Peak of Li Mountain.
Li Mountain disciples began to gather here one after another, and their numbers grew steadily.
Jiang Taie and Chu Zili walked to the center of the crowd, while Pei Jing stood not far behind them.
Surrounding them, Cultivators from various factions of Da Li observed the upcoming battle with great interest.
Particularly Jiang Taie—the young man whom Lingxiao Pavilion cultivated as the potential future leader of the Sword Dao, possessing limitless potential.
This would be the first ti he showcased his talents.
Moreover, the opponent Lingxiao Pavilion had chosen for him was Li Mountain!
The Li Mountain mbers fixed their gazes on the young man before them, fully aware that the young prodigy from Da Li’s Lingxiao Pavilion must have extraordinary swordsmanship skills.
But even so, how could Li Mountain disciples harbor fear?
*A surge of anticipation filled the air. Several disciples seed eager to try their luck. Suddenly, a tall, broad-shouldered young man stepped forward, striding boldly into the battlefield.*
"ng Ye."
All eyes turned to the young man garbed in a coat of demon-hide with short hair. He appeared to be sixteen or seventeen, his face rugged and bronze-skinned—a figure many among the disciples recognized.
ng Ye was said to hail from the mountains, growing up in the wilderness, exuding a primal aura. In his youth, he had fought with beasts and was eventually brought to Li Mountain to cultivate. Among the younger generation of Li Mountain disciples, he was undoubtedly one of the most outstanding.
Standing in the battlefield, ng Ye towered a head taller than Jiang Taie. Holding a heavy sword in his hand, he saluted Jiang Taie respectfully, saying, "Please guide ."
Although his formality was not as perfect as Jiang Taie’s, he upheld the dignity of Li Mountain nonetheless.
"You are not qualified to be his opponent." Jiang Taie stood quietly, offering no response. Instead, Chu Zili took a few steps forward, his prideful gaze fixed on ng Ye as he declared, "My elders say that Li Mountain is the Sacred Land of Da Li Swordsmanship. Let witness the fabled Li Mountain Sword."
ng Ye dragged his heavy sword as he advanced toward Chu Zili, his imposing aura suddenly pressing down on the young challenger.
"Bang."
All at once, ng Ye leapt into the air, his broad, blunt sword descending with unparalleled ferocity, an overwhelming Sword Aura enveloping Chu Zili.
The Li Mountain disciples clenched their fists as they watched the battlefield, vividly sensing the raw power behind ng Ye’s strikes.
"A heavy sword."
*Chu Zili raised his head, observing ng Ye’s descending sword. His elegant robes shimred with Sword Intent. As the heavy sword was about to crash down, his body suddenly moved—sliding sideways to evade.*
"Boom..."
A deafening explosion rang out as the heavy sword struck the spot where Chu Zili had just been standing, causing the ground to tremble.
ng Ye missed his initial strike, yet his sword’s montum remained unbroken. Gripping the heavy sword’s hilt with both hands, he unleashed a horizontal sweep—a strike that carried the weight of a thousand pounds, emitting a resounding roar that tore through the air seamlessly.
The sweep generated a sweeping Sword Aura, tearing through everything in its path.
Chu Zili bent backward, his body nearly touching the ground. The imnse sword narrowly passed over him as he gracefully pushed off with his toes, retreating out of the heavy sword’s range with remarkable fluidity.
ng Ye did not halt. Raising his sword again, he charged forward with unstoppable montum, prompting tension among the Li Mountain disciples watching anxiously. If this strike landed, Chu Zili might not survive.
Chu Zili tilted his head upward, his gaze eting the domineering sword wielded by ng Ye, whose oppressive Sword Aura sought to trap any possible retreat.
But this ti, he did not evade.
"A heavy sword is weighed down."
In an instant, a burst of Sword Intent erupted from Chu Zili’s body, propelling him skyward like a beam of light.
"Splat..." The onlookers could only see blood splattering in midair. Monts later, ng Ye’s body was sent flying backward, landing heavily on the ground, twitching uncontrollably.
Blood gushed continuously from his throat.
"ng Ye." A figure dashed forward—it was his master.
"ng Ye..." Several familiar Li Mountain disciples cried out in shock. A few directly rushed into the battlefield, only to see ng Ye clutching his throat with both hands.
"I... brought sha... to Li Mountain..." He tried to speak, but the words failed to form. Monts later, he breathed his last.
"ng Ye." ng Ye’s close companions had tears in their eyes. ng Ye, who grew up in the mountains and was pure-hearted, rarely spoke, devoting himself entirely to cultivation. Yet, whenever they faced difficulties, ng Ye was always willing to lend a hand, even sacrificing his ti to guide their training.
ng Ye often proclaid that when he grew older, he would venture into the wilderness to eradicate demons and bring peace to the mountains.
"What a ruthless young man." ng Ye’s master glared at Chu Zili in fury.
*This boy, so young, had struck with such rciless ferocity, dealing a death blow without hesitation.*
But Chu Zili’s eyes held no guilt. He coldly declared, "When Sword Cultivators strike, they must give it their all and leave no opportunities for the opponent. This is the Sword Dao I believe in and the highest respect I can offer to my adversary. Do your Li Mountain Sword Cultivators not understand this?"
"Blades and swords are blind. A Sword Inquiry naturally risks such outcos; this is Li Mountain." At this mont, Lingxiao Pavilion elder Wang Daoxuan spoke.
ng Ye’s master clearly wanted to protest further, but he was stopped by an older Li Mountain elder.
