Sword Qi Endowed with Flowing Light, Carrying the Youth Skyward

Beneath the mountain's foothills, only the light sound of spring rain striking the earth remained, as though it wished to soak this shock into everyone's hearts.

Luo Qingchen of Qingzhou—once renowned throughout the capital, a man who had dared challenge the Legendary Scholar, Li You'an. Though he had failed, his deed had spread across Lin'an Prefecture.

An peerless genius who had broken through the fifth realm in both martial cultivation and spirit refinement!

And now, he had come to contend for the position of Mountain Guardian?!

With someone like him competing...

Was there even any suspense left?!

If the two experts on the Fierce Generals Ranking were like two great mountains pressing across the hearts of countless cultivators, then Luo Qingchen's appearance was like a raging river barring their path. Those cultivators who had hoped to try their luck and be chosen by the Sixth Mountain Lord as Mountain Guardian nearly lost all such thoughts.

Though the rumors said that the Mountain Lord did not choose a Mountain Guardian based on cultivation, placing greater importance on personal affinity... once one's cultivation was powerful enough, dazzling enough, then in the eyes of the world, only that person remained.

Though personal affinity was something vague and intangible, it generally could not escape those blessed with outstanding talent. The more dazzling someone was, the more eyes they drew.

The more one looked, the more affinity naturally formed.

Without talent, who would have any affinity for you?

Even Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong narrowed their eyes and looked over.

Both martial cultivation and spirit refinement had broken through the fifth realm. Such an expert was no ordinary figure. Competing for the position of Mountain Guardian, perhaps he truly could get his wish.

A smile rested at the corner of Luo Qingchen's lips. Pale silver sword light coiled around him as he bathed in the golden radiance that tore through the evening clouds, ethereal and detached from the mortal world.

Facing the oppressive aura of Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong, he felt nothing at all. With his hands behind his back, he arrived atop sword light like an immortal banished from the heavens.

Suddenly, Luo Qingchen halted. His hands remained behind his back, his scholar's robe fluttering as he turned to look toward the far end of the golden path. There, a luxurious carriage stood upon the mountain road amid fresh grass and tender flowers.

Many cultivators followed Luo Qingchen's gaze and saw Lin Manor's carriage, as well as the two young women and one youth standing beside it.

Most cultivators knew that Luo Qingchen was an adviser to Prime Minister Qin's Manor. The conflict between Prime Minister Qin and the Lin family was common knowledge. Thus, in their eyes, Luo Qingchen was surely looking at Lin Zhuifeng, the only girl from Lin Manor capable of competing for the Mountain Guardian position.

Lin Zhuifeng was rather famous among the younger generation of cultivators in Lin'an Prefecture. Her fame had been beaten out with a fire poker. No one had expected that among this generation of young masters and ladies from Lin Manor, few would stand out, yet an adopted girl would reveal such sharp brilliance.

Even Lin Zhuifeng believed Luo Qingchen was looking at her. Her eyes narrowed, and her palm settled upon the fire poker at her waist as a fierce aura rose around her.

Lin Zhuifeng held no goodwill toward anyone from Qin Manor. Besides, Luo Qingchen was not even half as handsome as Young Master An. What was he staring at?

Only An Le sensed Luo Qingchen's gaze. Even across the distant mountain road, he could perceive the killing intent and chill that arrived with the spring breeze.

Even An Le had not expected Luo Qingchen to come for this chance to become Mountain Guardian.

Madam Hua had described Luo Qingchen's talent to him. He was a genius who had broken through the fifth realm in both paths.

Yet An Le had only barely established Embryonic Breathing in spirit refinement, while Opening Qi and Blood had reached completion. The gap between them was immense.

Still, An Le did not belittle himself. He had merely started late. Now that he possessed the Talent of the Ages Dao Fruit, he would catch up sooner or later. The Way might be heard in different orders; those who started later could overtake those before them. That was not impossible.

Standing in the spring breeze, An Le met Luo Qingchen's gaze and smiled faintly.

Luo Qingchen looked at the smiling youth in the spring breeze, withdrew his gaze, and turned away in disregard.

On the mountain path still shrouded in dense mist, where the scenery above could not be seen clearly, one could vaguely make out peach trees laden with blossoms, smiling in the spring breeze.

