Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 191 - 161: The New Idol Li Fengyun

December 24, 2017

In the afternoon, the square in front of the Aozora Martial Arts Arena was already packed tight.

The ticketed audience ready to enter, the crowd that couldn't get tickets and could only wait for the free water screen projection, the scalpers moving through the gaps in the crowd selling scalped tickets, the Law Enforcement Team members with talisman badges and Elemental Magnetic Rods actively catching scalpers, and the vendors pushing snack carts selling food at ten times the price... All these people together turned the originally spacious area into a can filled to the brim.

A can full of enthusiasm and complaints.

"Oh my god, when is the opening ceremony going to start... I feel like I've been waiting for half a year already!"

"Can we just get inside first? We're about to be squashed here! We have first-class tickets; can't we enter first?"

"Damn, can money really do anything? Are our lower-class tickets just paper!?"

"This is ridiculous. I remember eight years ago the contractor for this square said they were going to use Immortal Techniques to expand this area into a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land, so it could accommodate more people during major events. They even applied for funding from the organizing committee... Did that money go to the dogs!?"

"Apparently, they said that the space-expanding Immortal Technique would distort the surrounding Spirit Veins and Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, causing harmful radiation and leading to various incurable diseases, which led to protests from nearby residents with banners, and it just got shelved."

"What a bunch of idiots!"

On the ground, it was such a scene, and in the sky, a few entrances reserved for cultivators were also crammed full by cultivators from all over, including some ancient cultivators known for their aloof personalities and habit of living secluded lives in deep mountains and forests, who now had no choice but to relish the intoxicating taste of brushing against strangers to watch the Cyan Cloud Grand Competition.

Such a large crowd, especially with so many cultivators of considerable strength and cultivation squeezed together in such limited space, naturally caused QingCyan Cloud yun City to exert its utmost efforts to maintain order. Around the square, more than twenty Great Cultivators of Mountain-Overturning Realm or above, relying on the Star Array outside the Cyan Cloud Martial Arts Arena, were holding down the fort to ensure no safety issues arose.

Meanwhile, depending on the intensity of the arena's atmosphere, they discreetly released True Essence, subtly applying Light Hypnosis with the power of the stars to make the crowd inexplicably feel joy, offsetting the discomfort of the environment.

As for the few with weak wills who were influenced by the power of the stars and found strange pleasure and got lost in the physical contacts with strangers in line with the "bridge effect"... well, that was just a minor footnote in the grand tide of history.

As time ticked away, finally, just when the Star Array was about to lose control of the crowd, a loud bell resounded from the front gate of the Aozora Martial Arts Arena. Two pale cyan gates slowly opened, and simultaneously, dozens of entrances both on the ground and in the sky were opened.

The martial arts arena finally opened for entry.

——

About half an hour later, most of the crowd that was packed in the square had dispersed, leaving only those who hadn't bought tickets and could only watch through the free water screen projection.

Through the enormous water screen, dozens of feet in length and width above the main gate of the martial arts arena, the scenes inside the arena were projected in real-time.

The opening ceremony venue was the main arena number one in the Aozora Martial Arts Arena, a perfectly circular arena with a diameter of several hundred feet, surrounded by tens of thousands of spectator seats, all seen to be packed to the brim through the screen.

A massive countdown hovered over the venue, and as the screen outside lit up, the countdown was already at 10.

A few seconds later, the countdown ended, and the opening ceremony officially began.

A Cyan Sword, like a meteor, fell from the sky, cutting through the final zero, deeply embedding itself into the ground.

The focus of the screen then shifted to the ground, where barren and dry land saw a Cyan Sword driven down to the hilt still vibrating gently, absorbing the residual force from the sky. Moments later, as it trembled, the Cyan Sword melted into a watery green essence, seeping into the surrounding dry soil, rejuvenating the earth.

Vegetation, rivers, formed successively, followed by various creatures, birds and beasts appearing on the site one after another, until finally, humans began to gather here to build their homes.

At first, they were thatched cottages and cave houses, a simple and meager wooden fence encircling a humble domain. As time flew by, the circle began to expand rapidly, the buildings within it became more refined and grand, their numbers growing. The wooden fence turned into thick walls of bricks and stones, and finally transformed into an invisible Immortal Technique Array. During this period, there were various natural and man-made disasters, at their worst almost completely destroying the city, forcing everything to restart. But no matter how great the suffering they endured, the people of this city never gave up hope; a trace of cyan forever stood firm on the land.

This is the history of QingCyan Cloud yun City from nothing to something. Every Cyan Cloud Grand Competition features this segment to remind future generations how hard-won QingCyan Cloud yun City is today.

After the establishment of QingCyan Cloud yun City, it showcases the illustrious history of its people. The initial pioneering team, the heroes and martyrs who have repeatedly saved the city in its two thousand years of history, with countless ancestors' scenes flashing by like a revolving lantern.

Finally, the segment of the Cyan Cloud Grand Competition arrived. The images of past champions flashed right after the heroic figures of QingCyan Cloud yun City.

The earlier ones were just fleeting glimpses, but as time went by, the images became clearer. The champions of the recent five competitions were displayed with beautifully crafted visuals, showcasing the essence of their lifetime skills and the brilliant moments of their victories, accompanied by detailed introductions in various languages outside the frame.

