In the Core Disciple Sector of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.
A young man was charging forward furiously with a sword in his hand when he suddenly released his grip, causing his sword to fly forth with astonishing swiftness. It pierced right into the bark of an old tree a far distance away.
“Senior He, are you practicing her techniques?”
A young man asked excitedly as he made his way over.
If Bai Ruanqing was here, she would have recognized the two people standing here. They were no other than He Jingxuan, the first ranker of the core disciples, and Hu Chen, the fourth ranker.
After the battle with Bai Ruanqing, He Jingxuan had been studying the two moves that he had lost to, and it was only till now that he finally made some progress.
“I must say that these two moves are true works of ingenuity. I am completely awed by just how beautiful and elegant such a simple move could actually be…” He Jingxuan sighed in amazement.
When he first encountered it, he thought that it was nothing more than a simple sword toss. But the more he tried to study it, the more fearsome he realized it was.
It was as if that single sword toss harnessed the secrets hidden in the crux of swordsmanship. He simulated many different scenarios in his head, but no matter what he did, he wasn’t able to overcome that sword toss at all.
It was as if that single sword toss had collapsed every single possibility that lay ahead of him, sealing his fate to certain doom!
“If that wasn’t the case, we wouldn’t have all lost to her…” Hu Chen replied gloomily.
Given the current circumstances, there was no way they couldn’t acknowledge Bai Ruanqing’s strength… But this only served to deepen their indignation. After all, it felt like Bai Ruanqing had nothing other than those two moves at all!
“Did you manage to find out who she learned those two moves from?” He Jingxuan asked.
“I have narrowed down the possibilities, and my guess is that she has learned them from ‘I Am Low Profile’, the person who has conquered the Inner Disciple Sector not too long ago!” Hu Chen replied.
“It’s him?” He Jingxuan frowned. “If I’m not mistaken, isn’t his cultivation only at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation?”
“He should have achieved a breakthrough to Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm not too long ago. In fact, based on what I have gathered thus far, it seems like ‘I Am Very Handsome’ who has defeated all of us back then is very likely to be him…” Hu Chen replied.
He was just about to move on to explain the rationale behind his deduction when a deafening voice echoed across the entire mountain range.
“From this day forth, Zhang Xuan shall be the new sect leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!”
“That’s the voice of our sect leader!”
“But what is it that he’s saying? Zhang Xuan will be our new sect leader? Who the hell is Zhang Xuan?”
He Jingxuan and Hu Chen were stunned.
It was not uncommon for an incumbent sect leader to step down and pass his position on to someone else. However, most of the time, the person to inherit the position would be an esteemed elder or someone deeply respected within the sect… But Zhang Xuan? Where did this fellow even come from?
Just as the two of them were wondering what was going on, Han Jianqiu’s voice continued sounding on.
“I know that the name ‘Zhang Xuan’ is probably unfamiliar to most of you. He is both ‘I Am Low Profile’ and ‘I Am Very Handsome’, the person who has single-handedly defeated the Inner Disciple Sector and Core Disciple Sector within a single day!”
“I Am Low Profile?” He Jingxuan was stunned. “Didn’t he just achieve a breakthrough to Pseudo Immortal realm not too long ago?”
It was unthinkable for a Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm to become the leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion! One must know that the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was one of the Six Sects, and it wielded more than enough power to sway the fate of the Forsaken Continent.
This was ridiculous!
“Zhang Xuan has comprehended the Gods’ Sword Intent. Even though his cultivation has only reached Heavenly True Immortal, with his superior might in swordsmanship, he has managed to slay a Heavenly High Immortal and three Heavenly True Immortals in succession. In the same cultivation realm, he possesses the strength to subdue the combined prowess of me and four other elders…” Han Jianqiu carried on to justify the rationale behind his decision.
“Wait a moment, he’s at Heavenly True Immortal realm?”
“Did I just hear that he has slain a Heavenly High Immortal?”
“He actually managed to defeat Sect Leader Han and four other elders?”
He Jingxuan and Hu Chen stared at one another with widened eyes.
That fellow was actually that powerful? Were they really the same person?
Considering how that fellow was only at Dimension Shatterer realm consummation a day ago, it was already an incredible feat that he was able to reach Lesser Pseudo Immortal realm within the span of a single day… So, what in the freaking world did Sect Leader Han mean by ‘his cultivation has only reached Heavenly True Immortal’?
Furthermore… slaying a Heavenly High Immortal? How in the world was that even possible?
