After more than a month of arduous travel, Li Haoran finally arrived at Heavenly Summit Mountain.
However, he did not head to the Slaying Heaven Pavilion to rest and recuperate.
At the Heavenly Summit Mountain ferry, after bidding farewell to that mysterious great senior whose name he still did not know, Li Haoran made his way to the Daoyan Arena on Heavenly Summit Mountain.
Even though, after Zhou Jinyun had broken through to the Qi Sea Realm, Li Haoran was considered the strongest contender for the Heavenly Summit Mountain championship, and his strength truly could dominate the entire field.
Li Haoran still could not rest easy.
The reason, of course, was what that mysterious great senior had said to him during their chance encounter at the Heavenly Summit Mountain ferry not long ago.
He would lose?
Lose to whom?
That was why he had come to this Daoyan Arena on Heavenly Summit Mountain, to scope out the grounds in advance.
Li Haoran's reputation had long since resounded throughout the entire Chenping Continent.
A gentleman like green bamboo, gentle as a breeze, bearing the legacy of Heavenly Summit Mountain's founding days.
That was the world's assessment of Li Haoran.
Li Haoran's personality truly was like that, but at the same time, he also possessed his own pride.
For example, Li Haoran enjoyed the feeling of being respected and admired by others.
Just like right now, dressed in the pure white daoist robe of Kongyuan Mountain, with gilded cloud crane patterns embroidered on the sleeves, radiating an aura of majesty and prestige that kept no one daring to approach within three zhang of him—he found it quite satisfying.
This was not considered a flaw of Li Haoran's.
Because this was the pride of Li Haoran as a young genius, and also his pride as the chief disciple of Kongyuan Mountain.
After all, how many people in this world, when singled out at just over ten years old as one of the most talented cultivators of the current era, could keep from getting carried away?
And just as he was examining the arena platform before him, an unfamiliar voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Your Excellency, might I ask you to inform this humble servant where the Fellow Daoists of Star Heaven Sect are?"
Li Haoran's gaze sharpened slightly, then he turned around, his eyes falling on a young man standing behind him, dressed in a cyan daoist robe and appearing to be about his own age.
A cyan daoist robe... could it be the Bamboo Immortal Sect, or the Blue Sea Sect?
Li Haoran thought to himself, but judging by the style of the young man's robe, it seemed to be neither.
What surprised Li Haoran the most was that when this young man had approached him, he had not detected it at all!
This could only mean one of two possibilities.
One, the other's cultivation level was above his own.
The other, the other's footwork surpassed his own.
But so far, Li Haoran had never seen another cultivator at the same Martial Spring Realm whose footwork could outshine his.
Even Zhou Jinyun's footwork, when compared to Li Haoran's, would inevitably fall slightly short.
Moreover, coming to ask him, the chief disciple of Kongyuan Mountain, where the people of Star Heaven Sect were?
This person was quite interesting.
If it had been any other chief disciple, suddenly approached and asked such a question, even if they did not lose their temper on the spot, they would most likely feel a slight surge of anger in their heart due to the offense.
But Li Haoran did not. He just smiled lightly.
Although he possessed the pride of a youth, and could be arrogant, and enjoyed the feeling of being respected and admired by others.
He was also exactly as the world described him.
A gentleman like green bamboo, gentle as a breeze.
Li Haoran first stood there, raised both hands, and made a bow in the direction of Su Hongzhen.
His waist did not bend; this was the etiquette between cultivators of the same generation.
"May I ask what business you, Fellow Daoist, have in seeking out the disciples of Star Heaven Sect?"
Li Haoran inquired.
"The Supervisor Senior of Star Heaven Sect said that to participate in the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, I needed to come to the Daoyan Arena and find a Fellow Daoist from Star Heaven Sect."
Su Hongzhen replied.
"You need to personally register your name?"
Li Haoran showed an expression of sudden realization:
"Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps a Rogue Cultivator recommended by one of the Five Great Sects?"
"Exactly."
Su Hongzhen said.
Li Haoran finally understood why he had no impression of the robe this young man was wearing, and also why this young man had so rashly and abruptly approached him.
Then, Li Haoran's gaze suddenly fell upon the scabbard hanging at Su Hongzhen's waist.
This is...
Li Haoran's pupils contracted slightly.
"This scabbard at your waist, Fellow Daoist, could it be the one once used by Realman Cangyue of Heavenly Summit Mountain?"
He then asked.
"That's right."
Su Hongzhen nodded.
Ordinary cultivators might lack the insight to recognize the origin of the scabbard at Su Hongzhen's waist, but Li Haoran certainly recognized it.
Li Haoran not only recognized that the scabbard at Su Hongzhen's waist was one that Realman Cangyue had used in his youth, but also knew that this scabbard had been acquired at an auction for one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones.
This inevitably brought to mind an interesting anecdote from three years ago.
He An, the biological grandson of the Sect Leader of the Immovable Sword Sect, which was hailed as the number one sword sect in the Southern Region of Chenping Continent, and who was himself proclaimed as the number one Swordsman of the Southern Region among this generation of cultivators, had learned that an auction in the Western Region was about to sell the scabbard once used by Realman Cangyue of Heavenly Summit Mountain. He had sworn to the world that he, He An, would definitely secure this scabbard.
To obtain Realman Cangyue's scabbard, He An had confidently prepared eighty thousand high-grade spirit stones.
Of course, based on his estimation, the actual final price of the scabbard would be far lower than eighty thousand high-grade spirit stones.
Because the reason he had made such a big public show of it was precisely to discourage others from bidding against him, allowing him to acquire the scabbard at a lower cost.
But in the very first round, just as he had called out a price of thirty thousand high-grade spirit stones for this scabbard, an unexpected incident occurred.
Someone had anonymously bid one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones.
He An's face had turned green on the spot.
And because of this incident, this self-proclaimed number one Swordsman of the Southern Region among this generation of cultivators had, for a time, become the laughingstock of the contemporary prodigies of this era.
And was mockingly referred to as "He Eight Myriad."
Li Haoran looked thoughtfully at the scabbard at Su Hongzhen's waist.
It seemed that this Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry would most likely unfold a much-anticipated grudge match, although it looked like it might be a one-sided grudge.
After all, the ridicule He An had suffered over the past three years was almost entirely due to this sword scabbard of Realman Cangyue. So, to say that He An held no resentment towards this young man he had never met was impossible.
Thinking this, Li Haoran once again cupped his hands in a bow towards Su Hongzhen.
"In that case, I will take you, Fellow Daoist, to find the people of Star Heaven Sect. I am Li Haoran, the chief disciple of Kongyuan Mountain of the Kongshan Sect. May I ask how you, Fellow Daoist, are called?"
Li Haoran asked.
The young man in the cyan daoist robe also cupped his hands and bowed towards Li Haoran, then slowly spoke:
"Su Hongzhen."