Chapter 508: Sword Cultivators at the Peak of Huashan

"Nine Heavens Divine Sword Fang Yilong has drawn his sword…"

"The sword art he uses is called *Gale Nine Heavens Sword Control Art*, seized from the Great Sun Sword Pavilion.

This sword is unmatched in swiftness, accompanied by raging winds. Fang Yilong has already cultivated this sword art to a profound level, claiming to deliver sixty-four strikes within a single second—able to slice open sixty-four grains of rice in one second without damaging the germ in the slightest."

"His opponent is Mad Dragon Fierce Sword Wang Tian Sheng…"

The moment Jiang Ding switched to Immortal Gate Television's Central Channel One, he heard a voice shouting itself hoarse, hurling every kind of chuunibyou title into the air, and he couldn't help but feel speechless.

But then again,

these people are professionals—this really is a good way to stir up the public's emotions.

With commentary like theirs and footage slowed several times over, even ordinary folks can understand, get involved, feel excited when a competitor gains the upper hand, and worry when they fall behind.

Besides, after all these years of development, the number of people practicing sword arts within the Immortal Gate has reached several hundred million.

The rest, even if they haven't practiced sword arts themselves, have relatives or friends around them who do, so they have some understanding of the matter and aren't complete laymen.

When they talk about this attack or that defensive move with friends, they can sound perfectly reasonable—seeming to make even more sense than the sword techniques used by the famous swordsmen on the field.

On the television, atop the steep peak of Huashan, two Qi Refining Layer Seven cultivators were commanding flying swords in deadly combat.

This was no coincidence.

Huashan Sword Discourse—sword discourse, sword arts.

Naturally, it couldn't be settled by simply crushing opponents with cultivation; that would be pointless. Both sides were limited to Qi Refining Layer Seven cultivation. As for flying swords, there were some similarities and differences.

Jiang Ding had spent a great deal of money to order the corresponding service from the Grand Void Illusion Realm, allowing him to keep his natal flying sword or his usual flying sword for battle—merely suppressed to the same grade.

This was very beneficial for sword cultivators.

Sword cultivators, and their flying swords, both needed combat to grow; nurturing alone wouldn't suffice.

"Nine Heavens Divine Sword Fang Yilong…"

"Mad Dragon Fierce Sword Wang Tian Sheng…"

Jiang Ding looked at the two people dueling with swords, his gaze kind and gentle, like an old farmer watching seedlings grow strong in his field.

Mad Dragon Fierce Sword Wang Tian Sheng was a dashing youth, jade-like in appearance, his white robes fluttering. He was actually more charismatic than many celebrities, straight as an immortal sword cultivator descended to the mortal world, drawing continuous screams from many of the female audience members present—extremely popular.

In fact, many girls had come specifically to see him, which was why they'd bought tickets.

His flying sword control wasn't bad either.

A crimson flying sword flowed like fire, darting up and down, left and right, a meteor streaking across the sky, beating back the opposing azure wind-attribute flying sword again and again, its sword-light trembling chaotically.

"Could this be another sword dao seed?"

Jiang Ding's heart stirred with delight. He pulled up this person's profile, intending to invest a little and nurture him somewhat.

A moment later.

"A student at Qingfeng Beidou University, a freshman this year."

Jiang Ding's face fell.

A student of Qingfeng Beidou University—and the Immortal Gate's top scholar at that—had a bright future ahead. It was impossible for him to join the sword dao at this point, devoting the rest of his life to adding bricks and tiles to the sword dao.

But this was normal, as it should be.

The Immortal Gate's most outstanding and powerful Qi Refining cultivators were undoubtedly within Qingfeng Beidou University. If cultivation and magic power weren't restricted, they would be even stronger—enough to crush hundreds of cultivators of the same level.

Since Wang Tian Sheng was the Immortal Gate's top scholar, he couldn't possibly have spent too much time on cold weapons. Language, mathematics, combat practice, biology, geography—each one required immense effort to achieve what he had now.

