Ye Qiu stood before the Enlightenment Platform, pausing to stare at the seven steps for a while.
He noticed that although each step was covered with countless sword marks, he didn’t sense any sword intent.
“Xue said each step holds the sword intent left by the Tsukahara Sword Saint, so why can’t I see it?”
Feeling puzzled, Ye Qiu took a step forward and set foot on the first step.
As soon as his feet landed, a sudden “zheng” sounded, and a sword’s cry rang out.
A tremendous sword intent abruptly emerged on the step.
Ye Qiu felt as if he were standing in a forest of swords. Looking down, he saw countless sword intents appearing on the step.
However, these sword energies posed no threat to Ye Qiu.
Thud!
Ye Qiu stomped down hard, and the sword intent instantly shattered.
Seeing this, Qian Shanxue and Qiu Shan Nange were both shocked.
“Master, Ye Qiu suppressed the Tsukahara Sword Saint’s sword intent.”
“This kid is really bold.”
“Master, will there be any problems?”
“I don’t know, let’s watch and see.”
Neither Qian Shanxue nor Qiu Shan Nange had ever encountered such a situation.
In the past, when they stepped on the steps, they would carefully sense the sword intent, and it would gradually dissipate on its own.
But Ye Qiu? He directly crushed the sword intent with one stomp.
This was the sword intent left by the Tsukahara Sword Saint, and Ye Qiu’s action was tantamount to provocation. As for the consequences, neither Qian Shanxue nor Qiu Shan Nange knew.
At that moment, Ye Qiu stepped onto the second step.
“Zheng!”
The sword cry rang out…
Thud!
Before the sword intent on the step could fully manifest, Ye Qiu stomped down fiercely, and in an instant, the sword intent on the second step vanished without a trace.
The whole process took less than two seconds.
This…
Qian Shanxue was dumbfounded, and after a moment, she said, “He’s way too domineering!”
Domineering…
Hearing these words, Qiu Shan Nange recalled last night in Qian Shanxue’s room, when Ye Qiu forced her to call him “husband,” and her face flushed with embarrassment.
“Little rascal, so naughty~”
Qiu Shan Nange huffed inwardly.
“Master, what are you thinking about?” Qian Shanxue suddenly asked.
Qiu Shan Nange snapped out of her wandering thoughts and said, “I’m wondering how many steps Ye Qiu can reach.”
Qian Shanxue pressed, “Master, how many steps do you think Ye Qiu can reach?”
Qiu Shan Nange thought seriously and said, “Ye Qiu’s cultivation is higher than mine; he should be able to reach the fourth or fifth step.”
Qian Shanxue glanced at Ye Qiu and said, “I think Ye Qiu might reach the seventh step.”
“That’s impossible!” Qiu Shan Nange said, “Even our Water Moon Sect’s founder only reached the fifth step back then. Ye Qiu can’t surpass her.”
Qian Shanxue replied, “I have faith in Ye Qiu. If you don’t believe me, Master, let’s wait and see.”
…
After shattering the sword intent on the second step, Ye Qiu didn’t pause for a moment and directly stepped onto the third step.
“Zheng!”
As the sword cry sounded, a sword intent shot out from the step, piercing toward Ye Qiu’s heart.
Its speed was astonishingly fast.
Ye Qiu wasn’t flustered at all. He raised his hand, unleashing a sword energy that dispersed the sword intent aimed at him.
Then, he sensed two more sword intents trying to surge from the step to attack him. He smashed his fist directly onto the step.
“Boom!”
The two sword intents were shattered.
The third step returned to complete calm.
Ye Qiu continued to the fourth step. As soon as his foot landed, he sensed danger.
“Zheng!”
A sword intent shot into the sky from the step, then slashed down at Ye Qiu from above, like lightning, its speed unbelievably fast.
Ye Qiu didn’t even have time to dodge before the sword energy struck his body.
“Clang!”
Sparks flew.
“Ye Qiu—” Seeing this, Qian Shanxue’s face paled with fright.
Qiu Shan Nange also clenched her fists tightly, extremely nervous.
However, their worries were unnecessary.
After practicing the Nine Transformations Dragon Art, Ye Qiu’s body was as tough as bronze and iron. The sword intent didn’t harm him.
Still, Ye Qiu was inwardly shocked.
This sword intent, left on the step for hundreds of years, still retained such formidable power. It was clear that the Tsukahara Sword Saint’s cultivation in life must have been terrifying.
“Three steps left. I need to be careful to avoid capsizing in the gutter.”
Ye Qiu took a deep breath and stepped forward.
Thud!
He stepped onto the fifth step.
Instantly, sword energies roared, and five sword energies, each six feet long, surged from the step, slashing at Ye Qiu together, like five dragons bursting from the sea.
The sword intent was earth-shaking.
Ye Qiu was prepared, swinging both fists simultaneously.
Bang bang!
Bang bang bang!
The five sword energies were shattered by Ye Qiu’s punches.
This time, Ye Qiu used ninety percent of his strength.
Considering that after receiving the hundred years of power from the Monk Kongjian, these five punches could kill two Dragon List-level experts, it showed just how powerful these five sword intents were.
Ye Qiu’s gaze fell on the sixth step, preparing to step up, when Qiu Shan Nange’s voice rang out.
“Our Water Moon Sect’s founder only reached the fifth step back then. Ye Qiu, be careful.”
Ye Qiu didn’t respond and stepped directly onto the sixth step.
In an instant, sword intent surged.
“Swish swish swish—”
Six sword intents rushed from the step, tracing six arcs in the air, then slashing at Ye Qiu from six different directions.
The sword intents were extremely sharp.
Even before they reached Ye Qiu, he felt a stinging pain on his skin, instantly realizing his physical body alone couldn’t withstand these six sword energies.
Immediately, Ye Qiu unleashed the Six Meridians Divine Sword with full force.
Clang clang clang!
The Six Meridians Divine Sword clashed with the six sword energies in the air, stalemating for half a minute. Finally, the six sword intents dissipated.
Success!
Ye Qiu exhaled, his gaze locking onto the seventh step.
“Only one step left.”
Ye Qiu didn’t act rashly. After the previous six steps, he realized the seventh step’s danger would be even greater.
After a moment of thought.
Ye Qiu finally stepped up, but the moment his right foot touched the step, a colossal sword intent blasted him backward.
Clang!
Ye Qiu crashed ten meters away, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Qian Shanxue and Qiu Shan Nange hurriedly ran over, helping Ye Qiu up, both women looking at him with worry.
“I’m fine, don’t worry.”
Ye Qiu gave a faint smile, wiped the blood from his mouth, and said, “Xue, lend me your sword.”
Qian Shanxue quickly handed him the Jinghong Sword.
Ye Qiu drew the longsword, leaped forward, and forcefully stomped onto the seventh step.
The next second.
Hundreds of sword intents erupted from the seventh step, brimming with endless killing intent, engulfing Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu was extremely forceful, directly unleashing the first and second forms of the Grass Character Sword Art.
“Boom!”
Three minutes later, the hundreds of sword intents vanished.
The world returned to silence.
Then, Ye Qiu sat cross-legged on the square stone, beginning to meditate and attain enlightenment.
