Chapter 24: Entering the Sword Institute for the First Time

  Leaving Yi Garden, Xuan Yu True Person led the six people to Tai Xuan Mountain. Along the way, Xuan Yu True Person simply walked forward on foot and did not display any Taoist magic, advancing in a normal human manner. The others saw this and although they found it strange in their hearts, none of them dared to be presumptuous, and could only quietly follow behind him.

  At the time of one incense stick, a group of talented people rushed for more than 20 miles. At this moment, Xuan Yu suddenly stopped and turned to look at the four Yi Yuan disciples, asking: "Which of you understands why I walked all the way just now? You can say whatever comes to mind, no need to be polite."

  Ziyang Zhenren's eyes sparkled with a smile, while Jingyue Dashi's face remained expressionless. The other four people looked bewildered. Lin Yunfeng gazed at Xuanyu Zhenren and said with a smile: "Master, you can say anything, I'll try to guess it. If I'm wrong, don't be angry. I think what you're doing is trying to make us experience the feeling of ordinary people, reminding us not to waste our hard-earned cultivation. Am I right?"

  Xuanyu Zhenren nodded with a smile, saying: "Next one, who among you still has different opinions, continue to speak. Regardless of right or wrong, I won't blame you." Looking at the remaining three people, Xuanyu Zhenren's eyes flickered with an unusual glow.

  Li Hongfei said in a low voice, "I think Master Shibo is reminding us to be prepared and not rush. In this way, when we meet our opponents, we can maintain a calm state of mind, exert our strongest strength, and defeat our opponents at once." After finishing speaking, he looked at Xuan Yu Zhenren.

  Zhang Aoxue glanced at Lu Yun and said calmly, "I think Master is telling us that as cultivators of the True Way, we must not forget our origins. Although we now understand the Tao and have mastered the art of flying with swords, all of this originated from our ordinary bodies. No matter how high or profound our cultivation may be, we are all just ordinary people at the beginning."

  Lu Yun glanced at his master, then looked at Xuan Yu Zhen Ren and said in a low voice: "Quietly advancing on foot can not only calm one's mood but also hide many things. This time our opponents are all very formidable characters. How to hide one's strength, grasp the opponent's situation, and strike with lightning speed at critical moments is extremely important for us. We're going this time to compete for the championship of Yi Garden, so in order to win, we must try our best to hide our true strength and not let our opponents see through us, that way we'll have a greater chance of winning."

  As soon as this was said, both Ziyang True Person and Jingyue Great Master's eyes changed slightly, looking at Lu Yun with surprised eyes. Xuan Yu True Person's expression also changed slightly, and a hint of admiration that was difficult to detect flowed out from his eyes. Lin Yunfeng, Zhang Aoxue, and Li Hongfei all looked at Lu Yun, their eyes filled with shock. They couldn't believe that Lu Yun would say something like this.

  Xuan Yu Zhen Ren glanced at Lu Yun and said softly, "This question is left for you to ponder for now. Different people have different views, which is normal. What's important is how you choose your own path. Life is constantly changing, so it's up to each of you to maintain a pure heart that doesn't waver. Let's continue on our way. From here to the Tian Jian Yuan, flying with the sword will only take half a day, so we don't need to rush. As long as we arrive before nightfall, that's fine. The reason I brought you all here ahead of time is to give you a deeper understanding of the Tian Jian Yuan. There must be some reason why it has remained in first place in the Xiu Zhen realm for 500 years. This time, aside from competing, you should also learn something and borrow from others' excellent methods."

  Tianjian Institute, the first of the six institutes under heaven, is located at the top of Tai Xuan Mountain. It is close to Kongling Mountain and borders the Yellow River, making it a majestic and extraordinary place. Its proximity to the Yellow River allows it to occupy a dragon vein between heaven and earth. As such, for nearly five hundred years, it has been ranked as the number one sect in the cultivation world, far surpassing other cultivation sects. Over the past five hundred years, this institute has produced countless top cultivators, including two who have become immortals. One is the founder of the institute, Ling Tian, and the other is the former leader of Tianjian Institute from five hundred years ago, Tianjian Ke.

