Library of Heaven's Path

by Little Merger

Traversing into another world, Zhang Xuan finds himself becoming an honorable teacher. Along with his transcension, a mysterious library appears in his mind. As long as it is something he has seen, regardless of whether it is a human or an object, a book on its weaknesses will be automatically compiled in the library. Thus, he becomes formidable. “Emperor Zhuoyang, why do you detes

61. 1921 - 1952

Library of Heaven's Path #Chapter 1921 - Virtual Reality? - Read Library of Heaven's Path Chapter 1921 - Virtual Reality? Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Chapter 1921: Virtual Reality?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

If she really was slapped, what would become of her dignity?

With a trembling body, Xue Qin hurriedly turned to the gray-robed young man and pleaded, "Senior, you mustn't listen to that fellow's nonsense! He's just spewing a load of cr*p! Until we really forge the Nurturing Yang Pill according to his instructions, we won't know if what he's saying is the right answer..."

But before she could finish her words, the gray-robed young man had also turned to face her, and with three swift strokes, he slapped her thrice.

Forehand, pah! Backhand, pah! Forehand, pah!

Every single strike echoed loudly into the surroundings. The young lady's smooth and delicate skin immediately began swelling up.

"Is that enough for you?" The gray-robed young man gazed at Zhang Xuan coldly with his hands behind his back.

He was extremely adept at pill forging, and he had made sure to check all the details personally. Even without forging the Nurturing Yang Pill, he already knew that the young man was correct.

Since the answer was already clear, any obstinacy beyond this point would only sully the good reputation of not only him but the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion too!

"Ah... It was just a casual remark when I told you to slap her. She's just a young lady, and it's not as if she has a marriage agreement with me but went to the extent of coming over to my residence to coerce me to back out of our marriage agreement... But I guess what's done is done, so let's say we're even with that. Please, feel free to be on your way!" Zhang Xuan bowed slightly as if to send the gray-robed young man away.

The gray-robed young man took one last chilling look at Zhang Xuan before turning around to leave. The others that had come with him quickly left along with him. As for the fainted young man, one of the members of the group picked him up and took him away.

They had planned to make use of this as an opportunity to display their prowess and earn the respect of those in the Xuanjiang City, but it had completely backfired on them.

A tremendous amount of rage was boiling in their blood.

After leaving the market, the gray-robed young man looked at the swollen-faced Xue Qin and asked with narrowed eyes, "Who was that?"

Xue Qin shuddered at the chilling voice of the gray-robed young man, and she quickly explained herself. "Senior, I really don't know that person..."

"I was referring to that crippled young man!" the gray-robed young man interjected sharply.

"H-he..." Xue Qin's face turned ghastly pale. "He... has a marriage agreement with me. It was decided by the elders of our clans... However, there's really nothing between us. We haven't even met more than a couple of times..."

Ads by Pubfuture

"You should know why you were accepted as a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!" the gray-robed young man remarked coldly. "In order for inner disciples to focus on their cultivation, they require servants to attend to their needs. It's out of special consideration of your looks and the fact that you are still a maiden that I made an exception and allowed you to join us as a servant and a concubine!"

"I understand..." Xue Qin lowered her head subserviently.

"That had better be the case!" the gray-robed young man said with an impatient wave of his hand.

He walked over to the carriage not too far away and got onto it. Before the carriage set off, his nonchalant voice echoed from within. "I expect you to settle this matter prudently before it reaches the ears of the Sword Pavilion. Also, I want to know the identity and background of that bandaged fellow by tonight. Elder Lu Yun will be here in three days, and I don't expect any complications as a result of this. Understood?"

"Understood..." Xue Qin bowed fearfully, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Da da da!

The carriage finally began moving away.

Only at this moment did Xue Qin realize that her back was drenched in sweat. She glanced back at the Hongyan Market with a murderous look on her face.

"Tell my teacher that we'll be making a move tonight!" she spat coldly.

"Yes, Second Young Mistress!" the young men following behind her replied.

...

"Thank you, Teacher!"

Seeing how Xue Qin, who had humiliated him time and time again, had been struck in public, Dan Xiaotian felt a little conflicted within. Nevertheless, he knew that his teacher was doing this for him, and he felt extremely grateful for that.

"Since you are my student, there's no way I'll allow you to be wronged," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "Alright, I need you to bring me to a quiet room. I would like to test out the Ethereal Token!"

"Yes, Teacher!" Dan Xiaotian nodded.

He quickly approached the middle-aged man from earlier, and before long, they were brought to a silent chamber.

Upon entering the chamber, Zhang Xuan inspected its interior and found that the area had been secured by multiple layers of formations, ensuring its privacy. He nodded in satisfaction before taking the Ethereal Token out.

"Teacher, I heard that the Ethereal Token requires very specific instructions in order to activate it, and a complete activation requires one to pay quite a heavy price..."

But before Dan Xiaotian could finish his words, he saw his teacher tapping a few points on the Ethereal Token, and a resounding 'weng' echoed through the chamber. A brilliant light shone from the surface of the jade token.

It had been completely activated!

Following which, Zhang Xuan dripped a droplet of blood on the Ethereal Token, and the brilliant light immediately warped into intricate patterns before seeping into his glabella.

This sight left Dan Xiaotian stunned.

Ads by Pubfuture

Based on what he knew, activating the Ethereal Token was a delicate process, so more often than not, one would have to spend a huge number of Ethereal Coins in order to engage the help of an expert for a complete activation. Who could have known that his teacher would be able to activate and tame the Ethereal Token so easily, as if he had done it many times before?

Paying no heed to Dan Xiaotian's astonishment, Zhang Xuan carefully perceived the light seeping into his glabella, and only after confirming that it posed no danger to him did he heave a sigh of relief.

Hu!

The next moment, his consciousness escaped from his body to enter a unique dimension.

"This..."

Lowering his head, he found that his body had become something that was a mix of reality and illusion.

"Welcome to the Ethereal Hall!"

While Zhang Xuan was still making sense of his current situation, a voice suddenly sounded in the air.

"This voice..." Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.

This voice was surprisingly familiar to him. There was no mistake about it...

"Kong shi!"

It was Kong shi's voice!

He knew that Kong shi had definitely come to the Azure, but he did not think that the latter would be related to the strongest power of the Azure, the Ethereal Hall!

Or could it be that... the Ethereal Hall had been created by Kong shi?

"Dan Xiaotian mentioned that the Ethereal Hall was created several thousand years ago by a formidable expert... but judging by the timeline, Kong shi should have left the Master Teacher Continent tens of thousands of years ago..." Zhang Xuan's brain churned swiftly to draw links.

At this moment, a possibility suddenly arose in his mind, causing his eyebrows to leap up. "Could it be that... the flow of time in the Azure differs from that of the Master Teacher Continent?"

There had been a whole string of trouble ever since he awoke, so he had not had a chance to really examine the Azure. But now that he was looking at it carefully, there was indeed a difference in the flow of time in the Azure and on the Master Teacher Continent.

As he was making sense of all of this, the earlier voice continued speaking. "I established the Ethereal Hall to allow cultivators to interact with one another and trade safely. In here, you are able to alter your appearance and aura, so there's no need to worry about anyone noticing your true identity in the real world. As long as you are willing to pay the price, you will be able to learn the cultivation techniques you wish to learn!

"Within the Ethereal Hall, everyone is of the same cultivation realm. There's no segregation as a result of standing or power difference. Everyone will be able to interact with one another on equal terms.

"That's all I want to say to you. May you enjoy your time at the Ethereal Hall!"

The voice suddenly trailed off.

Those words made Zhang Xuan more certain than ever that Kong shi was the person behind the Ethereal Hall. After all, it was his vision to create a world where all humans were equally entitled to cultivate and learn.

He knew that he would be able to find traces of Kong shi in the Azure, but considering the time difference, he had thought that it would take a while before he finally heard anything about the latter. Yet, a single Ethereal Token had been able to provide him with so much information.

Suppressing his agitation, he swiftly went through Kong shi's words when a bizarre thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Assuming anonymous identities and interacting with one another as equals... Isn't this pretty much like online chat rooms?"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1922: Dueling Ring

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Technology had been an integral part of life in his previous world. It brought great convenience to the world, allowing for communication or shopping to be done remotely. It allowed people to assume anonymous new identities and enjoy a life aside from the real world. Often, a person whom you addressed as your wife over the internet could very well end up being a nose-picking middle-aged man.

As formidable as the Ethereal Token was, it seemed to work on the same principles.

Upon entering the Ethereal Hall, one would be able to conceal one's identity, and the strength of all cultivators would be equalized. This meant that it would be impossible for a person to tell if the person whom they had been chatting with was a male or female, an expert or an ordinary cultivator.

"This is fine. The cultivators will be able to release the restraints they impose on themselves in consideration of their reputation and pursue what they truly want. It makes it easier for them to seek pointers from one another regarding their cultivation... This might be the motive behind why Kong shi created this system!"

Kong shi promoted education without discrimination, and he hoped to create a world where all humans could stand tall. However, cultivation resources were scarce, and one's birth, talent, and opportunities were bound to determine one's future accomplishments. His ultimate vision was simply not realistic.

In his time on the Master Teacher Continent, he had founded the Master Teacher Pavilion, but the system that he had put in place was marred by the ambitions of those who wished to climb up the hierarchy. He had created the Kunxu Domain shortly after, but it had likely made him realize that it was impossible to achieve true equality in the real world. Thus, he had founded the Ethereal Hall and created the Ethereal Tokens.

Here, one would have to cast aside one's previous identity and everything related to it. With an anonymous identity and equal strength, everyone would be on equal footing with one another.

With just a thought, Zhang Xuan's appearance immediately began changing, making him appear more ordinary. He tried clenching his fists and threw a punch out.

The strength that he could draw forth was roughly equivalent to a Saint 1-dan cultivator.

In other words, no matter how powerful a cultivator was, he could only exert the strength of a Saint 1-dan cultivator in here.

Zhang Xuan spent some time testing out his new body, but fortunately, it seemed like there was no fundamental difference between it and his real body. He began walking forward, and soon, a grand palace appeared before his eyes.

Ethereal Hall, Starlight City!

"Starlight City is a second-tier city, and Xuanjiang City happens to be under its jurisdiction," Zhang Xuan recalled based on Dan Xiaotian's explanation, and he shook his head with a smile. "It's even a regional network..."

To use the terminology from his previous world, there were only servers in the cities where the Ethereal Hall had branches. There was no branch in Xuanjiang City, so anyone trying to access the Ethereal Hall from there needed to connect to the higher Starlight City's server.

Zhang Xuan pushed the door open and walked into the palace. A huge crowd immediately appeared right in front of him.

Just like social networking games in his previous life, even though everyone had different appearances and figures, the strength that they wielded was the same as one another.

They might be far from one another geographically, but at that moment, they were seated alongside one another to trade insights regarding cultivation or even to negotiate important business deals.

Through sharing knowledge on a common platform, the rate at which information traveled would be greatly enhanced. Perhaps, this was the building block that would drive the Azure toward something similar to his previous world's digital age.

After a moment of curious observation, Zhang Xuan knew that the urgent matter at hand was to heal his injuries, so he headed to the front counter of the Ethereal Hall and called for an attendant.

"Do you have any recovery medicine here? I would like to purchase some."

"May I ask what tier of medicine you are looking for?"

The attendant was a young man dressed in a uniform, and his appearance looked considerably dashing. Of course, it was unlikely that this was his original appearance. This was similar to how many people liked to use the photos of popular individuals, such as that author named Heng Sao Tian Yao, as their online profile pictures.

"I need something that can heal the injuries of a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator," Zhang Xuan replied.

On his way there, he had verified the various cultivation realms in the Azure, and it seemed like there were four tiers of Ancient Sages, and the names of the realms were the same. As for what lay beyond Ancient Sage, it appeared that even Dan Xiaotian himself had no idea what it was, so he was unable to satisfy his curiosity.

"We do have the Whitewood Pill and Bluesun Pill here," the young man said as he passed two jade bottles over.

Zhang Xuan took the two jade bottles, pried open their lids, and took a careful look at them. He could not help but marvel at just how detailed the world that Kong shi had created was.

He was well aware that he was in an illusory world, but the spiritual energy and medicinal energy harnessed within those two pills felt so tangible that he could not help but wonder if they were actually existent.

But I have never heard of these two pills before though, so I don't really know which one will be more useful to me...

In the end, the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent were two different worlds. While both worlds had apothecaries, their practices and techniques varied greatly from one another, so he was unable to accurately gauge the healing properties of those two pills. He was just about to ask the attendant for more information when an idea suddenly popped into his head.

He placed his finger on the Whitewood Pill lightly and muttered, "Flaws!"

Since he was able to use the Library of Heaven's Path with his soul, was it possible for him to use it here as well?

Weng!

There was a jolt in his head, and a book materialized in the Library of Heaven's Path.

It works! Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in delight.

Even though the pills were fake, it seemed like the Library of Heaven's Path was still able to process the information in the Ethereal Hall to analyze its strengths and weaknesses before compiling that into a book.

"The Whitewood Pill uses the Whitewood Grass as its main ingredient, making it excellent for healing the soul injuries sustained by Dimension Shatterer realm cultivators..."

"The Bluesun Pill uses the blood of saint beasts as its key ingredient, and it has remarkable effects in healing one's physical wounds and recovering one's zhenqi..."

The bulk of my injuries lie in my physical body and my zhenqi, so I guess I should choose the Bluesun Pill!

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan relayed his intention to the attendant.

"The Bluesun Pill will cost 20,000 Ethereal Coins each. May I know how you wish to pay for the pill? Do you have an Ethereal Card?" the attendant asked with a sweet smile on his face.

"20,000 Ethereal Coins?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows leaped up.

He did not have a single Ethereal Coin with him, so 20,000 Ethereal Coins was clearly far out of his league! Besides, what in the freaking cow was an Ethereal Card?

So far, it had been roughly four hours since he had awoken, but he had already gotten a clear glimpse as to the purchasing power of the Ethereal Coin. If Dan Xiaotian sold the residence that he was living in, he would receive five thousand Ethereal Coins at most, which meant that the entire residence was only worth a quarter to this Bluesun Pill...

I guess it's time for me to start earning some money once more... Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in distress.

He had finally climbed to the apex of the Master Teacher Continent, commanding greater clout than anyone else. He had thought that he had finally struggled out of poverty and would never have to worry about money again, but in the blink of an eye, he was reduced back to the penniless lad he used to be. It sure was exasperating!

He suddenly thought of the times when he had impersonated as Yang shi to give others guidance so as to earn the money required to solve Zhao Ya's affliction. Was he going to have to do the same in the Azure?

While it was convenient for him to assume an anonymous identity here, he was a humble and low-profile person at heart! There was nothing in this world that he detested more than showing off in such a manner!

Sighing helplessly, he raised his head to look at the attendant before him and asked, "May I ask what kind of ways there are to earn money quickly here?"

"Earn money?"

Those words made the attendant realize that the person standing before him did not have the means to purchase the Bluesun Pill. While he did not reveal anything on his face, the warmth in his eyes cooled a little.

He had thought that the other party was a big fish, asking for a 20,000 Ethereal Coins pill as soon as he walked up to the stall, but as it turned out, the other party was poor!

"The easiest way to earn money is through fighting open duels in the city's dueling ring," the attendant replied nonchalantly. "As long as you don't leave the dueling ring, the amount of money you can earn will increase by twofold each round. In the first round, you can earn one hundred Ethereal Coins, and this will increase to two hundred Ethereal Coins in the second round, four hundred Ethereal Coins in the third round, and so on. All in all, as long as you don't lose, you should be able to earn Ethereal Coins quickly!

"As long as you are able to win eight rounds consecutively, you will be able to rack up enough money to buy the Bluesun Pill."

"I see..." Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

He had made a misjudgment earlier. It was true that limiting everyone's cultivation to Saint 1-dan did reduce the power difference among everyone, but that did not mean that they were equally powerful.

Depending on one's interpretation of cultivation, fighting style, and reflexes, there could be a vast difference in the fighting prowess of different individuals even if they did have the same zhenqi capacity. If anything, it would be even more testing on one's skills and techniques.

Besides, just because everyone's cultivation was suppressed to the same level, it would be naive to think that an ordinary Saint cultivator would be able to defeat an Ancient Sage cultivator. The precision of their control and battle experience would make a world of difference.

The Ethereal Hall could not erase all inequality among cultivators, or perhaps it was not its aim to do so. By reducing the power difference among cultivators, it would put the emphasis on techniques and skills, thus motivating cultivators to work on those as well.

"May I know where the dueling ring is? I'd like to register for the duels," Zhang Xuan said.

"You can register for the duel here. However, I would like to remind you that your opponents get more and more difficult with each round that you win. While you are winning more rounds, the opponents you are paired with are doing the same," the attendant said.

"I understand." Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

This was basically the same as the 'Ranked Matches' in games from his previous world. If you were a Conqueror, the opponents you were paired with would be roughly around the same tier as you so that it would be a comparable match.

But over here, regardless of whether his opponent was a Diamond or a Conqueror, it made no difference at all. He would crush them all one after another!

In any case, he could use the Library of Heaven's Path here, so there was no one who had an advantage over him.

"That's good. You'll have to pay the registration fee, five hundred Ethereal Coins," the attendant said.

"Five hundred?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up in astonishment. "Why is it so expensive?"

"The Ethereal Hall doesn't just provide the location to conduct these duels; it records the video and provides a live feed of the battle to the other cultivators as well. All of this costs money, so naturally, there has to be a fee as well!" the attendant replied.

"But I don't have five hundred Ethereal Coins. Is it possible for me to use my possessions as a deposit instead? Or else... could I borrow the money from you for the time being? I'll return it twofold to you once I win the battles!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment.

Money was truly the greatest woe of a hero.

As a godlike figure worshipped by countless on the Master Teacher Continent, it was embarrassing how he could not even take out five hundred Ethereal Coins here. If word spread, it would really be a huge embarrassment!

"If you don't have the money to pay the registration fee, I'd advise you not to participate at all." The attendant finally reached the limits of his tolerance and snapped impatiently.

A person who could not even take out five hundred Ethereal Coins actually wanted to purchase a pill worth 20,000 Ethereal Coins. It was as if he thought that he could easily win the duels and earn a fortune for himself. Just where in this world did this naive lad come from?

Furthermore, how in the world could he trust the other party to return his money when they did not even know one another? Impossible!

"This..." Seeing through the attendant's derision, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and said, "My Ethereal Token should be worth more than five hundred Ethereal Coins. I should at least be able to use it as a deposit for the duel, right?"

Since the Ethereal Token was distributed by the Ethereal Hall, the system should be able to accept it as a deposit.

"I guess that works. However, I'd just like to offer you one last piece of advice. If you fail to repay your debt within three days, the Ethereal Token that you are using will be resealed, preventing you from using it ever again!" the attendant replied.

Since the Ethereal Hall was able to allow cultivators to connect to them via the Ethereal Token, naturally, they were able to terminate the connection as well.

"I understand." Zhang Xuan nodded.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan knew what he was getting into, the young man impatiently processed the request. Some time later, he passed a card over to Zhang Xuan.

"This is your Ethereal Card, and stored inside are the five hundred Ethereal Coins you have borrowed. As long as you sign up for the duel, the sum will automatically be deducted from your card. Similarly, the reward for your victory will automatically be stored within your card, so you need not worry!"

Seeing that the process was automated, Zhang Xuan was relieved to know that he would be spared from much trouble. He quickly put the card away before heading toward the dueling ring.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1923: My Name Is World's Edge

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

There was nothing that induced one's improvement faster than practical battle, and this was the same wherever one went.

However, practical battles came at a risk. There was a chance that one might get injured or even die, but these problems were not an issue in the Ethereal Hall. It was for this reason that the dueling ring was a popular location in the Ethereal Hall for cultivators to head to.

As Zhang Xuan was nearing his destination, he saw a lot of people gathered together before a crystal-like screen with agitated looks on their faces.

On the screen, there were two figures clashing intensely with one another.

Their cultivation might only have been at Saint 1-dan, but their battle was still exciting to veteran fighters. Their maneuvers were sharp and well-calculated, and the sheer precision of their movements was amazing. There were hardly any wasted movements at all, and the battle techniques that they executed often achieved unexpected effects in influencing the flow of the battle.

"Windherder has already won five rounds so far. He really is amazing!"

"Amazing is an understatement, alright! His grasp of his battle techniques is terrifying! Every single move he executed is measured to an extremely precise degree, such that it reveals no openings for his opponent to exploit at all!"

"I would be content if I could just reach his level of proficiency!"

"Watching his battles are a huge enjoyment in itself. Not only so, I am also able to learn quite a few combat techniques from him and enhance my own fighting style!"

...

Such discussions could be heard from the crowd.

It was not without reason that the Ethereal Token was so highly sought after by the cultivators in the Azure. It served not only as an online market but a perfect underground ring too. Not only did the fighters not need to fear getting injured, even the spectators could learn much from watching the battles.

To be careful, Zhang Xuan did not rush into registering for the duels but instead chose to spectate the duels of other cultivators for the time being so as to gauge the average strength of the cultivators there.

Due to the cultivation cap of Saint 1-dan, the battle techniques that the cultivators were able to execute were severely limited. Thus, what really determined the battle was their grasp of timing and precision of the execution of battle techniques. More often than not, it was the cultivator who was more decisive and had sharper moves who emerged victorious.

Having a deeper understanding of the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan walked over to the registration counter and passed his Ethereal Card over.

"What name do you wish to go by? It's fine to use a nickname too!" the person at the counter, a young lady in her twenties, asked.

"Nickname?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment.

Such dueling ring would require one to take on a nickname so that it would be easier to refer to them.

Since I am able to preserve my anonymity in here, I shouldn't use my real name, Zhang Xuan thought.

Doing so would be just like the fools who used their real names on the internet in his previous life.

Let me see. Yang Xuan, Sun Qiang, Xuan Zhang, Luo Tianya... The identities Zhang Xuan had assumed in the past flashed through his head in an instant, and the next moment, he said, "Call me... World's Edge 1 !"

"World's Edge?" The young lady nodded as she jotted the name down on a book before her.

It did not take long for his match to be arranged.

"Next round, World's Edge vs. Shadow Lurker!"

Amid roaring cheers, Zhang Xuan walked into the dueling ring.

The dueling ring was circular in shape, and the surroundings were sealed by a crystalline barrier. Through the screens around the dueling ring, spectators were able to see the details of the duel from outside.

The opponent that he was facing was a slim, middle-aged man. Even though their cultivation was both Saint 1-dan, he commanded an aura that pressurized his opponents.

"I've heard of Shadow Lurker before! Even though this is his first duel, he's actually quite a formidable expert!"

"Indeed! I chatted with him earlier, and we even exchanged a few blows. His reflexes and movement speed are truly top-notch. At the very least, I gauge that his cultivation must be equivalent to Dimension Shatterer realm intermediate stage!"

"He's actually so powerful? The Ethereal Hall really is filled with many experts!"

"It seems like that there will be something interesting to look out for in this match then! Just that... I wonder if World's Edge will be able to put up a worthy fight!"

"Eyyy, his name sounds so childish. I doubt that he's a formidable expert!"

"Indeed, what World's Edge? It makes me cringe just by listening to it!"

It was impossible to determine a person's true identity through the Ethereal Token, but nevertheless, through casual conversation and exchanging blows, it was still possible to roughly gauge a person's true strength and standing as long as the person was not intentionally hiding it.

Those who had interacted with Shadow Lurker before knew that he was a fairly powerful cultivator.

As such, they did not think too well of the fellow he was going to face.

"Let's begin!" Shadow Lurker gazed at the young man before him coldly and taunted, "I won't be going easy on you!"

He was planning to make use of this opportunity to forge a name for himself in the Ethereal Hall.

Just like those experts who had made their fame there by achieving achieved consecutive victories, he would do the same and make the name 'Shadow Lurker' resound across the entire Ethereal Hall!

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan lifted his hand and beckoned him. "Let's start then!"

Hu!

With light footsteps, Shadow Lurker flitted toward Zhang Xuan with bizarre footwork that caused his silhouette to appear a little illusory.

Seeing the other party's moves, Zhang Xuan nodded slightly.

While the occupations in the Azure were not as developed as the Master Teacher Continent, their grasp of battle techniques and combat skills were clearly superior.

Any single one of them would be more than a match for the master teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion!

Of course, this might be due to their possession of the Ethereal Token too. After all, not even combat masters could keep fighting on and on without getting injured.

I can't win right away, or else it'll be hard for me to get matched with my next opponent, Zhang Xuan thought.

As profound as Shadow Lurker's moves appeared to be, Zhang Xuan was still able to see at least eight flaws in them without relying on the Library of Heaven's Path. It would be a walk in the park for him to achieve victory.

But this was an open duel. If he won in a single move, it would be difficult to find his next opponent. Without an opponent, how could he make his fortune?

And if he did not earn sufficient money that day, the tenth direct disciple that he had just taken in could very well breathe his last breath tonight!

Coming to realize all of this, Zhang Xuan swiftly charged forward to trade blows with his opponent.

Peng peng peng!

In the blink of an eye, he had already started clashing with Shadow Lurker.

"Oh? It seems like World's Edge isn't too weak!"

"The move that Shadow Lurker executed earlier is the Spacebreaking Footwork, right? Is it really possible for a Saint 1-dan to execute such a powerful battle technique?"

"Is that... the Drifting Palm? Has it always been so powerful?"

"Those two moves are incredibly ingenious, and yet, World's Edge managed to dodge them so easily... Is it just luck, or does he actually have something in him?"

...

When the battle first started, everyone thought that it would be completely one-sided. However, when the situation did not go as expected, everyone slowly widened their eyes in incredulity.

Just as they had previously guessed, Shadow Lurker was indeed a powerful cultivator. His every single maneuver carried exceptional might. Despite that, even though World's Edge's moves were ordinary and a little flustered even, he was still able to dodge every one of Shadow Lurker's attacks and even find windows of opportunity to retaliate!

This really cast doubt over the matter.

If it was just luck, World's Edge could not have dodged Shadow Lurker's attacks by just a millimeter each and every time. But if World's Edge was truly doing it intentionally, just how powerful must he be to pull off such a dangerous feat each and every time?

"Look, World's Edge is going to counterattack!" someone suddenly shouted.

In the first ten blows or so, Shadow Lurker had been the one on the offensive, and World's Edge could only defend against his blows. But right now, the tables had turned.

As Shadow Lurker found that his offense was not reaching his enemy at all, he slowly lost his patience, and World's Edge made use of this opportunity to control the flow of the battle.

At that moment, Zhang Xuan wobbled unstably on the spot for a moment before abruptly thrusting his right palm forward.

On the other hand, Shadow Lurker seemed to have expected this abrupt attack and was not caught off guard. Without any hesitation, he thrust his left palm forward to meet the other party's attack.

Just as the two palms were about to meet, World's Edge suddenly pulled his right palm back and redirected the momentum of his strike to his left palm instead. Before anyone could even react, World's Edge had managed to strike Shadow Lurker squarely in the chest.

To think that the previous right palm thrust was another feint!

"To be able to switch between feints and real attacks so freely... not even the lord of Starlight City is capable of such a feat, right?"

"You are underestimating the lord of Starlight City too much. I have watched some of the city lord's open duels over the past few years, and he has used similar moves before. What appeared to be a feint would suddenly turn into a real strike if one failed to guard against it, and vice-versa... This is a move that requires perfect control over your body, otherwise it would be impossible to exert and retract strength so freely. Countless cultivators desire to learn this technique, but very few of them are able to get to the point where they can execute it in a real battle. I have practiced this technique for more than three years, but even I'm not completely confident in pulling it off safely. Yet, World's Edge actually managed to do it so easily."

"Frightening! Allow me to take back my earlier words, World's Edge is definitely a true expert!"

"Could he possibly be the lord of Starlight City in disguise?"

"How can that be? I know the nickname used by the city lord in his open duels, and it definitely isn't this... Someone who has won countless duels like the city lord wouldn't have any reason to pass himself off as a minor figure who hasn't even won a single match, right?"

...

The ability to switch freely between feints and real attacks might not seem too difficult, but throughout Starlight City, there were no more than a handful of cultivators who were able to pull it off. Thus, it was inevitable that the crowd would be shocked to see such a high-level feat being executed by an unknown figure.

Peng!

The Shadow Lurker staggered backward several steps as fresh blood dripped from his lips.

While it was impossible for cultivators to die for real in the Ethereal Hall, they would still experience pain and vomit blood after incurring injuries. This was to ensure an accurate simulation of reality.

"I have lost..." Knowing that he would only lose more tragically if the battle continued, Shadow Lurker willingly admitted his defeat.

He had intended to make use of this opportunity to make his name, but who could have known that he would be defeated in his very first battle?

Right after, a young lady's voice sounded from the outside. "Do you wish to proceed on to the next duel or leave the dueling ring?"

After clearing the first battle, one had the choice to continue battling or give up.

"I'll proceed on to the second round," Zhang Xuan replied without hesitation.

While he did exert himself a little in the last battle, he still had plenty of strength left. Besides, he had not raked in the money that he needed to buy the Bluesun Pill yet, so how could he leave?

Very soon, he had been paired up with an opponent. This time, his opponent was no longer a newbie but a veteran who had already fought several battles.

His opponent seemed to have realized that he would not be easy to deal with, so as soon as the battle began, he immediately dashed forward and launched a barrage of relentless attacks, hoping to suppress him right from the start.

This left Zhang Xuan with no choice but to dodge again and again. After all, he had to drag the battle on for a bit so as to not scare his next opponent away.

...

"That's Infinitesimal Maneuver!"

The crowd exclaimed in astonishment.

"Infinitesimal Maneuver refers to the feat of dodging an opponent's attack by a hair's breadth each and every time. This allows one to conserve as much energy as possible, and it puts one in a better position to launch a counterattack. Of course, it is a double-edged sword as the slightest carelessness could spell the end. To think that World's Edge would actually be able to utilize such a high-level skill..."

"That must have taken him decades of tough training, right?"

"Hah, it would already be an incredible feat if one could achieve it within decades of training!"

"I have a cousin who is determined to master Infinitesimal Maneuver. He has trained for thirty years in order to pull it off, but nevertheless, he still doesn't dare execute it in a real battle. This maneuver doesn't just test the precision of one's control; more importantly, it's a test of one's state of mind. Without absolute confidence in one's abilities, there is no way one would dare use this combat skill!"

Many cultivators among the crowd were already rendered speechless.

In the Ethereal Hall, it was no exaggeration to say that those two combat skills were the marks of a true expert.

Oblivious to the shock outside of the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan dragged the match on for roughly ten blows before defeating this opponent with a swift strike.

While waiting for his third opponent, Zhang Xuan could not help but nod in satisfaction at his own performance.

It was tough, but I think I should have disguised my strength quite well. It is really stifling to have to exert only a twentieth of my true strength like this, but it is all so that I'll have enough opponents to last me to the eighth round...

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan raised his head to face his third opponent.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1924: Sword Tossing

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The third opponent was a young lady dressed in green, but she fell in defeat soon enough.

The fourth opponent was an arrogant young man, but he too did not persevere beyond ten moves.

Seeing how he was staying in control, not scaring away the other challengers from fighting him in a duel, Zhang Xuan nodded in contentment at his self-control.

What he did not know was that, to the others, being able to spar with an expert of such caliber with just five hundred Ethereal Coins was an invaluable opportunity for them, so there was no reason for them to pass on it.

It could be said that they were earning a huge profit just by challenging Zhang Xuan in a duel.

It was not as if they could die in the duel, so they had nothing to lose.

"Senior, what's your opinion on that World's Edge?"

Outside the dueling ring, two figures leaning on a nearby pillar watched the live feed on the screen as they spoke.

The person who was speaking was dressed in green, and he was hugging a sword. Despite his slackened posture, his eyes reflected a sharp Sword Intent that was at odds with his demeanor.

The 'Senior' whom he was speaking too was also holding a sword in his hands, and the Sword Intent that he emanated was even more intense. It was clear that he was a skilled sword practitioner just by his presence.

Both Xuanjiang City and Starlight City were under the jurisdiction of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so there were many sword practitioners among the populace. In fact, even in the dueling ring, many of the challengers chose to wield a sword.

"The fact that he's able to alternate between feint and real attacks, as well as his ability to carry out Infinitesimal Maneuver, shows that the precision of his control over his strength has reached an incredible level, not paling in comparison even to me. There's no doubt that he's an expert!" The senior nodded with a smile. "However, he's still lacking in comparison to the disciples of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!"

"Those two skills are the elementary requirements one has to meet in order to officially become a disciple of our sect. Most menial disciples are capable of pulling that off. It's only in a remote location like this that people make such a huge fuss over this matter!" the junior said.

"Junior Huang Tao, go and sign up for the dueling ring and show that fellow that there's a wider world out there!" the senior instructed.

"Rest assured! If I can't make him admit within three moves, I'll spend the pay on the tab for our alcohol tonight and practice the Transient Swordsmanship from scratch once more!" the junior known as Huang Tao replied with a confident smile.

"Don't drag the battle on for too long. We have yet to choose the new outer disciples and menial disciples, so we are very tight on time. Furthermore, our actions can be viewed as no different from bullying the local populace, and if Elder Lu learns of it, he'll surely reprimand us!"

As geniuses from a major sect, it was inappropriate for them to come to such a remote area and challenge the newbies in the area. This was no different from national players dropping by a local community club to challenge its team. It was beneath them to do something like that, and it would only sully their reputation.

"I understand!" Huang Tao nodded as he walked toward the female attendant.

It did not take long for him to be confirmed as Zhang Xuan's fifth opponent.

"Look at Dire Swordsman's win ratio!"

"He's only lost five matches out of a hundred? Isn't that insanity?"

"What a ridiculous score this is! It seems like World's Edge has really met his match this time!

"Since he's holding a sword, this duel will likely be a sword duel. We've only seen World's Edge's expertise in hand-to-hand combat; we haven't seen his expertise with the sword."

Every single competitor would have their past record in the dueling ring reflected on the screen. Dire Swordsman's feat of losing only five matches out of a hundred swiftly raised a commotion among the crowd.

The crowd initially expected it to be a one-sided battle just like those before, but the opinions were soon divided in now.

Some believed that while World's Edge had displayed exceptional hand-to-hand combat skills, that was no indication that he would be good with a weapon in hand.

Given his opponent's name, Dire Swordsman, and his score to date, he was likely an exceptional sword practitioner.

"Pick up your weapon!"

In the dueling ring, Huang Tao held onto his sword as he gestured to Zhang Xuan.

"Very well!"

Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a sword from the nearby weapon rack swiftly flew into his hands.

There were no tiers to the swords in the Ethereal Hall. They were only tools used to execute one's swordsmanship, so things such as weapon spirit did not exist within them.

"I'll give you two chances before I draw my sword. If you can't get close to me before then, I'll defeat you within a single strike!" Huang Tao remarked calmly.

As a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he had his own honor to uphold.

"You aren't going to draw your sword right away?" Zhang Xuan taken aback. With a frown on his forehead, he muttered, "But you might lose your life if so..."

"Audacious!" Huang Tao exclaimed with a darkened face. "Make your move, or else you won't have to a chance to do so very soon!"

"Alright then!" Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly.

He raised the sword in his hand and flicked it around casually, as if he was trying to get used to it. Without taking a single step forward, he flicked his finger all of a sudden.

Weng!

The sword flew out of his hand.

Before he could even make his first move, he actually lost his grip over his sword!

This was one of the greatest taboos in battle! Once a cultivator lost their weapon in battle, they would have to face their opponent bare-handed, thus putting them in a disadvantageous position!

"That's too reckless!"

"Is that fellow trying to admit defeat?"

The crowd watching the duel were stunned by what they were seeing.

They had never expected to see such carelessness from the seemingly powerful World's Edge.

"Look, World's Edge has turned his body around!"

"You're right! What does he mean by that?"

"Is he trying to admit defeat just like that? Does he not have the slightest shred of sportsmanship in him?"

Amid exclaims of astonishment, the situation grew more and more ridiculous.

On the stage, the young man known as World's Edge turned around and raised his hands after tossing out his sword, as if celebrating something... Was this a mark of surrender? Was he giving up after seeing Dire Swordsman's impressive record?

The problem was, it was one thing for World's Edge to surrender, but why was he raising his hand so triumphantly? Did he view it as an honor or something?

Standing on the opposite end of the stage, Huang Tao was taken aback by the situation as well.

He had no idea what his opponent was up to or what was going on. Even if his opponent wanted to admit defeat, the latter should say so verbally instead of displaying such uncertain gestures!

Just as he was deep in thought, his senior anxiously yelled, "Huang Tao, don't let your guard down! Be careful!"

That remark immediately brought Huang Tao back from his daze, and he quickly gathered his attention once more. However, before he knew it, the sword that his opponent had tossed ever so casually had already slowly made its way to him.

The movements of the sword felt incredibly slow, giving one the feeling that it was floating quietly in the air. When it was just three meters away from him, the sword abruptly accelerated, bolting toward him as if a flash of light.

Alarmed, Huang Tao immediately drew the sword in his embrace to protect himself, but before he could move, there was already a splitting pain in his head.

Putong!

His body fell uncontrollably to the ground as his consciousness swiftly vanished. The sword had already pierced his head and ended him.

Hu!

Huang Tao's corpse swiftly dissipated into light particles before vanishing altogether, leaving only the sword that he had been holding earlier on the ground.

Dying in the Ethereal Hall would not cause any harm to one's real body, but the Ethereal Token that one wielded would shatter and lose its function. Similarly, one's avatar and consciousness in the Ethereal Hall would vanish as well.

In other words, dying in the Ethereal Hall was not completely without cost.

Silence!

There was a deathly silence that lingered in the area.

Everyone stared in shock at the dueling ring before them with slackened jaws.

They had expected to see an intense fight between Dire Swordsman and World's Edge, but as if a farcical play, the latter had tossed his sword out, and the former had gotten his head impaled.

What the heck was that?

Hula!

After a moment of bizarre silence, roaring cheers filled the surroundings.

While most of the spectators were unable to make sense out of what had happened in the earlier duel, it was as clear as day to them that World's Edge had won the duel.

"Long live World's Edge! I love you more than anything in the world!"

"Dire Swordsman must have underestimated his opponent far too much. He was probably caught off guard by the sudden offense from World's Edge..."

"I thought that Dire Swordsman would be a formidable figure, but who would have guessed that he's nothing but talk? To be impaled by a sword just like this... there's probably no one other than him!"

"And to think that he actually had a win ratio of 95% out of one hundred matches... Did he get such a record by rigging the system, or did he intentionally lose the battle so as to give us a good laugh?"

To all the spectators, the sword toss that Zhang Xuan had performed earlier looked perfectly ordinary, so it was inexplicable to them how Dire Swordsman had ended up getting killed by it. Thus, there was only one possibility in their mind, and that was that Dire Swordsman was simply too weak!

"That's impossible!"

The senior leaning against the pillar hurriedly straightened his posture.

He had noticed that something was amiss as soon as the sword was tossed. He could sense traces of Sword Intent behind the sword toss, which meant that it was a sword technique in itself.

Still, was it really possible to kill Huang Tao so easily with the toss of a sword?

The senior tried to recall the trajectory behind the sword toss, but the harder he tried to think about it, the more sweat that trickled down his forehead.

To his astonishment, he was unable to map out the trajectory of the sword toss at all! It was as if everything had simply happened. His mind could process the start and the end, but everything in between was a blank.

Even with his eye of discernment, he was unable to tell how the young man had managed to win with that single sword toss!

"Do I have to fight him personally in order to tell?" the senior muttered as he clenched his fists tightly together.

Most formidable swordsmanship would require a person to experience it themself in order to know how powerful it truly was. Most likely, this move had also reached such a level.

With that thought in mind, the senior unhesitatingly walked over to the registration counter and signed up for the duel. A moment later, he appeared in the dueling ring.

"Soaring Clouds?" Zhang Xuan read from the screen not too far away.

He could not help but notice that his newest opponent had a sword in his grasp. It was just a moment ago that he had gotten rid of a swordsman when another one appeared before him. Did he accidentally poke a beehive or something?

"I am Soaring Clouds (Yun Feiyang). It's both my nickname and my real name!" Yun Feiyang nodded in response.

Without any hesitation, he drew his sword, and a cold sheen appeared on the surface of the sword. "Pick up your weapon!"

Seeing that his opponent was as narcissistic as his previous opponent, Zhang Xuan picked up the sword that he had used for the previous battle from the weapon rack once more before looking at his opponent.

Yun Feiyang clasped his fist and requested, "Please use the same sword art as before!"

He wanted to experience the same sword art that had killed his junior in an instant earlier so that he could find a way to decipher it. As a sword practitioner, he could not stand the idea of a sword technique existing in the world that he was unable to make sense of.

"The sword art that I used earlier?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"That's right!"

"Well... I guess that's fine!" Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly.

He did not think that the sword toss that he had executed earlier could be considered a sword art at all. It was really just a casual toss of his sword, and there was no particular skill or deep conceptualization behind it.

That being said, it was still a sword toss that harnessed the essence of the Heaven's Path Sword Art, and that was how it had pierced Dire Swordsman's head with impeccable accuracy.

This fellow wanted to give the same menu a try?

Did he think that his head was tough enough to survive the impact?

Regardless of the reason behind his opponent's request, it really did not make much of a difference to him at all.

He swung the sword in his hand a bit to get used to the grip before pointing it toward Soaring Clouds.

Hu!

With a flick, the sword flew out of his hand.

"It's coming!" Yun Feiyang narrowed his eyes as he swiftly brandished his sword.

In an instant, with the loud roaring of wind and swift afterimages of a blade, his silhouette was completely covered by his sword, preventing even the slightest droplet of water from getting to him.

"What formidable swordsmanship!"

"How can he swing his sword so quickly?"

"I can't even follow the movements of his sword with my eye! How can anyone breach a defense like this?"

The crowd below were astonished by Yun Feiyang's defense.

His swordsmanship was so fast that it felt as if a light sphere of a radius of two meters had formed around him.

Under such tight defense, it would be nigh impossible to harm him.

Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, the tossed sword slowly advanced through the air to a distance of three meters away from Yun Feiyang.

Hu!

With a loud whoosh of the wind, the sword abruptly vanished from sight. Unbeknownst to the crowd, it had pierced right through the light sphere formed by Yun Feiyang's swift sword.

"What's going on?"

"Did he manage to stop it, or did he fail to stop it?"

The crowd were stunned to see that the sword had vanished but the light sphere was still maintained around Yun Feiyang.

With their eye of discernment, they could not tell what was happening on the stage.

Before the crowd could finish their words, the light sphere abruptly popped, revealing a young man with a sword lodged in his head.

The person in question had already breathed his last breath.

Peng!

The corpse collapsed to the ground and dissipated.

Gasps of shock echoed through the crowd.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1925: Astonishment

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the City Lord Residence of Starlight City, two young men were chatting with one another as they made their way toward a courtyard.

"Where did Yun Feiyang and Huang Tao go to this time?" The young man on the left harrumphed. "They have been acting mysteriously for a while now, refusing to attend even our gathering. If they knew how many beautiful young ladies were there earlier, their guts would turn green with regret!"

He had a tall but skinny figure, reminiscent of a bamboo pole. One thing that was exceptionally eye-catching about him was the long arms that hung by his sides.

"Why would they regret it? They bought two Ethereal Token as soon as they arrived and assumed the identities of Dire Swordsman and Soaring Clouds to challenge the locals!" the young man on the right replied impatiently.

He had a squarish face and a boorish voice. From his tone, it was clear that he disapproved of the actions of the two.

"They went to challenge the locals?" Bamboo burst out laughing. "They are disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but they came here to challenge these countryside bumpkins? Has their pride been gnawed by dogs? What honor is there in that even if they win?"

"I really don't know what they are thinking either. In the entire city, I reckon that only the lord of Starlight City would be a match for us in our swordsmanship. Yet, they lowered themselves to challenge a bunch of ordinary folks. Are they suffering from an attention deficit or something?"

While shaking their heads, Square-face and Bamboo walked into the courtyard.

As soon as they entered, they saw one of the people whom they had been talking about, Huang Tao, sitting before a stone table with his eyes in a daze.

"Did you have fun dominating the cultivators of Starlight City? Did they kneel down and beg the hero you are for mercy?" Bamboo walked up to Huang Tao and teased him.

Square-face patted Huang Tao's shoulder and asked, "You have always been quite the gentleman. How many moves did you let them have?"

Seeing that it was those two, Huang Tao lowered his head in embarrassment as he drew circles on the table. With a voice that indicated that he could still hardly believe what had just happened, he said, "I lost!"

As if serving as proof of his defeat, there was an Ethereal Token shattered into several fragments on the table.

"You were killed in the Ethereal Hall?"

Square-face and Bamboo widened their eyes in disbelief.

They were disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! In terms of technique, they would never lose to any of their peers. Their combat skills should be enough to awe any of the locals, but Huang Tao had actually ended up dying.

The entire matter was so incredulous that they found it hard to accept.

"Did you wield your sword?" Square-face asked.

"I did! But I still got defeated by a sword tossed right at my head... I didn't even have a chance to display my swordsmanship at all!" Huang Tao felt like diving into the ground at this humiliation.

"You couldn't even execute a move before you were stabbed in the head?"

Those two felt as if they were mishearing things.

Seeing that those two doubted his words, Huang Tao added, "Senior Yun Feiyang was with me when it happened, but he isn't out yet. I reckon that he's challenged that fellow. You can ask him about it when he finally comes out."

"Feiyang was there as well? He's the one among the four of us who is most likely to become an inner disciple. Given his formidable prowess with the sword, he should be able to quell any opponent here with ease," Bamboo consoled.

Following which, the three of them stood up to head over to the neighboring courtyard to see how it was going for Yun Feiyang. As soon as they walked in, they saw the person whom they had been full of praises earlier staring at a shattered Ethereal Token in front of him, just like Huang Tao had been doing. His expression was a mix of shock and confusion, and it seemed as if he had just been inflicted with severe mental trauma.

With twitching lips, the crowd rushed forward and exclaimed, "It can't be... You were killed, too?"

Yun Feiyang was the strongest of the four of them. If even he had been killed, how powerful must the person who had made the move be?

"I executed the Boundless Flowing Water, but I still wasn't able to withstand his sword toss! That single move... was more beautiful than anything I have seen in the world..." Yun Feiyang's thoughts drifted off as he recalled the earlier sword toss.

"You executed the Boundless Flowing Water?" the crowd exclaimed in shock.

That could be said to be the most advanced defensive swordsmanship among the outer disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. The swordsmanship would wrap one's surroundings in a dense layer of water vapor, reminiscent of flowing water. No matter how the opponent attacked, the defensive layer would either repel or redirect the attack.

It could be said to be a move that no one of the same cultivation realm could break.

Despite having executed the move, Yun Feiyang was still defeated in a single strike. Was the enemy really that formidable?

More importantly, even though he had been so brutally killed, he still thought that the swordsmanship was beautiful. That intoxicated look on his face was as if he was passionately reminiscing about a lover!

"I would like to see that sword art with my own eyes. Feiyang, do you have any other Ethereal Token that I could use?"

After a moment of shock, Bamboo and Square-face found themselves trembling with curiosity. They were filled with anticipation to meet the person whose swordsmanship was superior to even that of Huang Tao and Yun Feiyang.

"I sent my men to purchase some Ethereal Tokens as soon as I awoke. We should be able to get some soon," Yun Feiyang replied.

Every single Ethereal Hall had their own Ethereal Token. It was using the specific Ethereal Tokens that one could connect to the 'regional network'.

It did not take long for a servant to rush in with eight Ethereal Tokens in hand.

Every single of these Ethereal Tokens was worth tens of thousands of Ethereal Coins, but while it was a huge sum to Dan Xiaotian and the others, it was nothing of note to the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.

Hu!

