Sword Spirit

Chapter 35: Mental Strength Assessment

Last time on the second floor of the Treasure Pavilion, Lu Xuan had taught Xia Chen Xi the ancient enchantment technique’s skills without hiding anything. She was now repaying the favor.

Back then when she had pulled out the storage ring, she had seen that there was a trace of envy in Lu Xuan’s eyes. Now there was an opportunity, naturally she would help him fight for it. Whether or not he would succeed would depend on Lu Xuan himself.

In order to make this bet, she had let Ninth Uncle pull out his own personal weapon for the betting stake. Xia Chen Xi was a little sorry, but with the City Lord’s and Lin family’s power, as long as they spent some time, sooner or later they could once again find Ninth Uncle a good weapon. Furthermore, it wasn’t like Lu Xuan was going to lose for sure!

As for the Heaven Mixing dan, it could also help Lu Xuan a lot. Just think of the benefits that the Bone Cleansing dan had brought and you would know. Xia Chen Xi was going to be a core disciple, thus she would naturally be given good dan medicines. As for Lu Xuan, even if he won first place he would only be an inner sect disciple. With so many inner sect disciples, if one wanted to get a Heaven Mixing dan or a similar dan would not be easy at all.

“How can this be. In order to help me win some stuff, how could you let Ninth Uncle take the risk…”

Lu Xuan wanted to say more, but was stopped by Xia Chen Xi. She smiled and said: “Right now the bet has already been made. The elders in the judging area are all witnesses. If you don’t want Ninth Uncle to lose his weapon, then try hard to take first place.”

As they talked, the two had already reached the Sword Testing hall. Looking around, Xia Chen Xi said: “I won’t talk any longer. I’m going back first. I believe you can do it. Don’t disappoint mine and Ninth Uncle’s trust.

Seeing Xia Chen Xi float away, Lu Xuan could only bitterly laugh and shake his head. This time, Xia Chen Xi gave him quite a bit of pressure. Although his goal before was to take first place, now there was a reason that he must take first place, which wasn’t for the sake of the betting stakes but so that he could not have to owe other favors.

“Alright, everyone that passed the first round are all present. Then now we will begin the second round of the assessment!” Elder Sun stood on a tall stone platform, overlooking the crowd of martial artists below the platform.

Lu Xuan’s vision swept over the entire area. It was crowded with quite a few martial artists. With just a rough estimate, there were around a thousand people or so. There were at least over ten thousand young martial artists that had come from Lin City and its surroundings to participate. After the first round, ninety percent had failed. The difficulty of entering the Wind Sword Sect was easy to see.

However, this was also in part due to the difficulty of the assessment having been raised this time. The martial artists that could pass the first trial were almost all body refining third level or higher. Only tiny percentage of body refining second level with innate divine strength had been able to barely reach the 1000 jin threshold.

“The second trial’s content is mental strength. For every martial artist, strength is important, but mental strength is similarly important. On the martial path, there will inevitably be setbacks and temptations. If a person’s mental strength isn’t strong enough, they go astray and lose their heart’s martial path. In severe cases, one could even fall into the devil’s path, and fall beyond redemption.

“Surely you all have already seen my stone platform here. This used to be the Sword Testing Hall’s sword testing site, but now I have already planted an array. When the array starts up, the assessment will have begun. Other than passing the assessment, or stopping the array, there is no way for you to break out with your own power. The way of passing this round is to successfully pass through all of the mental strength trials. Those that fail to will have failed the assessment!

When Elder Sun had finished declaring the method to pass the trial, the countless martial artists below the platform suddenly burst into an uproar.

“This is a joke right? How could we possible pass through all of the mental strength trials?”

“Previously, wasn’t it as long as you passed through fifty percent then you could pass?”

“For the over a thousand people in here, there’s probably one maybe a half that will be able to pass through all of it right?”

…

“It’s over, it’s over… older brother Xuan, I definitely don’t have any hope.” Yao Lei immediately held his hands over his ears and shook his head. His mental strength was his weakest point. Now that he actually needed to pass through all of it, he had absolutely zero confidence.

“What are you afraid of.” Lu Xuan patted his shoulder, “As long as you can stick to your heart’s martial path, then a mere mental strength assessment will pose no problem.”

Yao Lei bitterly smiled: “That’s easy for you to say. I don’t have the same kind of heart’s martial path like you do. It would be better for me to just head back to Qing Mountain Village and go look for Little Red.”

Lu Xuan didn’t say anything and thought for a while. Then he smiled and said, “I’ll teach you a way. The higher a martial artist’s level is, the stronger their body’s constitution will be. Keke, then, your ability to endure will become stronger. And also, you will be able to live longer, and naturally you will be able to enjoy more pleasure. Just think about it that way and you’ll naturally have no problem.”

Hearing this, Yao Lei’s eyes lit up. This was a good method. It was indeed older brother Xuan who could come up with this idea so quickly.

At this time, Elder Sun’s voice once again sounded out: “Right now, all participating martial artists, please step onto the stone platform. After a stick of incense, the assessment will begin! Those that do not come onto the platform will have abstained.”

After they heard his words, the crowd of martial artists began to get onto the platform. Although they were continuously complaining about the requirements for this time’s assessment, no one was willing to just give up.While participating in the assessment, there was still a sliver of a chance. If they gave up, then there wouldn’t be any hope. They could only hope that they would be able to endure through it.

Lu Xuan and Yao Lei also began to go onto the stone platform. En route, Lu Xuan saw Xia Chen Xi and Lin Xin Yi. The two girls were also watching him. The former was giving him an encouraging look while the latter was smiling sweetly.

Returning a smile to the two girls, Lu Xuan then turned his head, preparing to enter the second round of the assessment. He asked himself if his heart’s martial path was firm, and thus he did not fear this mental strength test.

The Sword Testing Platform was very broad. Although there were over a thousand people on it at once, it didn’t feel too crowded, and there was still a bit of free space.

Lu Xuan randomly found a spot to sit cross-legged, closed his eyes, slowly adjusting his state, waiting for the assessment to begin.

Yao Lei picked a spot near Lu Xuan, not to far behind him, and learned from Lu Xuan’s manner, closing his eyes and sitting down, however, who knows what his mind was thinking about.

In a short while, the crowd of martial artists found places and the entire Sword Testing Hall suddenly became quiet. In front of the judging area, a stick of incense was slowly burning. As it was burning, Elder Sun nodded his head towards a deacon beside the Sword Testing Platform, indicating to him that he could start.

That deacon flipped a switch, enveloping all of the Sword Testing Platform’s array, immediately starting it!

Lu Xuan who was adjusting his state suddenly felt a flower in front of him. He had actually already arrived in the middle of a forest which also had a bit of a familiar feel to it.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Xuan came to an understanding. This was actually the place where he had been almost killed by Long Yang, the wilderness forest where he had cultivated.

Just as Lu Xuan came to an understanding, suddenly a wolf’s howl reached his ear. Lu Xuan immediately turned his head and saw an extraordinarily large savage wolf actually appear not too far away from him!