The "Sword Testing Platform" in the core district was forged from a single block of mystic iron crystal, its surface carved with defensive formation patterns. Though it had endured hundreds of years of assessments, it remained entirely unscathed. At this moment, core disciples and sect elders crowded around the platform. Elder Liu stood at its center, holding the assessment register. His gaze swept over the crowd below before finally settling on Ling Yun. "Ling Yun, your assessment opponent is Guard Li. He is at the early Sword Master Realm and excels in Earth Element Sword Intent and defensive sword techniques. Stop at the right moment."
Before his words had faded, a burly figure leaped onto the platform. Even the mystic iron platform trembled faintly when he landed. Guard Li wore a gray-brown breastplate and held a heavy iron sword. Earth-yellow Sword Intent coiled around him, forming a translucent Stone Wall Guard. The patterns on the shield were as rough as rock, radiating the heavy aura of Immovable as a Mountain. "Kid, the gap between the Sword Master Realm and the Swordsman Realm is not something sword momentum can bridge. If you cannot hold on, call for a stop. I will not hurt you."
Ling Yun gripped the Sky-Rending Sword and slowly stepped onto the platform. The instant he found his footing, a heavy Earth Element sword presence crashed toward him. It was more solid than the Sword Intent Overload on the fifth level of the Sword Tower, as if a small mountain were pressing down upon his shoulders, making his steps sink slightly—this was the core advantage of the Sword Master Realm. Sword Intent could already condense into "presence," creating suppressive domain pressure rather than mere Sword Qi attacks.
"Do not let his sword presence frighten you! Earth Element sword presence may be steady, but there are gaps in its flow. Use Clear Sword Heart to find the flaw!" Sword Elder's voice rang in his mind. "His Stone Wall Guard requires a constant infusion of Sword Intent. With every breath, the shield loosens ever so slightly. That is your opportunity."
Ling Yun nodded and activated Clear Sword Heart. The earth-yellow shield before him instantly became "transparent." He clearly saw that whenever Guard Li inhaled, the flow of Sword Intent around the shield's left shoulder slowed by half a beat. That was precisely the shield's weak point—while Earth Element Sword Intent excelled at defense, it was difficult for it to connect seamlessly during shifts in breathing. This was an inherent flaw of the early Sword Master Realm.
"Begin!" Elder Liu announced loudly.
Guard Li struck first. His iron sword swept sideways, and earth-yellow Sword Qi condensed into a "Rock Cleave" that slashed straight at Ling Yun's chest. The strike appeared fierce, yet it held something back. Clearly, Guard Li intended to test Ling Yun's strength first. Ling Yun did not meet it head-on. His figure slipped aside like drifting wind, while he simultaneously unleashed the "Cloud Coil" sword technique. Pale cyan Sword Qi gathered around Guard Li like clouds, attempting to restrict his movements.
"Useless!" Guard Li coldly snorted. The Earth Element Sword Intent within him surged wildly, and Stone Wall Guard instantly expanded, shattering the cloudlike Sword Qi. "Earth restrains wind. Your wind-element sword techniques are useless against me!"
As he shattered the clouds, Guard Li stepped forward and thrust out his iron sword. Earth Element Sword Qi flowed down the blade and into the ground. Several stone spikes instantly bulged from the platform, shooting up beneath Ling Yun's feet—this was the Earth Spike Technique, an Earth Element sword technique combining offense and defense. It both sealed off evasion routes and launched sudden attacks, making it a common combination technique among Sword Master Realm cultivators.
Ling Yun's pupils contracted slightly. The tip of his left foot touched the ground, and his body drifted five feet backward. At the same time, the Sky-Rending Sword drew a golden-cyan arc—he fused the metal element of the Five Elements Sword Intent, which broke defenses, with the wind element, which granted agility, and unleashed a new composite sword technique: Golden Wind Piercing Spikes. Pale golden Sword Qi wrapped around cyan wind blades like a sharp pair of scissors, severing the incoming stone spikes one by one. Its remaining force did not diminish, instead pressing straight toward Guard Li's Stone Wall Guard.
Clang!
