A Hero Among Men

(Uploaded as a new book, urgently seeking favorites and recommendation votes!) Zhong Yue stood on the platform and visualized the Dragon Totem Body Coiling Art. His spirit had yet to dissipate, and faint cyan currents seemed to swirl around his body like a vicious flood dragon baring its fangs and claws.

Being visible to the naked eye was a sign that one's spirit had reached a certain level of strength, containing immense power!

The spirit power of the Qi Refiners in the Great Wilderness was extraordinarily powerful. It could take physical form: if it became a flying bird, one could fly; if it became a beast, one could leap and bound; if it became a weapon, one could kill. When spirit merged with true qi, it could transform into an invincible divine ability.

But those were Qi Refiners!

Zhong Yue's spirit power was hazily visible to the naked eye. Although it was still far inferior to that of a Qi Refiner, to the Outer Disciples, Zhong Yue's incomparably overbearing spirit power was utterly shocking!

"Fire Kindling passed down the Fire Epoch Palace Suihuang Visualization to me. It truly is overbearing!"

Zhong Yue's heart was also thrown into turmoil. He had only cultivated the Fire Epoch Palace Suihuang Visualization twice, yet not only had he achieved Soul Egress, even the power of the Dragon Totem Body Coiling Art had increased by an unknown amount. It absolutely surpassed Sword Gate's visualization methods by who knew how much!

The young men and women beneath the platform were even more dumbstruck, staring at him blankly. Only Shui Qingyan was cheering and jumping for joy, clenching her little fists and constantly encouraging Zhong Yue as if she herself had passed the examination.

However, the few examiners whispered among themselves and continued deliberating, never announcing the examination results.

"Such a thing has never happened in Sword Gate."

Suddenly, a white-haired examiner pondered aloud, "The purpose of the Azure Sky Hall's examination is to test the strength of the Outer Disciples' souls and their combat awareness. But Zhongshan Clan used a Body Refining Method to kill the fiend. That cannot count as passing the examination. In my opinion, he should be judged to have failed. What do you junior brothers think?"

"Senior Brother Tian is right."

An examiner beside him chimed in, "If this is also considered passing the examination, then it will disrupt the principles of our Sword Gate. Our Sword Gate gathers spirit and refines sword qi to protect the Great Wilderness. If all the other Outer Disciples follow his example, refining their bodies while neglecting Sword Gate's orthodox techniques, disrupting our rules would be a minor matter. But if it damaged Sword Gate's inheritance, the consequences would be grave. This examination should rightly be judged a failure..."

Zhong Yue's heart sank. Suddenly, a young examiner shot to his feet. His black hair whipped about as his aura erupted, and he shouted, "Enough! Senior brothers, I've tolerated you long enough! For disciples from humble families to pass the Azure Sky Hall's examination is as difficult as climbing to heaven—one in ten thousand. The dead and injured are all disciples from humble families! Disciples from great clans can use the Totem God Pillar, while disciples from humble families have nothing. Where is the fairness? Since there is no fairness, how is passing the examination with a Body Refining Method a violation? Today, Zhongshan Clan must be counted as having passed!"

The white-haired examiner frowned slightly. "Junior Brother Zuo, you're being rather presumptuous..."

"Then I'll be presumptuous for once!"

The young examiner's aura ran wild. Above his head, a sword-shaped portal suddenly appeared. The portal opened, and a ball of fire leaped out like the sun. At its center stood a bird-headed deity barely a foot tall—his Totem Spirit. He sneered, "Senior brothers, all of you come from famous clans and control Sword Gate. When will people like us from humble families ever get a chance to rise? I also come from a humble family. Today, I'll stand up for the disciples from humble families!"

His Totem Spirit had a human body and a bird's head, with wings and bird feet. The moment it appeared, the entire Azure Sky Hall seemed to have been visited by the sun. The air grew dry and scorching, and blazing flames filled the sky!

"Senior Brother Tian, you became a Sword Gate Qi Refiner sixty years ago, while I've only joined the sect for ten years. Today, I challenge you. Let's see whether a Qi Refiner from a famous clan like you is stronger, or whether a Qi Refiner from a humble family like me is stronger! Senior Brother Tian, do you dare accept?"

"Zuo Xiang Sheng, you're far too overconfident!"

