Chapter Ninety-Two: Taking the Stage, Making an Appearance

By dusk, the entire city buzzed with excitement.

Everyone clearly saw a mountain-like fortress slowly approaching from the east of Peacock City.

The Twelve Towers and Five Cities—since the Twelve Towers preceded the Five Cities, it was impossible for one of the towers to be small.

Take the Pearl Tower, for instance: it soared five hundred zhang high, spanned two hundred miles around, smaller than Peacock City, yet far taller. The entire tower was a seamless whole, and the people inside appeared tinier than ants. Gazing upward, the sight was even more breathtaking than Peacock City itself.

As the Pearl Tower drew near, dazzling magical arrays erupted atop both colossal structures. However, their respective city-wide protective formations only flashed momentarily before the Pearl Tower gradually nestled against Peacock City.

The inhabitants of Peacock City craned their necks, unable to see the tower’s summit.

From the center of Peacock City, a figure emerged, clad in regal robes and an imposing crown. Wherever he stood, auspicious clouds and radiant light shimmered in the void. He spoke aloud:

“Brother Shanshou! At last, you have arrived!”

“Ha ha, Brother Boya, I was just as anxious. When I left, Brother Su held me back, refusing to let me go. After much effort, I finally broke free. Upon landing on the eastern shore, I encountered a flock of Xuan Swallows returning northward. I had to yield to them, causing my delay,” replied the man in white, who then emerged from the Pearl Tower.

The white-robed man had a face as flawless as polished jade, his long beard flowing gracefully, an extraordinary presence. Slung across his back was a long sword.

The man in splendid robes laughed and teased, “The Xuan Swallows are the masters of the Third Heaven; letting them pass is only right. But what was that Li Rusu pulling you back for? Someday soon, I must visit his Zhen Tao Tower in the Eastern Sea to teach him a lesson!”

Both men laughed heartily.

“Friends!” the man in splendid robes announced loudly, his voice echoing through the city and tower. “To all fellow cultivators visiting Peacock City and the Pearl Tower, from the hour of Hai tonight, fireworks will blaze nonstop and all drinks are free!”

An uproar of cheers, like a mountain-shaking wave, burst forth from the city and tower.

“Friends!” the white-robed man called out as well. “I, Li Shanshou of the Pearl Tower, will host a sword contest tonight in the treasured grounds of Peacock City. Young cultivators of the first and second realms are invited to participate; all sword enthusiasts are welcome to watch!”

Cheers and applause rose without end.

Through others’ words, several from Mount Sanqing recognized these two men’s identities. The man in splendid robes was Qian Boya, Lord of Peacock City and a high-level Free Immortal. The man in white, bearing the sword, was Li Shanshou, Lord of the Pearl Tower and a Sword Immortal.

Upon Li Shanshou’s announcement of the sword contest, word spread swiftly, and cultivators from all directions arrived from the Lower Realms to the Third Heaven, flooding into Peacock City and the Pearl Tower. By the hour of Hai, even the rooftops and eaves were packed with spectators, a truly magnificent scene.

As the crowd’s anticipation swelled, the sun set and the moon rose; the hour of Hai arrived.

“Bang!”

A massive golden chrysanthemum firework—the Jade Phoenix of the Jade Terrace—blossomed across the Third Heaven, igniting everyone’s spirits.

But this was only the beginning. Throughout Peacock City, beams of light shot skyward like meteors racing backward, bursting midair into vibrant blossoms that illuminated the vast city like daylight.

Amidst the blaze of fireworks, Li Shanshou stood atop the Pearl Tower, a full jade moon glowing behind him, casting the silhouette of the Sword Immortal and the tower’s peak. He waved his sleeve, releasing two objects that unfurled in the wind, instantly transforming into immense constructs.

One became a jade-railed, hundred-step high platform; the other, a giant mirror nearly equal in height to the Pearl Tower.

Both hovered in the void outside Peacock City and the Pearl Tower. The platform was nearly invisible next to the mirror, but the mirror’s surface reflected the platform’s details. Cultivators in the city and tower could simply lift their heads and see the intricate patterns on the jade bricks of the platform with perfect clarity.

One could imagine that if someone stood atop the platform, every detail would be vividly visible.

Any knowledgeable swordsman would recognize these as Li Shanshou’s treasured immortal artifacts: the Jade Terrace and the Moon-Reflecting Mirror.