“The reason why I am saying all of this is to tell you all that it’s out of my own volition that I chose to pass the role down to him. I hope that you’ll support him as your sect leader and push our Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion to greater heights!”
After which, the voice gradually faded away.
Hu Chen looked at He Jingxuan in disbelief.
“I guess we should listen to Sect Leader Han’s orders. From this day onward, our sect leader will be none other than Zhang Xuan!”
“But… We don’t even know what Sect Leader Zhang looks like, or even how old he is!”
He Jingxuan and Hu Chen were deeply perplexed as to what they should make of the situation before them.
Even if you want us to follow this new sect leader, you should at least tell us what he looks like?
You aren’t even providing us any information about him at all, so what do you expect to do?
…
In the Inner Disciple Sector…
Cao Chengli was currently seated before the entrance of the residence, studying the doorsill intensely.
I can’t use my left leg, I can’t use my right leg, and I can’t hop either… It seems like I can only crawl in and out then… Cao Chengli shook his head helplessly.
At the moment, however, Han Jianqiu’s voice sounded in the air.
“Our Young Master has become the leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, one of the Six Sects?” Cao Chengli toppled backward in shock.
He shook his head vehemently, as if trying to accept the information he had just received.
He knew from the very start, back when they were still at Xuanjiang City, that the Young Master was a formidable person, but he would have never thought that the Young Master would actually be this amazing of a figure!
It was just two days since they had arrived at the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, but he had already risen from the follower of an inner disciple to the leader of the entire sect…
How in the world did he even climb through the ranks so quickly?
The cultivating Bai Ruanqing and Dan Xiaotian were taken aback by what they had just heard as well. Slowly, their eyes began blazing with fiery passion.
Their teacher had become the leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion!
As his direct disciples, they couldn’t afford to sully his reputation.
Thus, they had to work harder than ever!
…
The same sight was happening across the entire Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.
In this very moment, every single disciple and elder etched a single name to their mind… Zhang Xuan!
This young man had appeared from nowhere, but within a short span of two days, he advanced from an insignificant figure whom no one knew about to become the esteemed leader of the sect!
There was probably no one in the world who had climbed to the top of the corporate ladder as quickly as he did!
…
“Elder Han, is it really wise to make such an announcement? Such a conspicuous move would only make the Hall of Gods more wary of Sect Leader Zhang!” Elder He Tian asked with a frown.
Since Han Jianqiu had stepped down as the sect leader, he was automatically demoted to the position of a core elder.
They had been trying their best to conceal Zhang Xuan’s identity all this while so as to protect him from the Hall of Gods, but Han Jianqiu actually announced the matter publicly all of a sudden…
Was it really fine to do this?
“Elder He, the Hall of Gods has already made their move. It’s too late for us to be trying to hide anything anymore. Since that’s the case, we might as well announce the matter and make it public. This way, even if the Hall of Gods wishes to make a move, they would have to consider whether it’s really to their benefit to assassinate the new leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion and risk drawing the wrath of the Forsaken Continent on them…” Han Jianqiu said.
If Zhang Xuan was a nobody, the Hall of Gods could have done anything they liked with him, and no one would have given a damn. After all, the world didn’t have that much spare time to be overly concerned with someone who had no relevance to them.
However, it was different now that Zhang Xuan had become the head of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion.
If the Hall of Gods wanted to kill him, they better be prepared to offer an acceptable explanation to the entire Forsaken Continent.
Otherwise, the assassination of the leader of a top power would surely cause widespread panic. If the Hall of Gods was willing to go this far with the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion, it could very well do the same to the other five sects too.
While the Six Sects were rivaling powers to one another, they knew the importance of huddling together before a stronger enemy. And a tight collaboration among the Six Sects was definitely one of the situations which the Hall of Gods would have wanted to avoid.
Hearing that explanation, Elder He widened his eyes in realization.
…
The Starchaser Palace.
Beyond a door reminiscent of a full moon stood a lady. She was dressed in a white robe which contrasted beautifully against her cascading black hair, almost as if ink imprinted on a piece of paper.
She often spent her days gazing into the sky with a deep look in her eyes, as if she was trying to fathom the will of the world. It was no exception today either.
“Sect Leader!”
A maiden suddenly rushed through the full moon door and kneeled on the ground before the white-robed lady.
“What’s wrong?”
The white-robed lady turned around, revealing her moving beauty.
“We have just received news from our informants in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion—Sect Leader Han Jianqiu has stepped down from his position!” the maiden reported.