The four of them hurriedly connected to the Starlight City's Ethereal Hall before rushing toward the dueling ring.

"The seventh round, World's Edge is the winner!"

"I wish to move on to the eighth round!"

As soon as they entered, they saw that World's Edge had won his seventh match.

His seventh opponent was a renowned figure in the dueling ring, Windherder. Windherder was known for his exceptional light and swift movements, reminiscent of a breeze. At the very start of the duel, his silhouette had vanished from view, making it impossible for any other spectators to locate him. Yet, with a sudden upward kick into thin air, World's Edge had managed to strike the other party squarely in his crotch...

And well, that had spelled the end of Windherder.

"Is there anyone who wishes to participate in the eighth round?"

Not a single person among the crowd replied.

It was true that crossing blows with an expert could temper one's skills, but that was only if the gap in fighting prowess was not too huge. What was the point if they were just going to be finished off a second after going up onto stage? No one had that much money to waste on something futile.

"I'll do it!"

Bamboo quickly registered with the female attendant, and in a moment's time, he was already standing in the dueling ring.

Seeing that there was an opponent, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

He had earned quite a substantial sum by winning seven rounds consecutively, but it was still insufficient for him to purchase the Bluesun Pill. If no one accepted his challenge, he would really have some trouble trying to accrue sufficient money.

Standing on the stage, Bamboo assessed the young man before him carefully.

The other party looked extremely ordinary; there was nothing of particular note about him. How did the other party manage to defeat two of his seniors just like that?

"Another sword practitioner?" Zhang Xuan asked when he saw the young man before him whipping out a sword.

The Bamboo nodded as he drew his sword from his scabbard. Without any hesitation, he drove his sword forth.

Based on Yun Feiyang and Huang Tao's accounts, it was clear that the person standing before him was a true expert. Thus, he decided to make the pre-emptive strike.

Alas, before his sword could even come close to the opponent, there was a brilliant glow in front of him that was reminiscent of the dawn sun. Its radiance left him stunned for a moment.

Peng!

Another body collapsed weakly to the ground.

Square-face's face twitched.

He had thought that Huang Tao and Yun Feiyang had overexaggerated the strength of their opponent, but from the looks of it, they had possibly even understated it!

Yun Feiyang's defensive ability was one of the strongest among the outer disciples, but when it came to defense, Bamboo was definitely ranked at the top. Even so, he had still been defeated before he could even touch his opponent's sleeves.

This could not even be described with terrifying!

Huang Tao looked at Square-face and asked, "Do you wish to give it a go too?"

"I..." Square-face shook his head bitterly and said, "If even the three of you aren't a match for him, I don't think I'll fare any better than the rest of you... I'll pass!"

The price was not the problem. It was just that Bamboo and Yun Feiyang were already the two strongest individuals among the outer disciples, but they were not even close to being a match. He would just suffer the same fate as them if he challenged the other party.

"When did such a powerful expert appear in the ranks of Starlight City? We must report this matter to Elder Lu," Square-face said.

"You're right!"

Nodding in agreement, the three of them swiftly backed out of the Ethereal Hall and disappeared.

...

"Finally, I'm done with my eighth opponent..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

He had worried that a lack of opponent could hinder his money-making, but fortunately, another fool had leaped forward at the last moment. There sure were plenty of generous people in the world!

He waited in the dueling ring a little longer, but no one was willing to challenge him for the ninth round. Thus, he could only back out of the dueling ring in disappointment.

He returned to the earlier store, and when he met the male attendant once more, the other party's attitude was completely different.

Given the huge commotion that he had caused in the dueling ring, the male attendant had already heard of the matter.

He had thought that the customer was just a naive poor bloke who thought too highly of his abilities, but it turned out that the other party was a true expert!

Cold sweat poured down the male attendant's forehead as he feared that the customer before him would pick a grudge with him due to his earlier disrespect. However, looking at the amiable smile on the other party's face, seemingly not blaming him at all, he quietly heaved a sigh of relief.

"Elder World's Edge, you still have 105,500 Ethereal Coins on your card after purchasing a Bluesun Pill!" the male attendant replied after processing the transaction.

"I still have more than a hundred thousand Ethereal Coins?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

The returns of the duel should only total up to around 25,500 Ethereal Coins, so he should only have had 5500 Ethereal Coins remaining. Where did the extra 100,000 come from?"

"Elder, the opponents you faced in your fifth round and sixth round were equipped with weapons that they specially purchased. Due to their deaths, the swords were automatically sold back to the Ethereal Hall, and each of them was worth 50,000 Ethereal Coins. As you are the one who killed them, the sum was credited to your account, which is why you still have an excess 100,000!" the male attendant replied.

"They bought their swords? But the specifications of their swords didn't appear to be any different from the ones provided in the dueling ring..."

It was not as if their swords were sharper or were imbued with some special properties, so why would they be so expensive?

"While the swords do have identical attributes to one another, their swords were inscribed with a unique design, and the color of their handles was different. Just the design itself makes them worth 50,000 Ethereal Coins each..."

Zhang Xuan's lips twitched upon hearing those words.

So, it was possible to buy 'skins' too, and the price was not cheap at all.

Those darned capitalist gaming companies.

Then again, there were plenty of vain people in the world, and those who had the money to do so often liked to set themselves apart from the masses. While they were unable to alter their cultivation and item attributes, they could at least set themselves apart through their clothes and weapons.

"How can I take out the pill that I have bought?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Elder World's Edge, you just have to communicate telepathically with your Ethereal Token after leaving the Ethereal Hall and activate the Teleportation Formation on it. The items you have bought will immediately be brought to you!" the male attendant replied.

"That's convenient!"

Not expecting such convenience from this service, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Having acquired what he needed, he quickly backed out from the Ethereal Hall and returned to the silent chamber.

Crossing his legs, he placed the Ethereal Token in front of him and communicated with it telepathically.

Weng!

With a light buzz, a jade bottle appeared in front of him. Inside the jade bottle was the Bluesun Pill.

I should be able to recover quickly after consuming it, Zhang Xuan thought as he uncorked the bottle and placed the pill on his palm.

He was just about to swallow it when he suddenly felt a cold sensation on his palm. A gourd suddenly appeared and devoured the pill whole.

"The heck..." Zhang Xuan's face immediately turned red.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1926: Dan Xiaotian's Advancement

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

This gourd was the very same Dongxu Gourd which shamelessly chose to linger inside his dantian, refusing to leave at all! The last time, it leaped out and devoured the Dragon Blood he had acquired from Sovereign Chen Ling whole, and the same thing was happening this time too...

Of all times to appear, why did it have to appear now and eat the recovery pill which he just so needed so much at this instant?

Did I offend you in my previous life or something?

How in the world did I end up being plagued with a dastardly thing like you?

With his body trembling uncontrollably, Zhang Xuan spat through gritted teeth, "Vomit. It. Out. Now!"

He grabbed the middle part of the gourd and exerted his strength angrily, but it was unfortunate that the amount of strength he could exert was limited due to his injuries.

"Already swallowed it. I can still poop it out if you want it though," the Dongxu Gourd shook its bottom gleefully.

"Poop your head!"

Zhang Xuan threw the Dongxu Gourd on the ground and stomped on it angrily twice before his anger finally subsided slightly, "Let me warn you. If you dare interfere in my recovery once more, I'll throw you right into a pool of feces!"

"You were injured by spacetime turbulence, and its devastating power still lingers in your body. Do you know how long it'll take for you to recover using that kind of pill?" the gourd snorted impatiently.

"Are you telling me that the Bluesun Pill isn't enough to heal my injuries?"

He couldn't check his own condition using the Library of Heaven's Path, and he was unable to drive his zhenqi to carefully check his current internal condition either. As such, he was unable to accurately discern how severe his injuries were.

"Duh! It can heal up normal injuries, but for those caused by spacetime turbulence... Even if you were to eat a cart of them, it wouldn't make much of a difference at all!" the gourd replied.

"That... Then what kind of medicine will I need?" Zhang Xuan asked.

He knew that there was something extraordinary about the Dongxu Gourd, so he decided to seek the latter's opinion this time around. Perhaps, something good might come out of this.

"You need pills that are specialized in treating wounds caused by spacetime turbulence. However, those are incredibly rare and extremely expensive. It's impossible for someone like you to find it... However, you are in luck. As long as you bring me a few more of the earlier pill and let me have my fill, I'll tell you how you can cure your injuries..." the gourd replied proudly.

But before it could finish its words, Zhang Xuan had already struggled his way to the doorway of the chamber and shouted, "Dan Xiaotian, bring a chopper over!"

"A chopper?"

"I have a gourd over here that needs to be sliced to two. If you don't have a chopper, an axe will do too!" Zhang Xuan bellowed.

As soon as an ax was delivered into Zhang Xuan's hands, he immediately brought it down on the Dongxu Gourd, smashing it furiously as if a person went berserk.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was serious about it, the gourd immediately surrendered, "Fine, fine! I'll tell you how you can solve the problem... Actually, the reason why I want those pills isn't because I'm greedy at all. It's because my energy is weak, and I need to consume some pills in order to recover a little before I can heal your wounds!"

"Don't try to play games with me..." Zhang Xuan glared coldly at the gourd as he pressed the tip of the ax against the gourd.

"O-of course not! Why would I..." the Dongxu Gourd quickly replied.

Shooting the Dongxu Gourd with one last vicious glare, Zhang Xuan returned back to the Ethereal Hall and spent all of his remaining 100,000 Ethereal Coins on buying five Bluesun Pills before returning.

After swallowing the five pills, the Dongxu Gourd burped in satisfaction before instructing lazily, "Prepare a pot of water and boil it together with me. Drink the water two hours later, and your wounds will recover..."

"You want me to drink your bathwater?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

Was this a legitimate healing method?

"Un!" the Dongxu Gourd said as it lay lazily on the ground. "Hurry up. If you aren't going to do it, I'm going to head back in to rest..."

Knowing that the darned Dongxu Gourd would really do as it had said, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. He didn't really believe in the method which the Dongxu Gourd had provided him, but he had no better alternatives at the moment either. Thus, he decided to just give it a try.

He swiftly instructed Dan Xiaotian, who was waiting outside, to bring a pot of water into the room.

Soon enough, Dan Xiaotian came into the room and placed down a pot filled with water. He was slightly perplexed as to what his teacher was doing... First, his teacher asked for a chopper and an ax, and now, he wanted a pot of water... Was he intending to prepare a hotpot?

With such thoughts in mind, the caring Dan Xiaotian immediately asked, "Teacher, do you need lamb meat, fishball, or that sort? I can get someone to prepare it right away!"

"..." Zhang Xuan.

It took him quite a bit of effort to convince the overly welcoming Dan Xiaotian that he wasn't intending to having a hotpot. After he finally managed to send this tenth direct disciple of his out, he started a flame beneath the pot before tossing the Dognxu Gourd inside.

The Dongxu Gourd didn't seem to be affected by the temperature at all. One moment, it would be swimming freestyle inside, and the next moment, it would dive underwater. It was as if it was having the time of its life.

This ridiculous image made Zhang Xuan clasp his forehead as he wondered if he was really sane to actually heed the Dongxu Gourd's instructions.

He was such an imposing figure on the Master Teacher Continent, but up here in the Azure, he felt like he was at the beck and call of the Dongxu Gourd, and this made him feel extremely stifled within.

To make things worse, he still hadn't figured out the true identity of this bizarre gourd?

While the other cultivators were able to order their artifacts around, this fellow bolted right into his dantian as soon as they met, and it refused to come out no matter how he ordered it around. Furthermore, it had no hesitation in putting all sorts of stuff in its mouth...

It felt like the Dongxu Gourd would do him in as soon as he let his guard down, and the fact that he could do nothing about it made him feel deeply exasperated. He had no idea how he ended up getting stuck with this dastardly thing.

Two hours soon passed, and without requiring Zhang Xuan to fish the Dongxu Gourd out from the pot, it dashed right out of the pot and shook its body to get rid of the water on its surface before bolting back into Zhang Xuan's dantian on its own accord.

Heaving a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan carried the pot up and took a sip. It immediately sent a refreshing sensation across his body, alleviating the aches caused by his injuries significantly.

It really works... Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in excitement.

He had already prepared an ax in case the Dongxu Gourd had scammed him, but to his astonishment, it was really effective!

The Dongxu Gourd is an artifact related to space, so that might be the reason why it's able to heal the wounds caused by spacetime turbulence... Zhang Xuan deduced.

It didn't take him long to finish the pot of water, and his injuries were beginning to heal at a visible pace.

In less than an hour's time, the bandages around his body unwrapped themselves and fell to the ground.

My injuries are finally healed, but I haven't regained my zhenqi yet... Zhang Xuan thought.

He was finally a sickly man no more, but his depleted energy hadn't been restored yet.

Thus, he sat down on the ground once more and carefully felt the mercury-like spiritual energy around him. He opened up his acupoints and began taking it in slowly.

Tzzzzzz!

As the energy gushed into his body, he felt some weight pulling down his meridians, but fortunately, he didn't experience the same ripping sensation he felt previously.

Is my body starting to adapt to this energy along with the recovery of my wounds? Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in excitement.

He was driving the normal Heaven's Path Divine Art at the moment instead of the reverse version. The last time he did so at the Kunxu Domain, he nearly ripped his meridians apart. However, the recovery from his wounds seemed to have enhanced the resilience of his meridians, allowing him to take in the mercury-like spiritual energy without any trouble now.

Gugugu!

As the spiritual energy entered his body, Zhang Xuan swiftly circulated it around his body and converted it into zhenqi.

"At this rate, I should be able to make a full recovery within three days!" Zhang Xuan quickly calculated his rate of absorption before heaving a sigh of relief.

As a Celestial Saint and the World's Teacher, the capacity of his zhenqi had reached an alarming level. Even with the Heaven's Path Divine Art and the mercury-like spiritual energy in the air, it would still take him three days to regain all of it back.

However, as long as he had some zhenqi, he would be able to exert the strength of a Dimension Shatterer realm primary stage cultivator. In other words, there was no longer anything for him to fear in Xuanjiang City.

He continued cultivating for a while till he finally had a hundred surges of zhenqi in his dantian before finally calling Dan Xiaotian in.

As soon as Dan Xiaotian walked in, he noticed that his teacher's bandages had fallen to the ground, and the feeling of frailty he previously sensed from the other party had vanished. His eyes lit in excitement as he asked, "Teacher, you have recovered?"

"Un, that's right. I want you to execute a punching routine for me right now. I'll determine the location fo the gu in your body and eliminate it for you!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

With a nod of his head, Dan Xiaotian swiftly executed a punching routine.

After taking a swift look, Zhang Xuan determined the resting location of the gu and placed his palm lightly on the spot.

Hu!

A surge of Heaven's Path zhenqi immediately gushed into Dan Xiaotian's body through his acupoints. In just a moment's time, it had already arrived at the gu's hiding spot.

Tzzzzzzzz!

As if the arrival of a natural disaster, the gu that was lazing around a moment ago immediately fled in fright upon sensing the overwhelming energy coming its way. However, before it could get far, another surge of zhenqi gushed in from its path of escape.

It was surrounded.

Under the onslaught of the two surges of zhenqi, the gu was reduced to a heap of pus.

Hong long long!

As soon as Zhang Xuan forced the pus out of Dan Xiaotian's body, the latter began inflating at a terrifying pace as if someone was blowing him, and his body swelled up like a balloon.

"Teacher, what's happening to me?"

Feeling the tremendous energy that was about to tear him apart from within at any moment, Dan Xiaotian's face paled in fright.

"I told you before. The reason why your cultivation hadn't risen despite the hard work you have put in over the past ten years isn't because you aren't hardworking. Rather, it's because the spiritual energy you were absorbing has been stolen by the gu inside of you. Surely you can imagine the amount of energy it has stolen from you over the past ten years!" Zhang Xuan explained with a smile.

"It's all returned back to you right now, so it's a given that you would feel bloated with energy. Don't hesitate and absorb all of this energy with this cultivation technique I'm going to impart to you!" Zhang Xuan said as he imparted a simplified version of the Heaven's Path Divine Art into Dan Xiaotian's mind.

There was no time for Dan Xiaotian to carefully look through the manual he had just received, but he believed that his teacher wouldn't harm him. Thus, he began driving his zhenqi according to the instructions on the manual.

As soon as he began to absorb the energy in his body, he realized that something was amiss.

Typically speaking, when one was assimilating spiritual energy into one's own zhenqi, one would have to refine and adapt it to one's physical condition... However, the energy which he had obtained from the gu didn't require such steps at all!

It was as if the energy belonged to him in the very first place, allowing him to control and absorb it with ease.

"You were the one who cultivated this energy in the first place, so it goes without saying that you would be able to drive them easily. Hurry up, and you might be able to finish before nightfall!" Zhang Xuan explained with a smile.

"Yes!" Dan Xiaotian closed his eyes and focused his efforts on absorbing the energy in his body.

Hong long long!

His meridians were swiftly opened up, allowing energy to flow through his body with ease. His cultivation which had stopped at Saint 6-dan previously began growing at an unbelievable pace.

Saint 7-dan!

Saint 8-dan!

Saint 9-dan!

He had reached Saint 9-dan in an instant, but his cultivation still wasn't showing any signs of settling down yet.

He doesn't have any cultivation ordeal? Zhang Xuan frowned.

Back on the Master Teacher Continent, those who had reached Saint 8-dan would face the Dimension Sundering Ordeal, and those who had reached Saint 9-dan would be struck by the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. Back then, he spent quite a great deal of effort in order to overcome it.

Yet, his tenth direct disciple was able to advance through the ranks without any problems at all.

It could be because the heavens of the Azure is much stronger. To them, Saint 8-dan and Saint 9-dan might be no different from Zongshi realm and Zunshi realm, so it doesn't necessitate it to send down cultivation ordeals in response... Zhang Xuan figured.

Considering how even ordinary citizens were able to reach Saint 9-dan upon maturity in the Azure, the heavens would probably die of exhaustion if they had to send down lightning bolts for these realms too.

While Zhang Xuan's thoughts were wandering around the area, Dan Xiaotian finally achieved a breakthrough to Great Sage.

Introspective Convalescence realm, Aureate Body realm, Intuitive Impulse realm...

His cultivation raced all the way to Great Sage 3-dan before slowing to a halt.

The gu had consumed ten years worth of his hard work, and when it was finally released, it allowed him to soar through six realms in a single shot, reaching a level comparable to Xue Qin!

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1927: Elder Lu Yun

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Just like Lu Chong, this direct disciple of his had a resolute heart.

Putting everything aside, anyone else who had faced such hardships would have likely already given up on themselves and despaired at life. On the other hand, even though Dan Xiaotian knew that he wasn't making any progress at all, he still persevered on and absorbed spiritual energy every single day.

It was due to such willpower that allowed for his current accomplishment!

Only those who had put in the effort would receive returns. There was no such thing as a free lunch in the world.

"Teacher!"

The tremendous strength coursing through his body and the sensations he was finally feeling in his left leg made Dan Xiaotian's eyes glisten with tears. Unable to hold himself back anymore, he kneeled down and cried.

Despite his exceptional willpower, he was still a teenage child.

He thought that he would die in humiliation after being rejected by his fiancee, but his teacher actually changed the trajectory of his entire life.

"Kindness begets kindness. You were the one who reached out a helping hand to me, and you deserve everything that you are receiving right now..." Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. "Since your cultivation has reached Intuitive Impulse realm, allow me to impart you with some protective battle techniques!"

It was futile if Dan Xiaotian had powerful cultivation but no corresponding battle technique to go along with it.

Take Xu Zhu 1 for example, he had two hundred years of inner energy but he was unable to use it at all, which brought him much trouble later on.

"I noticed that you have been practicing your swordsmanship, and it happens that I have created a sword art recently. I want you to give it a try and see if you are able to learn it."

Ever since he was ten, Dan Xiaotian devoted his time equally to his cultivation and practicing his swordsmanship. While his mastery of swordsmanship was so-so, he had long gotten used to the weapon, so there was no need for him to intentionally switch to another weapon anymore. Besides, he felt that Dan Xiaotian would be a good fit for the sword art which he had come up with earlier in the Ethereal Hall.

It didn't take long for Dan Xiaotian to go through the sword art manual.

There was only one move in the sword art manual, and that was tossing his sword. However, this move was much more complicated than it seemed. It required one to have precise control over one's strength in order to exploit the enemy's opening to bypass the enemy's defenses.

Dan Xiaotian instinctively knew that the path to mastering this technique was fraught with difficulties.

First and foremost, he needed to have a deep understanding of his enemy's strength and moves in order to launch a pre-emptive strike. Secondly, speed was also of key importance in this move.

Huhuhu!

As difficult as the technique was, Dan Xiaotian was a person with great willpower. He put his all into every single practice throw he made, fearing that he would displease his teacher.

"Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

The direct disciple he had just accepted didn't come anywhere close to Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and the others in terms of his talents, but he surpassed them in his positive attitude and diligence.

After practicing for two hours, Zhang Xuan noted that Dan Xiaotian had achieved a primary understanding of the technique before indicating that it was time for them to return back to their residence.

"Continue feigning to be crippled," Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over to Dan Xiaotian to remind him.

Dan Xiaotian, who was walking normally a moment ago, immediately began limping once more, just like how he had been for the past ten years.

With the breakthrough in his cultivation, not only was his leg fixed, his height had also increased by a fair bit. While he still wasn't as tall as Zhang Xuan yet, he was already around the same height as his peers. Nevertheless, knowing the rationale behind his teacher's instructions, he intentionally slouched his body so as to appear shorter than he was. Those who weren't familiar with him wouldn't have noticed the difference in his condition from before.

By now, the day had already darkened. When Elder Yi rushed over with a horse carriage, the first thing he noticed was the difference in Dan Xiaotian, and he froze in astonishment.

He was just about to say something when he saw the Third Young Master shaking his head.

Knowing the meaning behind the latter's gesture, Elder Yi swiftly concealed his astonishment and joy. Nevertheless, he still quietly kneeled to the ground and kowtowed to Zhang Xuan several times before standing up once more and gesturing for the two to get onto the carriage.

He was still thinking that the Third Young Master was too kind to help another person despite the plight their clan was in, but who could have thought that it would be the latter's kindness who actually changed their lives?

"Old Master, the Third Young Master is finally well again..." Elder Yi muttered quietly to himself as his eyes reddened.

Wiping away the tears of joy brimming in his eyes, Elder Yi walloped the horse to quickly return back to the Dan Clan.

Shortly after they left, several shadows appeared by the corners of the street. They flitted through the darkness to track the movement of the carriage.

...

Starlight City.

"Have you heard? A formidable expert has appeared in the Ethereal Hall today! He achieved eight consecutive victories in the dueling ring, and eventually, he had no choice but to leave because there was no one who was willing to fight him!"

"He won eight rounds straight? Holey heavens! It must have been several hundred years since such a formidable expert appeared amongst us. Thinking about it, the cultivators of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion are currently recruiting outer disciples in our city, aren't they? Could they be the ones behind it?"

"I doubt so. The cultivators of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion challenged that expert too, but they were utterly destroyed in a single move!"

"Are you for real? How do you know?"

"Of the four cultivators from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, there's one called Yun Feiyang, right? There was a character named Soaring Clouds in the Ethereal Hall, and his appearance is identical to that of Yun Feiyang. Furthermore, the move that he executed clearly belongs to the Sword Pavilion... but even so, his head was impaled within a single move, and he died on the spot..."

"That expert is that powerful? What's his name?"

"His name? Let me think... I think he's called World's Edge!"

"What an excellent name! Vast and unfathomable; just listening to the name is enough to send shudders down my spine!"

"..."

...

News spread swiftly. In less than two hours since Zhang Xuan left the Ethereal Hall, nearly all of the experts of Starlight City had already heard of his feat there.

In an instant, the Ethereal Hall was filled with huge crowds of sword practitioners. They waited before the dueling ring, hoping for the expert known as World's Edge to appear once more so that they could witness his transcendental swordsmanship.

Starlight City, City Lord Residence.

This was where the esteemed guests from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were assigned to stay at.

In a vast courtyard, an old man was currently practicing his swordsmanship.

His movements were extremely slow, seemingly devoid of strength. Yet, every single time he moved his sword, it felt as if the fabrics of the world were being strained. The air currents in the courtyard were stirred up under his movements, and they circled together to form a massive tornado.

They were plenty of flowers and grass growing in the courtyard. As the air currents brushed by, there was surprisingly no damage to them at all. Yet, the dew that was above them seemed to vanish from sight.

To get rid of the water dew without hurting the flowers and grass, this was truly an unbelievable level of control over one's strength.

Hu!

The elder finally halted his swordsmanship and exhaled a mouthful of white smoke. The white smoke rose for over thirty meters before vanishing in the midst of the dark night.

"Come in!" the elder called out as he washed his hands clean with the bucket of water by the side of the courtyard.

He had already noticed some visitors standing at his doorway a long time ago, and he knew that they were the juniors whom he had brought out together with him. However, as he was in the midst of his swordsmanship practice, he kept them waiting for a while.

Jiya!

Yun Feiyang, Huang Tao, Bamboo, and Square-faced walked in, and they hurriedly bowed down and greeted, "Paying respects to Elder Lu!"

The old man standing before them was no other than Elder Lu Yun, the man in charge of handling the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's recruitment.

"Un!" Elder Lu Yun walked up to the stone table in the courtyard and sat down. "Speak, what's your reason for visiting me so late in the night?"

This group of young men behaved as if a bunch of canaries being released from their cages as soon as they left the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. They were more eager than ever to avoid him usually, fearing that he would limit their freedom. Yet, on this very day, all of them were gathered together outside his courtyard... Something had to be up.

"Elder Lu, just earlier on, Yun Feiyang and Huang Tao went to... the Starlight City's Ethereal Hall, and they fought with someone on the dueling ring..." Square-faced stepped forward and reported.

Elder Lu's face immediately darkened in disapproval, "I can understand your feelings. Have learned so many new techniques, it's inevitable that you would want to boast about it. However, as disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, you have to get your priorities straight. The reason why you are learning swordsmanship is to temper yourself and uncover the secrets of swordsmanship. Your diligence is the key for you to becoming an inner disciple and eventually bringing glory to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.

"Today, you might be proud of being a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but tomorrow, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion could be proud of having a disciple like you... Let me tell you this straight, you are wasting your precious time on futile pursuits!"

If a professional gamer were to come to an ordinary internet cafe, it would be inevitable that he would like to show a hand or two to win some respect from the other gamers... but while such actions were thrilling, they didn't value add at all. One learned absolutely nothing out of those experiences.

Hearing those words, Yun Feiyang and Huang Tao's faces reddened in shame.

"I'll let you off the hook this time around, but this must never happen again, understood?" Elder Lu Yun instructed with an authoritative wave of his hand. At this moment, his eyebrows suddenly shot up as he realized something, "In the past, when I brought other disciples out, such matters did happen too. While I don't approve of such actions, it isn't at odds with the rules of our sect... Did the four of you get into some sort of trouble?"

Yun Feiyang fidgeted a little in embarrassment as he replied, "Elder Lu... when I went onto the dueling ring in the Ethereal Hall earlier, I executed the Boundless Flowing Water against my opponent!"

"You executed the Boundless Flowing Water? You would need such a move to defeat the cultivators of Starlight City? It appears that you have met an expert!" Elder Lu Yun was slightly stunned for a moment before he picked up a teapot and filled his teacup.

"I created this move unintentionally while I was observing a flowing river back in my younger years. While its conceptualization is simple, it harnesses a fragment of the laws of nature, making it extremely difficult to cultivate. It's impressive that you are able to execute it... Of course, the opponent who is able to force you into making this move must be quite skilled too. Since you have executed this move, I trust that you have cornered your opponent and forced him to admit defeat?" Elder Lu Yun said with a smile before sipping on his tea.

He was extremely confident of the sword art he had created. The cultivators of Starlight City were bound to be scared into submission upon encountering this move of his.

Seeing that Elder Lu Yun had gone on another one of his narcissistic streaks, Yun Feiyang's awkwardness intensified. With hesitation in his voice, he said, "When I executed the move, the opponent... he impaled my head with a throw of his sword..."

"Pu!"

Elder Lu spat a mouthful of tea at the face of Square-faced, causing his face to appear larger than ever. With widened eyes, Elder Lu Yun asked anxiously, "What did you just say?"

"I... At the very start of the duel, I executed the Boundless Flowing Water, but that fellow tossed his sword toward me, and the sword passed through the defense of the Boundless Flowing Water and pierced my head, causing me to die on the spot!" Yun Feiyang explained once more.

"T-t-t-t-this... How is this possible?" Elder Lu Yun was on the verge of going crazy.

Such a powerful defensive sword art was actually unraveled by the single toss of a sword... Was this for real?

"Does that person specialize in offense?" Seeing that Yun Feiyang didn't seem to be lying, Elder Lu Yun questioned on.

"Un, it seems so. His offensive prowess is quite formidable!" Huang Tao replied with an affirmative nod.

Till now, he was still a little traumatized at how easily he was killed. If he were to meet that person in real life...

"If that's the case, it might be because you have used the wrong move to counter him. While Boundless Flowing Water is a defensive sword art, blindly attempting to defend against a determined assault is not a wise move. You would eventually reveal an opening for the enemy to exploit!" Hearing that they had only lost in the face of exceptional offensive prowess, Elder Lu Yun slowly regained his calm.

"Against such an opponent, you have to grasp the initiative and make the first move so as to corner the enemy with your overwhelming momentum. If you had used the Meteor Steps in parallel with my Bamboo Shattering Swordsmanship, you should have been able to turn the tables around and defeat him easily!"

"Regarding that... Elder Lu, I have crossed hands with that person too, and I executed the Meteor Steps together with the Bamboo Shattering Swordsmanship right from the start..." Bamboo said with a reddened face.

These were the two moves he executed against World's Edge as soon as the duel started.

And of course, it went without saying that those two moves were created by Elder Lu Yun too.

"How is it? Did you overwhelm him with absolute might and defeat him in an instant?" Elder Lu Yun asked as he took another sip of water.

Bamboo scratched his head and replied, "Well... before I could even get to him, he had already head shotted me..."

Pu!

This time, Square-faced's clothes were drenched too. His resentful expression made his face look larger than ever.

"Regardless of whether you went on the offensive or defensive, you were still defeated by the other party in a single move?" Elder Lu Yun dropped his teacup as he rose to his feet in astonishment.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1928: Sharpshooter

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Let me take a look at the video from the Ethereal Hall!"

Knowing it was impossible for all four disciples to have the guts to band together with one another and lie to him, Elder Lu Yun instructed.

Usually, he wouldn't have even be bothered to enter the Ethereal Hall of a remote place like this, but with three out of four of the disciples that had come with him been sniped so easily—not to mention that they had been using his technique —he had to take a look for himself.

If that person was a talented sword practitioner, he would have earned merit for himself bringing that person back considering that he was the elder in charge of recruitment.

After taking out the Ethereal Tokens he had purchased, the five of them entered the Ethereal Hall and swiftly purchased the videos of their earlier battles.

The Ethereal Hall would record down all of the matches on the dueling ring for sales and reference purposes.

It didn't take long for them to finish looking through the battle between the three disciples and World's Edge—each battle lasted for barely a few seconds after all—Elder Lu Yun swiftly came to understand the reason behind their defeats, and he shook his head in bitter disappointment, "The other party saw through the flaws in your moves, and that's why he managed to defeat all of you so easily..."

Hearing those words, Yun Feiyang and the others hung their heads in shame.

They knew that it was likely to be something of that sort too. But no matter what they did, be it to launch the pre-emptive strike, dodge, or fend against it, as long as they were in face of that tossed sword, they found that there was no correct countermeasure they could have taken that would allow them to turn the tables around!

The move looked simple enough, consisting of just a sword toss aimed toward the head, but those who had stood in the dueling ring against World's Edge knew that it was much more than that.

"Yun Feiyang's Boundless Flowing Water is executed exquisitely, but there's a huge problem in the fluidity of his movements. Those who know the slightest bit about swordsmanship would be able to see through the flaws and exploit it. As for Hu Bin's Meteor Steps and Bamboo Shattering Swordsmanship, while it appears powerful on the surface, the problem is that you are unable to bring out even a tenth of its true prowess once your power has been scaled down to Saint 1-dan. Given so, it's inevitable that the two of you would be killed so easily!" Elder Lu Yun harrumphed coldly.

"Tonight, I expect you all to practice those two sword arts and movement art a hundred times. If you were to miss even a single time, don't bother coming to find me ever again!"

"Yes, Elder Lu!"

The four of them nodded solemnly.

"Also, I want you to keep a close lookout at the Ethereal Hall. If World's Edge appears again, inform me right away!" Placing his hands behind his back, Elder Lu Yun emanated an air of indomitability as he spoke, "Does he think that he'll get away so easily after harming the disciples of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? How can there be such a convenient thing in the world? Even if he's a good bud, I'll first grind his arrogance down and let him know that the swordsmanship of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is far more profound and advanced than what he can ever imagine!"

"Yes, Elder Lu!" Hearing those words, Yun Feiyang and the others heaved a sigh of relief.

Without a doubt, Elder Lu had chosen to make a move personally against that person.

While Elder Lu Yun might only be one of the minor elders in charge of recruitment and overseeing the training of the outer disciples, his comprehension of swordsmanship was not to be underestimated. Putting aside everything else, even the four of them combined wouldn't be a match for Elder Lu Yun when their cultivations had been suppressed to the same level.

With him making a move, World's Edge was bound for a trip of misfortune.

And as reality would have it, it wasn't Elder Lu Yun and the others who were waiting in anticipation for World's Edge's appearance. The entire Starlight City and the experts from the third-tier cities beneath it had all heard of the news, and they were excited to see what would happen when that legendary man appeared once more.

...

"He defeated Junior Yun Feiyang in a single move? Interesting..."

In the City Lord Residence of Xuanjiang City, sitting in front of a Narra wood desk, a gray-robed young man had just heard of the news too, and a gleam flickered in his eyes.

This was the same gray-robed young man whom Zhang Xuan had met previously at Hongyan Market.

He was the First Senior of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's outer disciples, Huo Jianghe!

"Help me keep a close eye at the Ethereal Hall. As soon as World's Edge appears, no matter what I am doing, inform me right away... A countryside bumpkin actually thinks that a simple toss of a sword can also be considered as swordsmanship? Hmph! Let me give him a lesson of what true swordsmanship is!" Huo Jianghe stood up as Sword Intent flared from his presence.

Weng!

A sudden burst of sword qi shot out from him and sliced the thick table before him into two.

"Get me a new table!" Huo Jianghe commanded imposingly before walking loftily out of the room.

...

"You wench! Softer!"

Pah!

A resounding slap echoed in the air as Xue Qin glared at the maid whom she had just struck with fury in her eyes.

She instructed this wench to apply medicine for her, but the latter actually dared to inflict pain on her. Unforgivable!

"Second Young Mistress, please have mercy on me!" the maid quickly kneeled on the ground and cried out desperately.

"Scram!" Xue Qin kicked the maid in the chest before ordering the guards to throw her out of the room.

After which, she turned around and looked into the mirror, only to see her beautiful face was hopelessly swollen. Her body trembled with rage as deep resentment flowed out of her. Glaring at her reflection furiously, she spat with clenched jaws, "Dan! Xiao! Tian!"

It was because she was engaged to a trash that she had been mocked by her peers ever since she was at a younger age.

It wasn't easy for her to win Senior Huo Jianghe's appreciation and become a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... but everything was ruined just because of that blasted Dan Xiaotian's interference!

Was that bastard really that unwilling to see her getting along well?

If not for the marriage agreement, he would have already been dead by now! He should learn to be grateful!

Yet, instead of repaying her grace, he colluded with that mummy and had Senior Huo slap her in public... Her honor was completely shattered today. There was no way she could forgive him for this!

"Dan Xiaotian must die! That bandaged mummy must die too! And that servant, Dan Yi, must die as well!" Xue Qin cursed viciously.

At this moment, Xue Chen walked in with a confident smile on his lips, "Rest assured, Second Young Mistress, I have everything in my grasp. I promise you that they won't live to see sunrise..."

"That would be for the best!" Xue Qin replied. She looked into the mirror once more and asked, "Teacher, do you think that this will leave a scar on my face? Will Senior Huo lose interest in me and despise me if I were to become ugly?"

"Second Young Mistress, there's no need to worry. Senior Huo has just sent someone to deliver this healing cream over. Your swelling will swiftly subside after applying it on your face," Xue Chen replied as he passed a jade bottle over.

"It's from Senior Huo?" Xue Qin's eyes lit up in agitation. "It seems like he still has feelings for me..."

From her tone, it was obvious that she was more concerned about her looks and whether she would be despised by Senior Huo than Dan Xiaotian's life.

...

Dah dah dah!

The carriage raced through the streets.

After stepping out of Hongyan Market, Elder Yi could feel an inexplicable pressure in his chest. It felt like an omen that danger was right upon them.

It was precisely due to such a feeling that he didn't dare to rest at all. He forced the horse to gallop toward the Dan Clan Residence as quickly as it could, hoping to find security there.

Sou sou sou!

At this moment, a series of piercing hum echoed in the air as countless arrows rained from both sides of the street.

Ordinary arrows couldn't hope to harm a Saint cultivator, but these arrows were the specially-crafted Feather Arrows. Every single one of them carried might comparable to Saint 9-dan experts. With so many of them raining down from above, not even Great Sage experts would be able to stand their ground.

"Teacher..."

Dan Xiaotian knew that this was a clear indication that the enemies had begun making their move. With clenched fists, he looked at the young man beside him for guidance.

"Don't get distracted. What you have to do now is to comprehend the swordsmanship which I have imparted to you!" Zhang Xuan instructed calmly.

"Yes, teacher!" Knowing that his teacher had a solution in mind, Dan Xiaotian closed his eyes and concentrated on the teachings his teacher had imparted to him. Just like that, his comprehension of the sword improved at a tremendous rate.

"How dare you harm the Third Young Master? I'll pit my life against you!"

Elder Yi didn't hear the conversation between those two. As soon as he saw the sky filled with arrows above him, he couldn't hold himself back anymore. With a furious roar, he raised his whip and flicked it around the air, hoping to fend off the arrows that threatened to hurt Dan Xiaotian.

He knew that even though his cultivation was at Saint 9-dan, his physical prowess had already declined due to the stress and hardships he had to face while protecting Dan Xiaotian over the years. Furthermore, he had also sustained significant injuries during the tragedy back then. It would already be a remarkable feat if he could exert strength comparable to a Saint 8-dan in his current state.

Against the sky filled with arrows above him, it was likely that he wouldn't even last a couple of seconds.

But so what?

Perhaps, as long as he could buy that much time, the Third Young Master might be able to get away alive!

Wuuuuuuuuu!

As if possessed, Elder Yi stood up and flung the whip around, but the sheer weight behind the arrows swiftly knocked the whip out of his hands. Desperate, he leaped up to the top of the carriage, hoping to use his body to knock away as many arrows as he could, but it was at this moment that the queerness began.

The arrows that were darting right toward the carriage somehow magically brushed by the carriage. Despite their close proximity, none of them struck the carriage or the horse galloping in front.

"Are they really... assassins?"

Elder Yi blinked his eyes in confusion.

He thought that they were doomed, but who could have thought that none of the arrows from the assassins would strike the target at all. It was as if they were intentionally trying to miss the carriage?

How could there be such amateurish assassins in the world?

Elder Yi wasn't the only one who was stunned. Even the head of the assassins was starting to doubt if what he was seeing was real.

"What the hell are you lot doing? Aim properly!" the head of the assassins hollered.

"Roger that, boss!"

The assassins swiftly loaded their bows once more and shot out another rain of arrows.

Wuuuuuuuu!

But the same mystical sight happened yet again. As if they were blinded, the arrows curved ever so slightly and circumvented the carriage.

Puhe! Puhe! Puhe!

This time, the assassins weren't as lucky as before. The arrows coming from both sides ended up striking the assassins on the opposite end of the street. With arrows impaled in their heads, they looked no different from porcupines.

"I don't believe that we can't hit the carriage. Continue shooting!" the head of the assassins ordered.

And again, another bunch of assassins collapsed to the ground from been struck by too many arrows.

"The hell! Continue!"

"Boss, we mustn't! At this rate, all of us will be killed before we can even strike that carriage!" a subordinate cried out desperately.

Snapping out of his berserk state, the boss of the assassins finally took a look around him and realized that almost all of his subordinates had been killed. Every single one of them had an arrow precisely lodged into their heads.

The various groups they had spread out in the area had also gone utterly quiet. It seemed like they had been thinned out by the earlier shootings too...

I have ordered you all to strike the carriage and destroy Dan Xiaotian... Why the heck are you all shooting our own people?

Trembling with rage, the boss nearly went frenzied with anger.

Unable to take it any longer, he snatched a bow from his subordinate and aimed directly at Elder Yi's heart before releasing the arrow.

As a Great Sage 2-dan cultivator, the arrow that he shot out carried destructive might. It whizzed across the air as if a shooting star.

Noticing the swiftly approaching arrow, Elder Yi narrowed his eyes as his body stiffened in fear... But once again, the arrow simply brushed him by.

" Ahh! "

There was a cry of agony, and another one of whatever survivors there were left on the other side died.

"What the heck is going on here?"

The boss of the assassins loaded his bow once more, but this time, instead of aiming at Elder Yi, he shot toward the sky.

" Ahh! "

Two breaths later, another cry of agony sounded as a survivor fell victim to his arrow.

"..."

The boss of the assassin clutched his hair in a frenzy. He turned to his back and shot two arrows, and...

" Ahh! "

" Ahh! "

There were two cries of agony, marking the end of another two assassins.

"What the hell is this sorcery..."

The boss of the assassins was on the verge of losing the last shred of his sanity.

It was because he was unskilled in archery that he didn't bring a bow over. When in the world did he become such a formidable sharpshooter that he could strike his own people no matter where he was aiming at?

More importantly, there should have been no one behind him, but somehow, the arrow did a perfect u-turn and accurately lodged itself into the head of one of his subordinates...

Something was really wrong here...

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1929: The Culprit is the Horse!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Stop shooting! Charge at them instead!" the boss of the assassins finally threw his bow to the ground and ordered.

If they were to continue shooting, all of them would definitely lose their lives. Since that was the case, they would be better off charging over to kill them.

Huala!

Upon hearing the order, the remaining survivors amongst the band of assassins whipped out their weapons and leaped out from their hiding spots.

Looking at the few figures who jumped out, the boss of the assassins felt as if someone had plunged a dagger into his heart.

In order to ambush Dan Xiaotian, he had mobilized over thirty men, and he thought that it would be a walk in the park to assassinate a cripple like Dan Xiaotian. Who could have thought the rain of arrows would end up thinning out his men instead?

Right now, he only had eight subordinates left, and two of them had arrows sticking out of their heads. They were wobbling weakly from side to side with each step they took, and blood was trickling profusely from their heads down to the ground.

What a bitter sight this was!

The hell! If he knew that Dan Xiaotian was such a difficult opponent to deal with, he would have never accepted this deal!

They were bandits living outside the city, and earlier this afternoon, someone visited them with a huge sack of Ethereal Coins, requesting them to eliminate Dan Xiaotian. They thought that it would be a minor issue, but it turned out to be the worst mistake he had ever made in his life!

After the huge death toll on their end, he couldn't allow himself to retreat anymore. By hook or by crook, he was determined to complete this mission!

"Chop those scoundrels in the carriage into minced meat!" the boss of the assassins hollered angrily.

Hula!

The remaining eight assassins immediately dashed right for the carriage.

"You'll have to step across my body if you wish to kill the Third Young Master!" Elder Yi hollered.

He was about to jump down from the carriage, but before he could do so, another figure had made a move ahead of him—the horse.

It was as if the horse was angered by the earlier rain of arrows too. Without any hesitation, it freed itself from the carriage and dashingly leaped over a distance of ten meters to stand before the eight bandits.

Peng!

It kicked out its hooves and struck the two fellows with arrows lodged onto their heads. This strike pushed the arrow deeper into their heads, bringing them instantaneous deaths.

"The heck…"

The remaining six bandits were frenzied.

To think that a horse would actually kill two of their comrades… If anyone were to learn that they were from the same group, they would die of shame!

A short and stout middle-aged man whipped out his saber and dashed forward, intending to slice the horse into two. But before his strike to reach, the horse suddenly kicked its hooves forward once more.

Pah! Crack!

It struck the middle-aged man's crotch squarely, and the sound of an egg shattering echoed loudly in the surroundings. The middle-aged man immediately kneeled to the ground as his face scrunched up so tightly that it could crush even a fly in between the folds.

Hu hu hu hu!

While the middle-aged man was being incapacitated, the remaining five people swiftly closed in on the horse, intending to deal it a fatal blow. However, as if expecting their moves, the horse took two steps back to create some distance before kicking its hooves up once more.

Peng peng!

Yet another two more bandits collapsed to the ground while grabbing their severely injured crotches.

"That rascal!"

The remaining three bandits went insane.

It was one thing for their arrows to mystically miss the targets, but it was as if this horse had suddenly been possessed or something too!

Their legs trembled in fear as they slowly backed away fearfully, hoping to make their escape. But before they could run away, the horse abruptly charged right at them.

Padah! Padah! Padah!

In a moment's time, the remaining three bandits were incapacitated too.

After which, the horse sent a powerful kick to each of the kneeling bandits, and in less than two breaths, all eight of them were tragically killed, leaving only the boss of the assassins.

Padah!

The whip in Elder Yi's hand fell to the ground as he was shocked silly by the sight he had just witnessed.

Did I really use a whip to strike this fellow earlier?

Elder Yi felt a cold breeze breathing on his crotch as he stared at the horsewhip on the ground with a look of fright, not daring to pick it up at all.

If the horse were to remember the grudge and give him one good kick… Well, he was old and couldn't really have children anymore, but he still valued his manhood as much. It was the kind of thing that you would rather retain even just for decoration than to have it shattered!

Looking at the corpse n the ground once more, Elder Yi couldn't help but shudder.

These assassins were mostly at Saint 9-dan, and some of them had even reached Great Sage 1-dan… Yet, they were all destroyed by a horse just like that…

How in the world did something as ridiculous as this even happened?

When did the horse he took care of every day become such a formidable creature?

"You…"

On the other hand, the boss of the assassins nearly went insane upon seeing this sight.

"I don't believe that a great bandit like me who have ruled the Xuanjiang City for more than ten years would lose to a mere horse!" Trembling with rage, the boss of the assassins roared furiously and charged forth.

In response to his aggression, the horse also galloped forth furiously as well.

Hu!

But before the two could collide with one another, the boss of the assassins suddenly conducted an abrupt sidestep, allowing him to bypass the horse. In the next moment, he was already right before the carriage.

As expected of a Great Sage 2-dan expert, his reflexes were truly worthy of praise. The earlier attack was just a feint; his main goal all along had been to get rid of Dan Xiaotian!

As long as Dan Xiaotian was dead, he could claim the rewards to the mission, and with time, he would be able to build his band up once more… After the deaths of so many of his subordinates, he couldn't allow himself to walk out of here without earning anything!

"Shit, that despicable scoundrel!"

Neither Elder Yi nor the horse expected the boss of the assassins to be so determined to get rid of Dan Xiaotian even after all that had happened. It was already too late by the time they realized it. They couldn't make it in time to save Dan Xiaotian anymore.

Sou!

A saber pierced right through the windows of the carriage. If Dan Xiaotian's guard was down, this attack could very well claim his life.

Hong long!

But at this crucial moment, the incomprehensible happened. As if a fairytale came to life, the carriage suddenly leaped up and crushed the boss' face with its wheels.

Peng!

That unexpected heavy strike caused the boss of the assassins to bleed profusely. Taken aback, he immediately attempted to retreat, but before he could make a move, the carriage was already charging in his direction.

Bam!

Seven molars were smacked out from his mouth as his saber flew into the distance.

