Its tail feathers were especially long, and when the plume fanned out, one could glimpse what seemed like countless blue-black eyes within it, vibrant and beautiful, and also very peculiar.
"The background of this woman is somewhat extraordinary," some sect masters from the smaller sects murmured amongst themselves, "It’s unclear what her connection to the Peacock Ancestral Master is."
The Peacock Ancestral Master was a talented disciple from an earlier era who had competed with the Great Emperor Tianqi for destiny, and was also one of the most magnificent individuals in the history of Immortal Spirit Sect.
Watching the enormous peacock, Xu Zimei shook his head with a smile, "Indeed, the Nirvana Flame left by the Ancestor of Wind gave you a chance to undergo a complete transformation, providing you with a new body and once again the qualifications to vie for destiny.
Unfortunately, this era is no longer yours."
As Xu Zimei’s silent murmur finished, a vibrant golden light suddenly erupted from Xuanyuan Xuantian across from him; his entire being was like a ball of fire, and the searing heat began to melt the surrounding space.
Anxiously, the peacock beside him let out a shriek and watched the ball of fire with wary eyes.
A huge Golden Crow emerged from the flames, its wings, which could cover the sky, overshadowed half of the firmament, resembling a lofty ruler looking down at the peacock from above.
"We really are quite matched," Xuanyuan Xuantian laughed, "Your True Fate is the Peacock, and mine is the Golden Crow. How do you like my bird?"
Upon seeing the descent of the Golden Crow, Xian Linger’s expression subtly shifted. With a profound look in her eyes, she pointed the tip of her soft green sword, and the peacock let out a low cry, heading straight towards Xuanyuan Xuantian.
Xuanyuan Xuantian laughed out loud, taking to the air, while the Golden Crow behind him roared towards the sky, its claws, suffused with fiery flames, viciously reaching down.
The peacock’s back was gouged open with a huge hole, crying out in pain as the Golden Crow’s radiance on its body grew ever more intense. It pierced through the peacock, charging directly at Xian Linger.
Xian Linger’s face turned ashen, quickly raising her soft green sword to slash at it.
The colossal Golden Crow exploded around her, and waves of energy ripples surged, flipping Xian Linger right out of the ring.
Xian Linger landed awkwardly below the stage, then quickly stood up, giving the stage a deep glance, a sense of powerlessness hidden in the depths of her eyes.
Back then, she too had competed for destiny at the pinnacle of the firmament against a man named Tian Qi, but unfortunately, she had failed.
She had thought that starting over in another life would make for better prospects, but the evils of this era were even more terrible than during her own.
Xian Linger shook her head slightly; in fact, her determination was stable, and she wasn’t disheartened by several defeats, but at this moment, she began to doubt herself.
A feeling of powerlessness about whether she could shoulder destiny.
"All is past, the heroes of yesteryear are now let to today."
Following the end of the quarterfinals, only four disciples remained: Xu Zimei, Baili Xiao, Chu Yang, and Xuanyuan Xuantian.
Although Xu Qingshan, watching from below the stage, maintained a calm expression, the corners of his mouth slightly curled up, revealing his inner pleasure.
After all, having two disciples from the True Martial Holy Sect make it into the top four in the great competition of the six sects was a matter of pride for him as the Sect Master.
"Brother Qing Shan, perhaps this year we’ll see an internal struggle for first place within your True Martial Holy Sect," Luo Changhe said with a smile from nearby.
If Baili Xiao and Xu Zimei managed to defeat their respective opponents, it was possible that they would then compete against each other for first place.
"It’s hard to say," Xu Qingshan modestly shook his head and replied, "After all, the other competitors are not simple either."
Since Baili Xiao had taken the shortest time in her previous match, she had the right to choose her opponent.
Baili Xiao stood up and glanced at the three people present.
She then turned her gaze to the Third Elder, who was presiding over the competition, and asked softly, "Third Elder, may I freely choose anyone as my opponent?"
"Of course you can," the Third Elder nodded in affirmation.
"Good, then I choose," Baili Xiao paused for a moment and finally fixed her gaze on Xu Zimei, saying earnestly, word by word, "I choose Xu Zimei."
The disciples present burst into an uproar upon hearing Baili Xiao’s choice—how could internecine strife break out between two disciples of their own sect before any external opponents had been dealt with?
Xu Qingshan snorted coldly and slammed his right palm down onto the seat beside him.
"Xiao’er, what are you doing?" the Sixth Elder, Xiao Ruoxue, also called out in confusion.
"Is my choice a problem?" Baili Xiao asked, not minding the reactions of the crowd, instead, she looked toward the Third Elder.
The Third Elder was taken aback for a moment but then nodded with interest, saying, "You can."
Xu Zimei walked up to the platform with a hint of amusement. Previously, Baili Xiao had been willing to use her Flying Immortal Body to quickly end the battle in the last match just to gain this privilege of selecting her opponent first.
After Xu Zimei slowly stepped onto the platform, Baili Xiao glanced at Chu Yang beside her, gave a sweet smile, then turned and walked onto the platform with an indifferent expression.
Baili Xiao’s thoughts were simple; she actually felt that Xu Zimei posed a greater threat than Xuanyuan Xuantian being Chu Yang’s opponent.
Although Xuanyuan Xuantian was strong, his abilities were all out in the open.
But Xu Zimei was like a fog, with little known about him, and the unknown was always the most terrifying.
Moreover, Xu Zimei always seemed to harbor some inexplicable hostility towards her and Chu Yang, a point even Baili Xiao herself couldn’t fathom, as she did not recall ever offending Xu Zimei.
Baili Xiao thought that if she could defeat Xu Zimei, it would be for the best.
Even if she couldn’t win, she could at least force all of Xu Zimei’s strength out into the open, dispersing this profound and boundless fog so that Chu Yang could be better prepared.
Baili Xiao believed that she wasn’t weaker than Xu Zimei, especially having inherited the Empress’s legacy, she might even be stronger.
The breeze blew gently from afar, the girl’s jet-black hair was tied behind her back with a pink ribbon, and her white dress danced in the wind.
Her skin was fairer than snow, with red lips and white teeth, and eyes that were like clear pools of water, bright and penetrating.
"Do you have any idea how disgusting this approach is?" Xu Zimei said with a faint smile, "The sect has given you everything, but now you repay kindness with grievance."
"Are you afraid?" Baili Xiao stood with her sword drawn, her voice clear and ringing like a lark in the woods.
"For someone who has died once, there’s nothing to fear," Xu Zimei replied with a shake of his head, smiling.
"I’ll take responsibility for what I do," Baili Xiao said calmly.
"It doesn’t matter to me, but you’re challenging the limits of some people," Xu Zimei said, glancing in the direction where Xu Qingshan was under the platform, "The Empress’s legacy doesn’t give you the right to be so presumptuous."
"That’s not for you to worry about."
Clad in white, Baili Xiao’s longsword in hand shone with a radiant light.