The name of Ye Qiubai of the Cottage soon spread throughout the academy.
Countless people marveled at his strength.
It seemed he was already invincible within the Golden Core Realm!
The Sword Hall.
After Xin Hongyi heard the news.
"So Ye Qiubai was the disciple the Cottage took in that day..."
"But whatever he can do, I will certainly do better."
"I will show you just how much you lost by refusing to take me as your disciple that day."
With that, Xin Hongyi picked up a sword and headed straight for the martial arena.
That day, Xin Hongyi's name also spread throughout the academy.
Ten battles, ten victories, every one an overwhelming win!
Standing in the martial arena, Xin Hongyi declared that she would challenge Ye Qiubai at the academy tournament!
Everyone was in an uproar.
Elsewhere, in the Martial Hall.
Inside a courtyard.
Ye Yan sat on a stone chair, his expression shifting between light and shadow.
"Ye Qiubai! Impossible! How is this possible?!"
He had witnessed the moment Ye Qiubai's talent collapsed and his cultivation was lost with his own eyes!
How many days had passed since then?
Yet he had already reached the peak of the Golden Core Realm and was shining brilliantly in the academy!
"No, I can't let him return to the lineage alive..."
At present, a struggle for power was taking place within the Ye Lineage.
The grand elder, Ye Ling, and the current lineage head, Ye Qing, were fighting for control of the lineage.
Ye Qing was currently at a disadvantage because of what had happened to his son, Ye Qiubai.
But if the old fellows in the lineage learned that Ye Qiubai had recovered his talent and was even better than before, the situation might be reversed.
"In that case..."
Ye Yan's eyes filled with venom.
Meanwhile, in the Martial Dao Pavilion, where the academy's various cultivation methods and martial techniques were stored.
Having earned a large number of contribution points, Ye Qiubai naturally wanted to look at the academy's martial techniques and cultivation methods.
Ye Qiubai made several rounds through the cultivation method section.
He looked through several books, including some Earth Rank cultivation methods.
"As expected of the Hidden Dao Academy. These cultivation methods are considerably stronger than those of the aristocratic clans and sects outside."
The Ye Lineage's cultivation method was a Profound Rank cultivation method.
However, Ye Qiubai had no interest in these. After all, the gap between them and the Primordial Sword Scripture Lu Changsheng had given him was far too great.
Just what rank of cultivation method was this Primordial Sword Scripture...?
That master of his truly was mysterious.
He did not know what level his master's strength had reached, to be able to produce a cultivation method like the Primordial Sword Scripture and paint a scroll brimming with such concept.
At that thought, Ye Qiubai's respect for Lu Changsheng deepened.
Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng, who was lying in the sun at the Cottage, suddenly sneezed.
"Achoo! Which little bastard is cursing me?"
As he passed through the martial technique section, Ye Qiubai was drawn to an incomplete volume placed by itself.
He walked over and picked it up: Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon.
Opening it, he found only the cultivation instructions for the first through third swords.
Ye Qiubai considered it. The sword techniques in the Primordial Sword Scripture were too strenuous for him to execute at present, and some he could not use at all.
He might as well use this Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon to tide him over.
With that in mind, Ye Qiubai took the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon outside. As he paid his contribution points, the elder guarding the pavilion said, "This volume is incomplete. Even the Hidden Dao Academy doesn't have the final six swords. Whether you can master those six swords in the future will depend entirely on luck. Are you sure you want this one?"
Ye Qiubai nodded.
Seeing this, the pavilion elder offered no further advice. He handed the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon to Ye Qiubai, then sat back down to doze.
When Ye Qiubai returned to the Cottage, Lu Changsheng was fertilizing Willow Tree and feeding spirit fruit to Little Bird beside him.
"Ugh, even a tree needs me to give it spirit soil, and a mere little bird insists on eating spirit fruit. What a waste."
Little Bird flapped her fiery-red wings to express her displeasure.
Seeing Ye Qiubai approach, Lu Changsheng tossed him the spirit soil and said, "Finish the rest, then come see me."
Ye Qiubai nodded.
Only after everything was finished.
Did he go to find Lu Changsheng.
Reclining on a long chair, Lu Changsheng said, "I heard you went to the martial arena today. How did you do?"
Ye Qiubai cupped his fist respectfully. "I did not disgrace the Cottage's name. I won every match.
"Master, there is something else I would like to ask."
With that, he took out the incomplete Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon and asked, "I just picked this up from the martial technique section. I would like your guidance, Master."
Lu Changsheng glanced at it and took it. "An incomplete volume?"
[Incomplete Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon. Can be restored and improved.]
The system had this function too?
"Restore it."
With that, the remaining six swords of the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon appeared in Lu Changsheng's mind.
"Come here."
Ye Qiubai stepped forward. Lu Changsheng pressed a finger to the center of his forehead, and a vast amount of information flowed into Ye Qiubai's sea of consciousness.
The complete Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon!
Then Lu Changsheng picked up a branch and broke down the swordsmanship of the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon, demonstrating each move in turn.
Ye Qiubai watched from the side, inwardly astonished.
The Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon that Lu Changsheng demonstrated not only perfectly reproduced the contents of the incomplete volume, but also possessed an additional trace of profundity and greater power than the original!
After he had demonstrated all nine swords.
Lu Changsheng put away his sword and said, "The power is decent enough. It should serve you for a while. Also, the academy tournament is in two days. Get ready, then go cook. Your master is hungry."
With that, Lu Changsheng walked into the thatched cottage.
Over the next two days.
Ye Qiubai practiced the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon without cease.
By the day of the academy tournament, Ye Qiubai could already execute the fifth sword of the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon.
"Unfortunately, with my current cultivation realm, I can only barely manage the fifth sword."
Remembering how effortlessly Lu Changsheng had performed the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon, he sighed inwardly at how far he still had to go.
The academy tournament.
Was held in the Hidden Dao Academy's square.
The square was now a seething cauldron of voices, with countless people gathered around six raised platforms.
These six platforms represented the six people who could emerge victorious in this academy tournament.
The six victors would represent the Southern Region Hidden Dao Academy in an exchange with the academies of the Eastern, Western, and Northern Regions.
Though called an exchange, it was actually a contest to seize academy resources.
Qin Tiannan appeared in midair and announced in a ringing voice, "There are six platforms here. Whoever is still standing on them before the sun sets will win. There are no restrictions on the rules, but no deaths are permitted."
Afterward, Qin Tiannan also announced the rewards for the victors.
At once, everyone erupted in excitement. The rewards this time were far greater than those of previous academy tournaments.
The academy tournament began.
Yet no one moved.
After all, the results would only be announced at sunset. Anyone who went up now would only be attacked from all sides. Even if they could win those fights, the others would wear them down to death.
On seats a short distance away, Qin Tiannan sat with the elders of the various halls.
Lu Changsheng had also been dragged over by Qin Tiannan.
His face was full of reluctance.
"All right, I usually leave you alone, brat, but your disciple is competing today. As his master, shouldn't you come watch him in person?"
Seeing Lu Changsheng's resentment, Qin Tiannan could not help laughing. "I also want to see how far that disciple you took in can go in the tournament."