  It is said that the founder of this institution was a young swordsman named Ling Tian over two thousand years ago. Legend has it that Ling Tian was extremely intelligent from a young age, able to master any martial art he learned and remember everything he saw. At the age of twenty-seven, he allegedly passed through Helan Mountain alone with his sword, hearing rumors of a man-eating demon lurking nearby that had already harmed countless civilians. In a fit of rage, he entered the mountain with his sword, searching for the demon.

  After three days, he finally found the demon. After countless battles, Ling Tian severely injured the demon, but he himself was also exhausted and close to death. Just as Ling Tian was about to die at the hands of the demon, a giant Peng suddenly appeared in the sky with a five-colored divine sword in its beak. The Peng gave the sword to Ling Tian and helped him kill the demon together. Afterwards, the Peng carried Ling Tian into the air and disappeared into the clouds. From then on, Ling Tian vanished without a trace.

  Until the tenth year after that incident, Ling Tian suddenly reappeared in the mortal world. At that time, he held a five-colored divine sword and came to Mount Tai Xuan alone, establishing the Heavenly Sword Sect. From then on, the Heavenly Sword Sect emerged. Gradually, over several hundred years, it grew stronger. Later, it was said that the disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect witnessed Ling Tian ascending in broad daylight, transforming into an immortal. His ascension had a certain impact on the development of the Heavenly Sword Sect and laid the foundation for future discoveries.

  At that time, the only thing he left behind was the divine sword. The divine sword is said to be one of the three great divine swords in legend, the Tianling Divine Sword, ranked fifth on the Divine Arms List, and together with the Shadow Moon Double Swords, it is known as the Three Great Divine Swords. In addition, some people also say that the divine bird Dapeng has been hiding in the summit of Tai Xuan Mountain, guarding the Heavenly Sword Temple. The name of the Heavenly Sword Temple was also given by Ling Tian because he felt that the divine sword was a gift from heaven, so he named it the Heavenly Sword Temple to express his gratitude to the divine bird Dapeng.

  More than a thousand years have passed, and the Tianjian Institute has developed smoothly with the divine sword in hand and the protection of the divine bird. However, it has never produced any outstanding talents. Until 500 years ago, a young man named Jian Qiu was accidentally rescued by the then master of the Tianjian Institute from bandits and brought back to the institute. From then on, that young man named Jian Qiu changed the fate of the Tianjian Institute.

  His appearance was like a dazzling meteor, instantly breaking the balance of the cultivation world. In ten years, he had achieved minor success, and in thirty years, he had cultivated to the realm of indestructibility. At the age of one hundred, he entered the supreme and unparalleled realm of Returning to the Immortal, becoming a legend in the cultivation world at that time. From then on, the Heavenly Sword Institute under his leadership rose to become one of the six institutes of the cultivation world, and within thirty years, it leapt to become the first among the six institutes, from then on dominating the world and shaking the cultivation world with its name.

  After that, the Tiān Jiàn Yuàn (Heavenly Sword Institute) developed greatly under his leadership and always maintained its position as the number one sect in the Xiū Zhēn Jiè (Cultivation Realm). Meanwhile, Jiàn Qiū was also revered by people for his profound cultivation and was respectfully called the Heavenly Sword Guest. He achieved enlightenment through flight over two hundred years ago. His ascension added another layer of prestige to the Tiān Jiàn Yuàn, solidifying its position as the number one sect in the Cultivation Realm, with no one able to shake it.

  For so many years, the other five institutes have been trying their best to catch up, hoping to surpass the Tiānjiàn Institute. Unfortunately, none of them have succeeded. Even the mysterious and powerful Pútuó Academy of Buddhism has always ranked second, unable to match the prestige of the Tiānjiàn Institute.

