Longzang

Chapter 25 Reputation Back Then
The young cultivator's eyes twitched involuntarily. The immortal sect spot that everyone was fighting tooth and nail for had been obtained in the blink of an eye?

The old man added, "However, the master said that this spot comes at a high price, and once it's written, it can't be changed."

"Even Father thinks the price is too high? What kind of price is it?" Bao Yun asked curiously.

The old man said, "Master said that the child from the Yan family in the East Sea was originally squeezed out, but then his family tried every means to get another spot. But you suddenly want to go to the Taichu Palace, so Master had to discuss with others and squeeze the Yan family out again. Master said that there should be limits to being willful. If you really write your name down, then it can't be changed."

Bao Yun smiled sweetly and said, "I won't change. Don't you always say I lack tempering? Isn't there a ready-made whetstone right here in Taichu Palace?"

The young cultivator hesitated, then sighed. Only the Bao family would think that Bao Yun was simply being a little willful.

Inside another main hall, the old Confucian scholar Liu Sigu was addressing eight examinees. Three stood in the front row, with Li Zhi in the center; all were pre-selected disciples of the Four Saints Academy. Five others were in the back row; they had actually entered a grotto-heaven affiliated with the Four Saints Academy, and the old scholar had gathered them all to expound on the principles of sages.

The old Confucian scholar launched into a long and eloquent discourse, beginning with the sage's travels throughout the world, his words flowing effortlessly. The middle-aged scholar, knowing he wouldn't stop for at least half an hour, and feeling a sense of oppression, left the hall to clear his mind. Although the Crimson Tide Sect was small, it had spared no expense for this unified examination; the mountain gate was quite impressively decorated, pleasing even to the middle-aged scholar's discerning eye.

After walking a few steps, the middle-aged scholar saw Sun Yu standing quietly in the shadows.

The middle-aged Confucian scholar had almost no impression of this young cultivator from the Taichu Palace, only knowing that the other party was in charge of all the miscellaneous tasks for the unified examination. To put it bluntly, this position was just the head of a bunch of errand boys, nothing worth remembering. The middle-aged Confucian scholar had a very high opinion of himself and hadn't exchanged more than three words with Sun Yu.

But now, standing in the shadows, Sun Yu no longer appeared harmless, giving the middle-aged scholar an inexplicable sense of danger, as if facing a prehistoric beast.

However, at this moment, inside the Red Tide Sect's mountain gate, Sun Yu was still very young, and his cultivation time was far less than that of the middle-aged scholar. Therefore, even though he knew that the other party was not friendly, the middle-aged scholar was not afraid at all. He stood with his hands behind his back, calmly watching Sun Yu.

Sun Yu asked, "Where is Old Liu?"

"He gave instructions to the new disciples in the hall."

Sun Yu then said, "Then it's the same as telling you. In this unified examination, the two gentlemen took great care of Wei Yuan. Junior Brother Zhang is magnanimous and may not hold it against me afterward, but I, Sun Yu, will remember it. The two gentlemen and your disciple must be careful when traveling the world in the future. The mountains are high and the waters are rapid. It would be bad if something unexpected happened."

The middle-aged scholar flew into a rage: "Are you threatening me?!"

Unexpectedly, Sun Yu replied without hesitation, "Exactly!"

The middle-aged scholar's robes fluttered without wind, and he seemed about to make a move, but his expression shifted between anger and uncertainty, and his robes gradually returned to normal. He then said, "The saying goes, 'He who eats the king's food must be loyal to him.' We are merely doing what is rightfully ours. If you, junior brother, are resentful, you should seek out the person in charge. Why make things difficult for us?"

Sun Yu said, "You have to consider the owner before you beat a dog. I can't afford to offend the owner, but I can still beat the dog. Besides, now that the matter is settled, you're useless. You're just two stray dogs, so I might as well beat you."

