g!

  g!

  g!

  The sword's cry was like a dragon's roar, like a phoenix's call.

  It seemed as if an era had passed.

  The overwhelming sword aura finally dissipated between heaven ah.

  Almost everyoared at the spot where the sword aura vanished.

  Lin Hao was no exception. He looked at the woman leaning on a short sword, admiration the only thi in his star-like eyes.

  She blocked it...

  Leng Feng's heroid jade-like face bore a faint smile.

  Everyone was astonished. Leng Feng was only at the Foundatioablishment stage, yet she mao blo attaparable to a full-force strike from someo the peak of Foundatioablishment.

  Even the inner sect disciples and direct disciples, who had been watg the match with disdain, now showed expressions of surprise.

  Cough...

  She spat out a mouthful of blood, staining her chest, and the exposed skin was covered in scars.

  She was extremely weak, yet she didn't fall. Instead, she hastily swallowed a handful of pills and charged fain.

  Lin Hao remained silent, also taking out the pills given to him by Feng gyue and swallowing one.

  Bang!

  Bang!

  Bang!

  Fire spells cshed with sword aura, produg a powerful sound.

  The two fought again for hundreds of rounds, exhausting all their spiritual energy, then took pills to recover.

  Before much spiritual energy could be restored, they cshed once more.

  Foundatioablishment cultivators have limited spiritual energy, and even with Spirit Recovery Pills, they 't sustain prolonged bat.

  When their spiritual energy was depleted, they resorted to close bat with long swords and short daggers.

  "Zhan'er, your defeat is not in vain," a graceful woman sighed.

  Wang Jingzhan gazed at the woman's heroic figure, lost in thought. If he faced that astonishing sword aura, could he block it?

  No... perhaps he wouldn't even try. A bitter smile tugged at his lips as he said dejectedly, "Losing to Leng Feng is indeed not in vain."

  "No, I meant your loss to Lin Hao is not in vain."

  "Him?"

  A trace of astonishment fshed in Wang Jingzhan's eyes.

  He always believed that losing to Lin Hao was due to his own carelessness. If he had gone all out, even if the oppo was at the Foundatioablishment stage, he was fident he could win.

  "Zhan'er, I know you're not vinced. Just watch. If nothing ued happens, Lin Hao will win this battle."

  A glimmer of brilliance fshed in the graceful woman's eyes.

  The two fought like children at the vilge entrance, entangled for quite a while.

  Thus, Lin Hao was certain that the opporuly had no more tricks up her sleeve.

  Lin Hao smiled slightly because he still had some left.

  Lin Hao took out a stack of first-level talismans from his ste bag.

  If the oppo was at her peak, these first-level talismans wouldn't pose any threat to her, but now...

  Like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, Lin Hao threw the talismans at the woman.

  Astonishment fshed in Leng Feng's eyes. She thought both of them were at their limits, yet the oppo still had strength left.

  Thousands of fiery bdes rained down, being the deg factor in victory.

  Leng Feng let out a bitter ugh, waved her hand, and straightforwardly said, "I lost."

  Boom!

  A voluptuous woman leaped onto the stage, summoned a golden bowl to block the fiery rain, and then picked up the kneeling Leng Feng.

  "Wait, Aunt Xue."

  Leng Feng looked at Lin Hao, then took out an unsharpened magical sword from her sword case, smiling as she said, "Keep this sword for me. I'll e back for another match soon, and then I'll defeat you and take it back."

  Lin Hao accepted the magical sword, watg the woman's departing figure with a thoughtful expression. Is she a treasure-giving child?

  "Lin Hao, wins!" The referee, as if waking from a dream, annouhe result.

  Wang Jingzhan looked at the spirited figure, his heart filled with bitterness. This glory was supposed to be his.

  "Zhan'er, you should be grateful. In your era, there are cultivators like Leng Feng and Lin Hao. They will be excellent whetstones, making you a sharper sword."

