Sword Trial Grand Gala: Fairies Clash in Rivalry
The Sword Trial Assembly arrived as scheduled, a grand event for Sword Guard Peak meant for sparring among its own disciples. It rarely drew outsiders on ordinary days, but today it buzzed with unprecedented excitement, thronged with crowds weaving through like threads in a tapestry.
On the Floating Cloud Platform, shrouded in swirling spiritual energy, cultivators from every peak packed in tight. The clamor soared to the heavens, as if a grand immortal banquet were unfolding.
The reason? Mu Xueyi had graced the event with her presence.
This fairy of the Sword Sect—hailed as the Cultivation World's supreme genius and unparalleled beauty—carried an unimaginable draw wherever she went. Word of her attending Sword Guard Peak's Sword Trial had naturally turned the place into a seething mass of bodies.
Today, Mu Xueyi had traded her usual plain white gauze dress for an icy blue brocade robe. Her raven hair cascaded like a waterfall, lightly pinned with a single white jade phoenix hairpin that held back just a single lock. Her graceful figure danced like a celestial exile; she merely stood there quietly, and heads turned en masse, the entire platform seeming to brighten in her glow.
As the crowd lost themselves in Mu Xueyi's ethereal beauty, a clear, resonant phoenix cry pierced the sky from the horizon, like immortal music slicing through the mists from the ninth heavens.
Yu Wan'ning, daughter of Heaven Sword Peak's master, arrived astride a verdant phoenix. Her crimson rainbow gown shimmered like rosy clouds on snow, radiant and flowing, accentuating her vibrant allure.
She alighted lightly, a mocking curve playing at her lips—three parts coquettish charm, seven parts haughty pride. Her glance swept the scene with dazzling poise, instantly stealing the gaze of countless cultivators.
Yu Wan'ning's beauty fell short of Mu Xueyi's transcendent purity, yet it was still a nation-toppling vision.
Her figure was lithe and enchanting: her twin peaks lacked Mu Xueyi's towering pride but curved with exquisite allure; her waist was slender as a willow, exuding a soul-stealing seductiveness; her hips swelled fuller than even Mu Xueyi's famed peach-like rear.
Yu Wan'ning and Mu Xueyi had long been at odds, their rivalry simmering beneath the surface. The two were near in age, yet Yu Wan'ning lagged behind in every way—beauty a touch inferior, figure a half-step shy, cultivation even slower to advance.
Under such circumstances, anyone with even a spark of competitive fire—save for Mu Xueyi's own coldly detached temperament—couldn't help but bristle with the urge to compete.
It was human nature, no different in the Cultivation World.
Sword Guard Peak's deputy master, Tongxuan Daozhang, saw the two fairies' arrival swell the venue to bursting and approached with a wry smile, cupping his hands. "What immortal winds have blown today, bringing both fairies to our humble Sword Guard Peak?"
Yu Wan'ning lightly fanned herself with her round fan. She'd only come because she'd heard Mu Xueyi was attending; the Sword Trial itself held no interest for her.
But she smiled radiantly on the surface. "I heard your peak's Sword Trial today promises quite the spectacle, so I came to observe."
Her lips curved upward as she glanced sidelong at Mu Xueyi beside her. "I just didn't expect little sister Xueyi to share such refined tastes. Could a mere Foundation Establishment contest truly catch the eye of our sect's foremost prodigy?"
Mu Xueyi didn't even glance her way, replying coolly, "The path of cultivation is long. Watching others spar occasionally yields its own insights."
"Is that so?"
Yu Wan'ning's lips pursed in a smile, but her eyes held no mirth.
She knew Mu Xueyi too well. This fairy, dubbed the Cultivation World's top beauty, never did anything without purpose. Her presence at Sword Guard Peak today surely hid deeper motives.
Tongxuan Daozhang surveyed the impenetrable sea of people on the Floating Cloud Platform, his face troubled. "Your presence honors our peak. But the venue..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping the jammed crowd, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.
The platform was vast, but it couldn't hold the disciples flocking from every peak for the two fairies.
Yu Wan'ning caught his meaning and fanned herself lightly, speaking bluntly. "No need to trouble yourself, Tongxuan Daozhang. Just have Yuheng Zhenren come out and expand the platform with his Nascent Soul power, easy as that."
"You little minx, always assigning tasks to this old man!"
A hearty voice boomed from afar, laced with authority.
The crowd turned to see Sword Guard Peak's master, Yuheng Zhenren, striding on clouds. His white robes billowed, his hair and beard snow-white, his Nascent Soul aura surging like tidal waves across the platform. Low-realm cultivators held their breath, eyes filled with awe.