The middle-aged scholar was furious, his robes fluttering again, but he couldn't see through Sun Yu's true strength, and after weighing his options, he ultimately dared not make a move. But while he remained still, Sun Yu acted. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and blew out a thin, pale line of fire, shooting straight at the middle-aged scholar's chest!
The middle-aged scholar snorted, and a huge character for "seal" appeared before him, blocking the line of fire. This character, with its silver hooks and iron strokes, gleamed brightly, standing out conspicuously in the darkness. Judging by its sheer imposing presence, it far surpassed Sun Yu's line of fire.

However, the moment the seal touched the fire line, it instantly ignited fiercely. The middle-aged scholar felt his magical power drain away rapidly, and he could no longer hold on. At the same time, he smelled a strange medicinal fragrance, and his head spun. Both shocked and furious, the scholar cried out, "Elixir Fire?"

The fire line and the seal were locked in a stalemate for only a few breaths before the seal was burned away by more than half. Seeing that the middle-aged scholar was about to give up, Sun Yu withdrew the fire line and sneered, "The path to immortality is long. You two should take care of yourselves. Immortal silver is not so easy to earn."

Having said that, without waiting for the middle-aged scholar to reply, Sun Yu drifted away.

The middle-aged scholar stood rooted to the spot, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty. Sun Yu appeared unremarkable, but that wisp of alchemical fire was of extremely high grade; a mere moment of confrontation had already scorched his Dao foundation, requiring at least two years of quiet recuperation to recover. Therefore, the middle-aged scholar had actually suffered a hidden loss. He hadn't expected Sun Yu to dare to make a move within the Crimson Tide Sect's mountain gate, and while shocked, he was also somewhat indignant. He and the old scholar were merely doing someone a favor, receiving some treasures and immortal silver in return; why drag personal grudges into this? These young people from the Primordial Beginning Palace were truly lacking in manners.

The thought that Sun Yu had cultivated for ten years less than him cast a shadow over the middle-aged scholar's heart. He returned to the main hall dejectedly, no longer bothering to admire the scenery.

In another secluded courtyard, a table was set with fine food and wine, many of the ingredients of which were unheard of even by a small sect like the Crimson Tide Sect. There were only two people at the table: Daoist Fufeng sat at the head of the table, accompanied by a young cultivator who was also a member of the evaluation committee.

Fu Feng Dao Ren did not pick up his chopsticks, but said, "Brother Lu, one should not accept rewards without merit. It would be better to speak first."

The young cultivator said, "Brother Dao helped my young lady during the evaluation, and I, Lu Xuan, will always remember that. That's one reason. Secondly, there's a small matter I'd like to trouble you with, Senior Brother."

"But it doesn't matter."

"Brother Dao, could you tell me about Zhang Sheng's past deeds?"

Master Fufeng glanced at Lu Xuan and asked, "Why is that?"

Lu Xuan said, "To be honest, my young lady has decided to switch her allegiance to the Taichu Palace. She is still upset about failing the martial arts test. As her cousin from her maternal family, I might have to spar with Wei Yuan's teacher, Zhang Sheng, again in the future. I know I am no match for him now, so I want to learn about his past deeds to see if there is any chance to close the gap."

Fu Feng Daoist's expression was somewhat strange. He said, "Junior Brother Zhang went down the mountain to train seven years ago. Before that, he was indeed quite famous in Tai Chu Palace. To be specific, he was mainly known for being unscrupulous."

Lu Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Thank goodness, I thought I'd hear something about being invincible in the Dao Foundation stage. Today in the evaluation hall, that sword energy was indeed unmatched. It seems he must have had some extraordinary encounters in these seven years!"

Master Fufeng said, "Junior Brother Zhang encountered a calamity in his first year down the mountain, and his Dao power was sealed for six years until yesterday. So, in the seven years he has been training down the mountain, he has not actually made any progress."

Lu Xuan was holding a glass of wine, but upon hearing this, the glass froze in mid-air.

Master Fufeng stroked his beard and said, "Furthermore, Junior Brother Zhang's Dao Foundation was built with three immortal swords, so the idea that his Dao Foundation is invincible is a tacit understanding and no one is known for it. Of course, the so-called invincibility only applies to my Taichu Palace. The outside world is vast, so it's hard to say."

Lu Xuan's voice was somewhat hoarse: "Three... immortal swords?"

(End of this chapter)