Past Grudges, Xuantian Sect!

A yellow-toothed cultivator, hands tucked into his sleeves and back hunched, laughed with bright eyes. "What a Great Xia Sword Sect! Such boldness truly commands admiration!" "Knowing full well their disciples might die, they still came." Beside him, a white-browed Taoist priest murmured softly, "Well said." "Yet have you noticed? From the look in those disciples' eyes, it is obvious they all know what they must face today." "And yet, there isn't the slightest hint of retreat in their gaze!" "For a sect like this, who can say what they will become in the next hundred years?" Both men were Core Formation cultivators, so their judgment was naturally keen. Before long, people from all hundred sects gathered at the grounds. Countless eyes turned toward the Great Xia Sword Sect. After all, of all the competitors in yesterday's Hundred Sects Tournament, only the Great Xia Sword Sect and Liuyang Academy had suffered the most severe casualties. Yet today, only the Great Xia Sword Sect had arrived! Word was that Liuyang Academy had fled Tianyu Pass overnight. Treading on empty air, Ge Qing said softly, "Based on yesterday's point standings, the bottom fifty sects have been eliminated." At that moment, the members of the Great Xia Sword Sect looked in slight astonishment at the record stele. There, the name of the Great Xia Sword Sect appeared in the very last spot. Fiftieth place: Great Xia Sword Sect!! The names of the other fifty sects had already gone dark. Li Guanqi took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Were the later matches that fierce?!" Yesterday, the Great Xia Sword Sect had been the first to finish their duels. Back then, their sect had been ranked only ninety-second simply because the other sects had not yet concluded their bouts. Qin Xian had clearly not expected this outcome either. "Since this is the will of heaven, let us take things as they come today!" After the other sects flew toward the spectator stands, Ge Qing spoke in a deep voice. "Since that is so, let the second round of drawing lots begin!" *Hum!* As the old man sent forth a wisp of spirit light, dazzling radiance burst from the stele. Moments later, the match roster for the second round appeared. *Bang! Crack!* Beside Li Guanqi, the crippled man suddenly shattered the paving stone under his feet! The vital energy around him surged violently, his knuckles turning white around his crutch. A look of pure hatred pierced through the stray strands of his hair, staring intently at a sect name on the stele! Following the man's gaze, Li Guanqi looked at the stele with his mind's eye. Written clearly upon it was: *Great Xia Sword Sect versus Xuantian Sect!* "Xuantian Sect!" Li Guanqi murmured the sect's name softly. He had little impression of them. Yet he noticed that both Tu Kui and his master were frequently glancing toward Gao Qiwen! Even Qin Xian's hands were clenched into tight fists beneath his sleeves! Li Guanqi sent a voice transmission to the elder in front of him. "Master, is there a grudge between Gao Qiwen and this Xuantian Sect?" The old man glanced back at the crippled man, sighed softly, and replied via voice transmission. "His leg was ruined during the Hundred Sects Tournament against Xuantian Sect..." "Old Gao... looks young, but in truth he is nearly four hundred years old." "He entered the sect even a few years before I did." Li Guanqi felt a slight jolt in his mind. He had not expected Gao Qiwen, who looked so youthful, to be of such an advanced age. "He took a Youth-Retaining Pill in his youth, so naturally you cannot see his age." Li Guanqi nodded slightly. No wonder he had always felt the man seemed rather world-weary and experienced at times. "In short... Old Gao's lingering heartache lies with Xuantian Sect!" As for the rest of the story, the old man did not elaborate. Today's matches would all take place on the main peak of Mount Tianyu. According to the roster, the Great Xia Sword Sect would have to wait until several earlier sects finished before their turn. The floating arenas in the sky gradually began to merge, forming even larger combat stages one after another. Yet just as the arena formations were coming together, a middle-aged man with sharp features and a monkey-like face strolled over toward the Great Xia Sword Sect. Clad in a sky-blue robe, he exuded a terrifying aura. With a mocking look in his eyes, the man stopped in front of Qin Xian and looked past him at Gao Qiwen, chuckling. "Well, well, isn't this the great genius Gao Qiwen?" "Still crippled, are we? Has the Great Xia Sword Sect really failed to get you some pills to fix it?" At this point, the man paused slightly, his eyes mockingly raking over Gao Qiwen's crippled leg as he teased, "Or was my kick back then just too hard? Has it left you kneeling on the ground unable to stand even now?" "Hahahahaha!" The man's arrogant laughter drew the attention of many people nearby. Some senior cultivators who had watched several past tournaments recognized him at once! "The Third Elder of Xuantian Sect, early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator Chen Qing!" "Chen Qing... Could it be... that cripple is Gao Qiwen of the Great Xia Sword Sect?" "Tsk, tsk. Not a trace remains of that once proud chosen of heaven." "Time flies. In the blink of an eye, the grudge between those two is already three hundred years in the past." Gao Qiwen pressed his lips together, his fists clenched so hard his body trembled faintly. His icy gaze bore into Chen Qing through his disheveled hair. Chen Qing sneered dismissively. "Trash is trash. Even after three hundred years, you're still the same useless trash!" *Smack!* A sharp crack rang out. Chen Qing's left cheek swelled red at a rate visible to the naked eye. Qin Xian raised his eyes, looked at Chen Qing, and said coldly, "Get lost." Only then did Chen Qing realize what had happened, his chest heaving violently in shock and fury. In the end, Chen Qing cast a venomous glare at Gao Qiwen and snarled with heavy mockery, "Hmph! Good, very good! We'll see about this!" "Since fate has brought both our sides together again after three hundred years, so be it!" "Just you wait!" Qin Xian raised a hand, and Chen Qing hurriedly threw up an arm to shield himself. Seeing that the elder was merely scratching his nose, Chen Qing straightened up in acute embarrassment. He tossed out a few more parting threats before turning and storming away. Once Chen Qing had left, Gao Qiwen turned his head and gave Li Guanqi a deep look, saying nothing. Li Guanqi did not know what to say either, so he simply remained silent. "Disciples of the first batch of matching sects, prepare yourselves. You may begin!" Yet right after Ge Qing announced the start, a battle on one of the arenas quickly caught his eye. Looking up at the projection light-screen, he saw a youth dressed in white robes embroidered with red silk standing on the stage. With just a single swing of his sword, he turned and began walking away! *Thud!* *Crash!* The youth standing across from him clutched his neck and collapsed! With a face handsome as jade, fiery-red eyebrows, and cold indifference in his eyes, the white-robed youth murmured softly, "What kind of garbage is this?" "When will I get to face Zhao Beichen? I can hardly wait!"