The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

His voice carried a hint of impatience, "If I strike with this third sword again, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop."

Jiang Chuan gently stroked the black jade sword sheath at his waist: "In the outer sect competition, life and death are irrelevant."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to every corner: "If Senior Brother Wang wants me to admit defeat, he'll have to knock me off the stage."

In the stands, Liu Qing's fingertips caressed the crimson whip at her waist, her eyes glancing at Zhang Baoyi beside her out of the corner of her eye:
"The green wood sword energy of Jiangchuan is much purer than it was three months ago."

Her tone carried a hint of approval, "Do you remember last year's outer sect competition? He couldn't even execute the basic sword techniques properly?"

Zhang Baoyi stared at the arena, the jade ring in her hand turning unconsciously: "Senior Sister Liu, don't forget, he spent seven whole days in the library last month."

Her gaze fell on the black jade sword at Jiang Chuan's waist. "Moreover... his bladeless sword has never been drawn."

In the center of the arena, Wang Han could sense that although Jiang Chuan's aura was somewhat disordered, it showed no signs of dissipation.

With a flick of his wrist, the heavy sword suddenly transformed into specks of golden light, condensing into thirty-six three-inch short swords around him.

This is his natal sword formation at the third level of the Purple Mansion. Although it has not reached the level of "sword qi transformation" of inner disciples, it is still enough to crush cultivators of the same level.

"Be careful!"

Wang Han let out a low shout, and thirty-six short swords transformed into a golden rain of light, sweeping over with a piercing shriek.

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted sharply, and he tapped his toes on the ground, using the "Close at Hand, Far Away" footwork to weave through the rain of swords.

The golden light was extremely fast, and his right shoulder was still grazed by a sword light, with blood splattering onto the bluestone slab.

"This won't do!" Jiang Chuan made a hand seal with his left hand, and the jade pendant at his waist suddenly glowed faintly, with the phantom of a nine-colored deer emerging from it. "Jadeite!"

He let out a low shout, and the phantom transformed into green light and merged into his body. The spiritual energy in his Purple Mansion suddenly surged, and his aura rose steadily to the third level of the Purple Mansion!
The stands erupted in cheers once again.

Fang Sheng stood in the back row, gripping the stone railing with both hands, and shouted, "Senior Brother Jiang Chuan! Use your Qi to move mountains and rivers!"

His voice cracked slightly, drawing the attention of the disciples around him.

Jiang Chuan felt the surging spiritual energy within his body, changed his sword technique, and suddenly drew his black jade sword three inches from its sheath.

A visible shockwave emanated from him, and the cracks in the arena floor healed within it. This was the "Qi Yun Shan He" technique from the "Righteous Qi Sword," which uses sword energy to stabilize the surrounding spiritual energy. It cannot be used for attack, but it can gain the upper hand in a chaotic battle.

Wang Han's offensive stalled slightly. "He actually managed to break through on the spot?"

He clenched his fist, and the thirty-six short swords reformed into a heavy sword, its blade gleaming with an earthy yellow light—the very "Suppressing Mountains and Rivers" sword technique he had comprehended.

"Get down here!"

The heavy sword slashed down with immense force. Jiang Chuan dared not take it head-on, so he used the "Long River Sunset" sword technique, drawing a semi-circular arc of light in front of him with his black jade sword.

The moment the two sword energies collided, the ground in the center of the arena cracked open with a deafening roar. Amidst the flying debris, Jiang Chuan staggered back seven steps, his heels dragging two deep furrows into the ground.

"Good!" Su Wen slammed his folding fan on the stone table, splashing some tea foam. "Jiang Chuan's technique of using softness to overcome hardness has some of the style of an inner sect elder."

He turned to the old man beside him, "Uncle Chen, which of these two do you think will last the longest?"

The old man, referred to as Uncle Chen, narrowed his eyes: "Wang Han's swordplay is fierce, but it lacks a bit of agility."

He pointed at Jiang Chuan and said, "This kid's footwork is quite unique. Every step is in accordance with the five elements and directions. He must have received guidance from some elder."

On the arena, Wang Han's breathing gradually became heavier.

