Chapter 867
is too tempting!
"No need to thank me," Zheng Yi said. "Your strength is worthy of the Purple Light aptitude; it's unfair of them, not that you're not good enough."
“Sir.” Guo Mingxuan’s eyes were a little moist.
"Alright, don't cry." Zheng Yi patted his shoulder. "Take a rest; we'll have to compete again later."
“Yes, sir!” Guo Mingxuan nodded vigorously.
Guo Shouzhen and Guo Xiong walked over, both with grateful expressions on their faces.
"Mr. Dark Night, we are so grateful to you today." Guo Shouzhen bowed deeply. "If it weren't for your righteous words, Mingxuan would probably have been bullied by them."
“Elder Guo, there’s no need for such formalities,” Zheng Yi said. “I simply can’t stand their bullying and abusing their power.”
"Sir, your noble character is truly admirable," Guo Xiong said, bowing respectfully.
At that moment, the elder who had announced the results of the re-examination came over.
“Friend, please wait a moment,” he said to Zheng Yi.
"What advice do you have, Elder?" Zheng Yi turned around.
"May I ask your honorable name, friend?" the elder asked.
"My name is Dark Night," Zheng Yi said.
"Dark Night?" A hint of surprise flashed in the elder's eyes. "The Dark Night who killed the Lu family's prodigy with a single punch and intimidated the allied forces of the three great families?"
"It is I."
The elder looked Zheng Yi up and down, then nodded.
"Truly, heroes emerge from among the young," he said. "I have long heard of Mr. Dark Night's illustrious name. It is a great honor to meet you in person today."
"Elder, you flatter me," Zheng Yi said.
"What happened just now was an oversight on the part of the Xuantian Sect," the elder said. "Someone abused their position for personal gain, damaging the reputation of the Xuantian Sect. On behalf of the Xuantian Sect, I apologize to Mr. Dark Night and the Guo family's friends."
As he spoke, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Zheng Yi and the Guo family.
“Elder, you flatter me,” Zheng Yi said. “The best apology would be to treat everyone who participates in the assessment fairly and justly in the future.”
“Mr. Dark Night is right,” the elder nodded. “I will suggest to the sect leader that we strengthen oversight of the assessment process to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again.”
"That's good," Zheng Yi said.
The elder chatted with Zheng Yi for a few more minutes, then turned and left.
"Sir, who was that elder just now?" Guo Shouzhen asked.
“I don’t know him either,” Zheng Yi said, “but judging from his appearance, he should be a high-ranking figure in the Xuantian Sect.”
"The person who was able to apologize to you in front of so many people has an extraordinary magnanimity," Guo Xiong said.
"Yes," Zheng Yi nodded, "It seems that not everyone in the Xuantian Sect is a snob; there are still some upright people."
After resting for about half an hour, the competition for the seventeenth group resumed.
This time, the referee was someone else—a stern-faced old man. His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, clearly indicating a fair and impartial person.
"Guo Mingxuan versus Han Zixuan, let's start again!" the old man announced.
Guo Mingxuan and Han Zixuan stepped onto the ring again, facing each other.
Han Zixuan's face was grim. What had just happened had made him lose face completely, and he wished he could tear Guo Mingxuan to pieces immediately.
“Kid, you narrowly escaped death just now,” he said coldly. “This time, I won’t hold back.”
“Then come on,” Guo Mingxuan said. “I won’t let you have your way anymore.”
"The contest begins!" the old man announced.
This time, Guo Mingxuan took the initiative.
He learned from the previous match that he couldn't confront Han Zixuan head-on. So he changed his strategy, using agile movements to compensate for his lack of strength.
His swordsmanship was as fluid as flowing water and as fast as lightning, each strike aimed at Han Zixuan's vital points. Although Han Zixuan was stronger, he was still somewhat overwhelmed by his attacks.
"Bravo!" A cheer rang out from the crowd.
"This disciple of the Guo family is indeed quite skilled!"
"He was too nervous just now, but now that he's playing freely, it's a completely different story."
Han Zixuan's expression grew increasingly grim. He hadn't expected Guo Mingxuan to be so difficult to deal with; despite being stronger than him, he was being completely dominated.
"Damn it!" he roared, his inner energy suddenly erupting as he slapped Guo Mingxuan with a palm.
This palm strike contained all his power, and its power was astonishing.
But Guo Mingxuan was prepared. He dodged the palm strike by sidestepping, and at the same time, he thrust the tip of his sword toward Han Zixuan's wrist.
With a crisp "clang," the sword tip pierced Han Zixuan's wrist guard, tearing a hole in it.
"Ah!" Han Zixuan exclaimed in surprise and quickly backed away.
