Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 821 Who Will Wield This Sword (Part 1)

Pei Ye already knew that Yan Feiqing was a sorcerer.

Last time, when we were both at the West Pond, Yan Feiqing used the Thunder Sword. To say that he could achieve that effect purely with his true energy would be nothing short of a fantasy.

He was the kind of genius who was proficient in both magic and swordsmanship, but Pei Ye never expected that magic would be his primary focus and swordsmanship his secondary focus.

Countless viewers were probably surprised. After all, his sword was already that powerful.

But Taoism is indeed about cultivating immortality.

The "Qingwei Yuanjiang Dafa" emphasizes communicating with immortals from within, and then manifesting it outwardly to become an immortal embryo in the mortal world.

First, refine the five internal organs into a microcosm, emitting subtle and pure Qi. Then, generate subtle and pure Qi through the meridians of the Dantian.

Once the bones and flesh are clear and unobstructed, one can then cultivate the spirit and will inwards, attaining the heart of an immortal. Afterwards, one can use the primordial spirit to unite with the true energy, thus achieving a harmonious unity of body and mind.

Then one can look outward, using the body of a celestial embryo to touch the mysteries of heaven and earth, wielding the two arts of thunder and talisman; holding a sword in one's hand, wielding the sword.

"Qingwei Yuanjiang" is not a secret technique, but a guide on how to cultivate into an immortal and how to enforce the law and conduct affairs in the body of an immortal. It cannot be cultivated by simply following the steps. There are many aspects that require spiritual enlightenment. It is mysterious and profound, and can only be cultivated by those who are destined and persevering.

Everyone was speechless. The current generation of immortals, Wang Jiuqiao, had just broken through his mental barrier and was about to ascend to the Jade Emperor Mountain of this sect. The next generation of immortals had already revealed their forms.

"...His reading really helped him," Pei Ye said.

Yang Zhenbing nodded slowly.

Tianmu's face became completely solemn. She slowly raised her sword, and without any other preamble, her entire being transformed into several fluttering butterflies.

People were still reeling from the shock of what had just happened when they witnessed this scene again.

Yunlang Heart Sword, "Butterfly".

No one can say that Tianmu didn't go all out anymore.

Yan Feiqing did not move. He was probably facing the same choice as Wang Jiuqiao. The questioning of one's own existence is an eternal one.

He stood quietly for three breaths, gently grasped the sword beside him, and then a fire ignited within the Butterfly Realm.

It didn't start from the ground, nor from a butterfly in the air, but from his own feet.

Only another Heart Sword can have an impact within the Heart Sword Realm.

But it was not unfamiliar to Yan Feiqing; he had been with this sword since he was very young.

Ming Qitian said, "You must never use the Heart Sword or the Intent Sword on Yan Feiqing."

[Fire Question]

He burned himself into flying catkins, leaving only a round pill of pure gold.

Whether human or butterfly, it will not affect his pursuit of the Dao. Humans and butterflies are no different, or perhaps they never existed in the first place. Only by becoming an immortal can one gain existence.

Having seen through the Butterfly Realm, Tianmu silently stared at him.

She took a deep breath, tore off a sash, and tightly wrapped it around her hand and sword.

Yan Feiqing watched without launching an attack.

Then Tianmu gave a signal, and the two stepped forward at the same time. The silver dragon and the white dragon collided with a loud crash.

The fight lasted for half an hour.

Countless rounds passed, and the swordsmanship flowing from Tianmu's hands was enough to fill an entire sword-hiding pavilion. Yan Feiqing remained the challenger, constantly trying to break through the defenses of this swordsman of divine skill. However, in her long career of sword cultivation, it seemed that no flaws had been left behind.

But Tianmu is also a challenger.

No one has ever cultivated a Pure and Subtle Immortal Embryo in the Pulse Realm, and no one has ever attempted to break it in the Pulse Realm.

