Shocking the Crowd: That Fast?

The figure was clad in white, jade hanging at his waist, moving at blistering speed. As he swept past Li Guanqi, he did not forget to let out a derisive sneer. Li Guanqi frowned slightly. The youth did not look like someone in the Body Tempering realm; why was he so fast? Then Li Guanqi noticed two Breeze Talismans stuck to the soles of the boy's feet! Shaking his head, Li Guanqi began adjusting his breathing and stride. Not knowing how many stairs remained above, he needed to conserve as much stamina as possible. By the time he reached the thousandth step, the stairway—more than a dozen zhang wide—was packed with resting climbers, leaving only a narrow two-foot gap down the middle for anyone to ascend. Whenever the person in front slowed down, those behind could only wait helplessly. The young men and women resting on the steps wore amused smirks, watching each passerby struggle past. Some did not bother to hide their sneers at all. Clearly, they had been egged on by others to crowd together like this, deliberately bottlenecking everyone's speed down a single cramped path. Seeing this, Li Guanqi could not help letting a cold sneer curl the corner of his lips. "So if you got soaked in the rain, you've got to tear apart everyone else's umbrella, is that it?" "Hmph!" Li Guanqi swept his mind's eye across his surroundings, his gaze turning sharp. He saw the white jade balustrade flanking the steps. On the other side of that railing lay an abyss thousands of zhang deep! Yet Li Guanqi pushed hard off the ground, vaulting over a zhang into the air. Mid-leap, nearly two zhang forward, his foot tapped the shoulder of a sitting youth to spring upward once more! "Whoa! How can he jump so far?!" "Is he insane?! What's he doing? That's a sheer drop down there!" His terrifying move drew gasps of shock from the crowd. Tap, tap! Li Guanqi landed deftly atop the balustrade. Hunched low like a predatory cheetah, he dashed upward at breakneck speed. Yet while the youth's feat provoked endless cries of alarm, not a single soul dared imitate him. Beyond that handrail lay a bottomless drop of thousands of zhang! One slip of the foot meant plunging to a bone-shattering death—and nobody could count on Great Xia Sword Sect disciples to come to the rescue. Still, Li Guanqi was not the only one bold enough to rely on exceptional skill. The bottlenecked section spanned hundreds of steps; creeping along would let others take the lead and reach the summit first. Among the crowd were scions of prominent clans who had honed their physiques since childhood, having likewise stepped into the Body Tempering realm. Some pulled themselves up the flanking cliff wall with raw arm strength, swinging across withered vines like apes to bypass the horde. Others forcibly vaulted across the shoulders of the crowd to overtake them. For a moment, all sorts of methods were unleashed as everyone dashed toward the summit. "Hoo... hah..." By now, Li Guanqi had reached the two-thousandth step, his pace barely slacking. The cloth bindings securing the sword coffin dug two long, bloody welts into his shoulders. Sweat blurred the youth's eyes. By this point, only a scant few could keep pace with him. When Li Guanqi, panting heavily, stepped onto the final stair, the talisman on his chest ceased burning. Resting his hands on his knees, Li Guanqi sucked in great gulps of air. Just then, a burly youth approached and reached out to clap his shoulder. Sensing it, Li Guanqi dodged aside. A flicker of surprise crossed the youth's face. Pulling back his hand, he raised a thumb in praise. "Damn, brother, your physique is seriously impressive!" Li Guanqi turned to look at the dark-skinned youth and smiled faintly. "You flatter me, brother. You're not half-bad yourself." The youth laughed heartily and scratched his head. "I chased you the whole way and couldn't catch up! Even I broke a sweat watching you sprint along that railing to skip the crowd. You've got guts!" "By the way, let's get acquainted. I'm Lin Dong." Looking at the outstretched hand, Li Guanqi paused slightly. Hesitating for a moment, he extended his own hand and said softly, "A blind man, Li Guanqi." Lin Dong blinked in surprise, then looked at the cloth wrapped around Li Guanqi's eyes and grinned. "Folks call me Dongzi. You can just call me that from now on." "Let's go. By the looks of the time, this should be wrapping up soon." Li Guanqi had a good impression of this instantly familiar youth, and the two walked shoulder to shoulder toward the plaza. Looking around, Li Guanqi realized this plaza platform was easily over two thousand zhang across. Behind the plaza lay another hundred-odd steps, above which sat an enormous cavern formed between two peaks. Carved into the