The Chanwei Conference typically lasts three days. During this time, the disciples of Liren Peak don't have to attend morning classes or be forced to practice swordsmanship by their senior brothers. Everyone is like a wild horse, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
On the morning of the third day, Mu Zhe, carrying his Jiu Xi Sword, went to Yuxu Mountain to practice. Before he even crossed the Changying Mountain suspension bridge, he encountered Li Suo approaching.
Mu Zhe said, "Senior Brother Li Suo."
Li Suo saw him and smiled, "You're going to compete with Qingyu today, and you still have the mood to practice swordsmanship?"
Mu Zhe nodded, "Yes."
Li Suo knew that his morning sword practice was a daily routine, so he didn't say much. He smiled and said, "Are you aware that everyone at this Chanwei Conference has started betting in private?"
Mu Zhe frowned and said, "Senior Brother, the Sect Leader forbids betting."
Li Suo smiled, "It's not really betting, just for fun."
Mu Zhe still disagreed.
Li Suo glanced around, then leaned close to Mu Zhe's ear and whispered, "The Holy Lord has also placed a bet."
Mu Zhe looked at him in surprise.
Li Suo seemed about to burst out laughing: "Do you know who Master bet on?"
For some reason, Mu Zhe's heart suddenly raced. He feigned composure and asked, "Who?"
Li Suo had practically watched Mu Zhe grow up. Although Mu Zhe's expression was expressionless, Li Suo could still see his nervousness.
It was strange. It was clearly his own disciple competing against an outsider, yet Mu Zhe was worried that his master had bet on someone else?
Li Suo chuckled inwardly, teasing him for a while before finally nodding: "It was you."
Mu Zhe silently breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Suo asked again, "Then do you want to know how much the Holy Lord bet?"
Mu Zhe looked puzzled.
Li Suo leaned close to his ear and whispered a number. Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe, expressionless: "Oh."
One spirit stone is less worth betting on.
"It's just a gamble," Li Suo laughed, "Yesterday, when the Holy Lord went to find Xiwu, he accidentally stumbled upon Xinghe secretly placing a bet. Fortunately, the Holy Lord didn't blame him and even gave Xinghe a spirit stone. Xinghe thought the Holy Lord was going to place a bet, and overnight the whole sect knew."
Mu Zhe: "..."
So he didn't even bet a single spirit stone.
He'll have to assassinate that Yu dumpling sooner or later.
Mu Zhe, with a headache, went to practice his sword. After practicing for half an hour, he returned to Fanjiang Residence to wake Shen Gurong.
Along the way, all the senior brothers he encountered greeted him warmly.
"Brother Mu, we're all planning to bet on you. I bet one spirit stone."
"Me too, me too! I bet one and a half."
"Brother Mu, you have to win! Otherwise, I won't even be able to afford the Bigu Pill!"
Mu Zhe: "..."
So, why are the disciples of Liren Peak so poor?
If they can't even afford the Bigu Pill, why are there still so many spirit stones piled up at the Boundary Spirit Tablet?
Mu Zhe has been puzzled for ten years.
No wonder Senior Brother Li Suo said it was just a small bet for fun. If it were a big bet, his stingy senior brothers wouldn't be able to come up with that many spirit stones.
Mu Zhe hurried back to Fanjiang Residence. Shen Gurong had already gotten up for the first time ever.
The evening mist flowers in the courtyard had bloomed again. Shen Gurong, dressed in white, was standing by the flowerbed, his eyes slightly lowered as he stared at a small cluster of flowers on her fingertips, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Mu Zhe felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart. He tiptoed over, as if afraid of disturbing him.
“Master.”
Shen Gurong’s fingers suddenly curled, tightly gripping the cluster of flowers in his palm.
He turned his head and said calmly, “You’re back.”
Mu Zhe nodded, stepped forward, and said, “Master’s ice silk is on backwards again.”
Shen Gurong tilted his head slightly, and heard Mu Zhe say “excuse me,” raising his hand to untie his ice silk and re-wrap it.
Shen Gurong, accustomed to being pampered since childhood, stood quietly waiting for Mu Zhe to put it on for him.
Only after Mu Zhe finished and took a half step back did Shen Gurong realize that the person in front of him was not his personal servant, but his disciple.
Shen Gurong coughed awkwardly, adjusted his ice silk, and mumbled a thank you. 'Are you missing limbs? You need your disciple's help to wear an ice-silk robe?' Shen Gurong thought to himself. 'You'll be lazy to death sooner or later.'
