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The swordsage elders were paying especially close attention as they sat there looking down. They were very interested in knowing who would claw their way to first place. Taking first place wasn’t a requirement to advance to the next phase, and the rankings didn’t necessarily correlate directly to battle prowess. However, the candidates’ performance when climbing the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar would give a clue as to how they would perform later. Furthermore, it would reveal who had stable souls and strong minds.

Anyone who performed well at the pillar would be monitored by the swordsages even after the recruitment event. In fact, someone who did really well, but eventually failed during the second phase, might still have opportunities to work with the Swordsage Court in other capacities. Everyone knew that, including both spectators and participants.

To all disciples of human sects, climbing the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar was a very important opportunity to show what they were capable of. In fact, just about all disciples present would take a shot at climbing the pillar and submitting their results.

Not many people were able to climb past 3,000 meters. In fact, the majority couldn’t. Furthermore, it was very easy to judge how high the various participants were able to climb. Being able to climb past 1,500 meters but not surpass 3,000 meters was considered average, and constituted a passing score.

What really interested the Swordsage Court were those candidates who were able to climb past 3,000 meters. They were also looking to see if anyone could surpass 6,000 meters. And they were especially interested in finding out if anyone could break the record which had stood for many years: 8,100 meters.

In fact, the elders were chatting amongst themselves about the proceedings.

“Very interesting. This Xu Qing is doing well. He’s made enough of an impression that it’s set a good benchmark for others to try to surpass.”

“I’m guessing that Qing Qiu from the Church of Departure will climb past the 6,000-meter point. She’s quite the young woman. Unless something unexpected happens, I think she’ll make it into the second phase. That said, it seems she has it out for Xu Qing. If she can turn that grudge into fuel for the competition, it’ll do her a lot of good.”

“And then there’s that kid from the small sect. He seems to have an unusual bloodline, and is apparently on the verge of some sort of ancestral awakening. Xu Qing also lit a fire under him. I bet he’ll climb past 6,000 meters also.”

“There’s also that shifty-eyed freak in the group, the one who just had to go and disguise himself as a middle-aged man. He’s got all sorts of weird stuff hidden in his body. In fact, when I first laid eyes on him, I thought he was a nonhuman and almost killed him.”

“I’m actually intrigued by Seven Blood Eyes. They have two disciples with a lot of potential. That Xu Qing obviously has his own way of destroying the rancorous souls. The fact that he killed Li Ziliang, and then got praised by us as a result, has really whipped the other candidates into a frenzy.”

“It’s all because of him that they’re all working so hard. He was the perfect catalyst to get the competition going hard and strong!”

“Don’t forget the dao child from the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society. He’s definitely worth keeping an eye on.”

As they looked on, the competition on the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar was really heating up.

Over ten individuals were speeding up the pillar rapidly.

Xu Qing was not in the first place position. The reason was that he didn’t care about the rankings, but rather, the rewards. Therefore, he took every opportunity to bring in as much rancorous will into his sea of consciousness as possible. In contrast, the other participants were doing the opposite in the hopes of getting up the pillar faster. As a result of that, Xu Qing was falling farther and farther behind in the rankings.

The first person to surpass him was Qing Qiu. Beneath her mask, her eyes were cold. She moved quickly, leaping 30 meters with each movement. It was almost as if she didn’t care about the attacks of rancorous will.

Next was the young man from the small sect. He wasn’t very tall, and was rather emaciated, with disheveled and bright, sparkling eyes. Most eye-catching about the young man was the fact that he had a prominent nose ring. That nose ring emanated a red glow that looked unusually bizarre and fantastic.

As that young man flew up the pillar and past Xu Qing, another young woman was also ascending rapidly. She was from the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society, and had cold eyes and a white daoist robe. She looked almost like a crane, beautiful and holy as she ascended. She also surpassed Xu Qing. She had never done much to make a name for herself in the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society, so few people had ever heard of her. But now here she was, climbing higher than anyone else in the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society other than their dao child.

Other than her, no one from the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society was able to climb higher than 3,000 meters. At the most, some of them made it to somewhere between 2,400 to 2,700.

Li Ziliang probably would have reached 3,000 meters, were it not for him dying unexpectedly.

Of course, the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society was the top organization in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture other than the Swordsage Court, so it was only natural that they had profound resources. As a result, they had more disciples who got to the 2,400-2,700-meter area than any other group.

After them was the Church of Departure, and finally, weakest of all among the large organizations, the Eight Sect Coalition.

When Xu Qing saw so many people passing him, his expression remained the same as ever. He didn’t seem like he cared at all. He just kept moving up bit by bit. With every movement, he sustained attacks of rancorous will, causing the rancorous souls to form in his sea of consciousness.

The Ghost Emperor mountain crushed them all, causing it to grow increasingly true and real, and making its facial features more distinct. Xu Qing could sense that, after absorbing the dao blood from August Spirit Nethersprite, his Ghost Emperor mountain was vastly different than before. And the staff that was gradually taking form in its hands caused Xu Qing’s heart to fill with anticipation.

