Chapter 511 - 490: Five Phoenixes Sword Sect

Chapter 511: Chapter 490: Five Phoenixes Sword Sect

Great Li, Heaven Pillar Mountain, Dan Yang Peak.

At the foot of the mountain were several manors. Their Manor Masters were all Core Formation True Men, famous far and wide, who received Cultivators from all over drawn by their reputation.

Dan Yang Peak is part of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect’s Outer Mountain, and its past Manor Masters were all once True Disciples of the Sword Sect.

The Five Phoenix Sword Sect followed an elite path and did not recklessly expand its ranks. Even True Disciples, if they failed to reach Core Formation within the stipulated time, had to leave the main mountain and fend for themselves.

Aside from a few Fundamental Great Methods, which were placed under Forbidden restrictions and could not be passed on, there were no other limitations.

Whether it was to propagate a Clan or create a new power, anything was permitted. In the Great Li, many minor and mid-sized Sects could trace their origins back to the Five Phoenix Sword Sect.

However, in recent years, Spirit Land in the Central Domain had become increasingly scarce, making it more and more difficult for Cultivators who left the Sect to establish their own sects.

Many chose to remain on the Outer Mountain instead. After all, the continuous range of thirty-six peaks was all under the Five Phoenix Sword Sect’s sphere of influence. With a mix of Tier Two and Tier Three Spirit Lands, there was no shortage of space.

If they could make a name for themselves here, they might even have a chance to return to the Sect and land a position as an Outer Sect Steward.

The Outer Sect had never produced a Nascent Soul True Monarch, but Core Formation True Men were a dime a dozen, forming a considerable force.

For the past thousand years, the Five Phoenix Sword Sect and the Cyan Lotus Sword Sect were undoubtedly the two most dazzling Sword Cultivation Sects, Holy Lands in the hearts of countless Sword Cultivators in the Cultivation Realm.

However, the Five Phoenix Sword Sect had never been one to receive outside guests. Sword Cultivators who came admiringly could only visit the few Outer Mountains and glimpse the Five Phoenix Sword Sect’s Swordsmanship through these Cultivators who had been eliminated from the main mountain.

Among them, the Manor Masters below Dan Yang Peak were skilled in Swordsmanship. It was also rumored that they were close with a Saint Heir from the main mountain and had a chance to return to the Inner Sect. Thus, their fame spread far and wide, making it the most populated of the thirty-six peaks.

But today, the crowd of visiting Cultivators was several times larger than usual, with people packed shoulder to shoulder. Even the small path leading up the mountain was full of them.

"Why are there so many Cultivators today? Could it be that a High Cultivator is giving a lecture?"

A short, slightly pudgy young man was pushing his way forward when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and shouted impatiently, "You don’t even know about the big event on Dan Yang Peak? What are you even doing in this crowd... ah, Senior! Today is the day of the sword Combat between Dan Yang Peak’s Great Manor Master and the Sword Sect’s Core Disciple, Kuang Jiuchui! How could any Sword Cultivator, near or far, not come to take part in such a grand event? No one is willing to miss such a spectacular showdown!"

The pudgy young man turned his head and saw a Core Formation True Man standing behind him. A chill ran down his spine, as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over his head.

At the foot of the Sword Sect’s mountain, let alone a Core Formation True Man, not even a Nascent Soul True Monarch had the right to act recklessly.

Moreover, under the influence of the Moral Sect’s domineering style, one had to admit that instances of Central Domain Cultivators suddenly killing people in public were becoming increasingly rare.

No matter how unscrupulously they schemed in private, on the surface, they had to maintain the image of a virtuous Cultivator.

Even a Sect like the Life-Killing Sword Sect, whose righteousness was hard to discern and whose methods skirted the edge of the Demon Sects, claimed that the sword in their hand was to "end killing with killing" and that their hearts were with the common people.

Many of the older generation criticized this trend, saying that Cultivators were growing up in a honey pot, developing soft dispositions without experiencing brutal combat and competition.

The Combat strength of the new generation of disciples was already inferior to that of the Eastern Domain Cultivators, who were forged in blood and fire.

The truly important disciples of those Super Sects were not affected by this.

Within the Sects, there were Grotto Heaven Secret Realms where countless members of the Demon Race and other strange beasts were raised, allowing disciples to gain combat experience and see blood without even leaving home.

But if a Foundation Establishment Cultivator spoke insolently, forgetting his place and offending a Core Formation senior, no one could say a word if the senior chose to punish him.

"Tell me the details. I only arrived at Heaven Pillar Mountain today and don’t know much about the local customs and people."

Fortunately, this Core Formation True Man was magnanimous and did not reprimand him in the slightest, instead speaking in a gentle voice.

"Senior, the Great Manor Master, Wei Yibo, is a Late-Stage Core Formation Sword Cultivator. That level of Cultivation is as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin horn on the Outer Mountain. Back then, he failed the assessment to be promoted from a True Disciple to a Core Disciple by just a hair’s breadth, which is why he ended up on the Outer Mountain. Otherwise, the Sword Sect might have had another Nascent Soul True Monarch today."

The pudgy young man looked at the Core Formation True Man gratefully. The senior had a free and easy air about him, standing out from the crowd like a lotus rising from the water. His face wasn’t exceptionally handsome, yet it made the surrounding Cultivators seem dull and lackluster in comparison. He could truly be described as dashing and elegant.

"Kuang Jiuchui is a Core Disciple of the Sword Sect. He only reached Core Formation a little over ten years ago, but his Swordsmanship is outstanding, and he has already defeated several Core Formation seniors. More importantly, his elder brother, Kuang Jiugong, is the Sword Sect’s current Saint Heir! He reached Late-Stage Core Formation Cultivation in just a hundred years of cultivation and even caused a Tier Four Flying Sword to resonate with him. He’s hailed as the Sword Sect’s next True Monarch. With both brothers being so outstanding, the Kuang Family’s ancestral tomb must be spewing green smoke—their luck is simply heaven-defying!"

He spoke with rich detail, even citing past battle records and others’ evaluations to illustrate why the duel between these two was a highly anticipated event, and why it was completely normal for so many Cultivators to gather and watch.

"Thank you, little brother. You’d have a promising future as a storyteller."

The Core Formation youth was none other than Bai Zichen, who had traveled from the Southern Domain to the Central Domain Great Li. He patted the Cultivator on the shoulder and said seriously.

To hear the youth tell it, these two Core Formation Sword Cultivators were like Celestial Gods descending to the mortal realm, like Unparalleled Sword Immortals, and missing their fight would be a lifetime regret.

Back when he was in the Core Formation Stage, Bai Zichen had witnessed the earth-shattering battle between Tang Fei and Xiangg Ji up close. That fight could be considered the masterpiece of Sword Cultivator Combat in the last several hundred years.

There was Sword Light Division, a Tier Five Flying Sword, and even Du Heng, who had switched to cultivating the path of an Ancient Demon, joining the fray. It was as spectacular as it could get.

’A duel between Core Formation Sword Cultivators like this really isn’t worth my attention.’

However, considering he could use this battle to gauge the approximate skill level of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect’s disciples, he patiently continued to watch.