He looked down and saw a bloody scratch on his wrist. Although the wound wasn't deep, it was the first time he had been injured by someone his own age, which made him feel incredibly humiliated.
"You...you dare to hurt me!" He glared at Guo Mingxuan.
"In a contest, swords have no eyes," Guo Mingxuan said coldly. "If Young Master Han is afraid of getting hurt, it's not too late to admit defeat now."
"You—" Han Zixuan trembled with anger.
He never expected Guo Mingxuan to dare speak to him like that. He was a member of the Han family, and no one had ever dared to speak to him like that before!
"Fine, fine, fine!" he said three times, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish!"
As he spoke, he took out a pill from his pocket and swallowed it in one gulp.
As soon as the pill entered his stomach, his aura surged, and his cultivation level jumped directly from the late stage of the Condensation Realm to the early stage of the Great Ascension Realm!
"That's a Strength-Boosting Pill!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
"He actually used elixirs during the competition; that's a foul!"
"Referee, he fouled!"
But the old referee didn't stop him immediately. Instead, he frowned and looked at Han Zixuan, seemingly thinking about how to handle the situation.
Han Zixuan sneered, "The Power-Enhancing Pill is a unique medicine of my Han family. It only temporarily boosts cultivation; it's not considered a violation of the rules."
"Bullshit!" Guo Mingxuan roared, "How can taking pills to boost cultivation during a competition not be considered a foul?"
"Hmph, rules are made by people," Han Zixuan sneered. "You Guo family members are still too naive."
As he spoke, he slapped Guo Mingxuan with his palm.
This palm strike was several times more powerful than the previous one, and Guo Mingxuan was completely unable to withstand it. He could only barely raise his sword to parry, but was still sent flying backward by the immense force.
"Mingxuan!" Guo Shouzhen exclaimed in surprise.
Guo Mingxuan crashed heavily onto the ring, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Hahaha!" Han Zixuan laughed wildly, "You think you can fight me? You're simply overestimating yourself!" He walked step by step toward Guo Mingxuan, his eyes flashing with cruel light.
“This time, no one can save you,” he said coldly.
"Stop!" Zheng Yi reappeared on the stage, blocking Guo Mingxuan's path.
"It's you again!" Han Zixuan glared at Zheng Yi. "Who do you think you are? Daring to oppose me time and time again!"
"Who I am is unimportant," Zheng Yi said coldly. "What matters is that you used elixirs to boost your cultivation during the competition, which is a clear foul. Referee, please announce the results of the competition."
The old referee was silent for a moment, then said, "Han Zixuan used elixirs to enhance his cultivation during the competition, violating the Xuan Tian Sect's competition rules. Han Zixuan has committed a foul; Guo Mingxuan wins this match!"
"What?!" Han Zixuan couldn't believe his ears. "You...you dare to call a foul on me?"
"Rules are rules," the old referee said coldly. "No matter who you are, you must be punished for breaking the rules."
"You—" Han Zixuan trembled with anger.
He glared fiercely at Zheng Yi and Guo Mingxuan, then turned and jumped off the stage, walking towards the edge of the crowd.
"I won't let this go!" he said, then disappeared into the crowd.
Zheng Yi ignored his threat and instead squatted down to check Guo Mingxuan's injuries.
"Mingxuan, how are you?"
"It's nothing," Guo Mingxuan said weakly. "Thank you, sir, for saving my life again."
"Don't speak, focus on healing your injuries." Zheng Yi took out a healing pill from the Sumeru Bracelet and put it into Guo Mingxuan's mouth.
After taking the pill, Guo Mingxuan's complexion gradually improved.
Guo Shouzhen and Guo Xiong also rushed onto the stage, anxiously checking on Guo Mingxuan's injuries.
"Mingxuan, are you alright?" Guo Shouzhen asked.
"Third Uncle, I'm fine," Guo Mingxuan said. "I just suffered some internal injuries; I'll be fine after a few days of rest."
"That's good, that's good." Guo Shouzhen breathed a sigh of relief.
The next morning, Xuantian Mountain was shrouded in a light morning mist.
The second round of the assessment concluded yesterday, with approximately 500 people passing, including Guo Mingxuan. The third round, a test of mental fortitude, will be held in three days. During these days, those who participated in the assessment can rest at the Xuantian Sect to recover their strength and adjust their condition.
Zheng Yi woke up very early in the morning.
He pushed open the window, and a blast of crisp, cool air rushed in, carrying the scent of pine and cypress and the fragrance of earth. The soft light of dawn filtered through the thin mist, bathing the entire Xuantian Mountain in a pale golden hue. The distant peaks appeared and disappeared, like a scene from a fairyland.
