“A swordsman must never admit defeat!”
“Everyone, draw your swords! Let’s take it down!”
In the trial realm of the Xuanqing Sect, the disciples’ shouts of encouragement echoed back and forth as they faced the sudden appearance of a massive demon beast. Each of them raised their voices, urging their peers, hoping someone would step forward first.
The demon beast watched with predatory eyes.
The disciples were filled with fervor.
Yet, after shouting for a long time, even the demon beast grew impatient. In the entire trial realm, with a hundred people present. not a single one moved!
“Why? Fellow disciples, having passed the rigorous selection to enter the Xuanqing Sect, I believe each of you is an exceptional talent. Now, it’s just a matter of slaying a demon beast above our level are you really afraid?”
“Don’t be intimidated by its ferocity! The sect must have its reasons for letting it in. This is a testament to our strength!”
The leader shouted again, raising his sword high. “I’ll count to three! Everyone, charge with me! Three! Two! One attack!”
Amid the standoff, one person suddenly dashed out of the crowd toward the demon beast, shouting as he ran, “That makes sense! The sect must have its reasons for letting it in! They wouldn’t just let us die”
“Roar!”
Just as he was about to reach the beast, it opened its mouth wide and let out a deafening roar that shook the heavens and earth.
The disciple immediately pivoted and sprinted back.
“Holy shit!”
“What reasons?! This is a top-tier demon beast! I can smell its breath! Run, fellow cultivators!”
The crowd instantly erupted into chaos, pushing and shoving as they fled backward.
The Sky-Gazing Mirror above the trial realm transmitted the scene in real-time to the outside, but no one paid it any attention. Several Sword Masters were engaged in a heated argument in a nearby hall.
“The Sword Fate Exchange Conference is meant to let the younger generation from various sects experience the spirit of our swordsmen at the Xuanqing Sect. Naturally, they should live, eat, and train alongside our new disciples. There should be no special treatment.”
Cen Shu spoke first.
As one of the four Sword Masters of the Carefree Sword Path, she was known for her rigid and domineering nature, and she despised laziness among the younger generation.
“Master Cen, that’s not entirely fair,” Meng Qingsui of the Heartless Sword Path interjected, his voice gentle and patient. “The participants of this Sword Fate Conference are mostly the sons and daughters of sect leaders young masters and ladies in their teens who are pampered at home. Do you really think they can keep up with our new disciples, training from dawn till dusk? How many of them do you think can even get out of bed on time?”
“That’s true,” another Carefree Sword Master beside him chimed in. “If we fail to satisfy these precious guests and they go back complaining that the Xuanqing Sect is worthless and never return, we’ll suffer a great loss.”
Meng Qingsui nodded. “Exactly. Even Junior Sister Jinxiu understands this. Master Cen, what’s holding you back?”
Although the Carefree and Heartless Sword Paths usually looked down on each other, in this matter, few supported Cen Shu.
Frowning, she turned to the two figures seated at the head of the hall and addressed the man on one side, who wore a heavy sword at his waist and exuded an imposing aura. “I ask Senior Brother to decide!”
He Qianqiu furrowed his brows but hadn’t yet spoken when a teacup was set down beside him. Ling Yan, seated on the other side, spoke up. “What do you mean by that, Junior Sister Cen? The Xuanqing Sect is jointly governed by our two great sword paths. By asking only Senior Brother to decide, where does that leave me, your senior sister?”
Cen Shu spoke with neither arrogance nor humility, her voice clear and resonant as she addressed the other woman: “In my heart, the Xuanqing Sect has always revered our Carefree Sword Path above all else. I hope you understand, Senior Sister!”
“Senior Sister does not understand,” Ling Yin replied calmly. “Although our Heartless Sword Path emerged later, it now stands on equal footing with your Carefree Sword. It deserves the same respect. If you continue to be so arrogant, Junior Sister Cen, I will have no choice but to report this to the Sect Leader when he returns from his travels.”
“You!”
“Enough,” He Qianqiu cut them off, turning his gaze to Ling Yin. “Sword Venerable Ling, Cen Shu lacks tact. I apologize on her behalf.”
Ling Yin glanced at him coolly. “If she lacks tact, does she also lack the ability to apologize? Must you, her senior brother, do it for her?”
Cen Shu gritted her teeth. “Don’t push your luck.”
Just then, a disciple rushed in frantically. “Sword Venerables! Something has happened in the secret realm! Somehow, a top-tier demon beast has slipped into the group of training beasts. The disciples are in chaos!”
“What?” Meng Suisui stood up abruptly. “They’ve only held swords for a few days, how can they possibly handle a top-tier demon beast?”
He Qianqiu frowned and looked toward the man sitting silently in a wheelchair below. “Junior Brother Yu, I recall that the training beasts for this trial were arranged by you.”
The man raised his head slightly, his dark, profound eyes meeting He Qianqiu’s. “Yes, Senior Brother. It seems someone in my division was careless and failed to verify the beast’s rank properly. I will investigate thoroughly upon my return. If any disciples are injured, I will take full responsibility.”
