No Memory

"In just two short months, this person has become this strong?"

At the foot of the mountain, Shui Qinghe's clothes were in tatters. He was covered in wounds from the Flood Dragon formed by lightning Sword Qi, and the fall from the sky had left him bruised and battered. After resting for a while, he finally managed to get up with difficulty.

"Zhongshan Clan's Zhong Yue! If it's about cultivation, I'm no match for you. But a person's strength isn't just determined by their cultivation!"

Shui Qinghe looked towards the mountaintop, his clothes rustling. A tinkling sound was heard, and tiny silver swords, the size of needles, appeared!

These silver swords were only four inches long, complete with blades and hilts, and were extremely small. They flickered in the air, only visible as faint silver streaks, making them very difficult to detect.

There were eight silver swords in total. They were his Soul Weapons. He had been caught off guard earlier and was knocked off the high platform by Zhong Yue's casual move, not even having time to use his Soul Weapons.

These eight Soul Weapons were hard-won. They were forged by Shui Tu Clan's Elder Shui Zi'an over several months, each imprinted with eight different totems. They were extremely precious and named the Eight Treasures Sword.

Originally, when disciples of the Shui Tu Clan joined the Sword Gate, Shui Zi'an had them compete, and only the strongest could obtain the Eight Treasures Sword. Shui Qinghe had defeated the other disciples and thus obtained this set of Soul Weapons.

The Eight Treasures Sword was extremely flexible. It could be hidden under clothes close to the skin, tucked into sleeves, or even hung on the tassels of other Soul Weapons, appearing as mere decorations.

However, these eight silver swords were incredibly dangerous. Once deployed, they were difficult to detect and could form a Water Sword formation. When used in conjunction with the Shui Tu Clan's visualization secret art, they could be hidden within the Ice Soul Sword Qi, Water Sword Qi, and the great Weishui River formed by Spiritual Power, making them impossible to guard against.

Initially, Shui Qinghe hadn't taken Zhong Yue or the other disciples seriously, so he hadn't used this set of Soul Weapons. But to his surprise, Zhong Yue had knocked him off the high platform with a single move. Angered, he immediately decided to use the Eight Treasures Sword to reclaim the platform!

Shui Qinghe looked towards the high platform on the mountaintop. It was calm. On other mountains, many Upper Court disciples were fighting, but on this mountain, Zhong Yue's single strike had completely suppressed the other Upper Court disciples, and no one dared to make a move.

Disciples suddenly began to rush down the mountain towards other peaks. They believed they absolutely could not take the high platform from Zhong Yue, so they abandoned this mountain and rushed to other peaks to seize their platforms.

Shui Qinghe hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, turned, and left, heading towards another mountain. He thought to himself, "The Zhongshan Clan is extremely powerful. Even if I could defeat him with the Eight Treasures Sword, it would likely be a pyrrhic victory, leaving us both severely injured. If I sustain too much damage fighting him, I'll be at a significant disadvantage in the top 100 competition. I'm aiming for first place in the Upper Court and the best inheritance in the Spirit Void Hall; I can't afford to lose sight of the bigger picture!"

After two hours, no one had challenged Zhong Yue. Suddenly, the high platform beneath him trembled slightly, and it flew off the mountain, carrying him towards Five Pine Peak and landing on it.

In this Unrestricted Duel, holding the high platform for two hours was considered a victory.

"Someone beat me to it and secured a top 100 title."

Zhong Yue looked around. Five high platforms had already flown back, each with an Upper Court disciple standing on it.

Those Upper Court disciples also looked at him, nodding and smiling, but their eyes held a hint of wariness. Clearly, they had seen him defeat Shui Qinghe with a single strike and considered him a formidable opponent.

Zhong Yue nodded back, returning their smiles. He thought, "Yu Zhenglong of the Youyu Clan, Tao Yanran of the Taolin Clan, Nan Zhen of the Nanlu Clan, Tian Yanfeng of the Tian Feng Clan, Jun Qingyue of the Junshan Clan. It's them. They are core disciples of the Ten Great Clans and have been famous for a long time. The other Upper Court disciples knew their strength and, unable to attack them, went to other mountains to compete for high platforms, which is why they won so quickly. However, Li Xiuniang, Senior Sister Li, is a core disciple of the Lishan Clan. Why isn't she here?"

