Chapter 766

Chapter 766: Crimson Tower at Mirror Lake

On the eastern continent, in Luo Capital.

The highly anticipated ‘Crimson Tower Sword Duel’ had begun.

Tens of thousands of people gathered around Mirror Lake to watch this grand event, turning the area into a sea of people, with figures moving or standing everywhere.

Mirror Lake was located to the east of Luo Capital, surrounded by two hills, one large and one small. On the north side of the lake, there stood a tower with an ancient and graceful design.

Though still called the ‘Crimson Tower Sword Duel’, due to the significant increase in participants compared to ancient times, it was no longer suitable to conduct the duel inside the tower. Instead, the tower now served more as a symbol, and the champions and top hundred participants would be awarded their medals here.

Where was the actual competition taking place? Naturally, it was within the lake itself.

This lake was a medium-sized entrance to a Peach Blossom Spring world, and once inside, it became a dedicated battlefield for the contestants. This arrangement allowed the participants to perform at their best without risking harm to innocent bystanders. The surface of the lake reflected scenes from various competitions, providing a view for the spectators on both hillsides.

As noon approached, after all preparations were complete, the imperial official announced that the Crimson Tower Sword Duel officially began. The disciples of various sects who had been waiting by the lake jumped into the water one after another, entering the Peach Blossom Spring world inside.

Lolan Hill was watching from the western spectator stands and did not participate. Currently, the viewing areas were divided into two hillsides, one west and one south of the lake. The western side was smaller but more comfortable, equipped with pavilions and terraces, and offering refreshments like pastries and tea. It was mainly occupied by nobles, officials, or disciples from major sects.

The southern side was open to the public, allowing anyone to sit and watch after purchasing a ticket, though it was much more crowded and chaotic. Only the top seats were well-decorated and sold to those willing to pay extra.

“Good~”

“Will the Qinglian Xijian Palace win this time? I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Today is just the preliminary round; the main events will probably start the day after tomorrow.”

On the slopes of Mirror Lake, everyone was enthusiastically discussing which sect’s performance and geniuses they admired, sharing recent news and observations.

“Lolan sister, try this.”

In a room on the terrace of a pavilion, Ye Ling happily carried a food box and walked in quickly, while inside the room, only she and another silver-haired girl were present. The latter was sitting on a long chair, gazing out at the reflection of the lake.

A beautifully carved wooden box adorned with phoenixes, branches, and moons was pushed in front of Lolan Hill, and then Ye Ling opened the lid, revealing a small goldfish pastry inside. Four red goldfish pastries, with tails connected, were placed around the edges, while two yellow and white pastries were arranged inside.

“This is something I specially asked my brother to buy from the Colorful Food Shop; it’s especially delicious,” Ye Ling enthusiastically recommended her favorite flavor to Lolan Hill.

“I prefer sweet pastries, but other flavors are good too~”

“Lolan sister, which one do you want? The red goldfish pastries are made with finely sliced sea fish meat, while the yellow ones are made from special melon slices.”

“Then I’ll have this light yellow one.” Lolan Hill picked up one of the ‘lifelike’ goldfish pastries and took a small bite.

“How is it?” Ye Ling asked expectantly.

“It’s very delicious~” Lolan Hill genuinely praised.

“Hehe.”

Ye Ling smiled proudly, then sat back down on the cushioned long chair next to Lolan Hill.

“If only Lolan sister could participate in the sword duel, I would get to see Lolan sister pluck the sword tassel from the top of the Crimson Tower,” she said, her slender legs swinging under the table, showing her good mood.

“There’s no such thing as easy success; there are still many geniuses in this world,” the silver-haired girl shook her head and looked toward the lake.

“There are even some whom I admire greatly.”

In the Mirror Lake world,

A giant tiger with a hump roared fiercely, its mouth revealing two meter-long fangs, causing fear in those who saw it.

Original Sequence 7 · Scarlet Fur Saber-tooth Tiger (Evaluation: Excellent Coral Rank)

Facing the saber-tooth tiger that chose its prey, below it was a burly man carrying a massive sword. Although he was two or three meters tall and quite imposing, he seemed small compared to the giant saber-tooth tiger, barely reaching its paw height.

When the duel started, the saber-tooth tiger pounced fiercely, slashing a small mountain into three pieces with a single claw.

The burly man suddenly dodged, and then a soaring blade of light descended, cutting the transformed tiger in half.

Gag

The giant tiger suddenly transformed into a human, spitting out blood, his face extremely pale, and his body swaying unsteadily.

“Jiuhuang Mountain, Huai Chang wins.”

A white-feathered bird with one leg announced from the sky, and then the two separated, bowing briefly.

