The situation on the field shifted rapidly. Li Yundong’s decision to forsake the Divine Immortal Brush for Su Chan’s sake caused murmurs of admiration among the cultivators from various sects, secretly praising his devotion to beauty over earthly gains—a sentiment that, in ancient times, might have branded him a lustful tyrant leading his dynasty to ruin!

Li Yundong and Su Chan conversed intimately, seemingly oblivious to the world, leaving Zhou Qin and Zi Yuan watching from the sidelines, their hearts churning with a thousand complex emotions.

Ruan Hongling glanced at her senior sister, then suddenly addressed Li Yundong. "Since you aren't competing in this Lotus Gathering Tournament anymore, perhaps we should just leave?"

Li Yundong gently encircled Su Chan’s slender waist, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I came to the Lotus Gathering not just to vie for magical artifacts, but more importantly, to let the disciples of the Fox Zen Gate witness high-level combat. Especially for my apprentice, Zhou Qin, to observe how true cultivators battle."

Zhou Qin sighed softly, murmuring, "Master, without you on the stage, watching fights of this caliber isn't very engaging."

Li Yundong shook his head. "No, every sect has its own unique spells and fighting methods, and they often reveal their trump cards—their magic treasures. A treasure is akin to a secret weapon for any cultivator. Watching them closely will benefit you immensely; should you ever face one of them, that experience might just secure your victory! Furthermore, the Lotus Gathering gathers nearly all the top experts from the Daoist cultivation world across the realm. Such large-scale confrontations are rare. We cannot simply storm off just because of a minor setback or slight."

Zhou Qin and Zi Yuan listened, silently awed. This young man, barely twenty, possessed a foresight and a profound stability that suggested he had lived countless lifetimes.

Having heard Li Yundong, Zhou Qin dropped the subject of leaving. Su Chan, Ruan Hongling, and the little foxes also momentarily set aside their personal biases, focusing their attention intently on the arena.

Nearby, Cinnian and his group, who had remained silently observing with cold detachment, sipped their tea while sizing up Li Yundong and his companions. Cinnian let out a cold sneer, whispering, "Hmph, Tachibana-ko. The one you most wanted to see has left the stage and can never return. Do you still wish to watch this?"

Although Tachibana-ko understood spoken Chinese, she was still young and far from fluent, especially given the rapid, heated exchange that had just occurred. While she vaguely grasped some implications from the situation on the field, many things remained unclear. She asked, "Master Cinnian, why are these people treating this Li Yundong this way?"

Cinnian snorted. "This is the nature of the Chinese people—infighting! This nation is perpetually embroiled in internal strife, ceaselessly scheming for power and profit! Tachibana-ko, I doubt the fights coming up will be worth watching. Shall we go?"

Tachibana-ko cast a disappointed glance toward Li Yundong. "Master Cinnian, I don't know. But I’d like to stay a little longer. If it stops being interesting, we can leave then, okay?"

Cinnian smiled. "Very well. We shall do as you say."

It was only then that Li Yundong noticed the table beside them was occupied by the same group of loudmouthed Japanese men he had encountered at the West Garden Temple. A shock went through him, and his brow furrowed as he instinctively considered confronting them.

Yet, as the thought arose, he remembered he was currently at the Lotus Gathering and had already forfeited his right to compete. If he provoked them now, it might just invite further complications.

Besides, these Japanese men were currently quiet. Even if they wished to become arrogant, surely with so many cultivators from various sects present, they couldn't possibly overwhelm them?

With this thought, Li Yundong forcefully suppressed the impulse.

At this moment, Wan Zhenyuan, standing in the arena, glanced at Li Yundong, shaking his head subtly. Worry etched itself onto his mind, though his expression remained unreadable. He addressed the crowd. "Honorable Cultivators, True Master Li has withdrawn from the Lotus Gathering. Who will step forward next?"

Although the cultivators had managed to remove the strongest contender, Li Yundong, they were not yet mentally prepared to take his place. They exchanged wary glances, hesitant to step forward.

At that moment, Zhang Cunyi boomed, "Since no one else is coming forward, I shall take the stage." With that, he walked to the center, bowed to the assembly, and announced, "Which cultivator would care to offer guidance?"

