Cheng Jian looked at Chu Liang’s smiling face, feeling an indescribable bitterness.

The news of Chu Liang forging a top-grade Golden Elixir had long spread throughout Shu Mountain. Coupled with his previous overwhelming victories over Xu Ziyang and Jiang Yuebai in the Mountain God Sacrifice and the Heavenly Ladder Path, he had repeatedly taken the crown.

Therefore, the expectations of his fellow Shu Mountain disciples were very high. Even though his time since forming the Golden Elixir was short and he was not yet a match for Xu and Jiang in real combat, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to crush his peers who were at the level of divine understanding.

Cheng Jian could accept that.

But Chu Liang had won by resorting to what seemed like a cunning approach, using a composite magical artifact and tactics akin to a sneak attack.

This inevitably made Cheng Jian feel as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly.

It also made the audience wonder whether his true combat strength was not as strong as it seemed, hence the need for such tactics.

It could be said that Chu Liang’s victory had actually lowered his reputation.

As for Chu Liang himself, he was quite calm about it, giving a slight bow before leaping down from the arena, turning around to leave with an air of nonchalance as if the surrounding discussions didn’t exist.

The main competition and entertainment matches of the Shu Mountain Summit were interspersed, with the first round of arena battles today followed by the preliminary rounds of the flying sword speed race tomorrow.

Chu Liang was also participating in this race and needed to go back to prepare.

At this moment, Lin Bei stopped him and asked, “The next match is Senior Sister Jiang’s. Aren’t you going to watch before you leave?”

“Do I need to watch Senior Sister Jiang’s match? It’s sure to be a quick victory,” Chu Liang said with a smile.

Despite saying that, he paused his steps.

There was no harm in waiting a little longer.

At this point, the disparity in popularity was evident.

Even though the previous match had been quite lively, many Shu Mountain disciples and disciples from other immortal sects had not arrived. Now, as Jiang Yuebai’s match was about to begin, the venue suddenly filled with many more people.

In no time, it was a sea of humanity!

Although the disciples from various immortal sects who came to watch were provided with food and lodging by Shu Mountain, the summit lasted for several days, and they couldn’t all stay here the whole time. Many who lived not far away had returned to their own sects after the opening ceremony, only to come back for matches that interested them.

Jiang Yuebai’s match was clearly one of “interest.”

Even some who hadn’t attended the opening ceremony had come. Such a grand event, fully open to the public by Shu Mountain, was not common, and it was also a good opportunity to visit.

In a corner of the venue stood a tall, white-robed young man with eyes like ink dots, bright as shining stars. With his arms crossed, he stood there, seemingly relaxed, yet forming a vortex of attention all on his own.

Just by standing there, he became the center of focus.

Seeing Jiang Yuebai ascend the stage, he clapped his hands and shouted, “Go, Fairy Jiang!”

“That’s Feng Chaoyang from the Heavenly King Sect. It’s said that this guy has always harbored some designs on Senior Sister Jiang,” Lin Bei said with hostility, snorting before turning his head and shouting, “Senior Sister Jiang, keep your love within the Shu Mountain Sect!”

Chu Liang looked over and noticed that the audience from the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths was clearly divided into two factions.

One faction was led by Feng Chaoyang, including the Heavenly King Sect, Tian Shu Pavilion, Sea King Sect, and others that had split from the Heavenly Star Divine Church. They now stood together, forming a circle.

Although the Heavenly Star Divine Church had split many years ago and the branches had fought fiercely in the early years, the current split had stabilized, and the sects had found a sense of kinship through their natural familial ties.

Perhaps it was also due to reality, as the Penglai Upper Sect dominated the immortal cultivation world, and only by uniting could the various sects of the Heavenly Star lineage balance the scales somewhat. After developing separately, the combined strength of these sects was much stronger than the former Heavenly Star Divine Church, something even the Penglai Upper Sect could not ignore.

The real scattering was like stars across the sky.

Opposing Feng Chaoyang’s circle were not the people from the Penglai Upper Sect, as the core disciples of the Penglai Upper Sect had not come to watch. Perhaps they did not regard the declining Shu Mountain very highly, or they still held some arrogance.

