VAP - Chapter 80
Chapter 80: Flawless Cold Bone, The Peerless Sword Venerable (4)
Regardless of the complex and myriad thoughts churning within the demon cultivators, the Grand Competition of Immortal and Demon Disciples had to proceed.
As for whether the Wushuang Sword Venerable would actually come, the day of the competition would reveal all.
Three days later.
Yue Du, dressed in fiery red robes, stood with a placid expression at the head of the demon cultivators, her arms crossed. She was ranked alongside the other three Demon Venerables.
The immortal cultivators stood opposite them. Setting aside the young disciples for a moment, the three figures standing at the forefront possessed extraordinary bearings. The auras surrounding them were all that of Tribulation Transcendence Stage, immensely powerful.
There was a petite young woman, an old man with the air of a celestial immortal, and a gentle, refined man in the prime of his life—but the rumored Wushuang Sword Venerable was not among them.
However, not only did this fail to put the demon cultivators at ease, it made them even more tense.
Logically, both sides should have had four Venerables present… Could the great power of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage who had yet to arrive be Yun Yijiu?
At the chen hour, the Grand Competition officially began.
A massive, circular arena abruptly rose from the center of the wide field. The edge of the arena was cordoned off by a waist-high railing, and spectator seating rose in tiers, encircling it completely.
Of course, beings of the Tribulation Venerable level would not sit in the same area as the other spectators.
At that moment, eight one-hundred-zhang-tall white jade pillars stood between the arena and the spectator seats. These were the honored positions provided for the Venerables. This arrangement made it convenient to rescue their respective juniors at a moment's notice, and it also kept them far from the crowd below, so that if the Venerables were to test each other, it would not easily affect others.
Yue Du appeared perfectly composed as she walked through the air, landing atop one of the pillars in an instant.
The top was not a smooth, flat surface, but a miniature pavilion, fully furnished within. Stepping inside, one felt the space expand significantly. It was a space of flowing crimson and painted rafters, exquisitely ornate and not the least bit cramped.
Yue Du quite liked this kind of exquisite, luxurious style, but if the Duyue Demon Venerable were here…
She flicked her sleeve and scoffed coldly, "Flashy but impractical!"
After saying this, she sat down quietly on the only cattail cushion in the pavilion.
Gu Ling's pillar was next to hers. Seeing this, he laughed so hard he slapped his thigh. "Aiyo, every time I see you disdain these creature comforts, this venerable seriously doubts whether you, Duyue, are an immortal or a demon cultivator!"
Yue Du retorted, "Must demon cultivators indulge in pleasure? The so-called demonic path is to follow one's heart and face one's true desires. This venerable's heart is set on diligent cultivation. What's wrong with that?"
Gu Ling cupped his hands in a salute. "Nothing wrong, nothing at all."
By now, all seven Venerables had flown to the tops of their pillars and taken their seats. Only the stone pillar next to Yue Du remained empty.
Yue Du glanced sideways at it, paused, then impassively retracted her gaze.
At this time, the contestants and spectators had all taken their seats, and a male and a female cultivator were already standing in the center of the arena.
The man was a demon cultivator, the woman an immortal cultivator. Both were responsible for hosting the Grand Competition.
They went through the motions of an opening speech. The man recounted the history of the competition, while the woman explained its rules.
Although everyone in the audience knew all this like the back of their hand, they all listened attentively. Not a single person whispered or let their mind wander.
The first event was the Hundred-Person Grand Melee.
The contestants present were to be divided into several groups, without regard for immortal or demon affiliation, with about a hundred people in each group. One hundred cultivators would ascend the arena at the same time for a chaotic battle.
Life and death were not guaranteed in this segment, as it was a test of the young cultivators' ability to seize opportunities. If one lacked self-awareness and lingered in battle despite insufficient strength, they could only blame their own bad luck if they were killed.
The melee would continue until only five people remained on the stage, at which point it would be stopped. These five would naturally advance to the next round.
The first group of cultivators leaped onto the arena.
Yue Du watched with her head lowered, when she suddenly sensed a strange gaze from the small pavilion opposite her.
