At the Wu hour of the seventh day, she could barely unleash thirty percent of the first style's sword intent.
As the sword edge swept upward, a purple arc as thin as a strand of hair sprang from the blade, condensing in the air for half a second before dissipating.
Shen Qingci stared at the spot where the purple arc had vanished, not particularly satisfied.
She planned to go out for some fresh air and empty her sea of consciousness.
After reaching Foundation Establishment, there was no need to eat, but sitting in a private room of the Dining Hall was still nice. She could flip through a few pages of a sword manual and listen to her junior brothers and sisters chatter about what new things had happened on which peak.
Just as Shen Qingci stepped out of the quiet room, she ran into an unfamiliar round-faced miscellaneous disciple who was coming out of her master's side hall carrying a pile of jade slips.
Shen Qingci called out to her and casually asked if Enshrined Guardian Shen's residence had been decided yet.
The miscellaneous disciple placed the jade slips on the stone balustrade, her eyes shining. “Senior Sister Shen, this matter has blown out of proportion! It's even more lively than the last Disciple Tournament.”
“A few days ago, Wanjian Peak decided its top three, and they were all Golden Core sword cultivators. The eldest disciple under Martial Aunt Liu came to watch the battles personally. When she went back and told her junior sisters on Biluo Peak, Biluo Peak instantly erupted!”
“They said that while it's true Enshrined Guardian Shen is a sword cultivator, staying over is not the same as taking a master. Why should only the people of Wanjian Peak be allowed to participate? Are illusion cultivators and alchemy cultivators not disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect?”
“After Biluo Peak made a fuss, the talisman cultivators of Tianshu Peak couldn't sit still either. They said that although their peak had fewer female cultivators, the cave dwellings where talisman cultivators resided were rich in spiritual energy. If Enshrined Guardian Shen came to stay, she would surely be enveloped in talisman charm.”
“Later, the artifact-refining cultivators of Liedi Peak sent word, saying they could build a Mystic-grade Mid-rank cave dwelling right away, guaranteeing that Enshrined Guardian Shen would live even more comfortably than on Wanjian Peak.”
“The female cultivators of the five peaks got together, discussed it, and jointly submitted a petition to the Deacon Hall, demanding that it be expanded into a Five Peaks Joint Competition.”
“Unable to withstand the repeated pleas of the crowd, the Deacon Hall approved it the afternoon before last.”
Hearing this, Shen Qingci's brow twitched slightly.
A Five Peaks Joint Competition!!!
In the past century, it had only been held three times in total, each time to compete for resources and rankings.
This time, it was merely to compete for Hanzhou's lodging. If word of this got out, probably no one would believe it.
The miscellaneous disciple continued, “On the day of the drawing, anyone who drew Wanjian Peak looked as if they were mourning their parents, while those who drew alchemy or formation cultivators were beaming with joy.”
“A senior sister from Tianshu Peak prepared seven trapping arrays, saying she would teach the sword cultivators of Wanjian Peak a lesson. In the end, her opponent broke all the arrays with a single sword strike, hacking her way out of them.”
“There was also a senior sister from Danxia Peak who specialized in poison pills. Before the match, she boasted that her Soul-Confusing Powder could make a Golden Core cultivator sleep for three days and three nights. But as soon as she threw it on the stage, her opponent unleashed a gale with a sword strike, blowing all the poison powder back into her face. That senior sister had to be carried off in the end.”
“Did Enshrined Guardian Shen go to watch?”
“Yes, she did. Enshrined Guardian Shen came to watch half of it yesterday, but she left after less than a pillar of incense's time.”
“Before she left, she said one thing: ‘The sword is not fast enough.’” The miscellaneous disciple imitated Shen Hanzhou's cold tone, putting in an extraordinary amount of effort. “She left right after saying that, without even turning her head.”
“The spectators were also packed like sardines. The stands at the Lingyun Terrace couldn't hold everyone, so some people brought ladders to lean against the walls, while others rode their flying swords to hover in midair.”
“Deacon Jiang was supposed to go to the market city after classes, but hearing that they were still fighting here, she made a detour and stayed to watch until the Hai hour.”
The miscellaneous disciple finished in one breath, looking eagerly at Shen Qingci.
Shen Qingci fished out ten mid-grade spirit stones from her storage ring and placed them on the stone balustrade.
“Junior Sister, you told that very well.”
The miscellaneous disciple took the spirit stones, her face immediately breaking into a massive grin. She quickly suppressed it and bowed politely. “Thank you for the reward, Senior Sister Shen.”
As she retreated, her steps were so light she practically floated. She almost tripped at the corner of the corridor, covered her mouth with a chuckle, and scurried away in a flash.
