âHehe, alright.â
Li Xiaobai nodded with a smile. Once this fellow was dead set on something, there was no stopping him.
âAfter you, Junior Brother.â
Senior Brother Huoâs face, strewn with bulky muscles, cracked into a smile as he gestured magnanimously.
Sword Peak was a towering mountain, conspicuously located at the entrance of the sect and bustling with traffic. Many passing cultivators had spontaneously stopped in their tracks, watching the unfolding scene with great interest.
Each year, some ignorant newcomers would attempt to challenge Sword Peak, but all without exception returned empty-handed, or worse, injured by the Sword Intent and never to be seen again.
For the onlookers, this provided a yearly form of entertainmentâI was just that they didnât know why only four newcomers had shown up this time, looking like they were about to take on Senior Brother Huo.
âHehehe, seems like the newbies this year have some backbone!â
âBackbone? Theyâll soon be broken bones. These young fools are in dire need of a harsh dose of reality. Just the opportunity for Junior Brother Huo to teach them a lesson.â
âWonder how long these newbies will last? Shall we make a wager?â
âSure, I bet theyâll suffer severe injuries once they reach the thirtieth step!â
âHahaha, Brother Chen, youâre perhaps giving them too much credit. When we first attempted, we couldnât even make it past the twenty-fifth step. Iâd say these guys are good for twenty steps at best. The Sword Intent on Sword Peak has grown purer lately, with its power increasing by the day. Thereâs a rumor that the Sword Tomb is about to emerge. This kid is simply seeking death by attempting the climb at this critical time.â
âOh? Brother Chen knows about the Sword Tomb, too? I heard from my elder martial sister that if the Sword Tomb appears, the sect will select disciples to enter and reap the rewards. If someone is lucky enough to inherit an ancient sword, theyâll strike it rich!â
âHehe, itâs not that easy though. The ancient swords within the Sword Tomb have all followed great predecessors in battles across the lands. Not everyone can win their recognition. Itâs really none of our business. Those who get in are at least starting from the Inner Sect Disciples. We neither have the cultivation level nor the destiny for it.â
A group of cultivators watched Li Xiaobai and the others make their move, chattering amongst themselves with eyes glinting with mockery and disdain, all waiting to see a good joke.
Looking down on new entrants about to experience a serious setback gave them a deeply satisfying feeling of accomplishment.
It was an excellent opportunity to teach the newcomers to respect their elders and betters.
At the base of Sword Peak.
Li Xiaobai and the others looked up. The peak loomed into the clouds, towering over the surrounding mountains. Even before setting foot on it, they could feel an intimidating momentum that made hearts skip a beat.
The path on the mountain spiraled upward toward the summit. At the moment, countless cultivators were seen struggling to scale it, their effort visible in the manifested numbers above their heads. Most displayed several hundred points of golden Merit Value, occasionally interspersed with blood-red Sin Value in the tens of thousands.
Many female cultivators were covered in glistening sweat, their damp clothing sticking to their bodies repeatedly, outlining thrilling curves.
âTsk tsk tsk, what pure Sword Intent!â the old beggar couldnât help but exclaim.
âTsk tsk tsk, what a long Sword Intent!â Ji Wuqing too stared unblinkingly upward.
âTsk tsk tsk, what a penetrating Sword Intent!â Ergouzi remarked.
âAhem, what Sword Intent, what not. I just like climbing mountains to enjoy the process,â Li Xiaobai coughed lightly, speaking indifferently.
Senior Brother Huo and the others had black lines all over their foreheads â these newbies had nerves! They dared to joke and laugh right in front of him, clearly not taking him, their Senior Brother, seriously at all!
But that didnât matter. Once they started the climb, he would let them know that in the sect, a Junior Brother must be obedient and compliant to his Senior Brother!
He had been in the Sword Sect for three years, and even though he was still a Human Immortal Realm cultivator, he could now climb nearly one hundred and ninety steps on Sword Peak. His achievement might not be outstanding, but it was certainly not something a few newbies could compare to.
âLetâs go.â
Li Xiaobai stepped onto Sword Peak.
The System panelâs attribute values instantly began to fluctuate.
â`
First step.
[Attribute Points +1000â¦]
Second step.
[Attribute Points +2000â¦]
Third step.
[Attribute Points +3000â¦]
Fourth step.
[Attribute Points +4000â¦]
As he walked step by step, the System Attribute Points on the panel jumped up without any pressure.
Li Xiaobai knew in his heart that the damage from the Sword Intent on Sword Peak increased progressively; basically, each step forward would add a thousand Attribute Points. Though it might not seem like much, considering the height of the entire mountain, if one were to reach the summit, the damage would be absolutely terrifying.
At the very least, he was still far from that point. Roughly estimating, his limit would be around four to five hundred steps before he would likely suffer severe injuries.
The raggedy old beggar and the others followed closely behind, but they felt the pressure increasing drastically after just a few steps.
In the void, several beams of light flickered, the bloody and golden glows intertwining, drawing the attention of the surrounding cultivators.
Once they made out the numbers, all the cultivators present couldnât help but gasp in shock.
âHiss, that young man leading the group looks so refined, yet he has a Sin Value of 110,000!â
âNo, no, the most outrageous is that dog, a mere beast holding over two thousand Merit Value. Did it grow up eating Merit Value? These numbers are even higher than many Elders in our sect!â
âHow did they do it? Are this yearâs newcomers really that powerful?â
The disciples were utterly astounded, with a tempest of shock and disbelief raging in their hearts.
âDamn, are they really that strong?â
Senior Brother Huo and the others were equally wide-eyed in amazement, realizing that with such numbers, this yearâs batch of newcomers were clearly not ones to be trifled with. This was no soft persimmon to squash; perhaps theyâd kicked an iron plate.
âItâs fine, no matter how strong the newcomers are, theyâve just joined the sect, and weâre all Human Immortal Realm cultivators after all. Later, weâll pull some tricks; that Li Xiaobai has killed many, so he must have a massive amount of savings on him. Maybe weâre about to strike it rich this time!ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
A cultivator muttered softly, eyes gleaming with a greedy light as he looked at Li Xiaobai, seeing him as a walking treasure vault. Just taking a little bit might be enough to sustain their cultivation for a while.
On Sword Peak.
The little yellow chicken was the first to falter; it didnât want to die an inexplicable death by Sword Intent and scurried away after only a couple of steps, squawking in alarm.
âDamn, this darn chicken really is a coward. No good, Lord Ergouzi canât hold on much longer either. Cultivation level is truly a shortcoming; I guess it hasnât soaked in the bath long enough. Iâm outta here!â
After a few more steps, Ergouzi too felt that it was reaching its limit and didnât wish to reveal its Bloodline Power, so it turned tail and ran.
âI donât grasp Sword Intent and itâs making me feel uncomfortable.â
The old beggarâs mouth curled with a hint of bitterness. Sword Peak was practically a treasure trove for Sword Cultivators, allowing them to hone their Sword Qi and even comprehend Sword Intent. Yet he understood none of it and could only rely on his cultivation level to endure.
Having joined the Sword Sect, he was resolved that once this matter was concluded, he would visit the Scripture Pavilion to delve into the texts and cultivate a sword technique!