C14 Chapter 14

The Azure Edge Sword Sect has many elders, but the ones with the most influence are the Nine Elders. Each of these elders is incredibly powerful, holding a position just below the sect leader. The white-bearded elder on the stage was the ninth-ranked among the Nine Elders. No one knew his real name. Everyone simply called him the Ninth Elder. He had personally attended the Outer Sect disciple competition this time.

As a disciple of the Azure Edge Sword Sect, Hua Hsing had, of course, heard of the Ninth Elder and recognized him. He knew that, today, a single word from the Ninth Elder could resolve everything. That was why Hua Hsing specifically sought his opinion, sensing a righteous aura emanating from him.

"Hua Hsing, you've committed a grave offense and still hope for the Ninth Elder's forgiveness. How ridiculous," Elder Ma, Jiaang Xue's mentor, said coldly. Elder Ma's status in the sect was not as high as that of the Nine Elders, but he was still more influential than most elders.

Hearing Elder Ma's reprimand, the other elders also began to speak, all agreeing that Hua Hsing was guilty. "Hua Hsing, you killed a fellow disciple right in front of the Ninth Elder. Such a heinous crime will not be overlooked."

"Indeed, Elder Nine, this young man must be punished."

"Elder Nine, I propose that we strip Hua Hsing of his abilities and expel him from the Azure Edge Sword Sect," Re Yunzheng said quietly.

Re Yunzheng's words made Hua Hsing frown. It was clear that Re Yunzheng wanted him gone for good.

"Re Yunzheng, why are you so malicious? Stripping Hua Hsing of his abilities is as good as a death sentence," Hsu Feng rebuked loudly.

"Exactly. Although Hua Hsing accidentally killed Qii Yongqi, it was self-defense. If anyone is to blame, it is Qii Yongqi for using power that was not his," Men Feng added.

"Qii Yongqi broke the rules first. Hua Hsing did nothing wrong."

Men Feng and Hsu Feng speaking up for Hua Hsing in front of so many elders warmed his heart. At the same time, he made a mental note of Elder Ma, Jiaang Xue, and Re Yunzheng, who harbored ill intentions toward him and wanted to use this opportunity to eliminate him.

Hsu Feng and Jiang He spoke up for Hua Hsing in front of so many elders, and Hua Hsing felt a wave of warmth in his heart. At the same time, he firmly remembered Elder Ma, Jiaang Xue, and Re Yunzheng. The three of them harbored killing intent toward him and wanted to use this chance to get rid of him.

"Elder Nine, say something," Elder Ma urged, noticing Elder Nine's silence.

The other elders also turned their attention to Elder Nine, waiting for his decision. After all, the competition had been interrupted because of Hua Hsing, and this issue needed to be resolved before it could continue smoothly.

Elder Nine glanced at Hua Hsing, then surveyed the room before speaking slowly. "Hua Hsing's actions violated the sect's rules by killing Qii Yongqi."

Upon hearing those words, Re Yunzheng and the others could not hide their delight. If Elder Nine found Hua Hsing guilty, no one would be able to save him. Hua Hsing was momentarily stunned and was just about to speak when Elder Nine continued.

"However, I do not believe Hua Hsing is guilty."

This statement caused quite a stir, signaling Elder Nine's intent to protect Hua Hsing. "Elder Nine, Hua Hsing..."

Elder Ma's expression shifted slightly when he heard this, and he hurriedly tried to speak. However, he was cut off by the Ninth Elder. "Qii Yongqi brought this upon himself. He used a power that did not belong to him, and he has no one else to blame," the Ninth Elder said with a wave of his hand. He then added, "Our Azure Edge Sword Sect is a righteous and honorable sect. How could our disciples resort to such despicable methods?" "Enough. The competition will continue," he said in a low voice. The other elders still wanted to argue, but none of them dared to contradict him. In the end, the disturbance was settled with a single sentence from the Ninth Elder, and the competition resumed.

"Damn it, he's still not dead," Re Yunzheng said coldly, his face dark.

The third round gradually came to an end, and the fourth round was next. However, because of time constraints, the fourth round was postponed until the following day. After the referee made the announcement, the disciples left the training grounds one after another, and the Ninth Elder and the others also departed quickly. As Re Yunzheng was leaving, his eyes flashed with killing intent as he glanced at Hua Hsing.

After everyone else had gone, Hsu Feng punched Hua Hsing lightly on the shoulder and laughed. "Hua Hsing, you're really amazing. Even the Ninth Elder is backing you." Jiang He was also happy for Hua Hsing. "Hua Hsing, I thought you would be punished for killing Qii Yongqi, but I didn't expect the Ninth Elder to be so fair and reasonable."

Night gradually fell, and after dinner, Hua Hsing returned to his room. Although he now had the strength to challenge Re Yunzheng, he still entered cultivation without hesitation. Over the past month, Hua Hsing had come to understand that the Ancient Sword Continent was a world where the strong ruled. If you had power, you could kill as you pleased.

