Chapter 149: I See the Verdant Mountains and Find Them Charming

At the drawing lot station, Kui Muquan let out a cold snort at Han Shuangjiang’s words, wearing a look that said he couldn’t be bothered to argue with such a mere woman.

Before leaving, he merely tossed out a line: "Then let’s settle this with our skills tomorrow."

And so, the series of events that had taken place at the lot-drawing station quickly spread throughout the Dao Gate.

Everyone believed that tomorrow’s Eastern Continent Grand Competition would undoubtedly be spectacular.

So many strong contenders were clashing right in this round.

Moreover, there had even been verbal confrontations between them.

"Did you hear? Chu Huaixu drew Geng Tianhe!"

"Really? Isn’t that basically the ultimate showdown between our Dao Gate’s sword cultivator and the Sword Sect’s sword cultivator?"

"Exactly! If he eliminates Geng Tianhe, then the rest of the Sword Sect is no threat. Their chances of winning are gone!"

"Let’s hope Junior Brother Chu wins. Then we’ll see if those Sword Sect people still dare to boast!"

It had to be said, the conflict between the Dao Gate and the Sword Sect over the sword path had lasted a full thousand years.

This legacy dispute had far-reaching influence, from the top all the way to the bottom.

Whether it was the higher-ups or the ordinary disciples, all were the same.

Haven’t you noticed that the two characters in the term 'sword path' are evenly split between the Sword Sect and the Dao Gate?

As for Kui Muquan’s shouting on the platform that day, it had naturally aroused the Dao Gate disciples’ displeasure.

"Hope Junior Sister Han really gives him a good thrashing!"

"‘I too can defeat you!’ Tsk tsk tsk, never thought she’d be a woman with such sharpness and dominance."

Under such widespread attention, the Martial Arena was packed on the second day.

Many inner sect senior brothers and sisters had come specifically to watch.

The home advantage showed itself at such times.

All these people had come to cheer on Chu Huaixu and Han Shuangjiang!

High above on the platform, all the cultivation powerhouses were already seated.

Teng Lingyi’s expression looked somewhat grim.

He was well aware that Luo Heaven Valley was likely going to be completely wiped out today.

Yet as a distinguished guest, he still had to sit here and watch all the matches.

The days ahead would be pure spectating—watching the Dao Gate show off.

Mei Chuxue and Situ Cheng weren’t feeling much better.

Neither of them had expected the lot-drawing to turn out so dramatically.

Sitting together, Mei Chuxue, who was still clad in a fiery red dress, asked, "Why don’t I see Geng Tianhe?"

"He’s still in seclusion, trying to make the most of his time. He’ll arrive near the match time," Situ Cheng replied.

"Oh? Trying to comprehend sword intent?" The alluring woman smiled.

"Unlikely," Situ Cheng shook his head.

The Great River Sword Intent was also of rather high standing—one of the upper-tier sword intents.

Which also meant it was difficult.

The matches of the day soon began, and the first platform battle was quite a good watch.

The two disciples were of roughly equal strength, revealing all their trump cards. They paid a great price to secure victory.

After all, the rewards for this round of the Eastern Continent Grand Competition were incredibly generous. Advancing one more round made a huge difference.

In the end, the victor was a Sword Sect disciple.

This brought a hint of satisfaction to Situ Cheng’s face.

He believed this disciple had showcased the tenacity and decisiveness of sword cultivators.

Next up was the anticipated match between Han Shuangjiang and Kui Muquan.

Below the stage, Dao Gate disciples began cheering.

"Junior Sister Han! You’ve got this!"

"Junior Sister Han, show this madman from Spring and Autumn Mountain what our Dao Gate is made of!"

"Dao Gate will prevail!"

Hearing these voices, the Big Ice Block wore a cold face, nodded slightly, and held her breath to focus.

She stepped onto the platform with 【Zhegutian】 in hand.

Standing below, Chu Huaixu watched with not a hint of worry on his face.

Some of the more familiar Dao Gate disciples even began "interviewing" him.

"Junior Brother Chu, you don’t look nervous for Junior Sister Han at all?"

Chu Huaixu smiled and said, "She’s definitely going to win. It’s just a matter of how."

"Oh? You’re that confident in her?"

"Absolutely," he replied.

On the other side of the platform, Kui Muquan stepped up with his saber.

