So, a Tai Sui? Lu Yuan felt a distinct flicker of interest. First off, it was meat! Lu Yuan had consumed pork, mutton, rabbit, bird, duck, chicken, dog, dragon-flesh, tiger, wolf, snake, and many other types of meat, but never Tai Sui flesh. Naturally, he was intrigued. Furthermore, he had never actually seen a Tai Sui before; he was keen to take a look. Was this the Tai Sui? Lu Yuan peered over. Upon a translucent, jade-green spiritual plate rested a quiet slab of meat. He casually drew his sword and sliced off a piece; the piece in his hand was immediately replaced by new growth on the main mass. For a mortal, this was an unparalleled treasure; for a nation, it was equally priceless. No wonder its heavenly definition was so high. While the other cultivators nearby showed no interest, Lu Yuan was intrigued. Coincidentally, he possessed a very small spatial artifact, usually used for storing wine. He promptly tossed the wine into his Asura Pouch and dropped the Tai Sui inside as well.

Returning to the crowd, Yang Kaixin asked in a low voice, "By the way, I heard that geniuses in the cultivation world are usually quite keen on combat. Since the group competition can't happen this time, and you won't encounter the legendary Eighteen Arhat Formation, are you disappointed?" Lu Yuan raised his wine gourd and took a deep, potent sip. "What's there to regret? And while we're at it, I have no interest in combat itself, especially not when the opponent uses an Arhat Formation—that isn't swordplay at all. If it were the legendary True Martial Seven Intercepts Sword Formation, a genuine sword array, I might be interested." Yang Kaixin was stunned. This fellow was truly eccentric. No interest in fighting, yet interested in sword techniques—truly...

Lu Yuan was enjoying his drink leisurely when a mental transmission reached him: "You surnamed Lu, stop aiming for our young mistress." Lu Yuan glanced over and saw Mo Liu, a mature woman resembling a flowing sash, glaring at him. Lu Yuan merely shrugged, paying her attention no mind. He had always been a free-spirited loner; pursuing female cultivators would likely get him killed, which was too troublesome. And he had always been a pursuer of a simple life. Simply practicing the sword, without a single extraneous thought, unconcerned with whether the technique was powerful or legendary—only concerned with the sword technique itself, which was the most profound mystery. Simply drinking wine, regardless of whether it was famous or cheap, only concerned with the feeling while drinking. Living simply, remaining uninvolved in any conflict, though, of course, if someone crossed his line, he would retaliate. A simple life was what he truly sought—pursuing girls was too complicated. Of course, watching the young female cultivators holding umbrellas and moving gracefully in the rain on a rainy day was actually a visual treat; that was worth going to see.

Outside the True Martial Grotto-Heaven. Ao Long Shangren Yue Hanzhi of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect laughed heartily, "It seems things are nearly wrapped up. Junior Brother Yin, tell me, isn't your Wudang Immortal Sect going to finish last again? But then again, it would be hard for Wudang not to be last. The Great Dharma Flower Temple is the foremost immortal sect, and those few at the Fifth Level of Longevity from the Carefree Immortal Sect are not easily trifled with... Oh, and I hear Song Dongxia learned a few moves from his elder brother Song Qinqiu, who is at the Grand Dao Realm; he's quite the handful. The formless sword qi from the Formless Sword Immortal Sect gives us headaches too. As for our Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect, Ye Hou was trained well this time. For you Wudang to surpass us is impossible." Yue Hanzi feigned distress, "What's going on? Counting from left to right, I cannot see a single shred of chance for you to win." Yin Zheng stroked his beard, his expression unchanged. "Let's wait until the results are out before discussing anything." Outwardly calm, he knew the reality—this time, his side was in trouble; it was truly difficult. The four major immortal sects of the Great Qin Kingdom had sent stronger forces than anticipated. Hong Ri, Hua Yue, and Qiu Xing were still too green. Perhaps Lu Yuan would create a miracle; he often did so in Jin State. But Yin Zheng shook his head; it was impossible. Lu Yuan's cultivation was still a bit too low; if he were one or two levels higher, perhaps. Moreover, Lu Yuan's biggest weakness was that he had never faced anyone from the Great Qin Kingdom. This would be his first encounter with their techniques, destined to suffer a great loss. Of course, Yin Zheng did not know that Lu Yuan had once accompanied Yan Cangtian to Great Qin.

As the two Shangren-level figures exchanged a few words, the five statistical personnel emerged. These five were sent by the five immortal sects to keep count. Their appearance only meant the internal counting was complete. Yue Hanzhi laughed again, "Right, which immortal sect is ranked fifth?" He cast a cold glance at Yin Zheng. The relationship between the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect and the Wudang Immortal Sect was indeed unique. Yin Zheng had just been stubbornly defiant; now, he would let these results teach him not to be so stubborn. The five statistical personnel hesitated slightly, "The sect ranked fifth is the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect." This was a slap in the face that could not be ignored. The reality was that Ye Hou of the Scarlet Dragon Immortal Sect was the most unfortunate; he encountered Master Jifa earliest and was defeated by him, thus placing last. Yue Hanzhi’s smile froze. He had fully expected Wudang Immortal Sect to be last, delivering a crushing blow to them. Who knew that instead of hitting Wudang, his own Scarlet Dragon Sect would end up last? The ensuing awkwardness was profound.