The Six Sects have their own information network. Through the Ethereal Hall, news could be delivered to all corners of the Forsaken Continent with unprecedented swiftness.
“Stepped down? What is that man thinking?” the white-robed lady frowned.
The reason why Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion was able to rank within the top three of the Six Sects was tightly related to Han Jianqiu’s overwhelming might.
If such a powerful expert were to step down all of a sudden without a legitimate reason, it could cause the morale of the entire sect to plummet, and even a pandemonium wasn’t completely out of question!
“I’m not too sure. Based on the news we have received, the announcement came completely out of the blue, and there was no indication beforehand,” the maiden replied.
“I guess the successor must be the person who has comprehended the Gods’ Sword Intent then. When is the inauguration happening?” the white-robed lady asked.
The only reason why Han Jianqiu would have made such a move was because he had found someone more suitable than himself for that position. And the only person who could have been more qualified than Han Jianqiu was no other than the expert who had comprehended the Gods’ Sword Intent.
“That’s indeed the case. Sect Leader Han Jianqiu has mentioned that the new sect leader has comprehended the Gods’ Sword Intent, and his name is…” the maiden pondered to jot her memory before replying, “… Zhang Xuan!”
“Zhang Xuan?” The white-robed lady widened her eyes.
Kacha! Kacha!
The stone pavement she was standing on began cracking.
The intense fluctuation in her emotions caused her to be unable to control the energy in her body for a moment.
“Sect Leader…”
Shocked, the maiden quickly lowered her head fearfully.
“It’s nothing. I just never thought that he would be so fast…” The white-robed lady quickly recovered from her abnormal condition, and the destruction of the stone pavement beneath her also halted as well. “Have our informants met the new sect leader yet? Do we have any information on how powerful he is?”
“The new sect leader has yet to appear in public view yet, but based on what Sect Leader Han Jianqiu has said thus far, this person’s cultivation is only at Heavenly True Immortal realm at the moment. Nevertheless, he managed to slay a Heavenly High Immortal and three heavenly True Immortals,” the maiden replied.
The informants that were undercover in the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion had relayed Sect Leader Han Jianqiu’s words in detail.
“Despite only being at Heavenly True Immortal realm himself, he managed to slay a Heavenly High Immortal?” the white-robed lady remarked with an incredulous expression on her face. “How long has it been since then? He grew so quickly within such a short span of time…”
Kacha! Kacha!
The stone pavement began to crack once more.
“Sect Leader Du… Are you acquainted with Sect Leader Zhang Xuan?” the maiden asked.
In her impression, their Sect Leader was someone who could remain calm even if the sky fell, but on this very day, she had already lost her cool twice.
The white-robed lady shook her head and quickly recovered from her daze. With a smile on her lips, she replied, “I wouldn’t say that we are acquainted, but I know someone who is. Call Wu Chen over!”
“Yes!”
The maiden backed out of the room, and a few moments later, she returned with an adolescent youth beside her.
“Paying respects to Sect Leader Du!” the adolescent youth bowed deeply.
With her hands behind her back, the white-robed lady looked at him and remarked impassively, “He’s here.”
Those were two short words, but the adolescent youth seemed to immediately understand what the white-robed lady was driving at. His eyes immediately lit up, and he clasped his fist, “Sect Leader Du, I wish to pursue him. I’m willing to brave through flames and die for his sake. I beseech you to fulfill my wish.”
“You wish to pursue him? Do you know where he is at the moment and how powerful he is?” the white-robed lady asked.
The adolescent boy shook his head.
“He’s currently the Sect Leader of the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion. He has comprehended the Gods’ Sword Intent, and his cultivation has reached Heavenly True Immortal as well. Furthermore, he has even managed to slay a Heavenly High Immortal as well,” the white-robed lady said.
“This…” The adolescent youth was shocked. With an unbelievable look on his face, he exclaimed, “He was able to grow so quickly?”
“Indeed. All along, I thought that the Spirit God has made a wrong judgement this time around. Just how can a person from a lower dimension possibly be qualified to win her fancy? However, it has become clear that he’s indeed someone who possesses extraordinary capabilities and talents. He wouldn’t pale in comparison even against Kong shi back then!”
As the white-robed lady spoke, she walked through the full moon doors and said, “Let’s head to the Ascendant Cloud Sword Pavilion together. I’d like to verify if the newly-appointed Sect Leader is truly him or not.”
After saying these words, she suddenly vanished on the spot together with the adolescent youth.
