CHAPTER 98: CHAPTER 97: EXPERTS EVERYWHERE_1

At the border between the Wind Country and the Earth Country, on the Great Snow Mountain.

Amidst a raging snowstorm, a burly young man, bare-chested, punched forward repeatedly. The force of his blows was so powerful that the very ground trembled. Opposite him stood a giant, snow-white lion, emitting continuous, deep roars.

The lion towered four to five meters high, its physique incredibly robust. Yet, the young man fought it barehanded, a testament to his immense strength.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Man and beast—heavy fists and sharp claws collided violently, creating deafening blasts of air.

The ground cracked under their weight. The muscular young man braced himself with both hands and crashed into a boulder.

RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!

The boulder, twenty meters high and six to seven meters thick, splintered and shattered. Human-sized chunks of rock scattered in all directions as if flung by a Heavenly Woman.

"Go!"

The muscular young man seized the lion’s head, then with a mighty heave, flung the entire snow-white beast away. It crashed heavily against a nearby mountain wall.

Such astonishing power would have left any witness utterly dumbfounded. To achieve such a feat, one would need at least fifteen hundred kilograms of force.

The snow-white lion lay beneath the scattered rocks, its life or death unknown.

Unflushed and breathing evenly, the burly young man muttered to himself, "The selection trial for True Disciples is about to begin. I, Murong Ye, refuse to be ranked beneath others. I must become a True Disciple as the top-ranked Inner Disciple and make my name known to every Disciple in the sect."

With those words, the burly young man hoisted his large bag onto his shoulder and strode back into the snowstorm.

The Divine Intent Sect’s Seventy-Two Peaks, located in the rear mountains, served as a dedicated cultivation area for the Elders.

Atop Fierce Sun Peak, one of the Seventy-Two Peaks.

An old man in a white robe addressed the young man beside him, "Li Liuxing, since you were promoted to Inner Disciple, you have studied under me. For three years, you have never left for missions or participated in ranking competitions, focusing solely on your cultivation. This time, however, you must participate in the selection trial for True Disciples. Otherwise, the Sect Leader and the other Elders might believe I am hindering your progress by not providing you with sufficient opportunities for practical experience."

"Moreover, upon becoming a True Disciple, you will be granted superior cultivation conditions. This promotion will not only symbolize your status and strength but also bring many practical benefits."

The young man, his expression cold, nodded. "Master, rest assured. I will show everyone that even without any experience in the Jianghu, I can defeat the other Disciples."

The Old Man in White shook his head. "Don’t underestimate them. Although your strength is sufficient to look down upon all Inner Disciples of this generation, you severely lack practical combat experience. Becoming a True Disciple will still present certain difficulties. From what I know, ’Divine Fist’ Murong Ye and ’Cloud Blade’ Bai Ruhui both have the strength to rank in the top three. Above them is another, ’Ghost God’ Xiahou Lin. His martial prowess is so formidable that even I, an Elder, find it somewhat startling. At present, you are likely not his match."

The cold young man replied, "Master, didn’t you once tell me: either don’t compete, or if you do, aim for first place? Otherwise, it’s all meaningless. No matter how formidable that person you mentioned is, I am confident I can defeat him with my sword. My swordsmanship is invincible."

"Very well. In that case, strive for first place. Barring any surprises, Xiahou Lin will be your greatest opponent, followed by Bai Ruhui. Bai Ruhui’s blade technique is as elusive and unpredictable as a sudden cloud. When you face him, you must be extremely cautious. Do not lose to him in swordsmanship."

"Ah, yes. There is one more person."

A gleam of light flashed in the old man’s eyes as he recalled someone else.

"Who?"

"He is Ling Chen, the son of the former Sect Leader and the foremost genius in the Martial World." Mentioning Ling Chen, the Old Man in White’s expression grew somber. "Ye Nantian previously stripped him of his True Disciple status. Now, he aims to regain it through this test. While his cultivation isn’t high—likely only at the First or Second Realm of a Martial Artist—you must not underestimate his strength. This is especially true for his swordsmanship; among the Inner Disciples, few can match him."

"Master, rest assured. When it comes to swordsmanship, I will not lose to anyone."

The Old Man in White nodded. In swordsmanship alone, few in the entire Divine Intent Sect could rival his Disciple. After all, through three years of arduous cultivation, Li Liuxing had developed his own unique style, rather than merely learning, imitating, and treading the conventional paths of others.

In this, he greatly resembled Ling Chen.

"Good. The great contest is approaching. Let me see your current strength," the Old Man in White suggested.

SHIING!

The sword left its sheath. The cold young man waved his sword towards the sea of clouds before them.

Soundlessly, the sword light danced and surged, tearing nine scars into the sea of clouds. Each scar was of identical length, virtually indistinguishable, as if replicated from a single mark.

Astonishment filled the Old Man in White’s eyes. "Nine Swords in Unison! I hadn’t expected your Refracting Sword Shadows technique to have advanced so much!"

CLANG!

Sheathing his sword, the cold young man stated impassively, "That was not my full strength. As long as Ling Chen has not comprehended Sword Intent, he is definitely not my opponent."

"Very good. In that case, I shall eagerly await the outcome."

The Old Man in White stroked his beard and chuckled. His Disciple was indeed correct. Without comprehending Sword Intent, the sophistication of one’s sword techniques and the depth of one’s Sword Dao Realm were what truly determined a swordsman’s strength. In these two aspects, he believed no one could surpass his Disciple.

「At this moment, on another peak of the Divine Intent Sect.」

A young man in his early twenties, dressed in black, stood on the edge of a cliff. His hands were clasped behind his back, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon at a forty-five-degree angle.

This was the legendary Inner Disciple of the Divine Intent Sect, "Ghost God" Xiahou Lin.

"Senior Brother Xiahou."

Just then, a comely young woman in a moon-white robe approached and greeted the young man in black with a clasped-fist salute.

"What is it?" the young man in black asked indifferently, without turning his head.

"In five days, the selection trial for True Disciples will begin. I have come on behalf of our master to inquire if Senior Brother intends to participate in this test?" the young woman asked, her head slightly bowed.

"Participate? Of course, I will participate."

The young man in black’s eyes brightened. Then, with a slight shift in his gaze, he said, "I didn’t expect the True Disciples’ trial to arrive so soon. My lack of interest last year doesn’t mean I feel the same this year. This is also a chance to let those True Disciples witness my strength."

He no longer believed any of the Inner Disciples were qualified to be his opponent. Only the True Disciples were worthy of being his match.

He was confident that with his strength, he could secure a prominent place even among the True Disciples.

He had been an Inner Disciple long enough; it was time for a change of scenery.