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"What a pity," Di Nvfeng shook her head repeatedly, "just a bit short…"
"I anticipated as much," Wang Xuanling snorted coldly, as if he had been certain of Jiang Yuebai's victory all along.
Sikong, the elder standing by, glanced at him and smiled without a word.
He had just witnessed Wang Xuanling, despite sitting upright and expressionless, his lips trembling slightly and his fingers secretly clutching his sleeves underneath, seemingly muttering to himself for Jiang Yuebai's assured victory.
His nervousness was probably many times stronger than Di Nvfeng's.
After all, if he really lost the position of the peak master to Di Nvfeng, it would be a great shame for the ancestors of Shu Mountain. To put it bluntly, if something unexpected happened to Wen Yuan Senior, wouldn't Di Nvfeng suddenly become the leader of Shu Mountain?
Who would dare to imagine such a scene?
"What did you anticipate?My disciple, no matter how bad he is, beat your disciple to get into the final, how dare you clamor?" Di Nvfeng immediately retorted.
"You…" Wang Xuanling was momentarily furious.
After issuing the human rights mandate to the chief disciple, Wen Yuan Senior also flew back to the viewing platform, ready to leave.
Just then, someone suddenly stood up from the audience seats, flew down to the center of the arena, and attracted everyone's attention.
The man was dressed like a scholar, with a broad face and no beard, a calm demeanor, and a smile on his face as he landed on the platform and said loudly, "Wen Yuan Senior, please hold on, I have a question."
"Hmm?" The people of Shu Mountain all stood up, looking at this unexpected challenger.
Wen Yuan Senior gently raised his hand, signaling everyone to calm down, and asked from afar, "Who might you be, sir? And what is your question?"
"I am Lu Chengchou, an unknown figure from afar," the scholar replied loudly, "I want to ask, as everyone knows, the chief disciple of Shu Mountain holds the human rights mandate, the peak masters hold the earth rights mandate, and the leader holds the heaven rights mandate. Since Wen Yuan Senior has been in charge of Shu Mountain for many years, you must have the heaven rights mandate in your hands, right?"
Hearing this, everyone was puzzled. It was only natural for the leader of Shu Mountain to have the heaven rights mandate. What was there to ask?
But the elders of the Dan Ding, Si Lu, including Sikong, the oldest of the Shu Mountain elders, all had a slight change in their expressions.
Wen Yuan Senior calmly countered, "Why is Mr. Lu concerned about our Shu Mountain's tokens?"
"Hehe, there's no need to feign ignorance," Lu Chengchou revealed a cold smile, looking up, "Today, in front of all friends of the cultivation world, I want to ask you, without the heaven rights mandate, on what basis do you claim to be the leader of Shu Mountain?"
"Oh—"
The crowd was in an uproar.
Wen Yuan Senior had been in charge of Shu Mountain for many years and was well-respected. In this era when the divine did not appear, being a realm eight powerhouse was already the pinnacle. Despite his amiable appearance, he could destroy mountains and seas with a flip of his hand!
How dare you challenge him?
However, faced with Lu Chengchou's questioning, Wen Yuan Senior did not get angry but paused and then said, "The heaven rights mandate of Shu Mountain was indeed lost many years ago and has not been found to this day. However, even without the heaven rights mandate, I have been the leader of Shu Mountain for many years. If there is anything improper, it should be raised by the disciples of Shu Mountain, and Mr. Lu need not worry about it."
Everyone found this reasonable.
After all, this was an internal matter of Shu Mountain. Wen Yuan Senior was already being patient by explaining so much. Besides, he had been the leader for many years and no longer needed a token to prove his identity.
"Humph, am I not a person of Shu Mountain?" Lu Chengchou shook his head, "My family has been passing down the tradition in Shu Mountain for over a thousand years. Who among you dares to say that the Lu family is not part of Shu Mountain?"
"The Lu family…"
Everyone looked at each other, whispering and inquiring.
Di Nvfeng nudged Sikong with her elbow, "Is this true?"
"Alas…" Sikong sighed, "In the early years, the Lu family was indeed the number one family in Shu Mountain. Their ancestors had been leaders for two terms and almost had a third…"
"So you are a descendant of the Lu family, then you may stay in Shu Mountain, and we can discuss any matters in detail," Wen Yuan Senior still spoke warmly.
