Chapter 625: The Next One

On Sword Peak, a group of people stared at each other in blank dismay.

"Let's test their reaction first," Tang Luo said.

"I can understand that," Lei Zhengyang nodded, then his expression changed, "But what's the deal with you master and disciple? Is breaking through really as simple as eating and drinking in your eyes?"

I, Lei Zhengyang, have lived so many years and have never seen this kind of thing, and I express that I completely cannot understand it.

"This... saying it's simple seems too arrogant; let's call it medium difficulty," Tang Luo said.

"Alright, stop talking."

Lei Zhengyang stepped to the side, tired, feeling like he didn't want to speak with Tang Xuanzang anymore.

On the other Sword Peaks, low murmurs of discussion rose.

How should this situation be handled?

This has never happened before!

A Golden Core sword cultivator directly broke through to become a Nascent Soul sword cultivator during the Grand Competition, then made a move, suppressing the entire field with sword pressure.

So, does he count as violating the rules or not?

The Sect Masters and the Spirit Transformation elders beside them stared at each other in blank dismay — what to do about this!

"You are a Nascent Soul sword cultivator..."

Under the threat of the sword light, a Golden Core sword cultivator spoke with difficulty, expressing that Zhu Bajie was bullying the weak with his superior strength and was unwilling to hand over the token.

"Right now is when I am," Zhu Bajie's face was calm; despite his appearance being completely inferior to Ao Yulie, at this moment, he was undoubtedly the darling of heaven and earth.

Attracting the gazes of countless sword cultivators.

Ao Yulie on the ground sighed and simply sat down to watch Second Senior Brother's performance.

"No one stipulated that one cannot break through during a duel, right?"

Zhu Bajie no longer paid attention to that Golden Core sword cultivator, looking toward the other six Sword Peaks.

"I don't think there's any problem. Being able to break through during a duel is his own ability," Lei Zhengyang stepped forward from the crowd and declared loudly.

No one was surprised by his stance in the slightest.

This is someone from Soaring Heaven Sword Gate; only someone with a screw loose would think this isn't allowed.

"This is a duel belonging to Golden Core sword cultivators," the Kunlun Sword Pool Sect Master said.

"Correct." The Hidden Sword Mountain Villa Sect Master also clearly expressed opposition.

The Myriad Swords Valley Sect Master laughed and said, "I also think there's no problem; if you have the ability, tell your disciples to break through on the spot too."

Myriad Swords Valley did not value the Golden Core stage duels.

Win or lose, the most important thing is the Spirit Transformation stage duels.

They are behind in the Golden Core aspect; if Soaring Heaven Sword Gate monopolizes the top spot this time, making the other sects' scores all become zero.

Myriad Swords Valley actually benefits.

"Hasn't there been someone who broke through before?" the Star Sword Sect Sect Master said, showing some inclination.

"That was only early stage to mid stage, or mid stage to late stage; now it's crossing a major realm," the Kunlun Sword Pool Sect Master said.

Crossing a major realm means it's the cultivation level of another duel entirely.

Listening Rain Sword Pavilion is actually one of the "heavier losers"; you must know, they have always held the advantage in the Golden Core duels.

However, Listening Rain Sword Pavilion has a good relationship with Soaring Heaven Sword Gate, so they haven't spoken up for now.

They are arguing here, but the final result is still decided by the seven Void Refining elders.

"Let's vote."

Everyone present is a big shot with reputation; under the watchful eyes of all, trading barbs back and forth looks bad.

Especially the people of Shu Mountain Sword Sect, who dislike wasting words with others even more; communicating with swords is what sword cultivators should do.

The Shu Mountain Sword Sect Sect Master only said two words, letting the matter directly enter the crucial voting phase.

The Listening Rain Sword Pavilion Void Refining sword cultivator appeared, acting as the "host," and said: "During a duel, if cultivation breaks through a major realm, may it continue?"

So-called continue means everything as before.

Nascent Soul stage still participates in the Golden Core duel, counting toward the score.

