Li Yao went deep into the Hundred Blade Mountain on his own. He climbed up the stairs and observed the hundreds of steep mountains that looked like sabers, spears, swords, axes, hooks, and forks. It was a splendid view.
During the Dragon Spring Meeting, most of the mountains of the Purple Pole Sword Sect were open to all the sects in the world. Disciples of different levels would be stationed there with the marvelous weapons that had been recently refined or excavated. They would demonstrate the unparalleled power of the marvelous weapons in the 'sword test fields'.
If the Cultivators of other sects were interested in the marvelous weapons, they would be able to negotiate further with the Purple Pole Sword Sect.
Of course, flying swords and magical equipment were all life-threatening items. If they were not confident about the demonstration of the disciples of the Purple Pole Sword Sect, they were free to enter the battlefield in person and test the sharpness of the flying swords in a real battle.
On top of the hundreds of mountains, Cultivators of various sects were everywhere. Their flying swords turned into rainbows, and their sabers broke through the waves. The clanging sounds of the collisions between the sabers and the swords echoed incessantly, as if they were playing a magnificent prehistoric song of war.
The Dragon Spring Meeting this year was different from the past. Getting to the bottom of it, it was a meeting where all the interests of the Cultivators of the Great Qian Dynasty would be redistributed after the new emperor ascended to the throne and the tyrannical Lead Eunuch Wang Xi fell from power.
The benefits of every sect would be determined according to the capability that they demonstrated in the Dragon Spring Meeting.
Therefore, the music of the Dragon Spring Meeting was mixed with the air of brutality and bloodshed.
In the depths of many mountains, after a series of collisions, heart-wrenching screams would often be heard. Some of the screams would even come to an abrupt end before they reached their destination.
It was not hard to imagine that the screams were not because they were holding back but because they could not make any sound at all.
Li Yao observed quite a few 'sword tests' as a regular unaffiliated Cultivator. He discovered that the two parties were indeed engaged in life-and-death battles under the pretext of 'sword tests'. In the five sword tests, the opponents were all trying to kill each other. In three of the five sword tests, the opponents were either killed or wounded, and the injuries were quite serious.
What was more interesting was that, other than the three sword tests that were conducted between the disciples of the Purple Pole Sword Sect and the Cultivators of other sects, the other two sword tests were conducted between two Cultivators of other sects.
Also, the brutality of the battle between the two parties was even higher than the competition between the Purple Pole Sword Sect and the Cultivators of other sects. It was almost like they hated each other to the point that they could not die together with their enemy.
If it were any other guests from a modern Cultivation civilization, they would have been at a loss. Hadn't they agreed to intimidate the Purple Pole Sword Sect together? Why were they having internal conflicts first?
However, for Li Yao, who boasted Ou Yezi's memories and was essentially an elder of the Hundred Smelting Clan in the world of ancient Cultivators, he was not surprised at all.
The main business of the Hundred Smelting Clan was to refine weapons. Of course, the weapons they refined would also be sold to various sects in the world, and even to other Upper-Class Worlds.
Therefore, the Hundred Smelting Clan had a new product release and an annual special sale similar to the 'Dragon Spring Meeting'. The scale of the event was even several times larger and could attract Cultivators from almost ten Sectors.
In the magical equipment expositions of the Hundred Smelting Clan, the Cultivators of other sects were allowed to try out the magical equipment produced by the Hundred Smelting Clan. They would not talk about business until they were satisfied.
Every 'Magical Equipment Exposition' of the Hundred Smelting Clan, on the other hand, would turn into an 'arena' where the Cultivators of the major sects fought each other. In the end, it was a tradition that the Hundred Smelting Clan established an arena area for everybody to fight freely.
The arrangement was welcomed by the major sects at that time, too. The scale of the arena matches grew larger and larger, and the rules were more and more formal. In the end, the original purpose of the magical equipment exposition was eclipsed.
It was because, in an environment where resources were in short supply and the number of Cultivators was exploding, there were always sharp conflicts among the sects. Sometimes, dozens of lives might be involved in the conflicts. The conflicts could not be resolved, and the grudges could not be resolved.
For example, for the small sects that Li Yao had seen in the Sorcerers' River, if they had conflicts and grudges, a random spark would be enough to ignite a melee.
However, when the Purple Pole Sword Sect and the Grand Mystery Sect were behemoths that were too big to fail, the slightest disturbance would affect the entire sect. Naturally, it was impossible for them to go all out and fight each other like the small sects in the countryside, which would only benefit other people if both parties suffered heavy losses.
Therefore, after the Cultivation sects reached a certain scale, they often had certain rules and regulations to settle their conflicts. They would have to 'draw the line'.
However, there were two headache-inducing problems when drawing the line.
Firstly, it was hard to find a justifiable reason.
Most of the Cultivation sects had to consider their reputation after all. Speaking of which, they were all 'deities' who were devoted to Cultivation and did not care about the worldly affairs. It would be inappropriate for them to start a war over the ownership of a dock or the monopoly of a certain industry. If word got out, wouldn't they become gangsters?
Secondly, even if the two parties agreed on the time, place, and rules of the competition, it was hard to guarantee that the other party would not play tricks or even go back on their word.
A magical equipment fair such as the 'Dragon Spring Convention' perfectly resolved these two concerns.
Firstly, everybody was there to purchase magical equipment. Magical equipment was a life-saving tool. It was perfectly normal for them to try it out. What was the safest way to do it? Naturally, it was to simulate a real battle as much as possible.
