This year's Qingyun Conference was hosted by the Tiandao Sect, with the venue set at Jianmu, the heart of Feimengze.
From high above, Jianmu resembled a colossal phoenix tree, its roots deeply embedded in the vast marshlands stretching for thousands of miles.
Flying boats darted back and forth like birds nesting among the branches, while vessels navigating the waterways moved like fish swimming in the streams beneath. The constant comings and goings made the place lively and bustling.
On closer inspection, it was revealed to be an enormous city forged entirely from mysterious bronze, primarily painted in shades of azure and gold, with a faint shimmer of amethyst and gold glinting under the sunlight.
Pavilions and towers rose in layers, their splendid colors blending with the clouds and mist, connected by a series of celestial corridors that wove through the city.
On a broad, verdant platform at the treetop’s crown, two teams of cultivators were locked in a heated dispute. A crowd had gathered, some near, some far, all drawn by the spectacle.
The juicy gossip of the great sects—always so thrilling!
Leading the Tai Xuan Sect’s delegation was the senior sister, Xu Junzhu, her face stern as she negotiated with the Tiandao Sect’s representatives. “Li Zhaoye is a disciple of Tai Xuan Sect, and was the previous Qingyun Champion. How can anyone else casually take his name?”
From the Tiandao side, a man with a charming smile stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back, teasing, “Oh? Since when did Tai Xuan Sect become the emperor of the cultivation world? It’s just a name—do others really have to avoid it?”
This man was strikingly handsome, with rosy lips and white teeth, his face as flawless as jade. He held a peach blossom fan in one hand, while his moon-white robe was embroidered with silver patterns that shimmered subtly with his movements, drawing all eyes.
Xu Junzhu struggled to contain her anger. “Yue Ranchen, you know full well—”
“Hold on, hold on!” The cultivator named Yue Ranchen widened his eyes in mock innocence. “What does this have to do with me? Isn’t this all Tai Xuan Sect’s own drama? The fiancé who betrayed his love for a mortal white lotus, the fiancée who openly retaliated by finding a stand-in—tsk tsk, your sect is truly chaotic!”
“You!”
“Hey, hey, don’t get so worked up, no need for fists. Haven’t you noticed the great Buddha statue keeping order here?”
Yue Ranchen gave a thumbs-up, then gestured behind him.
There, patrolling the platform to maintain order, was the law enforcement squad. At their forefront stood a slender, handsome man clad in a robe the color of moonlight, a broad moonlit cloth covering his forehead. His demeanor was cold and serene as the winter moon.
Wherever his gaze fell, silence immediately followed.
He was Yue Ranchen’s elder brother, Yue Wugou.
Son of the Tiandao Sect’s sect leader, a cultivator at the Divine Transformation stage, young yet already widowed, and notoriously difficult to provoke.
The Qingyun Conference was hosted by the Tiandao Sect this year.
Currently, the three great sects stood in a balance of power. Tiandao Sect differed somewhat from the other two—Tai Xuan and Chongxing—in that its origins lay in a cultivation family.
The Yue clan flourished, its branches sprawling wide, and even produced a Dao Sovereign to preside over them, making their influence peak like never before.
But alas, the good times were short-lived.
Cultivators all possessed a streak of pride. To join a sect was to honor one’s masters and cherish fellow disciples—that was natural and proper.
But to become a retainer in a cultivation family was different; it felt like being treated as a dog. The more generous the family’s provisions, the more inferior one felt once outside their doors.
Over time, this eroded their Dao heart.
Thus, those prodigies who showed promise often chose to join major sects instead, bypassing the family route.
The Yue clan relied solely on bloodline propagation, and after just a few generations, signs of decline began to show.
The Daoist Cangyue had sensed something amiss. Ignoring the protests of his many juniors, he abolished the old noble family and established a sect. He even changed his Daoist title, henceforth known as Daoist Cangyue of the Heavenly Dao Sect, rather than the old ancestor of the Yue family.
And so, three sects now stand side by side.
The current sect leader is a mediocre good-natured man, with two sons: one named Yue Wugou, the other Yue Ranchen.
One is a prodigy of unparalleled talent; the other, a charming rake.
The one leading the law enforcement team is none other than Yue Wugou, the brightest prodigy in the world before Li Zhaoye’s sudden rise.
