221: Chapter 221 Sword Technique Perfected

Lin Tian put away the note and turned to find Field Master Zhou.

Field Master Zhou was sitting behind his desk checking accounts. Seeing Lin Tian enter, he looked up and smiled, "What is it? Something the matter?"

Lin Tian cupped his hands in a salute and briefly explained the situation, "The Sect sent word calling me back to participate in the Seven Peaks Tournament. I must ask for leave from you; I'm afraid matters here at the fishery will be delayed for a while."

The brush in Field Master Zhou's hand paused.

He looked Lin Tian up and down, a look of surprise appearing on his face. Lin Tian had been at the fishery for nearly two years, spending his days either raising fish or Cultivating, keeping a very low profile. He hadn't expected the Sect to specifically summon Lin Tian back for the Seven Peaks Tournament.

"The Seven Peaks Tournament..." Field Master Zhou put down his brush and nodded slowly, "This is a major event."

He stood up, walked over to Lin Tian, and patted his shoulder, his tone filled with a bit of encouragement, "Since the Sect has summoned you back, then compete well. Those who can participate in the Seven Peaks Tournament are all Genius Disciples from each Peak; this is a rare opportunity for training."

Although he said this, deep in his eyes hid a trace of disapproval.

Although Field Master Zhou had spent years at the Yunhai Fishery, he was not cut off from news. During this time, he had heard quite a bit about the Qixia Sect.

The great war against the Demon Sect had just ended, and those Disciples who returned alive from the battlefield seemed to have had an epiphany, with Breakthroughs happening one after another. The momentum of the rising Genius Disciples was many times fiercer than in previous years.

When Lin Tian first arrived at the fishery, he was young and had already achieved a Breakthrough to the Fifth Grade, truly worthy of being called a Genius.

But now? There were too many Martial Artists on the battlefield who had achieved a Breakthrough to the Fifth Grade Middle Stage or Fifth Grade Late Stage; there were even several at the Fifth Grade Peak. By comparison, Lin Tian had spent the last two years safely raising fish and Cultivating at the fishery, without experiencing any great storms or waves. How much progress could his cultivation have made?

In the current Qixia Sect, Lin Tian was likely no longer that outstanding.

Field Master Zhou sighed inwardly. This kid had good Heart-Nature and was steady in his work, but unfortunately, upon returning this time, he would likely suffer a heavy blow.

However, he didn't say much else, only offering a few words of caution about the journey.

Lin Tian thanked him and turned to leave. That same day, he packed his belongings and left the Yunhai Fishery.

Qixia Sect, Zixia Peak.

In the great hall at the Peak, Peak Master Su Hanyan stood with her hands behind her back, lost in thought while gazing at the sea of clouds outside the hall.

Not long after, footsteps were heard outside, and a figure stepped into the hall. Lin Tian was travel-worn, and he cupped his hands in a salute, "Master."

Peak Master Su Hanyan turned around, her gaze landing on Lin Tian, looking him up and down. Two years had passed, and the aura about this Disciple had become much more steady; he was no longer as sharp and exposed as before, instead possessing a more restrained sense of gravitas.

She did not exchange pleasantries, asking straight to the point, "How is your strength?"

Lin Tian was stunned. Had his Master discovered his continuous Breakthroughs? His cultivation progress over the past two years was indeed somewhat exaggerated, but the Yunhai Fishery and Zixia Peak were very far apart; his Master shouldn't know.

He hesitated for a moment but dared not hide it. Trying to hide anything in front of Peak Master Su Hanyan was just asking for trouble.

"Reporting to Master," he said honestly, "Disciple has already achieved a Breakthrough to the Fifth Grade Late Stage."

The great hall went silent for a moment.

Peak Master Su Hanyan's pupils shrank sharply. Fifth Grade Late Stage? How could this be!

