Qi Cultivation Starting from the Repair Panel

"During the competition, you cannot wield this sword. Let it slumber temporarily and hand it over to my supervision. It will be returned to you after the competition."

Xing Chuge grinned, gently stroking the long sword by his side, and said loudly:

"Yunze Immortal Monarch, don't worry. The Mountain and River Sword will not take action, please allow it to watch the battle!"

"This..."

Cheng Yunze's expression turned serious; facing such an Emperor Sword directly would pose no small danger to him.

With such an Emperor Sword hanging on the Dao Inquiry Platform, it was as if Chu Zheng had a blade at his neck. If any mishap occurred during the encounter and the Mountain and River Sword acted unexpectedly, Chu Zheng could very well lose his life outright.

He wasn't entirely confident he could save Chu Zheng, which was absolutely unacceptable.

Before Cheng Yunze could continue, another figure appeared on the Dao Inquiry Platform. The moonlight diffused, overshadowing the brilliance of ninety-nine suns in the sky.

Buzz—

The Mountain and River Sword, which was suspended in mid-air, was stepped onto the Dao Inquiry Platform by a boot embroidered with gold-threaded moon patterns.

The Emperor Sword, which had been stained with Ancestor Blood, buzzed incessantly, its Immortal Veins lit up, igniting blood light, struggling ceaselessly but ultimately failing to break free.

A woman in her twenties stood atop the Dao Inquiry Platform, her skin like new snow reflecting the dawn; the surrounding moonlight cast a thin frost on her porcelain-white skin, her brows as sharp as a sword, adorned at their tips with blood-like vermilion birthmarks, while her phoenix-like eyes seemed imbued with icy coldness, and her amber pupils were filled with fierce killing intent.

Gazing at the side profile that glowed like jade before him, Chu Zheng couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. It seemed to be the first time he clearly saw the true visage of the Moonlight Immortal Ancestor.

The Moonlight Immortal Ancestor stepped on the sword and lowered her eyes, casting a glance at Xing Chuge with an indifferent expression:

"Who do you think you are? By sheer luck you glimpsed the path of your predecessors and obtained an Emperor Sword, do you dare disregard the rules of the Immortal Alliance? Disdain the Punishment Authority? Who gave you such courage?"

Her tone wasn't high, her voice was quite calm, yet everyone present couldn't help but break out in cold sweat from behind their backs.

"Subordinate pays respects to Master."

Cheng Yunze's complexion slightly changed, bowing deeply.

Among those present, besides Cheng Yunze, no one was qualified to meet the Moonlight Immortal Ancestor.

Upon hearing Cheng Yunze's words, the True Immortals surrounding all suddenly came to their senses, faces drastically changing as they bowed in unison:

"Greetings to the Moonlight Immortal Ancestor!"

Xing Chuge remained speechless in a daze, his face pale, losing his earlier exuberance, staring at the Mountain and River Sword beneath the foot of the Moonlight Immortal Ancestor, bowing his head without a word.

As the Mountain and River Sword was stepped upon, it was as though something shattered within his heart, almost completely collapsing.

The Moonlight Immortal Ancestor, Chief of the Punishment Department, the strongest combatant in the Immortal Alliance apart from the Immortal Ancestor, was someone he had only heard rumors about.

In his eyes, the nearly omnipotent Mountain and River Sword, at this moment, under the foot of the woman before him, could only struggle feebly as if in its death throes.

The Moonlight Immortal Ancestor looked down at the ever-struggling Mountain and River Sword, a hint of impatience flashing in her eyes. Under Xing Chuge's gaze, she slowly moved her foot and gently pressed the sword's spine.

Crack—

The blood light entwining the Emperor Sword extinguished abruptly, accompanied by a soft sound, splitting into two halves, with the Immortal Veins on the sword's body dimming to complete darkness, like molten gold.

Chu Zheng glanced at it, slightly startled; the Moonlight Immortal Ancestor had held nothing back, directly severing the Immortal Veins, extinguishing all life in the Mountain and River Sword.

The seventy-two fragments of Emperor's Blood Essence contained within the sword had nearly half burned away in that fleeting moment.

"The competition continues."

Moonlight Immortal Ancestor said lightly and left the Dao Inquiry Platform.

Gazing at the broken sword on the ground, Cheng Yunze was secretly startled; after composing himself, he turned to Xing Chuge: "Do you still wish to continue?"

Xing Chuge stared at the broken sword on the ground, blood veining his eyes, but he didn't answer. He raised his hand and pulled a pitch-black long sword from the void.

A murderous intent surged skywards, the blade yet unmoving, the surrounding void had already filled with pitch-black cracks.

Taking a deep breath, his gaze fixed deadly on Chu Zheng, his killing intent intense, he spun upwards, the blade sweeping across, the bloody glow traversing the sky, aiming straight for Chu Zheng's throat.

Chu Zheng glanced at the pitch-black long sword in Xing Chuge's hand, disappointment flashing in his eyes, then his expression remained calm as he raised a hand to unleash a ray of Immortal Light.

The crystal Immortal Glow, though released later, arrived first, like the first ray of dawn piercing the long night, tearing through the ominous blood mist in the void, striking directly at Xing Chuge's chest.

