“Is it true that Uncle Lan, in alliance with Red Martial Hall, asked the Mansion Master to have Meng’er become the Sword Pavilion Master so that she can take charge of Sword Pavilion? Is it a joke? ” Jian Wushuang laughed and didn’t take it seriously.
After all, for these four years, he stayed with Jian Meng’er almost every day, and Jian Lan had always been kind and taken particular care of him. As a result, they got along well with each other. Jian Wushuang, even treated them like his family, keeping no secrets from them.
His greatest wish which was to take charge of the Sword Pavilion had been known to them, both Jian Lan and Jian Meng’er.
In addition, it had been a tradition that the Sword Pavilion Master could only be selected from the Sword Pavilion. And Jian Meng’er, like her father, was committed to Red Martial Hall.
In Sword Marquis Mansion, Sword Pavilion and Red Martial Hall belonged to two different factions, which competed for dominance.
Sword Marquis Mansion, in its early days, concentrated on intensive research in swordsmanship, which can be inferred from the surname, Jian, of each clansman. However, with its gradual prosperity and development, juniors of the Marquis’ mansion also branched into other weapons. This was especially if they were more gifted in them than in swordsmanship.
Later, there were more and more such juniors eventually leading to the formation of Red Martial Hall. The existence of these two factions never led to open conflict, though there was always an undercurrent of rivalry. Now the relationship between them was especially acrimonious. Since Jian Meng’er, the daughter of the Great Elder of Red Martial Hall, was their heir, how could she take charge of Sword Pavilion?
Jian Wushuang did not take it seriously at first, thinking that the man was just kidding. But he heard further news after he took just a few steps.
“I heard that too. Jian Lan, the head of Red Martial Hall, together with the alchemists of Pill Refining Room, went to the Mansion Master and requested that he approve Jian Meng’er to take charge of the Sword Pavilion. This was strongly opposed by Sword Pavilion. However, they have had little influence since Jian Nantian, the Sword Pavilion Master, disappeared. Their opposition was overruled. Finally, the Mansion Master, although reluctant, promised to have Jian Meng’er take charge of Sword Pavilion as long as she was qualified to be the Sword Pavilion Master.”
“What standards needed to be satisfied to become the Sword Pavilion Master? ”
“In Sword Marquis Mansion, the Sword Pavilion Master is only inferior to the Mansion Master. They have a high status, which is difficult to reach. Therefore, Sword Pavilion has always insisted on a set of minimum requirements for its Master. To be the Sword Pavilion Master, the very first requirement is to gain extremely high attainments in Sword Principles and be proficient in all Eighteen First-class Sword Arts of Sword Pavilion.”
“First-class Sword Arts? All eighteen of them? ”
There were only exclamations that remained.
In Sword Marquis Mansion, normal disciples only had access to Third-class or Second-class Sword Arts, while First-class Sword Arts were available for those talented disciples who were core members or elite members. Today in the Sword Pavilion, there were less than 10 disciples who were qualified to learn First-class Sword Arts, and even if possible, they could only learn one or two First-class Sword Arts at most.
As for the Eighteen First-class Sword Arts, even a core disciple of Sword Pavilion was not eligible to learn all of them, let alone a disciple of Red Martial Hall.
“It is totally impossible for Jian Meng’er to satisfy this standard, ” someone said confidently.
“Not exactly, Jian Meng’er did it. Today, under the watchful eyes of the Mansion Master and Sword Pavilion Elders, she carried out all Eighteen First-class Sword Arts, with an incredible display of proficiency at the Profound level.”
“Excuse me? ”
“How could it be possible? ”
“How did she learn these Sword Arts? ”
Everyone present was shocked.
Jian Wushuang, however, standing there the entire time, was dumbfounded.
Eighteen First-class Sword Arts of Sword Pavilion?
Was he not the person who had taught Jian Meng’er those techniques?
Four years ago, it was Jian Meng’er who helped him get out of his dilemma when his father was missing and he could not condense Spiritual Power, which was a huge blow to him. Having been grateful to her, he stayed with Jian Meng’er almost every day. She was endowed with great talent in Sword Principle and was keen on sword-wielding. However, there were no advanced Sword Arts in Red Martial Hall.