When Lin Tian left Zixia Peak for the Yunhai Fishery two years ago, he had only just achieved a Breakthrough to the Fifth Grade Early Stage. How long had it been? At most less than two years, and he had jumped two minor Realms from the Fifth Grade Early Stage, leaping directly to the Fifth Grade Late Stage?

Her first reaction was disbelief.

"What did you say?" Peak Master Su Hanyan's voice rose a few notches, "Fifth Grade Late Stage?" Lin Tian nodded.

Peak Master Su Hanyan didn't say another word, stepping in front of Lin Tian in one stride and pressing her palm onto his shoulder. A stream of pure Internal Energy probed into Lin Tian's body, traveling a circle along his Meridians.

A moment later, she abruptly withdrew her palm, her face filled with disbelief. It was true. Fifth Grade Late Stage. The thickness of the Internal Energy in his Dantian and the width of his Meridians were clearly authentic Fifth Grade Late Stage. It was even more solid than the vast majority of Fifth Grade Late Stage practitioners she had seen.

Peak Master Su Hanyan took a deep breath, staring at Lin Tian, "What is going on?"

Lin Tian had long since prepared his explanation, saying without changing his expression, "It must be good luck. There are no battles at the Yunhai Fishery, so Disciple could Cultivate with peace of mind, without being disturbed. Plus, the treatment at the fishery is good, and Steward Zhou did not mistreat Disciple, so the resources were sufficient. With one thing and another, I just had a Breakthrough."

Peak Master Su Hanyan listened and nodded slightly. This explanation was quite reasonable.

The Yunhai Fishery was indeed a quiet place, without the scheming of the Sect or the life-and-death crises of the battlefield. If one Cultivated diligently without distractions, combined with sufficient resources, it was indeed possible to make good progress.

She did not pursue the matter further, instead asking, "What about your sword techniques? How have you been practicing?"

Lin Tian said, "Disciple has already practiced both the Xiaguang Sword Technique and the Thunderclap Sword Technique to Perfection."

Peak Master Su Hanyan's eyes lit up. Both sword techniques had reached Perfection? She looked at Lin Tian, a smile slowly forming at the corners of her mouth. She truly hadn't misjudged him; this kid's talent in the Dao of the sword was truly astonishing.

With both sword techniques reaching Perfection simultaneously, looking across the entire Zixia Peak, one couldn't find many Disciples who could achieve this. Coupled with his Fifth Grade Late Stage cultivation...

Peak Master Su Hanyan's calculations quickly adjusted. She had originally thought about having Lin Tian come back to make up the numbers, with the main force still being Shen Haoran and Qiao Yiyi. But now it seemed that Lin Tian's strength was far stronger than she had anticipated.

"Good." She nodded, her tone filled with undisguised delight, "With your current strength, you might have a chance to compete for first place." She paused, then added, "Even if you can't fight for first, the top three should be stable."

Lin Tian then asked, "Master, what exactly is this Seven Peaks Tournament about?"

Peak Master Su Hanyan explained the cause and effect of the Seven Peaks Tournament. From the dispute over the allocation of the Martial King Treasure Trove, to the Sect Master making the final decision to determine rankings through martial prowess, to the reactions of each Peak, she explained it clearly from beginning to end.

After listening, Lin Tian understood. So it was for the allocation of the Martial King Treasure Trove. Whichever Peak's Disciples ranked higher, that Peak would receive more treasures. With more treasures received, that Peak's Cultivation resources would naturally rise with the tide, and the Disciples' Cultivation speed would also be faster.

This was a major event concerning the development of each Peak for the next few years or even over a decade. No wonder each Peak was acting as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

One could imagine how intense the competition for this Seven Peaks Tournament would be. The Genius Disciples of each Peak were likely all red-eyed, and no one would yield even half a step to anyone else.

Peak Master Su Hanyan looked at Lin Tian and said solemnly, "Give it your all. As long as you can achieve good results this time, the resources provided to you by the Sect and the Peak will definitely not be lacking."