Elsewhere, in a high and continuous bamboo forest,

The flying swords formed by green bamboo rained down from the sky, weaving through the bamboo forest, chasing after the fleeing opponent.

“Hey hey, this is incredible, is this a duel or a killing spree?” A man wearing a raincoat shouted loudly while swiftly moving through the bamboo grove.

No one wanted today’s duel to be so coincidental, especially when he encountered his own junior sister after winning two matches.

Although his junior sister was usually a bit scatterbrained, her skill in controlling flying swords with green bamboo had reached a masterful level, mastering ninety percent of her master’s techniques.

As they neared the end of the bamboo grove and found no more hiding places, the man in the raincoat had no choice but to come up with another plan.

While running, he discreetly opened a small pouch at his waist, scattering green seeds throughout the bamboo grove.

When he was about to break out of the bamboo grove, he believed the timing was right. Then, he let out a sudden roar, continuing to shout and whistle as he ran.

His voice was like a wail of ghosts and wolves, mournful and pitiful, causing fear and sorrow in those who heard it. Meanwhile, the seeds hidden in the soil began to sprout rapidly, growing thorny vines that spread everywhere.

These thorny vines were light green, blending seamlessly with the surrounding bamboo, making them hard to detect. However, when someone passed by, they would suddenly contract, wrapping around any living creature that entered, trapping them in the area.

Whoosh—

Several bamboo swords flew past the raincoat-clad man, leaving several cuts on his body, and his raincoat was mostly torn, revealing the broken structure underneath.

Although he had several wounds, the man managed to determine his junior sister’s position by the thorns left behind on his path.

With her position confirmed, it became easier. He smiled confidently, put away his flute, and drew a long, narrow white wooden sword from behind him. Then, instead of retreating, he charged straight into the bamboo grove behind him.

Soon, intense fighting sounds echoed from within, with scattered blades and sword lights slicing through the bamboo, creating smooth wounds. Many of the bamboo stalks fell slowly, accompanied by the sound of leaves rustling around them.

A series of continuous sword clashes rang out in the bamboo grove. Since the two were familiar with each other, there were no surprising moves to win. However, after a cup of tea’s time, the raincoat-clad man suddenly flashed, knocking the opponent’s sword away, thus ending the fight.

“You lose, junior sister,” he pointed his sword tip at her, then slowly retracted it.

“No, not yet,” the junior sister’s eyes suddenly flashed with golden light, freezing everything in front of her momentarily, before sidestepping to strike her senior brother’s throat.

Unfortunately, this delicate move lasted less than half a second before being stopped by a hand.

“Do you think I only have these skills?”

The raincoat-clad senior brother lifted his junior sister off to the side, then grabbed her throat with one hand.

“Can we announce the winner now?” He looked up at the white-feathered bird in the sky.

“Yunhe Gate, Ling Shanjun wins,” the bird announced loudly.

“Cough cough.” After the match, the woman covered her throat and stood up.

“You bastard,” she didn’t even call him senior brother anymore, grabbing a bamboo sword nearby, ready to stab him again.

“Ling Yu, stop the fight! The duel is over!” The white-feathered bird warned loudly.

“Hey, don’t do this. You just hid part of your strength, making me think I could defeat you.”

“Your senior brother just wanted you to enjoy the fight. After all, I’m not a petty villain,” the raincoat-clad Ling Shanjun easily dodged his junior sister’s sword, then rushed forward, lifting the stubborn junior sister in his arms.

“Let go, how dare you!”

At this moment, Ling Yu was both angry and embarrassed, feeling humiliated in front of everyone, her ears turning red.

“Not going to let go. If you fight again, you’ll be penalized by the organizers. Your senior brother won’t have money to bail you out,” holding his struggling junior sister, Ling Shanjun leaped out of the Mirror Lake world.

The three matches in the morning were already over, so it wasn’t a problem for him to leave now.

The lake reflected the scenes of the contestants. Some transformed into dragons flying through the air, others turned into fierce beasts charging through the mountains, some had wings and moved gracefully, and others wielded weapons with extraordinary techniques. Various spectacular and intense battles unfolded one after another.

On the spectator stands on both sides of the lake, countless spectators cheered loudly, some cheering for their favorites, others delighted by the stunning combat scenes.

Indeed, the Crimson Tower Sword Duel, held once every ten years, attracted geniuses from all regions. Almost all participants were above Sequence 6, with only a few at Sequence 5, and even a few reaching Sequence 7.

On a high mountain, the sun overhead was occasionally blocked by a wandering dragon in the sky. Its terrifying body, like a sky-obscuring behemoth, had beautiful yet menacing golden scales, with sharp, metallic-looking spines that glinted dangerously.