At this moment, he was patrolling the Daoist hall, stepping onto the Heavenly Corridor, ready to head elsewhere.
From afar, he appeared pure and ethereal, like a moonlit immortal, unlike any mortal of the mundane world.
“Has his realm advanced another level?” Xu Junzhu sighed softly.
“Of course,” Yue Ranchen chuckled. “Without the burdens of love and affection holding him back, he’s naturally soaring to new heights. Hey, did Li Zhaoye also pick up a deadweight?”
When there’s too much disparity in cultivation between Daoist partners, dual cultivation no longer enhances both, but becomes a one-sided infusion of spiritual power from the stronger to the weaker.
Yue Ranchen sighed, “Back when my sister-in-law was alive, she nearly drained my brother dry!”
Xu Junzhu frowned deeply, about to speak, when Gu Meng suddenly jumped in.
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Gu Meng’s cheeks flushed. “Li Da Ge and I are perfectly innocent. I, Gu Meng, am not the type to rely on dual cultivation to boost my power!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Xu Junzhu caught her own younger sister behind her, imitating Gu Meng’s words while twisting her waist and pouting.
Xu Junzhu: “...”
“Oh really? Let me see,” Yue Ranchen teased, stepping forward with a playful grin, pretending to flick Gu Meng’s chin with his folding fan. “Not bad, not bad—truly a virtuous maiden...”
Seeing Xu Junzhu’s fury rising, he quickly withdrew his fan and bowed exaggeratedly, “My apologies! Please forgive me, Miss Gu. If you ever need anything, just say the word. Yue here would go through fire and water for you.”
This man was as smooth as silk, spouting sweet talk without charging a dime.
“Hmph!” Gu Meng shot him an angry glare. “Who believes you?”
Amid this back-and-forth, Li Zhaoye’s face turned green with embarrassment.
“Enough,” Xu Junzhu sighed heavily. “Let’s keep some dignity, so we can meet again someday. When our sect hosts the Qingyun Conference, won’t you worry about your names being tarnished?”
“I don’t care,” Yue Ranchen grinned like a fearless rogue. “No need to wait for next time; this time will do. Or should I ask Brother Li to borrow my name?”
He turned his head, signaling the disciple responsible for registrations and records behind him, “Write him down—Yue Ranchen.”
Xu Junzhu exclaimed urgently, “No!”
Yue Ranchen shrugged. “Out there, countless people are lining up just to claim they’re my father’s son. If you don’t like my father, pick another name yourselves. If you insist on duplicates, that’s fine too—just know, scoring is based on names. If anything goes wrong because of a name clash, don’t come crying to me.”
Everyone knew Luo Luo was deliberately taking revenge on Li Zhaoye, and naturally, the Heavenly Dao Sect was only too happy to go along with it.
The two sides were at a stalemate when suddenly, a clear and bright female voice rang out from beyond the crowd.
“Chen Xuanyi!”
Everyone was startled and turned their heads in unison.
There, striding boldly through the throng, was a striking woman dressed in red.
Luo Luo!
Having seen her so often, no one thought she was particularly beautiful, but changing her look so suddenly, this first encounter truly dazzled the eyes.
Luo Luo quietly steadied her breath—finally, she had arrived!
The Divine Lord was right: the more crowded the place, the more restrained the Divine Palace’s pursuit became. Since arriving in the Feimengze region, with the Heavenly Dao Sect’s formations and informants in place, the Divine Palace’s pursuers had become very cautious and had even retreated directly.
But the journey had been incredibly cramped!
Jianmu forbade sword riding, so she had to force her way through on foot, ending up with a head full of bumps.
Luckily, she arrived just in time.
From afar, she had already overheard endless gossip, all saying that Luo Luo was a remarkable woman—she had used a massive amount of Yu Fusheng to seduce and subdue the Divine Lord, then left the Divine Palace, and even found a handsome young man as a stand-in to attend the Qingyun Conference just to spite Li Zhaoye.
In short, it was all roughly accurate. (?)
Luo Luo strode forward, sweeping her gaze across the crowd—all familiar faces.
Xu Junlan was the first to speak in surprise, “You really aren’t dead!”
Luo Luo: “...Why are you so happy about me not being dead?”