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe didn't feel that Shen Gurong was particularly lazy. He didn't know when it started, but he had come to enjoy serving his master's daily needs.
That peculiar yet subtle desire for control had unknowingly captivated Mu Zhe, making him want to control his master inside and out.
The morning bell rang. Shen Gurong threw away the crushed evening mist flower in his palm, frowning, and said, "Change the flowers in the courtyard."
Mu Zhe was taken aback.
Since entering Liren Peak, Shen Feng Xue had been living in Fanjiang Residence. He had heard from the elders of the Discipline Hall of Liren Peak that the evening mist flowers in Fanjiang Residence almost never stopped blooming. For this reason, Shen Feng Xue had even gone to Fenglu City to find morning dew to irrigate the spiritual soil daily, allowing the evening mist flowers to bloom year-round.
Mu Zhe had seen his aloof and resolute master stand forlornly in the courtyard countless times in his childhood, gazing down at the profusion of evening primroses, much like Shen Gurong had just appeared, staring silently into the sea of flowers, lost in thought, as if tears were about to fall at any moment.
Thinking of the old friend named "Evening Mist" that Shen Gurong had mentioned before…
Mu Zhe tentatively asked, "Master, are you displeased?"
Shen Gurong frowned, thinking for a long time before finally managing to say, "It's not that I dislike it, it's just that I feel I don't need it anymore…"
It was as if his once empty heart had been filled with something, and he no longer needed to rely on this ethereal, inanimate object for solace.
This was the lingering consciousness of Shen Feng Xue, but Shen Gurong hadn't noticed it at all. He only felt that he didn't reject this consciousness, so he hadn't thought about it deeply.
Seeing that Shen Gurong's expression increasingly resembled the sorrowful and lonely look Mu Zhe had seen in his childhood, he quickly said, "Alright, disciple will change it for you. What would you like to change it to?"
Sure enough, the sorrow that hadn't yet surfaced on Shen Gurong's face vanished instantly.
He tilted his head and thought for a moment, "Black bamboo, perhaps."
Mu Zhe asked, "All of it black bamboo?"
Although black bamboo was hard to find, given the power of Liren Peak, they could find quite a bit.
Shen Gurong nodded, rubbing the crooked tassel on his waistband, and frowned, "Just plant a few, I'll make a bamboo flute, the rest is up to you."
Mu Zhe's lips twitched upon hearing this. A bamboo flute? Whose ears were they planning to torture this time?
How could his master not have forgotten this?
The morning bell rang again, and Mu Zhe sighed as he re-tied Shen Gurong's waistband and led him to the competition platform.
On the third day, there was only one match: between Mu Zhe and Qingyu.
Even though it was almost time to go on stage, Mu Zhe still escorted Shen Gurong to the inner room of the pavilion, brewed him a pot of tea, knelt on one knee, and said gently, "Master, I will win."
Shen Gurong said calmly, "Alright, I'll watch from here."
Mu Zhe smiled softly and lowered his head slightly.
Shen Gurong blinked, wondering what he was going to do.
Mu Zhe's ears turned bright red, and while he was frantically cursing himself, he pursed his lips and forced himself not to move.
Shen Gurong then understood, thinking, 'does he want me to pat his head?'
Thinking of this, Shen Gurong's heart softened.
He's so obedient! Shen Gurong happily raised his hand and gently patted Mu Zhe's head.
“Go,” Shen Gurong said. “Master is waiting for your return.”
Mu Zhe, blushing with satisfaction, picked up the Jiu Xi Sword, not daring to look at Shen Gurong, and quickly left with his head down.
Jiu Xi clicked his tongue: “You’re really obedient in front of your master, completely different from how you are in front of others.”
Mu Zhe’s expression changed instantly once he left the inner room. Even when he encountered Xi Guxing, he only gave a respectful bow, without changing his expression in the slightest.
"Stop talking nonsense, it's annoying."
Jiu Xi pouted: "You get aggressive towards me the moment your master is mentioned. Do you have feelings for your master?"
Mu Zhe's eyes widened in disbelief. He snapped, "How dare you say such blasphemous things?!"
Jiu Xi felt extremely wronged by the outburst and stammered, "I was just saying it casually. Why are you reacting so strongly? Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd been hit where it hurt and were furious."
Mu Zhe: "..."
With just that one sentence, Mu Zhe couldn't help but recall the enchanting dream he had forcibly forgotten.