Yu Wan'ning's almond eyes lit up as she covered her mouth in a tinkling laugh. "Oh, Yuheng Zhenren's here? This humble girl offers her respects!"
Yuheng Zhenren landed before the two women, stroking his beard with a wry smile. "Because of you two, my Sword Guard Peak's trial is about to burst at the seams. How could I stay away?"
His tone held mock reproach, but a glint of amusement shone in his eyes—he clearly welcomed their visit.
Yu Wan'ning fanned lightly, her smile widening as she pointed at Mu Xueyi. "If you're to blame anyone, Zhenren, don't look at this girl. When I arrived, the platform was already overflowing—all come for little sister Xueyi, the Cultivation World's number one beauty!"
Mu Xueyi stood quietly at the platform's edge, her snow-white gauze skirt fluttering in the wind. She showed no reaction, her peach-blossom eyes frosty as ever. "Yuheng Zhenren, my apologies. I only wished to observe the disciples' spars for some cultivation insights. I didn't expect to draw such a crowd to your peak."
Her voice flowed like an icy spring—clear and chilling, carrying an inviolable dignity. Yet a fleeting complexity flashed in her eyes. She'd come solely to uncover Su Rui's true aim in joining the Sword Trial; her talk of insights was mere pretext.
Yuheng Zhenren waved it off with a laugh. "Nonsense, girl—what apology? Your presence is the greatest honor for Sword Guard Peak! The venue too small? Watch this—I'll expand it myself!"
With that, he flicked his sleeve. Nascent Soul spiritual power roared forth like a raging river. Clouds churned around the platform's edges, the white jade floor rumbling outward.
In the space of one incense stick's time, the area had doubled, easing the crush of bodies.
"Wow, Nascent Soul cultivators are truly mighty! If it were me, it'd take half a day for the same result."
Yu Wan'ning praised, and with her peak mid-Core Formation cultivation, it truly would have taken her half a day to achieve such expansion.
Mu Xueyi's gaze swept the enlarged platform, but her mind drifted to that night—Su Rui casually laying a restrictive array amid banter, a hundred-zhang arena forming in an instant, its radiant barriers inscrutable even to Deity Transformation divine sense.
Such methods outshone Yuheng Zhenren's incense-stick effort by leagues!
If he formed his Nascent Soul, how terrifying would his divine abilities become?
Could she truly handle him without external aid?
These thoughts stirred complex emotions in Mu Xueyi, but she swiftly quashed her weakness. A cold glint flashed in her peach-blossom eyes, her expression returning to icy detachment.
With the platform's expansion complete, the Sword Trial officially began.
Foundation Establishment disciples took the stage in turn, swords clashing in brilliant arcs, spells flying in bursts. Cheers erupted from the crowd below.
But to Mu Xueyi, these fights were child's play. She watched intently, yet her peach-blossom eyes betrayed boredom, as if awaiting a particular contender.
She knew Su Rui was in the crowd but refused to scan with divine sense—lest that lecher sense her peeking.
Then the referee's resounding voice rang out: "Next match: Lin Hao versus Su Rui!"
At Su Rui's name, a flicker lit Mu Xueyi's peach-blossom eyes—like hidden ripples beneath frost, weaving endless hatred and tangled feelings.
"Oh? Little sister Xueyi, your eyes finally show some waves."
Yu Wan'ning, ever perceptive—and focused on Mu Xueyi—caught the shift in those alluring eyes. She giggled behind her hand. "Looks like this match has someone worth your attention?"
"None."
Mu Xueyi spat the word flatly, but her gaze locked unyieldingly on the arena—toward that tall, rigidly upright figure.
"Su Rui, who would've thought I'd draw you in the first round!"
Lin Hao gripped his Azure Edge Sword, its light blazing like a rainbow as he charged with arrogant fury. He sneered coldly, "Kneel and beg now, and for Qingwan's sake, I might go easy!"
Su Rui ignored his self-important childhood playmate.
These days, he disdained trampling ants like this.
He casually summoned a mid-grade spirit sword, its blade shimmering with spiritual light. He struck a casual ready stance, utterly relaxed, not taking Lin Hao seriously in the least.
Lin Hao's rage exploded at the display. His Azure Edge Sword slashed a razor-sharp beam, spiritual power howling like a storm, stabbing straight for Su Rui's heart.
Su Rui shifted smoothly, the Jade Phoenix Sword Art unfolding like cascading waters—elegant sword light concealing lethal intent, flowing like a clear spring yet edged with razor sharpness.
