Chapter 2121: Chapter 1002: Sword Discussion of the Xuan Character (Part 3) After a day of intense battles, the rankings have changed quite a bit, with Taixu Gate still holding the first position. But everyone knows that this "first" has already shifted from "victory" to "decline," and is starting to head downhill. And today will be the "peak" of Taixu Gate, after which it will begin to descend into obscurity. Many people are already looking forward to the day when Taixu Gate falls out of the first position or even out of the "top four". That would mean Taixu Gate will be truly knocked back to its "original form". And under such circumstances, Mo Hua’s first "Xuan" round of the sword competition officially began. This competition also garnered immense attention. Mo Hua was already a person of special status, and very famous. In addition, his previous performance in the sword competitions, characterized by "inaction," had received a lot of "criticism". 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦 Though his reputation plummeted, the attention on him soared. The entire Mount of Tao, crowded with spectators, many were there specifically to watch him. Some hoped he would perform well and not disappoint expectations, while others wanted to see him fail, to relish in his misfortune and throw stones while he was down... Mo Hua was oblivious to all this. His whole focus was still on the sword competition. In this first round of the Xuan sword competition, Mo Hua didn’t draw the best lot, as the format was still the ordinary "chaotic battle." A simple five versus five. The opponent was the Mystic Iron Sect, one of the Twelve Streams. This is a sect specializing in artifact refining while also teaching body refinement, with a secret body refining method that complements their refining techniques. The disciples of this sect are skilled in both artifact refining and body refinement, possessing techniques and physiques as tough as iron. The Mystic Iron Sect is considered one of the stronger sects among the Twelve Streams. However, those facing Mo Hua were not the strongest team of the Mystic Iron Sect, but rather a top but not the absolute top team. Their strength was quite considerable. The time arrived, and both sides entered the arena, with the battle ready to explode at any moment. But this time, the battle did not conclude swiftly. Both sides became somewhat entangled. The Mystic Iron Sect was entangled because their strength was indeed limited. While Taixu Gate was entangled because of Mo Hua. Because he stood on the sidelines, watching, without moving or taking any action. As a result, Taixu Gate was compelled to fight in a four against five situation. Moreover, with the previous battles, Linghu Xiao and his team’s strategies were mostly exposed to the other sects. The Mystic Iron Sect also made targeted preparations. They directly ignored Mo Hua, treating the remaining four as their opponents. This gave them a significant advantage. Everyone here is a celestial talent from the Qian Learning State Boundary, and though talents vary, anyone who can attend the Sword Discussion Conference and reach the "Xuan" level is no pushover. In a five versus five battle, unless the strength disparity is too great, the presence or absence of one person makes a huge difference. Linghu Xiao was pinned down by two Mystic Iron Sect disciples in close combat. Ouyang Xuan was in a one-on-one with a large body refinement disciple. Cheng Mo and Situ Jian were also in a stalemate. Taixu Gate was gaining the upper hand, but the advantage was not clear. While the Mystic Iron Sect, taking advantage of having more people, kept shifting their attack targets and applied pressure on Linghu Xiao’s team, resulting in a back-and-forth battle. Luckily, Linghu Xiao was truly strong. After enduring for over an hour, Linghu Xiao finally seized an opportunity from the Mystic Iron Sect’s shifting attacks, withstood the pressure, and unleashed a Chongxu Sword Qi to incapacitate one of the opponents, shattering his Dao Discussion Jade. This turned the battle into a four versus four, drastically reducing the pressure. Afterwards, Taixu Gate relied on the superiority of Linghu Xiao and Ouyang Xuan, the two "celestial talents," to gradually expand their advantage and eventually bring the battle to a close. Throughout the entire process, Mo Hua remained a "cold-eyed spectator," watching his teammates struggle without the slightest involvement. This truly infuriated the audience outside. Especially since Taixu Gate’s position was already on a downward trend, with the team caught in grueling battles, and teammates struggling arduously, his indifference and inaction were particularly angering to many. "This guy called ’Mo Hua’ is simply too much!" "Eating food but not doing work!" "How can such a person be called the ’Formation Leader’? How can he be deemed a ’genius’?" "What exactly is Taixu Gate keeping him for?" "On normal days, he relies on the blessing of the sect to flaunt authority, but now that Taixu Gate is in trouble, he still pressures his teammates while doing nothing himself..." "He’s sucking the blood of the sect and teammates!" "For the vanity of the sword competition, he discards even his face." "What are the Sect Leader and Elders of Taixu Gate thinking? Have they lost their minds? Why haven’t they removed him? Do they insist on treating him like a ’Little Ancestor’?" "Who would have thought that the dignified Taixu Gate, one of the Eight Great Gates, internally would be decayed with such autocracy..." "If you ask me, he might as well withdraw from the competition entirely, so as not to embarrass us here. Letting others see him might make them think all from the Qian Learning State Boundary are such mediocre talents..." ... The voices of criticism were becoming increasingly loud. Wenren Wan, Murong Caiyun, and other cultivators familiar with Mo Hua also heard these rumors, which inevitably made them angry. But on the crowded Mount of Tao, there were too many cultivators making such comments, and they didn’t know whom to argue against, so they could only suppress this fire in their hearts. The top members of the various aristocratic families and sects also quietly shook their heads. They too could see that the team with Linghu Xiao was currently Taixu Gate’s strongest sword competition team. If Taixu Gate’s strongest team is only at this level, then indeed, Taixu Gate’s sword competition journey is likely at its end this year... Three men make a tiger, the tongues of many can melt metal. Public opinion sways people’s hearts. Even within Taixu Gate, some Elders began to waver, questioning whether it was wise to have Mo Hua team up with Linghu Xiao. These Elders were mainly from the original Tai’a and Chongxu Mountains. They were secretly discussing behind the scenes. However, these discussions were suppressed by the Sect Leaders of the two mountains. The promise needed to be kept, and since the terms were agreed upon, and the teams formed, there was no reason to back out at this point in the sword competition. Besides, it was too late for regrets now. Moreover, the temporary leading position in the sword competition that Taixu Gate holds is largely due to Mo Hua’s contributions. It is Mo Hua who has been coordinating and planning. You can’t reverse the situation by blaming him just because he didn’t perform well personally in a sword competition and did not achieve anything. Also, even though the Sect Leaders of Tai’a and Chongxu Mountains hadn’t had much contact with Mo Hua, they always felt there was something unfathomable about this young disciple. This Formation Leader of Taixu Gate is definitely not as simple as he seems. Inside the lineage of Taixu Mountain, however, there was a sense of peace. From top to bottom, hardly anyone expressed disagreement about Mo Hua’s performance. Especially those Elders who knew a bit about Mo Hua’s "deeds," when faced with the external doubts and criticisms, they could only snicker scornfully: What kind of games does Mo Hua play on ordinary days? Now, what level do you think this sword competition is? Can it compare? If experts were so easily recognized by you, would they still be considered experts? Amidst all this overwhelming, tidal criticism, Mo Hua’s second "Xuan" round of the sword competition also formally began. This time, the opponent was still one of the Twelve Streams. But the opponent was much stronger than the previous Mystic Iron Sect. Upon entering the sword competition preparation room at Mount of Tao, a tall, mighty young man led a group to confront Mo Hua and his team. Without even glancing at Mo Hua, the young man walked directly up to Linghu Xiao and asked: "Are you Linghu Xiao?" Linghu Xiao nodded coldly. The young man pointed at himself, full of confidence, and said, "Remember my name, I’m the one who’s going to defeat you!"