Remould the Glory of Sword Art

"It's been a long time... since I've witnessed such a scene,"

Xie Xuanyi lounged in a wooden chair, his gaze filling with nostalgia.

The breeze that brushed against his cheeks grew stronger, and streaks of light approached from the end of the night.

Dozens of Sword Qi traveled together, a sight indeed rare.

Tens of breaths later, these Sword Qi all landed neatly in front of Xie Xuanyi.

The night at the residence was pierced by Sword Qi, the lantern hanging at the gate was swayed by the strong winds, and Xie Xuanyi's robes fluttered wildly from the sharp energy.

He slowly rose from the wooden chair.

The open space in front of the courtyard's gate was busier than ever, with thirty or forty Sword Qi landing on the lawn. And it seemed that the situation was only escalating...

However,

these young Sword Cultivators, while looking fierce, all had subtly complicated expressions after they landed.

They had come from True Hidden Peak by Sword Control.

But upon arriving at Xie Zhen's residence, they seemed somewhat dumbfounded.

The incident with the Lotus Jade Order had festered for a day, and by tonight, the moment the Law Enforcers from Golden Turtle Peak "visited," it had already reached the crest of the waves.

The great figures invited to the Sword Qi ceremony were all watching the drama unfold from behind the scenes.

The visitors from the smaller sects and factions were also waiting for an "outcome."

But with Qi Lie's departure, the result was yet to be determined—

then Prince Jiangning summoned a banqueting, asking them to gather. At this night feast, someone started a conversation about this matter, and before long, the crowd was stirred. Someone suggested they fly on their swords to Lotus Peak, to see for themselves the abilities of Xie Zhen. If Golden Turtle Peak didn't deliver justice, then they would claim it in the name of Asking Dao, and restore fairness to the Sword Qi ceremony!

Sword Cultivators act straightforwardly, naturally.

The Sword Cultivators who landed on the lawn in front of the Lotus courtyard were the first to set out. They had assumed that if Xie Zhen had "received the news," he would surely close his gate tonight, not daring to respond to the challenge.

But they had not anticipated this at all.

Xie Zhen had not only not shut the door; he had left it wide open.

And there he was, the person himself, with a wooden chair out front, waiting for the Sword Cultivators to arrive!

"Xie Zhen!"

A young Sword Cultivator stepped forward, "Do you know why we have come tonight?"

Xie Xuanyi stood with hands clasped behind his back.

He looked around the circle and inquired with a smile, "Asking Dao?"

Those nonchalant two words.

They left the young Sword Cultivator momentarily at a loss for how to reply.

He had planned to stand on moral high ground, criticize Xie Zhen, and then smoothly bring up the challenge of Asking Dao—

But Xie Zhen was not evasive at all.

He addressed the issue directly.

"Indeed, it is Asking Dao!"

The young Sword Cultivator scoffed, took another step forward, and announced in a loud voice, "I am Jiangning—"

His speech was cut off the moment the words "Jiangning" left his mouth.

Xie Zhen, who had initially been standing in front of the courtyard, was suddenly right in front of the young Sword Cultivator, delivering a simple and unadorned knee strike. The blow bent the other's body like a shrimp and sent him flying backward, feet off the ground. Under the shocked gaze of dozens, he flew more than ten meters and crashed into an old tree, where he passed out.

With a loud "boom"!

The Sword Cultivators on the lawn fell deadly silent in an instant.

The attack was too fast, too unreasonable, completely devoid of "propriety."

Before Asking Dao, shouldn't they at least let a man finish talking?

Xie Zhen had struck without a moment's hesitation!

What was most outrageous was that they couldn't see clearly how Xie Zhen had made his move!

Among the crowd of Sword Cultivators,

someone transmitted a low voice, angrily reprimanding, "Xie Zhen, you have no martial ethics!"

"You are mistaken,"

Xie Xuanyi wasn't the least bit annoyed and said with a smile, "I didn't let him announce his affiliation out of consideration for him—losing in one move would be too embarrassing for his sect... Moreover, you all came together to 'Ask the Sword' tonight, attempting to outnumber the few, and ignoring martial virtues, that would be more fitting for you all."

"Ridiculous! That brother from before clearly wasn't ready!"

The voice continued to spread through the crowd: "You shameless scoundrel, you actually ambushed him before the sword questioning!"

Xie Xuanyi narrowed his eyes, gazing across the lawn towards the dark throng of people.

"Alright... perhaps I'm not too familiar with the rules"

He smiled and said, "According to your understanding, do we need to give a heads-up before we begin fighting?"