The boss of the assassins quickly scrambled back to his feet and backed away from the carriage warily, but the latter didn't seem to have any intentions of letting him get away. Using its handles as a pair of hands, it seemed prepared to pummel him into the ground.

"What the hell is this…"

The boss of the assassins rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

The arrows didn't hit. Fine, there might be some kind of experts altering the trajectory of the arrow, I'll accept that!

The horse suddenly became so powerful. Fine, it might be because it had just undergone some kind of evolution or became a tamed beast. I can accept that too!

But a non-living carriage suddenly leaping around and executing martial arts as if it was the most powerful existence in the world… how in the world am I supposed to accept something as ridiculous as this?

Is there some kind of ghosts or supernatural forces behind this?

"I need to get away!"

Fearing that he would encounter more unbelievable sights remaining here, he quickly took out a jade token and crushed it.

Peng!

A brilliant glow of light burst forth, raising dirt from the ground. Swiftly, an energy barrier formed around him.

As a bandit, the most important skill he needed to have was not plunder or murder. It was self-preservation. Before engaging in any operations, he needed to identify all plausible escape routes and prepare protective measures beforehand in case anything went awry.

It was in view of this that he spent a hefty price to purchase this jade token. It had the ability to fend off even the attack of an Ancient Sage cultivator, allowing him to survive any danger.

Sou!

As soon as the energy barrier was formed, the boss of assassins immediately leaped toward one of the towering walls by the side to make his escape.

While he was on his escape, he didn't even dare to turn around to see if anyone was on his tail. He was afraid that he would see something that would scar him for life if he were to just so look back. At this point, not even death in the hands of an expert scared him that much anymore. However, if he were to die to a horse or a donkey… he didn't think that he would be able to rest in peace!

The boss of the assassins sprinted with all of his might until he was finally out of breath, Perhaps it was the jade token working its charms, or that the enemy didn't bother chasing him at all, when he finally turned around, there was no one behind him. Patting his chest rapidly, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, I have really been done me in this time around!"

When he first accepted the mission, the other party told him that it was a minor issue, and that he would be able to get rid of the target easily. Of course, someone as wary as him wouldn't just listen to a one-sided view of the story, so he specially investigated Dan Xiaotian and confirmed that there wouldn't be any problems before taking on the task. He never expected that things would end like that!

Dan Xiaotian was indeed not formidable at all, but his horse and carriage were freakishly powerful!

How was he supposed to complete such an assassination?

He swiftly fled outside of the city, to where he had agreed to meet the client after the job was done. He lit up a bonfire and waited patiently for the other party to appear.

There was no way he would be letting this matter go so easily!

…

Elder Yi's body had been so tense throughout the entire encounter that when everything ended, his body simply suddenly slackened and fell to the ground.

He felt like he had experienced a lifetime of shock in just a single night.

He was almost convinced that the assassination from that bunch of assassins would spell their end, but as if some sort of sorcerer was on their side, their horse and carriage suddenly came to life. It was as if a fairytale. Without having to make a move, the problem just somehow resolved itself…

Was there anything as exaggerated as that in the world?

While he was in the midst of his shock, the horse suddenly galloped back to the carriage, secured itself to it, and with its head tilted upward, it began galloping back to the Dan Clan Residence once more.

Watching the horse in front of him, Elder Yi's hands trembled in horror.

For such a fearsome horse to be pulling their carriage…

Even if you want to pull our carriage, I wouldn't dare to even think of driving you around!

"Master Zhang…" Elder Yi turned his head backward and asked.

In truth, he already had an answer in his mind.

The horse and carriage had been perfectly normal for all of these years, and the only thing that had changed from back then was Zhang Xuan's appearance!

"We'll talk once we're back at the Dan Clan Residence," Zhang Xuan's voice echoed quietly from within the carriage.

He knew that someone would ambush them on their way back, so he had the horse tamed and the carriage enchanted when he got onto the carriage earlier.

Even ordinary people were able to reach Saint 9-dan without cultivating, let alone horses who boasted stronger constitutions than humans. Upon maturity, they already wielded strength on par with Great Sage 1-dan cultivators. However, their intelligence was slightly lacking, and no one had been able to communicate with them thus far, which made it nigh impossible to tap into their strength in battle.

But as long as one could tame the horse and establish mental communication with it, one would be able to get it to do whatever one wanted to.

Putting aside killing those assassins, were it not for the boss running fast enough, it would have been able to destroy him as well!

"Yes!"

Suppressing his excitement, Elder Yi turned his head around and watched the carriage racing through the streets to return back to the Dan Clan Residence.

…

The bonfire blazed for quite a while before two figures suddenly approached.

One of them was a middle-aged man. The boss of the assassin recognized him to be the one who had entrusted him with the mission to assassinate Dan Xiaotian back then.

As for the other figure… while her face was masked, it was obvious to see that she was a young lady based on her physique, and a very beautiful one at that!

"How is it? Have you accomplished the mission?" the middle-aged man got straight to the point.

This middle-aged man was no other than the head instructor of the City Lord Manor, Xue Chen!

And the young lady beside him was, of course, Xue Qin.

Typically speaking, such matters wouldn't require her involvement, but after the humiliation she had suffered, she wished to see with her own eyes the heads of Dan Xiaotian and that mummy who dared to cross her!

Thus, she decided to follow Xue Chen here after concealing her appearance with a mask.

"Accomplished the mission? Look here, don't you think that you have some explaining to do? Is this what you mean by a simple task?" the boss of the assassins roared in anger.

"What do you mean by that?" Xue Chen frowned. "Is your group so weak that you can't even get rid of a severely injured old man and a cripple?"

"Weak my ass!" the head of the assassins spat. "More than thirty of my brothers have died in the earlier operation! If not for my fast reflexes, I would have died there and then too! How do you intend to compensate me for my loss?"

"More than thirty of your men died?" Xue Qin widened her eyes in disbelief. "Are you telling me that Dan Xiaotian's group singlehandedly got rid of all of you? Does he wield such capabilities?"

"It isn't him!" the head of the assassins harrumphed.

"Who else could it be then?" Xue Chen asked doubtfully.

He had investigated Dan Xiaotian carefully, and the latter shouldn't have any backing in Xuanjiang City. Given the strength of this band of bandits, they should be able to deal with him easily.

These bandits were a pain to deal with when they plundered the merchants coming into Xuanjiang City, so why would they suddenly become so inept now when their target was just a mere Dan Xiaotian?

The head of the assassins spat on the ground and bellowed wrathfully, "The one who killed my brothers is their horse! No, that's not it. Their carriage as well!"

"???" Xue Chen and Xue Qin.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1930: Cao Chengli's Astonishment

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Xue Chen was confident in his plan. He had no doubt that the band of bandits would be able to eliminate the fallen remnants of the Dan Clan and cleanse the humiliation which the Second Young Mistress had suffered...

But what happened instead was the death of the bandits, and even its head seemed to have lost his mind...

The ones that killed you were the horse and the carriage?

How impressive? Why don't you add cannon and elephant into the list too?

Do you think that we are playing Chinese Chess over here?

"Are you trying to play games with me here? I'm asking you who is the one who killed your men. Answer my question!" Xue Chen bellowed.

"Haven't I already answered your question? It's a horse and a carriage!" the head of the assassins roared.

"Horse?"

"Carriage?"

Xue Chen and Xue Qin were more confused than ever.

"Dan Xiaotian's horse and carriage possess strength comparable to Great Sage 1-dan cultivators. They easily trampled my subordinates to death. Furthermore, it seems like there was some kind of supernatural force helping them. We shot out many arrows, but none of them struck the target..."

As ridiculous as the story sounded, the boss of the assassins still recounted everything that had happened earlier.

"A horse and a carriage that knows martial arts?" Xue Chen's face turned livid as he felt as if his intelligence was being challenged over here. He grabbed the boss by his collars and pulled him up into the air, "You rascal, I don't have the patience to be playing games with you! Even if you wish to back out from our request, you owe me at least a rational explanation!"

"You... You think that I'm lying to you?" the boss was on the verge of going insane.

Why did no one believe the words he was saying? He was being perfectly honest over here!

"Enough! Here is an Ethereal Card, and there are 500 Ethereal Coins inside. That should compensate you for your losses..." Xue Chen couldn't be bothered to waste his time with this deranged fellow, so he tossed a card over nonchalantly.

"You are only going to give me 500 Ethereal Coins for the lives of thirty of my brothers?" the face of the boss twitched.

This bit of money wasn't even enough to replenish the arrows and bows that they had used in the operation!

"You didn't complete the mission we agreed on. I'm already being very magnanimous here to give you 500 Ethereal Coins. Now, scram from my sight right now, or I swear you won't be getting a single coin out of me anymore!" Xue Chen spat with narrowed eyes.

"You..."

Sensing killing intent from Xue Chen's eyes, the boss of the assassins knew that he might really be killed if he were to continue challenging Xue Chen's bottom line. Thus, he picked up the card and departed into the dark night.

"Teacher, Dan Xiaotian isn't dead yet! What should we do?" Xue Qin asked anxiously.

"Those bunch of useless trash! The only reason why I turned to them is just so to avoid any complications!" Xue Chen harrumphed coldly. "Let's return back to the City Lord Manor first. Don't worry, I have an idea in mind. That fellow will never become a stumbling stone in your path! If all goes well, you might even be able to build up your reputation in the city!"

...

The more the boss of the assassins thought about the matter, the more furious he felt.

If not for his greed, he wouldn't have suffered such a heavy loss, such that only he was left of his entire group.

Clenching his fists in fury, he quickly flitted his way back to his den, but just when he had barely arrived at the entrance, a voice suddenly echoed from the dark woods around him.

"After the deaths of so many of your brothers, you are willing to be sent off with just 500 Ethereal Coins?"

"Who is it?"

The boss of the assassins immediately drew his saber and scanned his surroundings. However, no matter how he searched, there was no one in sight.

"Who are you? Come out! Don't think that you can scare me just like that! Such ploys wouldn't work on me, Cao Chengli!"

"Don't bother searching. I'm on the tree branch right in front of you!" the voice continued.

Cao Chengli quickly raised his head, and through the dim illumination of the moonlight, he could vaguely see a book shaking its body, as if it had been possessed by a demon.

The voice had come from the book.

"Y-y-you... You are talking to me?" Cao Chengli's teeth clattered against one another.

How could he possibly not be frightened? On this single night, he saw arrows bending mysteriously away from their targets, a horse who could kill, and a carriage executing martial arts. He was thinking of having a good sleep and forget all of the nightmares he had just been through, but a talking book actually appeared before him at this moment!

"Indeed!" the book replied calmly.

"Who are you? Who sent you here? Don't think that you'll get away with following me! I'll be taking your life right here and right now!"

Cao Chengli roared with gusto, but he tossed his saber away and ran the opposite direction away.

He couldn't care that much anymore. What was important right now was for him to get away!

Peng!

But before he could get far, he suddenly stumbled on something and fell flatly to the ground. While he was scrambling to his feet, he saw that the book that was on the tree a moment ago was already right in front of him, and his body froze in despair.

"If you wish to die a premature death, be my guest. Run away then. I'll make sure to send you off with my utmost sincerity!"

As the book spoke, a heavy pressure suddenly burst forth from the book, leaving Cao Chengli feeling as if he was plunged into freezing water. His body trembled as he quickly replied through quivering lips, "N-no, o-of course not!"

He instinctively realized that the book before him wielded powers comparable to the strongest Ancient Sages... It was at Dimension Shatterer realm!

This realization made him resigned to his plight. He knew that no matter what means he utilized today, there was no way he would be able to get away from the book.

"Good boy!" the book complimented. "Those people you have just met, they hid crucial intelligence from you and caused you to suffer heavy losses. Do you not desire vengeance?"

"O-of course I do! If I could, I would have ripped them into shreds!" Cao Chengli's face warped in anger.

"At the very least, you should know their identities if you desire vengeance. Do you know who they are?" the book asked.

"This..." Cao Chengli was stunned.

When he received this request, the client had demanded his identity to be kept anonymous, and he was fine with it as long as the money reached his hands. Thus, he didn't probe deeper into the identity of his client.

"They shouldn't have gotten too far away yet. Follow them," the book instructed. "As the leader of a band of bandits, something as elementary as tracking someone shouldn't be too much of a problem for you, right?"

"... I understand!" Cao Chengli nodded.

Those words affirmed his doubt that the book, just like the earlier horse and carriage, had come from Dan Xiaotian. Most likely, the reason why Dan Xiaotian hadn't claimed his life yet was because the other party thought that there was still some value to be squeezed out of him.

"Move on then!" the book ordered.

Gritting his teeth, Cao Chengli quickly returned to where the bonfire was.

Even though his cultivation was way beneath Xue Chen and the others, as someone who thrived off plundering, he was skilled at concealment and tracking. It didn't take him too long before he was standing before a majestic manor.

"This is... the City Lord Manor? It's the City Lord Manor who commissioned the assassination request?" Cao Chengli widened his eyes in disbelief.

The lord of Xuanjiang City, Xue Yan, was well-respected in the region. He was known to be impartial and righteous... How could the other party possibly engage in something as vile as commissioning an assassination?

Alarmed, Cao Chengli quickly moved to the edge of the wall and leaped in stealthily. He got into a courtyard and saw a large group of people assembled together. The two figures he had met a moment earlier were standing in front of the group.

Controlling his breathing carefully, Cao Chengli made sure to erase every trace of his presence.

The one standing at the forefront of the group was a soldier dressed in magnificent armor. Judging from their appearance, it was clear that they were the elites of the City Lord Manor.

"Swap into the clothes of these men and get rid of Dan Xiaotian! I don't wish to see that man breathing by dawn, understood?" the deep voice of the middle-aged man resounded across the courtyard as he gestured to a bundle of black clothes placed by the side.

"Yes, sir!"

The soldiers swiftly took off their armor and donned those black clothes. Taking a closer look, Cao Chengli nearly fainted on the spot.

Those were the attire of his bandit band!

The elites of the City Lord Manor were actually going to pass off as them to kill Dan Xiaotian! He would never dare believe this if he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes.

Just what kind of grudge does the City Lord Manor has with Dan Xiaotian to go this far... Cao Chengli thought as he wisely made the decision to record the sight before him with a Record Crystal.

Very soon, the disguised soldiers of the City Lord Manor were already sprinting their way over to the Dan Clan Residence. It didn't take long for them to surround the area.

"We'll charge in together. Spare no one at all!" the leader of the soldiers commanded with a suppressed voice.

"Yes, sir!"

At the command of the leader, the soldiers dashed right into the residence.

Cao Chengli carefully climbed onto one of the lush trees outside and looked at the happenings in the residence through the dim moonlight. What he was going to see would be one of the most unforgettable sights in his life.

A young man was standing firmly at the center of his residence with a sword in his hand. Each time he flicked his wrist, a head would roll to the ground. The wind roared endlessly within the confines of the courtyard, and it felt like this force wouldn't die down until every single one of the trespassers dropped dead.

In less than three minutes, the fifty elites dispatched by the City Lord Manor were already cold, hard corpses.

"That person is Dan Xiaotian? He's supposed to be the weakling that I have to kill?" Cao Chengli's face paled as his heart beat so swiftly that it felt as if it would leap out of his chest. "Damn those bastards from the City Lord Manor... They are trying to get me killed!"

It was fortunate that the ones who had made a move on him earlier were the horse and the carriage. If he had to face Dan Xiaotian personally, his head would have also been severed from his neck in a heartbeat.

The young man's swordsmanship had already reached an unfathomable level where even a simple slash carried profound intents. He had never witnessed such a terrifying technique in his entire lifetime!

"Teacher..."

After slaying everyone, the young man, Dan Xiaotian, walked into the room with an incredulous look on his face, as if he couldn't believe that he was the one who had massacred so many soldiers. It was also only then did Cao Chengli realize that there was a young man sitting in front of one of the rooms all along, spectating the battle. He actually didn't notice the young man's presence from the very start till now!

This young man appeared to be in his early twenties, and he had a graceful demeanor. In the face of Dan Xiaotian's presence, the young man put down his teacup calmly before a disapproving frown made its way to his forehead.

"Just these few opponents, and you actually took more than two minutes to deal with them. That's three breaths for every single one of them! If this is all that you got, how am I supposed to impart even more advanced swordsmanship to you? You won't be able to make it at this rate. Tonight, you shall be practicing your sword out here till daybreak, understood?"

"Understood!" the young man lowered his head in shame.

Dan Xiaotian killed a person every three breaths, but he is still getting punished for that? Cao Chengli nearly choked on his saliva.

He had seen plenty of geniuses, and Dan Xiaotian definitely ranked at the top of his list. Yet, his teacher was still unhappy with his performance... Wasn't this teacher a little too harsh?

That wasn't all though.

While Cao Chengli was still trying to digest all that had happened earlier, he saw the horse, which had destroyed his subordinates earlier, galloping over to the young man's side. With a bright smile on its horse lips, it picked up the teapot and refilled the young man's teacup... After which, it even lifted up its hooves and carefully wiped them clean before massaging the young man's back...

Cao Chengli felt as if his rationality was being challenged right here.

Could that being over there really still be considered as a horse?

Was this how a horse was supposed to act?

I must never come to the Dan Clan ever again. Never ever... Cao Chengli made this spontaneous decision in his mind as he turned around to leave the area.

But at this moment, a voice sounded in his ears, "You know what you have to do."

This voice was gentle and soothing, but it left goosebumps rising all over his body. He quickly turned around to look back into the Dan Clan Residence, and he saw the young man sipping on his tea looking in his direction with a slight smile on his lips. It was as if the other party had peered through the concealment of the darkness to look right at him.

"I-I..." Cao Chengli found himself falling into incoherency at this abrupt happening.

"You just have to recount what you have seen today." The young man's lips didn't move at all, but his voice echoed clearly in his ears.

"I understand..." Cao Chengli replied with a deep bow.

"You have directed malevolent intentions toward me earlier. On the account that you have done it under another man's bidding, I'll overlook it this once and spare you. However, be warned that I will not be so courteous if you dare harm the life of another man with those filthy hands of yours. I'll be watching you..." the young man said before his voice trailed off.

"Y-yes!" Cao Chengli replied before fleeing as quickly as he could.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1931: Entering the Ethereal Hall Once More

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Watching Cao Chengli's frantically escaping silhouette, Zhang Xuan smiled quietly for a moment before rising to his feet and flinging his sleeves.

Hula!

All of the corpses lying around the residence burst into flames. In just a moment's time, they were all reduced to ashes.

With another fling of Zhang Xuan's hands, all of the ashes flowed into the underground drainage and vanished from sight.

All traces of the battle that had gone on earlier vanished entirely, as if nothing had happened at all.

Zhang Xuan walked into the room and sat down to meditate so as to replenish the zhenqi in his body. He had to say that the medicinal water from boiling the Dongxu Gourd was really effective. Not only had he recovered from his injuries, his body had also managed to adapt to the space and spiritual energy in the Azure, allowing him to move and absorb spiritual energy more easily.

He cultivated for roughly two hours before finally coming to a halt. He pondered quietly for a short moment before directing his consciousness toward his dantian and asking, "Gourd, what the hell are you?"

This question had bugged him for quite a while now.

He was well aware of how severe his injuries were, but just drinking the medicinal water from the Dongxu Gourd allowed him to make a swift recovery. Most likely, the Dongxu Gourd was a being more fearsome than he had ever imagined.

Thinking back, it was worth wondering why Ancient Sage Qiu Wu would set up a Spatial Formation just to nourish a Dongxu Gourd for tens and thousands of years. Most likely, there was more than meets the eye.

"There is a lot more stuff that I can eat here. As long as you can give me enough food, you'll know in due time!" the Dongxu Gourd readjusted its position to find a comfortable spot before lying down leisurely.

Zhang Xuan tried asking a few more questions, but the latter simply ignored him. Sighing deeply, he took out his Ethereal Token and immersed his consciousness in it once more.

...

"Why aren't they back yet?"

In the City Lord Manor, Xue Chen was pacing around with a tight frown on his forehead.

Under normal circumstances, the elites he had dispatched should have already killed that trash and returned by now. Two hours had passed since then, so why were there no one to be seen?

"You, head over to take a look!" Xue Chen turned to a nearby guard and ordered.

The guard swiftly put on a set of dark clothes and flitted away. Soon, he returned with a bizarre look on his face, "Sir, nothing seems to have happened to the Dan Clan at all. Dan Xiaotian and Dan Yi are completely unharmed!"

Xue Chen was bewildered by the report, "How can that be? Are my commands not clear?"

He had instructed the guards to eliminate those three at the Dan Clan Residence in the swiftest time possible, but nothing had happened even after two hours had passed? What was going on here?

"Investigate the matter! Find out where did the earlier team go to!" Xue Chen bellowed furiously.

The guard hurriedly rushed out, and an hour later, he returned and reported, "Based on the footsteps, all of them have entered the Dan Clan. However, there are no traces that they have left the premises... My guess is that they might have been killed, and their corpses have been disposed of too!"

"They have been killed? By those three?" Xue Chen was stunned.

Those fifty elites he had dispatched were all Great Sage 1-dan cultivators, and the leader was even at Great Sage 2-dan. Their combined strength would make them a match even for a Great Sage 4-dan cultivator. Yet, they were defeated silently like that, such that none of them even got to send a message back...

Given that the opponent was just the crippled Dan Xiaotian, weakling Dan Yi, and a severely wounded young man, this shouldn't have happened!

Or... could it be that the bandit was right? Xue Chen suddenly remembered Cao Chengli's words.

The latter mentioned that Dan Xiaotian had a formidable horse and a carriage that could use martial arts.

Could, by any chance, those two actually existed?

"Sir, what do we do now? Shall we continue dispatching people over?" the guard asked.

"There's no need for that... If the guards were really killed by them, their guard must be up by now. For the time being, we need to gather more information and reassess Dan Xiaotian's strength before making a move!" Xue Chen shook his head and said.

"Besides, the sun is about to be up soon. If we make a commotion now, we would risk sullying the City Lord Residence's reputation."

"But... are we going to let that bastard off after so many of our brothers have been killed?" the guard asked anxiously.

The City Lord Manor might be rich, but grooming fifty guards like that took up a great deal of effort and resources too. For all of them to be killed just like that... this was really a little hard to swallow.

With a livid look on Xue Chen's face, he said, "I want you to take a trip to Hongyan Market and check plausible ambush points along the way. Try to find the corpses of the bandits or signs of battle!"

"Yes, sir!" the guard replied before leaving the room. A while later, he returned and reported, "Sir, in the frontmost alley near Hongyan Market, we found some corpses, bows, and arrows. They belong to the deceased bandits!"

"Good. Get your men to get rid of the corpses of those bandits. After which, I want you to smear some armor with blood and secretly bury them in places near the Dan Clan Residence!" Xue Chen harrumphed as a cold smile crept onto his lips.

"Sir, you want me to bury our weapon and armor around the Dan Clan Residence?"

Seeing that the guard was confused by the order, a glint flickered across Xue Chen's eyes as he explained, "Dan Xiaotian has always been a weakling, and there's no one in town who doesn't know that. If it were to be found that many guards of the City Lord Manor has disappeared overnight, and the weapons and armor of both bandits and guards alike were found near the perimeter of the Dan Clan Residence, what do you think people will say?"

"What... people will say? They will probably say that Dan XIaotian has colluded with bandits to kill the guards of the City Lord Manor..." As the guard spoke, his eyes slowly lit up in excitement.

If they were to do so, even without making a move on Dan Xiaotian straight, they would be able to corner him and force him to submit to them. If things go well, not only would they be able to sully Dan Xiaotian's reputation, they might even be able to push for his execution!

Due to the evil committed by the bandits over the past decade, they were a bunch deeply abhorred by the ordinary civilians. If people were to learn that Dan Xiaotian had colluded with the bandits, he would surely be condemned for it.

And that would give the City Lord Manor a legitimate excuse to reject the marriage agreement.

After all, how could the noble city lord allow his own daughter to marry a person with questionable morals?

"That's right! I want you to spread the news tomorrow morning, saying that fifty of our guards have found traces of the bandits and had set forth to take them down. However, they went missing in the midst of the operation, so we are going to launch a citywide search for their whereabouts... Make sure to hype the matter up as much as possible. It would be best if the entire city learns of the matter!" Xue Chen instructed with a smile.

"When the news has finally ripened enough, we'll head to the Dan Clan and search their premises under the pretext of investigating the whereabouts of the missing guards. There, we'll find the weapons of the bandits and the bloodied armor of our guards... There's no way Dan Xiaotian will be able to free himself from this!"

"Yes, sir!" Hearing how Xue Chen was able to make such an ingenious move despite the disadvantageous situation they were in, the guard bowed deeply out of admiration. He pondered over the plan for a moment before asking, "But sir, what if Dan Xiaotian refuses to plead guilty to it even with those evidence in place?"

With chilling eyes, Xue Chen said, "He can deny it all he wants, but it will all be futile. As long as we can find a reason to drag him to the City Lord Manor, he'll be ours to deal with. We can simply pin whatever crime we want on him an sentence him accordingly!"

"That's true..." the guard nodded. "I'll go make the arrangements right now!"

...

"Second Young Mistress, you were looking for me?"

While Xue Chen was arranging for Dan Xiaotian's downfall, Xue Qin had returned to her bedroom, but she was unable to fall asleep. Eventually, she called for one of the youths serving by Huo Jianghe's side to come into her room.

This young man was from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as well, and just like her, he was a menial disciple. He was in charge of attending of Huo Jianghe's needs so that the latter can focus his attention on cultivating.

"This money is a token of my goodwill. Please, accept it!" Xue Chen said politely.

With a wave of her hand, a maid quickly passed a sachet of gold coins over. Before passing the sachet over, the maid casually shook the sachet a little, and the resounding jingling of coins echoed in the air. From the looks of it, it appeared that there were at least a hundred coins inside.

"We are all from the same sect. Second Young Mistress, there's no need to stand on ceremony..." the young man's eyes lit up as he kept the sachet.

A menial disciple like him wasn't entitled to a lot of resources in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so naturally, he was more than delighted to accept Xue Chen's generous gift.

"May I ask you if Senior Huo has said after returning back to his quarters at night?" Xue Qin looked at the young man intently and asked.

"Senior Huo didn't say anything..." Perhaps it was due to his inexperience, it was only at this moment that the young man finally understood Xue Qin's true intentions. He pondered for a brief moment before adding, "Right, he told us to keep a lookout for a person called World's Edge in the Ethereal Hall. He sternly instructed us to inform him as soon as that person appears!"

"World's Edge?" Xue Qin frowned.

"It's like this..." the young man swiftly filled Xue Qin in on what had happened in the Ethereal Hall.

"I see! If World's Edge really appears, I would like to trouble senior to inform me in advance. I would like to be the one to deliver then news to Senior Huo!" Xue Qin said as she passed another sachet of gold coins over.

"Of course, that isn't a problem at all!" the young man nodded vehemently with light gleaming from his eyes.

In the first place, this matter was nothing to him at all. If he could benefit from this so easily, there was no reason for him to take up Xue Qin's arrangements.

Barely after saying those words, the young man suddenly lowered his head and took out a jade token. He took a look at it, and his eyes lit up, "Second Young Mistress, you are truly lucky. World's Edge has just entered the Ethereal Hall. Let's go look for Senior Huo together!"

"Yes!" Xue Qin quickly got to her feet and followed the young man into Huo Jianghe's residence.

It didn't take too long for them to arrive at their destination.

"He's there?"

Hearing their report, Huo Jianghe narrowed his eyes.

"Senior, this is an Ethereal Token from Starlight City..." Xue Qin quickly presented two Ethereal Tokens over.

As valuable as Ethereal Tokens were, it was a common commodity to the City Lord Manor.

"Un!" Seeing that the young lady was on the ball, Huo Jianghe nodded in approval before rising to his feet and saying, "Enter the Ethereal Hall with me. I'll show you what the true swordsmanship of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion looks like!"

"Thank you, senior!" Seeing that the other party didn't blame her for what happened earlier in the day, Xue Qin heaved a sigh of relief before immersing her consciousness into the Ethereal Token.

Weng! Weng!

The two of them entered the Ethereal Hall simultaneously.

...

"It really is inconvenient bringing things around with me like that. Let's see if I can purchase a storage ring here!"

Too used to using storage rings in the Master Teacher Continent, he felt that it was a handful to lug his possessions with him around everywhere. Thus, he returned to the Ethereal Hall in hopes of finding a storage ring here.

While it was late at night outside, the Ethereal Hall was filled to the brim with people. Furthermore, the surroundings remained extremely bright, as if the concept of day and night didn't exist here. Zhang Xuan made his way over to the front receptionist and posed his question.

"Of course, there are storage rings on sale in the Ethereal Hall too! Each of them costs 500,000 Ethereal Coins!" the attendant replied cheerfully.

"500,000 Ethereal Coins?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.

That was exorbitant!

It was no wonder why even a huge clan like the Dan Clan didn't have a single storage ring with them!

"I won eight matches earlier in the day. If I were to join the dueling ring now, will I continue on from the ninth match, or will I be starting over from the first?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Currently, the dueling ring was the fastest way to earn Ethereal Coins that he knew of. However, he had left halfway through, so if the count were to start again from the first round, it would really be a huge pain for him.

It was likely that no one would want to challenge him anymore by the time he reached the eighth round again.

After all, the Starlight City only had that much experts. There weren't too many people who were willing to spend money just to lose a battle.

"Since you have won eight matches, participating in the primary level duels don't pose too much of a challenge to you anymore. Unfortunately, there are no more matches for the intermediate level duels yet, and the earliest one would be two days away from now. Furthermore, it seems like your tier isn't high enough yet too," the attendant assessed Zhang Xuan's profile for a moment as he remarked.

"Intermediate level duels?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

Primary and intermediate... Were there different tiers to the dueling ring too?

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1932: Another Bet

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Of course!" the attendant explained with a smile. "There can be significant differences in the fighting prowess of cultivators despite the cap of cultivation here, and there would be no one who would be willing to challenge a person whom they know they can't win in the dueling ring. The main purpose of the dueling ring is to temper one's combat techniques, and this can only be done with a suitable opponent. Thus, in order to allow for better pairing of opponents, the dueling ring is divided into various tiers too!"

Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

Take him for example, competition at such a level couldn't even trigger his motivation at all, let alone sharpen his skills.

"The dueling rings are divided into primary, intermediate, and advanced. If you are able to win ten rounds consecutively in a certain tier, you will be allowed to proceed to the next tier," the attendant explained.

"You currently have eight rounds under you, which put you very close to intermediate tier. However, given the prowess you have displayed, it's unlikely that ordinary cultivators would dare to challenge you. If you really wish to push ahead, you might have to put down a reward, and as long as someone accepts the challenge and you are able to win two rounds consecutively, you will be qualified to enter the intermediate tier and fight with even stronger experts!"

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

Such a design was indeed logical. He would have done the same if he was in Kong shi's place too.

"I'll propose a challenge then!"

"Sure. How much money do you plan to put at stake?" the attendant asked.

"5500 Ethereal Coins," Zhang Xuan replied as he passed his Ethereal Card over.

As he had spent most of his earlier fortune on buying pills for the Dongxu Gourd, he only had this much money left.

"5,500 Ethereal Coins?" the attendant shook his head with a bitter smile. "That's too low. It'll be hard to attract anyone to take on your bet..."

If there wasn't much to be earned from a duel, who would be willing to take it on?

Under normal circumstances, the reward would have to be at least 50,000 Ethereal Coins for it to attract anyone at all. Only then would cultivators be willing to try their luck even if the odds were way against them.

5,500 Ethereal Coins... That was really way too little!

Just as the attendant thought that Zhang Xuan was being a little too stingy over here, a young man suddenly walked over with large strides and said, "I'll accept his challenge!"

The young man appeared to be in his mid-twenties. There was a sword in his hand, which indicated that he was a sword practitioner. Beside him was a beautiful long lady in her late teens by his side.

They were none other than Huo Jianghe and Xue Qin.

However, as those two had altered their appearances too, Zhang Xuan was unable to identify them either.

"You are willing to take up my challenge?"

Not expecting an opponent to come for him so quickly, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Putting on a harmless smile, he asked, "Since that's the case, are you willing to take up my bet?"

Hearing that it was another bet, Huo Jianghe's face immediately turned livid as he remembered the unpleasant situation he faced earlier in the day, "What kind of bet do you want to make?"

"Simple. If I were to lose, I'll give you 100,000 Ethereal Coins. On the other hand, if you were to lose, you'll have to give me 100,000 Ethereal Coins!"

Zhang Xuan's initial thought was for the stakes to be 500,000 Ethereal Coins, but he was afraid that he would scare that fellow away, so he could only lower the bets. He could tell that the other party had come here specially to challenge him, especially given the fact that the other party accepted his challenge so quickly despite the low rewards. While he did need an opponent at the moment, his primary goal was still to earn Ethereal Coins, and the easiest way to do so was through a bet!

"100,000 Ethereal Coins? Can you even fork out such a sum?" Huo Jianghe sneered coldly.

As an expert of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, 100,000 Ethereal Coins was really nothing much to him. Nevertheless, he still had no intention of allowing others to take advantage of him.

"I think the problem over here is whether you are willing to accept my bet or not. I don't mind having a duel with you if you are willing to accept my bet, but otherwise, I don't really want to waste my time fighting with you..." Zhang Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

From the Sword Intent the person before him was emanating, Zhang Xuan could tell that the other party, just like Soaring Clouds and the others whom he had killed earlier, was a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.

According to Dan Xiaotian, disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were highly esteemed in the Azure. The fact that the other party had come all the way here to challenge him likely meant that he was here to seek vengeance for those who were slain by his sword. Since that was the case, this meant that he could try pushing the other party a bit...

Besides, it was hard work to suppress his cultivation down to a twentieth of what it was. He couldn't execute most of his techniques, and it was extremely stifling for him. It was only natural that he should be rewarded handsomely for his efforts!

If he hadn't suppressed his strength, his opponent could very well be scarred for life.

"Audacious! It's your honor that Senior Huo wishes to challenge you to a battle. How dare you put on such an attitude before him!" Xue Qin bellowed coldly, displeased at World's Edge's dismissive attitude.

It was very likely that Huo Jianghe would become an inner disciple by next year, and it should be the other party's honor to have such a powerful expert challenging him. Yet, the other party still seemed so reluctant, even demanding to hold a bet for it...

Know your place!

"Alright, that's enough," Huo Jianghe raised his hand to stop Xue Qin. He looked at World's Edge once more and said, "I don't mind having a bet with you... However, if you were to lose, I don't need your 100,000 Ethereal Coins. What I want you to do is admit your swordsmanship is beneath that of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and follow me back to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to become an outer disciple!"

100,000 Ethereal Coins was a sum that he could afford to squander, but the reputation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had to be protected at any cost.

News saying that Yun Feiyang and the others had lost were already going around town, and if he were to continue remaining idle as their First Senior, it wouldn't be long before others begin saying that the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were weaker than mere unaffiliated cultivators. He couldn't let a minor incident like this mar the reputation of the sect!

Besides, he had much to earn by recommending budding talents to the sect too. It would be considered a huge contribution from his part.

"Very well!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Those terms and conditions were nothing to him. Besides...

Lose? How is that even possible?

That's a word which I have never written once in my life!

"Let's head to the dueling ring then!"

Having come to an agreement, the two of them quickly made their way over to the dueling ring.

"Look! World's Edge is here again... Is he going to fight with someone?"

"That's great! I'm finally able to witness his transcendental skills once more... I can't even tell you how impressed I am with his techniques..."

"Hurry up and call up those bunch of useless fools! If they were to miss World's Edge's match, they would probably hate us to death!"

"Who is the one he's fighting with?"

"A River's Glance? I don't have any impression of this person at all... Hmm, but the young lady that's beside him, Winter Zither, I think I have heard of her before..."

"Who is she?"

"Wait, let me think... Yes, that's right! She's the Second Young Mistress of Xuanjiang City. Her name seems to be Xue Qin or something. She's quite a beaut, and her swordsmanship is amazing too..."

...

Discussions could be heard here and there.

Huo Jianghe's nickname, A River's Glance, was the same one that he used elsewhere too. It was just that he had never been to Starlight City's Ethereal Hall, so no one here had heard of it before.

However, it was different for Xue Qin. As the daughter of the city lord, she was a frequent guest at the Ethereal Hall, and she had made quite a reputation for herself here too. Thus, many people were able to recognize her swiftly.

This was similar to how top eSports players were well-known both on the net and in person, such as One Autumn Leaf Ye Qiu and Heng Sao Tian Ya,

"Xue Qin?"

Those words weren't spoken discreetly, so Zhang Xuan heard all of them loud and clear. He couldn't help but stop in his footsteps.

Surely it couldn't be so coincidental?

He was here just to buy a storage ring, but he still managed to encounter this rejected fiancee?

Speaking of which, if Winter Zither was her, wouldn't that mean that A River's Glance was the fellow from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion who was here to recruit disciples? Earlier, the other party mentioned something like wanting to bring him to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as an outer disciple too...

Just as they were about to reach the dueling ring, Zhang Xuan abruptly turned around to grab Xue Qin.

His movements were so quick that it caught the young lady off guard. She instinctively raised her sword to protect herself, but by the time her sword was up, the other party had already retracted his palm. There was a gentle smile on the other party's face.

"What are you doing?" Xue Qin questioned impatiently.

She thought that an expert who had caught Senior Huo's eyes would at least conduct himself properly, but who could have thought that the latter would attempt to make a move on her.

"It's nothing much. I saw a mosquito on your head, and I chased it away for you," Zhang Xuan replied cheerily.

"You..." Xue Qin's breathing hastened in anger, causing her chest to bounce up and down.

Mosquito? Mosquito your head!

We are in the Ethereal Hall, existing only in consciousness. How could there be any mosquitoes here?

Can you at least be any more insincere with your lies?

Paying no heed to Xue Qin's rage, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the Library of Heaven's Path, and just as he had expected, a book had been compiled. It was filled with Winter Wither's cultivation flaws, as well as a simple introduction about her.

"Xue Qin, the second daughter of the city lord of Xuanjiang City..."

Zhang Xuan's lips crept up.

While it was possible to conceal one's appearance and identity in the Ethereal Hall, it couldn't deceive the eyes of the Library of Heaven's Path.

In other words, as long as the other party executed a battle technique, the Library of Heaven's Path would be able to compile a book on the other party and peer into all of the other party's secrets.

"Since it's her, things are going to get exciting then..." Zhang Xuan thought. Turning to He Jianghe, he pointed at Xue Qin and said, "This lass was disrespectful to me earlier. Why don't we do this instead? If you were to lose, not only will you compensate me 100,000 Ethereal Coins, you will give her to me as a maid too!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1933: Xue Qin's Father

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"You..."

Xue Qin's rage immediately hit the boiling point.

She was the Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor, a person who was respected and adored wherever she went. To be used as a bet and be asked to serve as another person's maid... This was a grave insult to her!

"She isn't my subordinate. I have no right to make this decision!" Huo Jianghe replied with a frown.

"Is it? I guess it can't be helped then. The three fellows who came before you weren't a challenge at all. All it took was one blow, and I can't begin to emphasize just how boring it was. I doubt you would be any different from them. So, let's not waste each other's time and cancel the duel, alright?" Zhang Xuan stretched his back lazily as he spoke.

Huo Jianghe glared at Zhang Xuan coldly with narrowed eyes as he said, "As a skilled sword practitioner, how can you renege on your words so easily?"

"This woman looked down on me earlier. I feel deeply indignant at her actions, and this leaves me feeling stifled inside. Unless she becomes my maid, I won't be able to take this lying! Given my current state, I don't think that I'll be able to bring out the full prowess of my swordsmanship, which renders this entire duel meaningless... Given how important this matter is, don't you think that it's only right for me to consider it carefully?"

Placing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan looked at Huo Jianghe with his head upright, as if he was doing the latter a favor, "It's not that I want to offend the young lady beside you, but this is for the sake of the duel too. I can't think of a greater insult to one's opponent than to face him in a weakened state! You have approached with utmost sincerity, so I reckon that you would want to face me at full strength instead of defeating me in my weakened state... Such a victory wouldn't reflect well on you either, isn't that so?"

Geji! Geji!

Huo Jianghe's knuckles cracked loudly.

How in the world was the other party spouting this bunch of bullsh*t without feeling embarrassed in the slightest? If he could, he would really like to give the other party a good pummeling!

So, what you are saying is that as long as I don't accept that bet, I would be bullying you. Even if I win, it would be because I'm taking advantage of you in your weakened state?

"Senior, you mustn't fall for his cheap provocations!" Seeing that Huo Jianghe was actually starting to rethink the matter, Xue Qin's face paled as she exclaimed anxiously.

"You all seem to be making me out to be the villain here... Fine, fine! Even if you don't agree with my request, I'll still have the duel with you, alright? All you want is to defeat me, right? I doubt that you care whether the duel is fair or not anyway..." Zhang Xuan shook his head in desolation. "I guess that's all there is to the pride of the experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. They would stoop down to anything as long as they can achieve victory..."

"Enough! I'll accede to your request, is that all?" Huo Jianghe bellowed furiously.

It might seem as if Zhang Xuan was grasping at straws, but in truth, he had managed to hit Huo Jianghe's weakness dead on. Huo Jianghe was someone with a lot of pride, and he couldn't bear the idea of anyone casting doubt over his abilities.

"Senior..." Xue Qin staggered in shock.

She was the Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor, a person blessed by the heavens... She was a person who had been accepted into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and there was a good chance that she could rise through the ranks to become a powerhouse of the continent in the future.

It was an unspeakable humiliation for her to actually be used as a wager like that!

But barely after she started speaking, she found herself met with Huo Jianghe's cold eyes as the latter uttered frostily, "Do you think that I would lose to the likes of him?"

"I..." That single glare sent alarm bells ringing in Xue Qin's mind as her face paled in fright. "O-of course not... Someone as powerful as you is bound to win him easily..."

"Hmph!"

Huo Jianghe grabbed the sword which Xue Qin was holding and drew it out. Fearing that he would die of rage the more he spoke, he stepped onto the dueling ring and said, "Let's hurry up and get it over with!"

"My thoughts exactly!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he got onto the dueling ring too.

"I heard that you used a sword tossing technique the previous few times my juniors challenged you. I would like to witness the strength of that technique too!" Huo Jianghe said.

Since he wanted to salvage the reputation of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he would have to defeat the other party while the other party was using his most powerful sword art.

"Sure!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he pulled a sword out from the weapon rack.

...

"Elder! Elder! World's Edge appeared again!"

In Starlight City's City Lord Manor, Yun Feiyang barged into a room in a hurry.

Seated within the room was Elder Lu Yun. Upon hearing the news, his eyes lit up in excitement as he took an Ethereal Token and immersed his consciousness into it.

Yun Feiyang, Huang Tao, and the others quickly followed suit too.

As soon as they entered the Ethereal Hall, they could already hear an amazing bustle coming from where the dueling ring was located. Crowds and crowds of people were rushing over as well.

"Let's hurry over! The match between World's Edge and A River's Glance is about to start!"

"A River's Glance? Who is that?"

"I don't know either, but I heard that he's an amazing swordmaster. I have a feeling that it'll be an exciting match!"

"To dare to challenge World's Edge despite knowing his remarkable results earlier the day, it would only mean to say that A River's Glance is no newbie either. I wonder if he would be able to dethrone World's Edge..."

...

"A River's Glance? Isn't that our First Senior?" Yun Feiyang's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Jianghe is here too? He must have heard of your losses and came here personally to salvage the sect's reputation!" Elder Lu Yun nodded in approval as he swiftly deduced what was going on.

Those words made the four of them redden in shame, "We apologize for our lack of practice!"

It was embarrassing that they would need their First Senior to stand up for them after their loss.

"Jianghe has always been a stable fighter, and he has a lot of fighting experience too. I believe that he should be able to undo the negative influence this matter has on our sect..." Elder Lu Yun stroked his beard and remarked.

Even within the Ethereal Hall, the character he assumed was also an elder too.

"Indeed. With our First Senior making a move, I believe that not even World's Edge would stand much of a chance at all!"

"Let's head over to take a look!" Elder Lu Yun gestured them forward.

They squeezed through the crowd and head to the forefront of the commotion, but all of a sudden, deafening cheerings filled the air and tremored the clouds above.

"The match must have ended..." Elder Lu Yun remarked.

They hurried forward, fully expecting to see Huo Jianghe standing triumphantly on the dueling ring. Contrary to what they thought, they saw A River's Glance lying on the ground with a sword impaled in his head instead.

It didn't take long for the corpse to dissipate into light fragments.

"First Senior..."

Yun Feiyang and the others were stunned. Elder Lu Yun was stupefied too.

Didn't the battle start not too long ago?

Why did it seem like it had ended in the blink of an eye?

Could it be that not even their First Senior was a match for World's Edge and ended up being killed in a split second too?

Meanwhile, Xue Qin's body was trembling nonstop. The situation before her was really driving her mad!

Being used as a wager was already displeasing enough for her, but who could have thought that the senior whom she respected so much would actually be subdued by the single toss of a sword... Everything ended so quickly that it almost felt like Huo Jianghe was conspiring with World's Edge to do her in!

If that was the case... did this mean that she was now World's Edge's maid?

As if having read into her mind, the young man on the dueling ring suddenly called out, "My maid over there, what are you doing over there? Come over and massage my back!"

"You..." Xue Qin felt as if her face was burning up.

She had never felt so insulted in her life.

You want me to serve as your maid? Dream on!

Xue Qin stomped right onto the dueling ring and raised her hand, intending to slap Zhang Xuan in his face. But before her strike could land, the other party's hand had already grasped her wrist.

Pah!

Sharp pain assaulted Xue Qin's face. Instead of the one slapping, she had become the one who had been slapped instead.

It was just a single slap, but it was a strike without anything held back at all. Her beautiful face immediately began swelling to the point that her left cheek looked like a huge, red bun.

Even though Xue Qin knew that this wasn't the real world, the pain and the humiliation she felt were more real than anything she had ever experienced. If there was a pit in the ground right now, she would dive right in without any hesitation.

She thought that she would be able to rise to the top with the support of Huo Jianghe and achieve her dreams. But just like a fleeting bubble, it felt as if everything had vanished with a pop...

She had never felt so pathetic in her life before.

"You sure are daring to dare lay your hands on your master!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly.

He didn't harbor the slightest goodwill for the vicious woman standing before her. If not for the fact that he was intending on leaving her to his disciple to deal with, he would have already gotten rid of her by now!

"I'll kill you!" Xue Qin roared with reddened eyes as she charged forward, intending to pit her life against the young man before her.

But at this moment, a cold bellow echoed across the crowd, "Enough. Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"

Xue Qin's body froze on the spot. Turning around, she saw a middle-aged man walking in her direction.

"Father..." Xue Qin muttered softly in a daze.

Out of sheer relief upon seeing her pillar of support, the young lady fell to the ground and began crying her eyes out. All of her indignance came gushing out at this moment.

"She called him father? Could this person be... the lord of Xuanjiang City, City Lord Xue Gan?"

"City Lord Xue Gan is an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm expert! I have never thought that he would come here personally..."

"What would truly unthinkable is him remaining idle after hearing that his daughter has become the maid of another man!"

"If City Lord Xue Gan is making a move personally, World's Edge would really be a goner then..."

"Indeed. Not only did he insult Xue Qin, he even slapped her. Just on that itself, no one would be able to save him anymore..."

...

Paying no heed to the discussions of the crowd, Xue Gan looked at Zhang Xuan and said, "This friend over here, why don't we call it quits here? It's normal for younglings like you to be hot-blooded, but it would be good to keep it under control. We never know what would happen in the future, so it's better to make friends than enemies, don't you think so?"

"You're right. How great the world would be if everything could be resolved peacefully?" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. "What a pity that we don't live in an idealistic world. Besides, I have no interest in associating myself with dogs!"

