Chapter 0006: Heroes Among Men
You are already fifteen years old this year
The assessment at the Azure Sky Hall has witnessed, for the first time, a situation where an otherworldly demon was killed barehanded, as well as the unprecedented occurrence of a disciple refraining from making a significant move while the examiner engaged in a fierce confrontation.
What Brother Tian said is correct
Left Prime Minister, you are far too overconfident!
Do you need assistance
The white-haired old man let out a cold snort and fell silent
Zuo Xiangsheng pointed with his hand, and the sword gate on the high platform opened once again. A strange demon pounced out from the gate. Zuo Xiangsheng said in a deep voice: "I want you to help us, the children of poor families, to find a path to pass the assessment without relying on the totemic pillars!"
Zhong Yue's spiritual power was hazy and visible to the naked eye. Although it still fell far short of that of a Qi Refinement Master, for the outer disciples, Zhong Yue's overwhelmingly powerful spiritual force left them greatly astonished
Using wood as a sword, transform into a wood-based sword formation
One person, one demon collide, muscles clash, with a resounding bang!
In their eyes, Shui Qingyan follows the orthodox path of the Sword Gate, while Zhong Yue's reliance on body refinement techniques to achieve victory appears somewhat unorthodox.
However, that is a Qi Refining Master
The upper academy is divided into female and male halls, primarily to prevent the male and female disciples from living together and interacting closely, which could lead to inappropriate conduct. After all, the outer disciples of the upper academy are key targets for cultivation by the Sword Sect, and if the atmosphere becomes too chaotic, it will adversely affect their progress in cultivation.
Such an incident has never occurred at Jianmen
The young examiner exuded a wild aura, and suddenly, a portal shaped like a sword appeared above his head. The portal opened, and a fireball leaped out, resembling the sun. In the center of the sun was a bird-headed deity, standing a foot tall, who was his Turing. He coldly laughed and said: "Several senior brothers, you all come from prestigious families and hold the Sword Gate. How can we, from humble backgrounds, have a chance to rise? I also come from a humble background, and today I will stand up for the disciples of the humble class once!"
I shall indulge myself for once
Zhong Yue expressed his gratitude and thought: "This Left Master Uncle is a remarkable hero"
Has it only been a year since the little girl from the Shui family entered the door
And the Turing born of the left also swells in the wind, with a bird's head and a towering human body, wings spread wide, and as it opens its mouth, a vast fire erupts, igniting countless tree roots
Zhong Yue stood on the stage, visualizing the dragon totem surrounding his body. His spirit had not yet dissipated, and it seemed that a faint azure airflow was circulating around him, resembling a fierce dragon brandishing its claws.
The young boys and girls in the audience were all dumbfounded, staring at him in a daze, while only Shui Qingyan was overjoyed, jumping with excitement, her small hands clenched into fists as she continuously cheered for Zhong Yue, as if she were the one passing the assessment.
The dragon coils around the body
Shui Qingyan received the token from the upper academy and, filled with excitement, left Bikong Hall with Zhong Yue, heading towards the Jianmen Upper Academy
One of the examiners echoed, "If this is considered passing the assessment, then it would undermine the principles of my Sword Sect. My Sword Sect gathers spiritual energy to refine sword qi in order to protect the vast wilderness. If other outer disciples were to train their bodies in this manner while neglecting the orthodox techniques of the Sword Sect, it would be a minor issue to disrupt the rules of my Sword Sect, but if it were to damage the inheritance of my Sword Sect, the consequences would be severe. This assessment should rightly be deemed a failure..."
The white-haired elder, with a pale complexion, looked up at the Left Minister in mid-air, his eyes filled with both envy and fear. Coughing up blood, he said: "You and Turing have become one; I admit my defeat willingly. In the Azure Sky Hall, you are the master, and I have no objections. However, rules are rules. The Zhongshan clan's victory without the use of souls violates the regulations of my Sword Gate. I must report this to the higher-ups of the Sword Gate and discuss it with you!"
Quickly, Shui Qingyan found the flaw of the异魔, and the soul flew out, visualizing the sword gate to slash the异魔 with the sword!
Shui Qingyan reluctantly said to Zhong Yue as they parted, "Brother Yue, you must remember to come and visit me at the girls' academy often!"
