One Sword Snowfall

At the cliff's edge, besides Li Hao's group, quite a few others had stopped to linger, glancing around from time to time.

Clearly, anyone who fell would be smashed to pieces. Such danger had left many of them hesitant.

On the iron chain, however, seven or eight figures were each displaying their abilities, carefully making their way forward.

Some walked calmly along the chain. It swayed like waves at sea, yet did not affect them in the slightest, their feet seeming glued to it.

Others spread both arms, striving to keep their balance as they inched forward.

Still others chose an ugly but extremely steady method: hugging the chain and slowly wriggling along...

If it were simply a matter of crawling across the chain, almost everyone present could have managed it. But this trial undoubtedly tested their courage.

At such a dizzying height, whose legs would not tremble?

"If you don't even have this much courage, how will you dare face demons?"

Among the seven who had just passed the previous trial, a youth in lavish clothing wore a cool expression. He was the first to leap up, landing steadily on the chain.

Clearly, he had chosen the elegant approach, walking straight across with his hands clasped behind his back, the very picture of calm composure.

His actions immediately drew the attention of many lingering onlookers. They watched in wonder, and someone soon recognized him.

"Cloud patterns on his cuffs-he's from the Yunzhou Su Family!"

"The Su Clan? I heard they're one of Yun Prefecture's three great aristocratic clans, with deep foundations."

"No wonder this lad is so bold. Monsters often appear along Yun Prefecture's borders. He's probably already tempered his courage."

Discussions broke out among the crowd, and conflict flickered in the eyes of some who had been hesitating.

"Hao Ge, let's go too."

Seeing someone take the lead left Li Yuanzhao slightly displeased, and he spoke to Li Hao.

Li Hao looked around the cliff's edge but saw no one from Tan Palace Academy, which left him a little puzzled.

By rights, Tan Palace Academy should have sent someone here to receive them. Otherwise, what was the point of sending an invitation?

"All right."

With no one appearing, Li Hao could only agree to Li Yuanzhao's suggestion.

"Hmph. There's no way to game this trial."

Si Xiaolan gave Li Hao a faint sneer. Clearly, his use of his background to slip through the first trial had angered her considerably. She thought it was far too unfair.

"Is that so?"

Li Hao looked at the girl in surprise. She actually dared mock him-did she not know who stood behind him? Still, he did not stoop to arguing with her.

"How does that saying go?"

Li Hao thought for a moment, then replied, "Little girl, when you're out in the world, you don't rely on your fists, nor just on having someone behind you."

"Hmm?"

Si Xiaolan frowned. Why did that sound so much like what she had said earlier?

"Because having someone behind you isn't enough. You need someone in front of you too!"

Li Hao chuckled at the girl, then raised his head. With an air of worldly detachment in his eyes, he said softly:

"Little brother, come!"

"Hao Ge, want me to carry you?"

Li Yuanzhao understood perfectly. He had heard the adults in the courtyard say that Li Hao had poor aptitude and could only train his body. He rarely saw Hao Ge fight, either, so he had already thought of this solution. He would never let Hao Ge lose face.

Li Hao smiled faintly and patted his shoulder.

Li Yuanzhao took the hint and bent down.

Without standing on ceremony, Li Hao hopped onto his back, then waved at the dumbstruck girl beside them.

"See you on the other side."

Before his words had faded, Li Yuanzhao impatiently charged forward, leaping dozens of meters and landing directly on the chain.

The chain swayed violently, but with Li Hao on his back, Li Yuanzhao moved with its oscillations. His feet seemed glued to it, never losing contact.

Then, without waiting for the chain to settle completely, Li Yuanzhao broke into a swift run as though he were on level ground.

With his completion of the Circulation Realm, along with years of practicing cultivation methods and stance training in the Martial Arts Arena, this little trial was a mere side dish to him.

Seeing that figure race along the chain, everyone on the bank except Si Xiaolan widened their eyes. They had seen people show off before, but never this outrageously. Was he treating it like solid ground?

The worst part was that they might not even be able to run that fast on level ground!

And he was carrying someone!

Once they got a clear look at the pair's clothing, a sharp-eyed onlooker recognized them as members of Qing Prefecture's foremost aristocratic clan. Understanding dawned, though they still could not help feeling shaken. People said meeting someone never lived up to the rumors, but today the reality surpassed them.

Soon, Li Yuanzhao caught up with and raced past the lavishly dressed youth who had been first onto the chain.

The youth had been strolling leisurely with his hands behind his back and a tranquil expression. Only when a gust swept past him did a trace of astonishment appear on his face...

Before long, Li Yuanzhao reached the opposite bank.

The thousand-zhang chain stretched across the sky, threading through the white mist between the mountains.

Li Yuanzhao's charging figure scattered much of the mist. When he leaped onto the opposite bank, he immediately attracted the attention of many nearby.

Li Hao patted his shoulder, hopped off his back, and looked around.

Clearly, they were not particularly early. Quite a few people who had passed the preceding trials were already lingering here.

Before these "applicants" stood Tan Palace Academy disciples in matching uniforms. They were youths of seventeen or eighteen, their black-and-white academy robes lending them an elegant, otherworldly air.

Of course, that only held true when the wearer was attractive. On those with stocky builds or unremarkable looks, the robes were rather jarring...

"Who's that? How is he so strong?"

"He ran across? Carrying someone, too?"

"One dared to carry, and the other dared to be carried!"

"Shh, watch what you say. They seem to be from the Divine General Residence Li Family..."

