The Prodigies War

The Sword Training Tower was thousands of feet tall and split into nine floors. 

One had to face a trial on every floor that tested one’s strength. The stronger one was, the quicker they progressed and passed each level and vice versa. 

Generally speaking, one had to possess a cultivation base of at least the Spirit Sea Stage to pass the first three levels. 

To pass the fourth to sixth levels, one had to be at least at the Heaven Ascension Stage.  

To pass the seventh to the ninth levels, one had to be at least at the Cyclic Derivation Stage.  

That might sound simple, but in truth, the tests at each level were extremely demanding and dangerous. Only the most outstanding of a cultivation level could successfully pass the tests. 

For example, since ancient times, only a handful of Cyclic Derivation cultivators had succeeded at the ninth level. 

This was an extremely abnormal level. Historically, almost all top Cyclic Derivation cultivators failed at this level. 

Anyone able to pass had to be a one-in-a-million peerless genius at the Cyclic Derivation Stage! 

Around ten years ago, Yun Qingbai made it all the way to the ninth floor of the Sword Training Tower in just a quarter of an hour. Imaginably, his strength had to be terrifying. 

He created the best record in the Sword Training Tower in all history, and to this day, no one had been able to break it! 

In front of the Sword Training Tower, many young cultivators had already gathered, waiting for their turn to challenge the tower. 

However, their goal was different from Lin Xun’s. They would already be satisfied and delighted if they passed the sixth level within the time to burn an incense stick. 

This was a requirement to become a true disciple of the Omega Sword Sect. 

However, there was an exception. 

At this moment, a black-robed young man was stopped outside.

“Why did you stop me?” When the black-robed man frowned, his eyebrows were like blades, and he looked as fierce as a spear about to pierce the sky. 

“Little friend, you already possess the cultivation base of the Cyclic Derivation Stage so there seems to be no need for you to take the tests,” stated an old man guarding the Sword Training Tower.  

The young man in black sneered, “I’m not here to join the sect but to see if Yun Qingbai’s record is really unbreakable as rumored!”

Those words caused an uproar. 

Countless eyes gathered on the young man in black, all wide with surprise and disbelief. This guy is crazy! He actually wants to break Yun Qingbai’s record!

“Hmph! He must not know the immensity of heaven and earth. Over the years, countless self-proclaimed young geniuses had come to try to break the record but all left in despair in the end.” someone snorted. 

“The people nowadays are so arrogant. Yun Qingbai is a supreme authority figure of our Baiyujing. He is like an invincible legend. How can anyone come to challenge him?” someone said disdainfully. 

“My friend, I advise you to keep a low profile and not be so arrogant. It will be embarrassing and awkward if you fail in the end,” someone suggested in a passive-aggressive tone. 

Boom!

Being pointed at and criticized by thousands of people, the young man in black simply snorted coldly. Then, a terrifying and showy aura spread outwards from him. 

All of a sudden, he seemed to have transformed into a divine being. His imposing aura soared skywards and stilled all the clamor in the area.

Many people’s faces blanched. Their bodies were trembling, and their spirits were shaken. Not one person present dared to utter a sound anymore.  

“You are all a bunch of trash, so are you worthy of criticizing me, Xiao Qinghe? If I hear another word of nonsense from you, I won’t hesitate to eliminate you all one by one!” The black-robed young man’s eyes were filled with coldness as his robe rattled around him. 

After saying those words, he strode towards the Sword Training Tower. 

“That guy is a powerful character who has stepped onto the Supreme Path,” Lin Xun said in surprise. He couldn’t help but take another look at Xiao Qinghe.

“I remember, he is the junior brother of Mi Hengzhen and one of the nine core disciples of the Moon Sun Sacred Palace!” someone exclaimed. 

“So that’s him…no wonder he’s so unyielding.”

The others snapped out of their astonishment one after another, their expressions understandably turning a little complex. Xiao Qinghe was indeed someone who they could not critique. 

“Hmph, but he still can’t break Yun Qingbai’s record! It’s ridiculous to think he can!” someone uttered bitterly, itching to see Xiao Qinghe make a joke out of himself. 

“I remember that a few days ago, Lu Zhongyang, a core disciple from the Great One Sect, made a huge fuss that he would break Yun Qingbai’s record, but what happened in the end? Didn’t he return in defeat?”

“Regardless of how strong Xiao Qinghe is, he is probably around the same combat level as Lu Zhongyang. Just watch, he will lose too!” 

Lin Xun watched on from afar, ignoring the nearby discussions.

Buzz!

Soon, Xiao Qinghe started to make his way up the tower as demonstrated by the rune array lighting up on the first floor of the Sword Training Tower.  

It quickly went out, followed by the rune array illuminating the second floor. 

This indicated that Xiao Qinghe had already passed the second level.

In less than a dozen breaths, he had reached the sixth floor of the Sword Training Tower. His astonishing speed surprised many cultivators. 

“Was Lu Zhongyang as fast as him?” 

“I don’t think so…”

Everyone donned serious expressions as they watched on with full concentration. 

