Chapter 142: The First Sword Cultivator of the Clear Sky Sect
Pei Zhangzhi turned his head, asking in surprise, “Only joined the sect for a few months?”
The one who spoke to them was Bai Ning’er, who possessed the Fate Trait of 【Lucky One】.
Half a month ago, he had applied to be transferred away from the Spirit Mine, and only yesterday had it been approved.
Although he had always stayed in the Spirit Mine and his aptitude was average, his cultivation had already reached the Fourth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm.
Such a level was considered first-class within the Clear Sky Sect, so he wanted to participate in the Grand Dao Tournament to prove himself.
He did not understand why the Sect Master valued him, but he wished to demonstrate his talent to him.
Seeing that Zhao Qi, Pei Zhangzhi, and the others seemed to be of extraordinary identity and had their eyes on Xiao Wudi, he deliberately pointed out Xiao Wudi’s background.
Previously, when Li Qingqiu brought the three Xiao brothers to the Spirit Mine, Bai Ning’er had been deeply impressed.
He envied them greatly and wished to be like them—serving closely by the Sect Master’s side.
Facing Pei Zhangzhi’s inquiry, Bai Ning’er replied with pride, “That’s right, impressive, isn’t it? After all, not just anyone can catch the Sect Master’s eye. Our Sect Master values them highly—takes them everywhere he goes.”
Saying so, Bai Ning’er continued walking up the mountain.
Hearing those words, Zhao Qi immediately dared not harbor any further thoughts about Xiao Wudi.
However, his curiosity toward Bai Ning’er grew, and he quickly followed after him.
“Young brother, what’s your name? Who is your Master?” Zhao Qi asked with a gentle smile, showing no trace of a noble’s authority.
Bai Ning’er glanced at him and said, “My name is Bai Ning’er, and I don’t have a Master yet.”
“You’re heading up the mountain?”
“Mm, to register for the Grand Dao Tournament.”
“Could you tell me more about your sect’s Grand Dao Tournament? I have quite a friendship with your Hall Master Li Sifeng. This time, I came up to pay a visit to your Hall Master Zhang Yuchun.”
“You’re so powerful yourself—do you really need me to explain? When you meet Hall Master Zhang, he’ll tell you all about it.”
“I’ll be discussing important matters with Hall Master Zhang. He’s a busy man—if I start asking him about such things, wouldn’t I be wasting his time?”
“True.”
Bai Ning’er thought that the Grand Dao Tournament wasn’t exactly a secret.
The news had already spread, so there was no need to conceal it deliberately.
Thinking so, Bai Ning’er began explaining the Grand Dao Tournament to Zhao Qi.
Pei Zhangzhi, meanwhile, grew increasingly curious about Bai Ning’er.
His intuition told him that this disciple was not simple.
Having reached the Fourth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm, Bai Ning’er’s temperament had already transformed, making Pei Zhangzhi and his attendants feel that he was unfathomable.
Throughout the entire month of March, the Clear Sky Sect bustled with excitement.
Even before the Grand Dao Tournament began, many were already predicting who would take the top three places in the sect’s very first competition.
Xu Ning was overwhelmingly favored to take first place.
She had already stepped down from her position as Hall Master.
Coupled with her being the Sect Master’s disciple and still very young, no one objected to her participation—in fact, they were eager to see her performance, as she was a pillar among the younger generation.
Xue Jin, Li Yang, Lu Qing, Huang Shan, Zheng Yunqiao, and Zhao Zhen were all strong contenders for second place.
Although Zhao Zhen’s talent was widely recognized as the strongest, he was only ten years old—it was hard for people to believe he could seize second place.
Besides those well-known disciples, many others were eager to shine.
At present, the Clear Sky Sect had twenty-five disciples at the Fourth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm.
Most of their names weren’t widely known, and naturally, they too wished to become famous like Xue Jin and Lu Qing.
At noon—
Ji Ya’s five friends entered the Sword Sect Hall Courtyard, and Yang Lin was being pestered by her four companions.
“You really signed up for the Grand Dao Tournament? What for? You’re only at the Second Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm; you won’t stand out.”
