After the disciples of the Sky Sword Sect entered, they quickly began their preparations. A disciple responsible for arranging the order of appearance came in carrying a bundle of long swords to distribute.
Because the assessment of the third round was purely focused on swordsmanship, for the sake of fairness, neither the participants nor the assessors from the Sky Sword Sect were allowed to use spiritual energy in combat. Therefore, the requirements for weapons were strict; participants were not allowed to use their own weapons and could only use the swords provided by the Sky Sword Sect.
To ensure fairness, restrictions were set up on each arena. Martial artists below the True Martial Realm were prohibited from using spiritual energy within these restrictions and had to rely solely on their sword skills for the competition.
A disciple of the Sky Sword Sect read out the names one by one, and as each person's name was called, they stepped forward to receive a long sword. There were a little over a hundred participants in the third round assessment, not too many nor too few.
The distribution of swords was nearly complete, with only the last long sword remaining. The Sky Sword Sect disciple looked at the list and a hint of smugness appeared on his face as he called out, "Jiang Yun."
Upon hearing this name, all eyes in the room turned to Jiang Yun.
Jiang Yun gazed at the broken sword in the hands of the Sky Sword Sect disciple and felt a surge of anger. His sword was visibly shorter than the others', and it lacked a blade.
"Give me a reason," Jiang Yun looked at the broken sword in his hand, suppressing his inner anger.
The Sky Sword Sect disciple gave Jiang Yun a disdainful glance and impatiently said, "Do you want it or not? If not, I can throw it away. Who does he think he is, offending Senior Brother Wan even before entering the sect?"
If Lu Yao were present to hear this, who knows what she would think. She intended to help Jiang Yun gain some reputation, but it seemed she unintentionally made him an enemy.
Instead of getting angrier, Jiang Yun became calmer after hearing this. He accepted the broken sword from the disciple and said, "Go back and tell your Senior Brother Wan that even with just a hilt, he wouldn't be my match."
Jiang Yun's words created ripples. Not only did the Sky Sword Sect disciple find him arrogant, but everyone in the room also thought he was a bit arrogant.
"Boom!"
At this moment, the bell signaling the start of the assessment rang. The Sky Sword Sect disciple snorted coldly, gave Jiang Yun a glare, and said, "Kid, don't be too arrogant."
Jiang Yun ignored him. The best way to disdain someone was to completely ignore them.
As the group of participants walked out for assessment, they quickly proceeded to the backstage for inspection. Then, one by one, they went out to challenge. Those who could withstand ten moves would be qualified to continue, while those who couldn't would be eliminated.
Both Li Da Dan and Jiang Yun already seemed somewhat isolated from the group. Now that Jiang Yun had offended inner disciples, even fewer people wanted to be around them. The two of them appeared isolated from the rest of the crowd.
Jiang Yun didn't mind. As a genius among geniuses in his past life, he had grown accustomed to this kind of loneliness. Masters were always lonely; this was no mere saying.
In the square of the third round assessment, ten platforms were set up, allowing five participants to be assessed simultaneously. The first batch of five people, their palms sweaty, walked onto the platforms as the names were called out by the Sky Sword Sect disciple.
The backstage couldn't see the front, which was why the Sky Sword Sect had this arrangement. One reason was to prevent the performance of those in front from affecting those behind, and the other was to test the mentality of these participants. The agony and anxiety of waiting were likely to reveal a person's true nature. Moreover, as a sword-focused sect, the Sky Sword Sect placed high demands on the character of its disciples.
Nearly ten minutes after the first batch left, the second batch was called. As time passed, the anxiety of those waiting in the back grew. Initially, a few individuals could still chat and laugh, but by the time the fifth batch had gone out, the backstage conversations had become scarce.
After the tenth batch left, almost no conversations could be heard. Tension began to spread, and soon the backstage was enveloped in a stifling atmosphere. By the time the fifteenth batch went out, some people started pacing around anxiously, resembling ants on a hot pan.
Li Da Dan was doing better than most, but even he could only hold on until the twentieth batch went out before he began clenching his fists and taking deep breaths, releasing his tension and anxiety.
Jiang Yun was well aware that this was a tactic of the Sky Sword Sect. The more talented individuals were arranged to go last. This third round wasn't just about swordsmanship; it was also about character.
If someone's character wasn't resilient enough, even if they had great talent, they would only be able to display about seventy percent of their strength in such a fearful state, or even less.
Jiang Yun understood the Sky Sword Sect's strategy, but he wouldn't voice it out. Firstly, he had no personal connections with these people, so there was no need to enlighten them. Secondly, in this atmosphere, no one would likely believe it even if he did speak up.
Li Da Dan was named in the second-to-last batch. Although he was a bit nervous, he hadn't reached the point of trembling hands and weak knees. Compared to most people, he was faring much better. Jiang Yun was sure that Li Da Dan would probably make it through this round.
In the last batch, there were only three participants. Jiang Yun observed the other two carefully. One of them was a young man in white, looking elegant and somewhat aloof. Jiang Yun could tell that he was a proud person who hadn't engaged in conversation with anyone from start to finish.
The other person wore dark red silk. Despite his efforts to appear calm, his frequent flicking of the folding fan indicated his nervousness. This was noticeably inferior to the man in white.
While Jiang Yun was observing the others, the two of them were also sizing each other up. The man in white merely cast a sideways glance at the other two, appearing indifferent and detached.
When the young man in dark red silk made eye contact with Jiang Yun, he nodded and smiled. It was evident that his background was probably quite prestigious; he seemed very courteous.
Jiang Yun was the kind of person who mirrored others. If you were polite to him, he wouldn't be impolite to you. So, when the young man in red nodded to Jiang Yun, he also nodded in return. However, it was just a courteous gesture; none of the three had any intention of engaging in conversation with each other.
It wasn't until the time for a cup of tea had passed that a disciple of the Sky Sword Sect announced that the three of them should go out for assessment. The three of them exchanged glances and then stepped toward the arena, each heading to their respective platforms.
With the broken sword in his hand, Jiang Yun went up onto the platform and indeed saw Wan Yan Kun. After a quick glance, Jiang Yun no longer focused on him. At this moment, he had already suppressed his emotions deep within himself. In such a situation, he must not let his emotions guide him. This was a principle Jiang Yun had always believed in.
Looking at the broken sword in Jiang Yun's hand, Wan Yan Kun sneered, "Even if you're a true genius, you won't be able to enter the Sky Sword Sect after failing my challenge."