Sword Qi Flows Like Light, Carrying the Young Man to the Heavens

Beneath the mountain's foot, only the gentle sound of spring rain falling upon the mortal world remained, as if wishing to soak this shock into the hearts of all present.

Luo Qingchen of Qing Prefecture, once renowned in the capital, a figure who dared to challenge the legendary Zhuangyuan Li You'an. Though he failed in his challenge, his deeds were still passed around Lin'an Prefecture.

A peerless genius whose Martial Dao and Spirit Refinement had both broken through the Five Realms!

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

With someone of this caliber competing...

Was there still any suspense?!

If the experts on the Fierce Generals List were like two great mountains standing firm in the hearts of many cultivators, then Luo Qingchen's appearance was like a surging, turbulent great river blocking their path, leaving those who wished to try their luck and be chosen as Mountain Guardian by the Sixth Mountain Lord with almost no hope.

Even though rumors said the Mountain Lord chose Mountain Guardians not based on cultivation, but on affinity, but... when one's cultivation was powerful enough, dazzling enough, then the world would only see them.

Although affinity was a vague and elusive thing, generally speaking, it could not escape those with extraordinary talent, because the more dazzling a person was, the more they attracted attention.

The more you saw, the more you naturally developed affinity.

Without talent, who would favor you?

Even Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong, both focused their gazes sideways.

A cultivator whose Martial Dao and Spirit Refinement had both broken through the Five Realms was no ordinary person. To contend for the position of Mountain Guardian, perhaps, he could truly achieve his wish.

A smile played on Luo Qingchen's lips, pure silver sword light swirling around him, bathed in the golden light that tore through the descending twilight clouds, appearing ethereal and transcendent.

Facing the oppressive aura from Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong, he felt nothing. With his hands behind his back, he stepped on the sword light, like a transcendent immortal.

Suddenly, Luo Qingchen stopped, hands behind his back, his scholarly robes fluttering. He turned his head to look into the distance where the golden light avenue stretched, where a luxurious carriage had stopped amidst the mountain path filled with new grass and tender flowers.

Many cultivators followed Luo Qingchen's gaze and saw the carriage of the Lin Manor, as well as the two girls and one boy standing beside the Lin Manor's carriage.

Most cultivators knew that Luo Qingchen was a strategist for Prime Minister Qin's manor, and the conflict between Prime Minister Qin and the Lin family was known to all. Therefore, in the eyes of the cultivators, Luo Qingchen must be looking at the only girl from the Lin family capable of contending for the Mountain Guardian position, Lin Zhuifeng.

Lin Zhuifeng was quite famous among the younger generation of cultivators in Lin'an Prefecture. Her fame came from wielding a fire poker, and no one had expected that among the few outstanding young masters and ladies of the Lin family, an adopted girl would reveal her sharpness.

Even Lin Zhuifeng felt Luo Qingchen was looking at her. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her hand fell to the fire poker at her waist, a surge of fierceness emanating from her.

She had no good feelings towards people from the Qin manor, let alone the fact that Luo Qingchen wasn't even half as handsome as Young Master An. What was he looking at!

Only An Le sensed Luo Qingchen's gaze. Even from the distant mountain path, he could perceive the killing intent and coldness that accompanied the spring breeze.

Even An Le hadn't expected Luo Qingchen to come for this qualification of Mountain Guardian.

Madam Hua had described Luo Qingchen's talent to him; he was a genius who had broken through the Five Realms in both aspects.

And he himself had only just reached the stage of Spirit Refinement and Fetal Respiration, with his Qi and Blood at perfection. The gap was immense.

However, An Le did not feel inferior. He had merely started slower. With the Dao Fruit of [Talent of the Ages], he would eventually catch up. Hearing the Dao has its order; those who start later can still achieve victory.

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

Luo Qingchen looked at the boy smiling in the spring breeze, withdrew his gaze, and turned away, ignoring him.

