Chapter 45#
Sword Testing Assembly#
It was a winter day with snow filling the sky. The peaks were white-headed, and the forests were dyed with the color of frost and snow.
The group from Baihua Peak stood in formation on the Sword Testing Platform, all wearing the light green robes of low-level disciples. Snowflakes fell on their shoulders, making them look like a batch of small cabbages waiting to be harvested at first glance.
People from the other peaks had also come. This was a decennial grand event of Gushan. Almost all peak masters and elders were present, bringing along numerous high-level and mid-level disciples, making the scene very spectacular. Qu Hanxing, one of the small cabbages standing on the southeast side, had spent quite some effort recently to obtain information on each peak, and was now talking incessantly.
“The one wearing a crane cloak and waving a folding fan is said to be the peak master of Xingyun Peak. So the people he leads are all from Xingyun Peak.” Qu Hanxing pointed cautiously toward a spot. “There’s a small pavilion on Xingyun Peak that’s quite famous, housing many cultivation techniques and secret manuals. If one can go there, there’s no need to run to the main library of the sect, which is very convenient.”
Xiao Man, Mo Juntian, and Wei Chuyun all followed his pointer. Tan Wenzhou sensed their gaze, turned his head, and gave Xiao Man a slight smile.
The three—Qu, Wei, and Mo—immediately bowed to him upon seeing this.
“So this peak master is quite friendly!” Qu Hanxing lowered his voice even more. “A senior brother told me that he likes making deals very much. If you want to ask him for a favor, you must prepare some rare treasures, otherwise there’s no way. I thought he was some stern character!”
Then he spoke of the next one: “To the left of Xingyun Peak is Luoyan Peak. Look, Senior Brother Bai, who was our original team leader for the last sect training, is there.”
As Qu Hanxing spoke, Senior Brother Bai happened to look over and gave them a smile, which carried a hint of apology.
Everyone returned the greeting.
“Luoyan Peak, well, it’s heard… further left is Lan Peak, where you want to go, Xiao Mo…”
Qu Hanxing took the group on a tour, even mentioning the pros and cons of each peak, but two places weren’t mentioned.
One was Xueyi Peak. This peak had very few people; the total number could be counted on one hand. Aside from the saying that the master of Xueyi Peak was young and promising, other information was extremely hard to find. Since Xiao Man lived on Xueyi Peak, Qu Hanxing assumed Xiao Man had some understanding of it, so he didn’t investigate further.
The second was Tingyun Peak. This peak had been closed for over a hundred years, and no one had ever been seen entering or leaving. To find information about it, one would probably have to ask the peak masters and elders of each peak for help, which was something Qu Hanxing couldn’t do.
At this moment, only two or three people had come from Xueyi Peak, and the peak master hadn’t arrived yet. Compared to its neighbors, it was pitifully desolate. As for Tingyun Peak…
“It’s heard that Tingyun Peak never takes disciples. The seniority of the people on the peak is very high, and they rarely show their faces in front of everyone, so it’s normal that they haven’t appeared,” Qu Hanxing said, then turned to Xiao Man and asked: “Brother Man, is there anything you want to say about Xueyi Peak?”
Xiao Man thought for a moment and said: “Other than not approaching the mountainside Dao hall if there’s no business, there are no other rules or restrictions. It’s quite free.”
“What about supervising cultivation?”
Xiao Man thought of how Yan Wushu taught Rong Yuan and replied: “Mostly self-realization. There are no daily lesson requirements, let alone any urging.”
“If that’s the case, people with poor self-control would inevitably become slack if they went to Xueyi Peak,” Wei Chuyun said.
Qu Hanxing rested his chin in his hand, looking thoughtful.
“Brother Wei, I didn’t have a chance to ask before. Where do you want to go?” Qu Hanxing looked at Wei Chuyun.
Just then, a streak of light came from the east, flashing across the heavy mountains and falling snow in an instant, and landed on the spot belonging to Xueyi Peak on the Sword Testing Platform.
The newcomer’s black clothes fluttered and his silver hair was like frost. It was Yan Wushu.
Qu Hanxing’s attention was immediately attracted, and he exclaimed: “Senior Wu!”
Yan Wushu heard the voice, looked over, and gave a smile. Xiao Man lowered his gaze and straightened his sleeves, avoiding his look.
In the front row of each peak’s position stood a chair, which was the seat for the peak master. The peak master of Mingguang Peak was the sect leader and had not come personally, so the seat was empty. The two grandmasters on Tingyun Peak had always ignored these matters, so their chairs were also empty.
The only remaining empty chair was for Xueyi Peak.
Yan Wushu flicked his sleeves and sat in it.
At this moment, the expression on Qu Hanxing’s face froze.
