The travel-worn young man was, of course, Hong Yu.
After surviving Hong Tiande's assassination attempt, he had chosen a more remote route to the Cyan Nether Sword Sect. He had taken many detours, but thankfully, he had managed to arrive just in ti.
"NEIGH!"
The fine steed beneath him snorted, clearly exhausted as well.
Hong Yu patted the horse's neck and smiled. "You've had a long journey. The Cyan Nether Sword Sect forbids bringing in outside creatures, so this is where we part ways."
Hong Yu swung himself off the horse and removed its saddle and reins.
The steed nudged Hong Yu with its head, seemingly reluctant to part.
Hong Yu laughed heartily. "Go on, enjoy your freedom!"
The steed threw its head back and let out a long neigh, as if in celebration, yet also as if expressing its reluctance to leave. It walked away, looking back every few steps. Only when Hong Yu was out of sight did it finally break into a full gallop, racing away at top speed.
"Cyan Nether Sword Sect, Hong Yu has arrived!"
Hong Yu clenched his fists and walked toward the majestic mountain range.
Before long, he arrived at the Mountain Gate of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect. The gate was a mountain peak a full eight hundred ters tall, which had been split down the middle by a sharp weapon. A magnificent mural was carved into each half. On the left was the face of a middle-aged man with sharp, sword-like brows and eyes as bright as stars. His features were clearly defined, and though it was just a carving, it exuded a sense of majesty and pressure.
It felt as if any disrespect would be t with an oppressive aura so powerful it would leave one breathless.
As for the other side...
A towering Giant Sword was carved into the rock face.
A long dragon coiled around the blade, and beneath the sword, a ferocious Giant Beast lay decapitated.
The oppressive, sharp Sword Qi emanating from it was no weaker than that of the middle-aged man on the opposite cliff.
'So this is the founder of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, the Sword Demon, and his weapon, the Cyan Nether Sword?' Hong Yu narrowed his eyes, staring at the man and the sword with a trace of astonishnt. 'To think that two re murals could inspire such worship... Just what kind of existence was the Sword Demon?'
The two great murals made Hong Yu stare for a few monts longer, but he didn't lose his composure.
"Brother, are you also here to check in with the Cyan Nether Sword Sect?" As he was lost in thought, a light pat landed on his shoulder.
Startled, Hong Yu turned to see who it was.
A pretty boy with enviably red lips and white teeth stood close by. His fair face had delicate features, but his smiling expression was a bit... sleazy. He was sizing Hong Yu up with a pair of charming, almond-shaped eyes.
"Er..."
Hong Yu took two steps back, then nodded and asked, "Are you also here to check in?"
"Yep!"
The pretty boy chuckled, his charming eyes narrowing into a roguish smile. "My na is Liu Liyun, a disciple of the Liu Family from the Imperial Capital."
"Hong Yu."
Hong Yu smiled, offering it as his own introduction.
'The world is a treacherous place; you can never be too cautious.'
Liu Liyun blinked and looked at the giant murals on either side, a look of yearning on his face. "The Sword Demon Ancestor and his Cyan Nether Sword... Even after several hundred years, their aura is still so powerful. It's terrifying. I really wonder what level of power the Sword Demon Ancestor possessed back in his day!"
Hong Yu said, "Extrely strong, indeed."
"Brother Hong, I take it you're not from around here?" Liu Liyun asked.
Hong Yu smiled. "I ca from Shishui City."
"Shishui City?"
Liu Liyun paused, a look of surprise on his face. "Your surna is also Hong... Do you know the Four Kings?"
"The Four Kings?"
Four blurry figures appeared in Hong Yu's mind. They were the pride of the Hong Family, hailed as four geniuses who could not be surpassed.
The legends about them were known far and wide.
Before Hong Yu could answer, Liu Liyun shook his head. "Probably not. If you knew the Four Kings, you wouldn't need to be waiting in line here. Soone would have already co to receive you."
Hong Yu asked, "Are the Four Kings very powerful?"
'Those four geniuses are all disciples from Hong Tiande's faction. And, from what Hong Tiande said, those four are very close with people like Hong Luàn and Hong Hu. Since Hong Luàn, Hong Hu, and Hong Tiande all died by my hand, news of it will inevitably reach the Four Kings. I'll probably have to face them in the Cyan Nether Sword Sect sooner or later.'
'It would be wise to gather so information beforehand.'
Liu Liyun nodded, his fair face filled with admiration. "'Powerful' doesn't even begin to describe the Four Kings! The mont they entered the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, they began to make a na for themselves, and all four entered the Inner Sect. The foremost among them, Hong Renjie, is even a True Disciple! I heard he's already at Peak Earth Soul Realm Cultivation. Once he breaks through again, he'll reach the Celestial Soul Realm and can even challenge for the position of Chief Disciple!"
'A True Disciple at the Peak of the Earth Soul Realm?'
A jolt went through Hong Yu's heart.
He wasn't sure exactly how wide the gap was between himself and a Peak Earth Soul Realm Powerhouse, but he understood how formidable a True Disciple was.
Feng Xue Xin was a True Disciple!
In front of him, Hong Yu had felt utterly small and helpless.
Even two of his current trump cards, "Destruction" and "Seven-Star Step," had been derived from just a fraction of the techniques Feng Xue Xin had displayed. 'Since Hong Renjie is also a True Disciple, his cultivation and combat strength are probably on par with Feng Xue Xin's.'
'In my current state, I'm no match for a Mid-stage Earth Soul Realm Powerhouse unless I have Xingtian fight with . But Xingtian's identity is special and can't be easily revealed...' Hong Yu suddenly felt a headache coming on. 'It seems that before I break through to the Earth Soul Realm, it's best to keep a low profile and avoid the Four Kings.'
