The Ye Family was holding the Sword Fighting Conference, publicly announcing that they were selecting an outstanding young talent to be the husband of a daughter from their direct lineage.
It was, in essence, a contest of swords to win a bride.
Many renowned male Cultivators within the Abyssal Marsh had received invitations to the conference, while others had come uninvited.
Seeing Fang Cheng's dignified bearing and uncommon handsomeness, the Ye Family youth felt a stir of goodwill and politely asked a question.
Fang Cheng replied, "I've come to participate in the conference."
The Ye Family youth smiled and asked, "Distinguished guest, do you have an invitation?"
"No," Fang Cheng replied, shaking his head.
The moment he said this, several sneers erupted from nearby.
A young man dressed in a magnificent Daoist Robe, a tall crown, and a jade-inlaid belt shot Fang Cheng a disdainful look. "I can't believe someone this ignorant exists," he sneered. "Who do you think you are, and where do you think you are? You dare cause trouble here with a mere Fourth Layer of Sensing cultivation?"
He was surrounded by a few others, all similarly dressed in lavish attire. Each of them appeared to come from an extraordinary background, no less prominent than Wang Xingzhi's.
The lavishly dressed man treated Fang Cheng as nothing more than a joke. After his single mocking remark, he didn't deign to give him another look. He simply called out to his companions, and with invitation in hand, headed for a grand hall behind the Cloud Viewing Platform.
Fang Cheng's expression remained neutral as he withdrew his gaze from the man's retreating back.
'How has someone like that managed to stay alive this long...?'
He was rather surprised.
'Someone so arrogant and domineering must have offended a great many people. To be able to show up here unscathed means he must have some skill after all.'
The Ye Family youth looked embarrassed. "Since you don't have an invitation, distinguished guest, you'll have to leave a mark on the Sword Testing Stone before you can proceed to the Illusion Heart Hall."
"Please, lead the way," Fang Cheng said with a cupped-fist salute.
The youth led Fang Cheng to the side of the Cloud Viewing Platform, explaining the rules of the Sword Fighting Conference as they walked.
Any Cultivator participating in the sword fighting with an invitation could directly enter the Illusion Heart Hall to be tested.
Those without an invitation, however, first had to leave a mark on the Sword Testing Stone to prove their strength!
Only then would they receive a Dharma Assembly Talisman and be allowed to proceed to the Illusion Heart Hall.
Only after passing the trial of the Illusion Heart Hall would the actual sword fighting begin!
The Sword Fighting Conference would have four fighting rings. A stick of Spirit Incense would be lit, which would burn for a full hour.
Only those who could hold their ground in a ring until the Spirit Incense burned out would advance to the third round.
The champion of the Sword Fighting Conference would be chosen from among these four defenders.
As they spoke, the two arrived before the Sword Testing Stone.
It was a black boulder, thirty feet long, covered in sword marks, blade indentations, and even things like Palm Seals.
An old man with the bearing of a celestial immortal sat beside the Sword Testing Stone, his eyes closed in meditation.
Fang Cheng swept his Divine Sense over the man and perceived his profound cultivation—he had already reached the Ninth Layer of Sensing!
'He must be the "referee" in charge of certifying the strength of the conference participants.'
The youth gestured for Fang Cheng to proceed. "Distinguished guest, you only need to leave a mark on this stone to go to the Illusion Heart Hall."
The Cloud Viewing Platform was originally a place where the Ye Family Disciples practiced their breathing exercises and competed with their Sword Techniques. This Sword Testing Stone was often used to compare their cultivation levels.
Generally speaking, anyone with a Mid-stage Sensing Cultivation could leave a mark.
Of course, this "Mid-Sensing Stage" benchmark was based on the Cultivation and Magical Power of the Ye Family's own Disciples. A Loose Cultivator from a lesser lineage, for example, might struggle to leave a mark on the Sword Testing Stone even with a mid-stage Cultivation.
The gap in strength between different people at the same Cultivation Realm could sometimes be unimaginably vast.
Now that he was here, Fang Cheng no longer held back. He pointed a finger, and the Red Feather Sword shot from his sleeve, transforming into a dazzling crimson gleam that slashed viciously at the Sword Testing Stone!
ZING!