In fact, he was moving slowly on purpose, trying to get more rancorous will. Because of how much time he was taking, Sima Ru soon appeared behind him. Without so much as glancing at him, she passed him.

There were a few other cultivators from small sects who had previously climbed past 3,000 meters who did the same.

There was also the pock-faced middle-aged man. As the saying goes, he who hasn’t made a splash yet will often make the biggest splash of all.

Upon speeding by Xu Qing, he glanced over out of the corner of his eye and looked very pleased with himself. Given that he had recently taken first place, he was being watched by the crowd just as much as Xu Qing was.

Xu Qing glanced at the man passing him, then sent a divine will message to his shadow. After getting an affirmative response from the shadow, he stared deeply at the middle-aged man.

The fact that so many people were passing Xu Qing caused quite a lot of discussion in the crowd. However, Xu Qing’s expression was the same as ever as he slowly and steadily kept climbing. By the time he reached the 3,000-meter spot, he had already destroyed nineteen rancorous souls. He was very pleased with how things were going.

I got more this time than last time.

Although Xu Qing was feeling pleased, the Swordsage Court elders weren’t very pleased.

“Xu Qing is going slowly on purpose! He doesn’t care at all that he’s been surpassed by so many people. That’s not how this competition is supposed to work!”

“That’s right. Given his reputation, if he doesn’t take the event seriously, then it could harm the spirit of competition among the other participants. He’s climbing too slowly.”

“The only way for these people to show their true potential is to have lively competition. It seems to me we need to stop rewarding him. That’s how the 8,100-meter record was set years ago, right? It’s just too bad no one ever reached 9,000 meters.”

“Forbidden by the Immortal is going to open soon, which means we need more people with strong wills and durable souls. Given that, I don’t think we need to follow every single rule down to the letter. As long as the rewards are appropriate, that’s fine!”

“Besides, I’m very much looking forward to seeing if anyone will reach 9,000 meters this time.”

“9,000 meters?? If I recall, that magical symbol is the manifestation of the only god domain cultivator the Ghost Emperor ever killed.”

Before long, just as Xu Qing was preparing to continue moving, a majestic voice echoed out from the Swordsage Court atop the pillar.

“Whoever climbs the highest on the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar in the next six hours will be rewarded with an initial round of enlightenment of a human imperial-class technique!”

The announcement caused an immediate uproar among the crowds in Netherflight City.

“Human imperial-class technique??”

“Normally speaking, that kind of reward is only given to swordsages who perform some meritorious service. An imperial-class technique! And it’s specifically for humans!”

“Human imperial-class techniques are considered most orthodox when used by humans. Most sects in the seven counties and one region controlled by us humans actually use imperial-class techniques designed for nonhumans. The best imperial-class techniques for humans are the ones designed for us! They provide the greatest likelihood of unlocking innate abilities related to bloodline!”

“It looks like they want this competition to heat up! That’s why they’re offering this reward!”

The crowd was in an uproar, and the candidates on the pillar were equally shaken.

Qing Qiu’s eyes shone with an unusual light. The pock-faced middle-aged man’s eyebrows shot up. The young man from the small sect started breathing heavily. And everyone else had similar reactions. They weren’t the only ones who were moved. The dao child Zhang Siyun, who was currently seated in meditation, suddenly opened his phoenix-like eyes and looked in the direction of the pillar. Xu Qing also looked up. Even he was moved by the prospect of an imperial-class technique.

Xu Qing thought about the situation. There’s a six-hour time limit. That means I can’t go slow and steady. Nor can I spend time destroying rancorous souls. I guess now... I really do have to fight to get first place!

Having made his decision, it was without the slightest hesitation that he burst into motion. Moving at top speed, he started ascending the pillar. He wasn’t the only one. All the other participants also started moving up with blinding speed. In the shortest of moments, the competition on the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar reached a fever pitch.

At the moment, there were seven people higher than Xu Qing.

Red-garbed Qing Qiu was in first place. The young man from the small sect was in second. And the pock-faced middle-aged man was the dark horse in third place. The young woman from the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society with the cold demeanor was in fourth. In fifth was Sima Ru. Sixth place was occupied by a young man from the Church of Departure, who wore a black robe and emanated icy coldness. In seventh was another cultivator from a small sect. He was actually struggling to get any higher; apparently 3,900 meters was his limit. In fact, his struggles seemed in vain. In the space of about ten breaths of time, Xu Qing blasted past him from below.

Xu Qing was now in seventh!

Things didn’t stop there. Now that Xu Qing had a goal, he wasn’t holding anything back. Rancorous will assailed him, becoming rancorous souls that howled into his sea of consciousness. However, it didn’t do anything.

He ignored their cries, crushed them, and kept moving. His actions immediately drew the attention of the cultivators below. What was more, the cultivators below him on the pillar gritted their teeth and focused on climbing higher and faster.

Up above, the swordsage elders seemed very pleased.

“That’s better!”

“That’s the drive you expect from young people! Now, let’s see who ends up in first place!”