As the Sea of Clouds thawed and the heavy snow ceased, the Boardwalk Alley resumed operation, though the five Sword Peaks remained shrouded in white.
With the promotion selection approaching, Sighing Peak was bustling with activity; most of the accomplished Qi Refining disciples had already signed up.
For Outer Sect disciples, this was the most important moment of the year—the hard work of a whole year put to the test by the Inner Sect.
Not only were their comprehension of the Six Arts of the Sect and the Sword way evaluated, but their Divine Soul cultivation was also scrutinized.
After all, stepping into the Inner Sect was the true beginning of their quest, allowing them to study the Five Peaks Sword Canon coveted by every Shenhua Sect disciple.
In a last-minute rush to refine their skills, more Outer Sect disciples practiced diligently in the Dao Arena.
The little old man stationed at the Illusion Pavilion smiled as he held his broom, sweeping a path for passing disciples, eager to see what surprises the Outer Sect might bring this year.
But the Yun Clan brat’s health was worrisome—dragging around a broken body was bad enough, yet he was also overexerting his Qi Sea to the point of burning out reserves.
The spiritual energy inside him was precious and dwindling rapidly; his return to the mountain found his Spirit Breath barely detectable.
“Youngsters must learn moderation,” the Old Sect Leader wiped his beard, watching the fierce clash between two girls in the arena.
A fiery red figure was unstoppable, attacking with fierce, sweeping movements; the Scarlet Sword Form was already about thirty to forty percent mastered.
Opposite her stood the blonde-haired girl, her swordplay light and agile, responding effortlessly—her graceful movements reminded one of a certain someone.
The two new sword prodigies from the Heaven Courtyard had completely different styles but had both made considerable progress.
The sweeping old man glanced at Xiao Xinran and shook his head; then he looked at Ji Shiyu and nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with approval.
He admired Miss Xiao’s hardworking spirit, but the daughter of Ji Xingshu seemed to suit his tastes more—her pure heart was nearly flawless.
For the first time in a century, he was considering taking on a disciple.
Though it might seem unfair to the other four Peaks, as the two Outer Sect disciples from the Heaven Courtyard were monopolized by Falling Cloud Peak…
“Class dismissed!”
The stern middle-aged man in the purple Cloud Robe was the Principal of Swordsmanship Class, a Mist Veil Peak disciple, and quite satisfied with the performances of Xiao Xinran and Ji Shiyu.
Recently, many instructors from the four academies had been expressing interest, repeatedly urging the two to declare their preferences.
“We Sunset Peak need talents like you!”
“We Mist Veil Peak need talents like you too!”
Many elders were eager to take these two gifted newcomers as disciples, even willing to discuss accepting them as apprentices under the Head Seat—if only they agreed.
Such matchmaking had become so common that Ji Shiyu and Xiao Xinran were already numb to it.
The two girls, new to the Shenhua Sword Canon, initially had no clear idea of which peak to join.
But the blonde-haired girl already considered herself part of Yun Liu’s world—work felt as natural as returning home, her mind full of dreams about happily rolling around in the farm.
How could she possibly join elsewhere and become a slave to another family?
Clearly, becoming a disciple of Celestial Phenomena Peak was the easiest choice—living under her adoptive father’s wing, enjoying food and money.
It was simply bliss!
Joining Celestial Phenomena Peak and becoming siblings with Xiao Yun was a key part of Xiao Xinran’s plan to pursue her love.
If it didn’t work this year, there was always next—she wouldn’t let Jing Tan’er succeed.
But Xiao Wang had already arranged a place for his beloved daughter—Xiao Xinran was to become the personal disciple of the Grand Elder of Falling Cloud Peak, a fact known to all.
Besides, her Aunt Master didn’t seem very fond of her?
That left Xiao Miss deeply troubled…
But neither the two blonde-haired girls nor the little princess seemed to have considered the feelings of the Head Seat of the First Peak.
Taking on disciples?
Yan Bingling would sooner scatter their ashes to the wind!