As soon as Zhang Cunyi finished speaking, a young man leaped out, declaring loudly, "I am Zhao He of the Eastern Splendor Sect. True Master Zhang, your presence is requested?"

Upon seeing Zhang Cunyi enter the arena, the little foxes ground their teeth and whispered curses: "Lose, I hope you lose utterly, you shameless bastard!"

"Right, better be beaten to death up there!"

Li Yundong glared at them, scolding quietly, "What nonsense are you spouting? Haven't we caused enough trouble already?"

Startled, the little foxes instantly sat up straight, adopting expressions of demure obedience, like scolded young wives.

Zhou Qin watched the exchange, quietly asking Li Yundong, "Master, who do you think will win between Zhang Cunyi and Zhao He?"

Li Yundong glanced at both men and murmured, "Zhang Cunyi!"

Zhou Qin was surprised. "You know already without them fighting? How can you tell?"

Li Yundong explained, "Setting aside personal grudges, Zhang Cunyi is intrinsically a very powerful cultivator. I crossed swords with him once at Tianlong Mountain. He tried to ambush me privately then, but I was prepared. Later, when we exchanged blows, I could feel the immense, deep reserves of his True Essence; he truly comes from a renowned lineage and is formidable. Furthermore, look at the Three Sovereigns Sword on his back—that is an extraordinarily potent magic treasure..."

As he was speaking, Zhao He bowed and smiled to Zhang Cunyi. "True Master Zhang, they say your Three Sovereigns Sword is mighty. I wish to experience its power today, how about it?"

Everyone present froze, wondering internally: The Three Sovereigns Sword is one of the Five Great Divine Swords of the Daoist world; isn't challenging it directly suicidal for this man?

Zhang Cunyi also paused, then responded decisively, "Good. As you wish!" He turned and slapped a black satchel behind him. With a whoosh, a three-foot-long treasured sword leaped out.

Most spectators had heard the name of the Three Sovereigns Sword but rarely seen the actual item. Now, witnessing the presence of one of the Five Great Divine Swords of the Daoist realm, their eyes widened in awe.

The sword was entirely white, appearing utterly unremarkable. A splash of red tassel adorned the hilt. This long sword hovered steadily in mid-air, emitting no chime and displaying no arrogant, challenging fighting spirit. Its plainness made many wonder if this was truly the Three Sovereigns Sword, or merely an ordinary blade.

Zhao He examined the Three Sovereigns Sword closely, then swiftly revealed his own artifact: a pair of twin hooks.

Zhou Qin observed that the hooks were similar in length to the sword but terminated in a circular hook at the tip. She couldn't help but ask, "What kind of magic treasure is that?"

Zi Yuan suddenly smiled beside her. "I wondered why Zhao He dared challenge Zhang Cunyi over artifacts—it turns out he is relying on weapon superiority!"

Li Yundong nodded. "Indeed. Among weapons, twin hooks are designed to counter long swords. These hooks can seize and bind the sword, preventing the opponent from counterattacking."

However, before they finished speaking, after the two bowed to one another, a flash of white light erupted in the arena, followed by a sharp clang on the ground. Zhao He’s artifact had already been defeated. The moment his twin hooks locked onto the Three Sovereigns Sword, the sword twisted, instantly slicing the hooks into two pieces that fell to the earth.

A massive uproar followed, filled with gasps of astonishment! Zhao He stood frozen on the spot, seemingly unable to believe what his eyes had shown him!

Li Yundong exclaimed in surprise, "Is the Three Sovereigns Sword really that sharp? I expected it to win, but I didn't imagine it would be this quick?"

Zhou Qin stared wide-eyed at the sword. She noticed it was now radiating shades of cyan, yellow, and black. She gasped, "The sword is changing color?"

Li Yundong explained softly, "This is the true appearance of the Three Sovereigns Sword. These three colors represent three distinct powers. You must understand, the Three Sovereigns Sword is the guardian treasure of the Qingyang Palace in Sichuan. It is usually enshrined in the Jade Emperor Hall, and enshrined directly beneath it are the Three Sovereigns' patron deities: the Three Officials Great Sovereigns!"