  For the past two hundred years, many outstanding figures have emerged from the Tianjian Institute. The current masters of the six caves of the Tianjian Institute are all disciples of Jian Qiu back then. Jian Qiu only accepted seven apprentices at that time, and among them, the most outstanding one was named Li Changchun, also known as Sword Soul, who is now the master of the Tianjian Institute. The other six apprentices were in charge of the six major caves, specializing in cultivating talents for the Tianjian Institute. This time, the most outstanding disciple of the Tianjian Institute, Jian Wucheng, came from the first cave - the Tianxuan Cave.

  And so, the Tianjian Institute, although named as an institute, is actually mainly based on the six caves. These six caves are the Tianxuan Cave, the Tiansword Cave, the Tianeagle Cave, the Tianpeng Cave, the Tianfeng Cave, and the Tianhuo Cave. This time, the three outstanding disciples revealed by the Tianjian Institute to the outside world were actually only a small part of the truly exceptional ones, with one person from each cave. Among these people, the highest was Jian Wucheng from the Tianxuan Cave. The three caves of Tianxuan, Tiansword and Tianpeng are the strongest, with the most outstanding disciples. The champion of each session of the Six Institutes' Martial Arts Conference has always come from one of these three caves. This is also why the Tianjian Institute can remain invincible for a long time.

  In two more days, it will be the day of the Sixth Institute's Martial Arts Conference. In order to make this martial arts conference a success, the Heavenly Sword Institute sent someone to receive the guests from the other five institutes at the foot of the mountain two days ago. So far, except for the Confucian Garden which is closest and has arrived, no one else has arrived yet, presumably they are all on their way.

  This time, there were ten people from the Confucian Academy participating in the event, with six of them being contestants. The leaders were the headmaster of the Confucian Academy, Haoyun and his junior brother Dancheng Sword Saint. As for the person sent by the Tianjian Institute to welcome them, it was none other than Liu Xinghun, the first seat of the Tianjian Cave. Liu Xinghun was a renowned figure in the cultivation world, being the second most powerful cultivator in the Tianjian Institute and having been feared throughout the cultivation world for many years. Almost all cultivators had heard of his great name. The people from the Confucian Academy arrived in the afternoon, and at this time, Liu Xinghun had already personally settled them into the Tianfeng Cave to rest.

  The sun sets in the west, and the sky gradually darkens. Liu Xingyun looked into the distance, his expression slightly changing, and muttered to himself: "Another group has arrived, and it seems that this year will be very different from previous years. These people have all come so early, what purpose will they bring with them? Strange!" After finishing speaking, he gazed down at the mountain below, lost in thought.

  At the foot of Tai Xuan Mountain, on a winding ancient path, Xuanyu True Person and seven others were walking up. Looking at the majestic and extraordinary Tai Xuan Mountain, Lin Yunfeng asked: "Master, this mountain is indeed magnificent, truly worthy of being ranked first in the Tianxia Xiuzhen world. However, there's one thing I don't understand - why didn't we fly up on our swords instead of walking up like this?" This was not only something he didn't understand, but also something that Lu Yun, Zhang Aoxue and Li Hongfei didn't comprehend, so the three of them looked at Xuanyu True Person together.

  Xuan Yu Zhen Ren smiled lightly and said in a soft voice, "You are here for the first time, so you don't know the rules. The Tian Jian Yuan is called the leader of the six institutes, it's the Mount Tai North Dipper of the entire cultivation world. For hundreds of years, to show respect to the Tian Jian Yuan, the other five institutes have consistently proposed a requirement. That is, no matter which institute's people come to the foot of the Taixuan Mountain, they are not allowed to ride their swords directly up, but must stop and walk up on foot to show respect."

  The four disciples under the gate all changed their faces slightly, revealing a hint of shock. Lin Yunfeng said: "So that's how it is, really bold. If one day our Yi Garden suddenly becomes the first of the six institutes, wouldn't others have to stop far away and walk on foot when they come to us? That would be great! At that time, we will have a lot of face, hehe, I really want to experience that feeling."

