Chapter 191: Swordless Saint King
"Youngster Ye Kuang, I'm willing to be the first in the second round of assessment!"
Standing before the stone pillars, Ye Kuang bowed to the strong representatives of the sixteen paths, his tone proud.
"Ye Kuang? Ye family's Ye Kuang?" An elder from the alchemy path narrowed his gaze slightly, revealing a faint smile. "Ten years ago, I collaborated with the Alchemy Saint of the Ye family to refine pills. Back then, I already heard your name. Star Pointed Divine Body, thirty-six starlight meridians, and it's said that you possess a powerful spiritual strength and extremely high comprehension."
"I've also heard your name before. Ye Kuang, although your Ye family might not be as prominent as our Holy Land, as the heir of the Ye family, your cultivation conditions shouldn't be much worse. Why did you give up the opportunity to cultivate in your own family and participate in our Holy Land's assessment?"
The elder from the sword path expressed curiosity.
"Thank you for your exaggeration, Senior Alchemy Saint. As for the question from Senior Sword Saint…" Ye Kuang responded proudly, "In the Tianxuan Empire, although my Ye family is not weak, it has always been led by Heavenly Profound Holy Land. I, Ye Kuang, am a pride of heaven, so naturally, I must cultivate in the best place!"
"Moreover, once I enter the Holy Land, I will undoubtedly become a Holy Son. Within ten years, I'll become a Saint, and within a hundred years, a Saint King. It's only a matter of time!"
Upon hearing his words, the elder representatives from the sixteen paths were taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.
However, no one criticized Ye Kuang.
His words were audacious, but given his reputation as a genius in the Tianxuan Empire, he had the qualifications to be audacious!
"Alright, Ye Kuang, we are aware of your talent, but since you've chosen to participate in the assessment, let's follow the rules and proceed with the test!" An elder sounded a bit impatient.
"Fine." Ye Kuang nodded and stepped into the space between the four stone pillars.
As he circulated his energy, inscriptions on the four stone pillars began to light up.
The Elders in the Saint realm also focused their attention at once. These four stone pillars represented four different levels of cultivation aptitude.
Activating one pillar's radiance represented a lower grade, and all four pillars fully lit up indicated the highest grade.
Of course, due to slight variances in aptitude, even pillars of the same grade might not have the same brightness. The brighter the radiance, the better the aptitude.
"Hum…"
A ring of golden light emerged from the base of the first pillar, swiftly ascending upward. Wherever the golden light passed, the originally pale stone surface became brilliantly golden!
In an instant, the first pillar transformed completely into a column of golden light. Then, the second pillar followed suit!
As the pillars illuminated, Ye Kuang's innate talent within him was continuously being awakened. His body exhibited lines of azure meridians. These were special starlight meridians, even more potent than those of an ordinary person.
Upon reaching the Saint realm, complete sanctification of the meridians would further enhance his combat power beyond that of an average Saint.
"Thirty-six starlight meridians! Just this alone is equivalent to a Saint Body!"
"Indeed, as the son of the Ye family, who is said to have accumulated a hundred years of luck, he is truly exceptional!"
"Thirty-six starlight meridians are nothing compared to his Star Pointed Divine Body. You'll be truly amazed when you see it!"
"True, I have seen various divine bodies, but the Star Pointed Divine Body is among the strongest. It's slightly inferior only to the likes of the Great Sun Divine Body and the Moonlight Divine Body!"
"Those divine bodies are often elusive and hard to encounter. Let's take a good look at Ye Kuang's—his divine body is being activated!"
Nearly a thousand geniuses from different places all fixed their gazes. They looked ahead.
Above Ye Kuang's head, several stars appeared. As these stars emerged, the thirty-six starlight meridians on Ye Kuang's body became even brighter.
A faint starlight radiated from him. Simultaneously, the remaining pillars also lit up completely!
The four stone pillars emitted dazzling golden light.
Peak-grade aptitude!
The eyes of the Elders representing the sixteen paths brightened slightly, but they weren't overly surprised. This outcome was within their expectations. What concerned them more was Ye Kuang's specialized aptitude among the sixteen paths; that was the key to determining which path Ye Kuang would ultimately follow in their training.