At this moment, on that lawn, Sword Qi glimmered down continuously, and the Sword Cultivators from True Hidden Peak who got the news were gradually arriving at the base of Lotus Peak.

These later arriving Sword Cultivators, some looking perplexedly towards the direction of the old tree.

Has the sword questioning already begun?

How did one fall already?

"Of course!"

"Since it's sword questioning, one must certainly inform the other party, then we can begin!"

The Sword Cultivator, who kept using voice transmission to stir emotions, stepped back and retreated to the rear of the crowd, confirming it was safe, before voicing out again.

"I see..."

Xie Xuanyi nodded.

The next moment, Xie Xuanyi stepped forward and barged directly into the crowd, reaching out his hand and grabbing straight for the shadow that had been transmitting voices from the back.

"Daoist friend, you seem to enjoy transmitting your voice, why not show yourself for a meeting?"

That black-clothed Sword Cultivator who was at the very back and preparing to continue transmitting his voice changed his expression dramatically.

He looked at the huge hand that suddenly appeared before him in horror!

His Divine Soul amplification technique was flawless, there were so many people at the scene... How did Xie Zhen manage to locate him?!

"Ah!"

A scream rang out.

The black-clothed Sword Cultivator was directly yanked out; he struggled desperately, drawing his sword to strike at Xie Xuanyi!

But Xie Xuanyi didn't bother to dodge at all.

Crack!

The sword struck Xie Xuanyi's wrist, where the sound of wind and thunder vibrated from the activated grotto-heavens.

One strike down, Xie Xuanyi's wrist remained unharmed.

The sword, however, had snapped in two—

Xie Xuanyi grasped the Sword Cultivator's collar, hoisting him up: "I'll give you a chance, name your backing sect or noble family."

The Sword Cultivator looked at the youth before him with terror.

He clenched his mouth shut tightly.

"What, now it's your turn, you don't want to either?"

Xie Xuanyi scoffed, "Now you know fear, afraid to announce where you're from and bring shame to your Family Head?"

The originally crowded Sword Cultivator throng suddenly scattered in all directions, once again clearing space in the middle.

Countless gazes fell upon this Sword Cultivator.

"Xie Zhen, you're being too oppressive!"

The Sword Cultivator's complexion turned beet red.

Just as he was about to say something else—

A slap rang out!

Xie Xuanyi hadn't used much strength; with all his 108 grotto-heavens now ignited, he could already be considered a pure Body Refinement martial artist.

If he'd used his full strength for this slap,

he could have sent this man's head flying completely.

Still, even with restrained force, the slap was still very potent.

The black-clothed Sword Cultivator was sent spinning into the air, rotating several times, much like a spinning top.

Blood and several teeth flew through the air.

"Did I not say before that a sword cultivator's actions should be open and aboveboard?"

Xie Xuanyi looked at the black-clad sword cultivator and calmly said, "This slap is a reward from your master on his behalf."

"Wuwu..."

The sword cultivator's cheek was hugely swollen, all his teeth knocked out, no longer able to speak.

"Get lost."

Xie Xuanyi released his palm, letting him fall freely to the ground, and said expressionlessly, "Go as far as you can, and never let me see you again."

The reason why he had held back with that slap previously,

was not out of fear of making a big scene.

But today was the first day of the Da Sui Sword Palace's Sword Qi Festival—

An auspicious day.

Drawing blood was enough; there was no need for a fatality.

Xie Xuanyi squinted towards the direction of True Hidden Peak.

He knew that tonight, many people were waiting to see a commotion.

Since that was the case,

he would give those people an impressively "hot" scene.

The Lotus Peak lawn, previously filled with noise, now fell somewhat silent, even the temperature seemed to have dropped slightly.

"Xie Zhen... doesn't seem to be a sword cultivator."

"I didn't see any flying swords."

"How is this guy a martial artist?"

Sounds like these spread in whispers among the crowd.

Xie Xuanyi stood among the people, he quietly waited for a moment, the Sword Qi lights flowing from the direction of True Hidden Peak, one after another, descending, until finally, almost fifty or sixty beams of sword light had settled.

Only then,

did Xie Xuanyi finally speak.

"I presume everyone here today has come to challenge me to a fight," he said seriously.

Xie Xuanyi faced the crowd surrounding him, and continued seriously, "Next, there's no need to trouble yourselves."

At this moment, the expressions of the sword cultivators were all somewhat bewildered.

