: A Duel to the Death?

The registration process was surprisingly simple.

Ning Zhuo wasn't surprised. He had proactively gathered intelligence on the Ten Thousand Signs Sect.

The complete registration was divided into several stages; this was only the first phase.

After some time, during the second phase, the identity tokens would be upgraded from wooden plaques to stone ones. More information about the cultivators would also be collected.

Wooden plaques, stone plaques, bronze plaques, iron plaques, silver plaques, gold plaques, all the way up to jade plaques. Each level of identity token represented the Ten Thousand Signs Sect's assessment of a cultivator's present and future potential.

As for how to successfully register and exchange for a higher-level identity token, that would depend on each cultivator's performance in the upcoming Rising Cloud Trials.

After successfully registering, Ning Zhuo, Shen Xi, and Su Lingkou, each holding their wooden plaques, departed on a cloud.

Shen Xi asked, "Brother Ning, where are you headed now?"

Ning Zhuo replied, "Naturally, to choose a training hall first, to get a feel for the atmosphere. After all, this is my first time at the Ten Thousand Signs Sect."

Shen Xi stroked the jade plaque at his waist and smiled slightly, "Perfect, I'm heading the same way as Brother Ning!"

Seeing Ning Zhuo's cloud moving slowly, Shen Xi directly invited him, "Brother Ning, why not ride with me?"

Ning Zhuo had no objection.

Shen Xi then summoned a chariot-type magical instrument. It wasn't a mechanical construct but had a bronze hue, with wheels that didn't turn, appearing as a single, seamless piece.

However, once Su Lingkou activated it, the bronze flying chariot moved swiftly and turned nimbly, quickly arriving at the nearest training hall.

Observing from the chariot, the trio saw the hall was crowded and the atmosphere was lively.

Ning Zhuo remarked with feeling, "After the first phase of registration, everyone has their identity tokens. Participating in the Rising Cloud Trials now will yield cumulative results. No wonder the scene is so bustling."

Su Lingkou, her face clouded with slight worry, said, "With so many people, should we still go down?"

Shen Xi remained silent, pondering, and just looked at Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo then said, "Let's find another hall."

The main mountain gate of the Ten Thousand Signs Sect was vast, with hundreds of various halls.

The bronze flying chariot sped along and soon arrived at another training hall. Because it wasn't close to any registration points, it had far fewer people than the others.

Just as they descended with the bronze flying chariot and stepped onto the plaza in front of the hall, a cultivator coming out exclaimed, "Well, if it isn't the little Shen brat!"

Shen Xi was a genius of the Shen family, yet he was addressed so disdainfully. The speaker knew Shen Xi's background but still adopted this attitude, clearly indicating ill intentions.

Ning Zhuo remained expressionless, observing the speaking cultivator.

Though he appeared youthful, he had ash-grey hair, deep-set eyes like a skull, wore a wide robe made from hundred-python skin, and had an arrogant expression with a gaze as sharp as a knife, openly provoking.

Beside this grey-haired young cultivator stood a nine-foot tall man with a tiger's body and a human head, a burly figure with bulging muscles, wings on his back, and covered in棕黄色 (brown-yellow) tiger fur.

He was unmistakably a tiger demon cultivator.

Shen Xi's face darkened, "Pi Fujie?"

The Shen family of the Nine Palaces Immortal City was powerful and had several major enemies, one of which was the Pi family.

Their cultivators primarily practiced the demonic art "Seven Talisman Demonic Skin Sutra," reputed for expertise in both talisman-making and paper crafting (zhezha). Their influence was vast, and they had numerous followers.

The grey-haired young cultivator before them, Pi Fujie, held a position in the Pi family similar to Shen Xi's in the Shen family. However, because Pi Fujie possessed the medium-grade innate talent "Three Tribulations Molting," he received far more expectations and support than Shen Xi.

Pi Fujie narrowed his eyes at Ning Zhuo, Shen Xi, and Su Lingkou, saying coldly, "Shen Xi, I heard long ago that your Shen family sent you to participate in the Flying Cloud Assembly this time."

"Hmph, running into you now is just your bad luck!"

Anyone hearing this would know there was long-standing enmity between the two families.

Shen Xi sneered, "You took the words right out of my mouth. This is a training hall, Pi Fujie. I'll accept any challenge you throw at me. Let's go! Let's have a spar, regardless of life or death!"

Within the Ten Thousand Signs Sect, matters in the training halls were conducted without regard for life or death.

During spars between cultivators, accidents happened, and some even deliberately schemed against others.

The Ten Thousand Signs Sect permitted all of it to occur.

There was no other way; the Ten Thousand Signs Sect simply had too many people.

They had to select the best!

Once, a Ten Thousand Signs Sect elder put it rather bluntly, roughly meaning: Those who get killed in the training arena at least have truly bad luck. Such people not joining the Ten Thousand Signs Sect is exactly as it should be.

This statement was too direct and caused an uproar at the time. The elder was immediately demoted. Many years later, he returned to the sect and obtained a high position.

The true attitude of the Ten Thousand Signs Sect was clear.