The five Sword Peaks of the Cloud Sea were led by Falling Cloud, flanked by two Sword Peaks of Clear Mist, with Sunset and Celestial Phenomena Peaks to the sides.
The Five Peaks Sword Canon also had rankings; among the cultivation world, the Zhuiyun Sword Canon was seen as the most versatile and famous.
The Zhuiyun lineage had cultivated countless formidable sword cultivators famed throughout the Nine Provinces.
The current most representative was Sect Leader Shen Zhong, whose killing power was extraordinary.
Thus, joining the First Peak was every Outer Sect disciple’s dream—each vying fiercely for a chance, hoping to catch the elders’ favor.
Mist Veil Peak and Sunset Peak each had their strengths, suited to wind and fire spiritual roots respectively, and both boasted flourishing disciple populations.
As for Clear Mist Peak, it accepted only female disciples, who could maximize their potential by pairing with water and wood spiritual roots.
It was not renowned for swordsmanship.
And Celestial Phenomena Peak… better left unsaid.
Everyone knew Ice Fairy Bingling’s sword was as cold as the moon, chilling all under the Nine Provinces, but none knew what great disciples she had beneath her.
At every promotion selection, the other three peaks waited as the First Peak cherry-picked, then the leftovers were divided.
Even among fellow disciples there was competition—stronger ones deserved greater benefits, and the First Peak alone consumed half the sect’s resources.
The Yunding Sword Contest’s top sixty-four seats were dominated by the First Peak lineage.
After a session of sword class ended, Xiao Xinran was drenched in fragrant sweat, secretly frustrated.
The blonde-haired girl had actually tried Jing Tan’er’s style on her—a Sword Sweeping Form like an arc, defensive only, seemingly treating her like a tool to test moves.
Yet the Sword Sweeping Form was flawless; her wooden sword repeatedly deflected the Scarlet Sword Form’s fiery strikes.
Ji Shiyu was puzzled too—after such a short time away, how had the little girl become so formidable that her wrist ached from the impact?
The blonde-haired girl was proud, refusing to use the Xuantian Nine Transformations or the Starburst Technique until the Shenhua Nine Forms were recognized by their teacher!
Between classes, the academy buzzed with gossip; everyone hoped they wouldn’t draw the infamous Three Fiends as examiners, fearing deliberate difficulty.
Most Sighing Peak disciples were seasoned Outer Sect veterans.
Senior Sister Chang Su, who had once served as a guide, had participated in the promotion selection four times—always eliminated.
The selection trials were always the Five-Phase Trial, guarded by Inner Sect disciples; without their approval, no one passed.
Clear Mist Peak’s Senior Sister had the best temper—drawing the Water or Wood trial increased one’s chances.
Xiao Xinran perked up, whispering to herself, “There’s only Xiao Yun at Celestial Phenomena Peak, so he must participate. I wonder which exam venue he’ll be assigned.”
Indeed, as the sole prodigy Senior Brother, Yun Liu’s burden was heavy.
Other peaks had hundreds or thousands; he had just one—and a little junior sister as foolish as a pig, so he had to shoulder everything.
So his confession to the Master wasn’t a lie—after years of struggling, he was truly tired and just wanted a stable place to rest.
Like on Senior Sister Qin’s lap…
“Are you sure he’ll go easy?”
Ji Shiyu shook her head; in fact, she least wanted to see Yun Liu, though she couldn’t explain why.
Xiao Xinran glanced sideways at the nearby Three Fiends.
Jing Tan’er’s gaze followed, eyes full of provocation.
Of course, the bigger possibility was that Yun Liu wouldn’t even make it to the final stages before being eliminated by his own sectmates…
“Don’t let me run into you.”
Xiao Xinran exhaled a slow breath of burning Qi.
After studying the Burning Silence Art, that subtle flame force seemed more traceable.
“Don’t worry, Xinran, we’ll definitely slaughter them,” Ji Shiyu said, devouring her food and eyeing others’ bowls.
The food might be awful, but wasting it was even worse!
“Hmph, you better watch yourself. Don’t get in my way—if I get the chance, I’ll be the first to take you down!”
Xiao Xinran sneered and turned to leave.