The solemn and dignified words, slowly drifting through the vast Plaza, intensified the already solemn atmosphere.
In the stands, countless Sword Sect disciples stared with fervor at the white-haired Sword Immortal in the arena, their hearts pounding even faster.
The temperature in the entire Plaza was quietly dropping, and the air seemed to echo with a teeth-grinding icing sound. Zhou Qingyan was gradually pushing the fluctuations of her Magic Power to their peak.
Although this woman, who was considered a legend within the Sword Sect, remained silent, her presence was incredibly strong, like an ancient, unyielding iceberg.
"She is indeed an extraordinary Sword Dao prodigy..." Cao Ming gazed deeply at the white-robed woman in the arena, a sense of admiration creeping into his heart.
Just looking at the imposing presence of him sitting cross-legged in meditation, there is no one in the entire Jade Mountain Nine Luminaries Division who can compare to him.
If Ye Li is indeed Retainer General of his Jade Mountain Nine Luminaries Division, then he won't feel so much pressure because of the vast difference in skill between his juniors and his subordinates.
The Sword Sect Old Ancestor, who had risen earlier, slightly raised the corners of his mouth and spoke again, his words now stern:
"The Sword Opens Heavenly Gate!"
The first stage of the Sword Master Ceremony involves eight hundred core disciples and the new Sword Master working together to activate the Sword Gate, thereby opening the ladder to ascend to the [Primordial Abyss Divine Sword].
As the treasured sword once wielded by the Supreme Sword Dao Master, the Magic Power required to open this first Heavenly Gate is immense, requiring the combined efforts of thousands of the Sword Sect disciples to shake it.
The reason for reducing the number to eight hundred this time is precisely to highlight the uniqueness of the new sword master!
As the Sword Sect Old Ancestor finished speaking.
The eight hundred Sword Sect disciples of the Sword Sect on the field rose at the same time, their Magic Power flowing as they formed sword incantations!
Buzz!!--
In an instant, a full eight hundred Sword Intent transformed into a torrent of Magic Power that surged into the sky and poured into the ancient and majestic stone tablet. The hundreds-of-foot-tall divine stone trembled slightly!
But the vast tide of Sword Intent vanished without a trace the moment it touched the stone tablet, as if it had disappeared into the sea.
Apart from trembling slightly, the stone tablet showed no other unusual signs, as if it had not felt the infusion of Magic Power from the eight hundred Sword Sect disciples at all. It was too lazy to even move, let alone feel anything.
On the High Platform, numerous representatives from Mountain Gate looked astonished. "..."
A significant portion of the direct disciples of the Xuanming Sword Sect possessed cultivation levels at the Great Void Realm. How could such a large number fail to even light up this stone tablet?
Just how terrifying an output of Magic Power would be needed to shake the Sword Sect?
Seemingly sensing everyone's thoughts, the eight hundred Sword Sect of the Sword Sect simultaneously let out a low shout, and the surging Magic Power in their hand seals suddenly became several times stronger!
Finally, after receiving a new round of infusion, the ancient stone tablet, which had been silent for countless years, suddenly burst forth with faint light!
However, it is still a long way from being fully lit up.
Tens of thousands of the Sword Sect disciples held their breath, all waiting for the leader of the Xuanming Sword Sect to make a move.
"..."
Cao Ming subconsciously glanced at the Sword Sect Old Ancestor. He didn't believe the other party hadn't considered this situation beforehand.
The original force of several thousand people has been reduced to the current eight hundred.
There is only one reason he could think of that could have led him to such an action.
Zhou Qingyan alone can fill the vacancies of those thousands of the Sword Sect disciples!
The representatives from the Mountain Gate on the three-tiered High Platform also realized the reason.
At that moment, not a single person uttered a sarcastic remark.
In this extremely tense atmosphere, countless gazes of different meanings were cast down from the stands, all landing on that serene figure, as composed as a deity.
Zhou Qingyan's eyes were slightly closed, her expression neither sad nor happy, and a sheathed longsword lay quietly on her knees.
Even under such intense public scrutiny, her aura remained completely unchanged, and her breathing showed no sign of quickening; her pale hand simply gripped the hilt of the sword.
