Halfway up Mount Yi lies a lake, known to the locals as "Jade Pool," and it is on the island at the lake's center that the legendary Yi Mountain Sword Conference is held this year. By morning, all the martial clans from across the land had gathered. Among them were the renowned Qi Sword Villa, Yi Sword Villa, Xuan Sword Villa, Xu Sword Villa, Twilight Sword Villa, Windrider Villa, Han Zhen Sect, Sword Guardian Villa, Cloudchaser Villa, Waterside Villa, Moonlit Palace, Purple Cloud Valley, Luoyang City, and the Yuyun Temple—14 sects in total.
At that moment, a figure was seen gliding from the distance, landing gracefully on the central island of Jade Pool. Chang Jingyun squinted to get a better look, recognizing the man as the very gentleman they had encountered on the road. Duan Qinyu and Song Yuanmo also recognized him and could not hide their astonishment.
The man cupped his hands and addressed the gathering, "I thank you all, esteemed heroes of the martial world, for traveling from afar to participate in this grand Yi Mountain Sword Conference, held once every 17 years. I am Xia Shiqi, master of the Seventeen Swords, and I will be presiding over this year's event." With that, he produced a piece of uncarved jade from his sleeve, continuing, "This is the 'Wushan Jade,' a symbol of the Xia family of the far northern plains. Please take a look."
After speaking, Xia Shiqi departed from the island, walking amongst the crowd while displaying the jade to confirm his identity. Once all had seen it, he returned to the central island.
Meng Haitan then spoke, "Mr. Shiqi, I recall that 17 years ago, another Xia Shiqi presided over this very conference. If I am not mistaken, you are not the same person, correct?"
Xia Shiqi nodded, "Master Meng is indeed correct. Xia Shiqi is merely a title. Whoever wields the Seventeen Swords adopts this name. The man you met 17 years ago was my uncle, who has since retired, leaving me to host this year's event."
Meng Haitan's inquiry seemed to quell the crowd's curiosity. For Chang Jingyun, it was his first time attending the Yi Mountain Sword Conference. Among the gathered sects, only the masters of Qi Sword Villa, Yi Sword Villa, Xu Sword Villa, Sword Guardian Villa, and Yuyun Temple remained unchanged, while the rest were represented by a new generation of leaders.
Xia Shiqi continued, "The tournament will follow the same format as previous years, with pairings for one-on-one duels. The victor proceeds to the next round, while the defeated will be eliminated." He then turned to Meng Haitan and said, "Master Meng, may I trouble you to present the Seventeen Swords?"
With fluid and effortless movements, Meng Haitan tossed the Seventeen Swords towards the center of the lake, where Xia Shiqi caught them with precision. After giving the sword a few practice swings, he sheathed it and then produced a handful of vibrantly colored leaves from his sleeve. He announced loudly, "In my hand are leaves in the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Each color comes in a pair. I will throw them into the air, and those who manage to seize matching leaves will form a team. This will serve as today's grouping rule."
After he finished, Xia Shiqi cast the leaves into the sky. Instantly, people from all sects flew towards the center of the lake to grab the leaves. Once the scramble was over, the teams were set. Chang Jingyun and Song Yuanmo were paired, as were Duan Qinyu and Meng Haitan, Chen Yutang and Zhuang Yunyi, Zhao Yousi and Xiang Ge, Helian Yi and Xu Qing, Baili Zun and Teng Xiao, Daoist Wuchen and Li Chang'e. With the teams established, the tournament officially began, following the order of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. The first match was between Chen Yutang and Zhuang Yunyi.
Chen Yutang, the master of Xu Sword Villa, was in his forties, while Zhuang Yunyi, the newly appointed master of Purple Cloud Valley, was just over twenty. In terms of skill and experience, Zhuang Yunyi was clearly no match for Chen Yutang. But in such duels, experience and age mattered little—victory was determined by superior martial prowess. Unsurprisingly, Chen Yutang won the bout with ease.
The second duel then commenced, pitting Zhao Yousi of Qi Sword Villa against Xiang Ge of Yi Sword Villa. Both were in their early fifties, with equal standing and experience, making this match far less predictable than the first.
Zhao Yousi held his sword in his right hand while forming a sword seal with his left, as did Xiang Ge. In fact, both sects' martial techniques originated from the same source: the Twilight Sword Style of the Twilight Sword Villa. One sect carried the "Qi" name, while the other bore the "Yi" name, but their techniques were strikingly similar. Aside from Windrider Villa, the sword styles of Qi, Yi, Xuan, Xu, and Twilight Villas all shared a common origin. When sects such as these faced one another, victory often came down to who could innovate upon the original Twilight Sword Style.
