Chapter 159 - 110: Daoist Lan Xuan

Chapter 159: Chapter 110: Daoist Lan Xuan

At Cangfeng Temple.

Although the number of Cultivators at Cangfeng Temple ranked among the fewest of all the Daoist Temples, its grounds were expansive and boasted a vast number of buildings. This layout was specifically designed to accommodate all participating Cultivators during the Shifeng Conference.

The Shifeng Conference was held in a designated area reserved ahead of time on the eastern side of Cangfeng Temple. Five arenas of varying sizes, all carved from pale gray rock, stood prominently in the venue. Unlike the Lesser Yang Dao Examination, the Shifeng Conference solely served to select Cultivators qualified to use the Shifeng Spirit Charm, so there was no concept of "spectating." Those allowed into the venue were either Cultivators competing or the temple elders who had brought them.

In front of the five arenas lay several long tables. Seated behind them were the Master of Cangfeng Temple and four Stewards. The Temple Master was a hale and hearty old man with stark white hair and beard, while the four Stewards comprised men and women of various ages. As judges and referees for the Shifeng Conference, their duty was to evaluate the contestants’ strength and prevent any cheating. The oldest contestant was only around thirty. The younger Cultivators were brought by their temple elders, though these so-called elders were at most Stewards of their respective temples. In terms of both strength and discernment, a Temple Master and four Stewards were more than qualified to serve as judges.

"Everyone, today’s Shifeng Conference will begin at 1:00 PM and end at 7:00 PM. Tomorrow, it will run from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM." Seated behind the long table, the Master of Cangfeng Temple took the lead. "The five of us will serve as the Directors of Justice for this Shifeng Conference.

"During the matches, we will each supervise an arena to ensure fairness.

"Although Magical Combat during the Shifeng Conference isn’t strictly limited to Sword Techniques, they must remain the primary method. If we determine someone is merely making up the numbers with their Sword Techniques and relying on other Techniques to win, their victory will be annulled. Anyone dissatisfied with our rulings may file a complaint with the Dharma Vein.

"Furthermore, methods such as Talismans, Poison Powder, and Thunder Bombs are strictly prohibited during these matches. Violators will be immediately disqualified. Is that clear to everyone?"

Before the Master of Cangfeng Temple, nearly a hundred Cultivators from various Daoist Temples scattered about and nodded in agreement. As for why they were so cooperative... Besides the participating Cultivators, dozens of disciples in Cangfeng Temple attire were patrolling the area to maintain order.

Standing in the crowd, Qi Jiushan guided two juniors from Huang Bamboo Temple. He patted their shoulders with a smile. "No need to be too nervous. Just do your best."

The two juniors, a boy and a girl seemingly around fifteen or sixteen, nodded in response.

"We understand, Junior Martial Uncle Qi," the boy replied with a nod.

"Don’t worry, Junior Martial Uncle Qi. I’ll definitely take first place in our group!" the girl said, patting her chest confidently.

"Good, good, good! It’s good to have confidence! You are the most talented disciples in the Sword Dao within our temple. Make sure you seize this opportunity!" Qi Jiushan threw his head back and laughed loudly.

Then, his smile suddenly froze.

"Junior Martial Uncle?" The girl looked confused. "Do you lack confidence in us?"

Qi Jiushan didn’t answer. Instead, the boy next to her tilted his head up and patted her shoulder blade. "No, Junior Martial Sister, look up there..."

The girl looked up, and she too froze.

Above Cangfeng Temple, a blinding meteor came crashing down. It was clearly near noon in broad daylight, but the meteor’s light was blindingly intense as it plummeted with a deafening roar. In the blink of an eye, many Cultivators with higher Cultivation in the venue noticed this and hurriedly shouted to alert the others.

Behind the frontmost long table, the Master of Cangfeng Temple and the Stewards shot to their feet, their eyes fixed on the approaching meteor.

"Senior Brother, is that meteor heading straight for us?" the youngest Steward asked, his voice dry.

"Quick, notify the Patriarch!" the Master of Cangfeng Temple urged anxiously.