The dozens of people lingering nearby began discussing them.

Li Yuanzhao stepped forward and approached a young man from Tan Palace Academy. "Are there more trials here?"

"That's right. This is the final trial."

The young man had clearly recognized Li Yuanzhao's identity as well. After all, he had spent several years studying in Qingzhou City, not far from the Divine General Residence. It would have been hard not to know.

"To pass this trial, you need to last one exchange against us."

If the first trial tested their fundamentals and the second their martial courage, then the third seemed rather like an attempt to put the newcomers in their place.

At those words, eagerness for battle flared in Li Yuanzhao's small eyes. "Please instruct me!"

As he spoke, he clasped his fists in a military salute, then retreated several steps and assumed a fighting stance.

"You may choose a weapon," the young man reminded him with a smile.

"It's only one exchange. No need," Li Yuanzhao said.

The young man's eyes flickered. He felt slightly belittled, but recalling that the Li Family's members were supposedly all geniuses, he did not dwell on it. He also harbored a little curiosity and wanted to test him.

He immediately set aside his sword as well, raised his fist, and lunged in.

His punch stirred the wind, fierce as a tiger pouncing or a wolf snapping.

Li Yuanzhao pivoted, moving as smoothly as a loach slipping into its burrow, then abruptly turned back and threw a punch to meet it.

Bang! Their fists collided. The young man actually staggered three steps back, while Li Yuanzhao merely sank his footing and held firm.

Shock appeared on the young man's face. Though he had not used his full strength, that punch had carried over ten thousand jin of force!

That was roughly equivalent to an ordinary cultivator at the third layer of the Circulation Realm!

It already exceeded the entrance trial's standard by a considerable margin. After all, the minimum requirement was merely Power Through Realm completion.

Yet one careless moment had nearly cost him his dignity?

"At least the strength of the fifth layer of the Circulation Realm, perhaps even the seventh or eighth-or he's practiced a top-tier Qi Circulation Method or Meridian Opening Method!"

The young man's gaze grew solemn. The rumors were indeed true. The Li Family's disciples were all monsters, piled high with countless resources and far superior to their peers.

Everyone else was stunned to see the young man lose the upper hand in a single punch. They stared at Li Yuanzhao as though he were a monster. Was this a prodigy of the Divine General Residence?

Just then, the chain swayed, and several figures leaped off and landed one after another. They were the youth from the Yunzhou Su Family, Si Xiaolan, and the others.

The other Tan Palace Academy students immediately explained the rules to them. Upon hearing the requirement, their expressions grew somewhat grave.

After all, anyone admitted to Tan Palace Academy at least qualified as a genius, and these students had trained diligently for several more years. That single move would not be easy to withstand.

A thought stirred in Si Xiaolan's mind, and she looked toward Li Hao nearby. Seeing that he was still there, she could not help showing a trace of annoyance. She knew he had an invitation and would probably be allowed straight through this trial.

Compared to those who had braved danger after danger to pass, he was practically lying back and doing nothing. Such was the gulf between their backgrounds.

"Your turn."

At that moment, a burly young man nearby spoke to Li Hao.

Li Hao smiled faintly and took out his invitation as Si Xiaolan wore an expression that said, "Just as I thought." "I have an invitation."

He had no intention of wasting his strength bullying people here like Li Yuanzhao.

"An invitation?"

Everyone looked over, surprise and uncertainty mingling with envy and jealousy.

The burly young man paused. Clearly, he too had heard some rumors. Frowning slightly, he took the invitation and examined it for a moment before handing it back to Li Hao.

"Even with an invitation, you still need to undergo the basic trial. I can hold back a little."

Li Hao froze briefly.

The young man who had tested Li Yuanzhao and several other Tan Palace Academy students administering the trial inwardly covered their foreheads. It was over. This one-track mind had gotten stuck again.

"Come on." Currents of qi circulated around the burly young man as he prepared to strike at any moment.

Li Hao could not help asking, "Do you know what an invitation means?"

"I told you, I'll hold back a little. You need to show at least something, or people will think our Tan Palace Academy curries favor with the powerful and lets anyone in through the back door," the burly young man said, his gaze earnest and his attitude unwavering.

Li Hao was speechless.

People came in a thousand varieties. Clearly, this burly young man was the blunt, stubborn sort.

"Pfft..." Beside them, Si Xiaolan could not suppress a laugh. Her bright eyes watched Li Hao with delight at his misfortune.

She had thought he would slip through so easily, only for him to encounter this remarkable fellow. She even felt that the burly young man's hulking appearance had become considerably more handsome.

"You can use whatever weapon you like."

With a serious expression, the burly young man pointed toward the weapon rack nearby.

Li Hao felt rather helpless, but he was not angry with the fellow. Being particular about the rules was not a bad thing, after all.

He strolled over to the weapon rack, drew a sword, and returned to stand before the burly young man.

"A sword?" The burly young man's gaze shifted slightly, and he nodded. "Then you strike first."

He also drew the sword from his back, a swordsman's seriousness filling his eyes.

"You go first," Li Hao said.

"If I strike first, you may not get a chance," the burly young man said, enunciating every word.

"...All right."

Li Hao sighed and casually twirled his sword.

Sword technique... Falling Snow.

"Hmm?" Snowflakes suddenly seemed to drift before Si Xiaolan's eyes, and a frosty chill swept over her. She could not help looking up.

"It's only autumn. Why is it snowing already?"

(End of chapter)