Xu Junlan jumped up and down, “Who said I’m happy? Seeing you alive doesn’t mean I’m happy! If I were happy, I’d... I’d have my whole family dead!”
Luo Luo was too lazy to deal with this orphan and casually pushed her aside, ignoring the dense gazes around her as she stepped forward and bent her finger to tap the registration stone.
“Register him: Chen Xuanyi.”
She glanced sideways, staring challengingly at Chen Xuanyi.
Whispers spread among the crowd.
Chen Xuanyi? That name sounded familiar, but no one could quite place it.
Ordinary people only knew the big shots by their Dao names, like Qingxu and Lingxue; very few knew their actual surnames.
Hearing a full name all at once was genuinely disorienting.
Chen Xuanyi and Luo Luo’s eyes met.
She raised an eyebrow: Dare you?
He stared at her, then slowly smiled, “Alright. Old grudges, mysterious causes, all wiped clean. Just as well to bask a little in the light of the Dao Lord Xuanyi—so, Chen Xuanyi it is.”
Luo Luo: “...”
He really could make things up on the spot.
Chen Xuanyi smiled and took a step closer, staring at her as he raised his hand toward the registration stone.
He was challenging her. If Luo Luo backed down, he would gain three points of momentum. If she didn’t, he would catch her fingers.
Luo Luo frowned, unwilling to admit defeat but also unwilling to be disgusted.
“Smack.”
Suddenly, a paw landed on her shoulder.
The “sickly pretty boy Li Zhaoye” struggled through the crowd, tilting his head slightly as he grabbed her shoulder and pushed her behind him.
He stood directly in front of Chen Xuanyi.
His arrogant aura made her heart almost stop.
“Chen Xuanyi, right?” He raised his eyes, speaking deliberately and casually, “I’ve heard of you far and wide. It’s an honor to meet you.”
Chen Xuanyi: “...And you are?”
He smiled, “Li Zhaoye.”
The crowd erupted.
So this was the “Li Zhaoye” Luo Luo had brought to provoke Li Zhaoye. He did bear a slight resemblance, but he looked weak and sickly—clearly not someone to mess with.
But as a stand-in, as long as you provoke the original, you can bow out gracefully. Whether your body holds up or not isn’t really that important.
While others gossiped and watched the show, Chen Xuanyi, the protagonist, only felt it was absurd.
Absolutely ridiculous!
He scoffed, “You really think just using this name makes you the top contender?”
The sickly pretty boy smiled, “Anyway, you’re not going to be.”
Chen Xuanyi’s expression darkened. “The Qingyun Tournament is a matter of life and death—you better be careful.”
The pretty boy was outrageously arrogant. “You? Come on, let’s spar.”
The setting sun dipped low, casting a golden-red beam through the bronze-colored trees, landing right between them.
Luo Luo’s vision slowly blurred with the blood-red hues of dusk.
Li Zhaoye. Chen Xuanyi.
Yue Ranchen stepped forward, placing himself between the two. “Hey—hey, hey, no fighting here! If you want to fight, wait until the tournament starts! There’ll be plenty of chances!”
“Fine.” The pretty boy pointed and gestured, “I’ll give you face and let you off this time.”
His finger hovered just inches from Chen Xuanyi’s nose.
Chen Xuanyi was speechless.
He wanted to step forward, but Gu Meng grabbed his elbow.
Her eyes were red, like a hurt little rabbit, her voice choked with frustration, “Everyone thinks you two are fighting over a woman.”
Chen Xuanyi frowned.
Gu Meng said, “Wouldn’t it be better to settle things fairly in the arena?”
Sensing the resentment and murderous intent in her tone, Chen Xuanyi smiled.
“Alright.” He stepped back, locking eyes with Luo Luo and the pretty boy. “Looking forward to seeing you in the arena. Don’t let anyone else knock you out.”
Luo Luo tugged the pretty boy back like a little anchor.
She pressed her lips tight, her small face tense and serious.
But her thoughts were deafening: He said spar! Spar! Spar spar spar spar spar…
He was speechless.
What’s wrong with sparring? What’s the problem with sparring?
What a little troublemaker.
He tilted his head, staring at her. Seeing how seriously solemn she was, he couldn’t help himself and reached out to ruffle her hair.
