The moonlight was bright and pure as the two men clinked cups, chatting idly about matters far and wide.
A plate of peanuts also disappeared as the moonlight shifted.
Without any parting words, the two simply finished the wine they had brought. Yuyang Daozi stood up and waved his hand, while Chu Xingchen nodded, and that was their farewell.
But after Yuyang Daozi left, Chu Xingchen remained seated, gazing at the moon that seemed about to set.
Chu Xingchen wasn't thinking about the individual battles, but rather that it had been some time since he'd last seen his own disciples.
He wondered how the branch sect was being established, whether Li Yingling could manage the workload, if Xiao Baiqing missed him, and if Cui Hao had caused any trouble.
Lixingtian, Luoyu, Qinghe who came to visit and help, and that seemingly foolish green snake.
Ning Qianqian and Ning Kun—he wondered if they had grown accustomed to the Central Province.
Looking at the moon, Chu Xingchen realized, unconsciously, that he now had reasons he could not afford to lose.
——————
The individual battles did not immediately follow the team competition, leaving a few days for rest and recovery.
However, it seemed everyone except Chu Xingchen was cramming at the last minute.
Yuyang Daozi could no longer be coaxed out; it was said he was training frantically, determined to defeat his disciple who had betrayed the sect—Xu Jin.
Even more insane was someone else—Yan Yun had proactively sought Bai Xuanling for training.
Chu Xingchen had the fortune to witness Bai Xuanling's training methods, which could be described as hellish training.
It could be summarized as—spiritual treasures, divine abilities, and in front of them was Bai Xuanling.
But there was good news too. Since the individual battles were in a few days, Bai Xuanling didn't subject Yan Yun to brutal physical punishment but instead turned it into mental attacks.
At first, Bai Xuanling spoke himself, but later finding it not stimulating enough, he simply called Chu Xingchen over.
Thus, in the sealed training grounds of the Tianyan Sect, Bai Xuanling wielded his spiritual sword and unleashed a series of absolute suppression techniques on Yan Yun.
Suppressing him so thoroughly that Yan Yun had no room to struggle.
Chu Xingchen, meanwhile, munched on sunflower seeds by his side, serving as his mouthpiece, delivering sarcastic remarks one after another—Why don't you fight back when you're getting beaten? Do you like it?
Clearly, under Chu Xingchen's words, Yan Yun's embarrassment level rose by more than a few notches.
Though still being pressed down by Bai Xuanling, he was finally able to fight back a little.
Naturally, sarcasm easily breeds resentment.
Yan Yun more than once suggested a sparring match with Chu Xingchen to improve, but was consistently refused.
Chu Xingchen's reason for refusing was—he had bigger battles to fight.
Lü Xuan, however, was not involved in these matters. Sparring was just a starting point for negotiations; he had his own things to do. After all, coming to the Xuanqing Tianzong to fight wasn't the goal but the process of achieving it.
He needed to turn these advantages into assistance for his next moves.
However, it was said things were not going smoothly. The Xuanqing Tianzong's stance remained firm, as if the once number one immortal sect still maintained its former prestige.
The Xuanqing Tianzong, which could defy a continent and nearly had its sect shattered but never gave up, how could they now be swayed by a few words?
Lü Xuan was quite troubled, but it seemed he had begun approaching the matter from a new angle.
Still, victory in the individual battles would also help this cause.
After all, the sect had to consider not just the present but the future.
In the individual battles, cultivation was suppressed to the early Divine Transformation stage. On one hand, this provided enough room to maneuver, and on the other, it better showcased the divine abilities and techniques of the cultivators.
The rules were also simpler. After all, in the cultivation world, strength is the ultimate rule.
Originally, lots would be drawn to decide who would fight in the first round, but Yuyang Daozi directly requested to face Xu Jin.
Faced with such a direct challenge, the Xuanqing Tianzong could not back down. After all, even if they lost a person, they couldn't lose their dignity. Thus, the first individual battle was set as Yuyang Daozi versus Xu Jin.
On the day of the match, although the Xiaoyun Hall and Haotian Palace were not participating in the individual battles, neither sect had left. Instead, they took their seats to watch the clashes between the core disciples of other sects.
This was free intelligence—there was no harm in watching it. Besides, if the participating disciples could learn a thing or two from these top prodigies, it would not be a loss.
In the Water Screen Realm, Yuyang Daozi and Xu Jin had already entered the arena.
Yuyang Daozi's expression was solemn, spiritual power surged around him, and his spiritual treasure longsword automatically unsheathed itself.
Clearly, his desire to win this battle had become pure.
Compared to Yuyang Daozi's expression of giving it his all, Xu Jin appeared much more composed.
Yan Yun sat ramrod straight, his expression serious as he watched this battle.
Opportunities for core disciples from the Eighteen Immortal Sects to spar with each other might not occur even once in a hundred or eighty years.
But Chu Xingchen was not in the arena, nor was he paying attention to this focal battle.
——————
In the Xuanqing Tianzong's main council hall.
Li Moze did not watch his disciple's fight with Yuyang Daozi. He knew the result even before the match began.
Xu Jin had no reason to lose, nor any possibility of doing so.
The gap in strength could not be bridged by a few days of last-minute cramming.
Li Moze's gaze calmly fell upon the variable from the Tianyan Sect standing below—perhaps the only Nascent Soul of karma in existence—Chu Xingchen.
Lü Xuan sat in the distance, his eyes closed in contemplation, as if he had left everything to Chu Xingchen.
Li Moze's gaze swept over Lü Xuan, then looked back at Chu Xingchen, speaking in a calm tone:
"I agreed to host this gathering not because I wish to compromise, but to tell you all that under any circumstances, the Xuanqing Tianzong will not compromise on what should not be compromised."
"Does the matter of Luoyue truly matter to your Tianyan Sect?"
"I have already shown my utmost sincerity. The Xuanqing Tianzong has made preparations, and your Tianyan Sect has gained fame. Beyond that, the Xuanqing Tianzong will not yield an inch."
Chu Xingchen's expression remained calm as he said, "The matter of Luoyue may indeed not be important to the Tianyan Sect, but is it also unimportant to the Xuanqing Tianzong?"
Li Moze's gaze met Chu Xingchen's directly, then he said:
"The weight of the matter doesn't depend on how you see it, but on how your opponent sees it."
Hearing this, Chu Xingchen smiled, stepped forward, and cupped his hands in salute.
"In that case, I am Chu Xingchen. I have come to ask for your guidance, Sect Leader Li. Would you do me the honor?"
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