Chapter 1024: A Small Collapse

At this moment, at a higher elevation of Dao Discussion Mountain.

A solitary peak and a towering pavilion stood, piercing the clouds like twin swords pointing at the heavens, facing each other from afar before the grand Dao Discussion Mountain.

This peak was called Suspended Heaven Peak. (Xuantian Peak)

This pavilion was named Sword Viewing Pavilion.

Suspended Heaven Peak was the highest peak of Dao Discussion Mountain, carrying the imposing aura of "reaching the ultimate summit." It served as the battleground for the final decisive match of the "Heaven"-level Sword Discussion Tournament.

After the intense battles of the "Earth"-ranked Sword Discussion, the victors among the elite young cultivators of Qianxue would gather atop Suspended Heaven Peak to challenge the true prodigies in the final competition.

They fought for the supreme honor of their sects.

They fought to forge a glorious Dao path for themselves.

Across from Suspended Heaven Peak stood a towering, sword-like structure—an ancient and opulent pavilion that soared into the clouds.

This was the Sword Viewing Pavilion.

It was the highest spectator stand for the Qianxue Sword Discussion.

The pavilion was veiled by a concealment formation, and its structure was inscribed with high-tier mist formations, blending it seamlessly into the surrounding clouds.

Ordinary people could not see the Sword Viewing Pavilion.

Even most cultivators were unaware of its existence atop Dao Discussion Mountain.

This towering pavilion was reserved exclusively for distinguished guests—those of truly esteemed status—to spectate the Qianxue Sword Discussion.

From this vantage point above the clouds, one could gaze down upon the vast Fangtian Battle Projection.

Below, countless cultivators looked like ants as they gathered for the event.

Only individuals of extraordinary power or prestige were allowed entry.

Among them were:

The Hole Void Elders and Feathered Sect Masters of major sects and noble families.

The Fifth-Rank Clan Leaders.

The Fifth-Rank Dao Court Directors.

The heads of some of the most powerful cultivation forces of the Nine Provinces.

Leaders of powerful Daoist factions across the Nine Provinces.

Core descendants of ancient aristocratic families from Dao Province.

Feathered Transformation Realm Dao Court Inspectors and Demon Suppression Division Chiefs.

High-ranking officials of the Seven Pavilion Power Structure—including Supervisory Officials and even Elder Lords, figures as elusive as divine dragons.

These were individuals that ordinary cultivators could never hope to encounter in their lifetime.

Within the Sword Viewing Pavilion, hierarchy was strictly enforced.

Even among the privileged, there were rankings—each person could only occupy a position befitting their status.

Moreover, every chamber in the pavilion was completely sealed, equipped with Five-Rank Void Teleportation Formations, ensuring that entry and exit remained anonymous.

To outsiders, the pavilion was invisible—its inhabitants unknown.

Even those inside the pavilion were isolated within their own chambers, oblivious to who else might be present.

Above their heads, there could be:

The heir of an ancient family.

The Grand Elder of a Six-Rank Clan.

A Supervisor of the Seven Pavilions, or even a high-ranking Elder Lord with immense authority.

Perhaps even a member of the Dao Court's imperial family had come to spectate…

Or perhaps, there was no one at all.

These figures, standing at the pinnacle of power in the Nine Provinces, did not necessarily attend the Sword Discussion Tournament.

Even if they did, they wouldn't waste time watching every single match.

After all, the "Heaven"-ranked battles—the true grand finals—had yet to begin.

At this moment, in the middle tier of the Sword Viewing Pavilion—

The Sect Masters of Tai'a Mountain, Chongxu Mountain, and Taixu Mountain had gathered together.

They sipped tea as they watched the competition unfold.

The Sword Discussion Tournament determined sect rankings, influenced the allocation of Qianlong Spirit Mines, and even affected sect reforms.

As Sect Masters, they had to pay attention.

Previously, they did not attend every match.

Most of the time, one might come today, two tomorrow, or sometimes none at all.

Sect Masters were busy people.

But as the tournament progressed, they found themselves increasingly uneasy.

Because currently, their sects ranked… fifth.

And fifth place was a very delicate position.

One step forward meant entering the Four Great Sects.

