Young Master in Flower City

Chapter 1146 1147: Invisible Slap in the Face

As the Sword Aura descended, striking Ye Qingcheng, it suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. Clearly, Ye Qingcheng had already deciphered this path of Sword Intent.

Thump~

Instinctively, Ye Qingcheng took a step forward.

Although within the illusion it was an ancient path, outside the illusion, it was a staircase. Her step forward meant stepping onto the second level, unlocking the second step of the sword.

Even the second step brought significant gains to Ye Qingcheng, with a faint sign of breakthrough in the realm of sword intent.

As Ye Qingcheng took a step, the world within the illusion changed again, revealing a totem ahead. The totem depicted a Golden Dragon and an old man with white hair.

The old man's gaze was profound and sharp, as if commanding an aura of supremacy over the world.

Roar~

The Golden Dragon within the totem moved, its motion earth-shattering. However, no matter how fierce the Golden Dragon, the old man only needed a single, simple strike to split the dragon's body in two.

"This..."

Ye Qingcheng was dumbfounded; she was no fool. That single strike bore the might of heaven and earth, rendering even the mightiest demon beast trivial, all in one simplistic motion.

Buzz~

Suddenly, the Sword Power surged, with that singular strike striking toward her. Ye Qingcheng closed her beautiful eyes, perceiving the trajectory within the strike.

The pressure of Sword Intent sought to annihilate all, yet Ye Qingcheng stood, her white dress fluttering, as the strike fell into emptiness, dissipating into nothingness. Ye Qingcheng took another step, reaching the third level of the staircase.

Upon reaching the third level, the illusion was renewed, disconnected from the previous, yet unable to halt Ye Qingcheng's advance.

Thump, thump, thump~

As time passed, footsteps echoed continuously. Within half a day, Ye Qingcheng took another seven steps. Combined with the previous steps, her figure now stood on the ninth level of the staircase.

Xiao Jiu was no exception, standing shoulder to shoulder with Ye Qingcheng.

Though the two had not drawn much attention, some people's eyes fell upon them. These individuals were naturally Qin Ruoqiu, Qin Ruoyu, Mu Yuan, Yun Meng, and Ling Feng.

When Ye Qingcheng first began to unlock the sword, they had already tried, each barely making three steps before being overwhelmed by the terrifying Sword Intent on the stairs and forced to give up.

Yet now, the once-dismissed Ye Qingcheng and Xiao Jiu stood on the ninth level, leagues ahead of them.

"How is this possible?" Qin Ruoqiu couldn't help but exclaim, "Aren't they natives from the Immortal Realm? How can they unlock the ninth step?"

With these words, Qin Ruoqiu felt her face burning with embarrassment.

The ninth step on the staircase—none of them had achieved it, yet they were qualified to enter the Celestial Sect. What about Ye Qingcheng and Xiao Jiu?

Do Ye Qingcheng and Xiao Jiu need their recommendation to enter the Celestial Sect?

And do Xiao Jiu and Ye Qingcheng need to cling to their coattails for a chance to join the Celestial Sect?

Are they even worthy?

If Xiao Jiu and Ye Qingcheng were considered worthless, then what did that make them? Less than worthless?

Isn't it laughable—who are they to recommend Ye Qingcheng and Xiao Jiu?

Currently, the talent displayed by Ye Qingcheng and Xiao Jiu is enough to qualify them for cultivation in the Celestial Sect, should they wish it.

Fortunately, Qin Ruoqiu and the others were relieved that their words about Ye Qingcheng had gone unheard by others; otherwise, their faces would surely swell from the slap of reality.

Naturally, Ye Qingcheng on the stairs did not pay any mind to this matter. Her singular focus now was unlocking the sword.

As time flowed, dozens of days passed, and the number of people on the stairs dwindled. Most with limited talent had chosen to give up, while some insisted on taking another step, only to be obliterated by the terrifying Sword Qi.

It became clear that if one wasn't strong enough, persistence would only lead to death.

"Look, those two have unlocked fifteen steps!"

"How are they doing it? Which major power do they hail from? Why have we never seen them before?"

"Unbelievable!"

"..."

As the crowd on the stairs thinned, Ye Qingcheng and Xiao Jiu began attracting attention. Standing on the fifteenth step, they endured the boundless envelopment of Sword Intent without wavering.

Someone remarked, "Their bodies show no sign of faltering; they likely won't stop here!"

"Are you suggesting those two might match Jian Cheng and the others by reaching Seventeen Steps of Sword Unsealing?"

"It's possible!" the person nodded.

Stunned.

At this moment, Qin Ruoqiu and the others stood utterly stunned. Who would've thought Ye Qingcheng and Xiao Jiu could unlock fifteen steps, talents that would urge the Celestial Sect to make an exception in recruitment?

And once they join the Celestial Sect, their status will far surpass anything Qin Ruoqiu and the others could compare to.

Now, they only hope the Celestial Sect doesn't send someone to recruit Ye Qingcheng and Xiao Jiu, or else there'll be no place for them in the sect.

"Didn't you say those two were natives?" Lu Hao said with a faint smile to Qin Ruoqiu. "If such individuals are natives, then aren't you Celestial Sect folks inferior to even natives? I remember you saying you're not that short-sighted. Seems like it's not just short-sightedness; it's blindness!"

Lu Hao was from the Profound Sect, which has always been at odds with the Celestial Sect, so his mockery of Qin Ruoqiu was unsurprising.

Whoosh~

Hearing this, Qin Ruoqiu's face turned pale, drained of color. Yet, she was speechless, and understandably so, for nothing she could say would match the stark evidence before her.

At this moment, with Ye Qingcheng on the fifteenth step of unlocking the sword, it felt as though a pair of incredibly sharp eyes from the heavens bore down on her, unleashing endless Sword Qi that enveloped her, making it hard to breathe.

"With your mortal flesh, how dare you defy Celestial Mountain's Sword Qi!" An ethereal voice echoed in Ye Qingcheng's mind: "Take another step forward, and it will destroy your will and kill you formlessly!"

As these words suggested, this level was a trial of willpower for those cultivating the sword. A lack of firm resolve would surely lead them to be swayed by the voice and fail.

Yet Ye Qingcheng's heart was resolute, unwilling to miss any opportunity to be with Xiao Tianyu.

"A mere Sword Intent, what do I fear? No one can block my path forward!" With boundless conviction, Ye Qingcheng remained unmoved, stepping forward as the ethereal eyes vanished.

Sixteen Steps of Sword Unsealing, success.

"Sixteen steps, just one more to catch up with Jian Cheng, Zhan Mo, and Xuan Yue. Wow, he's so cool, I wonder if he has a girlfriend!"

"Pfft, someone so handsome and unmatched in talent wouldn't be interested in a mundane person like you!"

"Can't I fantasize a little?" the girl rolled her eyes at the person next to her.