by Feng Yise
"Why would they? In the past competitions, it was always Platform No. 1 which won first. But you won the previous two rounds at virtually the first moment. It was tough for others to not pay attention!" Zhang Jing sighed admiringly.
Zhang Jing never imagined that this mysterious No. 52 was actually Ye Yuan.
Furthermore, Ye Yuan was only at the Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm currently. To actually be able to win with ease in the previous two rounds, how great was his strength?
Even though he was five minor realms higher than Ye Yuan, Zhang Jing unknowingly became rather guilty.
Thinking back to how he still felt superior in front of Ye Yuan, it was ludicrous thinking about it now.
However, Zhang Jing was also a magnanimous person. He felt at ease very quickly.
Recalling Senior Apprentice Brother Mo's actions back then, he actually noticed that there were some abnormalities.
Most likely, Senior Apprentice Brother Mo already knew at that time that Ye Yuan's strength had possibly already reached the level of Heaven Barracks, right? Otherwise, why would he hesitate on where to place Ye Yuan?
However, didn't that mean that when Ye Yuan was at the Second Level Spirit Condensation Realm, he was already not his match?
This . . . was really something which made people miserable!
Listening to Zhang Jing, Ye Yuan came to a realization. "So that's the case! I thought that Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang has good relations with people and that they came to watch Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang."
"Haha, Junior Apprentice Brother Ye is teasing me. How could I have such capabilities? Actually, in past competitions, the place which had the most people gathering around was Junior Apprentice Sister Tang Yu-er's platform. But the people below our platform this time is likely going to surpass hers," Zhang Jing also said smilingly.
Within sects, the ones who attained first were the masters. Although Zhang Jing was older than Tang Yu-er, his strength was much poorer. Hence, he also addressed the other party as senior apprentice sister.
Ye Yuan chuckled when he heard that and said, "I hope that Senior Apprentice Sister Tang Yu-er doesn't blame me for snatching her limelight."
While talking, the third round officially began.
After both parties saluted, Zhang Jing said, "When I saw Junior Apprentice Brother Ye back then, I really misjudged. To think that junior's strength was actually so formidable! However, I'll do my best later. I hope that Junior Apprentice Brother Ye won't be stingy with guidance!"
Ye Yuan naturally hoped strongly for this. He smiled and said, "I dare not. This Younger Brother will obviously go all out as well!"
"Please!"
"Please!"
The pair each gestured to begin as their auras rose abruptly!
"Purple Yang Clear Howl!"
The sword in Zhang Jing's hand shuddered violently and gave off waves of low cries. Countless azure sword qi extended out, heading straight for Ye Yuan!
Right away, it was an extremely fierce and sharp move!
"No way? Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang unleashed the Purple Yang Clear Howl right away. Isn't this too ludicrous?"
"Such a fierce and sharp sword qi, has Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang already trained the Purple Yang Clear Howl to the Great Circle Realm? The Purple Yang Clear Howl is an extremely formidable move in the second layer of the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art. Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang actually trained it to the Great Circle Realm already without anyone knowing it. Truly worthy of being the top seat of the Earth Barracks!"
"Just based on this move, Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang might squeeze into the top 10 and become a Heaven Barracks disciple!"
"Hehe, that's really hard to say. That bunch of sickos in the Heaven Barracks can't be measured using common sense. Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang is improving, but will they remain stagnant?"
"Now that you mentioned it, you're right! However, can this No. 52 receive this Purple Yang Clear Howl?"
"This . . . Probably going to be hard? No. 52 is incredible, but both you and I know the power of this Great Circle Realm Purple Yang Clear Howl. Most likely, even that perverse bunch in the top 10 would choke on this!"
This was Ye Yuan's first time facing an Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art sword move face on!
Him directly comprehending the sword intent on the Nine Heavens Road was equivalent to having a thorough understanding of this sword art. He did not need to exchange for the cultivation method in the sect.
In reality, the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art was a set of cultivation methods. It encompassed many martial techniques in it!
The Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art that the Tranquil Cloud Sect had comprised of a total of four layers. Each layer corresponded to a major realm!
And several sets of sword martial skills were included in each layer of the cultivation method.
This Purple Yang Clear Howl was an extremely powerful martial technique in the second layer. The training difficulty was high, and the power was incredible!
To have been able to train this martial technique to the Great Circle Realm showed Zhang Jing's remarkable strength.
Except, it was still somewhat lacking to use this move to deal with Ye Yuan.
Although Ye Yuan's realm was way lower than Zhang Jing's, when talking about comprehension towards the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Intent, Zhang Jing could not even catch up to Ye Yuan by whipping his horse!
That final sword on the Nine Heavens Road was the full comprehension You Wuya had towards the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Intent!
Ye Yuan fully comprehending that sword meant that he already stood on the same heights as You Wuya in terms of understanding of this sword intent!
This Purple Yang Clear Howl move from Zhang Jing was at most the standards of the first 10% of the last 333 steps on the Nine Heavens Road. The difference with the final sword move was too far.