The white-haired elder snorted coldly. A Sword Gate also appeared above his head, and he offered up his Totem Spirit. It too was only a foot tall, but it was a tree-man. It had no feet; its lower half consisted of densely packed roots, while its hair was a crown of luxuriant branches and leaves!

The auras of the two Qi Refiners erupted. Suddenly, the white-haired elder's tree-man Totem Spirit trembled slightly, and countless roots swept through the sky. The roots grew thicker and thicker, winding and rolling through the air like flood dragons and giant pythons as they lashed toward Zuo Xiang Sheng!

His Totem Spirit transformed in an instant into a towering giant tree. Vigorous life force burst from it, and its crown spread over the entire Azure Sky Hall!

Zuo Xiang Sheng's Totem Spirit also grew with the wind. The bird-headed deity's body became enormous, and as its wings spread, it opened its mouth and spat out a vast sea of fire, igniting countless roots!

Suddenly, the tree-man Totem Spirit raised both hands. Giant logs appeared in midair, each weighing tens of thousands of pounds. They crashed toward Zuo Xiang Sheng like rain!

Using wood as swords, transforming it into a wood-element sword formation!

Meanwhile, streams of sword qi shot from the eyes of the bird-headed Totem Spirit. It used fire as its sword—sharp and scorching!

The two Qi Refiners fought fiercely. Their auras pressed down on the Outer Disciples in the Azure Sky Hall until they groaned repeatedly. The other examiners hurriedly moved to protect the many disciples, shouting loudly, "Senior Brother Tian, Junior Brother Zuo, stop! Stop at once!"

With their protection, Zhong Yue, Shui Qingyan, and the other Outer Disciples finally breathed a sigh of relief. The many Outer Disciples looked up, only to see the two Qi Refiners' battle growing fiercer by the moment, leaving everyone dazzled and shaken to the soul.

The remaining examiners were caught between laughter and tears as they repeatedly tried to dissuade them. One of them muttered, "Two dignified Qi Refiners actually started fighting over an Outer Disciple. If word gets out, our Azure Sky Hall will lose all face in Sword Gate!"

The Azure Sky Hall's examination had seen someone beat a fiend to death with bare hands for the first time. It had also seen, for the first time, a situation where the disciple did not fight fiercely, but the examiners did instead.

"Should we help?"

"Help whom?"

"Obviously Senior Brother Tian! Senior Brother Tian comes from a famous clan, and the Tian Feng Clan has considerable influence in Sword Gate..."

The examiners had just finished discussing this when the white-haired elder suddenly grunted and fell from the sky. He crashed to the ground with a thud, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He struggled once but failed to rise.

The examiners were startled. They looked up and saw Zuo Xiang Sheng standing in midair, flames blazing around him. He had transformed into a bird-headed, human-bodied figure with bird feet and wings, imposing and majestic like a deity in fire. His Totem Spirit, however, had vanished without a trace!

"You've cultivated to the level of unity between man and spirit?"

The white-haired elder's face was ashen. He looked up at Zuo Xiang Sheng in midair, his eyes filled with both envy and fear. Coughing blood, he said, "You merged with your Totem Spirit and became one. I admit defeat wholeheartedly. You may take charge of the Azure Sky Hall; I have nothing to say. But rules are rules. Zhongshan Clan did not win with his soul, so he violated Sword Gate's rules. I'm going to report this to Sword Gate's higher-ups and argue the matter with you!"

Zuo Xiang Sheng stepped down from the air and laughed heartily, full of confidence. "Senior Brother Tian, there's no need to alarm the higher-ups. Zhong Yue of Zhongshan Clan can defeat a fiend with his bare hands. Defeating one with his soul will be just as easy. Since you object, let him try once more! Zhong Yue!"

On the platform, Zhong Yue bowed. "This disciple is here."

"Take the examination again. You may not use a Body Refining Method to kill the fiend. You can only use your soul!"

Zuo Xiang Sheng pointed a finger. The Sword Gate atop the platform opened once more, and a fiend pounced out of it. Zuo Xiang Sheng said solemnly, "I want you to find a path for disciples from humble, impoverished families like us—a path that allows them to pass the examination without relying on a Totem God Pillar!"

"Dragon Coiling Technique!"

