The disciples of the Divine Sword Sect were spirited and sharp-eyed, their gazes carrying obvious hostility as they looked toward the True Martial Sect—as if something that belonged to them had been taken, and they were here to reclaim it.
The True Martial Sect disciples, naturally, did not back down.
Led by the nine True Disciples, their eyes were equally sharp, their bearing steady.
For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.
Dragon Mountain Daoist sighed helplessly.
"I naturally haven't forgotten the ten-year pact."
He paused, then continued calmly,
"Then, as Divine Sword Senior Brother says… shall we still follow the old rules?"
The Divine Sword Old Man's originally fierce aura stalled slightly. His expression became a bit unnatural.
Ten years ago, when he fought Dragon Mountain Daoist, he had already sensed that the other party was holding back. Now, knowing that Dragon Mountain Daoist had stepped halfway into the Heavenly Human Realm, another direct battle would almost certainly end in defeat.
The thought of losing again—especially in front of so many disciples—made his teeth ache.
Yet the words had already been spoken.
He could not lose face in public.
He coughed lightly twice and snorted.
"Dragon Mountain Ox-Nose, is this how you treat guests?"
Dragon Mountain Daoist was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.
"Since Divine Sword Senior Brother has brought the esteemed disciples of the Divine Sword Sect, my True Martial Sect has naturally prepared a welcoming feast."
"Wen Tian, take our guests inside."
"Divine Sword Senior Brother, please."
With that, Dragon Mountain Daoist and the Divine Sword Old Man walked side by side toward Mingwu Pavilion, clearly intending to discuss matters privately.
Seeing this, the disciples of both sects were confused, exchanging glances.
Just moments ago, it felt as though swords were about to clash—yet in the blink of an eye, it had turned into a banquet.
Only a few saw through it.
They understood that these two elders appeared hostile on the surface, but deep down still regarded each other as old acquaintances. Much of it was simply about pride and face.
Ning Qi could not help but smile faintly.
Luo Wentian also shook his head.
He understood this situation better than most.
"Please," he said with a smile to Dong He, a senior disciple of the Divine Sword Sect.
Dong He returned a helpless smile.
Qin Yun followed behind Luo Wentian. The sharpness in his eyes slowly faded, though his demeanor remained aloof.
Ning Qi walked at the very back with Heavenly Born.
At that moment, a sneaky voice sounded beside him.
"Is this… your pet?"
Ning Qi turned his head.
A chubby little boy stood there—Zhuang Chen—staring at the white ape with eyes full of admiration. His nose ran freely, and his expression was one of pure envy.
In fact, quite a few Divine Sword Sect disciples had been stealing glances at Heavenly Born.
Before Ning Qi could respond, the white ape was already furious.
He now firmly considered himself human.
Hearing the word "pet," he immediately bared his teeth, startling Zhuang Chen. If Ning Qi hadn't been present, he might have already pounced.
Ning Qi said seriously,
"He is not my pet. He is a third-generation disciple of the True Martial Sect. His name is Yuan Tiansheng."
Zhuang Chen froze.
Then he saw the white ape snort coldly.
He let out an "ah" and hurriedly said,
"Sorry, sorry!"
After a pause, he added sincerely,
"Yuan Tiansheng, you're amazing. You can actually understand what I'm saying."
The white ape crossed his arms, turned his head away, and ignored him entirely.
Zhuang Chen wiped his nose gloomily, then looked at Ning Qi.
"My name is Zhuang Chen."
"Ning Qi," Ning Qi replied with a smile.
He could sense that the vitality within Zhuang Chen was not weak. The boy had clearly stepped into the Martial Dao, and given his age, he was undoubtedly a rare genius.
The disciples of both sects soon took their seats.
With Luo Wentian and the others accompanying the guests, Ning Qi naturally did not need to do anything.
Unfortunately—
He gained a follower.
Perhaps realizing that there was a True Disciple of the True Martial Sect close to his own age, Zhuang Chen directly plopped down beside Ning Qi.
Dong He initially wanted to stop him, but Luo Wentian smiled and waved it off, saying there was no issue.
This made Dong He glance at Ning Qi in surprise.
Ning Qi, however, felt a slight headache.
This little fatty—
Was incredibly talkative.
"Ning Qi, have you started cultivating yet?"
"I have."
"Ning Qi, can you use sword techniques?"
"A little."
"Ning Qi, how did you meet Yuan Tiansheng?"
"Ning Qi, I'll tell you a secret—I'm very strong."
"Ning Qi…"
At first, Ning Qi answered perfunctorily.
But as the questions kept coming, he wisely chose silence.
His gaze unfocused, and after listening to the surrounding conversations for a moment, he entered his own world, comprehending techniques and the Dao—something he could do anywhere.
"Ning Qi… Ning Qi…"
Zhuang Chen looked at Ning Qi's blank expression and felt a strange pity rise in his heart.
"Ning Qi doesn't seem very smart. I ask him so many questions, and he only answers one…"
He turned to the white ape, trying to strike up a conversation.
The white ape pulled a face and ignored him completely.
Heavenly Born was very petty.
Zhuang Chen pouted, then decisively turned his attention to the food.
Eating was his second greatest hobby.
The welcoming feast passed without incident.
Though the disciples of both sects were young and hot-blooded, they all understood propriety and restrained themselves.
Only near the end did Dragon Mountain Daoist and the Divine Sword Old Man return.
Ning Qi opened his eyes.
The two elders took their seats at the head of the table.
Dragon Mountain Daoist smiled.
"Divine Sword Senior Brother and I have discussed something. From today onward, the ten-year pact between our two sects will change."
All eyes focused on him.
The Divine Sword Old Man coughed lightly and said indifferently,
"We're both old now. Fighting personally is inconvenient. As the saying goes—when the master has work, the disciple does it."
"From now on, the ten-year pact will be decided by the sparring of disciples."
"This time will be for adaptation and experience. The next time will be the official contest."
"At that time, whichever sect wins will have the right to use Zhenwu Mountain for ten years."
The disciples' hearts tightened.
Fighting spirit ignited in their eyes.
What was once merely an event to witness—
Had now become something they would personally participate in.
Ning Qi felt it was somewhat expected.
The Divine Sword Old Man likely knew he could not defeat his Master and deliberately changed the method.
Yet judging by Dragon Mountain Daoist's calm smile, he did not mind at all.
In fact, this was likely intentional on both sides.
Pressure breeds growth.
With the ten-year pact hanging over them, the disciples would naturally cultivate with greater urgency.
Ning Qi smiled inwardly.
Even Heavenly Born and Zhuang Chen beside him were visibly excited.
Some of the younger disciples even flushed red with anticipation.
For the Divine Sword Sect, this was a chance to fulfill a long-cherished wish.
For the True Martial Sect, it was about defending their honor.
Ning Qi could not help but feel that the smiles of Dragon Mountain Daoist and the Divine Sword Old Man carried a hint of mischief.
Whatever they discussed in Mingwu Pavilion—
It was certainly not simple.
Seeing that the atmosphere had been fully stirred, Dragon Mountain Daoist stood up.
"Although this time is only for experience, you must not be careless. Give it your all."
"Divine Sword Senior Brother and I have prepared some rewards. Those who perform exceptionally will be rewarded."
The disciples immediately grew even more excited.
Only Ning Qi remained calm.
After all, he already had free access to the entire Scripture Pavilion. It was unlikely that the Divine Sword Old Man could produce anything that would truly move him.