The Cloud Knight Martial Arts Assessment began the following day.
Held once every five years, this grand military event served as both a comprehensive test of combat prowess and the primary gateway for selecting new Valiant Guards. Those who distinguished themselves could earn promotion to that elite rank. Claiming the championship guaranteed immediate advancement.
The training grounds were packed. Countless Cloud Knights filled the viewing stands, while General Sha Feng and the current Valiant Guards watched from the highest platform.
From the opening matches, several fighters displayed exceptional skill. Yet one figure drew every eye.
A woman in light armor stood on the arena, her ice-colored hair tied high with a blue ribbon. Her presence carried the cold detachment of a banished immortal. But it was not her appearance that commanded respect. In the martial assessment, only strength mattered.
From her very first preliminary bout, Jingliu displayed overwhelming dominance. She did not probe or trade blows. Her opponents never saw her sword leave its scabbard before the flat of the blade sent them flying off the stage.
"Too fast… I couldn't even react!"
"Who is she? I've never seen her before."
"You must be new. That's the personal disciple of Cloud Knight Vanguard Lord Kanzaki. They say she fell into a deep sleep after that campaign decades ago and only recently awakened…"
"I see."
Decades had passed. Many faces within the Cloud Knights had changed. Yet Jingliu continued to advance without pause. Veterans of close combat and weapon specialists alike fell within a few exchanges. Those who remembered her from before could only feel a renewed sense of awe. The sharp edge she had always carried had only grown keener.
The assessment stretched across several days. Even in the finals, no one had managed to force Jingliu to reveal her limits. The longest match lasted only a few dozen exchanges.
"As expected of a descendant of the Tomomu family. He certainly knows how to raise disciples."
At the highest point of the viewing stand, General Sha Feng smiled with clear approval as he turned to the man beside him.
"It is difficult to imagine how much stronger she might have become had she not slept for those decades."
Kanzaki remained silent, his expression unchanged.
The final match was about to begin.
Jingliu and her opponent stepped onto the stage together. Across from her stood Qin Huaimin, another strong contender who had carved his way to the finals. His military record was impressive, and rumor claimed he had cultivated True Qi within his inner organs, granting him formidable power.
"Please advise me."
Qin Huaimin gripped his longsword, his face solemn. He had watched every one of Jingliu's matches and understood exactly how dangerous his fellow soldier was.
"Please."
Jingliu drew a standard-issue Cloud Knight heavy sword and held it lightly in one hand.
The clash began in an instant.
Sword intent coiled around Qin Huaimin as he swung his blade in tight, impenetrable arcs, precisely intercepting Jingliu's lightning-fast thrusts. Their figures blurred across the arena. The ring of steel rang out like a sudden downpour. Before long, the bluestone slabs beneath their feet began to crack under the overflowing sword qi.
Qin Huaimin grew increasingly alarmed. His proud sword techniques, which had never failed him before, could not gain even the slightest advantage against Jingliu's relentless assault.
After dozens of exchanges, he abruptly retreated to create distance. His True Qi surged violently as he sent his sword into the air.
Before Jingliu could close in, an ancient and crushing sword intent spread across the arena.
"Using the heart as a scabbard to nourish the sharp blade!"
The heavy sword in Qin Huaimin's hand seemed to awaken. Sword intent and True Qi fused as one. The heavenly gates opened, and a colossal ancient sword manifested above the entire stage before crashing downward.
Several Valiant Guards on the viewing stand rose to their feet.
"Taixu Sword Form?!"
"Qin Huaimin actually mastered it? His father spent two full centuries practicing that technique!"
"It seems the match is decided. Jingliu cannot block that."
"Not necessarily. Her expression hasn't changed at all."
"…She has always worn that expression."
Whispers rippled through the stands. Even those who did not recognize the technique felt the immense pressure radiating from the descending sword.
Kanzaki sat calmly beside General Sha Feng, his face tranquil, yet his gaze never left his disciple's back.
Above the arena, Qin Huaimin shifted his sword seals.
"Three feet of water can intercept the clouds!"
The giant sword plummeted, compressing the air into a piercing shriek.
Jingliu looked up. There was no fear in her eyes, only her usual icy calm. With a flick of her wrist, the ordinary standard-issue sword rose to meet the attack.
Crack—
Common iron could not withstand the power of Taixu Sword Qi. The moment the blades connected, Jingliu's sword shattered into fragments.
Boom!!!
The colossal sword slammed into the arena with unstoppable force. Stone exploded outward as if struck by a falling star. A violent shockwave erupted, sending dust and debris flying in every direction.
"I didn't expect the finals to end so quickly…"
Someone sighed, convinced Jingliu had been defeated or gravely injured.
When the dust finally settled, the entire venue fell into stunned silence.
In the center of the ruined arena, hundreds of flying swords had formed a dense spherical sword formation that completely halted the seemingly invincible Taixu Sword Qi. The formation slowly dispersed, revealing Jingliu standing alone and completely unharmed.
One blade. Two blades… A hundred blades…
People began counting aloud, their voices growing more shocked with each number.
"S-Six hundred blades?!"
An experienced Cloud Knight cried out in disbelief.
"Good heavens! She can actually control six hundred flying swords? Her divine sense didn't collapse under the strain?!"
"…You're blind. Haven't you realized yet that Jingliu is one of the rare few who has successfully cultivated True Qi?"
"You can't envy talent like that. Some people spend their entire lives trying and still fail."
The training grounds erupted into an uproar.
Jingliu's expression remained perfectly calm, her gaze steady.
Qin Huaimin's face grew grave. He too had cultivated True Qi, yet controlling two hundred flying swords was currently his limit. Even empowered by the Taixu Sword Form, he could not match what she had just displayed.
The outcome was still undecided, and Qin Huaimin showed no sign of retreat. With a shake of his shoulders, he summoned his own two hundred flying swords.
At Jingliu's thought, her six hundred blades transformed into streaks of light and surged toward him.
Qin Huaimin tried to resist, but the numerical gap was overwhelming. His swords were scattered in moments.
Three exchanges later, a sword light stopped three inches from the center of his forehead.
A bitter, helpless smile appeared on Qin Huaimin's face.
"I lost."
After a brief silence, an explosive cheer shook the entire training grounds.
"Six hundred flying swords… Terrifying. I doubt many veteran Valiant Guards possess that kind of power."
"If the disciple is already this strong, just how powerful must Lord Kanzaki be?"
"In that war decades ago, Lord Kanzaki killed the most Abominations of any Cloud Knight. What do you think?"
"…"
While the spectators continued their excited discussions, General Sha Feng rose from the high platform with a hearty laugh, his voice carrying across the entire venue.
"I hereby declare that the winner of the 427th Cloud Knight Martial Arts Assessment is—Jingliu! From this day forward, she is promoted to Cloud Knight Vanguard!"
Under the gaze of thousands, glory was bestowed upon her.
Amid the deafening cheers, Jingliu seemed almost detached from the celebration. She did not look at the roaring crowd. After offering a respectful bow to the General, she immediately turned her head toward the figure standing beside him.
When her eyes met her master's, a faint light flickered within them.
Expectation. Longing. A quiet, almost childlike hope for praise after achieving something great.
Kanzaki's face remained completely unchanged.
---
Bonus chapters
200 - Stones
400 - Stones
600 - Stones
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