Faced with the piercing Immortal Light, Xing Chuge's pupils contracted, raising his sword to change tactics and block horizontally.

Clang!

A piercing noise like metal rending stone erupted, many True Immortals around saw only a blurred figure being thrown out, and the next moment, they had already witnessed Xing Chuge being hurled off the Dao Inquiry Platform.

Xing Chuge trampled through dozens of green jade floor tiles before stabilizing himself, his Immortal Robe was torn, tattered and ragged, the pitch-black long sword in his hand humming incessantly, his organs quivering.

He tried to forcefully suppress the relentless blood rising in his throat, but ultimately couldn't hold back; his body softened, and he knelt on one knee, coughing up a mouthful of fresh blood.

He felt somewhat numb as he stood up, looking around at the True Immortals, his mind still somewhat unable to process everything.

Just one strike, and he was defeated?

Cheng Yunze furrowed his brows slightly and said loudly, "Xing Chuge, if you're dissatisfied, you can step up to the platform and fight again."

The Dao Inquiry Grand Competition does not have a rule where one automatically loses if they don't step up. As long as you wish to continue, you can challenge again.

Xing Chuge looked at Chu Zheng on the Dao Inquiry Platform, his gaze dim, his expression wooden as he turned around and spoke in a voice so low it was almost inaudible:

"I... concede."

Having reached this level of cultivation, an exchange reveals the depth; he had already sensed the gap between himself and Chu Zheng.

Earlier, Chu Zheng must have held back; otherwise, the injuries on his body would have been far worse than they were now.

Going up onto the Dao Inquiry Platform again would just be asking for humiliation.

Moreover... at this moment, he no longer had the spirit to fight again.

"Hold on."

Chu Zheng called to Xing Chuge, who was about to leave the platform, and raised the broken Mountain and River Sword in his hand:

"Do you still want this?"

"What use do I have for a broken sword?"

Xing Chuge's voice was slightly hoarse as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and walked away without looking back.

After asking out of courtesy, Chu Zheng casually tucked the Mountain and River Sword into his sleeve, thus effortlessly gaining an Emperor Weapon, which left him with a somewhat subtle feeling.

Watching Xing Chuge's slightly hunched figure leaving, the surrounding True Immortals couldn't help but sigh.

An Immortal Path Cultivator on the verge of rising was almost crippled just like that.

The Moonlight Immortal Ancestor's step not only broke that Emperor Sword but also Xing Chuge's spine. Coupled with his defeat at the hands of Chu Zheng, such a series of heavy blows could very possibly leave him never recovering.

If it weren't for the Moonlight Immortal Ancestor's interference, Xing Chuge might not have ended up in this situation, but ultimately, it came down to his arrogance; challenging the rules of the Immortal Alliance brought misfortune upon himself.

Cheng Yunze glanced at the platform, confirming no second Xing Chuge jumped out, then solemnly announced the result:

"This Dao Inquiry Grand Competition, the victor of the Martial Path, Chu Zheng."

Once-in-a-millennium Dao Inquiry Grand Competition, just this match was held, and it ended hastily, taking no more than an hour.

The many True Immortals observing did not disperse but still gathered around, for the victor still had a reward yet to be granted.

Entering the treasure vault of the Heavenly Fate Immortal Tablet to choose any one item was an opportunity many cultivators found hard to come by.

Moreover, what one could ultimately take out depended entirely on luck.

On the Dao Inquiry Platform, a Light Gate gradually unfolded, with an immense surge of Immortal Qi reflecting a magnificent Great Realm.

The Moonlight Immortal Ancestor stepped onto the Dao Inquiry Platform again and was the first to step into the Light Gate:

"Follow me."

Chu Zheng closely followed.

After stepping through the Light Gate, the concentration of Immortal Qi surged dramatically, manifesting as visible Immortal Dew.

With each breath, Chu Zheng could feel his cultivation growing. If he could enter seclusion here, it wouldn't take long for him to become an Immortal King through his own cultivation and thereby touch upon the Space-time Domain.

He took a deep breath to calm his inner turmoil, looked at the Moonlight Immortal Ancestor ahead, and spoke softly:

"Immortal Ancestor, forgive this junior for presuming, but was that intentional?"

The Moonlight Immortal Ancestor couldn't be so petty as to crush the Mountain and River Sword over a slight disagreement.

"His path of cultivation was too smooth, just like the former Mountain and River Sword Master, rising all the way without defeat, eventually attempting to kill the Ancestor with the Emperor's might."

The Moonlight Immortal Ancestor halted, did not turn around, and spoke in an even tone: "In his lifetime, he was defeated only that once, but that once cost him his life. It seems even the Mountain and River Sword hasn't learned any lesson from it."

Chu Zheng shook his head slightly: "From this battle, finding his way out on his own would be tremendously difficult."

"If he can't find his way out, he'll naturally be discarded."

The Moonlight Immortal Ancestor wasn't concerned, speaking calmly: "The Immortal Domain is vast, and there will be a second, or even a hundredth Xing Chuge walking the path of predecessors, he's not the only one."

At this point, she turned to look at Chu Zheng, her words suddenly shifting, with a slight expectancy hidden in her Dan Feng eyes:

"Can you now sense the Heavenly Fate? Can you assimilate it?"