I’m Here To Kill

I'm Here To Kill...

Qin Wentian blended in effortlessly among the crowd, but when he saw Yin Ting stepping forward, a fiery determination blazed in his eyes.

He couldn't forget the day when the six chosen had surrounded him, threatening the lives of his loyal companions, Little Rascal and Purgatory. Were it not for their protection, he might have met his end that day. Currently, Purgatory was still nursing its wounds, unable to fully recover, relying on his bloodstream for sustenance. Yin Ting, by daring to step onto this stage today, had signed his own death warrant.

Standing beside Qin Wentian, Yun Rou had followed him from the Warforge Residence out of sheer curiosity.

"Yin Ting is incredibly powerful, a chosen from the Yin Clan. I wonder if he'll impress the nine great sects," she remarked. Earlier, she had been stunned by witnessing a formidable expert fall victim to the Violent Thunder Sword-Drum Formation. It was beyond her expectations that even the entry test could be so perilous. Indeed, gaining entry into the nine sects was no easy feat.

Yin Ting had already entered the formation, his body bathed in lightning, emanating the immense and solid energy of the earth. Each step he took felt as weighty and stable as a mountain. However, the relentless assault of violent lightning energies and razor-sharp sword qi forced him to pause repeatedly, readjusting his breathing and mental state. After a considerable struggle, he reached the center but not without coughing up a mouthful of blood along the way.

Now, his eyes sparked with lightning as he summoned his own lightning energy to shield his body, intertwining it with the violet lightning of the formation. Despite the merciless onslaught of lightning and sword qi, he maintained his steady pace. Summoning all his might, he only coughed up three more mouthfuls of blood before pushing himself to take the final step, ultimately stepping onto the grand stage and passing the entry test.

Though his aura fluctuated noticeably, Yin Ting remained dazzling, capturing the attention and admiration of the crowd.

However, the representatives from the nine great sects remained stoic, as if nothing extraordinary had occurred.

The chosen ones from the major powers in Xuan King City were merely considered average geniuses from the perspective of the vast Grand Shang Empire. In such a vast empire, geniuses of this caliber were commonplace. Thus, the nine great sects weren't easily impressed. They would observe Yin Ting's subsequent performance before making any judgments.

"Even though Yin Ting passed the formation, he's clearly injured and has coughed up blood," murmured the spectators. They began to assess themselves in comparison to Yin Ting's performance, wondering if they could pass the entry test.

Yun Rou frowned, eventually shaking her head and sighing, "It seems hopeless for me. The formation is too formidable."

The two individuals beside Yun Rou also sighed, realizing that in Xuan King City, they might be considered extraordinary, but when facing an entry test set by the nine great sects, they were rendered utterly powerless.

Following Yin Ting, a steady stream of cultivators ventured into the formation, with some succeeding and others tragically failing.

Qin Wentian had remained rooted to his spot, choosing silent observation. In the blink of an eye, half a day had passed, and a substantial number of individuals had successfully navigated the entry test. Among them were prodigies hailing not just from Xuan King City but also from all six King Cities of the Grand Shang Empire. They were drawn here by the allure of joining the nine great sects.

Yin Ting, Jin Yan, Jian Jingtian, Feng Yunhe, and Xie Yu—all had triumphed over the formidable formation. Five out of the six chosen, with only Shang Qi remaining, now stood on that magnificent stage.

The experts from various major powers couldn't hide their excitement. If one of their disciples could secure a place in the nine great sects, it would be a stepping stone to extraordinary success, potentially even leading to the Royal Sacred Sect in the future.

Despite the growing number of experts on the stage, they refrained from competing against each other. It was as if the nine great sects were waiting for something, biding their time. The cultivators' levels were mostly at the fifth or sixth level of Heavenly Dipper, with a few at the fourth level or below. Those who had passed but belonged to the latter category couldn't help but feel uneasy about their circumstances.

Taking charge of this event for the Battle Sword Sect was none other than Lin Shuai. His master had personally instructed him to ensure the white-robed young man joined their sect. However, as of now, that enigmatic figure had yet to make an appearance.

