by Fat Bread
From childhood to present, he was always the compared and praised object when other children's parents scolded them.
Whatever it was, he could do everything perfectly and easily.
No matter whether it came to study or practicing his sword skill. He was always the best amongst the children of his age. He was even far better than the children who were older than him.
When he was 16 years old, he came to the Sword Palace and was already a 3rd ranked swordsman. It was a great achievement even amongst all the Sword Palace disciples, and he was only a step away from the top ten disciples.
The hero rank was like a reachless dream for ordinary people, and even for most of the Sword Palace disciples, but it wasn't a problem for him.
Several months ago, he had touched the edge of the hero rank, and vaguely realized what road he should step on.
He didn't try to enter the hero rank immediately, because he wanted to accumulate much more experience before that. He wanted to accomplish it perfectly.
He had the wild ambition and confidence that when he entered the hero rank, he could immediately rank into the list of top ten Sword Palace disciples and let everyone know his name.
For this, he kept suppressing his true strength and accumulated his experience when practicing, because he wanted to understand the road he would step on deeper.
He would become the number one amongst all 3rd ranked Sword Palace disciples. He believed in this firmly.
He never doubted that he was born for stepping onto a higher stage. He would walk out of the White Lotus Sword Domain and witness the prosperous high-level sword domains with his own eyes.
His goal was the White Lotus Secret Treasure. He thought if he could accomplish the dream of all disciples, obtaining this treasure, he would become a great legend just like Yun Hai the Sword Master.
"Bang!" A thud stopped Zhou Zhen's thinking. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the bloody figure on the ground indifferently.
"Carry him out! Who is next?" Hua Huo waved her hand as a sign, then the disciples around the ring quickly came up and carried the 13th loser out.
"She defeated Childe Tai Yuan. He is an elite disciple from a high-level sword domain!"
"She wasn't just boasting. Perhaps she is really the number one freshman."
"Did you see how she beat Childe Tai Yuan down?"
After he was carried out, a rumpus raised amongst the disciples around the ring.
Undoubtedly, the power Hua Huo just showed shocked everyone. They realized that this "number one freshman" wasn't simple.
The weakest disciple who challenged her was at the peak of the 2nd rank. Childe Tai Yuan was a real genius who had touched the peak of the 3rd rank, even so, he just held on for a few seconds when facing her.
For her, it was like breaking a dead branch from a tree when she beat them down! Till now, she had defeated 13 disciples who dared to challenge her, and everyone was facing the same result: being carried out laying on a stretcher made of door planks.
"It's my show time now." Zhou Zhen held his sword.
His sword was three feet long and called "Cold Moon", it was a top class spirit weapon his family found for him.
From 5 years old, this sword was always with him. The sword was literally growing up with him.
After he reached the hero rank, this sword would keep growing up with him until it became his god weapon.
He had a foreboding though. Today would become a very special day to him.
As the number one disciple of the previous term, in the face of the number one disciple of this term, his heart was itching for a fight.
It was an emotion called "excitement", because as a genius who often challenged the people that were far stronger than him, he saw his past self when looking at Hua Huo.
Oh, I'm her predecessor and the number one 3rd ranked disciple, should I teach her a lesson gently? Or show her the ruthlessness of the Rated Battles of the Sword Palace without mercy?
When he looked at her confident face, he knew she believed that she could defeat everyone here. He smiled. How similar she is with my past self when I first came to the Sword Palace!
Although he didn't challenge the entire Sword Palace in front of everyone, he did challenge all top ten disciples when he had just arrived.
Of course, his challenge ended after he was defeated ten times. The top ten disciples had all reached the hero rank, who had the chance to touch the projection of the secret treasure, and he had just reached the 3rd rank at that time. Defeating him was as easy as blowing off dust to them.
Only after reaching the hero rank, one would have the chance to enter the list of the top ten disciples. Thousands of years ago, it had almost become an iron rule of the White Lotus Sword Palace. And only the disciples in the list of the top ten would have a chance to touch the projection of the secret treasure and try to be recognized by it.
The top ten disciples now were all Zhou Zhen's challenging goals. He had decided to challenge them again after he reached the hero rank.
Now, he looked at her as if she was his innocent past self.
There were two ways to graduate from the White Lotus Sword Palace.
First, reach the peak of the 3rd rank within five years. After that, the disciple would officially graduate as an ordinary disciple of the Sword Palace.
Second, become a top ten disciple and gain acceptance from the projection of the secret treasure. After that, the disciple will be recognized as an authentic disciple of the Sword Palace and be invited to enter a "higher world".
Apparently, there was a world of difference between the two ways of graduating. All geniuses who had confidence in themselves would feel ashamed to graduate in the first way.
