I have an Apocalypse City Chapter 1172

Chapter 1172: Chapter 1174: Youth_1 Chapter 1172: Chapter 1174: Youth_1 With the Withering and Flourishing Azure Dragon Sword Body activated, Song Jian easily reached the grand hall at the mountain's summit. In Song Jian's view, the Azure Dragon Sword Body was merely a skill. Even though it was powerful, it didn't seem all that remarkable–least of all in Song Jian's heart, where it ranked much lower than the Karmic Fire Red Lotus Ten Thousand Swords Art.

However, when Song Jian stood before the great hall atop the mountain and saw the many peak masters and elders looking at him with the kind of desire one reserves for an unrivaled beauty, he suddenly realized that this Withering and Flourishing Azure Dragon Sword Body was far more important than he had imagined.

Thirty seconds later, the Azure Dragon apparition slowly vanished, and his Vitality Points limit returned to normal. Although Song Jian appeared somewhat disheveled, his poise and demeanor were far superior to those of the examinees from previous years who had climbed to the summit. After all, having executed the Azure Dragon Sword Body, he was, at the very least, in a state beyond his usual sixth layer, a stark contrast to the other examinees who had nearly exhausted all of their strength.

“Hahaha, very good, indeed worthy of being my Immeasurable Peak's disciple–just the air about you is head and shoulders above the rest!” An old man with long white hair and a benevolent smile, looking at Song Jian as if he were his own grandchild, said, “That good-for-nothing disciple of Duan Jian has finally done something worthwhile for our Immeasurable Peak!”

Song Jian: “???”

Seeing the puzzled expression on Song Jian's face, Duan Wuchun immediately felt a bit embarrassed. It was only then that he remembered Song Jian hadn't completed all the tests to become an official disciple; he had merely passed the Ascent to Heaven Stairs examination. Hence, he was completely unaware of Imperial Sword Sect's organizational structure.

“Actually, the Imperial Sword Sect has many legacies, each legacy…” Duan Wuchun was ready to carefully explain the organizational structure of the Imperial Sword Sect to Song Jian, emphasizing that Duan Jian was part of their Immeasurable Peak line and naturally including Song Jian as part of Immeasurable Peak. After all, Duan Jian was Song Jian's mentor in the Main Plane, which gave Immeasurable Peak a natural advantage.

However, just as he was about to elaborate, another elder interjected, “Song Jian, you've smoothly passed the first part of the examination with a good performance. But to become a disciple of the Imperial Sword Sect, there are two more parts you need to pass! Now, rest well and recover your strength. Once all the first-part examinees arrive, the second part of the exams will begin!”

Duan Wuchun looked at this elder and felt somewhat speechless. The elder was the Imperial Sword Sect's Punishment Elder, and also the examiner in charge of this round of examinations.

As for these entrance examinations for new disciples, they are held periodically. Each time, an elder or peak master would take charge of the event. Though this was a matter of great importance in the eyes of the new disciples, for these peak masters and elders, it was somewhat of a tedious affair.

Had it not been rumored that among the new recruits was one who possessed the Ancient Moon Sword Physique, most of those present probably wouldn't have bothered to attend.

The Punishment Elder was from the Qinglian Peak lineage, and given his responsibility for this batch of new disciples' examinations, he had control over the entire mountain-guarding formation, which naturally included the Blood Loss Array within the Ascent to Heaven Stairs. He had only activated a small part of the Blood Loss Array's capabilities, and even then, he had set it to its lowest effect.

After bowing to everyone, Song Jian consciously walked to a corner and took out some recovery potions from his storage space, swallowing them and beginning to recover gradually.

During the Ascent to Heaven Stairs trial, external items were prohibited; now that he had passed the first trial, it was natural to restore his condition to its best to prepare for the remaining two trials.

Before long, Duan Jian and Gu Luo, accompanying Xin Ling, also reached the mountain summit. Without the gravity or Blood Loss Array, there was no issue for Xin Ling with her strength to reach the peak.

But after reaching the summit, Xin Ling glanced at the recovering Song Jian and a touch of disappointment crossed her face.

The reason why so many peak masters and elders had come to observe after the offering ceremony today was mainly because of Xin Ling. They wanted to see what the disciple with the Ancient Moon Sword Physique looked like, and perhaps, they had even entertained the thought of persuading this disciple with the Ancient Moon Sword Physique to join their lineage.

However, after witnessing Song Jian's Azure Dragon Sword Body, these people suddenly looked down on Xin Ling, it was just an Ancient Moon Sword Physique after all, nothing compared to the Four Sacred Spirit Sword Body–absolutely nothing!

All eyes brimming with fervor were fixed on Song Jian. This was the legendary Four Sacred Spirit Sword Body. Once he joined any lineage within the Imperial Sword Sect, the future achievements of that lineage would be immeasurable. It was even not impossible for it to rise to become the peak of the sect.

After Xin Ling reached the mountain top, everyone continued to wait. More than an hour passed, and still, no one appeared on the stone steps. Song Jian felt somewhat puzzled, not knowing what they were still waiting for, but these influential figures seemed certain that someone else would reach the mountain top.

So they quietly waited. After more than another hour, a youth covered in blood finally came into view. This youth was already at his limit, who had collapsed completely; his body lay flat against the stone steps, limbs on the ground, crawling slowly upward step by step like a beast using all fours.

Because of the effects of gravity and the Blood Loss Array, the youth's knees and elbows had been worn raw, leaving a faint trail of blood along the path as he climbed.

His lips were also ulcerated, seemingly bitten by himself. One could tell his body was on the verge of breakdown, extremely overtaxed in strength. That he managed to reach this point was purely due to an unwavering and dogged determination.

Song Jian turned to look. At the mountain summit, in front of the grand hall, all the peak masters and elders stood before the stone steps, with cold eyes, like exalted immortals, looking down at the youth on the stone steps.

And this youth who kept climbing the steps seemed like an ant in the dust of the mortal world, trying to change his fate through his own strength.

One step, two steps, three steps…

The youth was climbing up with all his might, gritting his teeth. Watching him, Duan Jian and Gu Luo exchanged glances. They saw themselves in that youth, as they too had been just as bedraggled when they climbed the Ascent to Heaven Stairs years ago.

“So they were waiting for this youth!” Song Jian's state had fully recovered. He looked at the bigwigs on the mountain top. Everyone's gaze was actually focused on this youth. Although their expressions remained cold, not a single one showed impatience. There they stood quietly for nearly three hours, waiting for this youth who might make it to the top.

“Only three hundred steps left…” Duan Jian suddenly said in a low voice.

Gu Luo's brow furrowed, and his complexion turned ugly, as if recalling painful memories.

Song Jian of course knew what they were thinking; after all, he had just climbed all the steps using his own strength. The last three hundred steps were a checkpoint, where the gravity array slightly changed. It no longer altered every ten steps, but instead, every one hundred steps, although the overall gravity did not change. This meant that in the short span of three hundred steps there would be three changes. Upon stepping into the last three hundred steps, gravity would no longer increase by ten kilograms but would shoot up by a thousand kilograms. After another hundred steps, it would increase by another thousand kilograms, and after one more hundred steps, yet another thousand kilograms. The final one hundred steps would see no increase in gravity.

Given the physical condition of this youth, it would likely be quite difficult for him to withstand the sudden increase of one thousand kilograms in weight, which is also why Duan Jian and Gu Luo's complexions subtly shifted.

PS: Thank you to “A Night's Melancholic Turmoil” for the tip of 100 starting coins~

Chapter end

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