“Beautiful scenery,” he murmured.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Sir, are you up?" It was Guo Mingxuan's voice.
"Come in," Zheng Yi said.
Guo Mingxuan pushed open the door and walked in. After a night's rest, his complexion had improved considerably, and his face had regained some color.
"Sir, the Xuantian Sect is holding a special entertainment event today, and my third uncle asked me to ask if you would like to attend."
"Entertainment programs?" Zheng Yi asked curiously. "What kind of entertainment programs?"
"It seems to be related to a sword," Guo Mingxuan said. "I'm not entirely sure what it is. My third uncle said many people are going, and he wants us to join in the fun."
“Okay, let’s go take a look.” Zheng Yi nodded.
After breakfast, everyone headed towards the inner plaza of the Xuantian Sect.
The inner gate plaza is even more magnificent than the outer gate plaza. The plaza's surface is paved with white marble, shimmering with a soft luster under the sunlight. In the center of the plaza stands a huge stone platform, upon which sits a massive blue boulder about ten feet high.
To Zheng Yi's surprise, there was a sword stuck in the very center of the boulder!
Only the hilt and a small section of the blade were visible; the rest was deeply embedded in the boulder. The hilt was bronze-colored, engraved with intricate patterns, exuding an ancient and rustic aura.
"Is that the Sword in the Stone?" Zheng Yi asked.
“Yes,” Guo Shouzhen nodded. “It is said that this sword was left behind by the founder of the Xuantian Sect, and it is over a thousand years old. Legend has it that only those destined to possess this sword can draw it; otherwise, even a master at the Tribulation Transcending Realm cannot budge it in the slightest.”
"That's amazing?" Zheng Yi was somewhat surprised.
"For thousands of years, countless people have tried to draw the sword, but all have failed," Guo Shouzhen said. "Every time the Xuantian Sect holds a disciple recruitment ceremony, they ask the participants to try to draw the sword. If someone can draw it successfully, they can directly become an inner disciple without needing to take any further tests."
"Become an inner disciple directly?" Guo Mingxuan's eyes lit up. "Wouldn't that be even better than passing the assessment?"
“Yes, but the problem is no one can pull it out,” Guo Xiong laughed. “This sword has been stuck here for over a thousand years, and no one has ever been able to pull it out.”
A large crowd had already gathered in the square, mostly young people who had participated in the assessment yesterday. They huddled together in twos and threes, pointing at the boulder and discussing it animatedly.
"Do you think this sword can really be pulled out?"
"Who knows? I'm not hoping for it anyway."
"I've heard this sword belonged to the founder of the Xuantian Sect, and it's incredibly powerful. If we could pull it out, we'd be set for life."
"Dream on! This sword has been stuck here for thousands of years, and no one has ever been able to pull it out."
As Zheng Yi listened to the discussions around him, his curiosity about the sword in the stone grew stronger.
A sword that can remain embedded in stone for a thousand years without decaying is itself an extraordinary object. Moreover, it is said that only a destined person can pull it out, so there must be some mystery behind it.
At that moment, a bell rang out from the high platform.
The crowd quieted down and looked up at the high platform.
The elder who had announced the re-evaluation of Guo Mingxuan's qualifications yesterday stepped onto the high platform and proclaimed in a loud voice, "Everyone, welcome to the entertainment program of the Xuantian Sect's disciple-acceptance ceremony—the Sword-Drawing Trial!"
"This sword belongs to our sect's founding patriarch, Ancestor Xuantian, and is named 'Breaking the Heavens.' Over a thousand years ago, Ancestor Xuantian plunged this sword into this boulder, leaving behind the dying words: Only someone destined to possess this sword can pull it out."
"For thousands of years, countless people have tried to draw their swords, but all have failed. Today, our sect has specially organized this entertainment event to give everyone present the opportunity to try drawing their swords."
"Whoever can draw this sword will not only become an inner disciple of our sect, but will also be able to keep it as their personal sword indefinitely!"
Upon hearing this, a gasp of surprise immediately rang out from the crowd.
"Directly become an inner disciple?"
"You can take the sword with you?"
"This looks so tempting!"
"Unfortunately, no one has ever been able to pull out this sword."
After the crowd quieted down, the elder continued, "There are no restrictions on drawing your sword; anyone can try. Now, please come up on stage and test your skills!"
No sooner had the words been spoken than someone eagerly walked toward the stone platform.
The first to step onto the stage was a burly young man who appeared to possess immense strength. He approached the boulder, gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, took a deep breath, and then pulled upwards with a mighty thrust.
"Hmph!" His face flushed red, veins bulging, and he exerted all his strength. (End of Chapter)