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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Thirty: Inner Sect - Sword Pool
In the Solitary Moon City, the most talked-about figure in this Inner Sect Disciple selection competition was undoubtedly Lin Feng. Although he was not the strongest disciple, he was certainly the most astonishing one, without a doubt.
The name Lin Feng was known far and wide outside the Solitary Moon City, and even within the Inner Sect, he had built quite a reputation.
Defeating a Seventh Layer Foundation disciple with a Dual Realm was nothing short of miraculous. Especially during the final stage of his battle, where he unleashed an invincible momentum that swept through Shen Yumen, leaving everyone in shock.
The battle between Lin Feng and Shen Yumen was filled with twists and turns, truly spectacular.
Lin Feng returned to Solitary Moon City with Miaomiao, only to find that the competition had already concluded. He sought out Lin Yun to inquire about the results.
Lin Yun replied, "Due to Miaomiao's absence from the competition, the Head Elder ruled it as a forfeit. The final rankings are Meng Kuo in first place, Lin Feng in second, Shen Yumen in third, and Lin Miaomiao in fourth. That is your ranking among the four of you."
"Is there any chance for a makeup test?" Lin Feng asked anxiously.
Lin Yun shook his head and sighed deeply. "Miaomiao, why did you suddenly run away? With your strength, you should have been able to defeat Shen Yumen. If that were the case, we would have claimed two spots in the top three."
Miaomiao felt embarrassed and didn’t know how to explain. "I'm sorry, Elder."
"Never mind. Fortunately, Lin Feng performed remarkably well. This result isn't too bad," Lin Yun said solemnly.
As Lin Feng and Miaomiao left, they walked into the courtyard where many Lin Clan disciples gathered around them—some offering congratulations, others seeking advice or trying to build connections.
There were too many people crowding around, and Lin Feng felt awkward about directly rejecting them, so he engaged in brief exchanges with each one. At that moment, Miaomiao was pushed aside by the crowd and found herself outside of it.
Miaomiao looked at Lin Feng amidst the crowd and smiled sweetly.
After finally dispersing the crowd, Lin Feng quickly took Miaomiao away to find a secluded spot against a mountain wall. They sat at the edge of the wall with their feet lightly swinging in the Void.
A gentle mountain breeze blew by, carrying with it the scent of Vital Energy and the forest.
"Congratulations, Lin Feng," Lin Miaomiao said with a smile, revealing her two signature dimples.
Lin Feng felt a bit happy about winning, but he couldn't fully embrace the joy. "It's because I delayed your match. With your abilities, defeating Meng Kuo wouldn't have been difficult. That person surrounded by everyone was originally yours."
"What difference does it make, yours or mine?"
At this point, Lin Miaomiao looked at Lin Feng earnestly and added, "Besides, I never liked fighting."
"That's true."
Hearing this, Lin Feng's mood lightened a bit.
"We're finally entering the Inner Sect. I wonder what it's like there," Miaomiao said, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she gazed at the mountains before them.
Lin Feng thought for a moment and replied, "Maybe it won't be much different from the outer sect; it's just that the people inside are much stronger."
The next day, the Top Ten Disciples entered the Inner Sect one after another. The top four disciples received a special reward: the opportunity to choose a longsword from the Sword Pool in Solitary Moon City.
Lin Feng, Lin Miaomiao, Shen Yumen, and Meng Kuo arrived at the Training Ground to wait for the Inner Sect Elder to lead them.
Shen Yumen approached Lin Feng to greet him. The two chatted and laughed, showing no signs of animosity from their previous match. Meanwhile, Meng Kuo only had eyes for himself; he stood off to the side without feeling lonely or isolated.
After a long while, the Inner Sect Elder finally approached slowly. He wore a green Dao robe and was somewhat short and plump. His pace was slow, and he seemed to exert effort just to walk.
The elder stood before them, glanced at the four of them, and then said, "So you are the top four from this Inner Sect Disciple selection?"
"That's right," Lin Feng and Shen Yumen replied in unison.
"You can call me Elder Xu. Follow me."
Elder Xu did not acknowledge anyone after finishing his words and simply left. Lin Feng and the others didn't even have a chance to greet him. They exchanged glances, shook their heads, and followed behind Elder Xu.
It seemed that Elder Xu had a rather peculiar temperament.
Elder Xu led them through the Training Ground and past the Azure Clear Pavilion, marking their entry into the inner courtyard. The most significant difference between the inner courtyard and the outer courtyard was the denser Vital Energy, which was more conducive to cultivation. Additionally, the palaces in the inner courtyard were ancient and imposing, exuding a sense of historical majesty.
Elder Xu guided the four of them through the layers of palaces in the inner courtyard until they reached the back yard. Along the way, Lin Feng and his companions saw many disciples of the inner courtyard, all wielding flying swords as they practiced their sword techniques.
Among the four, Shen Yumen was the only one who knew the Pointing Sword technique. Seeing so many disciples honing their sword skills stirred something within him. He thought to himself that he had finally stepped into the inner courtyard and could now cultivate the unparalleled swordsmanship of Solitary Moon City.
Which school boasts the strongest swordsmanship in Jiuzhou? Southern Land Yang Prefecture's Solitary Moon City! Here, a Sword Saint presides!
Eventually, Elder Xu brought the four of them into the shrine of Solitary Moon City. He picked up a drumstick and without even looking at them said, "Kneel."