He hadn't expected Jiang Chuan to be able to withstand three of his killing blows after his breakthrough. He quietly made a sword incantation on the hilt of his sword, and the spiritual energy in his dantian surged wildly to his right arm.

The Azure Lotus Sword Formation. This was a move he had secretly learned from his senior brother in the inner sect just last night. Although he could only use half of it, it was enough to intimidate his peers.

"Om."

A blue lotus flower condensed in Wang Han's palm, with fine sword patterns flowing on its petals.

A chorus of exclamations erupted from the stands, and even several inner disciples sat up straight.

"Sword energy materializes!" Liu Qingyu gripped the stone railing tightly. "He's only at the third level of the Purple Mansion Realm, how could he possibly condense a sword lotus?"

Zhang Baoyi's expression turned grave: "This is the introductory move of the inner sect's 'Azure Lotus Sword Manual,' and he actually dared to steal it at the sect's grand assembly..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Chuan's figure suddenly blurred. He had used the "Close at Hand, Far Away" extreme footwork technique, turning into a faint afterimage and rushing towards Wang Han's left.

Wang Han's sword lotus suddenly bloomed, and thirty-six sword energies shot out from the petals.

Jiang Chuan's illusory figure was struck by the sword energy and discovered to be an illusion condensed from "Qi Yun Shan He".

The real Jiang Chuan was already behind him, the tip of the Moyu sword pointing diagonally, which was the "Qi Guan Chang Hong" of the "Righteous Qi Sword"!
"when."

With the heavy sword blocking his way behind him, sparks flew as Wang Han was jolted forward, staggering half a step.

He could clearly feel the numbness in his tiger's mouth, and he was horrified: Jiang Chuan's sword intent was several times stronger than before!
Could it be that the "jade" of the nine-colored deer can not only enhance cultivation but also amplify sword intent?

Jiang Chuan knew he couldn't hold on for long.

The Nine-Colored Deer's amplification has a time limit, and at this moment, the spiritual energy in the Purple Mansion has begun to become disordered.

He stared at the sword lotus in Wang Han's hand, knowing that this was the opponent's killing move, and placed his palm on the scabbard of the bladeless sword.

This blunt, heavy sword, obtained from the sword tomb in the back mountain, has yet to be truly drawn.

"Jiang Chuan, are you really going to fight to the death?"

Wang Han's voice fluctuated for the first time. He could feel the suppressed sword intent emanating from the Wufeng Sword, an aura that even made his sword lotus tremble.

Jiang Chuan didn't answer, but flicked his fingertip on the scabbard. "Clang."

The clear, melodious sound of the sword echoed throughout the arena. The bladeless sword was drawn, and the ancient patterns covering its blade shimmered with a faint light, as if the phantom images of mountains and rivers were flowing on the blade.

He closed his eyes and whispered, "Sword One, Boundless."

As the voice faded, the bladeless sword transformed into a streak of black light, crashing directly into Wang Han's Azure Lotus Sword.

The clouds above the arena churned violently, revealing a sliver of azure sky.

"boom."

The moment the sword energies clashed, the entire winners' arena groaned under the immense pressure.

The bluestone ground cracked, and the cracks spread rapidly in all directions. In less than a breath, the arena split in two and collapsed to both sides.

The stands were completely silent, save for the howling mountain wind.

Su Wen snapped his folding fan shut: "What a fine duel!"

He turned to look at his Uncle Chen, only to see the old man staring at the falling Jiang Chuan, muttering to himself:

"The Sword Without Edge... it has actually recognized a master..."

Zhang Baoyi grabbed Liu Qing's wrist, her voice trembling, "Senior Sister Liu, they..."

Liu Qing stared at the two figures that were faintly visible in the sea of ​​clouds and chuckled:
"Don't worry, this is the winners' bracket arena, and there is a protective mountain formation below."

Her gaze fell on the gradually dissipating sword energy. "But Jiang Chuan's bladeless sword is probably going to make those old fogies in the inner sect restless." Jiang Chuan's bladeless sword hummed as it was stuck in the broken arena in mid-air, the blade embedded three inches into the bluestone.

Wang Han's Azure Lotus Sword had shattered into light spots. He knelt on one knee, his heavy sword plunging into the ground, blood staining his chest.

Within the rift between the two, spiritual energy surged like boiling water, while the golden light of the mountain-protecting array supported the falling rubble from below.

