by Feng Yise
Now that a mysterious No. 52 suddenly popped out, the impact it had on them was enormous.
Instinctively, Tang Yu-er did not wish that Ye Yuan could surpass her.
Even if she was surpassed, it at least had to be after some time later.
Ye Yuan was only at the Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm. Being surpassed by him like this in the first grand competition after he entered the sect was too humiliating!
This was not that Tang Yu-er was narrow-minded but human nature.
Not just her, but Tian Yu, Luo Chengfeng, and the rest actually also had this mentality. Otherwise, why would they think to finish their own match to come over and watch the fight?
Tian Yu was stunned, then laughed wryly and said, "That's not it! Ye Yuan's comprehension of Sword Dao is way stronger than mine! Don't look at how I'm stronger than Zhang Jing; if it were me on that platform right now, the battle situation would not be any better than his."
Tang Yu-er's eyes went wide as she said disbelievingly, "How's that possible? You're clearly way stronger than Zhang Jing!"
Tang Yu-er's meaning was that Ye Yuan and Zhang Jing's strength were roughly the same while Tian Yu was much stronger than Zhang Jing. In that case, Tian Yu's strength was naturally much stronger than Ye Yuan's.
Tian Yu shook his head and said, "Ye Yuan can fight Zhang Jing to a draw as a Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm, why do you think that is the case?"
Tang Yu-er thought about it and said, "It should be his sword intent, right?"
Tian Yu nodded and said, "I'm stronger than Zhang Jing because my comprehension towards the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art is deeper than his. But Ye Yuan's understanding towards sword intent is way stronger than mine. Regardless of what sword move I use, it will be easily resolved by him! How do I fight like this?"
Tang Yu-er said reluctantly, "Doesn't that mean that everyone who cultivates the Sword Dao in the sect isn't his match?"
Tian Yu said, "At least among the disciples, that's the case!"
"This . . . How is this possible? Humph! I don't believe it! I must defeat him!" Tang Yu-er refused to concede defeat.
Tian Yu chuckled and did not say much. Honestly speaking, Tian Yu was also very much looking forward to the clash between Tang Yu-er and Ye Yuan.
Tang Yu-er did not cultivate sword dao. No matter how strong Ye Yuan's sword intent was, it could not affect Tang Yu-er's performance.
Tang Yu-er had half-step Crystal Formation Realm strength. How should Ye Yuan resolve that?
. . . . . .
On the platform, Ye Yuan and Zhang Jing's fight had already progressed to a white-hot stage.
Zhang Jing suddenly withdrew his sword and stood there, saying to Ye Yuan, "Wait!"
Ye Yuan similarly stopped and said, "What guidance does Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang have?"
Zhang Jing laughed calmly and said, "I didn't think that Junior Apprentice Brother Ye's Sword Dao attainments were actually so great! Zhang Jing admits defeat! Next, I'll unleash my strongest sword. If Junior Apprentice Brother Ye can receive it, then this Zhang will directly concede!"
Ye Yuan smiled and said, "Please go ahead, Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang!"
Zhang Jing shut his eyes and s.u.c.k.e.d in a deep breath. He raised the sword in his hand.
All of a sudden, purple lightning flashed around Zhang Jing's sword. An extremely powerful aura rippled out!
"It's Purple Lightning Azure Frost! Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang mastered the Purple Lightning Azure Frost!" someone below the stage said agitatedly.
"This is the second strongest move in the second layer. Very few people in the sect can comprehend it! Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang having comprehended the Purple Lightning Azure Frost should be charging for the top 10 this time!"
"But . . . is this move effective against No. 52?"
". . . . . ."
Collective speechlessness!
Ye Yuan's sword art which lifted the heavy as if it were light already shook everyone's heart!
Such a long fighting duration, Ye Yuan gave everyone a feeling that he could break apart any kind of sword move no matter what!
He was undefeatable!
"Purple Lightning Azure Frost!" Zhang Jing gave a low cry. Purple-colored lightning mixed within azure colored sword beams shot towards Ye Yuan.
But the so-called strongest move in Zhang Jing's mouth really did not pose much of a threat to Ye Yuan.
