful Sacrifice" worked. That sword had a strange rhythm. After the first exchange of swords, it tried to resonate with you, making you willing and preferably strike in that way, otherwise you would be at a disadvantage. But slowly, as the rhythm between you became more and more compatible, you became able and had no choice but to strike in that way.

The two swords appeared to be locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle, with no chains binding them. However, in reality, Li Sheng's opponent was completely unable to retreat. Any attempt to leave would expose a fatal vulnerability.

The ancient word "丽" means "to tie". A couple of days ago, when they were talking on the bed in Xiuwen Hall, Xu Chuo told him that in ancient times, when people performed sacrifices, they would tie the sacrificial animals to the sacred stone tablet, which was called "丽牲".

Pei Ye broke the sword that day, but he could not escape the bondage. He could not use the sword he wanted. However, when Gao Ge used the "Consort Fire" to execute someone, he used this external force to use his own sword.

[Holding a fresh corpse], even though the person was still in front of the stone tablet, the sword had already slit the executioner's throat.

At this moment, he stared at the two figures on the field, his lips pursed. Yong Ji showed no intention of breaking free from "Li Sheng"... but he really knew how to use a sword.

His swordplay against Gao Ge was sharp and precise, and his attempts to break the sword were full of threats. Gao Ge's restraints were clearly very difficult, as if he were facing a fierce tiger.

Yong Ji wasn't completely incapable of using a sword, Pei Ye thought.

He has basic training in all weapons, with swords being even more prevalent, making him at least a first-rate swordsman outside the top ranks.

He also had a deep understanding of swords, knowing many sword techniques and principles, in order to know how to fight against swordsmen with spears and halberds. Based on his blood of mountains and seas and his spear and halberd skills, he had a profound method for fighting against swordsmen. Pei Ye personally experienced its difficulty in breaking through when he was in the Mirage Realm.

But possessing such swordsmanship is another matter entirely.

His swordsmanship is far superior to Gao Ge's.

He was simply unfamiliar with "Lisheng" and not very familiar with sword fighting.

This performance gave Pei Ye a strong sense of incongruity. He stared straight at Yong Ji's figure, the way he drew his sword, his calm and thoughtful expression, and his eyes staring at Gao Ge... he was clearly not a swordsman at all.

He didn't have that feeling of oneness with the sword; there was no intimacy between them, nor that intuitive connection to life... He only knew how to draw the sword.

Amidst the flurry of sword shadows, the cheers on the field grew ever louder. After thirty-seven rounds, Yong Ji seemed to suddenly understand something. A brilliant and exquisite sword light, like a flash of inspiration, emerged from his hand and abruptly severed the rope bindings.

Blood spurted from Gao Ge's collarbone, but he used the speed of the two swords breaking apart to leap backward even faster.

"The Sacrifice" may not always be successful, but no matter when it fails, he always has a backup plan, which is the experience gained from many close calls.

With his long hair flowing freely, Gao Ge wielded his sword in mid-air, unleashing a magnificent burst of flames from the blade. All the build-up for "Beautiful Sacrifice" crumbled in an instant, culminating in this single strike. He leaped five zhang away, and by the time Yong Ji caught up, this sword was already prepared for him.

But Yong Ji did not catch up.

He stood still, glancing at the figure that swept past Gao Ge like a bird, and then at the demonic flames on his sword that resembled wings.

Just a fleeting moment.

The voice on the Winter Sword platform was instantly silenced.

The sudden silence that brought hundreds of thousands of people to an abrupt halt is something many people will never experience in their lifetime, but today people have encountered it.

Everyone—not just the countless spectators below the stage, but also the members of the Thirty-Three Sword Sects, the Five Clans of Noble Families, the reclusive masters, the martial arts lineages… and even the seven or eight members of the Heavenly Tower who were present today—all fell silent in an instant.

It's as if a period of time has been abruptly cut off, so the sound is also broken.

In that instant, Yong Ji was five zhang in front of Gao Ge, and in the same instant, he was five zhang behind Gao Ge.

A snow-white sword light stretched across the sky, a testament to its existence. Gao Ge's neck split open, spurting out a stream of bright red, boiling blood.

He staggered and fell to the ground. The flames on the sword died down, and a large amount of blood slowly stained his clothes.

Yu Jian from Xianrentai only rushed to the platform to rescue them after a moment of stunned silence, while the entire imperial city below remained in astonishment.

Few people recognized this sword strike, but Pei Ye did.

He stood before the railing, his lips pressed into a sharp line, his face frozen, devoid of any expression.

Even though it was clumsy, stiff, and superficial... it was definitely the taste of "unrestrained".

(End of this chapter)