Xue Gan's eyes immediately turned livid as killing intent gushed forth from him.

The crowd had already revealed his true identity. As the city lord of Xuanjiang City, he was already lowering himself by making peace first, but the other party dared to snub his goodwill!

This was intolerable!

In truth, Zhang Xuan was also nowhere as calm as he seemed on the surface. Were it not for him, the kind Dan Xiaotian could very well be dead by now... and it was all because the latter had a marriage agreement with Xue Qin.

For the sake of preserving their reputation, there was nothing those two wouldn't stoop down to. He didn't have the patience in him to speak politely to vicious hypocrites like them.

"You seem to be very confident in your ability. Why don't we have a duel then?"

Seeing that more and more people were gathering around, Xue Gan knew that he couldn't back down just like that anymore. He had to protect his dignity as the city lord.

"The wager will be 400,000 Ethereal Coins. Well, it's up to you to decide whether you wish to accept it or not. If you even can't fork out this bit of money, I'll be going back to sleep. It has been a rough day on me, you know. The maid which has just come under me wouldn't heed my orders at all... To be honest, I don't know how you are able to manage a city of millions when you can't even manage your own daughter well!" Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment.

Since your City Lord Manor has plenty of money to groom so many soldiers, why don't you bleed some of it out for me?

Geji! Geji!

Xue Gan had never wanted to kill a person so much before.

For many years, he had been held in high regard. Even his enemies dared not to talk back to him in his presence... This was the first time he had been put down publicly like this.

There was no way he was going to let the other party get away just after all those insults hurled at him.

"Young man, do you think that the anonymity provided by the Ethereal Hall is absolute? There are many cases in the world where a person has been hunted down and killed in real life after offending someone in the Ethereal Hall!" Xue Gan's voice was dripping with threat.

"You seem to be very fond of beating around the bush. If you don't have the money to wager, I'll have to ask you to scram. My time is very precious!" Zhang Xuan waved Xue Gan away dismissively.

"You..." Xue Gan gritted his teeth in fury. "Very well, I'll take you up on your wager!"

To be honest, 400,000 Ethereal Coins was a huge sum to the City Lord Manor... but if he didn't take up this wager and allowed the other party to leave just like that, the prestige he had built up with difficulty over the past few decades would be eroded just like that!

He had no doubt that the other party would surely give everything he had to sully the reputation of the City Lord Manor if he were to back down here!

Just how in the world did the City Lord Manor get involved with this troublesome lad?

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1934: Recurring Number

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Out of regard for their own honor, most experts were very heeding of rules and common courtesy. It had almost become a social convention expected of the higher echelons.

However, this lad clearly had no eyes for the rules at all.

Knowing that his daughter was the cause of this mess, Xue Gan shot a cold glance over at her, causing Xue Qin to shudder a little. After which, he turned to Zhang Xuan and harrumphed impatiently, "Hurry up!"

With a smile on his lips, Zhang Xuan took his position in the dueling ring and beckoned with a wave of his hand, "You may have the first move."

"Allow me to make it clear first. Our bet isn't based on the rules of this dueling ring but a life-and-death match!" Xue Gan said, not anxious to make a move yet. "You can be assured that I'll give you 400,000 Ethereal Coins if you were to win, but if I were to win, you'll have to tell me your true identity. Furthermore, I want you to come to the City Lord Manor and apologize to my daughter and me!"

As long as he knew the other party's identity, he would make sure to turn the other party's life into a living hell!

"Fine by me!" Zhang Xuan replied haughtily.

"Then, shall we put down our bets then?"

With a wave of his hand, Xue Gan flicked his Ethereal Card into the hands of the young lady in charge of registration.

Weng!

There was a brilliant ray of light, and a message surfaced in the air, indicating that Xue Gan had put 400,000 Ethereal Coins into the duel.

Seeing how candid the other party was, Zhang Xuan leisurely flicked his finger and passed the information regarding his identity and location into the hands of the young lady too.

Three was another brilliant ray of light, and words reflecting that Zhang Xuan had put in his end of the bet appeared in the air too.

Even though one's identity in the Ethereal Hall was anonymous, this anonymity only applied to other cultivators. Through the Ethereal Token, the system was still able to sense the exact location of the user and verify the user's identity through his blood.

"Good. Let's begin then!"

Having confirmed the bet, Xue Gan unhesitatingly walked over to the weapon rack and picked up a massive saber.

His true field of specialty lay not in his swordsmanship but his saber art!

"I won't take advantage of you either. Since you are using a saber, I'll follow you!" Zhang Xuan said as he grabbed an identical saber from the weapon rack too.

"He's able to use the saber too?"

"But he's a sword practitioner! Isn't he handicapping himself by equipping a saber?"

The crowd was appalled.

After nine remarkable battles, there was no one amongst the crowd who didn't know that World's Edge was a true swordmaster who could stand his ground even against the disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.

And for a swordmaster to actually wield a saber instead... Was he insane?

"You really are courting your own death!"

Xue Gan was confidently in his abilities, but even he was a little hesitant to face Zhang Xuan's sword toss after seeing how many formidable enemies had fallen before its prowess... But of all things, the other party actually foolishly chose to challenge him to a battle of saber arts. Xue Gan couldn't help but scoff coldly.

Saber and sword might seem similar, but the vast difference in their sizes and weight meant that they were intended to be wielded in vastly different manners. As such, those who were used to holding a sword often found themselves unable to bring out the true prowess of a saber, and vice-versa.

It was extremely rare to see someone who had reached the peak in both swordsmanship and saber arts.

To forsake your strengths and voluntarily handicap yourself... Very well, I'll make you regret your decision dearly!

Hula!

With a flick of his wrist, Xue Gan immediately flicked his wrist and shot out multiple saber qi. The saber qi adeptly wrapped itself around Zhang Xuan's surroundings, sealing the latter's path of movement. At the same time, Xue Gan himself dashed forward to bring his saber down upon Zhang Xuan.

Elder Lu Yun's eyebrows shot up, "I guess it's not completely without reason that he was able to become the lord of Xuanjiang City."

This saber art did appear to be ordinary and straightforward on the surface, but Elder Lu Yun could clearly discern that there were 49 transformations in the technique. No matter how Zhang Xuan moved, Xue Gan would have a way to deal with it and press his offense on.

Eventually, Zhang Xuan would find himself cornered and overwhelmed.

Even Elder Lu Yun himself would have some trouble coping with such a move.

"That's City Lord Xue's Solace of the Silver Winter!"

"I heard of that story before! It's said that back when City Lord Xue was still 27, there was a night in which the silver moon hung beautifully above the snowy fields, seducing all eyes that fell upon it. It was that night which City Lord Xue was inspired to create this ultimate move!"

"Just like the silver moon illuminating the snowy fields, there's nowhere to run or hide from this saber art. It's with this technique that City Lord Xue dominated the dueling ring here!"

"Do you think World's Edge would be able to withstand this move?"

...

All of those who had the resources to purchase the Ethereal Token and enter here were mostly experts. While they were still severely lacking in comparison to Zhang Xuan, their eye of discernment was at least still on par.

They could tell that there was much more to Xue Gan's move than what was shown on the exterior, and most of them felt that World's Edge had finally met his match.

"Not bad, I really should give you some recognition for being able to come up with this move..." Similar to the crowd, Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised by Xue Gan's move too. With a deep frown on his forehead, he fell into deep thoughts.

Should I use a tenth of my strength, or should I use a fifth?

After all, the person standing before him wasn't the weakling that had come before. He clearly had much more combat experience than the others though he seemed to have hit his bottleneck... A tenth might not be enough to block him, but a fifth was likely to be too great that it might one-hit knockout him!

Such fame wasn't what he wanted!

If others were to learn that he had the strength to instakill even a city lord, there would be no one who would accept his duel and deliver free money to him anymore.

Yes, humility and low profile is the way to go!

"Forget it. I should play safe and start with an eighth first. I'll first drag the fight for a while before finding a good opportunity to naturally defeat him later on..." Zhang Xuan quickly made up his mind before charging forth with his saber.

His moves were neither glamorous nor profound. In his hands, the saber seemed perfectly ordinary. Yet, as if an impenetrable barrier, he was able to fend against Xue Gan's relentless offense each and every time.

In the blink of a few eyes, they had already traded twenty blows.

"Elder Lu, who do you think will win?" Yun Feiyang, who didn't have much understanding of saber, asked.

The rest of the gang quickly turned their heads over as well.

"I reckon that City Lord Xue is in an advantageous position!" Elder Lu replied with a wise nod.

"So, City Lord Xue is going to win?"

"Most likely so. While World's Edge has managed to stand his ground so far, it's apparent that he isn't as adept with the saber. This is the reason why he has been forced to be on the defensive thus far, unable to launch a proper counterattack against City Lord Xue. On the other hand, City Lord Xue's saber balances speed together with strength perfectly. Each move he makes results in more momentum building up within the saber, and it would eventually reach a level that overwhelms World's Edge defense!" Elder Lu replied calmly as he stroked his beard.

Those who were qualified to become a city lord and could hold on to the position for so long were bound to possess extraordinary abilities that surpassed the others.

"I see..." Yun Feiyang and the others nodded in realization.

Analyzing the duel from Elder Lu's perspective, the happenings in the duel suddenly made sense to them.

Meanwhile, on the dueling ring, it felt like a snowstorm had descended upon the world, sending chilling air into the surroundings. With each strike, City Lord Xue's movements were growing faster and faster, such that cracks started to appear on the dueling ring.

"Incredible!" Zhang Xuan nodded in excitement.

He was already using an eighth of his strength, but Xue Gan was still able to tightly control the flow of the battle through the sheer strength of his technique.

In fact, it would likely still be a prolonged battle even if he were to use a seventh of his strength.

He would have to at least use a sixth of his strength in order to guarantee a swift victory.

This was probably the strongest expert he had encountered ever since he arrived on the Azure... It had only been a day since he had regained consciousness after all. In any case, this was a good opportunity for him to try his skills.

While Zhang Xuan was getting more and more high on the battle, the horror in Xue Gan's eyes gradually deepened.

Just like what the others had said, the saber art he was executing at the moment was indeed the Solace of the Silver Winter. This technique allowed him to retain the momentum of his previous swings to heighten the might and speed of the subsequent attacks. As long as he had sufficient time to build up, he would become the berserker of the battlefield, tearing down everything in sight.

But things didn't seem to be going in the direction he had expected today. He thought that he would be able to defeat the other party once he had compounded his strength and speed to his limits, but who could have thought... the young man was growing stronger and stronger throughout the battle!

His hand had already been jolted numb by the sheer strength of his swings, and the webbings in between his fingers were bleeding profusely!

"I'll end this fast!"

The slow buildup in his injuries would hinder his fighting prowess, and that would present a chance to World's Edge to turn the tables on him. Knowing that he mustn't allow this battle to drag any longer. Xue Gan decided to go all out. With a furious roar, he drove his saber forth.

Weng weng!

All of the saber qi he had sent at Zhang Xuan earlier swiftly gathered together to form a massive tornado.

The true prowess of Solace of the Silver Winter lay not in the compounding strength of his saber strikes but the lingering saber qi in the area with each move made. If he were to gather all of the saber qi together, he would be able to launch a devastating strike far beyond his current limits!

"Struggle all you will, but your defeat is already sealed!" Xue Gan sneered at Zhang Xuan coldly though his heart was beating wildly on the inside.

This is his ultimate technique?

Seeing that the other party's moves had become more powerful, such that it would be hard for him to keep up even with a sixth of his strength, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply as he made up his mind, "Forget it, I'll use that same move too!"

After giving it some thought, he still felt that the Heaven's Path Saber Art that he had practiced was too powerful. So, with a light flick of his finger, the saber in his hand shot across the air.

"The technique works on sabers too?" Yun Feiyang and the others were stunned.

They could tell that the young man was intending to toss his saber just like how he had tossed his sword at them.

But would it really work out? The weight and shape of a saber and sword were different from one another, and the slightest difference could mean the largest difference in the outcome. Was it really alright?

Before their doubts could blossom, the saber whooshed across the air with a choking sound.

Hula!

It took only an instant for it to appear before Xue Gan.

With a reddened face, Xue Gan hurriedly raised his saber to block against it, only to realize that his strike had landed empty.

Puhe!

The saber pierced right through his head.

Even though Xue Gan was defeated in that instant, by the sheer strength of his willpower as a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, he was able to keep himself from dissipating into light fragments for a brief moment.

"You... were already able to defeat me right from the start?" Xue Gan stared at Zhang Xuan with eyes so wide that they were almost bulging out.

He had long heard the rumors that the other party was skilled in tossing swords.

He thought that the reason why his opponent hadn't thrown his weapon at him was because of his inability to execute the technique with a saber... But his assumption didn't hold true. His opponent was able to do the same with a saber, and with utmost ease at that...

The tossed saber was so powerful that he was unable to deflect it even with all the momentum he had built up thus far. If his opponent had used it right from the start, he wouldn't have been able to last so long at all...

In other words, his opponent had only been playing with him thus far. Everything he had done must have looked nothing more than a farce to the other party.

"You have forked out 400,000 Ethereal Coins for this duel, wouldn't it be a huge pity if you were to lose in a single move? I thought that it would give you more value for money by dragging out the duel a little for you..." Zhang Xuan confessed in embarrassment.

Pu!

Fresh blood spurted out of Xue Gan's lips.

Value for money your head!

If you were really want to give me more value for money, you should at least say that you have used your full strength! To reveal that you have been going easy on me all along... am I supposed to thank you for that?

Shameless humblebragging!

"I'll admit my defeat, but it's clear that you didn't use your full strength either. I would like to know how much of your strength did you use?" Using his last breath, Xue Gan asked.

The fact that the other party was able to keep up with him despite the increasing strength and speed of his saber likely meant that the other party had been matching his fighting prowess. Given so, he couldn't help but wonder just how powerful the other party was.

"How much strength did I use?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment, but eventually, he decided to reveal it honestly.

"You aren't much of a person, but at least you weren't too shabby of an opponent. You were able to make me bring out 0.1666666666... Well, you get the idea of recurring numbers, right?"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1935: The Cultivation Realms in the Azure

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"What?" Xue Gan was stunned.

I asked you how much of your strength did you exert, but what the heck are you doing giving me such a long string of 6s?

Peng!

Unable to stand it any longer, Xue Gan's body finally dissipated on the spot.

The surroundings were completely silent as the eyebrows of the crowd leaped around the place.

They didn't think that World's Edge was speaking the truth either. Otherwise, how the heck did he go down to so many decimal points? There was no one in the world who could possibly control their strength to such a fine extent!

And what the heck are recurring numbers? Recurring your head!

Can you conduct yourself more like an expert?

While the crowd was rolling their eyes at World's Edge, Xue Qin's face had already paled completely from fear.

She could still understand why Huo Jianghe lost to World's Edge. After all, the latter was still young and hadn't fully unleashed his potential yet.

However, her father was the lord of Xuanjiang City, an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator! In terms of comprehension of cultivation and mastery of battle techniques, he had already reached an incredible level even when compared to the experts of Starlight City. Yet, he was still unable to defeat World's Edge when their cultivation was at the same level as one another...

Just when in the world did this fellow pop out from? How could he be so powerful?

If there were really such a figure in Starlight City, he should have already made a name for himself by now!

"At the very most, I'll just stay out of the Ethereal Hall over the next few days. I don't believe that he would dare make a fuss at the City Lord Manor... If he does so, he'll just be courting his own death!" Xue Qin clenched her fists tightly as she made up her mind.

What maid or not maid? As long as she didn't enter the Ethereal Hall, what could the other party do about her?

While World's Edge had managed to outmaneuver and defeat her father here, she didn't think that World's Edge would actually be stronger than him.

Reassuring herself as such, Xue Qin felt as if the boulder weighing down her heart had finally been released.

Hu!

There was a flash of light before her figure vanished from the spot.

"How weak-minded are you lot? Why bother asking for the truth when you can't take it?" Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and sighed.

He could tell from the looks on Xue Gan and the crowd's face that no one believed him at all. As a perfectionist, if he said he was going to exert a sixth of his strength, he would really exert exactly a sixth of his strength, which would be equivalent to 0.1666666...

He was being perfectly honest over here, but no one would just believe him... It sure was hard to be a good person in this world!

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan walked down from the dueling ring and headed to the registration counter. He first destroyed the object which contained information regarding his whereabouts and identity before passing his Ethereal Card over.

As Huo Jianghe had died with Xue Qin's weapon in his possession, the item was automatically sold back to the system and the sum was deposited into Zhang Xuan's card. With that, he had a total of 600,000 Ethereal Coins in his card.

He quickly traded his money for a good storage ring, and just as he was about to leave the Ethereal Hall, a person whom he had once defeated on the dueling ring, Soaring Cloud, walked over with a name scroll in hand.

"Elder World's Edge, Elder Lu from our sect wishes to meet you privately. May I know if it's a convenient time for you now?"

"Elder Lu?" Zhang Xuan murmured.

Considering that Soaring Cloud was from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, wouldn't that mean that the Elder Lu whom he was referring to was an elder in the sect?

"Very well!" With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan nodded his head without much hesitation.

A person who could become an elder in one of the Six Sects was bound to know quite a lot about the Azure. This was a good opportunity for him to learn about the various powers in the Azure, especially the Spirit God Palace.

During his time at the otherworldly battlefield, through Wu Chen's sacrifice, they summoned a deity from the Azure, and the latter said that she would reveal Luo Ruoxin's whereabouts to him if he could reach the Spirit God Palace. This was currently the greatest clue he had to find Luo Ruoxin.

Following behind Soaring Cloud, they soon arrived in a tightly sealed room.

Aside from officiating duels, the Ethereal Hall also had special locations that allowed cultivators to converse privately with one another. Privacy was absolutely guaranteed in these private chambers. No matter one spoke inside these rooms, those who were outside would not hear a single word of it.

There was already an old man seated at the center of the room. There were four people standing behind him, four of whom Zhang Xuan recognized to be challengers he had already defeated on the dueling ring. With awkward looks on their faces, neither of them seemed willing to meet Zhang Xuan in the eye.

Surprisingly, A River's Glance was amidst the group of four too. It seemed like he had found a new Ethereal Token and got back in.

As soon as Zhang Xuan walked in, Elder Lu Yun immediately stood up and introduced himself politely, "I am an external elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, Lu Yun!"

"It's my pleasure to meet you, Elder Lu!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and greeted him. "I am World's Edge!"

As the other party's motives for inviting him over weren't clear, he was reluctant to reveal his true identity just yet.

While he was confident that there would be no one who would be able to best him in the Ethereal Hall, back in the real world, his strength as an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator would only be enough for him to dominate the small Xuanjiang City. Moving up to Starlight City and beyond, there were bound to be many experts who wielded powers far beyond him.

"There's no need to restrain yourself before him!" The fact that World's Edge had chosen to introduce himself by his nickname instead of his real name told Elder Lu Yun that the other party was still wary of him.

With a gentle smile, he said, "I have already watched the videos of your duel with them. Your comprehension of swordsmanship has truly reached a formidable level... However, if I'm not mistaken, you have already hit a bottleneck in your swordsmanship. For someone of your level, advancing further than where you are is no easy feat. You will need resources and guidance in order to do so. If you remain as an unaffiliated cultivator, it's highly likely that you'll never overcome your current bottleneck...

"So, I would like to extend my sincere invitation to you to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!"

One's swordsmanship often reflected one's personality. What Elder Lu Yun felt form Zhang Xuan's swordsmanship was decisiveness, so he decided to get straight to the point.

"You wish to invite me to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion?" Zhang Xuan was half-convinced that Elder Lu Yun was calling him over in order to teach him a lesson, so he was a little caught off guard when the latter extended such an invitation to him.

"Huo Jianghe and Xue Gan are not a match for you at the same cultivation realm. Given your level of expertise in swordsmanship, you are already able to apply for the role of an inner disciple as soon as you enter the sect. As an inner disciple, you'll be entitled to access advanced sword arts, and there will be plenty of fellow sword practitioners whom you can spar and trade insights with. I believe that you'll be able to grow at a much faster pace than you currently are!"

Just on the account that Zhang Xuan could defeat the First Senior of the outer disciples so easily meant that he was already qualified to join the ranks of the inner disciples.

"This... I'm afraid I'll have to think the matter over carefully!" Zhang Xuan didn't give a response right away.

The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was one of the major powers in the Azure, and if he could borrow their connections to look for Luo Ruoxin, things would likely be much easier and more convenient for him.

However, this was a give and take. In return for receiving the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's goodwill, he would have to repay them with his loyalty. However, he had no interest in getting involved with the politics among the Six Sects, and he didn't want to get involved in their affairs either. It would likely be a whole string of trouble if he chose to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.

"Of course. This is a huge matter, so I don't expect you to give me an answer right away," Elder Lu Yun nodded in response.

"Elder Lu, there are some questions which I would like to ask you. I hope that I am not overstepping my boundaries over here," Zhang Xuan looked at Elder Lu Yun as he spoke.

"Of course not! Please feel free to speak!"

"May I know... if you have ever heard of a place known as the Spirit God Palace?" Zhang Xuan asked nervously.

"Spirit God Palace?" Elder Lu Yun pondered deeply for a moment before shaking his head, "I'm afraid I have never heard of such a place before."

"I see..." Zhang Xuan looked at Elder Lu contemplatively for a moment as he replied. A slight tinge of disappointment could be heard in his voice.

"I am just an external elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. My duties lay mainly in guiding the younger disciples, so I'm afraid I'm not as knowledgeable about the other affairs on the continent... However, our sect does have plenty of books that study the relationships and various powers on the Forsaken Continent. As long as you are able to obtain clearance, you will be able to browse through them. I believe you should be able to find what you want in there," Elder Lu Yun was flustered for a split moment, but he swiftly regained himself and replied calmly.

Even though he was honored as one of the elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, the truth was that he was of the lowest tier. He didn't have the right to access privy information and learn more about the matter.

Given that the Spirit God Palace which the other party spoke about carried the word 'God' in it, it was likely to involve something greater. Someone of his level wouldn't be able to know about it.

"I understand," Zhang Xuan nodded.

Considering that the other party was an external elder tasked with the responsibility of recruiting menial and outer disciples, it was indeed unlikely that he would have too deep of an understanding regarding the secrets of the higher echelons.

"Oh, there's also another question which I would like to seek enlightenment to. I know that cultivation realms are Saint, Great Sage, and Ancient Sage, but I am curious to know what lies beyond that," Zhang Xuan said.

"The highest realm of Ancient Sage is Dimension Shatterer realm, and beyond that would be Pseudo Immortal realm. Pseudo Immortals are invulnerable to flames, and their souls are as pure as true gold. With their thoughts, they are able to make things happen. I am currently at Pseudo Immortal realm, and the same goes for the lord of Starlight City as well. Pseudo Immortal realm can be divided into four stages, namely Lesser Pseudo Immortal, Greater Pseudo Immortal, Earthly Pseudo Immortal, and Heavenly Pseudo Immortal.

"Above the Pseudo Immortals are the True Immortals. True Immortals are considered as real experts on the Forsaken Continent, and most elders in the Six Sects are at this level. Those who manage to take a step further from there and transcend to greater heights are known as High Immortals. They are also termed as the King of Immortals... Only the core elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has reached this level!"

At this point, Elder Lu Yun paused for a brief moment before continuing on, "Well, these are the realms that I know. The heavens are boundless, so I have no doubt that there is something beyond the High Immortals, but that's not something I am privy to know about anymore... Cultivation is not easy. It's hard to go too far without powerful backing, and cultivation resources are simply too limited in the world! Just take this for example, the questions you have just asked are common knowledge amongst ordinary disciples, but you had to specially ask me to find out about it!"

"Ancient Sage, Pseudo Immortal, True Immortal, and High Immortal..." Zhang Xuan nodded as he jotted those realms down in his head.

"With your swordsmanship and my recommendation, I have no doubt that you'll be able to become an inner disciple with ease. May I know where you are at the moment? If possible, I think it would be better for both of us to sit down in person to have a chat about this. After all, this matter is of grave importance to your future!" Elder Lu Yun said.

In the end, no matter what was discussed here, it would be all but empty agreements. He had to meet the person in person in order to know how powerful the other party was, whether he was a guy or a girl, or even whether he was a human or a beast!

"I am currently at Xuanjiang City. I believe we'll eventually meet one another if you were to come over... Besides, I think that I might have something which I need to trouble Senior Huo over there for!" Zhang Xuan said with a mysterious smile.

"You are at Xuanjiang City?" Elder Lu Yun subconsciously shot a glance at Huo Jianghe as doubts surfaced in his mind.

There was actually such a powerful expert at a place as backward as Xuanjiang City?

"As long as it's within my abilities, I'll try my best to help you!" Huo Jianghe clasped his fist and said.

He could tell that Elder Lu Yun was determined to bring World's Edge into the sect. As such, while he wasn't too fond of World's Edge himself, he knew better than to throw a tantrum here.

"Well, it's like this..." Zhang Xuan discreetly sent a zhenqi telepathy to Huo Jianghe, and at the end of which, he clasped his fist and bowed, "I'll be troubling Senior Huo on this matter then. I still have some matters to attend to at the moment, so I won't impose on you all any longer. Farewell!"

After finding all he wanted to know, Zhang Xuan didn't linger in the private room.

He returned back to the front reception of the Ethereal Hall and asked, "May I know if there's anything here that would allow a cultivator to recover his strength quickly?"

"If you are an Ancient Sage cultivator, you could try low-tier Immortal Pills. It costs 100,000 Ethereal Coins each!" the receptionist replied.

"Even a low-tier one costs 100,000 Ethereal Coins?"

It was as if the Ethereal Hall couldn't get enough of shocking Zhang Xuan with how exorbitant its goods were. He felt like the entire organization was out to rob every single one of those Ethereal Coins that he earned painstakingly!

Being indignant consumer Zhang Xuan was, he immediately inquired into the exorbitant price, and it turned out that the pricing was perfectly normal here.

Basically, Immortal Pills were treated as the currency in the upper echelons of the Azure because of how general its use was. There was no cultivator who wouldn't need it, so the demand for the good was relatively stable. In a sense, it was similar to the spirit stones of the Master Teacher Continent.

Immortal Pills could be divided into four tiers. Basic Immortal Pills corresponded to Pseudo Immortals, Standard Immortal Pills corresponded to True Immortals, and Superior Immortal Pills corresponded to High Immortals. As for Premier Immortal Pills, it was so rare that it would be difficult to buy it off the market even if one had the money for it. Not too many people have seen it before.

Given that it was a currency used mainly for the higher echelons, as well as an important cultivation resource for Pseudo Immortals, it was understandable that its pricing would be a little steep. Nevertheless, if he had to spend 100,00 Ethereal Coins for each of them, the little fortune that he had just earned would really be gone in an instant.

Zhang Xuan used his remaining money to buy a Basic Immortal Pill before looking at the receptionist curiously, "If I may ask, it appears that the Ethereal Hall sells all kinds of goods. Does it sell cultivation technique manuals and the sort as well?"

"Of course!" the attendant nodded. "However, the cultivation techniques that we have are those commonly practiced on the continent. As for the core cultivation techniques of the Six Sects, I'm afraid that it's beyond our means too!"

There was no way the Six Sects would allow their cultivation techniques to be leaked. Even if the Ethereal Hall had copies, they would swiftly face the wrath of the Six Sects if they dared to put them on sale.

If it was just dueling and interaction, the Six Sects would still allow for the existence of the Ethereal Hall in the world. After all, there was no conflict in their interests. However, if the Ethereal Hall dared to threaten their foundation, it would be an all-out war.

It was also for this reason that the Ethereal Hall was able to grow so big over the years, with branches spanning across the entire Forsaken Continent.

"I understand. I'm fine with common cultivation techniques too... If I were to just browse through the cultivation techniques for a short moment of time instead of purchasing them, how much would it cost?" Zhang Xuan asked in agitation.

While he had achieved a breakthrough to Dimension Shatterer realm, he was unfortunately limited by the fact that he didn't have any cultivation techniques in the realm itself.

If he could just browse through the collection of cultivation technique manuals here, as long as he had sufficient Basic Immortal Pills, he was confident that he would be able to reach pinnacle within a few hours. That would make it easier for him to navigate around the Forsaken Continent and find Luo Ruoxin.

"There are pricing differences depending on the tier of the cultivation techniques. For Dimension Shatterer realm cultivation techniques, the most basic ones would cost at least 50,000 Ethereal Coins each. Also, I'm afraid that our cultivation techniques are for sale only. We don't offer browsing services here!"

"50,000 Ethereal Coins for the most basic cultivation technique manual?" Zhang Xuan's lips twitched in horror.

He was still thinking of buying a huge bundle of them if they were inexpensive, but who could have thought that the price would be so horrifying.

Based on rough estimation, he would probably need over a thousand ordinary books in order to compile a perfected Dimension Shatterer realm Heaven's Path Divine Art. That would equate to 50,000,000 Ethereal Coins! Even if he were to tire himself to death on the dueling ring, he wouldn't be able to earn that much!

Besides, he had just harvested a new group of challengers. He had no idea when the next group of challengers would be ready for his harvesting.

It seemed like purchasing cultivation technique manuals here for his advancement was really not too feasible.

"Do I really have to join a sect?" Zhang Xuan rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1936: Capture

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Each of the Six Sects was bound to have their own libraries containing innumerable cultivation techniques. Zhang Xuan would surely be able to gather thousands of books over there easily... It was due to such readily available resources in there that so many cultivators desired to join the ranks of the Six Sects.

Just like what Elder Lu Yun had said, with his comprehension of swordsmanship, it shouldn't be too difficult for him to become an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. In fact, he would probably be able to join any of the Six Sects easily, and he was confident that he could rise through the ranks easily. However, there was no such thing as a free lunch in the world.

Joining a sect meant that he would have to adhere to the rules and regulations of the sect.

If it was just a few trivial rules here and there, it still wouldn't be too much of a problem. However, if one of the rules somehow prevented him from looking for Luo Ruoxin, or that the sect was hostile toward the Spirit God Palace... he would really be shooting himself in the foot then.

Wait... What if Dan Xiaotian joins the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and I follow him as his servant? That should work as well, right? Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in excitement.

It was said that there would be a selection in Xuanjiang City two days later for cultivators to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as menial disciples... If Dan Xiaotian were to display sufficient talent, he should be able to get in as an outer disciple. Most outer disciples were assigned with servants to take care of their necessities. So, as long as Dan Xiaotian succeeded, he should be able to get into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion as well.

Once he was in, he could adapt accordingly to the situation to acquire what he needed. At the same time, he could supervise his disciple's learning and ensure that he didn't stray down the wrong path. Not to mention, as a servant of an outer disciple, he was a character so minor that he wouldn't be officially recognized by the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, which also meant that he wouldn't be bound by its rules too.

That was three birds with a stone!

"It's settled then!"

Zhang Xuan gave the matter some more thought and confirmed that there were no major problems with this course of action. Heaving a huge sigh of relief, he left the Ethereal Hall.

...

While Zhang Xuan had made up his mind, Elder Lu Yun and the others in the private room had come to a decision as well.

"We have to head to Xuanjiang City right now! Let me see... It's a little past midnight now, and with the fastest aerial beast we have, we should be able to arrive in the afternoon. Since that's the case, let's not delay it any further and conduct the selection in Xuanjiang City today then! Jianghe, I want you to send down the announcement to those in Xuanjiang City that we'll be conducting the selection today as soon as dawn breaks. There's no need to wait for us, understood? Nothing must go wrong with this. We have to find World's Edge by hook or by crook!" Elder Lu Yun instructed sternly.

"Yes!" Huo Jianghe replied with a nod.

Bringing back such a talented genius was far more significant than taking in a hundred above-average outer disciples. If he were to allow World's Edge to slip past his fingers, and World's Edge ended up joining some other sect instead, he would surely be severely punished for his lapse in responsibility!

"As for the rest of you, pack up your things right now. We'll be setting off in five minutes, got it?"

Hu!

All of them vanished from the Ethereal Hall swiftly.

...

Returning back to his room, Zhang Xuan quickly activated the Ethereal Token to claim the storage ring and Basic Immortal Pill he had just purchased.

The Basic Immortal Pill had a slightly silvery color, and it was densely packed with the pure mercury-like spiritual energy. Just taking a whiff of it was enough to leave one's meridians trembling in agitation, as if encountering an oasis in a desert.

Knowing that it was of utmost importance to him in recovering his strength, Zhang Xuan swallowed the pill without any hesitation.

As soon as he ingested the Basic Immortal Pill, he felt a warm flow of energy gushing into his limbs. The pure mercury-like energy was swiftly being converted into concentrated zhenqi.

In the midst of his cultivation, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but realize that the zhenqi he had formed from the mercury-like spiritual energy was much more powerful. Due to its greater density, the techniques he executed with it were much mightier.

While the capacity of his dantian hadn't changed, the quality of the zhenqi he was taking in was much greater. This meant that he was capable of bringing out much greater prowess in a battle than before!

It was no wonder why the experts in the Azure were so extraordinarily powerful, such that he could only barely scrape a victory after using all of the means at his disposal. Not only was the mercury-like spiritual energy able to enhance one's constitution, it also played an important role in tempering one's zhenqi.

After cultivating for some time, the energy harnessed in the Basic Immortal Pill was finally all used up. Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan slowly opened his eyes.

While the Basic Immortal Pill was rich in energy, it was still insufficient for him to make a full recovery.

"From the looks of it, I reckon that I would need another one in order to fully recover..." Zhang Xuan murmured.

If he needed two Basic Immortal Pills just to recover his strength, just how many of it would he freaking require in order to make a breakthrough?

Cultivating was really a money-sucking abyss. No matter how rich one was, it would never be enough!

Zhang Xuan glanced at the windows and found that it was already dawn. As soon as he walked out of the room, he saw that Dan Xiaotian was still carefully practicing his swordsmanship.

Despite having not rested for a night, Dan Xiaotian's movements did not reflect any exhaustion. If anything, his movements were much more stable, and he was able to drive his zhenqi much more smoothly now.

"Not bad. I see that you have worked hard!" With just a glance, Zhang Xuan could tell that Dan Xiaotian had followed his instructions strictly, not slacking off in the least.

In truth, he didn't ask Dan Xiaotian to practice his swordsmanship just to punish him. He had just achieved a breakthrough of six realms in the span of a day, and this abrupt breakthrough inevitably meant that his mind and reflexes would be unable to keep up with his newfound power. As such, he needed sufficient practice in order to fully adapt to the changes in his body.

While practicing the same move again and again for thousands of times was extremely monotonous and grinding on one's patience, it was an essential step for Dan Xiaotian to precisely discern the flow of zhenqi in his body. This would allow him to sharpen his control over his strength, thus gradually breaking him into his newfound powers.

And clearly, his aim had been achieved.

In a night of practice, Dan Xiaotian had already fully adapted himself to his current Great Sage 3-dan cultivation.

"Teacher!"

Hearing the opening of the door, Dan Xiaotian quickly walked over, kneeled down, and greeted Zhang Xuan.

He was no fool either. He could clearly sense the changes in his body, so how would he not understand his teacher's intention?

Alarmed by this huge reaction, Zhang Xuan quickly reached out to help Dan Xiaotian up. But at this moment, there was a sudden jolt in his head.

A golden page appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path.

It seemed like it was only at this moment that he had truly won Dan Xiaotian over as his disciple.

This means that I'm able to acquire golden pages in the Azure too. This is good news! Zhang Xuan thought in delight.

He thought that the differences in the environment might hinder some of the functions of the Library of Heaven's Path, but fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case.

The golden page represented a crucial trump card. As long as he had it in his grasp, he would have nothing to fear for now.

"How far have you gone with the sword art I have imparted to you? Show it to me!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile after helping Dan Xiaotian up.

He had taught Dan Xiaotain the 'sword toss' technique he had created yesterday in the Ethereal Hall, and he was curious to see how far his disciple had come with this technique over the night.

"Yes, teacher!"

Dan Xiaotian took a few steps back before flicking his wrist lightly.

Sou!

His sword flew across the air.

While the speed of his toss wasn't on par with Zhang Xuan's, it was still fast enough to produce numerous afterimages in his path. In the blink of an eye, the sword pierced into the trunk of a nearby tree, and all of a sudden, the huge tree exploded, creating a huge crater in where it previously stood.

"Not bad. You have already reached the level of an Initiate. If you wish to further your mastery in the art, you should try practicing it in battle. Observe your opponent's flaws carefully before making your move. If you could reach the level where you are able to discern multiple openings in your opponent's move with a single glance, you will have reached Major Accomplishment in this technique. By then, none of your peers would be a match for you anymore!" Zhang Xuan said.

This sword toss appeared to be a simple move, but it harnessed the crux of the Heaven's Path Sword Art within it. As long as he was able to find a flaw in the movements of his opponent, no one would be able to block it.

It was precisely for this reason that Huo Jianghe and Xue Gan were completely helpless before it.

"Yes, teacher!" Dan Xiaotian nodded in agitation.

After a night of practice, he had also come to realize just how powerful and profound this single sword toss was. Everything he had learned before was really nothing in comparison. He felt almost as if he had been living in a pineapple under the ocean all this while!

"Alright, I'll impart to you some other sword arts too. Learning more sword arts would be beneficial in widening your perspective, thus granting you a deeper insight into your swordsmanship. This is crucial in your advancement as a sword practitioner," Zhang Xuan said.

Just as he was about to impart some elementary sword arts to Dan Xiaotian, a flurry of footsteps suddenly sounded outside.

Jiya!

The entrance was knocked open, and ten armored soldiers rushed into the courtyard and swiftly surrounded Zhang Xuan and Dan Xiaotian.

"Who is the owner of this residence?" the commander standing at the forefront asked coldly.

He was a young man in his thirties, but despite his young age, his cultivation had already reached Ancient Sage 1-dan Blood Continuation realm.

"I am the owner of this residence!" Noting that the group that had barged in were guards from the City Lord Manor, Dan Xiaotian walked forward with a frown.

"Men, capture him!" the commander ordered.

Huala!

Two guards immediately rushed out from behind with drawn swords in their hands. Their faces reflected belligerence that indicated that they wouldn't hesitate to hurt Dan Xiaotian.

"I advise you not to retaliate. We do have the discretion to kill criminals who attempt to resist arrest!" one of the two guards sneered coldly as he approached Dan Xiaotian with chains in hand.

"What crime did I commit?" Dan Xiaotian was taken aback by the situation before him.

"Yesterday night, the sentries of the City Lord Manor found the bandit Cao Chengli sneaking into the city with his band. It was clear that he was up to no good, so the City Lord Manor immediately dispatched a group of fifty elites to eliminate them. However, those fifty never returned. After investigating the matter the entire morning, we found that the footsteps of those fifty elites led straight to your residence. Thus, I have obtained an arrest warrant from the City Lord Manor to arrest you on the ground of colluding with bandits to kill our men!" the commander sneered coldly.

Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in shock for a moment before exclaiming furiously, "Colluding with bandits? That's nonsense! I would never do something like that!"

Yesterday night, if not for his teacher, he might have been killed by those bandits. Yet, these guards actually claimed that he was colluding with them?

You must be joking with me!

In his view, even the chances of the City Lord Manor colluding with the bandits were greater than his!

"It's fine, I don't expect you to admit to it either. Men, bring the evidence over!" the commander bellowed with a wave of his hand.

Huala!

Several guards immediately marched forward and tossed the items in their hands over.

It was a bunch of bloodied and soiled weapons and armor.

"We found these around your residence. There are the weapons of the bandits and the armor our guards. It's apparent that they have clashed with one another here, and someone has intentionally concealed the evidence... What else do you have to say for yourself?" the commander harrumphed.

"This... How could this be?" Dan Xiaotian was stunned.

His teacher had already gotten rid of everything yesterday, so how could there still be such stuff lying around?

"Those weapons and clothes are indeed from the bandits living in the mountains outside. It was robbed by them several times while making shipping my goods, so there's no way I would mistake it!"

"Those armors are definitely from the City Lord Manor too. They patrol around my place every day, so how could I possibly get it wrong?"

"How could he stoop so low to colluding with bandits? Despicable!"

"We have to punish such behavior severely! Right, we should also force them to confess their ploy as well. If the bandits had really succeeded in achieving whatever they set out to do, who knows how many casualties there would be in our city..."

"The Dan Clan sure has fallen from its former glory. I was still feeling sympathetic to their plight, especially given that their final remaining member isn't able to cultivate at all, but it turns out to those who are pitiful have a reason for being in the plight they are in. Colluding with bandits? It serves them right to be destroyed like that!"

...

Before Dan Xiaotian could explain, a bunch of notable figures in the city suddenly sprouted forth from behind the soldiers.

Merchants, tavern owners, medicinal herb peddlers, teahouse owners... These were the people who propped up the lifeline of Xuanjiang City's economy.

They had been harassed by bandits many times in the course of conducting their businesses, so they had the greatest say in the matter too.

"What else do you have to say for yourself?" the commander sneered. Turning to his guards, he commanded, "Grab him and bring him to the City Lord Manor! Make sure to interrogate him properly!"

Huala!

The guard holding on the chain began advancing toward Dan Xiaotian once more.

"All of you are shameless! The upright City Lord Manor actually wants to..." Dan Xiaotian was just about to lash out furiously when he suddenly halted his words. There was a moment of silence before he nodded, "Fine, I'll follow you to the City Lord Manor. I hope that you can redress my grievances. I trust that you will uncover the truth and punish those who are truly guilty of this!"

"Hmph, let's go!" The commander appeared to be a little disappointed to see Dan Xiaotian complying with him so easily. He shot a glance at the crowd before saying, "The act of colluding with the bandits threatens the peace of our city. Given how severe the implications are, as well as the fact that you have been harmed by Cao Chengli before, I would like to invite all of you to follow me to the City Lord Manor to testify in the court... At the same time, this is to ensure that the proceedings are fair and impartial, and we would not side with Dan Xiaotian just because he's engaged to the Second Young Mistress!"

"Very well!"

The crowd nodded in agreement

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1937: The Art of Framing

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"The rest of them are likely to be accomplices as well. Capture them and bring them to the City Lord Manor too!"

The guards quickly handcuffed Zhang Xuan and Elder Yi before leading them out of the residence.

Zhang Xuan didn't resist the arrest. Instead, he sent some more instructions over Dan Xiaotian, and the latter visibly calmed down upon hearing those words. With a hunched back to make him appear smaller, he limped his way out of the Dan Clan Residence. His cultivation was also concealed through a certain method which his teacher had just imparted to him.

In the eyes of others, he was no different from an ordinary Saint 6-dan cultivator.

After leaving the Dan Clan Residence, they were escorted into a carriage, and it didn't take long for them to arrive at the City Lord Manor.

At this moment, the City Lord Manor was already completely packed. There were over a thousand people present discussing the issue concerning the bandits worriedly.

Clearly, Xue Chen's plan had worked out.

"The City Lord Manor is also very worried about the bandits entering the city. After careful investigation, we found that the Dan Clan has a hand in this matter as well. As you know, Dan Xiaotian is engaged to the Second Young Mistress. Thus, in order to ensure impartiality, we'll be holding a public trial so as to allay your fears that we might be biased in our judgement!" Xue Chen spoke up to calm the crowd.

"As expected of the City Lord Manor! They sure are efficient to root out the culprits so quickly!"

"Those who collude with the bandits deserve to die. I thought that Dan Xiaotian looked quite honest, but it seems like a wretched heart is concealed beneath his honest face!"

...

When Dan Xiaotian was finally escorted into the court by the guards, everyone swiftly hushed down.

There was almost no one in the city who didn't know of the engagement. However, the very act of colluding with the bandits was a vile and unforgivable act. Countless lives could have lost if anything had gone wrong. Thus, they wanted to see if the City Lord Manor would still maintain its impartiality even when judging someone close to them.

After Dan Xiaotian limped into place and was forced to kneel down, Xue Chen glanced at the guards and ordered, "Bring in the evidence!"

Several guards immediately rushed in and placed the bloodied armor, bows, and arrows on the ground. Following this, a well-groomed middle-aged man walked into the court and said, "Lord, I have already inspected every article here, and the bows and arrows are indeed used by Cao Chengli and the others. There are clear signs that it had been used by them. As for the armor, there is no doubt that they are the ones used by the guards of the City Lord Manor too, and judging from the freshness of the blood, they were left on the armor last night!"

Another person stepped forward and added on, "Lord, I can also testify to this matter. While I was cultivating last night, I heard some movements outside. I secretly peeked through my windows and found many black-clothed individuals sneaking toward the Dan Clan. It does seem like they are conducting some kind of transaction between them!"

Dan Xiaotian shot a glance at the testifying witness, and he recognized the latter to be from a neighboring family not too far away from the Dan Clan Residence. They were usually on close terms with one another.

"Lord, I saw it too. There were several dozen people, and I couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. Thus, I recorded the entire scene!"

Another person stepped forward too, and he was Dan Xiaotian's neighbor as well.

That person activated his Record Crystal, and the video taken down was displayed before everyone's eyes.

Beneath the night of full moon, a group of black-clothed bandits was silently sneaking into Dan Xiaotian's residence. After they entered the premises, there was no commotion. There was only absolute silence, as if the owner of the residence had implicitly permitted their presence.

"I was still wondering if there were some other secrets involved in this issue, but to think that it's actually true!"

"But why would Dan Xiaotian collude with the bandits?"

"I also found that weird too. The Dan Clan might be declined, but Dan Xiaotian should still be able to live an ample life with the riches his predecessors have left behind. There shouldn't be any reason for him to take such a risk!"

A huge commotion broke out after the video in the Record Crystal was displayed.

Those who knew Dan Xiaotian's character and thought that there might be some conspiracy involved in the issue stared at the young man kneeling at the center of the court with a look of disbelief in their eyes.

The Dan Clan had its roots from Baiye City, but they had moved to Xuanjiang City several decades ago. Over the years, it grew swiftly, and it eventually reached its peak ten years ago, becoming an unrivaled power in Xuanjiang City.

Back in that era, there were countless experts in the Dan Clan. Just the three Dimension Shatterer realm experts that they had was enough to frighten any enemy into submitting to the Dan Clan. Not even the City Lord Manor would have dared to make an enemy out of the Dan Clan then, choosing to make peace through a marriage agreement instead.

Everything had changed after that unfortunate incident that caused the deaths of nearly all of the experts of the Dan Clan. The fortunes of the Dan Clan were swiftly devoured by others shortly after. Nevertheless, it still held substantial wealth due to its massive accumulation over the years. There was no reason for it to collude with the bandits!

As such, most of the more rational-minded individuals amongst the crowd found the matter inexplicable.

"Second Young Mistress..."

Just as everyone was harboring doubts, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from afar. Raising their heads to take a look, the crowd saw the Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor, Xue Qin, rushing over with an anxious look on their faces.

This sight left bizarre looks on the faces of the crowd.

Considering that the marriage agreement between Dan Xiaotian and Xue Qin, it was only right for Xue Qin to stay out of this trial so as to avoid hindering the impartiality of the trial. Yet, she actually rushed out just like that...

Sprinting behind Xue Qin were the maids of the City Lord Manor. They had flustered looks on their faces, as if they didn't expect the Second Young Mistress to act so recklessly as to barge into the trial.

"Why?"

Shaking away the grasp of the maids trying to hold her back, Xue Qin stared at Dan Xiaotian with reddened eyes, as if she was unable to accept the latter's betrayal.

"We have been engaged to one another since a young age. While you have become unable to cultivate, I have never snubbed you before and treated as per before. This time, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has come to our town to recruit disciples. I thought that it was an opportunity for us, so I worked hard to win Senior Huo's approval to become a menial disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... I was thinking that I could obtain even better herbs for you to recover from your affliction so that you can cultivate once again and rebuild the glory of your Dan Clan..." Xue Qin shook her head melancholically, disappointed by the betrayal of her loved one.

