On the wide Plaza, the heavy Sword Intent grew ever stronger, and murmurs of discussion began to rise.
"This ceremony must be the grandest one our Sword Sect has ever held in tens of thousands of years, right?" A disciple couldn't contain his excitement and asked in a low voice.
"Of course! Senior Sister Zhou is the number one prodigy since the founding of our Sword Sect, so the worship ceremony should be the grandest ever!"
"I just saw that many representatives of major forces have come to the High Platform, including the chief disciple of the Archaic War Hall and the Young Valley Master of Starfall Valley... These are all well-known talents in the Dao Evolution Realm within the continent!"
"Will Senior Sister Zhou spar with them during the martial arts demonstration later?"
"They're all just there to hone Senior Sister Zhou's sword; not a single one of them is of any real use."
"That's true... But I see even the governor of our Xianjing Continent has come, along with an unfamiliar lieutenant. Could he be the one who won the Jade Mountain Refinement?"
"Heh, if that's really the case, then he should be glad that the Nine Luminaries Division has never been on the martial arts roster, otherwise..."
"Watch your words!" a disciple quickly interrupted, "The Nine Luminaries Division is no ordinary force, and this person is equally extraordinary."
"We both know the outcome of this matter, so let's not cause any trouble during Senior Sister Zhou's initiation ceremony!"
"..."
A lively atmosphere swept across the entire bluestone Plaza with the sound of discussion.
The topic of discussion naturally revolved around Zhou Qingyan, whose prestige within the sect was at its zenith. Such remarks caused the people on the three- High Platform to frequently frown.
"These Outer Sect Disciple of the Sword Sect are far too outspoken."
On the third- High Platform, a burly figure, about ten feet tall, spoke with a livid face.
He was none other than Yue Qing, the chief disciple of the Archaic War Hall, also known as the Mountain Mover.
Their original intention in coming here was to see the true weight of Zhou Qingyan, the Lord of Ten Thousand Swords. They never expected that before they even entered the arena, these Outer Sect Disciples of the Sword Sect would take it upon themselves to make a judgment.
They're so arrogant! The outcome is still uncertain!
"That's enough, Brother Yue."
Zhang Yan, the young man who had previously been refused Ye Li's invitation, walked over slowly, patted Ye Li's shoulder lightly, and said in a helpless tone:
"It's a big day for the Sword Sect's inauguration ceremony, how can we not allow them to say a few words?"
"If you want to settle things with Zhou Qingyan, you have to draw blood. Isn't our main purpose for this trip to offer congratulations and test her as a secondary objective?"
"Just exchange a few blows then, don't worry too much about winning or losing."
Yue Qing gave a disgruntled snort and didn't reply.
However, judging from his softened expression, he clearly agreed with Zhang Yan's statement.
"Zhang Yan, you're too kind."
At this moment, an untimely female voice broke in; it was Mu Liuying, the Young Valley Master of Starfall Valley.
She raised her delicate face slightly and said in a teasing tone:
"It's one thing to be rejected by Ye Li of the Nine Luminaries Division before, but now you're being openly slandered by these Sword Sect disciples. Can you still sit still?"
"This is an era of great competition. Right now, every influential force is promoting its own prodigies. You treat the ceremony as someone else's grand event, but they might be using you as a stepping stone to fame!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the people around him nodded in agreement, expressing their extreme dissatisfaction with the Sword Sect disciples' actions.
We are all exceptional talents in the Xianjing Continent; how could we possibly sacrifice ourselves to help you gain fame?!
"Miss Mu, you flatter me."
Zhang Yan coughed twice and explained, "Leaving aside Lord Ye's right to refuse, as for creating a stir... my Heavenly Crafts Mansion serves the Nine Luminaries Division and has no such ambitions..."
"Fine, I'm too lazy to argue with you about this."
Mu Liuying abruptly withdrew her gaze and turned to look at the composed Boy in Black not far away, her eyes flashing.
After a moment, she suddenly chuckled and asked:
"Who do you think would win if he and Zhou Qingyan fought?"
"This... it's really hard to say." Yue Qing frowned, his already slow-witted mind becoming even more difficult to process.
Although support within the Sword Sect is overwhelmingly in favor, it is indeed difficult to determine which side is stronger based on the current battle records.
I could hear the murmurs coming from not far away.
Ye Li maintained a calm expression, but inwardly he sighed silently.
Even now, he can't find any opportunity to make a move.
Zhou Qingyan... It was indeed rare to see such a large piece of meat that was both visible and unattainable before.
It seems we need to strengthen our training in this area in the future.
He truly has no ability to resist this renowned new sword master—given the chance, he would immediately step into the arena to demonstrate his skills.
The only way to distract myself is with martial arts skills.
The moment this thought crossed my mind, an extremely sharp sense of dread suddenly swept through the Plaza below!
Ye Li subconsciously lowered his eyes to look.
A woman dressed in a moon-white robe appeared in the Plaza. Her features were sculpted like ice and jade, and she looked otherworldly. Her icy blue eyes stared straight ahead, as if nothing and no one in the world was worthy of her bowing her head or glancing at her.
The entire venue fell into a deathly silence; even breathing ceased, and only the sound of rapidly beating hearts could be heard.
She walked gracefully forward in the gentle breeze, her clothes fluttering even without wind, surrounded by a faint, visible mist and ice crystals.
Amidst countless fervent and awestruck gazes, the white-robed woman, hailed as the "Lord of Ten Thousand Swords," slowly ascended the bluestone steps to the plaza, finally gracefully taking her seat cross-legged before the array of eight hundred Sword Sect disciples.
She didn't deliberately release any pressure, yet her sharp Sword Intent already enveloped the entire Plaza!
This is the divine gift bestowed by Innate Sword Bone! This is Sword Dao prodigy, one in a million! Today, witnessed by countless people, he will be crowned Sword Master!!
On the stone platform, the Sword Sect's Old Ancestor had risen solemnly at some point, his deep, resonant voice echoing throughout the entire Mountain Gate:
"Our disciple Zhou Qingyan possesses exceptional talent and, through rigorous training, has mastered the profound principles of Sword Dao. Having served as a Domain Lord for some time, her reputation within the sect is unparalleled... Today, she will inherit the great lineage and acknowledge the Primordial Abyss Divine Sword as her master!"
"Distinguished guests, please bear witness!"
As his voice rang out.
The long-planned ceremony to Sword Master Ceremony has finally begun!