Meng Chuan couldn't help but try again. In an instant, he achieved unity of body, mind, and technique. He moved through the air with his blade, leaving one afterimage after another in the training ground, each slash a sight to behold.
Fast! Unpredictable!
This was the hallmark of the secret technique, "Autumn Leaves."
The footwork was fast and unpredictable! The bladework was fast and unpredictable!
After performing it over a dozen times, Meng Chuan finally stopped, unable to suppress his excitement: "Autumn Leaves, one leaf falling marks the end of three autumns! I've finally grasped it! I've finally grasped it!
"I've finally reached the first major realm of blade technique—Unity Realm!"
"I, Meng Chuan, have a chance to become a divine lord!"
Meng Chuan was truly excited.
He had started practicing Falling Leaf Blade at the age of eleven.
Four years had passed.
During these four years, he had never slacked off, pushing himself to the limit in his training. He knew very well that there were many outstanding practitioners at the foundational stage of blade technique, some in each academy. Combined across the eight major academies, there were even more. Such outstanding practitioners... ninety-nine percent of them would struggle for a long time at the threshold of the Unity Realm, gradually becoming mediocre, and would be fortunate to reach the Impervious Realm in their lifetime.
But this was never Meng Chuan's goal. He wanted to become a divine lord! His hard work and dedication had only one goal—to become a divine lord!
He would never forget the time when he was six years old, tied to his father's back as his father fled while fighting off demons. In a critical moment, his mother had charged forward, delaying the demons to give them a chance to escape.
It was all for the sake of their son's survival!
On his father's back, he had watched from afar as his mother was engulfed by more demons. At that moment, Meng Chuan had cried his heart out, while his father, tears streaming down his face, did not look back and fled desperately. Finally... Meng Chuan survived.
"Training must start as early as possible. A mortal's body reaches its peak at twenty, then declines slowly," Meng Chuan thought. "The current genius of Dongning City, Mei Yuanzhi, grasped a secret technique at fifteen. Just a month ago, at the age of twenty, he comprehended 'Ice Intent.' He can even reside in the Yuyang Palace (Jade Sun Palace) and train there."
Mei Yuanzhi had come from an ordinary family in Dongning City. His mother was a maid, and his father was merely a practitioner at the Transfiguration Realm.
However, Mei Yuanzhi had grasped a secret technique at fifteen, shocking the academy. The academy immediately invested heavily in his cultivation, and divine lord families wanted to marry their daughters to him. But Mei Yuanzhi was focused solely on his training and was not swayed by the temptations of divine lord families... Finally, on the twelfth day of the first month this year, Mei Yuanzhi comprehended 'Ice Intent.' Just barely, at the age of twenty, he had grasped 'Intent,' giving him a chance to compete for a spot in the most ancient training ground, 'Primordial Mountain'.
According to the rules of Primordial Mountain, one cannot participate in the entrance examination after the age of twenty.
If one hasn't grasped Intent by the age of twenty, they don't even qualify to take the entrance exam!
"I've reached the Unity Realm, which is just the first step. There are still 'Blade Intent' and 'Condensation of the Core' to overcome. I can't slack off," Meng Chuan thought silently, glancing around. The training ground was quiet, with only him present, and the trees and flowers were already turning green.
"What a coincidence," Meng Chuan realized. "Today is the twenty-seventh of the second month, and I broke through the day before the academy's internal selection."
Sometimes, things just happen that way.
...
The next morning.
Meng Chuan and Liu Qiyue were having breakfast.
Now, the entire Meng family was pouring resources into cultivating the younger generation, even hiring external practitioners at the Impervious Realm to spar with Meng Chuan. The Impervious Realm expert who had grasped Blade Intent, Meng Dajiang, naturally had to play his part. He had recently been staying at the ancestral home, where he was teaching a large number of young family members. As for Meng Chuan... he had received so much guidance from his father that he was already very familiar with his father's methods.
Qiyue's father, Liu Yebai, was quite mysterious, spending most of the year away from home.
"Chuan, today is our academy's selection for the qualification spots, and yours is today too, right?" Liu Qiyue said proudly. "I've already secured my spot."
"I'll get mine this year too," Meng Chuan smiled.
"So confident?" Liu Qiyue laughed. "You haven't even reached the Professional Phase of the Marrow Washing Realm, and you're sure you can make it into the top three in the academy?"
"What if I win?" Meng Chuan asked.
Liu Qiyue looked closely at Meng Chuan, then chuckled, "If you win, I'll cook dinner for you every day for a month. But if you don't get a spot, ho ho ho, you have to give me your painting of horses! Do you dare to bet?"
Meng Chuan laughed.
His painting skills had already surpassed those of the best painters he could find in Dongning City, though that was partly due to the scarcity of painters.