At the foot of Sixth Mountain, all was silent.

Two experts from the Martial Temple's Fierce Generals Ranking, and one genius who had once challenged the Legendary Scholar, Li You'an.

Faced with such a lineup, the many cultivators who had hurried here to watch had all given up on competing for the qualifications of Mountain Guardian.

What concerned them more now was which of the three would catch the eye of the Sixth Mountain Lord upon Qingshan and enter the Sacred Mountain.

Luo Qingchen likely had the better chance.

Rumor had it that the Sixth Mountain Lord was a peerless sword cultivator, carrying a Pine Wood Sword Box upon his back. The box hid three thousand swords and was said to contain every sword beneath heaven.

Luo Qingchen was also a sword cultivator. Therefore, he should be more suited to the Mountain Lord's eye.

Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong were both fierce generals of the Martial Temple. One excelled at the bow, the other at the spear. Though they had also dabbled in swordsmanship, there was naturally a gap between them and the dedicated sword cultivator Luo Qingchen.

Luo Qingchen wore a confident smile, his hands behind his back as sword light like Flood Dragons coiled around him.

He stepped onto the mountain road, dampened by spring rain and slightly muddy. Yet his clean boots remained unstained by the slightest trace of dirt.

Luo Qingchen took the first step up the mountain.

Afterward, Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong's qi and blood intertwined like ancient war drums beating, and they too began their ascent.

They bore the expectations of the Zhong Family and Ye Family. Until the very last moment, neither wished to give up.

Three hundred-foot pines wrapped in clouds; ten thousand layers of barren peaks lost in mist!

The clouds and mist at the mountain's foothills grew ever thicker, even obscuring the figures of the three climbers.

The figure standing in the leisure pavilion halfway up the mountain had done nothing more than speak the words "Open the mountain," cleaving apart the spring rain and evening clouds to cast down golden sunlight.

After that, there were no further movements or words.

The people below could not fathom the Sixth Mountain Lord's thoughts and could only watch in silence.

Mist and clouds from ten thousand ravines floated beyond the railings.

Within the leisure pavilion halfway up the mountain stood a figure in green robes.

The Pine Wood Sword Box stood quietly at his side. The middle-aged man's eyes were deep, and within his gaze lay the scene beneath that brilliant golden light.

Naturally, he had heard the mountain calls of Zhong Shun Chao, Ye Chong, and Luo Qingchen.

Yet as he lifted his eyes and looked afar, the sea of clouds halfway up the mountain shifted through strange transformations. He raised his hand and lightly brushed forward. Sword Qi rippled out.

At once, the sea of clouds became raw rice paper, and Sword Qi transformed into ink wash, sketching a stalk of ink bamboo.

The middle-aged man observed the ink bamboo. The corner of his lips lifted as he slowly closed his eyes. The sword box at his side trembled faintly, and in the next moment, its lid opened an inch.

With a sword cry, sword light shot forth. An Ink-Colored Azure Blade roughly three feet long floated before him, Sword Qi surging as it whipped his robes into flight.

"My sword box holds three thousand swords, containing blades of every kind beneath heaven. Only Zhao Huangting's Qingshan cannot enter the box. The youth can draw forth a wisp of Qingshan's Sword Qi, which is naturally excellent. Qingshan reveals talent; ink bamboo reveals backbone."

"Zhao Huangting surely did not tell the youth of the predetermined arrangement... Since he will not climb the mountain, then invite him up."

The corner of the middle-aged man's lips rose. A smile surfaced upon his stiff face.

The next instant, he bent a finger and tapped the Ink-Colored Azure Blade before him.

The azure blade released a ringing sword cry, then became a streak of ink light. With a flick of its tail, it became a thread of black ink skimming along the mountain path, like a line of river tide dividing heaven from earth.

It split the spring rain and mist covering the mountain in two, opening a clear mountain road.

A sword cry suddenly arose between heaven and earth.

Luo Qingchen, who had just begun climbing, abruptly raised his head, joy appearing on his face.

"It's here."

The corner of his lips lifted, and his confidence bloomed like a flower in that moment.

