Chapter 81

One by one, the contestants appeared on the large arena, many of whom bore familiar silhouettes, and the tavern instantly burst into lively chatter.

“That’s Zhao Jian, our Guangzhong’s number one!”

“Look, isn’t that the Top Graduate from our Lin County?”

“Go for it, Fan Ge! Push forward! Push forward!”

“…”

Every freshman who entered the Nine Great Dao Academies was a genius from across the hundred provinces of Qinzhou, a standout among peers and a famed young prodigy in their hometown.

Even the most ordinary freshman on the seventh layer of the Enlightenment Platform was no exception.

Lao Hu scanned the crowd and said, “Huh? Where are Chu Wange and Lin Mo?”

San Zi laughed heartily and said:

“What are you thinking? They’re top-tier prodigies on the ninth layer—how could they show up in the first stage? They won’t appear until the second stage’s challenge matches.”

Lao Hu nodded: “True.”

Then he asked curiously, “What about Ye Chen? Isn’t he also on the seventh layer?”

He had barely finished speaking when he realized his mistake and immediately clamped his mouth shut, glancing at Zhu Hongyuan beside him.

San Zi and the others glared at him.

Why bring up the one thing that’s closed?

Everyone knew Zhu Hongyuan had been defeated by Ye Chen before the Immortal Exam, even nearly jeopardizing his exam performance, and had minor clashes with him upon first arriving at the Enlightenment Cliff.

Their relationship wasn’t outright hostile, but they deeply annoyed each other.

This also strained their ties with Li Feng and the others at another table who associated with Ye Chen.

Yet Zhu Hongyuan’s reaction wasn’t as angry as expected—he merely smiled and waved his hand:

“No need to dwell on it. I’ve long made my peace with it.”

Then he immediately changed the subject: “There are more people on the seventh layer—he probably isn’t…”

“Look! It’s Chen Ge!”

Li Feng at another table cut him off, pointing excitedly at the Mirror Flower, Water Moon.

Following his gesture, Zhu Hongyuan and the others finally noticed Ye Chen in the corner of the arena—he wore a simple green Daoist robe, unremarkable in appearance.

“Ye Chen also entered Qingshan Sect? That’s the Dao Academy famed for sword cultivators—how enviable!”

Lao Hu couldn’t help but sigh.

San Zi puckered his lips and said, “So what? He can’t become a sword cultivator—only those with a Sword Spirit Root can cultivate a True Sword and become a sword cultivator!”

“Hah, ignorant!”

He had barely finished when Li Feng turned around from the front, sneering at him.

San Zi immediately bristled: “What’s ignorant? The requirements for sword cultivators are the hardest in the entire Diyuan Star—am I wrong?”

Previously, they only knew half the story.

But after being accepted into the Dao Academy, they learned more about the various cultivation paths.

To become a sword cultivator, one must cultivate a True Sword before Foundation Establishment.

And the basic condition for cultivating a True Sword is possessing a Sword Spirit Root.

Thus, the transformation into a sword cultivator is the most difficult—this is universally acknowledged across the Diyuan Nine Continents.

Of course, sword cultivators are also universally recognized as the deadliest of all cultivation paths—without exception.

In contrast, ordinary magic cultivators need only complete the most basic Dao Foundation before Foundation Establishment.

That is, the [Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment Method] they are currently practicing.

Li Feng, upon hearing this, didn’t agree—he scoffed:

“Of course, your level is too low. Not understanding is normal.”

“I’ll be generous and explain it to you: it’s not only by cultivating a True Sword that one becomes a sword cultivator—there’s another way:…”

“Refining an External Sword!”

At these words, San Zi and the others froze, and many nearby freshmen also stared in shock.

“Is that even real? Sword cultivators can do that?”

The tavern owner behind the counter stepped forward at the right moment to explain to the patrons:

“Heh, this young brother’s mention of refining an External Sword isn’t a secret in cultivation circles—but the conditions aren’t simple either.”

“A Qi Refining cultivator must become a sword cultivator’s Sword Attendant, then use the sword cultivator’s True Sword to refine an External Sword—thus, they can also establish their Dao Foundation with an External Sword and become a sword cultivator.”

You can do that?

The crowd suddenly understood.

Yet in ordinary Dao Academies, sword cultivators were as rare as phoenix feathers.

Even if any existed, they rarely accepted Sword Attendants so easily.

Only Qingshan Sect—the famed sword cultivator academy—or perhaps Wenda Academy—could possibly manage such a feat.

They all turned their heads toward the green-robed figure in the Mirror Flower, Water Moon and immediately realized:

“This guy’s wearing Qingshan Sect’s robes—could he have become a Sword Attendant?”

Someone gasped.

Surrounded by so much attention, Li Feng’s vanity was greatly satisfied—he grinned proudly and said:

“That’s right. Chen Ge carries great fortune—he’s been noticed by a senior sword cultivator from the same academy and is now advancing on the path of sword cultivation, with astonishing progress.”

“In this stage’s free-for-all, Chen Ge will surely win!”

Hearing this, the crowd indeed began paying attention to the previously unremarkable figure on the arena.

Lao Hu and the others, having been shown up, looked displeased.

Even if Ye Chen became a sword cultivator—what does that have to do with you?

Not just Zhu Hongyuan—even the rest of them had higher exam scores and cultivation bases than lowly Li Feng.

Yet under Zhu Hongyuan’s subtle signal, they held back, suppressing their irritation.

Under the gaze of countless spectators, the arena’s host quickly blew the signal to begin:

“Contestants, prepare yourselves—everyone around you is your opponent.”

“Remember! You must ‘kill’ your target within the Momentary Space to earn points.”

“Also, your order has been randomized—do not attempt to cooperate with fellow sectmates; if caught, you will be immediately disqualified.”

“Rules announced. The first arena free-for-all—”

“Begin!”

As soon as he spoke, the contestants on the arena seemed released from some restraint—their previously fixed forms loosened instantly.

Before the spectators could fully observe, a talisman transformed into a burst of Dao fire, streaking from a contestant’s hand.

“Blazing Breath Spell!”

“Boom!”

The fire talisman struck a contestant directly—in an instant, flames engulfed his entire body.

“Aaaah!!!”

A scream echoed from the Mirror Flower, Water Moon—the contestant had no chance to resist; he was instantly reduced to a beam of white light and eliminated.

Sss~!

Many new students in the tavern shrank back.

My god—is it this brutal from the start?

With the first contestant’s example, the remaining ninety-eight contestants on the arena immediately began attacking those around them.

Strike first, survive; strike late, perish—no one wanted to follow the same fate.

And each arena round had only a hundred contestants—barely ten would advance to the second stage’s challenge matches.

Ye Chen, whom everyone had been watching before the match, now refused to lag behind—he held a long sword in his right hand and formed a Dao seal with his left:

“Mystic Ice Transforms into Sword Light, Frost Descends in All Directions!”

With a flick of his hand, he cleaved through a talisman attack, then stepped forward, slashing his sword—its blade sheathed in frost-laced sword qi—at the contestant beside him.

“Shhh!”

The sword qi sliced across the throat—the contestant clutched his neck, his face twisted in disbelief before dissolving into a beam of white light.

…

“Good! Chen Ge is awesome!”

Li Feng in the tavern hall shouted excitedly.

Lao Hu and the others seated farther back watched the scene in the Mirror Flower, Water Moon, their expressions tinged with wariness.

Zhu Hongyuan’s heart sank—this guy has grown even stronger…