Chapter 5273David heard about the Excalibur Villa and knew that when he entered the city, Ling Xue and Qin Feng from the Excalibur Villa had been competing in a sword-fighting match.If he hadn’t intervened, one of them would have died.“Master,” David stepped forward, his eyes firm, “disciple is willing to represent the Sword Sect in the competition.”“You?” Mo Chen looked at him, “Although you have broken through to the eighth level of the Loose Immortal Realm, the core disciples of the Divine Sword Villa are at least at the fourth level of the Earth Immortal Realm. If you go up…”“Disciple knows the danger, but precisely because of this, we should go.” David’s tone was sincere, “If we retreat blindly, it will only make people think that the Sword Sect is cowardly and can be bullied. Besides, disciple wants to take advantage of this conference to hone his swordsmanship.”Ling Xue also echoed: “Yes, Master, Senior Brother Chen is making rapid progress, maybe he can create a miracle! We are willing to go too. Even if we can’t play, we can cheer for Senior Brother Chen!”The other disciples also nodded, their eyes full of anticipation.Mo Chen took in the eager eyes of the crowd, then glanced at David’s confident expression, and finally relented. “Well, since you insist on going, then so be it. But remember, safety comes first.”He turned to David and solemnly instructed, “I’ll sign you up, but listen, there are three ironclad rules for the competition: First, swordsmanship only. No magic, magic weapons, or external forces are permitted. Second, you must bring your own weapons, but they must be swords. Third, once on stage, life and death are left to fate, and no one is allowed to interfere.”“Especially if you encounter someone from the Divine Sword Villa,” Mo Chen emphasized. “Their ‘Sky-Splitting Sword Technique’ is incredibly powerful, and every move is lethal. If you feel you can’t defeat them, surrender immediately. Don’t try to be stubborn! Saving your life is paramount.”David nodded, “Disciple, understand.”Seeing David’s composure, Mo Chen felt a sense of relief, yet a lingering worry remained.He knew this sword competition was far from being as simple as it appeared. The people of DivineSword Villa had likely been waiting to deliver a fatal blow to the Sword Sect at the conference.A few days later, the sword tournament began. The SwordSaint City’s martial arts square was already packed.In the center of the bluestone-paved square, a white jade arena, a hundred feet in diameter, hovered in mid-air, its edges inscribed with dense sword patterns.A faint golden glow shone in the sunlight. This was the “Soul Locking Formation,” painstakingly laid by successive lords of Sword Saint City. It prevented the aftermath of the fight from harming spectators and confined all magical powers, ensuring that only swordsmanship could determine victory.Dozens of viewing platforms, built into the hillside, surrounded the square, the flags of the major sects fluttering in the wind.On the top VIP platform, the person in charge of Sword Saint City sat in the center in a purple robe. On his left sat several old men with white hair and beards, all of whom were highly respected sword masters in the city;on his right sat the heads or elders of the major sects. The most eye-catching among them was Qin Lie, the owner of the Divine Sword Villa. He was dressed in a red python robe, with a pitch-black long sword hanging from his waist. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s. He was chatting and laughing with several elders beside him, with pride between his brows.“Have you heard? This time, Divine Sword Villa has sent three core disciples. The leader, Zhao Jingfeng, is said to have mastered the ‘Sky-Splitting Sword Technique’ to the seventh level. With a cultivation base of the sixth rank in the Earthly Immortal Realm, he’s practically unmatched among the younger generation!”“Not only that, there’s also Li Hanjiang from the Seven-Star Sword Sect. He’s so skilled in the ‘Seven-Star Linking Sword’ that it’s said he once cut down a thousand-year-old pine tree with a single strike!”noveldrama“I bet Zhao Jingfeng will be the champion this time! Look at his aura. Just standing there, no one dares to look directly at him!”The discussion from the audience surged like a tide, and the eyes of thousands of cultivators were focused on the entrance on the east side of the arena, where contestants from various sects were preparing to enter.