All of the Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art's sword moves were ineffective to Ye Yuan!
Unless they were like Mo Yuntian, a martial artist who was a major realm higher than Ye Yuan. That way, they could use absolute strength to crush Ye Yuan.
It was only to see Ye Yuan made a stabbing move straight on, receiving this attack directly.
Under everyone's stupefied gazes, the violent purple lightning and azure sword qi entered Ye Yuan's sword tip and vanished.
The strongest move actually did not even stir a single wave!
Zhang Jing was not as dejected as imagined. Instead, he gave a faint smile and said, "I lost!"
Ye Yuan beamed and said, "Thanks for giving way, Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang!"
"Not at all! I didn't give way at all! I already unleashed everything I had but could not do anything to you! If our cultivation realms were similar, I reckon that I would also be instantly trounced. I truly did not think that Junior Apprentice Brother Ye was actually so formidable!" Zhang Jing said with a rather emotional sigh.
Ye Yuan smiled but did not follow up.
Ye Yuan would not be wildly arrogant, but would not humble himself unduly either. If their realms were similar, he could easily defeat Zhang Jing instantly.
But Ye Yuan naturally would not brag about something like that.
"I had many gains during this battle. I'll enter a closed-seclusion while the sensation from the battle earlier is still there! Junior Apprentice Brother Ye, I wish you all the best in your matches at the back! Farewell!"
Finishing, Zhang Jing left floatingly without even turning his head back.
"Platform No. 13, No. 52 win!" Elder Feng's voice suddenly sounded, shattering the dead quiet scene.
Ti Wujiu looked at the figure on the platform and said to Cheng Wu with a grin, "Looks like there's another interesting opponent in this grand competition!"
Cheng Wu pulled a bitter face and said, "How is this interesting? Why are there more and more freaks!"
Chapter 264 - Dao of Calligraphy!
"Where the hell did this No. 52 pop out from? His sword arts are simply at the peak of perfection!"
"Isn't it so? Senior Apprentice Brother Zhang even used the Purple Lightning Azure Frost, but it was completely useless against No. 52!"
"I heard that he just ascended from the secular world. How could that land of the mundane possibly give birth to such a freak?"
"I heard that he isn't even 16 years old yet. Even if he gained enlightenment on the Dao in his mother's w.o.m.b, it's also impossible to reach such an extent, right?"
. . . . . .
Ye Yuan defeating Zhang Jing caused a huge commotion among the sect disciples.
Ye Yuan's name was very quickly known by all the disciples.
Ceng Cheng also saw the match between Ye Yuan and Zhang Jing. He rejoiced that he did not find trouble with Ye Yuan back then. Otherwise, he would have lost a great amount of face.
He only knew now that Ye Yuan teaching his younger brother a lesson did not even count as an appetizer.
Ye Yuan's strength could aim for the top 3!
Ceng Cheng was similarly a sword cultivator. He was deeply aware of Ye Yuan's Sword Dao's prowess. Even if Tian Yu up there, he might not gain any advantages.
If not because Ceng Cheng passed the third round, he also wanted to enter seclusion like Zhang Jing did!
Ceng Cheng believed that there was quite a number with the same thoughts as him. Among them even included Tian Yu!
Ye Yuan did not let any ripples surface on his state of m
ind because of becoming a celebrity. Because this was not worth mentioning to him.
With his aptitude, if he could not even catch people's eyes in a Lower Realm's tiny sect, then it would be an epic fail.
Ye Yuan's opponent in the fourth round was still a sword cultivator disciple. That disciple's strength was much weaker than Zhang Jing's. The result need not be said.
Starting from the fourth round all the way until the top four elites were born, there would be a disciple who fell every round.
After four rounds of battle, a day passed by just like that.
The battle on the second day was of the utmost importance. The weak disciples were basically all eliminated during the first stage. Those remaining were all elites among the disciples.
The battles during the second day were all basically the strong facing the strong! Such a competition was naturally 100% worth watching.
Ye Yuan's opponent in the fifth round was a top 10 expert, similarly a sword cultivator disciple.
