Chapter 411
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Chapter 411: High Hopes!
“What’s happening…?”
“It seems that something unexpected has occurred with the Heavenly Stairs!”
“The pressure on the Heavenly Stairs has decreased significantly!”
In the distant emptiness, the powerful members of the Divine Sword School noticed the anomaly. At this moment, the pressure on the Heavenly Stairs had greatly reduced. Almost all disciples were able to climb to the fourth level.
“Just a few more steps, I made it!”
“Father, mother, I’m going to succeed!”
Around the Heavenly Stairs, some disciples were overcome with emotion.
Their five-year effort had led to this moment. They had thought the chance was slim, but now they had truly succeeded in ascending to the fourth level, giving them access to the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords.
One by one, the disciples ascended to the fourth level and immediately entered the spatial portal, heading toward the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords.
Some disciples continued their ascent, hoping to reach the fifth level.
At the Heavenly Stairs, the pressure had significantly reduced. However, it was not entirely absent. The force was now only a fraction of its usual intensity.
As a result, many disciples felt they might be able to reach the fifth level.
“It seems that the Heavenly Stairs have malfunctioned.”
“What’s going on? How could the Heavenly Stairs malfunction?”
The cultivators of the Divine Sword School, as well as the stewards by the Heavenly Stairs, were staring in disbelief. They had never heard of an incident like this with the Heavenly Stairs.
The Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords is a solitary space. Typically, it would take at least a month for a disciple with cultivation in the Yuan Spirit Realm to walk out of it.
The size of the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords is unimaginable, filled with countless dangers and instant crises. It serves as a training ground for the Divine Sword School disciples.
From the data of previous Grand Swordsmanship Competitions, even among the ten thousand inner disciples, only a few hundred have successfully emerged from the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords.
The Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords mirrors the outside world in many ways. It has the sun, moon, stars, and everything else. However, it is a separate domain controlled by the predecessors of the Divine Sword School. Everything within it is designed to challenge and refine the young disciples.
The Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords is home to numerous demon beasts. While their cultivation levels are not particularly high, they still pose a lethal threat to inner disciples, all while retaining some combat ability.
In essence, the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords is where true forging and honing occurs, with real bloodshed and mortal danger.
The competition is intense, but no one speaks of it because, in this world, only strength matters. Everything is dictated by power, even within the Divine Sword School.
At a certain location in the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords, there is a spatial portal.
Two elderly men, both in their fifties and exuding remarkable auras, stood before the teleportation gate, marked with the emblem of the Divine Sword School’s protectors.
Behind these two protectors stood disciples of the Divine Sword School, around thirty years old, each with impressive auras.
They were waiting, hoping that some outer disciples would enter the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords so that they could evaluate the potential of these disciples.
The Heavenly Stairs had tested these outer disciples again, and in a sense, this showed that the Divine Sword School didn’t want to overlook any of its disciples.
“I wonder how many will succeed this time. Do you remember five years ago? Only 121 people were able to participate. That was the maximum number.”
One of the two guards on the left, a round-faced and chubby elder, spoke. Despite his slightly plump figure, his gaze held a sharpness that couldn’t be ignored.
“It’s almost time. Has no one entered yet? Are these outer disciples so useless this time?”
One of the guards on the right, a tall and thin figure, remarked that, according to previous Grand Swordsmanship Competitions, it was already midday, and someone should have emerged from the spatial portal by now.
“One year it’s better, one year it’s worse. That’s the normal state. After all, being an outer disciple means it’s impossible to be exceptional…”
The chubby protector sighed, understanding that the Divine Sword School didn’t want to miss any talented disciples, but didn’t hold high hopes for these outer disciples.
After all, these disciples were considered failures for not being accepted as inner disciples in the first place.
“Fortunately, among the young disciples of this generation, there are those like Liu Yunchuan, Yun Lingfeng, Gong Qi, and others. This is indeed a blessing for the Divine Sword School.”
The thin and tall guard smiled. Five years ago, Liu Yunchuan, Yun Lingfeng, Gong Qi, and other disciples joined the Divine Sword School, creating a stir throughout the entire school.
Over the years, to conceal the true strength and talent of these individuals and to prevent outsiders from discovering it, the school deliberately limited their public appearances.
“It’s been so many years, and finally, our Divine Sword School has produced such a remarkable group of talents. The school has high expectations for them!”
The chubby protector’s eyes displayed emotion, his expression deep and full of meaning. As protectors, they were well aware of the vast resources invested in Yun Lingfeng, Liu Yunchuan, and others during the last five years, reflecting the high hopes placed upon them.
“I wonder how Hou Changming is doing over there?”
The thin and tall guard spoke, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth.
“Haha, looking at the situation, it seems unlikely that anyone will be able to enter the fifth level.”
The chubby protector smiled knowingly. Throughout the history of the Grand Swordsmanship Competitions, very few disciples had managed to walk out of the fifth-level teleportation gate. In fact, they could be counted on one hand.
Only during the Grand Swordsmanship Competition held four or five times has an outer disciple shown remarkable talent, making it to the fifth level of the Heavenly Stairs.
In the Grand Swordsmanship Competition five years ago, only one exceptional disciple ascended to the fifth level of the Heavenly Stairs.
Therefore, it’s unlikely any disciple will reach the fifth level of the Heavenly Stairs this time.
Several protectors were waiting outside the spatial teleportation gate within the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords. They were there because they had the opportunity to select promising disciples and bring them into their own factions.
As protectors of the Divine Sword School, they were allowed to accept disciples. However, every time a talented newcomer appeared, they were quickly targeted by the elders of each peak, leaving no opportunity for the protectors.
Thus, during the Grand Swordsmanship Competition, the protectors could only hope to discover potential among the outer disciples being re-evaluated. The elders typically didn’t bother with them, as they had no interest in disciples they had previously overlooked five years earlier.
These re-evaluated disciples were exactly those whom the elders had turned a blind eye to five years ago.
Dharma Protector Hou Changming lost the draw this time and had to wait at the teleportation gate on the other side.
That spatial teleportation gate connects to the fifth level of the Heavenly Stairs. Anyone who walks through it demonstrates King Grade talent.
Such talent would not have been overlooked five years ago.
In the Grand Swordsmanship Competition five years ago, only one outer disciple was formidable enough to ascend to the fifth level of the Heavenly Stairs.
