All eyes were drawn to Tang Ruoxue.
Her long hair danced in the gentle breeze, framing an exquisite face. Tang Ruoxue walked with graceful steps to the empty space in the very center of the training grounds.
"So beautiful! Ever since we were kids, Ruoxue has been the goddess of my heart, but she was always with that damn Yi Xiaoyao!"
"How could a waste like Yi Xiaoyao ever be worthy of a peerless beauty like Ruoxue? Besides, she’s already dumped him!"
The Tang Family youths below all watched Tang Ruoxue, mesmerized, not forgetting to take the opportunity to badmouth Yi Xiaoyao.
Of course, Yi Xiaoyao was there too. He was currently standing in a corner of the training grounds, unnoticed by anyone.
Yi Xiaoyao paid no mind to their words of praise for Tang Ruoxue and ridicule for him. He would soon let them all know just how outrageously wrong they were.
But for now, Yi Xiaoyao would wait for Tang Ruoxue to climb to the very peak before striking her down. Only then could he vent the hatred of her betrayal!
Tang Ruoxue bowed slightly to the high platform in salute, then said softly, "Thank you, esteemed elders, for your favor. Before we proceed, I, Ruoxue, would like to make a humble display of what I have learned in the past ten days!"
On the high platform, Mei Han and the others nodded slightly. After all, even seventh-grade Immortal Soul inheritances varied in quality, and they were curious to see where Tang Ruoxue’s ranked.
The spotlight was entirely on Tang Ruoxue. The next moment, she drew her longsword with a sharp ring.
Blue Spiritual Power instantly surged from Tang Ruoxue’s palm, completely enveloping the longsword.
When the crowd saw her Spiritual Power, a clamor of astonished cries erupted.
"The Eighth Realm of Qi Condensation! Tang Ruoxue went from the Seventh Realm to the Eighth Realm of Qi Condensation in just ten days! She’s a true genius!"
Even the several sect elders on the high platform smiled faintly and nodded in satisfaction.
Tang Ruoxue felt everyone’s praise and was overjoyed. Immediately after, the longsword in her hand transformed into a blur of light as she began to dance with it.
Under the morning sun, light and shadow intertwined, glinting with silver flashes.
The moment she executed this Swordsmanship, someone in the crowd recognized it.
"That’s the Flowing Light Swordsmanship! From the looks of it, she has already mastered this technique quite well."
"That’s already astounding. She only connected with her Immortal Soul ten days ago. In just ten days, she not only raised her Cultivation by a whole layer but also learned a new Swordsmanship. A genius is a genius!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Next, riding the wave of admiration, Tang Ruoxue shifted her sword path. It was no longer as swift as before, instead taking on the momentum of a heavy slash.
"This is the Earth-Cutting Swordsmanship, a technique that sacrifices speed for power."
"She actually learned two types of Swordsmanship in such a short time. Unbelievable!"
Tang Ruoxue grew even more pleased with herself. She slashed down abruptly, and a ten-foot-long gash instantly appeared in the ground.
But her movements were not finished. Her sword path changed again.
SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH SWISH...
In a brief instant, she struck six times, yet it looked as if she had only struck once.
The Seven-layered Sword Technique! This Swordsmanship could stack up to seven slashes, combining their might into one. She had just stacked six!
Silence.
The entire area fell deathly quiet. Many people sucked in a sharp breath, having forgotten even to praise her.
The eyes of the three sect elders on the high platform lit up. They exchanged glances and nodded repeatedly.
"This Tang Ruoxue not only has a seventh-grade Immortal Soul inheritance, but her talent for the Sword Dao is also this high!"
Elder Xu of the Jinhan Sect quickly spoke before Elder Mei, shouting down, "Tang Ruoxue! Are you willing to join my Jinhan Sect and become my Direct Disciple?"
"Tang Ruoxue! My Wind Mist Sect is in dire need of a talent like you. If you become my disciple, I will spare no effort in cultivating you!" another elder shouted.
Seeing this, Mei Han simply smiled faintly and called out with great confidence, "Tang Ruoxue, come to my Cloud Transformation Sect."
