Chapter 1962: Internal Disciples Assessment

Elder Lu Yun, though only in charge of the outer sect, was a genuine Void Immortal realm expert. Normally, he was only responsible for assessing outer sect disciples in Starry City. For places like Xuanjiang City, which could only recruit servant disciples, he would never normally visit.

Even in special circumstances, he would only pass through and take people away.

Why had he suddenly appeared here?

Xue Qian was utterly disbelieving, but he dared not be negligent. He hurried forward, bowing to pay his respects.

"Xue Qian, Lord of Xuanjiang City, greets Elder Lu Yun."

"Hmm!" Elder Lu waved his hand dismissively, clearly not bothering to respond. He looked at Huo Jianghe in front of him. "How is it? Has he appeared?"

"Reporting to the Elder, it's not clear who exactly it is, but it seems to be related to this Shan Xiaotian!"

Huo Jianghe pointed.

Last night, in the Hall of Penetrating Divinity, that person, Tianya, asked for his help. The request was for him to appear here on time. As a result, with his presence, Shan Xiaotian was able to clear his name and shine brightly. Therefore, even if this person wasn't Tianya, they certainly had a significant connection.

"Him?"

Elder Lu Yun looked slightly puzzled.

With his discerning eye, he could naturally see this person's true strength at a glance... Grand Saint Triple Perfection!

Such strength, yet capable of causing so many of his disciples to lose their armor and flee in disarray?

"It's like this..." Seeing the Elder's disbelief, Huo Jianghe recounted the previous events in detail.

After listening to the explanation, Elder Lu Yun's eyebrows furrowed.

Such a genius, within the jurisdiction of the Soaring Cloud Sword Pavilion, was actually targeted and treated so unfairly. This was akin to a direct slap in his face.

Suppressing his displeasure, he looked over. "Are you Shan Xiaotian?"

"Yes!"

Shan Xiaotian bowed.

"Are you interested in joining the Soaring Cloud Sword Pavilion?" Elder Lu Yun asked.

Shan Xiaotian paused, then subtly turned his head to glance at his teacher nearby. Seeing the silent nod, he quickly bowed. "I am willing!"

"Very good!" Elder Lu Yun nodded. "From now on, you are a disciple of the Sword Pavilion! Anyone who dares to bully you will be opposing the Sword Pavilion and will have to bear its wrath!"

"Uh..."

Shan Xiaotian was stunned.

He had thought he would need to be re-evaluated and demonstrate his strength again. He hadn't expected it to be so simple.

If he hadn't known the other party was truly an Elder, he would have thought it was a joke.

He had long heard that Elder Lu Yun, the outer sect elder responsible for recruitment, had a fiery personality. He just hadn't expected him to be this "fiery."

"Congratulations, virtuous nephew Xiaotian, on becoming a Sword Pavilion disciple..." Xue Qian reacted swiftly, hurrying forward with a cheerful smile, showing no trace of his previous awkwardness.

Ignoring the city lord, Shan Xiaotian took a deep breath. As if having made a decision, he took another deep breath and directly knelt on the ground. "Reporting to the Elder, I ask you to uphold justice for your disciple!"

"Speak freely!" Elder Lu Yun waved his hand.

"My Shan family, a prominent family in Xuanjiang City, was coveted by the City Lord's Manor due to our excessive strength. They used schemes, leading to the extermination of my entire family. This is the evidence!"

Shan Xiaotian took out a jade tablet from his embrace and handed it over.

After his family was annihilated, Old Yi never stopped collecting evidence everywhere. The more he collected, the more it indicated a connection to the City Lord standing before them.

He hadn't dared to speak of it before. Now, with an Elder of the Soaring Cloud Sword Pavilion present, he had no more reservations.

Crucially, it was also his teacher's intention.

Taking the jade tablet and glancing down at it, Elder Lu Yun's eyes immediately narrowed.

The evidence recorded on it was incredibly clear, piece by piece, with no omissions or errors.

Every piece indicated that the lives of hundreds of people in the Shan family were inextricably linked to City Lord Xue Qian.

"What do you have to say?"

He turned his head and looked over, casually tossing the jade tablet in front of Xue Qian.

Xue Qian quickly picked it up and glanced at it, his pupils suddenly constricting. He prostrated himself on the ground. "Elder Lu, I've been wrongly accused... Our two families have long been on good terms, and harming them would bring me no benefit whatsoever! This must be a misunderstanding caused by my foolish daughter, who went to break off the engagement and upset virtuous nephew Xiaotian... I implore the Elder to see clearly!"

"See clearly? Very well! I will give you a satisfactory answer!"

Snorting, Elder Lu said no more, ignoring the kneeling City Lord. Instead, he looked at Shan Xiaotian. "While the evidence you've presented is logical and well-substantiated, much of it can no longer be investigated due to the passage of time. Furthermore, if the other party, as a City Lord, intentionally concealed their tracks, even I would be powerless!"

"Yes!"

Shan Xiaotian lowered his head.

He knew this.

Ten years had passed since his family was tragically annihilated. In those ten years, who knew how many changes Xuanjiang City had undergone. Even if the evidence was accurate, times had changed, and it was no longer traceable.

What's more, this City Lord, who sought fame by deceit and was willing to go as far as breaking off an engagement for his reputation, must have handled such a massive matter as family extermination flawlessly long ago, leaving no trace for investigation.

"Without definitive evidence, trying to kill a City Lord is equivalent to despising the authority of the Soaring Cloud Sword Pavilion!"

"However... there are always exceptions!"