In the dream, the black-haired, red-clad youth, Shen Gurong, lay on his soft couch, his body supple and at his mercy. Mu Zhe, in a daze, seemed to be seduced by a succubus. After waking up, he felt remorseful for a long time before finally suppressing his blasphemous thoughts. Now, Jiu Xi had directly aroused them again.
Mu Zhe gritted his teeth and said coldly, "As a disciple, how could I harbor such covetous thoughts towards my master? Such arrogant words should never be uttered in front of others."
Jiu Xi, not understanding such sentimental matters, could only say, "Alright."
Mu Zhe stepped onto the dueling platform with a cold face.
Wen Liubing, already impatient, saw him approaching and said ruthlessly, "If you had arrived even a breath later, I would have declared you the loser."
Everyone: "..."
Mu Zhe was already used to his senior brother's decisive nature and said nothing, simply nodding slightly as an apology.
Qingyu, seeing Mu Zhe arrive, took his curved bone knife and leaped onto the dueling platform.
As soon as the two were on the platform, everyone in the stands below cheered, shouting all sorts of things.
"Brother Mu! Brother Mu is mighty!"
"Qingyu, if you can't beat him, don't go back to the demon race!"
"Hurry up! Fight faster!"
"Charge, Brother Mu! For your senior brother's spirit stone!"
Qingyu paid little attention to the others' words. He only felt the chill wind blowing across the stage. He flicked his fox ears, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Mu Zhe, who provoked you? Why do you look like you're about to kill someone?"
The Jiu Xi Sword was drawn instantly. Mu Zhe coldly said, "Is that all the nonsense you have to say?"
Qingyu said, "I heard that you humans really like to reminisce, I..."
Before he could finish, Mu Zhe impatiently swung his sword. Qingyu, holding his curved bone knife, casually blocked it, deflecting the terrifying sword intent with two clangs.
On the dueling platform was a talisman for Su Xiyan, ensuring that even if the two sparred with full force, they wouldn't leave a trace. Mu Zhe hadn't held back at all; he wielded the Jiu Xi Sword with unparalleled skill, the sword intent leaving a trail of dark mist after its strike.
Qingyu, having trained throughout the Three Realms since childhood, was quite knowledgeable. Seeing the dissipating mist, he exclaimed in surprise, "Ah! This is… your sword is actually a malevolent sword!"
Mu Zhe had no habit of chatting during a fight. The Jiu Xi Sword leaped through the air, splitting in two, and in a flash, it rained down on Qingyu.
With a few swishes, Qingyu's pupils instantly turned into golden vertical pupils. He roared, transforming into his massive nine-tailed fox form, his two sharp teeth now becoming fangs. With a powerful flick of his nine tails, he directly intercepted the rain of sword intent.
The crowd in the stands stared in disbelief, while the Demon Lord watching from the pavilion frowned slightly.
Feng Yun asked in surprise, "Qingyu actually cultivated a demonic form?"
The Demon Lord was also seeing this for the first time. He forced a smile and said nothing more.
It was common knowledge throughout the Three Realms that Qingyu couldn't cultivate a demonic form, and that fox ears couldn't transform into humans. No one knew where he got the stroke of luck, but the demonic form he cultivated was even more powerful than that of a pure-blooded nine-tailed fox.
Shen Gurong on the pavilion was also stunned.
Apart from the time Mu Zhe hunted savage beasts after Shen Gurong emerged from seclusion, Mu Zhe had always been harmless and gentle in his presence. Now, suddenly drawing his sword with such murderous intent, Shen Gurong was startled, as if the little puppy who had always been affectionate and cuddly in his presence had suddenly transformed into a giant wolf capable of swallowing half his head whole.
The little fox cub that had been nestled in his arms, reaching for his silk tassel just yesterday, had truly grown to the size of a small mountain, its paw capable of slamming him to the ground.
Shen Gurong touched the silk tassel on his waistband, still finding this cultivation world, where anything could transform into human form, far too stimulating for his heart.
While Shen Gurong was rubbing his chest, countless blows had already been exchanged below.
Bang bang bang, clang clang clang—although the crowd in the stands wasn't affected by the spiritual energy due to the talismans on the arena, the noise from the two fighters' clash was so loud that it sent people staggering.
Finally, Wen Liubing stepped forward and erected a barrier, making things a little easier for everyone.
