Chapter Four, The Pact of Duel, The Universe in the Sleeve

With a grand sweep of his sleeves, Xu Zhuang raised both hands towards the direction of the disciples of the Upper Xuan Sect and said: "I am Xu Zhuang of Tai Su. May I ask which brother from the Upper Xuan Sect is present here? Could you please reveal yourself?"

When one thinks deeper, the high-grade golden elixirs are not something that can just appear from nowhere. It can be said that today, in the divine land, there are numerous practitioners of high-grade golden elixirs, each with a renowned reputation.

Fellow cultivator Xu, you are overthinking; my sect, the Supreme Profound Sect, does possess this level of magnanimity.

When he let out a sigh of relief, he couldn't help but feel resentment; the pure air he had just exhaled was precisely the fundamental essence of the pure and turbid qi that cultivators at the Dao Foundation stage sought to refine into magical power

This time, it is quite good; as soon as these words were spoken, both sides were severely offended. Even the two individuals on stage stopped their actions, and both Tai Xuan and Shang Xuan glared resentfully in the direction of the voice, only to see a group of young cultivators dressed in azure and moon-white robes standing together.

The cultivation world of Shenzhou has enjoyed a long period of peace. In this context, there exists a certain hidden understanding among the three sects and six schools. High-level cultivators typically do not bully the weak, yet when facing a Golden Core Master, respect must still be accorded.

Thus, when Xu Zhuang, Lin Ling, and Lin Shan arrived, they were met with such a scene

The jade ruler is incredibly swift; in just a flash, it appears right before one's eyes

The three sects and six schools do not require that every discipline must attain the top-grade golden elixir in order to be considered a true transmission

The disciple of the Supreme Xuanzong seemed to be fully confident of victory, raising his head and shouting: "The side paths are merely side paths, so why not quickly acknowledge defeat!"

Xu Zhuang, upon hearing his disciple recount the whole story, couldn't help but smile. Glancing at Lin Ling and the others, he noticed a hint of apology on her face, likely a result of having listened to the disciples of the Yuxiao Sect.

The disciple of the Tai Xuan Sect on the stage furrowed his brows, his eyes ablaze with anger. Suddenly, he halted his actions of casting spiritual talismans and began to unleash a barrage of thunderballs incessantly upon the small shield. The shield's light flickered continuously, and it seemed on the verge of collapsing.

The jade ruler transformed into a beam of white light, soaring into the sky and striking the foremost thunderball, scattering it in all directions. Its momentum unabated, it swiftly shattered several thunderballs into dispersed currents of electricity. Immediately afterward, it traced a straight line in the air, heading towards the head of the disciple of the Xuan sect.

The establishment of the Tai Xuan sect has barely reached ten years, and apart from the Tai Xuan Zhen Jun, the world knows very little about it

The disciple of the Supreme Xuan Sect, seeing that he could not evade, urgently exhaled a stream of shimmering clear energy. This clear energy transformed in mid-air into a bolt of lightning with a power exceeding that of the previous thunderball by several times. He attempted to meet it head-on, but to his surprise, it only provided a slight obstruction before the lightning shattered with a resounding crash, not even lasting a single exchange.

Once again, they went to observe the disciples of the Supreme Xuan and the Great Xuan sects. Although they still appeared indignant, they did not dare to make any further outcries.

This energy is the most useful and precious for cultivators of the Dao foundation. Once used, it is depleted and cannot be naturally restored without undergoing arduous training again. While it can be employed to cast spells with formidable power, it is indeed a waste; the most critical issue is that it hinders the cultivator's progress in their practice.

Those who cultivate the Way value competition. Since the establishment of the Dao lineage, the Tai Xuan Sect in the Xuan Huang Realm has been destined to be a sect that does not engage in closed-door ascetic practices, and thus the existence of the Duel Platform is only natural

The Tai Xuan Sect has been established for ten years, and the number of disciples is not insignificant, as they must have long followed the True Monarch of Tai Xuan in their cultivation. The True Monarch of Tai Xuan has been elusive for thousands of years, and his reappearance signifies that he has achieved Pure Yang. It is rumored that he has left the Xuan Huang Great World, and it is uncertain where in the universe he is cultivating, which is likely not a falsehood

Ah, it turns out to be the Tai Su Sect, fellow disciples of the Yu Xiao Sect. May I ask which esteemed individual just now looked down upon the spells of our Shang Xuan Sect? As a humble practitioner of the Dao of Tu Shu, I also cultivate thunder techniques and would be willing to learn from your esteemed spells. For a millennium, the Shang Xuan Sect has claimed to be the foremost among the three sects and six schools, with every disciple taking pride in this, making them quite arrogant. How could they endure such humiliation? Immediately, a disciple stepped forward to challenge.