But the meteor, though seemingly slow, was incredibly fast. Before they could take action, it was already right above them. The initially blinding point of light suddenly transformed into a miniature sun, illuminating all of Cangfeng Temple. Just as quickly, the brilliant light retracted. The meteor in the sky seemed like an illusion, leaving only two figures in its wake.

Qi Jiushan stared upward in a daze. He thought to himself, "Why does the figure in the sky look somewhat... familiar?"

In a small courtyard at Cangfeng Temple, accompanied by a clear and resonant sword cry, an azure Sword Light flashed and halted in front of Li Yinsheng and Mu Xiaoyu. It materialized into a Cultivator wearing a pale blue Daoist Robe. The blue-robed Cultivator appeared to be in his early thirties, possessing a lean face but extremely bright eyes.

"You must be Li from Xuanzhen Temple, correct?" He looked at Li Yinsheng. "I am a Grand Daoist of Cangfeng Temple. My Daoist name is Lan Xuan."

A few days ago, when he returned from the Dharma Vein, his junior brothers Yunqiao and Shengu had told him about Li Yinsheng. Seeing a young Daoist arriving here with a little girl, he naturally made the connection immediately.

"I am Li Yinsheng of Xuanzhen Temple. Greetings, Lan Xuan." Li Yinsheng cupped his hands. "I was just testing a newly mastered Escape Skill, and it caused quite a commotion. It seems I’ve startled the juniors of your noble temple."

He glanced down at the Master of Cangfeng Temple, the Stewards, and the participating Cultivators, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Although he had grasped the Meteor Escape, he wasn’t proficient enough yet. Otherwise, a regular journey wouldn’t have caused such a massive disturbance. Judging by the reactions of the juniors below, they had probably been given quite a fright.

"It’s no matter." Lan Xuan didn’t care about these details at all. Spending most of his time at the Dharma Vein, he had seen far more ostentatious Escape Lights. Compared to that, he was much more interested in the young man’s Cultivation.

Since Li Yinsheng hadn’t concealed his aura upon arrival, Lan Xuan was absolutely certain that this young man was a Grand Daoist. Having mixed in the Dharma Vein all year round and engaged in life-and-death battles with Demon Cultivators, he had seen and fought many Grand Daoists. He was confident he wouldn’t misjudge this.

"Are you already a Grand Daoist, Li?" he asked directly after a brief moment of thought.

Li Yinsheng nodded. "You have a good eye, Lan Xuan."

He didn’t try to hide or deny it. To conceal one’s Cultivation from another Grand Daoist, one would need to master a high-quality Concealing Breath Technique, which he simply didn’t have. However, if he were facing an ordinary Daoist and chose not to speak of it, the other party would find it difficult to tell if he was a Daoist or a Grand Daoist.

The surprise on Lan Xuan’s face was fleeting as he turned to look at Mu Xiaoyu beside him. "Is this the junior you brought to participate in the Shifeng Conference, Li?"

Li Yinsheng smiled and nodded. "This is the Steward of my Xuanzhen Temple, Mu Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu, come greet Elder Lan."

Mu Xiaoyu bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Elder Lan!"

Lan Xuan nodded slightly. Sweeping his Divine Sense through his Qiankun Bag, he took out a perfectly round Red Pearl the size of a thumb and sent it flying into Mu Xiaoyu’s hand. "Your Cultivation isn’t bad. In this Shifeng Conference, I imagine you will take first place in your group. Consider this Demon Core a meeting gift."

"A Demon Core?" Li Yinsheng immediately grew interested. "Is this the Demon Core that is rarely formed within the bodies of demons?"

Lan Xuan nodded. "However, this Demon Core only comes from a Pheasant Demon that’s forty or fifty years old. It’s of no use to me, so it’s perfect to give to Mu."

"Thank you, Elder Lan!" Mu Xiaoyu held the Demon Core, her face filled with the novelty of receiving something fresh and exciting.

A Demon Core could be used for both Alchemy and Artifact Refining, but with her current Cultivation, she couldn’t use it to refine anything just yet. However, a forty or fifty-year-old Demon Core like this, if used as the primary material, could at least refine a decent Middle Grade Magical Artifact.

