Chapter 1963: Dan Xiaotian's Birthday

Previously, in the Hall of Divine Communion, when I sparred with Tianya, his swordplay was like a divine dragon, without a visible trace. Although I knew it was powerful, I couldn't pinpoint exactly how. It was a case of knowing 'what' but not 'how'.

But watching Shan Xiaotian use his sword now, they could clearly see his intent and moves. Every single strike landed precisely on the flaws in Senior Brother Huo Jianghe's techniques. In just over ten breaths, he delivered more than twenty strikes, leaving Senior Brother Huo unable to even retaliate. Even true inner disciples wouldn't possess such swordsmanship! This was beyond terrifying!

“Is it Tianya?” the square-faced man could no longer hold back and asked. He had never fought Tianya and didn't know his moves or methods, but the others had sparred with him and might be able to spot clues.

“The moment Tianya makes a move, we'd be dead... He never displayed ordinary techniques, so we can't tell, unless... he uses *that* move, only then can we confirm!” Yun Feiyang said. It wasn't that their eyesight was poor; it was simply that his sword-throwing technique was overwhelmingly powerful. The fight ended the instant he made a move, making it impossible to gauge the practitioner's full strength. Now, with his ordinary swordsmanship, they still couldn't tell.

“Given the current situation, it seems... Senior Brother Huo still can't force him to use that move!” Huang Tao said with a bitter smile.

Everyone fell silent. Without using that move, he was already forcing Senior Brother to retreat repeatedly. Senior Brother would certainly lose even if it wasn't used, making it impossible to confirm his identity.

“Actually, there's a way. Watch me...” After a moment of silence, the square-faced man suddenly looked up, staring ahead, and shouted directly, “Senior Brother, use 'One Glance, Rivers'!”

'One Glance, Rivers' was not only Huo Jianghe's nickname in the Hall of Divine Communion but also his most proficient sword technique. When executed, this move resembled a vast, surging river, its power overwhelming. Relying on this sword technique, Huo Jianghe had dominated the outer sect, practically unbeatable, and thus secured his position as the top senior disciple.

“Good!” Hearing the shout, Huo Jianghe understood his junior brothers' intention. He immediately let out a long cry, his long sword soaring into the air. As his vital energy circulated, a vast river seemed to instantly appear before him, rocks piercing the sky and mighty waves crashing against the shore.

Facing this ultimate technique, Shan Xiaotian showed no hesitation. His long sword vibrated, then immediately floated into the air. His opponent stood on the opposite side of the 'river'; to defeat him, only the flying sword technique would work!

A single sword pierced the void. He had practiced this very sword technique all night, no less than a thousand times. The sword body vibrated, instantly vanishing from its spot, and reappearing before Huo Jianghe's throat.

“Oh no...” Huo Jianghe's pupils contracted. He no longer dared to suppress his power, and his full strength erupted outwards like an explosion. Saint Realm Fourth Level: Shattering the Void! With his power restored, he managed to block the opponent's sword, breaking out in a cold sweat. If they had been at the same cultivation level, he would likely have died from that move.

“It's him...” Upon seeing this move, everyone was filled with excitement. There was no longer any need to guess; this Shan Xiaotian was indeed Tianya!

Xue Qian's body swayed, and he fell to the ground. Ever since returning last night, he had been wondering who that super expert named Tianya was. He never dreamed... it was precisely this son-in-law he had disdained and looked down upon!

Xue Qin was almost frantic. This man is Tianya... Doesn't that mean she had already lost and would become his maidservant? She didn't want to be his fiancée, but instead became a maidservant... She wished she could instantly pluck out her own eyes! He was clearly a treasure of immense value, yet he had been treated like rubble and casually discarded!

“Shan Xiaotian wins...” Elder Lu Yun, having witnessed the entire battle, nodded happily and announced the result. No wonder he hadn't immediately agreed to join the Cloud Sword Pavilion earlier. It turned out he was waiting for this moment, wanting to thoroughly humiliate the City Lord! To make him repent for his past actions!

Young people have such strong temperaments... However, having one's family destroyed, anyone in his shoes would probably do the same!

“Having successfully defeated Huo Jianghe, you will surely pass the inner disciple assessment with ease. Reaching the Great Saint Triple Perfection at sixteen without abundant resources, and then entering the sect to advance to Ancient Saint before seventeen, shouldn't be difficult!” Looking at the young man before him, Elder Lu Yun grew increasingly satisfied. “Now, I declare that you are exceptionally admitted as an inner disciple of the Cloud Sword Pavilion, possessing all the rights of an inner disciple...”

“Thank you, Elder!” Shan Xiaotian breathed a sigh of relief and knelt down directly. With this identity, even without conclusive evidence, he could now execute the City Lord and avenge his parents and others!

“What are you doing? We are related by marriage; I am your father-in-law...” Seeing Shan Xiaotian's gaze, Xue Qian's face changed, and he repeatedly retreated.

“Senior Brother Huo, I ask you to apprehend him. I want to avenge the ninety-seven lives of my family!” Gritting his teeth, Shan Xiaotian's eyes were filled with murderous intent. When you killed my family, why didn't you say you were my father-in-law? When you plotted to harm me, and I almost died at the hands of bandits, why didn't you say you were my father-in-law? Now you want to say it? It's too late!

