Although this thunderclap was extremely loud, no one outside Hidden Peak could hear it; only Gu Bu Lao and his four Disciples heard it clearly.
Gu Bu Lao's eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "Is he coming out? This little fellow is quite good at seizing the moment!"
At the moment the thunderclap sounded, Dongfang Bo and the other two had already appeared on the cliff opposite the waterfall, their faces filled with surprise and anticipation as they gazed downwards.
Although they still couldn't see Jiang Yun's figure, the thunder continued to rumble without interruption in the time that followed, gradually turning their expressions from surprise to solemnity.
Dongfang Bo frowned tightly and said, "What exactly is Jiang Laodi doing? Making such a big commotion, could he be in any danger?"
Although Situ Jing didn't speak, there was also a look of worry in her eyes.
Xuanyuan Xing secretly glanced at Gu Bu Lao, who was sitting as steady as a mountain on the peak, then grinned and said, "Don't worry, Master isn't anxious at all, so nothing will happen!"
"You're a clever one, kid!" As soon as Xuanyuan Xing finished speaking, Gu Bu Lao's voice resonated in the ears of the three, and it was not hard to discern a hint of joy in his tone.
"Master!"
Hearing their Master finally speak, the spirits of the three were instantly lifted. They knew their Master's temperament very well; he always kept his emotions hidden. Yet now, his voice revealed joy, making it easy to guess that Jiang Laodi was not only fine but also blessed with good fortune.
Indeed, Gu Bu Lao then continued, "Don't worry, that kid should be coming out soon!"
This statement not only made the three feel relieved, but also brought expressions of great joy to their faces. Xuanyuan Xing asked with a smile, "Master, what is Jiang Laodi's current strength?"
"You'll know when he comes out!"
After saying this, Gu Bu Lao did not speak again, and Dongfang Bo and the other two did not dare to ask further questions. After exchanging glances, Xuanyuan Xing suddenly showed a look of realization and said, "Do you think Jiang Laodi is coming out of seclusion at this time to challenge the Five Peaks?"
Over the past six months, although the three had not left Hidden Peak, they naturally knew that the Five Peaks of the sect had already opened. The condition for Gu Bu Lao to accept Jiang Yun as his Disciple was for him to pass through the five mountain peaks, so Xuanyuan Xing's guess was quite plausible.
Dongfang Bo couldn't help but frown again, saying, "It's just that Sword Dao Peak has been open for over a quarter of an hour now. Even if Jiang Laodi comes out immediately, he probably won't make it in time!"
Situ Jing said faintly, "There's always next year!"
"Hmm, Jiang Laodi is still young, so it doesn't matter if he's a year late!"
After that, the three stopped talking and continued to watch the waterfall, patiently waiting for Jiang Yun's appearance. Unconsciously, more than an hour passed.
And during their wait, the competition on Zhan Tian Sword had already escalated to a fever pitch!
Although at first, the Disciples who stepped onto the sword hilt rushed onto the sword body almost simultaneously, after only a moment, the distance between them gradually widened, and many Disciples had even fallen from Zhan Tian Sword.
Because once one steps onto the sword body, the Sword Qi and Sword Intent contained within Zhan Tian Sword will immediately be activated, attacking everyone indiscriminately.
Furthermore, the Sword Qi and Sword Intent will gradually increase with the distance along the sword body; in other words, the further you go, the more, stronger, and more frequent the attacks you will receive.
Although Wei Zhengyang would control the power of the Sword Qi and Sword Intent, it would not endanger the lives of the Disciples, but injuries were inevitable.
Sword Qi was fine; at least it had a tangible existence and could be seen with the naked eye. One only needed to find ways to avoid or block it.
What was truly terrifying was Sword Intent.
Sword Intent is formless and insubstantial; it can be felt but not seen, and it can attack the mind, affecting one's consciousness, leaving you defenseless and caught off guard.