The mountain path, still shrouded in mist and obscuring the view of the mountain, vaguely revealed peach trees in full bloom, smiling in the spring breeze.

The entire foot of the Sixth Mountain was silent.

Two experts from the Temple of Martial Arts' Fierce Generals List, and a genius who had challenged the legendary Zhuangyuan Li You'an.

Faced with such a lineup, the many cultivators who had come to observe had already given up on contending for the position of Mountain Guardian.

What they were more concerned about now was, among the three, who would catch the eye of the Sixth Mountain Lord on Green Mountain and enter the Sacred Mountain.

Luo Qingchen probably had a greater chance.

The Sixth Mountain Lord was rumored to be an unparalleled sword cultivator, carrying a Pine Wood Sword Box on his back, with three thousand swords hidden within, said to contain all the swords in the world.

Luo Qingchen also cultivated the sword, so he should be more in line with the Mountain Lord's affinity.

Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong were both fierce generals of the Temple of Martial Arts. One was skilled with the bow, the other with the spear. Although they also dabbled in swordsmanship, compared to the dedicated Luo Qingchen, there was naturally a gap.

Luo Qingchen wore a confident smile, hands behind his back, with sword light like coiling dragons swirling around him.

He took a step forward, stepping onto the mountain path, slightly muddy from the spring rain, but his clean boots remained unstained by any dirt.

Luo Qingchen took the first step up the mountain.

Following him, Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong, their Qi and Blood intertwined like ancient war drums beating, also stepped forward to ascend.

They carried the expectations of the Zhong and Ye families and were unwilling to give up until the last moment.

Clouds embrace long pines three hundred feet high, mist obscures desolate peaks ten thousand layers deep!

The mist and clouds at the foot of the mountain grew thicker, even blurring the figures of the three who wished to ascend.

The figure standing in the pavilion halfway up the mountain, besides uttering a single phrase to open the mountain, cleave the spring rain and twilight clouds, and cast down the sun's golden light.

From then on, there were no more actions or words.

Those at the foot of the mountain could not quite fathom the thoughts of the Sixth Mountain Lord and could only watch quietly.

Ten thousand ravines' mist and clouds float out from the balustrades.

On a pavilion halfway up the mountain, a figure in green.

A pine wood sword box rested beside him. The middle-aged man's gaze was deep, and his eyes followed the scene beneath the dazzling golden light.

He had naturally heard the shouts of Zhong Shun Chao, Ye Chong, and Luo Qingchen.

However, he looked up at the shifting, wondrous sea of clouds halfway up the mountain. He raised his hand and gently swept forward, releasing sword energy.

Instantly, the sea of clouds became like raw Xuan paper, and the sword energy transformed into ink, sketching out a painting of bamboo.

The middle-aged man observed the ink bamboo, a slight smile playing on his lips. He closed his eyes slightly, and the sword box beside him trembled. The next moment, the box opened an inch.

A sword cry rang out, and sword light shot out from within. A dark azure blade, about three feet long, hovered before him. The sword energy surged, whipping his robes into the air.

"My sword box contains three thousand swords, all the swords of the world are hidden within. Only Zhao Huangting's Green Mountain sword does not fit. It is excellent that the young man can draw a wisp of sword energy from Green Mountain. Green Mountain reflects talent, and ink bamboo displays backbone."

"Zhao Huangting must not have told the young man about the predetermined matter... Since he is not ascending the mountain, then please ascend."

The middle-aged man's lips curved upwards, and a smile appeared on his usually stiff face.

The next moment, he flicked his finger against the dark azure blade before him.

The azure blade let out a clear sword cry, then transformed into a streak of ink light. With a flick of its tail, it became like a dark silk thread, following the mountain path downwards, like a river tide separating heaven and earth.

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

Heaven and earth were suddenly filled with sword cries.

Luo Qingchen, who had just started climbing, suddenly looked up, a look of joy on his face.

"It's here."

His lips curved upwards, and his confidence bloomed like a flower at this moment.

