Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman - Chapter 8 Controversy and Reputation

Lin Dong blinked in surprise, glancing at the cloth strip on Li Guanqi’s eyes. He grinned and said, “They all call me Dongzi. You can call me that from now on.”

“Let’s go. It should be ending soon.”

Li Guanqi found himself quite fond of this outgoing young man. The two of them walked side by side toward the square.

As he looked around, Li Guanqi realized that the square platform spanned over two thousand feet in diameter.

At the summit, a stone carving proudly displayed the words “Great Xia Sword Sect,” while dozens of differently colored sword auras crisscrossed the surroundings.

Lin Dong leaned in and whispered to Li Guanqi, “See that? That’s the Heavenly Gate Cave.”

“The mountain peak on the left goes by the name of Emperor’s Mountain, and almost all of the Great Xia Sword Sect’s external activities take place there.”

“The most critical event, the Spiritual Root Test, will be held there later.”

“On the right, the highest mountain peak is known as Heavenly Sword Mountain, where the Sect’s main hall is situated.”

Curious, Li Guanqi couldn’t help but ask, “Are you very familiar with the Great Xia Sword Sect?”

A sheepish grin appeared on Lin Dong’s face as he scratched his head and replied, “I started practicing martial arts at the foot of the mountain when I was five years old. Entering the Great Xia Sword Sect has been my lifelong dream, so I know it like the back of my hand.”

“If I can successfully establish a foundation, control a flying sword, and vanquish demons and evildoers, it would be an incredible accomplishment!”

Just as they were conversing, a plump young man in a golden robe finally completed the arduous climb up the stairs. His clothes were drenched in sweat, and his face was flushed as he lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Only a fingernail-sized piece of the spiritual symbol remained on his chest. Carefully cradling that tiny piece of yellow paper, the plump young man wiped away a tear.

After a brief rest, he struggled to his feet and, wearing a friendly smile, approached Li Guanqi and Lin Dong. Bending at the waist as he walked, he greeted them warmly, “Hello, gentlemen.”

“I’m Li Shengan. I’ve managed to stash a few chicken legs. Would you like to share a meal with me?”

Originally, Li Guanqi was considering declining the offer. After all, it didn’t seem quite right to accept food from someone he didn’t even know. But just as he was about to refuse, his stomach couldn’t resist the tantalizing aroma and let out a loud growl.

Li Shengan’s small eyes squinted with amusement as he directly stuffed a chicken leg into the hands of both of them. Li Guanqi was surprised to find that the chicken leg was still warm.

“I kept it in my embrace, so don’t worry. It’s wrapped in oil paper, so there’s absolutely no sweat odor.”

Lin Dong, upon hearing this, burst into laughter and began to enjoy the meal without any hesitation.

“I’m Lin Dong, and this is Li Guanqi. Thanks for the meal.”

“Forget the formalities… Climbing these stairs is exhausting. I’m starving,” Li Guanqi chimed in.

Li Shengan took the lead in complaining, “Yeah… I didn’t hear anything about climbing stairs last year. They just hired people to carry us up.”

Li Guanqi just smiled without saying a word. He didn’t believe that the Great Xia Sword Sect would engage in such unnecessary activities. And as if to prove his suspicions, just as the three of them had finished their chicken legs, two young disciples in white sect attire flew out from the Heavenly Gate Cave on their swords!

Their figures, soaring through the air while controlling their swords with ease, left everyone awestruck! There were nearly three thousand people gathered on the square at this moment, and when they witnessed this scene, everyone involuntarily held their breath. Their eyes were filled with intense fascination as they watched those two figures with an otherworldly presence.

One was a handsome young man with sharp eyebrows and a resolute face, while the other was a cold and ethereal young woman with flawless skin and delicate features.

Her oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, high nose, and slightly thin lips made her a true beauty! Even Li Guanqi, who was usually unflappable, watched this scene with his heart racing, envisioning a day when he too could soar through the skies, riding a sword between heaven and earth!

Li Shengan, seeing these two individuals, murmured to himself, “Wow, it’s Senior Brother Zhou Zhi and Senior Sister Jiang Su from the Outer Sect of the Heavenly Gold Peak. Are they personally here to welcome us?”

Li Guanqi perked up his ears, committing both the names and identities of these two individuals to memory. From his observations, it was becoming increasingly apparent that Li Shengan didn’t fit the mold of an ordinary commoner. The man and woman descended gracefully to the ground, and all eyes fixated on them.

At this point, very few remained on the stairs. Expressionless, Zhou Zhi surveyed the surroundings and, with a sweeping gesture, brought a massive ancient bell down onto the stone slab with a resounding crash. Next, the man struck the ancient bell and uttered with a commanding tone, “Time’s up! Those who haven’t climbed the stairs can depart!”

His voice, infused with spiritual power, reverberated far and wide, instantly stirring up a chorus of complaints from the crowd.

Undeterred by the protests, the man casually tossed out a jade slip. In an instant, the thousands of steps vanished before the onlookers’ eyes!What had previously been tangible steps now transformed into a sheer cliff, plunging into the abyss.

