Eighty-Seven: The Great Dream of Cloud Marsh Mountain, a Hundred-Year Immortal Dwelling

At the summit of Skyward Peak, the finals of the once-every-fifty-years Immortal Arts Tournament were under way. Countless eyes watched the two finest disciples of this generation duel fiercely with their swords, each person guessing which of them would ultimately become the number one among the younger generation.

On the platform, sword energy flashed in every direction, radiance bursting everywhere, while the two figures themselves seemed hidden within that storm of blades, now seen, now lost to view. Yet both were extraordinary cultivators; every gesture they made released a frigid sword force that cried proudly through the sky.

Below the platform, the spectators watched in rapt awe, and from time to time an elder would seize the opportunity to instruct a disciple. On the viewing stand, both Reverend True One and Daoist Heart of Heaven gradually grew solemn. Their hearts surged just as fiercely as those of the two combatants on the stage.

After a while, Daoist Heart of Heaven sighed and said, "Sect Leader True One, this match has been won by your Supreme Void Sect!"

Reverend True One smiled faintly. "Sect Leader Heart of Heaven, they have not yet decided the outcome. How can you say my disciple has won?"

Daoist Heart of Heaven gave a cold snort. "Reverend True One, your vision is keen as a torch. Why pretend otherwise? The doctrines of my Soaring Cloud Sect favor pressing forward without fear and defeating the enemy in one sweep. In the first few exchanges, one must completely suppress the opponent. Yet even now my disciple is still entangled with your man and has not gained the slightest advantage. More than that, my personal disciple wields the famous sword of the cultivation world, Heaven-Splitting, while your disciple is using only an ordinary flying sword, and he can still fight my disciple to a standstill. On this point alone, your disciple is already defeated!"

Reverend True One only smiled and said nothing.

At that moment, a thunderous boom shook the platform. As Bai Yijian and Muto controlled their flying swords, both simultaneously unleashed their own arts. The five elements shifted across the field in turn; wind howled, flames burst, and thunder rumbled, showing clearly that their struggle had reached its most crucial moment. Just as the crowd was dazzled and breathless, Bai Yijian suddenly let out a long, piercing cry, sharp as thunder. Glittering golden light poured back from the heavens like a whale drawing in water and condensed onto the longsword in his hand. Yet his aura did not lessen with the retreat of the sword light. Gripping the hilt with both hands, his expression stern, his presence became even more astonishing. The dazzling glow contracted, then flared all at once, illuminating the entire vault of heaven. With another clear cry, Bai Yijian rode his sword straight up into the sky; it seemed he and Heaven-Splitting had become one.

At that instant, Muto felt a tremendous threat. With a sweep of his hand, he recalled the boundless green radiance. His face cold as frost, Azure Dark was laid across his chest; his left hand formed a spell seal, his feet stepped the Seven Stars, and the sword tip angled toward the sky. Suddenly, a vast sheet of black light appeared in the cloudless heavens, and bolts of lightning flickered within it, ready to strike.

"Heaven-Splitting!"

"Divine Firmament Heavenly Tribulation Thunder!"

The two shouted in unison. Bai Yijian's flying sword burst with boundless brilliance, pressing toward Muto with a force that could sever the heavens and shatter the earth.

At the same time, a flash of lightning, as though descended from antiquity itself, cut through the blackness at the edge of the sky and came crashing down.

At this point, both men had already unleashed their strongest techniques and could no longer hold back. The contest had become a struggle of life and death, and the crowd had no time to stop it. A grave silence fell over heaven and earth.

"Bad!" Two golden rays shot up from the viewing stand, each moving to intercept one of the deadly techniques. With a thunderous crash like heavenly thunder exploding upon the mortal world, the entire summit of Skyward Peak seemed to tremble violently. On the dueling platform, Reverend True One and Daoist Heart of Heaven both staggered back several steps, their expressions changing as fear struck them. "Just diverting those spells nearly injured us."