"I thought that you would be proud of me, so I sent my men to inform you of the matter. Yet, why did you collude with the bandits to stop this from happening? You even kidnapped me and had the bandits beat me up, attempting to force me to change my mind... Did you think that I would forget you just because I got into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion? I'm doing this not just for myself but for our future! This would have been the key to changing our fates!"

As Xue Qin spoke, the tears brimming in her eyes began trickling down. She averted her gaze from Dan Xiaotian, as if she couldn't bear to look the man in the eye anymore.

"So, it was because the Second Young Mistress has cleared the selections for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and that had crushed Dan Xiaotian's self-esteem. Thus, he chose to collude with the bandits to stop it from happening..."

"Dan Xiaotian is truly foolish. Does he not know that there are many enemies of the Dan Clan out to kill him, and the only reason why he can live to this day is due to the City Lord Manor and the Second Young Mistress' protection? Or perhaps... it was because he realizes the fact that he worries about what would happen to him once the Second Young Mistress leaves. That's why he chose to make this risky move, hoping that he could retain the Second Young Mistress here!"

"As long as the Second Young Mistress goes missing, she wouldn't be able to enter the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion anymore once those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion left. With that, as long as he seals the marriage as well, his safety would be guaranteed. No one would dare to touch him anymore!"

"Everything makes perfect sense now... That explains why the Second Young Mistress' face is slightly swollen. She must have suffered quite a bit under the bandits' captive."

"That must be the case. Who else would dare to lay their hands the Second Young Mistress of the City Lord Manor?"

"Those group of bandits would dare to do anything as long as one pays them enough. If not for his carelessness, no one would ever think of suspecting Dan Xiaotian. He really has thought things out carefully!"

...

Hearing those accusations, everyone nodded in realization as they turned to look at Dan Xiaotian once more with looks of disgust on their faces.

A young lady had done so much for you, but you don't know the slightest thing about gratitude. Can you still call yourself a human after what you did?

"She would have won an Oscars back in my previous world!" Zhang Xuan was about to fall asleep from boredom when the Second Young Mistress entertained him with such a marvelous performance.

With such a few words, she had managed to evoke the emotions of the crowd and win their sympathy. With such acting skills, he would have surely blamed the judging panel for under the table dealings if she hadn't won a prize.

It was human nature to sympathize with the weak and women, not to mention a person as beautiful as Xue Qin. All it took was some rousing words and a few tears to establish an emotional connection with the crowd.

Initially, the evidence and witnesses presented wouldn't have been enough to indict Dan Xiaotian of his crimes. After all, most of what was presented was circumstantial, and there was no clear motive that would justify his involvement. Who in the right mind would collude with the bandits to act against the City Lord Manor for no reason?

But with even Xue Qin testifying against him as well, the odds were way against Dan Xiaotian's favor. Even the City Lord Manor wouldn't be able to back down from this anymore. They would have no choice but to bow down to the will of the people and sentence Dan Xiaotian.

And this conveniently explained why the Second Young Mistress had been accepted as a menial disciple into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion even prior to the official trial.

With this, not only was Xue Qin's reputation not sullied in any way, she would even be praised as a strong and sentimental lady! On the other hand, Dan Xiaotian would have become a jerk who snubbed the Xue Qin's kind intentions and even attempted to harm her. This would provide the City Lord Manor with the required justification to annul the engagement.

It was indeed a remarkable scheme with many layers to it. An ingenious ploy from a true villain indeed!

On the other hand, Dan Xiaotian was on the verge of exploding from rage.

I have agreed to cancel our engagement, but you were unsatisfied with just that and wanted to trample all over me so that you can walk out of it cleanly. When I rejected that, the first thing you thought of is to kill me instead. And when that failed too, you tried to pour dirty water over me to frame me of something I have not done...

There really is nothing you wouldn't use against me!

"Second Young Mistress, don't waste your tears on a person like him! He isn't worthy of that!"

Seeing that they had managed to pull the crowd sentiment to their side, Xue Chen knew that his plan had already succeeded. At this point, no matter what else Dan Xiaotian said, he wouldn't be able to salvage the situation anymore. Heaving a sigh of relief on the inside, he consoled Xue Qin before ordering the maids beside her, "What are the two of you waiting for? Hurry up and bring the Second Young Mistress back!"

"Yes!"

The two maids quickly escorted the crying Xue Qin out of the court.

Xue Chen finally his head back to Dan Xiaotian, and with a frosty look in his eyes, he said, "With the evidence in place, what else do you have to say for yourself?"

Knowing that whatever he said would be meaningless at this point, Dan Xiaotian calmly looked back at Xue Chen and said, "So, based on what you all have said so far, it's out of my low self-esteem that I was jealous of Xue Qin for clearing the trial of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Thus, I sought to collude with the bandits in order to stop her from going over?"

"Are you acknowledging your intentions? Or do you still intend to argue your way out of this even when there is an overwhelming number of evidence and witnesses testifying against you?" Xue Chen sneered.

"Acknowledging my intentions?" Dan Xiaotian shook his head and sighed a little, as if he couldn't be bothered to argue with someone of the likes of Xue Chen. "I wish to meet Senior Huo Jianghe from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!"

"Audacious! Who do you think you are to dare ask for an audience with Master Huo?"

Xue Chen thought that Dan Xiaotian would raise the matter about them attempting to annul the marriage agreement previously. Regarding that, he had already prepared a countermeasure that would have the latter cornered in a single move!

But instead of that, the other party was asking to meet Senior Huo instead... Why?

"I am indeed unqualified, but I heard that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is accepting menial disciples. As long as one clears their trial, one would be able to join them. As someone from Xuanjiang City and is of suitable age, I believe I have a right to participate in the trial too, right?" Dan Xiaotian said.

"Anyone of Xuanjiang City would stand a chance to become a menial disciple of Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but you, Dan Xiaotian, don't stand a chance at all. I don't know what you are trying to pull here, but the City Lord Manor is answerable to the citizens of Xuanjiang City. With the vile deeds you have committed, there's no way the City Manor will condone your crimes!" Hearing those words, Xue Chen immediately burst into laughter, as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world.

A Saint 6-dan trash actually wanted to participate in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's trial? How in the world did he find the courage to say something as ridiculous as that?

"Besides, do you think someone as important as Master Huo would specially conduct the trial for a trash like you?" Xue Chen continued.

"He really doesn't know his place at all!"

"All those who are allowed to join the trial are the greatest talent of our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. That fellow is a cripple and can't cultivate... Does he want to make our city a laughingstock in the region?"

"Master Huo is busy selecting the true geniuses from our city. How could he possibly have time to assess a cripple like him?"

"He must have knocked his head somewhere..."

Derisive laughter could be heard from amongst the crowd.

"You better drop whatever thought you have in your mind. There's no way Master Huo would come here to test a trash like you. I advise you to confess to your crimes, and we can at least spare you from some suffering..." Xue Chen bellowed loudly.

But halfway through his words, a composed voice suddenly echoed from the courtyard outside...

"Why can't I be here to conduct the trial for him?"

A tall figure walked into the court with widened strides.

Huo Jianghe.

Chapter 1938: Turning Tables

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

There was a middle-aged man walking behind Huo Jianghe. This middle-aged man had a tall silhouette, and he was donned with majestic armor. His eyes emanated imposing authority, reminiscent of a person in power.

Xue Qin had been slowly walking away so as to listen to the proceedings when she heard the voice as well. Turning her head around, she was stunned for a moment before bowing deeply, "Father. Senior Huo."

The middle-aged man was no other than the person who was killed by Zhang Xuan with a single toss of saber back in the Ethereal Hall, the lord of Xuanjiang City, Xue Gan.

There were ten or so young men following behind the two. They were in their early teens, roughly sixteen to seventeen years old. Despite their young age, they seemed to wield incredible might in their grasp.

They were the examinees participating in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's trial.

"Master Huo..."

Upon seeing the two, Xue Chen turned a bewildered look to City Lord Xue Gan.

As the trial of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was of utmost importance, as the city lord, Xue Gan was required to be present at the venue to supervise the event. Yet, who could have thought that barely after the preliminary selection was completed, Huo Jianghe suddenly insisted on heading over to the City Lord Manor's court. This had left Xue Gan bewildered too!

"We'll conduct the second round of selections here. I can see that there are many people present here to witness the proceedings, and I believe that it would be good to showcase the fairness of our trial," Huo Jianghe arbitrarily made the decision himself as he walked right up to the centermost position in the room.

If it was any other situation, it would be a breach of formalities for Huo Jianghe to make this decision on his own accord, especially given that City Lord Xue Gan was present here. However, while this trial was underway, his words would represent the will of the entire Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. As such, even Xue Gan had no choice but to accept his judgement.

On the other hand, seeing that the court proceedings were suddenly interrupted in such an unexpected fashion, Xue Chen was stunned.

What was he supposed to do now?

"Senior Huo, I am a citizen of Xuanjiang City as well. May I know if I am qualified to join the trial as well?" Dan Xiaotian asked with a resounding voice.

"Of course!" Huo Jianghe nodded.

"Master Huo, Dan Xiaotian is a mere Saint 6-dan cultivator. It would be a waste of time for you to invigilate someone of his caliber. Furthermore, he colluded with the bandits to harm the interests of the city. It would be an insult to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion if someone as vile as him was permitted to participate in the trial as well!" Xue Chen said anxiously.

He knew that Dan Xiaotian wouldn't be able to clear the trial even if he were to participate in it... but it would undermine the legitimacy of the trial if Dan Xiaotian were to suddenly participate in the trial as well. Furthermore, he could tell that Dan Xiaotian had something up his sleeves, and while he was confident of his plan, he knew better than to allow Dan Xiaotian to get his way.

"You are saying that I'm weak?" Dan Xiaotian looked at Xue Chen and asked.

"Of course! As a crippled Saint 6-dan, your strength can't even compare to the ordinary civilians of our city. What else can you be other than weak?" Xue Chen's eyebrows shot up.

"Since that's the case, I would like to ask what's your opinion of Xue Qin's abilities then?" Dan Xiaotian asked.

Even though the situation was still against him, confidence seemed to be slowly building up in his voice. Initially, he was just timidly obeying whatever Zhang Xuan told him to do and say, but in face of Xue Chen's oppression, his words were slowly becoming firmer and more powerful.

"Our Second Young Mistress is, of course, a genius! Despite only being sixteen this year, she has already reached Great Sage 3-dan consummation, and she could very well achieve a breakthrough anytime soon!" Xue Chen replied proudly.

"Is that so?" Dan Xiaotian replied calmly.

Weng weng weng!

Bursts of sword qi shot out from the tip of his fingers, slicing the handcuffs around his wrist into shreds in an instant.

At the same time, Dan Xiaotian released the seal on his cultivation, causing the aura around him to grow stronger and stronger till the equivalent of a Great Sage 3-dan consummation expert. His hunched back also slowly straightened, causing his perceived 1.6 meters height to rise to that of around 1.75 meters. While he wasn't as tall as Zhang Xuan, he appeared much more dignified than before.

More importantly, when he slowly walked forward, the limp in his leg had vanished without a trace as well!

Even his appearance seemed to have undergone some changes. Despite the glaring birthmark on his face, his features became more defined and elegant, giving him a masculine undertone.

"This is impossible..." Xue Qin's eyes nearly plopped to the ground.

All along, she had viewed Dan Xiaotian to be synonymous with weak and useless. She never thought that he could undergo such a huge transformation one day.

Paying no heed to the shocked Xue Qin, Dan Xiaotian walked straight up to Xue Chen. His lips curved upward as he asked, "Even though the two of us have the same cultivation realm, you think of me as a trash but Xue Qin as an unparalleled genius... I really wonder how you came to a judgement. Do you think with your toes?"

"You..." Xue Chen shook his head in disbelief as he took a step back.

When had this fellow become able to cultivate? Not to mention... Great Sage 3-dan consummation?

It wasn't just them. The crowd had fallen completely silent as well.

The previous motive they had attributed to Dan Xiaotian was based on the premise that he was unable to cultivate, such that he needed the support of the City Lord Residence in order to survive. However, if Dan Xiaotian was actually an expert himself, such a reason would be invalidated.

"All of you should come at me together!" Dan Xiaotian told the youths that had come with Huo Jianghe with a light chuckle.

"You want to fight all of us at once?"

These youths were startled by the suddenly challenge. They turned to look at Huo Jianghe, and the latter gave a slight nod of approval. Thus, they raised the swords in their hands and charged forth.

On the other hand, using his finger as his sword, Dan Xiaotian jabbed forth and snatched the sword from the hands of one of the cultivators. With the sword in his hand, he easily deflected the offense coming from the others.

Tzzzzzzz!

Numerous surges of sword qi shot out from the tip of Dan Xiaotian's sword simultaneously.

While he had spent most of his time deciphering the 'sword toss' technique his teacher had imparted to him, he didn't neglect to work on his foundations as well. Even without using his trump card, his fighting prowess was still one to be reckoned with.

Dang lang! Dang lang! Dang lang!

With the outburst of sword qi, the swords that the other youths held were knocked out of their hands, falling to the ground amidst metallic clatter. The youths couldn't help stare at Zhang Xuan in horror.

The sword art which Dan Xiaotian had executed actually disarmed all of them in an instant.

It was fortunate that he had gone easy on them, or else it could have been their wrists that were severed instead.

Hu!

With a flick of his finger, the sword in Dan Xiaotian's hand flew out and stabbed into the ground right in front of Xue Qin. With an air of loftiness, he looked at Xue Qin and asked, "May I ask if the talented Second Young Mistress is able to do what I, a trash, am able to do?"

"..."

The crowd fell silent.

Under the encirclement of over ten opponents, Dan Xiaotian was able to steal a sword and knock out the swords in the hands of the others without even taking a step... The strength and swordsmanship he had displayed were truly terrifying!

If such a person was considered as a trash, what would they count as?

Xue Qin's face paled as her body trembled in fear.

Even though she was a Great Sage 3-dan consummation cultivator, she knew that she would definitely be incapable of such a feat.

If she were to attempt to do the same, she had little doubt that she would be overwhelmed in an instant and fall in defeat.

Xue Chen was silent for a moment before he swiftly rebutted, "Even if you aren't a trash, it's a fact that you have colluded with the bandits. Even your own neighbors have stepped forward to testify that they have spotted bandits entering your residence in the middle of the night!"

Hearing those words, Dan Xiaotian turned to look at the two witnesses and asked, "Are you certain that you have witnessed with your own eyes that there are bandits entering my residence?"

"Yes... There's no mistake about it!"

"We have seen it for certain!"

Under Dan Xiaotian's piercing gaze, the two neighbors cowered fearfully a little.

If Dan Xiaotian was still unable to cultivate, they would still have nothing to fear. But given the prowess that Dan Xiaotian had just displayed, they couldn't help but recall the imposing authority that the Dan Clan commanded ten years ago...

Even though they were just revealing what they had seen, just the possibility that Dan Xiaotian could exact vengeance on them in the future for this made their words sound much less confident than before.

While their hearts were thumping fearfully, Dan Xiaotian spoke out, "The fact that you saw it means that... you are very sharp-eyed!"

"Huh?"

The two neighbors were stunned.

Sharp-eyed?

Boy, do you know what you are saying?

That's equivalent to admitting that you have colluded with the bandits! No matter how talented and powerful you are, there's no way the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would accept a person who has moral issues!

As though a rock had been thrown into a pond, a huge uproar broke out amidst the crowd in that instant.

"Hahahaha! Look, Dan Xiaotian has finally admitted to his crimes! Since that's the case, I believe we need not continue on with the interrogation anymore. Men, capture that scoundrel who dares to collude with the bandits and lock him up!" Xue Chen was also stunned for a moment before his eyes lit up in ravenous joy.

From the moment that Dan Xiaotian revealed his true prowess, he knew that things had gone awry. If Dan Xiaotian were to vehemently refute their claims from then on, it would have been a very difficult fight for him.

The fact that they had chosen to hold a public trial was a double-edged sword to them. They would have to find conclusive evidence in order to indict Dan Xiaotian, or else the reputation of the City Lord Manor could be sullied as a result of this matter.

Yet, who could have thought that Dan Xiaotian would foolishly admit to the matter at this moment... Not to mention, in front of so many people at that!

With this, Dan Xiaotian's fate was sealed. Just by this confession in itself, they would be able to push for Dan Xiaotian's execution!

"Aren't you being too hasty over here? I didn't know that the City Lord Manor has a habit of jumping to conclusions!" Dan Xiaotian sneered coldly. Turning to Huo Jianghe, he clasped his fist and asked politely, "Senior Huo, I would like to summon an eye-witness to the court."

"Go ahead!" Huo Jianghe nodded.

"Come in!" Dan Xiaotian glanced outside and ordered.

A figure covered tightly in a black robe and a straw hat walked from the midst of the crowd. Standing at the center of the court, he slowly took off his hat.

"He's Cao Chengli!"

"You mean the leader of that band of bandits?"

"He actually dares to walk right into the City Lord Manor? How dare he! Kill him!"

"He's the eye-witness that Dan Xiaotian is summoning? It seems like the two of them are really colluding with one another!"

...

Upon catching a closer look at the silhouette, the crowd went completely frenzied.

The person who had just entered was no other than the leader of the bandit band, Cao Chengli!

This fellow's hideout was hidden in the depths of the mountain forest, and he was extremely skilled at navigating around the complex geography. As a result, the previous attempts by the City Lord Manor to apprehend him fell empty. Yet, he actually dared to walk right into the City Lord Manor... Just who in the world gave him the guts to do so?

"Is everyone seeing this sight? Cao Chengli is actually heeding Dan Xiaotian's words! It's obvious that they are in collusion!" Xue Chen was so excited that he nearly leaped into the air.

Everything that had been presented thus far was just speculations and circumstantial evidence. Yet, that fellow actually brought the leader of the bandit band right in...

Was there a worse move that one could make in this situation?

"Collusion?" Dan Xiaotian suddenly roared in laughter as he looked at the black-robed bandit. "Why don't we hear from the person in question who he was truly colluding with?"

"It's him!" Cao Chengli stepped forward and pointed to Xue Chen and Xue Qin. "She was involved in it as well!"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Don't you dare spout falsehood in this sacred place of justice!" Xue Chen's eyebrows shot up and he swiftly denied Cao Chengli's claims.

"Spout falsehood?" Cao Chengli's fists clenched tightly together from rage. He turned to the crowd and began recounting his story loudly, "Yesterday night, Xue Chen paid me a visit and requested that I kill a man for him. As long as I successfully assassinated the target, he would pay me a handsome sum of 50,000 Ethereal Coins. I did a bit of investigation and found that the person I was intending to assassinate is a weakling, so I swiftly agreed to his request!"

"Assassination?"

"Weakling?"

There were plenty of smart individuals amongst the crowd who had already roughly guessed what had happened, and their eyes swiftly turned to Dan Xiaotian.

In recent years, those were the words that had been used far too often to refer to him.

"Indeed, the target of assassination was no other than Dan Xiaotian!" Cao Chengli answered the doubts of the crowd. "So, I prepared an ambush for him last night... but Dan Xiaotian turned out to be much stronger than I thought, resulting in the failure of my assassination attempt. My entire band of bandits was slain by him..."

It would simply be too shocking if he were to say that his subordinates were killed by a horse and a carriage... Since that was the case, it would be more viable for him to spin up a more believable lie.

"It was out of sheer luck that I managed to escape with my life. I immediately went to meet up with Xue Chen, and I demanded compensation from him for his inaccurate information that led to the deaths of my subordinates. Yet, he only paid me 500 Ethereal Coins... Infuriated, I followed him all the way back to his place, hoping to uncover his identity, but what I saw instead was Xue Chen entering the City Lord Manor, and that was when I finally deduced his true identity. Furthermore, by sheer coincidence, I managed to record this scene down on a Record Crystal. Please have a look!" Cao Chengli said as he began playing the Record Crystal he had recorded the previous night.

The video reflected the courtyard of the tightly-guarded City Lord Manor. The first thing that came into sight was a huge group of soldiers standing in a neat formation. Under the commands of a middle-aged man, Xue Chen, standing at the forefront of the formation, these soldiers stripped their armor and donned the clothes of the bandits. After they had all changed into black garments, Xue Chen emphasized imposingly that Dan Xiaotian and those around him must be killed by hook or by crook in this operation!.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1939: Elder Lu Arrives!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

The video didn't just stop there.

The person recording the video followed the suspicious-dressed soldiers as they snuck across the streets, all the way to Dan Xiaotian's residence!

"That video is extremely alike to the one that was played earlier. It's likely that they were taken at the same timing..."

"I thought that they were really bandits due to the clothes they were wearing, but who could have thought that they were actually the guards of the City Lord Manor..."

"Wait a moment, doesn't this mean that the guards of the City Lord Manor intentionally disguised themselves as bandits to murder others?"

...

It didn't take long for some to notice that the scene reflected in Cao Chengli's video was similar to the one displayed earlier, just that they were taken from different angles.

Due to the dress up, they instinctively assumed that those black garment individuals were bandits... but it turned out to just be a cover. They were actually the guards of the City Lord Manor!

Hu!

The video stopped right after the guards entered the Dan Clan Residence. Taking the Record Crystal back into his grasp, Cao Chengli looked at Xue Chen and asked, "What else do you have to say for yourself?"

"You... That's fabricated evidence!" Xue Chen's face paled in fright.

He never thought that someone would follow him and record this sight down!

"Fabricated evidence? You sure speak as if it's that easy to fabricate such evidence. Why don't you try making one for us?" Cao Chengli spat.

It was impossible to alter the content recorded by a Record Crystal, and the presence of corroborating evidence from the neighbor's recording further proved the authenticity of Cao Chengli's recording.

"I..." Xue Chen's face paled as he took a step back. "This is all utter nonsense! You are engaged to the Second Young Mistress, and given how talented you are, why should we kill you? Isn't it foolish for the City Lord Manor to take such a course of action?"

"Xue Chen's argument does make sense as well..."

The crowd quickly turned their heads over to Dan Xiaotian, wanting to see how he would explain himself.

Considering that the two of them had a marriage agreement with one another, it should be a blessing for the City Lord Manor that Dan Xiaotian was actually a genius. Taking a step back, even if Xue Qin and Dan Xiaotian had some disagreement with one another, they could have just annulled their agreement. Did the City Lord Manor really have to go to the extent of killing Dan Xiaotian?

This didn't seem too rational to them.

"You are asking me why you want to kill me? It seems like your memory really isn't too good. Maybe this will help jot your memories a little!" Dan Xiaotian chuckled as he took out a Record Crystal too and played the video stored within.

"You know the reason why I am coming here, but instead of coming out to welcome me personally, you dispatched a lowly servant to send the marriage agreement over instead. Do you think that this matter can be resolved that easily?"

In the video, Xue Qin's attitude was cold and haughty, as if she had her head in the clouds.

"What I want from you isn't much. I just need you to announce to the entire city that you were the one who chose to back out of the marriage agreement on your own accord because you feel that you aren't worthy of me. It's after a series of careful deliberation before my father finally decided to respect your opinion and end the marriage agreement... By giving me the mere sheet of paper, are you expecting me to tell everyone that I, Xue Qin, refuse to marry you? How could I allow the noble City Lord Manor to have such a stain on its reputation?"

"Well, it's very simple! Over these years, the Dan Clan has offended quite a few people, isn't that so? You should also know that if not for your engagement with Xue Qing, you should have already died many times over!" Xue Chen sneered coldly in the video.

"How would your death affect the City Lord Manor's reputation? Let me see. Our city lord would be enraged to learn of your demise, and he would dispatch men to exact vengeance for you. As for our Second Young Mistress, she would be in deep sorrow for a long time, and eventually, she would decide to depart from this land of grief and head to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!"

...

The Record Crystal displayed the haughty attitudes of both Xue Chen and Xue Qin clearly, be it their words, their expressions, or their gestures!

"This..."

"It turned out that she wanted to annul the engagement, but she wasn't satisfied with the other party rejecting her. In order to preserve her reputation, she would stoop down to even killing him..."

"What a venomous heart she has!"

"The reputation of the City Lord Manor has remained pristine over the years, but who could have thought that they would conduct such vile acts beneath the surface?"

"How embarrassing... I have never felt so embarrassed to be a citizen of Xuanjiang City before!"

...

There was no one who didn't understand what was going on after watching the video. Their eyes gradually turned hostile as they shifted their gazes toward Xue Chen and Xue Qin

"Y-you..."

With a pale face, Xue Qin felt as if her strength had receded from her body, causing her to slump to a heap on the ground.

She thought that everything would be settled after this. She would be free from the trash, and her reputation would soar as well... But things ended up in a direction she hadn't expected. Everything that she did was exposed so blatantly in public!

From this day on, her reputation would be completely shattered!

Everyone would only remember her as the cold-hearted woman who would stoop to colluding with the bandits in order to murder her fiancé in cold blood...

Who would dare to marry her with such a reputation to her name?

If such a matter could happen to Dan Xiaotian, how could they guarantee that they wouldn't be next?

"A bunch of nonsense! Today, I'll teach you a lesson for daring to fabricate lies about the City Lord Manor!" Xue Chen roared furiously as he abruptly charged at Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli.

With a powerful gust of wind, his palm struck forth with impressive might.

After everything that had happened, Xue Chen knew that he had been cornered. In such a scenario, the best thing he could do was to silence Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli. Only with their death would he be able to start salvaging the situation.

With his Ancient Sage 3-dan cultivation, he swiftly sealed everything within the room. In that instant, both Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli felt as if a ravenous wolf had set its sights on them, and it left them trembling from instincts.

"Audacious!"

Huo Jianghe's eyes turned cold in fury. He didn't think that Xue Chen would dare to kill those two in his presence.

It seemed like the other party was really looking down on him!

Huo Jianghe immediately grasped his sword, intending to stop Xue Chen, but in the next instant, he felt a palm pushing his hands down, preventing him from unsheathing his sword. He glared at the person beside him, only to see City Lord Xue Gan looking at him with a composed smile, "Master He, there's no need to worry. Xue Chen is just scaring the two of them, he won't really make a move on them. As a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it would be beneath you to get involved in the affairs of our city!"

Those words made Huo Jianghe narrow his eyes frostily.

There was no way he could mistake Xue Chen's killing intent. It was definitely not a bluff but a true strike to kill. If that palm were to land, the two of them would be killed on the spot.

After those two were eliminated, City Lord Xue Gan would step forward and expressed his regret at failing to keep his subordinate in line. He would then imprison Xue Chen until the matter finally died down...

By then, Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli would already be dead, so who would dare to question the City Lord Manor's judgement over two dead men?

And once everything blew over, Xue Chen would be released as if nothing had happened at all...

"No!"

In the face of Xue Chen's devastating palm strike, Cao Chengli's face paled as sweat washed down his forehead.

He had only come to redress Dan Xiaotian's grievances under the orders of that mysterious book... He had no intention of losing his life here!

Just as he thought that his fate was sealed, the imposing momentum that was headed his way suddenly dissipated without a trace. Fearfully raising his head to take a peek, he saw the Ancient Sage 3-dan expert in front of him collapsing powerlessly to the ground.

"H-huh?"

Alarmed, Cao Chengli warily approached Xue Chen, only to see a small piercing from his forehead to the back of his head. He carefully placed his fingers in front of Xue Chen's nostrils, only to realize that the latter had already breathed his last! His fingers immediately jerked back out of shock.

He was dazed for a moment before he began frantically looking around for the murder weapon. However, the only thing he found was a mysterious stalk of grass stabbed into the ground. There were traces of grayish matter on the stalk of grass. As unbelievable as it may seem, it seemed like it was the weapon that had robbed Xue Chen of his life!

For a flimsy stalk of grass to pierce through the head of an Ancient Sage 3-dan cultivator... Just how powerful must one be to achieve such a feat?

The comprehension that there was a powerful expert around who could take his life at any moment filled Cao Chengli's mind with utmost horror. His body stiffened in fear, not daring to move in the least.

On the other hand, Huo Jianghe rose to his feet as he looked upon the scene in disbelief.

He was an Ancient Sage 4-dan primary stage expert just like City Lord Xue Gan, but even he knew that he would be unable to pull off something like that.

The flimsy structure of grass prevented one from exerting significant strength through it or infusing zhenqi into it. Yet, it actually breached an Ancient Sage 3-dan's zhenqi protective layer and pierced through his head...

More importantly, even though the matter had happened right before his eyes, he was actually unable to discern who the culprit was, or where the grass had come from at all!

It was almost as if the stalk of grass had appeared out of nowhere!

City Lord Xue Gan was as shocked as Huo Jianghe was, and he felt his body turning icy cold.

He knew that if he had been in Xue Chen's place, that strike would have ended his life with ease as well.

The only one present in the court that wasn't surprised was likely only Dan Xiaotian. He heaved a sigh of relief as he thought, "My teacher... is truly formidable!"

He knew that his teacher was an extraordinary cultivator, but he didn't think that he would actually be this powerful!

Suppressing his agitation and astonishment, Dan Xiaotian was just about to continue speaking when he saw City Lord Xue Gan rising to his feet with an indignant look on his face. "How dare Xue Chen commit such atrocities? To think that I have trusted him and entrusted him with the important position as the chief instructor of the City Lord Manor! I must have been blind back then. This is truly a huge disgrace... Such black sheep must be killed in order to send out a stern warning to the others!"

Dan Xiaotian was taken aback by Xue Gan's sudden outburst.

Was the latter claiming that he was the one who had killed Xue Chen?

Just how shameless could that fellow get?

"Xiaotian, I apologize for the suffering you have been through as a result of Xue Chen's willful actions. It's fortunate that you are smart enough to undo his ploy, or else our City Lord Manor would have fallen into disgrace as well!"

Xue Gan walked over to Dan Xiaotian, and assuming the role of a caring elder, he said with a warm voice, "Your engagement with my daughter was decided by your grandfather and my father. They might be gone now, but as their offspring, we cannot let their expectations down. I believe that the reason why Xue Qin committed such foolishness is because of Xue Chen's beguilement. That fellow has always been skilled at manipulating the hearts of others..."

Dan Xiaotain couldn't help but sneer upon seeing how swift Xue Gan was adapting to the situation. As expected of the city lord, Xue Gan was a wily old fox.

It was only because his teacher valued his privacy that he didn't want to step forward in this situation. Of everything that was gathered here, the one who boasted the greatest strength was Xue Gan, so it was only natural that everyone thought that he was the one who killed Xue Chen.

Making use of this mentality, Xue Gan immediately pushed all blame onto Xue Chen, making it sound as if the City Lord Manor wasn't involved in the matter at all... After this matter blew over, he would then placate everyone with a mixture of fear tactics and incentives, so the public sentiments against the City Lord Manor would die down soon enough.

Nevertheless, to be able to cast away his loyal subordinate so quickly, Xue Gan sure was a callous man.

"City Lord Xue Gan, you sure are a good jester," Dan Xiaotian chuckled a little before his eyes suddenly turned utterly cold, "The fifty elites dispatched by the City Lord Manor has died overnight, and a huge investigation was carried out right after. Are we to believe that this was all orchestrated by Xue Chen without your knowledge?"

The death of fifty elites was a heavy cost to the City Lord Manor. There was no way Xue Gan would have been completely oblivious to the matter!

While there were various smart individuals amongst the crowd who had already figured out as much, Dan Xiaotian's act of pointing it out candidly could be considered as a direct challenge toward the City Lord Manor.

"Hmph!"

Not expecting Xue Chen to continue harping on this matter even though he had already proposed a peaceful resolution, Xue Gan's face turned livid. He immediately sent a warning to Dan Xiaotian via zhenqi telepathy, "Is Xue Chen's death not enough for you? Are you intending to bring me down as well? Naive! Do you even have evidence to prove that I was involved in this matter too?"

Dan Xiaotian fell silent.

While Xue Qin's attitude had been awful, it was true that most of the ploys were planned and executed by Xue Chen. As a result, there was no direct link to indicate that Xue Gan had played a part in it as well... In fact, it was likely that even Xue Qin would be able to shirk responsibility off her too. After all, what she had mainly done was just to annul their engagement!

Her actions thus far might have been reprehensible from a moral standpoint, but it didn't infringe on the law. Unless he could prove that Xue Chen was acting under Xue Qin's commands, he wouldn't be able to indict her under any crime.

"If you don't have any evidence, I advise you not to run your mouth. I know that you have a formidable expert backing you, and that's why you were able to kill Xue Chen so easily. However, I am the lord of Xuanjiang City, and this is a title conferred to me directly by the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! Only the elders of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion have the right to judge me! If the expert behind you dares to lay a hand on me, that could be interpreted as intervening in the internal affairs of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... Do you think that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would allow someone who challenged their authority to get off scot-free? Or do you think that the person backing you have the ability to withstand the pressure coming from one of the Six Sects?" Xue Gan sneered.

"If you don't want the person backing you to get in trouble while trying to help you, I advise you to obediently heed my words and let this matter go. That would be the perfect ending, wouldn't it? Your marriage with Xue Qin will go on as planned, and you need not worry about the Dan Clan's enemies either!"

Dan Xiaotian's eyes reddened in fury, but he was unable to speak a word at all.

In truth, he had also guessed as much that City Lord Xue Gan had played a huge role in the incident that resulted in the deaths of his family back then, and he had been wanting to exact vengeance too!

But... what Xue Gan said made perfect sense too!

Through proper channels, none of them had the right to judge Xue Gan. And if his teacher were to dare make a move on Xue Gan privately, that would be no different from falling out with the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!

While his teacher was powerful, he didn't think that his teacher was strong enough to stand against the entire Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!

"Even if I don't say anything more, I believe you should know what you have to do, right?" Seeing that Dan Xiaotian was beginning to waver, Xue Gan harrumphed coldly. "In case you foolishly think that you still stand a chance, allow me to reiterate this fact for you once more. Unless an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion hears your prayer and appears right now, otherwise you'll just be digging your own..."

Hu!

Before Xue Gan could finish his words, the resounding call of a beast sounded from the air. Several individuals descended from the sky right after.

"Elder Lu!"

Upon seeing this group of people, Huo Jianghe's eyes lit up, and he swiftly rushed forward and clasped his fist.

Elder Lu had finally arrived here from Starlight City!

Seeing this sight, the words that Xue Gan had wanted to speak ended up clogging inside his throat instead.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1940: The Trial of Inner Disciples

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

While Elder Lu Yun was in charge of only managing the outer disciples, there was no denying that he was a real Pseudo Immortal realm cultivator. Originally, he was only in charge of the outer disciple trial in Starlight City; he wouldn't have even come to a place like Xuanjiang City where only menial disciples were recruited!

Unless there were exceptional circumstances, he would only pass by the area at most.

So why would he suddenly drop by at this moment?

Xue Gan couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he dared not to show the slightest disrespect toward Elder Lu Yun either. Thus, he quickly rushed forward and bowed down, "City Lord Xue Gan pays respects to Elder Lu Yun!"

"Un," Elder Lu Yun waved his hands casually before turning to Huo Jiange. "How is it? Has he appeared yet?"

"Elder, I'm still uncertain exactly who that person is, but my guess is that he has something to do with that young man over there!" Huo Jianghe said as he gestured toward Dan Xiaotian.

Yesterday night, while he was still at the Ethereal Hall, World's Edge had asked him for a favor, requesting him to appear here at this timing. In the end, there was indeed a court case happening here, and it was due to his presence that Dan Xiaotian was able to redress his grievances... Thus, even if Dan Xiaotian wasn't World's Edge, it was likely that he was related to him in one way or another!

"Him?" Elder Lu Yun looked at Dan Xiaotian doubtfully.

With his eye of discernment, he could instantaneously tell how powerful Dan Xiaotian was... Great Sage 3-dan consummation!

A person of such cultivation was actually able to kill all of his disciples with ease?

"It's like this..." Huo Jianghe began recounting everything that had happened to Elder Lu Yun.

After hearing the story, Elder Lu Yun's face darkened.

To think that there would be someone who would dare to act so audaciously in the territories of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion... There was no way he could let this matter slide so easily!

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his displeasure before turning to look at the young man standing at the center of the court, "You are Dan Xiaotian?"

"That's right, Elder Lu!" Dan Xiaotian bowed deeply as he replied.

"Do you have any intention of joining the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion?" Elder Lu Yun asked.

Dan Xiaotian was stunned for a moment as he discreetly glanced at his teacher. Upon receiving a nod from his teacher, he immediately bowed down and replied, "It would be my honor to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!"

"Very well!" Elder Lu Yun nodded. "Form this day onward, you are an outer disciple of our sect! Anyone who dares to oppress you will be an enemy of our sect as well, and you can be certain that he will face the full wrath of our sect!"

"Ah..." Dan Xiaotian was stunned.

He thought that Elder Lu Yun would want to test his prowess before coming to a decision, but who could have thought that he was accepted so easily. Everything happened so fast that it almost felt like a scam.

Were it not for his knowledge that the person standing before him was an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he would have definitely thought it was a farce!

He had long heard that Elder Lu Yun, who was in charge of recruiting outer disciples, was a hot-blooded and straightforward person, and it seemed like those rumors weren't completely unfounded...

"Xiaotian, congratulations on becoming a disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!"

The first one to react was Xue Gan. He congratulated Dan Xiaotian with a bright smile on his face, not showing any sign of awkwardness due to their earlier argument.

Paying no heed to Xue Gan's act, Dan Xiaotian took in a deep breath, and as if coming to a major decision, he kneeled down on the floor and cried out indignantly, "Elder Lu, I beseech you to redress my grievances!"

"Feel free to speak your mind!" Elder Lu Yun replied.

"Our Dan Clan used to be a major power in Xuanjiang City. However, due to our great strength and influence, the City Lord Manor has always viewed us as a threat. Thus, the City Lord Manor set us, and that eventually caused the death of all of my family members... This is the evidence of their evildoings!" Dan Xiaotain passed a jade token over to Elder Lu Yun.

After the Dan Clan had been destroyed, Elder Yi had devoted himself to uncovering the truth behind the fall of the Dan Clan. However, the more pieces of evidence he gathered, the more suspicious City Lord Xue Gan became.

He dared not to reveal it in the past fearing that the City Lord Manor would silence them, but with an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion standing before him at this instant, he knew that there was no better opportunity for him to resolve this regret of his.

This was the will of his teacher as well.

Elder Lu Yun took the jade token and took a look at it. A moment later, his eyes narrowed in fury.

Every evidence stored in the jade token indicated clearly that the deaths of all 97 members of the Dan Clan had an inseverable relationship with City Lord Xue Gan's doings.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Elder Lu Yun spat as he tossed the jade token over to Xue Gan.

Xue Gan hurriedly picked up the jade token, and upon seeing the contents, his eyes widened in astonishment. He swiftly kneeled onto the floor and cried out, "Elder Lu, these are all lies! I am framed! Everyone in Xuanjiang City can testify to the friendly relations between the City Lord Manor and the Dan Clan! The very fact that there's a marriage agreement between Xiaotian and Xue Qin is more than enough to show that. I have nothing to gain by making a move against the Dan Clan!

"There must be a misunderstanding somewhere... It could be because Xiaotian is angered by my daughter's foolishness in listening to Xue Chen's words and attempting to annul her engagement... Elder Lu Yun, I beg of you to investigate this matter carefully and return me justice!"

"Hmph! Rest assured that I'll give you a satisfactory answer!" Elder Lu Yun harrumphed before turning his attention away from the kneeling Xue Gan. He looked at Dan Xiaotian and said, "While the evidence you have compiled is convincing, most of them can't be verified anymore due to the long interval since then. Furthermore, given that Xue Gan is the city lord, if he were to intentionally hide his trails, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it either!"

"I understand," Dan Xiaotian replied with his head lowered.

He knew that this would be the case. He knew it all along.

It had been ten years since tragedy struck the Dan Clan, and Xuanjiang City had changed a lot since then. Even if the evidence compiled was convincing, the passing of time would render most of them unverifiable, which meant that they couldn't be used to indict Xue Gan anymore.

Furthermore, Xue Gan was a person who was willing to kill even for a mere annulment of engagement just to protect the reputation of the City Lord Manor. Considering how huge the massacre of the Dan Clan was, he would have surely dealt with it promptly so that it would be impossible to link the incident to him anymore.

"It would undermine the authority of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion if I were to sentence a city lord to death without proper justification! However, there's an exception to the rule!"

At which, a glint flashed across Elder Lu Yun eyes as he continued on, "And that is... true strength! As long as you are able to display overwhelming talents that would make you an asset to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, you can be assured that the sect will side with you instead of a third-tier city lord. The only way you can do that is to become an inner disciple of our sect. If you are able to do so, you can be assured that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would resolve any problems you are facing so that you are able to focus on your cultivation!"

"Inner disciple?" Dan Xiaotian was stunned.

The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was only accepting menial disciples from Xuanjiang City.

Even this role of a lackey was enough to puff Xue Qin up with pride, leaving her feeling as if she had risen to the top of a peak. It was due to this that prompted her to annul her engagement with him in the first place. If he were to become an inner disciple, his standing would be higher than even Huo Jianghe and Xue Gan.

Naturally, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would feel more obligated to side with him instead of Xue Gan.

Just that...

It was simply too difficult.

Huo Jianghe was already an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator, but he still remained an outer disciple. Considering that Dan Xiaotian was only at Great Sage 3-dan consummation, would he stand a chance at all?

"Indeed. Every single inner disciple is an asset to the sect. Their standing is even higher than an outer elder like me! As long as you successfully become an inner disciple, even if you kill City Lord Xue Gan without any justification, no one would question your judgement at all!" Elder Lu Yun said.

"This..." Not expecting Elder Lu Yun to suddenly say such words, Xue Gan's eyebrows shot up in astonishment.

It couldn't be that... the other party intended Dan Xiaotian to take the examination to become an inner disciple?

But the examination for inner disciples was no joke. Dan Xiaotian might be talented, but it was nigh impossible for him to succeed!

"Elder Lu, may I ask how does the examination for inner disciples work? I'm willing to give it a try!" Dan Xiaotian pondered for a moment before asking.

"The examination for inner disciples focuses not on the cultivation of the individual but his potential. As long as one's potential is sufficiently high, even if one's cultivation is lacking, one would still be able to join the ranks. It's also possible for an outsider to become an inner disciple right away after joining the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion; there's no need for one to become an outer disciple first before progressing upward.

"There are two criteria which one has to meet in order to become an inner disciple. Firstly, one has to reach Ancient Sage before seventeen. Secondly, one has to clear the inner disciple swordsmanship examination!"

At this point, Elder Lu Yun turned to Dan Xiaotian and asked, "How old are you at the moment?"

"I am sixteen right now, but..." Dan Xiaotian was just about to continue speaking when Elder Lu Yun suddenly interjected.

"It's fine as long as you aren't seventeen yet. Since you are already at Great Sage 3-dan consummation, there's a good chance that you should be able to become an Ancient Sage before your seventeenth birthday! As for the swordsmanship examination for inner disciples... Huo Jianghe is the first senior for outer disciples, and his swordsmanship mastery already meets the requirement. As long as you are able to defeat him in the same cultivation realm, you can be deemed to have cleared the examination!"

"I have to defeat Senior Huo in the same cultivation realm?" Dan Xiaotian was a little nervous.

He had only learned a night of swordsmanship with his teacher whereas the other party was an expert from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, having studied swordsmanship for at least twenty years.

It would be extremely difficult for him to defeat Senior Huo even if the latter were to suppress his cultivation down to the same level as him.

Elder Lu Yun nodded, "Indeed. Do you wish to give it a try?"

"Yes, I would like to give it a try!" Dan Xiaotian hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly.

This was the greatest opportunity in his life to exact vengeance for his parents and brothers!

Once this opportunity slipped past his fingers, it would be nigh impossible for him to redress the grievances of the Dan Clan anymore.

After all, there was no way Xue Gan would quietly sit here and wait to be killed. By the time he rose through the ranks, the other party would have long made his escape.

Given how large the Forsaken Continent was, trying to find Xue Gan again would be no different from searching for a needle amidst the boundless ocean.

"Very well!" Elder Lu Yun nodded. He turned to Huo Jianghe and said, "Suppress your cultivation down to Great Sage 3-dan and fight him with everything you got. Don't hold back anything at all, understood?"

"Yes, Elder Lu!" Huo Jianghe nodded.

He began walking toward Dan Xiaotian while suppressing his cultivation down to Great Sage 3-dan. Getting into his position, he drew his sword before beckoning for Dan Xiaotian to come at him with a wave of his hand, "Come!"

"Teacher..."

This was the first time Dan Xiaotian was fighting with a real expert, so he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. He turned to look at his teacher for support, but the latter was staring quietly into space, as if everything that was happening at the moment had nothing to do with it.

From the looks of it, it was obvious that he didn't plan on interfering in this duel!

"Forget it, I'll just have to give it my all!" Dan Xiaotian gritted his teeth in resolution.

His teacher had already given him a lot. He would have to take the last step himself in order to become an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so he couldn't back down at this crucial moment!

Hu!

In this short moment, Huo Jianghe was already charging toward him with incredible speed. It was almost as if a raging current was gushing toward Dan Xiaotian.

However, after seeing Huo Jianghe's swordsmanship with his own eyes, what Dan Xiaotian felt wasn't trepidation but surprise.

Huo Jianghe's sword art might appear to be complex on the surface, but this was all things that his teacher had spoken about before. With this knowledge, he found that he was able to swiftly deconstruct Huo Jianghe's move, stripping it of all of its elegance and complexity. It no longer held any secrets from him anymore, as if it was standing stark naked in his face.

With this, everything else was a walk in the park.

Staring right through the facade to peer into the enemy's intention, Dan Xiaotian was able to find eight ways to overcome Huo Jianghe's swordsmanship in a moment's time.

Thus, he drove his sword forward toward one of the core weaknesses in Huo Jianghe's swordsmanship.

Taken aback, Huo Jianghe immediately leaped backward.

To Dan Xiaotian, this was concrete evidence that his teacher's impartation was effective. So, he sent yet another pierce forward.

Once again, Huo Jianghe was forced to retreat.

Just like that, with one side advancing and the other side retreating, the cycle repeated for more than twenty moves. Their swords hadn't even clashed with one another once, but Huo Jianghe had already retreated forty steps thus far.

"That swordsmanship..."

"It's truly formidable!"

Huang Tao, Hu Bin, and the others were stunned by Dan Xiaotian's fighting prowess. They looked at one another as if they had seen a ghost.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1941: Dan Xiaotian's Birthday

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Huo Jianghe, Huang Tao, and Bamboo had fought with World's Edge back at the Ethereal Hall.

World's Edge's swordsmanship was like an enigma to them. It rendered them completely bewildered. They could tell that his swordsmanship was formidable, but they just weren't able to discern what was it about it that made it so formidable.

To put it in other words, they only knew of the result but not the causes behind it. As such, they weren't able to accurately interpret his strength, much less evaluate it.

But such was not the case for Dan Xiaotian. They could clearly see that every single strike he executed was aimed directly at Huo Jianghe's weakness, so Dan Xiaotian's strength was easy for them to comprehend.

In less than ten seconds, the twenty blows that were executed rendered Huo Jianghe unable to retaliate at all.

Even true inner disciples wouldn't have such sharp swordsmanship!

Even terrifying wasn't a sufficient adjective to describe this anymore.

"Is he World's Edge?" Square-faced asked.

He had never crossed blows with World's Edge, so he didn't know the latter's moves and means. However, the others had fought with him before, so they might be able to see something that he couldn't.

"World's Edge defeated us as soon as the battle began... He didn't really execute any ordinary moves, so I can't really tell either. Unless he were to execute that move again, or else it would be difficult for us to verify it!" Yun Feiyang said.

It was not that their eye of discernment was lacking, but that sword toss was simply too powerful!

Everything ended so quickly that they couldn't even gauge the true strength of the one executing the move. As such, they weren't able to evaluate his strength through his normal swordsmanship either.

"But given the current circumstances, it doesn't seem like Senior Huo would be able to force the other party into using that move either..." Huang Tao remarked with a bitter smile.