At the center of that circle was a majestic and robust young man with a beard…

Yes, despite his youthful face, suggesting he was no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, he sported a thick, neatly trimmed beard.

Around him stood disciples from other Ten Earth sects, such as the Ascending Dragon Academy and Chong Lou Temple, who faced off against Feng Chaoyang’s faction without falling short.

“That’s Deng Yixiao, ranked third among the core disciples of Thunder Fortress. In recent years, Thunder Fortress has been aligning with the imperial court, and along with the Ascending Dragon Academy and Chong Lou Temple, which were established with the full support of the Yu Dynasty, they are likely to be closely related,” Lin Bei added.

“It seems they don’t get along well with the Heavenly Star faction,” Chu Liang remarked.

“On a smaller scale, Feng Chaoyang just had a big fight with Wei Tiandi, the second in command of Thunder Fortress, so there are naturally conflicts,” Lin Bei explained. “On a larger scale, in recent years, the imperial court has been courting the Penglai Upper Sect from above and drawing in Thunder Fortress from below. As for the Heavenly Star sects, which have never been very cooperative with imperial decrees, suppression has always been the main approach. It’s inevitable that they have conflicts.”

After finishing, he muttered under his breath, “Fight, fight.”Chu Liang nodded. In complex situations, having such an inquisitive and well-informed person by his side could indeed save him a lot of effort.

He had only heard a little about these high-level power plays and didn’t understand them well, as he had never before been in a position to represent Shu Mountain. He knew that Shu Mountain’s stance was likely to be closer to the Tianxing faction, as their circumstances were quite similar. Only in this way could they maintain their dignity under the pressure of the Penglai sect and the imperial court.

However…

Looking at Di Nvfeng, then at Sister Jiang who was competing on the stage.

Chu Liang felt that as a minor character, he didn’t necessarily have to share the same stance as Shu Mountain.

Compared to the undercurrents beneath the surface, Sister Jiang’s competition on the stage was not as exciting.

In previous years, Golden Elixir disciples could directly enter the next round as seeded players. This year, due to the large number of Golden Elixir disciples, the seeded player system was abolished.

This inevitably led to matches with a huge disparity in realms.

Jiang Yuebai’s opponent in this match was a disciple at the peak of the Divine Intent realm, who, in theory, was not weak.

But he couldn’t withstand even a single move from Jiang Yuebai.

Wherever Jiang Yuebai’s sword qi went, his flying sword fell to the ground in response, and thanks to Jiang Yuebai’s mercy, he himself was not injured.

The only exciting part was what he said afterward.

“I lost…” He looked at the flying sword on the ground, murmured, and then suddenly raised his head and said, “But Sister Jiang, I want to tell you… I have admired you for a long time!”

“Sigh—”

A wave-like chorus of boos immediately blasted him off the stage, and if he had said a few more words, he might have been pelted with bricks and eggs.

…

After watching Sister Jiang’s match, Chu Liang wasn’t too concerned about the subsequent battles and returned to Silver Sword Peak to prepare.

Tomorrow was the Flying Sword Speed Contest, and he planned to practice a bit first.

The preliminary race was probably just a few laps around the mountain, and he was confident enough in his sword control to believe that a little practice would make it easy to advance.

Whoosh—

Riding the Dustless Sword, his qi burst forth, and in the blink of an eye, he flew around the entire Silver Sword Peak, leaving behind white lines of qi in the air, weaving into a pattern like a winding dragon.

Just as he landed, he heard a voice say, “Too slow.”

“Hm?” Chu Liang frowned and looked over.

He saw Wen Yulong emerge from one side, shaking his head and saying, “Brother Chu, why didn’t you tell me earlier that you signed up for the Flying Sword Speed Contest? I could have helped you prepare. I only remembered to look for you when I saw your name on the Sword Transmission Hall’s list, but it’s too late now.”

“Wen Junior Brother, I was just about to thank you,” Chu Liang said with a smile, “Thanks to the magical instrument you crafted, I easily won a match in the arena. But from what you’re saying, my sword flying speed is not up to par?”