In reality, this disciple's strength was roughly the same as Zhang Jing's. His Azure Dipper Purple Yang Sword Art was likewise trained to the Purple Lightning Azure Frost.
Originally, Zhang Jing wanted to rely on the Purple Lightning Azure Frost to assail the top 10 this time. But the result was that he was unexpectedly eliminated by Ye Yuan in the third round.
The outcome was obviously no surprise. After a bout of struggle, Ye Yuan won once more!
Nobody could have imagined that there would actually be a Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm who entered the top seven this grand competition!
However, there wasn't really anyone who was unconvinced by this result. This was what Ye Yuan won round after round, without the slightest bit of trickery.
In between, Ye Yuan defeated several experts whose strengths were sufficient to enter the top 10.
Ye Yuan was well deserving of the top seven!
"After winning another opponent, you can enter the top four! Initially, I thought that you would shock everyone in one move the next grand competition. I didn't think that you would do it now." Long Tang look at Ye Yuan as he sighed emotionally.
Ye Yuan smiled and said, "You're not bad too. To pass through three rounds consecutively with Fifth Level Spirit Condensation Realm. That is already in the top 25!"
Long Tang showed extraordinary splendor previously in the matches, overcoming all difficulties in succession, and charging all the way to the fourth round before being defeated by Luo Chengfeng.
Putting Ye Yuan aside, Long Tang was absolutely the biggest dark horse in this competition!
The might of his Breaking Fantasy Fist Intent virtually swept across all experts below the Ninth Level Spirit Condensation Realm!
Of course, Long Tang's luck was still considered decent. Before meeting Luo Chengfeng, he did not really encounter any formidable contestants.
Even so, to have walked to this step with Fifth Level Spirit Condensation Realm cultivation, it was absolutely sufficiently strong!
Long Tang grinned, clearly still very satisfied with this result.
But after going through this grand competition, he also finally became conscious of how powerful the Breaking Fantasy Fist Intent that he comprehended was.
Those disciples at a higher realm than him, although they could not compare to like Zhang Jing's strength, they were absolutely not second-rate.
To be able to charge into the fourth round among the core disciples where experts roamed like clouds, it unequivocally meant true ability.
"Senior Apprentice Brother Ye, your opponent next round is Luo Chengfeng. I know that your sword intent is powerful, but you should still be careful when encountering him!"
"En, I know. There are four half-step Crystal Formation Realms in the top 10. But for Luo Chengfeng to be able to beat down two half-step Crystal Formation Realms, his strength is clear at a glance," Ye Yuan nodded and said.
Ye Yuan was not someone whose eyes were on top of their heads. His mind was very clear.
At that time, the half-step Crystal Formation Realm Su Yubai could heavily injure Huyan Yong with a single palm until he vomited blood showed the gap between peak Ninth Level Spirit Condensation Realm and half-step Crystal Formation Realm.
Huyan Yong had more potential than Su Yubai, and his strength was also greater than ordinary Ninth Level Spirit Condensation Realm.
Even so, he was still defeated in a single move!
Although it was because he wanted to save Ye Yuan back then that Huyan Yong had no choice but to clash face on with Su Yubai, this was ample to show how powerful half-step Crystal Formation Realm was!
And for Luo Chengfeng to suppress two half-step Crystal Formation Realms with peak Ninth Level Spirit Condensation Realm cultivation showed just what realm his comprehension towards a certain concept had reached!
"How was it? The match with him? Disclose a little!" Ye Yuan asked with a laugh.
Long Tang was somewhat surprised as he said, "Haha, I didn't think that you would actually be concerned about your opponent. I thought that you would not pay attention to this!"
Ye Yuan said smilingly, "Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can win a hundred battles! I'm not some Deity Realm powerhouse. It's impossible to sweep across all adversaries."
Long Tang nodded. He knew that Ye Yuan was very strong, but Ye Yuan's realm was still too low in the end.
It was still fine against those ordinary opponents, but he would naturally pay heed to opponents who had a much higher cultivation realm than him and who also had a strong concept comprehension.
Recalling the match with Luo Chengfeng, a deep dread was reflected in Long Tang's eyes.
It was apparent that that match was not some beautiful memory.