She looked up and saw that it was the gentle-looking, middle-aged man among the immortal Venerables. He was staring at her without any attempt to conceal it, his expression unreadable.
Seeing Yue Du look over, the man's expression grew even more complex, a mixture of nostalgia and hatred. He then closed his eyes and sat upright, looking at her no more.
Yue Du: "..."
What was that about?
Could it be that Yue Zhuo had some past history with an immortal figure?
There weren't many Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivators in the original work. Yue Du searched her files and quickly found information on this Venerable.
He was an elder of the Yun clan from the Lingtian Sword Sect, Yun Tianwen, the Wuqiu Dao Venerable.
Lingtian Sword Sect, Yun clan.
These two keywords were truly hard to ignore.
Yue Du investigated further. Oh ho.
Yun Tianwen was the current patriarch of this generation's Yun clan.
The book mentioned that the Yun clan of the Lingtian Sword Sect, which had existed for several thousand years, was indeed related by blood to Yun Yijiu and had always considered themselves descendants of the Wushuang Sword Venerable.
But they were not Yun Yijiu's direct bloodline; rather, they were descendants of her younger brother. They simply all referred to the Sword Venerable as their ancestor.
Having figured out the connection, Yue Du's eyes held a hint of loving affection as she looked at the Wuqiu Dao Venerable—not.
It was far too difficult to show loving affection to a middle-aged man!
Yue Du withdrew her gaze.
The hundred people below had already begun their chaotic battle. Gu Ling was sending voice transmissions among the four Demon Venerables, commenting on the promising demon seedlings he had his eye on. The Budong Demon Venerable also joined the discussion.
Judging by the way the lips of the people opposite them were moving without a sound, they were clearly also using voice transmission.
Facing each other, yet they had to create two separate chat groups.
Since this round had no use for Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivators, Yue Du closed her eyes to cultivate, not intending to watch with her full attention.
It was at times like these that the advantages of being a system became apparent—
Their ability to analyze and comprehend was hundreds of times stronger than others. They were calm, rational, and could divide their attention.
Wasn't this perfectly suited for cultivating the Dao?
Yue Du simultaneously observed the fighting styles of the young disciples, analyzing many of the common techniques used in the Qianhong Divine Province, while also occasionally chiming in with a few words in the four-person chat group.
At the same time, she controlled the spiritual energy circulating through the meridians in her body, immersing herself in meditation and enlightenment, practicing her cultivation method.
About six hours later, it was the thirteenth group's turn.
One moment, Gu Ling and the Budong Demon Venerable were still discussing a young girl in this group who was exceptionally skilled with talismans. The next, they fell completely silent.
As if sensing something, Yue Du broke off her cultivation and looked up.
In the distant sky, a giant Peng bird was soaring towards them. Its wings, when spread, blotted out the sky and sun.
As it drew closer, the crowd could see a pavilion on the great bird's back. Brocade curtains hung on all four sides, obscuring the figure within.
Some of the disciples fighting in the arena were also stunned and briefly stopped their attacks, but a scream immediately rang out as someone took advantage of the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.
They once again threw themselves into the chaotic battle.
The Peng bird stopped beside the stone pillar next to Yue Du and bent its neck.
The few Tribulation Transcendence Stage immortal cultivators all walked out of their small pavilions, stepped into the void, and bowed towards the pavilion on the Peng's back. "Juniors Yun Tianwen / Lingxi / Gu Rusong pay our respects to the Supreme Venerable Wushuang!"
There was only one person they would willingly address as "Supreme Venerable" among other Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
After a long moment, a cold "Mm" came from within the pavilion.
Yue Du's heart immediately leaped into her throat.
That voice bore a striking resemblance to both Qi Jiu's and Nai Yin's. It was just colder, bringing to mind a solitary branch under the moon, a lonely peak dusted with snow.
If Yue Du had previously entertained the slightest possibility that this time's host might not be "her"…
Now, she had not a shred of doubt left.
The number one person below ascension, the well-known trump card of the Lingtian Sword Sect, the Wushuang Sword Venerable Yun Yijiu, had finally stepped back into the public eye after a thousand years.
Yue Du's fingers tightened.
