Meng Chuan's actions truly shocked the other disciples of Mountain River Pavilion. He wasn't particularly outstanding at the pavilion, and he was a relatively young disciple. Although his father was the next clan leader of the Meng family, he didn't have the arrogance one would expect. His fellow disciples had good impressions of him, but this time, he had taken the initiative to enter the arena. He even said: "I guess the first spot will be mine."
It was truly an act that disregarded his seniors.
"Senior Brother Meng went up?"
"Why did he go first?"
"It won't be too late to go up after the first two spots are taken." The juniors watching from afar were even more shocked.
Even the drinking dean, Ge Yu, was rather surprised. His greed and penchant for alcohol had him frequently taking advantage of Meng Dajiang, the owner of Eastcalm Prefecture's best restaurant. He was also quite fond of Meng Dajiang's son, not only because Meng Chuan didn't stir up trouble using his family background, but also because of the benefits he received from Meng Dajiang.
"Hurry up, whoever wants to challenge Meng Chuan can go up," urged Ge Yu.
"I'll do it."
The cold-faced Bai Guan took a step forward and flew up the arena. His gaze towards Meng Chuan was cold as he sneered. "Meng Chuan, you'll have to get by me first if you wish to take the first spot."
He had come in first several times during competitions between the top ten disciples at the Marrow Cleansing realm and had only been defeated by Wan Mang once.
Among the Mountain River Pavilion disciples in the Marrow Cleansing realm, only Wan Mang— who was born with tremendous strength—left him keeping up his guard. He thought nothing of his other fellow disciples. He could have watched by the sidelines if Meng Chuan had been the first to enter the arena, but the words "I guess the first spot will be mine" propelled him to teach Meng Chuan a lesson.
"Please."
"Straightforward, not bad."
Bai Guan unsheathed two longswords from his back. They were blunt because only unsharpened weapons were used in duels between fellow disciples.
Bai Guan held a longsword in each hand. He stared at Meng Chuan and said, "You fought me seven times, but not once have you withstood ten strikes."
"The art of dual-wielding swords is indeed powerful," praised Meng Chuan with a nod.
The reason why Bai Guan was so strong that even Wan Mang—who was born with tremendous strength—had been lucky enough to defeat him only once, was because of his dual-wielding! A true dual-sword expert needed to multi-task efficiently. Each sword was seemingly used by two individual experts who worked in concert. In a battle against such a swordsman, an opponent would feel like they were facing a brutal assault from two swordsmen. All the other Marrow Cleansing disciples from the Mountain River Pavilion had been defeated by him.
"I admire your courage for being the first to enter the arena. Thus, I will use my killer move 'Heart Sunder' to make you truly admit defeat." The proud and confident Bai Guan directly announced the move he was going to use. To teach Meng Chuan a lesson, he planned on using his best technique to crush him.
"Do as you wish." Meng Chuan wasn't in a hurry. Since he had already reached a brand new level by comprehending the secret technique, there was naturally no need for him to make the first move. It was better to let his opponent have a chance to execute a complete move.
Swoosh.
Bai Guan moved.
He quickly moved with both swords in hand. Even though he was confident, he still used all his strength as he charged straight at Meng Chuan. His movement technique was very strange. One moment he appeared on the left, the next moment the right. This unpredictability made it difficult to determine his true location.
In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Meng Chuan, having traversed the arena.
"Kill." Bai Guan grinned at Meng Chuan as both swords struck to deliver Heart Sunder. In his opinion, even unsharpened swords could injure Meng Chuan if he was hit.
Two swords streaked across Meng Chuan's body from two different directions.
"Huh?" Bai Guan widened his eyes in disbelief because he clearly sensed that he had missed.
He then felt a chill run down his spine.
He turned around.
Standing behind him, Meng Chuan held a saber to his neck.
How can it be? How is he this fast? Bai Guan was in disbelief. I didn't even see it clearly.
He didn't know why, but the enemy who had been right in front of him had appeared behind him. Even the saber was placed on his neck.
Clearly, killing him was simple.
Ge Yu—who had been leisurely hugging his wine jar and drinking leisurely—was stunned. He widened his eyes in disbelief at this scene. Even the wine jar in his hands slipped and crashed to the ground, shattering. Alcohol flowed everywhere, but Dean Ge Yu didn't even glance at his beloved alcohol. His gaze was completely fixed on Meng Chuan.