Huo Jianghe and the others acted in concert. Although Xue Qian was powerful, Yun Feiyang, Huang Tao, and the rest were equally strong. Coupled with their superior swordsmanship as Sword Pavilion disciples, they easily subdued him.

“I do not kill innocent people. Here are not only the proofs of your plot against my Shan family but also the wicked deeds you've committed over the years!” Shan Xiaotian took out another jade tablet. As his vital energy flowed into it, a large block of text immediately flew out, clearly detailing the accusations against Xue Qian.

“He was behind the Autumn Grassland incident? I always thought it was genuinely the work of bandits...”“City Lord Liu was actually robbed by him? Poor them, a family of over forty lives!”“Miss Chen of the Chen family was violated before her death, and he had the audacity to blame it on a rogue thief. As City Lord, he committed such heinous acts...”“How ridiculous that I always admired him as an upright and incorruptible City Lord, never knowing he harbored such corruption in secret...”

A wave of uproar swept through the crowd as they clearly saw the text. City Lord Xue Qian had maintained a facade of respectability for years, gaining significant prestige within the city, but his hidden deeds were, in fact, appalling! Now that everything was revealed, everyone felt a sense of complete upheaval.

“What else do you have to say?” Seeing Xue Qian's face turn pale at the sight, Shan Xiaotian could no longer restrain himself. He advanced with his long sword; with just a thrust of the tip, he could easily pierce the man's throat and finally exact his revenge.

“I...” Xue Qian's body trembled, and he was speechless. Although he had hidden his tracks well over the years, with all these matters exposed, a thorough investigation would surely uncover more clues. If his opponent had been an ordinary person, Xue Qian could have easily covered everything up. But now that Shan Xiaotian was an inner disciple, there was no chance of escape.

“You cannot kill my father...” Just as he closed his eyes, awaiting death, Xue Qin rushed over frantically from the side, shouting loudly.

“Cannot kill him?” Shan Xiaotian narrowed his eyes.

“Exactly! You are not qualified to be an inner disciple of the Cloud Sword Pavilion! Naturally, you cannot execute my father...” Xue Qin gritted her teeth.

“Not qualified? Are you implying that my assessment lacked fairness?” Before Shan Xiaotian could speak, Elder Lu Yun's face on the side darkened. The competition had taken place in front of so many people, and Huo Jianghe had used his full strength. How could she possibly question its validity?

“This humble girl wouldn't dare...” Xue Qin looked up. “Elder Lu just said that two conditions are required to become an inner disciple. I have no objection to the fairness and impartiality of the swordplay assessment. But... reaching the Ancient Saint realm before seventeen, which is the first condition the Elder mentioned, I do not accept!”

“Oh?” Elder Lu Yun looked at her.

“I have a marriage contract with Shan Xiaotian, so I know his birth details. His birthday is precisely at *Shenshi* today! That means he will turn seventeen after *Shenshi*.” Xue Qin clenched her fists. “There's only a little over an hour until *Shenshi*. He's only at Great Saint Triple Perfection. How can he possibly reach the Ancient Saint realm before turning seventeen? If he can't, then he can't become an inner disciple, can he?”

“This...” Elder Lu Yun was stunned. He looked at Shan Xiaotian, whose face flushed.

“My birthday is indeed at *Shenshi* today...” Shan Xiaotian said awkwardly. He had wanted to mention it earlier, but Elder Lu had interrupted him. He had thought that to get revenge, he could overlook minor details and just work hard later. He never expected Xue Qin to expose it.

Seeing his admission, Elder Lu Yun couldn't help but look up at the sundial not far away. The sun was already low, and it was past midday, meaning there was less than an hour and a half until Shan Xiaotian's seventeenth birthday! To advance from Great Saint Triple Perfection to Ancient Saint in such a short time... It was simply impossible!

If he couldn't reach Ancient Saint by seventeen, he wouldn't be qualified to be a Cloud Sword Pavilion disciple, and naturally, he wouldn't be qualified to execute the City Lord before them. His so-called revenge would become a joke.

“It seems this is fate...” Elder Lu Yun shook his head with a bitter smile. He had thought he could recruit an inner disciple, but never expected such an unexpected turn of events. “However, you don't need to worry. Even if you can't become an inner disciple now, if you return and cultivate diligently, reaching Ancient Saint Fourth Level before thirty will still give you a chance...” The path to becoming an inner disciple wasn't a one-time shot; otherwise, Huo Jianghe and the others wouldn't have had their chances. As long as one reaches Ancient Saint Fourth Level and passes the swordsmanship assessment before thirty, one can still enter.

However, in that case, revenge would certainly be out of reach. As an elder, he could report the City Lord's misdeeds, but waiting for the Sword Pavilion to dispatch an investigative team and thoroughly examine these matters could take years. During that time, no one knew what unforeseen circumstances might arise.

“Yes...” Shan Xiaotian's eyes reddened, and he clenched his fists. He had thought he could finally exact his revenge today, never dreaming that he would ultimately fall short, failing at the very last step.

Just then, a faint voice sounded. “There's still an hour and a half. Who says... you can't break through to Ancient Saint?”

They hurriedly looked up, then saw their teacher, who had been dozing off, had stood up at some unknown point. He still had chains on his hands, and a calm yet confident smile graced his face.