"Youzhou Chai Family, Sword Tao Grandmaster Chai Qingchi!"
Shanyang looked up to the sky, seeing the elderly man in green garments arriving on a sword from ten thousand miles away, splitting the vast sea of clouds, he spoke with a grave expression.
"Chai Qingchi has long since broken through to the True Self Realm, forming his own Sword Tao Seed. It’s quite likely that his cultivation has even reached the True Self Third Layer, so why join in this commotion?"
Shanyang couldn’t help shaking his head.
This competition for opportunity was already highly competitive, and now another Sword Tao Grandmaster in the True Self Realm joins. Isn’t this bullying?
"Brother Shan, be optimistic. In such competitions for inheritance, it’s not entirely about cultivation; opportunity and fortune are equally important. Otherwise, why would everyone come? The one with the highest cultivation should simply take the inheritance, would you not agree?" Xuu Li smiled, trying to console him.
Time passed slowly.
One by one, a few more people arrived at Celestial River Mountain, causing a commotion.
One particular arrival, with great pomp, attracted everyone’s attention.
It was a young man in brocade clothing, whose cultivation wasn’t especially high, roughly around the Divine Travel Fifth Layer.
But by his side were not only four Sword Attendants at the Peak of Divine Travel but also a Guardian at the True Self Realm, accompanying him!
According to what Shanyang said, this person was the Young Sect Leader of the Yunzhou Haori Sword Sect, extremely prestigious.
The Haori Sword Sect, when looking across the entire East Profound Domain, ranked among the top three Sword Tao Sects!
Within the sect, although no one had reached the Great Longevity Realm, there was an old ancestor at the Peak Realm overseeing things!
In terms of strength, it rivaled the Ziwei Chen Family where Chen Zhixing belonged!
For a moment, there was a dark undercurrent throughout Celestial River Mountain, like the prelude to a storm.
That evening.
Shanyang and others gathered around a bonfire, chatting casually, waiting for the Sword God’s inheritance place to fully emerge.
"Sigh, since I was young, my mother always told me that enduring hardship would make one extraordinary,"
"But as I grew up, I realized, damn it, enduring hardship just meant endless hardship!"
Shanyang pulled out a flask from who knows where and, with some frustration, drank as he spoke.
Xuu Li nodded in agreement, smiling bitterly: "Yes, I used to think hard work was a commendable trait, but as I progressed in cultivation, I realized that when others say you’re really hardworking, it’s because they have nothing else good to say, so they use ’hardworking’ to awkwardly compliment you without losing politeness."
"In front of talent, effort is hardly worth mentioning."
"Oh, I didn’t expect Brother Xuu to have such an insight! We should share a drink!"
Shanyang’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, he handed the wine flask to Xuu Li beside him and then looked towards the mountaintop of Celestial River, enviously smacking his lips:
"This world is too cruel. Some people are born in places that we, ordinary people without any background, can never reach even if we strive for a lifetime.
Just like the Young Sect Leader of the Haori Sword Sect, his talent might not be outstanding, but he was just born fortunate, with all kinds of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, magical elixirs from birth. While we are still bitterly exploring the Sword Dao alone, he was already being taught personally by several Sword Tao Grandmasters.
How can you compare? It’s simply incomparable, isn’t it."
At this point, Shanyang looked at Chen Zhixing, who was watching quietly, and casually asked, "Brother Bai, why are you silent? Say something."
Chen Zhixing was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said: "In my opinion, Brother Shan is indeed not wrong, but the world is like this. If someone’s three generations of effort were to lose to your ten years of hard cultivation, wouldn’t that be unreasonable?"
Pausing, Chen Zhixing continued, "Now they enjoy life because their predecessors endured the hardship for them. If you endure a bit more hardship now, then your descendants will naturally have the chance to enjoy prosperity."
"Nonsense! If someone with great talent can achieve in one day what you can’t in a hundred days of hard work, and others can break through realms with ease while no matter how hard you try, you can’t breakthrough, what’s that got to do with hardship?"
Shanyang shook his head and said, "Brother Bai, you clearly have a decent family background and haven’t experienced the perils of the Cultivation Realm, so you can speak of these things with such lightness."
"Isn’t that right."
Chen Zhixing nodded without further argument, turning silently to look towards Celestial River Mountain.
Now, Celestial River Mountain was gathering over a hundred Sword Cultivators.
But in truth, only two or three posed a real threat to him.
A Sword Tao Grandmaster, Chai Qingchi!
A guardian from Haori Sword Sect!
And another, a mysterious expert of the True Self Realm, whose presence Chen Zhixing sensed but hadn’t seen.
"I can’t keep wasting time, I must find a way to divert this crowd and then enter the inheritance place."
Chen Zhixing’s eyes flickered, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Shanyang and Xuu Li continued their philosophical discussion about life.
The young woman named Bai Ling, on the other hand, kept hovering around the swordsman Aliang, showing concern.
To Bai Ling, having come to Celestial River Mountain this time, she wasn’t harboring hopes for the so-called Sword God’s inheritance place.
She only wished she could find someone here with either exceptional potential or prominent family background to become her Dao partner, thereby changing her fate as part of the Cultivation Realm’s bottom layer.
The silent swordsman Aliang was her long-observed, carefully selected final choice!
As night deepened.
In the blink of an eye, it was midnight.
"Young master, why not let me create a disturbance on the other side to draw attention, while you proceed to the inheritance place of the Sword God, how about it?"
A cool and mature feminine voice sounded in Chen Zhixing’s mind.
"That could work."
Chen Zhixing thought for a moment before nodding.
"Good! Young master, remember that the Sword God’s inheritance place is on the southeast peak of Celestial River Mountain. Walk three hundred steps, and there is a hidden cave. After entering the cave, you’ll see seventy-three branching paths. Choose the thirty-fourth path, and you’ll find a shallow pond with clusters of rush flowers and reed leaves beside it. Push away the plants, and you’ll find a protruding stone. Press that stone, and the cave wall will open. Wait for me at the stone wall..."
Cyan Pheasant quickly finished giving instructions but added with some concern, "Young master, did you memorize it?"
"Memorized it." Chen Zhixing nodded.
"Alright, then let’s begin." Cyan Pheasant smiled slightly.
"Mm."
Chen Zhixing’s eyes glimmered as he stepped away from the bonfire, heading to an isolated corner.
Swoosh!
The Cyan Pheasant Sword unsheathed silently, immediately vanishing into the ground, shooting quickly towards the northwest of Celestial River Mountain.
Watching the Cyan Pheasant Sword’s departing figure, Chen Zhixing’s eyes flickered.
The next moment, he moved resolutely towards the southeast peak of Celestial River Mountain.
It wasn’t long after Chen Zhixing left.
BOOM!!!
A surge of sword light shot skyward from the northwest corner of Celestial River Mountain, shining brightly in the vast night sky.
In an instant!
Hundreds of Sword Cultivators on Celestial River Mountain simultaneously raised their heads, their pupils constricting sharply.
"A supreme treasure has emerged!"
"The inheritance place has opened?!"
"Go, go, go!"
"Hahaha, the inheritance of the Ancient Sword God, here I come!"
"This opportunity belongs to me and me alone!!"
BANG——!
In the tranquility of the night, Celestial River Mountain suddenly roared into action!