  Xuanyu True Person heard this and glanced at Ziyang True Person and Jingyue Great Master. The three people's eyes all showed a hint of sighing color. Xuanyu True Person said softly, "If you want to make your beautiful dreams come true, you must work hard. As long as you can get good results in this competition, there will be hope. Think back to the past, Tiangong Institute was always ranked at the bottom of the six institutes, but the previous generation's leader, Tiangong Ke, made Tiangong Institute leap to the top of the six institutes in just thirty years, which has been a legend in the cultivation world. Whether Yiyuan can create a legend depends on your performance."

  Zi Yang Zhen Ren said, "Actually, we are walking on foot and not flying our swords for another reason that you don't know. This Tai Xuan Mountain is a crucial place for the Tian Jian Yuan, and when its founder, Ling Tian, created the Tian Jian Yuan, he set up an extraordinary sword array to prevent external enemies from invading. Anyone who flies their sword over Tai Xuan Mountain will be injured by the array, and in severe cases, they will die without exception. Therefore, since that incident occurred, all cultivators have remembered this and been extremely cautious when passing through Tai Xuan Mountain, mostly taking a detour to avoid it. Our decision not to fly our swords is also mainly due to this reason. And because of this sword array, the Tian Jian Yuan has become famous throughout the seven realms."

  Lin Yunfeng and the other four disciples were all staring at Zi Yang Zhenren with shocked faces, their eyes revealing shock and disbelief. Only now did they understand that the Tianjian Institute was able to rank first among the six institutes, and it was not just because of Xi Shu's Yi Yuan.

  The path followed the mountain, and in a short while, the seven of them arrived at the mountain waist. From afar, Liu Xinghun from the Tianjian Institute came to greet them with a smile on his face, full of enthusiasm. As soon as they met, Liu Xinghun smiled and said: "Brother Xuanyu Dao has come from afar, I'm really sorry for not welcoming you earlier, please forgive me. I represent our sect's leader in welcoming all of you. This time, Brother Xuanyu Dao arrived a day earlier than usual, it can be said that he rushed to get here before them. It seems that this time, Yiyuan has produced many outstanding disciples again? I'd like to congratulate Brother Dao first. Are Fellow Purple Yang and Master Jingyue doing well?" Liu Xinghun's gaze swept across Lu Yun and the others, making them feel as if they had been seen through, shocking them greatly.

  Xuan Yu smiled and said, "I didn't expect that this time, we would actually trouble Master Liu to come here and welcome us. We are truly honored. I wonder if there is any movement from the other institutes? We can't be the first ones to arrive, right?" On the side, Zi Yang Zhen Ren and Jing Yue Da Shi exchanged a few pleasantries with Liu Xing Hun, as a form of greeting.

  Ziyang Zhenren glanced at the four disciples and said, "You four, come quickly to pay your respects to Master Liu. He is the second highest master in the entire Tianjian Academy, a renowned hero in the entire Xianxia realm. Remember to ask for his guidance often, and you will naturally benefit greatly." Lu Yun, Lin Yunfeng, Zhang Aoxue, and Li Hongfei hastily paid their respects to Liu Xinghun. Meanwhile, Liu Xinghun carefully examined the four of them, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

  Looking at Xuan Yu Zhen Ren, Liu Xing Hun exclaimed: "Xuan Yu Dao brother, this time you Yi Yuan seem to be well-prepared. These four disciples are all full of energy and spirit, with a radiant glow on their faces, each one is a rare talent that is hard to come by. This time, the competition among the six institutes will likely focus on your Yi Yuan. As for who arrived first, you are not the first, but you are in second place. The first to arrive was the Confucian Institute of Luoyang, they came this afternoon, a group of ten people, led by the abbot of the Confucian Institute, Hao Yun Ju Shi, with six participants, two more than you. But from what I see, they seem to be slightly inferior to you."

  Xuan Yu Zhen Ren smiled humbly and said in a soft voice, "Liu Dao You has already spoken about it. Compared to you, we don't need to say anything. Moreover, the Bodhi Academy, the Tao Garden, and the Phoenix Book Institute are all above us. This time, as long as we don't fall behind last place, I will be satisfied. I wonder where that person from Ru Yuan will end up this time?"

