Shen Xiuhan held the sword in one hand, its tip pointing diagonally toward the ground.
The clamor around the arena gradually quieted down, everyone's gaze locked onto his back.
Suddenly, he moved!
Shen Xiuhan swept forward with his sword, the bluestone beneath his feet cracking under his surging force. The long sword abruptly pierced through the air!
Thousand-Wave Sword: First Wave Overlapping the River!
As he thrust the sword forward, the momentum was like the first trickles of spring water, murmuring softly. Where the blade passed, only a gentle breeze remained.
Thousand-Wave Sword: Third Wave Pushing the Billows!
By the third strike, the sky full of sword-glow had already transformed into raging waves crashing against the shore, overlapping layer upon layer in an endless torrent!
Thousand-Wave Sword: Seventh Wave Thousand Overturns!
When the seventh strike was unleashed, the entire martial arts arena, spanning dozens of yards, was completely filled with a fierce, howling sword-wind!
The chilling sword momentum swept in all directions, stinging the faces of the dozens of spectating disciples in the front row, forcing them to retreat in unison!
“Great Perfection! Flawless... This is indeed the true Great Perfection of the Thousand-Wave Sword!”
Zheng Hongxiu's beautiful eyes widened, the shock on her lovely face almost overflowing as she muttered in disbelief, “I already knew Junior Brother's sword talent was astounding, but I never imagined it could reach such a terrifying level! To think I was teasing him with his nickname ‘Moonlight Sword’ earlier...”
Beside her, Cui Xiangyang stood frozen like a wooden statue, his mind roaring.
I trained bitterly day and night for several years just to barely grind this swordplay to Great Accomplishment. Yet Junior Brother Shen has only been in the sect for less than two months...
The muscles on Cui Xiangyang's face twitched. Bitterness welled up in his heart, his confidence in his martial path completely shattered!
Dozens of paces away, the inner court disciples formed a large circle, craning their necks to stare at the figure moving like a swimming dragon. Gasps of admiration rose one after another.
“What a fierce sword! Wave after wave, without a single flaw! This is the true form of the Thousand-Wave Sword!”
“Compared to this, what I practice daily is like a toddler playing with a wooden stick!”
“Look at Senior Brother's turn and upward thrust! He can actually conceal the hidden force of the Thousand-Wave Sword perfectly within the spine of the blade, holding it back without releasing it... Heavens, how does he do that?!”
“A monster... Such comprehension of swordplay is simply that of a once-in-a-decade monster!”
“Senior Brother Shen is only nineteen! At nineteen, he has already achieved Great Accomplishment of the Anjin Rank, reached Great Perfection in swordplay, and even comprehended sword-glow. When I was nineteen, I was still standing in stances in the outer courtyard!”
“As expected of the Moonlight Sword! Senior Brother Shen has truly given us a lesson today! This is what a core disciple is, what a genius is! Look at him, then look at us, sigh.”
The crowd buzzed with discussion.
Gazes of awe and respect intertwined.
In the open space ahead, Shen Xiuhan remained completely deaf to the noise behind him.
The long sword turned into a silver rainbow. The transition between each strike was perfectly natural, flowing like water without the slightest hint of awkwardness.
The sword momentum, resembling a thousand layers of waves, surged continuously like a great river flowing east, carrying an unstoppable pressure as if it could cleave everything in the world!
Only when the final form concluded did the countless sword shadows suddenly vanish.
Shen Xiuhan sheathed his sword, stood straight, and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, calming the restless force within his body.
Wen Qingye stared at the figure who had just sheathed his sword. The shock in his eyes had not yet faded. After a long silence, he finally uttered two words:
“Excellent!”
After a brief pause, as if feeling that was not enough, he added, “Better than Wen Zheng.”
Wen Zheng!
The First Senior Brother of the Star-Plucking Sect's Tingquan Academy!
He had comprehended sword-glow, broken through to the Huajin Rank, and was one of the Seven Elegances, a top-tier genius of Nanxiang Prefecture!
More importantly...
He was Wen Qingye's only son!
And now...
Master Wen had personally declared that Shen Xiuhan was better than Wen Zheng!
Hiss...
Every disciple in the arena gasped, feeling a wave of sheer terror wash over them, their scalps tingling.
Shen Xiuhan bowed deeply, his voice calm and unperturbed: “Master Wen praises me too highly. I have only barely scratched the surface and dare not compare myself to First Senior Brother.”
“Not arrogant in victory, mind as calm as water. Good, very good.”
The admiration in Wen Qingye's eyes grew even deeper.