“Mmm,” He Qianqiu nodded, then shifted his gaze to the others seated below. “For this trial, who among you inserted their own disciples?”
Meng Suisui was the first to speak, smiling sheepishly. “Meng Zhuo is there. That cheap disciple of mine is usually idle, so I sent him in to get to know some people.”
“Oh, is that really about getting to know people?” Xiang Jinxiu, sitting beside him, rolled her eyes. “Isn’t it just because your Heartless Sword Path lacks disciples, so you’re taking the chance to insert someone and persuade the new disciples who haven’t chosen a path yet?”
Meng Suisui’s smile didn’t waver as he turned to her. “What are you saying, Sword Venerable Xiang? Didn’t you insert someone too? I saw your twin disciples sneak in together. With so many disciples in your Carefree Sword Path, why would you need to insert anyone?”
Xiang Jinxiu scoffed and ignored him.
Cen Shu, sitting nearby, said irritably, “Feng Shuo is inside.”
Then, glancing at Ling Yin, she added, “Shi Li is there too. Since Sword Venerable Ling inserted her disciple, it’s only fair that I do the same.”
Ling Yin, however, frowned slightly. “Shi Li is inside?”
“What are you pretending for now?” Cen Shu shot her a look. “Didn’t you instruct Shi Li to enter? With his reputation, he’ll probably attract quite a few to learn the Heartless Sword.”
Ling Yin fell silent, her brow still furrowed.
When no one else spoke, Yu Changdong, seated in the wheelchair, finally said, “I did not.”
He Qianqiu rubbed his temples. In the end, among the two great sword paths and six Sword Venerables, only he and Yu Changdong had not inserted anyone.
He Qianqiu had no disciples, while Yu Changdong had lost the use of his legs years ago, falling into a prolonged depression and never successfully teaching any outstanding disciples.
After listening to everyone, Meng Suisui relaxed and patted his chest. “Fortunately, since they’re all there, working together to fend off a top-tier demon beast shouldn’t be too difficult. My Ah Zhuo is a bit weak, so this is a good chance for him to learn from his senior brothers and sisters.”
The Trial Secret Realm opens once every two hundred years, coinciding with the Xuanqing Sect’s recruitment of new disciples every two centuries, serving as a means to temper the newcomers. If they were to rashly barge in now and destroy the secret realm, it would be a great pity.
“Work together?” Xiang Jinxiu shook her head. “Would the Young Lord even look at us clumsy disciples? I’m afraid he’ll just show off on his own again.”
“Well, he’d need the ability to show off first,” Cen Shu said, rising with his sword in hand and heading toward the Heaven-Gazing Mirror. “I’ll keep an eye on things.”
The forest in the Trial Secret Realm was empty, save for the special-grade demon beast patrolling the area.
Inside a nearby large cave, the group was still shaken, chattering nervously as they discussed the situation.
“That scared me to death earlier I almost fell and got trampled.”
“What’s going on with the sect? Didn’t they say this trial was to test our swordsmanship, with only low-grade demon beasts released?”
“Obviously, they made a mistake. What do we do now? Before entering the secret realm, we all heard the rules: at least one demon beast must be killed per person, and its demon core retrieved to complete the trial. Now that this special-grade beast has appeared, all the other demon beasts have fled in fear. If we can’t complete the trial, we can’t just stay trapped here forever.”
“Everyone, quiet!”
Amid the clamor, a figure suddenly leaped onto a higher section of the stone wall, speaking clearly and drawing everyone’s attention.
He wore a long sword at his waist and the standard disciple robes of the sect. Under the gaze of the crowd, he slowly raised his hand and tore off the human skin mask on his face.
Someone in the crowd with sharp eyes exclaimed, “Senior Brother Feng Shuo?”
“Feng Shuo? The head disciple of Sword Venerable Cen Shu?”
“Sword Venerable Qianqiu has no disciples, so among the disciples of the Carefree Sword Path, he’s the most outstanding. I heard he’s memorized every sword technique since the founding of the Xuanqing Sect. The library pavilion is ten zhang tall, how many books must that be! He can replicate every move flawlessly, more precise than the training puppets!”
“That impressive?”
Feng Shuo scanned the crowd of new disciples below and spoke solemnly, “Elder Yu is fully responsible for matters related to this trial. I believe he wouldn’t make such a basic mistake. Our Xuanqing Sect isn’t like those minor sects outside our standards are higher. It’s normal for new disciples to encounter special-grade demon beasts during trials. Everyone, stay calm.”
Hearing this, the crowd settled down.
Feng Shuo continued, “I have an idea and would like to hear your opinions. Everyone learned the Ten Thousand Spirits Formation yesterday and already understands some methods for capturing demon beasts. With a hundred disciples here now, if we work together and set up the formation.”
He began to elaborate on his plan as the crowd below listened quietly.
At the back of the group, Shi Che leaned against the stone wall with his arms crossed, his eyes narrowed as he watched the impassioned speaker on the platform.