"Someone reminded me earlier that before starting a challenge, one should give a notice…"

Xie Xuanyi slowly gave a bow, "Tonight, I, Xie Zhen, issue a challenge to everyone present. I hereby let you know in advance, please, take care in the fight to come, and do hold back your strength."

"???"

After a brief silence,

The expressions of everyone on the lawn in front of Lotus Peak changed drastically.

What the hell?!

Xie Zhen is actively challenging them?

Why isn't the storyline going as imagined?!

As his words landed, Xie Xuanyi made his move without further courtesies. He grabbed a sword cultivator closest to him and threw a punch, sending him flying like a kite with its string cut. Without any hesitation, he plunged into the crowd of "fellow" sword cultivators like a wolf into a flock of sheep, throwing punches and kicks, shoulder charging, kneeing; though he had only two arms, it seemed as if he had sprouted three heads and six arms, nearly casting afterimages—

In an instant, howls and wails filled the lawn of Lotus Peak!

"They can't even draw their swords..."

"And they dare say they want to challenge?"

Xie Xuanyi moved through the crowd, pushing left and right without any intention of stopping.

This challenge was entirely different from the slaughter at Beihai Ling.

In Xie Zhen's view,

If this farce was going to be played out tonight, then it might as well be blown out of proportion.

As for those big figures watching the commotion silently from behind the scenes, he couldn't care less.

But those "young people" who wish to fish in troubled waters, relying on Prince Jiangning's might to pressure me with the force of the masses.

Every single one of them.

Should be taught a lesson.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The young sword cultivators who landed on the lawn before Lotus Peak, each and every one was sent flying horizontally!

The old tree was struck by flying bodies over a dozen times, the sword cultivators who lost consciousness from Xie Xuanyi's attacks piled up like a small mountain under the tree!

Just as Xie Xuanyi was about to finish cleaning up the sword cultivators on the lawn—

The distant sky resounded with a thundering roar once again.

A stream of silver-white sword light shot out from the zenith several miles away, like a crossbow arrow, aiming for Xie Xuanyi's back.

Across a hundred meters, a great force descended onto the lawn of Lotus Peak.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The area around Xie Xuanyi, spanning ten yards, was locked down by sword qi, and in an instant, grass and dirt were sent flying!

"?"

Xie Xuanyi turned around abruptly, landing a heavy punch on the descending stream of sword qi light!

This stream of sword qi was very powerful.

He stepped back slightly.

And after that punch was thrown, the silver-white sword qi exploded and scattered, turning into a burst of fireworks above the lawn.

The bits and pieces of sword qi fireworks drifted down with the wind.

Over a dozen white-robed figures who came on controlled swords also fell along with the pieces of sword qi.

They had come from True Hidden Peak.

But judging by their clothing, they were vastly different from the "rural loose cultivators" seen earlier.

"Impressive physique."

The leading white-robed youth landed on the sword qi-ravaged lawn, looked up at the drifting down sword qi fragments, and whispered in admiration.

He stood with hands behind his back, and behind him floated a silver-white grotto heaven as resplendent as the moon—

Similar to the earlier silver-white sword qi, hanging within the grotto heaven.

Dense and numerous, close to a hundred!

"Are you Xie Zhen?"

The white-robed youth smiled and said, "Prince Jiangning mentioned you have exceptional talent, and seeing you today, you indeed live up to the reputation... though your aura of killing is a bit too heavy."

"..."

Xie Xuanyi stood silently, frowning as he looked at the youth before him: "Jiangning, Silver Moon Sect, Jing Qingming?"

"You recognize me?"

Jing Qingming was greatly surprised.

"I do not."

Xie Xuanyi shook his head, speaking frankly: "I bought a file from Fangyuan Square earlier that had your name on it, and it speaks highly of you."

"Oh?"

Jing Qingming was naturally aware of the file, for he knew Fangyuan Square appraised him as having exceptional talent.

So at this moment, Jing Qingming asked with a smile, "Does Mr. Xie remember how Fangyuan Square evaluated me?"

"I don't quite remember the rest... just one thing."

"The file from Fangyuan Square said, if Prince Jiangning could be accepted into Lotus Peak, then there would surely be a place for you before the gates of Lotus Peak."

Xie Xuanyi smiled and praised, "Looking at it this way, sir, you seem to have the makings of a fine hound."

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(PS: 1, With college entrance exams upon us, I wish every student can be admitted into the college of their dreams~ 2, I humbly ask for your monthly votes, sob sob~)