This was somewhat surprising to Chu Liang. Given his cultivation and control, he was considered top-notch in Shu Mountain. Even if his sword flying wasn’t the strongest, it shouldn’t be so unsatisfactory to Wen Yulong, should it?

“With Brother Chu’s cultivation, it is indeed too slow,” Wen Yulong sighed, “The Flying Sword Speed Contest is different from regular sword flying. The flying sword you usually use is primarily for combat, and when it’s forged, it emphasizes lethality. But during the speed contest, everything is only about speed, which is a whole different matter.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying there are flying swords specially forged for racing?” Chu Liang quickly grasped the meaning of his words.

“Of course, there are,” Wen Yulong said. “On Shu Mountain, the Five Sword Peaks, Starfire Peak, Falling Goose Peak… all have strong legacies of flying sword racing, with many techniques and specially designed racing swords passed down from generation to generation.”

The Five Sword Peaks included Silver Sword Peak.

But Chu Liang had not received any guidance.

The legacy of Silver Sword Peak had been broken for many years, and it was only later that Di Nvfeng took over, which in fact had nothing to do with one of the original Five Sword Peaks.

The other peaks, however, had never had a break in their legacies, and perhaps some things could be passed down from one generation to the next.

Like flying swords specially designed for racing, they might not have any combat formations, but are instead imbued with formations that enhance speed, resulting in a lightning-fast effect. The Dustless Sword, although powerful, would still be at a disadvantage against these specialized racing swords.

Yet Chu Liang had been completely unaware of this.

“It’s probably too late to change swords now…” Chu Liang pondered.

A flying sword isn’t necessarily better the faster it is; there needs to be a process of familiarization. Suddenly controlling an unfamiliar flying sword at high speed could lead to accidents.

“Changing swords is definitely not an option, but I can add some basic magical instruments for you. With your advantage in cultivation, at least you can ensure you advance tomorrow,” Wen Yulong also considered for him.

After so many interactions, he and Chu Liang had already become close friends.

As he spoke, he took out four silver chain bracelets, “These are the Hand Orient Loong and Foot Orient Loong, try putting them on.”

“Hand Orient Loong, Foot Orient Loong?” Chu Liang took them, puzzled.

Following Wen Yulong’s instructions, he put two on his hands and the other two on his feet, and with a slight push of his qi.

Swoosh—Four bracelets immediately shot out a silver light, each releasing a chain that coiled forward.

“In the flying sword speed competition, the immense velocity brings about formidable power, and merely relying on true qi to adhere to the flying sword often results in the body becoming detached, leading to accidents. Therefore, using the Orient Loong God shackles to secure the flying sword allows one to accelerate with greater confidence,” he explained.

Chu Liang nodded in agreement.

He himself had also suffered from the trouble of his body detaching due to excessive speed. Naturally, it was impossible to use such shackles to bind oneself to the sword in battle, as that would be too dangerous. However, for a pure speed competition, this could definitely be of great benefit.

Then, Wen Yulong took out four yellow talismans, “These are Wind-Riding Talismans.”

“Aren’t talismans forbidden in the flying sword speed competition?” Chu Liang asked.

Although he was not familiar with the traditions of the speed competition, he had still studied the rules.

“These aren’t to be attached to the flying sword, but to your body,” Wen Yulong said, “In the competition, a miss is as good as a mile, and when experts contend, even a slight weight can affect the outcome. Therefore, they all use Wind-Riding Talismans to lift their bodies, negating the weight of the flesh. This is allowed by the rules, and four Wind-Riding Talismans are just enough for you to use.”

“This…” Listening to his explanation, Chu Liang couldn’t help but say, “Indeed, you’ve thought of everything.”

“These are just to ensure you don’t fall behind others at the start, but the real victory still depends on strength,” Wen Yulong said, “It is said that in the past, a Sword God from Falling Goose Peak didn’t need any of these things, and could even hold a block of tofu in both hands and defeat all opponents. After reaching the finish line first, the tofu would remain completely undamaged.”