"The secret technique, Third Autumn Leaf! The secret technique, Third Autumn Leaf! Did I, Ge Yu, manage to produce a disciple capable of it?" Ge Yu muttered to himself. He had been the dean for fifteen years, but he had never managed to groom a genius who had a chance of becoming a Godfiend.
The lecturers and teaching assistants were also dumbfounded. Their sharp eyes could tell at a glance what move Meng Chuan just used. They also understood what it meant.
"It's the secret technique, Third Autumn Leaf."
"The Falling Leaf Saber's secret technique, Third Autumn Leaf! To think our Mirror Lake Dao Academy has produced a disciple who has figured out the secret technique. He's only fifteen years old this year. He managed to master it at fifteen. This can't be anything but the truth!"
"Our Mirror Lake Dao Academy has produced a disciple who grasped the secret technique at fifteen!"
"It's our Mirror Lake Dao Academy! Haha…"
These lecturers who had dedicated their lives to the Dao Academy were extremely excited. This was their most glorious moment. The goal of teaching so many disciples in a Dao Academy was to groom true geniuses who could one day become Godfiends.
Now that the Mirror Lake Dao Academy had produced such a genius, how could the lecturers not be excited? How could they not go crazy?
If the dean and the others were excited, the thousands of disciples watching this scene went completely mad.
"Heavens!"
"Am I seeing things?"
"This is…"
"I saw two Senior Brother Mengs; one in front of Senior Brother Bai, and one behind him?"
"It's the secret technique, Third Autumn Leaf! This is the secret technique of the Falling Leaf Saber, Third Autumn Leaf! The dean uses it during his lectures."
"It's the secret technique, Third Autumn Leaf!"
All sorts of discussions erupted. Even the disciples from the Mountain River Pavilion were stunned.
At that moment, from the dean to the ordinary disciples, everyone was discussing excitedly. Everyone knew what it meant to figure out the secret technique at fifteen!
Swoosh. A disciple suddenly sprinted out of the bustling crowd.
"Right, return to the ancestral mansion and report it to the clan."
"Quick! Hurry back, and report the good news!"
There were several Meng family members in the Mirror Lake Dao Academy. When the first Meng family member ran out, one Meng family member after another rushed back home. They wanted to report this great piece of news! On one hand, they shared in his glory, and on the other hand, their family clan would also reward them because they reported the good news.
It was natural for money to be given when reporting good news—especially when it was such great news.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! The members of the Meng family were running at top speed using their movement techniques.
"Secret technique, Third Autumn Leaf?" On the stage, Bai Guan didn't manage to see it clearly. He heard the discussions around him and recalled the move that Meng Chuan had just executed. Only then did he understand that it was the secret technique, Third Autumn Leaf.
"You figured out the secret technique?"
Bai Guan stared at Meng Chuan with a complicated expression.
Meng Chuan nodded. "I've been stuck at this bottleneck for two years and have finally figured it out."
Bai Guan was both jealous and envious. Wasn't he also stuck at a bottleneck? He was able to focus on dual-wielding, giving him combat strength that far exceeded his peers, but he was still stuck at the bottleneck of a top-notch sword art's Greater Mastery. He also yearned to figure out the secret technique.
"No wonder you were the first to come up. Yes, you are now completely different from us." Bai Guan laughed self-deprecatingly and walked off the stage.
No one paid Bai Guan any mind.
Everyone's eyes were fixated on the fifteen-year-old youth who still looked like an adolescent. The disciples from Mountain River Pavilion were shocked and envious, including the six disciples at the Mortal Shedding realm. None of them had figured out the secret technique! Most people who were at the Mortal Shedding realm wouldn't be able to figure out the secret technique and be stuck at this realm their entire lives.
Only by figuring out the secret technique could one reach the Impervious realm.
"Hahaha." Dean Ge Yu—whose clothes were soaked in alcohol—laughed loudly and proclaimed loudly, "I was right to teach you the Falling Leaf Saber. Wu Qi!"
Wu Qi was stunned, but he still replied respectfully, "Yes, Master!"
He was the strongest among the six Mortal Shedding realm disciples in the Mirror Lake Dao Academy. He was nineteen this year and had reached the perfected Mortal Shedding realm.
"Go and fight with Meng Chuan!" Ge Yu's eyes lit up as he gave the order.
"I'll fight Wu Qi?" Meng Chuan turned his head as well. Wu Qi was at the perfected stage of the Mortal Shedding realm. He was the strongest disciple from Mirror Lake Dao Academy, the current Eldest Senior Brother.