"Still as still water, moving like smoke, light as down, vast as the sea, white as cotton." These fifteen characters, grouped in threes, each conveyed a different essence. The three characters for "still as still water" were rendered with such tranquility that they instilled a sense of quiet peace. Conversely, the brushstrokes for "moving like smoke" danced wildly, the characters seeming eager to burst forth from the page. The remaining nine characters—"light as down, vast as the sea, white as cotton"—each possessed their own distinct quality.

Behind these fifteen characters lay the massive Misty Cloud Valley.

Fine, dense rain cascaded directly down from the heavens.

The Ten Great Core Disciples were each wearing straw hats, and the cuffs of every pair of trousers were spattered with mud.

In this downpour, avoiding even a speck of mud was no small feat. However, the disciples soon realized they had misjudged the situation. The Gentleman Swordsman, Fang Ru, emerged from the dense woods, his attire—a tall hat and flowing robes—immaculate. As he trod upon the ground, not a single drop of mud or water stained his person.

Seeing Fang Ru, the Gentleman Swordsman, the voices of the gathered disciples immediately hushed. Fear—among the disciples of the Six Sword Immortals of the Northern Peak, the one they feared most was not the Peak Master, Elder Yuanyuan, but this Fang Ru. In every action, every gesture, Fang Ru exemplified the bearing of a true gentleman.

He held himself to the absolute standards of a gentleman, and for those junior to him, the pressure was immense.

Although Fang Ru rarely criticized his juniors—except, perhaps, for his own pitiful disciple, Ye Fang—his sheer, powerful aura involuntarily oppressed everyone around him, making them feel overwhelmingly pressured.

Fang Ru needed to say nothing; as soon as he arrived at the outskirts of the Misty Cloud Valley, all the Core Disciples fell silent.

Faced with the imposing presence of Martial Uncle Fang, Lu Yuan could only offer silent reverence.

Fang Ru’s voice was balanced and serene: "The Misty Cloud Valley is a location within our Northern Peak where the floating clouds gather thickly. After hundreds of years of accumulation, it has finally manifested two Cloud Elemental Spirit Beasts: one Cloud Rabbit and one Cloud Cat. After deliberation among all the Elders, the task of seizing them falls to you, the Ten Great Core Disciples, who are to compete within the valley based purely on your individual abilities."

"Each person may claim a maximum of one. Furthermore, you are forbidden from taking a life. Since you are all fellow Core Disciples, engagement must cease when one side concedes; otherwise, you will be expelled from the sect." Though the voice was balanced and gentle, it carried considerable lethal weight.

"Now, enter the valley. Employ your own means."

Evidently, the aura of the Great Gentleman Swordsman Fang Ru was too potent; no one wished to linger in his presence. Immediately, the Ten Great Core Disciples entered the Misty Cloud Valley.

This contest for the Cloud Elemental Spirit Beasts was presided over by the Gentleman Swordsman Fang Ru.

After all, this was hardly a major event like the Northern Peak Grand Competition; it was considered a minor affair. Having the Gentleman Swordsman Fang Ru, one of the Six Sword Immortals of the Northern Peak, oversee it was more than sufficient.

——————

The Misty Cloud Valley was essentially circular, with no entry point other than the main path.

Even if one reached the state of Controlling Qi in the Air, flying out over the valley's top was impossible due to the myriad ancient restrictions laid down by the predecessors of the Huashan Northern Peak overhead. While the Misty Cloud Valley only produced a few Cloud Elemental Spirit Beasts every few centuries, it did produce some consistently. Since it could yield such beasts, it was naturally a place requiring protection against outside intrusion.

Upon entering, one was immediately struck by the immense cloud cover. The mist seemed like drifting gauze, or perhaps white cloth, woven into the vision in varying densities, sometimes thick, sometimes thin.

As soon as the Ten Great Core Disciples stepped inside, they spotted a snow-white rabbit in the sky.

