The wind in the training ground was damp, like melted snow water, making one's face tighten. Chu Xuan stood at the edge of the ring, his wooden sword on his shoulder, his green robe soaked with sweat and pressed against his back, but could not hide the astonishingly bright light in his eyes. There was still a speck of blood in the direction Shen Yan was carried down, like a few red plum blossoms fallen from the snow, glaring and quiet.
The crowd was packed in and out, and the chatter rose and fell like a flock of sparrows in an uproar.
"Is it reasonable to press the peak of the ninth level of Qi to the ground and rub it?"
"The key point is his moves, ghostly, no discernible trajectory at all!"
"I bet on Shen Yanying, losing all my underpants..."
Chu Xuan rubbed his ears and bowed his hands in the direction of the loudest sound: "Senior brothers, you can still save your underpants. Don't break your confidence. Next time you bet on me, I'm sure to win."
In the midst of a burst of laughter, someone boldly pushed through and handed me a hot towel: "Chu, Chu junior brother, wipe the sweat?"
Chu Xuan was stunned for a moment, took the towel, and laughed with sharp teeth: "Thank you, senior sister. Your heart is warmer than the towel."
The female disciple blushed all the way to her ears in an instant, lowered her head and slipped back into the crowd. More disciples are eager to make a move, some are delivering elixirs, some are delivering spirit stones, and some are simply trying to strike up a conversation - the cold stares and taunts just now seem to have been blown away by the wind, not even a shred left.
Zhao Tianlei stood in the outer circle of the crowd, his face so blue that it could drip bile. He had intended to use Shen Yan's knife to chop off Chu Xuan's might and then step on it, but the knife broke, and the cut pierced his own heart. He gritted his teeth and gave a wink to the two eighth-level disciples beside him - their faces were pale, but they dared not move.
"What are you afraid of?" Zhao Tianlei lowered his voice. "Shen Yan was underestimating his opponent and thus failed. The three of us go up together and wear him out!"
The left disciple swallowed: "Yes, but his sword moves are too strange..."
The disciple on the right was more straightforward: "If you want to go, go. I'll bet on his underpants to win!"
Zhao Tianlei was trembling with rage, and just as he was about to pull the two, a crisp sound of the scabbard was suddenly heard --
Clang, clang, clang.
Ling Qingxue had reached the front of the crowd at some point, and the Cold Moon sword was not drawn from its scabbard, but the hilt tapped the railing lightly, making little sound but suppressing all the noise. Her eyes were cold and her gaze crossed the crowd and fell on Zhao Tianlei's face. Her voice was neither high nor low, just enough for the nearby disciples to hear clearly --
"Senior Brother Zhao, the training ground rules, one-on-one. If you want a group fight, ask the law enforcement team first."
Zhao Tianlei choked and his face turned from blue to red, then from red to purple, like a spilled dye shop. He opened his mouth and was about to hold on when Chu Xuan suddenly jumped off the ring and walked up to him in a few steps, so close that he could smell the sweat on each other.
"Senior Brother Zhao," Chu Xuan laughed gently, but his voice was muffled to be heard by a few people nearby, "You didn't have a good fight just now and want to continue? Sure, I'll let you use both hands and only your feet."
Zhao Tianlei's pupils constricted, and anger shot up in an instant: "You --"
Before he could finish his words, Chu Xuan suddenly raised his right hand and waved the back of his hand towards him -- the lotus mark flashed away in a flash, as fast as an illusion. But just that flash, Zhao Tianlei felt a chill piercing through his bones, as if he were being stared at by an ancient beast, his throat tightened instantly, and cold sweat oozed from his back.
"You..." What's on the back of your hand?" His voice trembled, but he forced himself to be calm.
Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow, looking innocent: "A mosquito bite, senior brother should care?"
The two eighth-level disciples beside him looked at each other. They didn't see the mark, but they clearly felt the pressure just now - like an avalanche crashing down on the face, their breathing was stuck for half a beat. They looked at each other, then stepped back half a step and lowered their heads in unison:
"Senior Brother Zhao, I suddenly have a stomachache. I'll take my leave now!"
"I, I'll accompany him to the thatched cottage!"
In the blink of an eye, the two slipped away faster than rabbits, leaving Zhao Tianlei standing alone, his face turning from purple to black, like the bottom of a pot being burned through by fire.
