Chapter 100: The White Python Grows Dragon Horns, the Imperial Examination Begins at the Feet of the Son of Heaven

It did not take long for An Le to rise from nineteenth to ninth place on the Lesser Saint Ranking.

Yet, the holders of the Lesser Saint Ranking who had been surpassed offered no objections. Not one of them harbored thoughts of challenging An Le to reclaim their lost standing, for An Le’s record was forged through genuine, hard-won combat.

On that day, by the long embankment along West Lake, many practitioners had watched the duel between An Le and the demon-slayer Monk Fakong. At the time, An Le was only in the third realm of Body Tempering and the fourth realm of Spirit Refining, yet through a grueling struggle, he managed to defeat and kill the monk. Although Fakong was a demon-slayer, he was quite renowned; as a disciple of the sea-crossing holy monks of Lianhua Temple, his methods for both Body Tempering and Spirit Refining were top-tier. Coupled with his years of battling demons, his combat techniques were masterful and his tactics ruthless. Had he been placed on the Lesser Saint Ranking, he would have easily ranked at least tenth.

By defeating Fakong in a fair and square duel, An Le gathered a vast, invincible momentum and successfully broke through to the fourth realm of Body Tempering. Once his ranking reached ninth, no one had any further doubts. Had the ranking been any more lax, the Mountain Master would have moved him even higher.

When An Le’s signature invincible momentum surged within Lin'an Prefecture, many understood that he had begun to stride once more upon the path of legend. With the announcement that the Palace Examination would be moved up by three days, An Le immediately unleashed his momentum and challenged Ye Yinping of the Ye Estate.

In that moment, there was a sense of sharp confrontation. Although many felt the advancement of the Palace Examination was unreasonable, to the military officials, any change in rules by the current imperial court was no longer surprising. With the Prime Minister Qin, the First Prince, the Sima family, and the Wang family all seeking audience simultaneously, and the Holy Mountain itself showing bias toward Prime Minister Qin, this rule change seemed less than unexpected.

Before the Ye Estate, An Le slowly stepped down from his carriage. His white robes fluttered, and the bamboo sword *Qingshan* and the sword *Mochi* at his waist trembled slightly. The gates of the Ye Estate were already open.

"An Le, ninth on the Lesser Saint Ranking, comes to challenge Ye Yinping, eighth on the Lesser Saint Ranking," An Le said, his voice flowing into the estate.

Within the Ye Estate, waves of磅礴 energy and powerful spiritual vibrations surged—the reactions of the hidden experts within. After a long while, Ye Yinping’s primordial spirit leaped into the air above the estate, and with a voice like spring thunder, she spoke: "Come."

An Le stepped into the Ye Estate, guided by the primordial spirit, and walked until he reached the garden water pavilion. In the open space, Ye Yinping, dressed in tight-fitting martial attire and gripping a crimson spear that resembled a sharp lance, stared at him like a young wild wolf.

Many had already gathered to watch. Lady Ye, Ye Wenxi, Ye Chong, and others from the estate were present, joined by Lady Hua, Fourth Master Lin, and Lin Zhuifeng. The wind whistled, and the invisible pressure brought a biting chill to the spring air.

The white-clad An Le stopped before the pavilion, locking eyes with Ye Yinping from afar. Their auras collided violently. In terms of momentum, An Le, carrying his invincible aura, was naturally more overbearing; his white python roared, seemingly suppressing Ye Yinping’s volcanic energy with ease. This was the invincible momentum—enough to give An Le a slight edge before the fight even began.

Ye Yinping had not expected this battle to come so soon, but she felt no fear, only a surging will to fight. Her crimson spear, *Hongxiu*, a fourth-grade dharma treasure, trembled with excitement. An Le smiled and bowed with folded hands, but *Mochi* had already unsheathed, weaving a web of black ink-like sword qi across the pavilion.

"Please," An Le said simply.

With a flick of his finger, *Mochi* streaked out like a stroke of ink on rice paper, moving with extreme speed. Ever since he had mastered the Future Sword Qi from the precipice—even though it was suppressed within *Qingshan*—it had changed him. That change was in his speed.

*If one is fast enough to catch up to time, one can see the future.* This was An Le’s faint realization of the Future Sword Qi. It might only be a superficial understanding, but it significantly boosted his strength.

The ink-black sword qi raced toward Ye Yinping. As her pupils reflected the fast-approaching black light, her spirit surged, and energy exploded from her petite body with the roar of crashing waves. As a fifth-realm Body Tempering practitioner, her innate energy surged, greatly amplifying the power behind her spear. She thrust forward, meeting the ink-mark head-on.

