Hearing Xu Changsheng’s words, the gazes of all the Sacred Transmission disciples present, including Silkworm Winter, all fell on Zhang Ruochen.
The crowd had long heard that someone had attracted the vision of “800 miles of purple energy” during the coronation ceremony, and had also fused the three Ancestor Sword Intentions.
Such a person could not be an ordinary person, he must have an extremely high talent in the Dao of the Sword.
Xu Changsheng’s words, however, clearly carried hostility.
Even if Lin Yue’s sword dao talent was even higher, he was still just a newly-promoted Sacred Transmission Disciple, and to be able to pass the first level of the Second Heavy Mountain was already quite remarkable.
Yet Xu Changsheng directly asked him how many words he wanted to challenge today.
No matter how Lin Yue answered, he was bound to fall into a disadvantage.
This was cupping!
Only by holding him up higher would he be able to drop him harder.
Xu Changsheng still wore a kind smile as he said, “Since, Senior Brother Lin Yue has fused three Ancestor Sword Intentions, why don’t you challenge three words, and also let us all have an eye-opening experience.”
The surrounding Sacred Transmission disciples, immediately laughed darkly, and many of them were transmitting their voices to each other.
“Even Xu Changsheng himself challenged two words, and it seemed extremely forced, yet he forced Lin Yue to challenge three words, this is trying to make Lin Yue make a fool of himself in public.”
“If Lin Yue agrees, he will definitely be defeated by the three gatekeepers, and in the future, I’m afraid that the entire Two Element Sect will laugh at his lack of self-importance. If Lin Yue refuses the challenge, I’m afraid he’ll have to earn a reputation as a coward.”
“What kind of hatred does Xu Changsheng have with Lin Yue, why is he being so aggressive?”
“Can’t you see? They’re fighting over jealousy, I really didn’t think that with Xu Changsheng’s status, he’d actually get into a big fight with a newly promoted Sacred Transmission disciple over a woman.”
“That depends on who it’s for, if it’s for the Body of Darkness, doing so would be quite worth it. As long as Xu Changsheng is able to marry the Body of Darkness, then he will be able to secure his position as the successor of the Xu Sacred Sect Valve.”
The Saint Successor disciples present all shook their heads and sighed, only feeling that Lin Yue would become a stepping stone for Xu Changsheng.
What was the point of having a high talent in the sword dao, in the end, he still hadn’t grown up.
The person who appeared to be the calmest was instead Zhang Ruochen, smiling, “There doesn’t seem to be any difference between challenging one word and challenging three words, so why would I do something so thankless?”
Xu Changsheng only felt that Zhang Ruochen was saying this because he was afraid.
He laughed, “Senior Brother Lin Yue doesn’t know that the difference between challenging three words and challenging one word is quite a big difference.”
“Those who challenge one word and ascend to the top of the second mountain can only take a gourd of holy water from the second holy spring.”
“Those who challenge two words and climb to the top of the second mountain are able to take one hundred gourds of holy water from the second holy spring.”
“Those who challenge three words and ascend to the top of the second mountain are able to take one thousand gourds of holy water from the second holy spring.”
“So that means that for every additional word, the benefits gained are multiplied by tenfold increments.”
Zhang Ruochen revealed a dawning realisation, nodded, and said, “If I succeed in the challenge of ten characters, once I reach the top of the mountain, I’m afraid that the holy water in the second holy spring would not be enough for me to fill and fetch at all, right?”
The surrounding Sacred Transmission disciples all burst into laughter.
Silkworm Dong had long since seen Zhang Ruochen’s arrogance, and at this moment, when he heard these words, he immediately skimmed his head and snorted coldly.
A hint of sarcasm appeared in Xu Changsheng’s eyes as he laughed, ”In the history of the Two Element Sect, no one has ever been able to successfully challenge the ten characters. If, however, Senior Brother Lin is able to succeed, such a battle record will definitely be written in the clan’s annals.”