This was because they all knew that, for Xiao Qinghe, the first six levels might be a breeze, but it was another story from the seventh level onwards!

Sure enough, it took Xiao Qinghe nearly three minutes to pass the seventh floor.

The eighth floor took him five minutes. 

“That guy made it to the ninth floor in around eight minutes?” many people exclaimed in amazement.

The outsiders might not know anything, but cultivators who truly understood the terror of the Sword Training Tower knew that Xiao Qinghe was already amazing to have gotten so far!  

Even the cultivators who mocked him earlier and were waiting to make a joke of himself all shut their mouths. 

Xiao Qinghe had proven his strength after reaching the ninth floor in such a short period. If all went well, even the ninth level could not stop him. 

The only problem was the time he would take to pass the ninth floor.  

Unfortunately, in the end, Xiao Qinghe failed to break Yun Qingbai’s record. A quarter of an hour had passed by the time he broke through the ninth floor. 

Many spectators breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that no one wanted to see the record created by Yun Qingbai broken.

However, no one dared to laugh or mock Xiao Qinghe when he walked out of the tower. 

On the contrary, their gazes were mixed with a tinge of respect. 

Even if he failed to match up to Yun Qingbai, the fact that he passed all nine levels in such a short period was already unbelievable because it rarely happened in the history of the Sword Training Tower. 

A remarkable person like him deserved their respect. 

However, Xiao Qinghe’s face was overcast with bitterness and disappointment. “I can’t compare to Yun Qingbai ten years ago…” he muttered. 

Many people sighed inwardly. He can compare himself to anyone, but why compare himself to a legendary figure like Yun Qingbai?

Yun Qingbai is an unscalable wall to any of the peerless geniuses in the world!

“Huh? Young man, what are you doing?” At this moment, the old man guarding the Sword Training Tower asked with a frown.

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Everyone looked over to see another youngster at the Cyclic Derivation Stage about to challenge the Sword Training Tower. 

Is that guy also here to break Yun Qingbai’s record?

That person was of course Lin Xun. “I’m here to take the test,” he answered casually. “Also to see how impressive Yun Qingbai was back then.” 

The crowd broke into an uproar. Although they guessed it right, they still couldn’t believe their ears. What is happening today? Two people appeared out of nowhere to challenge the record left by Yun Qingbai!

Who is this guy? He knows that Xiao Qinghe has failed, but he still insists on taking the test. Did he come prepared? Or is he too stubborn to refuse to give up?

Xiao Qinghe originally planned to leave, but when he noticed this scene, he stopped and looked at Lin Xun with a hint of bewilderment in his eyes.

“May I ask which sect you come from?” he asked. 

“I don’t belong to any sect,” stated Lin Xun. 

Everyone’s expressions changed, and someone couldn’t help but tease, “Brother, are you here to be funny? Are you not overestimating your ability?”

The others snickered, and mocking smiles spread over their faces. It was outrageous that a young man with no background dared to challenge the best record in the history of the Sword Training Tower.

In their eyes, someone who did not belong to a sect had no teacher and no foundation, and couldn’t possibly be any powerful top figure. 

However, a thought struck Xiao Qinghe and studied Lin Xun with a ruminative look on his face.

“Go, go ahead, I hope you won’t be so stubborn and know when to retreat. Otherwise, you will only embarrass yourself and lose face.” The old man guarding the tower motioned with his hand. Although he was not optimistic about Lin Xun, he could not stop him. This was the rule.

“Thank you very much,” Lin Xun said as he stepped into the Sword Training Tower.

Buzz!

Instantly, he seemed to have stepped into another space and time. He saw nothing but a vast expanse of whiteness, and his face was being assaulted by the aura of forbidden rune array. 

Shua!

A figure emerged, clasping a remarkable sword and exuding a chilling and unrivaled killing intent.

It was a sword servant who watched over the different levels. It was not a real-life form, but instead was created from obscure forbidden energy.  

However, its combat strength could not be underestimated. Moreover, the strength of every sword servant at each level was completely different.

“Slash!” The sword servant charged forward as soon as it appeared. 

Lin Xun flicked his sleeve, and the sword servant dissipated in a shower of light with a rumble like it was struck by lightning.

Buzz!

With a flash, Lin Xun was teleported to the second floor.

Another sword servant appeared. Its strength was comparable to that of a top Spirit Dipper Stage cultivator.

But that was nothing special to Lin Xun. In the blink of an eye, the sword servant was destroyed by Lin Xun with a wave of his sleeve.

Lin Xun made his way up to the sixth floor of the Sword Training Tower at an incredible speed…

Many people outside the Sword Training Tower marveled, “That guy is fast.” 

They were sharply aware that Lin Xun was a little faster than Xiao Qinghe in passing the first six floors. 

No one noticed that Xiao Qinghe’s eyes flashed a strange light.  

He could distinctly tell that Lin Xun was indeed a little faster than him. 

Of course, the time difference between them was minuscule and not enough to shock Xiao Qinghe.