This attitude and way of handling things were accepted by the real upper echelons or major powers because they all knew the Ten Thousand Signs Sect's pain point.

If they genuinely wanted to eliminate this situation, it would be extremely difficult.

The Ten Thousand Signs Sect couldn't manage it; the management cost was too high, and the hidden dangers were even greater.

If the Ten Thousand Signs Sect truly wanted to manage this phenomenon, they would have to grant referees authority over life and death. This power was too significant—how could it not be, when it concerned life and death?

Therefore, it would inevitably lead to corruption, and massive corruption at that.

Corruption was bound to happen.

This would severely damage the Ten Thousand Signs Sect's reputation.

If referees were unfair, or even if they were fair, the side that lost a loved one would resent the Ten Thousand Signs Sect, believing the judgment was unjust. Consequently, the sect would face numerous conflicts, accumulating endless karma and cause-and-effect.

It was better not to intervene. This way, conflicts remained limited to the sparring parties, and the Ten Thousand Signs Sect could remain aloof.

Shen Xi was very firm, directly proposing a life-and-death duel, which actually made Pi Fujie hesitate.

Pi Fujie thought to himself, "How can you compare to me, Shen Xi?"

"We hold similar statuses in our respective families, often compared to each other, both seen as the face of the Foundation Establishment stage and future hopes. But I have innate talent, and you don't. Can your future rival mine?"

A life-and-death fight now? Pi Fujie felt it was too disadvantageous for him.

Why should he do this?

He couldn't find a reason.

He could simply cultivate to a later stage, let his talent demonstrate its value, achieve a significant leap in strength, and then settle scores with Shen Xi!

Therefore, Pi Fujie had no desire to agree to a death duel, but he also didn't want to pass up the chance for a confrontation.

This confrontation wasn't just his own idea; it was also about the enmity between their two families.

The hatred between the Shen and Pi families ran too deep; it was already a feud to the death!

Shen Xi and Pi Fujie were the representative faces of their respective families. Both placed great importance on their confrontations and competitions. This wasn't just a struggle between the two of them; it was part of the conflict between the Shen and Pi families, laden with heavy political significance.

The outcome of each confrontation and competition had a huge impact on both Shen Xi and Pi Fujie because they both received substantial support from their families!

Pi Fujie didn't want a life-and-death fight with Shen Xi, but he absolutely couldn't just retreat.

If he retreated, it would mean he admitted defeat out of fear. The Pi family's face would suffer a great loss. Moreover, having originated from the demonic path, Pi Fujie would inevitably face reckoning from his family.

Seeing Pi Fujie remain silent, a glint of sharp insight flashed in the depths of both Shen Xi and Ning Zhuo's eyes. Both were shrewd and immediately discerned Pi Fujie's thoughts.

A smile flickered at the corner of Shen Xi's mouth before smoothing out. He pressed his advantage, "Pi Fujie, don't tell me you're scared? What, you don't dare to have a life-and-death spar with me?"

Su Lingkou was extremely worried and couldn't help but subtly tug on Shen Xi's sleeve.

She feared that Pi Fujie might actually accept the sparring challenge, putting her cousin's life at risk.

"Cousin is too brave!"

"He forgets he's someone of great value, with a vast future ahead. Why insist on a life-and-death duel right from the start?"

Pi Fujie snorted coldly, "Such a shallow provocation, hmph! I'm no reckless fool. Besides, I bear heavy responsibilities this time, representing my clan to join the Ten Thousand Signs Sect. Shen Xi, just wait! We will have our life-and-death duel, but let's postpone it for now."

Such a statement alone wouldn't suffice. But Pi Fujie had already formed a plan. He turned his gaze to Ning Zhuo.

"Is this the cultivator you've recruited this time?" Pi Fujie mistakenly assumed the relationship between Shen Xi and Ning Zhuo.

"Heh, this one is quite handsome. Shen Xi, is he your type?" Pi Fujie attempted to slander Shen Xi's reputation and redirect the trouble.

He found it difficult to deal with Shen Xi's challenge, but Ning Zhuo beside Shen Xi, dressed plainly with an unimpressive aura of magic power, seemed like an easier target.

As for Su Lingkou, Pi Fujie knew about her. If he targeted Shen Xi's cousin, would Shen Xi let it slide?

But this unfamiliar cultivator next to Shen Xi wasn't mentioned in the intelligence reports; he must be an outsider.

Bullying this outsider to extricate himself from this conflict and provide an account to his family was Pi Fujie's plan.

He miscalculated.

Hearing this, Ning Zhuo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly, revealing a faint smile, and directly exuded a sharp, killing intent.

He narrowed his eyes, looking Pi Fujie up and down, and said leisurely, "How interesting. A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator dares to speak to me like that. Heh, it's been a long time since anyone has done so."

Pi Fujie was secretly startled, a question arising in his heart: "Who is this person? Why does he speak with such arrogance?"

"His magic power aura... clearly indicates he's only a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Hearing Ning Zhuo's response, Shen Xi was inwardly surprised by the latter's firmness but also pleased. This was the scenario he hoped for.