Before the match officially began, Han Shuangjiang gave the customary polite bow: "Please enlighten me."

In return, the other side stood still, unmoving.

His arrogance was clear as day.

Several angry curses were instantly heard from below—some hot-headed Dao Gate disciples had started yelling.

Yet Han Shuangjiang remained expressionless, even feeling he was playing some underhanded game.

"With a personality and posture like his, he’s clearly trying to throw off my rhythm," she thought.

The most irritating thing was, someone like him, who tread the path of arrogance, was building his momentum through such behavior!

If one allowed themselves to be affected and lost composure, mistakes born from anger might follow.

"Let him play the high and mighty."

"As long as I win in the end, everything else is a joke!" Han Shuangjiang calmed her aura.

She held her spirit sword horizontally before her and unsheathed it.

The moment 【Zhegutian】 was drawn, those nearby felt the surrounding temperature drop, a chill sweeping through.

Kui Muquan raised his brow and unsheathed his long saber.

Once his saber was out, killing intent surged forth!

Someone who attains Dao through killing would never treat this like a mere match.

His only goal was to kill!

Of course, with so many major cultivators guarding the event, nothing truly dangerous would happen.

Saber in hand, he charged forward, while Han Shuangjiang didn’t dodge at all. She stepped straight ahead, opting for direct confrontation.

Sword and saber auras clashed, making the stage shimmer with flashing light and shadows.

"Still not using your sword intent?!" Kui Muquan roared.

Han Shuangjiang glanced at him, slashed her sword without a word.

Chu Huaixu watched the scene and could read her thoughts:

"You haven’t used your secret art either, haven’t entered your rabid-dog mode yet."

Seeing her icy demeanor, Kui Muquan began to activate his Geng Metal Spirit Vein.

Golden currents coiled around him, emanating a fierce aura of death.

As it was autumn, this deathly aura seemed fitting.

His saber strikes grew fiercer, and the murderous aura he emitted intensified.

Yet Han Shuangjiang remained composed, using her movement technique 【Flying Profound】 and defensive technique, which formed layers of ice lotus petals around her body for protection.

Unlike Kui Muquan’s vicious smile, she looked every bit the descending sword fairy.

Each strike was sharp, yet pleasing to the eye.

She spun and slashed, her jet-black hair flowing elegantly.

When beauty reached its peak, even every strand of hair seemed to emit charm.

Each strike rained down ice crystals through the air.

Even after activating his Geng Metal Spirit Vein, Kui Muquan still failed to gain the upper hand.

Frustrated, he raised his fingers to his eyes and began to activate Spring and Autumn Mountain’s secret art.

His eyes turned a deep crimson, darker than in the previous match.

Golden markings appeared on his forehead, his aura turning increasingly violent.

Waves of scorching energy burst outward, veins bulging on his forehead.

With a furious shout, golden patterns crawled up his right hand, spreading to his arm.

His saber let out a high-pitched ringing cry—as if the artifact spirit connected to his will had also entered a frenzied state.

Han Shuangjiang's expression grew even graver, the young girl’s face as calm as still water.

She could sense it—this was Kui Muquan at his peak, holding nothing back.

Thus, she dared not show the slightest carelessness.

"Han Shuangjiang, if you don’t use your sword intent now, you won’t get another chance!"

He slashed forward and even found time to shout at Chu Huaixu below the stage.

"Chu Huaixu, if I cripple your woman later, don’t blame me for being ruthless!" he sneered.

The young man in the black robe looked at him, face puzzled.

"Why are you so delusionally self-confident?" Chu Huaixu thought.

"You clearly have no idea just how terrifying her Reincarnation Sword Intent is!"

On the platform, Han Shuangjiang finally unleashed her Reincarnation Sword Intent without restraint.

Throughout the entire Dao Gate, she'd only entered such a profound state once—during a spar with Chu Huaixu.

In an instant, her aura shifted drastically.

Her jet-black long hair turned silver-white.

This scene was exactly like that reflection beneath the ice during their time in the Growth Rings Secret Realm.

Youth and silver hair—it was a scene of contradiction, a stark contrast.

As though one side held the vitality of youth, and the other, the twilight of death.

The energy flowing from Han Shuangjiang differed immensely from before; even her expression and gaze had changed.

If the cold-faced girl before had been overflowing with chilly elegance, then now she was the embodiment of indifference.

