Elder Zhu said calmly, "This is the top-ranked disciple from the Outer Disciple assessment. He has come to comprehend the Sword Tempering Pool."
Hearing this, the Inner Disciples immediately understood.
So he was someone with connections.
They had long known that several Venerable Realm elders' descendants had gone to the outer sect to participate in the assessment. The rewards were generous, and there was also a slot for the Sword Tempering Pool, enough to tempt many descendants of Venerable Realm elders.
This Lin Feng before them was clearly one of those connected people.
At that thought, strange expressions appeared in the eyes of many Inner Disciples.
Lin Feng paid them no mind.
Suddenly, Elder Zhu's voice rang out. "Yang Fan? After all these years, your cultivation has still not progressed?"
Elder Zhu's gaze fell upon a weathered-looking man among the Inner Disciples, whose eyes carried a desolate loneliness, like one who had fallen on hard times.
The reason Elder Zhu remembered him was because Yang Fan had also stood out in the disciple assessment three years ago. His strength had been formidable then, and he had defeated opponents three minor realms above himself, making many elders view him in a new light.
After entering the inner sect, everyone had thought Yang Fan would soar into the heavens in a single bound. Who could have expected his cultivation to make no progress, remaining stuck at the fifth level of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm for so long?
Yang Fan said bitterly, "Yes, Elder..."
Elder Zhu's expression remained indifferent. The Limitless Sacred Land was vast, with countless geniuses. There were simply too many who had displayed brilliance too early, only to collapse after a single setback.
Everyone present looked calm, but Lin Feng alone was inwardly shaken!
His gaze turned toward Yang Fan.
That disciple who had once taken first place in the assessment, only for his cultivation to progress at an extraordinarily slow pace afterward.
Above Yang Fan's head, a golden trait was flashing brightly.
"Desolate Ancient Sacred Body (Golden)! A peerless Holy Body born in the Mythic Era, with surging blood and vitality that suppresses all evil! Once the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body reaches completion, it can contend with a Great Emperor!"
Lin Feng's heart surged.
How could he not know of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body?
Before the man arrived, his blood and vitality arrived first. It was an incomparably terrifying Holy Body. Once awakened, it could be said that it would rarely encounter an enemy within the same realm!
At completion, it could contend with a Great Emperor. What kind of invincibility was that?
No wonder Yang Fan's cultivation had not progressed for so long. So it was because of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body.
After the great changes in heaven and earth, the rules were no longer suited to the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body's cultivation. Cultivating it required an endless sea of resources, and no one would do such a thing.
But Lin Feng was different.
When it came to golden traits, who would ever complain about having too many?
With such a peerless physique as the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body before him, if he did not plunder it, would he not be a fool?
Plunder Trait! Lin Feng thought.
Then, the golden trait [Desolate Ancient Sacred Body] was directly plundered!
In merely an instant, Lin Feng felt his physique change.
His meridians and dantian seemed to transform into a bottomless void!
They needed endless energy to fill them!
The Desolate Ancient Sacred Body was itself a bottomless-pit physique. The cultivation resources it required could be called boundless, but Lin Feng also understood clearly just how terrifying his combat strength within the same realm would become once he cultivated it successfully.
"I hope this Sword Tempering Pool can bring me a greater harvest." A trace of longing appeared in Lin Feng's eyes.
The group had already arrived at the Sword Tempering Pool.
It was a sealed well-like cavern. Looking down into it was like peering into an abyss, with no way of knowing how deep it went.
The opening was extremely wide, stretching for a thousand meters. From afar, it resembled the gaping maw of an abyss.
At this moment, even Elder Zhu wore a reverent expression.
The Sword Tempering Pool had been refined by a Saint Realm sword cultivator of the sacred land.
Thousands upon thousands of Spirit Swords were hidden within it. They had all once been used by that Saint Realm sword cultivator, and every sword carried a trace of Dao essence.
The disciples came here in order to awaken Spirit Swords. The more they awakened, the greater the rewards they would receive after it ended.
A total of thirteen Inner Disciples had come this time. Leading them was a delicate woman in white. Her aura was the strongest, already at the Peak Sea of Reincarnation Realm, only a step away from the Palace of Destiny Realm.
"Awakening ten Tier-One Spirit Swords in the Sword Tempering Pool proves that one's comprehension of the sword is beyond ordinary."
"If one can awaken a hundred Tier-One Spirit Swords, then one is a natural-born swordsman. Not cultivating the sword would be a terrible waste."
"I wonder how many Spirit Swords I can awaken this time?" the woman in white said softly.
Many Inner Disciples behind her immediately began flattering her.
Each remark was sweeter than the last.
From their flattering words, Lin Feng also learned that the woman's name was Song Yiling.
She was an exceptionally powerful Inner Disciple with outstanding talent.
Naturally, Lin Feng did not pay much attention to them. After arriving at the Sword Tempering Pool, he sat cross-legged according to the elder's orders.
The other Inner Disciples also sat cross-legged.
To communicate with the Spirit Swords in the Sword Tempering Pool, one needed to use one's consciousness.
Everyone used their consciousness to attempt communication and awaken the Spirit Swords.
Lin Feng's consciousness was like lightning. It swiftly reached the uppermost part of the cavern entrance, where many Tier-One Spirit Swords hovered along the edges. They looked exceedingly ancient, as though they had endured thousands of years.
Though they were Tier-One Spirit Swords, they had been used by a Saint Realm sword cultivator, so they naturally carried a trace of Dao essence.
Lin Feng quietly released his Three-Layer Sword Intent, while using his heaven-defying comprehension to attempt communication and awakening.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
In an instant, over a hundred Spirit Swords at the top of the cavern entrance began trembling violently!
Many Inner Disciples were slightly startled. What kind of phenomenon was this?
Yet Lin Feng did not awaken them.
"No, these Spirit Swords are too weak. Even if I awaken every last Tier-One Spirit Sword, my final reward will not amount to much!"
"I'll keep going down and take a look!"
After obtaining the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body, Lin Feng knew he needed even more vast resources. The Sword Tempering Pool was a fine opportunity, one that many Inner Disciples eyed with extreme envy!
He had to make good use of it!
His consciousness continued downward, attempting to communicate with Tier-Two and even Tier-Three Spirit Swords!
Lin Feng did not awaken those Spirit Swords, so the phenomenon of hundreds of swords trembling vanished.
Many Inner Disciples frowned slightly, thinking someone's sword comprehension had been invincible enough to awaken so many at once.
A little more time passed.
Buzz! Buzz!
At the uppermost part of the cavern entrance, three Spirit Swords were suddenly awakened and began circling an Inner Disciple!
"Three Spirit Swords! Senior Brother Zhao's comprehension is impressive!"
The disciple surnamed Zhao said nothing. Three Spirit Swords? That was far from his limit.
Then another ten Spirit Swords circled around him!
Joy appeared on Senior Brother Zhao's face!
That made thirteen Spirit Swords in total. Once the comprehension ended, he would still be considered above average among the Inner Disciples!
At this moment, Song Yiling, the woman in white in the distance, suddenly opened her eyes and looked toward the cavern below.
The next instant.
Buzz! Buzz!
Even more Spirit Swords tore through the air, standing upright in the void around Song Yiling!
Forty-seven Spirit Swords!
Delight appeared on Song Yiling's face. Forty-seven Tier-One Spirit Swords!
This was enough to show that both her comprehension and sword talent were quite impressive. Her future growth held great promise.
But while the others were smugly pleased with themselves, Lin Feng's consciousness had already entered a considerably deeper part of the Sword Tempering Pool.
What lay there were Tier-Five Spirit Swords!
Before you continue