"Noble Golden Elixir." Xu Zhuang and Yu Jing felt a stir in their hearts.

Xu Zhuang did not express any opinion on this matter, only stating: "In this present time, as we are guests at the Meteorite Temple, it would not be appropriate for us to act recklessly on someone else's territory. I shall properly restrain the disciples of the Tai Su sect"

The newcomer did not conceal their presence; as soon as they appeared, it was as if a massive stone had abruptly obstructed the river. If one were to observe with spiritual awareness, they would perceive a point of spiritual light, round and radiant, unabashedly emanating 'energy'.

Yu Jing said lightly: "I have no objection to going to the Xuanzong."

The disciples of the Upper Xuan Sect in the audience erupted in cheers, having just won a match and eager to secure another victory. They could not help but hurl various taunts. On the other side, the disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect were filled with righteous indignation, wishing they could immediately take the stage and engage in battle with the Upper Xuan Sect.

Without waiting for a response, with a wave of his large sleeves, he seemingly tucked the items into his sleeves, collecting more than a dozen living disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect, and after cupping his hands in a gesture of farewell, he soared away on the wind

At this moment, the duel platform is bustling with activity, with two individuals fiercely engaged in combat on the stage. A considerable number of disciples from various sects and independent cultivators have gathered below. Since the establishment of the Fallen Star Dojo, this is the first occurrence of such an event.

A disciple of the Supreme Xuanzong mocked, "What? Have you given up? You only need to admit defeat loudly, and I will let you go."

This statement, however, also represented the entire group from the Yuxiao Sect. Nevertheless, Lin Shanchang, a true disciple of Yuxiao, had no objections, and the disciples of the Yuxiao Sect had no significant opinions either. The young man from hetushu.com appeared somewhat unconvinced, but he was restrained by his companions and was aware that he had no place to speak.

As the Grand Ceremony of the Golden Elixir approaches, it is unlikely that the recipients of the honors will make an appearance at this time. This implies that the visitor must be another high-ranking Golden Elixir master from the Tai Xuan Sect. However, it remains uncertain how many true disciples there are within the Tai Xuan Sect and how many of them have attained the high rank of Golden Elixir.

The originally tense situation between the Upper Xuan and Tai Xuan sects has suddenly escalated into a standoff among four factions

Tai Su and the group from Yu Xiao could not help but feel helpless. The words just spoken were indeed said by a disciple of the Yu Xiao sect. The issue lies in the fact that this disciple is the youngest among the group, merely a teenager in his early years, with cultivation barely at the Qi Refinement stage. No one expected that this young man, with his unrestrained tongue, would utter such remarks.

Oh? So it is Brother Yu Dao, who has suppressed the chaotic river dragon in Fan Shou Town. I have long admired your reputation. Xu Zhuang is not being polite; he has indeed heard of this person's name. With the flower-laden sedan chair, people carry people, so Xu Zhuang naturally does not hesitate to offer a few kind words. "The discipline is not strict, which must make Brother Yu Dao laugh."

"Good," Jiang Han said with a smile, "Since the three fellow Daoists have agreed, I am even more confident in persuading the other Daoists."

However, since the words have already been spoken, the members of the Yuxiao Sect felt no need to bow their heads and admit their mistakes. The Taisu Sect has always been closely aligned with the Yuxiao Sect, thus they remained silent. Instead, a few naturally combative individuals were already eager to take action.

Upon seeing Yu Jing agree, Xu Zhuang glanced at Lin Shanshang, and upon noticing her slight nod, he understood that Lin Ling had certainly encouraged her to agree as well. After a moment of contemplation, he responded: "Daoist friend Jiang, this idea is excellent, as it will allow my disciples to broaden their horizons and avoid becoming frogs at the bottom of a well"

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of the disciples of the Xuanzong at Shanghe, standing tall, nearly six feet in height. The person had a fair complexion and a cold demeanor, and calmly responded, "I am Shangxuan Yujing"

Fellow Daoist Yu, Fellow Daoist Xu, and Fellow Daoist Lin, I have long admired your esteemed names. I am Jiang Han, the current head of Tai Xuan. The man revealed a warm smile, "I heard the commotion from afar and had an idea. How about we hold a small Dharma assembly at the Golden Elixir Ceremony in two days, where disciples from various sects can engage in some friendly exchanges?"