Qingyu's original form was far too enormous; Mu Zhe couldn't even reach it with his claws, yet he managed to withstand the nine-tailed fox's attacks with just his Jiu Xi Sword, and even seemed to have the upper hand.
Mu Zhe remained expressionless, his blue robes fluttering wildly in the wind.
His swordsmanship, taught by Xi Guxing, was ruthless and deadly, each strike carrying a chilling aura. A pale white sword light crisscrossed around him, making the entire dueling platform seem as if a blizzard was falling.
Qingyu's enormous beastly eyes stared at him, his curved bone blade controlled by his divine sense as it slashed towards Mu Zhe. Sharp, intertwined golden threads on his massive demonic form lashed out like a dragon towards Mu Zhe.
The two exchanged blows, each move ruthless, as if they wanted to kill each other instantly.
Shen Gurong watched, his fingers trembling slightly, his brows furrowed. Were these two children planning to kill each other? Why were they so ruthless?
Just then, a surge of demonic spiritual energy cleaved down towards Mu Zhe's head. Mu Zhe instinctively recalled the humiliation of being tricked by Qingyu and forced to wear two fox ears for three days. Unable to recall his Jiu Xi Sword in time, he simply raised his hand, wrapped it with spiritual energy, and forcefully dispersed the demonic energy.
Amidst the fierce howling wind, a fragile, soft cracking sounded, as if something had shattered.
A wisp of red ash slowly fell from Mu Zhe's sleeve, the red color causing his pupils to shrink.
It was the wooden bead given to him by Shen Gurong in his childhood.
The Jiu Xi Sword suddenly returned to Mu Zhe's palm. He gripped it tightly, cleaving away the surrounding demonic spiritual energy, and leaped towards Qingyu's face, slashing down fiercely, completely ignoring the curved bone blade thrusting towards his back.
Almost simultaneously, the Jiu Xi Sword struck Qingyu, and the snow-white curved bone blade instantly pierced his shoulder, blood splattering everywhere.
Wen Liubing immediately stood up.
Shen Gurong's expression turned cold. Not even wanting to wait to descend the pavilion, he gracefully leaped down from the window, his white robes fluttering, landing beside Wen Liubing in an instant.
Wen Liubing nodded: "Master."
Mu Zhe seemed determined, as if he no longer wanted to engage in a prolonged struggle. Completely ignoring his blood-soaked body, he continued his expressionless attack on Qingyu.
Qingyu, fearless as ever, saw blood, and his vertical pupils narrowed to pinpoints with excitement, displaying an aura of relentless, death-defying ferocity.
The others in the stands watched with a jolt of pain, whispering amongst themselves, clearly terrified by the ruthlessness of the two.
Shen Gurong frowned, looking at Mu Zhe's blood-soaked body. "Can you stop them?"
Wen Liubing, as the organizer of the Chanwei Assembly, was perfectly impartial: "No."
Shen Gurong's brows furrowed into a single point: "But the way these two are fighting, won't something bad happen?"
Wen Liubing said solemnly: "Cultivation is inherently defying the heavens, death..."
Shen Gurong, unable to bear it any longer, elbowed Wen Liubing in the stomach, interrupting him.
"Shut up."
Wen Liubing obediently stopped, taking a lotus seedpod from his sleeve: "Master, would you like some lotus seeds?"
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong looked at him in disbelief. Your junior brother is about to die on the path of cultivation, and you still have the leisure to eat lotus seeds?
Wen Liubing was remarkably nonchalant: "He won't die. If the situation gets too serious, I'll intervene."
Shen Gurong still glared at him.
With their reckless fighting style, victory or defeat was only a matter of time.
Mu Zhe, covered in blood, his expression indifferent like a demon crawling from hell, his Jiu Xi Sword already shrouded in black mist, condensing into a sharp arrow that shattered Qingyu's demonic spiritual energy.
Qingyu's vertical pupils contracted; before he could even gather his spiritual energy, he was swept to the edge of the arena by a burst of spiritual power from Mu Zhe.
A gasp rippled through the crowd.
Qingyu's demonic form was instantly reverted to human form. He squeaked and rolled twice, barely avoiding falling off the arena.
Qingyu glanced at the mere half-inch distance from the bottom and breathed a sigh of relief: "That was close, just a hair's breadth away..."
Suddenly, footsteps sounded beside him, and Qingyu's fox ears perked up instantly.
He trembled and tilted his head slightly, meeting Mu Zhe's gaze.