As for Muto and Bai Yijian, they stood where they were as though nothing had happened.

Fortunately, the two sect leaders had intervened. Otherwise, even if Bai Yijian and Muto had not died, they would have been grievously wounded; and even after their injuries healed, their future progress in cultivation would have fallen far behind what it might have been. Their foundations would have been considered ruined.

By now, after having exerted themselves with all their strength, both men felt utterly drained, yet their minds had cleared instead. They hurried forward to apologize to their elders.

"Enough. In a contest like this, victory is decided by each side bringing forth its strongest art. It is only because your cultivation levels are so evenly matched that such a near-disastrous outcome arose." Saying this, he glanced at Reverend True One and continued, "As for this match..."

"This match ended in a draw. The two of you are equal in cultivation, and each has his own marvelous techniques. There is no victor, and you share first place!" said the Supreme Void Sect master, Reverend True One, with a faint smile, cutting in before he could finish.

Daoist Heart of Heaven looked at Reverend True One with a complicated expression. To make him admit defeat was indeed somewhat unwilling; after all, his disciple was not weaker than Muto. Yet to say his disciple had won would be far too forced. Muto's flying sword was inferior by two whole levels, and yet he could still fight Bai Yijian to a draw. From this alone, Muto ought to be stronger than his own disciple.

Daoist Heart of Heaven opened his mouth as if to speak, but then another voice said, "No, Sect Leader True One, this match was my loss." The voice was clear and rang across the entire venue.

Bai Yijian stood tall and declared, "Junior Brother Mu's cultivation is profound and his spells are exquisite. I relied on the famous sword Heaven-Splitting in my hand, yet I could only fight Junior Brother Mu to a draw. In terms of cultivation, I lost!"

The crowd was stunned to hear the ordinarily proud and aloof number one disciple of the younger generation personally concede defeat. Yet Bai Yijian continued, "Though I have lost, it is not because the arts of the Soaring Cloud Sect are inferior to those of the Supreme Void Sect. It is simply that my own training is insufficient. I will ask my master for guidance in the subtleties of the Dao, and after diligent cultivation in the future, I shall come again to seek instruction from Junior Brother Mu."

These words were open and honorable, carrying boundless spirit. Everyone could not help but give him a thumbs-up in their hearts, and Daoist Heart of Heaven also said, "Good! Truly a disciple of my Soaring Cloud Sect. Admirable spirit!"

When Muto saw such magnanimity, he felt favor rise in his heart and shook his head. "Senior Brother Bai is too modest. Even if I were to use a flying sword of equal quality, I might not necessarily be able to defeat Senior Brother. This match can only be counted as inconclusive. When the day comes that I find an excellent flying sword, I will return to seek Senior Brother's guidance!"

Seeing Muto yield so graciously, Reverend True One felt even more pleased. "Ho ho ho... The founding ancestors of the Daoist sect established the grand tournament on Skyward Peak precisely to encourage everyone not to slack in cultivation, and also to allow fellow cultivators to meet through martial exchange. For you two to be so modest is truly rare. Hmm! Your cultivation and character alike are enough to claim first among the younger generation. There is no need to continue; this will already leave behind a fine tale for this gathering."

As he spoke, he glanced toward Daoist Heart of Heaven.

Daoist Heart of Heaven understood at once and stepped forward. "Supreme Void Sect disciple Chen Mu and Soaring Cloud Sect disciple Bai Yijian. Their Dao arts reach the profound, and their cultivation is formidable; they are truly the outstanding talents among the younger generation of our age. ... In this grand contest, new talents have emerged one after another, and fellow cultivators throughout the world have had their eyes opened. This alone has made our lives worthwhile. May everyone here reap their own gains from this gathering, and if fate allows, may we meet again upon Skyward Peak fifty years from now to continue this fine tradition."

