The nine swords slowly descended.
The young girl remained silent, standing to the side, her gaze turned towards the old woman.
"The test is complete. This year's special grade, it's my dear granddaughter, isn't it?"
Neither Sun Ming nor the other elders replied, as if implying that no one else could possibly be worthy of the special grade besides her granddaughter.
Yun Ze was utterly speechless.
He accepted his defeat, yet felt incredibly stifled!
His seven-sword stance had already secured a narrow victory, but who could have predicted a monstrous anomaly with a nine-sword stance appearing out of nowhere!
Not only did this individual summon the nine swords upon their first move, but they also summoned all the senior figures of this isolated peak. Where was he supposed to find justice?
He couldn't help but glance at Luo Yang, only to find the latter's gaze already fixed on him.
The two unfortunate souls exchanged glances, each seeing helplessness and unwillingness in the other's eyes!
But who would pay them any mind now?
All attention was focused on the young girl.
"Is it confirmed she's joining the sect?"
An elder on one of the flying swords inquired, "Has Xiao Shu decided who to apprentice under?"
"Old Niu, this has nothing to do with you, does it?"
Another elder interjected, "You're only at the late Golden Core stage. Apprenticeship wouldn't fall to you, would it?"
"And how much better are you, being at the early Nascent Soul stage?"
"Enough! If it's about cultivation level, who among you can compare to me!" declared an elder in purple robes.
His words silenced the other twelve for a moment.
A few breaths later, a voice drifted from a corner.
"In my opinion, apprenticeship should be based on status. Our Gui Wu Sword Sect still needs a successor!"
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone else automatically ignored them, as if they hadn't heard a thing.
However, Yun Ze followed the sound with his gaze.
The black sword caught his eye once more!
Upon the black sword stood the Sect Master of Gui Wu Sword Sect – Zu Changdao!
Even he had come?
Judging by the attitudes of the other twelve, they didn't seem to hold their Sect Master in high regard.
Could it be... they were the legendary Supreme Elders?
Hiss!
Twelve Supreme Elders?
This was an unprecedented display of power!
Yun Ze seemed to realize something and quickly scanned the faces of the twelve, not recognizing any familiar features.
He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"In my opinion, Xiao Shu is too solitary. She shouldn't be associating with you rough old men," a woman spoke slowly. "Why don't you let Xiao Shu come with me? She has an ice-attribute spiritual root, which perfectly complements mine."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" another woman retorted. "Water and ice attributes are vastly different, aren't they? Have you ever seen a phoenix learn to fly from a chicken?"
"Li Sha! Who are you calling a chicken!"
"Whoever it applies to!"
"You!"
"Enough! All of you, shut up! If you want to argue, do it later!"
The elder who claimed to be the strongest suppressed the two with his voice. He fixed his gaze on the young girl, making his voice as gentle as possible, "Xiao Shu, I want to hear your opinion."
Everyone's attention returned to the girl.
No one else's opinion mattered; what was most important was what the young girl herself thought!
Almost instantly, the girl made her decision!
She looked at the old woman. After a brief exchange of glances, the old woman frowned.
"Are you sure? If that's the case..."
The girl's brow furrowed, and the spiritual swords on the isolated peak trembled again!
"Alright, alright, don't get angry," the old woman appeased, then sighed, "Alas..."
The others could only turn their gaze back to the old woman, awaiting her answer.
"Don't look at me," the old woman said with a helpless smile. "This girl said she won't apprentice under anyone. She wants to walk the path of an outer disciple step by step and cultivate on her own!"
"This... isn't this a waste of talent!"
"A nine-sword potential, cultivating with these good-for-nothings? Isn't that squandering her innate talent!"
"Sister Wei, why don't you try to persuade Xiao Shu again?"
The old woman didn't speak, only chuckled helplessly.
"Ahem."
The strongest elder coughed lightly, and the others fell silent. "Little Wei, this isn't quite what we agreed upon earlier."
"Elder Mi, I don't know about this either," the old woman spread her hands helplessly. "As you know, Xiao Shu usually makes her own decisions. I'm just helping her express them, I can't change anything."