Xuan King City sprawled across a vast expanse, and it was entirely possible that the white-robed young man hadn't even left the mountainous region. Tracking down one specific individual amidst the millions residing in Xuan King City was no simple task. Lin Shuai could only hope that the disciple recruitment selection event would stir enough commotion to draw the white-robed young man out.

With the nine great sects jointly hosting this recruitment event, it was bound to create waves of excitement. If the person his master had mentioned was indeed remarkable, there was no way he'd allow himself to miss this opportunity.

For now, even though Lin Shuai hadn't yet spotted the white-robed young man, he remained calm. He possessed the luxury of time and could afford to wait patiently.

If the elusive white-robed young man failed to make an appearance today, this event threatened to drag on for three long months. If the Battle Sword Sect refused to depart, entertaining their suspicions, the other eight sects were unlikely to leave early either.

Lin Shuai brimmed with curiosity about the white-robed young man his master had mentioned. He understood that his master had an eccentric temperament, focusing solely on his own desires. His master had once declared his intention to take a break and disappeared into the wilderness. Now, however, he had contacted the sect again, all for the sake of this mysterious figure. Lin Shuai was eager to discover who this young man was, to hold such significance in his master's heart. Little did he know that his master had been harshly rejected by the young man in the past, a truth he remained unaware of.

The encounter between the old man and Qin Wentian had been a mere coincidence. It was the unique personalities of Qin Wentian and Qing'er that had piqued the old man's interest, setting the stage for this entire event.

Meanwhile, Xu Feng and Ji Xue had taken the stage. As external disciples of the Qinghua Mountain, they were eligible to participate.

Xu Feng stepped forward, positioning himself in front of the Qinghua Mountain experts. With a respectful bow, he declared, "I am an external member of Qinghua Mountain, and I seek to become a core disciple. I humbly request the elders to grant me this opportunity."

"If you wish to undertake the core disciple test, your wish shall be granted," replied one of the Qinghua Mountain experts, scrutinizing Xu Feng. This young man appeared far from ordinary and displayed signs of talent. With a wave of his hand, the expert conjured a hovering mountain onto the stage, precisely within the area designated by the Qinghua Mountain Flag. In an instant, the heavy mountain crashed onto the stage with a deafening boom.

"This mountain is your test. If you can lift it to a height of three feet, I will permit you to enter the sect as a core disciple," the expert explained. Xu Feng's expression turned grave as he approached the mountain's front. However, the challenge was daunting. His arms couldn't even encircle the massive mountain, forcing him to find the best possible leverage. He exerted every ounce of his strength, but the mountain remained unmoved, as if he hadn't attempted to lift it at all.

"If I manage to lift the mountain, does that mean I have a chance to join Qinghua Mountain?" inquired another hopeful candidate, echoing the thoughts of many.

"If you gain our approval, indeed," the Qinghua Mountain expert chuckled. Without hesitation, Xie Yu dashed forward, his nine arms materializing and extending to envelop the mountain. He mustered every ounce of his strength and managed to lift it off the ground, but only briefly. The mountain crashed back down as Xie Yu's energy was depleted.

"This mountain is incredibly heavy," Xie Yu sighed. It seemed as though there was a mysterious force within the mountain that resonated with each participant's strength. The stronger they were, the heavier the mountain became.

"It's not that the mountain is too heavy; you lack finesse," a voice chimed in. Xie Yu furrowed his brows, turning his attention to the speaker. A figure approached, placing his palms on the mountain. He closed his eyes and contemplated the force within for an incense stick's worth of time. Then, he finally acted. In an instant, the mountain lifted three inches from the ground.

The countless onlookers fixed their gaze on this individual. He had become the first to pass the test for entry into the nine great sects.

"Not bad. Are you interested in joining Qinghua Mountain?" one of the Qinghua Mountain experts asked.