The square where everyone stood seemed to hover in mid-air. Subsequently, the center of the square burst into an array of mysterious runic patterns. Gradually, these patterns converged into the shape of a shimmering teleportation array.

Jiang Su’s cold voice resounded, “Those whose spiritual symbols on their chests have burned out, please step forward.”

Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted in a commotion. Jiang Su exuded an intangible aura of authority, causing the clamor to dissipate as numerous individuals, dejected, stepped forward.

“For those who failed to ascend the mountain within the stipulated time, please enter the array.”

Li Guanqi couldn’t suppress a smile as he watched Li Shengan delicately cradle the nail-sized yellow charm in his hands.

“You’ve got quite the luck; you were just a hair’s breadth away,” he quipped.

Li Shengan, his gaze fixed intently on the small yellow charm, wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, muttering, “God knows how tough this has been for me!”

Lin Dong, curiosity piqued, turned his gaze to the chubby boy and inquired, “Hey buddy, you don’t seem like you’re short on cash. Why didn’t you use a few talismans or something?”

However, to their surprise, Li Shengan chuckled and retorted, “It’s not as simple as that… You’ll see.”

Indeed!

Zhou Zhi ascended into the air, his gaze sharp, and he issued a commanding decree, “Those seeking shortcuts, step forward!”

In response, several individuals averted their eyes and shuffled uneasily.

Hmm!

An icy exhale seemed to bear down on everyone, and then Zhou Zhi swung his arm, releasing several transparent crystal balls.

Within these crystal balls were images of those who had employed talismans while climbing the steps, or even those who had ingested special powders.

Without exception, these individuals had their qualifications revoked.

One brawny young man among them couldn’t accept it and stepped forward, his glare fixed on Zhou Zhi as he bellowed, “I just used some blood-revitalizing tonic that boosts my vital energy. I’m already at the peak of Body Tempering. Why should I be disqualified as well?”

Zhou Zhi turned his gaze toward the young man, narrowing his eyes, and spoke with a low voice, “Do you… want an explanation?”

The young man, standing tall with defiance, firmly replied, “Yes! I’m not only at the peak of Body Tempering but my father also arranged for me to be tested for Spiritual Roots long ago. I possess Dual Wood-Fire Elemental Spiritual Roots! Why should I be lumped together with a bunch of failures?”

A wry smile crept onto Zhou Zhi’s lips. Descending from the air, he walked directly toward the resolute youth.

Towering over him, Zhou Zhi peered down, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“Do you think your Dual Wood-Fire Elemental Spiritual Roots make you exceptionally talented? Do you look down on others?” he inquired.

Under Zhou Zhi’s intense scrutiny, the young man blushed and stuttered, but maintained, “Yes! Why not!”

Zhou Zhi turned to address the crowd, then chuckled softly, “Do any of you feel the same way?”

Seeing that no one dared to speak up, Zhou Zhi sneered, “Not one of you has the courage he does.”

“What’s your name?” he asked the young man.

The young man raised his head, feeling somewhat composed, and replied, “I’m Luo Hu.”

Zhou Zhi stepped back, hovering in the air, and addressed the crowd with firm resolve, “Those seeking shortcuts, the Great Xia Sword Sect doesn’t want you. Choose where you belong!”

“If there are no further issues, get going!”

At this point, Luo Hu’s face darkened, and he vented his anger on Li Guanqi’s group, pointing at him and shouting, “Your sect even accepts a blind man! This once prestigious sect has fallen into decline. Good riddance!”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhi’s expression turned exceedingly grim.

Facing the more than three thousand disciples, he spoke in a solemn voice.

“The Great Xia Sword Sect recruits disciples based on three criteria: conduct, determination, and talent!” Zhou Zhi declared.

“You weren’t satisfied, were you? Show me your spirit talisman!”

Luo Hu retrieved the spirit talisman from his chest and hurled it toward Zhou Zhi, prompting astonishment from onlookers as they noted that a quarter of the spirit talisman remained intact.

Most who had reached this point had spirit talismans with only one-tenth remaining.

Luo Hu gazed arrogantly at Zhou Zhi, as if insinuating, “If the Great Xia Sword Sect won’t accept me, it’s your loss.”

However, Zhou Zhi walked directly over to Li Guanqi and whispered, “Can I see your spirit talisman?”

Li Guanqi touched his nose, surprised to be affected by this as well. He then retrieved his remaining spirit talisman from his chest and handed it to Zhou Zhi. Observing the interaction, Luo Hu couldn’t help but comment, “I thought as much! It’s almost the same as mine, about a quarter left! Does that mean he’s pretty strong? So what?”

Unbeknownst to Luo Hu, amidst the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Zhou Zhi slowly unfurled the stacked spirit talisman.

Half of it remained! The spirit talisman had only burned halfway!

Zhou Zhi appeared somewhat surprised himself…

With a cold, indifferent gaze, he told Luo Hu, “Even if this young friend can’t see, he’s still better than you!”

“No need for more words! Please leave!”

Luo Hu glared resentfully at Li Guanqi, then walked into the teleportation array with large strides.

Out of more than three thousand disciples who had come to pay their respects to the sect, only one thousand eight hundred remained for the Spiritual Root test on Emperor’s Mountain!