"The Three Officials Great Sovereigns?" Zhou Qin asked curiously. "What are they?"

Li Yundong replied, "They are the Heavenly Official who governs Heaven, the Earthly Official who governs Earth, and the Water Official who governs Water—also known as the Three Primordial Sovereigns. Heaven, Earth, and Water constitute the primary makeup of this world, thus the power of the Three Sovereigns Sword originates from these three deities. See? The cyan color refers to the Heavenly Official, the yellow to the Earthly Official, and the black to the Water Official."

Zi Yuan chimed in with an addition. "Correct. Legend holds that the Primordial Heavenly Venerate forged the Three Sovereigns Sword by drawing the Nine Primordial Energies from the Supreme Void, the Seven Pure Energies from the Nine Earthly Caves, and the Five Bright Energies from the Wind Marsh of the Cavernous Sun. This was achieved over eighty-one cycles of refinement on the day of the full moon in autumn. The Primordial Heavenly Venerate later passed this divine sword, imbued with the power of the Three Officials Great Sovereigns, to Yao, Shun, and Yu. Thus, these three Human Emperors all wielded this divine sword, which is why our cultivation world calls it the Three Sovereigns Sword!"

Zhou Qin finally understood, gazing with a mix of awe and trepidation at the treasured sword enveloped in tri-colored divine light. She thought inwardly: If my artifact had faced it, could it have stood a chance? Or would it too have been severed in an instant?

As if sensing her thoughts, Li Yundong offered soft consolation. "Zhou Qin, don't dwell on it. No matter how mighty a magic treasure is, it is ultimately an inanimate object capable only of spiritual communion. The key lies with the wielder. If the person using it is powerful, the artifact becomes exponentially stronger. If the wielder lacks true strength, the artifact's power will be severely diminished."

Zhou Qin nodded silently, committing his words to memory.

Nearby, Tachibana-ko stared open-mouthed at the dazzling divine light emanating from the Three Sovereigns Sword. She couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh! That sword looks incredibly potent!"

Cinnian swept a glance over the divine sword, chuckled, and pointed at Shinshu. "Shinshu can snatch that sword barehanded!"

Tachibana-ko immediately deflated with disappointment. "Ah? Really? So it’s just for show then?"

Shinshu, who had been standing silently with the deference of a mere servant, spoke softly. "Tachibana-ko, no matter how powerful the artifact, it depends on who wields it. These cultivators from China have insufficient cultivation; even possessing the most formidable divine artifact is useless to them!"

The three Japanese whispered amongst themselves. Zi Yuan, overhearing their conversation, shot them another look, a slight frown creasing her brow.

Li Yundong keenly registered her subtle change and inquired, "Zi Yuan, what is it?"

Zi Yuan considered for a moment, then murmured to Li Yundong, "Nothing much. These Japanese look down on our Chinese cultivators."

Li Yundong let out a cold snort. "They already claimed that there were no masters on the Chinese continent. I wanted to teach them a lesson, but unfortunately, no good opportunity arose."

Zi Yuan huffed, showing a rare flash of anger. "Those arrogant little islanders dare to cause trouble here! Forget it, let's ignore them and continue watching the duels!"

Zhang Cunyi, looking triumphant, cupped his hands toward the audience. "Honorable Cultivators, who else wishes to test the divine might of the Three Sovereigns Sword?"

The crowd, previously stunned by the sword's sharpness and divine authority, now hesitated, terrified that if they stepped forward, their own artifacts might be instantly sliced apart like Zhao He’s, a prospect too agonizing to contemplate.

A moment of collective hesitation passed as no one dared advance. Cinnian, watching from the side, sneered repeatedly. He finally could not restrain himself and addressed Shinshu. "Shinshu, why don't you go try it out?"

Shinshu was overjoyed at the command. He straightened his spine, instantly transforming from a servile, somewhat ignoble attendant into a figure of imposing presence with sharp, piercing eyes—a true master.

Shinshu took one step forward and announced loudly, "I shall!"