Sword Intent Overload, Swordsman Begins

The space on the fifth floor of the Sword Tower was more cramped than the previous four, a circular stone chamber less than ten zhang in diameter. The stone walls were covered in dense, ancient seal-script sword patterns, from which a faint purple Wood Element Sword Intent slowly seeped out, filling the entire space like a tide. The moment he stepped in, Ling Yun felt an invisible weight press down on his shoulders, causing his steps to falter slightly. This weight wasn't physical but directly acted upon his Sword Intent and meridians, as if countless fine needles were squeezing the sword energy within him.

"The core of 'Sword Intent Overload' is to temper the purity of one's Sword Intent under extreme pressure," Elder Sword's voice was grave. "This Wood Element Sword Intent, though seemingly gentle, can penetrate the meridians. If not guided proactively, it will gradually stagnate your sword energy, eventually making it impossible to even hold your sword. Ordinary cultivators would resist with their own Sword Intent, but you can absorb it with your Chaos Sword Body and turn this pressure into an opportunity for breakthrough."

Ling Yun nodded and sat cross-legged in the center of the stone chamber. As soon as he sat down, the faint purple Sword Intent surged into his body through his pores, and his meridians immediately felt a dull ache. The previously smooth-flowing green, brown, and gold sword energy showed signs of stagnation. He immediately activated the "Momentum Absorption" technique from the Qiankun Sword Canon. Chaos Sword Qi spun rapidly in his dantian, forming a suction force that actively drew in the invading Wood Element Sword Intent.

"Buzz—"

The moment the faint purple Sword Intent came into contact with the Chaos Sword Qi, it melted like ice and snow meeting a warm sun, merging into the three-colored sword energy. The stagnant meridians instantly cleared, and the pressure on his shoulders lessened. But just then, the sword patterns on the stone walls suddenly lit up. The seeping Wood Element Sword Intent tripled in intensity, bathing the entire stone chamber in purple light. Ling Yun's sword energy shield instantly caved inward, and a trickle of blood even seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Don't rush to absorb it! First, stabilize your mind with Clear Sword Heart!" Elder Sword hurriedly reminded him. "The pressure will increase in three waves. This is the first wave. If your mind is disturbed, it will be even harder to cope with the subsequent ones!"

Ling Yun took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and activated Clear Sword Heart to its utmost. The purple Sword Intent before him was no longer a chaotic pressure but transformed into countless tiny threads, each carrying the Wood Element's "Endless Vitality" characteristic. They weren't trying to destroy Ling Yun's sword energy but to intertwine with his Sword Intent, testing the precision of his control over it.

"So that's how it is." Ling Yun understood, and instead of blindly forcing absorption with Chaos Sword Qi, he slowed its rotation, allowing the three-colored sword energy to intertwine with the Wood Element Sword Intent thread by thread, slowly merging. Like weaving threads into fabric, the faint purple Sword Intent and the green, brown, and gold intertwined, forming a four-colored sword energy ring within him, circulating with a gentle glow. His previously aching meridians actually became wider under the nourishment of the Wood Element Sword Intent.

Time passed bit by bit, and the second wave of pressure arrived as expected. This time, the Wood Element Sword Intent was no longer threads but transformed into purple needles, piercing directly towards Ling Yun's dantian. He didn't panic. The four-colored sword energy ring spun rapidly, forming a vortex that drew in the needles one by one. With each needle absorbed, the color of the sword energy ring deepened. The Wood Element's vitality was actually repairing the subtle meridian damage left from his previous battles, making the foundation of his Sword Intent even more stable.

"Almost there! One more wave, and you'll break through to the Swordsman realm!" Elder Sword's voice was filled with excitement. "The four-colored Sword Intent within you is already condensed enough, coupled with the Sword Intent Refining Pill, all you need now is a trigger!"

Ling Yun could clearly feel the four-colored sword energy ring in his dantian expanding to its limit, as if it would explode at any moment. Just then, the third wave of pressure descended with a roar. All the sword patterns on the stone walls lit up, and the faint purple Sword Intent transformed into a massive vine phantom, carrying a wild aura, charging towards his dantian.