Su Lingkou smiled slightly; in that instant, she found Ning Zhuo much more agreeable.

She suddenly remembered how Ning Zhuo had successfully dealt with Yu Heye and Lin Jinglong, making her and her cousin constantly speculate about Ning Zhuo's background: "Isn't this a good opportunity to test him?"

She immediately fanned the flames, saying to Ning Zhuo, "I think Young Master Pi Fujie sees your cultivation is low and wants to pick on someone he perceives as weak."

She spoke the truth, but Shen Xi's face immediately changed slightly, thinking, "Not good, someone of Ning Zhuo's caliber will definitely see through my cousin's intentions!"

Shen Xi quickly tried to remedy the situation, "Brother Ning, this Pi fellow is blind and ignorant. Why bother with someone who can't see? Besides, this is an old grudge between my Shen family and the Pi family. This Pi family are demonic path practitioners; years ago, they slaughtered innocents to collect souls for their cultivation..."

Pi Fujie couldn't listen any longer and interrupted directly, "Nonsense! My Pi family is truly of the righteous path, officially recognized by decree of the Flying Cloud Kingdom itself! Although this is the Ten Thousand Signs Sect, it is also part of the Flying Cloud Kingdom. How can I allow a junior like you to distort right and wrong here, slandering the righteous and good?"

Shen Xi sneered.

Ning Zhuo's gaze was cold.

He was clear about the matters between the Shen and Pi families.

During the banquet hosting Lin Jinglong, he had inquired about the Shen family and knew Shen Xi was telling the truth.

Before the Pi family was established, they were a group of demonic cultivators, utterly vicious and cruel.

They roamed around committing crimes, slaughtering living beings to extract souls, using the souls as the main material to inscribe talismans on their own skin, enhancing their own power.

During this process, the demonic cultivator group clashed with the Shen family. They repeatedly targeted villages within the Shen family's territory, provoking the Shen family to investigate thoroughly and send people to hunt them down.

As both sides exchanged attacks and defenses, with gains and losses on both sides, the conflict between them deepened.

The Pi family had more enemies than just the Shen family, but their feud with the Shen family was the deepest.

The Shen family began forming alliances. After experiencing prolonged fierce battles and realizing their own predicament, the Pi family spent a huge代价 (price) to "persuade" the Flying Cloud Kingdom's authorities to recognize them, whitewashing their family as part of the righteous path.

However, because of this, the Pi family could no longer engage in their old practices of slaughter.

If they wanted to obtain souls now, they could only set up a Ghost Gate and hunt for them in the underworld.

Ning Zhuo's display of a firm attitude was also deliberate.

Pi Fujie immediately became somewhat more restrained, his gaze fixed on Ning Zhuo, "May I ask your esteemed name and background?"

Ning Zhuo sneered, slightly raising his chin, "You're not worthy to ask. Come on, the training ground is right here. I'll take on this life-and-death fight on Brother Shen's behalf. Are you afraid of Brother Shen, and now even afraid of a mere nobody like me?"

"What nobody dares to be so confident, to speak to me like this?" Pi Fujie was so angry he felt like rolling his eyes.

"Why is everyone talking about life-and-death spars as soon as they open their mouths?"

"Aren't you all from major families? Don't you know a nobleman does not stand under a wall that might collapse? Is it interesting to always be shouting about fighting and killing?"

"Shouldn't this kind of fighting and killing be left to thugs and subordinates?"

Although Pi Fujie didn't know Ning Zhuo's background, he could tell from Shen Xi's attitude of treating Ning Zhuo as an equal that Ning Zhuo was definitely not an easy opponent.

Pi Fujie wanted to fight even less.

"Fighting him is far worse than fighting Shen Xi."

"At least I know Shen Xi quite well. This person right now is completely unpredictable."

Thinking of this, Pi Fujie gritted his teeth in anger.

"Damn it, could you at least dress better?"

Ning Zhuo's attire was low-key, not as flashy as Shen Xi's or Su Lingkou's. Even Pi Fujie's hundred-python skin robe was a treasure-grade garment, quite luxurious for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"What, you don't dare? You don't even dare to accept a challenge from a mere mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator like me?" Ning Zhuo sneered.

Since Pi Fujie had just shown a weakness, it was time to press the attack.

Pi Fujie forcibly suppressed his anger and once again clasped his fists to ask, "May I ask your esteemed name and origin?"

Ning Zhuo took out his Five Elements Mechanism Fan, opened it, and gently fanned himself, "So curious? That's fine too."

"Let's have a life-and-death spar. Before I kill you, I'll tell you the answer."

"Don't worry, I'll let you die an informed ghost."

Ning Zhuo certainly wouldn't reveal his identity or background. The Ning family had fled from the North Wind Kingdom and were currently relying on the Zhu family to gain a foothold in the South Bean Kingdom.

The Ning family's overall strength was much weaker than the Pi family's.

So, this Ning family identity wasn't something to boast about.

Ning Zhuo once again displayed a firm attitude. Mainly, he truly didn't take Pi Fujie seriously.

(End of )