Although his talent and comprehension were strong, the other people of the Immortal Gate were no weaklings either. To casually obtain the title of Immortal Gate's top scholar was impossible.

Yet despite all this, his casually practiced sword art still far surpassed those of the same level, beating back the opponent's gale flying sword strike after strike.

"A professional swordsman getting thrashed by an amateur…"

Jiang Ding shook his head slightly, not particularly discouraged.

The sword dao was in its early flourishing stage; it was normal for geniuses from other fields to casually thrash swordsmen. After another few decades of development, such occurrences would gradually diminish.

By then, only the most professional and powerful sword cultivators would be able to claim the crown.

"Nine Heavens Divine Sword Fang Yilong…"

Jiang Ding looked toward the dashing sword immortal's opponent.

This one was unremarkable in appearance.

A man in his forties or fifties, with dark skin and several scars on his face, silent as a reef. He commanded an azure gale flying sword, each strike faster than the last, barely withstanding Wang Tian Sheng's meteor flame flying sword with a slight edge in speed.

He wore plain hemp clothing, and his hands were covered in thick, old calluses.

"Oh."

"I've met a kindred spirit."

Jiang Ding murmured to himself. He didn't need to check any records—just one glance told him, for that bearing on him was far too obvious.

The Immortal Gate had tens of billions of people.

There was an old saying: once you have a hundred people, you get all kinds.

Among the tens of billions of citizens, there were geniuses, there were prodigies, there were those greedily bottomlessly attaching themselves to clans and throwing their weight around in small realms, there were those who charged toward death on battlefields—every kind of person existed.

And here, he had encountered a cultivator sincere to the sword.

It's just that his comprehension and talent seemed nothing special.

At forty or fifty years of age, he was only at Qi Refining Layer Seven—that was his true cultivation. His sword practice wasn't exactly methodical either. Though sincere to the sword, he was being crushed and suppressed by a sixteen-year-old youth's casually practiced sword art, falling into a disadvantage.

It wasn't unfair.

In fact, if the Grand Void Illusion Realm hadn't restricted cultivation, he would have lost the moment they met.

Checking his profile.

"Fang Yilong, male, forty-three years old, unmarried, parents deceased early, born in Yu Province. Occupation: spirit farmer, employed by Eastern Yu Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. Only knows how to plant first-grade spirit wheat, poor yield, barely passing, performance consistently at the bottom of the company."

A very ordinary Immortal Gate citizen, not outstanding.

One might even say quite poor.

"... Obsessed with sword practice, ever since middle school, for decades his long sword never left his side... yet he never achieved anything great, his talent plain and unremarkable..."

"... Relying on decades of accumulated effort, in this era when the Way of the Sword is just beginning to rise, he has a chance to contend for the top three in this Sword Discourse..."

"... Once others take notice of this field and a great number of talents pour into it, he will most likely gradually return to mediocrity once more..."

Finally, there was a comment from Wei Hu.

He had worked in the training and education industry for decades, a major figure in that field, and this evaluation was given after weighing many factors, not made lightly.

In this world, many things are simply that cruel.

Loving something does not mean you have talent for it, nor does it mean you will ultimately achieve anything.

Ding!

At this moment, accompanied by a crisp sword cry, Wang Tian Sheng's Blazing Flame Flying Sword blazed with brilliant light, surging flames licking out, slashing Fang Yilong's Swift Wind Flying Sword apart in midair; the flying sword, its spiritual light utterly dimmed, crashed to the ground.

The Blazing Flame Flying Sword streaked like a meteor, slicing the unwilling Fang Yilong into ashes.

What had happened seemed to offer an interpretation of Wei Hu's evaluation.

"A talent, one who can add bricks and tiles to the Way of the Sword."

Jiang Ding, however, revealed a look of delight.

(End of chapter)