The opportunity to show her face on the Sword-Falling Terrace was something she had won only after competing against a crowd of miscellaneous disciples.
Everyone said Senior Sister Shen was generous with her rewards, and she indeed lived up to her reputation.
The smile faded from Shen Qingci's face. She clearly no longer had any desire to go to the Dining Hall.
Asking the miscellaneous disciple about Shen Hanzhou's residence just now had only been a casual inquiry. But after hearing about the Five Peaks Joint Competition, that trace of curiosity in her heart took on a different flavor.
Internal sparring on Wanjian Peak could still be called a friendly exchange between disciples of the same peak.
But what was a Five Peaks Joint Competition supposed to be???
The talisman cultivators of Tianshu Peak, the illusion cultivators of Biluo Peak, the alchemy cultivators of Danxia Peak, and even that group of artifact-refining cultivators from Liedi Peak who swung hammers all day long had run over to snatch her away.
They claimed they were “asking Enshrined Guardian Shen to guide them in the Dao of the sword,” but who couldn't see what they were actually plotting in their hearts?
Although it would ultimately depend on Hanzhou's own wishes, having so many people coveting Hanzhou made Shen Qingci feel somewhat uncomfortable.
She suddenly understood her master's state of mind a bit.
A fine piece of talent she had carefully nurtured, yet a swarm of female cultivators outside was constantly hovering around her fence, unable to be driven away. Just thinking about it made her feel stifled.
“Shadow One, go to the market city and purchase a few more residences for Hanzhou.”
“Eldest Young Lady, Ancestor Tinglan already ordered people to buy some in advance,” Shadow One transmitted.
Shen Qingci said, “Aunt knows too?”
“Not only does the Ancestor know about the Five Peaks Joint Competition, but she is also keeping an eye on external movements.”
“Ever since the Eldest Young Lady withstood the twelve tribulation lightning bolts, the Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion has performed divinations for you four times. The first three times all resulted in ‘unspeakable.’ On the fourth attempt, he forced the divination, suffered a severe backlash from the Heavenly Dao, and lost a thousand years of his cultivation.”
“Now, rumors are spreading outside about you, Eldest Young Lady...”
Hearing the last half of the sentence, Shen Qingci's heart shook slightly. “What are they saying about me?”
“They say you are the reincarnation of an ancient powerhouse, possessing opportunities that defy heaven itself. The Heavenly Dao cannot tolerate you, and even heavenly secrets dare not be pried into...”
“There are even more ridiculous rumors saying you are the reincarnated remnant soul of some fallen Immortal Emperor, and the twelve tribulation lightning bolts were not a Foundation Establishment tribulation at all, but rather the Heavenly Dao testing your background.”
“The public is also whispering that you possess a Heaven-grade High-rank artifact, and the tribulation phenomenon was triggered by the awakening of the treasure. Other rumors assert that this tribulation failed to eliminate the hidden threat, and the Heavenly Dao will continue to send down tribulations in the future.”
“In addition, many forces have secretly put out bounties, offering one thousand high-grade spirit stones for any traces of the techniques you exposed from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment.”
Shen Qingci fell silent.
Each rumor was more absurd than the last, yet they were all intricately linked.
What kind of figure was the Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion?
He had deduced heavenly secrets for thousands of years, and would not easily show respect even to Body Integration powerhouses. Now, for her, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, he had performed four consecutive divinations and sacrificed a thousand years of his own cultivation.
Once this matter came to light, the speculations outside were like water splashed into boiling oil, impossible to quiet down.
No wonder her master wanted her to keep a low profile and lay low.
“What about the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's side?”
“The Heavenly Secret Pavilion has already announced to the public that from this day forward, they will not accept any divinations related to the Shen family.” Shadow One reported in a low voice. “Their exact words were: ‘If you want to know the inside story, ask the heir of the Shen family yourself. Do not bother the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.’”
Shen Qingci was speechless.
What kind of intention was this?
Retreating to advance, or were they truly frightened by the bitter taste of the backlash?
The Heavenly Secret Pavilion taking the initiative to seal their mouths actually carried more weight than any refutation. Without the Heavenly Secret Pavilion's endorsement, the rumors outside would ultimately remain nothing but chasing shadows.
“What is Aunt's view on this?”
“Ancestor Tinglan only said: No need to pay any heed.”
Shen Qingci nodded.
Her aunt had always had this style, remaining calm and composed even if the sky were to fall. Since she said there was no need to pay heed, then there truly was no need.
She suppressed her stray thoughts, her mind returning to the matter at hand.
Rate on N.U.
