The Heavenly Summit Mirror in Chen Yan's hand began to tremble violently.
Then, black cracks started extending outward from the mirror's surface, first splitting the bronze mirror in his hand into five equal parts, then continuing like tentacles, spreading toward Chen Yan's fingers.
To some extent, Chen Yan understood what those black cracks represented.
The collapse of the laws of heaven and earth.
But even as Chen Yan threw the bronze mirror to the ground, the black cracks didn't stop spreading. Instead, they surged like a tidal wave through the white jade palace, flooding everything in their path.
From a tide, they became a flood.
Within a few breaths, the entire main hall of Heavenly Summit Palace was completely engulfed in darkness.
Then, the pitch-black cracks began climbing upward along the hem of Chen Yan's daoist robes.
Chen Yan simply stood there. He didn't try to escape. He let the space-rending black cracks swallow him whole.
...
Two days later.
Heavenly Summit Mountain, Daoyan Arena — the crowd was roaring with noise.
Today marked the official beginning of the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry.
A total of one thousand two hundred and ninety-six young prodigies had gathered for this Dao Inquiry.
This number also set a record for the highest participation in the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry in nearly a thousand years.
Nearly thirty thousand cultivators sat packed on the viewing stands surrounding the Daoyan Arena. Ten massive circular arena platforms stood in the center of the arena.
Su Hongzhen walked alone through the Daoyan Arena, holding a jade slip in his hand. Written on it was: Platform Three, Group Twelve.
As for who Little Su's opponent would be, he had already found out just moments ago.
It was the eldest senior brother of a top-tier sect called the Lightning-Severing Sect from the Northern Region of Chenping Continent — the disciple with the most refined cultivation and techniques among this generation: Jia Hongtao.
Nineteen years old. Late Martial Spring Realm. Highly skilled in thunder techniques.
This was all intelligence Su Hongzhen had gathered just moments ago while listening to a few young disciples discussing the draw ceremony nearby.
As for himself, it seemed he had also attracted considerable attention.
That was what Su Hongzhen thought to himself.
As a Dao Inquirer recommended by the Mirage Palace — especially one personally recommended by the Mirage Palace's Daomen Xingzou, Zhou Jinyun — it was only natural that he would draw attention.
Although Su Hongzhen was inexperienced in worldly matters, he understood well the weight the Five Great Sects carried in the cultivation world of Chenping Continent.
But Su Hongzhen also seemed to realize that the reason those people paid him so much attention might not be simply because he was a Dao Inquirer recommended by Immortal Master Zhou.
People kept quickening their steps behind him, passing by his side, and letting their gazes linger on the sword scabbard hanging at his waist.
Whenever he turned his gaze to meet theirs, they would quickly avert their eyes, dart off to the side, and huddle together to whisper among themselves.
How strange.
Thinking this, Su Hongzhen lifted his head and scanned the viewing stands surrounding the Daoyan Arena from all directions. He didn't find the familiar figure of that handsome young man always dressed in plain white daoist robes.
In fact, ever since arriving at Heavenly Summit Mountain, Little Su hadn't seen Chen Yan even once.
Where did Big Brother go?
Su Hongzhen wondered in confusion.
Regardless, the most important thing right now was participating in the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry.
His first round was Platform Three, Group Twelve.
The first group's match had already officially begun. Su Hongzhen had just taken a few glances at the arena platform.
So slow. They'd been fighting for half an incense stick's time, yet it still seemed like they were just testing each other, unwilling to go all out.
That was the only thought that crossed his mind.
"Fellow Daoist."
Suddenly, a voice called out from behind, stopping Su Hongzhen in his tracks.
Su Hongzhen turned around and looked behind him.
He saw a tall, imposing young man standing there, dressed in dark black daoist robes.
This man's eyes slanted slightly downward at the corners, his nose was high and prominent, and his eyebrows were a bit sparse. His overall appearance gave off the impression that he was not someone to be trifled with.
Yet his face was completely expressionless, as if he suppressed every single emotion deep within his heart.
At his waist hung a red long sword without a scabbard. From the luster of its blade to its patterns, it was easy to tell that this sword was no ordinary item — not even an ordinary spiritual sword.
It must have been extremely valuable.
"May I ask, Your Excellency, what business do you have?"
Su Hongzhen stopped and addressed the tall young man in dark robes who had called out to him from behind.
The tall young man in dark robes didn't speak immediately. Instead, he lowered his head slightly, using his downward-slanting eyes to glance at the sword hilt hanging at Su Hongzhen's waist, then raised his eyes again.
"Fellow Daoist, I greatly admire the scabbard at your waist. It belonged to Realman Cangyue of Heavenly Summit Mountain tens of thousands of years ago, back when he was still a Martial Spring Realm cultivator. It was a personal item he kept by his side at all times, only setting it aside after he broke through to the Unity Realm and became an elder at the Yuqian Pavilion."
The tall young man in dark robes spoke calmly.
"I am He An of the Unmoving Sword Sect. Three years ago, I was determined to acquire this item at auction, but in the end, you were the one who purchased it. Even now, I still find it hard to let go. I wonder if you, Fellow Daoist, would be willing to part with it. I am prepared to offer a substantial sum to purchase it."
Upon hearing this, Su Hongzhen simply shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but this item was a gift from someone else. I really cannot part with it."
Su Hongzhen cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
The tall young man who called himself He An fell silent for two breaths, then slowly spoke.
"No matter. Might I ask, Fellow Daoist, are you also a swordsman?"
Su Hongzhen lowered his gaze slightly, letting his eyes fall on the Xun-Li Sword at his waist.
"Yes."
A sword's cry rang out, and in the very next instant, the tip of the red long sword that had been hanging at He An's waist was now pressed against Su Hongzhen's forehead.
It was only a hair's breadth away from piercing Su Hongzhen's skin.
But Su Hongzhen stood completely still, not moving an inch.
Because he had known from the very beginning that the sword He An had swung would never touch him.
On the Daoyan Arena and the surrounding viewing stands, countless cultivators shifted their gazes away from the arena platforms, turning toward the young man in cyan daoist robes and the young man in dark robes standing in the middle of the arena.
The one hailed as the Southern Region's top swordsman among this generation of cultivators — He An of the Unmoving Sword Sect.
And the unknown rogue cultivator personally recommended by the Mirage Palace's Daomen Xingzou, Zhou Jinyun, as a Dao Inquirer for the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry — Su Hongzhen.
At this very moment, the two of them stood face to face in the center of the Daoyan Arena.