663: Chapter 663 Grievance

With the situation in the Southern Border stabilized, Liu Xuan was in no rush to return. He spent his days playing with those Joyous Union Sect Junior Sisters and occasionally went to Xuanyin Pavilion to help Jiang Xingwan.

Of course, Liu Xuan was not just focused on having fun; a large portion of his time was spent studying the Yin-Yang Great Formation.

The Yin-Yang Branch of the Joyous Union Sect did not have a very high-level Formation Master Legacy; the person with the highest attainments in Formations was Jiang Xingwan, who was around the Fourth-Rank Medium Grade.

She had no problem controlling the great array thanks to the immense Divine Sense brought by her Realm, but her handling of the various details of the array was quite rough.

In Liu Xuan's view, the Yin-Yang Great Formation was like a massive and complex machine. Jiang Xingwan only knew how to use its functions but did not quite understand the principles behind the various functions of the machine.

Liu Xuan was different. He was not satisfied with simply controlling the Yin-Yang Great Formation; he intended to make some modifications to it, enhancing its power while thoroughly making it his own.

Usually, a Sect Grand Formation would have countless authority tokens, which could be used to drive part of the array's power to varying degrees.

In other words, although Jiang Xingwan had given him the Yin-Yang Jade Talisman, the core jade talisman of the array, this thing was equivalent to a key. Liu Xuan was not sure if it was the only one; if someone else were to contest the control of the array with him, he might not be able to fully master it.

Liu Xuan's current level as a Formation Master had reached the quasi-Fifth-Rank. It was impossible to fully comprehend the Yin-Yang Great Formation, which was among the top of the Fifth-Rank Medium Grade, but changing its lock was not a big problem.

Liu Xuan did not hide this move from Jiang Xingwan. Using the excuse of worrying about the return of the long-missing Sect Master, he easily gained Jiang Xingwan's support, and she even helped Liu Xuan modify the array nodes together.

...

East of the Yin-Yang Main Island.

Above the boundless ocean, the sea surface, which was usually crowded with various ships, cleared a large, empty area.

This area was circular with a diameter of about one kilometer. Numerous Cultivators wearing the uniform of the Joyous Union Sect gathered here, forming a larger perimeter with a diameter of about ten kilometers.

In addition to the Joyous Union Sect Disciples, the area was also surrounded by numerous peripheral Cultivators from the Yin-Yang Archipelago, as well as Cultivators from lower Sects who had come from other places.

The reason it was so lively was that the Joyous Union Sect's triennial Outer Sect Disciple Grand Competition was being held here, competing for quotas for Inner Sect Disciples and True Disciples.

The contestants' cultivation was limited to below the Foundation Establishment Stage, and their age was limited to under sixty. As long as their combat ability was sufficient, they could obtain an Inner Sect Disciple quota. True Disciples were more difficult; in addition to actual combat, they needed to be valued by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or a Golden Core True Person of the Sect.

Each Outer Sect Disciple Grand Competition was exceptionally intense, with many spectators. The reason was simple: every Disciple who went straight from the Outer Sect to a True Disciple would receive a foundation establishment pill as a reward.

"Next match, Jiang Sui versus... Liu Jingchun!"

As a loud voice spread from the center, the surrounding spectators erupted in an uproar.

"Liu Jingchun?"

"Who is Liu Jingchun?"

"Wasn't it supposed to be Senior Sister Jiang versus Senior Brother Wang? When did they change the person?"

"I know!" a supporter of Senior Brother Wang said angrily. "Jiang Sui must have known she was no match for Senior Brother Wang, so she used her Family connections to change the opponent at the last minute!"

"That's too corrupt!"

"Why is it so hard for us bottom-tier Cultivators without backgrounds to get some cultivation resources?"

...

Central water surface.

A layer of Formation power covered the seawater, leaving the surface without a ripple, like a mirror.

Jiang Sui, wearing a black female Cultivator's long dress of the Yin-Yang Branch, looked suspiciously at the handsome youth opposite her.

Changing people before the match; such a thing had never happened in the Outer Sect Disciple Grand Competition.