Maintaining the status quo still ensured being the first among the Eight Major Sects.

But just one small step backward, and both the Four Great Sects and the title of the strongest among the Eight Major Sects would be gone.

Moreover, the current state of the Sword Debate was dire—it was like rowing against the current. Any retreat would make climbing back up as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

In one's position, one must fulfill one's duty.

They were all sect leaders, and not just for a few years. They understood better than anyone the weight of their sect's ranking.

The leader of a Four Great Sect.

The leader of the strongest among the Eight Major Sects.

The leader of a regular sect within the Eight Major Sects.

The difference between these positions was simply too vast.

And yet, these three choices were all merely a step apart.

A step forward, and one would enter the Four Great Sects.

A step to hold firm, and one would remain the strongest of the Eight Major Sects.

A step back, and one would be just another sect within the Eight.

Each step was a world of difference.

Faced with this situation, this moment where supreme glory hung by a thread, even immortals would find it hard to remain calm.

The three sect leaders, being shrewd individuals, kept their expressions unreadable.

But in their hearts, they were tormented by the gains and losses of that single step, losing countless nights of sleep over it.

Yet now, there was nothing more they could do.

Everything depended on their young disciples, who had to fight for themselves.

Whatever the outcome, they had to accept it.

Even if they lost, they could not blame these disciples—

Because these children had already given their all, performing far better than expected.

Still, despite their words of acceptance, they desperately hoped that the Tai Xu Sect would win.

They said nothing aloud, nor did they dare to burden Mo Hua and the others with pressure.

But deep down, they wanted nothing more than for Mo Hua and his team to win.

No matter the means, as long as they won, it would be enough.

Winning would mean securing their current rank—or even, possibly, rising from fifth to fourth.

Every victory was as precious as gold.

But if they kept losing, they would lose everything.

The room was silent, the air filled with the light fragrance of tea.

The sect leaders of San Shan Sect sat calmly, sipping their tea.

Yet, the calmer they appeared on the surface, the more agonizing their emotions were beneath.

They were even more tense than the spectators outside.

After a while, the sect leader of Tai Ah Sect could no longer endure the silence.

He coughed and cautiously asked,

"We should be able to win this match… right?"

At his words, both the Chong Xu Sect Leader and the Tai Xu Sect Leader flinched.

The Chong Xu Sect Leader couldn't help but retort,

"Don't say that out loud! Fortune and misfortune are intertwined, victory and defeat can shift at any moment. Sometimes, when you say we'll win, we end up losing. When you say we'll lose, we might actually win!"

"The last Sword Debate was just like that—everyone thought we were going to lose, but we won instead."

"Now that you've said we'll win, don't let it turn into a loss…"

The Tai Ah Sect Leader felt uneasy after hearing this but still kept a straight face.

"That's just superstition."

The Chong Xu Sect Leader said, "Karmic fate is mysterious beyond understanding. You don't have to fully believe in it, but you can't ignore it either. Sometimes, it's better to believe a little."

The Tai Ah Sect Leader sighed. "Fine, forget I said anything."

The three of them went back to drinking tea.

But after a while, the Tai Ah Sect Leader still couldn't contain his anxiety.

He turned to the Tai Xu Sect Leader and asked, "What do you think? Can we win?"

The Tai Xu Sect Leader, who had barely calmed himself, found his unease stirred again.

He sighed. "It won't be easy…"

The Tai Ah Sect Leader frowned. "Are you saying that because of 'fate' and superstition, or because it's really hard to win?"

The Tai Xu Sect Leader sighed once more. "Our opponent is Qian Dao Sect. Do I really need to say more about their strength?"

The Tai Ah Sect Leader's brows furrowed.

The Tai Xu Sect Leader continued, "Qian Dao Sect's strongest disciple is Shen Linshu."

"Although no one openly admits it, Shen Linshu is actually superior to Xiao Wuchen, Ao Zhan, and Duanmu Qing."

"He is the strongest of the Four Tianjiao of Qian Dao Sect."

"Even though Shen Linshu isn't participating in this Sword Debate, they have Shen Cangfeng."

"Shen Cangfeng is the second strongest genius of the Shen family, right below Shen Linshu."