Li Yinsheng also looked at the Demon Core with curiosity. Although such a Demon Core wasn’t precious to a Daoist, he had become a Daoist too recently. He hadn’t seen many common items among Daoists with his own eyes. This was his first time seeing a Demon Core, for instance. Though he had killed some Demon Beasts before, those that nurtured Demon Cores were quite rare, and he had never encountered one.

He thought to himself, "I’ll keep this safe for my Junior Martial Sister when we get back."

He looked at Lan Xuan, his impression of Cangfeng Temple greatly improving. It seemed that not everyone in Cangfeng Temple was a battle maniac looking to spar the moment they saw a Fellow Daoist. There were still normal people like Lan Xuan around. He spoke nicely and was generous; he practically upheld the normalcy quota for the entire Cangfeng Temple all by himself.

Just as Li Yinsheng was finding Lan Xuan quite agreeable, the latter suddenly spoke up.

"Li, I heard from my junior brother that you are also a Sword Cultivator. I wonder if you have the time to spar with me?"

Li Yinsheng was left speechless.

...

After some discussion, he and Lan Xuan agreed to exchange pointers on the Dao instead of sparring. After all, if two Grand Daoists sparred and used even a fraction of their true skills, the commotion would be too massive. Even a spar between regular Daoists would cause a significant disturbance.

The barren hill where Li Yinsheng had suppressed his Cultivation to engage in Magical Combat with Shengu was almost flattened after their battle—and that was with him intentionally limiting the scope of the fight.

Though Lan Xuan looked regretful, he understood. He told Li Yinsheng that the Dharma Vein actually had dedicated venues for Grand Daoists to spar and exchange ideas. If he was interested in the future, he could find him at the Dharma Vein.

Li Yinsheng was somewhat intrigued, but going to the Dharma Vein would have to wait until the Lesser Yang Dao Examination anyway. Right now, he cared more about the upcoming Shifeng Conference.

Having settled the matter of exchanging pointers on the Dao, Li Yinsheng led Mu Xiaoyu and landed side-by-side with Lan Xuan in front of the Master of Cangfeng Temple and the Stewards.

"Greetings, Patriarch! Greetings, Senior!" The five of them bowed in unison.

Although the conversation between Lan Xuan and Li Yinsheng in the sky had been brief, it was enough for them to realize that the meteor they had just seen was actually the Escape Light of a True Cultivator.

Lan Xuan nodded slightly and instructed, "I am going to discuss the sword with Li. You all continue to manage the Shifeng Conference."

The Master of Cangfeng Temple, who had been tense all this time, along with the other Stewards, finally breathed a sigh of relief. In front of their Patriarch, they didn’t dare to relax for even a moment.

"After you, Li," Lan Xuan said.

Li Yinsheng was about to nod, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Mu Xiaoyu looking conflicted.

"What’s wrong, Junior Martial Sister?" Li Yinsheng turned and asked.

Mu Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "I’m fine, Senior Martial Brother."

"If you have something to say, just say it. Stammering and keeping things bottled up inside—that’s not like you," Li Yinsheng said, rubbing her head with a smile.

"It’s really nothing," Mu Xiaoyu said sheepishly. "It’s just... if you go to exchange pointers on the Dao with Elder Lan, does that mean you won’t be able to watch me participate in the Shifeng Conference? This is my first time participating..."

Li Yinsheng was taken aback, but then he realized what she meant and chuckled. "So you want me to watch from the sidelines?"

Mu Xiaoyu nodded, but then added, "But if you have business to attend to, Senior Martial Brother, I can participate on my own. I’ll definitely win!"

Li Yinsheng looked at Lan Xuan. "Lan Xuan, as you can see, this is my Junior Martial Sister’s first time participating in a competition against other Cultivators. How about I come exchange pointers with you after today’s Shifeng Conference concludes?"

Truth be told, he could easily discuss the Dao with Lan Xuan while simultaneously keeping an eye on his Junior Martial Sister with his Divine Sense, ensuring he wouldn’t miss a single detail. However, that would mean only he could see her; she wouldn’t be able to see him.

Lan Xuan thought for a moment and looked at the Master of Cangfeng Temple. "Order someone to fetch two more desks and place them in the center. I will watch alongside Li."

The Master of Cangfeng Temple’s breath hitched, but he could only bow respectfully. "Your grandnephew obeys!"