Chapter 37: Dragon Aotian Power Fantasy (36)

Although the Three Thousand Dao Laws Conference is a grand event held for the entire cultivation world, everyone is well aware of the unspoken competition for the top spot.

The Kunwu Sect boasts Yin Xubai and Jiang Yuyang; the Wuji Sect has the sword cultivator Pei Yizhou and the magic cultivator Sang Luoyuan; the Tianjian Sect features the kendo genius Chang Yi. The list of rising stars from the eight great clans of the Immortal Alliance is endless, not to mention dark horses like Yi An and Shen Yingwan, who broke through from the twelve minor immortal alliances.

These names belong to cultivators who have long surpassed the age of one hundred and have frequently appeared in major secret realms and auctions, thus accumulating a fair amount of fame in the cultivation world. However, as the first day of the conference concluded, everyone realized that two dark horses under the age of one hundred had emerged simultaneously in the Eastern and Southern regional venues.

While Zang Wu of the Kunwu Sect is the most promising successor to Yin Xubai and is held in high regard by the sect’s elders, he remains separated from Yin Xubai by a gap that requires a century of cultivation to bridge, posing no threat to the top position.

But these two dark horses are different.

In the Eastern venue, where Yin Xubai and Jiang Yuyang reigned, Jiang Yuyang secured forty consecutive wins on the first day, and Yin Xubai secured forty-five. Yet, word arrived that a forty-year-old female disciple from the Wuji Sect had achieved fifty-four consecutive wins!

Meanwhile, in the Southern venue, where Pei Yizhou and Chang Yi presided, Pei Yizhou secured fifty consecutive wins, and Chang Yi secured forty-seven. However, a forty-two-year-old male disciple from the Wuji Sect had achieved fifty-seven consecutive wins!

The overall strength of the Southern region is weaker than the East, hence the higher number of consecutive wins compared to the Eastern venue. Yet, whether in the East or the South, the established masters had been outperformed by these two fledgling disciples.

On the second day, when Su Bai entered the venue, she saw a crowd of admirers surrounding her ring. As soon as she stepped in, hundreds of gazes swept toward her, and several probing divine senses circled the young woman. In her previous life, having attained the Great Perfection of the Mahayana stage before turning one hundred, Su Bai had seen far more extravagant scenes. As a cultivator with a Heavenly Lightning Spirit Root, she had been adored by thousands, and before her failed tribulation, she had carved a path through the cultivation world with the Su-Zhao Sword in her hand. These gazes were nothing new to her.

Yue Nianxin felt goosebumps from the way the crowd was staring and leaned in, whispering, "Junior Sister, you’re about to make a name for yourself in the cultivation world!"

Shen Xing, never having seen such a massive spectacle, shivered, "Junior Sister, why do I feel like the aura of the cultivators surrounding your ring has doubled today?" Even without knowing their specific cultivation levels, one look at their faces and eyes was enough to tell they were not to be trifled with.

Su Bai scanned her surroundings. Yesterday, the highest cultivation level present was merely the early Nascent Soul stage, but today, everyone surrounding her ring was at least at the early Nascent Soul stage.

"I have already reached fifty consecutive wins," Su Bai said. "If they manage to defeat me even once, they can claim ten percent of my points, and depending on the overall performance of the match, they could even earn extra bonus points for a successful challenge. It is no surprise that higher-level cultivators are showing up."

Yue Nianxin considered this and found it logical. Still, she urged, "Defending the ring is incredibly taxing. You have been at it for so long, while other challengers might be playing their first match of the day. If you can't hold on, remember to take the pills Yun Zhu refined for you."

Su Bai nodded. "Don't worry, Senior Sister. I know my limits."

The first challenger today was Xie Ningqing, a senior sister from the Kunwu Sect at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, likely there to settle the score for Zang Wu. The Soul-Seizing Technique consumes little spiritual energy but possesses immense power; its drawback is that any backlash damages the cultivator’s very foundation. Thus, even with heaven-grade pills to nurture her soul, Zang Wu remained in a deep slumber.

"It’s actually Senior Sister Xie Ningqing," a Kunwu disciple whispered. "It seems Elder Fusui was truly furious yesterday to have sent her out."

"It might not have been Elder Fusui's doing. Junior Brother Zang Wu was brought up by Senior Sister Xie, and seeing him beaten to the point of being bedridden—how could she not be angry?"

"But sending Senior Sister Xie is too ruthless. The Kunwu Sect's techniques are powerful because they specialize in the soul; their disciples' divine sense intensity is usually one or two sub-stages higher than their actual cultivation level, which allows them to unleash the full potential of soul-based arts."

Whispers continued beneath the stage: "Zang Wu’s time is the next Three Thousand Dao Laws Conference, but Senior Sister Xie is looking to earn a ranking in this one."

