Star Martial Soaring Cloud

The legendary cultivator Song Qing of Kyushu, the blood feud between father and son, and the clash between martial arts and ethics surpass any brilliant storytelling.

The news spread like wildfire across the land of Kyushu, carried by the footsteps of the twelve elite messengers.

The hustle and bustle of Zhongyun City reached an unprecedented peak the moment the gambling began.

Outside the Fengyuxuan branch, the bluestone road was scorching hot from being trodden on. Cultivators, merchants, and scions of noble families from all over the country lined up in a long queue, winding for miles, all the way to the city gate.

"I bet on Song Qingsheng! Ten taels of gold!"

"I bet on Song Qing to win! Three hundred bolts of top-grade ice silkworm silk!"

"No limit on the stakes? Then I'll wager three restaurants in the west of the city, betting that Song Qing will stay in the city!"

Amidst the crowd, the clinking of gold and silver jewelry, the exchange of martial arts manuals, the passing of land deeds and documents, and the clatter of abacuses sparking with fire all mingled together, creating an unprecedentedly lively atmosphere.

Within a single day, everyone from powerful sects and noble families to ordinary citizens and wandering swordsmen was talking about this duel that was destined to be recorded in history.

The gambling frenzy was out of control, with jade mines, spirit stones, and cultivation manuals piling up like mountains at the various branches of Fengyuxuan.

Inside the main hall of Fengyuxuan, Su Qinhe traced the message with her fingertips, her eyes flashing with amazement: "In just one day, the bets have exceeded one hundred billion, and they are still rising like crazy."

She cast her gaze at the surging crowd outside the window, a slight smile playing on her lips beneath the thin veil: "He used blood ties as a lure, a bet as a medium, to force Song Qing to accept the challenge, and then used Fengyuxuan to gather the world's attention. Such cunning is extraordinary, yet why can't even Fengyuxuan find any information about him?"

Meanwhile, inside the main hall of the city lord's mansion, Shen Yue was sighing over the mountain of account books, and it seemed that there were even more strands of white hair at his temples.

The head of the Criminal Investigation Department stood to the side, his expression grave: "City Lord, as of today, 90% of the bets have been placed on Song Qingsheng. If Wang Xiao loses, the City Lord's Mansion will have to pay out gold, silver, cultivation techniques, and local treasures, which, when converted, is equivalent to more than three times a century's worth of tax revenue. Our entire fortune will truly be wiped out!"

"Lost everything? It's more than just lost everything!" Shen Yue grabbed an account book and slammed it on the table. "If those bets on land deeds and mineral veins are paid out, half the land in Zhongyun City will change hands! How could I have been so impulsive as to give him the military tally?"

"How about we send someone to arrest Wang Xiao now and stop the gambling?"

"Nonsense!" Shen Yue glared at him. "Stopping the bet now will only make Zhongyun City a laughingstock!" He slumped back into his chair, rubbing his throbbing temples. "Now we can only hope for a miracle and wish that this kid can beat Song Qing."

Even if he sealed his cultivation, he was still Song Qing!

Not only was he undefeated, but the band of robbers he led was also undefeated.

How could Wang Xiao, a mere novice who had just entered the Fish Leap Realm, possibly win?

At the Star-Picking Tower, many people were indignant on behalf of Wang Xiao, but the betting results had already explained everything. In everyone's eyes, the outcome of this gamble was already predetermined.

Outside the four gates of Zhongyun City, the official road was shrouded in dust, and the sounds of horses' hooves and carriages were incessant.

Cultivators from all over are flocking to this bustling city, just to witness Song Qing's prowess.

Ordinary people, who do not understand cultivation, see Song Qing as a frog at the bottom of a well looking up at the moon. But those who have truly embarked on cultivation see Song Qing as an ant seeing the blue sky.

To embark on the path of cultivation and reach the leap of the fish is already one in ten thousand, but this is only the beginning. To truly walk the great path of cultivation, one must cross the insurmountable Dragon Gate and possess one's own supernatural powers.

Of the thousands of fish leaping over the Dragon Gate, how many can actually succeed?

The Fish Leap Realm is the ultimate goal for most cultivators.

For someone of Wang Xiao's age to have reached the Fish Leap Realm is already a rare and outstanding young talent. Unfortunately, his opponent is Song Qing, which makes everyone overlook this fact.