"Now!" Ling Yun's eyes snapped open. He formed a hand seal, and the four-colored sword energy ring within him instantly disintegrated, transforming into a four-colored sword energy pillar that shot out from his dantian, colliding with the vine phantom. This time, he didn't defend or absorb; he let the two forces collide and merge within his body. The advantage of the Chaos Sword Body erupted completely. The four-colored sword energy and the Wood Element Sword Intent were no longer simply intertwined but truly "assimilated." The vitality of the vine phantom was completely integrated into the sword energy, and the color of the pillar changed from four colors to five, its radiance dazzling.

"Boom!"

The pillar of light broke through the ceiling of the stone chamber. The sword patterns on the stone walls instantly dimmed, and the pressure of the Wood Element Sword Intent completely dissipated. A crisp "crack" echoed from within Ling Yun's body—the sound of the realm barrier between Sword Apprentice and Swordsman shattering. He had finally broken through and officially entered the Swordsman realm!

At this moment, the sword energy within him had condensed into a five-colored Sword Intent Bead, hovering in the center of his dantian. The bead circulated with the light of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth (the previous earth element and the newly added wood element, plus the wind element, adjusted here to the basic five elements for better consistency). Though faint, it was already a nascent form of perfect five-element balance, a realm unattainable by ordinary sword cultivators.

"Swordsman realm! You actually broke through on the fifth floor!" Elder Sword's voice was full of astonishment. "The Chaos Sword Body combined with the Qiankun Sword Canon truly can create miracles!"

A cold mechanical voice echoed in the stone chamber: "Sword Intent Overload trial, passed! Reward: one 'Wood Element Sword Intent Crystal,' one 'Fragment of the Five Elements Sword Manual'!"

A deep purple rhombic crystal and a yellowed fragment fell from the air. Ling Yun reached out and caught them. The crystal felt warm in his hand and instantly merged into his dantian, making the five-colored Sword Intent Bead even more solid. The fragment was inscribed with ancient seal script: "Gold gives birth to water, water gives birth to wood, wood gives birth to fire, fire gives birth to earth, earth gives birth to gold." Beside it was a simplified diagram of five-element sword energy circulation, which was the basic chapter of the Five Elements Sword Manual and would be of great help to him in fusing the five-element Sword Intent later.

He looked up at a corner of the stone chamber. On the stone wall there, as expected, was a sword mark left by Murong Shuang. This sword mark was deeper than those on the previous floors, and faint Wind and Wood Element Sword Intent lingered around it. It was clear that Murong Shuang had also absorbed Wood Element Sword Intent here and had even attempted to fuse the two attributes. Beside the sword mark was a line of small text: "Pressure is not an enemy, but a whetstone for the sword; Sword Intent is not solitary, but the way of symbiosis."

"The way of symbiosis..." Ling Yun murmured softly, gripping the Sky-Rending Sword in his hand. The coarse cloth on the scabbard had completely fallen off, revealing a dark green sword body. The ancient patterns on the sword were clearly visible, circulating with a faint five-colored halo. The Sky-Rending Sword seemed to have awakened new power with his breakthrough to the Swordsman realm. A tiny groove even appeared at the hilt, perfectly sized to hold the previously acquired gold, earth, and wood Sword Intent Crystals.

"The trial on the sixth floor should be 'Sword Intent Clone'," Elder Sword's voice sounded again. "That floor will feature clones that mimic your sword moves, testing your understanding of your own techniques and your ability to break through difficult situations. Since you've just broken through, you can use the clones to familiarize yourself with the newly condensed five-colored Sword Intent."

Ling Yun stood up and stretched his limbs. The five-colored Sword Intent flowed smoothly within him. Every movement was accompanied by a faint sword energy, a world of difference compared to his previous Sword Apprentice realm. He looked at the stairs leading to the sixth floor, where the Sword Intent was even more complex. He could vaguely sense the aura of clones, yet he felt no fear. The Sword Tower Trial was not only a test of strength but also a tempering of the Will of the Sword Dao. With each passing floor, he moved one step closer to his goal of revenge, one step closer to the vast Spirit Realm and Immortal Realm.

"Sixth floor, here I come." Ling Yun tightened his grip on the Sky-Rending Sword. The ancient patterns on the blade lit up, and five-colored sword energy condensed at the sword tip, forming a faint light blade. He stepped onto the stairs, his figure disappearing into the purple Sword Intent, leaving behind only the aura of a newly ascended Swordsman in the stone chamber, mirroring Murong Shuang's sword mark, bearing witness to the growth of two genius sword cultivators.