Mind, body, sword, and qi—the four are one, perfectly integrated. Whenever you meet those eyes, colorless flames burn into your mind and spirit; every time the person raises a finger, the wondrous technique of controlling thunder demonstrates its irresistible power. Not to mention, there is also the supreme Taoist technique of drawing talismans out of thin air.

Tianmu had never practiced spiritual cultivation. She could kill many people from the Xuanmen sect with her sword, some of whom were even Yeque, but it must be because they had some flaws in their minds and bodies.

There was no gap between the person in front of him.

She used many powerful swords, some of which were secrets passed down through the sword sect, while others had long been lost to the martial arts world. These included swords such as "Zhuangzi Sword Explanation," "Li Hun," "Liu Bi," "Mu Wang Sword," "Yi Sword," and "Liu Ren Jie Hui." She even used another sword technique called "Fish," which she had spent ten years learning.

However, none of them achieved any success.

A mortal body of flesh and blood, with 256 streams of true energy, cannot withstand the thunder and fire technique. The most refined aspect of Yan Feiqing's body lies in the pure and subtle true energy he has cultivated.

The pure is tranquil and pristine, the subtle is profound and mysterious. This true energy cleanses the marrow and refines the bones, and is called the origin of all methods. Once ordinary true energy, spiritual arts and mystical scriptures come into contact with it, they will all be dismantled by it.

Until Tianmu fell to the ground and sat cross-legged, leaning on her straight sword, she said angrily, "Stop chopping! If you keep chopping, my old bones will never recover."

Many people then realized that the outcome had been decided.

The entire Winter Sword Platform was charred black from being whipped. The man stood on the platform, and silence reigned for a long time.

Tianmu stopped at the decisive battle of advancing from the eighth to the fourth.

[Questioning the Heart Amidst the Fire] Yan Feiqing, it seems, has forgotten the capital for half a year, and has been forgotten by the capital as well. Now, she once again ascends the Feather Scale Trial.

He didn't last twenty or thirty moves; he defeated her.

Thus, the decision regarding the four individuals has been made: Luwei, Yongji; Peiye, Yan Feiqing.

……

The four-person duel began with a half-hour interval between rounds.

Even though the swordsmen don't need to rest, the spectators always need to eat.

"Why did Tianmu lose..." Changsun Jue asked blankly.

She turned her head away because that's what Cui Zhaoye had told her.

But Cui Zhaoye remained silent for a long while before saying, "Because Yan Feiqing is too powerful."

"Didn't you say that Tianmu was the most powerful? Did Pei Tongxue have less than a 20% chance of winning?" Changsun Jue asked worriedly as he ate the pastry that Changsun Che handed him. "Now that Yan Feiqing is even more powerful than Tianmu, does that mean Pei Tongxue can't win?"

“…I don’t know either.” Cui Zhaoye rested his chin on his hand, looking somewhat troubled. “Who would have thought that Yan Feiqing would have mastered the ‘Qingwei Yuanjiang’? In previous years, he would have been a shoo-in for first place.”

Qu Xin said from the side, "We should change our name to 'Yan Feiqing Friends Club'."

Cui Zhaoye said, "We don't want to."

Changsun Jue said, "Isn't this year's?"

"...This year's is probably the same." Cui Zhaoye raised his other hand as well, and said in a muffled voice, "But there's that Yongji, who knows? Besides, what if Luwei also suddenly cultivates something?"

Changsun Jue then felt that the pastry in her mouth had lost its flavor. Changsun Che offered her another one, but she raised her hand to refuse it and said sullenly, "Brother, you can eat it yourself."

Changsun Che was bewildered.

……

Pei Ye did need to eat something, so he stepped down from the table. A beautiful woman in a cloak was already waiting by the sword platform with a food box.

"Thank you for your trouble, Xianfang." Pei Ye walked over, but only when he got close did he smell the familiar light fragrance. The woman raised her hand and lifted her cloak, her beautiful light eyes looking at him with a smile.

"Please, my benefactor, this was prepared at His Highness's request." She smiled.

Pei Ye smiled and opened the box: "Why did you come all the way here in person?"