The 1957 champion of the Cyan Cloud Grand Competition was Li Daogong, a Li Family prodigy who died young. In the finals, he defeated his opponent from the Lu Family in an overwhelming manner with his exquisite Dragon Fang Swordsmanship. At the age of 19, Li Daogong had a unique understanding of dragons, and his self-created Dragon Fang Swordsmanship has yet to find a qualified successor to this day.

Regrettably, shortly after winning the championship, Li Daogong died due to a careless expedition in the chaotic lands at the border, marking the beginning of the decline that the Li Family experienced over the following decades—during which Li Fengyun's rise once gave the Li Family hope for revitalization, yet just like Li Daogong, his progress was halted due to an unfortunate event...

Amidst people's discussions, the image arrived at the 1977 champion He Yiruo, the Young Master of He Quan Sword Manor in QingCyan Cloud yun City—and now the Manor Master. This person is extraordinarily talented but was limited by his family background and lack of opportunities. Despite his abundant talents in his youth, he ultimately failed to reach the peak of the continent. Of course, He Yiruo deserves the champion title and the gift originally from the Saint Sect Envoy for developing the Sword Manor, a near-grassroots organization, into one of the top ten sects within QingCyan Cloud yun City over decades.

Then there were the 1987 champion Lu Huang and the 1997 champion Lu Yin—a pair of brothers 11 years apart in age who, despite being of humble origins in the Lu Family Mansion, possessed extraordinary talent and perseverance. Thanks to Lu Yin and Lu Huang, the Lu Family was once on the verge of achieving an unprecedented three consecutive victories. That was when the Lu Family was at its most prestigious, with influence almost rivaling the Li Family. During the time Li Fengyun was in high spirits, his fame sweeping across the Xiangzhou Continent, these two champions greatly protected the Lu Family's reputation. However, by the Xiangzhou calendar of 2007, the genius cultivator whom the Lu Family had high hopes for was defeated by Li Tingshu, an independent cultivator, and even after offering a fortune, the Lu Family failed to recruit Li Tingshu, shattering the dream of a three-peat.

Eventually, the time arrived at 2017, and after Li Tingshu's portrait faded away, a vague and indistinct phantom emerged, symbolizing the still-undetermined champion of this year's competition.

Under the grand phantom, the slightly clearer outlines of several popular contestants emerged, including Li Wanqing, Qian Ye, and Lu Fangchen.

With the changing scenes, the chatting of tens of thousands of spectators continuously echoed within the venue, with fan groups yelling out their support for their chosen contenders, and the flickering glow candles gradually heated the atmosphere.

Just as the young girls desperately shouted for Wang Jiu and Li Wanqing, a somewhat solitary figure appeared right in the center of the venue.

The next moment, the spotlight focused on that person, making the humble white robe shine like silver, his scattered beard and hair fluttering in the breeze, displaying a touch of ruggedness.

Simultaneously, the image of that person was magnified and projected above the venue, allowing everyone inside to see clearly. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

That was the Li Family's patriarch from QingCyan Cloud yun City, Li Fengyun, who is also the chairman of this Cyan Cloud Grand Competition Organizing Committee.

"Wow, it's Li Fengyun! I can't believe he's actually still alive!"

"Yeah, I thought he was long dead. I heard that after losing his beloved over a decade ago, he was heartbroken as if dead and rarely appeared in public. There had always been rumors that Li Fengyun had actually been dead and was replaced by a stand-in hired by the Li Family to maintain their facade. In fact, his brothers and wife had already divided the power of the Li Family."

"Ah, I heard that too. It's said that the one managing the Li Family Mansion now isn't Li Fengyun but his wife, Lu Xin... If Li Fengyun were truly alive, he wouldn't give up so much power, would he?"

"Hey hey, you see, he looks rather handsome, doesn't he? Though he seems a bit old, a mature uncle isn't bad either."

"...Can you care about something more useful?!"

In the midst of countless audience discussions, Li Fengyun scratched his head and cleared his throat.

Instantly, his voice spread throughout the venue and even the entire city through the talisman.

"Well, good evening, everyone, and welcome to the 74th Cyan Cloud Grand Competition in 2017. I am this competition's organizing committee chairman, Li Fengyun. As per procedural requirements, I am to give the opening speech. However, I have a bad habit of being easily distracted, and if I suddenly zone out mid-speech, it would be disrespectful to everyone, and it would affect my personal image. Xin'er also said if I dare to zone out on occasions like this, she won't give me anything to eat for a month... I certainly don't want to starve for a month, but this speech has been polished multiple times and is absurdly long. After much thought, I am truly unsure I can read all of it without zoning out, so I might as well display the speech for everyone to read themselves."

Having said that, Li Fengyun spread out a thick stack of script papers and displayed it atop the arena using projection magic. Afterward, he completely ignored the uproar inside and outside the venue, lowered his head, and drifted off into a daydream. Moments later, he even madly turned and left, leaving tens of thousands in the audience behind.

On the chairman stand, a petite and elegantly dressed woman fainted without saying a word.

But at the same time, the thunderous applause gradually rose from the audience inside the venue.

"Well done, Li Family Patriarch!"

"That's what a cultivator should be like! How can those bureaucrats who speak for hours call themselves cultivators!?"

"Those who waste people's time not speaking plainly should just die!"

"Li Fengyun, I'd have a baby for you!"