"Senior Sister Chen, given your special status, do you know Elder Tie's cultivation realm?"
Jiang Feng asked, staring dazedly at the black valley that had been completely leveled before them.
"Elder Tie's cultivation should be above the Qi Sea Realm."
Chen Qingxue put away the shock in her eyes, thought for a moment, then slowly replied.
Jiang Feng and the others drew in a sharp breath.
Above the Qi Sea Realm!
Didn't that mean Elder Tie was at least in the Spirit Platform Realm?
Body Refining, Profound Mastery, Qi Sea, Spirit Platform!
Just the first three major realms had already trapped countless sect disciples.
Even the Mystic Blade Sect probably didn't have many Spirit Platform Realm experts, did it?
They hadn't expected the sect's higher-ups to send a Spirit Platform Realm elder to protect them in secret.
Of course, the three of them quickly realized the reason.
Elder Tie had been following them in secret mainly to protect Chen Qingxue.
"Spirit Platform Realm?"
Su Yun's gaze shifted slightly.
When he had first joined the Mystic Blade Sect, the Spirit Platform Realm had seemed utterly beyond his reach.
Even with his decent aptitude and strong comprehension,
he might have trained all his life and still never reached that realm.
But now, let alone the Spirit Platform Realm—even the higher Spirit Transformation Realm would be no great challenge for him.
Coming back to himself, everyone continued onward.
"I never imagined, Junior Brother, that your Blade Momentum would have already reached Great Accomplishment, allowing you to slay the Blood-Drinking Spear Fiend so decisively."
At one point, Chen Qingxue said with a smile.
"Honestly, I was lucky."
"When I was fighting, a flash of inspiration struck me, and that was how I comprehended Great Accomplishment Blade Intent."
Su Yun replied with a smile.
Chen Qingxue froze in surprise.
The other three were also stunned, then fell silent.
A sudden flash of inspiration in the middle of a fight, and he'd comprehended Great Accomplishment Blade Intent?
That was absurd!
They'd killed plenty of Demon Sect cultivators on this trip, too!
So why hadn't they comprehended it?
They all assumed Su Yun was just making an excuse.
The real reason was that his comprehension was simply too outrageous.
"Come to think of it, we owe Junior Brother Su Yun our thanks this time. Without him, we'd have been in serious trouble."
Chen Qingxue couldn't help sighing.
"Exactly. We were lucky Senior Brother Su Yun stepped in and killed the Blood-Drinking Spear Fiend."
"Otherwise, our lives would have been in danger."
Jiang Feng and the others nodded and hurriedly agreed.
They were no longer as arrogant as before. All that remained was admiration and awe.
Though Senior Brother Su Yun was still an Outer Sect disciple, his talent and strength had already far surpassed theirs.
How could they possibly still feel proud?
"Senior Sister, Brothers, you're giving me too much credit."
Su Yun smiled and shook his head. "With Elder Tie here, how could you have been in danger?"
"Even if this outpost had hidden more Demon Sect experts, Elder Tie would have stepped in at a critical moment."
"That's true, but if Elder Tie had to save us, then our trial would have been a complete failure."
Chen Qingxue explained.
If they faced a life-or-death crisis and Elder Tie had to save them, all the Contribution Points they had earned would be reset to zero.
And they wouldn't receive any other rewards, either.
"That's true."
Su Yun thought it over, then nodded.
If they failed the mission, they naturally wouldn't receive any rewards.
"Wanyang City isn't far from here. Why don't we rest there for a while and return to the sect once our injuries have healed?"
Chen Qingxue suddenly suggested.
"Sounds good."
Jiang Feng and the other two had no objections.
Su Yun glanced at the Black Blade in his hand and nodded, too.
The Black Blade was only Human Grade High Tier. It had already chipped during his fight with the Blood-Drinking Spear Fiend.
If he kept using it, it might break.
It was time to replace his weapon.
As his cultivation continued to improve, Human Grade High Tier weapons were no longer good enough for him.
A while later, Elder Tie arrived.
He took everyone's Disciple Tokens.
It took him a little while to calculate everyone's Contribution Points.
Then he left, vanishing without a trace.
This time, Su Yun had slain more than a dozen Profound Mastery Realm warriors, as well as the Asura Blade Demon and the Blood-Drinking Spear Fiend. He had contributed the most.
As a result, he received a full three hundred thousand Contribution Points!
"Demon Sect cultivators really are walking piles of Contribution Points."
Looking at his Disciple Token, Su Yun marveled inwardly.
What was more, the Demon Sect cultivators had carried plenty of resources, too, and he had collected them all in his Spatial Ring.
After that, the three continued onward.
Since Jiang Feng and the others had all suffered injuries to varying degrees,
they stopped by the roadside for a short rest every hour.
Su Yun didn't waste any time.
He practiced the Extreme Shadow Fiend Blade nearby, and now and then, flashes of inspiration and insight arose in his mind.
At dawn,
the sun had just risen over the horizon.
A ray of sunlight fell upon Su Yun's head.
He gripped the Black Blade tightly, eyes closed, and focused on comprehending Blade Momentum.
The others all stared in surprise.
"I think I understand why Senior Brother Su Yun was able to comprehend Great Accomplishment Blade Intent in such a short time."
Jiang Feng said, his expression complicated. "It's not just because he's talented. He also studies and trains tirelessly!"
"Exactly. I didn't expect it, either."
"Senior Brother Su Yun is still practicing his blade technique at a time like this."
Li Changqing nodded, full of admiration.
After destroying the Demon Sect outpost, the rest of them had spent the journey relaxing and chatting.
Only Su Yun had stayed completely focused, continuing to train in his blade technique.
"This world has never lacked geniuses, and there are even more geniuses who fade into the crowd."
"But geniuses who are both talented and willing to work hard are much rarer."
Watching Su Yun, Chen Qingxue couldn't help sighing.
Over the years, she had met many talented people. Most had grown lax in their training, distracted by romance and pleasure, and eventually faded into the crowd.
Since then, she had always believed that
only those with both great talent and enough determination could reach the true peak of the Dao!
Time passed slowly.
By noon, the sun blazed in the sky.
At last, the group arrived at Wanyang City.
This great city covered a vast area.
Its walls alone stood more than two hundred meters high.
The entire wall was a deep blue-green, emanating an ancient aura.
It seemed to have been built from some special material, and its defenses were astonishing.
Wanyang City's construction could be traced back to the early days of the Great Cloud Dynasty, when King Wanyang had just made a name for himself. Its history was long indeed.
Over the centuries, countless outstanding figures had emerged from the city.
As a result, Wanyang City was dotted with lineages and tangled webs of influence, including many noble houses.
The city was bustling everywhere.
Buildings lined both sides of the streets, and pedestrians packed the roads.
Most were ordinary people, though there were some martial artists as well.
"Wanyang City really is a lively, bustling place."
Su Yun looked around and nodded to himself.
Of course, he had little interest in sightseeing.
He just wanted to find somewhere quiet and continue cultivating.
Seeing how little attention he paid to the scenery, Chen Qingxue and the others immediately led the way to the largest inn in the city.
The inn stood a hundred stories tall, and its interiors were exquisitely decorated and quite luxurious.
The moment they stepped inside,
a voice rang out in Su Yun's mind.
"Because of its grade, the Extreme Shadow Fiend Blade can no longer improve your Blade Momentum and has hit a bottleneck. You urgently need to study some Human Grade blade techniques for inspiration!"
Before you continue