Chapter 414

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Chapter 414: The Sword-Patterned Stone!

“Thank you, but I don’t wish to become a disciple.”

Xu Jiahui politely bowed, firmly rejecting the offer without any intention of reconsideration.

Protector Hou Changming was momentarily stunned, his eyes twitching in disbelief.

As the protector of the Divine Sword School, he had hoped to recruit an outer disciple—a dream come true for many within the school.

Although being accepted as a disciple by a protector doesn’t carry the prestige of being a direct disciple of an elder, it still holds greater status than being an inner disciple.

Today, however, the fact that he had been rejected by two disciples in a row left him feeling increasingly frustrated.

“Young man, would you consider becoming my disciple?”

Hou Changming’s expression darkened, and he shot a disbelieving glance at Zhang Qing, wondering how a disciple could refuse after all the effort spent guarding the space teleportation gate. He felt compelled to secure at least one disciple.

“Disciple Zhang Qing, I pay my respects to my master!”

Zhang Qing, caught off guard, immediately knelt down and struck the ground three times in quick succession, so fast that even Hou Changming didn’t have time to react.

“Alright, get up. From now on, you are my novice disciple. Remember to behave well in the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords.”

Hou Changming took a deep breath, adjusting his posture. At least he had managed to accept a disciple.

Zhang Qing stood up, feeling a rush of excitement. Being accepted by an elder as a disciple was a dream come true.

Hou Changming studied Zhang Qing. This new disciple didn’t seem extraordinary and appeared to fall short of the typical outer disciple’s standards. He began to regret his decision.

His acceptance of this disciple had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, partly a test to see whether the third disciple would reject him as well.

But to his surprise, Zhang Qing had knelt and kowtowed so quickly.

Now that the deed was done, even if he secretly harbored doubts, he had no choice but to proceed.

“Congratulations, Zhang Qing!”

Xu Jiahui was genuinely happy for Zhang Qing. Being chosen as a disciple by the protector was indeed a tremendous opportunity.

“Hehe…”

Zhang Qing chuckled, feeling incredibly lucky. He had reached the fifth level of the Heavenly Stairs and now had the privilege of being accepted by a protector. It was something he could hardly have dreamed of before.

“Zhang Qing, the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords is full of peril, and you must rely on yourself for survival. Train hard!”

Hou Changming spoke, no longer allowing room for regret. He advised his new disciple, even though his decision to take him in hadn’t been made with much thought.

From what Hou Changming could sense, Zhang Qing wouldn’t be able to protect himself in the dangerous Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords. If he survived, it would be a success. Hopefully, he would gain valuable experience and come out stronger.

After finishing his advice, Hou Changming took out a jade bottle and handed it to Zhang Qing, saying, “Take this pill in case of emergencies.”

“Thank you, master.”

Zhang Qing was touched. He took the jade bottle, which seemed to hold many medicinal pills. Having a protector as a teacher felt like a blessing, and he couldn’t help but feel fortunate.

“Go now. The Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords holds both dangers and opportunities; it all depends on your luck. As for the Sword-patterned Stone… that’s a matter of fate.”

Hou Changming imparted his final thoughts, now that Zhang Qing was his disciple. The Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords was full of both risk and reward.

At the mention of the Sword-patterned Stone, Hou Changming immediately realized that he had been overthinking.

The Sword-patterned Stones were rare, and only someone with extraordinary power would be able to possess one.

Considering Zhang Qing’s current cultivation level, Hou Changming felt that he might have overestimated the importance of the Stone for this disciple.

“I understand.”

Zhang Qing was brimming with excitement, still lost in the joy of the moment.

Without delay, Su Yi, Xu Jiahui, and Zhang Qing made their way into the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords.

“It seems that we need to find the Sword-patterned Stone.”

Su Yi murmured as they entered the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords. According to the rules, the Sword-patterned Stone was of vital importance here.

The Divine Sword School had invested a limited number of Sword-patterned Stones across the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords. Only the sixty-eight disciples who acquired the most of these Stones would have the chance to compete at the Spirit Sword Peak’s pinnacle.

Thus, the more Sword-patterned Stones one gathered, the greater the opportunities.

Because of this, the direct disciples would not enter the Battlefield for another half month. With their superior strength, if they entered earlier, the chances for the inner and outer disciples to find any Sword-patterned Stones would be near zero.

Su Yi didn’t necessarily need to acquire the Stones, but the final duel at the peak would offer unparalleled rewards to the top 16 competitors—rewards Su Yi longed for.

Since he was already a part of the Divine Sword School, missing out on such incredible opportunities was not an option.

“There must be a problem, something’s definitely wrong!”

In the Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords, outside another space portal, the tall and thin protector, along with the slightly plump protector, stood dumbfounded.

Over ten thousand outer disciples emerged from the portal, leaving the two protectors speechless.

Normally, it would be impressive if hundreds of disciples walked out, but this time, it was over ten thousand. Half of the outer disciples had reached the fourth level of the Heavenly Stairs. What kind of phenomenon was this? Were all the outer disciples so exceptional in this generation?

But what the two protectors didn’t realize was that a group of powerful Divine Sword School cultivators had also gathered around the Heavenly Stairs, equally stunned by the sight.

Figures surrounded the Heavenly Stairs, descending to inspect the scene.

“The Heavenly Stairs has lost its function!”

A powerful figure spoke up, uncovering the issue. The Heavenly Stairs had malfunctioned, which explained why almost all the outer disciples were now sent in.

“Investigate it immediately!”

Cultivators quickly began discussing, aware that the significance of the Heavenly Stairs was immense.

Moreover, it wouldn’t be long until the recruitment of new disciples for the Divine Sword School, which occurred every five years.

“What’s going on? How could the Heavenly Stairs suddenly fail?”

“It’s strange. Could it have something to do with Su Yi?”

“I suspect there might be a problem with the Heavenly Stairs, which is why Su Yi could only reach the seventh level. How could he do that otherwise? This is too unbelievable!”

“…”

Powerful individuals continued to debate, and the entire Divine Sword School was shaken by these events.

…

The Battlefield of Ten Thousand Swords was not much different from the outside world, with endless mountain ranges, profound darkness, and towering ancient trees.

“Creak… creak…”

Su Yi, Xu Jiahui, and Zhang Qing made their way through, stepping on dry twigs and fallen leaves. They had a general direction in mind and expected the journey through the Battlefield to take almost a month.

“I did it, I really did it. If my parents knew, they’d be so happy.”

Zhang Qing, unable to contain his excitement, reflected on the incredible turn of events that had unfolded for him today.