*Clang!*

The sound of metal clashing sparked like flint. The immense force sent *Mochi* spiraling into the air. Ye Yinping exhaled, stepped forward, and spun *Hongxiu* like a ring of fire. An Le clenched his fist, and *Mochi* dove down once more, its speed increasing yet again. After several collisions, sparks flew everywhere, but Ye Yinping had closed the distance.

At this range, Ye Yinping poured all her fighting spirit into her red spear and thrusted fiercely. The power of a fifth-realm Body Tempering and Spirit Refining practitioner was the foundation of her confidence, combined with the domineering Ye family spear techniques. She did not believe she would lose. Even if An Le had slain Monk Fakong, she was confident she could have done the same.

An Le felt the dominance of the Ye family spear. Ye Wenxi had inherited the family sword, while Ye Yinping inherited the family spear—a weapon renowned among the generals of the Great Zhao.

*Qingshan* unsheathed. An Le executed a collapsing sword strike, the force of which was in no way inferior to Ye Yinping’s innate strength. In the blink of an eye, the collision produced a sound wave so intense that anyone caught in it would be shattered. This was the "Five Kills of Melody," the very technique An Le had used to catch Monk Fakong off guard.

*Boom!*

Even though Ye Yinping was prepared, she was caught in a wretched state. Her hair, caught in the sound waves, instantly disintegrated. Had she not been quick enough to solidify the air into a shield, she might have been defeated right there.

Though the move didn't end the fight, Ye Yinping’s momentum had been broken. An Le pressed his advantage. His inner core trembled, unleashing a martial intent that made him seem like an ancient demon ape swinging a massive tree. This vision shook Ye Yinping, but her fifth-realm spirit allowed her to react just in time to block, though she was forced back several steps.

An Le did not relent. His white robes fluttered, and his sword strikes were heavy and powerful. He didn't use the three sword styles taught by the old man at the Imperial Ancestral Temple; he used the simplest of techniques: chopping. His invincible momentum was now fused into his sword strikes.

Ye Yinping was forced back repeatedly, the ground of the water pavilion cracking under the strain. The spectators fell silent. With his breakthrough to the fourth realm of Body Tempering, An Le’s physical shortcomings were no longer so significant. The martial intent born from his inner core, fused with the Five Beasts of the Ancient Demon, was a top-tier tempering method. His explosive power was now nearly equal to Ye Yinping’s.

Combined with his invincible momentum, the elusive *Mochi*, and the unexpected sonic blasts, the outcome was clear to experts like Lady Hua and Lady Ye: Ye Yinping was going to lose.

Yet, the stubborn girl would not concede. She was a daughter of the Ye family, carrying their unyielding will. An Le, fully immersed in the battle, did not hold back. This was a battle for the Lesser Saint Ranking; he needed to hold onto his invincible momentum.

"Fight!" Ye Yinping roared in the depths of despair, like an enraged lion. But before her spear could move, a chill pierced her heart. With an incredibly flexible movement, she dodged *Mochi’s* sudden strike. A thin line of blood appeared on her neck; had she been any slower, the battle would have ended.

Ye Yinping gasped for air, feeling completely overwhelmed. An Le raised his hand, and the entire courtyard was filled with sword qi. Under his "Close-Quarters Sword" technique, every inch became a killing field.

After a relentless struggle, Ye Yinping stood covered in blood, leaning on *Hongxiu* like a pillar that refused to fall. Her eyes remained wide, burning with the Ye family’s indomitable spirit. *Mochi* returned to An Le’s side, and he tucked both swords back into his waist. His spiritual energy was exhausted, and his aura gradually faded.

The water pavilion was a wreck, scarred by sword and spear. But the battle had ended with An Le’s victory.

His invincible momentum gathered another layer; the white python seemed to grow dragon horns, hinting at a transformation. An Le’s momentum grew more majestic as he strode forward on the path of legend.

The crowd in the garden remained silent. Ye Wenxi’s eyes glowed, and the *Xiaozhongshan* sword at her waist trembled, as if it wanted to leap out and join the fray.

"Yinping lost. To be defeated by someone of a lower realm—she must feel very frustrated," Lady Ye said softly.

"She didn't lose unjustly. When her cultivation is lower, she must make up for it with technique. An Le’s swordsmanship is exquisite. Her defeat is not surprising," Ye Wenxi analyzed.

Lady Ye smiled. She could see that An Le had completely crushed Ye Yinping in terms of technique. "She lacks combat experience. An Le has been fighting to build his invincible momentum, while Yinping has had too few battles recently in Lin'an."