This Bì Mù Lí Jīn Dragon was far stronger and more terrifying than rumors suggested, capable of easily defeating and tearing apart wild Sequence 8 beasts.

Gazing at this terrifying dragon that made one’s legs tremble, the contestant lost his will to fight even before engaging, finally throwing down his weapon in frustration.

“Bì Rì Xiāng Yǔ Sect, Gu Lie wins.”

The white-feathered bird announced again, and then the golden dragon in the sky transformed back into a human, with a ruggedly handsome man walking down from the sky.

The duel continued.

Although most participants were at Sequence 6, with relatively small differences between them, some extraordinary geniuses continued to dominate with nearly overwhelming victories.

Qinglian Xijian Palace, Sudeng Lou.

Red Dust Illusion Demon Workshop, Dao Jinzhi.

Bì Rì Xiāng Yǔ Sect, Gu Lie.

Wanzihong Valley, Bi Xin.

Bì Pō Tiān Hǎi Pavilion, Hai Biqing.

These five disciples from major sects gradually stood out among the contestants, becoming the talk of Luo Capital. People debated who would win the Crimson Tower sword tassel this time.

The entire Luo Capital was immersed in the excitement of the Crimson Tower Sword Duel.

—

Western Continent, Emanas Academy.

“Hello, accessing the library requires a badge from an upperclassman. First-year students should focus on the basics.”

A girl around 15 was stopped at the entrance of the hallway. Her white and blue striped dress indicated she was a first-year student.

“I understand, please wait. This is the borrowing permit given to me by my teacher,” the girl retrieved the permit from her small backpack.

“Rosadina Isger, first-year student. Due to her outstanding talent in plant research, she is permitted to access the third floor and above of the library,” followed by the teacher’s signature and stamp.

“So that’s it, you can go in.” The guard examined the girl carefully, then stepped aside to let her ascend the stairs.

“Thank you, uncle~” Rosadina accepted the permit, bowed politely, and climbed the stairs with small steps.

Watching the cheerful girl, the guard stroked his beard.

Uncle, am I really that old? He decided to take care of his beard properly when he got home.

Navigating through rows of bookshelves, the girl with deep blue hair searched for the materials she needed. She had recently read an ancient formula and had some new ideas, hoping to find some modern herbs to replace the ingredients in the old formula.

“Where is it? According to the yellow register, it should be on this shelf,” the girl moved back and forth along the secluded bookshelf, searching up and down, sometimes looking up, sometimes squatting to check a hidden corner.

“Huh, what’s this?” After pushing aside a thick book in the corner, she discovered a plush toy hidden behind it.

It’s a bear plushie, the girl gently pulled the plushie out from the bottom corner of the shelf, brushing off the dust.

Could this be left behind by a former student? Looking at the light purple checkered pattern, Rosadina wondered, momentarily forgetting her search for books.

In the evening, as she was leaving the library, Rosadina planned to give the plushie to the librarian, but was told that no student had reported losing a teddy bear. It might belong to an alumnus from a long time ago who forgot it here.

“Why don’t you keep it? No one else wants it anyway. This teddy bear looks pretty clean if you wash it,” the librarian suggested, and Rosadina reluctantly accepted the cute little bear.

Returning to her dorm, she realized her roommates weren’t there. It dawned on her that today was a holiday, and many had gone to play by the Blue Creek River, probably eating barbecue late into the night.

Thinking about the ancient plants she hadn’t figured out yet, she hurriedly took a bath, then walked out of the bathroom with wet hair.

After drinking some water in slippers, Rosadina noticed the small bear on the table, feeling a strange sensation. Her memory was usually good, but the bear seemed to have shifted slightly, and the notebook pages were out of place.

To be cautious, a faint blue magical glow appeared around her hand, and an ice sword materialized in her palm. She slowly approached the plushie.

Just as the ice sword was about to pierce it, the plushie spoke suddenly, “Don’t attack me, I can help you improve your grades and graduate directly.”

Graduate? Rosadina’s mouth dropped in surprise. Competition at Emanas was fierce, and exams were strict. Fewer than a quarter of the students graduated in five years. How could this little bear make such a claim? Was it even more powerful than the academy teachers? After all, those teachers were masters in their respective fields.

Hearing the girl’s question, the plushie proudly declared:

“I am created by the great Star Sage Lolan Hill, possessing unparalleled knowledge and wisdom. Worship me, and I will generously share this wisdom with you.”

“What’s your name?” Looking at the seemingly Sequence 3 bear, Rosadina suddenly became interested.

“I am Albert, the Wisdom Bear Albert. That is my name.”