A rabbit that flies? It must be the Cloud Elemental Spirit Beast, the Cloud Rabbit. No one expected to see one so soon after entering the valley. Senior Brother Yun Yi raised a hand and summoned, "Gentle Breeze Approaching," directing the technique toward the Cloud Rabbit. This move could be light or heavy; light enough to capture the beast without injury, like a gentle breeze brushing the face, or heavy enough to kill the opponent instantly, leaving them with barely a flicker of pain, as if only a passing wind had touched them.

Senior Brother Yun Yi’s execution of "Gentle Breeze Approaching" was clearly masterful. Just as the Cloud Rabbit was about to fall into his grasp, a slightly curved flying sword suddenly shot in from the side. Among the Ten Great Core Disciples, only the second brother, Yun Ping, possessed a flying sword with any noticeable arc.

Yun Ping's flying sword, the Dragon Head Sword, was quite distinctive. It was not the typical straight blade but possessed a subtle curve, vaguely resembling the head of a dragon. His master, the Solitary Heart Sword User Dugu Ye, had specifically forged it for him, hoping he would become the leader of the Tenth Generation Disciples—the head of the dragons. The sword matched the master’s disposition: Solitary Heart Sword User Dugu Ye possessed considerable ambition, believing her disciple capable of leading the next generation, hence naming the sword Dragon Head Sword.

As for Senior Brother Yun Yi’s flying sword, it was named the Balanced Sword, embodying the concept of equilibrium and peace. This sword was neither too long nor too short, neither too sharp nor too dull, neither too wide nor too narrow—perfectly balanced. It was forged by Yun Yi’s master, Elder Yuanyuan, the Master of the Northern Peak, whose temperament was placid, and thus he wished his disciple to possess a peaceful nature.

The flying sword reflects the person.

The sword forged by each of the Six Sword Immortals of the Northern Peak mirrored their own personality.

Elder Yuanyuan, being temperate, forged the Balanced Sword.

Li Yuanbai, wishing his disciple to cultivate the vast, righteous energy of heaven and earth, forged the Nurturing Heaven Sword.

Sima Changbai, being domineering, wanted his disciple to become stronger, so he forged the Long Rainbow Sword for Sima Bo—a sword with the imposing momentum of a long rainbow piercing the sun.

Solitary Heart Sword User Dugu Ye, though a woman, was fiercely proud; the flying sword she forged was the Dragon Head Sword, hoping her disciple would lead the heroes.

The Gentleman Swordsman Fang Ru forged the Unyielding Sword for his disciple Ye Fang, demanding that Ye Fang be upright and incorruptible.

And the Smooth and Harmonious Sword User Ye Yangrong, he forged the Seven Aperture Sword for his disciple Ye Yuan, wishing Ye Yuan to be adaptable and respond cleverly to worldly affairs.

To return to the present, Yun Yi’s Balanced Sword and Yun Ping’s Dragon Head Sword collided heavily. Neither employed overly brute force, afraid of harming the Cloud Rabbit in their struggle. However, their spiritual power was so immense that even the other eight Core Disciples standing far away could feel the impact.

These two fighting over one Cloud Rabbit was actually good news for the other eight. If the top two had not contested it, the remaining eight would have had virtually no chance against them. After all, Senior Brother Yun Yi and Second Brother Yun Ping were far stronger than the others; they were in their forties or fifties with deep cultivation, whereas the other eight Core Disciples were only ten or twenty years old.

Now that the senior and second brothers were engaged with the Cloud Rabbit, it meant the remaining eight disciples were free to contend for the single Cloud Cat, presenting them with an opportunity.

The eight Core Disciples exchanged glances, clearly seeing each other as rivals. Of course, the main competition lay among the third sister, Ling Yuzhu, the fourth brother, Fang Dan, and the fifth brother, Sima Bo—the three strongest among them. As for the sixth disciple, Lu Yuan, despite his slightly better showing last time, his habitually lazy nature made it hard for others to view him as a major threat.

While the eight Core Disciples were sizing each other up, suddenly, there was a soft meow, and a flash of white light collided directly into Lu Yuan’s arms.

Lu Yuan looked down to find a cat—a snow-white cat—snuggled right in his embrace.

This was allowed?