Daoist Heart of Heaven's words immediately carried the matter to fifty years in the future, which meant the play was over. Thus the sect masters of the various schools exchanged formal courtesies and then led their disciples away in sword flight, one after another, back toward their mountains.

Watching the crowd disperse, the three sect leaders of the Supreme Void, Water Moon, and Soaring Cloud sects still showed no sign of leaving. But as senior figures in the cultivation world, and as the long-time hosts of the Skyward Peak gathering, everyone regarded them as half-owners of the peak. Seeing that they did not depart, no one approached to urge them on, and all simply led their disciples down the mountain.

It was only after every sect had left Skyward Peak that the three of them sent the others away, called Muto and Bai Yijian forward, and had Ye Xinyi brought over as well. With a casual wave, Water Dance Maple laid down a barrier, sealing off any possibility of eavesdropping.

Seeing the three sect masters so solemn, Muto and the others exchanged glances, unsure what important matter was at hand.

"The Skyward Peak tournament is held once every fifty years, and the immortal dwelling in Dream-Cloud Marsh Mountain opens once every hundred years. Time flies like an arrow; unexpectedly, it is already the day when that immortal dwelling is due to appear again." Water Dance Maple sighed.

"Immortal dwelling?" The three younger cultivators were puzzled, not knowing what it meant. Muto faintly guessed it was probably a residence left behind by an immortal, a treasure vault. When Reverend True One had given him the Cloud-Smoke Immortal Veil, his master Free and Unfettered had once said that this protective treasure had been obtained by Reverend True One from an immortal dwelling.

Daoist Heart of Heaven said, "An immortal dwelling is said to be the place where an ancient immortal once cultivated and lived in seclusion, and within it lie countless treasures of cultivation and immortal artifacts. The reason our three sects have attained the standing we have today in the cultivation world is deeply tied to that immortal abode."

Everyone present was gifted with keen understanding. Hearing this, how could they still fail to grasp it? It was likely that the immortal dwelling had yielded magical treasures that improved the cultivation of the sects' experts, and in the cultivation world, after all, everything came down to strength—whoever's fist was hardest was the boss.

"Indeed," Reverend True One continued. "Several hundred years ago, the founders of our three sects studied the matter together and finally calculated the approximate time and location at which one might enter the immortal dwelling, once every hundred years. Two hundred years ago, we also entered that immortal abode under our masters' guidance and obtained our own fates therein."

Water Dance Maple went on, "The legend of the immortal dwelling has existed for a long time, and everyone knows there is such a celestial abode in Dream-Cloud Marsh Mountain. But that mountain range stretches for thousands of miles. Aside from the secret calculation methods passed down to each generation's sect master when they assume office, only a handful of truly high-level cultivators can estimate the approximate time and place and enter the celestial abode to seek treasure."

Daoist Heart of Heaven added, "The restrictions in that celestial dwelling are extremely strict, and if too many people enter, some mechanism within it will be triggered, forcibly ejecting them. Therefore, the founders of our three sects left instructions stating that heavenly opportunities and immortal fate cannot be forced. Each sect may only send one disciple of the highest cultivation level inside every hundred years. If one becomes too greedy, the loss will outweigh the gain."

Hearing this, the eyes of the three youngsters all brightened. It was obvious the sect leaders had chosen them as the candidates to enter the immortal dwelling. If they could find a useful magical treasure inside, their own strength would naturally rise another step. They hastily said in unison, "Thank you, Sect Leader!"

Reverend True One said, "Sect Leader Heart of Heaven, Sect Leader Water, let us each arrange our sect matters. Let us meet at midnight tonight in Dream-Cloud Marsh Mountain!"

The other two nodded in agreement, and the barrier was removed.

Seeing that the four people from the Water Moon Sect and the Soaring Cloud Sect had gone far away, Reverend True One said again, "Ah Mu, this matter is a secret within the cultivation world. From the beginning, only the sect masters of the various schools have known it. Do you know why I have told you?"