On the contrary, if you lacked strength, even if you were killed, no one would seek justice for you. That was the cruelty of reality. "I must become stronger," Hua Hsing shouted inwardly. If it had been the former Hua Hsing, he would never have possessed such ambition. Perhaps he would have remained a worthless person for his entire life. Ever since obtaining the Golden Heart, Hua Hsing had felt it constantly transforming his body and even changing his talent. He discovered that not only was his strength increasing, but his aptitude was improving as well.

Hua Hsing sat cross-legged in the courtyard as the bright moonlight poured over him, layers of soft radiance appearing around his body. At a certain moment, he suddenly opened his eyes and quickly rose to his feet. He stepped forward, clenched both fists, and gathered the strength of his entire body into his hands before throwing a fierce punch. Instantly, the air in front of him seemed to distort slightly. A burst of fist force struck directly into the void, creating ripples before slowly fading away.

"Body Refining Fist, ninth level."

Hua Hsing's face was filled with joy. Although Body Refining Fist was only a basic martial technique, once it reached the ninth level, its power could not be underestimated. "Reaching the Perfection Stage in Body Refining Fist can actually increase my strength," he said.

Over the next period of time, Hua Hsing began cultivating the Golden Light Sword Arts. Early the next morning, all the Outer Sect disciples gathered once again in the Martial Arena. The fourth round of the competition began. There were 25 disciples remaining in total, which meant 12 matches, with one disciple receiving a bye. After the Ninth Elder briefly explained the rules, the drawing of lots began.

When Hua Hsing opened his lot, he was momentarily stunned. He had not expected to draw a bye. When Re Yunzheng learned that Hua Hsing had received the bye, his expression turned ugly. "His luck is really good," Re Yunzheng said coldly. Some of the other disciples who were dissatisfied with Hua Hsing also began to speak out, saying that he was simply too fortunate.

Two hours later, the fourth round concluded. 12 disciples were eliminated, leaving 13 to advance. The 12 eliminated disciples were all gritting their teeth at Hua Hsing. They believed that if Hua Hsing had not gotten a bye, one of them might have taken that spot. "Hua Hsing, that lucky guy, actually made it to the next round," one disciple said. "He's really got some good fortune," said another. "Hmph, even if he advances, what can he do? Facing Senior Brother Re, he's bound to lose."

The fourth round ended, and the fifth round began. To the surprise of many disciples, Hua Hsing once again drew a bye. "Darn it, how does Hua Hsing keep getting a bye?" many disciples grumbled. Even Hua Hsing found it hard to believe. He had drawn a bye twice in a row, allowing him to enter the top 10 without competing.

The fifth round was much more intense than the fourth, but Re Yunzheng still swept through his opponent with overwhelming force. Although there were only six matches in the fifth round, they took up four hours. By the afternoon, the fifth round finally concluded. The remaining six disciples were the finest of the Outer Sect, all at least in the late stage of Qi Refining. Including Hua Hsing, there were still seven people left, so they had to draw lots again.

This time, the bye went to Re Yunzheng, and Hua Hsing did not get it. "Hmph, Hua Hsing, you've had your fun for two rounds. This time, I'll personally end you," Men Feng said coldly, his eyes glinting with malice.

Men Feng was the weakest among the six disciples who advanced. However, his cultivation had reached the late stage of Qi Refining. If he had been facing someone else, Men Feng might not have been confident of victory, but when he learned that his opponent was Hua Hsing, he was overjoyed.

"Hua Hsing, you're no match for me. Just give up," Men Feng said arrogantly on the Martial Arena.

Hua Hsing shook his head slightly. "We'll only know after we compete," he replied.

"In that case, I'll oblige you." With a low growl, Men Feng unleashed his most powerful sword technique, filling the sky with dazzling sword light. "Men Feng is so strong. Hua Hsing doesn't stand a chance," the surrounding disciples exclaimed. "Men Feng's swordsmanship has reached the Perfection Stage."

"Hmph, in the next round, you will definitely lose," a disciple said.

After the drawing ended, the other 24 disciples were divided into 12 groups and began to fight. Two hours later, the fourth round of the competition had ended. 12 disciples were eliminated, and the remaining 13 advanced to the next round. The 12 eliminated disciples gnashed their teeth at Hua Hsing. They believed that if Hua Hsing had not received a bye, that spot might have been theirs.

"Hua Hsing is such a lucky fellow. He actually made it to the next round."

"His luck is really good."

"Hmph, so what if he makes it to the next round? If he runs into Senior Brother Re, he will definitely lose."

After the fourth round ended, the fifth round began. However, to the surprise of the many disciples, Hua Hsing once again drew a bye. "Damn it, how does Hua Hsing keep drawing bye slots?" Many disciples were deeply resentful.