A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

From that incident onward, a fascinating change occurred in the Daxia Sword Sect. Their attitudes changed completely.

All ten team members held their heads high as they registered their information. Even the staff processing the registrations treated them with more respect.

Word of the incident had spread like wildfire. By the time the group returned to their lodgings, Qin Xian and the other elders were already waiting outside.

Li Nanting stepped forward to examine Li Guanqi. Upon seeing that he was unharmed, he sighed in relief. The worry on his face turned into sternness. “You little brat! Do you have any idea what a Golden Core Realm cultivator is capable of? That was reckless! What if you’d been hurt?”

Tu Kui’s tone was just as stern. “If something like this ever happens again, notify the sect elders immediately. Don’t attack on impulse.”

Ye Feng pursed his lips and muttered, “If Eldest Senior Brother had not shown up, Brother Li could have struck him with his sword.”

Tu Kui was about to scold Ye Feng for talking back, but Qin Xian stopped him. “Why are you scolding them? The other guy was the one who started it. Wu Bing and Guanqi handled it well. They showed everyone the mettle of the Daxia Sword Sect!

“We don’t provoke others unless provoked. But if we are provoked, we strike back. The Daxia Sword Sect has kept its head down for too long. It’s time we bared our fangs!”

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed them. “Alright, go get some rest. The tournament starts tomorrow after the opening ceremony. Remember, our sect doesn’t need you to risk your lives for glory. Staying alive comes first. Always.”

But the true impact of the incident would far exceed anyone’s expectations.

That night, a recording of Li Guanqi’s performance captured via a shadow-extending stone spread like wildfire. By morning, he was the dark horse of the Tournament of a Hundred Sects.

Inside the Purple Sun Pavilion, a young man burst into laughter and crushed the shadow-extending stone in his hand into crumbs.

His name was Zhao Beichen. He had striking features: eyes as clear as a spring, a tall nose, and a conspicuous mole at the corner of his slightly thin lips. He wore ink-green robes with a grass-green belt and carried a sword whose hilt bore a vivid carving of an azure dragon.

Rising slowly to his feet, Zhao Beichen said coolly, “Just some theatrics to rile up the crowd. Nothing to worry about.”

His eyes were devoid of emotion, as if he’d seen something utterly mundane.

The old man seated at the head of the room spoke up. “The sword in his spirit void is of very high quality, and he’s a very strong cultivator. If he managed to block a Golden Core Realm cultivator’s strike, his dantian must hold a vast amount of vital force. Beichen, don’t underestimate him.”

Zhao Beichen chuckled, contempt flashing in his gaze. “There are only two people in this tournament worth my attention—Guan Qingyun of the Profound Gates Pavilion and Ji Linglan of the Soaring Heavens Sect.”

Ignoring the elder’s advice, the youth walked out of the room.

Another man sitting in the room said, “Old Miao, do you think Zhao Beichen is too arrogant?”

The elder, whose eyebrows hung past his jaw, glanced at the man calmly. “If you were as talented as he is, you would be arrogant too, and probably even more so.”

Then he waved a hand. “It’s alright. He has the right to be arrogant. So what if the Daxia Sword Sect has a few promising disciples? Their mentorship abilities are terrible, so this is nothing to worry about.”

With a grave tone, he continued, “We should focus on the Profound Gates Pavilion and the Soaring Heavens Sect. If we lose to the Soaring Heavens Sect, the Purple Sun Pavilion’s standing will be in danger.”

The other elders nodded in agreement. Every Tournament of a Hundred Sects reshuffled the balance of power in the Northern Territory.

The Three Sects and Six Pavilions had held their power for years, but even their dominance was not immutable.

The old man left the room. The others had a brief discussion, then left the room too.

The next morning, the courtyard of the Daxia Sword Sect’s lodgings buzzed with energy as the disciples gathered, all dressed for the event. Qin Xian looked them over, nodded slightly at Li Guanqi, and swept his arm out. “Let’s go!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The group soared toward Heavenly Tiger Mountain.

***

Mist swirled around Heavenly Tiger Mountain that morning. There were spectator platforms floating midair all around.

Immortal crane calls could be heard through the mountain range.

The flat top of the tallest mountain was already filled with people. A thousand disciples and their elders made up a crowd of one thousand and five hundred.

Li Guanqi spotted a little girl in a flower coat waving furiously at him from one of the floating platforms—Yu Sui’an, perched on Gao Qiwen’s shoulders.

He smiled and waved back. The girl grinned.

The group took their assigned spots and waited patiently. Qin Xian stood at the front, appearing calm and composed while subtly emanating the suffocating aura of a mid Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.

The plaza pulsed with chaotic energy. After all, there were over a hundred Nascent Soul Realm cultivators present.

The floating platforms above were also packed with spectators, most of them fellow cultivators drawn by the event.

When everyone was counted—spectators, visitors, and contestants alike—they totaled nearly thirty thousand people.

The noise of the crowd echoed across the skies.

Suddenly, a seven-colored light shone in the sky, and a man in golden armor appeared. The noisy crowd fell silent immediately. All eyes were on him.

The man had cropped black hair, a tall nose, full lips, and a crisscross of scars on one cheek. His face was masculine, with straight eyebrows and bright eyes.

This was the Heavenly King of the Northern Territory, Long Qu. He was a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator.

Long Qu’s tiger-like eyes shone brightly as he scanned the crowd below. “I am Long Qu, Heavenly King of the Northern Territory. I will preside over this Tournament of a Hundred Sects.

“The objective of this tournament is for the disciples of a hundred sects to get to know each other, help each other grow, and expand their horizons. As always, the top sect will receive one mid-grade spirit vein and three low-grade spirit veins, ten Earth-tier techniques, and three secret realms.”

Wow!

Gasps of awe rippled through the crowd, followed by thunderous cheers.

Li Guanqi was also shocked. He had expected generous prizes for the winners, but nothing of such magnitude. A reward like that could undoubtedly change the fate of a mid-tier sect.

Li Guanqi muttered, “So that’s why the powerful factions get stronger and stronger... I must help us get a good ranking!”

Long Qu went on to detail additional prizes for individual disciples, each prize very valuable.

Whoosh!

Long Qu made a sweeping gesture, and a hundred-zhang tall stone stele landed on Heavenly Tiger Mountain.

“This stele will display the points of each sect. It will also generate random pairings for each round. Now, let the selection begin!”