This was another reason why the Pearl Tower Sword Contest was so renowned.

Imagine dueling atop the Jade Terrace, your every move magnified a thousandfold by the Moon-Reflecting Mirror for all to witness—who could remain calm?

“This contest begins with body sword techniques. Those who cultivate the art of body sword may ascend the steps to the platform,” announced the Pearl Tower Lord loudly.

Unexpected, yet unsurprising, only a few hundred beams of light shot from the city and tower, like fireflies fluttering toward the Jade Terrace.

Today, flying swords were the most common, magical swords followed, and body swords the rarest—a prevailing trend.

Inside the Sea Market Tavern, the Mount Sanqing group glanced at Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng Xinzhan slapped the waist of “Autumn Water,” laughing heartily, “I’m going too!”

The young Taoist mounted his cloud and, like a firefly, transformed into a tiny light.

Arriving at the base of the Jade Terrace, the swordbearers realized the platform was only deceptively small from afar and beside the Moon-Reflecting Mirror. It actually stood over a hundred feet tall, with around a hundred steps from base to summit.

Several hundred swordsmen, lined up at the foot, still appeared scattered across several thousand steps in width.

From afar, the Pearl Tower Lord snapped his fingers, sending a beam of light to the Jade Terrace, triggering a sudden transformation.

The moonlight, said to be like water, truly became water, pooling atop the platform and cascading down the steps like a waterfall. As it tumbled, the flow grew more turbulent, resembling a great river at the hundredth step.

Yet, whether waterfall or river, it was an illusion. On closer inspection, it was a dense flood of swordbearers surging downward with unstoppable momentum—only to vanish upon reaching the lowest step.

Cheng Xinzhan was not the first to arrive, but the earlier arrivals waited below the steps, seemingly observing.

He, however, believed swordsmanship held no fixed form and required no hesitation or watchfulness. He stepped forward onto the platform where a sword sliced horizontally toward his waist with relentless speed.

He drew “Autumn Water” even faster. Upon unsheathing, his wrist flicked, arm raised, the sword traced a semicircle, then gathered strength as he withdrew it, passing it in front of his chest, forming a circle before lowering it. The force traveled from the soles of his feet through his waist and arm. He swung hard, the sword tip sweeping past his ankle and upward.

Like brushing dust from the ground, the longsword became a glowing arc, severing the incoming blade.

He advanced another step.

A second sword jabbed toward his throat. Using the momentum from his previous upward strike, he dropped his shoulder, pulling the sword downward and slashing obliquely across the second blade.

Another step forward.

The third sword descended heavily from above.

He withdrew his sword, then thrust fiercely. His first three steps formed a fluid sequence, enhancing the speed of his thrust. The descending sword had yet to land, but he already struck the phantom holding it, then stepped forward again.

Each step was unbroken, growing ever faster.

The Moon-Reflecting Mirror displayed the scene to all observers: the swordbearers ascending like a tidal surge against the current. Yet, there were still too many, and the swordlight was chaotic. Naturally, all eyes fixed upon the one leading the advance.

One person remained at the forefront from start to finish.

“Xinzhan really has skill!” He Jiyuan from the Sea Market Tavern applauded while staring at the mirror.

“That’s only skill?” Wang Miaoyuan retorted with a grin, not taking her eyes off the mirror.

Feng Jihu watched intently, a smile creeping across his face. Seeing Xinzhan ascend so swiftly, he thought it wouldn’t be long before the young man surpassed the one who first brought him into the sect.

On the tavern’s highest floor, Xiao Shiniang sat on the balcony with her lion cat, watching the figure in the mirror.

Her attendant Qingyu stood nearby and said, “I only knew that Daoist Cheng was skilled in talismans; I didn’t expect his swordsmanship to be so formidable!”

Xiao Shiniang teased, “He’s a top disciple of Mount Sanqing. Do you think he’s one of those from White Jade Capital?”

Qingyu, usually favored, smiled and retorted, “That’s not so. Mount Sanqing has seven top disciples here, but only Daoist Cheng is competing in the sword contest.”

Xiao Shiniang’s eyes shone brighter than the moonlight. “Naturally, he must be exceptional.”

Qingyu smiled but said no more.

Suddenly, Qian Boya, Lord of Peacock City, appeared atop the Pearl Tower, carrying two wine jars. He handed one to Li Shanshou, smiling.

