Sword Formation Intelligence

Outside the courtyard gate, the evening breeze blew gently.

Wang Dong's eyes widened. Feeling the strand of Meridian Opening Realm true qi circulating around Shen Yuan's body, he trembled with excitement.

"It really is the Meridian Opening Realm! The weight on my heart these past days has finally been lifted!"

He had kept watch outside the courtyard day and night, constantly on edge. He feared that Xiao Wuji would send someone to disrupt Shen Yuan's seclusion, and he feared even more that Shen Yuan's breakthrough would fail and his damaged bones would collapse again. Now, seeing Shen Yuan emerge safely from the meditation chamber with a completely transformed aura, the boulder weighing on his heart was finally gone.

Shen Yuan raised his hand, and a strand of silvery-white true qi slowly flowed across his palm. It was gentle and dense, carrying the high-quality traits granted by the Heavenly Stele's hidden enhancement.

"Although I successfully entered the Early Meridian Opening Stage, I still need to stabilize my foundation," Shen Yuan said softly. "The medicinal herbs lacked sufficient potency, and the breakthrough was fraught with danger. The cracks in my bones have only been temporarily filled by true qi, not fully repaired. I cannot recklessly squander my true qi or rely on brute force."

Wang Dong nodded, suppressing his wild joy as his expression turned grave again. "There are only nine days left until the Inner Sect Test through the sword formation. Our greatest problem is still the Azure Cloud Sword Formation. Zhao Kun has been punished with wall-facing confinement, but Xiao Wuji still holds the authority to adjust the sword formation. That is the most troublesome part."

At the mention of the Azure Cloud Sword Formation, Shen Yuan's expression also became solemn.

Elder Zhang had once explained that the Azure Cloud Sword Formation contained seven layers. The flying sword puppets grew stronger layer by layer; the farther one advanced, the more terrifying the swords' speed and destructive power became. Under normal circumstances, it was a trial used to select talented outer sect disciples. But if someone secretly tampered with the formation runes and amplified the killing intent within, it would become a deadly trap.

"How much intelligence have you gathered about the Azure Cloud Sword Formation these past few days?" Shen Yuan asked, turning to Wang Dong.

"I collected quite a few accounts from disciples who challenged the formation in previous years." Wang Dong pulled a rough scroll of draft paper from his robe. It was densely covered in writing. "From the first to the third layers, there are few flying swords and their trajectories are simple. They mainly test movement techniques and evasion. In the fourth and fifth layers, the number of flying swords rises sharply, the formation runes change, and the swords coordinate to encircle their target. Starting from the sixth layer, illusion mist that confuses the mind appears within the formation. The seventh layer is the core of the entire sword formation. Flying swords rain down like a storm, and it is also the layer most easily altered by the disciples on duty."

He handed the paper to Shen Yuan and continued, "There is another crucial piece of news. The inner sect disciples responsible for maintaining and guarding the sword formation this time are led by Xiao Wuji. He has the authority to fine-tune the power thresholds of the formation runes on every layer. On the surface, there are limits set by the elders, but if he secretly raises the seventh layer's power by a small amount, as long as it does not completely lose control, it will be difficult to find evidence of deliberate tampering afterward."

Shen Yuan took the paper, his fingertips brushing over the lines of notes.

Countless fragments of verbal intelligence were recorded on it. But all of it concerned the sword formation in its normal state during previous years. If Xiao Wuji secretly altered the formation, all past experience would become useless.

These fragmented scraps of intelligence are not enough to directly deduce the complete sword formation. Shen Yuan pondered inwardly as his consciousness sank into his sea of consciousness.

The phantom of the Martial Arts Heavenly Stele floated silently there. After the expenditure from his earlier breakthrough, he had 11 Martial Dao Points remaining.

"Heavenly Stele, load all the gathered intelligence fragments on the Azure Cloud Sword Formation and deduce the basic laws of its operation."

[Detected intelligence fragment completeness: 59%. Deducing the basic formation principles will consume 4 Martial Dao Points. Confirm?]

"Confirm."

Four Martial Dao Points were instantly deducted. Remaining Martial Dao Points: 7.

Within the vast white Martial Arts Simulation Space, countless phantom formation runes appeared out of thin air, while innumerable flying sword phantoms darted back and forth. Using the available intelligence as its foundation, the Heavenly Stele repeatedly recreated the changing layers of the Azure Cloud Sword Formation and simulated challenges to the formation again and again.