Three seconds later.
On the stone wall ahead, the radiance began to illuminate the first illustration.
The image depicted a figure cultivating the body, with the radiance extending from the feet to the neck, then coming to a halt.
Peak-grade Body Refinement Aptitude!
A pleased expression appeared on the face of the Elder representing the Body Refinement discipline.
Next came Alchemy, Weapon Refining, Talisman…
Finally, the last illustration, which tested Sword Dao aptitude.
Starting from the hilt, the small sword's entire length gleamed with golden light. Peak-grade Sword Dao Aptitude!
The representative Elder of the Sword Dao was overjoyed.
He spoke directly, "Good, very good! Ye Kuang, I am the head of the Sword Dao discipline. As a Tenth Order Saint, I am interested in taking you as my disciple. Are you willing to study Sword Dao under me?"
"Not willing!" Ye Kuang didn't hesitate at all and refused outright, his face brimming with arrogance.
Seeing this, the Elder representing the Body Refinement discipline hurriedly said, "Ye Kuang, I am Elder Maya of the Body Refinement discipline. My strength is not inferior to our discipline head's. Your body refinement aptitude is slightly inferior to your Sword Dao aptitude. Moreover, Body Refinement and Sword Dao are not mutually exclusive! With your aptitude, you can easily complement Sword Dao with your physical prowess and bolster your body with Sword Dao. The strength of body refinement is by no means inferior to Sword Dao! Are you willing to be my disciple and join the Body Refinement discipline for training?"
"Not willing!" Ye Kuang replied nonchalantly.
Subsequently, representatives from the Talisman, Weapon Refining, and other strong disciplines also tried to take Ye Kuang as their disciple, but they were all met with rejection!
Ye Kuang's expression remained supremely proud. Suddenly, he felt a connection and turned his gaze to the side of the square. There, an elderly man with white hair had appeared, wearing a long blue robe and walking toward them.
Swordless Saint King!
Excitement surged within Ye Kuang as the overwhelming arrogance on his face instantly receded. He respectfully cupped his hands and Tang Wujian, the Swordless Saint King, "Ye Kuang of the Ye Family pays respects to Swordless Saint King!"
A hint of surprise flickered in Tang Wujian's eyes, "Oh, you recognize me?"
"Back then, Swordless Saint King used the Great Boundless Sword Sutra to slay three hundred powerful demon clan members at the borders of our Tianxuan Empire. At that time, I followed my father and had the privilege to catch a glimpse of Swordless Saint King from a distance."
"Oh, I see."
Tang Wujian smiled faintly, "I received a letter from the ancestor of the Ye Family. I've just witnessed your aptitude, and it is indeed quite remarkable!"
"Swordless Saint King, your praise is too kind! In comparison to the esteemed King, I am nothing!"
Hearing Tang Wujian's praise, Ye Kuang was overjoyed internally, but his demeanor became even more humble on the surface.
His arrogance was not unfounded, but he also knew that he had no right to be arrogant in front of Tang Wujian. This was a terrifying existence capable of overthrowing their entire Ye Family singlehandedly.
"Elder Tang, why have you come here?"
The Elders representing the sixteen disciplines were astonished and quickly paid their respects.
Although they were all Elders, Tang Wujian was a Saint King, which made his status far more esteemed.
"Why? Can't an old man like me come to recruit a favored talent?" Tang Wujian glanced at those people and said in a somewhat irritated tone.
Elder Tang wants to take on disciples? Could it be for Ye Kuang?
That's right! Based on their conversation, Elder Tang did indeed appreciate and praise Ye Kuang!
Upon hearing this statement, the Elders were almost certain that Tang Wujian intended to take Ye Kuang as his disciple.
Ye Kuang shared the same belief. He even cast a secret, provocative, disdainful glance toward Su Zhan. That gaze was filled with challenge and contempt.
The other nearly thousand talented individuals from various regions gazed at Ye Kuang with envy and jealousy.
At that moment, however, Tang Wujian's gaze swept past those people and landed on Su Zhan.
With a smiling expression, he said, "Su Zhan, I am Tang Wujian, the Sword Saint King in the holy land. Are you willing to accept me as your master?"