Zhong Yue shouted in a low voice. He visualized the Flood Dragon Totem, and his spirit transformed into faint cyan currents that flowed throughout his body, as if a flood dragon coiled around him. He raised his hands and sealed the charging fiend's arms!

One human and one fiend collided. Their muscles slammed together with a series of thuds!

"Egress!"

The fiend's arms were sealed, greatly reducing its speed. A flash passed through Zhong Yue's brow, and his soul leaped out, piercing into the fiend's brain like lightning. In the fiend's sea of consciousness, a Sword Gate appeared, and a stream of sword qi shot from within, killing the fiend's soul!

Zuo Xiang Sheng showed an approving expression. Looking at the white-haired elder, he laughed, "Zhong Yue's body is strong, and the fiend cannot harm him in the slightest. As long as his soul can leave his body, he can easily kill a fiend. Senior Brother Tian, I said he passed the examination. Do you have any objections now?"

The white-haired elder snorted coldly and remained silent.

Zuo Xiang Sheng took out an Upper Court Token and handed it to Zhong Yue. "From today onward, you're an Egress Disciple. Every month, you can receive ten Feather Spirit Pills from the Upper Court's Medicine Valley. You did well. It's difficult for disciples from humble families to become Qi Refiners. If more Qi Refiners from humble families appear in Sword Gate in the future, you'll deserve enormous credit!"

There was no exaggeration in his words. Sword Gate did not value body refinement, and disciples from humble families in the Great Wilderness often stumbled at the soul examination. Zhong Yue had passed the examination with a Body Refining Method, so he was bound to set off a wave of body refinement among the disciples from humble families. In the future, more people would use this method to pass the examination!

The number of Qi Refiners from humble families in Sword Gate would inevitably increase because of this!

"You're already fifteen this year, aren't you?"

Zuo Xiang Sheng pondered for a moment before saying, "At your age, cultivating a spirit at sixteen will be somewhat dangerous. If you run into difficulties in the future, come find me."

Zhong Yue thanked him, thinking, This Uncle-Master Zuo is a true hero.

He did not leave immediately. Instead, he stood beneath the platform and watched Shui Qingyan's battle. On the platform, Shui Qingyan's dress fluttered, and it was as if waves supported her feet. Her toes never touched the ground as she fought the fiend in full swing.

She did not use a Totem God Pillar, but she had clearly cultivated an extremely high-level visualization method. Her speed was actually no slower than the fiend's in the slightest, though she was inferior to it in strength.

Zhong Yue's method of defeating the fiend was simple and brutal, bringing the explosive force of his muscles into full play. Her movements, however, were graceful and light, like an elf dancing.

Soon, Shui Qingyan found a flaw in the fiend. Her soul flew out, visualized a Sword Gate, and sword-slew the fiend!

"The little girl from the Shuitu Clan has only been at the sect for a year, right?"

The examiners exchanged glances. One of them said quietly, "Although she has a Qi Refiner from the Shuitu Clan looking after her, her cultivation speed truly is astonishing. It has been rare in recent years to see such an outstanding disciple pass the examination without using a Totem God Pillar."

As for Zhong Yue also not using a Totem God Pillar, they ignored it.

In their eyes, Shui Qingyan was following Sword Gate's orthodox path, while Zhong Yue's victory through body refinement seemed like a crooked, unorthodox path.

Shui Qingyan received her Upper Court Token and left the Azure Sky Hall with Zhong Yue, brimming with excitement, heading toward Sword Gate's Upper Court.

The Upper Court was divided into a Women's Court and a Men's Court. This was to prevent male and female Outer Disciples from living together and spending their days in one another's company, then committing improper acts. After all, the Upper Court's Outer Disciples were Sword Gate's key cultivation targets. If the atmosphere became too disorderly, it would affect their cultivation progress.

Shui Qingyan parted from Zhong Yue and said reluctantly, "Brother Yue, remember to come visit me in the Women's Court often!"

Zhong Yue nodded. Carrying his medicine basket, he walked through the Upper Court, drawing countless gazes along the way. He thought, I wonder if male disciples are allowed to enter the Women's Court... I'd better go to Medicine Valley first and collect the ten Feather Spirit Pills to replenish my body. Otherwise, if my body stays thin and withered, I won't be able to continue cultivating the Suihuang Visualization Chart!