"puff."

Jiang Chuan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The jade amplification of the Nine-Colored Deer had reached its limit, and the spiritual energy within his Purple Mansion scattered and wandered. He made a hand seal with his fingertips, and the jade pendant at his waist glowed faintly again. The green light merged into his body, and a tingling warmth came from his broken meridians.

Seeing Wang Han trying to get up, he took a deep breath and placed his palm on the bladeless scabbard.

The residual power of the sword was still surging within him, and every step he took felt like stepping on a knife's edge.

"I... admit defeat." Wang Han's voice was filled with resentment as his heavy sword clattered to the ground, sending up fine dust.

He looked up at Jiang Chuan, his pupils reflecting the other's blood-stained clothes, and then saw the faint light flowing from the bladeless sword's patterns.

Su Wen snapped his folding fan shut and tapped the stone table with his knuckles: "Uncle-Master Chen, does this mean Jiang Chuan has won?"

The old man beside him stroked his beard and nodded, but his gaze fell on the jade pendant at Jiang Chuan's waist.

—The phantom of the nine-colored deer had just disappeared; it was a rare high-grade spirit beast contract among the outer disciples.

In a corner of the stands, Lin Xiao tugged at Pei Guoguo's sleeve: "Let's go, let's go."

If your master finds out you skipped three morning classes, he'll punish you again by making you copy the "Sword Manual" from the library.

Pei Guoguo, who was staring at the arena, stomped her foot upon hearing this: "Let's watch a little longer, Senior Brother Jiang Chuan's bladeless sword is so amazing..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Xiao grabbed her arm and pulled her down the stone steps, her braid swinging stubbornly behind her head.

In the center of the training ground, Emperor Daizong's figure suddenly appeared.

He wore a plain-colored Taoist robe with faint cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs. With a wave of his hand, fragments of the collapsed arena floated in the air, arranged like stars.

"Jiang Chuan wins the seventh match."

The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "The second assessment is now over."

As he spoke, a golden list appeared in the air, with the names of the top three shining faintly: Jiang Chuan, Wang Han, and Jiang Wei.

Emperor Daizong raised his hand, and three jade boxes flew to the three people respectively: "Supreme Pill, Great Sun Golden Wheel Sword Manual, and Spirit Void Shield Armor, each of you keep them safe."

His gaze swept across the entire room. "The top 100 on the list will enter the inner sect, and those between 100 and 300 will enter the Qiyun Peak Sword Academy."

"We will rest tomorrow, and at dawn the day after, the first hundred disciples will follow me to Tianzhu Peak."

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted from the training ground.

Some people wept bitterly, some raised their arms and shouted, and some disciples couldn't wait to check their rankings.

Jiang Chuan was touching the jade box in his hand when he suddenly heard a soft laugh from above. He looked up and saw Yun Wanggui approaching on his sword.

The hem of her blue robe swept across his hair: "Junior Brother Jiang's performance in this battle truly deserves the word 'stunning'."

As Yun Wanggui landed, a light mist rose from his lips. He raised his hand to pat Jiang Chuan's shoulder, but stopped when he touched the other's blood-stained clothes. "My Tianzhu Peak's 'Cloud Sea Qi Scripture' is the best for healing injuries. Why don't you come with me tonight..."

"Senior Brother Yun is here to snatch someone again!" Lu Chen from Juezui Peak, carrying his broken sword, pushed through the crowd. The red light of the incantations on the scabbard made his face look ashen. "Jiang Chuan's Wufeng Sword is most suitable for the Juezui Sword Technique. There are traces of the sword intent of past sword masters on the cliff behind our peak, even the outer sect's scriptures..."

"No matter how good the marks are, they still need a furnace to nurture them, right?" Chen Yang from Chiyang Peak had somehow circled around to the left side of Jiangchuan. The Youth Preservation Pill in the jade plate bounced and emitted a red glow. "My Chiyang Peak's sword furnace can temper the intent of the Unsharp Sword. Look at my face, even after thirty years of cultivation, it's still..."

"Fellow disciples, please be patient."