Only the people who gain recognition from the projection of the White Lotus Secret Treasure were the authentic disciples of the Sword Palace, and all the other people were losers. They only got a certificate of graduation from the Sword Palace with nothing more.
As for the disciples who didn't reach the peak of the 3rd rank within 5 years? They wouldn't even obtain the certificate of graduation!
When graduating, the disciples who obtained the White Lotus Badge were the official graduates.
However, only the disciples who wore the Ice Lotus Badge on their chests at that time, were the authentic disciples of the Sword Palace!
Chapter 341: The Next!
White Lotus Badge stood for the recognition of the Sword Palace and was the pride of the entire White Lotus Sword Domain. Any graduate who had this badge would be respected as a high class person in the mortal world or could use it as a "key" to open the door leading to high level sword domains.
Ice Lotus Badge stood for the highest honour of the Sword Palace. Even in high level sword domains like the Great Zhou or the Great Xia, the people holding this badge would be treated with special respect.
Even the people in far away god's domains, such as in Western God's and Dragon God's Domain, recognized the Ice Lotus Badge, because it was equal to a confirmation of the hero rank.
The basic requirement to obtain an Ice Lotus Badge was to reach the hero rank. A person under the hero rank would never be listed in the top ten list of the White Lotus Sword Domain, even if there were still vacant positions in the top ten list.
Hero ranked beings held the balance of all god's domains. There were the foundation stone and core force of the endless domains.
Most legend ranked beings, such as Casina, Shaya Longnis and Hydra were bothered to deal with political affairs. It was a general case throughout all domains.
To legend ranked beings, including gods, fantasy creatures, and humans who were even stronger than fantasy creature overlords, the laws and morals of the mortal worlds could never restrict them.
Although they lived in the same universe with all beings, their "society" indeed overrode the secular world.
Hero ranked beings were the real rulers of the mortal world, the links connecting between the mortal rank and the
legend rank together with them.
Zhou Zhen's first goal was to obtain an Ice Lotus Badge. In order to accomplish this, he needed to defeat one of the current top ten disciples and got the chance to touch the projection of the secret treasure.
Therefore, he needed to practice his "mortal body" to his limit, so that he could enter the hero rank in his most consummate state.
Only in this case, he could obtain the strongest power he could have after he reached the hero rank.
To him, "Hua Huo's challenge" was a perfect touchstone for him.
"Oh, it seems that you are different from these idiots before." Hua Huo backhanded her broken sword and looked at Zhou Zhen with a faint smile.
"I felt a very familiar temperament from you. Perhaps it's because we are all the best amongst the same generation." Listening to her prideful speech, he just smiled tolerantly.
She was indeed a super genius. From the battles before, he was sure that this girl in front of him would undoubtedly obtain an Ice Lotus Badge soon.
Just like me, she is a genius above geniuses. Perhaps she never tasted the bitterness of failure before she came to the White Lotus Sword Domain.
After all, it's rare to encounter hero ranked people in the mortal world.
Just like the rule of "legend rank beings can't enter common sword domains without permission", there was also an unspoken rule that hero ranked beings couldn't enter the mortal world without permission, unless there was a valid justification.
The existence itself of legend ranked beings would cause earthquakes and seaquakes in the mortal world. Hero ranked beings wouldn't cause these problems, but they were still too dangerous for ordinary people.
All hero ranked beings had exceeded the limit of flesh and blood, they could easily abolish any state power alone. If they interfered in the politics of any mortal world, they would inevitably break the balance amongst civil authorities.
This was also the reason why the forces in the sword handle area were shocked when they knew the twin witches would hold the Entrance Examination of the Sword Palace personally.
According to the rules of the entire Sky Sword God's Domain, Sword Palaces could control the sword tip area of each sword domain, the sword blade area belonged to wild animals and other forces, and the sword handle area were the residence of ordinary people.
Hero ranked beings should stay in the sword blade area and sword tip area. Unless it was really necessary, they should never get themselves involved in the mortal world.
This was order and balance, for leaving a peaceful living area for mortals.
Till Zhou Zhen came to the Sword Palace and saw the world of the hero rank with his eyes, he finally understood how ridiculous his arrogance about his talent was.
Yes, he was a genius, but none of the boys and girls who had arrived at the Sword Palace was an ordinary person.
Even though the disciples who were regarded as reservists, who wouldn't be admitted as the formal disciples of the Sword Palace, they were all super geniuses in the cities or towns they were born in.
The top ten disciples were all far more competent than Zhou Zhen. They taught him a heavy lesson, making him understand the gap between the mortal rank and the hero rank.
"You are strong, far stronger than when I just arrived at the Sword Palace, however, you are still a mortal and your power has a limit, because even the strongest mortal rank can't defeat the weakest hero rank! So, your challenge will be ended by me!" Zhou Zhen had no doubt that he was already the strongest disciple under the hero rank. He drew out his sword, pointing it at Hua Huo.