In the vast wilderness, the spirit of the Qi cultivators is exceptionally powerful; they can transform their spirit. When their spirit takes the form of a bird, they can fly; when it becomes a beast, they can leap great distances; when it transforms into a weapon, they can kill. The combination of spirit and true energy manifests as an invincible divine power.
As for Zhong Yue, he did not utilize the totemic divine pillar, and thus was overlooked by them
His totem spirit has a human body and a bird's head, with wings and bird's feet. As soon as it appears, the entire Azure Sky Hall feels as if the sun has descended, dry and scorching, with fierce flames spreading through the air
A few examiners had just finished their discussion when suddenly the white-haired elder let out a muffled groan and fell from mid-air, landing with a thud on the ground. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled briefly but was unable to rise.
The white-haired old man let out a cold snort, and above his head appeared a sword gate. He summoned his own Turing, which was only a foot tall, yet it was a treant. It had no feet; its lower body was a dense mass of tree roots, while its hair resembled a tree crown, lush with branches and leaves
Several examiners were taken aback, looking up to see the Left Chancellor standing in mid-air, surrounded by raging flames, transformed into a figure with a bird's head and a human body, bird feet and wings, exuding an imposing presence, resembling a divine being amidst the fire, while his Turing had mysteriously vanished!
His Turing instantly transformed into a towering giant tree, bursting with vibrant life that enveloped the entire azure sky hall with its canopy
His words are by no means exaggerated. The Sword Gate does not place much importance on physical training. Disciples from the Cold Sect, hailing from the Great Wilderness, often fail at the soul assessment stage. However, Zhong Yue's success in passing the assessment through physical training will undoubtedly spark a trend of physical training among the Cold Sect disciples, leading to more individuals using this method to pass the assessment in the future
On the stage, Zhong Yue bowed and said: "The disciple is present"
The remaining examiners were at a loss for words, repeatedly trying to persuade them. One of them whispered, "A dignified Qi Refinement Master actually got into a fight over an outer sect disciple. If this gets out, our Bikuang Hall will lose all face in the Sword Sect!"
From the eyes of that bird-headed figure, streams of sword energy shot forth, wielding fire as their blade, sharp and searing
Two Qi Refinement practitioners engaged in a fierce battle, their auras overwhelming the outer disciples of the Bi Kong Hall, causing them to groan one after another. The other examiners quickly intervened to protect the numerous disciples, calling out loudly: "Senior Brother Tian, Junior Brother Zuo, stop! Quickly, stop!"
Zhong Yue's heart sank as suddenly a young examiner stood up, his black hair dancing in the air, exuding an imposing aura, and shouted: "Enough! Several senior brothers, I have tolerated you long enough! For disciples from humble backgrounds, passing the assessment of the Azure Sky Hall is extremely difficult, a selection from among thousands, with many dead or injured, all from humble origins! Disciples from noble families can use totemic pillars, while disciples from humble backgrounds have nothing; where is the fairness in this? Since there is no fairness, what is the violation in passing the assessment using body refining methods? Disciples from noble families can use totemic pillars, while disciples from humble backgrounds have nothing; where is the fairness in this? Since there is no fairness, what is the violation in passing the assessment using body refining methods? Today, the Zhongshan clan must be considered as having passed!"
He did not leave immediately, but instead stood offstage watching Shui Qingyan's battle. On the stage, Shui Qingyan's dress fluttered, as if she were being lifted by waves beneath her feet, dancing lightly as she engaged in a fierce fight with the otherworldly demon.
Only those few examiners whispered to each other, continuously discussing, yet they never announced the assessment results
The vision of the Fire Palace of the Fire Chronicle that the torch has imparted to me is indeed domineering
Have you already cultivated to the level of the unity of human and spirit
Suddenly, the Tree Man Turing raised his hands, and in mid-air, enormous trees appeared, each weighing tens of thousands of pounds, crashing to the left like a rainstorm!
You must undergo the assessment once more, and you are not allowed to kill the foreign demons using physical cultivation methods; you can only use the soul!
Zhong Yue's means of defeating the alien demons is simple and brutal, fully unleashing the explosive power of her muscles, while her movements are as graceful and light as a fairy dancing.
Zhong Yue felt a surge of emotions within him. He had only practiced the Fire Era Palace's Sui Huang visualization technique twice, yet he had not only achieved the out-of-body experience but had also significantly enhanced the power of the Dragon Totem Body Technique, far surpassing the visualization methods of the Sword Sect by an unknown number of times
Out of body!
