Smoke and dust billowed as the wind roared. Fine debris was blown into the air.
In the aftermath of the tunnel's destruction, Fang Lang stood in the center of the passageway with a sword in hand. Dressed in his pristine green robe, he looked like an erect bamboo standing with pride.
Time seemed to stop at that moment.
Outside the tunnel, the students could not tear their eyes away from Fang Lang.
The wind stirred up plumes of smoke and Fang Lang's fringe swayed in the breeze.
There was an inexplicable charm to the boy holding the sword.
The sword in Fang Lang's hand was razor-sharp. The metal body reflected the light—fine, inscrutable carvings were etched into the blade.
The sword hilt was wrapped in a material similar to crocodile leather while the guard was a black lotus flower design.
As the three-foot sword wavered, the surrounding air buffeted.
Whoosh!
The ground of the tunnel was cleaved in half like a tofu.
A clean cut!
Sharp!
Fang Lang did not wish to part with the sword. He had only ever wielded the academy-issued swords.
Those swords were no match to the one he currently held.
Swoosh!
Two silhouettes entered in the tunnel.
The old scarred sword master and Chao Xiaojian appeared at the same moment.
Chao Xiaojian flicked his sleeves and a gale scattered the smoke.
The old scarred sword master greeted Chao Xiaojian with his cupped fist. Chao Xiaojian nodded then turned to Fang Lang and the sword.
"You managed to retrieve the sword!" Chao Xiaojian exclaimed.
Fang Lang was surprised by the voice. He replied blankly, "Is it supposed to be hard? The Sword Guild has an abundance of talented people. You're telling me no one has ever touched this sword?"
Chao Xiaojian was speechless.
The silence made Fang Lang shiver.
None?
No wonder Chao Xiaojian made the earlier promise.
"Vice Leader Chao's promise still stands, right? The sword belongs to whoever that holds it?" Fang Lang asked tremulously as he gripped the sword.
Chao Xiaojian angled his head sideways and said, "Did I say that? This sword belongs to Sect Leader Taihua. I have no say over its ownership."
Fang Lang's expression darkened.
'You useless piece of trash.
'Don't be shameless.
'That wasn't what you said just now!'
Chao Xiaojian was mildly embarrassed by his behavior. His lips twitched. "Fine. I'm not an unreasonable person. Join the Sword Guild and you can have the sword."
"The inner sect?" Fang Lang angled the sword.
Chao Xiaojian replied lightly, "You'll spend three…no, two years in the outer sect. Then, you'll be exempted from the test and accepted into the inner sect. The Tang Dynasty has strict laws that are enforced by the Emperor. We aren't allowed to bring you into the inner sect due to such laws."
Chao Xiaojian was intrigued—although Fang Lang's core was average at best, his sword skills and techniques were unmatchable. It was as if the boy was possessed!
Fang Lang had managed to budge Sect Leader Taihua's sword, what else could Chao Xiaojian say?
Perhaps this was fate's intention.
Through sword intent appreciation, Fang Lang took hold of the Blooming Lotus Sword and conquered the demonic blood mist, validating himself before the sword.
In a sense, he was already half a disciple of Sect Leader Taihua.
Hence, Chao Xiaojian could not let Fang Lang slip through his fingers.
Fang Lang took a deep breath and said in a serious tone, "If that's the case, I'll take my chances with the Imperial Examination. I'll pick the Sword Guild and enter the inner sect through the traditional way."
Chao Xiaojian rolled his eyes. A white core had little sway in the Imperial Examination.
Fang Lang would lag behind others from the start due to his white core. The Imperial Examination took into account all aspects of cultivation, not only sword mastery—the spell mastery, martial arts mastery and theory subjects. There were too many uncertainties.
The boy might not get the chance to stand out.
Nevertheless, Chao Xiaojian decided he would let the boy have his way. He would keep an eye on Fang Lang and when he failed to score well in the Imperial Examination, the Sword Guild would be his only option.
"Fine. You can stop repeating your catchphrase. Since you managed to retrieve the sword, you can have a go at the Imperial Examination. When you fail, obediently return to the Sword Guild," Chao Xiaojian said impatiently.
"The legendary sword has a spirit. Fate brought it to you but don't flaunt it. Take this sword box and care for it."
Chao Xiaojian raised his hand. The space ring was activated and a rosewood sword box flew at Fang Lang's direction.