This was the sentence Tang Ruoxue had been waiting for. Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately sheathed her sword and bowed.
"Tang Ruoxue is willing to enter the Cloud Transformation Sect under Elder Mei!"
Mei Han nodded in gratification. Although she hadn’t promised any special conditions, the name "Cloud Transformation Sect" was the best promise of all.
Although the elders from the other two sects had anticipated this, their faces were still filled with regret at having lost such a genius right before their eyes.
Tang Ruoxue was ecstatic. Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching. She wanted to see just how ugly Yi Xiaoyao’s expression was right now!
Finally, Tang Ruoxue’s gaze locked onto Yi Xiaoyao, who was standing in the corner.
Yi Xiaoyao watched the woman with a blank expression. In the eyes of others, she was a favored daughter of the heavens, but in Yi Xiaoyao’s eyes, everything about Tang Ruoxue screamed a single word: vile!
Tang Ruoxue scoffed inwardly. ’He can’t fool me. There’s no way he isn’t jealous after seeing my achievements. He’s just pretending to be calm.’
A path opened in the crowd, and all eyes followed Tang Ruoxue as she walked, step by arrogant step, to stand before Yi Xiaoyao.
"Did you see that?"
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Tang Ruoxue asked Yi Xiaoyao, her tone flat but laced with pride.
Yi Xiaoyao snorted and gave a faint smile. "See what? Your clumsy Swordsmanship? Or you, flaunting the talent I gave you, gloating in front of me?"
"Yi Xiaoyao! You’re still so arrogant. You have nothing to be arrogant about anymore! You still haven’t recognized your own place!"
Tang Ruoxue’s eyes turned icy as she said angrily, "I advise you not to do something as foolish as challenging me. And don’t you dare harbor any improper thoughts about me!"
"Improper thoughts? Oh, I’ll restrain the improper thought of wanting to kill you," Yi Xiaoyao sneered. "Because killing you would violate the clan rules, and you’re not worth it! But your fate of being defeated by me today is already sealed."
"Kill me? Defeat me?"
Tang Ruoxue couldn’t help but laugh as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
She stared at Yi Xiaoyao and said, "Yi Xiaoyao, what’s giving you so much confidence? That third-grade Immortal Soul inheritance you’ve been hiding? Your Third Realm Qi Condensation Cultivation? In my eyes, those are things only a waste would possess!"
Yi Xiaoyao shot her a cold glance and didn’t bother to reply. After all, this woman would never understand the massive gap between the Sword God’s inheritance and the third-grade Immortal Soul inheritance she spoke of.
Tang Ruoxue likewise found Yi Xiaoyao hopelessly stupid and couldn’t be bothered to continue the conversation.
Before leaving, she added one last sentence: "Think carefully about what I’ve told you. There’s a limit to how ignorant one can be!"
Tang Ruoxue seemed to carry her own light, illuminating wherever she went. Thus, everyone had witnessed her conversation with Yi Xiaoyao.
"Didn’t Tang Ruoxue already dump Yi Xiaoyao? Why is she still talking to that waste?"
"It’s just Yi Xiaoyao, a toad lusting after a swan’s flesh. And I also heard he boasted that he would defeat Tang Ruoxue today!"
"That waste Yi Xiaoyao? With only a Third Realm Qi Condensation Cultivation? He probably couldn’t even beat me, let alone Tang Ruoxue. He really doesn’t know his own limits!"
Everyone waved their hands dismissively when discussing the matter. Absolutely no one believed Yi Xiaoyao could pull it off.
Meanwhile, Tang Ji, the Tang Family youth with the sixth-grade Immortal Soul inheritance, was also accepted as a disciple by Xu Jin of the Jinhan Sect.
The Tang Family elders on the high platform were all smiles. They announced to the crowd below, "Now that these matters are settled, let us return to today’s main event: the succession of the Fortress Master."
The crowd below fell silent. They knew the position of Fortress Master would undoubtedly go to Tang Ruoxue, so there was nothing left to discuss.
And indeed, the presiding elder announced, "After deliberation by the Tang Family’s Elder Council, we have unanimously decided that Tang Ruoxue shall be the new Fortress Master!"