With this in mind, Hong Yu followed Liu Liyun toward the Mountain Gate.
Thousands of young people had already gathered in front of the Mountain Gate.
Thanks to his Star River Spirit Bone, Hong Yu had discerning eyes and could see the surging life force of everyone present. Among the thousands of people, the life force of over seventy percent of them was stronger than Lin Hai's; they were all young geniuses at the Peak of the Essence Realm. There were even quite a few who had reached the Half-Step Earth Soul Realm.
What surprised Hong Yu even more were the dozen or so people standing at the very front. An empty space ford around them, and the other prodigies looked at them with a mixture of reverence and envy.
Liu Liyun said with a sigh, "Those sixteen are the absolute top prodigies from all over the country. Every one of them reached the Earth Soul Realm before the age of eighteen. After the entrance ceremony later, they're guaranteed to enter the Inner Sect directly and beco Inner Sect Disciples!"
"There are sixteen people who reached the Earth Soul Realm before they turned eighteen?" Hong Yu said, astonished.
In Shishui City, soone like Hong Hu, who had just reached the Earth Soul Realm at the age of eighteen, was considered a once-in-a-century talent.
But here at the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, he had run into so many prodigies comparable to Hong Hu all at once.
The three people in the very center, in particular, gave Hong Yu a sense of pressure.
'All three of them are at the Early-stage Earth Soul Realm, but their combat power is definitely no weaker than Hong Tiande's!'
'No wonder Cao Bo said the stage in Shishui City was too small. The world outside is truly on another level!' Hong Yu sighed to himself, then glanced sideways and asked, "Brother Liu, it seems like everyone is afraid of those three."
Liu Liyun followed Hong Yu's gaze, and his expression changed drastically. He quickly pulled Hong Yu's arm back and whispered, "Brother Hong, you must never do that again. Those three are this year's Newcor Kings for the Cyan Nether Sword Sect. Each one is a true Unparalleled Genius."
He pointed to the person on the left and said, "That guy is Dongfang Lang. He has cultivated his Overlapping Waves Primordial Qi to an incredible level of purity. They say he possesses the rare Tsunami Primordial Vein. When he condensed his Primordial Spirit, he actually caused a freak tsunami that destroyed the massive Dongfang Family estate."
"That guy is nad Duan Hong. He doesn't have a Primordial Vein, but he's a rare Spirit Warrior," Liu Liyun said, pointing to the person on the right. "His specialty is supposedly Soul Attacks. He once fought and killed a Mid-stage Earth Soul Realm Powerhouse who was a level above him. He's a total Demon Fiend. I also heard he's the younger cousin of a True Disciple from the Inner Sect. He's incredibly arrogant, so don't get on his bad side."
His gaze shifted to the last person, and Liu Liyun's expression grew visibly more solemn and wary. In a low voice, he said, "That one is Ling Tian. Rumor has it he's already at Mid-Stage Earth Soul Realm Cultivation. Before even joining the sect, he was noticed by one of the Sword Sect Elders and taken on as a Direct Disciple. He's guaranteed to have a teoric rise in the future and might even challenge for the rank of True Disciple!"
"Mid-stage Earth Soul Realm? This guy's talent is truly sothing else," Hong Yu said, clicking his tongue in amazent.
"'Sothing else' is an understatent. He's freakishly strong!"
Liu Liyun put on an exaggerated expression. "To this day, no one has seen him go all out. He beca famous at the recent martial tournant in Mountain and Sea City. The guy appeared out of nowhere like a cot. They say he never needs more than three moves to defeat an opponent. During the tournant, he killed a prodigy from a Noble Family, which provoked a powerhouse backing that prodigy to attack him. That was a veteran Mid-stage Earth Soul Realm powerhouse, but he was killed in just three moves."
"..."
Hong Yu's eyes went wide.
'He killed even a veteran Mid-stage Earth Soul Realm powerhouse in three moves? Just how much of a Demon Fiend is this Ling Tian?'
Liu Liyun's expression couldn't help but turn crestfallen. "They are the true prodigies, destined to achieve supre status in the future. For soone like , with average talent and no connections, I'll be content if I can just enter the Inner Sect before I turn thirty."
Hong Yu had already recovered from his shock.
'The world is vast and imnse; it's only natural that there are astonishingly brilliant prodigies and powerful experts who've had fortuitous encounters.'
'There's no reason for to feel inferior or discouraged.'
With his Star River Spirit Bone and the Profound Celestial Tower, Hong Yu was confident he wasn't inferior to anyone!
He smiled and said, "Don't sell yourself short. The Celestial Dao rewards diligence. As long as you work hard, you'll definitely see results."
"Right!"
Liu Liyun nodded eagerly.
DONG!
Just then, a resonant bell toll echoed from within the Mountain Gate.
Liu Liyun's eyes lit up. "The Entry Test is starting! This is the test that will assess our talent and potential to determine our Level and treatnt. If your potential and talent are good enough, you can even be recruited directly into the Inner Sect and enjoy the benefits of an Inner Sect Disciple. Let's hurry over!"
"Okay!"
Hong Yu followed him.
Seeing the many prodigies around him growing excited, Hong Yu subconsciously clenched his fists. The Four Kings and the three unparalleled demon fiends like Ling Tian brought pressure, but they also ignited a sense of motivation and fighting spirit within him. His gaze was deep and resolute as he straightened his back and strode toward the Cyan Nether Mountain Range.
'A test of talent and potential to determine our Level? I wonder... what Level will I be...?'
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