Chương 101: Young Master Su Doesn't Even Qualify to Enter the Manor?

Manor Master Yushen and Xuanyuan Yizheng both reined in the aura of their spirit bones. They both possessed Dragon-Form Heavenly Bones, born as unparalleled martial prodigies. Naturally, each carried immense pride. When Su Zhe activated his spirit bone, his muscles and bones ground together, releasing the resonant roar of a dragon. The sound stirred the Dragon-Form Heavenly Bones within both Manor Master Yushen and Xuanyuan Yizheng, causing their own bones to respond unwillingly as they unleashed their power.

Each wanted to prove himself superior to Su Zhe. But this was a contest of spirit bones— Not martial strength. Cultivation had nothing to do with it. Everyone had heard it clearly. The three Dragon-Form Heavenly Bones had each produced three dragon roars. Yet Su Zhe's dragon cry rang out louder than the others, with the faint echo of a fourth roar hidden within it. That meant...

Although all three possessed Low-Grade Dragon-Form Heavenly Bones, Su Zhe's innate talent was still slightly superior to both Manor Master Yushen and Xuanyuan Yizheng. This brat... In such a short time... his spirit bone has actually become even better than mine! Even though Manor Master Yushen had expected his improvement, she still couldn't hide the delight in her eyes. Li Shanyun had already told her how astonishingly fast Su Zhe's spirit bone was evolving.

But hearing about it and witnessing it firsthand were two entirely different things. The speed of his growth was simply terrifying.

"Three dragon roars... a Low-Grade Dragon-Form Heavenly Bone..."

"But his dragon's cry surpasses both Junior Sister Yushen's and mine."

"And he's one with a body capable of evolving his spirit bones. His talent can continue improving..."

"Doesn't that mean it won't be long before he advances to a Mid-Grade Dragon-Form Heavenly Bone?" Xuanyuan Yizheng raised an eyebrow, staring at Su Zhe in genuine astonishment. At the same time, a trace of joy surfaced in his heart. Within the Sword Casting Manor, only those with one-in-ten-thousand talent had a chance to become Core Disciples. Among the Five Manor Masters, only Manor Master Yushen and Xuanyuan Yizheng themselves possessed Dragon-Form Heavenly Bones. As for Su Zhe...

He was now unquestionably the number one spirit-bone genius of the Sword Casting Manor. Before Xuanyuan Yizheng could speak, Manor Master Su Heyang of Jishi Manor loudly declared,"Jishi Manor agrees to let Su Zhe enter the Core Disciple lineage directly!" Including Manor Master Yushen, Ou Zizhen of Zhuxin Manor, and Su Heyang of Jishi Manor, three of the Five Manor Masters had already voiced their approval.

The remaining two—Great Manor Master Xuanyuan Yizheng and Linghu Ruifeng of Bingxuan Manor—didn't openly support it, but neither did they object. Their silence was effectively agreement.

"A Dragon-Form Heavenly Bone!"

"Besides the Great Manor Master and Manor Master Yushen, there's actually another genius with a Dragon-Form Heavenly Bone!" The disciples of Sword Casting Manor erupted into an uproar. They looked at Su Zhe with complicated emotions. Envy. Jealousy. Admiration. Excitement. Every expression imaginable could be seen.

"In that case..."

"Su Zhe's direct promotion into the Core Disciple lineage is settled."

"However, since this is an unprecedented exception..."

"The Core Disciple Seal Ceremony will be postponed for three months." If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. After a moment's thought, Xuanyuan Yizheng nodded and made the decision. Manor Master Yushen, who had been arguing with him moments earlier, immediately broke into a smile.

"At least you have some sense." The Seal Ceremony was the official rite for entering the Core Disciple lineage. It was also known simply as the Core Disciple Ceremony. Only after receiving the seal could one truly become a legitimate Core Disciple recognized by the entire sect. But Manor Master Yushen knew the truth. Although it appeared to be merely a ceremony, it actually contained a trial. If one's strength wasn't sufficient, one might fail to earn the title despite being selected.

Su Zhe's talent was extraordinary, but he had only just entered the Sword Casting Manor. His foundation was still unstable. Holding the ceremony immediately would likely lead to an unfortunate outcome. Xuanyuan Yizheng's decision allowed Su Zhe to officially hold the title of Core Disciple while delaying the ceremony itself. During these three months, Su Zhe could enjoy all the benefits of a Core Disciple and focus on strengthening himself in preparation for the future ceremony.

"I'm only thinking of the sect." Xuanyuan Yizheng had long grown accustomed to his junior sister changing from anger to smiles in an instant. He simply waved a hand, signaling that there was no need to dwell on it. After a brief discussion, the Five Manor Masters officially finalized Su Zhe's promotion. Ou Zizhen looked at Su Zhe and let out a quiet sigh.

"There are always ten Core Disciple positions."

"After Mo Ye died, one seat became vacant..."

"And now this young man has filled it." His expression dimmed. The memory of Zhuxin Manor's fallen Core Disciple left him unable to suppress a sigh of regret. Xuanyuan Yizheng rose to his feet, nodded toward Su Zhe, then projected his voice across the plaza.

"After examination, twenty-nine candidates have passed."

"Twenty-eight shall become ordinary disciples."

