Chapter 105: I'm Only One Step Away from Comprehending the Sword Intent!

Qingxu Zi maintained the posture of a great expert, but a little man appeared in his heart.

Hehe, Liu Ruyan, Liu Ruyan, you do not recruit people in this manner.

Even if you were as cold as before, like a cold female emperor, perhaps Xianxiangqiu would still follow you.

But it is a pity that your Jade Maiden Dao Scripture points directly to the original heart; when facing one whose great Dao merges with yours, you fundamentally cannot conceal your true nature.

This has doomed that you cannot take Xianxiangqiu away!

...

The schemes of the great experts in the sky, no one below knew.

Cao Xuan and the others continued to participate in the Azure Cloud Dharma Conference.

As time progressed, the difficulty gradually increased.

After forty consecutive victories, they began matching against mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

In principle, forty consecutive victories should have been against opponents who had just entered mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

Like Ye Caixuan, Xing Mengfan, and Jin Tiehua, they were all at the peak of mid-stage Foundation Establishment, only a thread away from entering late stage, and naturally not afraid of such opponents.

But it is a pity that this was Zhongzhou; within the same realm, Zhongzhou had no one to fear.

If in the one-pattern outer sect of Zhongzhou at the early Foundation Establishment stage, seeing the direct disciple of three-pattern would choose to surrender directly.

Then now, seeing the direct disciple of three-pattern, they were bright-eyed and had no hesitation, finding it far better to face a subordinate sect's direct disciple than an unknown Zhongzhou mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Thus, though regrettable, Jin Tiehua was eliminated first, followed immediately by Ye Caixuan.

Instead, Xing Mengfan was still persisting, though it was becoming somewhat tiring.

Meanwhile, Li Yao and Liu Yu, both late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, relied on their realm advantage and felt no pressure for the moment.

Cao Xuan at the peak of Foundation Establishment naturally required no comment.

Why was the Azure Cloud Dharma Conference so lively this year? Because the rewards obtained after enduring this time were rare treasures to those from other states.

For their own Zhongzhou native cultivators, the rewards ahead could be obtained through sect missions.

That is to say, only the top-ranked rewards held any real attraction, yet it was not easy to attain.

So in previous years, even mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators could enter the top ten and obtain the chance for Azure Cloud Jade Cave.

But this year, those with connections had all been informed that six major holy lands were watching from above.

Although all hoped to be chosen by the three orthodox holy lands, or even by the neutral holy land Holy Dragon Temple to become disciples was acceptable.

The worst outcome would be being valued by the two demon dao holy lands.

Of course, on the surface, facing masters, brothers, or friends, they all spoke with righteous indignation, saying, “If truly valued by a demon dao holy land, I would rather remain in the sect to continue cultivating rather than fall into the demon dao!”

But in truth, every one of them harbored the same thought in their hearts: as long as one holy land valued them, whether demon dao or orthodox, it mattered not so long as they could grow stronger.

In this world where cultivation was supreme, sometimes you could not even enter a demon cult!

Of course, it was no necessity for the demon dao holy lands to recruit disciples of a second-rate orthodox force like Qingyun Sect into a second-rate demon cult, becoming figures that everyone wanted to beat.

Thus, with the arrival of the six major holy lands, the number of participants surged upward.

Although everyone knew the strict criteria of thirty Golden Cores, hundred-year Nascent Souls, and thousand-year Transcendents.

At this moment they were merely Foundation Establishment cultivators, with a promising future.

Moreover, the six holy lands selected people in their own ways—what to observe aptitude, what to observe mindset, what to observe resonance with the great Dao.

So they needed to make good use of this Azure Cloud Dharma Conference to display themselves well.

That was why, before Cao Xuan appeared a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator who looked at Cao Xuan’s face with indifference.

He took out a folding fan and gently waved it, sighing, “The senior brother opposite, I cannot sense your qi; it seems you are a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

“Alas, is my luck bad or good?!”

Cao Xuan was accustomed to this process of stepping onto the stage, the opponent conceding, stepping down, and continuing the matching.

Suddenly a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator appeared with a tone that seemed quite imposing, prompting some curiosity.

That person waved the folding fan, gazing at the cloudless sky above, and said faintly, “Brightly, there are many great experts above us, yet we can only see this cloudless sky; do you not find it pitiful?”

“Frog in the well—that is precisely what I and you are!”

Cao Xuan saw that he had no immediate intent to fight and did not mind using the opportunity to learn more information from him.

To Zhongzhou cultivators this might be a waste of time, but for Cao Xuan it was always beneficial to know more.

Cao Xuan smiled and replied, “I do not feel that way; the frog in the well is like that.”

“Too high and distant—even if you leave the well bottom, you will be caught by the flying eagle above. Better to tread the ground first and become a sea-swallowing toad!”

The opposite late-stage cultivator brightened. “Senior brother, what a good idea!”

“However, it is a pity that you do not understand: how can a dragon emerge from the pond? One must first enter the great sea; even if the body is broken and the flesh scattered, there is still the chance of fish leaping the dragon gate!”

Cao Xuan understood; it was probably the matter of holy lands that Xianxiangqiu’s ancestor had mentioned.

No wonder that without the hundred-strong tournament yet, they had already encountered a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

That person lightly shook the folding fan. “I have already prepared to perform well in this tournament.”

“But since I won too easily before, the six holy lands probably have not seen my true self!”

He pointed at Cao Xuan and said, “If it were a Zhongzhou peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, I might not have the chance to display my best.”

“However you are different; as a peak Foundation Establishment from a subordinate sect, you should allow me to use my full strength.”

“At the same time, let the great experts above the holy lands enjoy themselves fully; who knows, when in a good mood, I might also join like Elder Xian!”

He did not specify which holy land, and his voice carried no concealment, as if telling the great experts above, I want to come to your holy land.

It must be said that this manner of speaking really could draw some attention.

Blood Drop Zi grinned. “Oh, not much skill, big mouth; I want to see what skill you have.”

Chan Ding Da Shi of Hua Long Temple clasped his hands, though his eyes remained closed, his divine sense focused on this platform, checking whether any talent with fate to their Holy Dragon Temple existed.

Even Xuan Hua Holy Land, Purple Sun Sword Sect, and Qian Yuan Academy had all looked over.

Only Yu Nu Sect’s Liu Ruyan, because she was still grinding Xianxiangqiu, paid no attention.

With so many participants in the Azure Cloud Dharma Conference, although the six holy lands could see through the world and observe every corner of the scene.

Because they were all watching, it was like observing countless ants fighting, always a bit boring.

Since one ant could loudly shout, it naturally attracted a measure of their interest.

The folding fan disciple did not know that his voice had successfully drawn the attention of the six holy lands. At this moment, he suddenly folded the fan, instantly transforming it into a flying sword.

It seemed to be a fairly high-grade folding fan sword artifact!

“Senior brother, forgive me; my Fan Sword Secret in Zhongzhou is also considered a mid-stage Foundation Establishment attack technique, and I have already comprehended the fan sword momentum, only a line away from the fan sword intent. Do not blame me for being unscrupulous in victory!”