As the sword's edge passed, boundless and unparalleled Sword Qi instantly transformed into countless ice-blue crystal petals, completely extinguishing the fierce flames of the Red Flame Suanni and freezing it into a breathtaking, naturally formed ice sculpture!
At this moment, Dantai Qingyin, watching from a distance and ready to intervene at any moment, was utterly mesmerized!
My God, this young man truly possesses the talent of a Qilin in the Sword Dao, no wonder... Weiwei is so enchanted by him, her Eldest Senior Brother.
「At the summit of Mount Taicang.」 For original chapters go to NoveIＦire.net
True Monarch Taiwu sat with his sword across his lap on a Dao Platform that seemed to support the heavens.
Below him respectfully stood eighteen Supreme Elders, Sect Leader True Master Ziyun, and the other Four Holy Beings.
"Senior Brother Taiwu! That child... he..."
"He froze the Red Flame Suanni with a single sword strike, imbued with a Law Sword Intent!"
"Not only that... he has also... in one breath, climbed a hundred Dao Steps!"
A rather flustered female voice sounded.
All the powerful and high-ranking figures of the Qinglan Sect widened their eyes in astonishment.
The Music Sage, one of the Six Holy Beings, usually renowned for her dignified and noble bearing, now rushed in with a shocked expression, having uncharacteristically lost her composure.
At this moment, even those Supreme Elders, who had fathomed the ways of the world and whose minds were usually as clear as mirrors, could no longer remain calm:
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"
"This child is only at the Dharma Appearance cultivation level. If he had used clever tactics to easily defeat that Red Flame Suanni, it might be plausible! But to claim he ascended a hundred Dao Steps in a single breath is utterly impossible!"
"Exactly! Forget Lin Xiao! Even his Master, back in his day, advanced steadily, one deliberate step at a time, to reach the final ascent!"
"Venerable Music Sage, could you possibly... have seen incorrectly? If he crossed a hundred Dao Steps in one breath, I'm afraid the Sword Intents left behind by Senior Brother Taiwu would have devoured him completely!"
"Could this child... have cheated? Did his Master teach him some trick?"
Just as the entire crowd was in a heated discussion, an ancient voice, dignified and naturally authoritative, echoed from above:
"Enough. In my opinion, instead of disparaging others, you would all do better to focus on your own improvement.
"A young man who defeated the Five Element Sword Intent at the Five Branches Martial Assembly—his potential likely surpasses all your imaginations.
"Very well... Let us all observe him together."
Atop the high Dao Platform, the white-haired, venerable True Monarch Taiwu slowly opened his eyes, which shimmered with divine light, and waved his hand—
An 'Extreme Seeing Water Mirror,' formed from pure Mana, instantly materialized in mid-air.
Everyone looked. They saw a handsome young man in white robes, one hand clasped behind his back, the other holding a jug of fine wine. He strode forward, drinking heartily as he advanced.
Upon closer inspection, with each step, his figure moved with an ethereal grace, flawlessly evading the sharp Sword Qi that rushed towards him. In the blink of an eye, he had leisurely ascended another thirty Dao Steps!
Such peerless elegance and unrestrained freedom almost seemed to leap from the mirror!
At this moment, the entire assembly fell silent!
They were utterly astounded!
It took a long time for the crowd to regain their senses.
"This child... what is he doing!? Drinking wine?"
"That's not the main point! The crucial thing is his peerless, formless movement technique! Everyone, look closely!"
"Indeed! Each step appears casual and unrestrained, like the stagger of a drunkard, but is in fact a display of profound and ingenious footwork calculations!"
"This young man... He's terrifyingly gifted! He absolutely must be nurtured with utmost care!"
The senior figures of the Qinglan Sect present gradually began to see the truth.
Instantly, these foundational pillars of the sect, old masters who had long achieved a state of being 'unmoved by external gains or personal losses,' now flushed with ruddy complexions, their faces beaming with excited admiration!
Remember, the last person to excite them to such a degree was the young girl named Xiao Hongling!
For Divine Phoenix Peak to produce two such peerless prodigies within two hundred years... this peak is truly the foremost cradle of talent in the world!
On the central Dao Platform, True Monarch Taiwu, who had remained stern and as imperturbable as an old well throughout, was now visibly trembling, his expression agitated!
After several hundred years, this Sword Saint of Qinglan finally revealed a joyful smile for the first time!
"This boy—is no less than his Master!"
"Heaven blesses Qinglan! We shall overcome this great calamity!"
"My Qinglan Sword Art... I can finally pass it on with an easy heart! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"