days later, at the Teleportation Platform.

At this moment, the enormous square beneath the Teleportation Platform was densely covered with disciples of the inner court and outer court. Moreover, even some Outer Court Elders and Inner Court Elders were here as well.

What did they come here for? It was naturally to send off the 10 disciples who stood on the Teleportation Platform.

The Ascension Rankings wasn’t just related to the Sword Sect’s future, it was related to their honor as well. It was a form of collective honor! So long as someone was able to ascend the rankings, then the disciples of the Sword Sect would be much more respected when they left the sect in the future! Moreover, this honor wasn’t just limited to the sword sect, and it included the person that accomplished the feat and extended to that person’s family or clan as well. Because so long as one was able to ascend the rankings, then the Grand Qin Empire would proclaim that person’s name to the world.

It was simply like becoming renowned in the southern territory!

Becoming renowned in the southern territory was practically the dream of all young Profounders. So, the participants were excited and so were the others that had come to send them off because it would be their turn to participate in the future.

As he gazed at the disciples below, Yang Ye sighed slightly with emotion. Only a short while ago, he was one of them. Just like them, he’d taken the Sword Sect to be a form of strong support for himself, taken it to be his glory, and taken it to be a large and warm family. Unfortunately....

He felt no reluctance or regret, and he just sighed with emotion.

Suddenly, Yang Ye turned to look at the inner court disciple who stood around 3m to his right. This disciple wore a green robe and had a very handsome appearance, but he was staring at Yang Ye with a hostile gaze.

Yang Ye frowned. He didn’t know this person. Or it should be said that besides Murong Yao and Qin Feng, he didn’t know the other eight at all, so he didn’t understand how he’d offended this green robed disciple. After all, he’d kept a very low profile since returning to the Sword Sect, and he’d practically never left the Talisman Peak!

When he saw Yang Ye look at him, the green robed disciple glanced coldly at Yang Ye before withdrawing his gaze.

“His name is Situ Rong. He’s a senior inner court disciple at the peak of the ninth rank of the First Heaven Realm. According to rumor, he’s able to advance into the King Realm, and he’d intentionally suppressed his strength because of the Ascension Rankings!” Suddenly, Murong Yao and Qin Feng walked over to Yang Ye before she spoke with a smile on her face.

Yang Ye nodded to them as a form of greeting, and then he asked. “What does that have to do with me?”

“It naturally concerns you!” Murong Yao smiled and said, “He has a younger brother called Situ Bo who is a senior inner court disciple as well. His young brother was supposed to participate in the Ascension Rankings as well, but your sudden appearance caused Situ Bo to be pushed out of the list of candidates. Don’t you think it concerns you?”

“Why did that happen to his younger brother?” asked Yang Ye.

“Because his younger brother is the weakest amongst the rest of us!” said Murong Yao with a smile on her face.

“So, it’s his younger brother’s problem. What does that have to do with me?” Yang Ye shrugged.

“He doesn’t think so!” said Murong Yao.

“Then I can’t do anything about it!” said Yang Ye.

“Aren’t you afraid that he would look for trouble with you? He’s at the peak of the ninth rank of the First Heaven Realm. Moreover, have you noticed? Besides Qin Feng and I who are new inner court disciples, all the other disciples obey his orders. Aren’t you afraid?” said Murong Yao.

Yang Ye glanced at her and said, “You and Qin Feng were pushed away?”

“Smart!” Murong Yao blinked and smiled. “Amongst the nine of us, Qin Feng and I possess the lowest realms of cultivation and are new inner court disciples. So, they naturally look down upon us. Similarly, they will look down upon you as well. What do you think? Are you interested in joining forces with us?”

Yang Ye was just about to speak when three white rays of light flashed in the sky, and then three figures descended onto the Teleportation Platform. Yang Ye knew two of them, Elder Yu Heng and Su Qingshi. As for the other middle aged man, Yang Ye had never seen him. However, based on the middle aged man’s dressing, he was presumably an Inner Court Elder.

Yu Heng swept his gaze past all 10 of them who stood on the Teleportation Platform, and then his gaze descended onto Yang Ye in the end. As he gazed at Yang Ye, a wisp of a complicated expression flashed in Yu Heng’s eyes. A genius that has comprehended Sword Intent. Unfortunately, he doesn’t belong to the Sword Sect anymore.

After a short while, Yu Heng calmed his emotions and said, “I’ll get straight to the point. Besides the rewards provided during the Ascension Rankings, those able to ascend the Ascension Rankings will be given a low-grade Earth Rank sword and sword technique. Moreover, the Sword Sect will provide an endless supply of energy stones to those disciples for three years and permit those disciples to cultivate in the Sword Servant Pagoda.”