stone overhead were four characters written in a flourishing, calligraphic script: Great Xia Sword Sect. Dozens of sword qi streaks of various hues swept and crisscrossed all around. Lin Dong spoke by Li Guanqi's ear, giving a detailed breakdown of the Great Xia Sword Sect's various peaks. Hearing this, Li Guanqi could not help asking in puzzlement, "You're very familiar with the Great Xia Sword Sect?" A genial grin surfaced on Lin Dong's face, and he scratched his head. "I've been practicing martial arts at the foot of the mountain since I was five. Joining the Great Xia Sword Sect is my lifelong dream, so of course I know plenty about it." "If I can somehow reach Foundation Establishment, fly on a sword, and slay demons and evil, how splendid would that be!" As they spoke, a chubby boy clad in a golden robe finally dragged himself up the last stair. Soaked through with sweat and red in the face, he sprawled out on the ground, panting desperately. The talisman over his chest had dwindled to the size of a fingernail. Cradling that tiny scrap of yellow talisman paper with utmost care, the chubby boy was practically in tears. After catching his breath, he struggled to his feet, saw Li Guanqi and Lin Dong, and ambled over with a smile. Hunching over with an obsequious grin, he greeted them, "Hello, brothers!" "I'm Li Sheng'an. I snuck in a few chicken drumsticks—care to share?" Li Guanqi had intended to refuse; after all, it felt improper to eat a stranger's food. But before he could decline, his stomach betrayed him, rumbling loudly at the mouth-watering aroma. Li Sheng'an's small eyes crinkled into slits as he thrust drumsticks directly into their hands. Li Guanqi found the drumstick was still warm, just as Li Sheng'an chimed in: "Kept it right against my chest! Don't worry, it was wrapped tight in greaseproof paper—zero sweaty funk, guaranteed." Lin Dong roared with laughter and took a hearty bite without hesitation. "I'm Lin Dong, and this brother here is Li Guanqi." "I've gotta say... climbing those stairs was bloody exhausting. I really am starving." Li Sheng'an took up the gripe. "Tell me about it... Last year I never heard anything about climbing stairs! You could just shell out a bit of silver to hire folks to carry you up." Li Guanqi merely smiled and said nothing. He did not believe the Great Xia Sword Sect had staged this test for no reason. Sure enough! Just as the three finished their drumsticks, two young disciples dressed in white sect robes came flying out of that Heavenly Gate cavern on swords! Their figures soaring on flying swords with hands clasped behind their backs utterly awed the crowd! Nearly three thousand people were gathered on the plaza, and every single one held their breath. Gazing with burning eyes at those two ethereal figures. A man and a woman. The young man was handsome, with sword-like brows, star-bright eyes, and resolute features. The woman possessed an aloof, cool demeanor and skin as fair as congealed fat. An oval face, willow-leaf brows, a high-bridged nose, and slender lips. Truly a peerless beauty in the mortal realm! Even Li Guanqi, usually unflappable, felt his heart surge through his mind's eye as he watched. He dreamed that perhaps one day he, too, could ride a flying sword and soar between heaven and earth! Seeing them, Li Sheng'an murmured under his breath, "Good grief. Eldest Senior Brother Zhou Zhi and Eldest Senior Sister Jiang Su of Tianjin Peak's outer sect—they came in person to receive us?" Li Guanqi's ears twitched as he memorized their names and identities. From what he observed, Li Sheng'an did not strike him as someone from an ordinary commoner family. The man and woman drifted down to the ground, drawing every gaze onto themselves. By now, only a trickle of climbers was still finishing the ascent. Zhou Zhi surveyed the crowd expressionlessly. With a wave of his hand, a massive ancient bell crashed onto the stone pavement with a heavy thud. Striking the bell, he declared in a low, resonant voice, "Time is up! Those who have not summited the stairway may return!" Carried by spiritual power, his voice traveled far, immediately sparking complaints from countless people below! Yet Zhou Zhi turned a deaf ear. Tossing out a jade slip, the thousands of steps vanished into thin air before everyone's eyes! Where real stairs had just stood, nothing remained but a bottomless abyss! The plaza where everyone stood now floated suspended in midair. Then, glowing arcane runes suddenly flared in the center of the plaza, coalescing into the form of a teleportation array that shimmered faintly. Jiang Su's cool voice rang out, "Those whose chest talismans have burned down entirely, step forward." Her words stirred an immediate commotion among the crowd. An invisible