The four dared not delay and immediately knelt on the cushions.
Elder Xu struck an old drum with the drumstick, producing a deep thud. The sound echoed throughout the shrine, lingering for a long time.
"Bow your heads," Elder Xu commanded sternly.
The four gazed intently at Elder Xu, ready for his next instruction. Upon hearing "bow your heads," they immediately bowed towards the spirit tablets in the shrine.
Thud...
The drum sounded again, and Elder Xu said, "Bow again."
The four bowed once more. In such a solemn place as this shrine, they felt extremely tense; any misstep that offended this eccentric elder or disrespected their ancestors from Solitary Moon City would be a grave sin.
To avoid making mistakes, they all held onto one thought: remain silent and still. Whatever Elder Xu instructed, they would comply immediately.
Elder Xu struck the ground three times, and the four of them followed with three bows and nine prostrations.
Afterward, Elder Xu, having run out of paper money, lit incense instead. Holding the incense in his hand, he called out, "Come here and take the incense."
The four of them then stood up and walked to Elder Xu's side. This was their first time being so close to him, and they dared not even breathe. After distributing three sticks of incense to each person, he said, "Stand behind me and follow my lead in worship."
"Yes."
The four took their incense and followed Elder Xu, positioning themselves behind him.
Elder Xu held the incense with both hands and addressed the ancestral tablets in the shrine, saying, "Unfilial disciple Xu Mo Wen brings new disciples to pay respects today."
After finishing his words, Elder Xu bowed deeply with the incense. Lin Feng and the others also bent at the waist in respect.
After paying homage to the ancestors of Solitary Moon City, Elder Xu led the four of them to a deep pool beside the shrine. Next to the pool stood a stone tablet with two powerful characters inscribed on it: Sword Pool.
"There are many swords in the Sword Pool. Some were forged by our elders themselves, while others were used by our ancestors. You will jump into the Sword Pool, and whichever sword you bring out of the water will belong to you."
After speaking, Elder Xu looked at everyone and asked, "Who will go first?"
"I will."
Shen Yumen was obsessed with swords. He had heard tales about Solitary Moon City and the Sword Pool before. He knew that there were various levels of treasured swords within it. If luck was on his side, finding a Ninth-Rank Sword was not impossible.
"Go ahead," Elder Xu said sternly.
"Thank you, Elder."
Shen Yumen bowed slightly to express his gratitude to Elder Xu, who chose to ignore him. Shen Yumen furrowed his brow slightly, unsure whether he should rise or remain kneeling.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up!" Elder Xu scolded.
"Yes," Shen Yumen replied.
With a leap, Shen Yumen entered the Sword Pool. The pool was not large, roughly two zhang in diameter. The water was a deep, dark green, obscuring what lay beneath its surface.
As Shen Yumen sank into the water, he saw numerous swords. He reached out and grabbed one nearby—a third-tier sword. His heart raced with joy. Just as he was about to swim back to the surface with the sword, he thought, "The deeper I go, the better the swords must be."
So he discarded the third-tier sword and continued to swim deeper into the pool.
There were countless swords all around him, and Shen Yumen felt an overwhelming excitement. After spending two hours exploring, he finally reached the bottom of the deep pool and found a White Sword. He couldn't determine its rank but sensed it was extraordinary.
Emerging from the water, he tightly gripped the White Sword and exclaimed, "I reached the bottom of the deep pool and found this sword. There shouldn't be anything better than this."
"White Radiance Sword, fifth rank," Elder Xu stated simply, providing only the name and rank of the sword without further comment. Then he said, "Next."
The four others were shocked by the mention of a fifth rank. Even Meng Kuo, who usually only cared about himself, felt a stir of excitement and couldn't help but glance at Shen Yumen's White Sword with envy.
In the next moment, the arrogant Meng Kuo jumped into the deep pool without a word.
Each sword taken from the Sword Pool meant one less remained. As Shen Yumen had already reached the bottom, the number of top-tier swords would only decrease from there.
Lin Feng had intended to be second to enter but was caught off guard when Meng Kuo jumped in without asking for permission.
Meng Kuo spent five hours in the deep pool before finally emerging with a white longsword. He too had reached the bottom and found both a green sword and a white sword. Preferring white, he chose the one in his hand.
Upon closer inspection, this sword was different from Shen Yumen's. The white sword in Meng Kuo's hand was adorned with intricate engravings along its blade.
"Frosty Snow, Seventh Rank," Elder Xu remarked indifferently.
Shen Yumen became anxious upon hearing the words "Seventh Rank." He asked, "How did you find it?"
It is important to note that while the Seventh Rank appears to be two levels higher than the Fifth Rank, there is a significant difference between them.
"Fan Xue." Meng Kuo completely ignored Shen Yumen and repeated the name of the sword, unable to resist touching its blade. From the heat in his expression, it was clear he had a deep affection for this sword and its name.
"Next," Elder Xu said.
Lin Feng looked at Miaomiao and said, "Miaomiao, you go first."
"Okay."
Miaomiao initially wanted Lin Feng to go ahead, but since he spoke up first, she felt no need to decline. She leaped into the deep pool.
Miaomiao also saw many swords and without hesitation swam toward the bottom of the pool. As Shen Yumen had mentioned, the higher-ranked swords were indeed at the bottom.
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