Li Xizhou said, "She used to bring you food, should we add the second half of that sentence?" Pei Ye said, "Of course we should. Xianfang wouldn't be greedy for such credit. You're judging a gentleman by your own petty standards."

"After she adds it, will you add a 'Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness'?"

"Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness." Pei Ye took a bite of a steamed bun and picked up his chopsticks.

Li Xizhou leaned against the side with a smile, watching him. Pei Ye spoke less than usual, chewing on a steamed bun while deep in thought.

Li Xizhou watched for a while, then turned his head to look at the stage: "Are you thinking about Yan Feiqing?"

“…Mm.” Pei Ye nodded.

"So, you were originally planning to fight Tianmu?"

"Tianmu, I was originally planning to give it a try." Pei Ye stared at the two pieces of meat and chewed slowly. "Because I wanted to give this Feather Scale Trial a good test, I wanted to go all out."

Li Xizhou was quiet for a moment: "But Yan Feiqing is different, isn't she?"

Pei Ye nodded slowly, and after a moment said, "Yan Feiqing is different."

Li Xizhou did not answer, gazing at the vast and boundless sword platform.

Yan Feiqing is indeed different from Tianmu.

The logic is simple: if you fight Yan Feiqing seriously, you will definitely get injured, or even seriously injured.

You can compare your swordsmanship with Tianmu, but Yan Feiqing cultivates sword power and thunder magic. His heart sword is [Fire Question]. As long as he gets serious, he will definitely hurt you. The closer you are to defeating him, the more dangerous your situation will be.

Tianmu is still meditating with a pale face.

And it's very difficult to win.

Undeniably, the name from his childhood once again shone with a mysterious light in his heart. Back then, he was a martial arts apprentice in a remote mountain town, and this name was a rising star on the Fu Ranking.

Every time he received the Crane and Duck Register, he would first look for this name, and watching it rise rapidly in the list would leave the boy speechless with amazement.

And it has never changed. When it was in the hundreds, it seemed like it didn't belong there. When it was in the hundredth, it seemed like it didn't belong there. When it was in the thirtieth, it seemed like it didn't belong there. And when it reached the tenth, it still seemed like it didn't belong there.

They swept away ten people and ascended to the top of Mount Tianmu.

He still had no expression on his face and was sitting next to Yang Zhenbing, staring blankly at the cat.

Pei Ye had to admit that this person was difficult to beat.

Regardless of victory or defeat, the outcome of this battle will be the same: he will have to face Yong Ji with his injured and exhausted body.

Whether it's on the sword-wielding platform of the Feather Scale Trial or the arena of the Martial Arts Examination, it makes no difference.

“I’ll talk to Yan Feiqing and ask him to let you win a round,” Li Xizhou said. “Otherwise, we won’t allow Qingwei to preach in the Tang Dynasty.”

Pei Ye said, "I have a better way. Lock him up in the Mirage Realm so he can't get out and will be absent. That way we'll naturally win."

He chewed on meat and steamed buns.

After a while, Li Xizhou said softly, "If you're not confident, you can fight Yan Feiqing casually and lose to him gracefully. Anyway, you'll get revenge on Yong Ji for the martial arts exam. In terms of reputation, people won't think that you, who beat Yong Ji, are weaker than Yan Feiqing, who beat Tianmu."

She looked at him as she spoke. At that moment, Pei Ye finished his steamed bun, looked at the sword platform, and said nothing.

Half an hour passed quickly.

It's definitely a showdown between the two from the South District.

Luwei and Yongji stood up, but Pei Ye did not return to the sword-cultivating seat; he remained standing there with the woman.

The penultimate round of the imperial examination in the year of Renwu was held under the watchful eyes of the public.

The names of the players at the Immortal Terrace were announced: "The duel between the four and the two, the first is Dragon Lord Dongting Deer Tail, the opponent is Yongji."

This was the first time Pei Ye had seen the Lin Shi from this most common perspective. He had seen it from the small building, from the rooftop, and most often from the audience. The common thread was that, no matter where he was, it was always an overhead view.