The Void Refining sword cultivator put it very simply; everyone wouldn't quibble over wording or exploit textual loopholes in this kind of place — understanding in their hearts is enough.

"Permitted."

The Shu Mountain Sword Sect Void Refining sword cultivator was the first to respond, seemingly even a bit impatient with this dispute.

This sect has always been this style — swift and decisive, the sword cultivator among sword cultivators.

"No issue." Myriad Swords Valley agreed second.

Soaring Heaven Sword Gate doesn't even need to speak; they certainly won't slap their own face — three votes in hand.

Then, judging from the statements just now...

Everyone couldn't help but look toward the Star Sword Sect Sword Peak; as long as the Star Sword Sect's Void Refining Supreme Elder agrees with the Sect Master and nods, the matter is settled.

"Allowed." No twist routine; the Star Sword Sect's Supreme Elder also expressed agreement.

"As before."

The Listening Rain Sword Pavilion Supreme Elder left a sentence and flew back to the Sword Peak again.

The remaining sects opposing is useless — four to three.

The non-Soaring Heaven Sword Gate Golden Core sword cultivators on the island saw this result and instantly became dejected, their hearts filled with indignation.

"Unfair..." someone muttered in a low voice.

"Unfair? What's unfair? If your skill isn't as good, don't run your mouth!" the Shu Mountain Sword Sect Sect Master spoke, his voice like a sword, rebuking without the slightest politeness.

That Shu Mountain sword cultivator immediately fell silent.

But honestly speaking, it really is Zhu Bajie bullying children.

"Cough, cough." Lei Zhengyang coughed twice, glancing at Zhu Bajie.

Zhu Bajie returned a look, nodding slightly, indicating he understood.

Lei Zhengyang immediately felt at ease; this one was far more reliable than his junior brother Ao Yulie, and even more than his master Tang Xuanzang — a sword cultivator of universally acknowledged excellence.

Sure enough, as Zhu Bajie waved his hand, the sword lights hovering above everyone's heads vanished by half.

He did not slaughter them all; he only took half the tokens, and whether any sword tokens were among them was left to luck.

Afterward, Zhu Bajie voluntarily withdrew from this contest, displaying his magnanimous bearing.

This seemed to give the remaining sects a sliver of hope; after all, although half the tokens were lost, their people were unharmed.

Moreover, the tokens were not taken away — they were merely handed into the hands of the Sky-Piercing Sword Gate's sword cultivators.

Don't panic! We can turn this around!

"Even if I, Ao Yulie, die, even if I jump from here and die outside, I will not eat this leftover cold rice."

Ao Yulie, who had been squatting to the side, stood up, beginning his own "true fragrance" journey.

The originally five-day Golden Core stage contest, the remaining time was only slightly better than garbage time.

After Ao Yulie stood up, it was a "slaughter"; the Golden Core sword cultivators of the other six sects were beaten until they had no temper left.

Forget snatching the tokens back — even the half of "face" Zhu Bajie had left them was nearly lost entirely.

The final result: the tokens remaining in the hands of the other sects were all in single digits.

The rest of the tokens all went to the Sky-Piercing Sword Gate.

The Sky-Piercing Sword Gate, with absolute advantage, crushed the six sects, taking first place in the Golden Core contest.

As for Chijing Daoren and Jiang Shang, those two naturally would not fight; they performed in a middling, by-the-book manner.

The two were not too clear on the matters of the key and the Heavenly Sword Land, but they had received word from Tang Luo's side.

They would certainly cooperate with Tang Luo and the others, letting them achieve great merit in this contest.

They could use the key to go to the Heavenly Sword Land, to test whether it was related to the divine sword in the mission.

If luck was good, perhaps they would complete the mission right then.

They could also, while holding the initiative, let things slide a bit, buying more time.

Powerful gods and demons who walk the worlds all know to gain more from mission worlds, rather than relying solely on the enhancement rewards of the God-Demon Game.

The Sky-Piercing Sword Gate — its Foundation Establishment sword cultivators were excited beyond measure, yet also wished the Golden Core sword cultivators' contest would decide everything.

