Chapter 49: Hundred-Step Flying Sword

Disregarding the distant and turbulent warfare and the endless strange occurrences happening thousands of miles away, the two days passed quite quickly for Zhou Qing, who was currently residing within Xianyang Palace. However, the atmosphere inside the palace was heavily charged with martial intent and the aura of blood and iron, further enveloped by the dynastic fortune of Qin. Cultivating in such a place was not quite as serene as at the main sect in Ba County.

For Zhou Qing at this moment, his Divine Transformation and Profound Spirit realm had already reached perfection. The next step was to return to the void through comprehension. Although he had already learned some of the profound mysteries of stepping into this realm from his master, Beimingzi, he had no idea when he would be able to comprehend and analyze them completely.

During these two days, he remained in Lechang Palace without stepping outside, quietly staying in his room to refine the "Saint's Tribulation." Calculating the distance between Xianyang City and Daliang City, Zong Quan should arrive in another three or four days.

Early in the morning, the steward of Lechang Palace brought orders to lead Zhou Qing, Gai Nie, Xin Sheng, Li Xin, and other relevant personnel to the previously mentioned plaza. According to the rules, the final candidates would be decided today.

Walking along the outer peripheries of Xianyang Palace with his spiritual perception extended, Zhou Qing sensed that there were actually quite a few powerful experts within the Qin palace. Merely the congenital martial artists he could detect numbered more than a dozen, though a considerable portion of them belonged to the Luowang network.

Before long, they entered the familiar, massive plaza. A multitude of people from various schools of thought and different factions had already gathered there, possessing vastly different cultivation auras, strengths, weaknesses, and distinct accents.

On the high platform at the front of the plaza, Lord Changping, Xiong Qi, and the two Protectors of the Yin-Yang School had already arrived, waiting for the various schools and factions to gather so that the matter could be fully settled once and for all.

"It seems the Confucian, Mohist, and Nongjia schools have completely withdrawn. Among the various schools of thought, those three possess the broadest influence and the strongest power. Now that they have retreated, only the weaker ones remain."

Standing close beside Zhou Qing and sensing the surroundings at close range, Zong Qiong could not help but shake his head. Although there were still fifty or sixty people present, compared to two days prior, the lineup was vastly inferior.

Approaching the high platform in the plaza, Zhou Qing walked with wind at his feet, gracefully ascending it. Zong Qiong accompanied him and stepped onto the platform as well, followed closely by Gai Nie of the Guigu school, and Xin Sheng and Li Xin of the Strategists and Military strategists, who all leaped up.

Although the priority selection from two days ago was unfair to the weaker schools of thought, there was never true fairness in the world. The strong enjoyed the privileges of the strong, while the weak had to endure the hardships of the weak.

"Even warriors from Zhao, fangshi from Chu, swordsmen from Yan, and body-refiners from Wei have come. It is quite lively indeed. However, it seems Master Gai Nie will have to expend quite a bit of effort today!"

Across the lands of the Central Plains, the paths of cultivation varied greatly. Just as his senior brother had said, all roads led to the same destination without losing their essence. In the final analysis, it was still the cultivation of essence, qi, and spirit, though the focal points differed. At present, the various states were forming an alliance to strike against Qin.

Now, warriors from the various states had come hoping to enter the Qin palace as palace protectors and sword masters. No matter how one looked at it, the karma behind this was quite interesting. Zhou Qing smiled faintly, his words continuous as he looked toward Gai Nie, who was not far beside him.

"Gai Nie has enough effort to spare for this!"

Concise and to the point, Gai Nie of Guigu remained as cold and handsome as ever. To say he was poor with words would be utterly impossible. Back in the day, Su Qin and Zhang Yi had conquered the world with just a pair of tongues, a mandatory course for all disciples of Guigu.

Presumably, those people were not worth Master Gai Nie wasting too much energy on. If the Hundred-Step Flying Sword were unleashed, a single move would likely eliminate them all. Xin Sheng and Li Xin, standing to the side, were much quieter.