Looking up, he could see the misty rain and dense fog on the peak parting from both sides. A dark azure blade, carrying sword light, roared down.

The sword energy shimmered with brilliance!

The high quality of this sword moved Luo Qingchen greatly.

The dark azure blade descended along the mountain path, heading straight for Luo Qingchen, who stood on the path.

Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong behind him felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

Luo Qingchen felt an immense sense of exhilaration. At this moment, even some of the dust Hua Jiebing had scattered on his Dao heart was shaken off.

Facing the approaching dark azure blade, the sword energy surrounding him converged. He raised his hand, fingers together, and the sword energy swirled and intertwined around him. He solemnly prepared to receive this sword, which symbolized the identity of the Sacred Mountain's guardian.

However, as the sword approached within three feet, Luo Qingchen's expression drastically changed.

Because the speed at which the sword tore through the misty rain and dense fog did not slow down. A sharpness made his scalp tingle.

The sword was not for him!

Luo Qingchen's eyes narrowed, and his heart churned like a stormy sea. Impossible!

Beneath this Green Mountain, who else could be more suited for this sword than he, Luo Qingchen!

"This sword belongs to me!"

Luo Qingchen even felt a hint of annoyance.

He reached out and grabbed the sword.

Silver sword energy covered his palm as he fiercely grasped the body of the dark azure blade.

Pfft!

However, the dark azure blade cut through his sword energy as easily as it cut through the dense fog and misty rain of the hazy Green Mountain.

It also sliced open a wound on Luo Qingchen's palm, and blood splattered onto the mud, adding a touch of gore to the mountain path after the new rain.

Luo Qingchen stood frozen on the spot, his eyes wide with shock.

The sword whistled past. Zhong Shun Chao and Ye Chong were both stunned. They also made a move to catch the sword, but sensing that the sword was not targeting them, they immediately gave up, stepped back, and moved aside, letting the dark azure blade sweep past them, cutting through the clear mountain path and disappearing into the peach blossom forest, heading towards the foot of the mountain.

At the foot of the mountain, there was already a commotion.

Because, looking up, they could see the dense fog and spring rain covering the mountain being sliced open by a single sword.

That was the sword of the Sixth Mountain Lord, receiving the sword of the guardian!

This meant that whoever wielded this sword would be able to enter the Sacred Mountain and soar to the heavens from then on!

Inside the luxurious carriage of the Qin Manor, Young Master Qin had already lifted the curtain and stood on the carriage shaft, gazing at the dark sword light. A smile played on his lips as he watched Luo Qingchen receive the sword.

However, the sword light directly cut open Luo Qingchen's palm, and blood stained the peach blossoms as it headed down the mountain.

Young Master Qin's smile gradually disappeared.

He watched as the dark azure blade cut through the dense fog and descended to the foot of the mountain, still moving close to the ground.

All along the way, the many cultivators were terrified and respectfully moved aside, clearing a path for the sword.

The Ink-Colored Azure Blade, which had been speeding down the sunlit avenue, finally slowed its pace and headed towards the luxurious carriage parked beside the newly sprouted grass and tender flowers.

Finally, it hovered before the carriage, in front of the young man in white, a tattered Bamboo Sword at his waist.

Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin were stunned, and all the cultivators at the foot of the mountain were dumbfounded.

After his initial shock, the young man with the Bamboo Sword suddenly smiled, looking at the Ink-Colored Azure Blade, and reached out his hand.

From the Bamboo Sword at his waist, a wisp of sword energy coiled out, snaking along the young man's arm.

The young man gripped the sword, and the snaking sword energy wrapped itself around the Ink-Colored Azure Blade.

Instantly.

The sword energy, imbued with flowing light, carried the young man soaring into the heavens, straight up to the ninety layers of Green Mountain!

This is the third round of recommendations, the most crucial one, determining whether we can reach the Sanjiang list in the next round. I beg everyone not to save this book, but to read it to the end. I request your recommendation votes and monthly votes for support. Old Li thanks you all~