Feng Shuo was urging them to go out together, use the formation to immobilize the demon beast, and then let him kill it.
But even if there were a hundred new disciples or even two hundred more they wouldn’t be able to immobilize a special-grade demon beast. And even if, by some miracle, they managed to do so, Feng Shuo’s abilities were far from guaranteeing a one-hit kill without giving the beast any chance to go berserk.
Special-grade demon beasts were around the Three-Yuan Void Realm. Among the younger generation of the Xuanqing Sect, even Shi Li, with her exceptional talent, was still stuck at the Two-Yuan Seeking Realm and hadn’t broken through to the Three-Yuan Realm.
The appearance of this demon beast was abnormal. The best course of action was to hide well and call for external help, waiting for the Sword Venerables to resolve the situation.
Shi Li, wearing a human skin mask for disguise, stood beside Shi Che, frowning as she listened.
In my memory, Feng Shuo wasn’t the type to act so foolishly and impulsively. He was usually quiet and relatively steady, why would he behave like this today?
Catching Shi Li’s puzzled expression out of the corner of his eye, Shi Che sighed softly, placing a hand on his shoulder and leaning in closer. “Don’t get it? Want me to explain?”
“Mm.”
Shi Che lowered his voice. “In a moment, this group will be hyped up with confidence and head out. Under Senior Brother Feng’s command, they’ll set up an array, seemingly trapping the demon beast. But just as the array is about to complete, someone will rush into the center, startling the beast and breaking the formation. That person will have no choice but to draw their sword and fight.”
“As soon as Hua Jing Sword appears, everyone will recognize the famous Young Master Shi Li. They’ll be amazed, admiring, waiting to see his heroic stance as he effortlessly slays the demon. Imagine it standing alone atop a top-tier demon beast, sword in hand against the wind, looking down at the disciples below. Isn’t that incredibly arrogant and domineering?”
“But at that moment, taking on a top-tier demon beast alone is far beyond his abilities. Even giving it his all, he won’t be able to kill it. Instead, he’ll cause it to injure many new disciples, throwing the secret realm into chaos again. In the end, Sword Venerable Cen Shu will forcibly break into the realm, slay the demon beast, and save everyone.”
“But in reality, he never intended to show off. He was pushed out without warning. Yet once it happens, any explanation sounds like an excuse.”
The more Shi Li listened, the deeper his frown became. “So this is a trap set by Cen Shu and his disciples?”
He didn’t have much interaction with Feng Shuo, but Ling Yin and Cen Shu had always been at odds. Shi Li already held little goodwill toward these carefree sword cultivators, and now he found them utterly disgusting.
Shi Che didn’t answer directly, just curled his lips slightly and sat down on a nearby rock. “Competition is like this. Whoever falls into the trap is the unlucky one.”
“And then?”
“What?”
Shi Li looked at him. “You fell into their trap, stumbled into their pit. And then?”
“And then… in everyone’s eyes, I became the bad guy who only cared about showing off, disregarding the lives of my fellow disciples. It was the first time I was publicly humiliated, a stain that would follow me for the rest of my life.”
His voice grew somber. “Countless times in my dreams, I remember the helplessness of that day. They were disappointed in the Heartless Sword path, disappointed in me. The sect couldn’t recruit new disciples, my master couldn’t hold his head up before the elders. The entire Heartless Sword path was shamed because of me. No matter how many achievements or glories I might have in the future, the shadow of this failure would always loom over me, clinging like a bone-deep scar. I can’t shake it off, I can’t forget it”
“Enough,” Shi Li cut him off. “It can’t be that hopeless.”
Shi Che lowered his head, looking wounded. “You haven’t experienced it, so you don’t understand. It was truly humiliating, truly hopeless.”
Though there was certainly some artistic exaggeration involved.
Shi Li fell silent for a moment, then lightly patted Shi Che’s head twice.
Shi Che was sitting while he stood, making the gesture feel natural.
Shi Che was someone who took an inch and asked for a mile. Seeing Shi Li’s attempt to comfort him, he leaned over, resting his head against Shi Li’s waist.
“What are you doing?” Shi Li’s waist was sensitive, and he flinched slightly.
He disliked being touched by others, but he didn’t resist Shi Che as long as the other gave a reasonable explanation.
“I just want to lean on you. I’m tired right now, and my mood isn’t great.”
As he spoke, Shi Che gestured toward a disciple not far away who kept rolling his eyes. “Meng Zhuo is over there.”
Shi Li glanced over and then averted his gaze. “Trash.”
Shi Che gestured toward another pair of young men and women standing close together. “Lou Feng and Lou Hua are here too.”
“Double the trash.”
Shi Che laughed, enjoying the sound of him cursing. With a sidelong glance, he could see the magnificent sword at his waist a famed weapon disguised, quietly hidden in its sheath.
Meanwhile, the broken sword at his own waist hummed with impatience, already restless.
“Shi Li.”
“Hmm?”
“Dare to trust me? I’ll let you pull off a move so cool it’s never been seen before and never will be again.”