"Exactly. And she is so young, advancing so quickly, mastering both sword arts and techniques—how could she possibly have time to cultivate her divine sense intensity?"

"This junior sister is definitely in for a rough time today. One can only hope the Wuji Sect elders will save her, just as they saved Zang Wu yesterday."

As they spoke, the two on the stage began to clash.

Xie Ningqing’s life-bound artifact was a white jade flute named the Soul-Eroding Flute. Inscribed with various formations, it could convert spiritual energy and divine sense into sound. The flute's melody was omnipresent, serving as both a medium for soul attacks and sound waves—a classic tactic for sound cultivators.

For a sound cultivator like Xie Ningqing, the flute's effect is not immediately apparent, but if a match isn't decided within a quarter of an hour, the power of the music increases exponentially. Furthermore, she possessed the mutated Wind Spirit Root, which helped propagate the sound and allowed her to evade attacks quickly, ensuring she could survive until the fifteen-minute mark.

With slender fingers placed upon the flute, Xie Ningqing closed her eyes, her red lips parted, and the first note rang out. Sound waves rippled through the air like tiny waves. Unlike the soft, lingering melodies of ordinary sound cultivators, Xie Ningqing’s flute was stern and desolate, like the march of an army or the roar before a thunderstorm.

Although the ring was protected by a defensive array, it was not specifically designed to block soul attacks. With Xie Ningqing at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage and her divine sense touching the threshold of the Spirit Severing stage, the simple defensive array could not fully deflect her music.

The flute notes carried a murderous intent, like heavy snow blanketing an infinite territory. As the melody shifted, the snow transformed into cold, emerald bamboo leaves, each leaf tip sharpened with a chilling glint.

A sword cultivator’s intent can elevate their swordplay, as the sword energy carries the cultivator’s will. The Water-Cloud Secret Art, too, stands out among countless techniques because it uses water to carry the intent of the Dao. Xie Ningqing used music to carry her own Dao.

Sound cultivators are rarely prominent in the cultivation world because a sword cultivator’s single strike of intent can decide a battle, as it embodies perseverance and resolve. Few sound cultivators can condense every note into a solid Dao heart like an intent. Yet, Xie Ningqing was one of the best.

Watching the young woman playing the flute on stage, Su Bai flicked her right hand, and countless tiny water droplets condensed in the air. Each inconspicuous droplet merged into a long, thin line.

The moment they contacted Xie Ningqing’s sound waves, the droplets elongated, wrapping around the vibrations like ocean surf. Su Bai then grasped the air with five fingers, and the water turned into ice crystals, crushing the sound waves into dust.

Xie Ningqing’s expression shifted. Since her attack was a soul-based strike, if this girl wanted to break it, she must have used a soul-based attack as well. And yet, sound waves are formless—how could she shatter them?

The melody shifted, becoming even more impassioned. Xie Ningqing focused her mind, and the Soul-Eroding Flute’s spiritual gathering formation glimmered with a bright silver light, drawing in endless spiritual energy.

Junior Brother Zang Wu’s soul was damaged; even with the soul-nourishing pills, he should be fine, but if he missed the Three Thousand Dao Laws Conference because of this girl, what would he do for the next one? What would the Kunwu Sect do without a fierce warrior?

Xie Ningqing refused to believe that a mere forty-year-old cultivator, despite her Nascent Soul peak strength, could stop her winning streak.

As the flute played, wind began to stir within the defensive array, growing into a hurricane in an instant. "The Great Wind Rises!" Xie Ningqing shouted.

Sound cultivators may lack raw attack power, but when music is combined with wind-based techniques, even a true Great Perfection Nascent Soul cultivator might struggle to withstand the strike. By eroding her divine sense with the Soul-Eroding Flute, using the wind to boost the sound, and finishing with a top-tier wind technique, she was going for the kill.

A flicker of emotion finally stirred in Su Bai’s usually calm eyes. The Heaven-Swallowing Ice Flame could expand into a domain, and as its master, she could naturally utilize it while performing certain techniques. For instance, the second level of the Water-Cloud Secret Art: "Azure Sea, Tide Rises."

Almost the moment Su Bai’s thought arose, all water elements within the defensive array fell under her control. The wind filled most of the arena, carrying the sharp sound waves toward the girl on the other side. Suddenly, a thunderous roar of water erupted, and a towering curtain of water rose before Su Bai, so fierce that it shattered the defensive array covering the ring.

The Lord of Bixun City, watching the battle, twitched his mouth. *Are defensive arrays free or something?*

While condensing such a water curtain is not unusual with sufficient spiritual energy, Xie Ningqing had combined sound waves with wind techniques, turning intangible attacks into tangible ones. Ordinary water elements should not have been able to withstand the penetration of a soul attack.

Yet, she blocked it!

