The Trash Sect's Ascension - chapter 6

The Green-eyed Suanni Beast stopped in front of the Mountain Gate of the Sword Sect.

Above the Jade Steps, a No-fly Array was in place.

Anyone below the Divine Transformation stage, regardless of who they were, had to obediently ascend the nine hundred and ninety-nine Jade Steps on foot.

This was the prestige of the Sword Sect as the foremost sect in the Nine Provinces.

The Penglai Sect disciples scrambled up the Jade Steps in a panic, abandoning even their own spirit beasts.

I patted the Green-eyed Suanni Beast’s head and said, “Little one, run along. Don’t get hurt in a bit.”

The beast tilted its head, blinked its green eyes, and bounded away on all fours.

A bell rang out, deep and ancient, as if it echoed from primordial times.

It was the sound of the sect’s treasured Primordial Chaos Bell, only used on the grandest of ceremonies.

Such as a hundred years ago, when I went alone to seal the Demonic Abyss.

And now, at the Dual Cultivation Ceremony of Xie Changgeng and Jiang Li.

The Donghuang Sect’s Golden Phoenix drew the carriage, and the Qiyun Sect’s Green-red Luan Bird led the procession.

Jiang Li, in the Sword Sect’s violet robes, holding the Returning Snow Sword, sat upright within the carriage.

Today was not only her Dual Cultivation Ceremony with Xie Changgeng, but also her first appearance as the Returning Snow Sword Master before all the major sects.

Within the Sword Pool’s thousands of famous swords, only five are considered Divine Swords.

A Divine Sword has a Sword Spirit and chooses its own master.

Those chosen by a Sword Spirit are honored as Sword Master.

Throughout history, every Sword Master of a Divine Sword has been a figure of unmatched talent and brilliance.

They either founded sects, commanded a region, or shattered the void to ascend to a higher realm.

The Returning Snow Sword had lain dormant for ages; the last time it appeared was three thousand years ago, with Su Xuan Zhenren.

She was the closest in the past millennium to achieving Ascension.

Her cultivation was even greater than that of the previous Flowing Wind Sword Master.

Thus, all the major sects gave Jiang Li, this newly minted Returning Snow Sword Master, the utmost respect and honor.

Who does not respect the strong?

Even if that strength has yet to fully blossom.

I sneered.

So what if she wields the Returning Snow Sword?

If she can truly mature, she will be the Returning Snow Sword Master, sweeping across the Nine Provinces, with all who see her bowing their heads.

If she cannot, she will remain ordinary and mediocre; even with fortune from the heavens, she will never bear the might of a Divine Sword.

I don’t care about other Sword Masters, but as for Jiang Li, the Returning Snow Sword Master, I will make sure she is crushed before she ever comes into her own!

Before the lingering resonance of the ninth toll of the Primordial Chaos Bell faded, a sharp, metallic pipa chord pierced the sky.

The Golden Phoenix-drawn carriage from the Donghuang Sect suddenly lurched.

The Green-red Luan Bird of Qiyun Sect plunged into the onlookers, weaving drunkenly among them.

In the ensuing chaos, the Golden Phoenix fell from the sky.

The eight-treasure palanquin carrying Jiang Li plummeted straight toward the ground.

She cried out in alarm, attempting to escape on her sword.

But she forgot: today, the Sword Sect had lifted the Floating Restriction specifically to show its power to the other sects.

Her cultivation had not reached Divine Transformation. Even with the Returning Snow Sword in hand, she could not fly.

She could only leap from the carriage, rolling across the ground in disarray.

Her clothes were askew, hair half undone.

All the elaborate jewels in her hair scattered everywhere, trampled heedlessly by the fleeing crowd.

“How dare you! Who would dare run wild in front of my Sword Sect’s gates?!”

Indeed, the number one in all the Nine Provinces Continent.

With just a shout, one’s true essence surged uncontrollably.

The hurried footsteps grew ever closer.

I curved my lips in a smile, summoned my broken sword, and brought it down with a fierce chop.

A cold, fierce light flashed, accompanied by a cracking sound.

The Sect Stone Tablet, the very symbol of the Sword Sect’s prestige for thousands of years, split in two under the stunned gazes of all present.

The upper half slid slowly along the break, then crashed thunderously to the ground at the edge, sending up a cloud of dust.

I covered my nose, stepped up onto the fallen tablet-

Stepping atop the pride of the foremost sect in the Nine Provinces.

The leading figure let out a thunderous shout, thunder raging in his voice: “Courting death!”

I turned, my gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd.

A stir spread among the people.

“Did I see that right? Isn’t that the Xian Shuang Sword Master?”

“Impossible! The Xian Shuang Sword Master sacrificed herself for the world, falling into the Demonic Abyss a hundred years ago. How could she be here now?”

“…Could she be here to steal the marriage? Don’t forget, before heading to the Demonic Abyss, the Xian Shuang Sword Master and the Flowing Wind Sword Master were betrothed. When news of her death came, the Flowing Wind Sword Master was devastated for decades!”

“It can’t be her! Look at the sword in her hand-not Xian Shuang, but an ordinary rusted broken sword.”

“But how could an ordinary sword split the Sect Stone Tablet of the Sword Sect?”

Xie Changgeng seemed deaf to the voices around him, staring dazedly at me. He descended the Jade Steps step by step, his tone barely a whisper: “Senior Sister…”

My gaze swept past his face without stopping, landing instead on the face of the leading man, now dark with anger. I raised my brows and smiled, “Honored Father, it has been a long time.”