Just as he thought this, a high platform flew over. Li Xiuniang stood on it, her clothes torn in several places, her appearance somewhat disheveled, her hair falling behind her. There were also a few bloodstains on her face. She must have encountered a powerful opponent and fought a tough battle to win.

"That crazy girl Yu Feiyan insisted on fighting me. Hmph, wasn't she still defeated by me? Junior Brother Zhong, it looks like we'll meet in the top 100 battle!"

Li Xiuniang showed no surprise upon seeing Zhong Yue, instead finding it natural. She smiled and said, "I lost to you last time. We'll settle the score in the top 100 battle!"

Zhong Yue nodded and smiled, "Please go easy on me then, Senior Sister Li."

Yu Zhenglong, Tao Yanran, and the others felt a jolt in their hearts and looked at him again, their vigilance increasing: "Li Xiuniang also lost to him? This Zhongshan Clan is unknown, yet he has consecutively defeated two core disciples of the Ten Great Clans..."

"Junior Brother Zhong, I have a trump card prepared for you. I definitely won't hold back then!"

Li Xiuniang's fighting spirit was high, and she laughed, "Holding back against you would be asking for humiliation, a decisive loss!"

A while later, another high platform flew over. It was Yu Feiyan, her clothes also tattered and covered in many wounds. It was clear that her battle with Li Xiuniang had not been easy for her either, and she had suffered quite a bit.

The two girls stood on their respective high platforms, still glaring fiercely at each other, as if they wanted to fight again.

Gradually, more and more high platforms arrived. Apart from Zhong Yue and the core disciples of the Ten Great Clans, the cultivation and strength of the other Upper Court disciples were similar, making their battles even more arduous. The high platforms changed hands multiple times, making it difficult to determine a winner. The victorious disciples were heavily wounded, most of them achieving victory at a great cost.

Zhong Yue looked around and saw Shui Qingyan returning on a high platform. This young woman, however, had very few injuries on her.

The duel lasted from morning to afternoon, and from afternoon into the night. Some people were still fighting, and the remaining high platforms were dwindling, with the battles becoming increasingly fierce.

It wasn't until the dawn of the next day that the top 100 Unrestricted Duel concluded.

Ting Lanyue also secured a top 100 title, but Tao Daier was defeated and did not make the cut. The young girl was dejected, with many other girls surrounding her to offer comfort.

Shui Qinghe also reclaimed a high platform, not being eliminated.

An Elder stood up and said, "Mirage Dragon, retract your divine ability and switch to another one."

The mountains covering the sky suddenly vanished. The Mirage Dragon yawned and exhaled an endless expanse of water from its mouth. In an instant, an ocean appeared in the sky, with a city floating on it, skyscrapers lining the horizon and numerous temples.

"You will each drink water, eat, and heal your wounds. One hour from now, the top 100 battle will begin!"

The Elder's gaze swept across Zhong Yue and the others' faces, and he said sternly, "Don't blame me for not giving you time to rest, because in a real battle, your opponents will give you no chance to rest. You can also choose to forfeit. Even if you don't participate in the top 100 battle, you can still enter the Spirit Void Hall. Light the incense and start the timer!"

Before long, more than half of the hundred Upper Court disciples had withdrawn, leaving only thirty-odd. The withdrawn disciples were all injured, some severely. An hour of rest was far from enough.

"Good! The hour is up!"

The Elder suddenly stood up and shouted, "Open the Spirit Void Hall!"

"Yes!"

The Qi Refiners shouted in unison, "Open the Spirit Void Hall!"

Above Sword Gate Mountain, the air suddenly rippled violently. In front of a grand hall, four bronze figures, each over fifty feet tall, suddenly moved. They grabbed chains extending into the air and pulled with great force. A creaking sound echoed, as if gears were grinding in the air.

