"Kid, do you know when this old man last woke up?"
He pondered for a moment, then pulled his hands from within his sleeves and gestured in the air as he spoke.
Ye Lin shook his head.
"This old man doesn't know either."
"At that time, a young man came before this old man. His talent was exceptional, and his Sword Heart was utterly pure. This old man thought he was promising material, so I woke up and chatted with him for a while."
"He passed the examination and became the foremost true disciple of that generation. Later, he went to the Scripture Depository, and later still, this old man heard that he became the deputy Holy Lord of the Sword Dao Holy Land."
The little old man paused here and chuckled twice.
"When that child spoke with this old man, his palms were drenched in sweat, and he even stuttered when he talked."
"You're far stronger than he was. Ever since you sat before this old man until now, your heart has not raced, your breath has not faltered, and your pulse has not quickened even a fraction. Are you truly unafraid, or merely pretending to be?"
Ye Lin thought for a moment and said, "I have nothing to fear."
The little old man burst into hearty laughter. His laughter was crisp as a bell, exceptionally loud within the silent Sword Graveyard.
After laughing for a while, he stopped and gave Ye Lin a serious look.
"Fine. Then this old man will tell you something interesting."
He shifted from floating to sitting upright, cleared his throat, and seemed ready to begin a very long tale.
"This old man's master was the first Sword Dao Holy Lord."
"At the time, the words 'Sword Dao Holy Land' did not yet exist.