Immortality begins with the Swordsman.

Chapter 48 Heroes Rise and Fall Among Us

The north wind was like a knife, howling across Jade Maiden Peak and stirring up a sky full of snow.

On Jade Maiden Peak.

There is a natural stone platform, with a wide and flat terrain. The snow has been cleared away, and nine chairs have been placed on both sides.

Five on the left, four on the right!

On the left is the Qi Sect. Seated in order on five chairs are Daoist Zixiao, Lin Qingxuan, Chu Qingkuang, Su Qingxue, and Li Qingping. Behind them are more than twenty managers of the Qi Sect, as well as more than two hundred young disciples including Yue Buqun, Chu Buxiu, and Lin Buzhi.

On the right is the Sword Sect.

Cai Qingyan, Ouyang Qingzhao, and Ye Qingge were already seated, leaving one chair empty. Behind them were more than twenty Sword Sect stewards and over four hundred disciples led by Cai Lingshuang.

On the empty stone platform.

The two sects of sword qi stood on either side, clearly distinct.

Ning Zhongze, who was thirteen years old, was still small in stature and was arranged to stand next to Daoist Zixiao. Her eyes were clear and bright, and although she was still childish, her face was solemn.

This was the first time she had seen all the disciples of Mount Hua gathered together, a truly impressive sight. She was incredibly excited about the upcoming sword competition. Yet, her clear eyes betrayed her eagerness, and she frequently glanced towards the mountain path.

"Where did my second senior brother go? Why isn't he here yet?" she couldn't help but mutter to herself.

Master Zixiao's face darkened, and he snorted coldly, "That wicked disciple seems to be itching for a beating again."

At this moment, a disciple stood up, raised a conch shell, and the sound of a horn rose with the wind, echoing and reverberating across the mountain peak, announcing that the time had come.

Lin Qingxuan, the oldest person in the room, immediately stood up, his expression solemn, and slowly walked into the room.

He was about to speak.

A clear, languid voice drifted down from the mountain path, its tone low, yet it reached the ears of everyone present with perfect clarity—

"Heroes rise and fall with the times..."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, feeling that these seven short words contained an indescribable heroic spirit that stirred their blood.

"Once you enter the world of martial arts, time flies..."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a figure in green walking through the snow. His movements were light and graceful, like the wind. As he walked, his clothes fluttered, making him seem like a fairy. He was like a fleeting shadow in the swirling snow, elegant and unrestrained.

"Imperial ambitions and hegemony are discussed in jest..."

Gu Changfeng landed steadily in the arena, facing over six hundred gazes with a calm expression and a clear, firm tone as he slowly uttered his last sentence.

"Life is but a fleeting dream..."

At this point in the poem, even though everyone present was a martial artist, they could still hear the unrestrained and carefree spirit in the poem, and couldn't help but feel a sense of resonance.

Suddenly overcome by the effects of the alcohol, I felt an urge to drink a hearty cup right then and there, to feel completely satisfied.

"What a fine poem!" A glint flashed in Yue Buqun's eyes. As a scholar, he understood the brilliance of the poem better than anyone else.

"I've never heard of this poem."

"Did Junior Brother Gu write this poem himself?"

"Impressive! I never knew Junior Brother Gu had such talent!"

Ning Zhongze stared wide-eyed at the figure in the arena, her heart pounding wildly. At this moment, she seemed to see her second senior brother in a new light, and a complex mix of emotions welled up within her.

A hint of surprise flashed across Cai Ling Shuang's usually indifferent face. Her alluring eyes locked onto Gu Chang Feng, her expression meaningful.

Gu Changfeng stood firmly in the center of the field, motionless. After a long while, he slowly spoke—

"Sorry! I overslept!"

As soon as this word comes out,

Everyone was stunned. The emotions they had just painstakingly built up instantly collapsed and vanished.

Lin Qingxuan gently shook his head, waved his hand at him, and said, "The poem is good! Come over here, don't delay our business."

