Chapter 400
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Chapter 400: Ahead of the Heavenly Stairs!
“It’s not bad that Elder Su has taken on a disciple after all these years. Furthermore, Su Yi is undoubtedly a remarkable talent. Elder Su has brought such an outstanding young man back to our Divine Sword School, which is truly fortunate for us,” said Situ Liuyun, his lips curling slightly into a bitter smile.
“Sect leader, what do you think Su Yi will achieve on the Heavenly Stairs tomorrow? Liu Yunchuan, Yun Lingfeng, and others have already reached the Sixth Grade!”
The Right Dharma Protector’s voice faltered for a moment, as though uncertain. Then, his eyes sparkled with a glimmer of hope as he continued, “Do you think the youngster has any chance of stepping into the Seventh Grade?”
As these words were spoken, the Right Dharma Protector’s heart quivered slightly.
The significance of the Seventh Grade—how could the Right Dharma Protector not understand? It represents a monumental leap, existing only as a rumor.
If someone were to ascend to the Seventh Grade, it would be an immense blessing for the entire Divine Sword School.
“The Seventh Grade…”
A flicker of anticipation gleamed in Situ Liuyun’s eyes.
…
That night, no one in the Divine Sword School slept.
Both the inner and outer disciples were filled with a nervous yet hopeful energy, awaiting the Grand Swordsmanship Competition that took place once every five years. It would serve as a thorough assessment of their progress over the past half-decade.
In the end, all would face the ultimate test at the Grand Swordsmanship Competition—whether they would rise to greatness or fall short.
“I will definitely succeed in climbing the Heavenly Stairs tomorrow!”
Atop the Sword Peak, an outer disciple clenched his fists tightly, his gaze determined despite the nervousness.
“I must make it through the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords!”
Around the towering Sword Peak, inner disciples gathered, with their future as direct disciples depending on their performance in the upcoming Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords.
Outside the serene courtyard of Thirty-Sixth Sword Peak, a Fierce Wind Golden Eagle perched, emitting a faint glow as its sharp gaze fixed on the courtyard.
It seemed as though its presence radiated an aura, causing those nearby to feel a sense of reverence.
Inside the room, Su Yi sat cross-legged, a handprint formed in front of him as a faint red aura surrounded him. The Supreme Chaotic Yuan Technique flowed within his body.
At the always-quiet Thirty-Sixth Sword Peak, Su Yi, untroubled, continued cultivating the Supreme Chaotic Yuan Technique.
As the night wore on, just before the break of dawn, when the last traces of darkness faded, the entire Divine Sword School began to stir. A wave of energy surged from each sword peak as eyes slowly opened one after another.
Soon, figures began to move in two directions under the faint light of the last moon before the break of day.
In the lower skies, numerous flying demon beasts took flight, spreading their wings as they glided through the air, releasing their own distinct energy.
“Ah…”
As dawn arrived, Su Yi stopped his breathing exercises and came to full consciousness, exhaling deeply.
His eyes opened, and a faint red glow flashed in his gaze before it returned to its usual depth and resolve.
Sensing the changes inside his body, Su Yi smiled faintly.
His Qi was now more abundant, having reached the Third Grade of Yuan Spirit Realm. The strength of his mind and soul was also noticeably greater, signaling significant progress.
“Crack, crack…”
With a smile, Su Yi stood up and stretched, a satisfying crack echoing through his joints as he walked out of the room.
He was full of anticipation for the Grand Swordsmanship Competition taking place that day.
“Brother Su Yi!”
Zhang Qing’s voice called out, followed by the figures of Zhang Qing, Xu Jiahui, and the others arriving.
Su Yi grinned and noted that Xu Jiahui, Zhang Qing, and the others were looking lively and had all donned fresh, clean clothes.
“Are you ready?” Xu Jiahui asked, her large eyes gleaming like clear water. Her face, once marred by injuries, was now clear and smooth, as if her wounds had nearly healed entirely.
“There’s nothing much to prepare for. Let’s go!” Su Yi smiled at Xu Jiahui. Though she was still quite young, her form had already become curvaceous, and with her impressive cultivation at the seventh or eighth grade of the Yuan Soul Realm, her talent was certainly noteworthy.
“Let’s hurry. It will take a long time to reach the Heavenly Stairs. We’re relatively close, but some others might have already left by midnight!” an outer disciple remarked. They were outer disciples, not inner disciples. Without demonic beasts for transportation, they could only walk there themselves.
Even some inner disciples didn’t have flying demon beasts at their disposal.
“We have mounts,” Su Yi replied with a smile, whistling. The Fierce Wind Golden Eagle, waiting outside the courtyard, responded with a loud call, flapping its wings and circling above. The force of its wings stirred up the dust and rocks beneath.
…
As dawn broke, within the Divine Sword School, countless peaks towered over the land, the mountain ranges rising and falling. The trees were dense, the mist swirled, and a colorful haze filled the air, creating a truly otherworldly sight.
Along their path, there were winding streams, ancient trees, grand buildings, rare flowers, and plants, all radiating an abundant natural energy.
“Truly, the Divine Sword School is a prestigious sect, with a magnificent entrance and standing. This place is precious!” Su Yi marveled from atop the Fierce Wind Golden Eagle.
The Divine Sword School was indeed a remarkable place, where cultivation was far superior to anywhere else, allowing one to achieve more with less effort.
Looking down from the sky, the flow of people between the mountains began to swell. From their attire, it was clear they were mostly outer disciples. The crowd was large and dense.
“There are so many people going to the Heavenly Stairs!” Su Yi remarked in surprise. He hadn’t expected such a large number of disciples in the Divine Sword School.
“These are all outer disciples. Compared to the disciples on other Sword Peaks, there are fewer of us on Thirty-Sixth Sword Peak. On other peaks, there are usually hundreds of outer disciples, and altogether, there are probably close to twenty thousand in the entire Divine Sword School,” Zhang Qing explained. Compared to those on other Sword Peaks, the Thirty-Sixth Sword Peak had a significantly smaller number of outer disciples.
There were only about a dozen outer disciples on Thirty-Sixth Sword Peak.
A little while later, a massive mountain came into view. Three large characters were inscribed on its face: ‘The Heavenly Stairs’. The characters were bold and imposing, evoking the image of a powerful ancient beast looking down on all below.
This was the Heavenly Stairs, surrounded by mountains on all sides, with a vast square at its center capable of holding tens of thousands of people.
“We’re here. So many people!” Xu Jiahui exclaimed, her cheeks showing two small dimples as she marveled at the crowd below.
“Let’s disembark. Flying demon beasts aren’t allowed ahead,” Zhang Qing reminded Su Yi. Flying beasts were not permitted to enter the Heavenly Stairs.
With that, Su Yi and his group dismounted the Fierce Wind Golden Eagle, causing quite a stir.
After all, only a few outer disciples were allowed to ride flying demon beasts.
“So many people!” the disciples from Thirty-Sixth Sword Peak murmured, surprised by the nearly 20,000 people gathered at the Heavenly Stairs, with more still arriving.
“Let’s see who can reach the top in one leap today, like a carp jumping over the dragon’s gate!” Zhang Qing sighed, feeling both a sense of pressure and anticipation.
With such a large crowd of outer disciples, standing out from the masses would prove to be more difficult than ever.