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, “My current Sword Dao cultivation is not strong enough yet, so for the time being, I still won’t challenge the ten characters.”
“Count on you having the self-knowledge.”
Xu Changsheng had just wanted to utter these words, but when he heard Zhang Ruochen’s next words, he immediately swallowed back the words that had reached the edge of his throat.
Zhang Ruochen said, “This time, let’s challenge three words first. After all, it’s better to save some strength and break through the later levels.”
He was crazy, right?
Challenging three words?
All of the people felt that Lin Yue was speaking in anger, challenging three words at once was not something that he, a newly promoted Sacred Transmission disciple, could do.
The corner of Xu Changsheng’s mouth curved out into a rather smug arc. He was afraid that Lin Yue would backtrack, so he immediately said, ”As expected, you are the rising star of the Two Element Sect, making me, who is a senior brother, admire you as well. It’s just that the three words of challenge are of extraordinary difficulty, and I’m afraid that you won’t be able to break through using that 10th rank true martial treasure artefact grade sword of yours. How about this! Senior brother I will lend you the Valley Water Sword for a while, if, you are able to succeed in the challenge, the Valley Water Sword will be given to you.”
As he spoke, Xu Changsheng quickly unhooked a white sword from his back and threw it towards Zhang Ruochen.
Xu Changsheng’s gaze was firmly fixed on Lin Yue on the opposite side, as long as he received the sword, if he wanted to back out again, he would not be able to do so.
Zhang Ruochen stretched out a hand and caught the white sword, and just as it entered his hand, an extremely cold force came out, freezing his hand to the point of being slightly numb.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen catch the sword, Xu Changsheng finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the smile on his face, appeared even more unrestrained.
The surrounding Sacred Transmission disciples, all of them looked at each other, shaking their heads and laughing.
Right now, Xu Changsheng was holding Lin Yue up so high, later on when Lin Yue failed the challenge, I’m afraid that Xu Changsheng would have to use subsequent means to make Lin Yue fall without a chance to turn over.
What’s more, breaking into the Ancient God Mountain would also be life-threatening, and if one didn’t take it upon themselves to challenge, it was likely that they would die under the guardian’s sword before they had a chance to admit defeat.
Everyone felt that Xu Changsheng was too sinister and ruthless.
Lin Yue was also too stupid to actually be really foolish enough to challenge the three characters and fall into Xu Changsheng’s pit without being completely unaware of it.
The older Saint Transmission disciples present had already seen too many things like this, and had long since grown accustomed to it.
“The twelfth rank True Martial Treasure Weapon, the material used to refine the sword, uses the Valley Water Spirit Jade. If, the sword spirit is born in the sword, it is enough to grow into a holy sword. Good sword, really a good good sword.”
Zhang Ruochen kept stroking the Valley Water Sword as he kept praising it on his lips.
All of the people present thought that he was a person who had never seen the world, thus, he was so excited to see the Valley Water Sword.
In reality, when Zhang Ruochen was stroking the Valley Water Sword, he used his True Qi to refine the sword intent that Xu Changsheng had left in the Valley Water Sword.
Only when he had refined the sword intent in the sword, completely, did he walk over towards the stone wall and stood ten feet away from it.
The writing on the stone wall was quite obscure.
Many of the words were even unseen, and it was only through powerful sword intent that one could surmise the true meaning of what the words represented.
“Wow!”
In just a split second, on the stone wall, three of the texts fell off and transformed into three translucent gatekeepers that flew down from mid-air and swung their swords straight at Zhang Ruochen.
The Sacred Transmission disciples present were still quite surprised, originally they thought that Lin Yue would need a long time to recognise the three words. However, they didn’t expect that Lin Yue instantly read the three words and started to challenge.
For a newly promoted Sacred Transmission disciple to be able to do this, it was already quite remarkable.