“Shanshou, since you set up your sword platform, no one in my city watches the fireworks anymore.”

Li Shanshou couldn’t help but tease back, “Then I’ll take the platform to Jingwei City. Did you think Yuan Xiuyong didn’t invite me?”

Qian Boya quickly laughed along. “You can’t leave. Come, drink!”

Li Shanshou took the jar, savoring a sip, utterly delighted. “Of all Five Cities, I like Peacock City’s wine best, and also the Golden Eagle City’s—one mild, one fierce. Both excellent.”

Qian Boya beamed, then pointed to the Moon-Reflecting Mirror. “Body sword techniques are indeed waning. Each year, fewer cultivate it.”

Li Shanshou shook his head. “Essence, energy, and spirit are a trinity. Body sword focuses on essence, magical sword on energy, and flying sword on spirit. They should never have been so strictly separated. I’ve always opposed this. But the trend is too strong. Even within the Sword Sect, factions have formed accordingly.”

“I’ve heard that Hengshan leads in body sword, Lushan in magical sword, and the Sword Pavilion in flying sword. The heads of these three major sword sects have deep conflicts, often meeting in duels. They’re ruthless, and casualties are frequent. This shouldn’t be so.”

Even a Sword Immortal like him could not resist the trend. Since so few cultivated all three arts, he had no choice but to endure the separation, lest there not be enough participants.

Moreover, he would never allow those who cultivated all three arts separately to compete, lest the victories of any one art tarnish his reputation.

Qian Boya pointed to the young man leading the contest. “That youth is impressive. He seems young, yet his timing is impeccable.”

Li Shanshou nodded, teasing, “What, are you looking to snatch a son-in-law from under the platform?”

They exchanged glances and laughed heartily.

Li Shanshou’s jest referred to the last sword contest in Haijing City, northeast, where an elder of the Xiao family was so impressed by a young man’s performance that he married his daughter to him immediately after he stepped down.

Qian Boya shook his head. At their level, if one hadn’t fathered children in youth, bearing offspring later was nearly impossible.

This was true of all the Five Great Cities. Those who became heads devoted their youth entirely to cultivation, never breaking their primal yang. At advanced stages, fertility became unlikely. Thus, city lords never inherited their positions from fathers but were chosen from collateral branches of the clan, the sole requirement being shared surname.

Perhaps this was why the Five Cities continued through the ages.

“If you can’t marry a daughter, you can still recruit a servant or appoint a guest official,” Qian Boya joked.

Li Shanshou smiled and nodded. Since Qian Boya mentioned that young man, he waved his sleeve again, and the Moon-Reflecting Mirror’s image shifted. The view zoomed from all the ascending backs to the leader’s front face, revealing his every move clearly.

His purpose in hosting the sword contest was to encourage young cultivators to train in swordsmanship and to bring fame to the youth.

The crowd in the city and tower cheered, wanting to witness the rising star.

Among them, the six from Mount Sanqing and the household’s two main maids were naturally thrilled.

——

In a vast, elegant chamber in the northwest district of Peacock City, where one could see the Moon-Reflecting Mirror through an open window, seven or eight graceful women sang and danced.

Yet a young man and a middle-aged man were fixated on the mirror; only a middle-aged man watched the entertainment.

“Master!” the handsome youth suddenly rose, pointing excitedly at the mirror.

The middle-aged man beside him also stared in surprise.

“Father! Look!” the youth urged, annoyed that his father was still watching the performance.

Only then did the man turn to the mirror, his face showing astonishment.

“Ah! Isn’t that the one from Mount Sanqing!”

——

In the southwest district of Peacock City, atop a tavern, five youths and a burly man with a thick beard sat on the eaves, watching the Moon-Reflecting Mirror.

They had hurried here after hearing of the Pearl Tower Lord’s sword contest in Peacock City. With no seats left inside, they made do outdoors.

“That’s him!” two of the three young women suddenly stood and exclaimed, surprising the bearded man.

The others were taken aback by their reaction. One of the men asked, “Qingyun, Yingqiong, do you know this person?”

Li Yingqiong did not answer but looked toward the woman beside her, asking, “Sister Zhou, do you know this villain too?”

Zhou Qingyun stared fixedly at the mirror, oblivious to her companions’ questions.

Seeking votes, recommendations, and welcome comments and messages!