Yun Yijiu's appearance was exactly what Qi Jiu would look like after shedding her girlish indolence and maturing into a woman.
Her black hair was no longer casually draped over her shoulders but was styled in a simple bun, secured with a pin that seemed to be neither jade nor stone.
Her beautiful face, with its magnificent and elegant features, was moving in every aspect, yet her unique, cold temperament prevented anyone from daring to harbor improper thoughts.
She was a lotus on the water, the moon in the sky, the profound ice of the frigid, far north—to be admired only from a distance.
She took a step forward and suddenly frowned.
Her jade-like right hand rose, swiped flatly at the stone pillar before her, and then flicked upwards—
Yue Du's pupils contracted.
The small pavilion on the stone pillar slowly rose and then vanished from its original spot.
Yue Du saw it clearly. The base of the small pavilion was a smooth, cut surface, without a single extra bit of stone.
It had been sliced off entirely by the sword qi from Yun Yijiu's fingertips.
Yun Yijiu waved her left arm lightly, and the pavilion behind her floated off the Peng's back, landing steadily where the small pavilion had been.
Now, she seemed satisfied and began to walk towards the pavilion.
Gu Ling transmitted in a daze, "What is she doing?"
Before his voice had faded, Yun Yijiu's steps paused, and her dark, fathomless eyes swept coldly towards him.
Gu Ling Demon Venerable sucked in a sharp breath and dared not speak again. Who would have thought this person could even decipher the voice transmissions of demon cultivators of the same level!
Yue Du also held her breath. She looked at the Sword Venerable's cold yet stunningly beautiful face and suddenly felt a sense of peace.
It was really her.
Lazy, sensual, or cold.
In essence, it was all her, never changed.
Just like how she had sliced off the original pavilion on the stone pillar and replaced it with the one she was accustomed to and found comfortable.
Yet she didn't forget to put the small pavilion into a storage artifact, perhaps intending to return it when she left.
On the surface, Yue Du maintained the cold, appraising look of the Duyue Demon Venerable, but her heart was filled with tenderness.
Wait.
Taking the pavilion to return it later… that didn't seem like something she would think of.
This person was clearly the type to not care if the world flooded after she was gone, a paragon of following her whims. It was a miracle she hadn't become a demon cultivator!
Just then, Yun Yijiu's gaze shifted, landing on Yue Du.
No expression, no movement. Her bottomless black eyes were profound; no one could tell what she was thinking.
Yue Du met her gaze quietly, then suddenly raised her lips in a warm smile, which she suppressed before anyone else could notice, making it look like a provocative sneer.
The other Tribulation Transcendence bigwigs: "..."
Provoking anyone else would be one thing, but provoking the Wushuang Venerable? Girl, you're only seven hundred years old, you're still young, why are you looking for trouble?!
Yun Yijiu tilted her head slightly.
"Who are you."
Yue Du raised an eyebrow. "A rogue cultivator. Just call me Duyue."
Yun Yijiu: "Mm."
She seemed to be considering something, then said slowly after a moment, "Come with me."
Enduring the "It's over, she's going to be silenced" looks from the others, Yue Du said calmly, "Alright."
Yun Yijiu turned first. Her figure vanished from its spot and reappeared in an instant by her pavilion, her feet touching the white jade-colored edge outside the brocade curtain.
Her ink-black dress was reserved, her snow-white outer robe fluttered, and ivory-colored, cloud-patterned boots were faintly visible beneath her skirt. Her entire being was as light as a flying immortal.
She said, "Come."
Yue Du, naturally, was happy to oblige.
Arriving at the side of the pavilion and lifting the brocade curtain, she saw a couch inside.
It was called a couch, but it was more like a large bed, big enough for five or six people to lie on side-by-side. It was covered with the snow-white fur of a demonic beast, the tip of each hair shimmering with a crystal-clear luster that flowed with light.
There were also several soft, rectangular bolster-like pillows scattered about. One couldn't tell what they were filled with, but they looked incredibly comfortable and indulgent.
...Shouldn't there only be hard pillows like jade or wood pillows at this time?
Yue Du paused for a moment. Before she could say anything, Yun Yijiu entered on her own. "What are you dawdling for."
Yue Du chuckled. "Coming."
