Taiyue Sword Sect.
Beneath Sword Comprehension Cliff.
As a peal of thunder rang out, countless disciples could not help but turn their gazes in that direction.
Beneath Sword Comprehension Cliff, five young disciples sat cross-legged.
These five disciples were outstanding talents of Taiyue Sword Sect’s inner sect, possessing extremely high aptitude in the way of the sword.
It was precisely because of these five disciples that the Sect Master of Taiyue had called in favors and invited Daoist Siji to carve a sword scar, so that they might properly comprehend the sword intent within.
Now, a full month had passed, and at last someone had comprehended Daoist Siji’s sword intent.
It was a young man who looked no older than twenty. Dressed in white robes, he sat cross-legged on the ground, a longsword before him actually humming aloud.
Not only that, but behind him, one sword shadow after another emerged.
“He’s comprehended it, he’s comprehended it.”
“Senior Brother Xu Heng really comprehended it.”
“Hiss, is this enlightenment?”
“Heavens, Senior Brother Xu Heng truly deserves his reputation as a famed sword genius of Qingzhou. In just one year, through a single sword scar, he comprehended the Spring Thunder Sword Technique of the Four Thunders Sword Art to the perfected stage of great accomplishment.”
“I’m envious, so envious.”
“When Daoist Siji left behind this sword scar, he said that even a sword genius would need ten years to comprehend any one of the techniques in the Four Thunders Sword Art to the pinnacle. Senior Brother Xu Heng spent only one year and comprehended the Spring Thunder Sword Technique to the perfected stage of great accomplishment. The remaining three techniques probably won’t even take three years.”
“Senior Brother Xu Heng was already hailed as one of Qingzhou’s ten great sword geniuses. With talent like this, we can only look up to him.”
“Stop talking. If you keep going, I’m going to turn sour with envy.”
“Looks like in this Qingzhou Sword Dao Assembly, Senior Brother Xu will be aiming for the top ten.”
“Top ten? I’ll give you one chance to reorganize your words. At the very least, the top three.”
“To comprehend the Spring Thunder Sword Technique to the perfected stage of great accomplishment in just one year—is this what a sword genius is?”
Within Taiyue Sword Sect, the disciples discussed spiritedly, their gazes filled with envy.
And atop Sword Comprehension Cliff stood seven or eight old men.
These were the elders of Taiyue Sword Sect.
Among them was one elder whose face was full of smiles, impossible to conceal.
“Senior Brother Mingjian truly has a keen eye. In merely one month, your disciple has already gained sudden insight into Senior Siji’s sword intent. This is truly worthy of congratulations.”
An elder spoke up, congratulating Elder Mingjian—the old man in the crowd whose smile was the widest.
“Hahaha, not at all, not at all. He has merely comprehended it to the perfected stage of great accomplishment, that’s all. It is nothing much. Senior Siji’s sword scar contains his sword intent, yet he has only comprehended the Spring Thunder Sword Technique to the perfected stage of great accomplishment. It is nothing much, nothing much.”
Elder Mingjian spoke with a smile, appearing extremely modest, though the smile on his face did not contain the slightest hint of modesty.
“Senior Brother Mingjian is too humble.”
“That’s right, Senior Brother Mingjian is too humble. This disciple of yours has extremely strong attainments in the sword. Calling him first in the inner sect would hardly be an exaggeration. In my view, at this Qingzhou Sword Dao Assembly, Xu Heng might even have a chance to take first place.”
Another elder stroked his beard and praised.
But very quickly, a cold snort rang out.
“Within Qingzhou, crouching tigers and hidden dragons abound. Leaving aside the Four Thunders Sword Sect and the Baiyun Dao Sect, just within Qingzhou there are tens of thousands of sects great and small. To speak of first place now—wouldn’t that be a little too early?”
The one who spoke was an old man, his words and expression carrying a trace of disdain.
In an instant, Elder Mingjian’s expression sank slightly as well.
This man was his bitter rival. He had been so when they were young, and he still was now; the two of them could be said to have fought their entire lives.
However, his disciple had yet to comprehend sword intent, so naturally he felt somewhat displeased.
Elder Mingjian swept a glance over the other party.
