Chapter 684: Stepping the Stairs (Two Chapters Combined, 4000 Characters)

Once, after being defeated beneath Jiang Zhiwei's sword.

He set aside the arrogance in his heart, gradually drew inward, returned to simplicity and truth, gained many insights, and successfully broke through the Sword Dao realm that had trapped him for over a decade, reaching the Perfect Sword Heart realm!

If fate and fortune smiled upon him, he could ascend in a single step, condense a Sword Spirit, grasp an attribute Sword Intent of his own, and thereby take his place among the ranks of the Sword Kings!

As for swordsmanship technique.

Under the grinding of his master Feng Changyue's so-called death training, he had gradually reached the pinnacle, and mastered multiple killing sword arts!

Nie Wushuang withdrew his gaze, silently looked around at the fellow travelers beside him, and a fierce fighting spirit surged in his eyes!

"Today shall be the day I, Nie Wushuang, make my name known throughout the Heaven Sword Sect!"

As long as one passed the final trial set on Heaven Sword Mountain, one could enter the Heaven Sword Sect.

If one's performance was outstanding, one might even catch the eye of an Elder of the Heaven Sword Sect and be taken as a true disciple!

Confident in his own strength, Nie Wushuang did not for a moment doubt that he would fail the trial.

He now had only one goal: to claim first place in the grand meeting, stride openly into the Heaven Sword Sect, and rank among the true disciples!

"It's just that, several months have passed now, have you made further progress........"

Nie Wushuang's gaze shifted slightly.

He was now very curious how that monstrous Sword Dao prodigy who had once defeated him was faring these days.

"Now, I have already grasped the Perfect Sword Heart. I wonder what realm you've reached, and whether I might be able to fight you once more?"

Nie Wushuang clenched both fists, and the fighting spirit in his heart surged even higher!

In these three months, being able to endure his master's death training.

Besides having the goal of entering the Heaven Sword Sect, there was also the competitive heart within him!

The first defeat of his life at another's hands—he had to win it back!

Just as Nie Wushuang was thinking this to himself, a sudden sound came from ahead.

He raised his head and looked forward, only to realize that, without noticing it, he had already reached his destination.

Not far ahead was a long staircase of white jade.

At the top of the staircase stood three Heaven Sword Sect Elders, each bearing a longsword on their back, their bearing far from ordinary.

Because he had already investigated beforehand.

Nie Wushuang naturally knew what this final trial tested.

All the steps before his eyes were enveloped by a powerful formation.

Upon first stepping in, one felt nothing at all.

But the higher one went, the heavier the spiritual pressure became!

And this spiritual pressure had nothing to do with cultivation base or realm—it treated all cultivators equally.

If one's Sword Dao heart was not firm enough, upon reaching a certain number of steps, one would feel unable to advance even an inch!

The standard for entering the Heaven Sword Sect was reaching at least the fiftieth step!

To advance directly to the inner sect, one needed the seventieth step!

And for a true disciple? One would need the ninetieth step!

And according to the information Nie Wushuang had gathered, at the top of the staircase stood a massive stone stele.

It recorded the names of the top one hundred step-climbers from the sect's founding to the present!

The first place had reached an astonishing one hundred and forty-eight steps—it was none other than the founding Heaven Sword Ancestor!

Facing such a terrifying record that was utterly impossible to break, Nie Wushuang naturally knew his own limits and would not foolishly attempt to challenge the first-place record.

Therefore, his goal was to become the highest step-climber in a thousand years!

The current highest step-climber in a thousand years was Ning Zhengqi, ranked ninth on the stone stele!

The number of steps he had climbed reached one hundred and twenty-two!

"I suppose, as long as I surpass you, it will be enough for me to make my name known in this Heaven Sword Sect......."

Nie Wushuang murmured.

He then gathered his thoughts and looked ahead once more.

By now, quite a few cultivators had already impatiently stepped onto the staircase.

Because they had all passed the trials of the previous stages and been screened out, emerging from among hundreds of thousands of cultivators.

Their performance was therefore not so dismal—the lowest could still reach the thirty-fifth step.

But to reach the fiftieth step still required considerable time to push through.

"Then let us begin......."

Nie Wushuang steadied his mind, resolutely stepped forward, and mounted the first step!

Before he had even steadied himself, he took several more steps in succession.

In the blink of an eye, Nie Wushuang had already reached the ninth step!

And at this point, the pressure exerted by the formation was, to him, utterly negligible.

Thereafter, Nie Wushuang did not pause for even a moment, and swiftly began to climb.

Ten steps..... twenty steps...... thirty steps......

As Nie Wushuang overtook one cultivator after another ahead of him.

His terrifying climbing speed also drew the attention of those around him, who from time to time uttered exclamations of astonishment!

"Who is this person? His climbing speed is actually this fast?!"

"Look at how effortless he seems—fifty steps probably won't be able to stop him......."

"More than fifty steps? He might have a shot at seventy!"

"Hiss~ Do you think there's any chance he could advance to true disciple?"

"That's hard to say. After all, to reach the standard of being promoted to True Inheritor upon entering the sect, one needs to reach the ninetieth step! And the last person to meet this standard was twenty years ago........"

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

And at this moment, as their voices spread out.

The climbers higher up couldn't help but show curiosity on their faces, and one after another stopped in their tracks to look back.

Under the gaze of the surrounding crowd.

Nie Wushuang was seen striding briskly, still maintaining an extremely fast climbing speed!

He soon overtook everyone and was the first to reach the fiftieth step!

Seeing this, the expressions of the onlooking crowd shifted dramatically, and they immediately couldn't help but begin to discuss and guess at this person's identity.

And at this moment, Nie Wushuang paid no heed to the shock of those around him. With an expressionless face, neither sad nor happy, he continued climbing upward without the slightest hesitation!

Fiftieth step? Outer Gate?

Heh, what use is a result that has only just met the standard?

Either don't step out of Great Qin, or the moment you do, you must surely amaze the world!

Subsequently, relying on the powerful state of mind that came from breaking through after destruction.

He crossed layer upon layer of steps that others could only gaze at but never reach!

Fifty-fifth step..... sixtieth step..... sixty-fifth step..... seventieth step!

When he reached the seventieth step.

The three Heavenly Sword Sect Elders at the end of the steps also noticed Nie Wushuang.

Seeing that the other party's climbing speed was extremely fast, as if walking on level ground.

Mm. They too couldn't help but voice sighs of admiration:

"To be able to reach the seventieth step in such a short time, his aura is steady, his pace hasn't faltered, and he doesn't seem to be running out of steam. If nothing unexpected happens, I'm afraid reaching the ninetieth step is within sight......."

"Not bad. It looks like after several months, our Heavenly Sword Sect can add another powerful True Inheritor who has climbed to the ninetieth step."

"The only question is whether this person can break into the Step Climbing Stone Tablet?"

"In my view, this matter is rather doubtful. After all, not everyone is as extraordinary as Martial Nephew Zhengqi and Junior Martial Ancestor."

"Sigh, speaking of which, this person's luck is a bit lacking. If it were in the past, once promoted to True Inheritor, with the many resources the sect bestows, one's cultivation would naturally advance at a divine pace."

"He could also quickly make a name for himself within the sect, becoming a leading figure among the younger generation, just like Martial Nephew Zhengqi back then."

"But now, sigh, in the future his Dao Heart is likely to be damaged, and he'll be plunged into utter darkness....... "