Seeing this, Jian Wushuang, an innocent kid then, at 12 or 13, started to teach Jian Meng’er swordsmanship. Later, he even taught her Sword Arts from Sword Pavilion.
Four years have passed. In these four years, he taught each of the Eighteen First-class Sword Arts to Jian Meng’er.
But today, due to his teaching, she could dream of taking charge of Sword Pavilion?
To take charge of the Sword Pavilion was the greatest wish of his whole life!
“No, it’s impossible. Meng’er would never do that.” Jian Wushuang thought, shaking his head, reluctant to believe it.
“To take charge of Sword Pavilion, required tremendous quality and strength, besides proficiency in all Eighteen First-class Sword Arts, which was compulsory. The minimum strength requirement for a Sword Pavilion Master was the ability to battle with each of the Four Great Elders of Sword Pavilion for at least 20 movements, which Jian Meng’er did successfully. ”
“How could it be possible? ”
“I am well aware of the strength of the Four Great Elders of Sword Pavilion, who have already reached Spiritual Sea Realm long ago. It is said that Elder Hong, the strongest among them, has reached the Exceptional Spiritual Sea Realm, just one step away from the Gold Core Realm. How could Jian Meng’er ever be able to get through 20 movements? ”
“We have looked down upon her all this time. She has always been quiet in the Marquis’s mansion and seldom showed her strength, but today, during her battles with the four Sword Pavilion Elders, everyone present was totally shocked by her strength. It was at the Spiritual Sea Realm. More than that, she is at the Profound Spiritual Sea Realm. With one more level, she would be at the Exceptional Spiritual Sea Realm. ”
“Jian Meng’er? How could she step into the Profound Spiritual Sea Realm? ”
“I don’t think it’s possible for such a young, 16-year-old girl. ”
Not only were those disciples who were having the discussion too astonished to utter a word, but Jian Wushuang was also totally dumbstruck.
“Meng’er, she… Reached the Profound Spiritual Sea Realm?” Jian Wushuang thought with disbelief.
Although he had been with Jian Meng’er every day for four years, she had never shown her strength. Jian Wushuang did not think much about that, thinking that Jian Meng’er was the same as other disciples in Marquis’s mansion, who were at the Fifth or Sixth Step of the Spirit Path at most. He never imagined she could reach Spiritual Sea Realm, let alone the Profound Spiritual Sea Realm.
“How could a girl as young as 16 years old step into the Profound Spiritual Sea Realm? ”
It had never happened in Sword Marquis Mansion over the last hundreds of years.
“Jian Meng’er, such a genius with super talent has never appeared before in the hundreds of years of history of the Sword Marquis Mansion. She is so good at the Eighteen First-class Sword Arts of Sword Pavilion that she has survived 20 movements of the Four Great Elders of Sword Pavilion. As a result, Mansion Master gave his instant consent to Jian Meng’er that she could take charge of Sword Pavilion, making her the Sword Pavilion Master. ”
“In two months, there will be an annual Sword Marquis Token Battle in Sword Pavilion Mansion, which is when Jian Meng’er can prove her astounding strength in the presence of the strong experts in Bashui Commandery. Then, with everyone bearing witness, she will be awarded the title of Sword Pavilion Master. ”
“Amazing! ”
“It is really amazing that a 16-year-old girl has reached the Profound Spiritual Sea Realm. ”
It won everyone’s exclamations except for Jian Wushuang, who was standing by the side and turned pale at this news.
“Did Meng’er really reach the Profound Spiritual Sea Realm? Will she really take charge as the Sword Pavilion Master in two months?”
“No! No way! I can’t believe that!”
Clenching his fists, Jian Wushuang rushed to the courtyard of her residence as if he had gone mad. His heart was a mess.
It can’t be true. He could not believe it was true.
It was known to all that Sword Pavilion belonged to their disciples, and since his father was the Sword Pavilion Master, he was the only heir!
He remembered that his father had told him that only disciples from Sword Pavilion could take charge of it.
And that was his life-long dream.
So how could he let others steal and destroy his dream?