Zhao Yousi executed a move called "Seek the Strange, Uncover the Unorthodox." At first glance, it seemed like an attempt at innovation, but the true brilliance lay in its unpredictability. This sword technique continuously shifts between real and feigned strikes, but only the wielder knows which is which. The opponent is left unable to discern its intricacies in such a short time. Xiang Ge prepared to counter Zhao Yousi's first strike, but just as their swords were about to clash, Zhao Yousi's real strike turned into a feint. Xiang Ge swung at air, and in the next instant, Zhao's left hand, now in a sword seal, transformed into a palm strike aimed at his right shoulder. Realizing Zhao Yousi's tactic, Xiang Ge quickly withdrew his sword to focus on defending the incoming blow. But to his surprise, the feint turned back into a real strike, leaving him vulnerable on two fronts. Alas, it was too late. Zhao Yousi's sword was already at his throat, while Xiang Ge's blade was still half a step away.
At that moment, Xia Shiqi declared, "The second bout goes to Qi Sword Villa."
Xiang Ge, still processing his defeat, said to Zhao Yousi, "I had no idea your Qi lineage sword techniques had evolved to such a degree! I admit defeat wholeheartedly."
Zhao Yousi humbly replied, "Master Xiang, you flatter me."
After a half-hour break, the third match began, this time pitting Duan Qinyu of Xuan Sword Villa against Meng Haitan of Han Zhen Sect. It was another contest where the outcome was all but decided. Duan Qinyu knew he stood no chance against Meng Haitan, but since he had come all this way, he resolved not to be utterly humiliated. His focus was on how to withstand at least one or two of Meng's moves.
Meng Haitan called out, "Master Duan, please, make your move!"
Duan Qinyu understood the meaning behind these words and gestured for Meng Haitan to go first. He unsheathed his sword but then, realizing that Meng Haitan was unarmed, tossed his "Void Sword" to Chang Jingyun, saying aloud, "Brother Chang, please hold onto this."
Seeing this, Meng Haitan immediately recognized the young man's intention to fight barehanded, and a flicker of admiration crossed his mind. Duan Qinyu positioned his hands as if ready to strike, suddenly launching a palm strike aimed at Meng Haitan's left shoulder. Meng Haitan, waiting for the right moment, deflected the blow just as it reached halfway, causing Duan to retreat a step.
Duan Qinyu could feel the depth of Meng Haitan's inner strength, thinking, "There's no way I can win head-on."
At that moment, the "Shadow Sword Technique" based on the Twilight Cang Sword Style flashed through his mind—its essence lay in "unveiling the extraordinary in the ordinary" and "countering moves as they appear." But how could he translate the core of a sword technique into palm strikes while unarmed? Just as he pondered this, Meng Haitan launched a frontal palm strike. Duan, his mind racing, quickly recalled a move. He gently redirected Meng Haitan's palm with a slight push to his right, while his body shifted left. As Meng Haitan retracted his force, Duan had already moved to his right side. He was in the perfect position to counter, but before he could land his strike, Meng Haitan had already seen through the move. Duan was struck by Meng Haitan's palm, forcing him to retreat a step.
Meng Haitan said, "That was a fine move, but your internal strength is lacking, and your speed is too slow. With three to five years of training, you could handle one or two of my strikes."
Knowing he had failed to land even a single blow, Duan Qinyu shook his head in resignation and replied, "What a shame! But still, I thank you, Master Meng, for holding back."
Once again, Xia Shiqi's voice echoed over Jade Pool, "The third bout goes to Meng Haitan of Han Zhen Sect."
As Meng Haitan and Duan Qinyu left the stage, two more fighters stepped forward: Daoist Wuchen of Yuyun Temple and Li Chang'e, the young mistress of Moonlit Palace. This was yet another contest between a junior and a senior. Li Chang'e, only twenty-five, had just been appointed head of Moonlit Palace and was on par with Duan Qinyu in martial ability. But compared to Daoist Wuchen, she was no match, as his reputation for ruthlessness was well-known throughout the martial world. Moreover, Li, new to the scene, was already losing ground in terms of sheer presence. Yet rules were rules, and even knowing she would lose, she had no choice but to face him.
Daoist Wuchen cupped his hands and said, "Master Li, be on guard!" With that, he brandished his cloud-sweeping staff, which suddenly turned into a sharp, sword-like weapon, forcing Li Chang'e back step by step. Cornered, she finally unsheathed her sword, but her hand was quickly ensnared by the cloud-sweeping staff, tightening with every moment. Her sword fell to the ground with a clang, yet Daoist Wuchen showed no signs of stopping.
