Looking at the only longsword before him that he could not see through, Ye Lin reached out and gripped the gray hilt.
The instant his fingertips touched the hilt, Ye Lin felt the world spin around him.
The next moment, Ye Lin appeared in a hazy gray space.
This place had no heaven or earth, no direction, no space—only endless gray.
Here, there were no laws whatsoever.
Ahead, a figure slowly condensed.
It was a middle-aged man.
He wore azure robes and had black hair. His face was ordinary, but his eyes shone like morning stars.
He held a sword in his hand.
Looking closely, it was precisely the gray longsword from the stone platform.
"Junior, of the nine swords, why did you choose this one?"
The middle-aged man raised the gray longsword in his hand and asked Ye Lin.
"I believe swords should not have attributes. What sword cultivators across the world seek is the Sword Dao, not anything else."
"Among the nine swords, only this one gave me an exceptionally pure feeling. I think this is the Sword Dao I seek."
Ye Lin spoke with a solemn expression, every word delivered with utmost seriousness.
Once he finished, the entire space fell silent.
"Stop blowing smoke. If you couldn't see through it, just say you couldn't see through it. If you thought this one was different, then it was different. Why are you giving me all this nonsense?"
Ye Lin: "..."
Hearing the middle-aged man's blunt and brutal reply, Ye Lin fell silent.
Was this man... this humorous?
"Fine. You're right. That's exactly it."
Taking a deep breath, Ye Lin told the truth.
"That's more like it. You've already come here, so why put on such a profound act for me?"
The middle-aged man smiled faintly, gray longsword in