Chapter 149: Drinking Under the Moon
The two facing each other on the field—one had spiritual energy surging around his body, water ripples churning. His face was extremely young, looking not much different from Song Yan.
The one fighting against him was slightly older, falling into a disadvantage.
“Fellow Daoist, which one is Senior Brother Kong You?”
These words were not asked by Song Yan, but by a young disciple nearby.
It seemed that within the sect, there were quite a few people like him who knew nothing about the other disciples.
The two who had been speaking earlier exchanged somewhat odd glances. “Are you a junior who only joined the sect last autumn?”
That did not seem right—this person’s spiritual energy clearly showed he was at the seventh level of Qi Refining.
“Er… my aptitude is ordinary. I’ve spent years cultivating bitterly in my cave dwelling, so I’m not very familiar with my fellow disciples.”
“So that’s how it is…”
This person’s situation was much the same as Song Yan’s.
“That one there.”
He pointed at the young cultivator and said, “Senior Brother Kong You has extraordinary talent in the Dao arts, and his spiritual energy is extremely profound.”
The two disciples took turns speaking, explaining in detail.
“In this sect’s Sword-Tempering Assembly, he will definitely secure a spot among the top ten Qi Refining Stage disciples.”
Speaking of which, there had been quite a few changes regarding this sect’s Sword-Tempering.
The timing had already been adjusted once due to the Changping affair.
Later, the rules announced within the sect also brought many changes to the Sword-Tempering’s progression.
Because after the delay, the time of the sect’s Sword-Tempering was not far from the grand gathering of the Chu Kingdom’s cultivation world—the Nine Veins Tournament at Dragon Pool Mountain.
So this time, the team battles that had originally been contested between the main peaks were cancelled, leaving only the selection stage and the duel stage.
In the end, twelve elite Qi Refining Stage disciples would be selected, led by Foundation Establishment inner sect cultivators, to participate in the Nine Veins Tournament at Dragon Pool Mountain several years later.
On the bluestone Debate Stage, the rain and mist had yet to dissipate. Kong You stood with his hands at his sides.
A teardrop-shaped pendant magical artifact hovered slowly before his chest, emanating faint blue ripples with his breathing.
He did not strike first but instead conserved his energy, supremely confident.
Ten zhang away, Zhao Mian’s palms flickered with spiritual light, three bronze flying shuttles poised around him, ready to strike.
The two had already been sparring for quite some time, and this was the most tense moment.
“Senior Brother Kong, watch out!”
The tips of the flying shuttles pulsated with crimson radiance, their fiery spiritual light blazing. The surrounding raindrops that fell instantly turned to white mist.
Kong You shook his head slightly. “What a pity the heavens are not cooperative today. For me, this is ideal weather, but it somewhat diminishes the power of Junior Brother Zhao’s magical artifacts.”
“A mere drizzle—why should I care?”
Zhao Mian gave a low shout, sending the three flying shuttles shooting out in succession. “Meteor Chasing the Moon!”
One shuttle went straight for the face, while the other two flanked left and right, circling around the center one, leaving trails of fire serpent tails in the air.
Though Kong You was confident, he did not underestimate his opponent.
He raised both hands as majestic water-attribute spiritual energy gathered within them. The teardrop pendant blazed with light, forming a two-chi-thick curtain of blue water around his body.
The instant the shuttles pierced in, Zhao Mian’s expression changed dramatically.
The water curtain was not as simple as it appeared. Countless fine currents flowed within it, and the moment the shuttles entered the water, they suddenly decelerated.
“Disperse.”
Kong You’s Daoist robe fluttered as the water curtain exploded outward in all directions.
The three flying shuttles were blasted to the ground by the powerful impact.
Zhao Mian hastily retreated, flinging several talismans from his sleeve that formed a red shield before him.
Kong You pressed his advantage. The blue light of the pendant on his chest suddenly shifted, emanating a deep purple glow.
Amid the rain and mist, lightning surged.
“Oh?”
In the crowd, Song Yan’s gaze sharpened.
He hadn’t noticed before, but that pendant-shaped artifact seemed to hold some mystery.
A touch of gold surged into his eyes, and the surrounding spiritual energy became crystal clear.
“This treasure seems to be able to amplify the power of Dao techniques…”
Moreover, despite such a powerful spell, the person’s spiritual energy showed no obvious decline. Whether this was due to the pendant’s effect or the characteristics of the Dao scripture he cultivated, he could not tell.
The gold faded.
He had just applied medicine—it would not be wise to use his eyes for too long.
Three bolts of lightning converged within the rain and mist, then suddenly struck down.
The successive bolts of lightning caused the protective spell Zhao Mian had unleashed to immediately destabilize and collapse.
He frantically rolled aside to dodge, but his Daoist robe was still torn by the aftershock.
However, when he looked up again, six bolts of lightning danced back and forth through the rain and mist.
Zhao Mian’s expression held a trace of despair as he raised his hand.
“Senior Brother Kong, I lose.”
“Junior Brother Zhao, you’ve cultivated your Blazing Fire Dao Incantation very well. If you put more effort into studying mental cultivation methods and Dao techniques, you’ll surely make progress.”
The teardrop pendant’s glow gradually faded. Kong You swept his sleeve, dispersing the water vapor and lightning around him. “Thank you for yielding.”
Cheers and discussions immediately erupted from the surroundings.
“Having fought two opponents in a row, Senior Brother Kong shows no signs of exhaustion at all.”
“His spiritual energy cultivation is truly profound…”
“Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother.”
Only Zhao Mian truly understood the extent of his opponent’s strength. Had it been a life-and-death battle, he would have been dead the moment the first three bolts of lightning struck.
Zhao Mian bowed and walked off the Debate Stage.
The surroundings buzzed with voices, and the drizzling rain gradually stopped.
Kong You stood with his hands at his sides, slowly recovering his spiritual energy, with no indication that he intended to stop here.
“Senior Brother Kong is only at the eighth level of Qi Refining, yet he can already win consecutive battles…”
“I heard from his younger brother that Senior Brother Kong is about to break through to the ninth level of Qi Refining.”
“When that happens, with even deeper spiritual energy reserves, he’ll probably be unbeatable beneath Foundation Establishment.”
Kong You heard these words but silently shook his head.
Unbeatable beneath Foundation Establishment?
Heh…
Before that martial artist called Li Yi had come up the mountain and joined the sect, he had indeed thought the same.
Recalling that person’s battle intent, he felt only horror.
In the crowd, a youthful-faced young man stood tall and proud, the praises for his elder brother ringing in his ears.
His name was Kong Yun, and he was Kong You’s biological younger brother.
At this moment, the corners of his mouth turned up unconsciously, his eyes brimming with pride, as though those words of praise were directed at him as well.
“Yan Yan, is that person really as formidable as everyone says?”
Suddenly, a faint yet grating voice of doubt reached his ears from the nearby discussions.
“Hmm?”
He was somewhat displeased and immediately looked toward the source of the voice.
Song Yan stood in the crowd, his sleeve slightly moving as Xiao He poked half her Xiao Head out from her lapel.
The little snake said crisply, “I somehow feel like that person can’t beat you. Maybe… he can’t even beat me.”
This little one had been cultivating demonic energy recently and was quite arrogant.
Hearing this, Song Yan was rendered speechless and laughed.
He flicked her forehead gently with his finger. “Don’t talk big, or someone will strike you dead with a bolt of heavenly lightning.”
What Xiao He said was heard by many people around them.
Ordinary cultivators simply laughed it off, thinking this person’s awakened spirit pet was merely being arrogant.
But to Kong Yun, it was like a stone cast into still water, impossible to calm.