AGM 405 – Attitude
Zong Qian was also stunned by what he saw. He stood there dumbstruck, and even before he could recover, Qin Wentian was already walking away.
“How powerful.”
Zong Qian had an expression of awe on his face. And not just him, those present from the younger generation were all in a similar state of extreme shock.
It was too powerful—from the beginning to the end, Qin Wentian’s sword hadn’t even been completely unsheathed. He had only taken a few steps forwards, and somehow Zong Hong and the others ended up in such a pitiful state. They’d been unable to put up even the slightest bit of resistance, and could only wait to be slaughtered. If Qin Wentian had taken another step forward, propelling his sword out of its sheath by another half an inch, all of them would already be dead.
Both parties were on completely different levels.
Qin Wentian’s talent with swords was too monstrous—had he really comprehended the Perfection Boundary of the first level insight in a mere three months?
Zong Qian finally understood why the clan lord regarded Qin Wentian so highly, and why he’d selected him directly as the Sword Son of this generation.
“Hu…”
Drawing in a deep breath, Zong Qian’s gaze was directed at Zong Hong as he stated, “Now, you should understand why Brother Qin refrained from accepting your challenge. He isn’t a coward, it’s just that the both of you are basically not on the same level.”
After speaking, Zong Qian turned and followed after Qin Wentian.
Right now, he wore a bitter smile on his face. When he thought back to Li Nian’s provocation towards Qin Wentian as well as his own actions—standing in front of Qin Wentian and asking him to leave first—all of that was revealed to be completely unnecessary now that he’d witnessed Qin Wentian’s true might.
In fact, he was wondering what would have happened if Qin Wentian had really clashed with the Heavenly Dipper-level Sword Son of the Li Clan back then.
Qin Wentian should’ve already comprehended a second level insight in the Mandate of Swords. If not, the sword intent he’d produced earlier couldn’t possibly have manifested such a powerful sword-might. However, strangely enough, Qin Wentian’s cultivation level still seemed to be at the Yuanfu Realm.
“Yuan Meteor Stones.” Abruptly, Zong Qian recalled Qin Wentian asking the clan lord for the cultivation resources earlier. The clan lord didn’t even utter a word of protest before handing over an astronomical amount of Yuan Meteor Stones over. Could it be…
Thinking of this, Zong Qian’s heart pounded violently. Could it be that Qin Wentian wanted to condense an Astral Nova!
The battle between Qin Wentian and Zong Hong couldn’t even be called a battle, it was simply Qin Wentian teaching them a lesson, showing them what it meant for someone to have the title ‘Sword Son’.
Qin Wentian said that they weren’t worthy to cultivate the sword, and under that set of circumstances, their Dao hearts were indeed affected. However, if they were really so weak-minded, then the whole lot of them wouldn’t even be fit to be candidates for the Sword Son position. Now, the only thing left to see was whether they could untie the knot formed in their hearts, achieving greater proficiency in their sword techniques.
There were people already comparing Qin Wentian with the Zong Clan’s ‘nominee’ Sword Son, Zong Peng,who was at the Heavenly Dipper Level. They were speculating who would win if Qin Wentian fought with Zong Peng.
Zong Peng’s prowess was extremely powerful, and there weren’t many Heavenly Dipper Sovereigns among the younger generations of the Zong Clan. Zong Peng was one of them, and with his remarkable proficiency in sword techniques, he was considered one of the stronger ones. He had also once said that after the ranking battle, he would strip Qin Wentian’s of his Sword Son’s title.
But now, after Qin Wentian’s strength was revealed, nobody knew who would end up the victor between the two of them.
Those that had personally seen Qin Wentian’s strength with their own eyes, they knew that he was undoubtedly well-qualified to be given the title ‘Sword Son’.
There were also those who hadn’t witnessed Qin Wentian’s strength, and who were hoping for Zong Peng to strip Qin Wentian of this title. They felt that the prestigious title of ‘Sword Son’ should only be inherited by someone from within their clan.
Currently, in Zong Peng’s courtyard, Zong Hong stood facing him. His face was contorted by a heavy trace of futility stemming from that defeat, it was as though he’d suffered from a great impact.
“Why? Is just a single defeat sufficient to cause you to be in this state?” Zong Peng gazed at Zong Hong as he smiled faintly.
