[Skill Level +2]

[Skill Level +3]

Han Yue Residence.

Li Xian cleared his mind of distractions, refining his martial arts. The longsword in his hand danced with dazzling arcs, waves of flames surged, elegant and natural. The Yin Yang Immortal Companions Sword is a combined sword technique, yet Li Xian practiced alone, missing the "Yin Yang" essence, leaving a flaw of "incompletion."

However, it unexpectedly aligned with the "immortal" essence within the sword. The sword intent was ethereal, elegant beyond the mundane, gracefully like a wandering dragon.

[Setting Sun Blood Decay Sword·First Layer]

[Skill Level: 26389/50000 Perfection]

[Setting Sun Blood Sword·Second Layer]

[Skill Level: 3526/24000 Great Success]

...

Daily consumption of Essence Treasure, assimilating the Essence of Heaven and Earth.

[Food Essence]

[Skill Level: 54/100]

The Food Essence had reached the fifth transformation, Li Xian's entire body flawless. He wiped off the rouge from his forehead, the red mole shimmered with a crimson glow.

In the snow, he danced with his sword, possessing a distinct heroic presence. Having endured mockery, his heart was as steady as a mountain. Unfazed, he had already forgotten about that matter.

"The world is vast, and so is my sword."

Li Xian suddenly felt inspired. Not confined to rigid sword technique frameworks, he danced freely, treating it as play. But because the First Layer of the "Setting Sun Blood Decay Sword" had reached [Perfection], he still accumulated skill level even while improvising.

"I wonder where the lady has gone?"

Li Xian boiled water to make tea, sitting in the courtyard admiring the snow. As night fell, he returned to his chamber to rest.

The next day.

Li Xiaofan had left the city the previous night, the two brothers met briefly and then parted. Initially, Li Xian intended to focus on martial arts training; he rose in the morning to practice for an hour. The Setting Sun Blood Sword and Thunderbolt Finger had recently reached Great Success, making it difficult to break through in the short term. On second thought, martial arts could be trained daily, but visiting the prefecture city was a rare opportunity. So he tidied up, changed out of his sweaty clothes, and went out for a leisurely stroll.

In the city, communication was mostly through letters and word of mouth.

Li Xian had a tarnished reputation, with rumors swirling, and yesterday, news spread that the Evil Captain had entered the city and injured the prodigy Wan Run, showcasing formidable strength. This sparked much discussion. Yet when Li Xian walked by the crowd, no one recognized him.

There were three hundred and six high buildings in the prefecture city.

The city had mountains, lakes, and rivers. Towers and mountains intermingled, lakes and rivers exchanged flows. The morning mist was hazy, overwhelmingly beautiful.

Martial arts halls, shops, strange events, and curiosities, all were countless.

Passing by a "Red Dream Building," the girls inside dropped handkerchiefs, melodious voices laughed and invited, "Good young sir, come in and sit for a while." "Such a handsome young sir, we don't want your money, just come in for a while."

Li Xian went to a bookshop and bought a map of the prefecture city and several interesting eclectic books. He had finished reading the "Illness of Zhang Han" he bought last time, finding it very interesting.

Qingning County was small with few books. The variety at the prefecture city's bookshops was broad, though the prices were a bit higher.

Engaged thusly for several days, the Layered Tower Banquet drew ever closer. Snowflakes danced in the air, though the true first snow had yet to fall.

"The Layered Tower Banquet is approaching, yet the lady hasn't appeared; could she intend for me to face it alone?"

Li Xian pondered. Had the lady not summoned him, he wouldn't have come to the prefecture city. Yet upon arrival, the lady was nowhere to be found. With another thought: "No… the lady is always testing me. Her absence might just be another test?"

Having come, he decided to settle in. Not overthinking, he faced it calmly. In a blink, it was October 24th, the world frosty and cold, and the Layered Tower Banquet was imminent.

The Layered Tower Banquet was to be held at the "Heavenly People Tower," which stood within a large lake. The lake's surface was broad and smooth as a mirror, with clear waters.

Yet this lake was named "Pond."

With every first snow, a grand banquet would be held here, inviting the zenith of the prefecture city's prodigies.

Heavenly People Tower was totally black, rising about seven stories, with a peculiar structure. Each floor hosted a grand banquet for the prodigies to exchange martial arts.

It wasn't necessarily about real weapons and actual battles, competing for victory or defeat. But when young heroes met, and beautiful maidens gathered, inevitably youthful vigor would prevent conceding face. Verbal discussions often turned into verbal duels and eventually real weapon contests were unavoidable.

In front of the tower.

Within Pond Lake.

The prefecture city's families: Cao, Chu, Lin, Yuwen… arrived in advance. Those who came were aging clan elders, each stepping onto wood boats, circling the tower. As they reached the center of the lake, they looked down into the water, witnessing the green waters ripple.

Deep at the lake's bottom stood a cauldron, the water reflecting it, shining like a mirror by day, visible only to those with strong sight who stared at the lake bottom for a long time at night.

The cauldron had been submerged for years, its surface covered with moss. Crabs and shrimp made homes, snakes and fish swam by.

The sixth elder of the Cao Family, Cao Shuang, remarked, "The situation is forming, that thing is about to emerge."

The seventh elder of the Lin Family, Lin Bei, said, "If not this year, then next. But with Ou Yezi passing through and presenting the Sinking River Treasure Sword, it's bound to escalate the Layered Tower Banquet; this year it seems it will emerge."

A middle-aged man from the Yuwen Family, named Yuwen Chang, said, "You say, even though Ou Yezi is famous as an Artifact Refining Master, with a renowned name, he wouldn't gift treasure swords randomly. Does he intend to claim a share with this move?"

Hearing this, everyone frowned, silent and showing discontent.

After a long moment, Cao Shuang said, "Hmph, if truly so, he thinks too kindly. This thing, at the soonest, takes fifteen years to emerge, sometimes due to lack of talent, it doesn't appear for thirty or forty years. And now, conveniently passing by, bringing out a treasure artifact, he imagines getting an easy share? No such luck."

...

...

The next day.

The first snow of the world, the black tower in the pond.

Each major family from the prefecture city had already set up banquet tables in the tower, arranging the seating plan in advance.

Heavenly People Tower was about seven stories high, seating arrangements had their own significance. The seventh floor was the most esteemed position, for only one person. The food included: Miao Hua Zhenlian Soup, Fish Crossing the Dragon Gate, Pond's Nobleman, three of the prefecture city's renowned dishes.

The ingredients for the dishes were all treasures, rare and difficult to find, with extraordinary effects, and the taste was exceptionally rare. Even the family heads could hardly partake in such a meal.

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