"The name of my sword is Cold Moon, and the sword skill I will use is..."
"Boom!" She brandished her sword. The shock wave blowed Zhou Zhen into the air. Three seconds later, he dropped to the ring like a battered doll.
"Carry him out. Next!" She shrugged her shoulders and yelled again.
"Humph, Zhou Zhen was useless. It seems that I have to meet this challenge." The tenth disciple, Luo Su, who was from a middle level sword domain and had practiced in the Sword Palace three years stepped onto the ring. He was the first hero ranked disciple on the ring.
"Boom!" 2 seconds later, he was blown off into the sky and dropped to the ground, then was quickly carried out by the disciples who wasn’t surprised to see this result.
"Carry him out. Next!" Her spirit mounted as the battle progressed. Her temperament was so amazing as if she was a tyrannosaurus who just broke into a sheepfold.
"No, I don't believe this! She must be using a secret skill, which can only have a reserve of a few minutes!" The ninth disciple, Wang Qi held his standard god weapon "Steel Scale Sword" in his hand and came to the ring.
"Boom!" A big human shaped hole appeared on the ground. His standard god weapon, "Steel Scale Sword" was twisted and casually thrown at the ground.
The disciples were already numb to this. They skillfully carried Wang Qi out.
"Carry him out. Next!"
"Carry him out. Next!"
"Carry him out. Next!"
"Carry him out. Next!"
Hua Huo's morale became higher and higher. After she broke one standard god weapon after another and beat down one genius after another, the disciples around the ring, who were already speechless, looked at her in mute amazement.
Finally, "There is no next!" Yun Xi yelled at her in a low voice.
She had defeated all the top ten disciples of the White Lotus Sword Domain.
Chapter 342: Nobody Beats
The crowd fell into silence. Around the ring, nobody spoke, even if a needle had fallen down onto the ground, the sound would be heard by everyone now.
The strongest person under the hero rank, Zhou Zhen was defeated.
Immediately after that, the tenth disciple, Luo Su of the "Broken Iron Sword" was defeated, and he was the first hero ranked disciple who toppled down to the ground.
The ninth disciple, Wang Qi of the "Steel Scale Sword" was defeated. He was born in the Great Yuan Sword Domain and good at frontal attack.
The eighth disciple, Bai Yun of the "White Light Sword" was defeated. He was born in the White Lotus Sword Domain and returned to this domain specially from a high level sword domain.
The seventh disciple, Xie Huanzhen of the "Blood Sword" was defeated. He was a noble born in an aristocratic family of the Great Shang Sword Domain.
The sixth disciple, Xuanyuan Xiaoyue of the "Ice Spirit Sword" was defeated. She was a talented girl born in the Great Zhou Sword Domain and was good at the ice type sword skill.
The fifth disciple, Ximen Liuyun of the "Three Blades Sword" was defeated and his standard god weapon was broken. He was a genius born in the Great Han Sword Domain.
The fourth disciple, Qin Su of the "Son of Heaven" was defeated. He was a real prince born to an imperial family of the Great Qin Sword Domain. His sword "The Son of Heaven" was an inherited god weapon and the first sword Hua Huo didn't break.
From the tenth to the fourth, they were the pride of the White Lotus Sword Palace, but none of them could withstand her attack.
Even if their swords were standard god weapons, their swords couldn't stay in one piece in the face of her broken sword! Only Qin Su's sword which was a real high level god weapon could survive her attack.
After that, even the top three disciples, the strongest three people were defeated.
The third disciple, Yin Su of the "Ghost Sword" was defeated. She was one of the candidates of the future master of the Ghost Sword Domains and her "Ghost Sword" was the inherited god weapon of that domain.
The second disciple, Rod of the "Dragon Shield Sword" was defeated. He was a talented swordsman from the distant Dragon God's Domain and his sword was a patrimonial sword of his hero family.
The first disciple, Xia Ling of the "Dragon Soul Sword" was defeated. She was a princess of the Great Xia Sword Domain and her twin swords could transform into two dragons. She once took part in the junior class of the Battle God's Championship Contest and had poss
essed the throne as the number one for three years. Although she was thought of as the strongest female swordsman, she was still defeated.
When her twin swords were knocked out of her hands and the dragon soul of flame and lightning collapsed and disappeared from her body, everything that happened had taken their breath looking at this scene.
They just witnessed the start of a brand new era, a moment that was doomed to be recorded in the history of the White Lotus Sword Palace.
As a freshman, Hua Huo challenged the top ten disciples on the very first day she came to the White Lotus Sword Palace, and crushed them all through her overwhelming strength.