"Hmm, not using divine power, merely wielding the sword casually, yet it contains the might of the Dao, distorting the void. It seems this woman's comprehension of the Dao is quite profound. Such talent is indeed not ordinary."
Ye Chen was slightly surprised.
Using the might of the Dao to distort the void—in this vast world, countless people could achieve that. But the key point was this woman's age.
Although cultivation could preserve one's youth, it was evident that this woman was absolutely very young. Her years of cultivation likely did not exceed a century, yet she could wield a sword containing the might of the Dao, even distorting the stable void of a super realm like the Primordial Heaven Realm. This was definitely not simple. Her talent could be considered not weak even when viewed across the world.
At this moment, the woman in purple was immersed in her mind, brandishing the Autumn Water Divine Sword, swinging it stroke by stroke, as if enacting a sword technique from her heart. Each swing caused the void to tremble and hum, with the faint, indistinct aura of the Great Dao swirling around.
Later, the swings of the sword technique became faster and faster, gradually transforming into a storm-like vortex. Within a radius of a thousand zhang, everything was enveloped in sword radiance, the space completely distorted.
The others had long since retreated far away to avoid being harmed by the sword intent.
It was foreseeable that this was merely an enactment of the sword technique, without the slightest infusion of divine power for enhancement. Otherwise, the power would increase countless times over.
"Senior Sister Ziqiong is too amazing. Piloting the might of the Dao with the sword, she has actually reached such a level."
"Indeed, and this is just the simple might of the Dao. If combined with her own power, it would be many times stronger."
"Such swordsmanship can be called transcendent, entering the realm of sainthood. I'm afraid it's approaching the Heavenly King level."
"Senior Sister Ziqiong truly lives up to being one of the top-ranked powerhouses of our Withered State Academy. With such strength, not only can she contend for a spot in the top ten, she even has the qualification to challenge for the top five, right?"
"Nonsense, Senior Sister Ziqiong reaching the top ten is inevitable. She was already at the peak of the Saint Vault realm five years ago. As long as she takes that step, she can enter Samsara and charge towards the Heavenly King realm."
"What a pity. Senior Sister Ziqiong is born with peerless beauty and possesses such high cultivation. I wonder how many people have the qualification to become her Dao companion?"
"Probably only those in the academy's top five, especially Senior Brother Zhang. He is definitely the most qualified. And I've heard that Senior Sister Ziqiong seems to like Senior Brother Zhang the most."
"Senior Brother Zhang? He does have that qualification. But Senior Brother Zhang has long since ceased to be someone we can hope to reach. He has gone too far, surpassing all the Heaven's Prides in the history of the Withered State Academy. He's a sensation who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with that peerless Heaven's Pride from the Huang imperial clan, known as the Twin Stars of the Huang Ancient Kingdom."
...
On the training ground, many disciples of the Withered State Academy were discussing animatedly. Their words were filled with nothing but admiration for Senior Sister Ziqiong on the high platform.
However, when mentioning another person, Senior Brother Zhang, it wasn't admiration but deep reverence.
He was the number one among the younger generation of the Withered State Academy, the strongest student past and present, with immensely extraordinary achievements. He was also the super sensation who led the entire Withered State Academy to advance further, becoming one of the top cultivation academies in the current Huang Ancient Kingdom.
Just as the crowd below buzzed with discussion, the woman named Ziqiong on the platform had already awakened. She opened her beautiful eyes, let out a delicate shout, waved her jade-like hand, and sheathed the Autumn Water Divine Sword. The sword radiance filling the sky immediately dissipated, revealing her noble and graceful figure once more.
Seeing the woman finish enacting her sword technique, the area below immediately erupted with waves of cheers and applause. Many voices were full of flattery, clearly aiming to curry favor with this Senior Sister Ziqiong.
In response, Ziqiong's expression remained unchanged. She was evidently accustomed to such fawning, yet she showed not the slightest hint of smugness.
Her goal was not to receive flattery from these people, but to become stronger. She even hoped that one day she could catch up to that person, stand side by side with him, roam the vast world, and bravely climb to the peak of the Great Dao.
"Unfortunately..."
At this moment, Ye Chen glanced at the Autumn Water Divine Sword Ziqiong had sheathed and couldn't help but shake his head slightly, uttering a soft sentence tinged with a hint of regret.
In an instant, the entire training ground fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Ye Chen felt everyone's gazes swivel onto him in unison, putting him in the spotlight.
Sensing the numerous gazes falling upon him, especially the cool stare from the platform, Ye Chen didn't feel the slightest bit awkward. He smiled and said, "Your sword technique can be considered quite exquisite, but your control over the Dao is still not very proficient. If you continued enacting it like this for a while longer, the sword technique would become higher, more complete and natural, and its power would be stronger."
Seeing Ye Chen speak to Senior Sister Ziqiong in such an instructive tone without the slightest courtesy, everyone was stunned and also angry.
One must know that Ziqiong was a super powerhouse ranked within the top ten of the entire Withered State Academy. With such a ranking, given the current status of the Withered State Academy, she could be considered one of the top figures even among the younger generation within the Huang Ancient Kingdom.
It could be said that regarding Ziqiong's comprehension of the Dao, even some powerhouses with Reincarnation realm strength wouldn't dare to offer guidance like this. Only Heavenly Kings would have the qualification to provide instruction.
This young and unfamiliar-looking youth opening his mouth to instruct in this manner naturally made people feel he had an arrogant attitude.
Ziqiong was slightly taken aback. Although she felt Ye Chen's words seemed to hold some truth, pointing out her flaw, if some veteran super powerhouses had spoken, she could have accepted it humbly.
But this young man before her, who clearly appeared to be about her own age, speaking up like this—coupled with her own status as a famously super-talented genius of the Withered State Academy—caused a subtle sense of resentment and rejection to arise within her. Thus, beneath her stunningly beautiful face, her expression also turned slightly unpleasant. "Who are you?"
Sensing the other party's clear hostility, Ye Chen smiled faintly. "Just a nobody. Of course, if you think what I said is wrong, you can treat it as wind past your ears. No need to take it to heart."
Hearing this, Ziqiong was stunned, her pretty face showing a somewhat unpleasant expression.
Given her qualities in all aspects, she was a Goddess-like existence in the hearts of countless students at the Withered State Academy, admired and revered, someone to be admired from afar but not to be trifled with.
All along, everyone had always spoken kindly to her, afraid of upsetting her.
Even the academy's important elders treated her like a precious treasure, never showing the slightest coldness.
But this handsome, mysterious youth before her seemed to completely disregard her peerless beauty, temperament, and extraordinary cultivation, looking at her as if she were an ordinary person. Unconsciously, a strange sense of oppression arose in her heart.
Ziqiong bit her red lips with her silver teeth, her bright, autumn-water-like eyes lifting to look at him. "This is the inner academy. Ordinary students cannot set foot here. Moreover, among the many inner academy students, I basically never forget anyone I've seen even once. Yet I have no impression of you at all. Just who are you?"
At this point, the others on the training ground also looked at Ye Chen. They also felt he looked very unfamiliar, with little impression of him in their memories.
But there was a vague sense of familiarity.
Ye Chen smiled but did not intend to answer. His arrival this time was merely a chance entry into the Withered State Academy. He had other important matters and wasn't afraid of being questioned further.