287: Prelude

Within Xuantian City, undercurrents surged.

Many factions and individuals harbored their own intentions.

Some wished to rise to prominence, some concealed malicious schemes, while others observed from the sidelines…

As for the majority, they had no such grand ambitions; they were merely there to witness the spectacle, as the outcome held no bearing on them.

The martial arts competition for marriage hosted by Profound Weapon Pavilion naturally had prerequisites.

The reality was that most people were of ordinary aptitude, cultivation, and appearance, thus having no hope of winning. Those who managed to pass the preliminary selection were essentially considered geniuses…

However, events like martial arts competitions for marriage were inherently full of hype, and most people relished in discussing them, especially when held by a major power like Profound Weapon Pavilion.

Most people came simply to see the true appearance of the Profound Weapon Pavilion's Young Lady, who rarely appeared in public, and to find out which talented young man would be fortunate enough to win her hand!

At this moment, Xuantian City was bustling with noise, colorful flags flying, a scene of vibrant activity…

The chosen prodigies from various places were also led by people from Profound Weapon Pavilion and settled within Xuantian City.

Finally, after screening, thousands of promising young talents passed the test and were about to participate in the highly anticipated final grand competition…

Inside a magnificent mansion, within a beautifully decorated lady's chamber, a graceful figure sat before a bronze mirror, dressing herself…

The woman wore a red wedding gown, embroidered with exquisite flower and bird patterns. Her hair was lightly styled in a bun at her forehead, and her long hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders, dark and beautiful, emitting a faint fragrance…

The woman was the protagonist of this martial arts competition for marriage, outwardly known as Chu Lingxin, the daughter of Chu Fengyun, the Pavilion Master of Profound Weapon Pavilion.

Knock knock knock.

A light knocking sound suddenly echoed from the door.

It was Chu Fengyun, looking respectful and cautious, knocking on the door.

Normally, Chu Lingxin's boudoir was off-limits to ordinary people, and only Chu Lingxin herself was allowed in her room, not even maids or servants…

And most of the time, Chu Lingxin rarely left her room; even many high-ranking members of Profound Weapon Pavilion had never seen her true face.

To outsiders, this Young Lady of Profound Weapon Pavilion was even more mysterious, rarely showing herself, leading to various speculations and rumors…

Some said that the Young Lady of Profound Weapon Pavilion was incredibly ugly, which was why she always hid herself in her boudoir, unwilling to meet anyone.

There were also rumors that this woman possessed an extremely rare Profound Yin Body, unable to see light, as exposure to light would diminish her lifespan.

Others claimed that the Young Lady of Profound Weapon Pavilion had fallen gravely ill shortly after birth, making her frail and unable to go out…

However, all mysteries would be unveiled during this martial arts competition for marriage…

To select a worthy son-in-law for the Young Lady of Profound Weapon Pavilion, surely she herself couldn't be absent from the event, right?

"My Lord, it's almost time."

Outside the door, Chu Fengyun spoke cautiously.

Hearing Chu Fengyun's voice, Chu Lingxin lightly pursed her recently adorned lips.

"Alright, I know. During the grand competition, I want to personally go to the venue and watch."

Hearing Chu Lingxin's words, Chu Fengyun was slightly taken aback.

He hadn't expected Chu Lingxin to personally go to the venue…

One must know, in his impression, this Lord had always been cautious and had never shown herself in public!

He had originally thought that this martial arts competition for marriage was merely a formality, and this Lord would only need to observe from behind the scenes, making a final choice if a suitable person appeared.

He clearly understood the purpose of this martial arts competition for marriage; it was said to be for choosing a son-in-law, but in reality, it was for choosing a person.

It was merely using the gimmick of choosing a son-in-law to amplify the influence of this selection.

Therefore, in the announcements released by Profound Weapon Pavilion, it was never stated that the champion would become Chu Lingxin's husband, but rather that one would be chosen from among the well-performing young talents, which allowed for much more flexibility.

Thus, to be safe, Profound Weapon Pavilion even arranged several skilled decoys in advance…

If no suitable sword-wielder appeared at that time, Profound Weapon Pavilion could choose one from these pre-arranged individuals, and it would simply be a formality…

Of course, the prerequisite was that these individuals couldn't perform too poorly, or be eliminated or even killed too early…

Only this time, Chu Fengyun hadn't expected that the Lord before him would personally go to the venue to watch!

Such an action showed her level of importance placed on this martial arts competition for marriage…

"Yes, My Lord."

Putting those thoughts aside, Chu Fengyun quickly nodded in agreement, then turned and left to make arrangements.

Inside the boudoir, Chu Lingxin's eyes flickered, and she observed herself in the bronze mirror with eyes like stars.

In the bronze mirror, Chu Lingxin's reflection was not of a person, but of a sword.

That treasured sword had no physical form; it was extremely ethereal, as if formed from starlight, brilliant and enchanting…

Suddenly, the woman's expression changed slightly, and her originally calm face grew colder. She frowned slightly and spoke softly.

"Monsters, demons, all sorts of riff-raff, have they all come?"

"If you dare to ruin my important matter this time, I, Lingxin Sword, swear to heaven, if I do not die, one day I will surely slaughter your entire clan, otherwise my sword will shatter and my soul will perish!"

Her voice was clear and enchanting, but the words she spoke were incredibly domineering!

…

At this moment, the entire Xuantian City was already packed with people.

Xuantian City was originally the central city of Profound Weapon Pavilion, with an extremely high population density.

Now, due to the martial arts competition for marriage, more and more people flocked in.

Fearing excessive congestion and unnecessary disturbances, Profound Weapon Pavilion had no choice but to dispatch personnel to seal off Xuantian City layer by layer, no longer allowing unrelated individuals to enter.

Cultivators who had already arrived in Xuantian City felt fortunate, while those who missed the optimal time and were blocked outside by officials could only sigh with regret, secretly feeling it was a pity!

At this moment, in a room within Xuantian City.

Little Fox Su Meier gently twisted her slender waist, lazily rising from Mu Wuchen's embrace, letting out a rather unladylike yawn, her beautiful pink eyes filled with reluctance…

Beside her, Luo Shuihan also stood up with a slight blush, walked to the window, and opened it, letting the sunlight stream onto the windowsill…

Mu Wuchen also tidied his clothes before walking to the door.

With less than a day until the martial arts competition for marriage began, prodigies from all over had already been eagerly preparing for battle, ready to show off their skills, even having planned their combat moves days in advance…

Only Mu Wuchen, however, had a calm and indifferent expression…

Mu Wuchen looked around, at Su Meier and Luo Shuihan beside him, and slowly spoke.

"Let's go, it's almost time. We should head over too…"

…