Looking up, he saw the drizzling rain and dense mist atop the mountain parting to either side. An Ink-Colored Azure Blade descended with sword light, whistling through the air.

Sword Qi and pearly radiance soared together!

The rank of this sword made Luo Qingchen's heart stir immensely.

The Ink-Colored Azure Blade raced down along the mountain path, heading directly toward Luo Qingchen, who stood upon the road.

Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong behind him felt their hearts sink.

Luo Qingchen felt incomparably exhilarated. At that moment, even some of the dust Hua Jiebing had scattered across his Dao heart seemed to shake loose.

Facing the approaching Ink-Colored Azure Blade, the Sword Qi around him immediately gathered. He raised his hand, bringing his sword fingers together. Sword Qi spiraled and intertwined around him as he solemnly prepared to receive this sword, which symbolized the identity of the Sacred Mountain's Mountain Guardian.

Yet when the sword came within three feet, Luo Qingchen's expression changed drastically.

The sword did not slow as it tore through the rain and dense mist. Its sharpness made his scalp go numb.

The sword was not for him!

Luo Qingchen's eyes narrowed, enormous waves surging in his heart. Impossible!

Under Qingshan, who could be more suited to this sword than Luo Qingchen?!

"This sword should belong to me!"

Luo Qingchen even felt a trace of humiliation and anger.

He reached out, directly grabbing for the sword.

Silver Sword Qi covered his palm and forearm as he fiercely seized the Ink-Colored Azure Blade's body.

Rip!

Yet the Ink-Colored Azure Blade cleaved apart his Sword Qi as easily as slicing through the dense mist and rain veiling Qingshan.

It also carved a sword wound across Luo Qingchen's palm and forearm. Fresh blood splashed into the mud, adding a touch of bloodiness to the rain-washed mountain path.

Luo Qingchen froze in place like a statue, his eyes wide with stunned disbelief.

The sword whistled past. Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong were both briefly stunned, and they too reached out to receive it. But once they sensed that they were not its target, both immediately gave up. They stepped back and turned aside, allowing the Ink-Colored Azure Blade to sweep past them, cutting through the clear mountain road and passing into the peach blossom forest toward the foothills.

At the mountain's foot, an uproar had already erupted.

For when they looked up, they could see the dense mist and spring rain blanketing the mountain split apart by a single sword.

That was the sword of the Sixth Mountain Lord, the sword that welcomed the Mountain Guardian!

This meant that whoever grasped this sword would enter the Sacred Mountain and soar straight into the azure clouds from then on!

Within Qin Manor's luxurious carriage, Young Master Qin had already lifted the curtain and risen to stand upon the carriage shaft, gazing at that ink-black sword light with a smile at his lips as he watched Luo Qingchen receive the sword.

Yet the sword light directly cleaved open Luo Qingchen's palm and forearm, staining the peach blossoms with blood as it flew toward the foot of the mountain.

Young Master Qin's smile disappeared bit by bit.

The Ink-Colored Azure Blade cut through the mist and fell to the mountain's foot, still skimming close to the ground.

Along the way, countless cultivators turned pale with fright and hurriedly stepped aside, yielding a path to the sword.

The Ink-Colored Azure Blade sped along the sunlit road. At last, it gradually slowed and headed toward the luxurious carriage parked beside fresh grass and tender flowers.

Finally, it hovered before the youth in white standing before the carriage, the youth with a Tattered Bamboo Sword hanging at his waist.

Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin froze. Every cultivator at the mountain's foot stood dumbfounded.

After his initial surprise, the bamboo-sword youth suddenly smiled. Looking at the Ink-Colored Azure Blade, he extended his hand.

A strand of Sword Qi curled out from the bamboo sword at his waist, winding like a roaming snake up the youth's arm.

The youth grasped the sword, and the snake-like Sword Qi coiled around the Ink-Colored Azure Blade.

In that instant.

Sword Qi endowed with flowing light, carrying the youth skyward, soaring straight up through Qingshan's ninety tiers!

The third round of recommendations is here—the most crucial round, determining whether we can make it onto Sanjiang next round. Please don't stockpile chapters; follow through to the latest chapter. I beg for recommendation votes and monthly votes. Old Li offers his thanks!