The divine stone began to glow faintly as the eight hundred direct disciples of the Sword Sect strained and their faces turned red.
The long sword on his lap was silently drawn an inch from its sheath.
Zhou Qingyan finally raised her head slowly, making her final move as per the rules, but only casting a fleeting, indifferent glance at the giant monument.
Boom!!!
In an instant, the wind and clouds changed dramatically. A vast and boundless Sword Intent, as powerful as a celestial river, suddenly swept over the stone tablet. The entire boulder trembled like never before, and tens of thousands of feet of piercing cold light burst forth!
All the Sword Intent previously infused by the direct disciples was instantly devoured and annihilated, and a magnificent, dazzling pillar of light suddenly rose from the ground!
The thick Sea of Clouds was shattered! The pitch-black sword gate in the void trembled violently!!
The entire sky suddenly darkened, and a colossal, pitch-black gate that blotted out the sun appeared in everyone's sight. A genuine supreme pressure poured down, so heavy that the entire Xuanming Sword Sect sank with a rumble!
Then, an even more astonishing scene unfolded—
Even the formidable sword gate couldn't stop that soaring pillar of light; the instant the two collided, the Heavenly Gate, imbued with supreme pressure, was blasted open!
Alas!!
Beyond the Heavenly Gate, a vast array of Sword Qi poured down like a torrential downpour, intertwining with the dissipating clouds to form a Sword Dao tornado! Countless Sword Sect disciples were deeply shaken, their eyes blazing with fanatical brilliance!
The strange phenomenon in the sky continued. Liuli- like staircase meandered down from the depths of the Sword Gate, extending hundreds of meters above the Plaza. A single leap would be all it took to reach the top!
"Welcome, Sword Master!!"
The Sword Sect disciples on the field and in the stands all knelt down like a tidal wave, unable to contain their excitement any longer. They shouted out in unison from the bottom of their hearts, and their cheers shook the heavens!
A single glance reveals the Heavenly Gate; this is truly a living monument to the Sword Sect!
The representatives of the Mountain Gate on the three-tiered stone platform were all shocked by such a method, their hair standing on end.
"Brother Zhang." Yue Qing, the [Mountain Moving Army] who had been harboring resentment, was now looking at the beautiful figure on the field with disbelief in his voice, still in shock.
"Did you see that? It's only like this..."
"I saw it." Zhang Yan's throat was dry, and he nodded stiffly.
No wonder the Sword Sect dared to host such a grand banquet for all sides; it turns out that this Sword Master already possessed such terrifying martial prowess. His previous expedition into the forbidden land to kill demons and obtain cores was far from his limit.
Let alone performing on stage, his terrifying magical Magic Power output alone could easily crush them!
"Seventh level of the Dao Evolution Realm, no, it's almost at the eighth level..." Cao Ming murmured to himself as he sat on the stone platform at the top, feeling a chill run down his spine.
This Zhou Qingyan has been cultivating for less than four thousand years. Where did she acquire such talent?
This is truly defying the heavens.
Even within the [Four Extremes Twelve Gates], there are probably very few cases of such cultivation!
According to previous rumors, she had been suppressing her true level of cultivation until today, when it was finally revealed in its entirety!
Shocking! Inconceivable!
With such a master of Sword Dao, the Xuanming Sword Sect certainly has the confidence to summon him. Not to mention anything else, his effortless opening of the Heavenly Gate alone is enough to overshadow Ye Li's victory a few days ago!
Cao Ming felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn't understand why Heaven had been so kind to the Sword Sect, actually bestowing upon them a Sword Dao genius who was even better than the Sword Sect's first ancestor who had become Immortal Realm Supreme!
"Oh."
The Sword Sect Old Ancestor took in the slightly bitter change in his emotions, as well as the furrowed brows of the black-robed general below him. After suppressing his emotions for so long, he finally couldn't help but smile.
A millennium of planning has finally yielded its fruitful result!
From any perspective, he has won today's scheme!
Suppressing his elation, the Sword Sect Old Ancestor looked down at the bluestone Plaza once more, his deep and majestic voice resounding through the sky once more:
"The Heavenly Gate has opened; Sword Master, test your skills!"