Weapons had no eyes. In a simulated real battle, if someone was accidentally killed, it would be because the victim was destined to die. Nobody else could be blamed.
Secondly, such a meeting was often organized by the most powerful local sects. Also, the experts of all the major sects would be gathered for the meeting. Under the watchful eyes of so many people, two sects would settle their conflicts under the name of 'sword test'. It would be difficult for them to play tricks in advance, and it would be difficult for them to go back on their word during the process. After the winner was decided, it would be difficult for them to go back on their word.
It was sort of an 'unspoken rule' in the world of Cultivators.
Any person or force that violated the unspoken rule would end up very miserably.
Once such an unspoken rule was established, the Dragon Spring Meeting would not be as simple as a plain magical equipment exposition. Instead, it would become a meeting held once every five years where the conflicts of the entire world of Cultivators were resolved and the interests were redistributed so that harmony and stability could be maintained in the next five years.
In the meantime, the newcomers of the various sects would take the great opportunity to jump out and show off, hoping to rise to fame after a single battle.
Fame, profit, power, and desire were all mixed up. This was the world of Cultivators. This was the world of Cultivators.
"Excellent sword."
Next to a sword test field up ahead, almost a hundred Cultivators were surrounding it.
At the center of the sword test field, an empyreal swordsman of the Purple Pole Sword Sect was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. His telepathic thoughts were entangled in a crimson flying sword, which was flying rapidly in midair, leaving traces of fire that did not disperse for a long time. In the end, it formed the words' Purple Pole Sword Sect ', which immediately raised a lot of exclamations.
"I am Jiang Junai, a disciple of the Wind Blade Alliance. I am in the middle level of the Building Foundation Stage."
A young man, who was wearing a red light armor and had a young face and an air of arrogance, suddenly jumped up and dashed onto the sword test field. He glanced around gloatingly at first before he bowed to the empyreal swordsman and announced, "The Red Fire Heart Piercing Sword that your sect has just refined is indeed extraordinary. I wonder if it will be as sharp in a real battle. If I may be so bold, I would like to try the sword."
"Alright."
"He is Jiang Junai, an expert who has risen recently in the Ba Mountain State."
"I'm told that he barely has any rivals in the younger generation of the Ba Mountain State."
The Cultivators nearby were all cheering, mixed with the surprised exclamations of a few female Cultivators. Jiang Junai was quite satisfied, and the brilliance in his eyes was even more dazzling.
The empyreal swordsman sitting cross-legged at the center of the sword test field, however, was as emotionless as a piece of rotten wood. He merely opened his eyes and eyed Jiang Junai up and down, before he said coldly, "Fellow Cultivator, your Cultivation is very pure, and your magical power is boundless. If we have a real battle, I will certainly try my best. The sword has only been refined recently, and it cannot be used freely yet. As the saying goes, sabers and swords have no eyes. If I make a mistake and damage it, the Purple Pole Sword Sect will not be able to bear the blame when the Wind Blade Alliance and your family blame us."
"It doesn't matter."
Blushing, Jiang Junai took out a jade badge from his waist and tossed it over. "I have a Life and Death Badge here, which has been marked with the spiritual stripes of my master and the leader of our alliance. I will test the sword with my life.
The empyreal swordsman snatched Jiang Junai's Life and Death Badge. He also took out a black badge from his pocket and tossed it over. "This is the Life and Death Badge of the Purple Pole Sword Sect. It is marked with the spiritual stripes of my master and the leader of the sect, too. If I am unlucky enough to be slain by a fellow Cultivator because of my incompetence, I will not be held responsible at all. Instead, I will offer the Red Fire Heart Piercing Sword as a gift in front of everyone.
"Alright."
Jiang Junai grabbed the empyreal swordsman's Life and Death Badge and stuffed it into his pocket without looking at it. He laughed, and the longsword on his back was roaring. "Now that the Life and Death Badge has been exchanged, let's —"
Before he said 'let's', the empyreal swordsman on his opposite side, who was as stiff as a piece of rotten wood, suddenly turned into a firestorm.
Hiu!
For a moment, the entire sword test field was enshrouded in dazzling flames and volcanic eruptions. The bystanders were dazzled for a moment, and two objects flew to the midair in spluttering noises.
Firstly, it was the empyreal swordsman's left arm.
Secondly, it was Jiang Junai's head.
Pa! Pa!
The arm and the head fell to the ground one after another.
The empyreal swordsman's left shoulder was spurting blood crazily. His face was pale, but he was still emotionless.
There was neither pain nor joy of victory. He simply picked up his broken arm in silence and bowed at the headless body that was still waving and cramping violently.
"Thank you."
Then, he stepped back and returned to his own resting area. It was not until then that the other disciples of his sect came forward to treat his wounds and reconnect his broken arm.
It was not until this moment that the headless body fell to the ground. The blood spurting out of the neck left new marks on the sword test field that was already full of bloodstains.
Two middle-aged Cultivators wearing the armor of the Wind Blade Alliance jumped onto the sword test field.
One of them had a pale face and was having difficulty breathing. His hair turned gray immediately. He stared at the empyreal swordsman on his opposite side thoughtfully, and his lips shivered for a long time before he said in a hoarse voice, "It is indeed a good sword. How much is it worth? The Wind Blade Alliance will buy it and pay three times the price as compensation for the pain of losing your arm."
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