As the sound subsided, the disciples gathered at the Sword Inquiry Square didn't hesitate for a moment. One after another, they summoned their spirit swords.
They fled on their swords, and in an instant, ten thousand blades streaked across the sky like a flock of startled swans.
The elders waved their hands, performing immortal techniques to wrap the new disciples in spiritual energy and carry them away.
"Go!"
Li Qingshan took one last look at the boy beneath the sword stele, his eyes still filled with shock.
He didn't linger. Grabbing the unconscious Lin Qianqian and Zhang Yang in each hand, he kicked off the ground. With a flash of his afterimage, he was ten miles away in a heartbeat.
The group of new disciples was dazed.
Before they could even react, the mountains and rivers before them had changed in the blink of an eye.
In the distance...
That sword light remained. Dark clouds layered above, and a terrifying aura continued to spread in all directions. Ripples surged across the vast fields and the high sky.
Having witnessed such a spectacle right after joining the sect, their eyes held more than just shock and confusion—there was a burning yearning.
This was what cultivation should be.
A single thought to change the winds and clouds.
A single thought to shake the earth and mountains.
"Good heavens..."
"Oh my god..."
"That is incredible..."
The elders stood with deep, solemn gazes, hands behind their backs. They looked into the distance, the light in their eyes flickering between dark and bright.
The disciples remaining in the mountains were in even more of a mess.
They huddled in small groups, whispering to one another in hushed, startled tones.
"That is the direction of the Ancestral Peak. Could it be that those ancestors have come out of seclusion?"
"An ancestor is truly an ancestor. Even without seeing them, their presence is terrifying."
"What on earth happened? Did a beast emperor from the Great Desolation attack?"
"...No, it was a newcomer. He broke the sword stele's endgame."
"How is that possible?"
"Isn't that an unsolvable situation? How could it be broken?"
"It really was broken. I saw it with my own eyes."
"How?"
The person swallowed hard, his eyes gleaming.
"He crushed it with a single stomp."
"What?!"
Everyone's jaws dropped.
The sword stele's endgame had been broken.
By a newcomer.
Using a single stomp.
That was what triggered the current commotion, even drawing out the ancestors from their seclusion.
Incredulity and disbelief were written on every face.
Who would believe it?
That the so-called 'breaking the endgame' was literally breaking the board...
By then, the Sword Inquiry Square was already empty, save for the flickering silhouette of a youth beneath the sword stele.
After a while...
The soaring sword intent acted like a dam that had finally exhausted its floodwaters; its power gradually weakened until it vanished entirely. From the peak of the heavens, five-colored auroras descended one by one, like divine soldiers or immortals gracing the mortal realm.
Five figures manifested from the light and gathered around the sword stele.
There was a youth in green, a woman in vermilion, a boy in black armor, a silver-haired hulking man, and an elderly man in fiery red.
Before them...
Was the towering sword stele.
Beneath it, a young boy with his long hair tied high and wearing animal skins sat cross-legged. His hands were joined in a meditative mudra, his eyes tightly shut, and he was shrouded in a shimmering mist.
The eyes of the five newcomers were full of kindness, containing both surprise and appreciation.
"A sword spirit root, breaking the endgame, and gaining enlightenment from the sword stele. Good, good, good. What a fine youth. Truly, heroes emerge from the young."
"At such a young age, he shows such prominence and sharp potential. A great talent indeed!"
"I urge the Heavens to stir again, and send down talents without restriction! Hahaha!"
"So... is he the one Master has been looking for?"
"I wonder what Master left inside this sword stele, and how long this child will remain in enlightenment..."
While they were inspecting and praising Xu Xian, Ye Xianyu arrived. She bowed to each of the five.
"Xianyu greets Fifth Senior Brother, Sixth Senior Brother, Seventh Senior Sister, Eighth Senior Brother, and Little Senior Brother."
The youth in green smiled slightly and said warmly, "Little Tenth is here as well."
Ye Xianyu smiled back. "All my senior brothers are here. How could I not come?"
The woman in vermilion asked, "Do you know the background of this child?"
Ye Xianyu frowned slightly. "My disciple Li Qingshan picked him up... brought him back. He said the child is from a village in the north."
"What village?" the youth in black armor asked.
"Houdao Village," Ye Xianyu replied.
Strange expressions flashed across their faces for a moment. That name was certainly...
The silver-haired man crossed his arms, revealing his powerful muscles. He said with a serious look, "I've never heard of it. However, if it has a name like that, the people in the village must be quite honest and kind. This child has thick eyebrows and big eyes; he looks friendly. At a glance, I can tell he's an honest man, just like me."
The others chimed in.
"Indeed. The face is a reflection of the heart. With such features, he can't be a bad sort."
"Haha! Since he could reach the sword stele, he must have passed the Three Inquiries of Nature. His character is undoubtedly fine."
Ye Xianyu lowered her gaze. When she thought about what Xu Xian had done during the Three Inquiries of Nature, she felt a pang of guilt. If he was an honest man...
Then there were no dishonest people left in the world.
"By the way, what is his name?" someone suddenly asked.
Ye Xianyu blurted out, "His surname is Xu, and his given name is Xian."
"Xu Xian..."
The youth in green spoke calmly. "Very well, Little Tenth. Since you are here, we will leave this place to you. Xu Xian is in a state of enlightenment from the sword stele. It could last for a few days or several years. Until he wakes, do not let anyone approach or disturb him."
"Understood!"
"Also... when he wakes, you shall accept him as a disciple on behalf of our master. In the future, you will be the one to guide him."
Ye Xianyu pursed her lips.
"Oh," she let out a small sound.
She didn't look particularly happy, but she wasn't surprised at all by the instruction to accept him as a peer on behalf of her master.
"We're leaving."
The five of them left as quickly as they had arrived.
The black clouds and lightning in the sky quietly vanished, and the mountain winds for a thousand miles settled. Everything became calm once more as the clouds parted to reveal the sun.
It was as if nothing had happened.
Ye Xianyu looked toward the Ancestral Peak. The usually majestic and solemn Sect Master now showed a bit of her girlish nature, rolling her eyes as she grumbled, "Every time they leave the mountain, it's either dark clouds and bloody lightning or wailing winds. People who don't know better would think our Wendao Sword Sect is some demon sect. I'm honestly fed up."
While complaining, she approached Xu Xian without disturbing him.
Her gaze was fixed on the ruined chessboard, studying it intently.
"He actually broke the endgame like this? Who would have thought..."
"Taking an unconventional path to find new life."
"I suppose only you could pull something like this off. A fool really does have fool's luck..."
Suddenly, she knit her brows together as she stared at Xu Xian, feeling a private sense of dread.
"But... I'm afraid the Wendao Sword Sect won't know peace from now on."
The thought of accepting him on behalf of her master and having to teach him gave her a massive headache.
Putting aside his talent, just the fact that Xu Xian could do such things meant he wouldn't be staying quiet in the future.
But then, she felt a sense of relief when she realized she would no longer be the youngest.
"Little Eleven, hehe."
"Once I've trained you into a fine talent, I can dump the position of Sect Master onto you. That sounds quite nice..."
Rate on N.U.