Fang Lang grabbed the sword box and deposited the Blooming Lotus Sword—the sword's energy flickered out.
The smile on Fang Lang's face widened.
"Thank you for the sword, Vice Leader Chao! I wish you a century of blessings!" Fang Lang said giddily.
Chao Xiaojian brushed the fallen hair aside and side-eyed Fang Lang. "Is that a curse?"
The question surprised Fang Lang.
Chatter in the tunnel rose to an audible volume.
Fang Lang had gotten his hands on Sect Leader Taihua's legendary sword—the turn of events was beyond anyone's expectations.
Complex emotions flashed past Jiang Linglong's eyes. Fang Lang had accomplished something she struggled to do.
For once, she seemed actually shocked and stunned.
Lu Ze was also speechless. Who was Fang Lang?
The students who had gone into the tunnel knew how intense the Blooming Lotus Sword was—the pressure it exerted was terrifying.
To traverse 1,000 meters and retrieve the Blooming Lotus Sword was as onerous as reaching the heavens.
Yet, Fang Lang had succeeded.
Lin Yun's eyes widened. He had joined the Gathering of Swords under his mentor's insistence to win the Blooming Lotus Sword. Unfortunately, the mission was a failure.
The noise and commotion in the tunnel grew louder.
The sixth and final batch of students were at a loss. Liu Bubai was one of them—he wanted to cry but no tears came.
Would they be disqualified for doing nothing?
What a tragedy.
Most students knew they would not be able to make it past the 800-meter qualification line.
However, to be ejected from the competition without even trying was an affront.
The old scarred sword master brought up the issue to Chao Xiaojian.
Chao Xiaojian's gaze swept past the gathering of students. He intended to replace the legendary sword with his own but changed his mind at the last second.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances, participants of the sixth batch will receive three extra points in the Imperial Examination. Rest assured, I will personally speak to the Minister of Rites about this issue," Chao Xiaojian said.
Three extra points in the Imperial Examination was a blessing for the sixth batch of students.
A quick scan by Chao Xiaojian revealed no promising sword disciples. If they had set foot into the tunnel and not reached the qualification line, they would not gain even a single point.
Chao Xiaojian's words made the students in the tunnel gasp.
The sixth batch of students were elated at the announcement.
Truly, those who ask will be rewarded.
Liu Bubai was in a daze. 'I'm being rewarded for doing nothing?'
His initial plan was to lose the individual event but he ended up winning without lifting a finger.
He could not escape the phenomenon.
Turn after turn… He felt a bit dizzy.
However, he was glad to learn another form of easy win.
…
The Gathering of Sword ended with Fang Lang's retrieval of the Blooming Lotus Sword and the partial collapse of the tunnel.
The Sword Guild used the messenger rune to transmit the final results of the competition to Imperial City.
Two Sword Guild disciples rode to Luojiang Academy to deliver the results—one for the team combat, the other for the individual event. Luojiang Academy had the honor of receiving both victories.
As for the participants who managed to pass the 400-meter mark in the individual event, the Sword Guild extended a welcoming invitation.
Many students decided to join the Sword Guild then and there.
Of course, there were students who rejected the offer as they wished to challenge themselves in the Imperial Examination. The Sword Guild did not force the issue.
The sixth batch of students who received the additional marks were not offered an invitation.
Liu Bubai was dejected as he felt he could make it through 400 meters had the tunnel survived.
His performance in the team combat and the individual event was subpar so his only choice was to go through with the Imperial Examination.
The competition ended and the students were not allowed to stay at the Great Barrier.
The Great Barrier was the Sword Guild's demon portal. It was a dangerous place as the demon world laid on the other end of the portal. Encounters with demons were frequent here.
Chao Xiaojian pulled out the giant flight sword and ferried the 600 students away from the Great Barrier. The group landed on the plaza atop Mount Shu.
After a moment of rest, the awards ceremony for the Gathering of Swords began.
Luojiang Academy won first place in team combat and was awarded five spots in the outer sect of the Sword Guild.
Fang Lang received 30 extra points that would benefit him greatly in the upcoming Imperial Examination.
Liu Bubai was pleased that he obtained 13 extra points without contributing much.
Jiang Linglong had no need for points or material things, therefore she could not comprehend Fang Lang and Liu Bubai's joy.