Chu Qi gripped the longsword that had been with him for many years tightly in both hands, his chest heaving violently.
The Heart-Tempering Road he had just walked was like a life-or-death ordeal, with each step feeling like a test of life and death.
In those hallucinations, he relived the night his village was trampled flat by ferocious beasts, witnessed his loved ones lying in pools of blood, and heard their heart-wrenching cries once more.
But he drew his sword time and time again, cleaving through the illusions, and with sheer willpower, he reached the end.
He only had the cultivation of the Chaos Realm, not even the Eternal Dao Master. He was able to complete the Heart-Tempering Road the Heart entirely because of his inner strength.
"Haha, I finally passed!"
Chu Qi threw her head back and laughed loudly, her laughter somewhat hoarse, her eyes red-rimmed, but not a single tear fell.
He wiped the dust off his face and walked towards the white-robed monk on the platform.
The white-robed cultivator was an outer sect steward of Heart Sword Peak, responsible for verifying the qualifications of those who had Heart-Tempering Road.
He looked Chu Qi up and down, then frowned.
They seem a bit silly; I don't know how they passed the Heart-Tempering Road.
Then a burst of spiritual energy swept over Chu Qi, and the white-robed cultivator's brows furrowed even deeper.
" The Chaos Realm?"
The white-robed monk's tone carried a hint of disbelief and disdain:
"With your cultivation level... and that kind of Root Bone..."
He shook his head, closed the jade book in his hand, and spoke in a cold and resolute tone:
"You have indeed completed the Heart-Tempering Road, and your temperament is barely passable, but your cultivation level is too low; you are not even Eternal Dao Master... You should leave; there is no place for you in the Heart Sword Pavilion."
He didn't even need to check the other person's identity; they must have come from an extremely humble background. Even if he let them in, they would be eliminated sooner or later, so it was pointless.
Chu Qi's face turned deathly pale.
He opened his mouth, his voice trembling slightly:
"I've completed the Heart-Tempering Road. Your rules state that anyone who completes the Heart-Tempering Road can join the Heart Sword Pavilion. Why won't you let me in?"
The white-robed cultivator waved his hand impatiently:
"The rule says there's an opportunity, not that you have to accept it. You don't even know that? It seems you didn't understand from the beginning."
"I advise you to go back and cultivate for tens of thousands more years, until you reach the Eternal Realm."
He paused, a hint of undisguised sarcasm playing on his lips:
"Of course, with your Root Bone, you might not be able to reach the Eternal Dao Realm even if you cultivate for hundreds of thousands of years."
"But..."
Seeing that Chu Qi still wanted to argue, his face darkened.
"That's enough. If you keep bothering me, don't blame me for being impolite."
As a dignified outer sect deacon of Heart Sword Peak and Eternal True God, it was already quite patient of him for the other party, a mere ant in the Chaos Realm, to speak so much to him.
To be honest, even if the other party steps into the Eternal Dao Master and becomes a member of the Heart Sword Pavilion, they will never be able to grasp the true essence of Sword Dao in their entire life.
Moreover, the competition within the Heart Sword Pavilion is extremely fierce; it's not something a kid like him can survive in.
He was doing it for the other person's own good.
High in the distance, Han Xuanji took in the entire scene.
With his current level of cultivation, not even a blade of grass or a tree a thousand miles away could escape his perception, so he naturally heard every word of the conversation between the white-robed cultivator and Chu Qi.
The Sword Venerable Wuxin followed his gaze, glanced at him, shook his head, and chuckled softly:
" The Heart-Tempering Road test only assesses one's State of Mind. A cultivator in the Chaos Realm who wants to enter the Upper Three Pavilions, especially one with poor talent, would not be able to pass the simplest test within the Heart Sword Pavilion, and would still be expelled in the end. At that time, their situation would only be more difficult."
It is cruel to give hope only to destroy it.
But since it's already destined to be a tragedy, it's better to end it sooner rather than later.
