125: A sword cuts off a mountain, a ceremony to accept a disciple

Inside the Internal Affairs Hall, the air seemed to solidify under that soaring Saber Intent.

Zhou Tong’s face showed an unprecedented solemnity.

What kind of monster is this kid?!

His cultivation clearly showed no trace of Internal Energy fluctuations, yet why did just that Saber Intent make him dare not make a Move?

“Xuan Sword Art, First Move, Startling Swan!”

Zhou Tong dared not be careless any longer, he let out a low shout and unleashed the Legacy sword art of Xuanjian Peak.

The sword light flashed, swift as a startled swan, bringing a sharp whistle that tore through the air, piercing straight for Li Huowang’s throat!

Facing this sword.

Li Huowang also circulated his magical power and chopped forward.

There was no earth-shattering Move.

It was just such an unpretentious Saber.

“Om—!”

“Crack!”

A soft sound.

The precious sword in Zhou Tong’s hand, forged from profound iron essence, shattered like fragile glass.

Immediately after, the domineering and unparalleled Saber edge flashed past, grazing his scalp!

“Hiss—!”

Zhou Tong only felt a chill on his head, and a piercing, bone-chilling pain came!

He subconsciously reached out and touched, and his hand met with a warm stickiness.

He had been shaved bald!

The kind where a layer of his scalp had also been shaved off!

The entire process was smooth and decisive.

Li Huowang slowly retracted his Saber, its edge spotless.

“Do you still want to fight?”

His voice was like an invisible pile driver, heavily striking Zhou Tong’s chest.

Fight?

Fight my ass!

If he kept fighting, what would fall off wouldn’t be his scalp, but his head!

Zhou Tong’s guts were almost turning green with regret at this moment.

Damn it, how was this testing him?

This was clearly rushing to deliver his head!

...

Half an hour later.

Zhou Tong, with a bloody, bald head, respectfully handed his and Star Sword Peak’s Cultivation resources for this month to Li Huowang, amidst the complex expressions of the Internal Affairs Hall Disciples who wanted to laugh but dared not.

He even additionally included a few bottles of healing holy medicine he had treasured for many years.

Only two words — humble.

Li Huowang was not polite, he accepted everything, whistling as he swaggered away.

Leaving behind only a dashing figure, and a Xuanjian Peak true Legacy Disciple whose mentality had completely collapsed.

Zhou Tong returned to Xuanjian Peak in a daze.

When he reported today’s events, word for word, to his Revered Master, the Peak Lord of Xuanjian Peak.

What greeted him was not comfort, but a resounding slap!

“Slap!”

“Useless!”

The Peak Lord of Xuanjian Peak, a gloomy-faced middle-aged man, trembled with rage.

“You can’t even handle a small matter! You’ve completely disgraced my Xuanjian Peak!”

Zhou Tong covered his swollen face, his heart full of grievance and unwillingness, yet he dared not retort.

“Revered Master, that… that kid is too strange! His Saber technique…”

“Enough!” the Peak Lord of Xuanjian Peak interrupted him sharply, “Get out! Go to the Punishment Hall yourself and receive thirty lashes!”

“Yes…”

...

Star Sword Peak, mountaintop.

Li Huowang handed all of today’s “spoils of war” to Lu Yuchen, and then vividly recounted what had happened at the Internal Affairs Hall.

Lu Yuchen listened and gave an “Mm.”

As if all of this was within his expectations.

Lying on that grand chair, with his legs crossed, he faced the direction of Xuanjian Peak, gently, with his hands forming a seal, he flicked his finger.

A tiny, hair-thin stream of magical power flashed and disappeared into the back mountain of Xuanjian Peak.

The next moment.

The back mountain of Xuanjian Peak, which was perpetually shrouded in clouds and mist, suddenly trembled.

Immediately after, it returned to calm.

As if nothing had happened.

Only Lichen Sword Sect’s Sect Master Li Tian and the other ten Peak Lords changed color in that instant.

They clearly felt an indescribable terrifying power coming from the direction of Star Sword Peak, forcibly cutting the entire back mountain of Xuanjian Peak from top to bottom with an unreasonable posture… a smooth cut that was imperceptible to the naked eye.

That mountain, in a physical sense, was split into two halves!

Yet it still stood there.

What… what kind of method is this?

“Pass on my order!”

Sect Master Li Tian’s voice, carrying a hint of uncontrollable fear, spread throughout the Sect Master Hall.

“All Disciples, whenever you see the Peak Lord of Star Sword Peak, you must treat him with the courtesy of a Junior Martial Uncle! If anyone shows disrespect, their Cultivation will be abolished and they will be expelled from the Sect.”

The Peak Lord of Xuanjian Peak was so scared that his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering on the spot, he ran to the Punishment Hall and personally released Zhou Tong, who was still being punished, the Revered Master and Disciple looked at each other in silence, hugging their heads and crying bitterly.

...

Three days passed in a blink of an eye.

Lichen Sword Sect’s once-a-decade Disciple recruitment ceremony officially began!

Outside the mountain gate, it was already a sea of people.

Boys and girls from all over the Tianwu Continent, carrying their yearning for the Martial Dao and their admiration for the strong, surrounded the place so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through.

“Silence!”

With a majestic command.

The Disciple recruitment ceremony began.

Testing Aptitude!

Testing Cultivation!

Testing bone age!

One after another, the checkpoints mercilessly eliminated batch after batch of aspiring youths.

The cruel reality made them understand that in the path of Martial Dao, talent is far more important than effort.

At the very back of the crowd, a shabbily dressed, handsome young man with firm and unwilling eyes clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails almost digging into his flesh.

His name was Chen Ping'an.

To join the Lichen Sword Sect, he had sold all his family property, traveled thousands of miles, begged along the way, and endured countless hardships to reach this place.

But what was the result?

He didn’t even qualify to participate in the formal Disciple test!

Simply because he was already nineteen years old this year.

And the minimum requirement for Lichen Sword Sect to recruit formal Disciples was to be under eighteen years old, and Cultivation must at least reach the Acquired Martial Artist realm.

Or, those under sixteen with extraordinary Martial Dao talent could be exceptionally admitted.

He… didn’t meet either.

He only started to touch the Martial Dao at eighteen, and now he was just a third-rate Martial Artist.

Hope, was shattered.

A deep despair flashed in Chen Ping'an’s eyes.

Am I destined to live such a mediocre life?

No!

He was unwilling!

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the dense crowd, looking towards another direction.

There, was where Lichen Sword Sect recruited… Utility Disciples.

He took a deep breath, and the faint light in his already dim eyes reignited.

Even if he had to be a Utility Disciple, as long as he could stay in this Martial Dao Sect, as long as he could learn even a tiny bit of martial arts, he would accept it!

He turned around and walked resolutely towards what might be his only chance in this life.