A cultivator proficient in water techniques gasped, "Damn, that’s the Azure Sea, Tide Rises!" The term was legendary in the world of techniques. Someone immediately agreed, "True, even when her water curtain was scorched by the high heat of the wind and sound combo, there wasn't a trace of evaporation or puncture."

But the question remained: why was a sword cultivator using the Azure Sea, Tide Rises so perfectly?

As the tide rose, Xie Ningqing’s eyes widened, her fingers tightening. Others didn't know, but she knew best that her previous strike had once defeated a cultivator at the Spirit Severing stage!

She tossed her right hand upward, and a black, six-petaled lotus-shaped metal object was thrown into the air. The black lotus shed hundreds of petals, each glimmering with metallic luster, splitting into thousands of leaves. They bypassed the water curtain at lightning speed, heading straight for the girl behind it.

"She actually has two life-bound artifacts!" a voice exclaimed from below. "Two life-bound artifacts—isn't that cheating?"

The young woman behind the water curtain flickered her right hand.

"Ice Seals a Thousand Miles," she said.

In an instant, the thousands of petals swirling from behind her were frozen into ice crystals, clattering to the ground. The freezing process did not stop; a thick layer of ice grew rapidly across the ring, passing through the water curtain. Xie Ningqing tried to move in a panic, but the ice bit into her left foot, climbing up her body until the entire person was encased in a crystal sculpture.

Su Bai lifted her hand forward. A gust of wind blew, pushing the ice sculpture straight off the ring.

"Next," she said calmly.

The earlier clamor vanished the moment she raised her hand to freeze the air. The ring became eerily quiet, as if a vacuum had formed around her.

Everyone shivered. *N-next?* The peak of the Nascent Soul had fallen; who was next?

Kunwu disciples scrambled to help their senior sister, but the ice was strange. They tried melting it with fire, fearing they might hurt her, but the ice wouldn't melt. Five or six Kunwu disciples surrounded the sculpture, unleashing their full power, but it remained unmoved. With no elders present, they had to swallow their pride and beg Su Bai to release their senior sister.

The girl was surprisingly straightforward; she didn't say much but released Xie Ningqing from the ice. Xie Ningqing coughed up some water, and before she could even speak, she rolled her eyes and fainted in their arms.

The Kunwu disciples: "...!!"

Su Bai said, "Don't worry, I only froze her sea of consciousness. The temperature is too low; just let her sit in the sun for a while."

The Kunwu disciples: "...??" *Is that human language?*

However, since Zang Wu had been injured yesterday, Xie Ningqing could not be allowed to suffer. The disciples carried her off to find Yin Xubai. Jiang Yuyang, who hadn't stepped onto her own ring yet, noticed the commotion and came over. "I know some medicine, let me see."

Since the most reliable senior sister of the Kunwu Sect had spoken, the disciples laid Xie Ningqing down. Jiang Yuyang withdrew her divine sense from Xie Ningqing’s consciousness: "It’s nothing major. Indeed, her consciousness was frozen and then thawed; the temperature is too low, and she has mild cold poison. Let her sit in the sun for a month or so."

"Go find Senior Sister Dan He later; she should have medicine for the cold poison."

The Kunwu disciples grumbled, "These Wuji Sect disciples are too much. They hurt Junior Brother Zang Wu yesterday and Senior Sister Xie today."

Jiang Yuyang clapped her hands and stood up, laughing at their indignation. "I don't know the specifics of Zang Wu's case, but today, it was Xie Ningqing who attacked too ruthlessly. With her two life-bound artifacts—the Soul-Eroding Flute first and the Soul-Locking Lotus second—anyone else would have lost their life. She only froze her consciousness; it was a small punishment. This disciple has style."

Yin Xubai added from the side, "Yesterday, Zang Wu invaded her consciousness and suffered a backlash because his soul strength was inferior. It wasn't her intentional doing."

Rarely seeing Yin Xubai clarify things for an unrelated disciple, Jiang Yuyang grew interested. "Guess what her cultivation level is now?"

Yin Xubai thought for a moment. "She told Zang Wu yesterday she was at the Spirit Severing stage. I suppose that must be it."

The Kunwu disciples listening nearby: "!!!" They saw the same thought in each other's eyes: *But she’s only forty!*

They waited for Senior Sister Jiang Yuyang to refute it, but she agreed: "To win against Xie Ningqing so easily, even if she isn't at the Spirit Severing stage, she’s not far off."

The Kunwu disciples: "!!" *Really? I don't believe it!*

After exchanging a few words with Yin Xubai, Jiang Yuyang headed toward her own ring. Only halfway there did she realize: Yin Xubai had been competing on his own ring the whole time, and their rings weren't even close—how did he know what that girl said to Zang Wu?

As the second day of competition ended, the spectators following the Eastern and Southern venues began summarizing the results.

In the East, Yin Xubai had reached ninety-seven consecutive wins, Jiang Yuyang ninety-three, and Su Bai had reached a staggering one hundred and five.