Zong Hong looked at Zong Peng, shaking his head helplessly, “You don’t understand, that battle… it was too much of a humiliation.”
He would never be able to wipe that scene of Qin Wentian’s dominance away from his mind. Back then, when Qin Wentian advanced step by step, Zong Hong couldn’t even move under the mounting pressure. If Qin Wentian truly wanted him dead, he would have died right there and then.
Even his sword didn’t need to be fully unsheathed. Qin Wentian could have killed him with a single thought.
That battle left him feeling extremely dispirited.
“He must have comprehended a second level insight in the Mandate of Swords, and it’s one of the more powerful types. It’s only normal for level one insights to be suppressed. What does he have to boast about?” Zong Peng smiled, as though trying to console Zong Hong.
“But the distance between us is too overwhelmingly great,” Zong Hong continued, unable to forget that dominance Qin Wentian had exuded.
“I’ll show you.” Zong Peng stood up, his actions causing a bright light to flash in Zong Hong’s eyes.
Ever since Zong Peng stepped into Heavenly Dipper, because the disparity was too great, Zong Hong couldn’t continue sparring with Zong Peng. Now, he truly wanted to see how far the distance was between them.
“Watch this clearly.” Zong Peng’s silhouette flickered, vanishing from sight. Zong Hong’s gaze stiffened, and he rapidly retreated but at that moment, he suddenly saw sword shadows covering the entire skies. He couldn’t differentiate which of the sword shadows were real, and could only stand there and wait for death.
The sword shadows vanished, Zong Peng stood in front of him as he asked, “Do you understand now?”
“The disparity between the second and first level is truly great indeed.” Zong Hong nodded his head.
“Naturally, when dealing with you, my second level of insights in the Mandate of Sword could easily destroy you. Qin Wentian is the same, since he already comprehended a second level insight, it’s not strange that he was able to suppress you so easily. You were merely scared by his stance and aura back then. If I was the one facing him instead, do you think he can defeat me?”
Zong Peng laughed, as Zong Hong nodded his head in agreement. He could clearly sense the confidence exuding from Zong Peng. All of a sudden, Zong Hong’s conviction flared up intensely—he too wanted to comprehend a second level insight and maybe even break through to Heavenly Dipper. Only then would he be able to soar up the skies, only then would he have the capability to seize the title from Qin Wentian.
“I’ll give you a suggestion. Earlier, you should have felt my second level insight. Now, you can pay a visit to Qin Wentian and get him to show you his Mandate, then use your perception to sense his second level insight directly. After that, you can come and discuss with me your findings and I can explain things to you. This will aid in widening your knowledge and that might grant you a higher probability of breaking through.”
Zong Peng had a face full of smiles as he guided Zong Hong, causing traces of gratitude to bloom in Zong Hong’s heart. Yet all of a sudden, he shook his head dejectedly. “I was always provoking him, so why would he help me?”
“Just say that you were wrong before. Since he holds the title of ‘Sword Son’, he can also be considered part of our Zong Clan. With such an important position, it’s only natural that he’ll feel responsible for the guidance of his juniors. And if you say that you had acted wrongly, and then treat him with courtesy and respect, how can he not agree to guide you? If he refuses, he truly isn’t worthy to be a Sword Son of our Zong Clan.” Zong Peng then continued, “In fact if you are unable to let go of your pride, I would be truly disappointed with you.”
After speaking, Zong Hong bid his farewell and left.
At this moment, Qin Wentian was sitting crossed-legged inside a courtyard. Darkness has already descended, and he was preparing to condense his fourth Astral Nova.
However in that instant, sounds of footsteps could be heard. When Qin Wentian opened his eyes and glanced towards the entrance of the courtyard, a voice drifted over to him. “Zong Hong humbly requests an audience with Senior.”
“Come in,” Qin Wentian quietly spoke. A moment later, Zong Hong entered the courtyard, and Qin Wentian stared at him with puzzlement in his eyes.
