Chapter 147: A Quirk of Fate
The so-called Blue Feather Sect does not refer to the descendants of the Blue Feather Immortal Sage.
Instead, it specifically refers to the vast and intricate forces that were dependent on the Blue Feather Immortal Sage.
The Blue Feather Immortal Sage had ruled over the Yuandao Prefecture for thousands of years, commanding an uncountable number of cultivators. They held various key positions in the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance of Yuandao Prefecture.
Although the Blue Feather Immortal Sage has fallen, the Blue Feather Sect still stands tall and unshaken, maintaining absolute dominance that no one else can challenge.
However, internally, the Blue Feather Sect was in chaos.
The reason for this was that everyone wanted to be in charge.
In the past, with the Blue Feather Immortal Sage in power, everyone naturally deferred to him. But now, with the True Monarch's fall, each faction within the Blue Feather Sect refused to yield to the others.
In the struggle for leadership, they fought each other fiercely. There was even a Soul Transformation cultivator who perished as a result. Numerous cultivators at the Nascent Soul and Golden Core levels also lost their lives.
Other forces in the Yuandao Prefecture observed the internal strife within the Blue Feather Sect. Seeing the chaos and lack of leadership, they began to make secret alliances and took advantage of the situation to divide the territory of the Blue Feather Sect.
Especially coveted were lucrative positions like those in the Formation Hall and the Talisman Hall, many of which were snatched away by these external forces.
After suffering a loss, the Blue Feather Sect finally woke up and decided to sit down and talk.
After a round of discussions, they decided that whoever could obtain the "Heavenly Feather Transformation Technique" would be recognized as their leader.
Originally, everyone was at the Soul Transformation stage. It wasn't just about who was the strongest; they had to consider factors such as personal connections and control of resources.
Under the increasing pressure from external forces, the Blue Feather factions urgently needed to resolve their internal conflicts and choose a leader.
The legacy of the Blue Feather Immortal Sage became a point of consensus among them.
The "Heavenly Feather Transformation Technique" was already an extremely prestigious cultivation technique, and now it had become the symbol of leadership for the Blue Feather Sect.
The competition was intense, to say the least.
Seven years had passed, and there was still no final winner.
There were two outstanding talents, both with strengths comparable to each other, making it difficult to determine a victor.
One was named Dugu Xi, and the other was named Dugu Shi.
Both were Soul Transformation cultivators and were twin brothers adopted by the Blue Feather Immortal Sage over five hundred years ago.
With extraordinary talent, they both achieved the Soul Transformation stage within the five hundred years.
In this fierce competition for the "Heavenly Feather Transformation Technique," countless cultivators fought to obtain it, but in the end, the two brothers were left.
However, the "Heavenly Feather Transformation Technique" was a rare and precious cultivation technique, and even blood-related brothers could not easily concede.
Over the past few years, the two brothers had fought over a dozen times, yet they still hadn't determined a winner.
Competition at the Soul Transformation stage was already rare, not to mention between top-tier Soul Transformation experts like the Dugu brothers.
Every time they competed, it attracted numerous cultivators to watch.
...
After listening to Feng Shu's introduction, Li Fan nodded slowly.
"When I arrived, I saw two groups of people fighting for the Blue Feather Legacy from afar. I wonder, what is this Blue Feather Legacy?"
Feng Shu explained, "Before the Blue Feather Immortal Sage fell, in addition to establishing the inheritance of his cultivation technique, the 'Heavenly Feather Transformation Technique,' he also packed all his personal belongings into blue boxes. He scattered them throughout Yuandao Prefecture, leaving them for those with destiny."
"These blue boxes are called Blue Feather Legacies. Although they are remnants of an immortal, the items inside these small boxes are diverse—ranging from extremely powerful magical treasures to seemingly ordinary jade pendants."
"After all, these are just external possessions, not as precious as the 'Heavenly Feather Transformation Technique.' So, the attention they attract is far less than that of the 'Heavenly Feather Transformation Technique.'"
"Nevertheless, it still stirred up quite a bit of bloodshed," Feng Shu sighed.
As the two conversed, they arrived at the location where Dugu Xi and Dugu Shi were in combat.
It was a circular white jade structure suspended in the sky, known as the Tian Du Martial Arena. Legend had it that it was personally constructed by the Blue Feather Immortal Sage for his subordinates to spar.
When the two combatants entered, the white jade would become transparent, projecting the scenes inside the martial arena onto the sky, allowing external cultivators to witness everything.
The martial arena formed its own space, extremely sturdy, allowing Soul Transformation cultivators to unleash their full strength without worrying about causing destruction. After the battle, the white jade emitted a pure white light, swiftly healing the injuries of both sides. All its functions were designed for martial arts competitions.
At this moment, numerous cultivators had gathered around the Tian Du Martial Arena to watch.
They pointed and discussed while looking up at the sky. Above, the images of the Dugu brothers' battle occupied a large portion of the sky.
"The one in white clothes is Dugu Xi, and the one in black clothes is Dugu Shi," Feng Shu, aware that Li Fan was visiting for the first time, warmly introduced.
From afar, Li Fan could only see the figures of the two intertwined, creating a vague entanglement of black and white threads with each collision. Each collision formed a mysterious vortex that gradually calmed after a moment. However, as the Dugu brothers continued to clash, vortexes continuously appeared in the Tian Du Martial Arena, resembling an extremely dangerous whirlpool.
Compared to the previously straightforward battle scene between the Cong Yun Sea Soul Transformation cultivators, the Dugu brothers' fight seemed a bit more abstract.
Gradually, Li Fan discerned some subtleties. Dugu Xi excelled in using offense as defense and defense as offense, while Dugu Shi was sharp and highly aggressive. Their strengths were close, and they understood each other well. No wonder, after so many battles, there was still no clear winner.
...
In the sky, the fierce battle continued, captivating the spectators below.
However, as Li Fan observed the battle, he noticed that Feng Shu's expression had become somewhat peculiar.
Just as he was curious, a conversation slowly drifted into his ears.
"Siblings who share the same mother should be loving and caring, but now, for the sake of a cultivation technique, they fight each other. Sigh, even though they are Soul Transformation powerhouses, I can't admire them!"
"My brother, you're joking. That's the 'Heavenly Feather Transformation Technique.' Its value is beyond our comprehension as mere Foundation Establishment cultivators."
"What's so special about a Dao cultivation technique? There's only one in the world? We, blood brothers, can accommodate each other. Why can't they?"
"Hehe..."
"Brother, what's with that expression? Rest assured, if we discover a cultivation technique together one day, no matter how precious it is, I'll definitely give it to you first, without competing with you!"
The conversation was filled with righteousness, making people look at them with admiration.
Li Fan vaguely felt that the dialogue between these two people was somewhat familiar.
Curious, he looked in the direction of the voices.
When he saw the faces of the two, even with Li Fan's composure, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.
It turns out these two were old acquaintances of Li Fan.
It was none other than Kou Hong and Dao Xuanzi! In this life, they met nearly twenty years earlier.
Li Fan couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
"It's really..."
"The quirks of fate."