Their positions were merely ordinary sword masters of the Qin palace, so even if there were challenges, they would not fall upon them. Besides, with the chaotic mix of people from various states, Lord Changping surely would not allow such a situation to occur.

After a hundred breaths or so, all the experts who had come in response to Qin's recruitment gathered here. Overlooking them from above, their clothing, appearances, and accents all differed. Originally, Qin had held high expectations for this recruitment.

Under the Edict for Recruiting Talent a century ago, scholars from all states had entered Qin, and as long as they had talent, none fared poorly. Counting the famous ministers and generals of Qin over the past century, virtually all of them were outsiders.

The desire to recruit palace protectors and sword masters this time was no exception; Qin hoped the various schools would carry on the tradition of a century ago and dispatch experts to the state of Qin, promising that talent would never be mistreated.

Unfortunately, it seemed Qin had been thoroughly slapped in the face by the schools of thought this time. Not only had the schools failed to send their most outstanding talents, but they hadn't even sent second-tier ones—bringing only a bunch of mediocre and incompetent rabble.

The Confucian, Nongjia, and Mohist schools were already like this, let alone the lesser schools. How strong could the remainder possibly be?

Lord Changping, Xiong Qi, who presided over the matter, showed no unusual expression. Seeing that all the factions of the various schools had gathered, he immediately repeated the details just as he had two days prior, explicitly naming the tentative left and right palace protectors and the chief palace sword master.

Today's contest required only that one defeat these three individuals to usurp their positions; otherwise, failure would be the result. The rules were simple and direct: the capable advance, the mediocre retreat.

"A mob of unorganized rabble—how could they possibly be allowed to enter the Qin palace!"

As Lord Changping's voice faded, before the dozens of people from the various schools beneath the high platform could respond, the Eastern Emperor of the Yin-Yang School stepped forward in a dark golden robe. On her magnificent attire, peculiar divine bird totems flickered, with the rising morning sun behind her, making her dark hair gleam like countless stars under its light.

Of peerless beauty, she moved with slow steps while her delicate, slender hands gathered before her chest, rapidly forming the grand seals of Yin and Yang. A vast and boundless surge of power directly erupted from her body, dark golden profound light bursting from her surface.

In an instant, accompanied by the Eastern Emperor's crisp words of contempt, her hands moved like lotus flowers and gently pushed forward. An illusory, dark golden dragon-shaped qi burst forth from within her body, instantly plunging downward to overwhelm everyone beneath the high platform.

"The world is vast, the common people suffer; among the hundred schools of thought, only we hold the Vertical and Horizontal!"

While a candidate for the palace protectors made a move, among the ranks of the palace sword masters, Gai Nie of Guigu also stepped forward. Sword light flickered as he drew his blade, a sharp and piercing edge enveloping the entire high platform as monstrous sword intent surged.

Pale white profound light burst from his body, coursing through his limbs and bones, connecting heaven and earth. As his sword light danced, a white dragon soared through the void, instantly rising and transforming into torrents of supreme white sword qi. Flowing with the dance of the white dragon, it too plunged downward toward the plaza, pressing with might upon all the members of the various schools.

"This is... the Hundred-Step Flying Sword?"

Standing beside Zhou Qing, Zong Qiong was protected by a barrier of profound light around her body, shielding her from the external pressure. She was familiar with the methods of the Yin-Yang School, but this was her first time witnessing the techniques of Guigu, having previously only understood them from texts and her little master uncle. Feeling the monstrous sword intent and matchless killing intent, she could not help but blurt it out.

"No, this is not the Hundred-Step Flying Sword itself, but rather the sword intent of the Hundred-Step Flying Sword. If it were the true Hundred-Step Flying Sword, I fear everyone down below would not survive. Beneath the Eastern Emperor's Soul-Departing Dragon-Roaming and Master Gai Nie's Hundred-Step Flying Sword intent, there are very few in the Central Plains who could withstand it!"