Chapter 664: Challenge Three Characters
Upon hearing Xu Changsheng's words, including Can Dong, all the Saint-Transmitted Disciples present turned their gazes toward Zhang Ruochen.
Everyone had already heard that someone had triggered the "Eight Hundred Miles of Purple Qi" phenomenon during the coronation ceremony and had also fused three ancestral sword intents.
Such a figure could not possibly be an ordinary person; he must possess extremely high sword dao talent.
Xu Changsheng's words, however, carried clear hostility.
Even if Lin Yue's sword dao talent was exceptional, he was still just a newly promoted Saint-Transmitted Disciple. Passing the first level of the second mountain was already quite impressive.
Yet Xu Changsheng directly asked him how many characters he wanted to challenge today.
No matter how Lin Yue answered, he would inevitably be at a disadvantage.
This was praise meant to destroy!
Only by lifting him higher could he be made to fall harder.
Xu Changsheng still wore a kind smile, saying, "Since Junior Brother Lin Yue has fused three ancestral sword intents, why not challenge three characters? Let us all broaden our horizons."
The surrounding Saint-Transmitted Disciples immediately snickered, many exchanging secret messages.
"Even Xu Changsheng himself barely manages to challenge two characters, yet he's forcing Lin Yue to challenge three. He wants Lin Yue to make a public fool of himself."
"If Lin Yue agrees, he'll definitely be defeated by the three gatekeepers. From now on, the entire Liangyi Sect will mock him for overestimating himself. If Lin Yue refuses the challenge, he'll earn a reputation for cowardice."
"What grudge does Xu Changsheng have against Lin Yue? Why is he so aggressive?"
"Can't you see? This is a rivalry over a woman. Who would have thought that someone of Xu Changsheng's status would go to such lengths for a woman against a newly promoted Saint-Transmitted Disciple?"
"It depends on who the woman is. If it's for the Dark Body, it's well worth it. If Xu Changsheng can marry the Dark Body, he'll secure his position as heir of the Xu Holy Clan."
All the Saint-Transmitted Disciples present shook their heads and sighed, feeling that Lin Yue was about to become Xu Changsheng's stepping stone.
What use was high sword dao talent? In the end, he hadn't grown strong yet.
The calmest person was Zhang Ruochen himself. He smiled and said, "Challenging one character and challenging three characters doesn't seem to make much difference. Why would I do something so thankless?"
Xu Changsheng felt that Zhang Ruochen was speaking out of fear.
He laughed, "Junior Brother Lin Yue doesn't know this, but the difference between challenging three characters and one character is enormous."
"Those who challenge one character and reach the summit of the second mountain can only take one gourd of sacred water from the second sacred spring."
"Those who challenge two characters and reach the summit can take one hundred gourds of sacred water from the second sacred spring."
"Those who challenge three characters and reach the summit can take one thousand gourds of sacred water from the second sacred spring."
"So, each additional character increases the reward tenfold."
Zhang Ruochen showed a look of sudden realization and nodded, saying, "If I successfully challenge ten characters and reach the summit, I'm afraid the second sacred spring wouldn't have enough sacred water for me to take, right?"
The surrounding Saint-Transmitted Disciples all burst into laughter.
Can Dong had long witnessed Zhang Ruochen's arrogance, and upon hearing this, he turned his head away with a cold snort.
A hint of mockery flashed in Xu Changsheng's eyes as he smiled, "In the history of Liangyi Sect, no one has ever successfully challenged ten characters. If Junior Brother Lin Yue succeeds, such an achievement would surely be recorded in the sect's annals."
Zhang Ruochen thought for a moment, then shook his head, "My current sword dao cultivation isn't strong enough yet. I won't challenge ten characters for now."
"At least you have some self-awareness."
Just as Xu Changsheng was about to say this, he heard Zhang Ruochen's next words and swallowed what was on the tip of his tongue.
Zhang Ruochen said, "This time, I'll challenge three characters first. After all, I should conserve some energy for the later levels."
Was he crazy?
Challenge three characters?
Everyone felt that Lin Yue was speaking out of anger. Challenging three characters at once—how could a newly promoted Saint-Transmitted Disciple possibly do that?
A smug curve appeared at the corner of Xu Changsheng's mouth. Afraid that Lin Yue might change his mind, he immediately said, "Truly worthy of being a rising star of Liangyi Sect. Even I, as your senior brother, am deeply impressed. However, challenging three characters is no small feat. Using your tenth-rank True Martial Treasure-level sword probably won't get you through. How about this? Senior Brother will lend you my Gushui Sword. If you succeed, the Gushui Sword is yours."
As he spoke, Xu Changsheng quickly unstrapped a white sword from his back and tossed it toward Zhang Ruochen.
Xu Changsheng's eyes were fixed on Lin Yue across from him. As long as he took the sword, there would be no backing out.
Zhang Ruochen reached out and caught the white sword. As soon as it entered his hand, an extremely cold force surged out, numbing his hand slightly.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen take the sword, Xu Changsheng finally breathed a sigh of relief, his smile growing even more cheerful.
The surrounding Saint-Transmitted Disciples exchanged glances and shook their heads with laughter.