Now that the Golden Core contest had yielded such results, the remaining Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation contests would, to a greater or lesser extent, see the Sky-Piercing Sword Gate targeted.

After the Golden Core contest, the Nascent Soul stage contest did not begin immediately.

Instead, they rested for a day; it would start on the second day.

During this day, everyone was free to move about, walk around and look, or go to the cities and market towns near Blue Lake to trade.

This was a grand gathering belonging to the cultivation world.

Even Spirit Transformation sword cultivators might chance upon something good, and with the seven great sects present, killing and looting rarely occurred.

If one's movements were fast enough, hands and feet clean and neat, and no one else noticed, it was fine.

If exposed, the seven great sects would still act.

However, struggles between sects, the seven great sects would not interfere — unless it involved a vassal sect.

One day later, the Nascent Soul stage contest officially began.

Unlike the Golden Core stage, the Nascent Soul contest was not a melee, but one-on-one battles.

Each sect had fifteen Nascent Soul elders participating in the contest; among the twenty elders who came, exactly who fought did not matter.

Starting with the Listening Rain Sword Pavilion, a Nascent Soul sword cultivator would be sent out, able to arbitrarily designate a single person from a sect to fight, or designate a sect.

That sect would then choose its own representative.

After that, the sect that placed second last time would come out to choose, the seven sects taking turns.

The non-initiating side, regardless of victory or defeat, still had one chance to choose someone to fight.

The initiating side, if defeated, could not take the field again, directly bidding farewell to the contest.

That is, each person had one chance to actively choose an opponent; once used, it was gone.

Regardless of side, the loser could not be chosen to fight again, while the winner could be chosen by others to fight without limit.

Until everyone had chosen once, the contest would be considered over.

Rankings were determined by number of victories.

For example, A chooses B to fight; A wins, both A and B leave the field. B has loser's immunity — others cannot fight B again, but others can fight A. B has one chance to return and fight A, or fight someone else.

A can only wait for others to come fight him and counterattack; he has no second chance to actively beat someone.

Everyone understood the rules clearly; the contest location was above Blue Lake, or rather, the range from Sword Peak to Blue Lake was all the Nascent Soul sword cultivators' battlefield.

This time, there was no need for a Void Refining Supreme Elder to come out and announce things.

The Blue Lake restrictions had already been lifted.

The Listening Rain Sword Pavilion's Nascent Soul sword cultivator flew out from Sword Peak, locking his gaze onto the Sky-Piercing Sword Gate's Sword Peak.

"Tang Xuanzang, come out and fight!"

Normally speaking, given the relationship between Listening Rain Sword Pavilion and Sky-Piercing Sword Gate, this should not be done.

But Tang Luo's reputation was simply too great — first under the Sword Maniac? No, he surpassed the Sword Maniac, an unprecedented, unparalleled, one-of-a-kind genius.

Such a sword cultivator — everyone yearned for a battle!

Everyone wanted to see if this sword cultivator truly lived up to his name.

"Hm."

A faint response came from Sword Peak, followed by a streak of black light emerging, like a torrential flood surging toward that Listening Rain Sword Pavilion Nascent Soul sword cultivator!

Battle joined directly!

That sword cultivator's expression hardened, and he pinched a sword seal in his hand, sending his flying sword stabbing toward that black torrent.

Sword light and torrent collided.

Shattered!

The flying sword, covered in cracks, spun toward the clouds, while the black torrent seemed to have suffered no obstruction whatsoever, arriving in an instant.

It stopped above that sword cultivator's head.

Everyone fixed their eyes to look — it was actually a black great hammer?!

"Pfft!"

That late-stage Nascent Soul sword cultivator spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood, which fell into the blue lake beneath his feet, splashing up some water spray.

The Profound Transformation Hammer hadn't touched him, but his life-bound flying sword was nearly shattered, so he himself naturally suffered severe injury.

"Next."

An indifferent voice transmitted from within Sword Peak.

Tang Xuanzang, without even leaving Sword Peak, one sword — one hammer defeated the enemy!