In the crowd, someone whispered, "Is Zhao scared?"
"SHH - keep your voice down. He has sharp ears."
"What are you afraid of? Even Shen Yan was knocked down. How old is Zhao Tianlei?"
The voice pierced Zhao Tianlei's spine like needles. He gritted his teeth, drew his sword and pointed it at Chu Xuan: "Stop playing tricks! Dare you fight me again!"
Chu Xuan sighed, as if facing a mischievous child: "Senior brother, your spiritual energy fluctuation is weak. It's obvious that you just took the Qi Pill and the effect hasn't dissipated yet. If you do it now, you will lose later and say I attacked the wounded."
Zhao Tianlei's face stiffened as he was exposed. Indeed, he had just secretly stuffed two Qi recovery pills in an attempt to boost his state by taking advantage of the effect of the pills, but he was seen through by Chu Xuan at a glance.
Chu Xuan ignored him, turned and walked out of the crowd, his back like that of a young man going to the market, relaxed and at ease. As he passed by Ling Qingxue, he turned his head and lowered his voice very low: "Qingxue, shield me. I need to wash my face - the sweat is salty and bitter."
Ling Qingxue nodded slightly, took a step sideways to block the path that Zhao Tianlei was trying to chase, and said in a cold voice, "Senior Zhao, the law enforcement team is coming."
Zhao Tianlei was startled and turned his head, and indeed saw several law enforcement disciples coming towards him, with Lin Hao, who was known for his iron face in the inner gate, leading the way. Lin Hao's gaze swept over Zhao Tianlei and then over Chu Xuan's back, his brows slightly furrowed: "Private fighting is forbidden in the training ground. If you want to challenge, submit the challenge letter according to the rules."
Zhao gritted his teeth but could only draw his sword and bow his head: "Junior brother understands."
The crowd gradually dispersed, but from time to time someone turned back and stole glances at Chu Xuan, with a look of novelty, awe, and even a hint... Please. The outer disciples talk among themselves --
"Don't call him Junior Brother Chu in the future, call him Brother Chu!"
"Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!"
"I've made up my mind. Next month during the assessment, I'm going to apply for a transfer to the Inner Gate to follow Brother Chu!" "
The wind is turning faster than a book. The layout of the outer door leans quietly.
At the edge of the crowd, an old man in grey turned quietly, his eyes as dark as ink. He held a talisman in his fingertips and whispered, "The mark of the covenant... Sure enough, it showed up. Elder Li, you guessed it right. This son is indeed practicing sorcery."
The messenger talisman turned into a streak of light and swept silently towards the elders' Hall.
Chu Xuan seemed to have a sense of it. Looking back in the direction where the grey-clothed old man had vanished, the lotus seal on the back of his hand was slightly burning. He narrowed his eyes and muttered softly, "Another troublemaker... Really, I can't even wash my face."
Ling Qingxue walked up to him, her voice so low that only two could hear: "Elder Li has set his sights on you. Next, the law enforcement team may come to question you."
Chu Xuan shrugged his shoulders, laughing heartily: "Ask, I have a mouth, I'm not incapable of crying poor."
Ling Qingxue's lips curved slightly as he teased her, but she quickly suppressed it and said softly, "Don't be careless. Elder Li has deep roots in the sect. If he bites you to practice sorcery, you'll be in trouble."
Chu Xuan shook the water drop on his hand, his eyes fell on the eaves of the elder hall in the distance, and the sharpness in his eyes flashed away: "Trouble? I'm from the mortal world, and I'm not afraid of trouble at all. If he dares to come, I dare to undermine him."
The young man's voice was not loud, but it carried the sharpness and certainty typical of a young man, like a sword just drawn from its scabbard, with a flash of cold light.
Elder Li's cave is hidden on the west side of the cliff of the Qingyun Sect, shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, like an old python coiled up. The grey-clad old man flew through the air and stepped very lightly on the stone steps, startling several black crows. The stone door of the cave was half-closed, and from inside came a splash of chess pieces scattered - Elder Li was clearly in a bad mood.
"The outside says." Elder Li's voice came out first, with a suppressed smoldering fire. The grey-clad old man understood, and with a flash of the talisman in his sleeve, a soundproof barrier opened quietly, blocking out the cliff wind and the chirping of birds.
"Is it correct?" Elder Li stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the cliff, his back like a withered pine.