Liu Jingchun! She carefully recalled; it seemed there was no such person among the Outer Sect Disciples participating in this competition.

The Jiang Family, where Jiang Sui belonged, was a major Family in the Joyous Union Sect. Her cultivation was at the Peak of Qi Refining, and she was famous for her actual combat. She was a predetermined True Disciple, and participating in the Grand Competition was just a formality for her; she was guaranteed a foundation establishment pill.

"I am Jiang Sui of the Jiang Family. Judging by Fellow Daoist Liu's appearance, you are not from our Joyous Union Sect, are you?"

Jiang Sui did not rush to make a move; she cupped her hands in a salute to Liu Jingchun and started chatting.

Liu Jingchun returned the salute and smiled, "Fellow Daoist is mistaken. I am indeed from the Joyous Union Sect, because my father is the Joyous Union Sect Sect Master."

Jiang Sui was stunned, her brain stalling a bit. What do you mean your father is the Joyous Union Sect Sect Master?

Before she could react, Liu Jingchun added, "You don't have to be nervous. I'm not competing with you for the True Disciple quota; I just want to see what the strength of you East Sea Cultivators is like."

"If you can gain my approval, let alone a True Disciple quota, I can recommend you to my father."

This person's surname was Liu, and he claimed to be the son of the Joyous Union Sect Sect Master. Connecting this to the recent rumor, Jiang Sui's eyes lit up.

The Daoist Yin-Yang was about to become a Dao Companion with a Saint named Liu Xuan. As this news was confirmed by the Sect, all kinds of rumors were flying everywhere.

One of the most widespread and widely accepted explanations was that Liu Xuan was the long-missing Sect Master of the Joyous Union Sect.

Liu Xuan had many children, and they were all highly valued. If she could defeat this person in the competition...

Jiang Sui's Battle Intent soared, and her eyes became sharp.

"Pardon me!"

She raised her hand and waved it, and dense, hair-like silver fine needles flew out from her sleeves.

The needle Magical Artifacts drifted towards Liu Jingchun like a gentle drizzle, leaving absolutely no room to dodge.

"A bit interesting!"

A smile appeared on Liu Jingchun's face. His figure did not move, but the seawater under his feet surged up to form a water wall, blocking the 'drizzle'.

The needle Magical Artifacts were numerous, numbering in the thousands. Their advantage was that the attacks had no blind spots and were difficult to defend against; their disadvantage was that the Mana contained in a single fine needle was minimal, and the attack power was insufficient.

After all the needle Magical Artifacts pierced into the water wall, they were like they had fallen into a quagmire, locked inside and unable to move.

With the first strike failing, Jiang Sui's expression remained normal. She changed the spell in her hand, and the remaining countless needle Magical Artifacts flew back in reverse, gathering in her hands and turning into two silver long spears.

Without any extra nonsense, Jiang Sui flew up, holding the two long spears, and crashed into the water wall in front of Liu Jingchun with the momentum of thunder.

"Puff, puff~"

"Boom~"

The water wall exploded with two large holes, and sharp spear lights lit up at the front of the long spears, looking as if they were about to pierce Liu Jingchun through.

"Ding, ding~"

Liu Jingchun suddenly disappeared just before he was about to be pierced, and then two sword lights appeared out of thin air, stabbing at the upper part of the spear tips.

"Hum, hum~"

Jiang Sui's face showed pain, and her hand holding the long spears loosened. The two silver long spears scattered into a sky full of fine needles and fell down.

"The strength is okay. The needle Magical Artifacts can be both rigid and flexible, and the attack methods are hard to guard against."

Liu Jingchun stood with his hands behind his back and praised her, then changed the subject, shaking his head and saying, "It's just that the defensive methods are lacking, and the shortcomings are obvious..."

...

On the outermost perimeter of the Grand Competition sea area, an ordinary fishing boat swayed with the breeze. Liu Xuan held a fishing rod, withdrew his gaze from the distance, and glanced at Old Four beside him. "When did this child Jingchun become so pretentious? Did you brat corrupt him?"

Old Four was stunned! Then he said aggrievedly, "What does that have to do with me? I've always been low-key, okay!"