Jiangzhu lost the battle against Huang Yuan as expected, but she was very excited because it was the first time she had experienced the passionate feeling of being a battle soul master.
In the time that followed, apart from cultivating and training her own support abilities, Jiangzhu also practiced how to fight until she could become a qualified battle soul master.
Dugu Yan did not continue staying at the academy. She left behind an avatar and went to Sunset Forest.
Her cultivation was already almost complete, and remaining at the academy would not bring her much more improvement. So she returned to Sunset Forest to cultivate under Dugu Bo.
With the careful guidance of Dugu Bo, a Title Douluo, Dugu Yan's future path would be much smoother.
In Sunset Forest, the mountain of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had been completely transformed. On the outside was a terrifying poison formation, and within the formation stood a grand and majestic fortress, the newly completed headquarters of the Sword Sect.
Mori Town was only the public front of the Sword Sect. Its true foundation still lay within Sunset Forest.
With the addition of the three single-attribute clans, the organization had already become a powerful machine in motion.
Yang Wudi, aside from his cultivation, spent his days growing medicinal herbs and refining pills.
The treasure land of Sunset Forest provided him with countless materials he had dreamed of. Many pill recipes he had only seen in books were gradually being turned into reality.
Numerous miraculous pills capable of overturning the history of the soul master world were being produced, becoming the true foundation of the Sword Sect.
Oscar personally selected three of the most talented young people from the three clans for special training.
They might never reach godhood, but becoming Title Douluo and pillars of the sect was absolutely within reach.
For Oscar to cultivate them so generously, the gratitude of the three clan leaders could no longer be expressed with words.
Within just a year of joining the Sword Sect, they had already felt a treatment far better than what they had once enjoyed in the Clear Sky Sect, so the three clan leaders became even more devoted to serving the sect.
Moreover, Oscar reorganized the three clans. Most of the Agility Clan's disciples were incorporated into the reconnaissance division. With the Sharp-tailed Swift as a pure agility-type martial soul, they were not outstanding in battle but their scouting abilities were terrifying.
The Defense Clan was put in charge of sect defense and facility construction, which had always been their specialty.
The Strength Clan was divided. Some became battle soul masters, while those with talent in alchemy were trained as pill refiners. With the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well as a resource, pills would surely become a major part of the sect's future.
Apart from that, the Sword Sect also recruited many rogue soul masters over the years. Those with talent were specially cultivated, and if any of them broke through to the Title Douluo realm, they would be entrusted with important responsibilities.
Now that the Sword Sect had allied with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, things on the continent went much more smoothly for them. With the support of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Sword Sect's development was advancing rapidly.
Interestingly, Sword Douluo Chen Xin suddenly came to Mori Town to find Gai Yue.
This Gai Yue was only an avatar. Although his soul power was still level 94, he only had sixty percent of his true body's strength.
"Sword Douluo, your great presence is an honor. Forgive me for not welcoming you properly," Gai Yue smiled faintly. Looking at this handsome, elegant elder who resembled an immortal swordsman, his heart still felt a bit stirred.
For Chen Xin had once been the very figure Gai Yue aspired to approach. But ever since meeting Oscar, his own life had taken off like a miracle. In just a few short years, not only had he broken through to the Title Douluo realm, he had even reached the terrifying level 94, with his ninth soul ring being the hundred-thousand-year soul ring countless soul masters dreamed of.
Unconsciously, the gap between him and his idol was shrinking. Soon, Gai Yue might even surpass Chen Xin.
Chen Xin admired Gai Yue greatly. He could see that Gai Yue was not that old, not even sixty.
Yet the man's strength was already so great that even he felt pressure. To reach level 94 before the age of sixty was a talent surpassing even himself, perhaps even beyond his father and grandfather.
Even Tang Hao, once the youngest Title Douluo, had only been about at this level.
"Master Gai, my sudden visit is not an intrusion, is it?" Chen Xin asked with a smile.
Gai Yue was stunned for a moment, then invited him to sit, offering the best honey wine, and explained with a smile, "Please do not misunderstand. I am not the sect master of the Sword Sect. I only just took over as the great elder. The sect master is in seclusion at the ancestral grounds, and I am temporarily managing this new place on his behalf."
Hearing this, Chen Xin raised his brows, falling into thought.
He had thought Gai Yue was the sect master after seeing him, because Gai Yue's aura and subtle sword intent were already almost no weaker than his own.
He had not expected that even someone as strong as Gai Yue was only the newly appointed great elder. It seemed the Sword Sect's true strength was even deeper than it appeared.
Chen Xin apologized lightly, "I see, I was being presumptuous."
Gai Yue shook his head. "It is fine. Who knows, perhaps in the future I may indeed fulfill your words and take the position of sect master."
Hearing this, Chen Xin was once again surprised. It seemed Gai Yue's identity was not simple. To openly say he might succeed as sect master implied he had an extraordinary connection to the current one.
Chen Xin smiled politely, "With Elder Gai's strength and talent, I believe you certainly can."
Gai Yue only smiled, knowing his smokescreen had taken effect, and did not speak further on the matter.
Instead he asked, "I wonder if your visit today has a particular purpose? If it is within my ability, I will do my best."
Chen Xin took a sip of honey wine and said, "It is nothing serious. This old man was idle at home and felt his hands itch. Knowing the Sword Sect has many sword experts, I came to seek some pointers."
Hearing this, Gai Yue felt bitter. If his true body were here, he would not even need Chen Xin to ask before challenging him to exchange pointers.
But this was only an avatar, with sixty percent of his true strength. He would naturally be at a disadvantage.