Of course, Zhang Jing's advantage was his cultivation realm!
Unleashing a sword move with peak Ninth Level Spirit Condensation Realm strength, even if it were a trash-like move, the damage to a Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm would also be enormous; let alone the fact that the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art itself was extremely powerful!
Now . . . it was only to see Ye Yuan spinning around and sweep his sword horizontally!
What was released was not a single sword beam, but countless beams of sword qi!
In the air, beams of azure sword qi clashed with faint yellow sword qi. After each streak of sword qi collided, it would turn into nothing!
After several breaths, not a single one of the countless sword qi released by Zhang Jing actually bypassed Ye Yuan's sword qi to reach Ye Yuan!
"My . . . My God! H-How did he do it? No. 52 only unleashed one sword strike! The Purple Yang Clear Howl was broken just like this?"
"Too inconceivable! Did you see that? That sword strike from No. 52 was not any even a technique. It was just a simple slash! But how can that sword strike possibly produce so much sword qi?"
"Ah! I can't take it anymore! I can't take it anymore! This No. 52 is too perverse! The Purple Yang Clear Howl is ranked third among all the moves in the second layer, and it was actually broken by him so easily!"
Chapter 262 - Empty Alleys
"Purple Lighting Azure Frost!"
On Platform No. 1, Tian Yu gave a low cry, and his opponent was defeated.
The third round, the announcement of No. 1 winning was finally the first to sound out. Except, there was already nobody paying heed to such things.
Even Tian Yu himself was not in the mood to listen to this voice. He walked down the platform directly and headed towards the platform where Ye Yuan and Zhang Jing were facing off.
"Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens!"
On Platform No. 2, Tang Yu-er similarly cried out, the red silk in her hands bounded up her foe in a peculiar manner, beating him down easily.
The same thing happened to man
y disciples ranked in the top 10. They all wanted to rush to watch the platform that No. 52 was at. Just what kind of god was this mysterious No. 52?!
. . . . . .
At this very moment, the competition for elite disciples also reached the white-hot stage!
The number of elite disciples was forever fixed like core disciples. Except, there were only 20 elite disciples at all times!
These 20 people could be said to be the future hope of the sect!
The competition for elite disciples was different from core disciples. Every grand competition, they all fought in revolving battles!
20 people, that was also to say that each person had to experience 19 revolving battles!
Whoever won the most matches at the end would be rank one. And the people in the bottom three rankings had to undergo a final match with the top three core disciples to determine who stays and who leaves.
On Platform No. 3, a youth dressed in martial outfit unleashed a flurry of fist silhouettes, beating his opponent until he could only ward off the blows and without the slightest strength to retaliate!
Only to see him withdraw his fist momentum and give a low cry, "Boundless Tyrant Fist!"
Only to hear a boom, his opponent was sent flying out of the platform.
"Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu, your fist art is really becoming more and more powerful! It's simply flawless!" the youth who was defeated grumbled.
When he was on the platform earlier, that Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu was incomparably tyrannical with an aura that disdained all life.
But currently, Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu was meek like the boy-next-door.
The before and after was huge. It was hard for others to believe that they were the same person.
This Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu was called Ti Wujiu, the well-deserved leader of the elite disciples!
This person was normally very easy to get along with. He did not put on any airs of a senior. Disciples who did not know him simply could not imagine that he was the leader of the elite disciples.
But once the battle began, it was like Ti Wujiu was possessed by the god of war, going berserk on his opponent until they could not catch their breath.
From the start of the grand competition until now, more than half of the matches for the elite disciples had passed. Ti Wujiu was number one in terms of battle results with complete victories.
In reality, this was like a common occurrence to him.
The one who fought with him just now was called Cheng Wu. His strength was somewhat lacking among the elite disciples. Now that he lost battles repeatedly today, barring no accidents, he should be one of the bottom three placings.
Seeing Cheng Wu grumbled, Ti Wujiu smiled warmly and said, "How can there be a flawless fist art? It's just that you didn't find them. If it was Senior Apprentice Brother Mo or Senior Apprentice Brother Xin, this fist art of mine would be full of flaws."
The corner of Cheng Wu's mouth twitched slightly as he said, "They are both personal disciples who entered the sect much earlier than Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu. In future, Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu's accomplishments will surely not be beneath theirs! Furthermore, Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu tread up the Dao of using fist arts. To have such accomplishments is truly hard to come by!"
Mo Yuntian, Xin Lie, these people were accepted as personal disciples by the hall head. Although they were still disciples in title, they actually did not need to participate in the competition between disciples anymore.
What personal disciples had to do was to follow their master to cultivate, and they would frequently be sent out to carry out some missions.
And their status in the sect was actually no longer inferior to ordinary elders.
Ti Wujiu chuckled and did not continue with this topic. Instead, he laughed and said, "Little Wu, you seem to be slacking off a little recently. You actually lost so many matches this grand competition."
