System Journey to Godhood

All the examinees assigned to the fifth stage had gathered in the arena, with Snowy as the last examinee to arrive at the spot.

Other than Xian Bu Yu, who was constantly glaring a dagger at Snowy, only one disciple had already reached the fifth level of the Qi Transformation stage, while the remaining examinees were all below the fifth level of the Qi Transformation stage.

While Snowy was checking them out, the other examinees were also paying attention to her. Their eyes were sparkling with curiosity, reverence, and interest.

One of them is Li Rui.

He was the examinee with a cultivation base at the fifth level of the Qi Transformation stage.

He hailed from a small sect near the Eastern Wilderness, a place where competition for cultivation resources was fierce, and wit and intelligence were far more useful than brawn.

He was sharp and keen to secure opportunities for himself.

He was once known as a genius in his previous sect, and many people tried currying favors and getting on his good side.

Little did they know, only by hugging one of the sect's grand elders' thighs, that he could get most of the resources for his cultivation.

He was a veteran in the field of survival.

For him, the Heaven Sword Sect was no different from his previous sect. He just needed to find a tall tree to hang on to so his cultivation could improve by leap and bound.

One of his targets was Snowy.

She was the one who had broken the record, ascending to the ninth gate while still in the Qi Transformation stage—an achievement that was deemed impossible to achieve.

Amongst the examinees in the fifth stage, only Xian Bu Yu was aware that Snowy had been able to manifest her sword intent, reaching the Sword Grandmaster realm, whilst the remaining examinees were kept in the dark about it.

Nonetheless, they are still admiring Snowy, who they think will have a bright future and immense potential in the Heaven Sword Sect.

She also seemed to be close with one of the influential disciples, Feng Xue. That was one plus point for her.

Basically, one of the two slots for advancing to the fourth round of examination was definitely going to be Snowy's.

And there was Young Master Xian, who came from one of the overlord clans in Sword City, the Xian Clan. As he had the highest cultivation base among them—not that they could see Snowy's real cultivation level—and with the support of his clan, had come into contact with some of the techniques in the sword pavilion, another slot would almost surely be claimed by him.

If nothing happened to them until they matured, they were definitely going to be the pillars of the sect.

It was nice to curry favors or be in a good relationship with such people.

Unfortunately, they held each other's throats. There will be another conflict bound to happen between them. This made it awkward for whoever wanted to get closer to them.

Which side should he choose?

One had an unknown background but had a limitless future; the other had a rather decent potential but was supported by a behemoth behind him.

An elderly man showed up, interrupting his train of thought.

"My name is Elder Nong and I am responsible as the judge on this stage. Every round of battle will last for ten minutes at most.

You can only use the techniques you have learned from the previous session to attack your opponent, but you're free to use any technique you know for defensive purposes, such as movement technique or defensive technique. But remember, in the case of a stalemate, the one who performed better on offense will be the one who will have the advantage.

If neither of the examinees leaves the arena, admits defeat, surrenders, or becomes incapacitated at the end of the round, the sole decision for winner and loser will be mine.So, do your best to impress me with your performance!

Although this is a battle, by no means is this a life and death battle. Everyone here is already part of the sect, and no disciple is allowed to deliberately heavily injure, cripple, or murder another fellow disciple! "

"Anyone who violates this rule will be punished severely!"

The elder deliberately released some spiritual pressure mixed with a slight killing intent to make a point.

This gesture convinced the examinees that he wasn't making an empty threat.

As he saw the solemn expressions on the examinees' faces, he nodded with satisfaction.

Then let's begin the first round. Disciple Xian Bu Yu and Li Rui get on the stage! "

Damn it! I'm so unlucky to meet him in the first round! '

The sudden declaration made Li Rui curse inwardly. He jumped onto the arena, looking calm and composed, whilst his mind was racing crazily, making calculations in his head to give him more advantages.

Xian Bu Yu puffed his chest, exuding a prideful aura while strutting away from the stage with an indifferent expression, sneering at Li Rui with disdain.

Just surrender. You are just wasting my time! "

Li Rui's eyebrow twitched when he heard Xian Bu Yu's word. He had expected Xian Bu Yu to be proud and arrogant, but never thought that he would be so direct, not giving him any face at all.

Li Rui once again made a quick calculation in his head.