After thinking for a moment, inspiration struck Gai Yue. "Since you have the intention, I as a junior have long wanted to experience the intent of the Seven Kill Sword."
After a pause he added, "How about this, let us compare sword intent instead?"
Hearing this, Chen Xin raised his brows and smiled knowingly.
A contest of sword experts was ultimately a contest of sword intent. If it was pure strength, Chen Xin at level 96 was confident of defeating Gai Yue at level 94. But sword intent was different.
Although cultivation was the foundation of a soul master, for a sword cultivator, sword intent was the true essence of their being. It had nothing to do with soul power.
This was precisely why Gai Yue suggested it, since his avatar only had sixty percent of his real strength. A duel of sword intent did not rely on soul power but on one's comprehension of the sword.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two sat cross-legged atop a mountain, their sword intents clashing. All the plants, trees, stones, and even dust nearby were ground to powder under their terrifying confrontation.
Powerful soul masters in Heaven Dou City raised their heads. Those two overwhelming sword intents drew everyone's attention.
Near Heaven Dou City, in the direction of Mori Town, there could only be one from the Sword Sect. The other must surely be Sword Douluo Chen Xin.
That day, Sword Douluo Chen Xin personally praised that his spar with the Sword Sect's great elder, Sword God Douluo Gai Yue, ended in a draw.
From then on, countless powers across the continent gained a clearer understanding of the Sword Sect's strength and foundation.
If even the great elder was at Sword Douluo Chen Xin's level, what about the sect master?
What shocked everyone even more was that this great elder dared to use the title "God."
Chen Xin's own title was inherited, much like the Clear Sky title of the Clear Sky Sect, passed down to the strongest.
But Gai Yue's title was not only "Sword," it was "Sword God."
The word "God" was extremely sacred on the Douluo Continent, for godhood was the ultimate dream of all soul masters, and no new god had been born for ten thousand years.
Never before in history had a soul master used "God" as their title. Yet now, for the first time, someone had taken it, and not just any title but Sword God.
Even more surprising, Sword Douluo Chen Xin felt no dissatisfaction or taboo at this, and even praised Sword God Douluo Gai Yue's strength.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin was already level 96, a Super Douluo, known as the continent's number one attack-type Douluo. His strength was among the very peak. For Gai Yue to fight him to a draw truly showed his terrifying power.
Though his title seemed arrogant, who would dare criticize him without the strength to back it up?
Gai Yue chose this title for a simple reason. First, his goal was to surpass Chen Xin and become the true master of the sword.
Second, his aim was that very word "God." With his current strength, foundation, and fortune, how could he not have such ambition after what Oscar had given him?
Because of this spar between Gai Yue and Chen Xin, the Sword Sect's reputation once again spread across the continent. Countless powers wanted to squeeze into the Sword Sect to form ties.
Mori Town, once an obscure small town, had already grown to a small city under the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. But with the Sword Sect's arrival, Emperor Xue Ye personally granted it as a fief and expanded it into a true city, Mori City. The royal family was the first to show friendship.
Now that Sword God Douluo Gai Yue had become famous in battle, the royal family was even happier with their earlier decision.
Many people, however, regretted not being able to witness that top-level spar between Title Douluo.
…
At Shrek Academy, Ma Hongjun and the others were stunned when they heard the news, for Teacher Gai Yue had once stayed at Shrek Academy for several years and had guided them.
Now, just a few years later, their former teacher was already the great elder of the Sword Sect, a super expert who could fight Sword Douluo Chen Xin to a draw.
Tang San and the others might not have known all the details, but Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing understood clearly.
To them, all of this seemed magical. Dai Mubai even thought Gai Yue was the true favored child of heaven.
In just a few years, he had gone from a Contra to someone who could match a level 96 Super Douluo like Sword Douluo Chen Xin. Other than divine providence, Dai Mubai could think of no other explanation.
What Dai Mubai envied most was that Oscar had such a genius as his disciple, and his only disciple at that.
To Dai Mubai and the others, the Spirit Jade Sword Sect had once seemed like a money-making scheme for Oscar. But now, it was fully deserving of its name.
To Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, this felt almost unreal, because they had personally witnessed a super power rise from nothing in just a few years.
Could there be anyone else in this world who could achieve such a feat?
Because of this, Dai Mubai sincerely admired Oscar from his heart and was willing to bow his head to him.
His decision was rewarded, and through this reward, Dai Mubai began to understand why Teacher Gai Yue had grown so terrifyingly strong.
Only by experiencing the power and wonder of divine-grade pills could one truly understand their heaven-defying effects.
Flander, Zhao Wuji, as well as Shrek's former teachers Shao Xin, Li Yusong, and Lu Qibin, all felt the same as Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.
They too had watched Oscar and Gai Yue create the Spirit Jade Sword Sect and rise step by step from nothing.
In a sense, they were the original shareholders of the Sword Sect, because at the very beginning, each of them had contributed avatars and blood to help establish and stabilize the taverns and escort agencies.
Now that the Sword Sect had gained fame across the continent and become a superpower rivaling the Upper Three Sects, each of them felt excitement and joy.
In the future, they too would be part of the Sword Sect. With such a great power to rely on, one that could support them even in old age, they were truly relieved and happy.
Of course, they kept their past involvement secret. Even now they would not tell. Only by doing so could the Sword Sect rise higher in fame, becoming ever stronger and sturdier.
What surprised Flander and the others, however, was that Gai Yue was only the great elder of the Sword Sect. Then who was the sect master?
Was there truly someone stronger sitting in that position, or was this all Gai Yue's way of bluffing?
Though they had their suspicions, none of them asked.
And that was precisely their wisdom.
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