"Confirm." The old man in grey whispered, "A lotus-shaped mark appears on the back of Chu Xuan's hand, in sync with Ling Qingxue's wrist. There are signs of resonance in their consciousness. And Chu Xuan's last moment of oppression was not something that could be released at the seventh level of qi refinement - most likely it was a secret technique."
Elder Li squinted his eyes and 阴鸷 rolled under them: "Dao Qi? HMPH, the crooked ways that should have died out three thousand years ago! Ling Qingxue's self-degradation, where is the face of the sect?"
The grey-clad old man bowed his head: "Elder, Lin Hao of the law enforcement team is present. I can't arrest him on the spot. If a conviction is to be made, it must be reported to the Council of Elders quickly, while Chu Xuan is not yet fully grown, act first and report later.
"Exactly what I want." " Elder Li sneered, his palm turned, and a dark gold token emerged. "You hold my token and immediately go and ask the deputy head of the Law Enforcement Hall, 'Duan Qianshan', to say that I have discovered a clue about a major evil cultivation and that the trial needs to be held overnight. And send someone to spread the word - Chu Xuan is practicing ancient forbidden arts, bewitching the genius of the inner sect, with the intention of destroying the spiritual vein of the sect. The public opinion is in turmoil and he has no way to defend himself."
The grey-clad old man was about to leave when Elder Li added, "Yes, take 'that thing' with you. If Chu Xuan is stubborn, let him taste the soul-searching experience."
...
Disciples of the Outer gate live in bamboo houses.
Chu Xuan had just finished the cold water and his hair was dripping when he heard footsteps outside, like a flock of ducks being pushed onto a rack. He opened the door and saw Lin Hao, with his four law enforcement disciples, coming at a fast pace, his face darker than the bottom of a pot.
"Junior Brother Chu, please come with me." Lin Hao lowered his voice, but with a hint of helplessness, "Elder Li has jointly reported that you practice sorcery, and the elders will check it on the spot."
"Sorcery?" Chu Xuan raised his eyebrows and shook his wet hair. "I practice the serious' Cold Star Sword Art ', and Elder Ling personally instructs it. How could it be evil?"
Lin Hao smiled wryly: "Let's keep the words for now and talk about them in the Law Enforcement Hall. I'm only responsible for leading people, not favoritism."
Chu Xuan shrugged his shoulders, went back into the room and picked up the wooden sword, casually slapping the towel over his shoulder: "All right, let's go. Since I didn't have breakfast, I'll go to the Law enforcement hall for a prison meal."
He stepped out of the bamboo house. The sunlight fell on the back of his hand, and the lotus seal was steamed by the warmth, slightly hot. Chu Xuan lowered his eyes and gently touched the mark with his fingertips --
"Want to bite me? Let's see whose teeth are harder."
...
In the Law enforcement hall, the atmosphere was solemn.
The word "justice" hangs high in the dome, as sharp as a knife. Six elders sat on either side of the hall, with Elder Li at the head and Deputy Master Duan Qianshan in the main seat, expressionless. In the center of the hall, a "spirit testing mirror" was glowing with a faint light, and beneath the mirror was a complex array of patterns carved on the ground, like the open mouth of a beast.
When Chu Xuan was brought into the hall, he immediately felt several pressures falling on his shoulders as if they were about to crush him to his knees. He made a TSK, pushed his wooden sword to the ground, straightened his back with the force, and laughed nonchalatedly: "Elders, good morning. So grand, the disciple is flattered."
Elder Li snorted coldly and challenged first: "Chu Xuan, do you know the sin?"
"I don't know." Chu Xuan, with a sincere expression, said, "I have been practicing from dawn to dusk, and I have not stolen, nor robbed, nor abducted good women. What crime is there?"
Some people in the hall couldn't help laughing, but then held it in. Elder Li's face darkened even more: "How dare you quiver! You have the evil seal on your hand, you have made an evil pact with Ling Qingxue, you have bewitched the inner gate, your intentions are not good, how dare you be stubborn?
"Evil seal?" " Chu Xuan raised his hand, the back of his hand was empty in the sunlight, as if the lotus seal had never appeared. "Is the elder talking about mosquito bites? It's gone."
When Elder Li choked, Duan Qianshan raised his hand and said indifferently, "Yes or no, the Spirit Mirror reveals it. Chu Xuan, come forward."