“Qin Wen, I apologize for what has happened between us in the past. I’m here today to humbly learn the sword from you, and to seek your guidance. Could you allow me to feel your second level insight? I wish to draw some clues from it to comprehend my own,” Zong Hong explained, his words causing the expression on Qin Wentian’s face to warm up. It seemed like this guy wasn’t so bad, after all. He was able to see where his own mistakes lay and had the courage to apologize and correct them—the matters of the past could indeed be forgiven.
“First level insights are the base and foundation, so everyone enjoys the same effects. Second level insights will depend on the individual. My path may not suit yours.” Qin Wentian slowly spoke as he continued, “You can consult the ancient scrolls to have an idea of the different types of second level insights there are. It’ll give you a better idea on forming your own comprehensions. There’s no need to ‘feel’ another cultivator’s insight because their insights are their own path, formed by their own comprehensions.”
Zong Hong frowned, what Qin Wentian was saying was completely different to what Zong Peng had told him. Could it be that Qin Wentian was really so selfish? Was he completely unwilling to guide him?
“I understand, but I would still like to ‘feel’ your second level insight.” Zong Hong furrowed his brows as he stated. Yet, how could Qin Wentian be fooled? Earlier, he had seen the micro-expressions on Zong Hong’s countenance. He could only sigh in his heart and lament the fact that in the first place, Zong Hong hadn’t really put down the grudge in his heart, and wasn’t truthfully seeking him out for guidance.
“I’ve said what I wanted to say. You can leave now, but I really hope you will be able to snap out of it sooner or later.” Qin Wentian closed his eyes—if he hadn’t noticed the micro-expressions on Zong Hong’s face, he would have fulfilled Zong Hong’s request and allowed him to ‘feel’ his second level insight. But now, he could only hope that Zong Hong wouldn’t be consumed by his grudge. Qin Wentian wasn’t so magnanimous that he’d invest time trying to straighten Zong Hong from his thoughts.
Indeed, after hearing what Qin Wentian said, Zong Hong’s brows furrowed intensely, as a look of unhappiness flashed in his eyes. He coldly stated, “As a Sword Son, you truly disappoint me with your actions. Although you are powerful, I feel sad that my Zong Clan has chosen you.”
As the sound of his voice faded, Zong Hong flicked his sleeves and walked away.
Qin Wentian stared at him, and he shook his head slightly, abandoning all thoughts relating to this matter, clearing his heart of debris. Such a minor matter wouldn’t affect his state of heart.
As the night deepened, Qin Wentian inscribed a Divine Inscriptions Formation, causing his body to shimmer in and out of existence. After that, he closed his eyes as an astronomical amount of Yuan Meteor Stones appeared beside him.
Right now, he already had a total of three Astral Novas. Regardless of whether he absorbed astral energy from the Nine Heavenly Layers or from the Yuan Meteor Stones, his speed of absorption was much faster compared to before.
…….
The incensed Zong Hong returned to Zong Peng’s residence. After telling Zong Peng what happened, Zong Peng’s eyes momentarily flickered with a cold burst of light before he quickly recovered with a smile. “Zong Hong, Qin Wentian’s moral standing is abominable, but you don’t have to to take this to heart. What’s important is that you should focus on your cultivation.”
“Regretfully Qin Wentian is already the Sword Son. Such a character, aiii…” Zong Peng sighed. Zong Hong coldly snorted, “Zong Peng, you should get rid of him as soon as possible.”
After speaking, Zong Hong turned and departed. And very swiftly, many rumors circulated throughout the Zong Clan. The majority of these rumors were all debasing Qin Wentian’s moral character—Zong Hong had sincerely approached him to seek his guidance yet was received with a completely insincere attitude. He’d brushed him off, whereas Zong Peng was the complete opposite. For Qin Wentian to be holding onto the title of Sword Son, it was truly a tragedy for their Zong Clan.
Tonight, the starlight shining down on the region where the Zong Clan was located was extremely resplendent.
Clan lord Zong Yi’s gaze rested on Qin Wentian as the hint of a smile flashed past his eyes. “If this young man proves himself truly able to rise up, there’s a chance that the Azure Emperor’s resplendent glory from ages past may appear in Grand Xia once again.”
And while the members from the Zong Clan’s younger generation were vilifying Qin Wentian, their clan lord continued to place his trust in him. Zong Yi believed that in the future, Qin Wentian would be the one to lead their Zong Clan, reviving their faded glory!