The morning sun climbed, casting ten thousand streaks of rosy light across the sky.

The Immortal Sect of Mount Hua stretched endlessly, comprising dozens of peaks, the largest five of which were East Peak, Chaoyang Peak; South Peak, Luoyan Peak; West Peak, Lianhua Peak; Central Peak, Yunü Peak; and North Peak, Yuntai Peak. The Immortal Sect of Mount Hua was divided into five branches, each situated upon one of these five great peaks. Each peak possessed its own lineage, its own cultivation methods, and its own sphere of influence.

At this moment, atop North Peak, rested an immense, ancient bell. This bell was likely the size of a small pavilion, its main body a deep imperial yellow, though the passage of years had left it marked by time, with mottled bronze rust visible everywhere.

This bell was named the Zhenbei Bell, left behind by the Second Patriarch of North Peak.

It was rumored that the Second Patriarch of North Peak had once overwhelmed every sect in the Great Jin dynasty, becoming the foremost Grandmaster among the cultivators of that era, deeply revered by his successors. The Zhenbei Bell he established dictated that whenever it chimed three times, it signaled the North Peak Grand Competition; five chimes meant the competition spanning all Five Peaks; and nine chimes indicated a dire emergency, demanding full alert across the entire peak.

Presently, a melodious peal echoed from the summit of North Peak, spreading throughout the entire mountain.

“Clang————”

After a considerable pause, another chime sounded: “Clang————”

Finally, a third resonant strike: “Clang————”

The bell’s sound soared, echoing through the peaks and valleys, utterly melodious.

Three chimes—the North Peak Grand Competition.

With the third chime, it was signaled that after long preparation by everyone on North Peak, the quinquennial North Peak Grand Competition had finally begun.

It was finally starting.

Everyone had waited a long time for this.

At this instant, from the other four peaks—East Peak, Chaoyang Peak; South Peak, Luoyan Peak; West Peak, Lianhua Peak; and Central Peak, Yunü Peak—several streams of sword light shot toward this location. These lights were red, blue, or green, each possessing its own distinct color, some mottled, others as pure as water, piercing the void as they sped toward North Peak.

The sword lights were like lightning, arriving with immense velocity.

It was early morning.

Rays of sunlight stretched for ten thousand miles, clouds and mist surging, yet these flying swords lost none of their splendor even amidst the glow of the dawn. The arrival of so many sword lights made North Peak appear utterly otherworldly.

The disciples on North Peak watched with envy; those were seniors capable of commanding swords in flight. To achieve sword flight was no small feat; it required reaching the Body Tempering stage, a realm far beyond the ordinary. They wondered how long it would take for them to reach the Body Tempering stage themselves.

Cloud Valley.

This valley was a particularly unique place on North Peak. It was said that Cloud Valley was where the Second Patriarch once practiced his swordsmanship. The Second Patriarch's invincibility within the Great Jin was partly attributed to this place. Rumor also held that the valley was once perpetually shrouded in heavy mist, and it was here the Second Patriarch devised the Cloud Dragon Heart Method and the One Hundred and Eight Cloud Mist Sword Forms. Of course, this rumor was likely inaccurate; the true birthplace of the One Hundred and Eight Wind and Cloud Sword Forms and the Cloud Dragon Heart Method was the 'Fierce Wind Willow Leaf' location. However, as five thousand years passed, all those past glories were submerged beneath the traces of time.

Today, Cloud Valley was utterly devoid of clouds, merely a renowned, ordinary valley.

The North Peak Grand Competition was always held in Cloud Valley.

The venue for the North Peak assembly was already prepared. Seats for the Six Sword Immortals of North Peak and numerous Elders were arranged on the main platform. To the left of the main platform were the places reserved for honored guests attending the ceremony. Naturally, the other four peaks would send representatives to observe, as the Five Peaks of Mount Hua were one lineage.

To the right were the seats for the Ten Great True Disciples. The status of these disciples was vastly different from that of the others; not only were their various benefits superior, but the future Six Sword Immortals of North Peak would likely emerge from among these Ten Great True Disciples. Because of their great authority and high status, the positions of the Ten Great True Disciples were deeply coveted, which was why Sima Hao desired to usurp Lu Yuan’s spot.

As for ordinary disciples, they had no seating arrangements.

Now, they began to enter their designated areas.

The leader among the Six Sword Immortals of North Peak was the Peak Master, Elder Yuan Yuan. Elder Yuan Yuan was an old Daoist with an ethereal, otherworldly bearing, appearing unfathomably profound. The other five Sword Immortals were also familiar: Gentleman Sword Fang Ru, radiating uprightness; Round Harmony Sword Ye Rongyang, a large, jolly middle-aged man whose smile resembled that of a seasoned merchant; Sun-Blazing Sword Sima Changbai, an arrogant, pale-faced man somewhat similar to the young, conceited Sima Hao; Fading Dusk Sword Li Yuanbai, who occasionally coughed lightly while ascending the stage; and Solitary Heart Sword Dugu Ye, a woman like a secluded orchid in the deep mountains, appearing to be in her early twenties, though her actual age in the cultivation world was certainly far greater—asking a female cultivator her age was considered exceedingly impolite.

The Six Sword Immortals of North Peak had all entered.

As for the guests from the other peaks, few present recognized them.

Finally, it was the turn of the Ten Great True Disciples.