In three exchanges, he dismantled Lin Hao's momentum entirely. Then, with a thrust, spiritual power surged like a tidal wave, precisely tapping Lin Hao's chest.
Bang!
Lin Hao grunted, his sword flying from his grip. He soared like a severed kite, crashing heavily to the ground and passing out cold.
The Floating Cloud Platform erupted in uproar, gasps sweeping like waves.
"Did I see that right? Lin Hao, new disciple of deputy master Tongxuan Daozhang—taken out in one shot?"
"Both mid-Foundation Establishment, yet total domination? Who the hell is this Su Rui?"
"Wait! That's Jade Phoenix Sword Art, isn't it? I remember—months ago at Heaven Sword Peak's training ground, Su Rui got personal instruction from Senior Sister Mu!"
"No wonder! With the Sword Heart Transparent fairy's direct tutelage, his swordplay's this fierce—utterly transformed!"
The crowd buzzed. Liu Qingwan's pretty face paled, her red lips bitten tight as she stared at that familiar yet alien figure in the arena. Her heart churned with mixed flavors.
Su Rui... when did you get this strong?
Her nails dug into her palm, a flash of reluctance and complexity in her eyes. But she refused to admit she'd chosen wrong.
Meanwhile, Yu Wan'ning overheard the chatter and whipped toward Mu Xueyi in disbelief, laughing. "Little sister Xueyi, is it true? You personally taught swordplay to this Su Rui guy? Tsk tsk, if Chengxuan emerges from seclusion, he'll be toppling the vinegar jar!"
Though daughter of Heaven Sword Peak's master, Yu Wan'ning knew nothing of the dual cultivation ceremony's tragedy—it touched Mu Xueyi's chastity and the sect's face, known only to Heaven Sword Peak elders and the sect master.
Publicly, they claimed Li Chengxuan was in seclusion, attempting Nascent Soul—to cover his disappearance.
Secluding right after becoming Mu Xueyi's dual cultivation partner, during their honeymoon phase, was odd and sparked rumors.
Yet cultivators prized pure cultivation, often forgoing romance for the Dao—it wasn't incomprehensible.
Especially for Nascent Soul breakthrough, a weightier matter than fleeting passions.
"Merely instruction. Chengxuan won't be jealous."
Mu Xueyi replied indifferently, though inwardly she sneered. Su Rui fought only with Jade Phoenix Sword Art—he was still hiding his strength. His aim wasn't the top-ten Dustfall Pill; it was the top-three prize—a Heaven Sword Peak disciple slot!
He wants into Heaven Sword Peak?
Hah, just to get closer and toy with me more easily?
That lecher—only such vile thoughts fill his head.
Mu Xueyi ground her teeth, convinced she'd pierced the truth.
But for Su Rui, toying with her required no such relocation.
At that moment, Yuheng Zhenren stroked his beard with a smile. "Oh? This lad was fortunate enough for Xueyi's personal instruction? Tongxuan, your disciple lost fairly!"
Tongxuan Daozhang smiled wryly, shaking his head. "Naturally. Anyone catching Fairy Mu's eye—my boy could never measure up."
Yu Wan'ning's eyes sparkled as she giggled brighter. "Xueyi, no wonder you're here in person—you want to take this Su Rui as your disciple! Tsk, his Jade Phoenix Sword Art is solid. Not as sharp as your Sword Heart Transparent version, but it captures three parts of the essence. Fine seedling!"
Mu Xueyi's brows furrowed, her voice icing over. "I won't take that boy as a disciple."
Yu Wan'ning's almond eyes narrowed. Since Su Rui appeared, she'd noted ripples in Mu Xueyi's frosty demeanor—chilling glints and complex emotions warring in those peach-blossom eyes.
She was certain this youth shared some tie with Mu Xueyi. Grinning, she pressed, "Little sister Xueyi, if you won't take Su Rui, how about yielding him to me? His talent seems decent. As my personal disciple, he'd bolster Heaven Sword Peak with another powerhouse!"
By the end, provocation gleamed in her eyes.
Mu Xueyi's face chilled. "Wan'ning, I advise you to drop that idea."
Yu Wan'ning smiled sweetly. "Reason?"
"None. Do as you please."
Mu Xueyi said coldly, thinking: With your flighty nature, taking that lecher Su Rui? You'd be devoured clean sooner or later!
Yu Wan'ning missed the goodwill entirely, inwardly amused: If you don't want me taking him, then I'll do it just to spite you!
Long years of rivalry ensured she ignored Mu Xueyi's warning.