Gu Changfeng chuckled, glanced around, and saw an empty seat next to Ye Qingge. Without hesitation, he swaggered over and sat down.

"Uncle Ye, I've noticed you've changed since I last saw you."

Ye Qingge raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? What's changed?"

Gu Changfeng said earnestly, "You've become more beautiful."

Ye Qingge was taken aback, then chuckled, "You're becoming more and more likable, child."

Gu Changfeng wanted to say something more, but he found that everyone's eyes were fixed on him.

Silence reigned all around; the air seemed to freeze, and the scene fell into an eerie stillness.

Even Lin Qingxuan in the arena stared intently at him, his mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to say something.

Gu Changfeng felt rather embarrassed by the stares and said awkwardly, "Uncle Lin, please begin, don't mind me..."

Cai Ling Shuang finally couldn't stand it anymore, ran over and kicked him, glaring at him and saying, "Get over there right now, this is Uncle Feng's seat."

Gu Changfeng feigned shock: "Huh? Wasn't this seat reserved for me?"

Cai Ling Shuang rolled her eyes at him and sneered, "Are you worthy?"

"Hey! What's wrong with me? I'm the Holy Son of the Qi Sect..."

Gu Changfeng was about to make a few excuses when he heard the voice of the Purple Cloud Taoist from the other side.

"Changfeng, come here!"

"Hmph, a good man doesn't argue with a woman."

Gu Changfeng pursed his lips at Cai Ling Shuang before getting up and walking over to Ning Zhong Ze's side.

Ning Zhongze tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Second Senior Brother, where did you go?"

Gu Changfeng lowered his head and smiled, a slight upturn at the corners of his lips, his tone leisurely yet meaningful: "Go and prepare for something important."

He brought four women, "Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum," early in the morning to investigate the wind direction—after all, the "Sad Breeze" was a sleeping potion, and only by relying on the power of the mountain wind could it exert its greatest effect.

After determining the wind direction, he arranged for the four women to lie in ambush at the wind's edge, awaiting his orders.

If the situation in today's sword duel gets out of control, let the four women unleash "Sad Breeze" to settle the score in one fell swoop.

At this moment, Lin Qingxuan, who was in the arena, spread his wide sleeves, his clothes fluttering, and spoke in a deep voice.

"Our Huashan sect has existed for over two hundred years since the founding of the sect by the Ancient True Lord. Before that, there was no distinction between sword and qi. It wasn't until more than forty years ago that my two senior uncles, Yue Su and Cai Zifeng, had a disagreement about Huashan martial arts. One advocated 'qi as the main focus,' while the other advocated 'sword as the main focus,' which led to the emergence of the sword and qi sects."

He slowly recounted the origins of the two sects of sword qi.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of many young disciples changed, clearly indicating that most of them were unaware of this past event.

"For more than forty years, the two sects went their own way, argued endlessly, and regarded each other as enemies. They were like sworn enemies between their own sects, which was a laughing stock in the martial arts world."

Lin Qingxuan surveyed the surroundings, his gaze sharp and piercing.

"Now, the two sect leaders, Yue and Cai, have learned their lesson and decided to end the internal strife, carry forward the glory of Mount Hua, and unite the two sects into one, re-establishing the position of sect leader. However, 'there is no first in literature, but there is no second in martial arts.' Whether to focus on the sword or on qi, only one can be chosen now."

He paused, his tone growing increasingly solemn: "Today, our Huashan Sect is holding a sword competition at Jade Maiden Peak to determine the leader. Regardless of the outcome, anyone who instigates further conflict will be considered a traitor and expelled from Huashan!"

"Do any of you have any objections?"

Lin Qingxuan had just finished speaking.

Gu Changfeng immediately said, "I have an objection!"

Master Zixiao frowned, staring intently at him, as if to say, "Don't cause trouble."

Gu Changfeng smiled, raised an eyebrow, and gave him a look that said, "Don't worry about me," before walking straight into the center of the arena...