In the South, Pei Yizhou had reached one hundred and one, Chang Yi ninety-six, and Qin Yang had reached one hundred and three.

One Qin Yang, one Su Bai—these two were not only outpacing the masters but were also chasing each other, their scores extremely tight.

Masters at the Spirit Severing stage, like Yin Xubai, Jiang Yuyang, and Pei Yizhou, often chose to defend the ring. The first stage of the Three Thousand Dao Laws Conference was an opportunity for all cultivators to learn from the masters, so the chance of masters facing each other was low.

Yin Xubai and the others were active in the cultivation world, and Qin Yang had gained some fame due to his Heavenly Lightning Spirit Root and his miraculous recovery after his dantian was destroyed. However, the name "Su Bai" was too unfamiliar to the cultivation world.

Since both dark horses were from the Wuji Sect and seemed to be around the same age, were they not senior brother and junior sister?

Curious spectators dug into the relationship between the two Wuji Sect dark horses. What they found shocked them: the two had once been engaged and were childhood sweethearts!

As this news broke, the famous gossip forums of the cultivation world exploded.

[Does anyone remember the engagement-breaking incident at the Wuji Sect six years ago that shocked me for three hundred years? This story is good enough to last me three days and three nights.]

"Back then, Junior Brother Qin went out for training for two years. I don't know if he got cocky, but he brought back the disciple of the Valley Master of the Spring Valley to stay at our Wuji Sect. Even though Junior Brother Qin was an outer disciple, as a millennial genius with a Lightning Spirit Root and the only successor to the Tianyan Sword Art, I don't need to describe his treatment. No one dared to say anything because of the Spring Valley and his status."

"Before Qin Yang brought that disciple back, Junior Sister Su was a gentle and kind girl. During the time Qin Yang grew closer to that disciple, Junior Sister Su suddenly began to train diligently, grinding tasks at the Righteous Hall until we all felt like we were going to die from exhaustion."

"We thought she was just throwing a tantrum because Junior Brother Qin was the talk of the town—a total potential stock! Who would have thought that at the inner sect assessment, Junior Sister Su would jump two stages to challenge Qin Yang and then decisively break off the engagement!"

"Qin Yang felt humiliated, and you know what? He set a six-year pact to decide the winner at the Three Thousand Dao Laws Conference!"

1L: Holy crap, so this conference is their century-defining battle?
2L: Too much information. So, did this junior sister finally realize the essence of the Unfeeling Dao after breaking off her engagement?
3L: She is too fierce. Frontline report: Senior Sister Xie Ningqing of the Kunwu Sect has been defeated by her.
4L: Childhood sweethearts turning into bitter rivals, I love it!
5L: To the person above, shipping everything will only hurt you.
6L: Are they really forty-year-olds at the Spirit Severing stage?

...

567L: Going off-topic, has anyone noticed that the name 'Su Bai' is exactly the same as the newest master blacksmith?
568L: Impossible. She knows swords, techniques, and blacksmithing? That would be too heaven-defying.
569L: It's just a coincidence! If it's not a coincidence, I'll stand on my head to wash my hair!

Yun Zhu, one of the subjects of the gossip, saw this post: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻ *I told you not to bring up those rash days of youth! Please!*

Time flew, and the first stage of the Three Thousand Dao Laws Conference reached its conclusion. Su Bai had completed her 572nd consecutive win.

This was her final match.

At this stage, victory or defeat no longer mattered. Her points were far ahead, so even if she lost this last match, she would still be the contestant with the highest winning streak in the entire conference.

But she would not lose.

At that moment, Yin Xubai walked onto Su Bai’s ring. A stir and gasp went through the crowd.

"Why is Yin Xubai here?"
"In previous years, these masters always stayed on their own rings! There are so many masters in the finals; there's no need to fight here."
"He chose the last match of Junior Sister Su; I’m really crying. At least her streak won't be broken now."
"Don't overthink it, Senior Brother Yin Xubai is probably just interested in her true strength!"

Listening to these voices, Jiang Yuyang stood below the stage and raised an eyebrow.

The man stepping onto the stage was lean and tall, with clear-cut features and deep, piercing eyes. He looked like an immortal from the clouds, a celestial being from a painting. He stood still and bowed, saying, "I am Yin Xubai. I have come to ask for your guidance, Junior Sister."

Yin Xubai looked up. The young woman opposite him had light, indifferent brows, and her long, narrow phoenix eyes blinked slightly as she replied, "I am Su Bai. Please, teach me."

The warm, restless evening breeze of mid-summer filled the girl’s white robes, set against the rolling green mountains outside Bixun City. The crimson-gold sunset, the dark distant mountains, the white-robed girl with a sword.

For a moment, Yin Xubai had an illusion: he felt as though he were inside a painting.