Now that Xu Changsheng had lifted Lin Yue so high, once Lin Yue failed the challenge, Xu Changsheng would likely use follow-up tactics to make Lin Yue fall so hard he'd never recover.
Moreover, climbing Ancient God Mountain was life-threatening. If someone overestimated themselves and challenged, they might die under the gatekeeper's sword before they could even admit defeat.
Everyone thought Xu Changsheng was too cunning and ruthless.
Lin Yue was also too foolish, actually naively agreeing to challenge three characters, falling into Xu Changsheng's trap without realizing it.
Such things were all too common among the older Saint-Transmitted Disciples present; they had long since grown accustomed to it.
"A twelfth-rank True Martial Treasure. The material used to forge the sword is 'Gushui Spirit Jade.' If a sword spirit is born within it, it could grow into a sacred sword. A fine sword, truly a fine sword."
Zhang Ruochen kept stroking the Gushui Sword, praising it repeatedly.
Everyone present thought he was someone who had never seen the world, hence his excitement at seeing the Gushui Sword.
In reality, while stroking the Gushui Sword, Zhang Ruochen was using true qi to refine the sword intent Xu Changsheng had left behind in it.
After completely refining the sword intent within the sword, he walked toward the stone wall and stopped ten zhang away from it.
The characters on the stone wall were extremely obscure.
Many characters were completely unfamiliar, and only through powerful sword intent could one deduce their true meaning.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, three characters detached from the stone wall, transforming into three semi-transparent gatekeepers who flew down from midair, attacking Zhang Ruochen with their swords.
The Saint-Transmitted Disciples were quite surprised. They had thought Lin Yue would need a long time to identify three characters. Unexpectedly, Lin Yue instantly recognized three characters and began the challenge.
For a newly promoted Saint-Transmitted Disciple to achieve this was already quite remarkable.
Of course, even so, no one believed Lin Yue could succeed. After all, it was three characters—the difficulty was many times greater than two characters.
The three gatekeepers attacked from three directions, employing a combined attack formation.
Two gatekeepers charged along the ground from left and right, swinging their swords. Fierce sword qi transformed into two dragon shadows over ten meters long, emitting a "whoosh-whoosh" sound.
The third gatekeeper flew above the other two, holding a sword in each hand, constantly tracing Taiji Dao seals to form a three-zhang-diameter sphere of sword qi.
"Double Dragon Playing with Pearl Sword Formation."
Seeing the violent and sharp sword qi surge out, all the Saint-Transmitted Disciples immediately used movement techniques to retreat far away.
Even experts as powerful as Xu Changsheng and Can Dong changed expression slightly. After all, this was the first time they had seen the power of three characters combined.
Was such terrifying power really something a Fish-Dragon Realm cultivator could overcome?
When Xu Changsheng challenged two characters, each gatekeeper was at the third-layer level of Sword One.
Now that Zhang Ruochen was challenging three characters, each gatekeeper was roughly at the fifth-layer level of Sword One. It seemed like just one character difference, but the difficulty was worlds apart.
"So that's how it is. The more characters challenged, the higher the gatekeepers' sword dao realm. No wonder Xu Changsheng was so sure I couldn't get through. Defeating three gatekeepers is indeed no easy task."
Among everyone present, only Zhang Ruochen remained the calmest, standing still without any sign of panic.
In the blink of an eye, the two gatekeepers on the ground simultaneously swung their swords at Zhang Ruochen, seemingly about to tear his body apart with sword qi.
Just then, a shocking scene unfolded before the Saint-Transmitted Disciples.
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
The blue sword and the Gushui Sword simultaneously left their sheaths and flew out. Zhang Ruochen quickly struck two palms, hitting the hilts of both swords. The two swords transformed into blue and white beams of light, shooting out rapidly, unleashing three hundred and sixty sword qi streams that forced the two gatekeepers on the ground to retreat repeatedly.
The two gatekeepers swung their swords with lightning speed.
But the blue and white swords moved even faster, completely suppressing the gatekeepers' momentum and forcing them to retreat.
Above, the third gatekeeper rapidly rotated his arms, forming a vortex of sword qi.
A seven-meter-long giant sword thrust out from the center of the vortex, turning into a dazzling pillar of light aimed at Zhang Ruochen's brow.
"Break!"
Zhang Ruochen pressed two fingers together, forming a sword seal, and struck upward.
The tip of his finger collided with the tip of the giant sword, producing a loud "bang." The seven-meter-long giant sword shattered, turning into a chaotic mass of sword qi that surged back, knocking the three gatekeepers back over ten zhang.
"How is this possible?"
Seeing this, Xu Changsheng's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, his face covered in bulging veins.
The other Saint-Transmitted Disciples were also dumbfounded. They were shocked senseless, their minds blank, completely breathless.
Can Dong and Qin Yufan both gasped, almost simultaneously muttering, "The seventh layer of Sword One."
Standing at the cliff's edge, Qi Feiyu stepped out from the white mist, revealing her elegant and stunning face. Her beautiful eyes shimmered with radiance as she fixed her gaze on Zhang Ruochen, clearly finding it incredibly hard to believe.