“It’s not necessarily about ranking high. If I can demonstrate my skills before the Hall Masters and Elders, maybe one of them will take me as a disciple.”
“Hearing that, I almost want to join too.”
“Among us Sword Sect Hall disciples, only Senior Brother Han Lang might be able to reach the top sixty-four by June, right?”
Not only they, but the other Sword Sect Hall disciples who had arrived early at the Martial Arena were also discussing the tournament.
Currently, the most outstanding disciple of the Sword Sect Hall, Han Lang, stood alone, holding a wooden sword in his hand, seemingly deep in thought.
At a glance, he resembled Shen Yue meditating on sword comprehension atop a roof.
Ever since the establishment of the Grand Dao Tournament, not only the disciples but also each Hall had been preparing intensely, hoping their disciples would achieve good results to bring honor to their Hall.
Although Shen Yue was busy comprehending the sword, the Sword Sect Hall disciples also wanted to see their Hall succeed—thus, the pressure fell naturally upon Han Lang, their strongest.
If even Han Lang couldn’t make it into the top sixty-four, the Sword Sect Hall would be utterly embarrassed.
Of course, in Han Lang’s mind, entering the top ten was the true way to bring glory to the Sword Sect Hall.
Once all the disciples gathered, Han Lang came back to his senses.
Turning around to face his junior brothers and sisters, he prepared to call them to practice sword together.
At that moment—
“Ha ha ha ha——”
A loud laugh echoed from behind.
Han Lang turned around and saw Shen Yue standing atop the roof, laughing heartily.
The other Sword Sect Hall disciples also looked up and were astonished to see a wooden sword floating before Shen Yue.
The scene was strikingly similar to the Sect Master and his Tianhong Sword.
Could it be…
“I’ve succeeded!”
Shen Yue laughed loudly.
Then, with a leap, he stepped onto the wooden sword and flew toward the Lingxiao Courtyard at the mountain peak, quickly vanishing beyond the layers of forest.
The Sword Sect Hall disciples were instantly stirred with excitement—they all knew why Shen Yue had been comprehending the sword and could easily guess what he intended to do now.
Elder Shen must be going to find the Sect Master!
Han Lang gazed toward the direction Shen Yue had flown, emotions surging within him.
If even Elder Shen cultivated so diligently, how could he afford to slack off?
As long as he continued to train hard, his sword would eventually bring him the results he sought.
He turned back toward the disciples and began urging them to form up for sword practice.
They were practicing a sword formation created by Jiang Zhaoxia—one designed to resist external enemies.
They had to master it.
……
Ziyang Peak—located to the east of Clear Sky Mountain—was taller than the main peak, standing among the mountain range like an unsheathed sword.
This was also the second mountain the Clear Sky Sect planned to develop.
The lower half of Ziyang Peak was a grand mountain connected to the range, its terrain vast and open, while the upper half was steep and shrouded in mist year-round.
On a cliffside, Li Qingqiu was meditating in spell cultivation.
Yuan Li, Zhao Zhen, and Ji Ya sat behind him in a line, each with a tiny sword shadow forming in their palms.
Li Qingqiu, who possessed the Fate Trait of 【Innate Sword Genius】, could also create sword techniques.
This spell was called 【Soul-Seizing Flying Sword】, which he had created by combining the Supreme Sword Controlling Technique, the Ghostly Immortal Needle of Rejuvenation, and the Soul Restraining Curse.
The Soul-Seizing Flying Sword possessed the sharp sword energy of the Supreme Sword Controlling Technique, the piercing power of the Ghostly Immortal Needle, and the soul-locking effect of the Soul Restraining Curse.
Those struck by the Soul-Seizing Flying Sword would have their bodies destroyed, their souls pierced and trapped, unable to return.
The Fate Trait 【Innate Sword Genius】 gave Li Qingqiu unique comprehension in swordsmanship, while his understanding of the soul path came from the Fate Trait 【Human Ghost-God】.
When Li Qingqiu first performed the Soul-Seizing Flying Sword, he had frightened Chu Jing, Nangong E, and Lin Chuan—they could all feel how the technique restrained them.