Mu Zhe stood beside him, looking down at him, his entire being radiating murderous intent.
Qingyu: "..."
Qingyu smiled ingratiatingly: "Chirp."
Mu Zhe remained unmoved and kicked him off the stage.
Qingyu: "..."
...He's gone.
Shen Gurong, who was eating lotus seeds not far away, immediately slapped his eldest disciple's leg: "We won!"
The people of Liren Peak were stunned for a moment, then erupted in cheers.
"Brother Mu!"
"Junior Brother is mighty!"
"Bringing glory to Liren Peak!"
"My spirit stone! It wasn't wasted!"
Wen Liubing dropped the lotus seeds in his hand from the slap. He nodded, stood up, and said, "The champion of the Chanwei Tournament, Mu..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xi Guxing suddenly emerged from the pavilion, shouting sharply, "Leave the arena immediately!"
Shen Gurong was startled. Before he could react, he felt dark clouds gathering on the horizon, followed by thunder and a torrential downpour.
This was a sudden change, and Wen Liubing's expression turned cold.
This was a tribulation lightning.
He looked in horror at Mu Zhe, who was already meditating with his eyes closed on the arena.
Mu Zhe was actually about to break through to the Nascent Soul stage!
Wen Liubing immediately dispersed the chattering crowd.
In just a moment, everyone on the arena had left, leaving only Mu Zhe on the arena.
Wen Liubing gripped Shen Gurong's wrist tightly, saying worriedly, "Master, you should stay away."
Shen Gurong asked nervously, "Nascent Soul... isn't a tribulation lightning very dangerous?"
Now Shen Gurong was completely panicked. In the original book, Mu Zhe had never broken through to the Nascent Soul stage; even when Shen Feng Xue died, he didn't know Mu Zhe's cultivation level.
This sudden Nascent Soul tribulation lightning was completely beyond Shen Gurong's control.
In Shen Feng Xue's memory, since reaching the Nascent Soul stage, although cultivation levels increased dramatically with each step, so did the tribulations. Countless cultivators, from Golden Core to Nascent Soul, perished during these tribulations.
A bolt of lightning struck, and Shen Gurong was startled, trembling slightly.
Wen Liubing immediately shielded him, saying, "He won't die. If he can withstand nine silver cloud lightning tribulations, he can ascend to heaven in one step."
Shen Gurong: "But what if he can't..."
Wen Liubing said, "Then he will perish."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Seeing Shen Gurong's face turn pale, Wen Liubing comforted him, "Over the years, Master has given Mu Zhe many spiritual artifacts. Ten years ago, the storage ring you asked me to give him also contained a superior protective spiritual artifact, capable of withstanding a Nascent Soul tribulation."
Shen Gurong was stunned. He had forgotten about this. Had he given Mu Zhe a storage ring?
However, it seemed that Shen Feng Xue had also given Mu Zhe many excellent spiritual artifacts when accepting him as a disciple. Thinking this through, Shen Gurong finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The silvery clouds of the tribulation lightning still gathered above Mu Zhe's head, looking as if a bolt of lightning could strike at any moment.
Shen Gurong held his breath, extremely nervous, and could only continue stuffing lotus seeds into his mouth, trying to distract himself.
Xi Guxing, not far away, said, "Eleventh, you're so close, do you want to get struck by lightning?"
Shen Gurong was so nervous that he couldn't hear the sounds around him. Xi Guxing knew he was protected by his master's protective barrier, so he ignored him and turned to find Su Xiyan.
In less than a moment, the first bolt of tribulation lightning finally fell like a long-awaited executioner's blade.
A deafening clap of thunder shook the heavens and earth, the silver lightning seeming to tear a rift in the dark sky, a howling wind raged, and darkness descended.
Shen Gurong watched nervously as the lightning bolt suddenly struck, but to everyone's surprise, just as it was about to hit Mu Zhe's head, it suddenly split in two, as if cleaved by a sharp blade, splitting into two bolts that struck straight to the side.
A deafening roar followed as the lightning struck.
One half of the lightning struck Mu Zhe, while the other half…
struck Shen Gurong's head, who was eating lotus seeds nearby.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Wen Liubing: “…”
Shen Gurong's protective barrier instantly appeared, blocking the lightning bolt. The lightning's momentum remained undiminished, its residual force shattering the lotus seeds on Shen Gurong's fingertips, the powder scattering all over his face.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Shen Gurong was stunned, unable to recover for a long time.
Why…why did it strike me?
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