Only the time it took for one incense stick to burn passed in reality.

Yet within the Martial Arts Simulation Space, Shen Yuan had already entered the sword formation dozens of times.

Flying swords howled as they swept in to kill. Some shot up from the ground, some dove from the sky, and some worked in pairs to block his movements. Again and again, flying sword phantoms pierced through his body. His soul endured the feedback of piercing pain as he repeatedly reviewed the flaws and sought the corresponding routes for evasion and breaking the formation.

[Deduction complete: Most variations of the first through sixth layers of the Azure Cloud Sword Formation in its normal state have been mastered. Warning: Complete parameters for the core formation runes of the seventh layer are missing. If the formation runes are artificially modified, the deduced formation-breaking routes will become invalid.]

Shen Yuan slowly withdrew from the Martial Arts Simulation Space, his brows tightly furrowed.

The greatest flaw lay in the seventh layer.

If Xiao Wuji intended to make a move, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance it would be there.

"Normal deductions can only provide a solution for the original sword formation. But we do not know to what extent Xiao Wuji will alter the seventh layer." Shen Yuan put away the draft paper. "I need several backup plans. If, after entering the seventh layer, I discover that its power has risen abnormally, I must immediately abandon the standard route and find a weak point in the formation core to force a way through."

Wang Dong looked worried. "But even if we know he may act, we cannot produce evidence. During the test, everyone enters the formation alone. The elders outside can only see the overall spiritual glow of the grand formation, not the details inside. Even if you are ambushed within, as long as you make it out alive, it will be hard to prove that Xiao Wuji privately altered the formation runes. If you die in there, it will only be judged as death from failing the trial."

That was Xiao Wuji's viciousness.

He used a sect assessment as a pretext to commit murder in the gaps between the rules, able to advance or retreat as he pleased while leaving almost no trace behind.

"If I cannot catch him openly, then all I can do is keep myself alive inside the formation." Shen Yuan's gaze was firm. "Before the test, I need to simulate as many possible variations of the seventh layer as I can."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, and an outer sect attendant came to call.

"Shen Yuan, the sect has issued an order. In three days, the outstanding disciples from the Outer Sect Assessment will gather at the Azure Cloud Sword Formation Plaza of the inner sect, where the Inner Sect Test will officially begin. Please make your preparations."

After delivering the order, the attendant turned and left.

The date of the test had officially been set.

After seeing the attendant off, Wang Dong turned back to Shen Yuan. "Time is getting tighter. I'll go out again and look for old acquaintances who once dealt with laborers guarding the sword formation. I'll see if I can dig up more hidden details about the formation core of the seventh layer. Every additional clue gives us a little more certainty in the deduction."

"Be extremely careful," Shen Yuan warned. "Xiao Wuji is certainly watching our every move now. Do not directly approach the inner sect area, and be careful to avoid his eyes and ears."

"Understood." Wang Dong tucked away the draft paper and swiftly left the small courtyard.

Only Shen Yuan remained in the courtyard.

He returned to the meditation chamber, sat down cross-legged, and sent his consciousness into the Martial Arts Simulation Space once more.

Since he did not know what Xiao Wuji would turn the seventh layer into, he would create the variables himself.

Shen Yuan issued an order in his mind. "Simulate multiple scenarios in which the seventh-layer formation runes are artificially enhanced, and deduce corresponding breakout routes for each."

Within the Martial Arts Simulation Space, the phantom of the seventh-layer sword formation began continuously changing its power thresholds. The speed, number, and offensive intensity of the flying swords kept increasing.

In some scenarios, the number of flying swords doubled; in others, the flow paths of the formation runes shifted completely.

Shen Yuan entered the dangerous altered sword formations again and again, suffering grievous wounds from the flying swords each time. His soul endured bone-piercing pain as he continuously reviewed the battles and adjusted his tactics.

He did not know how many rounds of life-and-death formation challenges he experienced within the Martial Arts Simulation Space.

In reality, the sky gradually darkened, and night enveloped the small courtyard.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps rang out beyond the courtyard. Wang Dong shoved open the gate and rushed in, his face panicked and his forehead drenched in cold sweat.

"Shen Yuan, something happened. I found out something definite!"