Both of them entered the pavilion, and the brocade curtain fell, blocking all gazes, whether overt or furtive.
For cultivators, especially those at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, this kind of brocade couldn't block their divine sense, but who would be audacious enough to use their divine sense to spy on the Wushuang Sword Venerable?
Thus, they would naturally never know that just behind that thick brocade curtain, Yun Yijiu had expressionlessly flopped backward, then leaned lazily against a bolster pillow.
The corner of Yue Du's eye twitched.
Although she had long known her personality, seeing such a cold, fairy-like person be so indolent still gave her a strange sense of dissonance.
"Rest as you please," Yun Yijiu said. With a flick of her finger, a soft pillow landed in Yue Du's arms.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I am accustomed to sitting upright," Yue Du said righteously.
Yun Yijiu stared at her fixedly, her eyes suddenly darkening. With a stir of her spiritual energy, the Sword Venerable took the pillow back and placed it in her own lap.
—She stopped talking.
Yue Du: "...Ah."
She really hadn't expected that move.
But it wasn't a big deal. Yue Du didn't mind at all.
She was about to take off her shoes but suddenly remembered that a cultivator's spiritual boots were impervious to dust and dirt, so there was no need to remove them.
Just as Yue Du's movement paused, Yun Yijiu looked over. She kicked off her cloud-patterned boots with a placid expression. "Make yourself at home."
So Yue Du made herself at home, sitting cross-legged on the fur in just her silk socks, about three people's distance away from Yun Yijiu.
A brocade curtain also hung in front of them, but Yun Yijiu raised her hand and tapped the air. The curtain gradually became transparent, allowing them to see the young cultivators fighting below.
"They can't see inside the pavilion from the outside," Yun Yijiu said.
Yue Du: "Mm."
On the surface, she was watching intently, but her mind was not on it at all, nor was it on cultivation.
Cultivating and gaining experience were of course very important, but she had come here to see Yun Yijiu. Now that the person was right beside her, how could she not know her priorities?
Yun Yijiu could be described as extremely taciturn.
Although Yue Du had to maintain the demeanor of the Duyue Demon Venerable, outsiders couldn't see or hear them now, so she could reveal a little of her own personality.
Thus, she casually initiated conversation with Yun Yijiu, commenting on the performance of the cultivators in the arena.
Yue Du's commentary, combining information from her files and the system's analytical abilities, was quite pertinent. However, compared to Yun Yijiu, who had nine thousand years of experience, it still seemed a bit green and lacking.
Yun Yijiu would correct Yue Du when she mentioned some less-than-perfect points, but most of the time, she only had two types of responses:
"This junior is acceptable."
"That junior is lacking."
This kind of person was a real conversation killer.
Yue Du didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
However, Yun Yijiu's comments made no particular distinction between the immortal and demon paths. From her tone, they were all juniors.
At the Duyue Demon Venerable's age, she was probably a junior in her eyes as well.
Speaking of which…
First mission, Qi Jiu was seventeen.
Second mission, Nai Yin was six hundred.
Third mission, Yun Yijiu was nine thousand.
Well, it was actually quite interesting.
Yun Yijiu pushed a fruit platter over. Yue Du took a look; they were all precious spirit fruits that could provide even a Tribulation Transcendence expert with a slight benefit.
She didn't stand on ceremony. "Thank you."
She then added, "As a return gift, these spirit flower cakes may not be as potent as your spirit fruits, but they excel in their delicious and sweet flavor. Please, try them."
Yun Yijiu took the box of flower cakes over to her side.
Munching on snacks and watching the cultivators fight below, Yue Du unexpectedly felt like she was eating popcorn and watching a movie with her girlfriend.
At first, she could still maintain a reserved posture, but later… she unconsciously ended up half-lying down, propped up by a pillow, leaning against the head of the couch covered in thick fur.
The distance between them had also shrunk to just over a foot.
Yun Yijiu happened to turn her head and immediately said, "Only accustomed to sitting upright?"
After some time, Yue Du was finally able to be a salted fish again. She said languidly, "People's habits are always changing. It's not strange."
Yun Yijiu: "."
