Su Changyu was completely stunned.
He was bewildered.
Truly bewildered.
At first, he had thought Ye Ping was boasting.
But the Sword Moves Ye Ping displayed now completely overturned Su Changyu's entire worldview.
Did peerless geniuses of the sword truly exist in this world?
Hiss!
Hiss!
Hiss!
Su Changyu sucked in three sharp breaths.
He felt as though he were dreaming.
He pinched his thigh.
It hurt.
A piercing pain.
That meant he was not dreaming.
His master had truly brought him a peerless sword dao genius of a junior brother.
This was fucking outrageous.
Qingyun Dao Sect, a backwater sect that did not even count as a chicken coop, had actually produced a dragon?
At this moment, Su Changyu felt his whole body go numb.
It felt as though he had been struck by lightning.
Most importantly, this was something that simply could not have happened.
Yet it had happened anyway.
In a single night, he had comprehended the Four Thunder Sword Technique.
In a single night, he had comprehended the Four Thunder Sword Technique to great completion and perfection.
In a single night, he had even grasped part of Sword Momentum.
If this was not a freak, then what was?
Even peerless sword dao geniuses could not do this, could they?
As someone in sword dao circles, Su Changyu knew only too well how terrifying the Four Thunder Sword Technique was.
Daoist Siji had poured his heart and soul into creating it. Only after mastering all 1,460 moves could one reach Peak Attainment, summon the heavenly thunder of the four seasons, and slay one's enemies.
He, Su Changyu, had worked bitterly and diligently, studied hard, and cultivated for over ten years, yet he had only trained the Spring Thunder Sword Technique to Initial Comprehension.
But this junior brother before him had actually mastered the entire Four Thunder Sword Technique to great completion and perfection in one night.
Being born human, I am deeply sorry.
Su Changyu was utterly shocked now. What remained was envy—he was so envious, so envious.
Why was he so handsome, yet his sword dao talent so utterly ordinary?
Why was Ye Ping merely somewhat handsome, yet his sword dao talent so terrifying?
Why, why, why?
Had he been born into the wrong world?
Su Changyu's heart had long since been churning like rivers and seas.
Ye Ping's talent could be called earth-shaking and ancient-illuminating. At least in Su Changyu's eyes, mastering the Four Thunder Sword Technique to great completion and perfection overnight would let Ye Ping claim first place not merely in the entire Jin Kingdom, but throughout the Ten Kingdoms.
Such peerless talent was simply too shocking. How could Su Changyu not be envious?
Not far away.
After finishing his demonstration of the Four Thunder Sword Technique, Ye Ping himself had not expected to gain an additional comprehension of thirty-two Sword Moves.
But it had to be said, this sword technique was truly powerful.
He had no magical power, yet merely relying on Sword Moves, he had split a massive boulder apart. Once he truly stepped onto the path of cultivation, would he not soar into the sky?
However, Ye Ping did not reveal any joy. Instead, he looked toward Su Changyu.
"Senior Brother, what do you think?"
Ye Ping asked neither humbly nor arrogantly.
In the distance, Su Changyu was still in a dazed state and had yet to recover.
"Senior Brother?"
Ye Ping called out again.
The next moment, Su Changyu came back to his senses.
"Ahem."
Su Changyu coughed lightly, easing the awkwardness.
He looked at Ye Ping. His expression remained calm, but the shock in his heart could not be contained.
"Senior Brother, do you think your junior brother has talent?"
Ye Ping continued asking.
Talent?
This was far more than talent.
Calling you the number one person in the Ten Kingdoms would be an insult to you.
But Su Changyu did not dare say so.
What if his junior brother ran away after hearing that?
Previously, he had worried that after Ye Ping left, the sect would be unable to advance to a Third-rank Sect.
But things were different now.
If a peerless sword dao genius ran away, everyone in the sect would be devastated to death.
This was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.
He absolutely could not let Ye Ping leave.
Thinking of this, Su Changyu took a deep breath and forced himself to speak.
"Average, I suppose."
Once he said those words, Su Changyu felt his face flush.
This was average?
If this counted as average, then every sword practitioner in the Ten Kingdoms might as well die. They should all just die.
But he had no choice. He could only force himself to say it.
He could not possibly say, Junior Brother, your sword dao talent is peerless. Do not remain in our sect—hurry and join a great sect instead.
Would that not be brain-dead behavior?
