Chapter 687

According to legend, all this information came from statistics compiled three months ago.

Now, the intelligence no longer matches reality.

Which means that within these three months, someone broke the record one step ahead of him, surpassing Ning Zhengqi, causing the latter's ranking to drop by one place—from ninth to tenth.

"Three months..... What a clever timing—could it be her?"

Nie Wushuang once again recalled the frustration and helplessness from his great battle with that young girl.

Looking across the entire Heaven Sword Sect, if there were anyone who could surpass Ning Zhengqi within these three months, it could only be that girl whose sword-path talent was terrifyingly powerful, as if born for the sword—Sword Marquis of White Rainbow, "Jiang Zhiwei."

Realizing this point.

Nie Wushuang, wanting to verify and prove what was in his heart, immediately raised his head and looked upward along Ning Zhengqi's name.

Ninth place—not her!

Eighth place, either!

Seventh place—not!

The higher he looked, the heavier Nie Wushuang's heart grew.

Even the joy brought by breaking Ning Zhengqi's record had completely vanished!

Until he saw second place appear, his heart gave a sudden lurch, and he felt an immense, almost unbelievable shock!

Only because above it was written:

Second place, Heaven Sword, one hundred and forty-eight steps!

"..........."

Nie Wushuang was utterly speechless, his heart filled with shock!

One must understand that this person was the founding patriarch of Heaven Sword Sect.

The depth of his sword-path attainment was unrivaled across the entire Moonlight Imperial Dynasty.

He was the foremost of the Ten Great Sword Kings, and moreover, within the entire dynasty, the strongest with the greatest hope of breaking through to the Sword Saint realm—without equal!

The record on the Step-Climbing Stone Tablet, created by him, had endured through countless years without anyone being able to surpass it!

But now, such an extraordinarily terrifying powerhouse could only rank second?

One could well imagine how terrifying that first place must be.

Nie Wushuang nervously swallowed his saliva, and with an uneasy heart, slowly looked upward.

Then, the inscription at the very top of the stone tablet appeared before his eyes.

First place, Jiang Zhiwei, three hundred and sixty-five steps!

Jiang Zhiwei?

Sure enough, it was her?

Seeing his guess confirmed as reality, Nie Wushuang could not help but show a bitter expression, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

At this moment, he suddenly felt just how laughable and overreaching his idea of becoming the foremost person in a thousand years truly was.

"Facing this kind of monster that even the Heaven Sword Patriarch cannot surpass, how am I supposed to catch up?"

Just as Nie Wushuang finished speaking, he suddenly noticed something.

"Wait—three..... three hundred and sixty-five steps?!"

He raised both hands, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the words ahead again and again, but without exception, every time he could see that especially glaring three hundred and sixty-five!

After accepting the cold reality, Nie Wushuang could not help but collapse to the ground.

He lowered his head, looked at his own hands, and immediately fell into a state of questioning his entire life.

"So the gap between him and me has actually grown to this extent........"

Nie Wushuang gave one bitter smile after another, his heart utterly dejected.

If he had not personally experienced the formation steps, it would have been fine.

At least he would have had no real concept of the number three hundred and sixty-five.

But after personally experiencing the formation steps, and straining with all his might, he could only barely reach one hundred and twenty-three steps.

He then understood exactly what three hundred and sixty-five steps meant, and what kind of concept it was!

It was no exaggeration to say that if one compared her talent to a true dragon in the nine heavens.

Then his own talent could only be a wild boar on the ground.

There was absolutely no comparability between the two—they weren't even the same species!

So after understanding this point, Nie Wushuang nearly fell into collapse.

At this point, he finally understood just how terrifying that girl he had always treated as his ideal rival truly was!

Just as Nie Wushuang kept questioning his life because of Jiang Zhiwei's terrifying record.

The voice of a Heaven Sword Sect Elder suddenly came from beside him:

"In every era, there is always one most dazzling figure who appears, leading the progress of the times. Before such a person, all geniuses and prodigies pale into insignificance......."

Having said that, he suddenly shifted his tone: "However, even though the sun shines the brightest, at night it still cannot conceal the twinkling of the stars."

"The world is still very large. You don't need to compare yourself with someone who defies common sense—just do your best, become the most dazzling star you can be, and that will be enough......."

Hearing this, Nie Wushuang pulled himself together a little.

Although badly hit, thinking of the many responsibilities on his shoulders, he still would not allow himself to sink so low!

Then, he stood up again and looked at the Heaven Sword Sect Elder before him.

He first bowed in thanks, then asked: "May I dare to ask, Elder, do you have any news of Jiang Zhiwei? Is she doing well under the Sect Master's tutelage?"

In his mind.

Since she had already taken first place on the Step-Climbing Stone Tablet.

Then for her to enter the Sect Master's tutelage and become a true disciple would be all too easy.

Hearing this, the Heavenly Sword Sect Elder did pick up on some other meaning in the words.

He chuckled lightly: "What? You know the Little Martial Uncle Ancestor?"

"Little Martial Uncle Ancestor?"

Nie Wushuang froze on the spot, thinking he must have misheard something.

The Heavenly Sword Sect Elder stroked his greying beard: "That's right. Although I don't know where you got your information that the Little Martial Uncle Ancestor had taken the Sect Master as his master, the truth is actually quite different."

"As early as several months ago, the Little Martial Uncle Ancestor had already been accepted as a disciple by the Ancestor. Now, within the sect, his seniority is so high there are few to match it. Even the Sect Master, upon meeting him, cannot address him by name directly, and must address him as Little Martial Uncle Ancestor....."

As the Heavenly Sword Sect Elder recounted the tale in detail, Nie Wushuang finally learned the whole story.

Three months ago, Ning Zhengqi brought Jiang Zhiwei back to the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Afterwards, Ning Zhengqi recommended Jiang Zhiwei to his own master, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

In order to test Jiang Zhiwei's aptitude, talent, and temperament, they set up all manner of trials.

The earlier trials were all passed perfectly.

Until the very last trial.

Jiang Zhiwei actually walked out three hundred and sixty-five steps within the formation staircase, reaching the summit directly!

Faced with such a terrifying record—one with no precedent before, and none to follow after—

The entire Heavenly Sword Sect was thrown into an uproar!

Even later on, the Heavenly Sword Ancestor himself was alarmed by it, and ended his closed-door cultivate.

Afterwards, the two met and conversed for several hours.

The details of their exchange are unknown.

But the result was that the Heavenly Sword Ancestor, for the first time in ten thousand years, made an exception and took Jiang Zhiwei as a disciple!