Lin Tian nodded, his gaze calm, "Disciple understands."

He was a Disciple of Zixia Peak; if Zixia Peak was in trouble, he naturally would not stand idly by. Moreover, he himself also wanted the treasures in the Martial King Treasure Trove. How could the things left behind by a Martial King be ordinary items?

Over the next few days, Lin Tian lived on Zixia Peak. He meditated and adjusted his breath daily, polishing his state, adjusting his cultivation and spirit to their absolute Peak.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The day of the Seven Peaks Tournament had arrived.

Early that morning, as the light of day first appeared, the entire Qixia Sect began to boil. Disciples from the Seven Peaks poured out, converging into streams of people, rushing toward the Martial Arts Arena deep within the Sect. Everywhere there were sounds of footsteps and discussions; the atmosphere was as heated as a pot of boiling water.

The competition venue was set at the Martial Arts Arena in the center of the Sect. It was an extremely vast square, with several fighting rings set up in the middle. Each one was three zhang square, paved with bluestone, and with Formation Flags erected at the four corners, with faint spiritual light circulating.

Around the fighting rings were layers of viewing stands, which were already packed with people at this moment. The Peak Masters of each Peak had arrived, the Elders had arrived, and the Disciples had arrived. A sea of heads moved, and the noise was so chaotic it felt like it would flip the sky over.

Genius Disciples from all sides appeared one after another, and each time one appeared, it would trigger a wave of exclamations and discussions.

Lin Tian followed behind Peak Master Su Hanyan and walked into the Martial Arts Arena. The cheers and shouts in his ears surged like a tide, making his eardrums buzz. The air was permeated with a scorching aura; it was the scent of the Qi and blood and Battle Intent of countless Martial Artists intertwined.

Lin Tian took a deep breath, feeling the Qi and blood in his body also begin to boil. After all, he was only a young man in his early twenties.

For the past two years, he had been raising fish and Cultivating at the Yunhai Fishery, living a low-key and quiet life. Although his strength had been rising, he hadn't experienced such a grand scene like today for a long time.

Standing here now, listening to the mountain-shaking and sea-roaring waves of sound all around, and looking at the spiritual light of the Formation Flags surging on the fighting rings, the hot-bloodedness in his bones was gradually ignited. Lin Tian clenched his fists, a light brightening in his eyes. This time, he would show his skills.

Peak Master Su Hanyan stood beside Lin Tian, her gaze sweeping over the direction of the Disciples from the other Peaks in the distance, and she began to introduce them to him in a low voice.

"Look over there, that is Cao Yun of Chixia Peak." She slightly lifted her chin, pointing in one direction.

Lin Tian followed her gaze and saw a tall youth standing in the Chixia Peak team. His face was cold and hard, and his whole body exuded an aura of ferocity. Just by standing there, the people around him subconsciously kept their distance from him.

"Fifth Grade Peak." Peak Master Su Hanyan's voice was calm but carried a trace of gravity, "A cultivation level forged from killing on the battlefield; his battle power is extremely strong."

Her gaze shifted, and she looked toward the direction of Jinxia Peak, "Over there, that is Senior Brother Wang Yidao of Jinxia Peak."

Lin Tian turned to look. At the front of the Jinxia Peak team, a youth carrying a long sword with a black scabbard stood with his hands behind his back. His posture was as straight as a blade, his expression indifferent, and his eyes sharp. Even though he was standing in the crowd, he gave people the illusion of standing alone like an isolated Peak.

"Also Fifth Grade Peak." Peak Master Su Hanyan said, "His blade technique is peerless, and his strikes are extremely ruthless. These two people are your greatest opponents this time; you must pay special attention to them."

Lin Tian did not speak, only quietly watching those two figures. Fifth Grade Peak. Cao Yun. Senior Brother Wang Yidao. He withdrew his gaze, the corners of his mouth slightly curling into an arc. Then let them come.