As time went on, the mood of the Venerables outside the pavilion grew increasingly peculiar.
It was unknown what the immortal cultivators were thinking, but Gu Ling Demon Venerable was about to burst from holding it in. He had discovered that the Wushuang Sword Venerable could hear their voice transmissions, so he didn't even dare to create a small chat group. He could only occasionally reveal a worried or even tragic expression.
It's really over. She hasn't come out after so long. Duyue can't be dead, can she! he mouthed.
The Budong Demon Venerable was also somewhat worried, but he said: What nonsense are you spouting? Think of something good.
Although none of them had ever seen the Wushuang Sword Venerable in person before, they had grown up hearing legends about her.
The specific sources of these legends were: the gnashing teeth of their fathers and grandfathers, the private chats of young demon cultivators, the multiple chapters of storytellers, and the booklets sold on the streets.
Yun Yijiu was an immortal cultivator.
Therefore, on the demon cultivators' side, her image was more one of terror, sometimes even used to stop children from crying at night.
After growing up, their perception of Yun Yijiu was not so one-sided, but the deep-seated sense of fear could not be erased.
And besides…
This Sword Venerable looked really terrifying!
The Budong Demon Venerable, a burly man nine feet tall, shivered silently in his pavilion.
After the shiver, he looked up again, once more a sturdy hero, immovable as a mountain.
For cultivators, going ten days or half a month without sleep while remaining energetic was normal, so the Grand Competition naturally did not need to stop for day or night.
During the day, everything proceeded as usual.
At night, a Tribulation Venerable would toss out a magical art, and with a casual flourish, illuminate this corner of the world as bright as day.
In truth, even without this, the competition could have continued as normal. After all, a cultivator's five senses were different from an ordinary person's, and the venue was lit by lamps and fires—but displaying this technique was more convenient, and it could also earn the admiration of the juniors. Why not do it?
However, while they didn't rest, the Wushuang Sword Venerable still needed to.
It was unknown whether it was because she had reached the pinnacle of cultivation with nothing left to refine, or because of her inherent laziness, or perhaps a combination of both.
In any case, ever since Yue Du had met Yun Yijiu, she had not seen her sit cross-legged to cultivate.
After sunset, Yun Yijiu treated Yue Du not as an outsider at all. With another "make yourself at home," she removed her outer robe and dress, leaving only her inner clothes, and went to sleep peacefully under a silk quilt with her eyes closed.
Yue Du confirmed that her breathing was steady and long before turning her head to look at her with a calm gaze.
If she reached out her hand, she would touch a sharp, cold wall of spiritual energy.
Like a sealed cage, it prevented outsiders from peeking in… and also prevented the person inside from getting out.
After a long while, Yue Du shook her head with a silent, sighing laugh, sat down cross-legged, and began to circulate her cultivation method.
When Yun Yijiu was awake, it was certainly nice to chat and eat with her instead of cultivating, but if she continued to be a salted fish after she fell asleep, then reaching the Tribulation Transcendence Stage would truly be a distant dream.
The first segment of the Grand Competition lasted for three days and three nights.
The original ten thousand contestants were whittled down to just four hundred and ninety-six.
If there were no accidents, there should have been five hundred, but unfortunately, one group was left with only one person.
This sole victor of his group had not made much of a move at the beginning, but when only about forty people remained in the arena, he struck with a sudden blow, killing every cultivator except himself.
The hosts didn't have time to stop him, and the Venerables would not intervene during the melee segment, which allowed him to succeed.
When the final list of four hundred and ninety-six people came out, the people of the immortal path shook their heads and whispered to each other:
"He has an excess of strength but a deficit of benevolence. This child is unfit for great responsibility."
The demon cultivators, however, said:
"Now that's a formidable character. How did he end up on the immortal side? He should have come to cultivate the demonic path and follow his whims."
No matter what others said, that person remained unmoved.
Yue Du glanced thoughtfully at the "formidable character," then turned her gaze to another side of the spectator seats.
There, a young woman with a clear and beautiful appearance was laughing and talking with several male and female cultivators beside her. They wore the same attire; they were all from the Lingtian Sword Sect.
This was the female lead, and her bloodthirsty male lead.
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