  Liu Xinghun accompanied Xuanyu Zhenren up the mountain, smiling and saying: "They have fallen into Tianfeng Cave this time. As for you, I was thinking of letting you rest in Tianhuo Cave. What do you think, Brother Xuanyu?"

  Xuan Yu heard this, a hint of unusual color flashed in his eyes, but it disappeared in an instant. With a soft smile, Xuan Yu said naturally: "Liu Dao's arrangement is naturally not wrong, let's go there to rest, let's go." Behind him, Zi Yang and Jing Yue were both slightly gloomy, following silently without saying a word.

  Lin Yunfeng, Zhang Aoxue and Li Hongfei were all carefully watching the scenery of Taixuan Mountain, without noticing the change in Xuan Yu Zhenren's expression. Lu Yun's eyes looked around, but his heart was always paying attention to the changes in Zhu Jiao's eyes. At this time, seeing the expressions of Zi Yang Zhenren and Jing Yue Dashi, Lu Yun vaguely sensed something.

  Arriving at the Tianhuo Cave Mansion, Lu Yun carefully observed the surroundings. It was a massive cave, with a vast open space in front of the entrance where countless Tianjian Pavilion disciples were practicing their sword skills. Upon entering the cave, he realized it was enormous, located within the belly of a mountain, with numerous branches and forks. Each branch had beds and stools, capable of accommodating people.

  Liu Xing Hun led the group of seven to a very spacious cave, and softly laughed: "Fellow Daoist Xuanyu, please stay here for a few days. This cave has eight small caves, one for each person, where you can rest well. If there's anything you need, the disciples outside will take care of it for you. Tonight, Fellow Daoist Xuanyu and Fellow Daoist Ziyang, as well as Great Master Jingyue, please go to Tianxuan Cave, where the Sect Leader will host a grand feast to welcome you. You must be tired now, so I won't disturb you anymore. Rest well, and I'll come to fetch the three of you later." After finishing speaking, he exited the cave and quickly disappeared.

  Lin Yunfeng looked at the cave and said in a low voice, "It's really strange. The Tianjian Academy is known as the number one sect in the Xiu Zhen realm, but why do they all live in caves and lead a wild life? I just can't understand it. Looking at those disciples outside, there are so many people here, could it be that they've always lived in these caves? Wouldn't that drive people crazy?"

  Xuan Yu Zhen Ren sighed lightly: "The reason why the Tianjian Institute is doing this is also to encourage the disciples under their door, letting them work hard and strive for self-improvement. In fact, not all the people of the Tianjian Institute live in mountain caves, they also have houses, and are more luxurious than our Yi Garden. It's just that those who can live there are not ordinary people. You will understand later."

  Ziyang Zhenren coldly snorted, "They are truly detestable. In the past, when Qianyuan Shixiong mentioned it, I didn't quite believe him. Today, seeing it for myself, I realized that they actually look down on people. In their eyes, our Yiyuan has always been at the bottom, so even the place we live is inferior to Tianjian Institute's Heavenly Fire Cave. It's infuriating!" As soon as he spoke, Lu Yun and the other four disciples all changed expressions, looking at him with shocked and astonished faces.

  Xuan Yu Zhen Ren sighed lightly: "Forget it, who let us Yi Garden always be at the bottom? This time, if we still can't turn our past disadvantages around, then we will never have much hope. So, here, I hope you four this time, all go all out, let everyone know that Yi Garden is not always at the bottom, you must work hard to win glory for Yi Garden, or else you will be looked down upon. Now everyone chooses a cave to rest in, take a break, this time we'll probably have to stay here for almost ten days, so it's best if everyone prepares and gets some good rest."

  Li Hongfei's face was cold and stern as he said, "Don't worry, Master. This time, I will make sure that everyone knows that our Yi Garden is not to be trifled with. I will use the sword in my hand to tell the entire cultivation world that our Yi Garden is also incredibly powerful."

  "They're too bullying, this time even if we can't beat them, we must fight hard with them, otherwise we'll be looked down upon. Humph, I don't believe they're that powerful, when the time comes, we'll see what's what." Lu Yun and Zhang Aoxue didn't speak up, but both of their faces were serious and solemn.