It snowed heavily for three days and three nights. After the snow broke out, the wind howled for several days. When the sky cleared, Liushi Peak was covered with a layer of ice and snow armor, shining with dazzling light everywhere.
Time flies by, and this day is the end of the year. At Yu Yao's suggestion, Wei Shiqi put on a brand new gray robe, making an exception and did not go to Xiong Yan Cliff to practice swordsmanship. He took Yu Yao to visit the old man in Dinglu Pit. Feng sent him some food and wine, drank a few bowls of wine with him, and said congratulations on the new year. Lao Feng spent all day and night smelting the Horcrux and didn't even remember that the end of the year was here. After Wei Shiqi reminded him, he suddenly realized it. He hesitated for a moment and said that he would go to Wentang Valley to watch the battle in the evening to cheer him up and encourage him. .
Wei Shiqi guessed that the cheers and cheers were in vain. His true intention was probably to see with his own eyes the effect of the Horcrux in actual combat.
There are overt gambling games at the end of the year, and there are also private games. The public games are for the disciples who enter the gambling game to win the lottery and recommend their elder sect masters to bet on the profits. The private games are hosted by the disciples of each sect. To name a few.
"If you have any useful gifts, just keep them on me, I won't let you down!" Before leaving, Wei Shiqi said half jokingly and half seriously. He didn't know whether Lao Feng listened to it, but Yu Yao's eyes flickered, and there was a smile on her lips, as if she decided to place a heavy bet on him.
After bidding farewell to Lao Feng, the two of them walked around Liushi Peak, looking at the snowy scenery and occasionally exchanging a few words, until the Golden Crow fell in the west and the Jade Rabbit rose in the east.
Under the bright moonlight, everything was silent. Three cloud sounds sounded leisurely, and the lingering sound lingered. After a moment's pause, three more sounds sounded. That was when Taoist Ziyang was summoning the direct disciples of Kunlun. After the cloud board struck one hundred and eight times, the year-end gambling was about to begin.
Yu Yao straightened Wei Shiqi's clothes and whispered: "It's almost done, let's go!"
In the Wentang Valley of Liushi Peak, the hot springs are gurgling, the mist is lingering, the ancient trees are vigorous, and countless luminous talismans hang on the branches of the trees. The brilliance shines in all directions, making the valley look like day. The sect leaders and elders of all Kunlun lineage sects have arrived, and many second- and third-generation disciples have also come. They all stand in solemn silence, waiting for the leader, Taoist Ziyang, to speak.
"At the end of the year, the mountains are covered by heavy snow, and idleness is idleness. Why not start a gambling game, make it lively, and be the leader or elder of the clan to shed some blood and make a fortune so that the disciples can have something to look forward to." For Taoist Ziyang. , the year-end gambling game may be just a game, but there are very few people on Flowing Stone Peak who are as open-minded as he is.
The gambling game at the end of the year is a stage for Kunlun Junyan to show his strength. It is a good opportunity for disciples of all sects to observe and practice sword techniques. After every gambling game, there will always be a number of amazing and talented disciples who will fight fiercely and gain enlightenment or breakthroughs. Bottleneck, one's cultivation progresses rapidly, or one's soul is blessed with the ability to create a brand new sword technique and become the backbone of the sect. The ability of each sect to innovate and inherit the legacy depends largely on these talented people. Everyone knows this.
For example, Chu Ge from the Five Elements Sect, and Du Mo from the Poison Sword Sect. In sharp contrast, the Gouyan Sect was removed from the direct lineage, and the Feiyu Sect was declining day by day.
Taoist Ziyang stood under an old Populus euphratica tree and looked at the sky through the sparse branches and leaves. When the moon reached its peak, the clouds rang out one hundred and eight times. He coughed lightly and said, "It's almost time, Master Shi. Let the disciples from each sect come forward and see how lucky they are."
The leader of the Poison Sword Sect, Shi Tiezhong, agreed, took three steps, took out a half-new storage bag, and said: "The disciples participating in the gambling game, each come forward to touch a lottery ticket, and put it on the stone platform next to the tree. superior."
Wei Shiqi deliberately lagged behind and waited until everyone stepped forward before slowly following him. At a glance, he saw a total of fourteen disciples, including him, all dressed in green, vermilion, white and gray, with different colors. He remembered that Xi Huzi once said that the direct disciples of Kunlun lineage were divided into green, vermilion, white and black according to their different sword techniques. , corresponding to the four sword arts of Qing Ming, Hong Lian, Zhu Yin, and Chaos. After staying at Liushi Peak for many years, he naturally knew that the disciples of each sect did not strictly observe the differences in uniforms and colors on weekdays, but on big occasions like the year-end gambling game, , all the heads and elders of the sect were present, and no one dared to violate the rules.
Among these fourteen disciples, two were wearing green clothes, four were wearing red clothes, three were wearing white clothes, and the rest were all wearing gray clothes. Wei Shiqi noticed that no one was wearing black clothes, just as Qingming said , Chaos Art is difficult to learn, difficult to practice, and difficult to break through. For hundreds of years, only his cheap master who has never met has mastered it.
Those who are qualified to enter the gambling game are all the most outstanding figures from each direct lineage sect. Wei Shiqi has seen them one by one, and most of them are unfamiliar faces. The only ones who have had a close relationship are Shi Chuandeng from the Sword Control Sect, Huo Mian from the Five Elements Sect, and Du from the Five Elements Sect. He Yu from Jian Zong and Yu Youhuan from Fei Yu Zong. Among the crowd, Wei Shiqi remained inconspicuous. Although Jiang Yongshou had an old grudge with him, they were both members of the Sword Controlling Sect, but they did not expose his secrets. Everyone's understanding of him was still at the level of a poisonous spider. In the valley, he defeated Peng Yi with one sword, destroyed the Biluo sword, received Du Mo's five-cut sword energy, and retreated.
This is not enough to make them afraid.
In full view of everyone, the fourteen disciples who entered the gambling room stepped forward one after another, put their hands into the storage bag, took out a lottery ticket, showed it to everyone, and then placed it on the stone platform aside. Du Mo held the sword and Carve his name next to the lottery ticket. The elders of the sect who were watching, relying on their knowledge, commented one by one on the prizes presented by the Poison Sword Sect, and explained to the disciples the effectiveness of this elixir and the magical use of that magic weapon. Occasionally, those who did not understand would twist it. The beard pretended to be mysterious, and he smiled without answering. He was amused for a while, and he laughed and laughed in a low voice, adding a third of excitement to the hot spring valley.
The end-of-year gambling game is all about this excitement.
Shi Chuandeng was the fifth one to step forward and took out a plate of snake slough from the storage bag. It was wrapped in a ball, dark and dusty, and not surprising in appearance. The surrounding area suddenly became quiet, and everyone looked at each other, obviously not recognizing anyone.
Wei Shiqi's heart moved, and he turned to look at Yu Yao, only to see her slightly nodding towards him, and he knew for sure that the snake slough was most likely the "jade horn" she mentioned last time.