With a wave of his sleeve, a token shot out and landed in Shen Xiuhan's palm.
“This is the access token for the second floor of the Technique Transmission Academy. Since you have mastered the Thousand-Wave Sword to Great Perfection, starting today, you may use this token to freely enter and exit the second floor to study the subsequent sword techniques!”
“Your disciple obeys,” Shen Xiuhan held the token tightly and replied solemnly.
With Shen Xiuhan's demonstration finished, it was the other disciples' turn.
However, with a brilliant gem preceding them, everything else seemed lackluster.
Compared to a core disciple, the swordplay and cultivation of these ordinary inner court disciples appeared thoroughly mediocre.
“Zhang Ce, early-stage Anjin, three of nine acupoints opened. Main technique: Thousand-Cliff Sword, Minor Accomplishment. Progress is slow.”
“Ren Shu, early-stage Anjin, two of nine acupoints opened. Main technique: Eagle-Tearing Sword, entry-level. Cultivation has stagnated for a year...”
“Zhang Xian, mid-stage Anjin, five of nine acupoints opened. Over thirty-five years old. By the end of the year, you will either be dispatched to an external post or leave the island to seek your own path. Make your preparations early...”
As each person demonstrated, Master Wen would comment on their performance.
Most of the disciples who passed let out sighs of relief, their faces showing hints of relief.
Meanwhile, those who failed looked utterly miserable and dejected, as if they had lost their souls.
The path of martial arts was one of constant struggle; if one did not advance, they would fall behind. The sect never kept useless idlers.
The assessment concluded in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.
After the disciples respectfully watched Wen Qingye walk back to his Tingtao Courtyard, they began to disperse in small groups.
Shen Xiuhan looked at the disciples who had failed, standing in place with faces full of unwilling dejection, and sighed softly.
This was the law of the jungle in the martial world.
Without extraordinary talent or miraculous opportunities, most people would eventually fade away unnoticed.
He did not want to linger. He returned the long sword to He Tunan, and after thanking him, he was about to leave when the latter stopped him.
“Junior Brother, wait...”
He Tunan pursed his lips, forcing a smile. “What happened before was my fault. Master Wen has already punished me. If Junior Brother still harbors any resentment, I am willing to offer a gift to apologize.”
Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered slightly. Seeing that He Tunan was sincere, he waved his hand dismissively and said, “Second Senior Brother, please do not say such things. We are disciples of the same sect; we should look out for each other in the future.”
Hearing this, He Tunan immediately let out a sigh of relief, his smile becoming much warmer. “Good! Good! We must do so! If Junior Brother ever has time to visit the prefecture capital, you must come to the He Mansion. I will surely host you well!”
Shen Xiuhan cupped his hands. “Certainly!”
After taking just a few steps, He Tunan called out again, “Junior Brother Shen!”
Seeing Shen Xiuhan stop in surprise, he quickly caught up, looked left and right, and whispered, “Junior Brother, I occasionally heard that someone in the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion seems to be selling information on your movements and background. Those information brokers have quite a background and act without any scruples. As long as they are paid, they dare to sell any news... You must be careful lately.”
Hearing this, Shen Xiuhan instantly grew alert. He looked at He Tunan and said, “Thank you for the warning, Senior Brother!”
He Tunan said no more, cupped his hands in farewell, and left.
After saying goodbye to Liu Chong, Shen Xiuhan walked alone along the forest path.
Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion?
Selling my movements?
Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered as he recalled the Wind-and-Cloud Pavilion deacon he had met at the Star-Plucking Tower.
Hou Yulin!
Could it be that he is angry because I rejected the Young Tiger List?
Shen Xiuhan pondered for a moment, then took a deep breath, his gaze gradually turning cold.
Forget it! Regardless of whether it's him, I'll dig up his secrets first once I get back!
With this thought, he strode toward his courtyard.
As he approached the entrance, he spotted a familiar figure from afar.
She was wearing a plain green dress, her shoulders trembling. She kept raising her sleeves to wipe her eyes, pacing back and forth outside the gate in extreme anxiety!
Shen Xiuhan froze for a moment, then called out instinctively, “Ji Yao?”
Hearing his voice, Ji Yao spun around instantly.
The next moment, she ran toward him, sobbing uncontrollably, her face drenched in tears like pear blossoms in the rain.
“Senior Brother! My family's cargo ship was plundered! My uncle... my uncle was killed by them!”
Uncle?
Shen Xiuhan's mind reeled, his pupils instantly shrinking to the size of pinpricks.
Ji Wen... was dead!?
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