The Sword Qi crashed against the shield, producing a dull metallic impact. Ripples spread across the earth-yellow shield, but it did not break. Yet Ling Yun could clearly sense that the flow of Sword Intent at the shield's left shoulder had fallen into slight disorder—exactly the flaw he had spotted earlier!
"Now!" Seizing that instant of disorder, Ling Yun crazily circulated the Chaos Sword Qi within his body. The Sky-Rending Sword swung again. This time, he fused metal and earth Sword Intent—Gold-Earth Rock-Breaking Slash! The pale gold and light brown Sword Qi no longer pursued speed. Instead, it condensed into a heavy slash that struck precisely at the flaw on the shield's left shoulder.
"Not good!" Guard Li's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly drove all his Sword Intent into reinforcing the shield, but he was still one step too late. The composite Sword Qi was like a chisel, drilling precisely into the shield's flaw. A crack instantly appeared in the earth-yellow shield and rapidly spread. With a crack, the Stone Wall Guard completely collapsed!
The instant the shield shattered, Guard Li felt an unfamiliar Sword Intent enter his body through the iron sword. A faint soreness swelled through his meridians—Ling Yun's Chaos Sword Qi was actually absorbing the Earth Element Sword Intent leaking from him! Shock filled his heart. Just as he tried to retreat, Ling Yun's sword had already stopped before his throat. The tip was less than an inch from his skin. It carried no killing intent, yet it possessed an irresistible suppressive force.
"I... lost." Guard Li gave a bitter smile and sheathed his iron sword. "I never expected a Swordsman Realm cultivator like you to break my Stone Wall Guard and even absorb my Sword Intent... The Chaos Sword Body truly lives up to its reputation."
A wave of shocked cries erupted from below the platform. The core disciples looked at Ling Yun with reverence—defeating a Sword Master Realm cultivator was rare even in the assessment history of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect's core disciples, let alone for a cultivator with "no spiritual roots" like Ling Yun.
Murong Shuang stood among the crowd, a faint smile curling her lips. She had clearly seen that Ling Yun's composite sword techniques not only fused attributes, but also precisely exploited his opponent's flaws. His understanding of the sword path had grown more mature than before, and he now possessed the strength to confront Sword Master Realm cultivators head-on.
"Ling Yun, you have passed the assessment!" Elder Liu announced loudly, his eyes filled with gratification. "You have earned the qualification to enter the Misty Secret Realm. Gather at the sect gate in three days and depart with the core disciple team."
Ling Yun put away the Sky-Rending Sword and bowed to Elder Liu and Guard Li. As he stepped down from the platform, Murong Shuang approached him and handed him a cloth bundle. "Inside are Miasma Avoiding Pills and the Monster Compendium. The Misty Secret Realm is filled with miasma, and there are quite a few high-level demonic beasts. These may help keep you alive."
Ling Yun accepted the cloth bundle. His fingertips touched its lingering warmth, and his heart warmed slightly. "Thank you."
"You need not thank me." Murong Shuang turned away, her black training attire gleaming faintly beneath the sunlight. "I simply do not want you to be eliminated too early in the secret realm. I still want to compete with you for the Dragon Origin Fruit."
Watching Murong Shuang's departing figure, Ling Yun tightened his grip on the cloth bundle. He raised his head toward the sect gate. That was the starting point for the Misty Secret Realm, and also the crucial place where he would break through to the Great Swordsman Realm and awaken Fire-Attribute Sword Intent. Sword Elder's voice sounded in his mind. "The Fire Attribute energy contained within the Dragon Origin Fruit is extremely strong. It can activate the Fire Attribute potential within your Chaos Sword Body. You may also encounter the Ancient Sword Cultivator Ruins in the secret realm. Perhaps you will find more clues regarding the Ling Family's sword manual."
Ling Yun took a deep breath. The Sky-Rending Sword trembled lightly in his hand, as though it too anticipated the challenges within the secret realm. He knew that the coming journey into the Misty Secret Realm would not only be fraught with danger, but also conceal opportunities—only by obtaining the Dragon Origin Fruit and breaking through to the Great Swordsman Realm could he take another step toward revenge, another step toward uncovering the truth behind the Ling Family's Annihilation.
The secret realm journey three days later was destined to be a trial where life and death coexisted with opportunity, and he was already prepared.
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