At the same time, Chu Jing realized that the spell Li Qingqiu had mastered was likely self-created, making him even more reverent of him, suspecting that Li Qingqiu was not someone blessed by an immortal in a dream but an immortal reincarnated.
Just as Li Qingqiu was fully focused on teaching his disciples, a prompt suddenly appeared before his eyes:
【As this is the first time a disciple of the Clear Sky Sect has stepped onto the path of sword cultivation, becoming a Sword Cultivator, thereby bringing new potential to the Dao Lineage’s development, you have gained one Fortuitous Fate Chance.】
Li Qingqiu was stunned.
Sword Cultivator?
It reminded him of the Ghost Cultivator prompt triggered by Chu Jing before.
So it turned out, mastering sword-type spells alone did not make one a sword cultivator.
He wondered which disciple had accomplished it—most likely Jiang Zhaoxia, he thought.
His mood lightened; a Fortuitous Fate Chance meant cultivation resources—something disciples could not create on their own.
When today’s lesson ended, he would activate the chance.
Li Qingqiu began to anticipate it, hoping it would lead to another place rich in Spiritual Energy, so he could nurture more True Transmission Disciples.
No matter how far it was, he did not worry—Clear Sky Sect had grown strong.
Sending five True Transmission Disciples at the Fourth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm would be enough to hold a region.
As long as they didn’t encounter cultivators of the Immortal Path, no one within the Great Li Dynasty could trouble them.
After a while, a sharp whistling sound came, startling Yuan Li, Zhao Zhen, and Ji Ya, who turned their heads.
They saw Shen Yue flying on his wooden sword, swiftly landing behind the four of them.
After he landed, the wooden sword floated behind him, leaving the three disciples wide-eyed.
Li Qingqiu was surprised—it turned out that the one who had become a Sword Cultivator wasn’t Jiang Zhaoxia, but Shen Yue.
“Sect Master, my sword has entered the Dao—how is it?” Shen Yue said, staring at Li Qingqiu with pride.
Li Qingqiu looked toward the wooden sword and saw that it contained a soul.
Unlike Chu Jing’s, this was not a human soul.
Its shape resembled Shen Yue himself, and its aura was identical.
Shen Yue had actually created a Sword Soul?
Impossible!
Even Li Qingqiu, with the Fate Trait 【Innate Sword Genius】, could not comprehend how he had done it.
Li Qingqiu exclaimed, “What marvelous creation—you truly qualify as a Sword Cultivator.”
“Sword Cultivator? I like that name,” Shen Yue raised his brow.
Zhao Zhen and Ji Ya stared in astonishment at the wooden sword behind Shen Yue; their cultivation was higher than Yuan Li’s, so their perception was even deeper.
Shen Yue continued, “Sect Master, now that I am as I am, do I have the right to challenge you again?”
Li Qingqiu turned slightly and smiled.
“Your achievement as a Sword Cultivator deserves to be recorded on a monument—provided you’re willing to teach the disciples the method of fusing soul into sword.”
“Of course I’m willing. My realization comes entirely from you and the Clear Sky Sect. I’m happy to share it.”
Shen Yue spoke without hesitation, the corners of his lips curving upward.
Perhaps it was Li Qingqiu’s imagination, but he felt Shen Yue, much like Zhao Zhen, had a flair for theatrics.
Sensing the doubt in Li Qingqiu’s gaze, Shen Yue straightened his expression and asked solemnly, “Sect Master, you still haven’t answered me—may I challenge you again?”
As soon as his voice fell—
Whoosh——
A sharp slicing sound tore through the air.
In the next instant, Shen Yue’s white hair and beard were swept backward, his pupils dilated, and before his eyes hovered a silver sword shadow.
A terrifying pressure enveloped him, freezing him in place.
The scene was exactly like that time before.
Once again, before Li Qingqiu’s sword, he couldn’t react in time.
Staring at the Soul-Seizing Flying Sword before him, Shen Yue could feel the terrifying killing intent it contained, making his heart tremble.
“You’ve grown stronger, but it’s still not enough,” Li Qingqiu said calmly.
Yuan Li and the others looked upon Li Qingqiu with reverence after hearing those words.