All the disciples beneath the platform seethed with excitement when they heard this while the participating disciples on the platform were excited as well. It was even to the extent that the gazes of the elders burned with envy and wished for nothing more than to replace those disciples to participate in the Ascension Rankings.

Because these rewards were too abundant! No one could remain unmoved by a low-grade Earth Rank sword and sword technique!

Yang Ye was slightly surprised as well. He was surprised that the Sword Sect was actually so generous. After all, both the sword and sword technique were priceless treasures, and obtaining either one could cause one’s strength to improve greatly. It was even to the extent that it could be made to be an heirloom of a family. Not to mention everyone else, even he was slightly tempted.

Besides the sword and sword technique, the endless supply of energy stones for three years was extremely tempting as well because it represented that one didn’t have to worry about resources for those three years of time.

On the other hand, the permission to cultivate in the Sword Servant Pagoda represented that one had a superb place to cultivate at.

Simply speaking, so long as one ascended the Ascension Rankings, then one would gain both fame and fortune.

Yang Ye quickly calmed down because he felt that it wasn’t so simple. If all 10 of them could ascend the rankings, then didn’t it meant that the Sword Sect had to give 10 Earth Rank swords away? Perhaps the Sword Sect had 10 Earth Rank swords, but it would definitely not give them away easily. In other words, the higher-ups of the Sword Sect didn’t look favorably upon their ability to ascend the rankings at all!

Since the Sword Sect didn’t look favorably upon them, then it represented that the Sword Sect had definitely gathered information about the geniuses from the other powers and knew of their strengths.

When he thought up to this point, Yang Ye looked at Su Qingshi while he decided that he would definitely look for a chance to ask Su Qingshi about this. His target was the first position, and truthfully speaking, he wasn’t really confident in his ability to accomplish it. Because how huge was the southern territory? How numerous were the monstrous geniuses in it? Even though he’d comprehended Sword Intent and attained the Enlightened Sword Heart, it didn’t represent that he was invincible amongst the younger generation.

Ascending the Ascension Rankings was related to his mother, so he couldn’t be careless at all, and it couldn’t be any better if he was able to obtain information about his opponents.

Just as Yang Ye thought, the higher-ups of the Sword Sect really didn’t look favorably upon these disciples. If Yang Ye’s cultivation was slightly higher, then perhaps he would have a chance. After all, Yang Ye had comprehended Sword Intent. However, Yang Ye was merely at the second rank of the First Heaven Realm, so how strong could he be?

Even though the higher-ups didn’t look favorably upon them, it didn’t mean they had no chance at all. Since there was hope, then encouragement was needed. Generous rewards rouse the courage in all, so the Sword Sect’s rewards were abundant to a shocking degree.

Just as Yu Heng had said, he didn’t waste his breath after he finished. He said, “Set out to the Imperial Capital!”

“Sword Commanding Elder!” Right at this moment, an inner court disciple walked out from the crows. He bowed to Yu Heng before he said, “Disciple has something to say!”

When she saw this disciple step forward, Murong Yao looked at Yang Ye while she seemed to reveal a trace of taking pleasure in his misfortune.

Yang Ye’s brows knit together slightly when he saw this person. Because this person’s appearance was extremely similar to Situ Rong. In other words, this person was probably that younger brother of Situ Rong’s, that person he’d pushed out from the list of participating disciples. Now that Situ Rong’s younger brother had stood out, it was probably because of this matter.

Yu Heng frowned as well and said, “What is it?”

The inner court disciple bowed once more and said, “Sword Commanding Elder, disciple was supposed to be amongst the participants this time, and disciple doesn’t understand why disciple has been suddenly removed from the list. Has disciple done something wrong? Or is disciple’s strength insufficient?”

“It was I who removed you!” Meanwhile, Su Qingshi said, “The reason is that there’s someone more suitable than you!”

A cold light flashed in this disciple’s eyes, and then he suddenly pointed at Yang Ye and said, “Because of him? If it is, then disciple refuses to accept it. Because he’s merely at the second rank of the First Heaven Realm while disciple is at the seventh rank of the First Heaven Realm!”

Su Qingshi frowned. She was just about to speak when Yu Heng suddenly said, “Since you refuse to accept it, then how about you have a spar with Yang Ye? The winner will participate in the Ascension Rankings, alright?”

Su Qingshi knew about Yang Ye’s strength, but besides her, all the other higher-ups of the Sword Sect knew nothing. So, Yu Heng really wanted to know exactly how formidable Yang Ye’s strength was.

He didn’t have a suitable chance in the past, but he had one now.

“Disciple agrees!” That inner court disciple spoke hurriedly.

Yu Heng looked at Yang Ye and said, “Yang Ye, what do you think?”