"Senior Brother, just tell me frankly. Your junior brother understands his own talent. You need not comfort me, but please rest assured, Senior Brother. Though my aptitude is far too poor, I will certainly devote myself even more to practicing the sword. Please rest assured of that."
Having received his answer, Ye Ping immediately understood what "average" meant.
Average meant very poor, but it was awkward to say so outright for fear of offending someone.
Thus, Ye Ping understood that his sword dao talent was not good. However, he had been prepared for it and was not too upset, though he still had to voice what was in his heart.
Once those words were spoken, Su Changyu felt even worse, and guilt immediately rose in his heart.
"Junior Brother, continue comprehending the Sword Mark. Do not think too much. Senior Brother will not give up on you. I will come again in a few days."
Su Changyu did not want to do anything now. He only wanted to hurry and find the Sect Leader.
This matter was far too significant.
It was not something he alone could judge. He had to find the Sect Leader.
"Alright, take care, Senior Brother."
After hearing Su Changyu's words, Ye Ping immediately breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they did not expel him from the sect, he was willing to do anything.
It was not that Ye Ping was stubbornly clinging to Qingyun Dao Sect.
Rather, over the past half year, he had attended more than fifty Ascension Conventions. Whether they were great sects or small ones, after testing his cultivation talent, every single one had rejected him.
To put it bluntly, leaving aside the fact that his aptitude itself was poor, even if his aptitude were heaven-defying, what then?
If no sect would take him, could he possibly stare up at the stars alone and comprehend the Great Dao?
Opportunities favored those who were prepared. Having seized this opportunity, Ye Ping could not possibly let go. Besides, everyone in this sect was a peerless expert, so he was even less likely to leave.
Half an incense stick later.
Qingyun Hall.
Su Changyu's extremely urgent voice rang out.
"Sect Leader!"
"Sect Leader!"
"Sect Leader, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!"
Su Changyu's extremely urgent voice rang out.
Inside the great hall.
Grand Hua Daoist was planning Qingyun Dao Sect's advancement to a Third-rank Sect.
Upon hearing Su Changyu's voice, Grand Hua Daoist could not help but snap out of his thoughts.
"Changyu, why are you so flustered? You are the sect's senior brother. You must maintain your bearing at all times, especially now that your junior brother has arrived. You must pay even more attention to your image."
Grand Hua Daoist rose to his feet and spoke in a lecturing tone.
"Sect Leader, something truly terrible has happened."
Su Changyu entered the hall, then directly shut the doors. He looked at Grand Hua Daoist, breathing rapidly.
"What terrible thing has happened? Did your junior brother discover our sect's secret?"
Grand Hua Daoist was a little nervous as well and could not help asking this.
"No, no."
Su Changyu had some difficulty breathing. He had sprinted all the way here without caring about his image at all, so he was somewhat out of breath.
"If not, then what are you afraid of? So hasty and restless, not at all like an immortal cultivator."
Hearing that it was not this matter, Grand Hua Daoist immediately relaxed.
"Sect Leader, this junior brother's talent seems a little strange."
Su Changyu did not know how to describe it, so he could only use "strange."
"Strange? Is it very poor?" Grand Hua Daoist frowned slightly, though he had expected as much. If it were not poor, how could Ye Ping have been rejected after attending fifty Ascension Conventions?
"Changyu, it is not that your master wishes to criticize you, but poor is poor. You know our Dao Sect's circumstances. If a true genius came, could your little bit of skill withstand it?"
Grand Hua Daoist stood up, his tone calm.
"No, Sect Leader. This junior brother's talent is not poor—it is so good that it defies heaven."
Seeing that Grand Hua Daoist had misunderstood him, Su Changyu immediately explained.
"Poor to the point of defying heaven? How poor could it possibly be?"
Perhaps because Su Changyu had spoken too quickly, Grand Hua Daoist had misheard him.
"Not poor to the point of defying heaven. Good to the point of defying heaven."
Su Changyu hurriedly said, completely devoid of his usual immortal poise as sweat poured down his face in panic.
Huh?
So good it defied heaven?
Are you fooling me?
Grand Hua Daoist froze.
"Changyu, liars have to swallow a thousand needles."
Grand Hua Daoist looked at Su Changyu. He did not believe him.
In his eyes, Ye Ping was merely an utterly ordinary cultivator.
If Ye Ping were truly so good that he defied heaven, how could he have attended fifty Ascension Conventions and still been rejected?
That was simply impossible.
Before you continue