"As for Su Zhe of the Luxian Blacksmith Guild—his spirit bone is exceptional, his talent extraordinary, and his accomplishments in the Art of Smithing are remarkable."

"He shall enter the Core Disciple lineage directly."

"He will occupy the Tenth Core Disciple seat." This year's Sword Casting Manor recruitment had accepted twenty-nine disciples. Twenty-eight became ordinary disciples. Not a single one qualified for direct promotion into the inner ranks. Only Su Zhe stood alone above everyone else. He entered the Core Disciple lineage directly.

"Disciple Su Zhe thanks the Manor Masters!" Su Zhe and all the newly accepted disciples bowed together. With that, the Sword Casting Manor recruitment ceremony officially came to an end.

"Su Zhe! A Dragon-Form Heavenly Bone!"

"Hurry and inform the Lu Family! Su Zhe has become famous in a single stroke!"

"He entered the Core Disciple lineage directly—something never before seen in history!" Many martial artists within Sword Casting Manor had deep ties with the great families of Sword Casting City. Naturally, they rushed to spread the news outside the manor. Qin Tian—the Qin Family prodigy, ranked first on the Linwu Rankings and owner of a top-grade one-in-ten-thousand spirit bone—had fallen during the Tempering Lake trial.

Meanwhile, Su Zhe of Luxian, previously ranked only tenth on the Linwu Rankings, had seized first place in the recruitment ceremony and shattered history by entering the Core Disciple lineage directly. Inside the Seven Buildings of the Big Dipper. The shopkeepers anxiously waited for news. They had provided lodging to many of the young geniuses participating in the recruitment. If one of the guests staying in their building achieved outstanding results, the rewards for the inn itself would be tremendous.

Not only would they receive rewards from Sword Casting Manor, but their reputation would soar as well.

"Tianxuan Building! A Fan Family martial artist has entered Sword Casting Manor, ranking twenty-eighth!"

"Tianxuan Building! A Lu Family martial artist has entered Sword Casting Manor, ranking twentieth!"

"Tianxuan Building! A martial artist from Linchuan County has entered Sword Casting Manor, ranking eighteenth!"... Servants from Sword Casting Manor ran through the city beating drums and striking gongs, loudly announcing this year's recruitment results.

"Hahaha! Tianxuan Building gathered disciples from so many prestigious families!"

"This year's results will definitely crush Tian Shu Building!" The owner of Tianxuan Building burst into laughter as one piece of good news after another arrived. Over the years, he had worked tirelessly to build connections with powerful martial artists. His goal was to use this opportunity to establish Tianxuan Building as the undisputed number one among the Seven Buildings. Meanwhile, the owner of Tian Shu Building could only wipe the sweat from his palms.

"Don't tell me..."

"Not a single one from Tian Shu Building made it this year?" His voice was filled with anxiety.

"Shopkeeper, don't worry."

"Most of the top geniuses may have stayed elsewhere..."

"But we still have Young Master Su!"

"In my opinion, he'll definitely achieve an excellent ranking." The attendant Wu Er comforted him confidently. He had personally served Su Zhe. He knew just how unwavering Su Zhe's martial heart was. For the past three days, Su Zhe had never stepped outside once. All he had done was cultivate. Wu Er had met countless martial artists over the years. None of them compared to Su Zhe.

"I hope you're right." The owner of Tian Shu Building sighed. Su Zhe had been ranked tenth on the Linwu Rankings. Securing a respectable placement shouldn't be difficult. All they could do now was wait.

"Tian Shu Building! Yuan Ba of Luxian has entered Sword Casting Manor, ranking sixteenth!"

"Tian Shu Building! Yu Yi and Xiao Xunhuan of Luxian have entered Sword Casting Manor, ranking tenth and ninth respectively!"... Before long, more announcements echoed through the streets.

"Four geniuses came from Luxian."

"Now three of them have entered Sword Casting Manor!"

"Tian Shu Building has done pretty well this year!" The guests inside the inn couldn't help but marvel. The shopkeeper and Wu Er exchanged delighted looks.

"Heaven truly favors Tian Shu Building!"

"Yuan Ba possessed a top-grade A-rank spirit bone, so his success was expected."

"But Yu Yi and Xiao Xunhuan had noticeably weaker talent."

"How did they achieve such outstanding rankings?" The shopkeeper was overjoyed, yet puzzled.

"I wonder what rank Young Master Su achieved..."

"If he can make the top three..."

"Tian Shu Building will make history." Wu Er grew even more curious. Somehow, he had a feeling that Yu Yi and Xiao Xunhuan's success might have something to do with Su Zhe. Over at Tianxuan Building, its owner merely smiled.

"Our Tianxuan Building still has Qin Tian."

"As long as he wins the True Dragon Champion title, we'll still surpass Tian Shu Building." He was surprised by the success of the three Luxian martial artists. But he wasn't worried. After all, Qin Tian's results had yet to be announced. That trump card alone gave him absolute confidence. Time slowly passed. One after another, the names of all twenty-nine accepted geniuses were announced— From the lowest ranking to the highest.

In the blink of an eye, only the identity of the True Dragon Champion remained unrevealed. The owner of Tian Shu Building and Wu Er exchanged grim looks. Could it be... Could it really be... That Young Master Su hadn't even qualified to enter Sword Casting Manor?