The Left Prime Minister pondered for a moment and said, "At your age, achieving spiritual attainment at sixteen is somewhat dangerous. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, feel free to come to me."
The Left Chancellor displayed a look of approval, turned to the white-haired elder, and smiled, "Zhong Yue's physique is strong; the alien demons cannot harm him in the slightest. As long as his soul can exit his body, he can easily slay the alien demons. Senior Brother Tian, I said he passed the assessment; you have no objections now, do you?"
Zhong Yue nodded, carrying a medicine basket as he walked through the upper courtyard, attracting countless gazes along the way. He thought to himself: "I wonder if male disciples are allowed to enter the female courtyard... I should first visit the Medicine Valley to collect ten Feather Spirit Pills to replenish my strength; otherwise, my frail body will be unable to continue practicing the Sui Huang Visualization Technique"
Senior Brother Tian, you have been a Qi Refinement practitioner of the Sword Gate for sixty years, while I have only been in the field for ten years. Today, I challenge you to see whether your esteemed background as a Qi Refinement practitioner is stronger, or if my humble origins as a Qi Refinement practitioner surpass yours. Do you dare to accept the challenge?
The two Qi Refiners unleashed their momentum, and suddenly the treant Turing of the white-haired elder swayed slightly, with countless tendrils dancing in the air. The roots, resembling a flood dragon and a giant python, grew thicker and thicker, weaving and rolling through the air, spiraling to the left.
The Left Prime Minister stepped down from mid-air, laughing heartily and full of vigor: "Brother Tian, there is no need to alarm the higher-ups. Zhong Yueshan of the Zhong family can easily defeat the foreign demons with bare hands, and it is also a simple matter to conquer them with souls. Since you have objections, let him try once more! Zhong Yue!"
The异魔's hands were sealed, significantly reducing its speed. A flash appeared at the center of Zhong Yue's brow, and his soul leaped out, piercing into the异魔's brain like lightning. In the异魔's sea of consciousness, a sword gate emerged, and a sword qi shot out from the gate, slashing the异魔's soul to death
A few examiners exchanged glances, and one examiner said softly, "Although she has the support of the Water Tushi's alchemist, her cultivation speed is indeed astonishing. Passing the assessment without utilizing the totemic pillar is quite rare for such an outstanding disciple in recent years"
The white-haired examiner slightly frowned and said, "Junior Brother Zuo, you have been somewhat presumptuous..."
The number of Qi Refinement practitioners emerging from humble backgrounds in Jianmen will inevitably increase
The Left Chancellor took out a token from the Upper Courtyard and handed it to Zhong Yue, saying: "From today onwards, you shall be a disciple of the Out-of-Body stage, and each month you may receive ten Feather Spirit Pills from the Upper Courtyard's Medicine Valley. You have done well; it is difficult for disciples from humble backgrounds to become Qi Refiners. If there are more Qi Refiners from humble backgrounds in the Sword Sect in the future, you will have made a significant contribution"
Suddenly, an elderly examiner with white hair pondered and said: "The purpose of the assessment at Bi Kong Hall is to evaluate the strength of the souls and the combat awareness of the outer disciples. However, the method employed by the Zhongshan clan to kill the foreign demons through body refinement cannot be considered a pass in the assessment. In my opinion, it should be deemed a failure. What do you all think, fellow disciples?"
Which one can I help with
With their protection, the outer disciples such as Zhong Yue and Shui Qingyan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Many outer disciples looked up and saw two Qi Refinement practitioners engaged in an increasingly intense battle, leaving the onlookers in a daze.
Visible to the naked eye, it is a manifestation of mental strength reaching a certain level, harboring power
She did not employ the totemic pillar, but it is evident that she has cultivated an extremely advanced visualization technique, allowing her to match the speed of the alien demons without any delay, though her strength is inferior to that of the alien demons
Of course, it is Senior Brother Tian! Senior Brother Tian comes from a prestigious family, and the Tianfeng clan holds considerable power within the Sword Gate
Zhong Yue let out a low shout, visualizing the totem of the flood dragon. His mental energy transformed into a light blue stream that flowed throughout his body, as if a flood dragon was coiling around him. He raised his hand to seal the incoming arms of the foreign demon!