"Xiao Shu," Elder Mi looked directly at the girl. "Is this truly what you think?"
The girl slowly nodded.
"Why?"
The girl still didn't speak, merely raising her hand to point at two people. One was Luo Yang, and the other... Yun Ze!
Both Luo Yang and Yun Ze were bewildered by her gesture.
If the occasion were different, they would have gone up to ask the girl what she meant!
They had only met for the first time, with no past grudges or recent enmities, why would she do this?
However, Elder Mi seemed to understand something. His furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and a smile touched his lips.
"You intend to... hone your sword?"
The girl nodded again.
Hone sword?
Yun Ze didn't understand the meaning of these words, but seeing Ji Kun's pitying gaze, he knew it wasn't a good sign.
"Are they enough?"
The girl shook her head and held up one finger.
"The first step?"
The girl nodded.
"And the second step?"
The girl shook her head again.
"Alright, then you decide for yourself."
With that, Elder Mi naturally had nothing more to say and turned his attention to the other two. Yun Ze and Luo Yang.
"I believe you both have many questions now, don't you?"
Yun Ze and Luo Yang exchanged glances and remained silent!
"Heh."
A cold laugh echoed!
Yun Ze felt his heart skip a beat, his pupils trembled, and he felt a sweetness in his throat!
"Pfft!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood!
Even without speaking, they had been forced to act. Not only him, but Luo Yang suffered the same fate.
Yun Ze couldn't help but look up, as if at a monster, at the elder in purple robes.
Is this the power of a true expert?
If a mere snort could injure everyone, he wouldn't be this terrified, merely amazed. But the most terrifying thing was... among so many people, only he and Luo Yang were injured! He was at the third level of Qi Refining, Luo Yang at the first. There were those stronger and weaker than him present, yet only the two of them were hurt! Such control was beyond terrifying! He wondered if Senior Xiao could reach this level.
"Since you don't want to know, I won't elaborate. I'll just say it simply." Elder Mi still had a smile on his face and pointed at the girl. "See her?"
This time, Luo Yang learned his lesson and immediately replied, "I see her!"
Yun Ze, however, remained silent, only nodding. A hint of defiance still lingered in his eyes.
Elder Mi swept his gaze over the two and continued without a cold laugh, "Very good. Before you reach Foundation Establishment, you only need to remember one thing."
"Defeat her!"
"No matter how you do it, or when, as long as it's before Foundation Establishment, you must personally defeat her with your sword, just once!"
"The reward... is also very simple."
"A third-tier spiritual sword, a Dao Foundation Establishment, and the position of a true disciple."
Twelve simple words, yet they weighed as much as a mountain! Yun Ze didn't know what the position of a true disciple entailed, but placing it alongside Dao Foundation Establishment and a third-tier spiritual sword, it was clearly no ordinary matter!
"The same reward is valid for the rest of you."
"Do you understand?"
"We understand."
This time, Yun Ze spoke first. He looked up at Elder Mi and asked with a smile, "Elder Mi, when does this mission begin?"
"Now."
"Good!"
Yun Ze responded, and stepping on his Swift Shadow boots, he charged towards the young girl! He was originally supposed to accept the special grade position from Elder Sun, and he was no more than three meters away from the girl's location! Now, at this moment, was the optimal time to strike!
A sneak attack? He didn't care about sneak attacks! Yun Ze only knew that if he won this sword strike, he would receive the three rewards, and he might even get his revenge on the spot! Elder Mi hadn't said sneak attacks were forbidden, only that it had to be personal and with a sword! He wasn't violating any rules.
Yun Ze's Swift Shadow boots moved at incredible speed, yet the elders on the flying swords still reacted. However, none of them intervened, merely watching in silence. Even the girl didn't dodge, standing still. Yun Ze couldn't tell if she hadn't reacted or if she disdained to move.
Just as the sword's edge was about to touch the girl's heart, he frowned and shifted the blade downwards slightly. He didn't want to kill, only to win.
But in the next instant...
An unforeseen event occurred!