—No joy, no sorrow.

When Chu Huaixu had first seen this, he was inexplicably reminded of a line from the Dao De Jing:

—【Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs】.

This line had often been misunderstood in the past as saying that Heaven and Earth were cruel, viewing all beings as mere offerings.

But now most understood: it meant that Heaven and Earth do not show partiality, letting all things follow their own nature.

Heaven and Earth acted without sentiment—true impartiality.

And so followed the second half: The sage is not benevolent, he treats the people as straw dogs.

Han Shuangjiang now gave off just such an impression.

Life and death—this was Reincarnation.

On the blade of 【Zhegutian】, two auras appeared—one black, one white.

Intertwined yet opposing.

Kui Muquan was momentarily stunned by what he saw.

To the spectators, the contrast on stage was even starker.

One side, arrogant to the extreme; the other, indifferent to the extreme!

Han Shuangjiang’s eyes seemed devoid of any emotion.

Her mental state was tranquil—utterly still, without ripples.

High on the platform, Situ Cheng and the others narrowed their eyes.

They had only read about Yan Shen’s Reincarnation Sword Intent in ancient texts—never seen it.

This was their first time.

So not only the juniors by the platform were shocked—even the major cultivators watched closely, not daring to miss a single detail.

"This is the legacy of the Second Generation Temple Master!"

"Second only to the Dao Ancestor himself!"

Han Shuangjiang looked toward Kui Muquan and casually swung her sword.

Even with his Geng Metal Spirit Vein activated, even in his berserk state, Kui Muquan couldn’t block it.

That simple slash sent him flying.

He spat a mouthful of blood, ribs snapping, his saber falling from his grasp.

He fell off the platform.

In the previous match, he had done the same to a Dao Gate disciple.

After humiliating them, he’d loudly challenged the crowd, asking who dared face him.

Now, the outcome was clear.

Han Shuangjiang had recreated that very scene—only the one who fell had changed.

To defeat you is to defeat you!

Her silver hair fluttered as she sheathed her sword.

Her eyes still showed no emotion.

As though this great victory brought her no joy at all.

The mountain wind blew, lifting her silver hair in its breeze.

She seemed ever more ethereal.

On the platform, Mei Chuxue remarked, "Our Spring and Autumn Mountain’s path to Dao differs from other sects. We enter through emotions like the Seven Passions and Six Desires—but in the end, the peak is a near-emotionless state: the 【Heaven-Man Realm】."

"I never thought the Reincarnation Sword Intent of Second Generation Temple Master Yan Shen would have such similar resonance!"

"Kui Muquan’s defeat is well deserved."

Even cultivators at the Eighth Realm admitted this had opened their eyes.

Situ Cheng and Teng Lingyi exchanged glances, both realizing the Reincarnation Sword Intent was even more powerful than they imagined.

Teng Lingyi even wondered, "If it truly is as Mei Chuxue says—akin to reaching the 【Heaven-Man Realm】—then wouldn’t spiritual-type techniques almost entirely fail against her?"

As one of the Four Great Divine Swords, Situ Cheng thought differently.

He had already begun envisioning what it would be like if this evolved into a Reincarnation Sword Heart—or even a Reincarnation Sword Domain.

He was beginning to understand why, a thousand years ago, Yan Shen had been the number one under the Dao Ancestor—why, in her time, the Sword Sect was completely suppressed.

"If Han Shuangjiang grows to that level..." Situ Cheng couldn’t bear to imagine it.

At this moment, silence reigned below the platform.

The major cultivators were stunned—let alone the lower-realm cultivators.

As powerful as Kui Muquan was, the top seed of Spring and Autumn Mountain, he had been utterly crushed!

Just what kind of sword intent was this?

And in the midst of that deathly silence, one person began to clap loudly and cheer.

Han Shuangjiang, silver hair flowing, turned to look at the enthusiastic Chu Huaixu.

She looked at the man who had walked with her through the Growth Rings Secret Realm and sat beside her on the frozen lake.

In her eyes, the entire world was now black and white—like the twin auras that circled her sword.

Only he, cheering alone in the crowd, seemed full of life.

He felt different from everyone else.

—『To me, all beings are mere grass and trees—only you are the verdant mountain.』

In Han Shuangjiang’s heart, once still as dead water, ripples finally appeared.

......

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