"So you admit that I am a person of Shu Mountain?" Lu Chengchou sneered again, "Look, what is this?"
With that, he raised a white jade token high, the true energy shining brightly, carrying a heavy sense of antiquity. A "heaven" character could be vaguely seen, similar in outline and style to the one given to Jiang Yuebai earlier.
"The heaven rights mandate?"
Connecting his words from earlier, everyone recognized what it was.
Lu Chengchou enunciated, "I am a person of Shu Mountain, I am on Shu Mountain, I hold the heaven rights mandate, who has the right to command me?"
***
"This is where the Purple and Green Twin Swords reside in seclusion. If you follow this cave all the way to the end, you should be able to see them," the Elder of Sword Transmission stood outside a cave on Sword Casket Peak, guiding them, "At that time, the twin swords will make their own choice. If you are chosen, you become the sword master. If not, don't be disheartened, as it all depends on fate."
"Yes!" The four disciples responded in unison.
The cave ahead was spacious, and they walked in together. The cave indeed had strong remnants of sword energy, indicating that the Purple and Green Twin Swords often traversed here.
Without the permission of the elders, ordinary disciples would never dare to enter, or they might be severed by the fleeting Purple and Green Twin Swords.
They proceeded into the belly of the mountain, which suddenly opened up, revealing two jade beds on a high platform in the belly of the mountain, each with array patterns nurturing sword energy, apparently prepared by Shu Mountain for the twin swords.
However, the Purple and Green Twin Swords were not on them, and the cave was empty.
"They're not here?" Ling Ao spoke up.
"The twin swords enjoy freedom; they might be out playing," Jiang Yuebai said.
Chu Liang frowned, feeling that things might not be so simple.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard a wind behind him, and a purple lightning bolt raced towards him! A green dragon followed closely, both sword lights flying towards Chu Liang's face!
The intense sharpness of the sword energy made Chu Liang's scalp explode, and his body immediately flew backward. But the sword lights were too fast and had already surpassed him.
As he retreated, he bumped into a cold sword body. A green sword also followed, and the purple and green lights began to circle around him.
An ethereal voice echoed in the cave… but with a Sichuan accent.
"I've chosen him, you go pick another," a robust male voice said.
"I've also chosen him, why don't you pick someone else?" a crisp female voice followed.
It was said that the Purple Ying Sword was male and the Green Suo Sword was female. The male voice should be the spirit of the Purple Ying Sword, and the female voice, the spirit of the Green Suo Sword.
"I need to choose a boy, there's not no girl for you to choose," the male sword added.
"Who says a female sword must choose a girl? You're allowed to find another woman, but I'm not allowed to find another man… I've had men before," the female sword's voice seemed annoyed.
"Don't be angry with me again, this is important," the male sword said.
"I don't care! I choose him!" the female sword was adamant.
The two sword lights circled Chu Liang, neither willing to leave, bickering back and forth.
This spectacle left Chu Liang quite baffled. What was going on? Was this a lovers' quarrel? This is why they say colleagues shouldn't date; it really affects the work…
The other three were also exchanging glances, the Purple and Green Twin Swords were competing to make Chu Liang their sword master? And the three of them were being ignored, which was quite awkward.
Jiang Yuebai blinked, everyone thought she, being the chief disciple and a woman, would surely be chosen by one of the swords, but now…
Did she win a lonely victory?
"I've told you many times, I really went to discuss important matters with Hakutaku. Besides, even if she's a woman, she's a divine beast, and I'm a sword… how could we possibly…?" the male sword said helplessly.
"What important matters do you have to discuss behind my back? Out with it," the female sword was relentless.
Chu Liang thought to himself, this is bad. The whole of Shu Mountain was hoping for the twin swords to unite, and if this wasn't explained clearly, the twin swords might divorce before anything else.
The male sword sighed, "Alright, alright, I can't handle you. Just listen to me explain."
The female sword retorted, "I won't listen! Go explain to some other woman!"
Male sword: "?"
Chu Liang, Xu Ziyang, Ling Ao: "?"
Jiang Yuebai couldn't help but speak up, "You need to watch your attitude. It's not that she's forcing you to explain; you should take the initiative to explain your actions."
Female sword: "Exactly."