At the ferry crossing in the east of the city, a small boat appeared on the river. A man in blue robes stood alone, his eyes deep yet revealing a sharp killing intent. His black hair flew in the wind, and he was full of heroic spirit and extremely powerful.

"Ah, it's him, Xiao He of the Righteous Spirit Pavilion!"

"Rumor has it that Xiao He grasped a sword at the age of two, began practicing swordsmanship at three, and by the time he was twenty, he had already reached the Great Perfection of the Fish Leap cultivation! How many of the younger generation can achieve that?"

On the ancient road west of the city, a group of cultivators dressed in black galloped towards them. The leader, with a stern face and carrying an ancient longsword on his back, reined in his horse and gazed at the distant outline of Zhongyun City. A burning fighting spirit flashed in his eyes: "If Wang Xiao can defeat Song Qing, then I will challenge him; if Song Qing wins, then the next match will be between me, Ye Changtian, and Yu Yue Song Qing!"

A golden warhorse appeared on the streets of Zhongyun City, its entire body radiating golden light, like divine fire burning. A man in white sat atop it, dressed in a golden battle suit, with a majestic and imposing figure, a handsome and refined appearance, a chiseled face, and long eyebrows that reached his temples, making him appear incomparably heroic.

"Xuanyuan, the descendant of the Xuanyuan family!"

Successors from various powerful families and sects, strong rogue cultivators, and even daughters of noble families flocked to Zhongyun City.

Inns and restaurants were instantly full, and even dilapidated temples on the outskirts of the city were filled with cultivators who had come from far and wide. People carrying weapons and exuding extraordinary auras could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys.

"This spectacle is probably even more magnificent than the Lishan Trial of the Xuanyuan family?"

"Of course. The Lishan Trial is a grand gathering for cultivators from the Central Plains to comprehend the Eight Elements of Heaven and Earth. Didn't you see that even Xiao He from the Eastern Coast and Ye Changtian from the Northern Plains came this time? If the Western Wilderness and the Southern Frontier weren't so far from Zhongyun City, I'm afraid their younger generation of cultivators would have come as well?"

"To witness Song Qing's actions firsthand is a rare and invaluable opportunity for any cultivator."

"The battle of the Fish Leap, regardless of the outcome, can give the younger generation endless hope, after all, most of them are still in the Fish Leap realm."

"The only thing that can truly surpass today's success is probably the trip to the Demon Island a year from now!"

"That's a once-in-a-century event, where cultivators from the Nine Provinces and Five Regions compete for the Dragon Gate Immortal Opportunity. How can we possibly compete like this?"

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Peach blossoms covered the mountains like a tide, and the foot of Liangshan Mountain, along the mountain paths, and around the peaks were densely packed with onlookers. The crowd was bustling yet filled with an inexplicable solemnity, and countless eyes met at the end of the mountain path, holding their breath in anticipation of this duel destined to be recorded in the annals of Chinese history.

Amidst much anticipation, Wang Xiao made his appearance.

He was still dressed in white, with a black belt around his waist, and his dark hair was casually tied behind his head. He walked with a calm and unhurried pace, as if this highly anticipated duel had nothing to do with him. A calm aura emanated from him, which contrasted sharply with the restless crowd around him.

Su Qinhe, dressed in a moon-white gauze dress, stood at the front of the crowd. Her eyes behind the thin veil were as cold as frost, but her gaze always followed the figure of the white-clad youth.

Xiao He, standing on the bluestone, Ye Changtian, leaning against the old peach tree, and Xuanyuan, sitting on his golden warhorse, all looked at Wang Xiao at the same time.

His gaze held admiration, provocation, amusement, and a hint of expectation.

The moment Wang Xiao appeared, a sudden change occurred!

At the mountaintop, millions of peach blossoms suddenly trembled in unison, their petals detaching from the branches and dancing and converging along some mysterious trajectory, eventually forming a long, winding peach blossom staircase leading upwards.

From the mountaintop all the way down to Wang Xiao's feet, it's like a fairy guiding the way, sacred and magnificent.

Everyone held their breath; their heartbeats seemed to stop for a moment.

Wang Xiao stepped onto the long peach blossom staircase. His steps seemed to possess magic, and as he stepped down, everyone's breath and heartbeat fell in sync.

At the summit of Liangshan, the highly anticipated showdown has finally arrived.