On the stage, disciples dressed in the standard black Daoist robes of the Xuan sect and those in plain white Daoist robes of the Tai Xuan sect are engaged in a contest of magical skills

The world within the sleeve! A strange thought suddenly emerged in Xu Zhuang's mind, and he couldn't help but laugh.

It turns out that the true disciples of the Supreme Emperor Xuanzong have long been hidden here, unbeknownst to the younger generation, and Xu Zhuang naturally would not be oblivious to this

Fortunately, it ultimately served as a temporary hindrance, providing a moment of respite. The disciple of Xuanzong swiftly retreated, creating distance while throwing the magical artifact into the air, where it hovered. Gathering a significant portion of spiritual energy, he flicked his hands repeatedly, condensing dozens to hundreds of lightning orbs in one breath. The orbs crackled as they struck the jade ruler, finally causing it to tremble, its white light dissipating, and it flew back.

"The younger generation is just playing around, there is no need to worry about it." Yu Jing tugged at the corner of her mouth, seemingly forcing a smile, yet her tone remained as indifferent as ever: "They are young in their cultivation and have not ventured far beyond the sect's boundaries, so it is inevitable that they become arrogant. Gaining more experience in combat and facing some setbacks will prevent them from suffering losses in the future. With me watching over them, there will be no mistakes."

Hmph, on the divine continent, the Thunder Technique of the Yuxiao Sect is the most renowned. Naturally, they will offer guidance upon seeing our clumsy spells. " Another disciple of the Shangxuan Sect spoke in a neutral tone, yet their words directly pointed at the Yuxiao Sect.

Unexpectedly, the disciples of Tai Xuan Sect and Tu Shu remained completely unfazed, continuing to maintain their protective shield. From their sleeves, they produced a jade ruler, reciting incantations as they tossed it into the air

As for which sect's disciple is referred to in the conversation, no one knows

In an instant, the intense battle of spells captured the attention of the audience below, who fell silent to observe closely. Suddenly, a sneer was heard from behind, as someone remarked: "The thunder techniques of the Upper Xuan Sect are nothing remarkable; they can't even withstand the artifacts of minor sects."

"This is indeed quite interesting, Brother Xu, you should agree to it quickly." Lin Ling, who loved to watch the excitement, hurriedly communicated with Xu Zhuang, urging him to accept this ritual meeting.

As for Lin Ling herself, although Xu Zhuang has known her since childhood and Lin Shanchang is her cousin sister, making the three of them peers, she has not yet achieved the Golden Elixir and is not a true disciple of the Shangxuan and Taixuan sects. Therefore, it is inappropriate for her to speak in conversations among the true disciples of these two sects.

At this moment, it appeared that the disciples of the Upper Xuan Sect were overpowering those of the Tai Xuan Sect. One could see a disciple holding a magical artifact resembling a bagua mirror with one hand; the center was concave, and intricate and profound runes were engraved around it. In the center of the mirror, thunderballs were continuously coalescing one after another. With the other hand, he formed a seal, manipulating the thunderballs to incessantly strike towards the disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect. The Tai Xuan Sect disciples were desperately supporting a small shield, continuously casting spiritual symbols to extinguish the thunderballs, leaving them with no opportunity to counterattack. The center of the mirror was ceaselessly gathering thunderballs, while the other hand formed seals, directing the thunderballs to relentlessly bombard the Tai Xuan Sect disciples, who were struggling to maintain their small shield and repeatedly casting spiritual symbols to extinguish the thunderballs, completely lacking any chance for a counterattack.

Of course, Xu Zhuang would not show off any power in front of the younger generation, especially since, when it comes down to it, there is no justification on his side either

He turned back and said to the disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect: "You all have heard it, yet you do not return to work harder. Do not disgrace the sect in two days' time."

Suddenly, a clear voice emerged from outside the crowd, and a figure floated down from the sky, revealing a man with a Tai Chi bun, dressed in a plain white robe, and possessing an ordinary appearance