Qu Hanxing rubbed his eyes repeatedly. Realizing it wasn’t a hallucination, he stiffly turned his head and looked at Xiao Man: “Brother… Man?”
Xiao Man stopped straightening his sleeves and lifted his eyelids: “Hmm?”
Qu Hanxing didn’t care whether it was disrespectful and pointed his shaking hand at Yan Wushu: “He-he-he-he-he… he sat in the position of the master of Xueyi Peak.”
“Mhm.” Xiao Man used a certain tone this time.
“He-he-he-he-he-he-he…” Qu Hanxing’s words trembled, as if he didn’t quite believe it. After straightening his tongue, he asked for confirmation: “Senior Wu is the master of Xueyi Peak?”
Xiao Man: “As you can see.”
“My goodness!” Qu Hanxing held his head and looked up at the sky. After spinning around on the spot, he asked again: “Then what’s his realm?”
Xiao Man no longer covered for Yan Wushu: “Great Perfection of the Upper Taixuan Realm.”
Hearing this, Qu Hanxing was stunned on the spot, and Mo Juntian also showed a look of disbelief.
They had all heard the rumors about Xueyi Peak and knew that the peak master was terrifyingly young, but they didn’t expect it to be this terrifying. Looking at the Xuantian Continent, which person in the Upper Taixuan Realm isn’t one hundred, two hundred, or even several hundred years old? Yet he was able to achieve it within fifty years. “Genius” is not enough to describe him; he’s probably some kind of monster.
“There’s no need to be so excited.” Xiao Man was quite puzzled by Qu Hanxing’s reaction.
“Brother Man, you don’t understand…” Qu Hanxing shook his head, sighing deeply.
In the audience, only Wei Chuyun’s expression was calm, as if he had long guessed Yan Wushu’s identity, and he didn’t look in that direction.
After the trip to Yuntai Town and Shenjing, Wei Chuyun had gone into seclusion upon returning to Gushan until yesterday when he walked out of his dormitory. His realm had improved significantly, having broken through the Upper Baoxu Realm and reached the Middle Shouyi Realm. He wasn’t conceited or proud; his attitude toward Xiao Man and the others remained unchanged, but his temperament was more stable and measured.
Because he had come out of seclusion first, when Xiao Man returned to Baihua Peak with a cultivation of the Upper Shouyi Realm yesterday to find Qu Hanxing, the latter wasn’t shocked on the spot by his realm.
But now he was still shocked.
Before Qu Hanxing’s mood had settled, Ji Wuji, the peak master of Baihua Peak, arrived. He scanned the area and said to everyone: “This time, the rules are simple: use the sword in your hand to repel the beasts from here.”
Ji Wuji stood in the northwest direction, facing southeast, and flicked his sleeves. An iron gate behind him slowly opened. It was a deep and dark cave. Following his words, a beast walked out from behind the gate.
“One for each person, no time limit,” Ji Wuji added.
His voice reached every corner of the Sword Testing Platform, and the disciples of Baihua Peak immediately burst into a commotion.
“Beasts?” “And they’re in the Shouyi Realm!” “Isn’t this intentionally making it so that most of us can’t pass!”
“Silence! This is an assessment and a selection process!”
A stern voice fell. The speaker was the sword instructor. He stood ten feet away from the disciples, with the testing location behind him. “You won’t be in any mortal danger, but those who fail will not be eligible to stay on Gushan.”
Then he took out a roll and called a name.
Qian San gripped his iron sword and walked over tremblingly.
The instructor asked: “Why do you hold a sword?”
“To… eliminate demons and punish evil!” Qian San didn’t expect such a question. After a bit of thought, he answered loudly.
The instructor didn’t make a judgment, stepped aside, and let him walk toward that Shouyi Realm beast.
When Qian San was training in Shenjing City, he had faced life-and-death situations several times and had killed enemies across realms multiple times. Moreover, beasts aren’t as clever as humans. Fighting a beast in the Early Shouyi Realm while in the Middle Baoxu Realm wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t too difficult either.
After fighting the beast, it was time to choose a peak. Luoyan Peak spoke up and took him in.
Next were Ma Wu and Zhao Liu.
After a few more people, Mo Juntian’s name was called.
Mo Juntian stepped forward, and the instructor asked: “Why do you hold a sword?”
“I just wanted to hold a sword, so I picked it up,” Mo Juntian answered simply.
The instructor nodded, showing a look almost like approval, and cleared the way.
A new Shouyi Realm beast was already prepared on the field.
After months of hard cultivation, Mo Juntian’s realm had also improved. He was now in the Upper Baoxu Realm, ranking at the forefront among the disciples of Baihua Peak. Dealing with this beast, he didn’t change his expression, raised his sword, and went in. In less than a quarter of an hour, he had killed the beast with his sword.
When choosing a peak, he went to Lan Peak as he wished.