Watching from the sidelines, Chang Jingyun sensed danger. "If this continues, Master Li's hand will be crushed." He was about to intervene when Meng Haitan acted first, flicking a small stone at Wuchen's hand, loosening the staff's grip.
Meng Haitan spoke, "Daoist Wuchen, you are a senior in the martial world. Do you not feel shame in bullying a junior?"
Daoist Wuchen replied, "In any duel, injuries are inevitable—it's only natural."
Meng Haitan chuckled, "You know very well Master Li's martial skills are inferior to yours, yet you still aimed to injure her. What are your true intentions?"
Daoist Wuchen retorted, "Master Meng, aren't you exaggerating just a bit?"
At that moment, Xia Shiqi interjected, "Daoist Wuchen, as today's matches are merely sparring, you should have exercised restraint. I saw everything clearly—you did indeed intend to harm. While you won this bout, you lost the grace of a true master."
Daoist Wuchen sneered, "Grace? What good is grace? You can't see it, touch it, or eat it. What use do I have for such nonsense?"
Hearing these words, Chang Jingyun sighed and thought to himself, "Is it truly worth discarding one's own reputation, and that of their sect, all for a mere sword?"
Duan Qinyu whispered softly in Chang Jingyun's ear, "Senior Meng indeed embodies the spirit of the world's greatest. She had never even met Master Li, yet stepped in to save her without hesitation—truly admirable."
Chang Jingyun quietly replied, "You've only grasped one-third of the truth."
"What about the other two-thirds?" Duan asked.
"One-third is because Master Li is also a woman, which is why Senior Meng intervened. As for the last third, it stems from the historical connection between Han Zhen Sect and Moonlit Palace."
"What kind of connection?" Duan Qinyu inquired.
Chang Jingyun answered, "I once heard my master speak of Han Zhen Sect's history. It was founded by Lin Xuanfei, and his wife was none other than Fan Qingyu, the eldest daughter of Moonlit Palace. This ties the two sects together."
Duan Qinyu was astonished, "So that's the reason! Why have I never seen these two sects have any interaction?"
"It's not that they don't interact," Chang Jingyun explained, "They simply keep a low profile. You must understand, Han Zhen Sect is the largest sect in the land, and naturally has many enemies. If Moonlit Palace were to be too closely associated with them, those enemies might shift their grudges onto Moonlit Palace, causing it unnecessary harm."
"Brother Chang's words are wise. I have learned something new today."
"Oh, spare me that flattery," Chang Jingyun replied dismissively.
By this time, the sun had begun its descent behind the mountains, signaling the end of the day's matches. Xia Shiqi cupped his hands and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, today's matches have concluded. We shall resume the remaining duels tomorrow. I advise everyone to rest well tonight and gather your strength for the battles to come."
The once bustling Jade Pool suddenly fell into quietude as the crowd made their way down the mountain, leaving only Chang Jingyun, Xia Shiqi, and Duan Qinyu lingering behind.
Noticing the two had not yet left, Xia Shiqi slowly approached them and curiously asked, "Why haven't you two masters departed?"
Chang Jingyun replied, "The twilight scene over Jade Pool is as beautiful as a painting. Why not enjoy the view a while longer before leaving?"
Xia Shiqi smiled, "While everyone else is preoccupied with the matches, you two still have the leisure to admire the scenery. Truly, you are both men of great composure. Well then, I shall take my leave for now." As he turned to go, Xia Shiqi cast a glance at Chang Jingyun and added, "Master Chang, the old adage says 'all's fair in war.' You should be on guard for tomorrow's duel."
As Xia Shiqi's figure faded into the distance, Chang Jingyun couldn't help but reflect on his parting words.
Duan Qinyu asked, "What did Master Xia mean by that?"
Chang Jingyun pondered, "I suspect he knows that someone will try to act against me tomorrow, and he's giving me a warning."
"So, by your reasoning, wouldn't he be the only one with the opportunity to harm you?"
Chang Jingyun nodded, "He is determined to win this Yishan competition at all costs. I fear a fierce battle is inevitable."
"I disagree with your assessment," Duan Qinyu said. "His martial arts are no match for yours, let alone Senior Meng's. How could he hope to contend with her?"
"I'm well aware of his martial prowess, but did you forget what Master Xia just said? 'All's fair in war.'"
"So what you're saying is, we must be wary of him resorting to trickery tomorrow."