Elder Lu Yun's eyes flashed. "That is... to possess sufficient strength! Strength that even the Soaring Cloud Sword Pavilion would fear! Naturally, we wouldn't offend such a person over a mere City Lord from a third-rate city! And... to become an inner sect disciple of the Soaring Cloud Sword Pavilion! Once you succeed, the Sword Pavilion is obligated to help its disciples deal with troubles, so they can cultivate in peace."

"Inner sect disciple?"

Shan Xiaotian was taken aback.

The Soaring Cloud Sword Pavilion only recruited servant disciples in Xuanjiang City.

For such a servant role, after passing the assessment, Xue Qin's tail was practically in the sky, believing she had ascended to heaven in a single step, and eagerly rushed to break off the engagement. If he were truly to become an inner sect disciple, his status would be above Huo Jianghe and others, and far more important than the Lord of Xuanjiang City!

Naturally, he would receive the Sword Pavilion's protection.

But...

It was simply too difficult.

Even Huo Jianghe, a dignified Ancient Saint Fourth Stage Void Breaker, hadn't entered. How could he, who was only at Grand Saint Triple Perfection, possibly succeed?

"That's right. Every inner sect disciple of the Soaring Cloud Sword Pavilion is a treasure to the Pavilion. Their status is only stronger, not weaker, than mine as an outer sect elder. As long as you succeed, even if you have no evidence, if you kill this City Lord, no one will say a word!"

Elder Lu Yun said indifferently.

Laws are always for restraining the small fry. True powerhouses are not bound by rules at all, let alone evidence!

If they kill, they kill.

He's just a City Lord of a third-rate town. If one dies, someone will surely replace him. Compared to an inner sect disciple, it's clear at a glance which is more important.

"This..."

Xue Qian's eyebrows twitched, not expecting Elder Lu Yun to say such a thing.

Could it be that he intended... for Shan Xiaotian to undergo the assessment to become an inner sect disciple?

However, he knew the difficulty of the inner sect disciple assessment. Even though this fellow had good talent, success was almost impossible for him!

"Elder, how is the inner sect disciple assessment conducted? I am willing to try!"

After a moment of thought, Shan Xiaotian said.

"The inner sect assessment doesn't consider cultivation level, but rather potential and innate talent! Those with high potential and talent can directly enter, even if their cultivation is lower, without needing to go through outer sect training. Usually, there are two requirements for the assessment... First, become an Ancient Saint expert before the age of seventeen! Second, pass the inner sect's sword technique assessment!"

Elder Lu Yun said indifferently, "How old are you now?"

"I'm sixteen, but..." Shan Xiaotian paused, just about to continue, when the Elder interrupted him. "Under seventeen is fine. Being at Grand Saint Triple Perfection now means there's a chance to break through to that level by seventeen! As for the inner sect sword technique assessment... Huo Jianghe is the senior disciple of the outer sect. His sword techniques already meet the inner sect's standards. As long as you can defeat him at the same cultivation level... that means you pass!"

"Defeat him at the same level?"

Shan Xiaotian felt a little nervous.

He had only learned sword techniques from his teacher for one night. The other party, however, was a supreme expert of the Sword Pavilion, having practiced sword arts for over twenty years.

It would probably be very difficult to defeat him at the same cultivation level!

Elder Lu Yun said, "Precisely. Do you dare to try?"

"I am willing to try!"

Without much hesitation, Shan Xiaotian nodded.

This was an opportunity for him!

If he missed it, seeking revenge would be almost impossible!

After all, Xue Qian would know that he intended to kill him and that he had entered the Sword Pavilion. How could he possibly stay here and wait for death?

He would surely have fled long ago.

The world was vast; once he fled, finding him again would be like searching for a needle in a haystack!

"Very good!" Elder Lu Yun nodded and looked at Huo Jianghe. "Lower your cultivation to his level, fight with full strength, and show no mercy!"

"Yes!"

Huo Jianghe nodded and stepped forward. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation was suppressed to Grand Saint Triple.

"Begin!"

The two stood apart, each holding a long sword.

"Teacher..."

Competing against such a powerhouse for the first time, Shan Xiaotian felt a little anxious and looked at his teacher. He saw that his teacher still had iron chains on his hands, his eyes narrowed, appearing completely unconcerned.

It seemed... he didn't care at all!

"I'll stake it all..."

Gritting his teeth, determination appeared in Shan Xiaotian's eyes.

His teacher had already given him so much. Whether he could become an inner sect disciple depended on him; he could not shrink back now.

In just that moment, Huo Jianghe, sword in hand, was already before him. His sword light flickered, transforming into a flowing river.

Shan Xiaotian, who had thought he would have to give his all, was startled when he clearly saw the opponent's sword technique.

Although the opponent's sword moves were complex, his teacher seemed to have explained them all. In front of this knowledge, the dazzling techniques before him were like a beautiful woman in an evening gown; no matter how splendid or elegant... once stripped away, she would be just like any other woman.

Nothing extra, nothing missing.

Once he knew this, the rest was simple.

Dispelling illusions and grasping the essence, Shan Xiaotian found seven or eight ways to break the technique in the blink of an eye.

He thrust his long sword forward.

It immediately pierced a point within the flowing river of sword light.

Huo Jianghe was startled and instinctively leaped back.

Seeing that his teacher's method was indeed effective, Shan Xiaotian advanced again, thrusting another sword strike.

The former retreated again.

One advancing, one retreating, more than twenty moves passed consecutively. The long swords hadn't even touched, yet Huo Jianghe had retreated over forty steps!

"This sword technique..."

"So powerful!"

Hu Bin, Huang Tao, and the others all stood rooted to the spot, exchanging bewildered glances, as if they had seen a ghost.