Next was Qu Hanxing.
The instructor similarly asked him: “Why do you hold a sword?”
“Me?” Qu Hanxing scratched his head, smiling a bit embarrassedly. “If I didn’t come to Gushan to learn the sword, my family would break my legs.”
Who among the instructors of Baihua Peak didn’t know what kind of character Qu Hanxing had? The sword instructor didn’t say anything at that moment and stepped aside.
But Qu Hanxing asked: “Instructor, as long as I repel it, I pass, right?”
Sword instructor: “That’s right.”
Qu Hanxing: “How far back counts as repelled?”
“Into the cave,” the instructor smiled slightly. “But I suggest you kill it directly to save a step for the masters at Wugu Tower.”
This thing is so ugly, and they’re taking it to Wugu Tower to make into a dish for us to eat?
Qu Hanxing was startled, looked at the beast, then at the instructor, wanting to speak but stopping.
“Go on,” the sword instructor gestured to him.
Qu Hanxing grabbed his sword. He used “Not Knowing Spring is Here” as his opening move, jumped behind the beast, and stabbed at its heart with a backhand. But it didn’t succeed. He immediately changed to “Spring Wind Brushing the Railing,” a sticky move directed at the beast’s face.
“Spring Wind Brushing the Railing” was the move Qu Hanxing had studied most deeply among Gushan’s six basic sword moves. It had a very personal touch. The sword light was densely woven into a net, making the opponent unable to escape or counterattack.
The beast was furious and almost went into a frenzy, but the sword net confined it, making it unable to do so.
Qu Hanxing used this move repeatedly, forcing the beast back inch by inch. After the time for a cup of tea, he withdrew his sword, and the beast actually spun around on the spot and ran back into the cave.
It was driven crazy by the harassment.
The disciples of Baihua Peak were dumbfounded, and the other peaks were silent. They had never seen anyone use such a rogue move during an assessment to repel a beast.
Qu Hanxing held his sword and bowed to the sword instructor.
It was time to choose a peak. Time passed bit by bit, about three or four minutes, but no one spoke up.
Qu Hanxing was a bit nervous at first, and gradually his heart sank, feeling very lost and helpless.
There had been precedents of this before.
The assessment wasn’t the only criterion for the peaks to choose people. Daily coursework and down-the-mountain training were all references for each peak to recruit new blood. Every few decades, one or two people would pass the assessment but no peak would take them, and they would finally leave Gushan in disappointment.
Qu Hanxing’s coursework wasn’t excellent. He loved to joke around and talk back to instructors, which were all negative points. The sword instructor glanced at Qu Hanxing, sighed deeply, opened the roll, and began to call the next name. But just as he opened his mouth, he heard someone speak up.
“Are you willing to enter my tutelage?”
It was Yan Wushu.
He sat on the armchair, took a small sip of tea, put down the cup, and asked as such.
The low-level disciples of Baihua Peak, including Xiao Man, were all shocked.
Since the beginning of the assessment, Xueyi Peak hadn’t made a sound. It was assumed its recruitment standards were strict. Many people thought Xueyi Peak wouldn’t take anyone unless they were a talent like Wei Chuyun. Who would have thought…
The clamor rose again. The disappointment on Qu Hanxing’s face vanished, replaced by joy. He excitedly rushed to Yan Wushu and bowed seriously: “Thank you, Senior! Oh no, should I call you Master?”
“That’s right,” Yan Wushu nodded.
“Thank you, Master! You’re no different from my second parents!” Qu Hanxing was overjoyed, almost to the point of hugging Yan Wushu’s thigh and crying. After the excitement, he glanced cautiously at Yan Wushu and asked while rubbing his hands.
Yan Wushu smiled: “You’re the eldest.”
Qu Hanxing’s mind moved very fast. He believed Xiao Man would definitely come to Xueyi Peak. In that case, wouldn’t he become Xiao Man’s senior brother?
Thinking of this, he was very gratified.
The assessment continued, and next up was Wei Chuyun.
“Why do you hold a sword?” the instructor asked him.
Wei Chuyun glanced at Xiao Man imperceptibly and replied: “To strive and to protect.”
The sword instructor was quite satisfied with his answer and revealed a smile.
Wei Chuyun was in the Middle Shouyi Realm, and the beast he faced was in the Early Shouyi Realm, so he naturally had an advantage. His sword was drawn swiftly and sharply. With just a flash of cold light, he sealed the throat.
The beast died, and his words “to strive and to protect” seemed to have not yet landed.
He was a member of the Wei family of Luochuan, the legitimate eldest son of this generation. The peaks all took action, and calls were heard one after another:
“Are you willing to enter my Zhongyun Peak?”
“Are you willing to enter my Qingyun Peak?”
“Are you willing to enter my Diancui Peak?”