Yin Zheng was inwardly ecstatic. He had no grand expectations; as long as they weren't last, he would be satisfied. He dared not ask for more. By the protection of the Great True Martial Emperor, by the protection of the Founding Ancestor, by the protection of all the ancestors and patriarchs of Wudang, they had not completely lost the True Martial Grotto-Heaven left by their predecessors. If the Grotto-Heaven were lost during his generation, not only would Yin Zheng and the contemporary Wudang Seven Sons lose all face, but they would also feel ashamed before the ancestors of Wudang even in death. To have finally secured the True Martial Grotto-Heaven—at this moment, Yin Zheng nearly wept. Given his status and self-control, the fact that he was on the verge of tears showed the depth of his emotion.

After a period of silence, Yue Hanzi inquired again, "Then who is ranked fourth?" He refused to believe Wudang Immortal Sect could rank higher. "The fourth-ranked is the Carefree Immortal Sect." This time, it was the Shangren-level cultivator from the Carefree Immortal Sect, Shangren Fang Wentian, who looked embarrassed. How could the Carefree Immortal Sect be ranked fourth? This outcome seemed to surprise everyone present. No one had anticipated this result. "The third-ranked is the Formless Sword Immortal Sect." Silence. A period of silence followed. Everyone now felt a strangeness in the air. Could it be that a high-ranking immortal sect like Wudang could actually defeat the four major immortal sects to claim first place? If so, where would the faces of the four major sects be? No, that couldn't be right either. The numerous Shangren-level figures possessed formidable eyesight; with one glance, they could discern that the highest cultivation among the Wudang elders present was merely the Fourth Level of Longevity. How could they possibly defeat the cultivators from the four great immortal sects? "The second-ranked is the Wudang Immortal Sect." Finally, not first place, which managed to save a little dignity, but why was it so bizarre? How could Wudang Immortal Sect rank second? Everyone looked at Yin Zheng, suspecting he had secretly manipulated something. As it turned out, Yin Zheng himself was baffled. The strongest among his subordinates were only Hong Ri, Hua Yue, and Qiu Xing—all at the Fourth Level of Longevity. With them leading, merely avoiding last place would require divine intervention. What was happening now? They were ranked second, and Yin Zheng was confused. "The first-ranked is the Great Dharma Flower Temple." With the first place announced, everyone lost interest in them, focusing instead on the mystery of Wudang Immortal Sect managing to achieve second place. Alas, in the past four thousand years of history, Wudang Immortal Sect had never achieved such a feat.

A moment later, those who had entered the True Martial Grotto-Heaven emerged. Shortly after their appearance, the Tortoise and Serpent Gates of the Grotto-Heaven slammed shut with a crack. The tortoise and snake spun relentlessly, one moment the tortoise above, the next the snake, and after a brief while, the Tortoise-Serpent Qi vanished without a trace. The cave entrance reopened, but it was no longer the True Martial Grotto-Heaven; it was just an ordinary mountain cave. "What happened?" "What exactly was going on with the True Martial Grotto-Heaven this time?" the Shangren masters questioned their junior brothers. The elders who entered the Grotto-Heaven immediately recounted the events. Upon hearing it all, the Shangren masters all turned their gazes toward Lu Yuan within the Wudang crowd. Naturally, Mo Liu recognized Lu Yuan’s identity and immediately announced it. Yue Hanzhi sneered, "So, it was all fake in the end. If it was fake, Wudang Immortal Sect should still rank last, and you would forfeit ownership of the True Martial Grotto-Heaven." Yin Zheng smiled. "Who said it was fake? Lu Yuan's identity is that of a disciple of the Mount Hua Immortal Sect, but he is also a guest disciple of our Wudang Immortal Sect. What? Can every immortal sect have guest elders, but Wudang cannot have a somewhat unconventional guest disciple?" As Yin Zheng spoke, his mind was racing furiously. He never expected Lu Yuan to be capable of such a significant contribution. When he invited Lu Yuan to assist, he hadn't placed high hopes on him; it was just that Lu Yuan happened to be available and needed to visit the Sword Pool anyway, so he brought along an extra hand. Who would have thought that this casual helper would turn out to be such a great aid? Ao Long Shangren Yue Hanzhi had been furious at the Scarlet Dragon Sect being fifth and Wudang second. Once he calmed down, he realized Yin Zheng's explanation was perfectly reasonable and unassailable. Yue Hanzhi noticed that the surroundings had become utterly silent. There was the sound of sharp intakes of breath.

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