Jiang Chuan took a half step back, and the bladeless sword at his waist suddenly trembled slightly, the patterns on the scabbard flickering uncertainly amidst the fluctuations of spiritual energy.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the Fairy of Luoyang was talking to Tang Zhizhi and Zhang Baoyi. Her plain white skirt was fluttering in the mountain wind, and the butterfly pattern on her cuffs was sometimes bright and sometimes dark.

"Dream Butterfly Peak only accepts female disciples. If you two sisters are willing..."

The Fairy of Luoyang traced Zhang Baoyi's Crimson Scale Whip with her fingertips, her eyes curving slightly. "The sword intent of Moon Butterfly Dance is the most graceful, which suits your whip technique perfectly."

"Our Judgment Peak also accepts female disciples!"

Lu Chen suddenly interrupted, his broken sword slamming heavily to the ground, startling a few sparrows. "Last year's junior sister, who just joined the sect, was three points faster than me with her broken sword."

"Lu Chen, stop interrupting!" Chen Yang stamped his foot in frustration, the pill bouncing out of the jade plate. "Young friend Jiang Chuan, the Youth Preservation Pill not only nourishes the complexion but also stabilizes the Purple Mansion. Look at your current appearance, it's time to..."

"Enough." Yun Wanggui raised his hand and affixed three talismans to Lu Chen and Chen Yang's chests respectively. "Master Daizong has not yet left. What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket?"

He turned to Jiang Chuan, "I've prepared tea at the Tianzhu Peak Observatory tomorrow. If you'd like..."

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly erupted from the east side of the training ground.

Pei Guoguo came running, her ponytail swaying, the jade pendant on her braid jingling. Behind her followed Lin Xiao, who had a pained expression. "Senior Brother Jiang Chuan!"

She raised her hand from afar, a jade token with a faint glow lying in her palm. "My master sent me to fetch you back to Zuowang Peak!"

There was silence.

Lu Chen's broken sword clattered to the ground: "Sitting in Oblivion Peak? That old madman has taken on another disciple?"

Chen Yang's pill rolled to Jiang Chuan's feet. He bent down to pick it up, muttering, "Sitting-in-Forgetfulness Peak has always only accepted prodigies, I never expected..."

"Junior Sister Pei, you must be joking," Yun Wanggui said hesitantly. "Zuowang Peak hasn't accepted any new disciples for ten years, how could this be..."

"Who's joking!" Pei Guoguo shoved the jade token into Jiang Chuan's hand, put her hands on her hips, and glared at everyone.

"This morning, my master sent me a message saying that Jiang Chuan's Wufeng Sword is in harmony with the 'Boundless Sword Intent,' and that I must bring him back!"

She turned to look at Jiang Chuan, "Senior brother, you don't know, the Sword Tomb of Zuowang Peak is full of sheathless heavy swords left behind by the peak masters of all generations!"

Jiang Chuan held the jade tablet, his fingertips touching the cool stone patterns. The words "Sitting in Oblivion" were engraved on it, and there was a faint flow of sword intent.

Lin Xiao leaned closer and lowered his voice: "Don't listen to her nonsense, Master only sent her to help out..."

Before he could finish speaking, Pei Guoguo stomped on his foot hard.

"Since you are from Zuowang Peak, then we will not disturb you."

The Fairy of Luoyang chuckled and nodded to Jiang Chuan, "If you two sisters change your minds, the observatory on Dream Butterfly Peak can be opened at any time."

As she turned, the hem of her sleeve stirred a gentle breeze, and the ethereal butterfly pattern brushed past Zhang Baoyi's fingertips.

Lu Chen spat and bent down to pick up the broken knife: "Consider yourself lucky, kid. The door to Judgment Peak is always open for you."

Chen Yang then gathered the pills back into the jade plate and tossed one to Jiang Chuan: "Take this. Even if you don't join Chiyang Peak, it'll be a good opportunity to make a friend."

Yun Wanggui raised his hand and removed the talismans from Lu Chen and Chen Yang: "Junior Brother Jiang, if you are free for the tea at Tianzhu Peak tomorrow..."

Seeing Jiang Chuan nod, she turned and left, the cloud-like patterns on her cuffs gradually fading in the sunlight.

The crowd in the training ground gradually dispersed, and the setting sun cast long shadows of the stone lanterns. (End of Chapter)