"That is likely part of the reason," Ye Wenxi agreed.

In the pavilion, the Lesser Saint Token on *Hongxiu* shimmered, healing Ye Yinping’s fatal wounds. "I lost," Ye Yinping said with a grin, showing little disappointment. She hadn't built an invincible momentum, so losing wasn't unacceptable to her. Besides, she had never won against her sister, so defeat was normal. It was just a bit more brutal this time.

Lady Hua’s long eyelashes fluttered. Her heart-sword trembled in her Niwan Palace. She stared at An Le, sensing something different. His spiritual power seemed to have evolved beyond mere visualization of the sword waterfall. It was more condensed, more majestic, with a mountain-like weight and a sense of ethereal mystery.

*Could An Le have obtained a higher-grade cultivation method than the Sword Waterfall diagram?* Lady Hua wondered if Li You'an had taught him something when they left Lin'an. Regardless, An Le’s primordial spirit was now so strong that it was not far behind that of a fifth-realm practitioner.

"You let me win," An Le said, bowing to Ye Yinping.

Ye Yinping waved her hand. "You beat me, so my skills are inferior. There’s nothing else to say. But don't think you'll beat my sister so easily. If this is all you have, you will definitely lose to Ye Wenxi."

An Le looked toward the girl Ye Wenxi. She smiled demurely, appearing harmless. But An Le knew she was a ruthless character who had taken dozens of lives with a single sword, forged on the border battlefields. He nodded in acknowledgment and began to absorb the "Age Qi" from those present. He wouldn't waste such a rare gathering of practitioners.

With his cultivation increased, his capacity for absorbing Age Qi had grown. He could now take five portions from each person, up to five people, totaling twenty-five portions per day.

After the battle, Lady Ye invited everyone to the reception hall. After a few cups of tea, An Le departed. He didn't linger; he needed to return and consolidate the gains from this fight. Time was short, and he had to keep improving.

Lady Hua remained behind to speak with Lady Ye. The pressure of the upcoming Palace Examination weighed on them all.

The sky over Lin'an seemed covered by a veil of twilight. Having won another battle, An Le’s aura was even more profound, his invincible momentum growing stronger. He decided not to challenge the seventh-ranked practitioner; consolidating his gains was more important.

Passing through Yanchun Lane, he bought a pot of old yellow wine, and at the beef shop in Dingya Alley, he bought a catty of braised beef. He passed the Imperial Ancestral Temple and called out to the old man who was usually sunning himself, but received no reply. He wasn't there.

An Le didn't mind and returned to his small courtyard. He set out his table and chairs, drinking wine and eating beef. The feedback from his "Fearless Heart" fruit surged, a clear energy coursing through his body, strengthening his inner core. His primordial spirit in his Niwan Palace grew even more robust, sitting in his sword furnace like a god. His spirit was mature, and he was not far from the fifth realm.

He drank cup after cup, his mind gradually settling. He knew the Palace Examination was moved up, but he felt no surprise. Having seen the future, he knew this country, seemingly prosperous but internally riddled with decay, was capable of any strange behavior.

After eating, An Le went into his room to grind ink and paint. He didn't paint bamboo or horses, but the green mountains—the very mountains he visualized in his cultivation, infused with the Future Sword Qi.

The next three days passed in silence. An Le did not challenge anyone else; he simply practiced, read, and waited. The stars shifted, light and darkness ebbed and flowed. In his courtyard, the spring breeze stirred the leaves of the old locust tree, and the swords stuck into it trembled slightly.

Three days passed in an instant.

An Le sat in his courtyard, the bamboo sword *Qingshan* across his lap. His primordial spirit dived into the sword, contemplating the mountain and the Future Sword Qi. When the first ray of morning sun pierced the horizon, casting a clear energy over the world, a deep, ancient bell rang out across Lin'an.

On the quiet streets, luxurious carriages began to move, their wheels crushing the dust. The successful candidates from the provincial examinations headed toward the Imperial City. Though they weren't qualified to participate in the Palace Examination, as successful scholars, they had the right to watch the grandest event of the spring.

In the courtyard, the morning dew on the leaves of the old locust tree shattered and fell as the bell toll echoed. An Le changed into clean white robes, buckled *Mochi* and *Qingshan* at his waist, and closed his gate.

Under the feet of the Emperor, the Palace Examination began.

Surrounded by the invincible momentum of a white python with budding horns, and facing the rising sun in the cool spring breeze, An Le headed toward the Imperial Palace, his heart calm and steady.