Chu Xuan felt a slight chill in his heart, but smiled easily on his face: "Shine, shine, disciple upright, not afraid of the shadow slanting."
He stepped up to the mirror, a faint light flashed on the mirror surface, and a cold spiritual force instantly pierced through the meridians and rushed straight to the sea of consciousness. Within the sea of consciousness, the ice ring trembled slightly as if it were about to emerge. Chu Xuan's mind turned sharply and suddenly remembered the general outline of the Cold Star Sword Technique - "When the mind is still, the star is cold; when the mind is active, the frost is extinguished."
He secretly applied the sword technique, and his consciousness transformed into cold stars, falling one by one, covering all the auras of the ice ring. In the next moment, the light of the Spirit Mirror subsided, and a line of small characters appeared on the mirror: Cold spirit power, pure and unadulterated.
There was a slight whoosh in the hall. Elder Li rose abruptly: "Impossible! "Shine again!"
Duan Qianshan frowned, but once again activated the spirit mirror. The result was the same - no breath of evil.
Elder Li's face turned ashen and he gritted his teeth and said, "The Spirit Test Mirror can go wrong too! I beg - Soul search!"
As soon as the word "Soul-searching" was spoken, there was an instant silence in the hall. The soul-searching technique, at the very least, causes damage to consciousness, and at the worst, turns one into an idiot. It must not be used lightly unless it is a serious crime of treason.
Lin Hao frowned: "Elder Li, the evidence is insufficient, the soul-searching is too cruel."
Elder Li looked to the main seat: "Deputy Hall Master Duan, this son's magic is extremely hidden. If we don't search for the soul, there will be endless troubles!"
Duan Qianshan pondered, his gaze falling on Chu Xuan's face. The young man was still laid-back, but the knuckles of the wooden sword were slightly pale. Duan Qianshan sighed in his heart and was about to speak when suddenly a cold female voice came from outside the hall --
"Soul-searching? Elder Li is so imposing."
The door of the hall was pushed open, and sunlight poured in. Ling Qingxue, dressed in white, was as white as snow. The Cold Moon sword leaned against her arm, and every step was like a gust of wind. She didn't even glance at Elder Li, walked straight to Chu Xuan's side, raised her hand, and the mark of the Taoist covenant flashed on her wrist, burning slightly along with the back of Chu Xuan's hand.
"The contract of the Dao is formed by me, and the Cold Star Sword Technique is taught by me." Her voice was not high, but every word was as cold as frost. "Elder Li keeps talking about sorcery. Is he scolding me, Ling Qingxue, or is he scolding the ancestors of the Qingyun Sect for being blind and mistaking sorcery for the sect's sword technique?"
Elder Li choked, his face turning bluish and purple. Duan Qianshan's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the two of them 'synchronized marks, a trace of deep thought flashing across his eyes.
Ling Qingxue raised her hand, and an ice-blue token emerged: "The order of the Supreme Elder, I, Ling Qingxue, guarantee with my Daoist heart that what Chu Xuan has cultivated is all orthodox. If anyone dares to be unreasonable again -- "she flicked the tip of her finger, the token hung in mid-air, cold light shining," ask me first, no answer from the sword."
The air pressure in the hall dropped sharply. Elder Li's lips quivered, but he dared not speak any more. Duan Qianshan rose to his feet and said indifferently, "The evidence is insufficient. The accusation is dismissed. Chu Xuan, release at once. Elder Li, if you have any objections, you may report to the patriarch and then decide."
"Elder Li gritted his teeth, but could only shrug his sleeves with a cold groan and slunk away. The grey-clad old man followed closely behind, his gaze 阴鸷, like two venomous snakes unwilling to give up.
The sun was shining brightly outside the hall. Chu Xuan stretched, turned his head and smiled at Ling Qingxue: "Qingxue, you were so handsome just now that I wanted to applaud."
Ling Qingxue gave him a faint glance: "Stop flattering. The lotus seal has been exposed, and Elder Li will not let it go."
Chu Xuan moved his wrist, and the lotus seal was faintly visible in the sunlight, like a spark under snow. He said softly, "Let him do it. Just right. I also want to see if it's his teeth that are tough or my sword that's sharp."
The young man's voice was not loud, but it carried the sharpness and certainty typical of a young man, like a freshly drawn sword, with a cold light.