aura of pressure radiated from Jiang Su. The clamor died down, and many people dejectedly shuffled forward. "Those who failed to summit within the allotted time, enter the array." Looking at Li Sheng'an clutching the fingernail-sized scrap of yellow talisman, Li Guanqi could not help smiling. "Your luck is really something. You just barely made it." Fixing his eyes on the scrap of yellow paper, Li Sheng'an wiped cold sweat from his forehead. "Heaven knows how hard I suffered!" Lin Dong looked at the chubby youth in confusion. "Brother, you don't look short on coin. Why didn't you get yourself a few inscribed talismans?" To his surprise, Li Sheng'an scoffed. "If only it were that simple... Just watch." Sure enough! Zhou Zhi slowly levitated into the air, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone as he barked, "Those who resorted to underhanded tricks, step forward!" At this command, quite a few lowered their heads, glancing around nervously. "Hmph!" The cold snort weighed on everyone's heart like a boulder. With a flick of his sleeve, Zhou Zhi cast out several transparent crystal orbs. Within them played images of numerous candidates who had used talismans during the climb, as well as those who had ingested special powders, and more. Without exception, every one of them was stripped of their eligibility. One burly youth among them refused to accept it. Striding forward, he stared up at Zhou Zhi and shouted, "I only took some Blood-Quickening Powder to boost my vitality! I'm already at peak Body Tempering—on what grounds are you disqualifying me?!" Zhou Zhi snapped his head toward him, narrowing his eyes as he intoned, "You... want an explanation from me?" Stiffening his neck in defiance, the youth retorted, "Yes! Not only am I at peak Body Tempering, my father pulled strings to test my spiritual root long ago! "I possess a dual wood-fire true spiritual root! Why should I be lumped together with a bunch of useless trash?!" A cold sneer tugged at Zhou Zhi's lips. Descending from midair, he walked straight toward the youth! Towering a head taller, Zhou Zhi looked down into the youth's eyes and sneered, "You think your dual wood-fire spiritual root makes you a prodigy, so you look down on everyone else?" Under Zhou Zhi's gaze, the youth felt an immense pressure that flushed his face crimson. Yet he still forced out, "That's right! On what grounds?!" Turning around to face the crowd, Zhou Zhi asked softly, "Do any of the rest of you think the same?" Seeing that not a single person dared speak, Zhou Zhi scoffed. "You don't even have his guts!" "What's your name?" Looking up at Zhou Zhi, the youth steadied his nerves and said firmly, "Luo Hu!" Zhou Zhi drifted backward, floating in the air once more, and addressed the crowd in a solemn tone. "Those who rely on deceit and tricks will never be accepted by the Great Xia Sword Sect. Whoever wants them can have them! "If you have no further questions, get lost immediately!" Luo Hu's face darkened, rage boiling within him. He was convinced Zhou Zhi was deliberately targeting him! Just then, his eyes landed on Li Guanqi's group of three. Diverting his fury straight toward Li Guanqi, he pointed a finger and roared, "The Great Xia Sword Sect even takes in a blind man! This faded sect isn't worth joining anyway!" Hearing this, Zhou Zhi's face turned completely overcast. Facing the three thousand prospective disciples, he said coldly, "When the Great Xia Sword Sect accepts disciples, we look first at character, second at perseverance, and third at talent! "You refuse to accept this? Show me your talisman!" Luo Hu pulled the talisman from his robes and tossed it to Zhou Zhi. Seeing that a full quarter of it remained, gasps rippled through the crowd! Most who managed to reach the summit had only about a tenth left. Luo Hu shot Zhou Zhi an arrogant glare, as if to say: not accepting me is the Great Xia Sword Sect's loss. Yet Zhou Zhi walked straight over to Li Guanqi and asked softly, "May I see your talisman?" Li Guanqi rubbed his nose, not expecting to get dragged into this. He reached into his robes and handed his remaining talisman to Zhou Zhi. Watching closely, Luo Hu saw the folded talisman and sneered, "I thought it was something special! Isn't it about the same as mine, just a quarter left?! "That only proves he's somewhat capable—so what?!" Yet under everyone's stunned gazes, Zhou Zhi slowly unfolded the talisman. A quarter! Only... with Li Guanqi's talisman, only a quarter had burned; three quarters remained! Because it had been folded, it had looked like only a small scrap earlier. Even Zhou Zhi was clearly taken aback... Looking at Luo Hu with cold eyes, he said, "Weren't you refusing to accept your fate? What about now?" "Enough drivel! Scram!"