Gradually, a magnificent portal hidden in the sky was pulled open. This portal was shaped like the Sword Gate and was a crucial area of the Sword Gate. Behind the portal lay the Spirit Void Hall!

"Those who have forfeited can now enter the Spirit Void Hall."

The Elder surveyed the crowd and said, "Inside the Spirit Void Hall, the ten most powerful Spirits have been sealed. As for the other Spirits, you may sense them. If you can sense them, you are a Qi Refiner and an Inner Court disciple of our Sword Gate. If you cannot, then you must wait until next year. If you are already sixteen years old, then pack your things and leave the Sword Gate. The remaining individuals will compete to determine the top ten among the top one hundred."

"Remember, the battlefield begins above the sea!"

"Now, the duel begins!"

The Upper Court disciples on the high platform immediately set off, leaping into the sea formed by the Mirage Dragon's Spiritual Power. They ran across the surface of the water, heading straight for the city on the sea.

As some of them ran across the sea, they encountered other Upper Court disciples. They immediately engaged in fierce battles on the water, unleashing all sorts of techniques. Their visualized divine abilities clashed on the sea's surface, Totem Pillars were planted in the sea, and Soul Weapons flew through the air like lightning. Some even stirred up waves, creating surging torrents that transformed into various strange phenomena.

Zhong Yue also set off at the same time, his feet treading on the sea's surface. A Flood Dragon appeared beneath him, lifting his body. The Flood Dragon raced across the sea like lightning, heading straight for the city on the sea.

Meanwhile, Qi Refiners flew through the air. Over thirty Qi Refiners each closely followed an Upper Court disciple, providing protection. They were worried that the battles might be too intense and the Mirage Dragon might not be able to intervene in time. If a situation arose where a disciple was accidentally killed, the Mirage Dragon's Spiritual Power could save them. However, the Mirage Dragon was not infallible, so these Qi Refiners followed all the disciples to be ready to save any disciple whose life was in danger.

"It's almost impossible to kill Heavenly Phenomenon Mother in this situation!"

Zhong Yue's gaze was fixed on "Shui Qingyan." He saw the young girl speeding across the sea, riding the waves with incredible speed. "Unless my sword light is fast enough, so fast that even the Mirage Dragon and the Qi Refiners can't react in time! Hmm?"

Splash!

The sea surface suddenly rose, and Shui Qinghe, transformed into the River God, his body covered in fish scales, appeared before Zhong Yue. He said faintly, "Zhongshan Clan's Zhong Yue, please."

Before Shui Qinghe could finish speaking, he summoned surging water to attack. With continuous chi chi chi sounds, the Eight Treasures Sword merged into the seawater around him. Ice Soul Sword Qi, Water Sword Qi, and Flood Dragons swam within the seawater, concealing the Eight Treasures Sword's traces.

Zhong Yue strode forward, his Spiritual Power surging out like a vast ocean. Flood Dragons coiled around his arms and legs. He raised his hand and struck, piercing through the water curtain, shattering the Ice Soul Sword Qi, Water Sword Qi, and Flood Dragons.

The Eight Treasures Sword shot out from the splashing water, heading straight for Zhong Yue. At this moment, countless tiny Flood Dragon sword qi appeared before Zhong Yue, colliding with the Eight Treasures Sword, and sword light danced everywhere.

The sword qi formed by Zhong Yue's Spiritual Power blocked the Eight Treasures Sword, and he crossed the distance to Shui Qinghe in a single step.

Zhong Yue's fist descended, and Shui Qinghe's River God body exploded against the punch. Shui Qinghe was horrified. He looked up and saw a large hand reaching for his face, grabbing his features and forcefully pressing him down!

Boom!

The sea surface exploded, and waves rolled and scattered. Shui Qinghe was slammed into the sea like a meteorite, the impact rendering him unconscious.

"Senior Brother Shui, why don't you ever learn your lesson?"

Zhong Yue strode forward, a Flood Dragon rising beneath his feet, carrying him as he rode the wind and waves, heading straight for Shui Qingyan. Behind him, Shui Qinghe lay sprawled on the sea's surface.