“Are you willing to enter my Lan Peak?”
“Are you willing to…”
Even the main peak, Mingguang Peak, spoke up. Only Yan Wushu and Tingyun Peak, which had no one present, didn’t say anything.
Wei Chuyun looked toward the source of a certain voice and said to the person wearing the crane cloak and waving the feather fan: “I am willing to enter Xingyun Peak.”
The people of Xingyun Peak welcomed him with applause, while the other peaks sighed in disappointment. Wei Chuyun gave Xiao Man a slight nod and walked over.
The next to step forward was Xiao Man.
The instructor gave him a gentle smile and asked that question: “Why do you hold a sword?”
“No other choice,” Xiao Man lowered his eyes, replied in a low voice, and then walked over and drew his iron sword.
Xiao Man killed the Early Shouyi Realm beast even faster than Wei Chuyun. Before the beast could even react to something approaching, its head was already separated from its body.
The sword edge fell, and the surroundings were silent. A moment later, voices rang out.
“Are you willing to come to my Diancui Peak?”
“Are you willing to enter Chixiang Peak?”
“Are you willing to enter my Zhishuang Peak?”
“Are you willing to…”
The invitations grew louder and louder, while Qingyun Peak and Xingyun Peak didn’t speak up. The former was surely aware of Lin Wu’s dissatisfaction with him, so they didn’t speak. The latter likely thought he would go to Xueyi Peak, so they didn’t issue an invitation.
Xiao Man glanced at Diancui Peak and Chixiang Peak, who had spoken first. His gaze swept over the faces of several elders there.
They were all the people who had come to force him for his inner core in his previous life.
His expression didn’t change as he averted his gaze and looked elsewhere.
It was at this moment that the premonition in his heart was tugged again.
Yan Wushu was calling him.
Xiao Man frowned almost imperceptibly, turned to look at Yan Wushu, waiting for him to speak so he could refuse. When Yan Wushu saw Xiao Man look over, he immediately sat up straight and just as he reached out his hand, a laugh suddenly came from the clouds:
“Truly sorry, I’m late.”
The laughter landed, followed by a figure landing and sitting in the chair belonging to Tingyun Peak.
the newcomer was also dressed in black, but with gold-edged sleeves and a bright golden waistband. His peach blossom eyes were full of smiles, and his appearance was exceptionally outstanding. This person was Shen Juan, the highest-ranking grandmaster on Gushan. Few people could see through his realm and cultivation.
The peak masters present all stood up and led the group to bow:
“Grandmaster.” “Senior Uncle.”
Shen Juan waved to signal everyone to skip the formalities, turned his head, and asked Xiao Man: “Where do you want to go?”
“I want to go to Tingyun Peak,” Xiao Man looked into Shen Juan’s eyes and said softly.
This was the thought that had arisen after months of sword practice on Tingyun Peak.
There were many places to go on Gushan, but he felt none were as good as Tingyun Peak. Tingyun Peak was quiet and deserted, with birds and beasts for company, which was pleasant and free. Even if Shen Juan hadn’t appeared, he would have given this answer. No one present could make a decision for Shen Juan, and the restrictions on Tingyun Peak didn’t block him.
But now that Shen Juan had asked and he had answered, he couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Shen Juan didn’t let Xiao Man wait too long. He raised a hand and beckoned him over: “Very well, it seems we have a spiritual connection. But the address has to change; from now on, I am your master.”
Xiao Man was overwhelmed by the favor. He thought someone like Shen Juan would at most allow him to go there, and it would be impossible for him to teach personally.
Voices of opposition immediately rang out, though the tone wasn’t very strong, quite respectful, yet faintly revealing a sense of competition: “Senior Uncle is away traveling all year round, and the younger generation is hard to tame. Would it be more appropriate for us to handle the teaching?”
It was the peak master of Qingyun Peak. He stepped forward and bowed to Shen Juan.
“Didn’t your Qingyun Peak just say they didn’t want him?” Shen Juan’s voice still contained laughter.
“This junior was just a step too slow.” The master of Qingyun Peak defended himself. “Besides, Junior Uncle Shen once said Tingyun Peak doesn’t take disciples.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll change the rules of Tingyun Peak today.” Shen Juan gave an extremely slow and light snort: “But your Qingyun Peak, as usual, sticks its nose in too many places. It’s truly hard to like.”
He glanced at the master of Qingyun Peak. It was a look full of smiles that made one feel as if they were in a spring breeze, but it was wrapped in the chilling cold of the long sky and white snow, like a mountain pressing down on the master of Qingyun Peak’s back, making him kneel straight down.
“Let’s go, disciple.” Shen Juan stood up, flicked his sleeves, and disappeared from the Sword Testing Platform with Xiao Man. The movement was very slow, yet so fast it was impossible to capture.