The crowd fell silent.

The other party was already able to force Senior Huo back without using that technique. At this rate, even after Senior Huo lost, they would still be unable to confirm that if Dan Xiaotian was World's Edge.

"Actually, there's a way to test that. Just watch..." Square-faced turned his head over and shouted, "Senior, use A River's Glance!"

A River's Glance was both Huo Jianghe's nickname in the Ethereal Hall, as well as the sword art he was the most skilled at.

This skill was reminiscent of a river that flowed relentlessly until every boulder that stood in its path was crushed into bits.

It was with this sword art that Huo Jianghe dominated over all of the outer disciples, solidifying his position as the First Senior.

"Alright!"

Huo Jianghe's immediately understood his junior's intentions. With a furious roar, he infused his zhenqi furiously into his sword and drove it forth. In an instant, it was as if he had morphed into a vast river that threatened to sweep away everything that stood in his way.

Seeing that Huo Jianghe had used his ultimate technique, Dan Xiaotian unhesitatingly flicked his sword forward.

If he wished to defeat the other party, he would have to first crush the river before it reached him.

Hu!

Dan Xiaotian's sword pierced across the air.

He had cultivated this move for the entire night, practicing it at least a thousand times. His sword immediately vanished from the spot, and by the time it appeared once more, it was already right before Huo Jianghe's throat.

"Crap..." Huo Jianghe widened his eyes in alarm.

He had been so engrossed in trying to get World's Edge into using his ultimate technique that he forgot about the risk it posed. He immediately released the seal on his cultivation.

In an instant, the might of an Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm expert poured forth.

It was only after regaining his true strength did he manage to block the sword outside. Nevertheless, cold sweat still poured down his back.

If it had been an opponent of the same tier, that move would have already taken his life!

"It's him..."

Huang Tao and the others trembled in agitation upon seeing that move.

There was no doubt about it anymore. Dan Xiaotian was definitely World's Edge!

Xue Gan's body also swayed weakly from side to side before falling to the ground.

Ever since he returned from the Ethereal Hall yesterday night, he had been wondering who the expert known as World's Edge could be... He would have never thought that it was the son-in-law whom he despised and looked down on!

Xue Qin also nearly went insane at that moment.

She was with Huo Jianghe yesterday night when the latter challenge World's Edge, so there was no way she wouldn't recognize that move... If Dan Xiaotian was World's Edge, didn't it mean that she had become his maid?

Instead of being his fiancée, she had fallen to become his maid instead...

At this moment, she really wanted to dig her eyes out!

There was once such a brilliant jade before her, but she actually thought of it as nothing more than a concrete brick and cast it away!

Watching the proceedings of the whole match, Elder Lu Yun nodded in excitement as he announced the results, "Dan Xiaotian has won the duel!"

It was no wonder why the other party didn't agree to join the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion right away back then. It turned out that he was waiting for an opportunity to slap this city lord's face!

He wanted to make the other party dearly regret the vile deeds he had committed in the future!

Youths nowadays sure were hot-blooded... But again, considering that his family was torn apart, anyone in his place would have probably done the same as well!

"The fact that you were able to defeat Huo Jianghe means that you would be able to clear the inner disciple examination with ease. Given that you were able to reach Great Sage 3-dan consummation by sixteen without ample resources, it's almost a certainty that you'll be able to advance to Ancient Sage by seventeen!

The more Elder Lu looked at the young man before him, the more satisfied he was with the latter. Thus, he declared loudly, "In my position as an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, I announce that Dan Xiaotian has cleared the inner disciple trial. He has been accepted as one of the inner disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and he'll enjoy all of the privileges that inner disciples possess!"

"Thank you, Elder Lu!" Dan Xiaotian heaved a sigh of relief before kneeling onto the ground to thank him.

With this identity, even if he didn't have concrete evidence, he would still be able to kill Xue Gan and exact vengeance for his parents!

Noticing the cold gaze Dan Xiaotian was directing toward him, Xue Gan's face warped in horror as he retreated fearfully, "What are you going to do? You still have a marriage agreement with Xue Qin. I am your father-in-law!"

"Senior Huo, I beseech you to help me take him down. I want to exact vengeance for all 97 members of my clan!" Dan Xiaotian gritted his teeth furiously.

While you were killing my family members, have you ever thought that you were my father-in-law?

While Xue Chen was colluded with the bandits and nearly had me killed, have you ever thought that you were my father-in-law?

To only recognize it right now, don't you think that it's far too late?

Huo Jianghe and the others moved in unison to take down Xue Gan. While Xue Gan was a formidable foe, Yun Feiyang, Huang Tao, and the others weren't weak either, not to mention that they possessed superb swordsmanship as disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. They were able to curb him with ease.

"I don't kill the innocent. The jade token doesn't just contain the evidence of Xue Gan plotting against the Dan Clan; it details all of the vile deeds he has committed over the past few years!" Dan Xiaotian said.

He took out the jade token once more and infused his zhenqi into it. In an instant, a huge chunk of text appeared in the air, showing all of the crimes which Xue Gan had committed over the years.

"He was the mastermind behind the Autumn Grassfield Disaster? All along, I thought it was the deeds of the bandits..."

"He was actually the culprit who plundered and murdered the Liu Clan! That was a huge family of forty members!"

"The young daughter of the Chen Clan was violated before her death... How could he have the cheek to claim that it was a deviant pervert who did it? For a city lord, he really has no decency at all..."

"It's a pity that I viewed him as my idol all this while... I respected him, thinking that he was an upright and honorable individual. I would have never thought that he has committed so many atrocities in the shadows..."

...

The words revealed in the air invoked a huge commotion amongst the crowd.

Xue Gan valued his reputation a lot, so he had done a lot of things in order to build a good name for himself, thus making him a highly respected figure in the city. Thus, when all of his deeds were revealed at this instant, everyone felt goosebumps rising on their arms.

It was as if everything they had believed all along was just a lie!

"What else do you have to say for yourself?" Dan Xiaotian glanced at Xue Gan and said.

He slowly walked up to the subdued Xue Gan and placed his sword against the latter. As long as he pushed his sword a little further in, he would be able to easily impale Xue Gan's throat and exact vengeance for his family members!

"I..." Xue Gan trembled in fear.

Even though he had done a lot of cover-up work, he knew that it was impossible for him to destroy all evidence. As long as the crowd investigated those matters carefully, they would surely be able to find bits and pieces of evidence.

If Dan Xiaotian was only an ordinary cultivator, he would still be able to take measures to silence Dan Xiaotian and quell the crowd, forcing them to stay silent. However, with Dan Xiaotian becoming an inner disciple, there was no way he could make a comeback anymore.

It was the end.

"N-no! You can't kill my father!"

Just as Xue Gan had closed his eyes, resigned to his fate, Xue Qin suddenly rushed over and howled madly.

"Do you want to try that and see?" Dan Xiaotian narrowed his eyes in scorn.

"You can't kill him! You aren't qualified to be an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, so you have no right to pass judgement on my father!" Xue Qin cried out desperately.

"What do you mean by he's not qualified to be an inner disciple? Are you questioning my authority as an elder of the sect?" Before Dan Xiaotian could speak, Elder Lu Yun had already interjected with a darkened face.

He had supervised the duel right in front of such a huge crowd, and it was obvious that Huo Jianghe had used his full strength too. Xue Qin had no right to question this judgement of his!

"N-no, that's not what I mean!" Realizing that she had misspoken, Xue Qin hurriedly raised her head and replied anxiously. "Elder Lu, you mentioned earlier that there are two conditions Dan Xiaotian has to fulfill in order to become an inner disciple. The earlier trial was fair and impartial, so I dare not to question anything about that... However, I disagree with the first condition, which states that Dan Xiaotian has to become an Ancient Sage before his seventeenth birthday!"

"Oh?" Elder Lu Yun looked at Xue Qin, indicating for her to go on.

"I am engaged with Dan Xiaotian, so I know his Eight Birth Characters 1 . His birthday happens to be on today's Shen hour 2 , which means that he would seventeen by the time the Shen hour passes!" Xue Qin said with tightly clenched fists.

"There's only another hour till the Shen hour, but he's only at Great Sage 3-dan consummation at the moment. How could he reach Ancient Sage by seventeen at this rate? Given so, I believe that he's unqualified to become an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!"

"This..." Elder Lu Yun was stunned.

He turned to look at Dan Xiaotian, only to see the latter with a reddened face.

"My birthday is indeed on today's Shen hour..." Dan Xiaotian said awkwardly.

He had wanted to say it earlier, but he was interrupted by Elder Lu.

So, he thought of pushing ahead with it so that he could exact his vengeance. At most, he would just have to work doubly hard to make up for it in the future. He didn't think that Xue Qin would remember his birthday.

Seeing that Dan Xiaotian had admitted to it, Elder Lu Yun looked at the sun by the horizon and noted that it was already on the verge of setting. It was already afternoon, which meant that there were less than two hours left to Dan Xiaotian's seventeenth birthday!

To advance from Great Sage 3-dan consummation to Ancient Sage within such a short span of time...

That was practically impossible!

If Dan Xiaotian couldn't become an Ancient Sage by his seventeenth birthday, he wouldn't be able to meet the criteria required for him to become an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, which meant that he had no rights to sentence Xue Gan either.

This meant that his vengeance would have to fall through.

"It seems like it is heavens' will..." Elder Lu Yun shook his head and sighed.

He thought that he could finally recruit an inner disciple and make a huge contribution to the sect, but who could have thought that there would be such a hiccup.

"However, you need not worry. Even if you can't become an inner disciple now, there's still another chance. As long as you cultivate hard and reach Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm before thirty, you'll still be able to become an inner disciple!"

There were different phases where one could be promoted as an inner disciple. After all, there were cultivators who displayed tremendous potential only later in their lives. If not for this, Huo Jianghe and the others wouldn't have stood a chance anymore either.

However, if Dan Xiaotian were to go after this instead, he wouldn't be able to exact his vengeance anymore.

Of course, as an elder of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he could report this matter upward, but by the time an investigation team is sent down, quite some time would have already passed. Most likely, Xue Gan would have already gotten away by then.

"Yes, I understand..." Dan Xiaotian clenched his fists tightly as his eyes reddened in regret.

In the end, he was still unable to exact vengeance for his family members. Was everything really going to end just like that?

At this moment, a calm voice suddenly sounded.

"There's still another hour. Are you going to give up like this?"

Dan Xiaotian hurriedly raised his head, only to see that his teacher, who seemed to be dozing off all this while, had already stood up. There were still metallic chains tied around his arms, but his face had a smile that reflected composure and confidence.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1942: Dan Xiaotian Pushes For a Breakthrough to Ancient Sage

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Tea..."

Overwhelmed by his agitation, Dan Xiaotian was just about to call out 'teacher' when he saw the latter shaking his head, so he swiftly halted what he was saying.

His teacher had instructed him earlier that he wished to keep a low profile and didn't want to stand out too much. So, while it was fine for him to greet his teacher normally in a private setting, he should address the latter as his friend before outsiders.

Considering that there wasn't too huge of an age gap between the two of them, it was unlikely that others would suspect him.

"Paying respects to Elder Lu. I am Zhang Xuan, Dan Xiaotian's friend," Zhang Xuan said as he walked over.

It was only at this moment that Huo Jianghe got a good look at Zhang Xuan's face too, and his expression turned a little unnatural.

They had crossed one another back at Hongyan Market, but as the other party was tightly wrapped in bandages back then, he didn't recognize the other party instantly. However, putting the physique together with the voice, it was obvious that the person standing before him was the same person who had put him down at Hongyan Market!

"You asked if Dan Xiaotian is going to give up... Do you think that it's possible for him to become an Ancient Sage within an hour?" Elder Lu Yun asked with a frown.

"That's right," Zhang Xuan replied with a nod. "I was injured previously, and he was the one who saved me, so I know of his true strength. In truth, he has already reached Ancient Sage a long time ago, but he overexerted himself while trying to treat me, resulting in his cultivation plummeting back to Great Sage 3-dan. As long as he receives the appropriate treatment, I believe that it shouldn't be too hard for him to return back to his peak within an hour's time!"

"Dan Xiaotian is actually an Ancient Sage?" Perplexed, Elder Lu Yun turned to look at Dan Xiaotian once more.

Are you sure this is how an Ancient Sage should be like? Even if you are making up lies, you should come up with something more believable! Is it really alright for you to be spouting nonsense just like that?

Dan Xiaotian was also completely caught off guard by what Zhang Xuan had said.

It was only yesterday that he was still an insignificant Saint 6-dan cultivator, and he thought that it was already an incredible feat how his cultivation could rise all the way up to Great Sage 3-dan after the gu inside him was killed. Yet, his teacher was telling him that he was actually already an Ancient Sage?

When did I become an Ancient Sage? Why do I not know of it?

"Give me an hour and don't allow anyone to interrupt me. I guarantee that I'll bring him back to his peak!" Zhang Xuan insisted despite the skeptical glances that others were shooting at him.

He knew that it sounded ridiculous to most of them here, especially since it was obvious to almost everyone here that Dan Xiaotian was indeed a Great Sage 3-dan cultivator. However, if he were to claim to raise Dan Xiaotian's cultivation by two realms within an hour instead, that would make an even more unbelievable story...

And things would only get worse if he succeeded. Such an alarming deed would bring unwanted attention to him. Others might try to do him and Dan Xiaotian harm in hopes of figuring out his secret.

Thus, after much consideration, he decided to go with the story that Dan Xiaotian was already an Ancient Sage.

After all, the notion of a person recovering his strength wouldn't be as shocking as otherwise.

Sigh, it sure is troublesome to maintain a low profile. But what can I do about it? I, Zhang Xuan, am the type of person who likes to silently help others from the shadows without expecting anything in return!

"That's no trouble at all." While Elder Lu Yun felt that there wasn't much hope, he still decided to go along with the other party this once, considering how confident the other party appeared to be. He turned to Huo Jianghe and said, "Bring them to a quiet location. Meanwhile, I'll test the other examinees!"

"Yes, Elder Lu!" Huo Jianghe replied before leading Zhang Xuan and Dan Xiaotian away.

He had been residing in the City Lord Residence the past few days, so he was extremely familiar with its layout. The residence he was allocated with was in a relatively quiet region, and rarely would there be anyone walking around there. It was the ideal place to bring Zhang Xuan and Dan Xiaotian to.

Entering Huo Jianghe's room, Zhang Xuan emphasized once more that they mustn't be interrupted before sending Huo Jianghe away and shutting the doors. As soon as the doors were closed, Dan Xiaotian immediately kneeled down in front of his teacher and cried out, "But teacher, I am not an Ancient Sage..."

"Are you saying that I'm lying earlier?" Zhang Xuan refuted.

"This..." Dan Xiaotian's face reddened.

It was extremely disrespectful for a disciple to claim that his teacher was lying... though the issue became rather subjective when the teacher was truly lying.

"You are indeed not an Ancient Sage just yet, but that doesn't mean that you won't be one an hour from now!" Zhang Xuan added with a confident smile.

"Does teacher believe that I am able to advance two cultivation realms within an hour?" Dan Xiaotian was still a little hesitant.

It was not that he didn't believe in his teacher's capabilities, but he didn't believe in himself.

If it was that easy to advance one's cultivation, the Forsaken Continent would have been filled with Ancient Sages by now.

"Hush. From now onward, you are to heed my instructions strictly. Don't hesitate or go against whatever I tell you to do. Just do as you are told, got it?" Zhang Xuan said.

"Yes, teacher!" Dan Xiaotian replied with a nod.

From the moment Zhang Xuan freed him from his affliction, he had already made up his mind to never go against his teacher's commands.

Zhang Xuan took a look at Dan Xiaotian from head to toe before starting, "You have been taking in spiritual energy over the past ten years, but you didn't refine them into zhenqi. The unrefined spiritual energy has been tempering your body all this while, causing your body and meridians to be far stronger than the other cultivators. As long as we alter your meridian network a little, it shouldn't be too difficult to induce a breakthrough in your cultivation!"

Dan Xiaotian was confused, "Alter... my meridian network?"

Was it possible to change something innate like that?

Wasn't it supposed to be fixed at birth? Wasn't one's meridians supposed to be very delicate?

The so-called 'cultivation going berserk' was the result of one accidentally channeling one's zhenqi into the wrong meridians for one reason or another, thus resulting in a violent backlash from one's body.

If even directing one's zhenqi wrongly could induce such severe consequences, was it really alright to simply alter one's meridians like that?

"Indeed. It's a method which I have just thought of, but I haven't tested it out yet. Would you like to give it a try? If you succeed, it'll be a direct stairway to the top. You'll become an esteemed Ancient Sage of this world. But if you were to fail... you could very well become crippled and unable to cultivate!" Zhang Xuan said grimly.

"..." Dan Xiaotian felt like tears were threatening to pour from his eyes.

After all his teacher spoke of, his plan was still only in the realms of theory. It hadn't been tried out in practice at all...

To actually try something that is untested on me...

My teacher sure is courageous! But teacher, the thing is that I am not sure whether I'll be able to match your courage...

While Dan Xiaotian did think that this teacher of his was unreliable from time to time, his teacher had been there for him when it truly counted. Thus, it didn't take long for him to nod hesitantly in agreement, "Teacher, my life belongs to you. If not for you, I could have very well be dead by now. I am willing to entrust my life into your hands once more!"

"Good! Let's get it over and done with then!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

And the truth was... Zhang Xuan really wasn't lying. He only thought of this method a moment ago.

He was confident that he could get any cultivator to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage with his guidance and ample resources within a few days, but to achieve a breakthrough of two realms within an hour... Not unless the other party practiced the complete Heaven's Path Divine Art like him!

But of course, there was no one in the world who could practice the complete Heaven's Path Divine Art other than him. If Dan Xiaotian were to do so, he might just end up dying from being crushed by the heavens.

So, Zhang Xuan could only search for other alternatives.

Through his careful examination, he found that the meridians of those in the Azure were even more perfect than those of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but they hadn't reached the level of perfection yet.

There were many flaws in the meridians of mankind, and that was why even at maturity, they still remained ordinary humans. Those in the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had slightly fewer flaws, so they were able to reach Zongshi realm at maturity. As for the indigenous population of the Azure, their meridians had the fewest mistakes, so they were able to reach Saint 9-dan by adulthood.

It was clear that if the perfection of one's meridian network came with a lot of advantages. It put one at a starting line ahead of the others, and it allowed one to cultivate faster than the others as well.

Previously, Zheng Yang and the others also only managed to reach Dimension Shatterer realm swiftly due to the modification of their meridian network too.

But of course, there were also other circumstances at play over here, so he couldn't say for sure that things would work out for Dan Xiaotian as well. It was not to say that Zhang Xuan wasn't confident in his theory, but it was just that there was a very, very small possibility that things might not go the way he wanted to, so he felt that he had to warn Dan Xiaotian in advance.

With a flick of his wrist, a huge pot and a stack of firewood appeared in the room. It was only then that he realized he forgot to store water in his storage ring as well, so he quickly left the room to fetch a pail. Before long, the water was already boiling in the pot under the stack of burning firewood.

"Alright, come out and take a bath..."

He sent a telepathic message toward his dantian, and soon, the Dongxu Gourd appeared before him. It dived right into the pot of water and exhaled deeply in pleasure.

While his Heaven's Path zhenqi was able to swiftly heal one's wounds, he wasn't certain that it would be enough to heal a wound as major as the total rupturing of one's meridians within just an hour.

Furthermore, perhaps it was because the constitutions of those in the Azure and the Master Teacher Continent were different, or that those in the Azure were too adapted to the mercury-like spiritual energy in the environment, somehow, the mercury-like spiritual energy in the air was less effective on them for healing purposes. Otherwise, all Ancient Sage cultivators in the Azure would be a pain to deal with if they could just keep healing up swiftly in the middle of the battle.

Thus, he thought of using the Dongxu Gourd for that purpose.

That pot of water was effective even on a Dimension Shatterer realm cultivator like him. Thus, it shouldn't have any problem with Great Sage cultivators like Dan Xiaotian.

While Zhang Xuan was boiling the water, he turned to Dan Xiaotian and said solemnly, "You have to bear with the pain."

"Yes!" Dan Xiaotian nodded.

Following Zhang Xuan's instructions, he sat on the floor unmovingly.

Zhang Xuan walked up and placed his palm on the young man's abdomen. He infused his zhenqi into the young man's body and jolted it forcefully.

Pu!

Blood spewed frenziedly out of Dan Xiaotian's mouth.

In an instant, all of the meridians in his body were ruptured by his teacher.

The overwhelming pain caused a blackout in his head, and he nearly fainted just like that.

Any other sixteen-year-old would have fainted by now, but after all of the challenges he had gone through since six, his willpower was already as tough as steel. Gritting his teeth forcefully, he was able to barely retain a sliver of his consciousness.

"Remember this, you mustn't pass out no matter what happens!" Zhang Xuan emphasized once more.

He began to drive his Heaven's Path zhenqi into Dan Xiaotian's body in order to connect his meridians together according to a more perfect network.

The Heaven's Path zhenqi that was formed from the mercury-like spiritual energy was much purer and denser from before. As it made its round through Dan Xiaotian's ruptured meridians, it swiftly mended them back together in a more perfect network mapping.

"It does work! I was able to reconnect his meridians, but it seems like the rate at which my Heaven's Path zhenqi is healing his injuries is not able to catch up..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief when his job was finally done.

The Heaven's Path zhenqi could heal internal and external injuries, but it was much less effective in healing those whose foundations had been shaken. The rupturing of one's meridians happened to be one such major injury that even the Heaven's Path zhenqi could only do much about.

Without at least half a month of rest, Dan Xiaotian wouldn't be able to make a full recovery! Of course, this was already an amazing feat considering the severity of the condition.

However, there was only an hour to go before Dan Xiaotian was seventeen, so time wasn't on their side.

Thus, he brought the Dongxu Gourd's bathing water to Dan Xiaotian lips and said, "Drink it..."

Gritting with the pain, Dan Xiaotian forced himself to swallow the water.

Just like what Zhang Xuan said, his body was extremely tempered such that it was no different from that of an Ancient Sage anymore. As such, while drinking water was extremely painful for his current fragile state, it didn't pose a threat to him.

Gugugu!

As the bathwater seeped into his body, his injuries swiftly healed up at a visible pace. In less than a minute's time, he was already healed up and back to normal.

"This..." Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in disbelief.

He dared not believe that a gourd's bathing water would actually be so formidable.

Seeing that Dan Xiaotian still had the leisure to be dazing off when they were already shot on time, Zhang Xuan smacked his head and berated, "Hurry up and absorb some spiritual energy and push for a breakthrough!"

"Y-yes!" Dan Xiaotian hurriedly focused his attention back to cultivation.

Even though his meridians had ruptured earlier, it didn't affect his cultivation at all as his zhenqi was stored within his dantian. As such, he had already regained his Great Sage 3-dan consummation cultivation as soon as his meridians had healed up.

Barely after he started cultivating, he found that the bottleneck that had limited him previously was already loose, allowing him to push for a breakthrough at any moment.

"Break!"

Without any hesitation, he drove his zhenqi and crash down the bottleneck. The limitation on his cultivation was released, and he successfully broke into Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm.

His breakthrough didn't stop there.

Sempiternal realm primary stage.

Intermediate stage.

Advanced stage.

Pinnacle.

Perfection.

Consummation.

In less than an hour's time, he was already a foot into Ancient Sage, seemingly on the verge of achieving a breakthrough at any moment.

However, it was also at this moment that Zhang Xuan felt the energy within Dan Xiaotian's body gradually dying down, reminiscent of a receding tide. It was just one last step, but Dan Xiaotian had already lost the momentum to push it through.

"It seems like I have been underestimating this matter. No matter what, a breakthrough to Ancient Sage is still a major leap. Even in the Azure, it's no easy feat to take this step forward..." Zhang Xuan thought as his heart tightened up.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1943: Xiaotian's Revenge

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

A breakthrough to Ancient Sage required Aeon of Ancient Sage, but this energy was everywhere in the Azure, so it wasn't a concern at all. However, a breakthrough to this realm was much more than just having the required amount of energy. Just like his breakthrough to Zongshi realm back then, it required one to have sufficient accumulation.

Dan Xiaotian's talents and mental resilience were decent, but he lacked accumulation.

If they had another month's time, Dan Xiaotian would surely be able to make a breakthrough even without relying on any artifacts or special processes, but one's age waited for no one. Dan Xiaotian was on the verge of reaching seventeen soon, and once the momentum fully died down, all hopes would be dashed.

"Swallow it!"

Zhang Xuan took a deep breath slitting his own wrist with his sword qi. Blood spurted out like a fountain, but he quickly gathered the blood together into a sphere before delivering it into Dan Xiaotian's mouth.

The sudden loss of so much blood caused his face to pale a little.

Dan Xiaotian opened his mouth and swallowed the fresh blood. In the next instant, he felt incredible energy pulsating within his body. As if someone had sparked up a blazing flame within him, the receding momentum immediately came back with greater vigor than before.

As an Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivator, every single droplet of Zhang Xuan's blood essence contained an incredible amount of power. The sheer amount he had just given Dan Xiaotian was at least be comparable to that of a Basic Immortal Pill. With such energy fueling him on, it took only a breath for Dan Xiaotian to return back to his peak, and his zhenqi swiftly built up at a frightening speed.

Boom!

The final bottleneck to Ancient Sage eventually succumbed under the heightening pressure, and a powerful shockwave gushed out from Dan Xiaotian. His aura surged up rapidly, not stopping at all just because of his breakthrough.

It continued for quite a while before finally trailing to a halt.

At this moment, Dan Xiaotian's cultivation had already reached Ancient Sage 1-dan Bloodline Continuance realm consummation, a step away from reaching Great Philosopher realm.

Dan Xiaotian quickly reinforced his cultivation a little before turning to the young man before him in agitation, "Teacher..."

In order to allow him to achieve a breakthrough, his teacher had really sacrificed himself.

He didn't know whether he could repay this massive favor to his teacher in his lifetime.

"I'm fine... The time is about to be up, so you should head out now... Given that your cultivation has reached Ancient Sage 1-dan consummation, no one should dare to doubt you anymore... Cough cough!" While Zhang Xuan was relaying some instructions to his student, he couldn't help but cough a little.

He had really overexerted himself this time around.

Just the blood essence he had lost would take several months for him to recover.

"Teacher, please have a good rest. I'll head out now!" Dan Xiaotian said before leaving the room.

Watching as Dan Xiaotian's figure disappeared outside the doorway, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. He was just about to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy to recover his strength when he noticed that there was still a lot of gourd bathwater left in the huge pot.

He hesitated for a moment before walking over and swallowing the rest down.

Gugugu!

He felt a buzz running through his body as his weakened body swiftly recovered. In the blink of an eye, his blood deficiency had been resolved, as if he had never been injured in the first place.

"This is..." Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.

The energy he had lost didn't return, but he was more than pleased with the current outcome.

The Heaven's Path zhenqi could heal one's injuries, but it couldn't replenish the deficiencies in one's body. Yet, the gourd bathwater was able to do it so easily... Didn't this pretty much mean that he had an endless supply of Senzu Beans 1 in his hands?

That was really incredible!

"Just what in the world are you?" Zhang Xuan asked the gourd, which was swimming in the remaining water left in the pot.

"This gourd is just an avatar I'm using at the moment. I'm afraid that I'll scare you out of your wits if I tell you the truth! My real body is actually a heaven-crushing earth-shattering top-tier beast. You should kneel down right now and worship me like the divine being I am!" the gourd shook its bottom gleefully.

"..."

That didn't sound trustworthy at all to Zhang Xuan. Deciding to ignore the delusional Dongxu Gourd, he stored the remaining water into bottles before keeping his stuff and walking out.

As soon as he stepped out of the room, his face immediately turned yellowish, and his body wobbled from side to side with each step that he took, as if he would collapse to the ground at any moment.

Many had already expressed their skepticism when he claimed that Dan Xiaotian was already an Ancient Sage whose cultivation plummeted as a result of overexertion. Of course, they might be more inclined to believe it now given that the latter was already at Ancient Sage 1-dan consummation, but there would still be those who held their reservations. If the both of them were to walk out completely fine, there were bound to be those who would try to probe deeper into this matter in order to find out the truth.

Thus, he decided to feign injury. This way, he would send out the message that even if Dan Xiaotian had really forcefully raised his cultivation to Ancient Sage within the span of an hour, one would have to pay an extremely heavy price for that. That should at least deter most people.

...

"Do you think that Dan Xiaotian will succeed?"

The trial for the menial disciple selections concluded rather swiftly, leaving Elder Lu Yun and the others with some time on their hand. Huang Tao looked at the direction where Zhang Xuan and Dan Xiaotian had disappeared toward and asked.

"It's impossible to raise one's cultivation from Great Sage 3-dan to Ancient Sage in just an hour's time!" Yun Feiyang shook his head, pessimistic about the odds.

"Indeed. Such a thing is unheard of even in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. In any case, I don't think Dan Xiaotian stands a chance at all!" Square-faced nodded in agreement.

Regarding this matter, even Elder Lu Yun harbored some reservations too.

"There's no need to wait anymore. Unless the gods were to make a move personally, it's impossible for him to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage within an hour..." Knowing that it was impossible Dan Xiaotian to become an inner disciple anymore, Xue Gan also lost his fear and sneered coldly.

But before he could finish his words, footsteps echoed outside as a young man approached the court.

"How is it?" Knowing that it was Dan Xiaotian, Elder Lu Yun hurriedly turned his gaze over and asked.

"It was not easy, but I managed to do it!" Dan Xiaotian replied with a smile as he began circulating his zhenqi.

The energy within his body immediately burst out, and his aura pierced right into the heavens.

Boom!

The sudden outburst of zhenqi caused the entire court to shudder nonstop, producing a frightening creaking noise.

The thousand spectators that were gathered here felt great pressure crushing down on them. It was as if a compelling force was trying to force them to their knees.

"Ancient Sage 1-dan... consummation?" Xue Gan's face froze.

All of the words he was intended to say were clogged at the back of his throat, and he looked stupefied.

Putong!

Not too far away, Xue Qin's body slumped to the ground as her lips quivered fearfully. She couldn't find a word to say at all.

The fiancé whom she had looked down on for so long, over the span of a single day, in the most forceful method possible, crushed every shred of her dignity without any mercy. She had never felt that a day could be that long before...

Had she known that this would happen, she would have never dared to lay her hands on Dan Xiaotian...

If she hadn't been so foolish as to attempt to break her engagement the previous day, things wouldn't have ended up like this either...

"Xiaotian, we are in-laws. Surely you wouldn't..." Even at this point, Xue Gan was still determined to make a final struggle.

"In-laws?" Dan Xiaotian interjected with a cold sneer. "My apologies... This is my divorce letter! Xue Qin has shown herself to be a depraved individual lacking any shred of decency, and for that reason, I am unwilling to have her as my wife!"

With a flick of his finger, he threw a piece of paper into the air, and it floated quietly to the ground, The crowd could clearly see the two words 'Divorce Letter' written at the top of the paper. This was yet another heavy blow on Xue Qin's pride.

Instead of annulling the engagement, she ended up being divorced instead... There was probably no greater fool in the world than her!

She was so desperate to protect her pride that it ended up making her the greatest laughingstock of Xuanjiang City. What an irony!

Pu!

Unable to take it any longer, Xue Qin spurted a mouthful of blood.

"Elder Lu, I can be considered to be an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion now, right?" Dan Xiaotian looked at Elder Lu Yun and asked.

Elder Lu Yun responded with a nod of his head.

"That's good. I'd like to trouble Junior Huo to strip Xue Gan of his cultivation and hang him outside the City Lord Residence. I'll announce his crimes and have him publicly executed for his vile deeds!" Dan Xiaotian instructed.

"Yes!" Huo Jianghe replied with a nod.

Now that Dan Xiaotian had been confirmed as an inner disciple, it was only natural that he had become the other party's junior. The difference in seniority also meant that he had to heed the other party's instructions too.

...

"Father, mother, and my brothers... I have finally avenged all of you..."

It didn't take long before Xue Gan's head was publicly decapitated. Kneeling down on the floor, all of the emotions that Dan Xiaotian had bottled up within him finally came pouring out all at once.

For ten whole years, he had sealed all these feelings deep in his heart, but right now, he couldn't contain them any longer. He cried loudly like a little child, but gradually, the heaviness that had weighed him down all this while was disappearing. He was finally free.

By the time he finished his venting his emotions, he saw his teacher standing a distance away with a pale face.

Astonished, he hurriedly got up and rushed over.

If not for this young man, he would have never been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. He would just have been another pitiful soul killed by the City Lord Manor.

It could be said that everything he had right now was given to him by the other party.

He really wanted to shout out to the world and tell everyone that this person was his teacher, and all of his accomplishments were due to his teacher's guidance. But knowing that his teacher's desire to keep a low profile, he could only hold himself back.

But while he was swiftly making his way over to the teacher whom he deeply respected, he saw the shaking young man reaching his palm out to Yun Feiyang and the others and saying, "Dan Xiaotian is now an inner disciple of your sect. As outer disciples, shouldn't each of you offer a couple of Basic Immortal Pills to him as congratulation? This is not a gift but an investment for the future. As long as he gets a footing in the sect, it'll do you much good in the future too..."

"..." Dan Xiaotian's passionate run screeched to a halt.

Is my teacher... trying to collect protection fees from Yun Feiyang and the others?

Is this really my low profile, stern, and righteous teacher?

Why does he seem so superficial to me right now?

"..." Yun Feiyang and the others were dumbstruck too.

When they saw Dan Xiaotian's cultivation leaping two realms in an hour, they thought that it was the credit of the young man before them. So, they approached him in hopes of asking about the details, but who could have thought that the other party would cheerily ask them for pills instead...

That crushed the grand image they had formed of this young man in their minds.

It seemed like Dan Xiaotian was really an Ancient Sage right from the start, and this young man had only used some kind of secret art in order to help him regain his strength!

Otherwise... how could such a formidable expert possibly be so shameless as to ask for protection fee right in front of so many people?

There was just no way the utterly shameless man before them could be capable of such a formidable feat! Impossible!

"Cough cough!"

Elder Lu Yun also couldn't bear watching the sight any longer. He coughed lightly to dispel the awkwardness in the air before saying, "Xiaotian, inner disciples are allowed to bring their servants with them to the sect. I believe there's no reason binding you to Xuanjiang City anymore, so why don't we head over to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion now?"

"Yes, Elder Lu!" Dan Xiaotian replied.

Having exacted his vengeance, there was nothing left for him to reminisce about Xuanjiang City anymore. It was time for him to head to the larger world out there and experience new things.

"I wish to bring Elder Yi and Brother Zhang along," Dan Xiaotian informed Elder Lu.

There was no doubt that he had to bring his teacher along with him. Elder Yi had also served him for many years, so he couldn't just abandon the other party either. To him, these two were more than enough. He didn't need any menial disciple or the sort to serve him.

Besides, his teacher valued his privacy. It would be jarring on him if he were to bring more people with him.

"Alright. You should head back and make some preparations. We'll set off from here two hours from now!" Elder Lu Yun said.

Dan Xiaotian nodded before finally walking over to his teacher. He couldn't help but notice that there was a slight tinge of disappointment on his teacher's seemingly nonchalant face.

Clearly, he didn't receive the protection fees he had demanded earlier.

"Teacher, let's return home for a while. I would like to pack some stuff and take one last look around the residence before leaving for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!" Dan Xiaotian said.

By now, they were already far away from Elder Lu Yun and the others, so there was no need to conceal their identity anymore.

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

In truth, the reason why he demanded protection fees was so as to divert attention away from him, and it seemed like it was working out fine. He really wasn't disappointed that he didn't receive anything at all!

"I wonder how long I'll be able to conceal myself in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion for... Being too talented can be exasperating at times!" Zhang Xuan rubbed his forehead as he thought.

If he had a choice, he wouldn't want to be so conspicuous either. But people were simply too easily dazzled whenever he made a move... it was not something that he could help!

Putong!

While Zhang Xuan was deep in thoughts, the bandit, Cao Chengli, suddenly rushed over and kneeled onto the ground in front of him. His eyes were filled with sincerity and expectations.

"Young Master, please accept me as well. It would be my greatest honor to serve as your humble servant!"

"Look. I am simply too outstanding that even bandits can't help but fall for my charms..." Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1944: Arriving at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Others might not know Zhang Xuan's identity, but Cao Chengli had seen Dan Xiaotian addressing him as 'teacher' with his own eyes.

To be able to make a trashy Saint 6-dan who could not even cultivate advance to Ancient Sage 1-dan consummation within a single day... Even though he had seen it happen with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe.

If he were to follow such a person, there was no doubt that he would be able to soar through the ranks!

Furthermore, nearly all of his subordinates had been killed, and he was currently in the middle of the city himself. At this rate, it was likely that he would be lynched and killed by the furious mobs before he could even leave the city.

After all, he had done quite a number of evil deeds over the years since he dominated the mountain range. There were plenty of people who would be more than happy to skin him alive.

"You want to become my subordinate?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Do you think that I'll accept you as my subordinate? I suggest that you drop that ludicrous idea!"

The only reason he had spared Cao Chengli for so long was so that the latter could reveal Xue Chen's ploy. Now that everything was over, why should he bother wasting his energy to save a bandit who had committed so much evil in his life?

Do I look like some kind of holy saint to you?

"Master, I'll kneel here till you are finally willing to accept me!" Cao Chengli insisted resolutely.

"Kneel here till the day you die then." Zhang Xuan waved his hand coldly.

"Master!" Cao Chengli did not think that the other party would reject him so flatly. With a sorrowful look on his face, he cried out, "It's not as if I wanted to become a bandit. I had no choice but to turn to this! I used to be a kind businessman, but there was one time I drank myself silly, and my wife ended up not allowing me to return to the house.

"So, I had to sleep in the carriage outside, but it was so freezing that I was forced to get a room at the nearby brothel instead. In the end, due to my intoxication, I ended up calling for seven women at once, and it was a night that I would never forget. But after that..."

"Enough! Stop trying to win us over with your sob story. My teacher is an upright person who abhors evildoers like you. Accepting you as his subordinate would only sully his reputation. Scram! Otherwise, I'll sever your head right now!" Dan Xiaotian yelled furiously.

Just who does Cao Chengli take my teacher to be?

My teacher might be greedy, but he is still a dragon in the sky, a figure in the clouds who towers over the world! My teacher's reputation would only be tarnished if he accepted a bandit like you as his subordinate.

Even if my teacher agrees to it, I'll never agree!

Besides, are you sure that you are telling a sob story?

Why does it seem like you are boasting instead?

Seeing that Dan Xiaotian was ready to make a move on him at any moment, Cao Chengli's face paled. However, he knew that he would not be able to live if he did not become Zhang Xuan's subordinate, so he gritted his teeth and presented his trump card.

"Master, the others will surely tear me apart if you don't accept me as my subordinate. Since I'm going to die anyway, I'd rather give everything that I have to you instead. Over the years, I have chosen to plunder only from the wealthier businessmen, but I have still managed to save quite a bit of wealth myself. There are ten Basic Immortal Pills in this storage ring, and they are my entire fortune. I am willing to present all of them to you, Master..."

"Don't think that you can bribe my teacher with this. He won't fall for such shallow tricks!" Dan Xiaotian spat coldly.

But just as he was about to push Cao Chengli away, his pale-faced teacher suddenly shook free from his support and stood upright. Like some kind of magic trick, the storage ring suddenly vanished from Cao Chengli's hand and appeared in his teacher's.

Zhang Xuan hurriedly wiped away the Soul Imprint on the storage ring and took a look at the contents within. A moment later, he nodded in satisfaction and said, "Fine, I'll accept you as my subordinate. Come with me!"

With each single Basic Immortal Pill costing 100,000 Ethereal Coins, ten of them would be worth 1,000,000 Ethereal Coins. Furthermore, they were all stored in a storage ring that was priced at a hefty sum of 500,000 Ethereal Coins at the very least. Who would have thought that this bandit actually had such wealth with him?

With so much money, he could make an exception just this once and take in Cao Chengli as his subordinate.

"Teacher!" Dan Xiaotian was stunned.

Is this man really my teacher?

If so, why do I find him so embarrassing at this very moment?

A person who could make him advance two cultivation realms within an hour and possessed exceptional skills in both medicine and swordsmanship... He should have been a transcendental being who cared not for material possessions at all! How could he be taken in by just a couple of pills?

Where is his bottom line?

Where is his dignity as an expert?

...

Dan Xiaotian did not have too many things that he wanted to take with him, so after taking one last look at the place in which he had grown up, he returned to the City Lord Manor with Elder Yi, Zhang Xuan, and Cao Chengli.

Initially, the horse and carriage had insisted on coming along as well. They threatened to kill themselves if they were left behind. But seeing that their threats were simply shrugged off as if they were nothing at all, they eventually gave up and headed into the wilderness to live together.

Considering that Zhang Xuan and the others were going to take an aerial beast to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it would indeed be inconvenient for them to take a horse and a carriage with them.

As for Xue Qin, it went without saying that her slot as a menial disciple had been canceled after everything was exposed. It was fortunate that she had not done too many bad things in the past, so no punishment had come upon her. However, with her father's death, she would lose the protection of the City Lord Manor. Her life probably would not be too easy from now on.

Seeing this, Dan Xiaotian also lost his interest in settling the score with Xue Qin. He was more interested in the life ahead of him instead of pursuing whatever that had happened in the past.

"Let's go!"

With all preparations ready, the massive aerial beast flapped its wings and carried Zhang Xuan and the others away from Xuanjiang City. Before long, they were already well on their way to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.

"It'll take roughly ten days of flight to reach our sect!" Elder Lu Yun told them.

The aerial beast that they were riding on was at Ancient Sage 4-dan Dimension Shatterer realm. With its strength, it could easily cover several hundred thousand li despite the heavier space in the Azure. Yet, for them to still require ten days before reaching their destination... It seemed like the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was really far away!

From the looks of it, it was likely that the Forsaken Continent was even larger in scale compared to the Master Teacher Continent.

Due to Dan Xiaotian's esteemed position as an inner disciple, he was allocated a private room on the flight. Naturally, he shared it with Zhang Xuan and the others.

During the flight, Zhang Xuan swallowed two of the Basic Immortal Pills that he had received from Cao Chengli and managed to return to his full strength. He also made sure to reinforce his cultivation again and again with the mercury-like spiritual energy, to the point that he was ready to make a breakthrough at any moment.

However, as he still did not have any suitable cultivation techniques on hand, he could only hold himself back for the time being.

After several days of careful inspection, while he had already sensed it previously, he was finally able to confirm that the time flow in the Azure was indeed different from that on the Master Teacher Continent. To put it in a ratio, it was 1:10.

In other words, a day in the Azure would be equivalent to the passing of ten days in the Master Teacher Continent.

So, tens of thousands of years on the Master Teacher Continent equated to just several thousand years in the Azure. That corresponded to the time when the Ethereal Hall was first founded too.

As a result of the pressures of time and space in the Azure, the lifespan of the cultivators there was significantly reduced as well.

Saint cultivators could live for up to a thousand years on the Master Teacher Continent, but a hundred years was the limit for them here. Similarly, Ancient Sage cultivators only had a lifespan of slightly more than a hundred years here.

As for Pseudo Immortals like Elder Lu Yun, his lifespan was also only three hundred years.

That might be the reason that so many of them desired to descend to the Master Teacher Continent despite the severe damage that they would sustain as a result.

Over the next few days, other than focusing on his own cultivation, Zhang Xuan also spent some time offering pointers to Dan Xiaotian and Cao Chengli. As for Elder Yi, due to his advanced age and huge deficiencies that he had suffered over the years, he needed some time to recuperate. Thus, it was not suitable for him to cultivate for the time being.

Just like that, ten days passed in a flash.

As the morning sun rose from the horizon, the crowd saw a massive mountain gate towering in front of them.

It was almost ten thousand meters tall and several thousand meters wide. Due to its hulking size, the top of the gate was concealed amid the clouds. This reminded Zhang Xuan of the Southern Gate of Heaven 1 .

At the very center of the gate was a massive sword made out of concrete piercing into the earth.

Even before coming close, they could already feel an incredible Sword Intent coming from it. It seemed to wield the strength to shatter even space itself, and the pressure it exerted could easily render any cultivator immobile.

"How formidable!" Zhang Xuan was astonished.

As expected of one of the Six Sects of the Azure. There was just no way this massive gate and sword could have been created on the Master Teacher Continent.

A formidable Sword Intent that was even more powerful than any of the Sword Quintessence he had practiced previously pulsated from the massive sword. If he were to meet an expert who practiced the swordsmanship carrying this Sword Intent, even he would be defeated easily.

It seemed like the Six Sects were indeed terrifying powers!

Out of curiosity, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and took a closer look at the massive sword. He could vaguely see an illusory sword hidden in the depths of the massive concrete sword.

That was probably the physical manifestation of the tremendous amount of Sword Intent gathered within the massive concrete sword.

To his surprise, the conceptualization behind the Sword Intent was rather similar to the Heaven's Path Sword Art, but it was clearly something of an even higher level. It felt profound and transcendental even by Zhang Xuan's standards.

Just by looking and perceiving it, Zhang Xuan was able to gain a deeper understanding of the crux of swordsmanship.

While it was impossible for him to truly understand the Sword Intent with just a glance, due to the similar conceptualization, he was confident that, as long as he had sufficient time, he would be able to infuse this Sword Intent into his Heaven's Path Sword Art, thus raising his swordsmanship to another level.

"The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion is just right ahead. This sword was left behind by our founder. It harnesses his understanding of swordsmanship and the Sword Intent he comprehended. Even to this day, his accomplishments continue to awe generations of sword practitioners!" Elder Lu Yun said as he looked at the massive gate and sword with admiration in his eyes.

Dan Xiaotian's body also stiffened a little as his eyes reddened.

Even in the days when he was practicing his swordsmanship alone, from time to time, he would dream of visiting the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion one day to practice the best swordsmanship in the world. This was a dream come true for him.

There was still some time before the aerial beast flew through the gate, so Elder Lu Yun turned to Dan Xiaotian, Zhang Xuan, and the others and said, "Before we enter the sect, I would first like to inform you of the rules of our sect.

"The disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion can mainly be divided into four tiers, namely menial disciples, outer disciples, inner disciples, and core disciples. While inner disciples are already highly respected within the sect, the standing of the core disciples exceeds that!"

"Core disciples?" Dan Xiaotian's eyes glowed with anticipation.

"That's right. To be honest, there isn't much you have to do as an inner disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. You can freely allocate your time to practicing your swordsmanship or cultivating. If you require any resources to study, you can browse through the books in the inner disciples' library. Otherwise, you can also approach any of your seniors or elders and request their help. Of course, most of the resources don't come free. You'll have to pay with Sword Pavilion Coins!" Elder Lu Yun said.

"Sword Pavilion Coins?" Zhang Xuan repeated quietly with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

He had not expected there to be another currency used within the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and he had a feeling that he would have to spend quite a bit of effort to earn it in the near future. It really felt like he would never be free from monetary problems at this rate.

"The Sword Pavilion Coin is a virtual currency used only within the Ascendant Could Sword Pavilion. It can be used to buy whatever you need, be it pills, weapons, cultivation techniques, or even lessons from elders. However, earning them can be quite troublesome. You have to either participate in the dueling ring, complete missions, answer the questions of others, or guide others on their cultivation. In any case, the most important thing you have to know is that everything within the sect requires Sword Pavilion Coins. Without them, you'll face obstacles in whatever you do. On the other hand, if you are able to earn sufficient Sword Pavilion Coins, you'll be able to claim an endless supply of cultivation resources. Naturally, you'll also be able to advance your cultivation faster than anyone!" Elder Lu Yun explained.

Dan Xiaotian was a little surprised as well.