"Strong! Very strong! I didn't even make it past five moves! Moreover, he didn't even draw his weapon!" Long Tang said with trepidation.
Ye Yuan's eyes showed seriousness. He knew Long Tang's strength. To be able to defeat him in five moves and not even use his weapon showed just how great Luo Chengfeng's strength was!
"En? Then do you know what weapon he uses?" Ye Yuan asked.
Long Tang nodded and said, "I was rather unresigned, so I asked around fellow disciples afterward before finding out that Luo Chengfeng actually uses a judge pen! And the only one who can force him to use the judge pen is Tian Yu!"
Surprised, Ye Yuan asked, "En? Why is that? Even Tang Yu-er can't force his weapon out? But Tang Yu-er's ranking is above his!"
Long Tang said, "I was also quite surprised when I heard it at first, but I learned from others that Luo Chengfeng once said that he was a scholar. Unless it was a life and death match, he would not use his judge pen to deal with a woman."
"Oh? This is an interesting person. That's also to say that this Luo Chengfeng is walking the Dao of Calligraphy?"
"That's right! It's said that half of his time every day is spent on writing and not cultivation."
But Ye Yuan grinned and waved his hands when he heard that and said, "Writing is also a form of cultivation! The Dao of Calligraphy, Dao of Sword, and the Dao of Fist are all the same; all are a Great Dao! When cultivated to the limits, the power is exceedingly formidable!"
Chapter 265 - Strange Fight
Among martial artists, the Dao of Calligraphy was viewed as a mundane Dao, only a Minor Dao; something that scholars in the mundane world practiced.
Many martial artists practiced the Dao of Calligraphy but failed to have any accomplishments. Many times, years would pass, but the gains would be extremely trivial.
As time passed, there were fewer and fewer martial artists who practiced the Dao of Calligraphy.
But in reality, if one had achievements in the Dao of Calligraphy, their strength would be much greater than ordinary martial artists!
Among the ten supreme Divine Kings in the Divine Realm, there was a Heavenly Book Divine King. As a matter of fact, his strength was actually not weaker than the Spirit Bristle Divine King!
It
could be seen just how formidable the power of this Dao of Calligraphy was when comprehended to its limits!
Except, wanting to step into the gates of the Dao of Calligraphy was too hard, way too hard! Furthermore, there were exceedingly few powerhouses of this Dao. The inspirations left behind from cultivation methods would naturally be scarce as well.
The perception and lucky chances required to comprehend a supreme true intent based on one's own inspiration was way too harsh.
From Long Tang's description, it looked like Luo Chengfeng most likely already grasped the basics of the Dao of Calligraphy. It was merely unknown to exactly what extent.
Now that each of Ye Yuan's battle was everyone's focal point, his match with Luo Chengfeng became the main attraction this round!
This match determined who could enter the top four. If Ye Yuan continued to upset the status quo, then Luo Chengfeng who initially could have firmly entered the top three would be stopped outside the gates of elite disciples!
In the previous grand competition, Luo Chengfeng emerged out of nowhere, overcoming all challenges along the way, and charging into the top three. He even defeated a half-step Crystal Formation Realm expert!
But sadly, he lost to the last place of the elite disciples and remained among the core disciples.
Now that several months had passed, Luo Chengfeng's strength had made great strides forward again. If not for Ye Yuan this dark horse appearing, Luo Chengfeng was extremely likely to make it into the elite disciples.
Whether or not Ye Yuan's strength could shake the top three was also everyone's focal point.
If Ye Yuan could shake the top three Luo Chengfeng with Fourth Level Spirit Condensation Realm strength, then the degree of his monstrousness was too terrifying!
. . . . . .
This was Ye Yuan's first time seeing Luo Chengfeng. He was different from his domineering fame. His real person appeared very learned and refined.
Luo Chengfeng had a silk headdress resembling a ridged roof on his head and azure colored long robes. He looked like a Confucian scholar rushing to take the exams and not a peak Ninth Level Spirit Condensation Realm martial artist.
Thinking about it, this kind of disposition was inseparable from him bitterly training calligraphy around the clock. But if anyone were to underestimate him because of this, they would come to regret it.