And this is also where everyone is most tested, or rather, this is a kind of Opportunity that Zhan Tian Sword gives you.
If you have sufficient Comprehension Ability, then it is possible to feel the Sword Intent while being attacked by it, thereby nurturing your own Sword Intent.
The strength of a Sword Cultivator is also measured by a standard.
Those who can only wield a precious sword are the lowest level of Sword Cultivator; those who can Cultivate Sword Qi are a level higher; and above that are those who can materialize Sword Qi.
For example, Fang Yuxuan had already achieved the materialization of Sword Qi, but even so, he had only just touched the threshold of a Sword Cultivator. To truly cross this threshold and embark on the path of a true Sword Cultivator, one must give birth to their own unique Sword Intent!
However, giving birth to Sword Intent is something that cannot be sought but can only be encountered by chance. Besides strength, it requires Opportunity and the assistance of external objects or forces. The most common method is to comprehend the Sword Intent of others as a reference, thereby nurturing one's own Sword Intent.
But besides Master, Family elders, who would be so idle as to let you comprehend their Sword Intent? Therefore, the Sword Intent appearing on this Zhan Tian Sword is equivalent to a priceless treasure for any Sword Cultivator.
Of course, not everyone can achieve such comprehension. After all, the Sword Intent of Zhan Tian Sword is truly too strong, and if one is not careful, not only will they fail to comprehend it, but their own Cultivated Sword Dao will also be erased.
However, as Cultivators, everyone understands the principle of seeking wealth in danger. The more one desires to gain, the more one must inevitably pay.
Therefore, no one was willing to let go of such an Opportunity.
As time passed, after more than an hour, only less than a third of the original more than two hundred Disciples remained.
If one looked from above, they would see that the formation of the Disciples still on the sword body resembled a winding snake.
Although the many Spectator Disciples did not have Divine Sense and could not see the specific situation on the Zhan Tian Sword body, on the sword hilt, several names and numbers were shining, reflecting the rankings and distances of the Disciples currently challenging the peak.
At this moment, ranked first, at the head of the snake, was Wang Jian.
Around Wang Jian's body, streaks of blue lightning Sword Qi continuously circled, resisting the overwhelming Sword Qi from Zhan Tian Sword that now filled the surroundings. Although his walking speed was not fast, his steps never paused, and he had now completed eighty percent of the sword body, leading by a wide margin.
As for how he resisted the formless Sword Intent, no one knew.
Following closely behind Wang Jian was none other than Huo Yuan, who had already completed seventy percent of the sword body.
Since his defeat in the last re-assessment competition, Huo Yuan had entered seclusion and only emerged yesterday, having successfully advanced to the Tongmai Realm of the sixth level.
Although his expression was quite grim at this moment, the streaks of cold Qi emanating from the Ice Soul Sword he wielded successfully froze all the Sword Qi attacking him.
And this was precisely his true reliance, allowing him to persist until now and lead most people!
Although everyone could see this point, regardless, Huo Yuan successfully became the first dark horse in this peak challenge, bringing an unexpected surprise to everyone.
As a new Disciple participating in the peak challenge for the first time, even if he ultimately failed, this achievement was enough for him to be proud of.
About three hundred feet behind Huo Yuan were two middle-aged men, both old Outer Sect Disciples. Although they seemed to be lagging quite a bit now, in reality, they were both conserving their strength, intending to sprint at the last moment.
As for the others, they formed a sparse snake body and tail. The furthest had only completed fifty percent of the sword body, and the closest had only completed thirty percent. Although there was certainly no hope of passing the peak challenge, being able to persist a little longer was also a good thing.
"Only one hour left!"
As Wei Zhengyang's reminder echoed on Sword Dao Peak, a golden light suddenly illuminated within the waterfall of Hidden Peak.
Within the light, a figure sitting cross-legged slowly opened his eyes.
Jiang Yun, who had been missing for half a year, finally appeared before Dongfang Bo and the other two!