Things were a little different from what he had envisioned it out to be. He had imagined the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to be a transcendental sect where material needs would be of secondary concern. Everyone would be fully immersed in exploring the profoundness of cultivation and swordsmanship. Contrary to his expectations, there seemed to be quite a capitalistic economy in there?

"Wait a moment, Elder Lu. You mentioned earlier that Sword Pavilion Coins is a virtual currency... Does that mean that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion has its own Ethereal Hall?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"You can think of it that way. We have our own private Ethereal Hall that the disciples can access. Similar to the other Ethereal Halls out there, it's a place where our disciples spar and trade with one another. The only difference would be that our Ethereal Hall is controlled internally by our own people, and it has its own currency and system. It's independent of the other Ethereal Halls out there!" Elder Lu Yun replied.

Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

To use an analogy from his previous world, the Ethereal Hall within the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was like a local area network in a PC cafe. Only those on devices belonging to the PC cafe could access this isolated network.

"Oh right, the standard level of cultivation in our own Ethereal Hall is different, too. Our Ethereal Hall can only be accessed by inner disciples and above, so the standard level of cultivation inside the Ethereal Hall is not Saint 1-dan but Ancient Sage 1-dan," Elder Lu Yun said.

For those who entered the Ethereal Hall in Starlight City, no matter how powerful they were outside, their cultivation realm would be reduced to Saint 1-dan. However, it was different here. No matter how powerful or weak a person was, their cultivation would be set at Ancient Sage 1-dan within the Ethereal Hall.

This made sense since a lot of the more formidable swordsmanship could not be executed if one's strength was capped at only Saint 1-dan. That would also render the dueling ring meaningless.

"Other than that, everything else is pretty much the same. You are able to hide your identity and change your appearance, too, such that others will be unable to tell who you are and vice versa... However, this also means that the person whom you are talking to could be an elder or even the sect leader himself. Thus, you must make sure not to act audaciously within the Ethereal Hall. While our elders and sect leader aren't vindictive people, you can still get into a fair bit of trouble if you overstep your bounds!" Elder Lu Yun warned gravely.

"Elder? Sect leader?"

Hearing that explanation, not only was Zhang Xuan not nervous in the least, his eyes even lit up in excitement. He could not help but wonder, If I beat up an elder or the sect leader... will it be more exhilarating than beating up ordinary cultivators?

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1945: Ten Li Sword God

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Against those of the same cultivation realm, Zhang Xuan could be said to be pretty much invincible.

Even if the opponent he was facing was an elder or the sect leader, he was confident that he would not lose with his abilities. Since that was the case, he should be able to bully them a little.

Those people were likely to have quite a few good items on them, and they were bound to have important information as well. As long as he could defeat them, he should be able to get some stuff out of them.

He might even be able to gather some news regarding the Spirit God Palace through this.

It seemed like his very first target after entering the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion would be to acquire a suitable Ethereal Token and enter their Ethereal Hall. Then, he would find the highest-ranking person possible and coerce the other party into giving him what he needed.

With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan struck his leg in excitement before standing up. "That's truly a wonderful idea. I'll do just that!"

"Huh? What are you going to do?" Elder Lu Yun turned to look at Zhang Xuan with doubt in his eyes.

I just warned you that you might meet the elders or the sect leader in the Ethereal Hall; what are you getting all so excited about?

Are you possibly mentally retarded?

Elder Lu was still wondering if he should accept Zhang Xuan into the sect as well, but over the past few days, he had found that the latter had a tendency to suddenly go on an insanity streak. Each time Zhang Xuan acted in such a manner, his conviction to do so would waver a little, and by now, it had already dissipated entirely.

"Ah, it's nothing at all. My thoughts just wandered a bit," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

On the other hand, Dan Xiaotian clasped his face in embarrassment.

Passing through the towering gates, the aerial beast eventually landed on a tall mountain. Leaping down from the back of the beast, Elder Lu Yun swiftly arranged a residence for Dan Xiaotian.

"The rest of you should rest here for the time being. Dan Xiaotian, come with me. You have to take the examination first!" Elder Lu Yun said as he gestured for Zhang Xuan, Cao Chengli, and Elder Yi to stay in the residence for the time being.

"Examination?"

"The examination I conducted for you earlier only shows that you have the qualifications to become an inner disciple. In order to formalize the process, you have to head to the Sword God Hall to display your swordsmanship!" Elder Lu Yun said.

"The Sword God Hall?"

"Yes, it's the place where disciples are tested. Be it menial disciples intending to become outer disciples or inner disciples hoping to become core disciples, they have to showcase their swordsmanship at the Sword God Hall. It's similar to my intentions when I got you to spar with Huo Jianghe, but the evaluation at the Sword God Hall will be far more accurate. It'll reflect your current strength more clearly!" Elder Lu explained with a smile.

"In a battle, a sword practitioner's swordsmanship is influenced by their physical state, mental resilience, reflexes, and so on. However, these factors are disregarded in the Sword God Hall. As long your comprehension of the sword has reached a satisfactory level, the results will reflect so!"

Dan Xiaotian widened his eyes in realization.

"Let's go!" Elder Lu Yun said as he beckoned Dan Xiaotian to follow him.

Zhang Xuan walked over and said, "Elder Lu Yun, I'm also interested in the Sword God Hall. Would it be inappropriate if I were to follow you?"

He had never heard of something that could test one's comprehension of swordsmanship before, and he was genuinely curious about how the system worked.

"This..." Elder Lu Yun hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I guess it should be fine!"

Under normal circumstances, no outsiders would be allowed in the Sword God Hall. However, considering how even menial disciples were able to enter the premises to take the examination, it should be fine for Zhang Xuan to tag along and have a look in his capacity as Dan Xiaotian's friend.

Thus, they got onto the back of the aerial beast once more and flew toward another mountain peak.

What was particularly striking about this mountain peak was that there was a sword-like building lodged into the ground on it, reminiscent of a tower.

"This is the Sword God Hall. Every day, numerous menial disciples, outer disciples, and inner disciples come over to have their swordsmanship evaluated," Elder Lu Yun said as they walked into the tower.

As soon as they entered, they saw quite a few people standing around the lobby with swords on their backs. Sword Intent could be felt in the aura they emanated. Shockingly, most of their cultivation was actually not beneath that of Zhang Xuan's!

As expected of one of the Six Sects of the Azure, it's indeed filled with plenty of experts! Zhang Xuan thought.

He had thought that his Ancient Sage 4-dan cultivation was not too bad, but it turned out that it could only be considered average at best.

Furthermore, those who were present were still not the most powerful of all. It was hard to imagine how powerful the core disciples, elders, and sect leader were.

Knowing that the two of them did not know anything about the Sword God Hall, Elder Lu Yun explained, "There are many rooms in the Sword God Hall, and every single one of them has a Sword God Pedestal. As long you pay an ample number of Sword Pavilion Coins, you'll be able to enter the room and test your swordsmanship!

"Of course, the first test you take is free. It's the subsequent ones that require money!"

"Ah!" Dan Xiaotian heaved a sigh of relief.

He had just arrived at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and he still had no idea what the Sword Pavilion Coins looked like. There was no way that he could have forked out the money required.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll open a room. Dan Xiaotian, you can enter first. Zhang Xuan, if you wish to give it a try, you can enter after he's done. The Sword God Pedestal can only assess one cultivator at a time, or else it will interfere with scanning the Sword Intent," Elder Lu Yun said before heading to the front receptionist.

Before long, they were already standing before an ornate door. Elder Lu Yun turned to Dan Xiaotian and said, "After you enter the room, hold the sword tightly and unleash your Sword Intent and conceptualization of your swordsmanship. If the manifestation of your Sword Intent surpasses one meter, you will be eligible to become a menial disciple. Ten meters, and you'll be able to become an outer disciple. Thirty meters, and you are qualified to join the ranks of the inner disciple. Right now, thirty meters is the goal you should set for yourself!"

"Thirty meters?" Dan Xiaotian nodded slowly.

He did not have much of a gauge on difficult it would be to reach thirty meters.

Noticing the contemplative look on Dan Xiaotian's face, Elder Lu Yun explained with a smile, "Don't worry, the manifestation of Sword Intent depends on your comprehension of swordsmanship, not your sword qi. With your cultivation, it's impossible to produce thirty-meter-long sword qi!"

"Ah, I see!" Dan Xiaotian scratched his head awkwardly.

With his current swordsmanship prowess, he could only exert sword qi of around two to three meters in length. Thirty meters was far beyond his current capabilities.

So, the 'manifestation of Sword Intent' that Elder Lu Yun was talking about was not referring to sword qi.

Jiya!

Dan Xiaotian pushed the door open and walked in.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xuan turned to Elder Lu Yun and curiously asked, "May I ask what the best record for an inner disciple's manifestation of Sword Intent is?"

If thirty meters was the minimum requirement to clear the selection, what was the record of the best sword practitioners in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion?

"Under normal circumstances, one would be qualified to become a core disciple if the manifestation of his Sword Intent reached a hundred meters. That being said, there are quite a few inner disciples who have surpassed that record, and some of the best inner disciples have even reached three hundred meters and beyond," Elder Lu Yun said.

"Three hundred meters?" Zhang Xuan was astonished.

He had no idea how this 'manifestation of Sword Intent' was calculated, but if even outer disciples had trouble reaching thirty meters, those who could achieve a record ten times that had to be truly terrifying existences.

"Of course, that's only among the inner disciples. There are plenty of formidable experts among the core disciples, and some of them have even exceeded five hundred meters. Anyone who exceeds that record is bestowed the title of 'Sword God'. That's also where the titles 'One Li Sword God' and 'Two Li Sword God' come from. It's said that in the entire history of the sect, the most talented person once materialized his Sword Intent across a distance of ten li, and thus, others respectfully addressed him as ' Ten Li Sword God 1 '!" Elder Lu Yun explained with admiration gleaming in his eyes.

"Ten Li Sword God?" Zhang Xuan was astonished.

While other sword practitioners were frustrating over how short theirs were, that expert actually reached over ten li. That was truly inconceivable!

"May I know how far your Sword Intent is able to materialize, Elder Lu Yun?" Zhang Xuan asked out of curiosity.

"Me?" Elder Lu Yun was slightly surprised by the question. A bitter look appeared on his face as he shook his head. "I don't have much talent for swordsmanship, so I didn't even make it as an inner disciple back when I was in my younger years. It was through my relentless hard work that I eventually reached my current level of cultivation and got myself the position of an external elder. Even though I have practiced the Way of the Sword for many years, I am still unable to reach the hundred meters mark. Currently, I'm only at ninety-seven meters."

"97 meters? That's already a formidable feat," Zhang Xuan remarked as he turned his gaze toward the sealed room in front of him.

This disciple of his had only learned swordsmanship from him for a night, and he had barely grasped one of his techniques. Given that his disciple did not have a deep understanding of the Way of the Sword yet... he could not help but wonder how well his disciple would perform.

...

The first thing that Dan Xiaotian noticed upon entering the room was a round pedestal with a sword lodged tightly at the center.

This must be the so-called Sword God Pedestal that Elder Lu Yun spoke of.

The space directly in front of him was a vast wilderness.

There were no walls at the front and top of the room in order to allow one's Sword Intent to traverse beyond several meters. Otherwise, it would have been terribly expensive to construct a room that could contain the manifestation of Sword Intent.

Stepping onto the pedestal, Dan Xiaotian drew the sword and took a deep breath. Focusing all of his attention, he began driving his energy.

Sword Intent was built upon one's comprehension of swordsmanship.

He had been practicing his swordsmanship for a decade ever since he was still young, so he carried deep comprehension and sentiments toward swordsmanship.

Just by holding onto the sword, he felt as if his hand was melding into it. Instead of a weapon, it was an extension of his arm.

Weng!

Sensing his conceptualization, the sword began buzzing loudly as a milky white glow gathered around the Sword God Pedestal before advancing forth.

With resolute eyes, Dan Xiaotian drove his energy to its limits.

Po!

The Sword Intent burst forth.

Dan Xiaotian quickly opened his eyes to look into the distance, but what he saw made his face stiffen.

"A chi? In other words, a third of a meter?"

He had pushed his strength to his limits, but it turned out that the manifestation of his Sword Intent was only a third of a meter. If that was the case, did it not mean that his comprehension of swordsmanship could not even compare to that of a menial disciple?

"T-this can't be... Even Huo Jianghe wasn't a match for me back then!" Dan Xiaotian's head nearly exploded.

Elder Lu Yun had kept emphasizing how fair the Sword God Hall was, but in a real battle, his swordsmanship was able to best even Huo Jianghe. How could his limit be just 0.33 meters? That was impossible!

"Wait a moment, I defeated Huo Jianghe with the sword toss. Maybe I should try that move..."

After a moment of hesitation, Dan Xiaotian remembered that he still had that powerful trump card. Thus, he took a deep breath before flicking his finger.

Weng!

The sword in his hand floated into the air.

Hong long long!

As soon as the sword left his grasp, an overwhelming Sword Intent burst forth from his body. In response, the sword also emanated its Sword Intent as well, and the room was swiftly filled with white mist. A powerful current gathered around the sword, like a swirling hurricane.

"This..." Dan Xiaotian was stunned once more.

When he pushed the Sword Intent within him to his limits, the manifestation was only 0.33 meters, but as soon as he used the sword toss technique that his teacher had imparted to him, before he had even shot out the sword, it had already caused such a huge commotion. If he finished executing the technique, what kind of results would he receive?

Was there really such a huge difference between the swordsmanship that he had comprehended with ten years of hard work and what his teacher had imparted to him?

"Go!"

With an awkward look on his face, Dan Xiaotian flicked the sword, and it immediately bolted into the distance.

Hong long!

White Sword Intent also flurried furiously forth along with the movement of the sword, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

"This..." Dan Xiaotian blinked in bewilderment.

His own Sword Intent was only enough to reach 0.33 meters, but with his teacher's swordsmanship, the Sword Intent flew all the way out, till his eyes could not even see it anymore...

This was definitely way more than thirty, fifty, or even a hundred meters!

"Is it still flying?"

After waiting for a moment, the Sword Intent did not seem to have reached its end yet. This left Dan Xiaotian was a little stupefied.

Did it shoot out a little too far, such that his results were invalidated?

Weng!

But while he was worrying over this matter, the wall beside him jolted a little before reflecting his results.

"499 meters!"

He was just a meter short of becoming a Sword God!

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1946: Zhang Xuan Takes the Examination

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Coming to realize what was going on, Dan Xiaotian sighed deeply in lamentation.

It seems like I have only managed to learn my teacher's sword art, but I haven't grasped the fundamental Sword Intent and the like yet...

He had thought that with his ten years of hard work, it would not be too difficult for him to become a menial disciple in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. However, it seemed like he had overestimated his own capabilities.

He was a long way off from reaching the mark!

It was no wonder Xue Qin, despite not lacking resources and being under the guidance of Xue Chen, had barely made it as a menial disciple. Considering how he had practiced swordsmanship alone and could not even use zhenqi back then...

Most likely, the 0.33 meters was also the result of his training ever since he came under his teacher. If it had been before then, it was likely that he would not have scored anything at all.

I have only learned the movements behind teacher's sword art, not the theories behind it, but I'm already able to bring the Sword Intent this far. If I understand the full conceptualization behind it, I wonder how powerful I'll be able to become, Dan Xiaotian thought.

The current Dan Xiaotian was reminiscent of a child who had learned how to solve mathematical problems through rote learning. He could derive the answer, but when asked why he had used a specific model or the details behind his solution... well, his face would turn completely blank.

A person could be well-versed with Ode to Gallantry 1 , reciting it so soulfully that it evoked the emotions of others. However, that did not necessarily mean that they had become a poet like Li Bai, capable of coming up with verses that transcended time.

Despite being in such a position, Dan Xiaotian's Sword Intent was able to reach 499 meters. If he had mastered the true wisdom of his teacher, he had no doubt that he would have been able to achieve way more than that.

Speaking of which, did this not mean that his teacher had already far surpassed the five hundred meters mark, reaching a level that far exceeded those from the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion?

I should quickly swap with my teacher so that he can give it a try too! Dan Xiaotian thought in agitation as he rushed out of the room.

Even the swordsmanship that he had learned for a day or two was so formidable. He had no doubt that his teacher would be able to set a new record!

Upon seeing Dan Xiaotian, Elder Lu Yun anxiously asked, "How is it? Did you exceed thirty meters?"

While he was confident that Dan Xiaotian would meet the prerequisite, his heart could not help but tremble in trepidation till he finally received the answer.

"I did..." Dan Xiaotian nodded with a reddened face.

In truth, his own comprehension of swordsmanship only produced a manifestation of 0.33 meters, but if he admitted that, he would be driven out immediately. Thus, after much contemplation, he had decided to go along with it for the time being.

He would just have to work a lot harder to make up for his weakness in the future!

Elder Lu first heaved a sigh of relief after hearing that Dan Xiaotian had cleared the examination before enquiring for further details. "How long was the manifestation of your Sword Intent?"

He had witnessed Dan Xiaotian's swordsmanship the other day. It was an incredible work of art, such that even the First Senior of the outer disciples, Huo Jianghe, was no match for it!

That in itself should be enough to put Dan Xiaotian among the top few inner disciples.

"Well... This is my result!" Dan Xiaotian replied as he passed a jade token over.

He had recorded the results reflected on the wall when they appeared earlier.

Seeing that Dan Xiaotian was so embarrassed as to present him with the jade token instead of saying out loud, Elder Lu Yun instinctively assumed that Dan Xiaotian's results would be horrible. "You need not be too concerned about your current results. You are still young, and as long as you are able to join the ranks of the inner disciples, there's no doubt that you'll be able to improve swiftly in the future..."

But before he could finish his words, he caught sight of what was written on the jade token, and his eyes nearly bulged out. "4-499 meters?"

"Un!" Dan Xiaotian nodded with a crimson face. It sure was embarrassing to lie so blatantly.

"..."

Elder Lu Yun alternated between Dan Xiaotian's embarrassed expression and the jade token in his hand, and he clutched his hair in frenzy.

Is there something wrong with you?

Your embarrassed look made me think that you have barely reached thirty meters or so... but the hell, your score is actually 499 meters!

Do you know how many freaking core disciples would love to achieve the same result as you but are unable to do so?

You are already on the verge of becoming a Sword God, do you know that?

Despite being so powerful, your face still reddened in embarrassment at your score... What am I then? A walking manifestation of humiliation?

Elder Lu Yun felt as if his dignity had been hung upside down and hammered back and forth.

He had seen plenty of disciples who were upset by their poor results, but this was the very first time that he had seen someone with such a good result putting on such an expression.

The scenario was felt just like how, on the day the examination results were released, you spotted a student who started bawling nonstop, so you went over to console him. After much consolation, the student finally revealed the true reason behind his sadness.

In an examination of a hundred marks, he has only scored ninety-nine.

But you, who went over to console him, only scored nine.

Elder Lu Yun had never desired to simply vanish from the spot as much as he did at that instant.

He took two huge breaths before asking, "Are you feeling... embarrassed by your results?"

"Yes... It's simply too awkward..." Dan Xiaotian covered his face shyly.

Elder Lu Yun's heart began thumping so wildly from rage that he had to strike his chest heavily again and again in order to calm himself down. Not wanting to talk to this fellow anymore, he took another deep breath before turning to Zhang Xuan and asking, "Do you want to head in to give it a try as well?"

He was afraid that he would start getting violent if he continued talking to Dan Xiaotian.

"This... Alright then!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he made his way in.

Along the way, he could not help but think, While this student of mine hasn't learned much of my swordsmanship, he did learn my humility and low-profile attitude well. Not bad.

It seemed like he was a talent that could be molded.

Closing the doors, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Sword God Pedestal.

"Hm? Why is there no sword here?"

Zhang Xuan took a look around, but the room was utterly empty. There was no sword to be seen at all. According to what Elder Lu Yun had said, there should have been a sword there.

Could it be that the swordsmanship evaluation did not require a sword? That did not sound quite right. Then again, Dan Xiaotian had been there earlier, which meant that it should be possible to do it without a sword.

"But still, to be able to produce a manifestation of 499 meters without a sword, I might have been underestimating Dan Xiaotian's talent..."

Perhaps the Sword God Pedestal did not provide swords to use. Thinking back, most of the disciples whom he had seen outside were carrying swords on their backs. Without a doubt, it would be a huge handicap without a sword in hand...

To achieve a result of nearly a li despite that, his student really did not let him down.

Since his student was able to do it without a sword, as his teacher, he should at least be able to do the same!

Thus, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before releasing all of his Sword Intent at once.

The Sword Quintessences that he had learned back on the Master Teacher Continent revolved in his mind as he raised his finger slightly.

A cluster of incredibly condensed sword qi began gathering on his fingertip.

Along with the accumulation of his sword qi, a white mist burst forth from the pedestal and swiftly gathering around Zhang Xuan. But instead of shooting forth, the white mist fused together with Zhang Xuan's sword qi.

It was as if the white mist had submitted to Zhang Xuan's Sword Intent and dared not take a step further without his instructions.

Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan's lips twitched.

What the heck was going on?

If this was the case, did it not mean that his manifestation of Sword Intent was not even a single meter long?

Surely he was not inferior to his own direct disciple, right?

If that was really the case, it would really be a huge embarrassment.

"This is unacceptable. I need to gather more Sword Intent and surpass my limits!"

Zhang Xuan recounted the swordsmanship that he had learned back at the Sword Lagoon, the Zhang Clan, and the conceptualization that he had felt when he first entered the clan earlier...

Those Sword Quintessences revolved around his mind, and an indomitable aura burst forth from his body. In an instant, it felt like he had become a massive sword that could hack the world in two.

Hong long!

As his Sword Intent heightened to its limits, the amount of white mist gathering in the room was growing at a terrifying rate. In the blink of an eye, it was as if the room had become the scene of a disastrous fire. With the sheer concentration of Sword Intent there, the thick white mist was starting to condense into fluid.

"Is it still less than one meter? Impossible!"

Zhang Xuan had already gone to such an extent, but when he looked in front, the manifestation of his Sword Intent was still less than one meter!

How was that possible?

His lips twitched, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

It could not be that despite his formidable swordsmanship, he was still not on par with a menial disciple, right?

But if that was the case, how could Dan Xiaotian reach 499 meters with that third-tier swordsmanship of his?

"I don't believe it! Sword Intent of the world, come under my command!" Zhang Xuan roared deeply as his zhenqi and soul morphed into the form of a sword. He absorbed the lingering Sword Intent in the air and focused them on the accumulation of sword qi on his fingertip.

If his disciple could achieve so much without a sword in hand, he would be embarrassed to death if he could not even do the same!

No matter what, he could not lose!

This was for his reputation and dignity as Dan Xiaotian's teacher!

...

A young man was standing amid the crowd in the Sword God Hall with a sword on his back.

As soon as he stepped into the lobby, there was not a single person who dared approach him. It was as if he had a natural disposition that pushed the crowd away from him.

Crisp laughter echoed in the air, and the crowd dispersed once more, opening up a path for another young man to walk through.

"Junior Ye Lian, are you here to evaluate your swordsmanship again? Are you interested in competing with me?"

This young man had a powerful-looking silhouette. Due to his height that towered over the others in the room, he stood like a crane standing in the midst of a pack of chickens.

"Senior He Yan, if you wish to compete with me, I'm more than happy to accompany you," the young man known as Ye Lian replied calmly.

"Please!" He Yan gestured toward the rooms with a bright smile before taking the first step forward.

Ye Lian gracefully followed him and entered the room adjacent to He Yan's.

There was a partition between the rooms, but as there was no wall at the front, they were still able to see the manifestation of Sword Intent of those in the nearby rooms, allowing them to make comparisons.

Seeing the disposition of the two, a newly-arrived inner disciple asked those around him, "Are they the famed Senior Ye and Senior He of the core disciples?"

"Yes, that's them. I heard that they have been trying to achieve the level of Sword God, and they have been competing with one another for the past five years to see who can reach that level first!" one of the more knowledgeable disciples in the area replied with a nod.

Ye Lian and He Yan were a few of the more well-known core disciples due to their unique dispositions and formidable swordsmanship. Due to their similar proficiency in swordsmanship, the two of them had been competing with one another for many years, especially in recent years when they were only a few steps away from reaching Sword God.

That had brought them into the focus of all of the disciples in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. Everyone was interested to see who would reach that illustrious height first.

"Senior He, why don't you go first?" Ye Lian said quietly as he stepped onto the pedestal and drew the sword.

One had to use the sword on the Sword God Pedestal for the test in order for the results to be reflected. The reason most disciples chose to carry their swords on their back was to better channel their Sword Intent through the use of a familiar medium and achieve a higher level of Sword-Man Union.

"Let's begin together!"

From the adjacent room, He Yan chuckled heartily as he grabbed the sword from the pedestal and channeled his Sword Intent into it.

Hong long!

An endless stream of Sword Intent gushed out from his acupoints and flowed through the sword in his hand.

Tzla!

The manifestation of his Sword Intent shot out of the room, covering dozens of meters in an instant.

Seeing He Yan's manifestation of Sword Intent, Ye Lian also began the test, and his manifestation of Sword Intent swiftly shot forth and caught up with He Yan's. From afar, it looked like two divine beings were racing alongside one another.

Seeing that Ye Lian was on the verge of catching up with him, He Yan chuckled softly. "Your speed isn't too bad, Junior! You've clearly been working hard these past six months!"

"Senior, you clearly haven't been slacking either. The speed of manifestation is much faster than before," Ye Lian remarked calmly.

"I guess we are about equal then. Fine, let's see who will reach five hundred meters and become a Sword God first!"

With a roar, He Yan released all of his Sword Intent at once, causing his manifestation to charge forth with incredible momentum. However, before it could get far, the manifestation of his Sword Intent suddenly halted. It shuddered intensely as if it was standing before a superior being, similar to how a serpent would grovel before a divine dragon.

No matter how He Yan exerted himself, the manifestation of his Sword Intent simply would not go any further.

Narrowing his eyes, he glanced He Yan's way and saw that the same situation was happening to He Yan. His Sword Intent manifestation was shuddering nonstop, and it would not inch forward at all.

"What's going on here?" He Yan was taken aback.

But at that moment, the manifestations of their Sword Intent suddenly shattered with a resounding buzz.

Pu!

Fresh blood spurted from their mouths as they collapsed to the ground.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1947: Sealing a Sword Intent

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Clutching his wounds tightly, He Yan slowly rose to his feet.

"This is... Suppression of Sword Intent?"

As a genius sword practitioner, a core disciple of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, he swiftly realized what had happened. The Sword Intent that he had cultivated with great difficulty had been utterly suppressed by the Sword Intent of another man.

But this was mystifying to him, too. What he had cultivated was none other than the unparalleled Sword Intent of the sect!

How could he possibly be suppressed to such an extent? That should have been impossible!

"Ye Lian, are you the one who did it?" He Yan asked in astonishment.

The only core disciples who had gone there to assess their swordsmanship were him and Ye Lian. Could it be that the latter had cultivated some kind of formidable swordsmanship over the past half a year, resulting in his Sword Intent paling far in comparison?

He Yan turned his gaze over, only to see that the manifestation of Sword Intent in the adjacent room had been suppressed as well. Seemingly under great pressure, it stood motionlessly like a snake groveling on the floor.

"It's not me... I can't control my Sword Intent either... Pu!"

Before he could finish his words, Ye Lian's manifestation of Sword Intent suddenly dissipated, causing him to spurt a mouthful of blood.

Seeing such a sight, He Yan widened his eyes in astonishment.

Sword Intent could be depicted as a conceptualization. Naturally, there were different levels of conceptualization.

Take poetry as an example. Back in the Tang Dynasty, even while Li Bai was worried about the plight of the country following An Lushan's rebellion 1 , he had to first soar into the heavens and have a good time with the goddesses before ending with a ' Flowing blood dyes the lush field red, depraved beasts dressed in silk coronets 2 '. For those who were a bit lacking in conceptualization, they would be shouting 'The sh*t, those b*stards'.

Of course, that was just an analogy. There was a hierarchy among true Sword Intent. When Sword Intents of lower conceptualizations encountered Sword Intents of higher conceptualization, it was only natural for the former to cower in fear.

In a sense, it was similar to the Bloodline Suppression that existed within the Dragon Tribe. If there was too huge a gap between the conceptualization of Sword Intents, the weaker Sword Intent would have already lost without even being able to put up a fight.

Both He Yan and Ye Lian were experts of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but their Sword Intents were still suppressed to such a frightening extent. Just what the hell was happening?

Could there really be a person in the sect who wielded such formidable ability?

"I won't accept it. There's no way there would be someone in the world who can surpass me that much!" He Yan roared furiously as his Sword Intent burst forth once more.

Peng!

But this time, before the white mist could even gather, he could already feel an omnipresent sword of unparalleled sharpness eyeing him. If he showed the slightest hint of retaliation, the sword would tear through his guts and bring him a swift death.

Huala!

Cold sweat poured down He Yan's forehead as he dared not move at all.

The little bit of Sword Intent that he had comprehended could not compare to this overwhelming force. It was like candlelight trying to pit its brightness against the majestic sun!

Any comparison would just end in his humiliation!

When did such a powerful expert appear in the sect?

Even those monsters among the core disciples were not capable of such a feat.

...

The same sight was happening in the other rooms as well.

In an instant, all of the examinees in the Sword God Hall had been suppressed by the Sword Intent, and they found themselves unable to move at all.

Cries of agony filled the tower.

...

The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's Compendium of Sword Wisdom was a massive library with innumerable books.

Walking amid the shelves was Elder Wei, who had been busy packing the books by its classifications over the past few months. It had taken him a great deal of effort to complete this grand operation.

"Elder Wei, it's really been tough for you. With your new classification system, it will be much easier for others to find the resources they require in the library!" an elder said with a smile as he walked over.

He was the other elder of the Compendium of Sword Wisdom, Jiang Yuan.

"Indeed. The books of the Compendium of Sword Wisdom contain the Sword Intent from many generations of predecessors. Depending on one's innate talent and experiences, the Sword Intent that each sword practitioner comprehends can vary greatly from one another. It has indeed been tough trying to classify all of these books," Elder Wei said as he stretched his back lazily. "After so many months, it's finally done! But this is the only time that I'll be doing this. I'd rather commit suicide than reshelve these books!"

Elder Jiang Yuan nodded. "The Sword Intent is sealed within the books, such that sword practitioners can comprehend the strength of our predecessors by opening the books and perceiving them closely.

"Unfortunately, there are simply too many different Sword Intents in the world, and if the books aren't classified properly, a sword practitioner might accidentally grab a book that is at odds with their sword cultivation. Not only would that be not beneficial to their cultivation, they might even sustain great damage as a result!

"To be honest, I'm impressed by how detailed your classification is. You even labeled the genre and sword art... I can't begin to imagine how much effort you have put into this. I believe that the sect leader will reward you handsomely once we report this to him!"

"Indeed. I feel like my eyes are going blind after looking at these books day in and day out!" Elder Wei complained. "Please keep a close eye on these books. I'll just go and rest for a moment..."

"Un!" Elder Jiang Yuan nodded.

Hualala!

All of a sudden, the books on the shelves began rattling nonstop. It was as if some kind of force was summoning the books, causing them to float in the air. Sword Intent gushed out and filled the entire library, producing the metallic reverberations caused by the clashing of swords.

Elder Wei's body stiffened upon seeing this sight. His months of hard work...

You b*stards! Do you know how much trouble I went through trying to compile all of you? Why are you leaping out all of a sudden?

Huala!

But it had not yet ended.

The books all turned in the same direction and bowed deeply, as if servants paying respects to their king!

Pilipala!

The problem with this bow was that it caused the compiled books to collapse onto one another. In fact, some of the bookshelves even fell to the ground as a result of the trembling, turning the entire library into a huge mess.

"The heck!" Elder Wei nearly blacked out from sheer horror at this sight.

Are you joking with me?

Do you know how hard it was for me to compile all of these books? What should I do now?

"Someone has probably comprehended a higher level of Sword Intent, and these books are bowing down to express their submission," Elder Jiang Yuan muttered.

"I know... But of all times, this just had to happen when I just finished reorganizing all of the books!" Elder Wei clutched his hair in frenzy.

Looking at the huge chaos around the room, Elder Jiang Yuan sighed helplessly as well. "So... do you want to try reorganizing it again? Forget it, I think you'll be better off killing yourself!"

"..." Elder Wei.

...

Before the massive gates that towered at the entrance of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, two figures were floating in the air.

Those two figures were elders that appeared to be in their fifties.

The elder on the left was dressed in a silk robe with a jade belt wrapped around his waist. There was a sharpness in his eyes that seemed ready to cut down anything that stood in his path.

The one on the right had a bubbly appearance, and there was an amiable smile on his face. He seemed like someone who was easy to get along with.

The space in the Azure was extremely stable, which made it exceedingly difficult to warp the laws of the world. Even a Pseudo Immortal like Elder Lu Yun was unable to fly. Yet, those two men were able to float in the air. There was no doubt that they were top-notch experts.

"Elder He, you have been cultivating here for thirty years. Have you comprehended the Sword Intent left behind by our founder yet?" the bubbly elder asked with a smile.

"How can it be that easy for us to grasp the Sword Intent of our founder?" Elder He shook his head. "The reason I choose to cultivate here was just to use the Sword Intent of the founder to temper my spirit, thus refining my Sword Intent..."

"It has been so many years, but no one has been able to match up to the talents of our founder..." The bubbly elder nodded.

Before he could finish his words, his eyes suddenly widened in shock. He quickly raised his head and looked at the massive sword in front of him.

Boom!

The massive sword suddenly began to shake nonstop, and it seemed as if it would rise up and soar into the heavens at any moment. At the same time, the towering gate also began trembling, seemingly on the verge of collapsing due to the tremors.

Those two elders narrowed their eyes in shock.

This massive sword symbolized the greatness and prestige of their Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. If it crumbled, they would become the laughingstock of the other five sects!

"It's Sword Intent... Our founder's Sword Intent seems to have sensed something..." Elder He clenched his fists tightly together.

"Is it possible for our founder's Sword Intent to sense something?" The bubbly elder was taken aback. Following which, his body tensed up as he murmured, "Cr*p..."

Huala!

The massive sword before them seemed to have suddenly lost its support, resulting in it swiftly crumbling to the ground.

Naturally, the massive sword in front of the entrance was not a real sword. It was made out of granite and concrete stacked together. The reason it had stood for thousands of years was because their founder's Sword Intent had been keeping it in place.

However, with their founder's Sword Intent pulsating furiously, seemingly on the verge of bursting out at any moment, this massive but delicate structure immediately lost its support.

Hong long long!

As the sword collapsed, the massive gates also came to the limits of their durability and came crumbling down. Countless rocks of all sizes came pattering down to earth, producing craters of massive proportions one after another.

At the same time, with the collapse of the structure containing it, the Sword Intent within the massive sword darted into the distance and vanished without a trace.

"What the hell just happened?"

Looking at the wasteland and clouds of dust beneath them, the two elders were completely frenzied.

The majestic sword and grand mountain gate that our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion pride ourselves for... have been destroyed just like that?

...

"Why? It still isn't working at all!"

Running through all of the Sword Intents that he had experienced in his lifetime, he looked at the manifestation of Sword Intent before him, and it still had not exceeded a meter. This left him feeling so frustrated that he could have exploded on the spot.

He was a renowned swordmaster on the Master Teacher Continent!

If others found out that his was only a meter long, he would die of embarrassment!

Zhang Xuan felt so exasperated that even his will to live was starting to wilt.

"Forget it, I guess this is my limit then..." Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan was just about to retract his Sword Intent when a blur suddenly flashed across his eyes.

His head suddenly jolted back a little as it felt like something had entered his head, and the next moment, he felt an excruciating sharpness assaulting his consciousness.

Hu!

The golden page in the Library of Heaven's Path flew out.

Padah!

It quickly sealed whatever had entered Zhang Xuan's head.

"W-what? My golden page!" Zhang Xuan nearly fainted from shock.

That was the golden page that he had received not too long ago from Dan Xiaotian's earnest acknowledgement. It was going to be his greatest trump card on the Azure. He would rather fight many duels and drink the bathwater of a stupid gourd in order to recover from his injuries than use the golden page.

Yet, it had suddenly flown out of its own accord to seal something. What a waste!

An intense ache assaulted Zhang Xuan's heart, and he nearly stopped breathing.

Why were things not going his way at all?

He had been thinking of going into the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's Ethereal Hall to challenge their sect leader and elders, but without the golden page, he would not be able to protect himself if those old fogeys came looking for him to exact vengeance!

While one's identity was concealed in normal Ethereal Halls, it would be naive to assume that it was the same for the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's. Considering that it was an independent server under the complete control of the sect, it should not be too difficult for the upper echelons to track him down.

"Let me see what the nonsense that wasted my baby is..." Gritting his teeth furiously, Zhang Xuan quickly retracted his sword qi before opening up the Book of Heaven's Path.

In it, he saw a pure congregation of sword qi swimming around like a goldfish in a fish tank.

"A golden page was wasted just on this thing?" Zhang Xuan felt the pressure clutching his heart tightening further.

It was already frustrating enough that he could not even manifest a meter, but who could have known that even his greatest trump card would be wasted on this nonsense?

Sighing deeply, he was just about to close the Book of Heaven's Path when he noticed something. He took a closer look at the sword qi, and his eyebrows suddenly shot up. This surge of sword qi felt strangely familiar to him.

"It seems to be from the same source as the Sword Intent that I felt from the massive sword at the entrance of the sect."

He was just about to reach out and touch it when flurried footsteps sounded outside.

"Brother Zhang Xuan, are you fine?"

Turning his head around, he saw that the door behind him was rattling nonstop. It felt like if he did not open the door soon, Elder Lu Yun and Dan Xiaotian would barge in to check on his safety.

"I'm fine!" Zhang Xuan shouted back.

He quickly slipped the Book of Heaven's Path back into the library before walking out.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1948: There Was a Sword During Your Examination?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Opening the door, Zhang Xuan saw Elder Lu Yun and Dan Xiaotian looking at him with tense looks on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Xuan frowned upon seeing the solemn looks on their faces.

He just went in to have his swordsmanship evaluated. Was there a need for the two of them to be this worried?

On the other hand, Elder Lu Yun heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that Zhang Xuan was unharmed, but he couldn't help but ask doubtfully, "You aren't injured?"

"Injured?" Zhang Xuan was slightly baffled by Elder Lu Yun's abrupt question. "I just went in to try out my swordsmanship... Is there anything that could have injured me inside?"

Was there actually some kind of trick to this examination that requires the sword practitioner to pit his life on the line? So, if one didn't get injured, one's manifestation of Sword Intent wouldn't be able to get too far?

"No, that's not it. I mean... Teacher, just take a look at it for yourself..." Seeing the confused look on his teacher's face, Dan Xiaotian scratched his head as he gestured to the surroundings.

Zhang Xuan looked around him, and he couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.

Cultivators were streaming out from the rooms all around, and every single one of them had pale faces and were coughing out mouthfuls of blood. Their faces looked so withered that it seemed as if someone had just violated them again and again.

Just what kind of a disaster had happened here?

"Is the swordsmanship evaluation... supposed to be so extreme? I mean, Xiaotian, you didn't cough any blood earlier when I saw you earlier..." Zhang Xuan was appalled.

"No, this is not due to the swordsmanship evaluation. Earlier, during the midst of your test, an extremely powerful Sword Intent suddenly emerged. Due to the vast disparity in the tier of their Sword Intents, the others had their Sword Intents suppressed, thus resulting in the current situation!" Elder Lu Yun explained.

As an external elder, Elder Lu Yun had a deep understanding of swordsmanship. While he wasn't in one of the rooms earlier, he could still clearly feel the tremendous strength of that Sword Intent.

It felt almost as if a regal dragon were gazing down on all of them. In that dragon's eyes, all other Sword Intents were probably no different from mere ants.

"An extremely powerful Sword Intent? Could it be something that has reached the level of Sword God?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before he hurriedly asked.

Something that exciting actually happened while he was concentrating on his examination?

"It would be of the level of a Ten Li Sword God at the very least!" Elder Lu Yun replied grimly.

He had never seen a Ten Li Sword God before, but this was the level of the most formidable sword practitioner recorded in the history of the sect. The earlier pressure was enough to crush everyone's Sword Intent, rendering them unable to retaliate at all... That was more than enough to show the sword practitioner's unparalleled strength!

Even if that sword practitioner wasn't a Ten Li Sword God, he probably wouldn't be too far away from that.

As for anything higher than that... it was not something his mind could conceptualize anymore.

After all, in the past several thousand years of the sect's history, there had only been a single man who had reached this level.

"Ten Li Sword God?" Zhang Xuan was astonished. An excited gleam crept into his eyes as he asked, "Elder Lu Yun, do you know who that person is?"

His manifestation of Sword Intent couldn't even go beyond a meter, but the other party was able to extend it to an unimaginable length of ten li... He would love more than anything to witness the true strength of an expert of such caliber!

He was still thinking that he could use his superior strength amongst cultivators of the same realm to dominate the local Ethereal Hall, but from the looks of it, it seemed like he had been underestimating his opponents. There were actually plenty of formidable opponents here, and some of them might even be far stronger than him.

A Ten Li Sword God...

That was the title bestowed experts who had reached the very pinnacle of swordsmanship. Probably even he would have to kneel in defeat if he were to encounter a Ten Li Sword God!

"I'm afraid that I don't have any idea..." Elder Lu Yun shook his head.

The results of the swordsmanship evaluation were private. Unless one was in an adjacent room and witnessed the feat personally, or one had somehow acquired the individual's result jade token, otherwise there was no way of knowing how well one performed.

"Right, what is the result of your swordsmanship evaluation?" Elder Lu Yun asked curiously.

To be honest, he was extremely curious about Zhang Xuan.

While Dan Xiaotian had claimed that Zhang Xuan was his friend, he could tell that something was peculiar about the relationship between the two. For one, Dan Xiaotian was extremely heeding of Zhang Xuan's words. Even good friends wouldn't be so obedient to one another, right?

Another thing that sparked his doubt was the extreme level of respect that Elder Yi and Cao Chengli displayed toward Zhang Xuan.

It was just that Zhang Xuan had kept a low profile all along. He had tried several times to sound the young man out, but in the end, he felt like he had been the one who was sounded out instead. Furthermore, it felt like the young man knew nothing much about the Forsaken Continent, and he kept pressing for more details about what that should have been common knowledge here.

It was due to these doubts in his mind that he allowed Zhang Xuan to come along to the Sword God Hall too. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of the latter's strength.

Otherwise, there was no way he would bring an outsider in that easily. After all, using the facilities here weren't cheap at all!

"My results?" Zhang Xuan's face immediately soured. "I think that we can still remain friends if you don't ask this question."

"Even if you don't want to say, I can just head in to take a look myself..." Elder Lu Yun replied with a casual shrug.

He walked into the room, and a moment later, he came out with the result jade token in his hand. Inscribed on it was Zhang Xuan's earlier result.

It seemed like Zhang Xuan had come out in too much of a hurry that he forgot to take it when he left earlier.

With a triumphant smile, he lowered his head to take a look, only to find his lips twitching in the next moment.

" 2.5 chi 1 ? You didn't even reach... one meter?" Even Elder Lu Yun couldn't help but feel terribly awkward in Zhang Xuan's place.

It was no wonder why Zhang Xuan refused to speak of his results. Such a result was indeed something that mustn't be spoken of!

Dan Xiaotian also took a glance at the jade token, but contrary to Elder Lu Yun's awkwardness, his eyes gleamed with admiration instead.

All along, his teacher had said that he was humble and wanted to maintain a low profile. This was solid evidence that what he had been saying all this while wasn't just empty words! He was really the very personification of low profile itself!

Even by executing the sword art his teacher had taught him, he could acquire an unbelievable result of 499 meters with ease. Yet, when his teacher went in, he held himself back by so much that his result didn't even reach one meter... Just how transcendental must one's state of mind be to completely disregard honor and glory and live one's life solely based on one's principles?

On the other hand, he took another person's credit for his own and treated it as if his own accomplishment... Could it be that his teacher had seen through his facade and was trying to teach him a life lesson through this?

It seemed like he still had a lot to learn from.

On the other hand, when Zhang Xuan saw Elder Lu Yun taking out the jade token and flashing it in front of his disciple, in that very instant, the thought of simply crashing his head into the nearby wall and ending his life really flickered across his mind.

Never once in his entire lifetime since transcending over to this world had he been humiliated like that in front of his disciples before!

Stifled. My heart feels so stifled!!

"Alright, shall we return?" Elder Lu Yun was the one who broke the silent awkwardness in the air.

When he saw so many people spurting blood but that this fellow was perfectly fine, the notion that this fellow might have been the Ten Li Sword God crossed his mind for a moment. But when he saw the record on the jade token... he had indeed been thinking too much into it!

A Sword Intent of less than one meter was pretty much nonexistent. With such a weak Sword Intent, it wasn't surprising that he couldn't sense that overwhelming Sword Intent that was crushing down on the Sword God Hall earlier, and naturally, he wouldn't be harmed by the backlash from the suppression either.

As for whom the Sword God was... as an external elder, he wasn't privy to such information. A genius who had reached the level of a Sword God was already far beyond his jurisdiction. This was a matter for the top echelons to deal with.

After escorting Dan Xiaotian and Zhang Xuan back to their residence, Elder Lu Yun clasped his fist and bade farewell.

After Dan Xiaotian cleared his examination, he still had to bring his result jade token to the Elder's Conference to apply for an inner disciple token for him. For bringing in a genius whose manifestation of Sword Intent was able to extend for 499 meters, the rewards were bound to be handsome.

Perhaps, he could use this as an impetus to push for a promotion to become an internal elder!

Sitting on the aerial beast, it didn't take long for Elder Lu Yun to arrive at the Elder Council.

Before entering the premises, he saw quite a few elders whom he was familiar with rushing in his direction.

They were all internal elders of the sect. Prior to their promotion, they worked with the outer disciples as well, and it was then that they got close to one another. However, due to the differences in their job scope, it was hard for them to keep in contact with one another nowadays.

"Elder Mu, what are you in such a rush for? Did something happen?"

Seeing the flustered look on everyone's faces, Elder Lu Yun couldn't help but stop the elder whom he was closest to and asked.

"Such a huge matter happened, but you haven't heard of it?" Elder Mu was a scrawny old man with green beard. He was dressed in blue silk robe. "Oh right, I forgot that you are just an external elder. You aren't qualified to participate in the Elder Council, so it's only normal that you didn't hear of it..."

"..."

Elder Lu Yun suddenly felt an urge to punch the old man in front of him.

"Don't get angry. You know that I have always been so forthright with my words, saying whatever I want to..." Elder Mu said with a light chuckle. "You should know of the First Elder He Tian, right?"

"Un!" Elder Lu Yun nodded.

As the First Elder, He Tian wielded a lot of power within the sect. While the sect leader was not present, he would have discretionary powers to make decisions on everything in the sect.

"It's fine that you don't know him too. There's no need to go along with me just because you feel awkward. I mean, it's only normal that you wouldn't get to see him given that you are only an external elder..." Elder Mu waved his hand and said.

Veins bulged out on Elder Lu Yun's temples as his knuckles cracked under the pressure. Taking in a deep breath, he interjected, "I think you can get right to point. What happened to Elder He Tian?"

"Elder He has just sent a message to all internal elders and above that, saying that... the mountain gate and the massive sword have collapsed!" Elder Mu exclaimed. Then, he suddenly tilted his head as realization seemed to have struck him, "Ah, that might be why you didn't receive the message. You are just an external elder after all..."

"The mountain gate and massive sword collapsed?" Elder Lu Yun widened his eyes in astonishment.

The mountain gate and the massive sword could be said to be the insignia of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, and it represented its motto 'With ambitions above the clouds, shatter the Nine Heavens!'.

But those two actually collapsed...

This would be a huge blow to the prestige and reputation of the sect!