He paused, and seeing that Han Xuanji seemed somewhat concerned, he casually added:
"Of course, if you pity him, it's not impossible to give him a break."
Even such a small favor could earn him a huge reward from Han Xuanji.
Han Xuanji did not respond immediately, but instead quietly used the system to investigate.
He was initially just touched by the scene of the young man being rejected after completing the Heart-Tempering Road, but when the system information appeared in his mind, his expression changed slightly.
[ Chu Qi: A person of great fortune in the Chaos True Realm, favored by Tianming. (More information can be obtained by spending 10,000 Eternal Point Count )]
A person with great fortune.
Han Xuanji's heart stirred.
He had met many people with great fortune, such as Hui Feng, Wan Zhu, and Li Linglong, but even those people had a limit, no matter how low their starting point was.
A cultivator at the Chaos Realm, not even Eternal Dao Master, is actually a person of great fortune?
There must be something fishy about this, and it has also triggered the new ability of the previously upgraded investigation function.
Han Xuanji was silent for a moment, then silently recited in his heart:
"System, consuming 10,000 points, continue exploration."
[ Chu Qi: A person of great fortune in the Chaos True Realm, favored by Tianming. In his previous life, he was the Undying Saint King. While exploring the forbidden land of the Origin Universe " Ancient Divine Tomb," he was Curse an ominous creature. He chose to face death and be reborn, abandoning all his memories to reincarnate and cultivate anew. Due to the corruption of his true spirit, he has already experienced nine thousand nine hundred reincarnations. In each life, his talent has been mediocre, and his highest cultivation level has only reached the Eternal True Lord Realm.]
When Han Xuanji saw this message, he remained outwardly calm, but his heart was in turmoil.
The Undying Saint King.
He is one of the three supreme masters of body refinement on the Eternal Continent, on par with the Indestructible Saint King and the Immortal Saint Emperor.
They have all reached the pinnacle of their respective paths, achieving unparalleled combat prowess.
After his previous encounter with Hui Feng, he had inquired about the Undying Saint King.
Among the three Saint King, the Undying Saint King is the most mysterious. It is said that he left the Eternal Continent long ago, his whereabouts are unknown, and he did not leave behind any legacy.
The young man before them, who wasn't even the Eternal Dao Master, was actually the reincarnation of the Undying Saint King.
Abandon all memories, and face death to find a way out.
This means that the Undying Saint King, after being subjected to an extremely terrible and ominous Curse, actively chose this path of reincarnation, a path with almost no turning back.
His successful reincarnation and the gradual dissipation of the Curse demonstrate that his choice was not wrong.
Han Xuanji understood.
He turned his head and said to the Sword Venerable Wuxin:
"Senior Wuxin, I'm new to the Sword Pavilion and need someone to serve me tea and water. This man seems like a decent person, barely qualified. Why don't you let him come with me?"
The Sword Venerable Wuxin was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
He glanced at the disheveled young man in the Chaos Realm in the distance, then at Han Xuanji.
Of course, Han Xuanji knew that he wasn't lacking a servant, but rather that he should be able to see something extraordinary about this young man.
However, even with his Saint King- level eyesight, he couldn't see anything special about Chu Qi.
What does Han Xuanji mean by this?
Does that mean there are points he hasn't noticed?
The Sword Venerable Wuxin had many guesses in his mind, but since Han Xuanji had already spoken, he naturally wouldn't refuse such a small matter.
The Sword Venerable Wuxin nodded and smiled:
"I'm glad you're willing. However, this kid's cultivation level is too low; he might not even be able to serve tea and water properly by your side."
"It's alright, we can teach you slowly."
Han Xuanji said calmly.
The other person has been reincarnated nine thousand nine hundred times, and now he stands before Han Xuanji in this life. Han Xuanji felt that this could not be a coincidence.
Perhaps in this lifetime, we can rebuild our glory.