Yet he did not get angry. Instead, he smiled and said,
“Elder Chen Yu is also right. Within Qingzhou, perhaps there truly are crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Who knows, maybe some small sect has an unparalleled sword genius who can casually look at a sword scar and, within a dozen days, suddenly comprehend it to the pinnacle. This unworthy disciple of mine is certainly not qualified to take first place in Qingzhou’s sword dao.”
Elder Mingjian spoke in a tone thick with sarcasm.
The expressions of the elders changed slightly.
In an instant, they could all tell that Elder Mingjian was mocking him with veiled barbs.
To casually look at a sword scar and suddenly comprehend it to the pinnacle?
Forget Qingzhou—looking at the greater picture, even the Jin Kingdom had no such person. Looking even farther, among the Ten Kingdoms, one still could not find such a genius.
What kind of person would that have to be?
Even the reincarnation of a Sword Immortal could not do it, right?
Daoist Siji was Qingzhou’s foremost sword expert, and his own cultivation had already reached the Nascent Soul realm. The sword scar he carved, condensed with supreme sword intent—even a true sword genius would need to spend several years to comprehend all the sword techniques within.
And casually carving a sword scar, only for someone to comprehend it to the pinnacle?
If this was not sarcasm, then what was it?
After Elder Chen Yu heard these words, anger could not help but show on his face.
But with so many juniors present, it was not convenient for him to flare up, lest he lose face.
“Senior Brothers, there is no need for the two of you to keep bickering. No matter whose disciple has greater talent, it is a good thing for our Taiyue Sword Sect.”
“However, first place in the Qingzhou Sword Dao Assembly is indeed somewhat exaggerated. After all, the Four Thunders Sword Sect has produced a genius. But this time, the Sect Master has given an order: no matter what, we must contend for the top ten.”
“Do you all know why?”
Just then, another old man spoke up and said this.
In an instant, all the elders grew curious. They truly did not know why.
In every previous Qingzhou Sword Dao Assembly, although Taiyue Sword Sect had always achieved decent results, this time the Sect Master seemed to place extraordinary importance on it. He had even invited Daoist Siji to engrave a sword scar, which was somewhat strange.
Sensing everyone’s curiosity,
the elder slowly said,
“Those who obtain the top ten this time will each receive one Taixuan Sword Tower Token. Do you all understand now?”
The elder said this.
For a moment, everyone was instantly shocked.
“Taixuan Sword Tower Token?”
“Hiss! Has the Taixuan Sword Tower opened again?”
“To think it’s the Taixuan Sword Tower Token. No wonder the Sect Master called in such significant favors to invite Senior Siji here. So that was the reason.”
The elders were shaken.
They knew what the Taixuan Sword Tower represented.
It was an ancient treasure of the Ten Kingdoms of the Southern Region.
Rumor had it that it had been refined by a Sword Immortal.
Within it were the Sword Immortal’s inheritance and the Sword Immortal’s insights. As long as one was a disciple of the sword path, stepping into the Taixuan Sword Tower would certainly bring gains.
The sword tower had nine times nine, eighty-one floors. Each floor had a guardian. The higher one climbed, the more rewards one would obtain.
To enter the sword tower, one had to possess a Taixuan Sword Tower Token.
Naturally, Taixuan Sword Tower Tokens were extremely precious.
Yet they had not expected that Taixuan Sword Tower Tokens would actually be issued to the top ten of the Qingzhou Sword Dao Assembly. This was truly an enormous surprise.
“That’s right. The Taixuan Sword Tower has been activated once again. This time, three hundred and sixty-five ancient tokens were issued, and our Qingzhou was allotted ten. In the end, it was decided that these ten ancient tokens would be given to the top ten of the Sword Dao Assembly. Therefore, Senior Brothers, during this period, you must teach your disciples well.”
“Do not let the tokens truly be taken away by a disciple from some small sect when the time comes. If that really happens, it would be quite embarrassing.”
The other party said with a chuckle.
Everyone smiled calmly as well.
But they all understood that such a thing was practically impossible.
The reason a great sect was a great sect was not merely because its inheritance was stronger; more importantly, it had abundant resources.
So what if a small sect picked up an unparalleled genius?
Could that person really just casually look at a sword scar and comprehend several hundred sword intents?
Surely not, surely not. Surely no one truly believed there was such an unparalleled sword genius in this world, right?