"I wish for nothing more," the person replied, bowing deeply. His response brought radiant smiles to the faces of the Qinghua Mountain experts. Since they had come to Xuan King City, they intended to return with something valuable, making this an opportune time to recruit disciples with immense potential.

Yin Ting approached the designated area for the Violet Thunder Sect on the grand stage. Remarkably, there was an elder in the Violet Thunder Sect who bore a striking resemblance to Yin Ting.

"Junior Yin Ting hopes for an opportunity to join the Violet Thunder Sect," Yin Ting said with a bow. One of the experts looked at the elder who resembled Yin Ting and inquired, "Is this young man your nephew?"

"Yes," the middle-aged elder replied with a laugh, nodding. He then turned to Yin Ting and said, "You better give it your all."

"Understood, Uncle," Yin Ting replied. The Violet Thunder Sect expert extended a finger, generating a space imbued with lightning. Thunderous roars and arcs of electricity filled the air within this space, and a statue bathed in violet lightning stood at the center.

"Enter this puppet array. For each step you take, the puppet will respond with a strike. To pass, complete seven steps. Remember, you are not allowed to retaliate."

Yin Ting approached the lightning-imbued space with utmost seriousness and stepped inside. Almost immediately, after his very first step, the puppet reacted, launching a thunderous palm imprint that struck him with tremendous force. Yin Ting braced himself against the impact.

With each successive step, the arcs of electricity intensified, and the friction of the lightning grew louder. On his fourth step, the sheer volume of lightning resembled a tsunami crashing down upon him. The fifth step felt like facing an ancient, ferocious beast, its fangs bared, and it devoured him in a storm of electricity. Finally, on the sixth step, the relentless lightning sent him hurtling out of the array. He had failed to pass the test.

"Not bad, but not enough," remarked the Violet Thunder Sect expert. Even though Yin Ting's uncle was a member of their sect, they didn't intend to offer him special treatment.

"Junior Xue Fei wishes to enter the Heaven Cleaving Manor."

"Junior Feng Yunhe wishes to join the Divine Dragon Castle."

And so, the hopeful applicants moved towards the sects they aspired to join. However, the passing rate remained dismally low.

"Shang Qi, give it a try," an expert from the King's Manor urged Shang Qi from the royal clan. Shang Qi nodded, first passing the Violet Thunder Sword-Drum Formation. Then, he walked to the Battle Sword Sect and announced, "Junior Shang Qi would like to attempt the Battle Sword Sect's test."

Lin Shuai cast a scrutinizing glance at Shang Qi. This individual didn't express a desire to join the Battle Sword Sect; instead, he merely wished to try their test.

With a wave of Lin Shuai's hand, brilliant sword beams descended from the sky, arranging themselves into nine rows, floating horizontally in the air.

"This sword formation targets the heart. Without unwavering determination, one will undoubtedly perish," Lin Shuai commented with no hint of emotion. Shang Qi stood at the entrance of the sword formation, gazing at the nine rows of resplendent sword beams that seemed sharper than any swords he had ever seen. He took a step forward but felt an overwhelming urge to retreat. If his resolve wavered, death would be his only outcome.

Meanwhile, as Shang Qi stepped onto the stage, the six individuals who had previously confronted him during the appearance of the constellation fruits all watched closely. Only then did Qin Wentian step forward, heading towards the Violet Thunder Sword-Drum Formation.

Yun Rou couldn't help but raise her voice in concern as she watched Qin Wentian approach the Violet Thunder Sword-Drum Formation. "Friend, this formation is incredibly perilous. Unless you're a chosen from a major power, attempting it is senseless. There's no need to risk your life."

"Your concern is appreciated," replied Qin Wentian, his demeanor unshaken. Dressed in black, he exuded an aura of cold confidence, mingled with a hint of arrogance. Behind him, a pair of ordinary weapons, an axe and a long spear, were visible. His top-tier fourth-ranked divine weapons remained concealed within his interspatial ring. His purpose for being here today wasn't to seek entry into the nine great sects; he had come with a different agenda—to exact vengeance.