"Shen Linshu was born with Kirin Blood, naturally unmatched, so dazzling that he overshadowed all other talents."

"Because of Shen Linshu, Shen Cangfeng's name has remained obscure."

"But that's only in comparison to Shen Linshu. Compared to the rest of the cultivation world, Shen Cangfeng is undeniably a first-rate genius."

"Defeating him will not be easy."

The Tai Xu Sect Leader spoke slowly.

The Tai Ah Sect Leader nodded slightly.

The Tai Xu Sect Leader, being from a great noble family, had an astute eye for recognizing outstanding talents.

But hearing this only made the Tai Ah Sect Leader more anxious.

They had barely scraped out a victory in the last match.

Would this one be the start of another losing streak?

That would be heartbreaking.

The Tai Ah Sect Leader sighed.

The problem with the Sword Debate was this—

Watching others compete was thrilling, full of life-and-death struggles and unpredictable twists. But when it was your own sect on the line— Especially when losing match after match— It was pure torment. Like a soul withering away. And he was not alone in feeling this way.

But when it concerned their own interests—watching their sect's disciples compete in the Sword Debate, especially suffering consecutive defeats—it was truly agonizing, as if their hearts had turned to ashes.

And it wasn't just the Tai Ah Sect Leader who felt this way.

Even the seemingly indifferent Tai Xu Sect Leader, and the Chong Xu Sect Leader, who had resorted to studying "fate and mysticism," were deeply unsettled.

The San Shan Sect Leaders, who previously had their own calculations and schemes, now found themselves watching Mo Hua and the others battle, suddenly experiencing a rare sense of shared understanding and empathy.

The barriers between them seemed to lessen.

The atmosphere became noticeably more harmonious.

There was a genuine feeling of shared fate—

If one thrived, all would thrive.

If one suffered, all would suffer.

Even their anxiety was now collectively felt.

Yet at this moment, there was nothing they could do.

All they could do was sit together, drinking tea non-stop—trying to appear calm while keeping their eyes fixed, unblinking, on the Fang Tian Projection.

…

Meanwhile, within the Fang Tian Projection, Mo Hua had already mastered an advanced formation and reunited with Linghu Xiao and the others.

Meanwhile, the outer city of Qiandao Sect had already been breached.

In this Sword Debate Tournament, the outer city was inherently difficult to defend.

Moreover, with Linghu Xiao, a sword genius known for his razor-sharp sword aura, leading the attack, Qiandao Sect had only put up a token defense before retreating into the inner city.

The inner city gate was the real key.

It was the deciding factor in the siege battle.

Yet when Mo Hua arrived at the inner city gate, he found no one guarding it. Instead, the gate itself shimmered with the glow of five layered formations.

Among the Four Great Sects, Qiandao Sect was ranked first in formation techniques.

The formations on the city gate, while only mid-tier Grade 2, were all top-tier defensive formations.

With five layers stacked together, their defensive power was naturally immense.

At this moment, Qiandao Sect's five disciples were all stationed inside the inner city.

At the forefront stood a tall, brooding figure—Shen Cangfeng.

He gripped a heavy sword, silently gathering power. His vast spiritual energy surged, and an overwhelmingly sharp sword aura condensed along the blade.

Even without striking, the sheer pressure of his restrained sword aura rivaled—or even surpassed—that of Xiao Ruohan from Qiandao Sect.

Qiandao Sect's "Heaven-Cleaving Earth-Shattering Sword Art"

This was a top-tier heavy sword technique.

One of Qiandao Sect's oldest and most formidable sword arts, known for its immense power.

However, due to its dense, forceful style, it was somewhat niche, and few within Qiandao Sect practiced it.

But for Shen Cangfeng, this technique was a perfect fit.

It was thanks to this very "Heaven-Cleaving Earth-Shattering Sword Art" that Shen Cangfeng had become the strongest under Shen Linshu, not only in the Shen Clan but in all of Qiandao Sect.

Now, in this Sword Debate, he was assigned as the city's defender.

But he had no intention of just defending.

That would be too passive—and it wouldn't showcase his true strength.

He wanted to turn defense into offense, to slaughter the five Tai Xu Sect disciples.

If he killed all the attackers, the city would naturally remain secure.