A sword cry sharp enough to pierce metal and shatter stone rang out.
The celestial-looking Ye Family elder's eyes snapped open.
The Red Feather Sword pivoted nimbly in the air before gracefully flying back into Fang Cheng's sleeve.
And on the Sword Testing Stone, a conspicuous new Sword Mark had appeared, an inch deep!
This Sword Mark was nearly as deep as the very deepest mark on the entire stone.
The youth stared blankly, finding it hard to believe his eyes.
He had lived on Xiaocang Island his whole life. His parents were both Spirit Farmers on the island who tended the Ye Family's Spirit Fields.
He had been clever and quick-witted since childhood, and his talent for cultivation was better than his parents'. Thus, he had been assigned to serve one of the Ye Family's young masters.
He had accompanied his young master to the Cloud Viewing Platform on many occasions, and every time the young men and women of the Ye Family gathered there, they would inevitably spar and compare their skills.
With that single strike, Fang Cheng had surpassed many of the Ye Family Disciples the youth knew.
The Ye Family elder gave Fang Cheng a profound look, then took out an exquisite, antique-looking Talisman Decree. He offered it to Fang Cheng and said, "Excellent Sword Technique. I never imagined someone so young would have already grasped the way of Sword Heart Clarity."
"You flatter me, senior," Fang Cheng said politely as he accepted the Talisman Decree.
The Ye Family elder had a discerning eye. He could see at a glance that Fang Cheng's Divine Sense, Magical Power, will, and Flying Sword were perfectly integrated, allowing him to unleash power far beyond his own level.
The elder nodded, then closed his eyes once more to meditate.
A look of awe appeared on the youth's face. He said to Fang Cheng, "Distinguished guest, please follow me."
With that, he led Fang Cheng to the Illusion Heart Hall on the north side of the Cloud Viewing Platform.
The Illusion Heart Hall was built into the side of a mountain, with the Cloud Viewing Platform situated just before it. Legend had it that the Ye Family's ancestor had hung a Second-Order Magical Artifact, the Illusion Heart Mirror, within the hall specifically to test and hone the temperament of the family's Disciples.
The great hall was resplendent and magnificent. It was seven bays wide and three stories tall, with upturned eaves and ornate brackets, exuding a majestic and imposing air that fully displayed the prestige of one of the four great families of the Abyssal Marsh.
There was a restrictive barrier at the entrance to the great hall. Holding the Talisman Decree, Fang Cheng passed through it without any resistance.
Inside the hall, clouds and mist swirled about. Faintly, he could see the glint of a mirror's light.
The next moment, Fang Cheng's vision blurred, and he lost consciousness.
...
「On the third floor of the Illusion Heart Hall.」
A round mirror, condensed from golden light, hung silently in mid-air. It was over twenty feet in diameter and was divided into dozens of smaller panes, each displaying the image of a different person.
Below the mirror, a graceful and mature beauty was surrounded by six or seven young women, like stars orbiting the moon. She was watching the mirror with great interest, occasionally letting out a silver, bell-like laugh.
The beautiful woman had a graceful, noble bearing and an enchanting demeanor. She appeared to be in her forties. She wore dangling hairpins and jade earrings, her figure was full and curvaceous, and she was dressed in a Feathered Robe. A plum blossom mark on her forehead added to her refined elegance.
Beside her stood a beautiful young woman of sixteen or seventeen who bore a slight resemblance to her.
The young woman's skin was fairer than snow, her features as if painted. Her slender figure was graceful and well-proportioned, her delicate curves accentuated by a light purple silk blouse. The fabric clung to her form, highlighting a peerless tautness and elasticity that showcased her vibrant, prideful youth.
She had a narrow waist and long legs. Her exquisite, coolly beautiful, oval face held a trace of coquettish charm, though she currently wore an expression of utter boredom as she accompanied the older woman.
The mature beauty spoke, "Yan'Er, this first round tests both temperament and affinity. If you see anyone up there who doesn't strike your fancy, just tell Mother."
Although the mature beauty was seated gracefully in her chair, her figure still appeared wonderfully slender and elegant. An indescribable seductive charm lingered in her features, and she exuded a warm, soft, and enticingly sweet aura that completely outshone the crowd of green young maidens around her.