  The watg disciples were in an uproar. Two of the top tenders for the championship were eliminated in succession, and an unknown youngster cimed the top spot ier sepetition. Even storybooks wouldn't dare write such a plot!

  Moreover, people felt Lin Hao's victory was unfair.

  If it weren't for that talisman strike parable to a peak Foundatioablishment attack, he wouldn't have been able to defeat Leng Feng.

  In the crowd, Xiang Xiaoyuan, wearing a goose-yellow dress, ched her fists, silently vowing in her heart to shine like Senior Brother Lin, train hard, and bee the dark horse to cim the petition's top spot!

  Li Qiushui's eyes, like clear water, shimmered with endless satisfa.

  Junior Brother Lin did not disappoint her expectations, reag the end, making her efforts worthwhile.

  Cui Qing'er arched her brows, muttering, "When did that sdrel reach Foundatioablishment? I nning to beat him up after I reached it."

  The Grand Elder, who presided over the petition, walked onto the stage, looking at Lin Hao with gentle eyes.

  In truth, it didn't matter to him who won the championship. He was just pleased to see a rootless cultivatht to the end, as they are the bae of the sect.

  "Lin Hao, gratutions on winning the outer sepetition."

  The Grand Elder, with a kind demeanor, took out three jade boxes.

  "These are the rewards for the champion from the sect."

  Lin Hao already khat the champion would receive a talisman treasure, a lorofound-level manual, and a magical treasure embryo, but actually receiving the jade boxes still filled him with excitement.

  Having just entered Foundatioablishment, he finally had something to rely on.

  But before he could examihe sect's rewards closely, he was whisked away from the petition site by a fiery ribbon around his waist.

  Murong Qiched the two bck dots in the sky, frowning slightly: leaving so quickly, as if afraid someone would snatch them away.

  At the summit of Great Bamboo Peak.

  Feng gyue propped up her jade-like feet, asking indifferently, "Did you enjoy the view?"

  Uh... Lin Hao suddenly realized his gaze had been inappropriate, staring bnkly at the peak master's small feet.

  "What? Have the guts to look but not to admit?"

  Feng gyue shifted her position, her feet resting on the fur of a fourth-level demon fox, speaking with a fragrant breath, "You performed well, bringing honor to Great Bamboo Peak. What reward do you want?"

  Lin Hao couldn't help but steal a g those pink, jelly-like feet, a wicked fire rising within him, wanting to hold them in his hands.

  But he knew well that if he acted on his improper thoughts, he would surely fall from the mountain's peak to the depths, being a pile of mud.

  "This is what a disciple should do."

  "Spare me the formalities." Feng gyue's willow-like brows arched slightly, her phoenix eyes gleaming with amusement.

  "Do you want to bee a disciple of one of the elders? Do you need me to introduce you to each elder?"

  The stro person o Bamboo Peak was right in front of him, so why look elsewhere?

  Lin Hao took a deep breath, speaking solemnly, "I wish to bee the peak master's disciple."

  "Heh!"

  Feng gyue's cherry lips curled slightly, her eyes smiling, "Now you have some ce."

  Lin Hao felt a bit uneasy, w if his as were too bold. Would the peak master agree?

  Feng gyue tossed out a token engraved with a fire lotus.

  "From now on, you are my disciple. You may establish a cave dwelling at six thousa and have access to the inner sect's Scripture Repository."

  "Additionally, if you have any questions about cultivation, you may seek my guidance every three months."

  "Thank..."

  Before he could finish the word "thank," he was sent flying by a graceful hand.

  "Attend the apprenticeship ceremony in three days!"

  As he plummeted through the clouds, Feng gyue's reminder echoed, "Use your sword!"

  Upon hearing this, Lin Hao willed a light sword to appear beh his feet, flying around Great Bamboo Peak like a shooting star.

  Now that he had bee a direct disciple, he could finally fly with his sword within the sect!