Of course, even so, the crowd still didn’t think that Lin Yue would be able to succeed in his challenge. After all, it was three words, which was an unknown number of times more difficult than two words.
The three gatekeepers were divided into three directions and attacked over, using a combined attack formation.
Two of the gatekeepers, running on the ground, attacked Zhang Ruochen from the left and right directions. The two of them constantly waved their swords, and their powerful sword qi transformed into two 10-metre-long dragon shadows, erupting into a “whimpering” sound.
The third gatekeeper, flying above the two gatekeepers, held a sword in each hand, continuously drawing out Taiji Dao seals, forming a three-zero-metre-diameter sphere of sword qi.
“Two Dragons Playing with Pearls Sword Formation.”
Seeing the violent and sharp sword qi surging out, all the Sacred Transmission disciples immediately cast out their body techniques and retreated into the distance.
Even those whose cultivation was as powerful as Xu Changsheng and Silkworm Winter were slightly discoloured; after all, it was the first time they had seen the power of three characters combined and erupted.
Such a terrifying power, was it really a cultivator of the Fish Dragon Realm. Would be able to break through?
When Xu Changsheng had challenged two words, every gatekeeper was at the level of the third level of the Sword One realm.
Now, when Zhang Ruochen challenged three words, every gatekeeper was almost equivalent to the level of the fifth level of the Sword One realm. It seemed like there was only a difference of one word, but the difficulty of it was one heaven and one earth.
“I see, the more words in the challenge, the higher the gatekeeper’s Sword Dao realm. No wonder Xu Changsheng was so sure that I wouldn’t be able to break through, wanting to defeat the three gatekeepers really isn’t an easy task.”
In the presence, only Zhang Ruochen appeared to be the most calm, still standing in place without revealing the slightest hint of panic.
In a flash of lightning, the two gatekeepers below swung their swords towards Zhang Ruochen at the same time, and it looked like Zhang Ruochen was about to have his body torn apart by the sword energy.
Right at this moment, a scene that shocked the Sacred Transmission disciples present appeared.
“Swoosh!”
“Swoosh!”
The Blue Treasure Sword and the Valley Water Sword flew out of their sheaths at the same time, and Zhang Ruochen quickly struck out two palms, striking above the hilts of the two swords. The two swords transformed into two light shuttles, one blue and one white, and flew out rapidly, erupting three hundred and sixty sword qi, knocking the two gatekeepers standing on the ground back non-stop.
The two gatekeepers, the speed of their swords, was as fast as lightning.
The two swords, one blue and one white, made their moves at an even faster speed, completely suppressing the aura of the two gatekeepers, forcing them to retreat.
Above, the third gatekeeper’s arm quickly rotated, forming a vortex of sword energy.
A seven-metre long giant sword stabbed out from the centre of the vortex, turning into a piercing pillar of light that struck at Zhang Ruochen’s brow.
“Break!”
Zhang Ruochen pinched his two fingers together, transforming them into a sword technique and striking upwards.
The fingertips of his fingers collided with the tip of the giant sword, and then, with a loud bang, the seven-metre-long giant sword crumbled into pieces, turning into a chaotic mass of sword qi that surged backward, knocking the three gatekeepers backward by more than ten feet.
“How is that possible?”
Seeing this scene, Xu Changsheng’s eyes, almost glaring out from inside his eye sockets, were filled with a single protruding vein.
The other Sacred Transmission disciples were also dumbstruck, they were so shocked that they couldn’t clear their minds, their brains going blank, completely in a state of suffocation.
Silkworm Dong and Qin Yufan both sucked in a breath of cool air, almost simultaneously reciting a sentence in a low voice, “The seventh level of Sword One’s realm.”
Qi Fayu, who was standing at the edge of the cliff, stepped out from the white mist, revealing an elegant and stunning face, and those beautiful eyes, which emitted rippling lustre, stared at Zhang Ruochen’s body, obviously also feeling quite incredulous.