"Why would it collapse? What happened?" Elder Lu Yun asked anxiously.

"I have no idea either. Earlier, there was an incredibly powerful Sword Intent—you should have felt it yourself too. The Sword Intent seemed to have swayed the Sword Intent within the massive sword, resulting in its collapse..." Elder Mu was also not too sure about the details of the matter. Shaking his head, he said, "Alright, I need to attend the Elder Council that is exclusive for inner elders and above, so I can't continue chatting with you anymore..."

After which, he quickly turned around and rushed into the Elder Council.

"That fellow really hasn't changed at all..." Elder Lu Yun sighed helplessly.

Due to his mouth, Elder Mu had offended far too many people over the years. After so many years, he still hadn't changed that bad habit of his.

But in any case, bearing through the pain, he still managed to acquire a crucial message from the other party—the massive sword and mountain gate had fallen!

"Sword Intent... Could it really be the doing of the Ten Li Sword God earlier?" Elder Lu Yun thought.

Having felt that Sword Intent himself, he knew that it was extraordinary... but he didn't know that it was actually that powerful!

To be able to sway even the Sword Intent the founder had sealed within the massive sword...

Just who in the world could that Ten Li Sword God be?

"Since the elders are in a serious meeting at the moment, would it inappropriate if I walk in right now to report about Dan Xiaotian?" Elder Lu Yun thought.

Considering the severe implications caused by the collapse of the mountain gate and massive sword, it didn't seem to appropriate for him to barge in at this moment to report about a new inner disciple.

"Screw it! I think I should still make the trip in. After all, it was Dan Xiaotian's first try and he has already achieved a score of 499 meters. That is even more formidable than most core disciples. More importantly, his cultivation is only at Ancient Sage 1-dan at the moment... I think that the elders will regard this matter highly, and my reward should be generous too!" Elder Lu Yun eventually made up his mind.

The intake of talents was an important issue to the sect too. With all of the important elders around, there should be a greater chance of promotion for him.

Putting aside all of his hesitation, Elder Lu Yun began making his way into the Elder Council.

...

Meanwhile, in the residence of an inner disciple, Zhang Xuan was staring at his disciple intently. Eventually, unable to suppress the doubt in his heart anymore, he asked, "How did you manage to manifest your Sword Intent to 499 meters?"

This matter had been weighing on his mind all this while. He was unable to manifest it by even a single meter, but this half-baked disciple of his was able to get it that far. No matter how he looked at it, it simply didn't make sense.

"I..." Hearing his teacher's question, Dan Xiaotian scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "I used the sword art teacher has imparted to me and tossed the sword outward... I didn't think that the manifestation of Sword Intent would fly that far as well!"

"You tossed the sword? The conceptualization behind that move is indeed not too bad... Wait a moment!" Zhang Xuan's lips twitched as he noticed an anomaly in Dan Xiaotian's words.

"You mentioned that you tossed a sword. Does that mean that you were holding a sword during your test?"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1949: Berserk

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Of course! How could a sword practitioner exert his Sword Intent and undergo the test without a sword in hand..." Before Dan Xiaotian could finish his words, the truth suddenly dawned on him, causing his lips to twitch. "Ah... I tossed the sword away after my test... Teacher, it can't be that you tried the test without a sword in hand?"

Due to his usual swordsmanship being too weak, he had eventually resorted to the sword toss... and because there was no wall in front, he had no idea where the sword had gone, so he could not retrieve it.

He had not thought much into it then, but when his teacher asked that question, he suddenly found himself utterly dumbfounded.

How could one exert Sword Intent without a sword?

This was just like trying to squeeze milk out of a bull! How could you squeeze something that did not exist?

Even so, his teacher had still achieved the same result as him.

He really had managed to squeeze milk out of a bull.

How did he manage to do it?

Dan Xiaotian felt as if he was going mad.

"Cough cough..." Hearing Dan Xiaotian's explanation, Zhang Xuan felt a stifled feeling in his chest.

The heck! After all of the effort I put into it, it turns out that the reason my result is so poor is because you lost the sword!

How did I end up taking in such an unreliable student?

It's no wonder I couldn't even reach one meter! In the end, it wasn't my problem at all...

"Keep this matter to yourself. I'll be going to cultivate!" Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan waved his hand before returning to his own room.

He meditated for a moment to assuage the stifled feeling in his chest before taking out the Book of Heaven's Path once more.

He had wasted a golden page just to seal some sword qi. No matter what, he had to make sense out of what was going on!

Thus, he flipped open the Book of Heaven's Path and tapped his finger lightly on the sword qi that was swimming around freely.

Hu!

A surge of knowledge flowed from the tip of his finger into his consciousness, leaving him with a splitting headache in an instant. It felt as if something was squeezing against his head, attempting to burst it open. Following which, the deep chime of a bell echoed loudly in his mind.

"The Way of the Sword is not a true path belonging to the heavens. It's a path created by humans..." A voice began speaking, and before long, Zhang Xuan found himself completely immersed in it.

This interpretation of swordsmanship was far more advanced than what he had learned, such that even the Heaven's Path Sword Art felt like a small hill standing before a true mountain.

While the Heaven's Path Sword Art was flawless, that was only so by the standards of the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent. In the face of this swordsmanship, it was truly full of flaws.

This was similar to how knowledge that one had learned in one's earlier years might not necessarily hold true by the time one reached university.

The pursuit of knowledge was an endless journey, and even the heavens were not a constant force that stagnated on the spot. New creations were constantly brought into the world, and the heavens assimilated those new creations into their system.

What was deemed the truth one day might become nothing more than a joke a hundred years later.

It's no wonder I was unable to adapt easily to the spiritual energy in the Azure back then even though I cultivate the Heaven's Path Divine Art... It turns out, to the heavens of the Azure, my cultivation technique is filled with flaws.

Speaking of which, if the heavens of each world have their own definition of what is right and what was wrong... does an absolute gauge of what is right and wrong truly exist?

Every single country had its own laws and culture. What was right in one country might end up warranting the death penalty in another. Was it the same for the heavens?

After all, what the heavens of the Master Teacher Continent deemed to be right was being rejected by the heavens of the Azure.

If so, does it mean that everything I have cultivated is actually flawed?

Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a splitting pain in his head.

Ever since he started cultivating two years ago, he had held unwavering trust in the Heaven's Path Divine Art. He had believed that it was right because that was how the Library of Heaven's Path reflected it to be, but it turned out that even 'perfection' was a relative concept depending on the heavens of each world.

This left him feeling a little terrified.

He tried to drive his cultivation technique, but in a momentary daze, he heard a voice in the depths of his consciousness shouting at him, This is flawed!

He tried to execute his battle technique, but the same voice shouted back at him, Flawed, flawed, flawed! They are all flawed!

His eyes slowly reddened as steam began rising from the top of his head. His zhenqi billowed furiously, and it seemed as if something was going to erupt from him.

If a cultivator was watching this scene, he would surely understand.

This young man's cultivation had gone berserk!

Zhang Xuan had never faced any hiccups practicing the Heaven's Path Divine Art, but less than half a month after he arrived in the Azure, his cultivation had actually gone berserk!

And from the looks of it, it seemed like he would be crushed if he failed to overcome this ordeal.

Hong long long!

As Zhang Xuan's faith started to crumble, the Library of Heaven's Path in his mind began trembling nonstop. It was as if an earthquake had struck, and the entire library was on the verge of falling apart.

His doubt was destroying everything within him.

Pu!

The pressure placed on his body finally reached a limit, and blood spurted from his mouth.

Weng!

Just as it felt like everything would descend into chaos, the red pendant that Zhang Xuan wore around his neck suddenly emanated a warm glow and embraced him.

This warmth felt soothing like the morning sun, and it swiftly calmed down Zhang Xuan's flustered mind. His reddened eyes also slowly reverted back to normal.

As his consciousness slowly cleared up, an answer slowly emerged before him.

I see. It isn't that what I have learned is wrong, but it was just limited in terms of perspective. When viewing things from a higher angle, one is able to get a more complete picture of everything...

This reminded him of the story of blind men touching an elephant. One touched the leg of an elephant and said that it was like a pillar. One touched the stomach and said that it was like a wall. One touched the tail and said that it was like a snake...

Were they wrong?

From an individual perspective, what they were saying was not wrong, but on the whole scale of things, their answers deviated from the truth.

This was the problem caused by being unable to view things from a broader perspective.

However, given how deep and profound cultivation was, it was impossible for anyone to get an oversight of what cultivation truly was. Perhaps the Library of Heaven's Path was the existence closest to achieving that, but even it was not entirely infallible. It was limited by the world that it was in.

The Azure was of a higher dimension than the Master Teacher Continent, and it harnessed a bigger trove of information for cultivators to work with in order to perfect their arts. That was why he was starting to find flaws in the techniques that he practiced.

It was not to say what he had practiced was wrong, but when what he had learned previously was applied to the greater and vaster world of the Azure, his previous knowledge proved somewhat limited.

It was the same as what was going on now.

This was similar to scientific knowledge in his previous world. There was no doubt that newer and more complete theories would eventually be formulated, but that did not render everything that they were currently learning meaningless.

Rather, the current scientific knowledge of today served building blocks that could be used, removed, added on to, or reshaped in order to broaden their horizons and further what they already know.

So, that's how it is, Zhang Xuan thought.

With this comprehension, the Sword Intent finally fused together with him, granting him an even deeper understanding of swordsmanship.

The Speed Sword Quintessence, Strength Sword Quintessence, and Defense Sword Quintessence that he had learned previously flowed through his head and swiftly fused together to create a complete swordsmanship system.

It's no wonder no one on the Master Teacher Continent was able to fuse the many Quintessences together as one. Back then, it was thought that it was an impossible feat due to the vastly different attributes of each Quintessence... but it turns out that isn't the case. The problem is that the angle at which they are looking at swordsmanship was simply too low!

He had heard from his father, Zhang Zhenxing, that there were very few people who had comprehended two Sword Quintessences, and those who had mastered three Sword Quintessences barely existed in the world. Given so, fusing them together felt nothing more than a pipe dream.

He had tried searching for a way then but to no avail. Eventually, he had attributed it to a lack of corresponding books and the limitations of his talent...

But from the looks of it, it simply meant that Master Teacher Continent had not been ready for it then.

Take the famous scientist, Isaac Newton, from his previous world for example. Did he discover gravity just because an apple fell on his head?

No, that was not entirely right. It was because he was already standing on the shoulders of giants. There were countless scientists before him who had propped up the accumulation of knowledge to a level where he could finally open the door to a new world.

The Master Teacher Continent simply had not reached a sufficient level of accumulation in order to open the door to new swordsmanship yet.

Weng!

As the understanding of the various Quintessences fused into one in his head, Zhang Xuan's aura swiftly grew. His presence was becoming more and more like a sharp sword. His physical body, zhenqi, and soul were undergoing immense refinement and tempering.

With such a level of swordsmanship, I'll be truly invincible within my cultivation realm!

The reason there was no one who was a match for him in the Ethereal Hall was simply because Starlight City was far too remote.

But as he traveled to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and felt the conceptualization from the massive sword at the entrance, he had come to realize that he was not as strong as he thought he was. However, in his current state, even if the Ten Li Sword God back at the Sword God Hall appeared before him, he was confident that he would be able to defeat the other party in a battle of swordsmanship.

Weng!

After fusing with the Sword Intent, the golden page suddenly blazed up and vanished with a puff of smoke.

"It wasn't a waste at all..." Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he opened his eyes once more.

That Sword Intent seemed to have put him on top of the shoulders of a giant in an instant, pushing his swordsmanship to levels that he would never have imagined possible before. From that alone, he had profited hugely.

Otherwise, even if he had ten years or a hundred years to himself, there was no saying whether he would have been able to comprehend this much.

"Ruoxin, thank you," Zhang Xuan muttered as he clasped the red pendant hanging around his neck.

When his cultivation went berserk earlier, his mind had been a complete mess. He had already lost control over himself, and even the Library of Heaven's Path had nearly been destroyed by that calamity. It was the pendant that Luo Ruoxin had given him that had saved him in that crucial moment.

Could it be for the same reason that she had placed the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the Library of Heaven's Path? Did she anticipate some kind of scenario where he would require the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the future?

Anticipate?

Zhang Xuan lowered his head to take a closer look at the red pendant. With a crimson as deep as blood, it still looked as conspicuous as it previously did. But for some reason, Zhang Xuan felt like it had turned a little dimmer.

Just who in the world are you?

She knew about the Library of Heaven's Path, and it was clear that she had predicted that something like this would happen. The more he came to know about her, the more mysterious she seemed to become.

"I shouldn't waste time idling around here anymore. I should find the sect leader or the elders and challenge them. Hopefully, I can get some news regarding the Spirit God Palace from them," Zhang Xuan muttered as he stood up and walked out.

Walking into the courtyard, he found the subordinate whom he had recently taken in and issued him his first mission. "Cao Chengli, I have something I need you to do. I want you to look into how the Ethereal Token of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion can be acquired, and if it's convenient, I want you to bring a couple of them to me!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1950: Kong shi? (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the Elder Council, all of the inner elders and above were gathered together. The atmosphere was a little heavy.

"The books that I organized with great difficulty in the Compendium of Sword Wisdom sensed the Sword Intent and bowed simultaneously to it. In the end, they collapsed together from the shelves and ended up getting messed up once more," Elder Wei said indignantly.

"The massive sword that out founder left behind collapsed, causing the mountain gate to fall apart as well," the bubbly elder reported.

Another elder clasped his fist and said, "The disciples who were having their swordsmanship evaluated in the Sword God Hall were all suppressed by that Sword Intent and ended up sustaining some injuries."

After hearing the reports from all of the elders, Elder He, who sat at the centermost position in the room, stood up and gazed at the faces around him. "I believe all of you should have some understanding of what happened earlier!"

"Yes!" the crowd replied.

"Ever since the passing of our founder, who comprehended the Gods' Sword Intent, no other sword practitioner has reached the same height as him," Elder He said. "Even the most talented individual in our history was only able to reach Ten Li Sword God. But today, someone has comprehended our ancestor's Sword Intent, causing the massive sword at the entrance to collapse and all of our Sword Books to bow in submission. I would like to hear your opinions regarding this matter!"

"I think that the emergence of such a talented sword practitioner is the blessing of our sect! Back then, our founder appeared from nowhere and came to fame with a single battle. He stole half a character of '神 (God)' from the Hall of Gods, and that's where the term 'Sword God Hall' and the title 'Sword God' come from!" an elder said in agitation.

"For thousands of years, our predecessors have tried to bring the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion back to its former glory, but it's a pity that no one was able to reach the same height as our founder. But today, someone managed to comprehend our founder's Sword Intent. This means that it's just a matter of time before our sect rises through the ranks!"

"Indeed. Of the Six Sects, even Starchaser Palace, which can communicate with the gods, dare not carry the name of 'god'. Our sect's Sword God Hall is the only exception! And right now, another person has comprehended the same Gods' Sword Intent that our founder did. As long as we nurture him well, our Sword Pavilion could very well complete the half a character, thus becoming the Sword God Pavilion. That would make us an existence equivalent to the Ethereal Hall!"

"For this half a character, many of our predecessors have fought hard and bled rivers, but success still eludes us so... Finally, a ray of hope is before us..."

Quite a few elders rose up in agitation.

"The person who has comprehended the Gods' Sword Intent is indeed likely able to acquire the other half a character from the Hall of Gods, thus allowing our sect to bear the full '神 (God)' character! This is the wish, as well as the greatest honor we can bring to the sect!" Elder He nodded as he clenched his fists tightly.

The Forsaken Continent was a place that was abandoned by the gods. There was only one way to receive the recognition of the gods, and that was to acquire the bestowed character of the gods!

The Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was the only one among the Six Sects that had been bestowed with a character, but it was only half of one. That meant that they were unqualified to place it amid the name of their sect. So, they had chosen to put it within their examination hall instead.

The reason he had stood at the entrance for thirty years, cultivating diligently regardless of the weather, was in the hope of comprehending the conceptualization of the founder and grasping the crux behind the unparalleled Sword Intent.

However, his hard work did not pay off.

Eventually, the one who comprehended the Gods' Sword Intent was not him. Nevertheless, it was still a huge blessing for the sect for something like this to happen!

"Relay my orders! Investigate this matter carefully, and find out who released the Sword intent. If any of you uncover the identity of the person, you are to report the matter to me immediately. There mustn't be any delay at all!" Elder He instructed strictly.

"Also, this matter has to kept with the utmost confidentiality. Anyone who reveals it to outsiders will be viewed as traitors of the sect, and they will be shown no mercy!"

"Yes!" The crowd nodded grimly.

"Before I end the meeting, let me re-emphasize the agenda. Uncover the person behind the Gods' Sword Intent and report it to me. I'll make sure to relay the matter promptly to the sect leader and ensure that the sect leader rewards him personally!"

"A personal reward from the sect leader?"

Everyone's eyes reddened in excitement.

The sect leader possessed unfathomable capabilities. A reward from him was bound to be extraordinary.

Just when everyone was getting hyped up about uncovering the identity of the mysterious sword practitioner, a voice suddenly sounded outside.

"Elder He, External Elder Lu Yun seeks an audience with the Elder Council!"

"Lu Yun?" Elder He frowned.

Given the scale of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, there were many elders to manage the administrative affairs of the sect. Generally speaking, external elders were unqualified to seek an audience with the Elder Council due to their low standing.

"What's the matter?"

"He said that he has discovered a talented sword practitioner, so he has come here to report it. He hopes to apply for the position of an inner disciple for him," the voice reported.

"He has discovered a talented sword practitioner?" Elder He's eyebrows shot up. "Summon him in!"

The reason he had gathered everyone to conduct this meeting was to uncover the identity of the genius who had comprehended the Gods' Sword Intent. Elder Lu Yun's sudden arrival at that moment sparked some hope in his heart.

It did not take long for Elder Lu Yun to arrive before the Elder Council.

"You mentioned that you have found a talented sword practitioner. What happened?" Elder He asked.

"First Elder, I am responsible for recruiting outer disciples and menial disciples. While I was passing by Starlight City..."

Elder Lu Yun swiftly went through the entire incident, including his encounter with World's Edge, Dan Xiaotian easily defeating Huo Jianghe, and the manifestation of his Sword Intent reaching 499 meters.

"Here is the jade token he left behind in the Sword God Hall!"

"He's only an Ancient Sage 1-dan cultivator, but he's already able to extend his Sword Intent to nearly a li?" Elder He was visibly astonished.

He was not the one. The other elders in the council also widened their eyes in disbelief.

It was conventionally viewed that one's ability to conceptualize higher swordsmanship was related to one's innate talent. However, without sufficiently powerful cultivation, one would be unable to seal or drive a powerful Sword Intent!

For this reason, it was inconceivable for an Ancient Sage 1-dan cultivator to actually manifest his Sword Intent to nearly a li.

That was a feat that far surpassed that of other core disciples! This was indubitably talent at a terrifying scale.

The bubbly elder turned to Elder He and asked, "Could it be him?"

"A seventeen-year-old Ancient Sage 1-dan sword practitioner... I don't think that it's likely that he will have been able to comprehend the Gods' Sword Intent. Even if he's able to, he wouldn't be able to drive such tremendous power. Nevertheless, there's no doubt that he's a rare genius!" Elder He nodded.

Even someone of Elder He's cultivation realm might not necessarily be able to harness the tremendous might of the Gods' Sword Intent, let alone the fact that the other party was a seventeen-year-old Ancient Sage 1-dan young man.

Thus, he swiftly eliminated this possibility.

"Our sect welcomes talented individuals with open arms. Dan Xiaotian will hereby be promoted to an inner disciple, and he shall be bestowed with the privileges of a core disciple. When he reaches Pseudo Immortal realm, he'll be promoted directly without undergoing the examination!"

At this point, Elder He paused for a moment before continuing on. "Elder Lu Yun, your merit for discovering such a talent for the sect will not go unnoticed. You are bestowed with a Grand Divinity Pill, and Elder Wu and Elder Bai will aid you in pushing for a breakthrough to the True Immortal realm. Once you succeed, you will be promoted to an inner elder of the sect!"

Hearing that he had received such a huge reward, Elder Lu Yun immediately kneeled onto the floor and exclaimed, "Thank you, Elder He!"

The Grand Divinity Pill was one of the most precious pills in the sect. Every single one of them was extremely precious, and it was one of the few cultivation resources that one could not buy even with ample money.

If a Heavenly Pseudo Immortal cultivator used a single one of those, their chances at achieving a breakthrough would be increased by twenty percent. With this, the odds of him reaching the True Immortal realm would be greatly increased!

Not to mention, he would have the guidance of Elder Wu and Elder Bai too!

It could be said that he was not too far away from becoming an inner elder anymore!

"Those who have accrued merit are rewarded, and those who have erred are punished. This is the rule of our sect, so there's no need for you to stand on ceremony. Until you become an inner elder, you'll be in charge of managing Dan Xiaotian. If you notice anything peculiar, report it to me immediately!" Elder He instructed.

"Yes, First Elder!" Elder Lu Yun replied excitedly before backing out of the Elder Council.

"Un!" Elder He took one last look around the Elder Council before waving his hand. "Alright, you're dismissed. Remember what I've said. As long as you find that sword practitioner, your rewards will be even more generous than those given to Elder Lu!"

"Yes, First Elder!" the crowd replied before leaving the Elder Council.

To them, while Dan Xiaotian was indeed a genius, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion did not lack people like him. There were plenty of those who could reach two li among the core disciples.

There was no doubt that they were surprised by Dan Xiaotian's feat, but that was all. Unlike the sword practitioner who had comprehended the Gods' Sword Intent, his presence would not change the sect at its core.

Everyone quickly left the room, leaving behind Elder He and the bubbly elder.

"Are you going to send a message to the sect leader?" the bubbly elder asked.

"Yes. This matter is of grave importance, so we must inform the sect leader of it as soon as possible!" Elder He replied with a nod.

"Our sect leader is currently with the leaders of the other five sects to discuss the once in a century 'Azure Bridge'. Will we be disturbing him by contacting him at this juncture?" the bubbly elder asked worriedly.

"I doubt it. Even if we don't inform our sect leader of it right away, those from the other sects will surely transmit the news too. It'll be terrible if our sect leader doesn't receive firsthand news from us directly!" Elder He replied.

He took out a special jade token and swiftly carved a message on it. After he was done, the special jade token suddenly burst into flames before vanishing from sight.

...

White clouds drifted peacefully on a mountain peak of unimaginable height. From afar, the melodious cries from a flock of divine cranes could faintly be heard. A small stream trickled not too far away, and the light refreshing fragrance of nature lingered in the air.

From afar, this place looked no different from paradise.

Beneath an ancient pine tree, several figures were gathered in a circle.

A beautiful lady raised her teacup and sipped on it gracefully before speaking nonchalantly. "I propose that we stick with our previous rules. There's no need to waste our time bickering over the same matter again."

"The rules we agreed on previously are fair and rational, but we have never succeeded even after so many attempts over the years. I fear that sticking to the conventions will get us nowhere," an old man replied.

"Oh? You sound as if you have a better plan in mind. Why don't you share it so that we can confer over it!" the beautiful lady scoffed.

"Du Qingyuan, your Starchaser Palace is the only one among the Six Sects that is able to liaise with the Ethereal Hall. You should know that the main reason we are gathered here is to listen to your opinion on the matter. Could it be that you wish to remain here instead of finding a way out? If I'm not mistaken, your lifespan is already nearing its limits, right?" the middle-aged man seated opposite the beautiful lady said with a frown.

"It's true that we are able to liaise with the Ethereal Hall, but you should also know what kind of existence the Ethereal Hall is. Just because we are able to liaise with it doesn't mean that we have a complete understanding of the entity. Also, while my lifespan is indeed nearing its limits, if you think that our Starchaser Palace is a pushover just because of that, you can give it a try. I am more than happy to have a duel with you right here, right now!" The beautiful lady, Du Qingyuan, smirked coldly.

"Alright, calm down. We are here to discuss the matter, not to come to blows with one another!" The old man who spoke previously swiftly mediated between the two. "Sect Leader Qin, you should cool down a little. Palace Master Du, you also know that Sect Leader Qin has always been a little extreme with his words, so do bear with him a little. I don't think that we'll be able to come to a conclusion discussing the matter like this. Thus, I have already liaised with Hall Master Kong from the Ethereal Hall, and he should be arriving soon enough..."

Before the old man could finish his words, a scholarly middle-aged man dressed in a robe suddenly appeared before everyone. He had a faint smile on his lips.

"It seems like Brother Han understands me well..."

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1951: Kong shi? (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The arrival of the middle-aged man immediately prompted everyone to rise to their feet.

They might have been the leaders of the Six Sects, but they knew that there was a disparity in their positions compared to the middle-aged man before them.

The Six Sects were like six massive empires, each of them governing large swathes of land. However, the Ethereal Hall was an existence that covered the entire world. Wherever one could find humans, there was an Ethereal Hall and Ethereal Tokens.

Despite not possessing any land, its influence had already permeated the entire Forsaken Continent.

Not to mention, no one knew just how powerful the middle-aged man standing before them truly was.

Ordinary cultivators had a limit to their lifespan, but the concept of aging did not seem to apply to the middle-aged man before them. He first made his name several thousand years ago, such that there was no one in the world who did not know of him. Yet, he did not seem to have changed a bit since then.

Even though the few of them were powerhouses standing at the very top of the world, they still naturally deferred to him.

They clasped their fists and greeted him. "Paying respects to Hall Master Kong!"

"There's no need to stand on ceremony!" Hall Master Kong chuckled as he took his seat.

"The reason we have troubled Hall Master Kong to make a trip here is to discuss the matter concerning the Azure Bridge. Should we continue with the agreement that we made previously, or should we reshuffle the cards and negotiate a new arrangement?" the old man known as 'Brother Han' asked.

"Indeed. Four thousand years ago, you barged through the Azure Bridge and defeated the experts of the Hall of Gods, thus acquiring a single '神 (Ethereal)' character. With that character, you created the Ethereal Hall. You have a greater understanding of the Hall of Gods than anyone else here, and there's no one more suitable than you to clarify our doubts!" Sect Leader Qin said.

"I did enter the Hall of Gods, but the horrors that lie within aren't something that can be summarized in just a few words. The Azure Bridge appears once every hundred years, but no one has succeeded in the past several thousand years. It's about time to shake things up a little," Hall Master Kong said with a chuckle.

He was just about to continue speaking when Brother Han suddenly flicked his wrist, and a jade token appeared in his hands.

Lowering his gaze to take a look, Brother Han's eyes lit up.

"What's wrong, Brother Han?" Sect Leader Qin asked.

"I just received a report from my sect members. A genius who has comprehended the Sword Intent left behind by the founder has just appeared!" Brother Han said with a chuckle.

"The Sword Intent left behind by your founder? You don't mean... the Gods' Sword Intent?" Hall Master Kong was slightly taken aback.

"Indeed!" Brother Han nodded in response.

"It's said that the Gods' Sword Intent can only be executed and comprehended by the gods. The person who has comprehended it is bound to achieve great things in the future!" Hall Master Kong's eyes lit up as he asked with a smile, "May I know what's the name of the sect member?"

"Well... I'm afraid that my elders are still looking into the matter at the moment. So far, they have only detected a resonance with the Sword Intent left behind by the founder," Brother Han replied.

"I see!" Hall Master Kong nodded. "Since such a figure has appeared, I think there's a greater need to change the rules concerning the Azure Bridge. Of course, we should discuss this matter only after you find that talented sword practitioner, Brother Han. We have to find out who the person is and what kind of abilities he wields in order to make concrete plans, right?"

"We concur." The others nodded in agreement.

"Very well. We shall adjourn the meeting till further notice!" Hall Master Kong said.

"Un!"

Thus, the leaders of the Six Sects quickly went on their own ways.

Brother Han was just about to head back to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion when he suddenly heard a gust of wind coming his way. The next moment, Hall Master Kong was already standing before him.

"Hall Master Kong!" Brother Han clasped his fist and bowed.

"Brother Han, there's something that I wish to pass on to you. The person who has comprehended the Gods' Sword Intent is bound to play an essential role on the Azure Bridge. While I have no idea how powerful he is at the moment, as an elder, I would still like to bestow a gift upon him. This is a token representing my identity. If you find the person in question, please do give it to him. With this token, he'll be able to purchase anything in the Ethereal Hall without spending any money!" Hall Master Kong smiled as he passed a jade token into Brother Han's hands.

"Allow me to thank you on behalf of my disciple!" Brother Han clasped his fist and bowed grandly.

The Ethereal Hall was a power with influence all over the world. The fact that this jade token could purchase any cultivation resources for free meant that its value was inestimable!

It could be said that as long as a cultivator had this jade token in hand, all of the resources of the Forsaken Continent would be in their possession. They would have no need to worry about money and the like anymore.

There was truly no greater gift than this!

"You're too courteous," Hall Master Kong replied with an amiable smile. "You should also know that the purpose of the Ethereal Hall's existence is to strengthen cultivators. I view it as my responsibility to nurture the experts of the world."

"Hall Master Kong, you are truly a magnanimous person. I am truly in awe. Pardon me, but there are some matters I have to attend to back at my sect. If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave." Brother Han clasped his fist before flitting away swiftly.

Hall Master Kong placed his hands behind his back as he looked at Brother Han's departing figure. It was impossible to tell what was running through his mind.

A moment later, he raised his head and looked into the sky. He could have been talking to another person, or perhaps it was just mumblings to himself. "I've waited so many years, and finally, my patience has paid off... Do come out soon. I don't know how much longer I can wait..."

Hu!

With a gust of wind, Hall Master Kong vanished from sight.

...

Zhang Xuan was completely oblivious to what had happened at the Elder Council or the mountain. At that moment, he was looking right at Cao Chengli with a terribly displeased look on his face.

He had dispatched the latter to gather some news, but that fellow had ended up returning with a swollen face. If not for the surge of Heaven's Path zhenqi that he had infused into the other party's body previously, the other party might have died.

"I told you to gather news regarding the Ethereal Token, didn't I? Just what did you do to land yourself in such a state?" Zhang Xuan asked in vexation.

Even his previous butler, Sun Qiang, was more capable than this. He knew that any task that he entrusted to Sun Qiang would be accomplished impeccably. While Sun Qiang did love to brag, at the very least, he had never ended up getting pummeled so badly within an hour after heading out!

"This... I..." Cao Chengli's face turned incredibly awkward.

After hearing Cao Chengli's explanation, Zhang Xuan was rendered completely speechless.

In the end, Cao Chengli was still true to his nature as a bandit. While he was trying to gather information, he had seen a beautiful menial disciple and tried to flirt with her.

As a result, he had nearly gotten killed on the spot.

"Cao Chengli, I made an exception back then by taking you in. No matter how you were before, I expect you to keep yourself in line as long as you are under me. I don't need someone unprincipled under me," Zhang Xuan said sternly.

Cao Chengli was truly far too brazen!

The menial disciples of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion were at least at Great Sage 3-dan, and to dare to flirt with them with his current cultivation realm... he was courting death!

If others did not know that he was Dan Xiaotian's servant, all that would have been left of him was just a cold, hard corpse.

"But Young Master, you also know that I have held it in for more than ten days. Furthermore, I didn't lay my hands on her at all! I asked her as gentlemanly and politely as I could..." Cao Chengli's face reddened in embarrassment.

He had always been an unrestrained man with a powerful libido, and his record of taking down seven women together with him at the brothel back then spoke a lot about him. Asking him to hold back for ten days was really pushing him.

He had thought that with his dashing looks, he could at least seduce one of the female menial disciples to get together with him. Yet, who could have known that he would be pummeled as soon as he started speaking?

Seeing how Cao Chengli was still adamantly insisting on his point on view, Zhang Xuan covered his head with his hand.

Dan Xiaotian was right; he should not have accepted this fellow.

He felt like his reputation was slowly being sullied by him!

"Enough! I don't want to see such things happening again, understood? How did the matter I have entrusted to you go?"

Seeing that he had caught the Young Master's ire, Cao Chengli did not dare run his mouth anymore. He quickly bowed slightly and reported, "Young Master, I have already looked into the matter, and the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion's Ethereal Token is on sale in the inner disciples' market. The price is roughly twenty Sword Pavilion Coins!"

"Twenty Sword Pavilion Coins?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

It did not sound like a lot of money, but he did not know the purchasing power of Sword Pavilion Coins either.

"How many Sword Pavilion Coins is a Basic Immortal Pill worth here?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Ah... I haven't looked into that yet!" Cao Chengli replied with an embarrassed chuckle.

"Where is the inner disciples' market then?"

"This..." Cao Chengli tilted his head and asked, "Should I look into that too?"

"What did you look into then?" Zhang Xuan's face was growing more and more livid by the moment.

"The young lady who beat me up earlier is the subordinate of an inner disciple called Liu Lujie. She's 1.7 meters tall, and her three sizes are 85, 74, 88. Her legs are at least a meter long, and they are fair and smooth. More importantly, their proportions are truly the work of a god. Young Master, let me tell you, I have seen a lot of women in my lifetime, and this lady definitely ranks among the top on my list." Cao Chengli's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Enough!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands furiously.

What the heck was that?

Instead of properly accomplishing whatever that was asked of him, he had spent his time uncovering such nonsense.

Just what the heck are your priorities?

Remember your responsibilities! You are here to serve us, not flirt with girls!

"Right now, head out and find where the inner disciples' market is. If you dare return without finding it, I'll have you castrated!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly.

With a flick of his finger, a surge of sword qi gathered above Zhang Xuan. It rumbled loudly as if it was ready to lay devastation upon something.

"Y-yes!"

Feeling a cold air around his crotch, Cao Chengli's face paled as he immediately slammed his thighs shut in fear.

"And if you can't find it by tonight... I'll tame a stallion and let it have its way with you!" Zhang Xuan threatened menacingly.

Cao Chengli immediately clenched his bottom cheeks together in horror.

He had thought his new master to be a very prim and proper person. How could he have known that he would actually have such vile thoughts in mind?

To actually think of taming a stallion and using it against him...

All of a sudden, Cao Chengli remembered the horse that night who could use martial arts and was able to serve Zhang Xuan tea. If his master put his mind to it, he would really be able to do it!

No, I can't allow that to happen! I'll never be able to raise my head high as a man ever again!

"I'll head out right now!" Without daring to utter a single useless word, Cao Chengli ran out of the room so quickly that it seemed as if he was fleeing from a monster.

This time, under Zhang Xuan's threat, Cao Chengli quickly returned with the necessary information.

"Young Master, the inner disciples' market is located at the foot of this mountain. I have also looked into the price of the Basic Immortal Pill, and a single one of them costs around two Sword Pavilion Coins!" Cao Chengli replied formally.

"A single Basic Immortal Pill is worth two Sword Pavilion Coins whereas the Ethereal Token costs twenty Sword Pavilion Coins? This... Isn't the disparity in price simply too huge?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Back at Starlight City's Ethereal Hall, a Basic Immortal Pill was worth 100,000 Ethereal Coins whereas the Ethereal Token was only worth 20,000 Ethereal Coins!

Yet, the Ethereal Token was actually worth ten times more than a Basic Immortal Pill here!

This inflation was a little too frightening!

"I'm not too sure about the details, but these are the prices I have gathered so far," Cao Chengli explained as he squeezed his thighs tightly together, fearing that Zhang Xuan would make a move on him in a fit of anger.

"Bring me to the inner disciples' market! I want to take a look at it myself!"

Knowing that it was meaningless to waste his time on words, Zhang Xuan stood up and walked out of the room.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1952: Selling Bathwater

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

The inner disciples' market was an informal trading site managed and frequented by inner disciples. It was the place where inner disciples purchase and sell their possessions.

Under Cao Chengli's lead, it didn't take long for them to arrive at the destination.

The market looked rather shabby. In essence, it was just a small courtyard by the foot of the mountain. After flashing their tokens, Zhang Xuan and Cao Chengli were granted entry into the market.

As soon they entered, they saw quite a number of vendors around with a couple of goods placed before them.

Swords, cultivation technique manuals, medicinal herbs, pills, tamed beasts... It had most of the basic necessities that a cultivator would need covered!

Most of the goods they were selling weren't from the sect. Rather, they were the personal possessions that inner disciples had either acquired in the midst of their mission or brought over from their clans.

"We only accept Sword Pavilion Coins and not Basic Immortal Pills!"

This was the answer that Zhang Xuan received from the vendors when he tried to trade with them.

The main reason why they were selling their goods here was to earn some Sword Pavilion Coins so that they could enter the Compendium of Sword Wisdom and the Hall of Sparring Swords. Those were the places inner disciples would often head to in order to further their path in the Way of the Sword.

What should I do now? Zhang Xuan thought in frustration.

He thought that he would be able to exchange the Basic Immortal Pills he had acquired from Cao Chengli for money, but who could have thought that none of them were accepting it at all!

What was most highly regarded in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was not one's cultivation but one's mastery in swordsmanship. Only with superior swordsmanship would a disciple stand out from his peers and be viewed as an asset to the sect. In return, the sect would provide him with ample resources required for him to advance his cultivation.

As such, cultivation resources such as Basic Immortal Pills were less valuable in contrast here.

"Young Master, should we just... resort to stealing? I saw a few people who aren't as strong as you back there. As long as we try to lure them to a corner and kill them, we should be able to acquire whatever we need..." Seeing the frustrated look on Zhang Xuan's face, Cao Chengli stepped forward and presented a solution to him.

"You... Snatch your head!" Zhang Xuan nearly fainted from rage.

Can you use more common sense when you speak?

We are in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! If you wish to die, go ahead and try stealing something then!

And dupe to a corner? Do you really think that inner disciples are fools?

The cultivators who have managed to make it here do have some skills, you know! You should already be thankful that they aren't trying to rob you!

"If that doesn't work, why don't I try seducing one of the vendors with my charm then? Just a while ago, I saw a beautiful inner disciple selling her stuff over there..." Cao Chengli continued presenting his solutions.

Zhang Xuan clasped his face. At this moment, he really wanted to kick Cao Chengli and get rid of him once and for all.

"Go ahead and do whatever you want. Just don't say that you are associated with me and don't come looking for me after you get into trouble!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand impatiently as he continued walking through the streets.

After visiting quite a few vendors, he found that the price of Ethereal Tokens was standard. All of them were worth twenty Sword Pavilion Coins. The Basic Immortal Pill was also only worth two Sword Pavilion Coins each.

In other words, even with all the wealth he had on hand, he still wouldn't have enough money to buy an Ethereal Token.

"Why would the price of an Ethereal Token be so much higher than a Basic Immortal Pill?" Zhang Xuan asked one of the inner disciple vendors.

"Ah, you must be used to the prices of Ethereal Tokens from remote locations. Those Ethereal Tokens balances the cultivation to just Great Sage 1-dan, so their prices are of course lower. On the other hand, the Ethereal Tokens sold in our sect balances the cultivation to Ancient Sage 1-dan, so it goes without saying that it's worth a lot more.

"If you are already astonished by this pricing, you should take a look at the Ethereal Tokens used by core disciples. Their Ethereal Tokens balances the cultivation to Pseudo Immortal realm, and the cost is way higher than this!" the inner disciple vendor replied.

"I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

To be honest, he didn't think that the answer would be so simple.

He thought that all Ethereal Tokens were the same, but that was clearly not the case. With a cultivation realm of Ancient Sage 1-dan, a cultivator would be able to try out more powerful sword arts. Naturally, its price would be higher.

After asking a few more questions to familiarize himself with the vendor, he finally asked, "Well, the reason why I came to the market is because I urgently require an Ethereal Token. However, I don't really have any money on hand at the moment. Is there any fast way for me to earn money here?"

"Fast way to earn money? Tell me about it when you find one... If I had a better idea in mind, I wouldn't be here selling my goods!" the inner disciple vendor rolled his eyes.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment.

Taking his leave, he continued walking through the streets with a contemplative look on his face.

I only have seven Basic Immortal Pills and a storage ring at the moment... I won't be able to earn twenty Sword Pavilion Coins even if I were to sell all of it...

If he had valuable goods too, he could still consider setting up his own store too, just like what the other inner disciples had done. The problem with that was that he didn't have anything of much value on hand at the moment!

Take storage rings for example. Despite being a rare commodity in Xuanjiang City, everyone he had met in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion so far actually had one each. When he asked about the matter, he realized that it was actually possible to even rent one from the sect... There was no market for it at all!

As for his Basic Immortal Pills, even if he, by any chance, managed to find some buyers, he still wouldn't be able to earn enough money to purchase an Ethereal Token.

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan began racking his brain once again over his ever-present monetary issues when a brilliant idea suddenly struck him.

"Right! The Dongxu Gourd's bathwater has the mystical effect of curing one's injuries swiftly. It should be able to fetch quite a good price if I were to sell it!"

To be honest, he hadn't really done much ever since arriving in the Azure. Other than fighting duels, he knew of no other ways he could earn money quickly. If there was anything he had that was of value to the others, it could only be the gourd's bathwater.

Fortunately, he still had several bottles of it in his storage ring.

This gourd's bathwater was exceptionally effective in healing wounds, such that there were probably no pills in the market that could compete with it. As long as he could market it well and sell it out, he should be able to make enough money to purchase an Ethereal Token!

"It's settled then!"

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan took out a few materials from his storage ring and set up a stand. He took out the jade bottles containing the gourd's bathwater and laid it out neatly before him. He hesitated for a moment before taking out a cloth and writing the words 'Godly Recovery Medicine' before sitting down.

"Godly Recovery Medicine? Brother, you really don't fear death! Don't you know that the word 'God' mustn't be used casually? You'll be obliterated once the gods find out about it!" the inner disciple sitting beside Zhang Xuan took a look at his sign and exclaimed in horror.

"The word mustn't be casually used? But... doesn't the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion have a place called the Sword God Hall too?"

"The '神 (God)' character that is used in the Sword God Hall was snatched from the Hall of Gods by the founder of our sect. However, as our founder had only managed to snatch half a character, he only had the right to use the character in the name of an ordinary building and not in the sect's name.

"Of the entire continent, only the Ethereal Hall has the right to bear this character in its name! Legend has it that the founder of the Ethereal Hall singlehandedly barged into the Hall of Gods and forcefully took an entire '神 (God)' character right beneath the eyelids of the gods!" the inner disciple explained.

"The Azure actually limits the use of certain characters too?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

After asking a few more questions, he finally came to understand what was going on.

The Azure, also known as the Forsaken Continent, was said to be a piece of land tossed away by the gods. The gods viewed this land in disdain and prohibited the beings living in it from using the character, '神 (God)'. This rule applied to everyone, be it the Six Sects or ordinary civilians.

If one really had to use this character, there was only one way one could do so. One would have to enter the Hall of Gods and steal the '神 (God)' character from the gods!

Over the past few millenniums, the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and the Ethereal Hall were the only ones who had succeeded. The former managed to steal half a character whereas the latter succeeded in claiming an entire character from the Hall of Gods...

The other sects had tried their hand too, but they had never succeeded before.

From this, it could be seen just how frightening the Hall of Gods was.

It seemed like the '神 (God)' character was indeed not to be used carelessly.

Thus, Zhang Xuan erased 'Godly Recovery Medicine' from the board and changed it to 'Divine Recovery Medicine'. He pondered for a brief moment before adding a tagline below 'All kinds of injuries and illnesses will be cured in the blink of an eye!'.

After that was done, he began waiting patiently for customers to arrive.

Two hours passed swiftly. There were quite a few customers who came over to his stand to take a closer look. However, when they uncorked the jade bottle and examined the contents inside, they shook their heads in disappointment and left.

Most recovery medicine sold in the market were overflowing with spiritual energy, but whatever that was in the jade bottle appeared to be no different from ordinary plain water. Who would want to waste valuable Sword Pavilion Coins to purchase something as useless as this?

Before long, the sun was already starting to set by the horizon. Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan was just about to pack up for the day when a young lady suddenly walked over.

This young lady appeared to be in her early twenties, While her looks couldn't compare with Zhao Ya and the others, her tall stature and delicate features made her a rare beauty.

Zhang Xuan noticed that her eyebrows were tightly knitted together, as if there was something weighing down her heart.

"Is your medicine really effective?" the young lady walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked.

"Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "It can heal any injuries in a heartbeat. If it doesn't work, I'll give you a full refund right away!"

"A close kin of mine has been injured by an immortal beast. We have tried using all kinds of medicine on him, but nothing worked at all... I guess I'll just give your medicine a try too. How much does each bottle cost?" the young lady paused for a brief moment before asking.

That close kin of hers had been diagnosed by the best physicians in the sect, and he had tried all kinds of medicine too. However, all of them proved to be ineffective. It was out of sheer frustration that she was roamed from market to market, hoping to stumble upon a miracle. As such, the board which Zhang Xuan had put up swiftly caught her attention. The tagline he had put up promised to cure all kinds of injuries and illnesses.

Thus, as unlikely as the chances were, she chose to give it a try.

Perhaps, this might just be the miracle that her close kin needed to recover. She had to give it a try.

"Each bottle costs twenty Sword Pavilion Coins!" Zhang Xuan replied.

"Twenty Sword Pavilion Coins? Why don't you go rob a bank instead?" the young lady was astonished.

Ordinary recovery pills, even those at Pseudo Immortal-tier, were worth only ten Sword Pavilion Coins. Yet, this jade bottle filled with what that appeared to be no different from clear water actually cost twenty Sword Pavilion Coins?

You must be trying to scam me!

"Young lady, my goods are worth every single coin I charge. The reason why I dare to charge a premium price is because I am confident in my medicine. Otherwise, I would just be asking to be killed for setting up a stand like this!" Zhang Xuan replied to the young lady calmly. "You can choose not to buy if you find it too pricey, but just know that this price will never change!"

After which, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes once more, as if he could care less if the young lady wanted to buy or not.

He had never really done business himself, but having read many books, he knew of the common tricks and psychological manipulation that businessmen used. If he were to desperately try to promote his goods, it would make his product appear less credible instead.

On the contrary, if he maintained a lofty attitude that rendered it impossible for others to read him, there was a greater chance that he would be able to win the trust of others.

Besides, the bathwater he was selling was as miraculous as he claimed it to be!

And from the looks of it, it seemed like Zhang Xuan's ploy was indeed working.

In any other circumstances, the young lady would have walked away without any hesitation. However, the fact that she was unable to see through the effects of the bottle of water and the bizarrely confident attitude the vendor had put up was making her hesitate.

The condition her close kin was suffering from was not something any ordinary medicine could cure, so the air of mystery around the medicine ended up reeling in the young lady instead. After all, what she was looking for was a miracle, a supernatural force that could somehow achieve the impossible.

After a moment of hesitation, she took a bottle and harrumphed, "Fine, I'll buy your medicine. However, you should know that I'm not a person to be trifled with. If your medicine doesn't work, I'll hunt you down and show you the consequences of daring to scam me!"

"Rest assured. If my medicine is ineffective, I'll smash my own store before you can even say a single word," Zhang Xuan replied with perfect nonchalance, almost as if he had heard far too much of such words in the past.

He was planning to sell the bathwater this once anyway. Once he acquired an Ethereal Token, he wouldn't have to resort to such means to earn money anymore.

After all, he was a professional at raking in money through duels!

"That would be for the best!" the young lady replied. She took out a bag and tossed it over casually, "Here is your twenty Sword Pavilion Coins!"

After which, the young lady turned around and left the inner disciples' market.

Zhang Xuan excitedly opened up the bag and counted its contents swiftly. There was indeed twenty Sword Pavilion Coins in there!

He thought that he would have to camp at the market for another few days before he could find a buyer, but things were going much more smoothly than he thought.

Rising to his feet, he was just about to pack up his stand when the vendor seated opposite to him suddenly his over and shook his head in pity.

"You should run away as quickly as you can. In fact, you should leave the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion for the time being. Otherwise, you might be smashed into meat paste very soon!"

Report chapter Comments