The painting of horses was Meng Chuan's highest achievement so far, a long scroll depicting one hundred horses in various poses. It had taken him over a year to complete, and since Liu Qiyue had seen it once, she had been coveting it. Even Yun Qingping, who had seen it once, had offered three thousand taels of silver plus her two precious jade pieces in exchange. But Meng Chuan hadn't been willing to part with it.
"If I lose, I have to give up the painting of horses, but if I win, you only cook dinner for a month. Isn't that a bit unfair?" Meng Chuan hesitated.
"A whole month! Do you dare or not?" Liu Qiyue stared at Meng Chuan.
"It's rare for you to cook even once, fine, I'll take the bet," Meng Chuan said with a nod. "But don't regret it if you lose."
"And you don't regret it if you lose!" Liu Qiyue put down her chopsticks and stood up. "I'm off to the academy. Don't chicken out and not come back at noon."
"Don't worry," Meng Chuan said leisurely, sipping his porridge. If Qiyue was willing to cook dinner for him for a whole month, how could he refuse?
After taking his time with breakfast, Meng Chuan wiped his mouth and strolled toward the academy.
Jinghu Academy.
When Meng Chuan arrived at the academy, he found many disciples gathered at the arena area.
"Senior Brother Meng will definitely win."
"Senior Brother Meng, you'll definitely make it into the top three."
Many junior brothers and sisters were very excited. They all knew today was the selection for the qualification spots, and the academy wanted them to watch the matches of the senior brothers and sisters from the Shanshui Tower. Since the senior disciples occasionally offered guidance, many of the juniors supported Meng Chuan.
"Although I want Senior Brother Meng to win, to be honest, in the recent matches among the top ten Marrow Washing Realm disciples, Senior Brother Meng doesn't have an advantage. His chances of making the top three are really slim."
"Senior Brothers Wan Mang and Bai Guan have been deciding the first place in the recent top ten matches among the Marrow Washing Realm disciples. They're definitely taking the spots." Many junior brothers and sisters were discussing, some blindly supporting, others analyzing rationally. But they all had one thing in common—they were all looking forward to the start of the battles.
The area around the arena was cordoned off ten zhang away, and the watching disciples were not allowed to get close.
Meng Chuan and the others arrived and waited, while the instructors checked their weapons to ensure they were not sharpened.
A skinny man carrying a wine jar, reeking of alcohol, walked over.
"Principal."
"Principal."
All the disciples were very respectful, and the twenty-two disciples from the Shanshui Tower also bowed respectfully. This was the principal of Jinghu Academy, Ge Yu. Ge Yu's reputation wasn't good; he was greedy for wealth and loved wine, acting recklessly.
"Alright, everyone's here," Ge Yu said, his face red and wine breath wafting, but all the disciples were well-behaved, and the instructors and assistants didn't dare to mutter. The title of the fastest blade in Dongning City was earned through real battles.
"There are only six disciples at the Transfiguration Realm, so it'll be quick to select them," Ge Yu said. "You six, compete among yourselves and pick the top three."
"Reporting to the principal," a young man bowed, "Brother Zhang and I have just reached the Transfiguration Realm not long ago, still at the Initial Phase of it, and we acknowledge our shallow strength. We'll give up this time."
"Reporting to the principal, I challenged last night and lost three times in a row," a strong, dark young man said.
"Oh?" Ge Yu nodded after hearing this. He was well aware of the disciples' strengths. "Alright, since that's the case, Wu Qi and the Wei brothers will represent us at the Yuyang Palace Demon Slaying Assembly this time."
"Yes," Wu Qi and the three Transfiguration Realm disciples respectfully acknowledged.
Wu Qi was at the Professional Phase of the Transfiguration Realm.
The Wei brothers were also at the Later Phase of the Transfiguration Realm, and their strength advantage was indeed significant.
"There are sixteen disciples in the Marrow Washing Realm from the Shanshui Tower," Ge Yu looked at Meng Chuan and the others. "Each of you can compete for a spot. Let me explain the rules: those who are confident can step up to the arena and accept challenges from their fellow disciples. If you win five consecutive matches, you'll secure a spot. Also... if you lose twice, you will be disqualified from further participation in the competition."
"Alright, let's begin," Ge Yu said, taking a big gulp from his wine jar.
The sixteen Marrow Washing Realm disciples fell silent.
Going up to the arena and winning five consecutive matches to secure a spot? Then the first one to go up would be at a disadvantage!
If two spots were decided and two strong opponents were out of the way, the chances of winning would be much higher.
"Who's going up first?" Most of the Shanshui Tower disciples in the Marrow Washing Realm looked at two people: one was the burly, smiling 'Wan Mang,' and the other was the cold and stern 'Bai Guan.' In the recent top ten matches, the first place was usually decided between them.
"Are you going up?" Wan Mang asked with a smile, looking at Bai Guan.
"If you want to go up, you can," Bai Guan said coldly.
At that moment—
A figure stepped forward and onto the arena; it was Meng Chuan.
Meng Chuan glanced at his surprised fellow disciples below and said, "The first spot belongs to me."