——————

Lu Yuan stood there languidly, taking a quick look around. He distinctly noticed that Ye Fang and Ye Yuan’s demeanors had changed somewhat; apparently, their special training had yielded results. As he mused on this internally, a mocking voice cut through the air: “Oh, isn’t this the Sixth Junior Brother?”

Hearing that familiar, grating voice, Lu Yuan knew exactly who it was without turning around.

This person was Sima Bo, the fifth among the Ten Great True Disciples.

He was, in fact, the eldest grandson of Sima Changbai and the elder brother of Sima Hao. However, due to being born earlier, he had been slotted into the ranks of the Ten Great True Disciples, while Sima Hao, born later and burdened by various circumstances, was relegated to the tenth position—a heartbreaking eleventh place, so close yet so far. It was only by targeting the lineage of the Fading Dusk Sword that he dared attempt to seize Lu Yuan’s position.

Sima Bo’s ridicule continued: “I hear Sixth Junior Brother excels highly in the culinary arts. If you opened a restaurant down the mountain, it would surely prosper. However, for this internal peak competition, I hope your cooking skills bring you some good fortune, so you don't lose too miserably.” Sima Bo was indeed Sima Hao’s brother; even his words carried a similar sneer.

Lu Yuan turned around.

Had this been anyone else uttering such mockery, Lu Yuan might have let it pass, deeming it not worth the petty anger. But Sima Bo was different. Sima Bo was Sima Changbai’s eldest grandson and Sima Hao’s brother. Sima Changbai’s faction had already pressed too far; Lu Yuan could retreat no further, having nowhere left to yield.

Lu Yuan certainly could not ignore this. With a sudden thought, he formulated a plan, turning back to face the smirking Sima Bo: “Oh, it is Fifth Senior Brother. It seems you have tremendous faith in your younger brother. How about this, Fifth Senior Brother, shall we make a wager? We will bet on whether I can hold onto my position among the Ten Great True Disciples this time. If I keep it, then you lose, Senior Brother. If I fail to keep it, then you lose as well.”

“As for the stakes, I offer my Yangwu Sword, plus forty low-grade spirit stones. How about you offer your Changhong Sword, plus forty low-grade spirit stones, Fifth Senior Brother?”

The moment these words left his mouth, the surrounding Ten Great True Disciples were all greatly astonished.

This wager was enormous.

A flying sword was an extremely rare item in the cultivation world.

The materials for a flying sword were scarce enough, with the Nine Nether Profound Iron being exceptionally precious. But the rare Nine Nether Profound Iron was not the hardest part. Refining a flying sword required a powerful expert at the Body Tempering stage to expel a mouthful of their vital essence blood—a process that injured one’s core vitality with every expulsion. Even those at the peak of the Body Tempering stage were reluctant to forge many flying swords, making them exceedingly rare treasures.

Someone like Lu Yuan, a Ten Great True Disciple, only received a Yangwu Sword because he had the good fortune of having a master like Li Yuanbai.

Sima Bo, with a grandfather like Sima Changbai, also a figure among the Ten Great True Disciples, likewise only possessed one Changhong Sword, illustrating the preciousness of these artifacts.

As for low-grade spirit stones, a Ten Great True Disciple like Lu Yuan only received ten annually. This meant that for Lu Yuan to save up forty low-grade spirit stones would require four years of frugality.

This wager was not merely large; it was staggeringly huge.

Unprecedentedly large.

The details of duels between Elders were unknown, but this was certainly the largest wager ever laid down among the tenth generation of disciples.

Indeed, Lu Yuan intended this time to thoroughly defeat Sima Changbai and Sima Hao. Simply slapping their faces wasn't enough; he needed material rewards as well, which led to this gamble. These two factions had encroached upon his domain and insulted his master; why should he not strike back forcefully? To deal with an enemy, one must crush them utterly.

He intended to defeat his enemies spiritually and materially.

Lu Yuan was usually indolent and rarely provoked confrontations.

But when he truly decided to act against someone, these were his methods: once you made him your enemy, you would live to deeply regret having crossed him.

Hearing the immense stakes, Sima Bo’s expression shifted. The wager was too large, so large it stunned him slightly; he suddenly felt hesitant. But with so many people watching, refusing the bet would invite ridicule and cause him to lose all face among the Ten Great True Disciples. “Fine, I accept the wager,” he conceded.

“Good,” Lu Yuan replied inwardly, chuckling silently that Sima Bo had delivered himself right into his grasp. On the surface, however, his expression remained utterly unchanged.

The agreement was now formally established.

At this moment, the surrounding onlookers grew even more invested.

They hadn't expected this good show to escalate so dramatically.

The subtle and overt conflicts between Sima Changbai and Li Yuanbai, the struggle between Lu Yuan and Sima Hao for the True Disciple positions, and now the wager between Lu Yuan and Sima Bo—all these already involved the interests of the Ten Great True Disciples. With such a significant stake added, the spectacle became even more thrilling. Yet, the people of North Peak failed to grasp one thing: seeing as Lu Yuan was practically guaranteed to lose, why would he propose such a bet?

(The drafts stockpile is truly powerful; despite a power outage during the day, three chapters were completed at night. I must become a stronger compiler of drafts, and in preparation for boosting rankings on Sunday, I practice summoning recommendation tickets: one, two, three, hand over those recommendation tickets! PS: Starting tomorrow, some romantic scenes will appear. Although this is a classical immortal hero story, we must have some romance when it is due.)