And with that, Qiandao Sect would win.

Especially Mo Hua…

A flicker of killing intent flashed through Shen Cangfeng's eyes.

There was a deep-seated grudge between the Shen Clan and Mo Hua. If given the chance, he would cut Mo Hua down without hesitation.

Thus, for others, defending the city meant guarding the gate.

But for Shen Cangfeng, it meant killing.

He planned to reinforce the city gate, using it as bait to deplete Tai Xu Sect's strength.

There were two major threats from Tai Xu Sect:

Linghu Xiao's swordsmanship

Mo Hua's formations

The city gate was already sturdy, and with five mid-tier Grade 2 formations layered on top, breaking through would require either:

Linghu Xiao unleashing a powerful finishing move

Mo Hua exhausting all his formations

Or both at the same time

If Linghu Xiao used a finishing move, he wouldn't be able to recover quickly, rendering him harmless.

If Mo Hua used up his formations, he would be as good as useless.

Shen Cangfeng could then lie in wait, storing his killing strike, and once Tai Xu Sect broke through the gate, he would launch a devastating counterattack.

That way, the moment Tai Xu Sect breached the city gate would also be the moment of their total annihilation.

Shen Cangfeng's gaze turned icy cold.

—

Outside the city gate, Mo Hua studied the formations before him.

Sensing the killing intent lurking behind the gate, he let out a soft sigh, having already guessed Shen Cangfeng's plan.

Outside the city gate, Mo Hua looked at the formation in front of him. Sensing the killing intent behind the gate, he had a faint realization and roughly guessed Shen Cangfeng's intentions. He sighed softly.

He had already calculated that if they fought head-on, his small group wouldn't stand a chance against Shen Cangfeng.

Shen Linshu of Qian Dao Sect was certainly strong, but this Shen Cangfeng was no weaker.

That was the annoying thing about the four great sects of Qianxue Prefecture—geniuses were as common as locusts, and every single one of them was formidable.

Moreover, in the current situation, Shen Cangfeng's plan was quite solid.

To break through the city gate, they would need to expend a tremendous amount of effort.

Either Xiaoxiao would have to unleash her ultimate move, or Mo Hua would have to sacrifice his formations.

Either way, even if they broke the gate, they wouldn't be able to defend against Qian Dao Sect's sword aura attacks.

They could also choose to chip away at the gate slowly.

But the problem was that the Sword Discussion Assembly had a time limit—they had to capture the city quickly. If they delayed too long, once time ran out, they would be automatically declared the losers.

"This Shen Cangfeng… he's quite the schemer."

Mo Hua thought to himself.

Unfortunately for them, they still had no idea just how far his formation skills had progressed.

A second-grade formation with nineteen patterns was far from the true limit of second-grade formations.

Beyond nineteen patterns, there were still many profound formation principles to explore.

"Cover me."

Mo Hua said to Cheng Mo and the others. They all nodded.

Linghu Xiao immediately began unleashing sword aura attacks on the city gate, putting pressure on the Qian Dao Sect disciples. Ouyang Xuan assisted from the side.

Situ Jian kept a watchful eye on the surroundings, on guard against sneak attacks from Qian Dao Sect's disciples.

Cheng Mo stood next to Mo Hua, wielding his massive battle axe to protect him.

With his companions providing support, Mo Hua began setting up formations on the city walls. The first formation was an Earth-Stone Formation.

This formation wasn't meant to attack the city—it was meant to seal it, trapping all the Qian Dao Sect disciples inside and preventing them from escaping.

After that, Mo Hua set up three high-level second-grade killing formations, each with nineteen patterns.

One was a metal-based Golden Light Killing Formation, one was a wood-based Wood Burial Killing Formation, and one was a fire-based Earth Fire Killing Formation.

These three formations incorporated the cycle of the five elements, complementing each other to enhance their destructive power.

Moreover, these formations had a specific target. But that target wasn't the formations set up by the Qian Dao Sect disciples. It wasn't even the city gate itself.

Instead, it was the high-level second-grade formations inscribed inside the city walls by the elders of Dao Discussion Mountain before the siege battle began.

In a siege battle, the main target is the city gate. That's because the city gate is the weakest point.