Cheng Wu had a bitter face when he heard that and said, "Sigh! Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu, it's really not that I'm slacking, but because all of you improve too quickly! I already can't quite follow your footsteps! I won't talk about that any longer. Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu, there happens to be some time for us now; can I trouble you to accompany me to the core disciples' area to take a look and scout out the enemy? I want to see to what extent Tian Yu that boy has improved."
Ti Wujiu had a mild temperament and did not reject. He nodded his head and went with Cheng Wu to the core disciples' area.
"En? What's the matter? Don't tell me it has all ended? Where did all the people go to?"
Cheng Wu came over to take a look. All the platforms were empty, leaving only one platform full of people beneath it.
It actually gave people a feeling of empty alleys!
"En? It's rather odd. Who's fighting on that platform? Why would there be so many onlookers?" Ti Wujiu was also curious.
"Come, let's go over and look too!" Cheng Wu said.
When the two approached, Ti Wujiu's gaze involuntarily turned sharp!
On the platform, sword light radiated as sword qi ran wild!
A youth who looked very unfamiliar was locked in battle with the Earth Barracks' Zhang Jing!
The most frightening thing was that the youth was actually only at the Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm! But his attainments in sword art were so great that it simply took people's breath away in amazement!
To be able to fight so fiercely as a Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm against a peak Ninth Level Spirit Condensation Realm showed the might of this youth!
When did such a freakish youth appear in the Tranquil Cloud Sect?
"Senior Apprentice Brother Wujiu, quickly look, Tian Yu is also there watching the fight! Tang Yu-er and Luo Chengfeng too! They are all actually watching this young man's competition!" Cheng Wu exclaimed in shock like he discovered a new continent.
Ti Wujiu nodded and said, "I wonder who this young man is. A Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm actually has such combat strength!"
The people below the stage were already long mesmerized from watching.
Ye Yuan and Zhang Jing already fought for over a hundred rounds and had yet to determine the victor!
Ye Yuan's understanding towards sword intent made everyone feel utterly ashamed of their inadequacy.
No matter how unpredictable the sword moves Zhang Jing unleashed were, Ye Yuan could easily resolve them.
However, Zhang Jing's strength was also really very strong. Ye Yuan grasped an opportunity in between to display the Nine Swords Stance.
Except, it was too rushed at that time. The power of the Nine Swords Stance did not achieve the most ideal outcome.
Zhang Jing actually barely dodged the nine streaks of sword light!
After that time, Zhang Jing broke out in cold sweat all over his body. Ever since then, he was abnormally cautious and absolutely did not give Ye Yuan any chance to display the Nine Swords Stance.
Right now, Zhang Jing's powerful performance was displayed in its entirety. Ye Yuan could not find any chance at all!
Just like this, both parties sunk into a fierce exchange. All of Zhang Jing's attacks had completely no effect, but he did not give Ye Yuan any chance to attack either. The two people actually fought all the way until now like this!
All the matches had already ended, leaving only this match!
However, the audience below the stage was not at all irritated. The majority of them cultivated the incomplete Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art and were very s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to sword intent.
From the start of the battle until now, watching Ye Yuan's unbelievably profound sword intent, the crowd all felt that they reaped no little benefits!
Ye Yuan's sword intent originally contained the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Intent within. Although these disciples felt that it was extremely abstruse, they could more or less perceive some things.
Chapter 263 - Admitting Defeat
&nbs
p; "Tian Yu, is this No. 52 using the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art? Why does it look like it seems to be, yet not really so?" Tang Yu-er's pretty face was full of doubt.
Tian Yu's eyes were filled with astoundment at the moment!
In terms of understanding towards the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art, he had no equal among the younger generation.
Although Ti Wujiu was ranked one among the elite disciples, what he specialized in was fist techniques, and not the sect's foundations, the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art.
In terms of this cultivation skill, Tian Yu was number one ever since returning from the Nine Heavens Road!
It was just that due to cultivation realm limitations, his strength could not compare to elite disciples yet.
Except, when he saw Ye Yuan and Zhang Jing's faceoff, he actually had a deeply profound sensation.
That sort of sensation was as if he was facing that final sword on the Nine Heavens Road. No, it seemed to be even more profound than that sword!
Could this be the trudging out your own path that Ye Yuan referred to?
Tian Yu shook his head and said, "I don't know either! I only know that his understanding of the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art has already reached the stage of having it at his fingertips! Since he started fighting with Zhang Jing until now, he did not even use any move, but it is formless winning moves!"
"How is he compared to you?" Tang Yu-er asked.
Tang Yu-er was not a sword cultivator and was not very s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e towards sword intent.
Tian Yu smiled bitterly and said, "Simply no way of comparing."
Tang Yu-er did not notice Tian Yu's expression and said in relief, "That's what I said. How can a Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm possibly be your match? Zhang Jing and he are pretty much evenly matched. There's simply no comparison to you!"
To a proud child of heaven, their greatest fear was nothing more than being replaced by a newcomer like Ye Yuan who suddenly appeared. Even a great beauty like Tang Yu-er was not immune to it.
For geniuses like Tian Yu and Tang Yu-er, it had only been them surpassing others. Since when were they surpassed by others?