While it was true that Snowy seemed to have the best potential as a sword cultivator, as a man, it would be difficult for him to get closer to her. She looked friendlier than Xian Bu Yu as she quickly made friends with Meng Qi and their twin sister, but she had a cold and indifferent attitude toward different genders. Moreover, despite her achievement, she didn't look like someone who had great ambition.

On the other hand, Xian Bu Yu was a typical male chauvinistic with great ambition. With a little bit of bootlicking and sweet words to boost his ego and vanity, he was an easier target for Li Rui.

After weighing the pros and cons, Li Rui decided to side with Xian Bu Yu.

I have long heard about Young Master Xian's thunderous reputation. Who knows that I'm so lucky to meet Young Master today? Although my talent couldn't compare with the Young Master, how about giving me a chance? Who knows, you might get a pleasant surprise, "said Li Rui with an amiable smile. A sword appeared in his hand; the blade looked sharp and exquisite, and the handle was beautifully carved.

"Hoo, a peak Earth-rank sword. Interesting. Is this the source of your confidence? "

Well, part of it. Another part will be revealed if Young Master Xian dares to receive one of my attacks. What do you think, Young Master? You won't be disappointed. "

Xian Bu Yu was more and more intrigued by Li Rui's character. He could read Li Rui's intention to make a connection with him by the way he flattered him. His ability to keep calm despite offensive remarks made by Xian Bu Yu and still be polite and amiable showed that he had high patience and was smart and cunning. This kind of person could be utilized as a perfect pawn.

Oh, do you think so? Maybe I can give you one chance. "

"Thank you, Your Master Xian."

Whoosh!

"Jiang River Flowing to the East!"

Li Rui propelled his body forward, charging powerfully like a galloping stallion. His sword moved nimbly, flowing freely like a mountain spring on its way to the eastern sea.

All the spectators, except for Snowy, had a shock in their expressions while Xian Bu Yu grinned fearlessly; a strange glint flashed in his eyes.

Clank—

A mix of red and silver lusters collided with Li Rui's sword, stopping his assault and forcing him to retreat several steps backward.

Xian Bu Yu easily blocked Li Rui's move with the Crimson Star Sword in his hand.

"Reaching small success in a profound-rank technique only in seven hours? Your talent is not bad for small fry. "

Xian Bu Yu was being honest when he complimented Li Rui's talent. Although he didn't know—and honestly didn't care—about his background, from his gait he could figure that he came from outside the sword city, meaning that this was really the first time he learned "Jiang River Flowing to the East".

The fact that he was able to master a profound-rank technique in such a short period of time, yet still reach a small success state, meant that his talent in swordsmanship was outstanding.

This fact was also perceived by the examinees outside the arena, hence the shocked expression on their faces.

I'm just lucky. My talent can't be compared to that of Young Master Xian. "

"Hahaha. I like your honesty! When the examination is finished, you can come under me. "

"Thank you for your magnanimity, Young Master."

Li Rui's lips curled as his plan proceeded smoothly. He successfully attracted Xian Bu Yu's interest and scored a spot under him. Now all he had to do was declare his surren—

Li Rui was just about to announce his withdrawal for this round so that he wouldn't need to suffer from Xian Bu Yu's attack. Alas, he was still a step late as Xian Bu Yu had already launched his attack.

It's my turn! This is the real "Jiang River Flowing to the East"! Watch this! "

Whoosh, whoosh—

A move similar to Li Rui's previous move was now coming from Xian Bu Yu. The difference was that the way he performed the move was far more profound than Li Rui's. Every step was executed flawlessly.

Li Rui's face turned pale as the strike moved toward him unhindered like a rampaging stream.

Bang —

Li Rui's body flew outside the arena like a loose kite; all present stood agape due to the sword's might.

"Perfection! Young Master Xian had already reached the perfection state for the Jiang River Flowing to the East! "

"Unbelievable! Young Master Xian's talent is unparalleled!"

"Genius! Truly a genius! "

Despite knowing that the technique which Xian Bu Yu performed was by no means learned by him on the spot, reaching perfection in a profound-rank technique at such a young age was still a mind-blowing fact.

Usually, only someone who had reached the Golden Core Stage or had dedicated more than a decade of their cultivation to practicing the technique could reach the same realm.

But now, in front of them, a boy whose age wasn't even twenty had already mastered the technique to such a height.

It was really worthy of awe!

"Young Master Xian is really formidable!"

Even though his body was battered and he was staggering outside the arena on trembling knees, Li Rui didn't forget to bootlick his new master.

"The winner for this round is Disciple Xian Bu Yu!"