Chapter 833: Chapter 832 Yunsong Plateau_1
The hall was hundreds of feet long and wide, with a staircase on the right leading to an even higher level. Upon seeing Shi Xiaole, immediately a young man and woman armed with long swords approached him.
"May I ask, Young Master, are you interested in joining our Ten Sword Sect?"
The young man sized up Shi Xiaole.
Due to the harsh environment in Rainbow State resulting in limited resources, the competition among the various sects was intense, and the demand for masters was far more urgent than in the outer world.
This was why, including the four major forces, almost every sect with some standing had recruitment points in all the major cities.
Sensing that Shi Xiaole’s aura was very youthful, the young man secretly guessed that the other must be seeking cultivation from the Ten Sword Sect.
The expression of the woman was even more subtle.
Although there were many people in the hall, Shi Xiaole’s presence was a bit too conspicuous. The ease of flowing clouds and running water about him, along with the masculine sharpness of a swordsman, together created an attraction that was beyond ordinary.
Not to mention, he was also an exceedingly rare handsome man.
Shi Xiaole looked at the wall not far away and saw from the notices posted that there were two ways to join the Ten Sword Sect: one was to join as a disciple, and the other as an Elder.
Without much need to choose, Shi Xiaole said, "I would like to take part in the Elder assessment."
"Hmm?"
Both the young man and woman were taken aback, then couldn’t help but size up Shi Xiaole again.
They didn’t think he was joking; anyone who dared to make light of the Ten Sword Sect had to bear the consequences. Could it be that he was a super prodigy?
"Young Master, to become an Elder, the minimum requirement is the cultivation of the Divine Barrier Realm."
The woman kindly reminded him, to prevent him from getting into serious trouble.
Seeing their disbelief, Shi Xiaole slightly released a strand of his aura, and in that moment, the two of them were like struck by lightning, their expressions changing completely.
"Young Master, please wait a moment."
The young man hurried off in search of someone. A centennial Earth Immortal was a scarce resource everywhere, and if by neglecting this individual, they let him join another sect, the missed opportunity would be huge.
Sure enough, in a short while, an Elder with a simple and honest face followed the young man over, already smiling from a distance, "Young Master, please forgive my two disciples for their lack of insight. If you’ve been offended in any way, I hope you can be magnanimous."
"No need to be so courteous."
Shi Xiaole remarked indifferently.
"If so, please follow me, Young Master."
Under Elder Meng’s guidance, they arrived at the third floor where there was a dueling ground. The fluctuations of Qi around let Shi Xiaole know that there were at least three layers of peak Divine Barrier Realm Array Systems nearby.
With Elder Meng’s silent consent, the young man and woman followed as well.
"Senior Brother, what tier do you think he is?"
"I can’t tell, but I’m sure he’s no match for the eldest Senior Brother. He might just be qualified to be an inner door Elder."
Eldest Senior Brother Qiu Wuming was recognized as the top young master of the Ten Sword Sect; at merely sixty-five years old, he was already a famed Ninth Tier Earth Immortal, ranking in the top ten among all centennial Earth Immortals of Rainbow State.
Shi Xiaole probably couldn’t reach this tier. Looking at how mysteriously he was acting, could he be just an ordinary centennial Earth Immortal? The young man couldn’t help but think dismissively.
"Young Master Shi, there are four levels of Elders in our Ten Sword Sect: outer door Elders, inner door Elders, resident Elders, and core Elders. The higher the level, the more resources you enjoy. Anyone joining for the first time can at most be a resident Elder, and only after being recognized can one have the chance to become a core Elder."
Elder Meng elaborated in detail.
In simple terms, to become an outer door Elder, being a Terrestrial Immortal was enough, but to be an inner door Elder, one must possess the power of a Third Tier, and for a resident Elder, the strength of a Seventh Tier was required.
From Elder Meng’s years of experience, he saw that Shi Xiaole was no ordinary person and was very likely to become an inner door Elder. Such a man was destined for a limitless future, one that he should forge a good relationship with.
"I choose the first difficulty level."
Shi Xiaole stated.
The first difficulty level naturally corresponded to becoming a resident Elder.
Elder Meng and the young pair were all dumbstruck, but Shi Xiaole had already dashed to the center of the dueling ground. Seeing this, Elder Meng could only frown and, half-believingly, activate the Array System.
Soon, a hazy figure wielding a long sword appeared opposite Shi Xiaole and thrust fiercely at him.
Whoosh.
Drawing his sword, striking, and sheathing it all in one smooth motion, swift as lightning, Shi Xiaole stood unmovable as the hazy figure passed by his side, shattering into points of light.
"What?!"
Elder Meng was shocked, his old face contorting.
"He killed a primary Seventh Tier Array System phantom with one sword strike?"
The young couple took a sharp intake of breath.
Though the Array System phantom was said to be of a primary Seventh Tier, its combat power was definitely not as good as a primary Seventh Tier Earth Immortal. To kill it with one sword strike, even a mid Seventh Tier Earth Immortal might not be able to manage it.
This young man, he was too fierce!
"Congratulations, Young Master Shi, oh no, Elder Shi..."
Elder Meng’s aged face turned into a blooming chrysanthemum as he hurriedly stepped forward to greet the newcomer.
Becoming a standing elder was an opportunity that could not always be found—sometimes not encountered even in dozens of years. Having recruited one this time ensured that the sect’s reward would certainly be astonishing. Besides these considerations, Shi Xiaole himself was someone worth fawning over.
"An interesting person."