The elder’s words were true.
Over the millennia of Li Mountain’s history, it had seen its share of Great Sword Cultivators arriving to challenge its Swordsmanship, sotis to the point of breaking the Li Mountain Sword.
However, this ti, the challengers were two young n. It was the first ti in Li Mountain’s history.
*Precisely because they were young, they had overlooked certain realities.*
ng Ye’s master carried his corpse away, while the Li Mountain disciples glared at Chu Zili with anger—all emotions absent before the fight.
"Continue," said Wang Daoxuan.
Following this battle, the Li Mountain disciples felt a more tangible air of bloodlust hanging over them.
The elders of Li Mountain silently observed the unfolding events, entrusting the disciples to make their own choices.
*After enduring this tribulation, the disciples would descend from the mountain, and from then on, everything would depend on themselves.*
At this mont, another figure stepped forward. He wore plain cloth attire, appeared seventeen or eighteen years old, and wielded a thin sword emanating an icy aura.
"Yu Qiu, please guide ."
His calm, steadfast eyes fixed on Chu Zili, projecting a composed confidence.
*Among Sword Cultivators, nothing was more dangerous than a restless heart. A disturbed mind led to a broken sword.*
"Make your move." Chu Zili stood arrogantly, caring for no one else in his gaze.
"Buzz."
Yu Qiu moved. He dashed toward Jiang Taie like the wind, leaving trails of afterimages in his wake, with Mana fluctuations rippling around him.
"Spells? Nothing but petty tricks."
Chu Zili observed the Mana coursing around Yu Qiu as a cold gleam flashed, slicing an icy Sword Aura across the field.
Just as in the previous fight, Chu Zili avoided direct confrontation, as if he were carefully studying the techniques of each Li Mountain disciple.
Yu Qiu’s swordsmanship grew swifter, resembling a storm of movents synchronized seamlessly with his strikes.
Yet Chu Zili continued evading each attack. Though his movents appeared dangerously close to failure, Yu Qiu discerned the truth: Chu Zili moved with calculated ease, predicting every sword stroke before it landed.*
*Yu Qiu pressed harder, his strikes morphing into a storm-like flurry. The battlefield seed shrouded in flashing lights as streaks of Sword Aura danced through the winds.*
*Among Yu Qiu’s relentless attacks, Chu Zili’s lack of offense appeared disadvantageous. However, Yu Qiu knew the reality—if he could not force a decisive opening soon, defeat was inevitable. His opponent’s ruthless efficiency left no room for doubt.*
Yu Qiu wove a web of interconnected strikes using his sword. Suddenly, he unleashed trendous Sword Pressure. Trails of afterimages manifested, swirling dust around his feet as he charged forward to strike down Chu Zili.
Simultaneously, a dazzling Sword Light erged between Yu Qiu’s brows—his Sword Seed rging into the tempest.
Li Mountain disciples held their breath, knowing this strike would decide the victor.
"Sword Aura moves like the wind, counters with force, and borrows montum to retaliate."
Chu Zili’s voice rang clear. Just as Yu Qiu’s sword closed in, an imnse burst of Sword Intent enveloped the battlefield. The pressure from Yu Qiu’s sword faltered as though it had plunged into a mire.
"Sword Intent." A notion crossed Yu Qiu’s mind. This was Chu Zili’s Sword Intent.
Chu Zili raised a hand, extending a single finger. Instantly, the surrounding Sword Aura coalesced at his command, surging upward. A formidable Sword Montum reversed direction, striking directly at Yu Qiu.
Chu Zili’s finger touched the Sword Seed that shot out from Yu Qiu’s brow. Stirred by piercing Sword Cries, the Seed was forced back, crashing into Yu Qiu amid an advancing wave of Sword Aura.
The devastating Sword Aura wreaked havoc, leaving countless cuts across Yu Qiu’s body before flinging him backward. His Sword Seed returned to his brow as the aura surrounding him collapsed and his strength entirely dissipated, leaving him gravely injured.
Chu Zili lowered his hand, refraining from a finishing blow.
*Yu Qiu propped himself onto one arm, his gaze eting Chu Zili’s.*
*He had failed to force Chu Zili to even draw his sword—a realization that brought clarity to their stark disparity. Chu Zili had only been observing his techniques the entire ti.*
*And he lacked the qualifications to compel Chu Zili into using his full strength.*
Yu Qiu’s understanding mirrored that of the watching elders from Li Mountain.
Standing silently at the back, the elder from Lingxiao Pavilion watched without expression, as though everything had unfolded exactly as expected.
Though not at Jiang Taie’s level, Chu Zili was undeniably a top-tier prodigy in the Sword Dao. Otherwise, he would not have been brought here for the Sword Inquiry.
In the elder’s eyes, no more than five individuals from Li Mountain could hope to rival Chu Zili.
As for Jiang Taie...
A once-in-a-century genius selected by Lingxiao Pavilion as the future of their legacy—destined to beco Da Li’s greatest Sword Cultivator. For him, there would be no rival.
Li Mountain Sword Dao, once prosperous for a millennium and regarded as the Sword Dao’s Sacred Land, had birthed countless peerless Sword Cultivators through the ages. But now its decline was unmistakable.
*From this point forward, the world of Sword Dao would bow exclusively to Lingxiao Pavilion.*
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