On either side of the gate, there stretched long, incredibly sturdy city walls.

The walls served as boundaries and were never meant to be attacked by disciples in the first place. This was an unspoken rule.

These walls were wide and thick, personally reinforced by Dao Discussion Mountain's elders with high-level second-grade formations to protect the city.

The reason they used second-grade formations was simple—most battles between Foundation Establishment disciples wouldn't involve third-grade Golden Core-level power.

And under normal circumstances, high-level second-grade formations were more than enough.

No rational disciple would ignore the weak city gate and instead go make trouble for themselves by attacking the thick, sturdy city walls. But that was in the past. Unfortunately, this time, the walls were up against Mo Hua.

During a previous sword discussion, while crouching behind a wall and setting up formations, Mo Hua had accidentally noticed that the elders had inscribed a lot of high-level formations inside these walls. This made his hands itch with excitement. It had been a long, long time since he last collapsed a formation.

The last time he did it was back in Tongxian City when he destroyed a grand formation and slew the great demon Feng Xi. Of course, Mo Hua didn't dare to attempt large-scale collapse here.

First, because he hadn't fully mastered the true second-grade Reverse Spirit Formation yet.

Second, this was the Sword Discussion Assembly—so many people were watching. He didn't want to cause too big of a commotion and get himself noticed. Mo Hua's plan was simple.

He would trigger explosions from the three high-level killing formations, using the shockwaves of the Five Elements to destabilize the high-level formations inside the walls, making their spiritual energy structures unstable.

And within these killing formations, he had hidden a single Reverse Spirit Rune. This rune wasn't complete.

But it served as a fuse, a tiny spark that could ignite the unstable spiritual energy, triggering a chain reaction of reversals—leading to massive formation imbalances and an explosive detonation within the walls.

The three killing formations alone wouldn't be enough to destroy the walls. Mo Hua didn't expect them to.

These three formations were merely a distraction—a way to create a gap and deliver the Reverse Spirit Rune's spark into a powder keg, setting off a large-scale formation explosion.

This entire chain reaction had been meticulously calculated by Mo Hua.

Once the explosion erupted, flames would spread in all directions, naturally erasing all traces of his meddling.

No one would even notice the tiny adjustments he had made.

As for its destructive power… Since it wasn't a true collapse, but rather using collapse as a trigger to set off the formations' own explosions…

The power would still be that of high-level formations themselves.

The exact strength of the explosion depended on how many high-level formations inside the wall the Reverse Spirit Rune could destabilize.

Calculations were one thing—real-life results were another.

It was difficult to predict the exact outcome.

But Mo Hua figured… it probably wouldn't be weak.

Besides, this was the only way to win.

If they faced the Qian Dao Sect disciples in a direct siege, they would almost certainly lose.

Soon, Mo Hua had set up all the formations and then said:

"Everyone, back away."

Once Linghu Xiao and the others had retreated to a safe distance, Mo Hua lit the fuse.

Inside the city walls, the Qian Dao Sect disciples sensed something off.

Some of them tried to step out and check—only to find that Mo Hua had already sealed the city gate with formations.

They were completely trapped.

Shen Cangfeng and several other Qian Dao Sect disciples exchanged glances, their expressions darkening.

At this moment, they still had no idea what was about to happen.

Not just them—the watching cultivators didn't know either.

After all, Mo Hua's formation setup was a slow, meticulous process.

And the two sides had yet to engage in a full battle.

Most spectators were still watching idly, relaxed.

Inside the Viewing Pavilion, the Three Mountains Sect Master was quietly sipping tea.

And then— Like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky— A sudden, deafening BOOM erupted.

Everyone felt a sharp pain in their eardrums.

A blinding flash of light burst before their eyes.

And then, above the Projection Screen—

A sea of fire instantly engulfed the scene.

Explosive flames, dense like a fireworks display, surged forth all at once—

Covering the entire projection in a blinding ocean of light— Almost searing their eyes shut.

A blinding flash of light burst before their eyes.

Then, on the distant projection screen, flames erupted in an instant.

The explosion's fire bloomed like fireworks, densely packed, engulfing the entire screen in the blink of an eye—

Like a vast ocean of light, nearly searing their eyes shut.

(End of this Chapter)