On the fourth floor, a handsome man with a middle-parted black hair smiled.
"This person could very likely be approaching the power of the Eighth Tier or might already be there. If his identity is of no concern, he would indeed be a great addition to our Ten Sword Sect."
Next to him, a grey-faced elder chuckled before quickly changing the subject, "Young Master Suzerain, that place is too dangerous, I think it might be better if we..."
"Time waits for no one, delay leads to change. With my current strength, it is difficult to come out on top in Wuyuan Palace in two years; I have no choice."
Zhan Liye interrupted the grey-faced elder.
As the Young Master Suzerain of the Ten Sword Sect, he refused to be mediocre and would not allow himself to be weaker than others. Especially with a great change coming in two years, he wouldn’t miss any opportunity for improvement.
Seeing this, the grey-faced elder had no choice but to follow Zhan Liye.
From beginning to end, except for Shi Xiaole, whose spiritual power had been restored, no one knew the two had been there.
...
After becoming a standing elder, Shi Xiaole was allocated an independent mountain peak within the Ten Sword Sect, along with a regular supply of resources every month.
Of course, he did not overlook the sect’s manuals. By now, his reward points had reached an astonishing total of two million and eighty thousand! According to the sect’s reward rules for completed tasks, this meant that with just two more four-star tasks completed, Shi Xiaole could practically buy three sets of top-tier martial arts immediately—news that would shock the entire Martial World if it were disclosed!
On a picturesque peak.
Shi Xiaole swung his sword swiftly. When the speed of his sword reached a certain degree, all light and shadow vanished, leaving only a pale sword slowly thrusting forward.
This was the principle of extreme speed creating slowness, signifying that Shi Xiaole’s swordsmanship had reached his own limit, evolving into even more complex and mystical changes.
"The Wind Tribulation is merely the initial interpretation of slowness. With this move, I want to combine speed and slowness even more closely, making it impossible for the enemy to sense even the Sword Qi."
A human’s reaction is built upon perception, and Shi Xiaole’s idea for the new technique was to confuse perception and kill invisibly. This would be a move more fearsome than the Wind Tribulation, as the third form of the Wind Tribulation Sword Technique.
However, truly inventing this move was no simple task. Shi Xiaole estimated that it would take at least half a year to a year’s time.
Do not think this pace is slow; creating a killer move suitable for an Eighth Tier Earth Immortal is not something to be taken lightly, and often it is quite normal to spend decades on it. At the level of the Void Origin Realm, spending centuries is commonplace.
With no immediate ideas, Shi Xiaole decided to look for a sect mission, as this would not only familiarize him with the Martial World of Rainbow State but also serve as valuable experience.
The Ten Sword Sect’s missions were placed in the plaza and the mission hall. Only elders had the privilege of entering the mission hall. Shi Xiaole browsed casually and was quickly attracted by one particular mission.
The mission was to go to Yunsong Plateau and compete for the Cloud-Gathering Stone.
It’s not clear if it’s due to a long history, but Rainbow State managed to preserve some of their artificing heritage, so many sects possess a few masters capable of refining Spiritual Weapons.
For example, within the core elders of the Ten Sword Sect, there was one who could refine mid-grade Spiritual Weapons, and they were almost revered and cared for by everyone in the Ten Sword Sect.
Cloud-Gathering Stone was an important material for refining weapons, and within tens of thousands of miles, it could only be found in Yunsong Plateau, naturally leading to fierce competition among the major powers in the region.
Among them, sects like the Ten Sword Sect were the ones that competed most intensely.
To prevent the situation from escalating, the ten sects stipulated early on that no Divine Barrier Realm ninth-tier experts could be sent, leaving the competition to sheer skill.
This put the Ten Sword Sect in an awkward position. With Zhan Liye and Qiu Wuming both advancing to the ninth tier of the Divine Barrier Realm, those who followed struggled to compete in Rainbow State due to a lack of strength.
What attracted Shi Xiaole most about this mission was its reward—the Spiritual Gang Pool.
The Spiritual Gang Pool, unique to Rainbow State, was filled with water formed from liquefied spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Soaking in it, one’s cultivation level was bound to surge—it was just too hard not to.
Even though its effect was one-off, it was perfect for Shi Xiaole. With only two years, he had to improve at all costs!
After tearing off the task from the mission board, Shi Xiaole registered it and stepped out.
"Who is this person? I remember last time even three core elders came running back with their tails between their legs."
"He is the new Elder Shi. Young people, they’re always so full of passion."
Some elders shook their heads, laughing.
In Yunsong Plateau, even mid-tier Eighth Tier Terrestrial Immortals were not to be trifled with—each one ferociously powerful. Coming back in one piece was considered good luck. Some elders had died there. Let’s hope this Shi Xiaole is lucky!
...
Yunsong Plateau, Ten Sword Mountain.
This was the headquarters of the Ten Sword Sect in this region.
Having heard that an elder from the sect would be coming today, a group of people waited in eager anticipation.
In just a moment, a fast horse appeared in the distance. As it drew nearer, the hopeful faces of those waiting turned distinctly sour.
What was the sect thinking? Although nobody below the ninth tier of the Divine Barrier Realm could hold their own in Yunsong Plateau, sending a few more powerhouses to win through sheer numbers could still be effective.
Several of the ten great sects were doing exactly that.
But no matter what, sending a young man? Judging by his aura, he was probably not even fifty years old. At that age, even Qiu Wuming and Young Master Suzerain Zhan would be considered nothing special.