But this place is different. The sword platform is quite high, and you have to look up to see the two people in the center of the platform in the distance.

Luwei looked peaceful and serious, while Yongji looked dangerous and fierce.

"Dragon Lord Dongting, Deer Tail, my master [the current world's Fate Master] Huang Yang."

Yong Ji stared at him without saying a word.

Whenever this man in black takes the stage, people's hearts leap into their throats, their lungs tightening.

Before Yong Ji and Yan Feiqing emerged, Lu Wei was the most watched person this year.

When he stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted in a huge uproar. Long before he truly showed his strength, he had already secured second place. People's expectations for him were only 30% to keep his ranking, and the remaining 70% to surpass Tianmu in this competition.

Or at least shake its position.

Luwei is twenty-three this year, making him the oldest among the top ten. He no longer has the chance to defeat Tianmu, but people still look forward to seeing this true disciple of Dongting show his skills.

—Since the start of the sixteen-person competition, there have been so many surprising contestants.

Yong Ji, Yu Qing, Pei Ye, Yan Feiqing... Lu Wei has long been ranked second, how could he not have hidden strength?

First, take down that thug Yong Ji!
But Pei Ye actually sensed some danger—in the previous match against Qun Fei, Yong Ji had already stopped seeking combat. Now he wasn't wearing new robes, his upper body was still bare, and the menacing sharp spikes had faintly pierced through his shoulders and neck, completely fixed in place, their blackness tinged with a faint purple.

“Actually, it’s quite beautiful,” Li Xizhou suddenly said. “The bone armor made of the blood of mountains and seas.”

"Thinking he's invincible," Pei Ye said calmly, "and creating a bunch of messy stuff."

"Indeed, the vast majority of those at the Pulse Realm cannot handle the Blood of Mountains and Seas and the Immortal Eyes."

Pei Ye did not reply. The bells rang three times, and the battle began.

Despite his dislike for it, Yongji did indeed gain an overwhelming and unstoppable power from it. Now that it was fully mature, the moment the bell rang, he was like a crossbow bolt aimed at Luwei.

Like an eagle spreading its wings.

Deer Tail may not be a fawn. He looked up at him intently, and in an instant, two sharp sword-drawing sounds rang out, sparks flying.

Then came the spear that lashed out like a dragon's tail, which Deer Tail met with a swift sword strike, sending him soaring like a giant bird atop a height of ten feet.

The situation from the previous battle with Qunfei has repeated itself—the prince in black possesses overwhelming power on this sword platform, and every time one clashes with him, one must bear a disadvantage in strength.

And the consequences of this disadvantage.

Although Luwei is a top swordsman in the world, he does not have a physique that surpasses the Pulse Realm.

But he stared directly at Yongji, and with a light tap of his longsword in the air, space seemed to shatter, refracting a mirror-like luster.

Then, from this center, countless pieces spread, shimmering and sparkling, making the entire Winter Sword Terrace seem like a shattered mirror.

The crowd around Pei Ye gasped in surprise. It seemed as if the deer tail on the stage had disappeared, or rather, as if there was a reflection of him in every lens.

No one had ever seen such swordsmanship before, and Shikao had never mentioned it, yet he unleashed such a sword technique in the second move.

The "Mirror," one of the three pillars of the Shao Siming Sword System, involves the three paths of intent sword, true qi, and spiritual mystery. It is already a first-class, profound, and comprehensive sword technique that is difficult to learn. Moreover, to master it, one must reach the pulse realm and the swordsman must also sense spiritual qi and step into the threshold of becoming a sorcerer.

That's why it has unfolded such a "small sword world".

That was indeed Pei Ye's first impression upon seeing this sword. While it lacked the pure sword intent and the ability to isolate heaven and earth that Miss Ming possessed, it was certainly a realm where swordsmen could roam freely.

Pei Ye could clearly see the intention of the deer tail. This domain may have many effects, but its greatest effect here is that it can temporarily avoid Yong Ji's frontal attack and the unrestrained throat-cutting.

(End of this chapter)