Chapter 90

Watching Lu Xuan's retreating back, Zheng Gang let out a long sigh, his heart finally settling. His life was safe for now. However, a flash of resentment soon crossed his eyes. He would never forget today's humiliation!

As Lu Xuan left, Zheng Gang was the only one left in the vast sword forest. Feeling the gazes of all the disciples on him, he felt a wave of shame. Everyone seemed to look at him with disdain. If he could, he would kill everyone present to cover up his embarrassing performance.

"Alright, Zheng Gang, you can step back now. Lu Xuan has already fought you as you requested. I hope you are convinced. Remember, the world is vast, and there are always people better than you. Don't be arrogant, and focus on your cultivation," Elder Jin said solemnly.

Zheng Gang reluctantly bowed and obediently stepped back.

Elder Jin's gaze lingered on Zheng Gang for only a second before it returned to Lu Xuan. Looking at Lu Xuan's back, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

Has Lu Xuan truly grasped the Sword Intent?

In the battle with Zheng Gang, Lu Xuan indeed performed exceptionally, instantly proving his achievements in the sword forest. However, the fight ended too quickly, and apart from the pose Lu Xuan struck, there was only one sword strike for everyone to reference.

All the elders present could sense a trace of Sword Intent in that pose, but unfortunately, in the following strike, Lu Xuan did not use any Sword Intent. He relied solely on the power of his martial technique to overpower Zheng Gang.

There was no denying the power of that strike, even though they couldn't identify the specific martial technique. However, for Elder Jin and the others, it was a bit disappointing, as he wanted to determine whether Lu Xuan had truly grasped the Sword Intent.

Deep down, Elder Jin believed that Lu Xuan had indeed grasped the Sword Intent. Otherwise, it was impossible to explain how he could achieve such a feat with only the fifth level of Body Tempering.

A glint of insight flashed in Elder Jin's eyes. If that's the case... it means that Lu Xuan didn't need to use his full strength against Zheng Gang. This young man is deeply hidden and not to be underestimated.

Thinking of this, Elder Jin smiled. His interest in Lu Xuan grew even more. There would be plenty of time to investigate Lu Xuan's true strength. He then shifted his gaze and looked at the disciples of the nine branches.

"The second round of tests is over. Your performances were excellent. I hope you continue to excel. Now, let's begin the third round!"

Hearing Elder Jin's words, the disciples who hadn't participated in the tests all smiled bitterly. With Lu Xuan's unattainable performance, how could they possibly do better?

However, the tests had to continue. Soon, the various branches sent out their representatives.

The ten sword disciples who stepped forward this time were all full of confidence, a stark contrast to their previous dejected state.

This was the effect of a leader. With Lu Xuan's outstanding performance, they naturally didn't want to tarnish the reputation of the Sword Branch. They all clenched their fists, not expecting to surpass Lu Xuan, but unwilling to fall behind the others.

The third round of tests progressed quickly. As each disciple completed their test, their results were displayed on the ranking stone.

To everyone's surprise, the ten sword disciples who participated in this round all ranked in the top thirty, an unprecedentedly good performance.

Elder Cheng laughed heartily, feeling that the clouds had finally cleared to reveal the moon. He praised the disciples for their efforts, which motivated those who hadn't tested yet to strive for good results.

This was the change brought about by mindset. These disciples had just entered the Wind Sword Sect and hadn't yet been cultivated by the sect, so they were all on the same starting line. The strength of the sword disciples was not necessarily inferior to that of the other branches.

However, the sword disciples who participated in the previous tests only thought about delaying their elimination to avoid being the first to be eliminated, which greatly affected their performance.

But the disciples who participated in this round were all determined to fight forward, aiming to kill more enemies and achieve a better ranking. This fighting spirit allowed them to fully unleash their potential.

The tests continued one after another. Stimulated by their companions, the sword disciples did not disgrace the Sword Branch. Although they didn't achieve the same excellent results in every round due to their strength, they pushed themselves to their limits and felt no regret.

During the tests, the talented disciples of the various branches also emerged. Each branch had one or two outstanding individuals, though they were far from Zheng Gang and even further from Lu Xuan, they were on par with Xing Feng and Xia Ye. One disciple from the Spear Branch even tied for third place with Li Hu.

Although the Spear Branch wasn't the largest, its strength was not weak. In the previous Wind Sword Sect's grand competition, the top three branches were the Blade Branch, the Fist Branch, and the Spear Branch.

Since there were no more unexpected events in the subsequent tests, the process moved quickly. In less than an hour, all the disciples had completed their tests.

Looking at the results of each disciple, Elder Jin smiled, nodding from time to time. The overall level of this year's disciples was much stronger than previous years, and the number of talented disciples far exceeded the previous few years. However, with Lu Xuan's brilliance, these lesser lights couldn't catch his attention.

"Very good, the new disciple entry tests are now over!" Elder Jin's authoritative voice echoed. "From this moment on, you are officially inner disciples of the Wind Sword Sect, entitled to all the benefits of inner disciples. Every month, the sect will regularly distribute a certain amount of elixirs and contribution points, as well as usage time for specialized cultivation areas. These are all your cultivation resources.

Of course, these cultivation resources are not given to you for free. To enjoy these resources, you must earn enough contribution points. For example, the sword forest, which you have experienced, not only evaluates your scores but also promotes your cultivation. I want to tell you that, apart from this time, every time you enter the sword forest in the future, you will need to pay 100 contribution points! In addition, the Martial Technique Pavilion, the Spirit Elixir Hall, the Five Elements Caves, and other places can all be accessed and used freely as long as you have enough contribution points.

Now, the disciples who have earned rewards from the entry tests, please come forward to claim your rewards!"