Four-Part True Intent!
Staring at the four neat little swords, everyone in the plaza was stunned.
An outer sect disciple with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root—the person with the worst aptitude in the entire sect—had studied for just over half a year. After challenging the Sword Puppet, he had earned a rating of Four-Part True Intent.
Many people thought their eyes were playing tricks on them and kept rubbing them.
"I'm not seeing things. This really is Four-Part True Intent... Oh heavens!"
Someone gasped.
"Unbelievable. How did he do it?"
Someone questioned.
Thump, thump!
Li Yue tapped his fingers against the chair and frowned. "That's strange. Could Chen Changming actually be a sword arts genius?"
"Sect Master, how could someone with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root possibly be a sword arts genius?"
Guo Haichuan sneered. "Could this kid be a spy planted in our Lingxiao Sect by some evil demonic faction?"
"Exactly. In the cultivation world, I've never heard of anyone with a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root possessing such terrifying talent in sword arts!"
Lin Tian, peak master of Gengjin Peak, shook his head, his expression unfriendly.
If this kid surnamed Chen really had such strong talent in sword arts, it wouldn't be long before he stole the limelight from the disciples under Lin Tian.
Seeing that all the peak masters looked displeased, Li Yue turned to the side. "Elder Luo, what do you think?"
"Sect Master, when this outer sect disciple first began learning the Lingxiao Sword Technique, his aptitude really was terrible. It took him half a year just to barely master the basics. My granddaughter was worn out teaching him during that time. That much is true."
Elder Luo spoke slowly.
He was very curious too. After all, he had secretly observed Chen Changming before and found that the boy's comprehension was exceptionally poor. He wouldn't believe for a second that someone like him had talent in sword arts.
Li Yue nodded and said slowly, "If he were a spy, he certainly wouldn't have a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root. How about this? We'll test Chen Changming's spirit root aptitude here and now, with me and the peak masters and elders personally overseeing it..."
No sect was stupid enough to send someone with a genuine Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root to infiltrate another sect. What useful information could they possibly obtain?
If he really was a spy, he must have used some sort of disguise to conceal his spirit root.
"We'll leave it to the sect master to decide."
None of the peak masters or elders objected.
Hearing the sect master's words, the many outer and inner sect disciples below quieted down as well.
Chen Changming remained calm.
It didn't matter how they tested him. He had a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root.
The Silver-Robed Immortal Master and the Red Great Bird had both told him before that he had a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root.
In the boy's heart, their strength far surpassed that of Lingxiao Sect's upper ranks, so he was even more certain that he had a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root.
After a while, someone brought over three Spirit Testing Stones.
"Chen Changming, come over and take the test!"
A steward elder shouted.
Chen Changming walked up to one of the Spirit Testing Stones and pressed his palm against it. The next moment, the silver stone released a faint glow in five colors.
"Just like before..."
Seeing this familiar sight, Chen Changming smiled faintly. He walked to the second Spirit Testing Stone and pressed his palm against it. This stone also emitted a faint five-colored glow.
Next, the third Spirit Testing Stone did the same.
"Without a doubt, this boy has a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root..."
After a moment of silence, Li Yue spoke with a complicated expression.
If Chen Changming had a Five Elements Mixed Spirit Root, then that ruled out the possibility of his being a spy. But Li Yue still couldn't understand how Chen Changming had mastered the true intent of the Lingxiao Sword Technique to the Four-Part level in just half a year.
The peak masters fell silent too.
Elder Luo, however, smiled.
His precious granddaughter really had taught a sword arts genius!
"Damn it! Why couldn't this good-for-nothing have a different spirit root?!"
Shi Kelang was furious.
If Chen Changming had a different spirit root, it would prove he was a spy, and they could arrest him and lock him in the dungeon.
"Chen Changming, how did you master the Lingxiao Sword Technique?"
Li Yue asked.
"Reporting to the sect master, it's all thanks to my Senior Sister's excellent instruction. With my foolish aptitude, I couldn't possibly have learned the Lingxiao Sword Technique otherwise..."
Chen Changming bowed.
No one could possibly guess the secrets he held.
"Mm, you've done very well..."
Seeing how polite the boy was, Li Yue found himself rather impressed and praised him with a smile.
The True Intent Tournament finally came to an end. Luo Lan and Chen Changming had both reached Four-Part Sword Intent and received a reward of three hundred Low-grade Spirit Gathering Pills each.
Qin Changtian, who had taken first place, received a mid-grade defensive magic treasure.
Second place went to an inner sect disciple from Yuantu Peak, who received a Foundation Establishment Pill. This drew the attention of countless disciples.
After all, when a Qi Refining cultivator advanced to Foundation Establishment, using a Foundation Establishment Pill could increase the success rate by half.
With these three hundred Spirit Gathering Pills, Chen Changming stopped taking on missions to earn contribution points and instead focused on cultivating in his cave abode.
He knew his cultivation level was too low and that he had to hurry up and train.
A little over a month later, he had used up all the Spirit Gathering Pills. Chen Changming's cultivation had advanced considerably, and he was much closer to the fourth Qi Refining layer.
Chen Changming took out the thousand-odd Spirit Stones he had gotten from Leng Shankui and exchanged them for over a hundred Spirit Gathering Pills at the sect. Then he cultivated for another half a month or so.
At this point, although he still hadn't broken through to the fourth Qi Refining layer, the spiritual energy in his dantian had grown ever more abundant, like a vast ocean, inexhaustible.
Ten thousand li south of Lingxiao Sect lay a stretch of swampland shrouded in poisonous miasma year-round. The area was rarely visited by people, and only poisonous insects and beasts appeared there.
The infamous Blood Demon Sect's lair lay deep within this swamp.
Inside a side hall.
"Reporting to Elder Leng, that outer sect disciple from Lingxiao Sect is hiding like a coward and won't come out. We've waited two months, but we still haven't had a chance to kill him..."
A blood-robed young man knelt on the ground as he spoke.
"Keep watch. No matter what, you must kill him and avenge my grandson!"
Inside the hall, a Blood-Robed Elder spoke coldly.
His sixth grandson, Leng Shankui, had died at the hands of an outer sect disciple named Chen Changming.
His grandson had been gravely wounded at the time, then died when this second-layer Qi Refining brat ambushed him. The rage in his heart had yet to subside.
"Yes!"
The young man turned to leave.
"Once he's dead, bring back his corpse. I want to drain every last drop of his blood myself!"
A chilling voice rang out.
The young man shuddered and hurriedly agreed. He rushed out of the hall, then mounted a scarlet bird and flew away from the Blood Demon Sect, heading straight for Lingxiao Sect.
Chen Changming still didn't know that Leng Shankui, whom he had killed, had been a man of some standing. A calamity that threatened his life was about to descend upon him.
"Little Junior Brother, you're still cultivating?"
Luo Lan's voice rang out from beyond the cave abode.
Chen Changming hurried outside. Seeing that his Senior Sister's cultivation had advanced again, he smiled wryly. "Senior Sister, my aptitude is so poor. What else can I do but cultivate?"
"Ha, don't sell yourself short. You're already a third-layer Qi Refining cultivator. How about it? Want to go to Cloud Mist Mountain and hunt some Beasts?"
Luo Lan asked with a smile.
"Sure."
Chen Changming was delighted. He was broke again, so he had to take on missions to earn contribution points.